The usage of predictive analytics is lifting its head in the HR area. The business benefits of using predictive analytics in sales are self-evident, but in HR the value is more difficult to prove due to non-monetary and non-standardized measurements. As predictive analytics in general is not yet widely used in Finland, the companies are cautious in taking the first steps towards this capability. The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the possible business benefits of implementing predictive analytics into the HR area. The basic building blocks needed for predictive analytics are also covered, as well as the main challenges companies identify, in order to understand what could be hindering the analytics evolution in the HR area. Whereas descriptive analytics concentrates on creating reports and summaries of the past, predictive analytics aims to understand the past but also complements it by understanding the correlations of events, by estimating the future and by predicting probabilities for the whole employee lifecycle; recruiting success, employee management risks and employee retention. The new capabilities delivered though the predictive analytics are meant to help today's HR professionals in making better decisions related to HR activities, accelerating the processes and by eliminating the error of the sole human interpretation. As to the results of the study, the main benefits perceived were very company specific. However, all the companies saw the greatest value in using predictive analytics in the HR areas they identified to have the biggest business challenges in, or which were otherwise near their core business. Additionally, the most value for predictive analytics was identified specifically in four HR functions; employee acquisition, employee retention, employee engagement and employee well-being. Predictive analytics supports the HR activities, through which the benefits can be gained; increased employee engagement and satisfaction and enhanced performance resulting in increased company performance, customer satisfaction, sales and profitability increase and to cost reductions. Recommendation for each company is to start with quick predictive analytics trials in the areas they perceive as valuable. The companies perceive their main challenges to rise from the lack of people who would understand both predictive analytics and HR business. Also the general level of the analytics maturity and data harmonization and integration were seen as challenges. Some interviewed companies wanted to have the basic building blocks in place, such as improved data governance processes, data integrations and optimal data quality, before taking the next steps. However, this study encourages the companies to start with targeted actions and to tie the measurements to financial figures with predictive analytics, in order to reach the identified business opportunities.


BACKGROUND
Patients with dementia, an underrecognized terminal illness, frequently visit the emergency department (ED). These patients may benefit from ED-initiated palliative care (PC) consultation.

OBJECTIVE
The study's objective was to track the rate of ED-initiated PC consultation for patients with advanced dementia (AD) after an educational intervention, and to categorize decision making for physicians who chose not to initiate consultation.

METHODS
As part of a quality improvement project at a suburban, tertiary care, university-affiliated medical center, emergency physicians (EPs) were taught to identify AD patients and initiate PC consultation. A convenience sample of patients over age 70 was screened for AD by research staff from July 1, 2012 to August 1, 2012 using the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) criteria. A questionnaire was then administered to patients' physicians to inquire about barriers to initiating consultation. Questionnaires and medical records of those who met AD criteria were reviewed to examine patient characteristics, disposition information, and consultation initiation barriers.

RESULTS
Patients (N=548) over 70 who visited the ED were approached and 304 completed the screening. Fifty-one of the 304 met criteria for AD. Their average age was 86; 33% were male. Eighteen of the 51 (35%) patients received a PC consultation sometime during their ED or hospital stay. Four of the 18 (22%) consultations were ED initiated. In 23 of 51 (45%) unique cases, physicians responded to the questionnaire. The majority felt that a PC consult was not appropriate for patients based on their knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs.

CONCLUSION
Preexisting physician attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs prevent emergency physicians from addressing PC needs for AD patients.


I. The Disillusionment of the Dialogue The new international economic order is not a widespread concept in the political language of the 1990s. Today's language is far removed from the statements uttered a quarter century ago. Our contemporary reality has progressed from the system of negotiations established under the umbrella of the so-called North-South dialogue. The 1970s witnessed a political event of great importance whose main objective was to end an anachronistic system in the sphere of relations among states and established a new regime in which international economic justice would prevail. Conditions were ideal for the emergence and consolidation of a political revolution which purported to amend the structure of the entire international economic system -- a phenomenon which is recorded historically as the South-North dialogue. These discussions seem to have currently fallen into total disuse -- remaining alone as a relic of the past. The process of decolonization is one of the reasons for this revolution. During the first twenty-five years of the post-war era, a large number of former colonies became new members of the international community, establishing themselves as free and independent states. These newly independent states were characterized by a political will reaffirming the full exercise of their sovereignty. However, they lacked the economic or political development attributable to a colonial power. Instead, they brought many of the enormous shortcomings of developing nations, including weak political institutions, primitive agricultural economies, social problems, and insufficient industrial sectors. The widespread existence of such common problems among these states created a united demand to negotiate with the industrialized countries for a more equitable economic relationships. In the long run these states were attempting to redefine the rules of the game, which they hoped would yield tangible benefits for what was, in that epoch, referred to as the Third World. The initial driving force to create a new international economic order was to allow the developing countries the means to defend their legitimate interests. But as a political phenomenon, it also had other distinctive effects. One important feature allowed States to directly participate in the development of a world system which could adjust itself and respond to the needs of the group of non-industrialized countries. Another equally important aspect related to the necessity of joint action as a political formula to defend the interests of the non-industrialized world. During that time, political forces such as the Movement of the Non-aligned Countries, the Organization of Oil Producing Countries (OPEC) and other groups of producers of raw materials gained power. At the same time, developing countries began forming associations based upon common interests. These groupings permitted developing states to exercise genuine political influence in the decision-making process of international organizations. Another feature of the new economic order concerns the real power exercised by various developing countries. One example is OPEC's show of power during the oil crisis in the early 1970s. During that crisis, the sudden increase in the price of oil touched a vital nerve in international economic relations and clearly showed the industrial world's addiction to energy. That vulnerability has translated, throughout the years, into a capability for political and economic pressure on the part of a group of oil producing countries. OPEC's show of power during that time forced a realization that similar collective action would result in all cases. One might have concluded that this type of joint action would have permitted the Third World to increase its share of the existing world wealth. It might also have accomplished a political objective -- thus providing an immediate benefit to the non-industrialized nations: under the concept of pleno jure -- the sovereign exercise of the use and enjoyment of their national patrimony -- one might have concluded that the states would be able to control their natural resources and to actively participate in defining a new international order in commerce, finances, investment, money, and aid to development. …


Seeking the good often authorises and legitimises certain forms of violence: violence that defines the state (Benjamin's law-founding violence) by the exclusion of others and the violence that coerces or binds ( religare ) the public into a common understanding of the good at the exclusion of other interpretations of that good (Benjamin's law-maintaining violence). The secular modern state has never been without religion functioning as religare . The modern state, often seen as a peacemaker, is founded on these two forms of 'legitimate' violence against what is other or different, just as the peace, prosperity and good of the state is sought through the elimination of the different and a unification of the state under the banner of a 'common' good. This 'legitimate' violence will always produce the counter-violence of difference (i.e. excluded others) seeking a legitimate place within the common space of the republic (Benjamin's divine violence). With the rise of religious fundamentalism, institutionalised religion has been allowed to return to the public debate. Is the call for this return one that further sanctions legitimate violence by eating and sharing the fruit of knowledge of good and evil? Is the call the church is hearing one that seeks to clarify and clearly define the good that will bind us ( religare ) into a stronger and more prosperous and peaceful city – onward Christian soldiers marching as to war? Or is there another calling, one that requires us to be Disciples of Christ – with the Cross of Jesus going on before – entering the space of violence beyond the knowledge of good and evil as peacemakers? In this article, I sought to understand this 'peacemaking' space by bringing into dialogue Žižek's interpretation of Christianity with Derrida's interpretation of hospitality.


