Linkages between economics and national security in the Asia-Pacific region have become increasingly critical in the post-cold war era. While long-standing military concerns still abound, perceptions about the relative significance of each of the two sets of issues have shifted. Uncertainties have arisen over the reciprocal effects of economic ties on security preferences in individual Asian nations. Meanwhile the benefits of increasing economic interdependence both among smaller nations and with respect to the presence of four great powers in the region--Russia, China, Japan, and the United States--for the security situation in the region have come into question. The Asia-Pacific region presents a microcosm of the global changes that have occurred since the end of the bipolar system of the cold war years. While the extraordinary economic performance of Asian countries is a strong determinant of international policy, many security issues remain unresolved and fraught with dangers. These include territorial disputes, nuclear proliferation, traditional national rivalries, and destabilization resulting from diminished U.S. military commitments. Power and Prosperity brings together senior scholars, policy officials, and international journalists to provide diverse perspectives on regional dynamics and domestic intricacies in the Pacific Rim countries and to examine the effects of changing security patterns on economic relations and growth. The contributions highlight the degree to which economic and security policies are connected and show how policymakers can build upon the positive dimensions of regional and international ties to increase trust and limit the development of security dilemmas. Contributors include: Kusuma Snitwongse; K.S. Nathan; Desmond Ball; John Zysman and Michael Borrus; Wang Jisi; Tai Ming Cheung; James Clay Moltz; Tsuneo Akaha; Eiichi Katahara; and Chung-in Moon.


There is a growing body of evidence that combining ipilimumab with higher
doses of radiotherapy may improve the response rates and survival in patients with metastatic melanoma
compared to lower doses of radiotherapy. However, the dose cutoff at which improved outcomes
are more likely to occur has not been properly identified.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 100 patients treated with ipilimumab and radiotherapy
for metastatic melanoma at a single institution from May 2011 to January 2017. Demographic,
clinical, and treatment factors, including the biological equivalent dose (BED) with an α/β
of 7, were recorded. Endpoints of interest included infield and global complete response (CR) after
the completion of radiation and ipilimumab based on the RECIST criteria (v1.1) and 12-month
overall survival (OS).

The BED cutoffs at which improved outcomes are more likely to occur are 46.5 Gy for infield
CR, 50.9 Gy for global CR, and 46.5 Gy for 12 month OS. The least aggressive fractionation
schedules used in this patient population that have a BED above the threshold for all 3 outcomes include
40 Gy in 20 fractions, 30 Gy in 6 fractions, and 24 Gy in 3 fractions.

This hypothesis-generating study suggests that patients who cannot receive ablative intent
radiotherapy may be more likely to benefit from concurrent radiotherapy with ipilimumab if
their fractionation schedule has a BED above 46.5 - 50.9 Gy. Prospective trials evaluating this question
should be considered.


Remedies influence rights, and rights apply across remedies. Combined together, these two phenomena produce the problem of spillover across remedies. The spillover problem occurs when considerations specific to one remedy affect the definition of a substantive rule that governs in other remedial settings. For example, the severe remedial consequences of suppressing incriminating evidence might generate substantive Fourth Amendment precedents that make other Fourth Amendment remedies (such as damage awards, injunctions, or ex ante denials of search warrants) more difficult to obtain. Or, the rule of lenity might yield a narrowed reading of a statutory rule in a criminal case, which then carries binding effect on subsequent attempts to secure civil relief under the same statutory provision. In these and other contexts, the cross-remedial scope of substantive rules can give rise to significant doctrinal distortions, with one remedy's influence on a substantive norm dictating the outcome of cases that would otherwise implicate different remedial considerations.This Article documents several examples of cross-remedial spillover and considers several possible responses to it. Its central conclusion is that courts can best manage the spillover problem by varying the applicability of substantive rules across different remedial domains. Such disaggregation strategies already exist to some extent in the law, implemented most often through the use of discrete, transsubstantive exceptions to remedial requirements (consider, for instance, the qualified immunity defense to damages liability under § 1983, or the harmless error exception to the reversal remedy on direct appeals). Nonetheless, as this Article demonstrates, courts can more effectively disaggregate substantive norms — and thus more effectively mitigate spillover across remedies — by utilizing a significantly more nuanced and substance-specific set of remedial exceptions. In effect, such an approach would yield hybridized rules of "right-remedy" law, with precedential effects extending no further than particularized combinations of substantive and remedial domains. Although that outcome might give some readers pause, it is in fact a sensible and feasible objective for courts to pursue.


Villin is an actin-binding protein localized in intestinal and kidney brush borders. In vitro, villin has been demonstrated to bundle and sever F-actin in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We generated knockout mice to study the role of villin in vivo. In villin-null mice, no noticeable changes were observed in the ultrastructure of the microvilli or in the localization and expression of the actin-binding and membrane proteins of the intestine. Interestingly, the response to elevated intracellular Ca2+ differed significantly between mutant and normal mice. In wild-type animals, isolated brush borders were disrupted by the addition of Ca2+, whereas Ca2+ had no effect in villin-null isolates. Moreover, increase in intracellular Ca2+ by serosal carbachol or mucosal Ca2+ ionophore A23187 application abolished the F-actin labeling only in the brush border of wild-type animals. This F-actin disruption was also observed in physiological fasting/refeeding experiments. Oral administration of dextran sulfate sodium, an agent that causes colonic epithelial injury, induced large mucosal lesions resulting in a higher death probability in mice lacking villin, 36 ± 9.6%, compared with wild-type mice, 70 ± 8.8%, at day 13. These results suggest that in vivo, villin is not necessary for the bundling of F-actin microfilaments, whereas it is necessary for the reorganization elicited by various signals. We postulate that this property might be involved in cellular plasticity related to cell injury.


PURPOSE
Epigenetic aberrations have been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study of patients with unresectable HCC and chronic liver disease, epigenetic therapy with the histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat was assessed. The objectives were to determine dose-limiting toxicity and maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), to assess pharmacokinetics in phase I, and to assess activity of and explore potential biomarkers for response in phase II.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Major eligibility criteria included histologically confirmed unresectable HCC, European Cooperative Oncology Group performance score ≤ 2, and adequate organ function. Phase I consisted of 18 patients; belinostat was given intravenously once per day on days 1 to 5 every 3 weeks; dose levels were 600 mg/m(2) per day (level 1), 900 mg/m(2) per day (level 2), 1,200 mg/m(2) per day (level 3), and 1,400 mg/m(2) per day (level 4). Phase II consisted of 42 patients. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), and the main secondary end points were response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and overall survival (OS). Exploratory analysis was conducted on pretreatment tumor tissues to determine whether HR23B expression is a potential biomarker for response.

RESULTS
Belinostat pharmacokinetics were linear from 600 to 1,400 mg/m(2) without significant accumulation. The MTD was not reached at the maximum dose administered. Dose level 4 was used in phase II. The median number of cycles was two (range, one to 12). The partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD) rates were 2.4% and 45.2%, respectively. The median PFS and OS were 2.64 and 6.60 months, respectively. Exploratory analysis revealed that disease stabilization rate (complete response plus PR plus SD) in tumors having high and low HR23B histoscores were 58% and 14%, respectively (P = .036).

CONCLUSION
Epigenetic therapy with belinostat demonstrates tumor stabilization and is generally well-tolerated. HR23B expression was associated with disease stabilization.


This dissertation aims to contribute to a comprehensive explanation of sexual harassment by the investigation of three social-psychological processes, which seem to crucially contribute to the etiology of sexual harassment: motivation to sexually harass (e.g., power or sexuality), enabling processes (e.g., through diverse situational cues), and legitimization of sexually harassing behavior (e.g., by applying myths about sexual harassment). By consolidating these three processes into one multi-factor theory, diverse shortcomings of previous, mostly single-factor theories in sexual harassment research can be solved (see Pina, Gannon, & Saunders, 2009, for a detailed critique), and a broader but also more accurate explanation of the complex phenomenon sexual harassment is provided. In this work a three-factor model is introduced and tested, which describes the hypothesized direct effects of motivation, enabling processes, and legitimization on sexually harassing behavior, as well as various hypothesized interactions between the three model components.
The empirical part of this work is based upon three manuscripts, which test different components of the model. They contain mostly experimental studies, in order to identify causal relationships between the contributing factors and sexually harassing behavior.

