This article reviews the development of the anthropology of Christianity and considers the new questions and approaches introduced by the articles in this special issue of Current Anthropology. The article first addresses the contested history of the anthropology of Christianity, suggesting that there is intellectual value in seeing it as largely a development of the new century. It goes on to locate the rise of the anthropology of Christianity in relation to a number of important changes both in the place of religion in the world and in the academic study of religion that also occurred during this period. It then considers the foci of the articles collected here. These include such relatively novel topics as the nature of Christian social institutions, social processes, space-making practices, and constructions of gender, as well as questions concerning the boundaries of Christianity. Several articles also focus on considerations of recent developments in the study of long-standing topics in the anthropology of Christianity, such as discontinuity, reflexivity, experience, and materiality. Throughout the discussion of these issues, I take up critical debates around the anthropology of Christianity, for example, the charge that it is wholly idealist in orientation, and consider how these articles contribute to the further development of these discussions.


This paper discusses a fiber-optic sensor based on an end interferometer. It points out that it is important to stabilize the working point of the interferometer in the best position for reliable operation of the sensor. Algorithms are developed for forming a signal that shows how far the actual position of the working point deviates from the optimum point and for stabilizing it in the optimum position. Instrumentation of an adaptive system for controlling the operating regime of the interferometer is proposed, and the results of its experimental study are presented.


The Congruent Interaction Matrix (CIM) model is being formulated to represent knowledge updating and language production. The line of research taken in this paper, is limited to a set of questions restricted to concepts and actions that can be used in modeling human language behavior. The Congruent Interaction Matrix model introduced in this paper proposes virtual structures represented as matrices. The theoretical and practical value of developing this framework and set of algorithms is discussed, in order to create tools useful for modeling human communication interactions. Possible future research studies and applications are suggested. The development of these tools could have implications for human and machine communication analysis and production.


textabstractEvery government is eager to control the increase of expenses by the implementation of central cost
containment policies particularly in relation to pharmaceuticals. For the most part. those measures
have relied on budgeting or price controls. including negotiated prospective budgets for hospitals.
centralized negotiated budgets for ambulatory physicians including drug prescriptions, and limitations
on payments for particular medications. Because those traditional central cost containment measures
were only partially successfuL due to lack of incentives. the health authorities in Europe started to
establish incentives for efficient healthcare delivery. Both traditional and recent containment measures
focus especially on the pharmaceutical drugs sector in many countries. as these constitute a health
technology that is relatively easy to introduce and implement compared to other forms of care.
Financing prescription medicines in ambulatory care has been a central responsibility based on the
traditional clinical trial outcomes (efficacy/safety parameters) used for registration. Although there is
large variety betvveen the various countries. there are three related trends: decentralization of the
healthcare decision-making process. prescription restrictions, and extra data requirements. One can
distinguish various extra data requirements which all relate to the use of the drug in real daily practice.
while the traditional clinical trial outcomes are only derived from randomised clinical trials. At a
central level the demand for cost-effectiveness and budgetary impact data is increasing. The
requirement for health economic data resulted to formal reporting requirements in some countries
already (e.g. Canada, Australia. The Netherlands. UK. Portugal and Finland). Although the most
evident impact of health economic studies is expected to be on central reimbursement audiences.
evidence for the use of health economic studies by other audiences is expected to increase (e.g.
patients, hospitals. insurers. formulary committees). This background information is described in more
detail in Chapter 2. which is the introduction to this thesis.


It is generally acknowledged that child rape constitutes a serious problem in South Africa, with there being evidence to suggest that the incidence of child rape has increased in recent years. However, there have been few systematic attempts to explore the nature and scope of the problem, and no concerted attempt to explore changing patterns of child rape over time. In this context it seemed appropriate to examine patterns of child rape in a large and representative sample of reported cases and to examine secular trends in reporting over a two-year period.
The research was based on a retrospective review of the medical and social work files of 1 496 raped children who were seen at a crisis centre attached to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Phoenix (KwaZulu-Natal) in the period January 2002 to December 2003. For purposes of the study, a child was defined as a person under the age of 18 years and a 'substantiated case' was defined as a case where the results of a medical examination were consistent with the form of abuse reported.
The data indicates a positive correlation between the incidence of rape victimisation and the victim's age, with the highest percentage of victims falling in the 12 to 17 year age category. The modal offender was a person who was known to the child (81% of cases) and most rapes (75%) took place indoors. An analysis of secular trends indicates a consistent increase in the incidence of reported rape over the two-year period (with this increase being largely attributable to increased rates of reporting by children in the 12 to 17 year age category) and a marked increase in the proportion of victims testing positive for HIV/Aids over the two year period (6.5% in 2002, 10% in 2003).


Circum-Arctic glacial ice is melting in an unprecedented mode, and release of currently trapped geological methane may act as a positive feedback on ice-sheet retreat during global warming. Evidence for methane release during the penultimate (Eemian, ca. 125 ka) interglacial, a period with less glacial sea ice and higher temperatures than today, is currently absent. Here, we argue that based on foraminiferal isotope studies on drill holes from offshore Svalbard, Norway, methane leakage occurred upon the abrupt Eurasian ice-sheet wastage during terminations of the last (Weichselian) and penultimate (Saalian) glaciations. Progressive increase of methane emissions seems to be first recorded by depleted benthic foraminiferal δ13C. This is quickly followed by the precipitation of methane-derived authigenic carbonate as overgrowth inside and outside foraminiferal shells, characterized by heavy δ18O and depleted δ13C of both benthic and planktonic foraminifera. The similarities between the events observed over both terminations advocate for a common driver for the episodic release of geological methane stocks. Our favored model is recurrent leakage of shallow gas reservoirs below the gas hydrate stability zone along the margin of western Svalbard that can be reactivated upon initial instability of the grounded, marine-based ice sheets. Analogous to this model, with the current acceleration of the Greenland ice melt, instabilities of existing methane reservoirs below and nearby the ice sheet are likely.


This paper investigates the ways in which literary studies and critical theory can be used to provide writers with productive creative models for representing 'real spaces': that is, the incorporation of real locations within a creative work. Many new creative writing students begin with the premise 'write what you know', but often overlook the implications of including the names of real places in their work—whether it be Paris, Paddington Station or Prahran. The paper argues that the examination of existing creative work allows writers to understand the practical and the political ramifications of this activity. The paper will outline the literary research I undertook as I prepared to write creative work based on my experiences of travelling in international cities. My research uncovered two models used by writers to use real spaces in texts. First, writers may use identifiably real locations to confirm the validity of a fictional world: when a writer places a fictional plot in a 'real' place, it becomes instantly more plausible. Such writers draw upon Barthes' notion of 'the reality effect': the use of actual—but seemingly inconspicuous—places and objects that declare to a reader that the fictional world and our own reality are identical (Barthes 1986, 148). I will explore this strategy through a close reading of Agatha Christie's 4.50 from Paddington. Second, and more complex, writers may use real spaces to expose or challenge representational power structures: a writer might make a correlation between a real space and a discursive position and, in doing so, allow readers to engage with both a plausible world and an ideological agenda. Such writing builds on de Certeau's conception of mapping as 'strategic' control over meaning, as well as space (de Certeau 1984, 30). I will examine the ways Toni Morrison negotiates the power structures of New York in her text Jazz. Through this analysis, I aim to demonstrate the beneficial interaction that can take place between literary studies and creative writing. Writing students who engage in an exploration of both the practical and the theoretical impulses of existing texts may be able to recognise such impulses in their own writing, and thus reflect more productively on the cultural and social implications of Creative Writing in general.


While assessment is key in every field of learning, how it is accomplished determines the outcome. The early childhood grades present a challenge as children are young and of different abilities. There isn't a standard way early childhood programs are required to measure assessment and many programs use varied assessment approaches. Thus, information on if teachers do actually collect data and how they use that data is lacking in assessment research of early childhood programs. This study investigated how early childhood teachers approached assessment and how they used that assessment. Seven early childhood teachers were interviewed that used the TS GOLD assessment. Common and varied themes are identified in teacher data collection processes, data organization/interpretation and lesson planning and instructional use practices. Importance of assessment planning, knowledge of assessment tools, and use of assessment systems are discussed as areas of possible training and professional development.


Abstract In the first year of his presidency, Donald Trump rolled out principled realism as the organizing concept of his foreign policy. But does principled realism have any analytical merit as the underlying precept of Trump's foreign policy. This paper explores the Trump administration's use of 'principled realism', its contemporary context and its historical antecedents in American history. It finds that Trump uses it an empty slogan despite the essential tension it embodies in American foreign policy between the normative values and national interests. Instead, 'sovereignty' is a superior organizing principle of Trump's foreign policy. In particular, this paper identifies a form of populist sovereignty that is discernible in his public statements throughout 2018. Populist sovereignty is the most distinctive feature of Trump's foreign policy thinking. It is a doctrine of political action and government priorities that is consonant with his political instincts and that has deep roots in American political culture. Ultimately, populist sovereignty is a much more analytically useful lens through which to understand the foreign policy of Donald Trump.


An expedition to Maatsuyker Island was made in February 1971; geography, vegetation and avifauna were recorded. The native fauna is undisturbed because exotic animals have not been introduced and man has not seriously interfered with the Island's ecology. The land avifauna is probably the same as when Maatsuyker was first isolated from the mainland. Some expected species are missing, which allows speculation to be made on the history of avifauna in Tasmania's older habitats.