INTRODUCTION India is trying to achieve complete literacy through Sarv Siksha Abhiyaan programme(http://ssa.nic.in/). This involves teaching each and every child in all the parts of the country. The success of the literacy programme will be decided by the number of children who continue with the education. At the same time we will never be able to achieve complete literacy without teaching the adults who have missed the opportunity to study as children. This section of the population can be made literate under the adult literacy programme. For achieving all this, schools need to be set up within easy reach of each child. More importantly sufficient number of qualified teachers should be appointed in each school. Generating such a huge infrastructure requires a lot of time which means another generation not getting access to education. Therefore, to bring education to the door step of every citizen of this country within next few years, it is time to make use of technology. However, technology without educational content is meaningless. So the need for the hour is to use the skills and expertise of available teachers to develop educational content and spread literacy. Since these teachers cannot be present physically in each corner of the country, information and communication technology (ICT) has to be used. The real classroom teachings can be recorded and then enhanced with other multimedia tools to create educational content in various delivery formats. These content can then be made available to the students who do not have access to formal education. The learning can be made interactive by giving the facility to the learners to interact with the teachers through mail or telephone.


User-generated online content serves as a source of productand service-related information that reduces the uncertainty in consumer decision making, yet the abundance of such content makes it prohibitively costly to use all relevant information. Dealing with this (big data) problem requires a consumer to decide what subset of information to focus on. Peer-generated star ratings are excellent tools for one to decide what subset of information to focus on as they indicate a review's "tone". However, star ratings are not available for all user-generated content and not detailed enough in other cases. Sentiment analysis, a text-analytic technique that automatically detects the polarity of text, provides sentiment scores that are comparable to, and potentially more refined than, star ratings. Despite its popularity as an active topic in analytics research, sentiment analysis outcomes have not been evaluated through rigorous user studies. We fill that gap by investigating the impact of sentiment scores on purchase decisions through a controlled experiment using 100 participants. The results suggest that, consistent with the effort-accuracy trade off and effort-minimization concepts, sentiment scores on review documents improve the efficiency (speed) of purchase decisions without significantly affecting decision effectiveness (confidence).


Background There have been no studies to date of moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in national samples of U.S. health workers. The purpose of this study was to determine, in a national sample of internal medicine physicians (internists) in the U.S.: 1) the intensity of moral distress; 2) the predictors of moral distress; 3) the outcomes of moral distress. Methods We conducted a national survey with an online panel of internists, representative of the membership of the American College of Physicians, the largest specialty organization of physicians in the United States, between September 21 and October 8, 2020. Moral distress was measured with the Moral Distress Thermometer, a one-item scale with a range of 0 ("none") to 10 ("worst possible"). Outcomes were measured with short screening scales. Results The response rate was 37.8% (N = 810). Moral distress intensity was low (mean score = 2.4, 95% CI, 2.2–2.6); however, 13.3% (95% CI, 12.1% - 14.5%) had a moral distress score greater than or equal to 6 ("distressing"). In multiple linear regression models, perceived risk of death if infected with COVID-19 was the strongest predictor of higher moral distress (β (standardized regression coefficient) = 0.26, p < .001), and higher perceived organizational support (respondent belief that their health organization valued them) was most strongly associated with lower moral distress (β = -0.22, p < .001). Controlling for other factors, high levels of moral distress, but not low levels, were strongly associated (adjusted odds ratios 3.0 to 11.5) with screening positive for anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, and intention to leave patient care. Conclusions The intensity of moral distress among U.S. internists was low overall. However, the 13% with high levels of moral distress had very high odds of adverse mental health outcomes. Organizational support may lower moral distress and thereby prevent adverse mental health outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate a new diagnostic technique, optical coherence tomography, for high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of structures in the anterior segment of the human eye in vivo. Optical coherence tomography is a new, noninvasive, noncontact optical imaging modality that has spatial resolution superior to that of conventional clinical ultrasonography (< 20 microns) and high sensitivity (dynamic range, > 90 dB).

DESIGN
Survey of intraocular structure and dimension measurements.

SETTING
Laboratory.

PATIENTS
Convenience sample.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Correlation with range of accepted normal intraocular structure profiles and dimensions.

RESULTS
Direct in vivo measurements with micrometer-scale resolution were performed of corneal thickness and surface profile (including visualization of the corneal epithelium), anterior chamber depth and angle, and iris thickness and surface profile. Dense nuclear cataracts were successfully imaged through their full thickness in a cold cataract model in calf eyes in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS
Optical coherence tomography has potential as a diagnostic tool for applications in noncontact biometry, anterior chamber angle assessment, identification and monitoring of intraocular masses and tumors, and elucidation of abnormalities of the cornea, iris, and crystalline lens.


UltraCam Eagle, the ultra large format digital aerial frame camera is the latest product out of a family of innovative mapping cameras by Microsoft/Vexcel. The sensor was introduced in 2011 and was well accepted by the community. The ultra large frame format of 20010 pixels cross track and 13080 pixels along the flight line offers a high productivity in the air. The sensor head consists of new CCD sensor arrays, new optical lens systems and new electronic components. In this contribution we present the camera design, technical parameters and the result from different flight missions.


Purpose: Adolescents who experienced the alcohol consumption have gradually increased. Adolescence is a critical period of the neural plasticity in the brain. Neural plasticity is mediated by neurotrophins and has an impact on cognitive function. Environmental enrichment ameliorates the cognitive function and increases neurotrophins. Thus, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of environmental enrichment on ethanol induced cognitive impairment in adolescent rats. Methods: The ethanol groups and the controls groups were injected with ethanol (0.5g/kg) and phosphate buffered saline, respectively, through intraperitoneal from 28th day of birth for 11 days. The environmental enrichment groups were provided larger cages containing toys than the standard cage . Passive avoidance test and Y-maze test were performed to evaluate the spatial memory. Results: Environmental enrichment+ethanol group showed higher alterations than the standard environment+ethanol group in Y-maze test (p<.05). In hippocampus, The environmental enrichment+ethanol group showed significantly higher level of the number of c-fos positive celsl and density of tropomyosin receptors kinase B receptor than the standard environment+ethanol group (p<.05). Conclusion: So, we suggested that the environmental enrichment played a role as a prophylaxis for prevention of memory impairment induced by ethanol exposure in adolescence.


We present a theoretical investigation of small aggregates of quadrupolar (A-π-D-π-A or D-π-A-π-D) charge-transfer dyes, with attention focused on the role of intermolecular interactions in determining their optical properties. We tackle the theoretical issue by adopting essential-state models (ESMs), which describe an isolated molecule in terms of a minimal number of electronic states, corresponding to the resonance structures. ESMs quite naturally describe intermolecular interactions relaxing the dipolar approximation and accounting for molecular polarizabilities. The approach is applied to curcuminoid and squaraine dyes, two families of chromophores with weak and strong quadrupolar character, respectively. The method is validated against experiment and for curcuminoids also against time-dependent density functional theory. ESMs rationalize the strong ultra-excitonic effects recurrently observed in the experimental optical spectra of aggregates of highly polarizable quadrupolar dyes, offering a valuable tool to exploit the supramolecular design of material properties.


Herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA bound to cellulose has been used as a reagent to isolate viral mRNA for size analysis on denaturing agarose gels. Total viral polysomal polyadenylated RNA was isolated from cells late after infection when such RNA has sequences encoded by approximately 45% of the HSV DNA. This RNA has a size range of from 1.5 to greater than or equal to 8 kilobases, with certain sizes, such as 1.7 to 1.9 kilobases, being favored. We have used the restriction endonucleases HindIII and XbaI singly and together to generate various sized fragments covering the entire HSV-1 genome. These fragments have been bound to cellulose to allow isolation of HSV-1 mRNA annealing to different regions of the viral genome. Discrete sizes of viral mRNA are associated with certain regions of the genome, but the mRNA population hybridizing to even the smallest restriction fragments is complex. We used hybridization of size-fractionated RNA to Southern blots of restriction fragments of HSV-1 DNA generated by the BglII as well as HindIII and XbaI endonucleases to confirm the preparative hybridization data and to provide some overlap data for positioning transcripts. The data of blot and preparative hybridization agreed very well and were combined to construct a preliminary transcription map of HSV-1. Such a map revealed at least two areas of the long unique region of the HSV-1 genome which annealed to a large number of HSV-1 transcripts. Furthermore, discrete-sized mRNA species larger than 5 kilobases in length were found only in the middle of the long unique region. The implications of these data are discussed.


Author(s): Mach, Jeff J. | Abstract: Control of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is important for the reclamation of pasture ground for domestic cattle and limiting the spread of disease to humans and other wildlife. Six different concentrations of warfarin bait were fed to prairie dogs to determine mortality. Without the access to dietary vitamin K, the prairie dogs were susceptible to the warfarin bait. However, some of the prairie dogs recovered and survived the test after bait exposure was terminated. This could be due to physiological differences and the availability of fat-soluble vitamin K. The six different concentrations of warfarin consumed by the prairie dogs were correlated to the increase in treatment group (r=0.916). Body weight loss generally increased as the treatment group dosage increased. The control group was the only group which increased in body weight. The whole body tissue analysis of the prairie dogs from treatment groups 44.8, 233.0, and 777.6 ppm was correlated to the increase in treatment group (r=0.709).


Overfishing of large predatory fish populations has resulted in lasting restructurings of entire marine food webs worldwide, with serious socio-economic consequences. Fortunately, some degraded ecosystems show signs of recovery. A key challenge for ecosystem management is to anticipate the degree to which recovery is possible. By applying a statistical food-web model, using the Baltic Sea as a case study, we show that under current temperature and salinity conditions, complete recovery of this heavily altered ecosystem will be impossible. Instead, the ecosystem regenerates towards a new ecological baseline. This new baseline is characterized by lower and more variable biomass of cod, the commercially most important fish stock in the Baltic Sea, even under very low exploitation pressure. Furthermore, a socio-economic assessment shows that this signal is amplified at the level of societal costs, owing to increased uncertainty in biomass and reduced consumer surplus. Specifically, the combined economic losses amount to approximately 120 million € per year, which equals half of today's maximum economic yield for the Baltic cod fishery. Our analyses suggest that shifts in ecological and economic baselines can lead to higher economic uncertainty and costs for exploited ecosystems, in particular, under climate change.


In the CNS the transcription factor NF-κB is a key regulator of inflammation and secondary injury processes. Following trauma or disease, the expression of NF-κB-dependent genes is activated, leading to both protective and detrimental effects. Here we show that transgenic inactivation of astroglial NF-κB (GFAP-IκBα-dn mice) resulted in reduced disease severity and improved functional recovery following experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). At the chronic stage of the disease, transgenic mice exhibited an overall higher presence of leukocytes in spinal cord and brain, and a markedly higher percentage of CD8+CD122+ T regulatory cells compared to WT, which correlated with the timing of clinical recovery. We also observed that expression of proinflammatory genes in both spinal cord and cerebellum was delayed and reduced, while the loss of neuronal-specific molecules essential for synaptic transmission was limited compared to WT mice. Furthermore, death of retinal ganglion cells in affected retinas was almost abolished, suggesting the activation of neuroprotective mechanisms. Our data indicate that inhibiting NF-κB in astrocytes results in neuroprotective effects following EAE, directly implicating astrocytes in the pathophysiology of this disease.


Drying is a basic operation in wood, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industry. The operation is important to enhance the preservation properties of agriculture crops and pharmaceutical products, to reduce the costs for transportation, to increase consumer convenience of food products, and to obtain desired water content in raw material feed for next unit process in industry.
Currently several drying methods are used, ranging from traditional to modern processing: e.g. direct sun drying, convective drying, microwave and infra-red drying, freeze and vacuum drying. However, the current drying technology is often not efficient in terms of energy consumption (energy efficiency of 20-60%) and has a high environmental impact due to combustion of fossil fuel or wood as energy source.
This work discusses on the development of adsorption drying with zeolite to improve the energy efficiency as well as product quality. In this process, air as drying medium is dehumidified by zeolite. As a result humidity of air can be reduced up to 0.1 ppm. So, for heat sensitive products, the drying process can be performed in low or medium temperature with high driving force.
The study has been conducted in three steps: designing the dryer, performing laboratory scale equipment (tray, spray, and fluidised bed dryers with zeolite), and evaluating the dryer performance based on energy efficiency and product quality. Results showed that the energy efficiency of drying process can reach 70-80% in which is 15-20% higher than that of conventional dryer.
Index Term— adsorption, drying, energy efficiency, zeolite, heat sensitive


To successfully complete specialist police selection, officers must be physically fit. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between performance on selected anthropometric and fitness tests and successful selection into a specialist police unit. Thirty-two male police officers (mean age = 29.48±4.99 years) participated in a Barrier Fitness Assessment (BFA), followed by a Specialist Selection Course (SSC). The BFA spanned two consecutive days of testing (pull-ups, push-ups, seven-stage sit-ups, a timed loaded pack march, a Multi-Stage Fitness Test, an agility run, a lift and carry task and a 300m swim assessment). The SSC occurred 4 weeks later and consisted of 8 days of intense police training. Officers who successfully completed the SSC were graded based on their performance and this determined their ultimate selection. Data were categorized into four participant groups: Group 1 - Did not complete the BFA; Group 2 - Completed the BFA but not the SSC; Group 3 - Completed the SSC and were not selected; and Group 4 - Completed the SSC and were selected. A Spearman's rank order correlation analysis was conducted to assess the strengths of the relationships between selection stage achieved and scores on each of the predictor variables, with significance set at 0.05. Height (p=0.011), body weight (p=0.011), pull-ups (p=0.021) and push-ups (p=0.016), seven-stage sit-up scores (p=0.042) and lift and carry speed (p=0.010) were significantly and positively correlated with level of selection success. Results suggest that candidates wishing to attempt selection into specialist police units would benefit from being tall and training to optimize musculoskeletal strength and muscular endurance.


Laughter in Supreme Court oral arguments has been misunderstood, treated as either a lighthearted distraction from the Court's serious work, or interpreted as an equalizing force in an otherwise hierarchical environment. Examining the more than 9000 instances of laughter witnessed at the Court since 1955, this Article shows that the justices of the Supreme Court use courtroom humor as a tool of advocacy and as a signal of their power and status. As the justices have taken on a greater advocacy role in the modern era, they have also provoked an increasing level of laughter.