(a) In Manuscript #1, motivating and legitimizing processes on the perpetrators' side are explored. Combining evolutionary and socio-cultural accounts to explain sexual harassment, it represents the first attempt to simultaneously test power and sexuality as the prevailing motives for specific forms of harassing behavior (Gelfand, Fitzgerald, & Drasgow, 1995): Power is assumed to lead to gender harassment, which includes hostile and degrading gender-related behavior. Sexuality is assumed to lead to unwanted sexual attention, which includes more ambiguous but also offensive and unrequited sexually connoted behavior. Furthermore, legitimization tendencies via sexual harassment myth acceptance (SHMA; Lonsway, Cortina, & Magley, 2007), and their interplay with the two motives is tested.
In this study, sexually harassing behavior is measured in vivo by using a refined version of the computer harassment paradigm (Dall'Ara & Maass, 1999). As part of an alleged computer-chat task, male participants can choose between sexualized personal remarks (representing unwanted sexual attention), sexist jokes (representing gender harassment), and non-harassing material to send to an attractive female target. The findings indicate that power and sexuality are two differentiable motives, both predicting different forms of sexual harassment: Sexually motivated men only showed unwanted sexual attention, while power motivated men particularly showed gender harassment but also unwanted sexual attention. This latter effect may indicate that unwanted sexual attention seems to be functional also for a hostile motive in order to create an embarrassing and humiliating atmosphere. Furthermore, SHMA fully mediated the effect of a power motive on gender harassment, but did not mediate effects on unwanted sexual attention. This finding documents that both, power motivation and overtly hostile behavior (i.e., gender harassment), seem to elicit a certain need for justification and neutralization. A sexual motive, however, seems to be more socially acceptable, and unwanted sexual attention seems to be ambiguous enough to be re-interpreted as an attempt to flirt. Thus, Manuscript #1 shows first evidence for the crucial role of two components of the proposed model to explain sexual harassment: motivational and legitimizing processes. Furthermore, it approves the assumption that the model components should be examined in their interplay with each other.

(b) In Manuscript #2, the role of enabling processes is studied, while taking again motivational processes into account. The focus of the study is on effects of situational cues on the relative impact of pre-existing motivational structures on actual sexual harassing behavior.
This predicted influence of situational cues was investigated in an experimental study, in which either power or sexuality was primed in two different conditions. Before entering the laboratory, the male participants are briefly exposed to a wall poster designed to activate either one of both concepts. In the following, participants undergo the chat paradigm as described in Manuscript #1. The results mostly replicate and extend the findings described in Manuscript #1: Sexual motivation specifically predicted unwanted sexual attention harassment, whereas power motivation specifically predicted gender harassment. Importantly, priming of sexuality versus power selectively strengthened the link between the sexual motive and unwanted sexual attention, and between the power motive and gender harassment, respectively. Thus, Manuscript #2 shows that a subtle variation of context variables differentially affects the relative impact of power- and sexual motives on sexually harassing behavior. This underlines the relevance of enabling processes, especially in interaction with motivational processes, for the explanation of sexual harassment.

(c) Manuscript #3 presents the attempt to counteract legitimizing processes as one starting point for the prevention of sexual harassment. Two studies address knowledge about the consequences of sexual harassment and empathy with the targets as two main factors reducing SHMA, and also reducing the likelihood to sexually harass (LSH).
In Study 1, participants read a newspaper-style text describing sexual harassment, depending on condition, as either a harmless phenomenon (i.e., consequences are downplayed) or a relevant problem in society (i.e., consequences are detailed). Additionally, participants' level of empathy is assessed. Results show that reporting about sexual harassment as either a harmless phenomenon or a relevant problem in society significantly influenced participants' SHMA. This effect is moderated by participants' level of empathy. Reading the text that detailed the negative consequences of sexual harassment for its targets led to a reduction in SHMA only for persons low in empathy. These results provide first evidence that confronting participants with the actual consequences of sexual harassment leads to decreased legitimization. Furthermore, this attempt to counteract legitimizing processes seems to be particularly effective for persons with low levels of empathy, which supports the relevance of the few existing empathy trainings to prevent sexual harassment (e.g., Schewe & O'Donohue, 1993).
In Study 2, an alternative way of teaching people the consequences of sexual harassment was used by harnessing the influence of empathy. Participants' perspective taking is manipulated by presenting them an eyewitness report about a sexual harassment case at the workplace either from a female target's perspective, or from a male perpetrator's perspective. It was hypothesized that taking the target's perspective (but not the harasser's perspective) makes participants simultaneously learn about the serious consequences of harassment, which again reduces SHMA but also male participants' LSH. In a third condition participants read a neutral text about interactions at the workplace with no reference to sexual harassment. As assumed, learning about a sexual harassment case from the target's perspective lead to significantly lower SHMA, compared to learning about the same case from the perpetrator's perspective and compared to the control condition. Furthermore, for the male subsample, getting to know the case from the target's perspective additionally led to lower LSH compared to the control condition. In conclusion, both approaches successfully counteracted legitimizing processes (i.e., SHMA): equipping people with knowledge about the negative consequences of sexual harassment and instructing them to take the target's perspective. Beyond the effect on legitimization, Study 2 also shows a direct effect on anticipated future behavior. Thus, the results of Manuscript #3 supports the assumption that the investigation of legitimizing processes may be a specifically important and promising starting point for the prevention of sexual harassment.

References:
Dall'Ara, E., & Maass, A. (1999). Studying sexual harassment in the laboratory: Are egalitarian women at greater risk? Sex Roles, 41, 681-704. doi:10.1023/A:1018816025988
Gelfand, M. J., Fitzgerald, L. F., & Drasgow, F. (1995). The structure of sexual harassment: A confirmatory analysis across cultures and settings. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 47, 164–177. doi:10.1006/jvbe.1995.1033
Lonsway, K. A., Cortina, L. M., & Magley, V. J. (2008). Sexual harassment mythology: Definition, conceptualization, and measurement. Sex Roles, 58, 599-615. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9367-1
Pina, A., Gannon, T. A., & Saunders, B. (2009). An overview of the literature on sexual harassment: Perpetrator, theory, and treatment issues. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 126-138. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2009.01.002
Schewe, P., & O'Donohue, W. T. (1993). Sexual abuse prevention with high-risk males: The roles of victim empathy and rape myths. Violence and Victims, 8, 339–351.


The Eocene Heart Mountain slide of northwest Wyoming covers an area of as much as 5000 km2 and includes allochthonous Paleozoic carbonate and Eocene volcanic rocks with a run-out distance of as much as 85 km. Recent geochronologic data indicated that the emplacement of the slide event occurred at ∼48.9 Ma, using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) extracted from U-Pb zircon ages from basal layer and injectite carbonate ultracataclasite (CUC). We now refine that age with U-Pb results from a lamprophyre diatreme that is temporally and spatially related to the CUC injectites. The ages for the lamprophyre zircons are 48.97 ± 0.36 Ma (LA-ICPMS) and 49.19 ±0.02 Ma (chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry). Thus, the lamprophyre and CUC zircons are identical in age, and we interpret that the zircons in the CUC were derived from the lamprophyre during slide emplacement. Moreover, the intrusion of the lamprophyre diatreme provided the trigger mechanism for the Heart Mountain slide. Additional structural data are presented for a variety of calcite twinning strains, results from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility for the lamprophyre and CUC injectites and alternating-field demagnetization on the lamprophyre, to help constrain slide dynamics. These data indicate that White Mountain experienced a rotation about a vertical axis and minimum of 35° of counterclockwise motion during emplacement.


Oral drug delivery is the most widely utilized route of administration among the entire route that has been explored for the systemic delivery of drug via various pharmaceutical products of different dosage forms. The conventional tablet  seems to be most popular because of its ease of transportability and comparatively low manufacturing cost but poor patient compliance in case of pediatrics and geriatrics patients who experienced difficulties in swallowing, in response to this mouth dissolving drugs delivery system(MDDs) were developed as an alternative to tablet, cap & syrups. A variety of MDDs like mouth dissolving tablets and mouth dissolving film (MDFs) were commercialized. MDFs evolved over the past few years from by the confection and oral care market in the form of breath strips & became a novel & widely accepted form by consumers. MDFs were developed based on the technology of transdermal patches. It consist very thin oral strips, which release active ingredients immediately after uptake into oral cavity. Today MDFs are a proven & accepted technology for the systemic delivery of active pharmaceuticals ingredients.


The purpose of this research is to examine factors that have an impact on the leverage of a company that is listed in the Indonesian Stock Exchange (Bursa Efek Indonesia) within the period between 2012 and 2015. Another goal of this research is to discover any other factors that have an impact on leverage.The sampling method used is purposive sampling, a method that chooses samples based on specific criteria and that gives accurate information to the researcher. Using this method, 136 samples were chosen. The analytic method implemented in this research is quantitative and the analytical statistic used is double linear regression analysis. The research result shows that the efficiency of taxes, profitability and growth of assets (with a level of significance as much as 5%) have an impact on leverage.It indicates that a company tends to use taxes efficiently by maximizing costs, which can be reduced with income by using debts. The profitability variable used in this research supports the pecking order theory; companies tend to use internal funds first and then external funds. Asset growth that is followed by an increase in operation outcome will increase external parties' confidence in the company; due to this confidence, obtaining more debt sbecomes easier, which will make the amount of debts bigger than the company's own capital.However, the research result shows that variable company size is measured by the value of the assets, and it does not affect a company's leverage.


Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a genetically modified herpes simplex 1 virus (HSV-1), approved for cancer therapy. We investigated its effect on the clinical, histological, single-cell transcriptomic and immune repertoire level using repeated fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) of injected and noninjected lesions in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (pCBCL). Thirteen patients received intralesional T-VEC, eleven of which demonstrated tumor response in the injected lesions. Upon single cell sequencing of the FNAs, we identified the malignant population and separated three pCBCL subtypes. HSV-1T-VEC transcripts were detected 24h after injection in malignant and non-malignant cells of the injected lesion but were absent in the noninjected lesion. Oncolytic virotherapy resulted in a rapid eradication of malignant cells by more than one death mechanism, IFN pathway activation, early influx of NK cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, followed by an enrichment in clonal cytotoxic T-cells and decrease of regulatory T-cells in both injected and noninjected lesions.