Critiques of nostalgia, typically from the left, tend to dismiss nostalgic criticism as reactionary and therefore uncritical. By focusing on explicit articulations of nostalgia, such critiques neglect the extent to which they themselves draw on nostalgic resources. Although recent scholarship on nostalgia in the sciences and the humanities has begun to question this long-standing belief in its inherent conservatism, we are still far from appreciating the spectrum of nostalgia ' s critical valences. Thus, while critical theory ' s affinities with melancholy and negative passions like despair have been widely recognised, few scholars have paused over its nostalgic roots. How, then, can we understand nostalgia not as an ideological position or cultural mood, but as an affective-reflective impulse behind philosophical and socio-theoretical critique? How can we write an intellectual history of nostalgia — and, more specifically, of the developmental relationship between it and critical reflection on history, culture, and society—beyond simply cataloguing moments of 'nostalgic thinking' and relying on psychology or neuroscience in identifying it? My pape r considers the 'critical function' of nostalgia in the modern period by outlining nostalgia's role in the formation and animation of critical standards, hence, in the development and movement of critique. I conclude by briefly reflecting on the problems this raises for conceptual framing and methodology.


Background Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage is present in ageing tissues, and may promote loss of tissue function. However whether mtDNA damage or mitochondrial dysfunction is either present in the ageing vasculature or contributes to vascular ageing is unknown. Objective To determine the time course of functional and structural changes in normal arterial ageing in mice, the effect of vessel ageing on mitochondrial function, and whether decreased or increased mtDNA damage delays or promotes vascular ageing respectively. Methods and Results Wild-type (WT) C57Bl/6 mice were studied at 8, 22, 44 and 72 wk of age by ultrasound imaging and intra-arterial blood pressure measurements using single and dual pressure catheters to provide a range of functional parameters of arterial ageing. Vascular ageing was detected in WT mice between 22-44wk of age, with reduced carotid arterial compliance and distensibility and increased &noentity; stiffness index (&noentity;SI), and increased aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) (all p<0.05). No additional changes were noted between 44-72wk. Aortic collagen content and elastin breaks also increased by 57% and 4-fold respectively (both p<0.05) between 22-44wk. Similarly, mtDNA copy number assessed by quantitative PCR decreased significantly between 22-44wk (p<0.05) and mitochondrial respiration assessed by a Seahorse flux analyser decreased by 25% (p<0.05). To determine the effects of mtDNA damage, we studied arterial ageing in mice that overexpressed the mitochondrial helicase Twinkle (Tw+), or with a mutation in the proof-reading ability of the mitochondrial polymerase gamma (PolG). Twinkle expression restored mtDNA copy number with concurrent improvement in mitochondrial respiration. Twinkle expression delayed all physiological parameters of vascular ageing, associated with decreased collagen and elastin breaks (p<0.05). In contrast, PolG mice with increased mtDNA damage showed accelerated vascular ageing compared to controls (p<0.05). Conclusions We have identified multiple, reproducible parameters of arterial ageing in mice that are detected at far earlier time points than previously described; in particular, compliance, distensibility and &noentity;SI at 44wk provide the earliest discrimination. Arterial mitochondrial function reduces markedly with age, and accelerates vascular ageing, whereas augmenting mitochondrial function delays ageing, identifying prevention of mtDNA damage and dysfunction as a therapeutic target in ageing.


Of particular interest in the present economic environment is whether access to credit is changing peoples' indebtedness over time, particularly as they approach retirement. This project analyzes older individuals' debt, debt management practices, and financial fragility using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). Specifically, we examine three different cohorts (individuals age 56–61) in different time periods, 1992, 2002 and 2008, in the HRS to evaluate cross-cohort changes in debt over time. We also draw on recent data from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) which provides detailed information on how families manage their debt. Our goal is to assess how wealth and debt among older persons has evolved over time, along with the potential consequences for retirement security. We find that more recent cohorts have taken on more debt and face more financial insecurity, mostly due to having purchased more expensive homes with smaller down payments. In addition, Baby Boomers are more likely to have engaged in expensive borrowing practices. Factors associated with better debt outcomes include having higher income, more education, and greater financial literacy; those associated with financial fragility include having more children and experiencing unexpected large income declines. Thus, shocks do play a role in the accumulation of debt close to retirement. But it is not enough to have resources, people also need the capacity to manage those resources if they are to stay out of debt as they head into retirement.


The Response-to-Intervention (RTI) approach, tracks a student's progress and response to a given intervention (or series of interventions) that are designed to improve academic, social, behavioral, or emotional needs progress. RTI models have been closely scrutinized, researched, and reported in the past few years, and they are increasingly looked to as the foundation of future (and more and more as the present) of school psychology practice in schools. What is still lacking in the midst of a recent slew of handbooks, research studies, revised assessment scales and tests, and best-practices suggestions is a truly practical guidebook for actually implementing an RTI model. This book will fill this need.Following the structure and plan for our "School-Based Practice in Action Series", authors Matt Burns and Kim Gibbons present a clear and concise guide for implementing a school-wide RTI model, from assessment and decision-making to Tiers I, II, and III interventions. As with other volumes in the series, a companion CD will include a wealth of examples of forms, checklists, reports, and progress monitoring materials for the practitioner.


The aim of this thesis was to investigate how physiological and environmental factors affect surfing performance. Studies were performed that assessed the effect of anthropometric and physiological characteristics of surfers on rank and ability, the effect of creatine supplementation on surfing performance and the effect of wave size, wave period and the ability of surfers on physiological and performance indices of surfing. Study one investigated the effect of the anthropometric variables on rank and rating of ability. This was measured across a sample of 79 surfers ranging from intermediate to professional surfers. Significant correlations were found for endomorphy (r = -0.366, P <0.01), sum of six skinfolds (r = -0.274, P <0.05), Body fat percentage (r = -0.268, P <0.01) and mesomorphy (r = 0.442, P <0.01). Findings suggest that levels of adiposity and muscularity might influence the potential for progression between intermediate and professional level surfing performance. Study two investigated the effect of physiological variables on the national ranking of 18 elite male junior surfers using assessments of maximal oxygen uptake, lower body explosive power, upper body power, agility, and balance. Partial correlations were used to account for the influence of age within the sample and a significant correlation was found between power output at (rp = -0.879, P <0.01). Findings suggest that power output at is an important factor for achieving competitive success in high performance junior surfers. Study three investigated the effect of short term (20g.day-1 for 5 days) creatine supplementation on body composition, repeated upper body anaerobic power and competition performance was assessed in 17 club level surfers. Testing comprised assessment of body mass and total body water using bioelectrical impedance analysis, a repeated upper body Wingate based on time motion analysis of competitive surfing. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA found no significant effects of supplementation on laboratory measures of anaerobic power or competitive performance. The fourth study investigated the effects of changes in wave conditions on physiological response and performance parameters of surfing. This was assessed using 39 surfers who participated in 60 surfing sessions where wave conditions were recorded and performance was measured using GPS. The study found that wave height was significantly related to energy expenditure (rp =-0.351, P <0.05), maximum ride speed (rp = 0.866, P <0.01), the standard deviation of maximum ride speeds (rp = 0.654, P <0.01), mean ride time (rp = 0.354, P <0.01), maximum ride time (rp = -0.296, P <0.05), the standard deviation of the ride times expenditure (rp = -0.344, P <0.01), mean ride distance (rp = 0.398, P <0.01), maximum ride time (rp = 0.318, P <0.05), minimum ride distance (rp = 0.268, P <0.05), standard deviation of the ride distances (rp = -0.362, P <0.01), percentage of total distance riding (rp = 0.310, P <0.05), percentage of time spent waiting (rp = -0.272, P = 0.05), percentage of total time spent riding (rp = 0.396, P < 0.01), percentage of total time in miscellaneous activities (rp = 0.471, P <0.01), total distance riding (rp = 0.310, P =0.05), total distance per hour (rp = 0.427, P <0.01). Wave period was found to be significantly related to average heart rate as a percentage of maximum (rp = 0.490, P <0.01), the percentage of time spent in the "easy" training zone (rp = -0.408, P <0.01), maximum ride speed (rp = 0.371, P <0.01), mean ride time (rp = 0.283, P <0.05), maximum ride distance (rp = 0.279, P <0.05), and the standard deviation of the ride distances (rp = 0.325, P <0.05). The ability levels of the surfers were found to be significantly related to average heart rate as a percentage of maximum (rp = -0.412, P <0.01), percentage of time in the "steady" zone (rp = 0.435, P <0.01), percentage of time in the "intermittent" zone (rp = 0.483, P <0.01), maximum ride speed (rp = 0.454, P <0.01), mean ride distance (rp = 0.392, P <0.05), standard deviation of the ride distances (rp = 0.264, P <0.05), percentage of the total distance riding(rp = 0.267, P <0.05), percentage of time paddling (rp = 0.364, P <0.05), percentage of time in miscellaneous activities (rp = -0.299, P <0.05), total distance riding (rp = 0.267, P <0.05) and average speed (rp = 0.428, P <0.01). This thesis has found that ability in surfing is related to anthropometric and physiological measures, creatine supplementation improves peak anaerobic power but does not significantly improve surfing performance in club level surfers and that wave conditions and the skill levels of surfers are significantly related to the physiological and performance parameters of surfing.