The performative nature of courtroom humor is apparent from the uneven distribution of judicial jokes, jests, and jibes. The justices overwhelmingly direct their most humorous comments at the advocates who they disagree with, the advocates who are losing, and at novice advocates. Building on prior work, we show that laughter in the courtroom is yet another aspect of judicial behavior that can be used to predict cases before justices have even voted. Many laughs occur in response to humorous comments, but that should not distract from the serious and strategic work being done by that humor. To fully understand oral argument, Court observers would be wise to take laughter seriously.


The mission of the Transmutation Research Program (TRP) at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is to establish a nuclear engineering test bed that can carry out effective transmutation and advanced reactor research and development effort. Chemical Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratories (ANL) is in charge the design, modeling, and demonstration of countercurrent solvent-extraction process for treating high-level liquid waste, such as U and Tc. The Nevada Center for Advanced Computational Methods (NCACM) at UNLV is developing a systems engineering model that provides process optimization through the automatic adjustment on input parameters, such as feed compositions, stages, flow rates, etc., based on the extraction efficiency of components and concerned output factors. An object-oriented programming (OOP) is considered. Previously designed Microsoft (MS) Excel macro-based program, Argonne Model for Universal Solvent Extraction (AMUSE) code, based on firm understanding of the chemistry and thermodynamics, is the core module for Uranium Extraction process (UREX). Currently AMUSE is the only available module. The Transmutation Research Program System Engineering Model Project (TRPSEMPro) consists of task manager, task integration and solution/monitor modules. A MS SQL server database is implemented for managing large data flow from optimization processing. Task manager coordinates and interacts with other two modules. Task integration module works as a flowsheet constructor that builds task hierarchy, input parameter values and constrains. Task solution/monitor component presents both final and in-progress outputs in tabular and graphical formats. The package also provides a multiple-run process that executes a design matrix without invoking the optimization module. Experimental reports can be generated through database query and formatting.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


Mordechai Kreinin and Michael Plummer consider the implications of the emerging global trend of economic regionalism for developing countries. The analysis focuses on the trade and investment effects of integration in developed countries on developing countries, as well as the ramifications of regional integration in the latter. After an extensive review of the theoretical and empirical literature pertinent to the economics of regionalism, the book considers the ex-post trade and direct-foreign-investment effects of the Single Market Program in Europe and NAFTA, followed by chapters on ASEAN and economic integration in Latin America, primarily MERCOSUR.


There is growing support for the claim that issuer-licensed insider trading (when the insider's firm approves the trade in advance and has disclosed that it permits such trading pursuant to published guidelines) is economically efficient, and morally harmless. But for the last 35 years many scholars and the U.S. Supreme Court have relied on "The Law of Conservation of Securities" to rebut claims that insider trading can be victimless. This law is purported to show that every act of insider trading, even those licensed by the issuer, causes an identifiable harm to someone. This essay argues that the Law of Conservation of Securities is not helpful to answering the moral question of whether insider trading is a victimless crime because it either proves too much or too little. It either proves that all profitable trades (or profitable trade omissions) in advance of firms' material disclosures are morally impermissible (an absurdity), or it tells us nothing at all about the moral permissibility of such trades. Of course, once the Law of Conservation of Securities is neutralized, other moral criticisms of issuer-licensed insider trading that rely on this law also fail. Professor Leo Katz's claim that morality does not permit one to consent to a system that openly allows issuer-licensed insider trading is offered as one example of an argument that fails once considered in light of a proper understanding of the Law of Conservation of Securities.


Background HIV populations often diversify in response to selective pressures, such as the immune response and antiretroviral drug use. We analyzed HIV diversity in Black men who have sex with men who were enrolled in the HIV Prevention Trials Network 061 study. Methods A high resolution melting (HRM) diversity assay was used to measure diversity in six regions of the HIV genome: two in gag, one in pol, and three in env. HIV diversity was analyzed for 146 men who were HIV infected at study enrollment, including three with acute infection and 13 with recent infection (identified using a multi-assay algorithm), and for 21 men who seroconverted during the study. HIV diversification was analyzed in a paired analysis for 62 HIV-infected men using plasma samples from the enrollment and 12-month (end of study) visits. Results Men with acute or recent infection at enrollment and seroconverters had lower median HRM scores (lower HIV diversity) than men with non-recent infection in all six regions analyzed. In univariate analyses, younger age, higher CD4 cell count, and HIV drug resistance were associated with lower median HRM scores in multiple regions; ARV drug detection was marginally associated with lower diversity in the pol region. In multivariate analysis, acute or recent infection (all six regions) and HIV drug resistance (both gag regions) were associated with lower median HRM scores. Diversification in the pol region over 12 months was greater for men with acute or recent infection, higher CD4 cell count, and lower HIV viral load at study enrollment. Conclusions HIV diversity was significantly associated with duration of HIV infection, and lower gag diversity was observed in men who had HIV drug resistance. HIV pol diversification was more pronounced in men with acute or recent infection, higher CD4 cell count, and lower HIV viral load.


Models trained on synthetic images often face degraded generalization to real data. As a convention, these models are often initialized with ImageNet pre-trained representation. Yet the role of ImageNet knowledge is seldom discussed despite common practices that leverage this knowledge to maintain the generalization ability. An example is the careful hand-tuning of early stopping and layer-wise learning rates, which is shown to improve synthetic-to-real generalization but is also laborious and heuristic. In this work, we explicitly encourage the synthetically trained model to maintain similar representations with the ImageNet pre-trained model, and propose a \textit{learning-to-optimize (L2O)} strategy to automate the selection of layer-wise learning rates. We demonstrate that the proposed framework can significantly improve the synthetic-to-real generalization performance without seeing and training on real data, while also benefiting downstream tasks such as domain adaptation. Code is available at: this https URL.


Abstract. We demonstrate improvements in CALIPSO (Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) dust extinction retrievals over northern Africa and Europe when corrections are applied regarding the Saharan dust lidar ratio assumption, the separation of the dust portion in detected dust mixtures, and the averaging scheme introduced in the Level 3 CALIPSO product. First, a universal, spatially constant lidar ratio of 58 sr instead of 40 sr is applied to individual Level 2 dust-related backscatter products. The resulting aerosol optical depths show an improvement compared with synchronous and collocated AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) measurements. An absolute bias of the order of −0.03 has been found, improving on the statistically significant biases of the order of −0.10 reported in the literature for the original CALIPSO product. When compared with the MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) collocated aerosol optical depth (AOD) product, the CALIPSO negative bias is even less for the lidar ratio of 58 sr. After introducing the new lidar ratio for the domain studied, we examine potential improvements to the climatological CALIPSO Level 3 extinction product: (1) by introducing a new methodology for the calculation of pure dust extinction from dust mixtures and (2) by applying an averaging scheme that includes zero extinction values for the nondust aerosol types detected. The scheme is applied at a horizontal spatial resolution of 1° × 1° for ease of comparison with the instantaneous and collocated dust extinction profiles simulated by the BSC-DREAM8b dust model. Comparisons show that the extinction profiles retrieved with the proposed methodology reproduce the well-known model biases per subregion examined. The very good agreement of the proposed CALIPSO extinction product with respect to AERONET, MODIS and the BSC-DREAM8b dust model makes this dataset an ideal candidate for the provision of an accurate and robust multiyear dust climatology over northern Africa and Europe.