Methane emissions out of the seabed could seriously affect Earth's climate and are usually associated with the dissociation of gas hydrates stored in marine sediments on the continental margins. Spatially, gas emissions out of the seafloor are not evenly distributed in continental margins. Gas emissions out of the seabed generally occur through submarine mud volcanoes and gas seeps. To understand the seabed gas emissions off SW Taiwan, we investigate the distributions of active submarine mud volcanoes, gas seeps, and gas plumes off SW Taiwan. We examine all of the available sub-bottom profiler and EK echo sounder data. We identified 19 submarine mud volcanoes, 220 gas seeps, and 295 gas plumes. The gas emissions are generally distributed at the crests of mud diapiric ridges. Most of the active mud volcanoes and gas seeps cluster at the KASMVG (Kaoping submarine mud volcanoes group) area. We speculate that the intensive mud volcanism and gas seepage at the KASMVG area are ascribed to submarine channel erosion along the continental slope base. The erosion causes a deep V-shaped channel and a steep BSR (Bottom-Simulating Reflector) slope curve across the continental margin. The upward migration rate of free gas beneath the BSR is thus increased and intensifies mud volcanism and gas seepage at the KASMVG area. The gas seeps can reduce the slope stability and generate small-scale slides. The development of mud volcanoes in an area could effectively disturb the seabed morphology so that large-scale submarine landslides cannot easily happen. Article history: Received 16 August 2016 Revised 28 September 2016 Accepted 4 October 2016


This article discusses the interaction between themes, narrative structure and focalization points employed in Shingeki no Kyojin ('attack on Titan', Isayama 2009–ongoing), a manga featuring the desperate battle of humankind against the mysterious Titans. Following a narratological approach, the article explores how the themes underpinning the narrative, especially the 'control' theme, act as information filters on both narrative structure and background knowledge of Shingeki no Kyojin. The resulting interplay of these themes with a focalization point are explored in detail, and connected to ongoing discussions on focalization in comics and other media.


Clinical observations suggest a recent increase in intrahepatic biliary tract malignancies. Thus, our aim was to determine recent trends in the epidemiology of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the United States. Reported data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and the United States Vital Statistics databases were analyzed to determine the incidence, mortality, and survival rates of primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Between 1973 and 1997, the incidence and mortality rates from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma markedly increased, with an estimated annual percent change (EAPC) of 9.11% (95% CI, 7.46 to 10.78) and 9.44% (95%, CI 8.46 to 10.41), respectively. The age‐adjusted mortality rate per 100,000 persons for whites increased from 0.14 for the period 1975‐1979 to 0.65 for the period 1993‐1997, and that for blacks increased from 0.15 to 0.58 over the same period. The increase in mortality was similar across all age groups above age 45. The relative 1‐ and 2‐year survival rates following diagnosis from 1989 to 1996 were 24.5% and 12.8%, respectively. In conclusion, there has been a marked increase in the incidence and mortality from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the United States in recent years. This tumor continues to be associated with a poor prognosis.


A new novel series Ethyl-4-(biphenyl-2-yl)-2-oxo-6-arylcyclohex-3-ene carboxylates are constructed by the reaction of ethylacetoacetate with biphenyl chalcones compounds under four step Michal addition reaction and ethanol used as a solvent and the chalcones synthesized by common Claisen-Schmidt condensation method. The reactions were monitored by Thin layer Chromatography (TLC). The characterization of the synthesized compounds by Infra-Red (IR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR), Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13CNMR), Correlation Spectroscopy (COSY), Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC) and Mass spectral data's and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds treated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, the electron with-drawing group's particularly substituted derivatives (F) group shows greater inhibition against Gram-negative bacterial strain Escherichia coli and the electron donating (OCH3) substitution derivative has shown excellent inhibition against Gram-positive bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus using ciprofloxacin as a standard drug.


We present an improved method for symbolic regression that seeks to fit data to formulas that are Pareto-optimal, in the sense of having the best accuracy for a given complexity. It improves on the previous state-of-the-art by typically being orders of magnitude more robust toward noise and bad data, and also by discovering many formulas that stumped previous methods. We develop a method for discovering generalized symmetries (arbitrary modularity in the computational graph of a formula) from gradient properties of a neural network fit. We use normalizing flows to generalize our symbolic regression method to probability distributions from which we only have samples, and employ statistical hypothesis testing to accelerate robust brute-force search.


Despite the inception of new technologies at a breakneck pace, many analytics projects fail mainly due to the use of incompatible development methodologies. As big data analytics projects are different from software development projects, the methodologies used in software development projects could not be applied in the same fashion to analytics projects. The traditional agile project management approaches to the projects do not consider the complexities involved in the analytics. In this thesis, the challenges involved in generalizing the application of agile methodologies will be evaluated, and some suitable agile frameworks which are more compatible with the analytics project will be explored and recommended. The standard practices and approaches which are currently applied in the industry for analytics projects will be discussed concerning enablers and success factors for agile adaption. In the end, after the comprehensive discussion and analysis of the problem and complexities, a framework will be recommended that copes best with the discussed challenges and complexities and is generally well suited for the most data-intensive analytics projects.


The sustainable utilisation of black soldier fly (BSF) for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein feed and organic fertiliser with a low environmental footprint is gaining momentum worldwide. Although BSF farming is becoming a rapidly growing agribusiness, studies on the BSF farming's economic aspects are limited. This study analysed the economic benefits of farming BSF for animal feeds and composted frass, called frass fertiliser (FF) production using experimental data. The BSF larvae were fed on brewery spent grain amended with sawdust, biochar, and gypsum to determine the cost-effective feed and other by-products production. The agronomic performance of FF on the maize crop was assessed using field experiments. Our results demonstrated that sourcing and preparing the waste substrate for rearing the BSF larvae accounts for 81-90% of the total BSF production cost. The utilisation of FF as an additional value-added product would increase farmer's net income by 5-15 folds compared to BSF farming alone. Feedstock amended with 20% biochar increased net income by 10-64% for BSF larvae and FF production than other feedstocks. Production of one megagram (Mg) of dried BSF larvae (USD 900) would generate 10-34 Mg of FF worth USD 3,000-10,200. Maize grown on plots treated with FF yielded 29-44% higher net income than maize harvested from plots amended with commercial organic fertiliser. Furthermore, smallholder insect farmers' direct use of FF for maize production would generate 30-232% higher net income than farmers purchasing similar FF. Our results demonstrate for the first time the role of insect farming in circular economy and justify the opportunities for future investments that would lead to enhanced sustainability for agricultural and food systems, especially for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries.


Title of dissertation: CROSS-PLATFORM QUESTION ANSWERING IN SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICES Mossaab Bagdouri, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017 Dissertation directed by: Professor Douglas W. Oard College of Information Studies and Department of Computer Science The last two decades have made the Internet a major source for knowledge seeking. Several platforms have been developed to find answers to one's questions such as search engines and online encyclopedias. The wide adoption of social networking services has pushed the possibilities even further by giving people the opportunity to stimulate the generation of answers that are not already present on the Internet. Some of these social media services are primarily community question answering (CQA) sites, while the others have a more general audience but can also be used to ask and answer questions. The choice of a particular platform (e.g., a CQA site, a microblogging service, or a search engine) by some user depends on several factors such as awareness of available resources and expectations from different platforms, and thus will sometimes be suboptimal. Hence, we introduce cross-platform question answering, a framework that aims to improve our ability to satisfy complex information needs by returning answers from different platforms, including those where the question has not been originally asked. We propose to build this core capability by defining a general architecture for designing and implementing real-time services for answering naturally occurring questions. This architecture consists of four key components: (1) real-time detection of questions, (2) a set of platforms from which answers can be returned, (3) question processing by the selected answering systems, which optionally involves question transformation when questions are answered by services that enforce differing conventions from the original source, and (4) answer presentation, including ranking, merging, and deciding whether to return the answer. We demonstrate the feasibility of this general architecture by instantiating a restricted development version in which we collect the questions from one CQA website, one microblogging service or directly from the asker, and find answers from among some subset of those CQA and microblogging services. To enable the integration of new answering platforms in our architecture, we introduce a framework for automatic evaluation of their effectiveness. CROSS-PLATFORM QUESTION ANSWERING IN SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICES


The Ariki Formation is a distinctive Late Miocene – Early Pliocene marl facies rich in planktic foraminifera, reaching thicknesses in the range 70 109 m in most exploration holes drilled into the Western Platform northwest of Taranaki Peninsula. In Awatea-1 and Mangaa-1 in the Northern Graben, however, there are two marl units separated by the Mangaa "B" Sands. The lower unit has the same upper Tongaporutuan and Kapitean age as the lower part of the marl on the Western Platform, and the upper marl has an Upper Opoitian Waipipian age, similar to the upper part of the Ariki Formation on the platform. In other holes located on the margins of the graben there can be one thin marly horizon, which usually correlates with the upper marl unit in Awatea-1 and Mangaa-1. The presence of two marly units in the Northern Graben, which are probably amalgamated on the western Platform, suggests two periods of late Neogene condensed sedimentation in northern Taranaki Basin arising from siliciclastic sediment starvation, separated by a period of submarine fan accumulation (Mangaa 'B' sands) following subsidence of the Northern Graben. We attribute the initial interval of marl accumulation mainly to a marked landward shift in the position of coastal onlap in central and southern Taranaki and in the region east of the Taranaki Fault Zone (southern King Country and northern Wanganui regions), which effectively shut-off the supply of siliciclastic sediment to northern Taranaki Basin, thereby enabling marl to accumulate. The start of accumulation of the upper part of the Ariki Formation and its marly correlatives in and around the Northern Graben, is attributed to a younger (upper Opoitian) landward shift in the position of coastal onlap, this time involving the formation of the Wanganui Basin depocentre and Toru Trough, which trapped the contemporary siliciclastic sediment being supplied from the south. A lower Opoitian phase of progradation between these two phases of retrogradation led to accumulation of the lower part of the Mangaa Formation (Mangaa 'B' sands), which was limited in its extent to the Northern Graben because bounding normal faults had by then developed sea floor relief precluding mass-emplaced siliciclastic sediment from being deposited on the higher standing Western Platform. The accumulation of Ariki Formation marl in northern Taranaki Basin ended during the mid-Pliocene due to progradation of a thick continental margin wedge (Giant Foresets Formation) across the Northern Graben and Western Platform.