This paper deals with the development of loading protocols appropriate for cyclic testing in regions of low to moderate seismicity in Europe. To serve this goal, cumulative damage demands imposed by a set of 60 ground motion records, representative of a European moderate seismicity region for the 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years seismic hazard level, on a wide variety of SDOF systems are evaluated. To meet the calculated cumulative damage demands, several loading protocols are developed for different structural types, vibration periods and level of reliability (medians or 84 percentiles). Protocol comparisons reveal that the proposed loading protocols for the median estimates of cycle amplitudes are significantly less demanding than existing protocols. Consequently, they can result in more cost-effective structural configurations in European regions of low to moderate seismicity.


This commentary article discusses the recent trends and changes in popularity of telehealth usage as well as the most recent efforts to redefine telehealth value and usability. Six strategies to improve the patient experience and increase telehealth acceptance by overcoming simultaneous barriers are presented, which include (1) creating a new healthcare paradigm using telehealth, (2) scheduling the telehealth visit, (3) preparing for the telehealth visit, (4) conducting the telehealth visit, (5) using data and biomarkers, and (6) providing digital equity. With the application of these strategies, we believe that the recent decline in the popularity of telehealth can be reversed.


HIV/AIDS has been described as one of the deadliest epidemics of our lifetime. With the global efforts to scale down the effect of this disease through innovative programs, scientific researches and medical advancement, little success has been recorded in least developed nations. Nigeria is still one of the nations that is yet to achieve huge success in the fight against HIV/AIDS and meet Millennium Development Goal on HIV. Arguably, government needs to intensify more efforts in searching for factors that increase the prevalence of the disease. To further understand the epidemic, this thesis is designed to study and answer research questions that are related to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The research paper evaluated the relationship between prevalence of HIV/AIDS, economy, education, population and healthcare; carefully articulated the government strategies on HIV/AIDS and economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The data from the research are from secondary sources, which were obtained from various Nigerian government websites, journals, international and local organization websites. Regression analysis statistic tool was used to determine the relationship between the dependent variables and independent variables. The outcome of the research work stated otherwise on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. It is fascinating that none of the suggested anticipated variables shows a significant relationship with prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Although, this cannot be fully understood without further researches, this is the most interesting finding of the results. In conclusion, the research recommended a combination of holistic and comprehensive measures.


Rhythmic variability in the vocal music of four European nations was examined, using the nPVI measure (normalized pairwise variability index). It was predicted that English and German songs would show higher nPVI than French and Italian ones, mirroring the differences between these nations in speech rhythm, and in accord with previous studies of instrumental music. Surprisingly, there was no evidence of this pattern, and some evidence of the opposite pattern: nPVI is higher in French and Italian vocal music than in English and German vocal music. This casts doubt on the theory that the differences in instrumental rhythm between these nations are due to differences in speech rhythm.


Intercomparisons of coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) and carbon cycle models are important for galvanizing our current scientific knowledge to project future climate. Interpreting such intercomparisons faces major challenges, not least because different models have been forced with different sets of forcing agents. Here, we show how an emulation approach with MAGICC6 can address such problems. In a companion paper (Meinshausen et al., 2011a), we show how the lower complexity carbon cycle-climate model MAGICC6 can be calibrated to emulate, with considerable accuracy, globally aggregated characteristics of these more complex models. Building on that, we examine here the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project's Phase 3 results (CMIP3). If forcing agents missed by individual AOGCMs in CMIP3 are considered, this reduces ensemble average temperature change from pre-industrial times to 2100 under SRES A1B by 0.4 °C. Differences in the results from the 1980 to 1999 base period (as reported in IPCC AR4) to 2100 are negligible, however, although there are some differences in the trajectories over the 21st century. In a second part of this study, we consider the new RCP scenarios that are to be investigated under the forthcoming CMIP5 intercomparison for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. For the highest scenario, RCP8.5, relative to pre-industrial levels, we project a median warming of around 4.6 °C by 2100 and more than 7 °C by 2300. For the lowest RCP scenario, RCP3-PD, the corresponding warming is around 1.5 °C by 2100, decreasing to around 1.1 °C by 2300 based on our AOGCM and carbon cycle model emulations. Implied cumulative CO 2 emissions over the 21st century for RCP8.5 and RCP3-PD are 1881 GtC (1697 to 2034 GtC, 80% uncertainty range) and 381 GtC (334 to 488 GtC), when prescribing CO 2 concentrations and accounting for uncertainty in the carbon cycle. Lastly, we assess the reasons why a previous MAGICC version (4.2) used in IPCC AR4 gave roughly 10% larger warmings over the 21st century compared to the CMIP3 average. We find that forcing differences and the use of slightly too high climate sensitivities inferred from idealized high-forcing runs were the major reasons for this difference.


Tardigrades are known as one of the most radiation tolerant animals on Earth, and several studies on tolerance in adult tardigrades have been published. In contrast, very few studies on radiation tolerance of embryonic stages have been reported. Here we report a study on tolerance to gamma irradiation in eggs of the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer. Irradiation of eggs collected directly from a natural substrate (moss) showed a clear dose-response, with a steep decline in hatchability at doses up to 0.4 kGy followed by a relatively constant hatchability around 25% up to 2 kGy, and a decline to ca. 5% at 4 kGy above which no eggs hatched. Analysis of the time required for eggs to hatch after irradiation (residual development time) showed that hatching of eggs after exposure to high doses of gamma radiation was associated with short residual development time. Since short residual development time means that the egg was irradiated at a late developmental stage, this suggests that eggs were more tolerant to radiation late in development. This was also confirmed in another experiment in which stage of development at irradiation was controlled. No eggs irradiated at the early developmental stage hatched, and only one egg at middle stage hatched, while eggs irradiated in the late stage hatched at a rate indistinguishable from controls. This suggests that the eggs are more sensitive to radiation in the early stages of development, or that tolerance to radiation is acquired only late in development, shortly before the eggs hatch, hypotheses that are not mutually exclusive. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering specific cell cycle phases and developmental stages in studies of tolerance to radiation in tardigrades, and the potential importance of embryonic studies in revealing the mechanisms behind the radiation tolerance of tardigrades and other cryptobiotic animals.


Existing image segmentation networks mainly leverage large-scale labeled datasets to attain high accuracy. However, labeling medical images is very expensive since it requires sophisticated expert knowledge. Thus, it is more desirable to employ only a few labeled data in pursuing high segmentation performance. In this paper, we develop a data augmentation method for one-shot brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image segmentation which exploits only one labeled MRI image (named atlas) and a few unlabeled images. In particular, we propose to learn the probability distributions of deformations (including shapes and intensities) of different unlabeled MRI images with respect to the atlas via 3D variational autoencoders (VAEs). In this manner, our method is able to exploit the learned distributions of image deformations to generate new authentic brain MRI images, and the number of generated samples will be sufficient to train a deep segmentation network. Furthermore, we introduce a new standard segmentation benchmark to evaluate the generalization performance of a segmentation network through a cross-dataset setting (collected from different sources). Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art one-shot medical segmentation methods. Our code has been released at https://github.com/dyh127/Modeling-the-Probabilistic-Distribution-of-Unlabeled-Data.


In an exploratory investigation, groups of undergraduate early- childhood-education candidates completed an end-of-term project, called the cooperative assessment portfolio, in a junior-level educational assessment course. This assignment served three complementary functions for participants: (1) designing varied classroom assessment items (task work), (2) building interpersonal skills (team work), and (3) integrating task with team work. Overall, student performance on the assignment indicated assessment proficiency as applied to simulated classroom practice. Students' surveyed perceptions toward completing the assignment pointed to its effectiveness in facilitating mastery of academic content while encouraging productive group interaction. Discussion centers on social constructivism and concludes with future research implications.


The French tuba was a much-needed addition to the brasswind musical instrument family, adding depth, projection and a unique color to French orchestral literature. Its ancestors the serpent and ophicleide both lacked the tonal stability and sonic power to adequately present the bass wind role in a robust orchestra. Through the efforts of its developer and patent-holder Adolphe Sax, the French tuba made converts among players and composers, effectively creating its own niche in music history. Musical tastes change however, and the French tuba has been largely supplanted by tubists using instruments twice its size. Since French composers composed specifically with the distinct timbre of the French tuba in mind, this unique and characteristic musical entity deserves a resurgence in performances of French orchestral repertoire.


Antibiotic use in the community for humans and animals is high in Vietnam, driven by easy access to over-the counter medicines and poor understanding of the role of antibiotics. This has contributed to antibiotic resistance levels that are amongst the highest in the world. To address this problem, we developed a participatory learning and action (PLA) intervention. Here we describe challenges and lessons learned while developing and testing this intervention in preparation for a large-scale One Health trial in northern Vietnam. We tested the PLA approach using community-led photography, and then reflected on how this approach worked in practice. We reviewed and discussed implementation documentation and developed and refined themes. Five main themes were identified related to challenges and lessons learned: understanding the local context, stakeholder relationship development, participant recruitment, building trust and motivation, and engagement with the topic of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Partnerships with national and local authorities provided an important foundation for building relationships with communities, and enhanced visibility and credibility of activities. Partnership development required managing relationships, clarifying roles, and accommodating different management styles. When recruiting participants, we had to balance preferences for top-down and bottom-up approaches. Building trust and motivation took time and was challenged by limited study team presence in the community. Open discussions around expectations and appropriate incentives were re-visited throughout the process. Financial incentives provided initial motivation to participate, while less tangible benefits like collective knowledge, social connections, desire to help the community, and new skills, sustained longer-term motivation. Lack of awareness and perceived importance of the problem of AMR, affected initial motivation. Developing mutual understanding through use of common and simplified language helped when discussing the complexities of this topic. A sense of ownership emerged as the study progressed and participants understood more about AMR, how it related to their own concerns, and incorporated their own ideas into activities. PLA can be a powerful way of stimulating community action and bringing people together to tackle a common problem. Understanding the nuances of local power structures, and allowing time for stakeholder relationship development and consensus-building are important considerations when designing engagement projects.