Transaction Memory systems may suffer from performance degradation when the concurrency level grows. The transaction abort rate caused by high concurrency may be detrimental to energy efficiency as well. Thread scheduling techniques, which proactively block some threads to optimize the concurrency level, help to reduce these phenomena. In this paper, we show that the efficiency of mechanisms used by tread schedulers for blocking/unblocking concurrent threads can be improved using CPU-core frequency scaling options offered by modern hardware systems. Particularly, we study a low-frequency busy waiting approach, in which blocked threads scale down the frequency of CPU-cores where they are running. We compare this approach with two commonly used approaches by thread schedulers, and we demonstrate that it achieves the best results in term of both performance and energy efficiency.


Privacy is an important issue in data mining and knowledge discovery. In this paper, we propose to use the randomized response techniques to conduct the data mining computation. Specially, we present a method to build decision tree classifiers from the disguised data. We conduct experiments to compare the accuracy of our decision tree with the one built from the original undisguised data. Our results show that although the data are disguised, our method can still achieve fairly high accuracy. We also show how the parameter used in the randomized response techniques affects the accuracy of the results.


Researchers tested the effectiveness of supplements during pregnancy on pre-eclampsia in a high risk population. A three arm, randomised, blinded, placebo controlled trial design was used. Intervention was two medical food bars a day containing the supplements L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins, antioxidant vitamins alone, or placebo.1

Participants were pregnant women with a previous pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia, or pre-eclampsia in a first degree relative, and deemed to be at increased risk of recurrence of the disease. Women were studied from week 14-32 of gestation and followed until delivery. In total, 228 women were allocated to L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins, 222 to antioxidant vitamins alone, and 222 to placebo.

The primary outcome was development of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Antioxidant vitamins alone showed an observed benefit, but this effect was not significant compared with placebo. The proportion of women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia was reduced significantly in the L-arginine plus antioxidant vitamins treatment group compared with placebo (absolute risk reduction 0.17 (95% confidence interval 0.12 to 0.21). The number needed to treat (NNT) was 5.73 (4.0 to 10.0). The researchers concluded that supplementation during pregnancy with a medical food containing L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins reduced the incidence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in a population at high risk of the condition.

Which of the following statements, if any, are true?


This topical review provides an overview of nanolithographic techniques for nanoarrays. Using patterning techniques such as lithography, normally we aim for a higher order architecture similarly to functional systems in nature. Inspired by the wealth of complexity in nature, these architectures are translated into technical devices, for example, found in integrated circuitry or other systems in which structural elements work as discrete building blocks in microdevices. Ordered artificial nanostructures (arrays of pillars, holes and wires) have shown particular properties and bring about the opportunity to modify and tune the device operation. Moreover, these nanostructures deliver new applications, for example, the nanoscale control of spin direction within a nanomagnet. Subsequently, we can look for applications where this unique property of the smallest manufactured element is repetitively used such as, for example with respect to spin, in nanopatterned magnetic media for data storage. These nanostructures are generally called nanoarrays. Most of these applications require massively parallel produced nanopatterns which can be directly realized by laser interference (areas up to 4 cm2 are easily achieved with a Lloyd's mirror set-up). In this topical review we will further highlight the application of laser interference as a tool for nanofabrication, its limitations and ultimate advantages towards a variety of devices including nanostructuring for photonic crystal devices, high resolution patterned media and surface modifications of medical implants. The unique properties of nanostructured surfaces have also found applications in biomedical nanoarrays used either for diagnostic or functional assays including catalytic reactions on chip. Bio-inspired templated nanoarrays will be presented in perspective to other massively parallel nanolithography techniques currently discussed in the scientific literature.


Program management oversight is an administration innovation in the water and wastewater treatment field. The method is increasingly being used when a public entity takes on a project beyond its resources. Most projects that require program managers involve public funds, usually federal, and have strict deadlines for completion. These are most often to assure compliance with an EPA deadline to improve water quality. An outside firm is retained to oversee the project, which task often includes selection of consultants, designers and contractors. Usually the program manager works along with the public department engineers and staff, and the method allows the public body to gain expertise overnight, to gain staff without having to hire and then fire when the project is completed. Others mention that it is easier to be demanding with outside consultants, and that accounting procedures with an outside entity have advantages. Several such projects are described and participants from both the private and the public owner side outline pros and cons of the method. Most mention the fact that civil service hiring procedures do not allow for swift hiring of sufficient qualified staff.


Filled with warmth, wit and wisdom, The Future Homemakers of America takes us to the heart of female friendship. A novel fans of DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD will not be able to resist. Norfolk,1953. The Fens have never seen anything quite like the girls from USAF Drampton. Overpaid, overfed and over here. While their men patrol the skies keeping the Soviets at bay, some are content to live the life of the Future Homemakers of America -- clipping coupons, cooking chicken pot pie -- but other start to stray, looking for a little native excitement beyond the perimeter fence. Out there in the freezing fens they meet Kath Pharaoh, a tough but warm Englishwoman. Bonds are forged, uniting the women in friendship that will survive distant postings, and the passage of forty years.


Background. Around 10 - 15% of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) have a thymoma, and non-motor symptoms are more frequent in these patients. We hypothesised that neuropsychiatric symptoms would also be more frequent.  Methods. A cross-sectional study of 30 consecutive MG patients attending a clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, was done over a 6-month period in 2010. Each patient underwent a series of single-blinded neuropsychiatric assessments, including the 16-item, self-reported Flanagan Quality of Life (QOL) scale, the Beck Depression Inventory second version, the Young Mania Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Results. The frequency and nature of neuropsychiatric symptoms were similar between thymoma ( n =9) and non-thymoma ( n =21) MG patients. Symptoms of moderate or severe depression and anxiety were present in around 30%. The severity of depression symptoms correlated with MG severity. Prednisone dosing was not associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms or QOL scores. Those with longer duration of MG were more likely to have higher scores on the BPRS and anxiety scales. Those with younger-onset MG had higher BPRS scores and a tendency to suicidal behaviour.  Conclusion. Although no association with thyoma was found, this study shows that neuropsychiatric conditions may be underdiagnosed in patients with MG. Systematic depression screening should be done at outpatient clinics, particularly for those who developed symptoms at a young age, those with severe disease and those with a long duration of illness.


This chapter is on quantitative models of sovereign debt crises in emerging economies. We interpret debt crises broadly to cover all of the major problems a country can experience while trying to issue new debt, including default, sharp increases in the spread and failed auctions. We examine the spreads on sovereign debt of 20 emerging market economies since 1993 and document the extent to which fluctuations in spreads are driven by country-specific fundamentals, common latent factors and observed global factors. Our findings motivate quantitative models of debt and default with the following features: (i) trend stationary or stochastic growth, (ii) risk averse competitive lenders, (iii) a strategic repayment/borrowing decision, (iv) multi-period debt, (v) a default penalty that includes both a reputation loss and a physical output loss and (vi) rollover defaults. For the quantitative evaluation of the model, we focus on Mexico and carefully discuss the successes and weaknesses of various versions of the model. We close with some thoughts on useful directions for future research.