Adversarially robust classification seeks a classifier that is insensitive to adversarial perturbations of test patterns. This problem is often formulated via a minimax objective, where the target loss is the worst-case value of the 0-1 loss subject to a bound on the size of perturbation. Recent work has proposed convex surrogates for the adversarial 0-1 loss, in an effort to make optimization more tractable. In this work, we consider the question of which surrogate losses are calibrated with respect to the adversarial 0-1 loss, meaning that minimization of the former implies minimization of the latter. We show that no convex surrogate loss is calibrated with respect to the adversarial 0-1 loss when restricted to the class of linear models. We further introduce a class of nonconvex losses and offer necessary and sufficient conditions for losses in this class to be calibrated.


What does it mean to worship beings that one believes are completely indifferent to, and entirely beyond the reach of, any form of worship whatsoever? How would such a relationship with sacred beings affect the religious life of a community? Using these questions as his point of departure, Lawrence A. Babb explores the ritual culture of image-worshipping Svetambar Jains of the western Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jainism traces its lineages back to the ninth century B.C.E. and is, along with Buddhism, the only surviving example of India's ancient non-Vedic religious traditions. It is known and celebrated for its systematic practice of non-violence and for the intense rigor of the asceticism it promotes. A unique aspect of Babb's study is his linking of the Jain tradition to the social identity of existing Jain communities. Babb concludes by showing that Jain ritual culture can be seen as a variation on pan-Indian ritual patterns. In illuminating this little-known religious tradition, he demonstrates that divine "absence" can be as rich as divine "presence" in its possibilities for informing a religious response to the cosmos.


This review updates the information upon the chemical composition of propolis from all Mediterranean countries as well as their biological properties and applications. The non‐volatile fraction of propolis was characterized by the presence of phenolic acids and their esters and flavonoids. Nevertheless, in some countries, diterpenes were also present: Sicily (Italy), Croatia, Malta, Creta (Greece), Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Morocco. The volatile fraction of propolis was characterized by the presence of benzoic acid and its esters, mono‐ and sesquiterpenes, being the oxygenated sesquiterpene β‐eudesmol characteristic of poplar propolis, whereas the hydrocarbon monoterpene α‐pinene has been related with the presence of conifers. Regardless the chemical composition, there are common biological properties attributed to propolis. Owing to these attributes, propolis has been target of study for applications in diverse areas, such as food, medicine and livestock.


I. INTRODUCTION In patent suits, a determination of patent infringement consists of two steps.1 First, the court must determine the scope of the patent claims; second, it must compare the properly construed claims to die allegedly infringing device. Construction of the patent claims establishes the scope of the property rights protected by the patent; it is a fundamental principle of patent law that "the claims of a patent define the invention to which the patentee is entitled the right to exclude."3 Claims are frequently "amenable to multiple interpretations and constructions."4 Currently, patent claim construction is a pure issue of law that does not involve subsidiary or underlying questions of fact, and construction of patent claims is subject to de novo review by the court of appeals.5 However, the de novo standard of review for claim construction has been the subject of criticism, and many scholarly articles have advocated a change in the standard of review as a means of alleviating the problems currently associated with claim construction.6 The Federal Circuit, in Phillips v. AWH Corp. Phillips II), attempted to articulate a methodology to guide district courts in their interpretation of claim terms. But the approach set forth in Phillips II will not solve the problems of predictability, consistency, and efficiency that are currently associated with patent claim construction. In November 2006, the Federal Circuit denied en banc rehearing in a claim construction case that would have enabled the court to reconsider the rule of de novo review.8 However, the numerous dissents and concurrences in the opinion indicate that at least seven of the twelve active Federal Circuit judges would be willing to revisit the issue under appropriate circumstances.9 The bulk of scholarly literature advocating a change in the standard of review for claim construction typically endorses a standard for claim construction similar to that used for review of obviousness and enablement determinations - claim construction should be seen as a question of law reviewed de novo, and the underlying factual findings on which the determination is based should be reviewed for clear error.10 This Note asserts that the standard of review for claim construction should be potentially even more deferential - claim construction should be viewed as a mixed question of law and fact, reviewed on a sliding scale between de novo and clear error. The degree of deference given to a particular trial court's claim construction should depend on the nature of the claims, the technology itself, and the underlying factual findings. The more fact-dominated the claim construction is, the more deferential the review should be; the more law-dominated the construction is, the more independent the review should be. This Note proceeds in three parts. Part II will give an overview of claim construction law and discuss the evolution of current claim construction jurisprudence. Part III will outline the issues and problems currently associated with claim construction. Part IV will argue that the solution proposed by the existing literature on the issue (changing the standard of review so that underlying fact findings are reviewed for clear error) will not go far enough toward alleviating the problems, and it will then outline how a sliding-scale standard of review might function. II. THE CURRENT STATE OF CLAIM CONSTRUCTION A. Brief Overview of Patent Law and Claim Construction Principles A patent is a written document that describes and claims an invention, much like a land deed describes and claims a piece of property.11 The patent begins with a detailed description of the invention known as the specification.12 The specification is followed by patent claims that define the boundaries of the invention and the inventive territory that the patent purports to cover.13 In the claims, the patentee must "particularly point out and distinctly claim the part, improvement, or combination which [the patentee] claims as his invention or discovery" in order to "secure to him all to which he is entitled, [and] to apprise the public of what is still open to them. …


Many malicious activities on the Web today make use of compromised Web servers, because these servers often have high pageranks and provide free resources. Attackers are therefore constantly searching for vulnerable servers. In this work, we aim to understand how attackers find, compromise, and misuse vulnerable servers. Specifically, we present heat-seeking honeypots that actively attract attackers, dynamically generate and deploy honeypot pages, then analyze logs to identify attack patterns.
 Over a period of three months, our deployed honeypots, despite their obscure location on a university network, attracted more than 44,000 attacker visits from close to 6,000 distinct IP addresses. By analyzing these visits, we characterize attacker behavior and develop simple techniques to identify attack traffic. Applying these techniques to more than 100 regular Web servers as an example, we identified malicious queries in almost all of their logs.


An ongoing debate surrounding BLS productivity data is that official labor productivity measures may be overstating productivity growth because of an increase in unmeasured hours worked outside the traditional workplace. This paper uses both the ATUS and May CPS Work Schedules and Work at Home Supplements to determine whether the number of hours worked by nonfarm business employees are underestimated and increasing over time due to unmeasured hours worked at home. We find that 8 - 9 percent of nonfarm business employees bring some work home from the workplace. In addition, those who bring work home report working longer hours than those who work exclusively in a workplace, resulting in a 0.8 – 1.1 percent understatement of measured hours worked. However, we find no conclusive evidence that productivity trends were biased over the 1997-2005 period due to work brought home from the workplace.


Introduction: Poor mental health of athletes is major concern in sport. Typically, incidence/prevalence of mental health symptoms in athletes is studied using symptom-specific questionnaires. For symptoms of depression/anxiety, one such self-reporting questionnaire is the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).
Objective: The aim of this review was to synthesise and compare studies using the GHQ-12 in athletes to inform future research by identifying trends and gaps in the literature.
Methods: A systematic search of five electronic databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, PsychINFO, Scopus and Web of Science) was conducted on all published studies up to 1 January 2019. 1) participants were able-bodied athletes; 2) studies measured anxiety/depression using the GHQ-12; 3) studies were full original articles from peer-reviewed journals; 4) studies were published in English.
Results: 32 studies were included in the review. Prevalence and incidence of symptoms of anxiety/depression ranged from 21-48% and 17-57% respectively. The majority of studies screening anxiety/depression using the GHQ-12 were cross-sectional. Almost 70% of studies used the traditional scoring method. The majority of study populations sampled all-male cohorts comprising football (soccer) players.
Conclusion: The traditional scoring of 0-0-1-1 should be used with the cut-off set at ≥3. Also, the mean GHQ-12 score should be reported. Potential risk factors for symptoms of anxiety/depression (i.e. recent adverse life events, injury and illness, social support, pressure to perform and career transitioning) and a lack of prospective studies were identified. Future research should also broaden the spectrum of athlete populations used and try to improve response rates.