In our natural products screening program for mosquitoes, we tested essential oils extracted from different plant parts of Magnolia grandiflora L. for their insecticidal and biting deterrent activities against Aedes aegypti. Biting deterrence of seeds essential oil with biting deterrence index value of 0.89 was similar to N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). All the other oils were active above the solvent control but the activity was significantly lower than DEET. Based on GC-MS analysis, three pure compounds that were only present in the essential oil of seed were further investigated to identify the compounds responsible for biting deterrent activity. 1-Decanol with PNB value of 0.8 was similar to DEET (PNB = 0.8), whereas 1-octanol with PNB value of 0.64 showed biting deterrence lower than 1-decanol and DEET. The activity of 1-heptanol with PNB value of 0.36 was similar to the negative control. Since 1-decanol, which was 3.3% of the seed essential oil, showed biting deterrence similar to DEET as a pure compound, this compound might be responsible for the activity of this oil. In in vitro A & K bioassay, 1-decanol with MED value of 6.25 showed higher repellency than DEET (MED = 12.5). Essential oils of immature and mature fruit showed high toxicity whereas leaf, flower, and seeds essential oils gave only 20%, 0%, and 50% mortality, respectively, at the highest dose of 125 ppm. 1-Decanol with LC50 of 4.8 ppm was the most toxic compound.


We consider the problem of learning to act in partially observable, continuous-state-and-action worlds where we have abstract prior knowledge about the structure of the optimal policy in the form of a distribution over policies. Using ideas from planning-as-inference reductions and Bayesian unsupervised learning, we cast Markov Chain Monte Carlo as a stochastic, hill-climbing policy search algorithm. Importantly, this algorithm's search bias is directly tied to the prior and its MCMC proposal kernels, which means we can draw on the full Bayesian toolbox to express the search bias, including nonparametric priors and structured, recursive processes like grammars over action sequences. Furthermore, we can reason about uncertainty in the search bias itself by constructing a hierarchical prior and reasoning about latent variables that determine the abstract structure of the policy. This yields an adaptive search algorithm--our algorithm learns to learn a structured policy efficiently. We show how inference over the latent variables in these policy priors enables intra- and intertask transfer of abstract knowledge. We demonstrate the flexibility of this approach by learning meta search biases, by constructing a nonparametric finite state controller to model memory, by discovering motor primitives using a simple grammar over primitive actions, and by combining all three.


Abstract Background Studies have shown a reduced uptake of contraceptive methods in HIV-positive women of childbearing age, mainly because of unmet needs that may be a result of poor promotion of available methods of contraception, especially long-term and permanent methods (LTPM). Aim To compare the uptake of contraceptive methods, and particularly LTPM, by HIV-positive and HIV-negative post-partum mothers, and to assess the effects of counselling on contraceptive choices. Setting Three government district hospitals in Swaziland. Methods Interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire, before and after counselling HIV-negative and HIV-positive post-partum women in LTPM use, unintended pregnancy rates, future fertility and reasons for contraceptive choices. Results A total of 711 women, of whom half were HIV-positive, participated in the study. Most (72.3% HIV-negative and 84% HIV-positive) were on modern methods of contraception, with the majority using 2-monthly and 3-monthly injectables. Intended use of any contraceptive increased to 99% after counselling. LTPM use was 7.0% in HIV-negative mothers and 15.3% in HIV-positive mothers before counselling, compared with 41.3% and 42.4% in HIV-negative and HIV-positive mothers, respectively, after counselling. Pregnancy intentions and counselling on future fertility were significantly associated with current use of contraception, whilst current LTPM use and level of education were significantly associated with LTPM post-counselling. Conclusion Counselling on all methods including LTPM reduced unmet needs in contraception in HIV-positive and HIV-negative mothers and could improve contraceptive uptake and reduce unintended pregnancies. Health workers do not always remember to include LTPM when they counsel clients, which could result in a low uptake of these methods. Further experimental studies should be conducted to validate these results.


Research has revealed that racial or ethnic minorities historically drown at higher rates than the general population. Current research still has not identified or exposed fully the risk factors experienced by these groups that account for this disparity. By employing a review of the literature approach typical of the methods used in the humanities, the present article identifies many of the factors that explain this difference (e.g., age, sex, location, access, supervision, swimming lessons, and communication) and suggests future research that would help to illuminate the detailed circumstances that account for this ethnic gap in drowning rates (e.g., drowning -related research that takes race and ethnicity into account more consistently).


Chile and Colombia are two prosperous economies among the main FDI recipients in Latin America. Both countries underwent structural reforms that favored the entrance of transnational corporations and liberalized the economies. Considering that FDI flows have been largely resource-seeking and market-seeking it seems that the main driver of FDI in these two countries, besides their resource endowment, is economic growth. The document explores the hypothesis of growth-driven FDI carrying out cointegration and Granger causality tests at aggregate and sector levels. After the introduction, Chapters 2 and 3 present the evolution of world FDI flows and a literature review. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the policy framework in Latin America and the evolution of FDI in Chile and Colombia. Finally, Chapter 6 presents the estimations and Chapter 7 the conclusions. The findings of the analysis suggest a long-term relationship between FDI and growth and validate the hypothesis of growth-driven FDI at the macroeconomic level. However, at the sector level the existence of a long run cause-effect relationship cannot be established in most of the cases. Regarding the direction of Granger causality at this level results are heterogeneous across sectors. The main conclusion of the thesis is that economic growth does Granger cause FDI at the aggregate level, but at the sector level the causal linkage seems not to be direct. (author's abstract)


The aesthetic appeal and thermal capacity of ferritic stainless steels, together with the combination of good mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance, makes them ideal for exposed composite slabs using profiled decks. Cold-formed members are very slender, with a high resistance-to-weight ratio, so they are highly sensitive to buckling phenomena and the behaviour of these elements is very complex.
Although the use of composite floor slabs with carbon steel sheeting is well established, a study into the structural performance of composite slabs using ferritic stainless steel decking is required due to the complex nonlinear behaviour of stainless steels, which is very different to carbon steel. This paper presents some tests characterizing the resistance of a deck profile which is approximately 60mm in depth in the construction stage.
Six simply supported tests (undergoing positive and negative bending moment) have been conducted for the determination of the flexural resistance of the decks, as part of a major European project looking at ferritic stainless steel in structural applications. These results are compared with some similar previous tests on galvanized carbon steel decks. The resistance of a continuous sheet over two or more spans under combinations of moment and shear loads at the internal supports is assessed by performing three continuous decking tests. Internal support tests have also been conducted to analyse the bending moment-support reaction for different spans and finally, some end support tests have been carried out to characterize the outer support reaction resistance of the decks.
All the experimental results have been compared with the predicted ultimate loads in Standards, showing that expressions proposed in EN 1993-1-3 for carbon steel are, in general, applicable to ferritic stainless steel, although some changes may be introduced in order to get more accurate results and make ferritic stainless steel a competitive option in construction.


Contract research organization (CRO) outsourcing has become a critical strategy for multinational biopharmaceutical companies looking to reduce costs, time-to-market and expanding their pipelines as blockbuster patents expire. Much of the growth in the CRO industry is coming from emerging markets, such as China and India. China's CRO industry began in 1996 and is still relatively young and fragmented. However, it is growing quickly at an annual rate of 30%. Global CRO giants such as Quintiles, PPD, Covance, Parexel and ICON have invested in facilities in China and some Chinese CROs have grown to become global players. This paper will provide a detailed analysis on CROs in China, including the characterization of companies and services provided, recent IPO/M&A deal activity, trends in the sector, and intellectual property and regulatory issues to consider. Readers will be able to obtain a clear picture of China's CRO landscape. This paper should serve as a guide for companies considering outsourcing R&D to China and investors looking for opportunities in China's CRO industry. Â


Only very recently our community has acknowledged that the benefit of structural health monitoring can be properly quantified using the concept of value of information (VoI). The VoI is the difference between the utilities of operating the structure with and without the monitoring system. Typically, it is assumed that there is one decision-maker for all decisions, that is, deciding on both the investment on the monitoring system and the operation of the structure. The aim of this work is to formalize a rational method for quantifying the value of information when two different actors are involved in the decision chain: the manager, who makes decisions regarding the structure, based on monitoring data; and the owner, who chooses whether to install the monitoring system or not, before having access to these data. The two decision-makers, even if both rational and exposed to the same background information, may still act differently because of their different appetites for risk. To illustrate how this framework works, we evaluate a hypothetical VoI for the Streicker Bridge, a pedestrian bridge in Princeton University campus equipped with a fiber optic sensing system, assuming that two fictional characters, Malcolm and Ophelia, are involved: Malcolm is the manager who decides whether to keep the bridge open or close it following to an incident; Ophelia is the owner who decides whether to invest on a monitoring system to help Malcolm making the right decision. We demonstrate that when manager and owner are two different individuals, the benefit of monitoring could be greater or smaller than when all the decisions are made by the same individual. Under appropriate conditions, the monitoring VoI could even be negative, meaning that the owner is willing to pay to prevent the manager to use the monitoring system.