F.T. Marinetti9s "Manifesto of Futurist Cuisine" (1930) and the subsequent Futurist Cookbook (1932) called for a culinary revolution and a new edible aesthetics. Futurism enacted its demands for destruction, violence, and transformation through the microcosm of the human intestine. While F.T. Marinetti9s avant-garde chauvinism has left a notoriously bad taste in postmodern mouths, Futurism9s extensive experiments with taste and touch represent a curious reversal of Western traditions that regarded the "lower" senses as feminine. Unfortunately, Futurism9s theoretical liberation of the so-called "feminine" senses is eclipsed by the cookbook9s daunting inventory of recipes that metaphorically devour the female body. Only one woman left her essence among the pages of the Futurist Cookbook . Marisa Mori9s recipe for Italian Breasts in the Sun calls for two mounds of almond paste topped with two candied strawberries on a bed of custard and cream, sprinkled with hot pepper. Her punning metaphorics have a masculinst flavor as the female body is presented in fragmented and sexualized terms; however, this article argues that there is a more satirical taste to Mori9s edible breasts.


We present new measurements of the quasar angular autocorrelation function from a sample of ~80,000 photometrically classified quasars taken from the First Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find a best-fit model of ω(θ) = (0.066)θ-(0.98±0.15) for the angular correlation function, consistent with estimates of the slope from spectroscopic quasar surveys. We show that only models with little or no evolution in the clustering of quasars in comoving coordinates since a median redshift of z ~ 1.4 can recover a scale length consistent with local galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A model with little evolution of quasar clustering in comoving coordinates is best explained in the current cosmological paradigm by rapid evolution in quasar bias. We show that quasar biasing must have changed from bQ ~ 3 at a (photometric) redshift of phot = 2.2 to bQ ~ 1.2-1.3 by phot = 0.75. Such a rapid increase with redshift in biasing implies that quasars at z ~ 2 cannot be the progenitors of modern L* objects; rather they must now reside in dense environments, such as clusters. Similarly, the duration of the UVX (ultraviolet-excess) quasar phase must be short enough to explain why local UVX quasars reside in essentially unbiased structures. Our estimates of bQ are in good agreement with recent spectroscopic results (Croom et al. 2005), which demonstrate that the implied evolution in bQ is consistent with quasars inhabiting halos of similar mass at every redshift. Treating quasar clustering as a bivariate function of both redshift and luminosity, we find no evidence for luminosity dependence in quasar clustering, and that redshift evolution thus affects quasar clustering more than changes in quasars' luminosity. Our results are robust against a range of systematic uncertainties. We provide a new method for quantifying stellar contamination in photometrically classified quasar catalogs via the correlation function.


Summary: 1. The Challenges of Pluralistic Societies with Dissimilar Cultural Identities and Religious Traditions: from a Melting Pot to a Cultural Mosaic - 2. European Catholic Tradition of Dual Legislation and Jurisdiction: 2.1. The Development of the Religious Jurisdiction: from the Episcopalis Audientia under the Christian Roman Empire to the Homologation of Religious Decisions by a Civil Judge – 2.2. The Development of Secular and Religious Jurisdictions: from the Leges Barbarorum et Romanorum under the Principle of Personality to the Medieval Dual Jurisdiction in Europe – 2.3. Religious Minorities under Christian Rulers – 3. Muslim Legal Tradition of Plural Jurisdictions: 3.1. Muslim Empires and the Dhimma System – 3.2. Islamic Communities in Transition: from the Pre-colonial Era to the Colonial Rule – 3.3. The Exceptionality of Palestine and Israel- 4. Toward a Global World: Legal Pluralism and the Development of ADR. The Role of Religious Mediation and Arbitration: 4.1. The American Experience in Religious Arbitration: the Jewish Beth Din Courts and the Challenge of Islamic Arbitration – 4.2. Confronting the Fear of Islamic Arbitration Tribunals in the UK, Canada, and Australia - 5. Conclusions. Abstract: Most of juridical systems are historically developed from the interaction of two main legal principles: the principle of personality and the principle of territoriality. Roman Law is one of the best examples of it; its legacy channeled the growth and coexistence of religious and secular jurisdictions in the Germanic kingdoms of Western Europe. Under the principle of personality of laws, bonding individuals to their cultural or religious communities, legal pluralism was the common grounds from the Antiquity to the pre-Modern era. However, as a result of the religious wars in the Holy Roman Empire between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th and the 17th centuries, the Westphalian state model reinforced a territorial religious jurisdiction under the principle cuius regio eius religio, allowing the ruler to impose his religion on his subjects. The Muslim legal tradition developed, as well, plural juridical systems from the Dhimma System. One of them was the Ottoman Millet system that was adapted from the colonial era to the most of Middle East nation-states as a bonding personal religious law applied to non-Muslim communities. The secular paradigm of the Rule of Law, centralizing and reinforcing state and federal legislative powers, is implemented in Europe and her former colonies in the 19th century under the nation-state constitutional model, expanding worldwide the principles of territoriality and citizenship. As a result, religious legal systems are progressively confined to the private sphere. However, the secular paradigm is confronted gradually by a new development of legal pluralism, mainly as an effect of an extensive increment of global migrations; Halakha or Jewish Law, Canon Law or Catholic Law, Sharia or Islamic Law, are gaining strength as formal or informal religious ADR under the principle of Religious Freedom. Religious legal systems are becoming an innovative tool of mediation, conciliation, and arbitration accepted by some secular jurisdictions around the world, although there is a polarized debate about it. In today´s global world, which are the lessons to be learned from legal traditions and contemporary models of legal pluralism? Can religious legal systems become a tool of mediation for restorative justice preventing and exiting from violence? This article addresses this juridical and social challenge from an interdisciplinary comparative analysis.


The present work demonstrates the performance evaluation and economic analysis of different PV module types and brands at the working conditions of Padiham (53.5 N, 2.3 W) in the UK. The total area of PV plant was assumed to be 100 square meters. The simulations were carried out for modules installed on the roof and on the south-facing facade of a residential building. The comparison study is carried out to define the most suitable module type and brands for the considered place in the current study. The energy and economic performance of the grid-connected PV system are analyzed under the meteorological conditions of Padiham. The modules were characterized by evaluating their annual electrical energy generation and different figures of merit of the grid-connected PV systems such as the investment, annual profit, net present value, levelized cost of electricity, and the payback time. The simulations show that in this specific setup, monocrystalline modules have the best energy performance, while thin-film modules have the best economic performance.