A non-standard form of the definite article is used by upwards of a million speakers every day and yet it has received little attention in terms of a phonological analysis. The most recent discussions have been a historical and contemporary survey, spectrographic investigations and sociolinguistic surveys. It is clearly a complex issue and has relevance to a number of theoretical questions, some of which are rarely addressed. We need to know the range of phonetic forms; the phonological distribution of the forms; the historical development and whether this helps with a synchronic analysis; and the number and nature of the lexical storage forms. The distribution varies between localities and between speakers; many speakers also use standard English the. The historical development is not at all clear, but does throw some light on what the synchronic grammars should be like. There appears to be a break between those grammars in which the phonetic forms of the definite article are predictable in terms of the phonological environment and those later grammars that have lexically specific forms. The changes that have taken place cannot be explained in terms of simple system-internal mechanisms and some knowledge of the sociohistorical background to the emergence of the new grammars is necessary. This article looks at historical sources from the mid seventeenth century onwards to try to determine the changes that have taken place in the northern dialects concerned, and proposes population movements and expansion as a determining factor in the changes that are in evidence. One possible scenario in terms of new-dialect formation during the nineteenth century is suggested. For the modern variants polysystemic, declarative grammars are proposed, with the possibility of grammar-switching under certain circumstances, such as repair or interaction with outsiders.


A living religious tradition continually reassesses its practices. In our contemporary situation, the task of reassessment must attend to the presence of persons with disabilities who are increasingly taking part in public life and therefore in the worship and work of the churches. What questions, insights, and perspectives should be advanced if people with disabilities, in all their diversity, were placed at the center of religious life and education? The fourteen contributors to this volume address this multi-faceted question. Drawing upon various disciplines and diverse experiences, the authors explore how human disability bears upon the service of God. In turn, the chapters examine how the participation of people with disabilities relates to interpretation of biblical and other sacred texts that speak of sin, disability, and healing; what theological vision is necessary to integrate the disabled into Christian life and worship; what the socio-cultural context is within which people with disabilities press for full inclusion; and how worship, as a theological act, can form communities in a more relevant spirituality of inclusiveness. Congregations are challenged by these writers to re-envision their actual practices of communal life and worship. This collaborative work shows that the "service of God" as liturgy and as communal accountability can deepen and mature only as the diversity of human capabilities is honored.


Māori are the Indigenous peoples of New Zealand and comprise around 15% of the total population. This paper reviews literature on antenatal care and care during labour and delivery for Māori, along with Māori experiences, with particular reference to access and knowledge gaps. It also considers the links between access to care and health outcomes for Māori babies from a life course perspective. The maternity care needs of Māori women are much greater than for non-Māori women and inequalities in birth outcomes between Māori and non-Māori persist. This is in part a reflection of higher prevalence of maternal risk factors. Māori mothers are more likely to have babies at a very young age, have high risk pregnancies, smoke during pregnancy, have health problems such as diabetes during their pregnancies, and be of low socioeconomic status. The situation is further compounded by persistent ethnic inequalities in Māori experiences of and access to maternity services. Despite their high relative needs, Māori women are less likely to receive antenatal education classes and have fewer cumulative antenatal visits than non-Māori women. Māori women have reported lower levels of satisfaction with their antenatal, labour, and birth care and inequities in access to obstetric care as well. Certain key barriers to adequate antenatal care and/ or care during labour and delivery have been identified among Māori women, including access to information to make informed choices, insufficient numbers of independent practicing Māori midwives, inadequate access to culturally responsive care including whānau 1 - centred services, and cost barriers. Evidence from international studies indicates that multiple conventionally recognized maternal risk factors, even when considered in combination, do not account for the full extent of ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. It has been proposed that the determinants of 1 Extended family ethnic inequalities in birth outcomes are multifactorial and accumulate over the life course of the mother. The implication is that poor access to antenatal care and care during labour and delivery may be only one of a number of important factors that contribute to inequalities in birth outcomes for Māori. In addition, there is strong evidence that adverse birth outcomes, in particular low birthweight, affect a baby's health outcomes in later life. For example, there is much evidence demonstrating the association between low birthweight and hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease in adulthood. Important knowledge gaps in this field include understanding the extent, underlying contributing factors, and ways to address ethnic inequalities in receipt of antenatal, labour, and delivery care. Research is also required to understand the causes of inequalities in birth outcomes for Māori, and what constitutes optimal antenatal care for Māori from a life course perspective.


Effective economic empowerment for women occurs when women enjoy their rights to control and benefit from resources, assets, income and their own time, and when they have the ability to manage risk and improve their economic status and wellbeing. However, for this to become real, women must also have the autonomy and self-belief to make changes in their own lives, including to have the power to organize and influence decision making while enjoying equal rights to men and freedom from violence. Women's economic empowerment (WEE) programmes focus on women's ability to gain access and control over productive resources and to be recognized as fully participating economic actors. This framework is intended to assist the development of more consistent, effective and integrated programming on WEE through humanitarian response, long-term development, influencing or campaign approaches. Promoting WEE in agriculture is critical, as women comprise on average 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries. At the same time, urban development is becoming a growing area of work due to key global trends, and Oxfam recognizes the need to support the voice, identity and welfare of urban women and youth in transition from informal/precarious to decent work.


This special issue of Nuclear Technology is devoted to evaluation of a new fuel design for the pressurized water reactor (PWR). It has a potential to increase the safety margin and power density of this most widely deployed type of power reactor. The idea is simple and involves increasing the surface-to-volume ratio of the fuel by adopting an annular geometry with internal and external cooling of the fuel. Undertaken with support from the initial phase of the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) of the U.S. Department of Energy, the idea has undergone a thorough examination by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with industrial support from Westinghouse, Gamma Engineering, AREVA, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. This dedicated issue provides an inclusive technical review and economic assessment of the project in nine technical papers from the project team members. Hence, conclusions of this research have been documented in one archival location, which we hope will be of value to the technical community. The United States led the world in the development of the PWR, and this technology won over many countries, including some that began the nuclear energy era with focus on other concepts. Today the world appears ready for another phase of expansion in nuclear energy, which likely will be based in large part on PWR technology. While many aspects of the primary coolant system and even the containment design have been revamped in the recently developed Generation III reactors, the fuel has been left in its original form. Yet, it is the fuel performance that controls the power that can be extracted from the core and the response to transients, in other words, the economics and safety of the power plant. Therefore, the PWR fuel deserves a much more thorough examination for innovations that enable improved performance of nuclear energy in the next few decades. The annular fuel development for PWRs is an example of near-term research and development effort that has essentially been abandoned by both the U.S. government and industry. The U.S. government had decided that the PWR technology was mature and should not be given more development funding; the industry had decided that to change the fuel implies starting a new learning curve to ensure high degree of reliability, and until very recently had no intention of covering the cost of going after such fundamental changes in nuclear technology. Well, the market for nuclear has now expanded, and the investment in changes in the fuel that can bring about increased safety or economics can no longer be cast aside because of limited potential return on investment. Hopefully, fuel vendors and users will benefit from the extensive work documented in this issue.


North Carolina Medicaid covers one-fifth of the state's population and makes up approximately one-third of the budget. Yet the state has experienced increasing costs and worsening health outcomes over the past decade, while socioeconomic disparities persist among communities. In this article, the authors explore the factors that influence these trends and provide a series of policy lessons to inform the state's current reform efforts following the recent approval of North Carolina's Section 1115 waiver by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The authors used health, social, and financial data from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the University of North Carolina to identify the highest cost counties in North Carolina. They found higher per beneficiary spending to be inversely related to population health, with many counties with the most expensive beneficiaries also reporting poor health outcomes. These trends appear to be attributed to a breakdown in access to basic health services, with high cost counties often lacking adequate numbers of health care providers and possessing limited health care services, leading patients to primarily engage the health care system in a reactive manner and predominantly in institutional care settings. To illustrate this pattern, the authors developed case studies of Tyrrell County and Graham County, which respectively are home to the state's worst health outcomes and most expensive Medicaid beneficiaries. The authors combined stories of these counties with the larger historical trends to offer policy recommendations to help reorient North Carolina Medicaid around patient needs. The results shed light on traditionally understudied hotspots of cost and poor outcomes in North Carolina, while proposing tangible steps to support reform.


Background: A recently published, population based survey of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China reported on low vision, blindness, and blinding conditions. This paper presents detailed findings from that survey regarding cataract, including prevalence, cataract surgical coverage, surgical outcome, and barriers to use of services. Methods: The Tibet Eye Care Assessment (TECA) was a prevalence survey of people from randomly selected households from three of the seven provinces of the TAR (Lhoka, Nakchu, and Lingzhr), representing its three main environmental regions. The survey, conducted in 1999 and 2000, assessed visual acuity, cause of vision loss, and eye care services. Results: Among the 15 900 people enumerated, 12 644 were examined (79.6%). Cataract prevalence was 5.2% and 13.8%, for the total population, and those over age 50, respectively. Cataract surgical coverage (vision <6/60) for people age 50 and older (85–90% of cataract blind) was 56% overall, 70% for men and 47% for women. The most common barriers to use of cataract surgical services were distance and cost. In the 216 eyes with cataract surgery, 60% were aphakic and 40% were pseudophakic. Pseudophakic surgery left 19% of eyes blind (<6/60) and an additional 20% of eyes with poor vision (6/24–6/60). Aphakic surgery left 24% of eyes blind and an additional 21% of eyes with poor vision. Even though more women remained blind than men, 28% versus 18% respectively, the different was not statistically significant (p = 0.25). Conclusions: Cataract surgical coverage was remarkably high despite the difficulty of providing services to such an isolated and sparse population. Cataract surgical outcome was poor for both aphakic and pseudophakic surgery. Two main priorities are improving cataract surgical quality and cataract surgical coverage, particularly for women.