Purpose
Late in 2019, massive protest demonstrations rocked both Chile and Colombia. They were an expression of discontent with the economic model and social policies implemented in both countries in recent decades. The purpose of this study is to investigate how Chilean and Colombian news websites framed these social protests and what aspects of the social movements promoted these media to public opinion.

Design/methodology/approach
The methodology of this research is empirical; the authors use quantitative and discourse analysis techniques to study the news published by the top three most visited main news websites in each country and deduce the main frameworks emerging from them. After analyzing the framing of reality by media in 4,252 news items, the authors suggest that the main news portals in these Latin American countries not only portrayed the collective actions but also promoted interpretations that did not necessarily reflect the demands of the demonstrations.

Findings
The findings were that in the 2019 protests in Chile and Colombia, the media approach to collective action was not necessarily positive for the activists. This was mainly because framing in the Chilean and Colombian websites had to do with negative aspects of the movements, such as violence or economic costs.

Originality/value
The originality and value of this research is that despite the fact that there are abundant case studies on the relationship between social movements and media framing in the literature, this study adds to the current knowledge because it compares two Latin American countries and focuses on Web news portals.


In the literature many definitions of megacities and mega-regions are proposed (Urena et al., 2009; Pagliara et al., 2011). For example, Hall (2009) defines a mega city region as a ?series of cities physically separated but functionally networked clustered around one or more larger central cities and are connected with dense flows of people and information using important transport infrastructures?. Transport infrastructures and services are fundamental either for the emergence or the proper functioning of mega cities and regions. High Speed Rail systems are definitely today considered as important infrastructures. By impacting strongly on accessibility patterns, they have revolutionized users? life style together with their mobility behavior thanks to their power of shrinking spaces and shaping places. This contribution is based on the recognition that commuting flows are not enough to justify the formation of a megacity or a mega-region. Even if they can contribute to it, they do not justify the development of a megapolis. A theoretical model should be specified in order to explain the mechanisms through which metro areas integrate into mega-regions and to understand what is the real role of HSR systems as a variable of this model. This paper attempts to fill this gap, present in the literature, and identify some European corridors having high potential for mega-region formation as supported by High Speed Rail. Examples can be found in France, in Spain and in Italy as well. To achieve this objective, this paper will rely on a thorough literature review aimed at the identification of the possible causal relations between changes in accessibility induced by HSR and the emergence of megacities and megaregions. Moreover a first attempt of specifying the model is proposed. Indeed regression models are defined, where the dependent variables are described in terms of commuting flows, travel time and travel cost of the competing transport modes between metro areas, variables connected with HSR, i.e. comfort, speed, low environmental impact, etc. will be considered as well. Other factors influencing the formation of megacities and megaregions will be introduced and tested. Among them economic variables like the number of jobs, the GDP, etc. Further perspectives should consider that this construct should be tested and synthesized in mathematical terms and then calibrated with the collection of real data.


The Box-Cox quantile regression model using the two stage method introduced by Chamberlain (1994) and Buchinsky (1995) provides an attractive extension of linear quantile regression techniques. However, a major numerical problem exists when implementing this method which has not been addressed so far in the literature. We suggest a simple solution modifying the estimator slightly. This modification is easy to implement. The modified estimator is still [square root] n-consistent and its asymptotic distribution can easily be derived. A simulation study confirms that the modified estimator works well.


The paper describes an algorithm for solving nonlinear programming problems of fairly general type, in particular nonconvex problems that can be convexified via augmented Lagrarlgian functions. The algorithm consists of two phases. In the first phase, a point in a rather large neighborhood of an optimal solution is crudely but effectively estimated by a shifted-increased penalty function algorithm. In the second phase, a saddle point of an augmented Lagrangian function and thus an optimal solution together with corresponding Lagrange multipliers are found by a rapidly convergent method of successive quadratic approximations. The switch between these two phases is adaptive. According to the existing experience in nonlinear programming algorithms, the proposed algorithm combines the best local effectiveness of a quadratic approximation method with the global robustness of a penalty method; due to the convexifying properties of augmented Lagrangian functions, the algorithm can solve nonconvex problems which satisfy second-order sufficient conditions of optimality at the solution.

For the sake of a clear presentation, a short review of some basic facts in the theory of Lagrangian functions, quadratic approximations, penalty functions and augmented Lagrangian functions is given in the first part of the paper. Then the quadratic approximations for augmented Lagrangeans are discussed in detail, in particular, in the case when these functions are not twice differentiable which corresponds to the lack of strict complementarity at the optimal solution. The double-phase algorithm is presented and commented upon. The proofs of convergence of the algorithm are given.


The Employee Free Choice Act was one of the most highly publicized issues during the 2008 presidential election. This proposed legislation, if enacted, would profoundly change current labor law in the United States. The legislation consists of three sections that represent an overall policy of facilitating union organizing, and by consequence, collective bargaining. The three sections provide for streamlined union certification, guaranteed first contracts for newly certified unions, and increased penalties for employer misconduct during the process. Given the current sentiment in the United States toward unions, CEOs, and the prevailing economic uncertainty, there is no shortage of opinions on this proposed legislation. Consequently, an analysis of the legislation with special consideration of potential unintended impacts is in order.


The Cenomanian to Turonian boundary transition (ca. 95–93 Ma) represents one of the most profound global perturbations in the carbon cycle of the past 140 m.y. This interval is characterized by widespread deposition of organic-rich fine-grained sediment marked by a globally recognized positive carbon isotope excursion (CIE) reflecting the widespread removal of 12 C-enriched organic matter in marine sediments under global anoxic greenhouse conditions. However, the exact timing and trigger of this inferred global phenomenon, termed Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2), is still debated, with recent studies showing diachroneity between the deposition of the organic-rich sediment and the CIE, and conflicting interpretations on detailed redox analyses in several of these inferred anoxic settings. Here we present the first evidence for widespread and persistent oxygenation during OAE-2 based primarily on the distribution of redox-sensitive trace metals and biota preserved in sedimentary rocks from the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Our data indicate anoxic-euxinic conditions in the mid- to late Cenomanian, but improved bottom-water oxygenation prior to and during the CIE. Trace metal enrichments support large volumes of mafic volcanism possibly from the High Arctic large igneous province (HALIP), which occur within the middle of the CIE indicating that the emplacement of LIPs was not the primary trigger of the Cenomanian-Turonian CIE. The apparent paradox of an oxygenated phase within OAE-2 suggests a much more complex carbon cycle during these global perturbations than previously thought. These findings have important implications for greenhouse carbon cycle changes over time scales of 0.1–10 m.y.


The paper aims to investigate the role of networks in the growth processes of family firms. The study adds to two main stream of literature, drawing together theoretical developments from the family firm realm and networking theory, to investigate the ways in which these structures and processes interact to facilitate and inhibit entrepreneurial growth. The paper also draws on international field data, thus adding to our knowledge of the context-specific nature of entrepreneurial growth processes, family firms, and networking. Growth strategies for many of the family firms studied tended to be driven by resources available within the family-firm nexus. Market and technology evaluations took place through quite formal, professional mechanisms in many cases. The usage of weak-ties, which has come to be seen of diminished importance for non-family entrepreneurs, appeared more significant for family-firm growth.


Virtual characters have become crucial to many interactive 3D graphical virtual environment simulations in the context of virtual reality and computer games. One of the primary concerns of the designers of such environments is to model the interaction of the virtual characters with the users. The gaze of the virtual character forms a chief component of this interaction. When the gaze of the virtual character is directed correctly towards the users, they perceive a sense of presence inside the virtual environment, during their interactions with the virtual character. We present, in this paper, a simple idea to control the gaze of a virtual character based on the viewpoint of the user involved in the interaction, suitable both for Virtual Reality as well as Augmented Reality applications. We also place the idea in the context of methods to control gaze that already exist in literature by providing a summary of the existing works.


Background : A whey protein hydrolysate (NatraBoost XR; WPHNB) has been shown to speed repair muscle damage. We sought to determine whether this benefit is specific to this hydrolysate to evaluate a marker for quality control. Methods : Three hydrolysates of the same whey protein isolate (WPI) were prepared (WPHNB, WPH1 and WPH2). Isometric knee extensor strength was measured in 39 sedentary male participants before and after 100 maximal eccentric contractions of the knee extensors to induce muscle damage. Participants were then randomised to consume 250 ml of flavoured water (FW, n=9), or 250 ml of FW containing 25 g of either NatraBoost XR (n=3), WPH1 (n=9), WPH2 (n=9) or WPI (n=9). Strength was reassessed over the next seven days while the supplements were consumed daily. Fibroblasts were cultured for 48 hr in the presence of the different hydrolysates, WPI, saline or fetal bovine serum to ascertain effects on cell proliferation. Results : Strength was reduced in all treatment groups after eccentric exercise (P<0.001). Strength recovered steadily over 7 days in the FW, WPI, WPH1 and WPH2 treatment groups (P<0.001), with no difference between treatments (P=0.87). WPHNB promoted faster strength recovery compared with the other treatments (P<0.001). Fibroblast proliferation was greater with WPHNB compared with saline, WPI or the other hydrolysates (P<0.001). Conclusions : Promoting recovery from muscle damage seems unique to WPHNB. In vitro fibroblast proliferation may be a useful marker for quality control. It is not clear whether effects on fibroblast proliferation contribute to the in vivo effect of WPHNB on muscle damage. Keywords : tissue repair, fibroblast proliferation, strength recovery, whey protein