The objective of this thesis was to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic and transforming effects induced by nanoparticles (NPs) of industrial interest on a range of cell cultures. The cytotoxicity of two sizes of CoFe2O4 NPs, paramagnetic particles of interest in different biomedical applications, was investigated using the Neutral Red uptake (NR) and Colony Forming Efficiency (CFE) assays using six mammalian cell lines at concentrations between 10 and 120 μM. More specifically, cytotoxicity was evaluated after 72-hour treatment of five cell lines (A549, CaCo2, HaCaT, HepG2, MDCK) with 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 μM concentrations of NPs using NR, and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100 and 120 μM concentrations of NPs using CFE. In parallel with these tests, cytotoxicity was also evaluated in mouse Balb3T3 fibroblasts using (i) NR after 72-hour treatment with 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 μM concentrations of NPs, and (ii) CFE after both 72-hour treatment with 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100 and 120 μM concentrations of NPs, and 24-hour treatment with 1, 10, 60 and 120 μM concentrations of NPs. The cytotoxic effect exhibited a dose-effect relationship for Balb3T3 cells as assessed using the CFE assay. The testing of a more extensive concentration range of NPs in Balb3T3 cells (i.e., 1 and 5 μM in addition to the concentrations tested in the other five cell lines) over a 72-hour exposure time using CFE, together with the additional test using a 24-hour exposure time allowed appropriate concentration ranges to be determined for use in subsequent experiments using the Cell Transformation (CTA) and Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assays. The cell transformation capacity and genotoxicity of CoFe2O4 NPs were investigated using the Balb3T3 model, and assessed using the CTA (specifically at concentrations of 1, 5, 20 and 60 μM for 72 hours of treatment) and CBMN (specifically at concentrations of 1, 10 and 60 μM for 24 hours of treatment). The CoFe2O4 NPs induced neither effect at the doses and time points investigated. Four sizes of Ag NPs, chosen for their antimicrobial properties, were assessed for cytotoxicity (using CFE at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 μM for 24 hours of treatment and of 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 μM for 72 hours of treatment), cell transformation capacity (using CTA at concentrations of 0.5, 2.5 and 5 μM for 72 hours of treatment) and genotoxicity to Balb3T3 mouse fibroblasts (using CBMN at concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 μM for 24 hours of treatment). The Ag NPs had a significant cytotoxic effect, but no cell transformation or genotoxic effects at the doses and time points investigated. Physicochemical characterization of the chosen NPs was performed; size distribution and surface charge were measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), imaging by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the purity and ion leakage by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the sedimentation by UV-Visible spectrometry.


Splay faults, large thrust faults emerging from the plate boundary to the seafloor in subduction zones, are considered to enhance tsunami generation by transferring slip from the very shallow dip of the megathrust onto steeper faults, thus increasing vertical displacement of the seafloor. These structures are predominantly found offshore, and are therefore difficult to detect in seismicity studies, as most seismometer stations are located onshore. The Mw (moment magnitude) 8.8 Maule earthquake on 27 February 2010 affected ∼500 km of the central Chilean margin. In response to this event, a network of 30 ocean-bottom seismometers was deployed for a 3 month period north of the main shock where the highest coseismic slip rates were detected, and combined with land station data providing onshore as well as offshore coverage of the northern part of the rupture area. The aftershock seismicity in the northern part of the survey area reveals, for the first time, a well-resolved seismically active splay fault in the submarine forearc. Application of critical taper theory analysis suggests that in the northernmost part of the rupture zone, coseismic slip likely propagated along the splay fault and not the subduction thrust fault, while in the southern part it propagated along the subduction thrust fault and not the splay fault. The possibility of splay faults being activated in some segments of the rupture zone but not others should be considered when modeling slip distributions.


By the summer of 2011, Germany industry was back at levels last achieved before the economic crisis, thanks to continuous growth in production since early 2009. The recovery was driven by strong domestic and foreign demand for German capital and intermediate goods. However, the Ifo Business Climate Index, which has contracted since July 2011, and fewer orders suggest that industrial production will decline by the end of 2011. The duration and intensity of the slowdown will depend not least on how quickly policy-makers take convincing measures to resolve the debt crisis in the eurozone and thus allay widespread uncertainty among investors and consumers.


Sorting out source and path effects for seismic waves at volcanoes is critical for the proper interpretation of underlying volcanic processes. Source or path effects imply that seismic waves interact strongly with the volcanic subsurface, either through partial resonance in a conduit (Garces et al., 2000; Sturton and Neuberg, 2006) or by random scattering in the heterogeneous volcanic edifice (Wegler and Luhr, 2001). As a result, both source and path effects can cause seismic waves to repeatedly sample parts of the volcano, leading to enhanced sensitivity to small changes in material properties at those locations. The challenge for volcano seismologists is to detect and reliably interpret these subtle changes for the purpose of monitoring eruptions.


Changes in accounting system have direct impact to economic stability and development of the states. It could be noticed analyzing experience of accounting harmonization in stabile and transitional economy countries, as well. The aim of this paper is to disclose to what extent changes in Lithuanian accounting policy within the framework of European Union determined results of Lithuanian economic development. In the first part of the article we tried to shed more light to the preconditions of those tremendous changes in the Lithuanian economy and accounting as well by analyzing the main features of transitional economy from accounting changes point of view. In the second part we briefly discussed changes in Lithuanian accounting systems since 1990 and disclose impact of it to the results of economic development. Further accounting policy perspectives, national peculiarities and problems of it discussed as well. The main conclusion based in performed study is as follows: • Natural feature of initial stage of Lithuanian accounting reform is that the State government becomes the main initiator of accounting legislation. An important role in the drafting of accounting reform legislation played considerations about tax revenue. On the other hand authorities remained primary users of accounting information, because of lack of interest form private sector. • Business accounting standards and international accounting and financial reporting standards become the main methodological basis for accounting in Lithuanian companies. Those standards raised accounting to a higher level of quality and this could be an advance of Lithuanian accounting. Application of IAS (international accounting standards), required for companies listed in the stock exchange market, opens new possibilities for foreign investors and capital market development. • According to the results of the research it is difficult to evaluate the direct effect to economic results, because of the complexity of factors influencing economic development. The tendencies of the relations between changes in accounting policy and foreign direct investment are similar to EU states. However according to the results in the case of capital market the tendencies were opposite. In Lithuanian case the domestic investors were more active than the foreign ones. Summarizing it could be maintained that the changes in accounting policy in Lithuania did not make such significant influence on economic development, as it happened in other EU countries, because of features of transitional economy and it is too early to look for visible results.


Abstract Although locomotor activity is involved in almost all behavioral traits, there is a lack of knowledge on what factors affect it. This study examined the effects of sex—ratio and density on the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity of adult Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) using an infra—red light system. Sex—ratio significantly affected locomotor activity, increasing with the percentage of males in the vials. In accordance with other studies, males were more active than females, but the circadian rhythm of the two sexes was not constant over time and changed during the light period. There was also an effect of density on locomotor activity, where males at intermediate densities showed higher activity. Further, the predictability of the locomotor activity, estimated as the degree of autocorrelation of the activity data, increased with the number of males present in the vials both with and without the presence of females. Overall, this study demonstrates that locomotor activity in M. domestica is affected by sex—ratio and density. Furthermore, the predictability of locomotor activity is affected by both sex—ratio, density, and circadian rhythm. These results add to our understanding of the behavioral interactions between houseflies and highlight the importance of these factors when designing behavioral experiments using M. domestica.