Despite widespread debate in the literature, there is still considerable uncertainty concerning which nutrient ultimately controls marine net ecosystem production (NEP) over geologic time. Geochemical arguments suggest that phosphorus is the culprit. The weathering of apatite, the primary phosphorus sink in Earth's exosphere, controls long-term phosphorus availability. If phosphorus is the ultimate controlling nutrient over geologic time scales, then long-term marine NEP is coupled to the release of phosphorus from apatite weathering. The most abundant apatite compositions found in nature are igneous fluorapatite and marine sedimentary carbonate fluorapatite. Sparse data exist on how these compositions dissolve under Earth's surface conditions. To demonstrate a need for these data and their application, we present a kinetic treatment of existing data, augmented by new results. We then use these results in a weathering model designed to illustrate the control exerted by temperature (via activation energy) and surface area on the phosphorus flux from apatite dissolution during the Phanerozoic. Our conclusion is that activation energy, and hence temperature, and apatite surface area are important parameters governing the phosphorus flux from apatite weathering and therefore marine NEP during Phanerozoic time.


Stochastic volatility models are used in mathematical finance to describe the dynamics of asset prices. In these models, the asset price is modeled as a stochastic process depending on time implicitly defined by a stochastic differential Equation. The volatility of the asset price itself is modeled as a stochastic process depending on time whose dynamics is described by a stochastic differential Equation. The stochastic differential Equations for the asset price and for the volatility are coupled and together with the necessary initial conditions and correlation assumptions constitute the model. Note that the stochastic volatility is not observable in the financial markets. In order to use these models, for example, to evaluate prices of derivatives on the asset or to forecast asset prices, it is necessary to calibrate them. That is, it is necessary to estimate starting from a set of data the values of the initial volatility and of the unknown parameters that appear in the asset price/volatility dynamic Equations. These data usually are observations of the asset prices and/or of the prices of derivatives on the asset at some known times. We analyze some stochastic volatility models summarizing merits and weaknesses of each of them. We point out that these models are examples of stochastic state space models and present the main techniques used to calibrate them. A calibration problem for the Heston model is solved using the maximum likelihood method. Some numerical experiments about the calibration of the Heston model involving synthetic and real data are presented.


Have Swedish political parties over time shifted their priorities from economic wellbeing and traditional morality towards values that are less tangible, more liberty-oriented and global? Using the similar but competing theories of societral value-change developed by Ronald Inglehart and Scott Flanagan as the basis for a quantitative content analysis of four major Swedish political parties' manifestoes during two separate time periods, it is found that there indeed seems to be a certain shift from economic values, replaced by a focus on socially permissive values and a more inclusive view of which problems and whose concerns need addressing. The shift is general, but differences between parties persis to some extent, and whether a manifesto is meant to be ideas- or action-oriented seems to impact what kind of values that will be prioritized. Furthermore, support is found for Flanagan's thesis that economic values and security-/morality-/authority-oriented ones do not constitute the single "materialism" group that Inglehart postulates (though the presence of so-called "authoritarian values" is relatively limited overall), whereas Flanagan's prediction that values will become more individualistic and egocentric as the importance of traditional morality diminishes might possibly be less apt, at least as far as political parties are concerned.


Can ethnically distinct communities ruled through "traditional" assemblies provide public goods and services better, than when they are ruled by leaders elected through "modern" multiparty elections? We exploit a unique institutional feature in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, where municipalities are ruled by traditional governance institutions, to explore the effect of these forms of governance on the provision of public goods. Using locality-level census data, we study the provision of local public goods through a geographic discontinuity approach. We demonstrate that communities ruled by traditional governance practices offer more effective provision of local public goods than equally poor communities ruled by political parties. Relying on qualitative fieldwork and household surveys, we argue that the significant differences in the provision of public goods according to governance regime derive from community practices that solve collective action problems, enhance citizen participation in public decisions, and restrain elite capture.


by Marc Jolin and Denis Beaupré T he purpose of this article is to examine the use of modern wet-mix shotcrete in underground environments. A critical review is provided of aspects such as mixture design, specifications, and placement. More specifically, the intent of this article is to identify the limits of the wet-mix shotcrete process, examine actual mix designs, discuss the various methods of determining (and specifying) the early-age properties of shotcrete (< 1 day), and review shotcrete placement properties, especially pumping the fresh concrete. The presentation treats various subjects taking into account actual field practices as well as the results of on-going research at Laval University, QC, Canada.


Delphi and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collaborated to develop a simulation code to model the mechanical and electrical architectures of a series hybrid vehicle simultaneously. This co-simulation code is part of the larger ADVISOR® product created by NREL and diverse partners. Simulation of the macro power flow in a series hybrid vehicle requires both the mechanical drivetrain and the entire electrical architecture. It is desirable to solve the electrical network equations in an environment designed to comprehend such a network and solve the equations in terms of current and voltage. The electrical architecture for the series hybrid vehicle has been modeled in Saber to achieve these goals. This electrical architecture includes not only the high-voltage battery, generator, and traction motor, but also the normal low-voltage bus (14V) with loads common to all vehicles. The co-simulation version of the series hybrid model retains some of ADVISOR's standard series vehicle model elements such as the mechanical drivetrain, the fuel converter, and the series hybrid control strategy. The electrical architecture is simulated in Saber, which is controlled via ADVISOR's menu structure. ADVISOR communicates with Saber through a co-simulation arrangement, allowing a system-level solution to progress. The open code permits the end user to implement vehicle-specific series hybrid control strategies. This paper covers technical materials including: A brief overview of the co-simulation concept The electrical component and system models in Saber necessary for the series hybrid vehicle architecture The series hybrid control strategy used for co-simulation and its integration into ADVISOR Discussion of sample results from the co-simulation of ADVISOR's baseline series hybrid vehicle Demonstration of the ability to co-simulate the propulsion and electrical systems for ADVISOR's default series hybrid vehicle.


Liposomes remain at the forefront of vaccine design due to their well documented abilities to act as delivery vehicles and adjuvants. Liposomes have been described to initiate an antigen depot-effect, thereby increasing antigen exposure to circulating antigen-presenting cells. More recently, in-depth reviews have focussed on inherent immunostimulatory abilities of various cationic lipids, the use of which is consequently of interest in the development of subunit protein vaccines which when delivered without an adjuvant are poorly immunogenic. The importance of liposomes for the mediation of an antigen depot-effect was examined by use of a dual-radiolabelling technique thereby allowing simultaneous detection of liposomal and antigenic components and analysis of their pharmacokinetic profile. In addition to investigating the biodistribution of these formulations, their physicochemical properties were analysed and the ability of the various liposome formulations to elicit humoral and cell-mediated immune responses was investigated. Our results show a requirement of cationic charge and medium/strong levels of antigen adsorption to the cationic liposome in order for both a liposome and antigen depot-effect to occur at the injection site. The choice of injection route had little effect on the pharmacokinetics or immunogenicity observed. In vitro, cationic liposomes were more cytotoxic than neutral liposomes due to significantly enhanced levels of cell uptake. With regards to the role of bilayer fluidity, liposomes expressing more rigid bilayers displayed increased retention at the injection site although this did not necessarily result in increased antigen retention. Furthermore, liposome bilayer rigidity did not necessarily correlate with improved immunogenicity. In similar findings, liposome size did not appear to control liposome or antigen retention at the injection site. However, a strong liposome size correlation between splenocyte proliferation and production of IL-10 was noted; specifically immunisation with large liposomes lead to increased levels of splenocyte proliferation coupled with decreased IL-10 production.


The year ends with two landmark events, as summarised in the Society News section of the SAJCN: the SASPEN Joint Congress that was held with a number of other interdisciplinary societies, and the ADSA-Nutrition Society Congress in the latter part of 2012, in which a number of current issues on nutrition were addressed. The attention that current nutrition policy is receiving at national government level within the framework of the National Evaluation Policy Framework is also of critical importance. A given policy, by its very nature, can only be as good as its frequent, if not continuous, monitoring and evaluation.