The basic building blocks in molecular electronics often correspond to conjugated molecules. A compound class consisting of rigid rod-like staffane molecules with the heavier Group 14 elements Si, Ge, Sn and Pb at their bridgehead positions has now been investigated. Herein these oligomers are called heavy-core or Si-, Ge-, Sn- or Pb-core staffanes. These compounds benefit from interaction through their bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane monomer units. Quantum chemical calculations were performed to probe their geometries, stabilities and electronic properties associated with conjugation. The stabilities of the bicyclo[n.n.n]alkane and [n.n.n]propellanes (1 ≤ n ≤ 3) with C, Si, Ge and Sn at the bridgehead positions were studied by calculation of homodesmotic ring strain energies. The bicyclic compounds with n = 1 and Si, Ge or Sn at bridgehead positions have lower strain than the all-carbon compound. A gradually higher polarizability exaltation is found as the bridgehead element is changed from C to Si, Ge, Sn or Pb. The ratio between longitudinal and average polarizability also increases gradually as Group 14 is descended, consistent with enhanced conjugation in the heavier oligomers. The localization of polarons in C-, Si- and Sn-core staffane radical cations was calculated along with internal reorganization energies. The polaron is less localized in Si- and Sn-core than in C-core staffane radical cation. The reorganization energies are also lower for the heavier staffanes, facilitating hole mobility when compared to the C-core staffanes. The effect of the bicyclic structure on the low valence excitations in the UV-spectra of compounds with two connected disilyl segments was also investigated. MS-CASPT2 calculations of 1,4-disilyl- and 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-disilabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes and 1,4-disilyl- and 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-disilabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes revealed that although the bicyclic cage separates the two disilyl chromophores, there is a strong red-shift of the lowest valence excitations when compared to an isolated disilane.


Urban sensing, participatory sensing, and user activity recognition can provide rich contextual information for mobile applications such as social networking and location-based services. However, continuously capturing this contextual information on mobile devices consumes huge amount of energy. In this paper, we present a novel design framework for an Energy Efficient Mobile Sensing System (EEMSS). EEMSS uses hierarchical sensor management strategy to recognize user states as well as to detect state transitions. By powering only a minimum set of sensors and using appropriate sensor duty cycles EEMSS significantly improves device battery life. We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of EEMSS that automatically recognizes a set of users' daily activities in real time using sensors on an off-the-shelf high-end smart phone. Evaluation of EEMSS with 10 users over one week shows that our approach increases the device battery life by more than 75% while maintaining both high accuracy and low latency in identifying transitions between end-user activities.


Steel reinforced concrete members with small shear span-to-effective depth ratios (a/d), such as corbels; have many classical applications, mostly in tall building, precast structures, factory buildings, bridges, and foundations. Despite extended research works on the performance of such members, little information is available on the performance of these members when reinforced totally with internal fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. The use of FRP bars in reinforcing concrete members would eliminate corrosion problems thus increasing the service life of the structure. This thesis aims at investigating the shear strength of double-sided concrete corbels reinforced with glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The study comprises of testing twelve double-sided concrete corbel specimens. The test parameters include the shear span-to-effective depth ratio (a/d), GFRP reinforcement ratio, and concrete compressive strength. The study also includes an analytical investigation to predict the strength of the corbels using the strut-and-tie modelling (STM) technique. Development of arch action was confirmed by the formation of the main diagonal shear cracks and the typical crushing mode of failure of the concrete in diagonal compression struts formed between the main diagonal cracks. The tested GFRP-reinforced corbel specimens failed due to crushing in concrete in the diagonal compression strut in seven specimens. In addition, two specimens failed by flexural crushing of the concrete, another two specimens failed by splitting of the concrete, and one specimen showed simultaneous failures by flexural crushing and diagonal strut concrete crushing. Increasing the GFRP reinforcement ratio increased the shear strengths of the tested specimens with the exclusion of those that exhibited splitting failure mode. Increasing the concrete strength from 20 MPa (C20) to 40 MPa (C40) viii increased the shear strength of specimens with a/d ratio of 1.0, except those with GFRP reinforcement ratio of 6 ρb (where ρb is the balanced reinforcement ratio), and decreased the shear strength of specimens with a/d ratio of 1.5. The strut and tie model utilized in this study is based on the Canadian Code CSA-S806-12 which assumes that the concrete struts fail in crushing of the concrete. However, specimens with concrete C20 and a/d=1.5 experienced flexural crushing of the concrete while specimens with concrete C40 and high GFRP reinforcement ratio of 6 ρb experienced concrete splitting failure in the diagonal strut. The STM technique slightly overestimated the shear capacity of specimens with same concrete strength (C40) and reinforcement ratio (6 ρb) but with different a/d ratios (1.0 and 1.5) in comparison with the corresponding experimentally obtained results. Nevertheless, conservative predictions of the shear capacity of the rest of specimens were estimated by the STM. The predicted STM shear strengths displayed comparable values with those in the literature. However, when compared with the experimental test results, the STM gave better shear strength predictions for GFRP reinforced specimens with concrete C40 and GFRP reinforcement ratio of 6 ρb than those obtained from the literature.


Cytosine DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic mark present in many eukaryotic organisms. Although DNA methylation likely has a conserved role in gene silencing, the levels and patterns of DNA methylation appear to vary drastically among different organisms. Here we used shotgun genomic bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) to compare DNA methylation in eight diverse plant and animal genomes. We found that patterns of methylation are very similar in flowering plants with methylated cytosines detected in all sequence contexts, whereas CG methylation predominates in animals. Vertebrates have methylation throughout the genome except for CpG islands. Gene body methylation is conserved with clear preference for exons in most organisms. Furthermore, genes appear to be the major target of methylation in Ciona and honey bee. Among the eight organisms, the green alga Chlamydomonas has the most unusual pattern of methylation, having non-CG methylation enriched in exons of genes rather than in repeats and transposons. In addition, the Dnmt1 cofactor Uhrf1 has a conserved function in maintaining CG methylation in both transposons and gene bodies in the mouse, Arabidopsis, and zebrafish genomes.


We present highly time-resolved HST FOS UV spectroscopy of the nova-like binary V795 Her. Several key results emerge. For the first time we find a strong 2.6-h signature in the variability of the UV lines. The HST data reveal no evidence of a 4.8-h 'period', in contrast to our previous IUE observations. This, and differences in the spectral line characteristics, suggests that HST found the system in a different state from earlier IUE observations. The C IV line alone contains a fairly stable, asymmetric, extended blueward absorption trough which we associate with a wind outflow. The 2.6-h variations of the line profiles are largely confined to an interval of about 0.4 in phase and to the velocity regime −1500 < v < 0 km s−1, the changes being dominated by the apparent decline and re-emergence of a blueshifted emission peak. The complex profiles permit many empirical interpretations, but the simplest attributes the variability to a narrow (FWHM∼1000 km s−1) emission component which is always blueshifted with a mean velocity of around –600 km s−1. This interpretation, however, is not readily related to any obvious source within the binary. An alternative picture, which attempts to relate the UV and (simultaneously observed) optical line behaviour, invokes a more stable, broad (FWHM∼2000 km s−1) emission feature, the intrinsic morphology of which is disguised by superposed constant and variable absorption components. One tentative physical explanation of such a decomposition involves an accretion stream that overflows the accretion disc. However, several problems with this model remain to be resolved. We also draw attention to similarities between the velocity-restricted behaviour in the UV lines of V795 Her and that in the optical lines of T Tauri stars. This might indicate a connection between V795 Her and the magnetically influenced inflow/outflow characteristics associated with the central star in T Tauri systems. If such a connection were eventually demonstrated, it would reopen the question of whether the 2.6-h period in V795 Her is really the binary period and whether the system is in fact related to the intermediate polars.


Discriminators who have limited tolerance for helping dissimilar others are necessary for the evolution of costly cooperation in a one-shot Prisoner's Dilemma. Existing research reports that trust in societies decreases when agents copy markers and tolerance from more successful others. Global cooperation is possible only in highly homogenized societies. Emergent cooperative societies are not robust against mutant defectors with tolerably similar markers. Our simulation experiments compare one society where each agent has immutable binary tags at the same dimension ('caste society') to the other where such markers are distributed across different dimensions ('modern society'). In both societies, the majority of population display strong parochialism. However, cooperation is significantly stable in modern societies although members are more tolerant than those in caste societies. Modern societies are characterized by loosely coupled small-sized groups with different cultural markers. In terms of efficiency, they achieve higher levels of cooperation than do societies where agents change markers rapidly before defectors attack cooperative clusters.


As part of an increasing scientisation of political processes, epistemic communities have been identified as a unique category of social actors, who exclusively rely on their knowledge resources to shape the preferences of decision-makers. Whereas most authors expect that an expert-driven policy process facilitates the implementation of technically complex policies, critical scholars hint to an evolving technocracy, whose scientific dogmatism may end up in policies that aggravate social problems. In this paper, these countervailing assumptions are empirically assessed for the epistemic community on biodiversity and its role in Brazil and India. At least in this case, it seems that the impact experts' influence depends on the configuration of the policy arena. If experts are institutionally compelled to debate their positions with potential critics, the members of an epistemic community seem to engage in a rather deliberative discourse that widens the policy space for all stakeholders involved. Under the conditions of an elitist closure, however, policy experts seem to adapt to the preferences of the most powerful actors but refrain from any critical self-reflection that might seriously challenge their own convictions.


This chapter interweaves the author9s personal journey, which begins in the deserts of Arabia, with a reconstruction of the beginnings of the Semitic peoples and the etymologic origins of the words for aromatics and spices . It also describes the properties and uses of frankincense. The book from which this chapter is taken—the author9s Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey (University of California Press, 2014)—is the first to relate the spice trade to culinary and ecological imperialism and to demonstrate the indelible mark that Semitic peoples had in managing the spice trade not only in Eurasia, Africa, and Arabia but in the Americas and Caribbean as well. It demonstrates that globalization did not begin in 1492, as recently argued by several scholars, but grew out of intercontinental spice trading practices, principles, and ethics over 3,500 years. Sephardic Jews and Muslim Arabs, Berbers and Persians, all played a disproportionately large role in setting the ground rules for globalization. Phoenicians, Nabateans, Arabized Jews, Sogdians, and Minaeans prehistorically played similar roles in its earliest development. A unique aspect of the book is the linguistic tracking of recipes and terms for spices to reveal routes of cultural diffusion worldwide. The text is accompanied by recipes the author has gathered during his travels, as well as a "cabinet" of profiles describing the history and characteristics of many of the world9s most popular and sought-after spices.


Ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs) are commonly seen in daily clinical practice. They are largely asymptomatic but can cause upsetting symptoms in some patients. In normal hearts, their occurrence is usually associated with no clinical significance. However, there are occasions where the presence of VEBs signifies a susceptibility towards more sinister arrhythmias, especially when heart disease is present. In some patients, VEBs are triggered by the same mechanism that gives rise to ventricular tachycardia which can be cured with catheter ablation. In addition, there are recent reports on the use of catheter ablation in cases where focal ventricular ectopics are found to trigger ventricular fibrillation. Appropriate clinical evaluation and investigations are important in assessing patients with VEBs so that effective treatment can be targeted when necessary. This article discusses the current knowledge and practice in this commonly encountered clinical cardiological problem.

The first recorded description of intermittent perturbations interrupting the regular pulse, that could be consistent with VEBs, was from the early Chinese physician Pien Ts'Io, around 600 BC, who was the master in pulse palpation and diagnosis.1 He noted that these irregularities did not interfere with normal lifespan when they were occasional but an ominous prognosis was implied if they were frequent. This was shown to be so in more recent times where patients who have had a myocardial infarct were more prone to sudden death if they had frequent ventricular ectopics. Lown and colleagues2 proposed a classification and grading of ventricular ectopics based on their frequency and complexity. This triggered the widely accepted dogma that increasing "severity" of ventricular ectopic activity was directly related to the risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias and considerable effort had been spent in developing and employing antiarrhythmic drugs to suppress ectopics in the 1960s and '70s. This was set to change.

VEBs …


To date, drinking water quality monitoring frequently relies on a threshold-based approach coupled with occasional manual sampling for reference analysis and as evidence for legal requirements concerning the water quality. However, the increased availability of online measurements provides a good basis for an adaptive approach to high-resolution monitoring of water quality. In this case study, patterns in water quality of limestone springs were identified using multivariate analysis and artificial neural networks. Self-organizing maps were used to calculate system states based on six online parameters (spring discharge, turbidity, pH, el. conductivity and spectral absorption at 254 nm). A non-linear Sammon projection highlighted the relationship between the different system states, rendering a basis for the quantification of change occurring during the observation period in December 2015 - January 2016. The multivariate approach highlighted different phases during an event based on the relative location in a scatter plot and on the xy distance between two system states based on consecutive measurements. As this approach does not require the definition of thresholds and considers actual changes in system state, it is applicable to complex systems and adaptive management strategies.


In cloud computing, data placement is a critical operation performed as part of workflow management and aims to find the best physical machine to place the data. It has direct impact on performance, cost and execution time of workflows. Number of data placement algorithms is designed in cloud computing environment that aimed to improve various factors affecting the workflows and their execution including the movement of data among data centers. This paper provides a complete survey and analyses of existing data placement schemes proposed in literature for cloud computing. Further, it classifies data placement schemes based on their assess capabilities and objectives. Further objectives and properties of data placement schemes are compared. Finally future research directions are provided with concluding remarks.


This ethnographic study examined literacy practices and their meanings among migrant Muslim Filipino families. Data collection involved participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and collection of texts and artifacts related to reading in homes for a period of three months. Participants for this study were three Maranao families who lived at the Islamic Center and migrated from Lanao del Sur. Ethnographic data revealed that migrant Filipino families have varied literacy practices and that socio-cultural factors such as ethnic background, age, and gender influenced the literacy practices of these families. It was also discovered that the meaning of literacy was determined by the following factors: ethnic identity, social role of language, and the dichotomy of domestic and literacy chores. Based on the above findings, the following are recommended: 1) for teacher education to include in its agenda opportunities for discussion regarding students' ideas and beliefs about literacy; 2) to consider families' socio-cultural context in designing curriculum; and 3) to do further research on the affective aspect of literacy and effect of migration on literacy practices.


The study presents an investigation of the relationships between hydromorphological features and land use in two medium-sized Italian Alpine catchments. The South European River Habitat Survey (SE_RHS) method was applied in the collection of hydromorphological data. Five different spatial scales ranging from catchment to site scale were considered for the quantification of land use. Separate Principal Component Analyses for grouped data sets were run on hydromorphological variables related to different spatial scales and the type of information provided. The analyses demonstrated that the most important gradients are related to channel stability. Unstable river reaches, characterized by a significant presence of unvegetated bars, were predominantly related to natural land use. On the contrary, more stable river reaches, characterized by the presence of vegetated bars, were found to be related to anthropogenic land use. High turbulence flow types appeared to be associated with urban and industrial land use. The climate scenario predicts a general increase in temperature, a slight decrease in precipitation, a more dynamic discharge regime and an increase in extreme events, all of which may produce considerable modifications to present agricultural and river management practices. A conceptual model based on the situation observed in the studied catchments is presented, that can be used to infer possible land use changes, during climate variation, in areas adjacent to rivers.


In this article we will discuss the challenges involved in presenting the looting of archaeological sites and the illicit trade in cultural property to the interested public. We will contrast our experiences of building two popular illicit antiquities-focused blogs (Things You Can't Take Back and Anonymous Swiss Collector) with the process of developing an informative academic website on the same topic (Trafficking Culture). We will discuss our motivations for starting these blogs, our struggles with the tone of the popular discourse on this topic, and our inability to escape our own emotions; why we have moved away from illicit antiquities blogging in the past year and why we are coming back. Finally, having learned from our mistakes, we will make recommendations to others wishing to engage with the public about sensitive issues via social media.


We present the "Cartoon Animation Filter", a simple filter that takes an arbitrary input motion signal and modulates it in such a way that the output motion is more "alive" or "animated". The filter adds a smoothed, inverted, and (sometimes) time shifted version of the second derivative (the acceleration) of the signal back into the original signal. Almost all parameters of the filter are automated. The user only needs to set the desired strength of the filter. The beauty of the animation filter lies in its simplicity and generality. We apply the filter to motions ranging from hand drawn trajectories, to simple animations within PowerPoint presentations, to motion captured DOF curves, to video segmentation results. Experimental results show that the filtered motion exhibits anticipation, follow-through, exaggeration and squash-and-stretch effects which are not present in the original input motion data.


Introduction: Formalin is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. Because of its germicidal efficacy it is widely used as a preservative for human cadaver in the anatomy laboratory. Acute exposure to formaldehyde results in irritation and burning of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, upper respiratory tract, depression, headache, nausea, coughing, irritation and burns to the skin and eye. Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of formalin toxicity among preclinical-I medical students in Adigrat University, Northern Ethiopia. Methodology: The study was conducted in anatomy laboratory, Adigrat University, Northern Ethiopia, which is located 894 Km from the capital Addis Ababa. Cross sectional study design was utilized for this study. It was carried out on 96 preclinical-I medical students who were routinely exposed to formalin during cadaver dissection. Result: In this study highest investigation was responded as unpleasant smell which accounts for 84.4% students followed by tingling sensation of the nose that is 78.1%. Effect of formalin on burning /watering of eye 67.7% and tiredness/dizziness 65.6% were also higher. Moreover, the data was showed that the effects of formalin accounts 17.7%, 16.7% and 6.25%, for abdominal pain, vomiting and fainting episodes, respectively. Conclusion: Anatomists, technicians and medical students who get regularly exposure to formalin at the dissection hall are at risk of formalin toxicity. Exposure to formalin vapour causes eye, nose, throat, and skin problems to the medical students. Therefore, this study reveals that the concerned bodies should take care of the side effects of formalin exposure.


In the Coptic Martyrdom of St. Shenoufe and his Brethren there is an insertion of a short episode relating the faustic search for knowledge of a Pagan priest from Hermopolis. Being in danger of being tortured by demons the priest invoces Jesus Christ and is thus saved. In this paper the Coptic story is compared with religious and literary texts from the Pagan Egyptian tradition. Pagan Egyptian culture is usually regarded as encouraging the human pursuit of knowledge of the superhuman. Here to the contrary, it is argued that there are two different positions in the traditional literature: one advocates human endeavor to seek divine knowledge while the other is critical about just that endeavor. The divide between those two viewpoints coincides with the divide beetween religious texts and secular literature. Thus the Coptic episode can be demonstrated to stand in the tradition of Pagan Egyptian stories about magicians and their adventures. Though in its present form it clearly has a missionary intention, the story itself as well as its 'anti-faustian' tendency need not be a Christian invention.