Edward L. Haletkys Complete, Solutions-Focused Guide to Running ESX Server 3.5, vSphere, and VMware 4.x Extensively updated and revised, this is the definitive real-world guide to planning, deploying, and managing VMware ESX Server 3.5, VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), or VMware vSphere 4.x cloud computing in mission-critical environments. Drawing on his extensive experience consulting on enterprise VMware implementations, renowned expert Edward L.Haletky offers a soup-to-nuts collection of field-tested best practices and solutions. He illuminates the real benefits, issues, tradeoffs, and pitfalls associated with VMwares newest platforms, using real-world examples that draw upon both VMware and third-party products. This edition features detailed coverage of new vSphere features such as Storage IO Control, Network IO Control, Load-Based Teaming, Distributed Virtual Switches, ESXi, hardware and processors, and a significantly expanded discussion of auditing and monitoring. Haletky offers new or enhanced coverage of VM Hardware, virtual networking, VMsafe, and more. All new coverage is thoroughly integrated into Haletkys insightful discussion of the entire lifecycle: planning, installation, templates, monitoring, tuning, clustering, security, disaster recovery, and more. Haletky consistently presents the most efficient procedures, whether they use graphical tools or the command line. Youll learn how to: Assess VMware datacenter and infrastructure hardware requirements Understand technical, licensing, and management differences between ESX/ESXi 3.5 and 4.x Plan installation for your environment and identify potential gotchas Select, configure, utilize, and support storage cost-effectively Manage key operational issues associated with virtual infrastructure Adapt existing network and security infrastructure to virtualization Configure ESX from host connections Configure ESX Server from Virtual Centers or hosts Create, modify, and manage VMs (with detailed Windows, Linux, and NetWare examples) Troubleshoot VM issues with eDirectory, private labs, firewalls, and clusters Utilize vSphere 4.1s improved Dynamic Resource Load Balancing (DRLB) Implement disaster recovery, business continuity, and backup Plan for vApps and the future of virtualization VMware ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise has long been the definitive single-source guide to VMware planning, deployment, and management. For todays VMware architects, administrators, and managers, this edition will be even more valuable.


Researchers have found that symptoms of bowel cancer tended to be identified slightly more quickly when patients consulted an unknown doctor rather than their usual GP.1

The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice , included data for 2000 to 2009 from the General Practice Research Database. The study included around 18 500 patients with breast, bowel, or lung cancer whose relevant cancer symptoms or signs were identified up to 12 months before the eventual diagnosis.

Having the same doctor in …


The study of the differential geometry of surfaces in 3-space has a long and celebrated history. Over the last 20 years a new approach using techniques from singularity theory has yielded some interesting results (see, for example [3, 5, 19] for surveys). Of course surfaces arise in a number of ways: they are often defined explicitly as the image of a mapping f: R2→R3. Since the subject is differential geometry one normally asks that these defining mappings are smooth, that is infinitely differentiable, however it is not true, in any sense, that most such parametrisations will yield manifolds. For such mappings have self-intersections, and more significantly they may have crosscaps (also known as Whitney umbrellas). Moreover if we perturb the maps these singularities will persist; that is they are stable. (See [14, 20] for details.) Consequently when studying the differential geometry of surfaces in 3-space there are good reasons for studying surfaces with crosscaps. In this paper we carry out a classification of mappings from 3-space to lines, up to changes of co-ordinates in the source preserving a crosscap. We can apply our results to the geometry of generic crosscap points. In [10] we computed geometric normal forms for the crosscap and used them to study the dual of the crosscap. We shall see that the approach here yields more information than that obtained in [10], although the latter has the advantage of being more explicit (in particular various aspects of the geometry can be compared using the normal forms). We refer the reader to [16, 18] for background material concerning singularity theory.


A new generation of faculty is entering the academic workforce and they are increasingly dissatisfied with current working environments. Institutions must begin to address the changing nature of this new generation. This article reports on a New Faculty Orientation program based on elements of the learner-centered pedagogy. The goal was to achieve an atmosphere of trust and safety in a community of scholars, to encourage collaboration and experimentation. Keywords: Learner-centered; new scholars; faculty orientation Introduction: The New Generation of Scholars The United States is witnessing an emerging public outcry for accountability in higher education. Institutions have responded to the calls for change by attempting to revitalize undergraduate education by shifting to a learner-centered focus. To this point, most of the focus has been on changes in classroom pedagogy. However, this shift must extend beyond the walls of the classroom to the entire organization if it is to be a true paradigm shift. As Barr wrote, "Without a vision and design for the whole of the system, incremental changes do not add up to anything significant." (1998, p. 23.) Just as the characteristics of the new generation of undergraduate students, the Millennials, has led educators to reconsider classroom practices, the characteristics of the new generation of academics entering the workforce requires reconsideration of institutional policies and procedures. Unlike their predecessors, the new generation of faculty entering the workforce has expressed their increasing dissatisfaction with the traditional academic work environment. Among the factors that they have identified as contributing to this dissatisfaction are the lack of coherent tenure policies, a lack of collegiality, and lack of an integrated life. This article reports on the results of an orientation program for new faculty designed to respond to these factors. The program, designed according to learner-centered principles, sought to establish a community of scholars that encouraged collaboration and innovation. Background While there have been a number of contributions over the past decade to an evolving view of a new professoriate, (Beaudoin, 1998; Anderson, 2002; Baldwin & Chronister, 2002; Boice, 1992; Finklestein & Schuster, 2001; Moody, 1997) most of the work has focused on the impact of technology on the role of the professoriate and the changing demographics with the increased institutional reliance on part time positions. Examinations of overall job satisfaction in academe regardless of gender or color have focused on job-related stress (Blackburn & Bentley, 1993; Amey, 1996; Smart, 1990) and collegiality and morale (Copur, 1990; Johnsrud & Rosser, 2002). Hagedorn (2000) and Oshagbemi (1997) offer conceptualizations of job satisfaction. These examinations and others dating back thirty years (Near et al, 1978; Nicholson & Miljus, 1972; Hunt & Saul, 1975; Devries, 1975; Driscoll, 1978) do not address the new generation of scholars now entering the academic workforce. A recent study of tenure-track faculty shed light on the generational characteristics of this new cohort of scholars. The Study of New Scholars (2002) by the Harvard Graduate School of Education explored the rising dissatisfaction among new tenure-track faculty. Junior faculty across the U.S. were surveyed in order to assess their attitudes and sense of job satisfaction, examining such factors as tenure, workload, support for professional development, climate/collegiality, and policies on such things as performance, research, service, etc. The three main concerns identified through the survey were 1) the lack of a comprehensible tenure system, 2) lack of community, and 3) lack of an integrated life. Interestingly, these same three concerns were voiced by new faculty in a survey conducted by American Association of Higher Education (Rice, Sorcinelli, & Austin, 2000) and nearly a decade earlier (Boice, 1992; Sorcinelli, 1992). …


Abstract Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common type of cancer in men worldwide leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. At present, imaging of PC is indicated for primary diagnosis, staging and re-staging, as well as for the detection of (biochemical) recurrent disease. Currently, conventional imaging modalities, including ultrasound, bone scintigraphy, and computed tomography (CT) are used to detect primary and metastatic PC for staging and risk stratification. Despite significant efforts, conventional imaging of PC does not contribute to patient management and do not allow tumor-specific imaging. Radionuclide imaging techniques such as single-photon emission computed tomography(SPECT/CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT provide both high sensitivity to detect tumor lesions, and characterization of the disease at the molecular level (molecular imaging). Choline radiolabeled with C-11 or F-18 is currently used as PET tracer for (re)staging of PC. Since choline is a key precursor in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a major component of the cell membrane,increased levels of total choline incorporation have been observed in several malignancies. However, this molecular approach has limited sensitivity due to the lack of target specificity inherently to its uptake mechanism. The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type II integral membrane glycoprotein that is selectively overexpressed in 90-100% of local PC lesions, as well as in cancerous lymph nodes, and bone metastases. Increased PSMA expression is correlated with an increase in tumor grade, pathological stage, aneuploidy, and biochemical recurrence. Most importantly, PSMA expression is upregulated when tumors become androgen-independent, showing elevated PSMA expression after anti-androgen therapy. This characteristic makes PSMA a reliable tissue marker for PC and is considered an ideal target for theranostic applications. Imaging probes specifically targeting PSMA are actively investigated and a number of highly promising agents radiolabeled with Tc-99m, F-18, Cu-64 and Ga-68 are currently under extensive clinical evaluation. Besides diagnostic imaging, radiolabeled PSMA ligands also have potential for radionuclide therapy of PC and a new therapeutic agent radiolabeled with Lu-177 has been developed and tested in patients.These promising preliminary clinical data encourage further studies to evaluate the potential for diagnosis and therapy (theranostic) of PC using PSMA ligands. The added value of this therapeutic regimen needs to be compared to conventional PC therapies. Recently, it has been surprisingly reported the observation of high and specific accumulation of copper ions in prostate cancer cells after administration of Cu-64 under the simple chemical form of dichloride salt. This result will open a new and unexpected route to PC diagnosis and treatment since the nuclear characteristics of Cu-64 allow using this radionuclide as both imaging and therapeutic agent. Clinical studies in patients are ongoing and showing high potential for this new approach. In this presentation, the clinical status of radiopharmaceuticals for theranostic applications in PC will be discussed.


The health and functioning of reef‐building corals is dependent on a balanced association with prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. The coral skeleton harbours numerous endolithic microbes, but their diversity, ecological roles and responses to environmental stress, including ocean acidification (OA), are not well characterized. This study tests whether pH affects the diversity and structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic algal communities associated with skeletons of Porites spp. using targeted amplicon (16S rRNA gene, UPA and tufA) sequencing. We found that the composition of endolithic communities in the massive coral Porites spp. inhabiting a naturally high pCO2 reef (avg. pCO2 811 μatm) is not significantly different from corals inhabiting reference sites (avg. pCO2 357 μatm), suggesting that these microbiomes are less disturbed by OA than previously thought. Possible explanations may be that the endolithic microhabitat is highly homeostatic or that the endolithic micro‐organisms are well adapted to a wide pH range. Some of the microbial taxa identified include nitrogen‐fixing bacteria (Rhizobiales and cyanobacteria), algicidal bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes, symbiotic bacteria in the family Endozoicomoniaceae, and endolithic green algae, considered the major microbial agent of reef bioerosion. Additionally, we test whether host species has an effect on the endolithic community structure. We show that the endolithic community of massive Porites spp. is substantially different and more diverse than that found in skeletons of the branching species Seriatopora hystrix and Pocillopora damicornis. This study reveals highly diverse and structured microbial communities in Porites spp. skeletons that are possibly resilient to OA.


Background: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are significant workplace problems affecting dental professionals. This disease is on the rise among dental workers. Despite improvements in knowledge and ergonomic strategies in dental workplace, many dentists still don't believe that their work environments affect their physical health. Moreover, many dentists don't follow ergonomic guidelines in their practices.
Aim: To assess the prevalence and the relationships between demographic variables and some dental practices with musculoskeletal disorders among Lebanese dentists.
Materials and methods: Self-administrated questionnaires were answered by a sample of 218 dentists. I collected information about demographic variables such as gender, age, and years of experience, practices, and specialization. I also collected information about other variables such as: location of pain in different parts of the body. The recorded data was analysed with SPSS 20. P-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results: 92.7% of the participants suffered from musculoskeletal disorders; out of which 40% had at least one MSD symptom over the past twelve months. Most common areas affected by MSD in order of magnitude were low back pain (61.8%), neck pain (51.5%), shoulders pain (39.5%), fingers pain (14.1%), wrists pain (11.8%), and elbows pain (8.6%). Pain differences were statistically significant among specialists. Back pain was the highest among paediatric dentists. Neck pain was the highest among endodontic dentists. While shoulders pain was the highest among dental surgeons. Neck pain was related to the working hours per day. Pain location was statistically significant between genders. In particular, females suffered more than males especially at the neck and the wrist levels. Permanent pain by location is inversely proportional to physical activity.
Conclusion: These findings may confirm that Lebanese dentists do not respect the ergonomic recommendations, and that Lebanese dentists have low awareness about their health issues. Further studies are needed to identify the specific risk factors for MSD for Lebanese dentists in order to introduce effective remedial measures.


The mitochondrial DNA diversity of 62 human population samples was examined for potential signals of population expansions. Stepwise expansion times were estimated by taking into account heterogeneity of mutation rates among sites. Assuming an mtDNA divergence rate of 33% per million years, most populations show signals of Pleistocene expansions at around 70,000 years (70 KY) ago in Africa and Asia, 55 KY ago in America, and 40 KY ago in Europe and the Middle East, whereas the traces of the oldest expansions are found in East Africa (110 KY ago for the Turkana). The genetic diversity of two groups of populations (most Amerindian populations and present-day hunter-gatherers) cannot be explained by a simple stepwise expansion model. A multivariate analysis of the genetic distances among 61 populations reveals that populations that did not undergo demographic expansions show increased genetic distances from other populations, confirming that the demography of the populations strongly affects observed genetic affinities. The absence of traces of Pleistocene expansions in present-day hunter-gatherers seems best explained by the occurrence of recent bottlenecks in those populations, implying a difference between Pleistocene (approximately 1,800 KY to 10 KY ago) and Holocene (10 KY to present) hunter-gatherers demographies, a difference that occurred after, and probably in response to, the Neolithic expansions of the other populations.


Wnt proteins are secreted ligands that bind to cell surface receptors and have important effects during development, which it now seems may also contribute to phenotypes of stem and progenitor cells associated with aging. Liu et al. examined stem cell properties in mice carrying a mutation in the Klotho protein, which show characteristics of accelerated aging. They observed increased senescence of stem cells in the mutant mice and found that the Klotho protein physically interacted with and inhibited Wnt proteins in transfected cells. Exposure of mouse embryo fibroblasts in culture to excessive Wnt signaling enhanced senescence, and in transgenic mice it also promoted senescence of skin cells. Brack et al. found that Wnt signaling appeared to be more active in aging animals. Injection of Wnt3A into young regenerating muscle reduced proliferation and increased deposition of connective tissue. Thus, antagonizing Wnt signals could provide a strategy to ease the effects of aging and age-related diseases. H. Liu, M. M. Fergusson, R. M. Castilho, J. Liu, L. Cao, J. Chen, D. Malide, I. I. Rovira, D. Schimel, C. J. Kuo, J. S. Gutkind, P. M. Hwang, T. Finkel, Augmented Wnt signaling in a mammalian model of accelerated aging. Science 317, 803-806 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text] A. S. Brack, M. J. Conboy, S. Roy, M. Lee, C. J. Kuo, C. Keller, T. A. Rando, Increased Wnt signaling during aging alters muscle stem cell fate and increases fibrosis. Science 317, 807-810 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]


This study aims to determine learning styles of students, teaching styles of mathematics teachers and to research the effects of both teaching and learning styles on students' mathematical success. Relational survey method was utilized in this study. The sample group of the study consist of 954 7th grade and their mathematics teachers from 11 primary schools in Aydin. Grasha Riechmann Learning Style Inventory and ''The Mathematical Success Test'' was applied to determine in order their learning styles and mathematical success. Grasha Teaching Style Inventory was used to identify teaching styles of mathematics teachers. Frequency, percent distribution and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze data. As a result it was found that nearly half of the students have participant learning style, most of the teachers have delegate/facilitator/ expert teaching style. It was also found that students' learning styles and teachers' teaching styles are efficient on mathematical success. Summary


"Al-Kitaab: Part One" develops skills in standard Arabic while providing additional material in both colloquial and classical Arabic. With new video material and revised and updated text and exercises, the bound-in and revised DVDs supersede both the former CD audio set and video DVD previously available only as separate items - making this singular volume a comprehensive whole for those immersed in the early and intermediate stages of learning Arabic. Providing approximately 150 contact hours of college-level instruction, parts of this revised edition are updated with contemporary selections for reading comprehension. The organization of the chapters has been adapted to reflect the most current pedagogical developments. Audio tracks for vocabulary sections now allow students to hear a new word followed by a sentence using it in context with previously acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures, enabling students to build new vocabulary skills while reviewing old material. The basic texts have been refilmed with a new cast of actors. The DVDs also contain substantially more material that exposes the learner to Egyptian Arabic: students have the options of seeing and hearing the video of each lesson in both Modern standard Arabic and Egyptian colloquial Arabic. In addition, a short dialogue in Egyptian colloquial Arabic appears at the end of each lesson. New video materials also feature interviews with Egyptians (subtitled in English) about various aspects of Arab culture, such as gender issues, fasting in the Muslim and Christian traditions, social clubs and their significance, and more. This title develops all language-related skills including reading, listening, speaking, writing, and cultural knowledge; immediately incorporates extensive use of authentic materials for reading, listening, and grammatical practice, thus relating abstract grammatical concepts to practical skills; presents narrative-based content through audio and video media rather than written text to develop meaning-focused language processing skills, utilizing two main characters and their extended families; develops reading skills through the use of composed texts derived from the main narrative and authentic texts from newspapers and journals; and, introduces grammar using spiraling and inference, challenging students to discover the grammar of the language by means of analogy, problem solving, and educated guessing. It reinforces grammar and vocabulary through extensive classroom and homework exercises that provide constant review and expand to challenge students as their skills develop; introduces students to Egyptian colloquial through scenes based on the main narrative to promote the use of shared vocabulary and structure of the two registers to increase listening comprehension skills; and, contains Arabic-English and English-Arabic glossaries and reference charts as well as a new grammar index.


Although crop seedling root systems are made up of several types of root (e.g., tap, basal, and lateral roots) there has been little attempt to determine their respective sensitivity to abiotic stresses. Most acidic agricultural fields are treated so that they are only slightly or non-Al-toxic in the topsoil with Al-toxicity in the subsoil-effectively stratifying the soil profile relative to Al-toxicity. To determine if there is differential root type sensitivity to Al-toxic soils, several maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars reported to be Al-tolerant, or sensitive, were grown in containers with a stratified soil. This assembled soil consisted of a non-Al-toxic, 100-mm-deep top layer and a 200-mm-deep Al-toxic bottom layer of Porter soil, a coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic Umbric Dystrochrepts, pH 4.5 and 92% Al saturation. Containers, backed with X-ray film, were exposed to a neutron beam to determine tap, basal, and lateral root lengths in both layers. Root lengths, relative to a limed control for each cultivar, in the Al-toxic bottom layer suggest that the tap, basal, and lateral roots of maize cv. CMS-36 are each Al-tolerant. The other tolerant maize and soybean cultivars had only one or two root types tolerant with the remaining root type(s), and all root types on the sensitive cultivars, showing no growth in the Al-toxic bottom layer. Only two cultivars, maize cv. SA-6 and soybean cv. Perry, increased lateral root production in the non-toxic top layer, a classic avoidance response. This variation in root type response to an Al-toxic bottom layer observed among the previously identified Al-tolerant cultivars emphasizes the importance of considering different root types as distinct entities in studies of root function.