The study of interactive features of language has been a very productive source of insights into written discourse in recent years, revealing the ways that writers engage with readers to successfully persuade them of a particular viewpoint in a range of different genres and contexts. While a variety of approaches have illuminated our understanding of these features, the concept of interactional metadiscourse has been particularly valuable in revealing how writers project themselves into their discourse to signal their understandings of their material and their audience. In this paper we draw on Hyland's (2005a) model of metadiscourse to explore some of the ways that interaction contributes to the success of two journalistic genres: popular science and opinion articles. Examining 200 popular science and 200 opinion texts, we show that despite the broadly similar audience and sources of these genres, authors structure their interactions very differently, contributing to the rhetorical distinctiveness of these genres. The paper not only offers a detailed account of interactional metadiscourse in these genres, but illustrates how interpersonal connections are accomplished for particular persuasive purposes in everyday public texts.


Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies in the Media. Isabel Molina-Guzman. New York: New York University Press, 2010. 256 pp. $70 hbk $22 pbk. Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes: The Making and Meanings of Film and TV Stardom. Mary C. Beltran. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009. 222 pp. $65 hbk. $25 pbk. Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes: The Making and Meanings of Film and TV Stardom and Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies in the Media join other recent books about Chicano, Hispanic, and Latino issues and contribute to research about class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation in different but important ways. These books by Mary C. Beltran and Isabel Molina-Guzman, as well as others - including Latina Teens, Migration, and Popular Culture by Lucila Vargas (Peter Lang 2009) and Latino/a Communication Studies, edited by Angharad N. Valdivia (Peter Lang 2008) - represent a continuing interest in the portrayal of people of color in global popular culture. Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes and Dangerous Curves, which complement and reinforce each other, belong side by side on the bookshelves of media scholars committed to making sense of proliferating images of "Latinidad" in the United States and abroad. Marketed primarily to those interested in women of color and popular culture, both of these books are organized around the Uves and careers of individual entertainment and news celebrities. They deal primarily with American texts and audiences, but refer often to international issues, and both inform and advocate for social change. Although the titles might indicate otherwise, the authors refer to both female and male icons. In each of their works, both Beltran and Molina-Guzman employ aesthetic, cultural, historical, sociological, and textual criticism. Both books include extensive analysis of the Ufe and career of actress and entertainer Jennifer Lopez, and Dangerous Curves addresses the media representation of sexual orientation in discussions about Lopez, America Ferrera (the star of Ugly Betty), and the 2002 film Frida. Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes is divided into seven chapters that feature Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio, who became a star during the sUent film era; Desi Arnaz, actor, musician, and television producer best known for starring in 7 Love Lucy (1950-1957) with his wife LucUle Ball; and Puerto Rican performer Rita Moreno, who was celebrated for her film roles during the 1950s and 1960s. Freddie Prinze, the Puerto Rican and German-Hungarian actor who played Francisco (Chico) Rodriguez in Chico and the Man (19741978), is the focus of this chapter. Also featured in subsequent chapters include Edward James Olmos, star of Stand and Deliver (1988) and other 1980s films; Jennifer Lopez, who has starred in films as diverse as Selena (1997), The Wedding Planner (2001), and Angel Eyes (2001); and Jessica Alba and other recent examples of "racial hybridity" in contemporary film and television. Because the book covers developments from the 1920s to the present, it necessarily reUes upon summary and broad brush strokes. The encyclopedic nature of the study suggests that numerous celebrities may be omitted and that discussion of themes may be secondary to the development of a timeUne. For example, the popularity of figures such as Antonio Banderas, Benjamin Bratt, Penelope Cruz, Benicio del Toro, Salma Hayek and Jimmy Smits may ecUpse that of other stars featured in each chapter; although these and other significant figures surface in the study, the author does not analyze their impact on cultural attitudes. It might be that consideration of their Uves and careers would either reinforce Beltran' s arguments or lead to different conclusions. Some opinions in Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes would benefit from further support. Examples include claims that Jennifer Lopez's relationship with entertainer Marc Anthony "has appeared ... of less interest" to American audiences than her marriage to Ben Affleck; that "backlash" against Lopez and Affleck resulted in some of their projects "faring poorly," and that Alba "notably has had many doors open to her that are still not available to other Latinas, in large part because of her offwhite appearance and image. …


In 1978 and 1979 a large number of US children were fed chloride-deficient soy-based infant formula. A representative sample of such children was identified in a southern county through a mailing to the homes of 3639 first- and second-grade children in the public schools. Of the 2329 (64%) who responded, 56 reported use of deficient formula and were invited to have developmental testing by one of four study psychologists at their school. Of the 310 users of other soy formulas, 112 were selected for testing as matched controls on the basis of their sex, feeding history, age, birth weight, and socioeconomic status (as indicated by school attended). After exclusions and refusals, 42 children who used deficient formula and 66 control children were tested using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. Examiners were unaware of the child's history of formula use. The mean General Cognitive Index was 102.8 in those using deficient formula and 105.4 in controls. After adjustment for demographic differences the children who used chloride-deficient formula were found to average 4.9 points less than the controls (P = .04, 1-tailed). The largest difference was in the Quantitative subscale (P = .005). These data show a statistically significant although small effect of chloride-deficient formula on the long-term developmental outcome of exposed children; however, further study of these results is needed for full confirmation.


The last comprehensive review of the fossil vertebrates from the Miocene of Calvert Cliffs was published more than 100 years ago. This volume is a collection of papers that updates some of the geological features of Calvert Cliffs and provides reviews of the fossil biota that include representatives from the following taxonomic groups: chondrichthyans (chimaeras, shark, skates, and rays), actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes), crocodilians (crocodiles), and sirenians (sea cows). Peter Vogt, Ralph E. Eshelman, and Stephen J. Godfrey document how the 20–40 m [65–130 ft] high Calvert Cliffs along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay continue to yield insights into 18–8 mya (Miocene) geology, marine and terrestrial vertebrate fauna, and the origin and evolution of Chesapeake Bay and Calvert Cliffs up to the present. These exposures rank high among the best-known fossiliferous deposits of any age. Bretton W. Kent describes the cartilaginous fish (the chondrichthyan) fauna, consisting of 54 species—3 chimaeras (ratfishes), 39 sharks, and 12 skates and rays—a fauna rich in large macrophagous sharks and large neritic rays. In an addendum to Kent's chapter, he and David J. Ward describe a new species of giant thresher shark with serrated teeth. Giorgio Carnevale and Stephen J. Godfrey present an account of the 38 actinopterygian taxa known from osteological remains and a diverse otolith assemblage of at least 55 taxa. These actinopterygians show an affinity for well-oxygenated muddy and sandy substrates dominated primarily by shallow-water species characteristic of the inner shelf and secondarily by epipelagic taxa. Robert E. Weems details the crocodilians referable to the tomistomine Thecachampsa. The closest living relative is Tomistoma schlegelii, the false gharial of Southeast Asia. Two species are present: Thecachampsa sericodon and T. antiquus. These tomistomines are found in shallow marine coastal deposits, indicating that they inhabited coastal waters. Daryl P. Domning reports that fossils of the Miocene marine fauna include rare sirenians of the family Dugongidae. Three taxa are known: the halitheriine dugongid Metaxytherium crataegense, the dugongine dugongid Nanosiren sp., and another dugongine, aff. Corystosiren. The St. Marys Formation contains remains that may be referable to Metaxytherium floridanum, but confirmation awaits the discovery of more complete specimens.


Meccanomics explores the growing middle class in the Muslim world and their propensity to consume, and assert conservative values. Nasr uses evidence of significant progress in commerce and freedom that have been made in the Islamic world, and ties that progress to an emerging Muslim middle class that is more interested in stability and trade than war and religion.
The book comprises of ten chapters. Each chapter introduces the reader to an emerging middle class that is developing the economic clout that is essential for inevitable liberalisation.


Beautiful and independent, Arabella has been brought up in rural seclusion by her widowed father. Devoted to reading French romances, the sheltered young woman imagines all sorts of misadventures that can befall a heroine such as herself. As she makes forays into fashionable society in Bath and London, many scrapes and mortifications ensue - all men seem like predators wishing to ravish her, she mistakes a cross-dressing prostitute for a distressed gentlewoman, and she risks her life by throwing herself into the Thames to avoid a potential seducer. Can Arabella be cured of her romantic delusions? An immediate success when it first appeared in 1752, The "Female Quixote" is a wonderfully high-spirited parody of the style of Cervantes, and a telling and comic depiction of eighteenth-century English society.


This book contains keys to the next generation of journalism and news publishing, with 16 clearly explained practical models for reporters, editors and producers everywhere. John Cokley aims to show how journalists and publishers can please more readers without compromising ethics or quality. It's for everyone in the media business.


Endoraecium (Raveneliaceae, Pucciniales) is a genus of rust that infects several species of Acacia (Fabaceae) in Australia, south-east Asia and Hawaii. Thirteen species of Endoraecium have been described, including seven species that are endemic to Australia, one species to south-east Asia and five to Hawaii. This study investigated the systematics of Endoraecium from 50 specimens in Australia and south-east Asia with a combined morphological and molecular approach. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted on combined datasets of the SSU, ITS and LSU regions of rDNA. The recovered phylogeny (i) supported a recent division of Endoraecium digitatum into five separate species based on morphology and host specificity and (ii) found lineages that did not correspond with known species.