The saltmarshes within the Solent area have retreated significantly over the past 120 years. The
expansion of tidal creek systems contributes considerably to the net loss of these saltmarshes. The
development of a tidal creek system at Exbury Marsh was studied, as being representative of the
tidal creeks within the Beaulieu Estuary, with emphasis placed upon the evolution of the crosssectional
profiles. The present geomorphology of the studied tidal creek system was investigated,
together with the measurements on the bank sediment stability, the parameters of the root systems
(Sea Purslane and Sea Rush) and the hydrodynamics. This study aims to understand the
influences of various factors, e.g., root systems and bank sediment stability, on the
geomorphological evolution of a natural tidal creek system, within a low energy environment.
The results reveal that within this low energy saltmarsh, the erosion takes place at a low rate (1-2
cm a-1) on bank faces, greater than the vertical accretion rate of marsh surface (2.5 mm a-1). The
geomorphology of the tidal creek system is mainly characterised by the presence of cantilevers.
The bases of the cantilevers are found to be located at certain levels, related to
submergence/emergence cycles. The cantilever stability analyses suggest that lateral expansion
rate of the channel is approx. 2.9 cm a-1, caused by the periodic bank failure.
The root systems are central in increasing bank sediment stability, contributing a maximum of 6
Pa to the erosion threshold and a maximum of 7 kPa to the shear strength of the bank sediments.
The Sea Purslane root system is more effective than the Sea Rush root system, in retarding the
bank erosion.
The flow-induced bed shear stress (<0.1 Pa) is lower than the erosion threshold of the bank
sediments (>0.5 Pa), under normal weather conditions. The water level frequency analysis
suggests that the erosion below the cantilever bases can be achieved by submergence/emergence
cycles, aided by low tidal currents, over a long-term period.
The evolution of the cross-sectional profiles is controlled mainly by the transformation from
mudflat to saltmarsh, the presence of a gravel base, the stabilisation by root systems on bank
sediments and the erosion caused by submergence/emergence cycles (together with low tidal
currents), over a long-term period.
The main contributions of this study to practical application are: (1) root systems (e.g., Sea
Purslane) with high resistance to fluid-induced erosion are more efficient than those (e.g., Sea
Rush) with high resistance to gravity-induced mass failure, in stabilising tidal creeks. (2) The
retreat of the banks, in low energy environments, is associated with long-term processes, e.g.,
submergence/emergence cycles (together with low tidal currents).


In the past few years, Big Data has been a trend in the world of Information Technology. Alongside the growth of organizations, the bigger the data that is owned, some can reach the scale of Terabytes to Pentabytes. When an organization wants to do an analysis of a Big Data it takes time due to limited CPU and memory. To overcome this, there is a paradigm which is called distributed computing. There are many tools that aim to cultivate Big Data such as Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, and etc. However, the tool that is going to be analyzed is the Apache Hadoop. The adoption rate of Big Data in Indonesia is 20% for 2 to 3 years into the future [1]. Seeing these facts, more and more companies are planning to adopt Big Data to analyze their data. Due to the increasing use of Big Data and Apache Hadoop, it is conducted an exploratory analysis of data correlation on Apache Hadoop. In addition, testing was also done using the Apache Hadoop with varying number of nodes, mappers and reducers, and number of different block sizes [10]. Exploratory analysis of data correlation on Apache Hadoop is done by making four types of data analysis applications, namely two applications correlation values for the data search Yahoo! Messenger and two applications for creating classification trees. Based on test results obtained that the R application is more suitable for smaller data size while Hadoop is more suitable for large data size. For large data, application R uses higher percentage of CPU and memory than Hadoop. The combination of mapper and reducer that will provide the most optimal execution time is for mapper in the range of 2/3 of the total CPU cores, while the reducer is 1/3 of the total CPU cores.


ABSTRACT Degenerate primers were used to amplify 14 distinct reductive-dehalogenase-homologous (RDH) genes from the Dehalococcoides-containing mixed culture KB1. Most of the corresponding predicted proteins were highly similar (97 to >99% amino acid identity) to previously reported Dehalococcoides reductive dehalogenases. To examine the differential transcription of these RDH genes, KB1 was split into five subcultures amended with either trichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, vinyl chloride, 1,2-dichlorethane, or no chlorinated electron acceptor. Total RNA was extracted following the onset of reductive dechlorination, and RDH transcripts were reverse transcribed and amplified using degenerate primers. The results indicate that the transcription of RDH genes requires the presence of a chlorinated electron acceptor, and for all treatments, multiple RDH genes were simultaneously transcribed, with transcripts of two of the genes being present under all four electron-accepting conditions. Two of the transcribed sequences were highly similar to reported vinyl chloride reductase genes, namely, vcrA from Dehalococcoides sp. strain VS and bvcA from Dehalococcoides sp. strain BAV1. These findings suggest that multiple RDH genes are induced by a single chlorinated substrate and that multiple reductive dehalogenases contribute to chloroethene degradation in KB1.


Following the success of its predecessor, this second edition of The Future of Energy Use provides essential analysis of the use of different forms of energy and their environmental and social impacts. It examines conventional, nuclear and renewable sources and technologies, using relevant case studies and providing a vital link between technology and related policy issues. The new edition has been comprehensively developed and updated, including new text, diagrams and tables, with entire new sections that reflect the significant changes that have occurred since the first edition. New material includes: a stronger focus on climate change policy and energy security; a discussion of the long run marginal costs of oil; coverage of the biofuels debate in both the developed and developing worlds; an outline of developments in the built environment (including transport issues); and the relationship between behaviour and energy use. It reviews policy shifts with relation to energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, combined heat and power, and combined cycle gas turbines. There is new coverage of nuclear waste, storage and proliferation, and new material on microgeneration and biofuels, as well as essential new information on carbon markets and the hydrogen economy. The result is a unique introduction and guide to all the vital issues within energy for students, academics and professionals new to the field.


Sexual violence against women in war is an issue that is well reported and well known to the public and the international community, but still remains widespread and common in many conflicts in the world. Much research has been done on the topic, yet no substantial analytical framework for the circumstances behind its facilitation has been made, and it has been a common practice to value it as an inevitable part of war. It comes without question that to be able to do something about a problem you need to know what facilitates it. Therefore the objective of this thesis is to investigate what circumstances facilitate sexual violence against women in war. An analytical framework is created out of the existing litterature and tested on five different conflict cases with a high amount of sexual violence and thus using the method of Structured Focused Comparison. The research resulted in the findings that four out of six of the parameters in the analytical framework appeared to facilitate sexual violence, where Impunity and a Patriarchal society or Hegemonic masculinity appeared to facilitate to the highest extent. The other parameters that appeared to be facilitating to a medium extent were an ethnic conflict and military masculinity ideals. Perhaps the main finding of this study is that sexual violence against women in war is not inevitable and that there appears to be certain circumstances behind its facilitation.


Estimating the levels of giving and volunteering in the United States relies on a few different sources: Independent Sector (until 2001) as well as by Center on Philanthropy Panel Studies (COPPS; since 2004) and the United States Census Bureau. Each of these sources uses different methodologies to measure levels of giving and volunteering in the United States yielding significantly different results. The purpose of this article is to examine current methodologies for assessing U.S. levels and characteristics of giving and volunteering and to evaluate the extent to which online methods are reliable, concurrently valid, inexpensive, and offer a flexible survey approach. The authors used six waves of a Harris Interactive online survey known as Donor Pulse, conducted within a 3-year span, as the case example.


ABSTRACT This article studies emotions of students in light of the concept of clinical legal education and its pedagogy. It takes as its case study the Helsinki Law Clinic. The study shows that emotions constitute an important aspect of academic learning and they often guide students through the learning experience. The design of the course and the scope of the teachers' involvement have a significant impact on emotions experienced by students and, through these emotions, on students' motivation. The study showed that students who struggle with group work most and have negative emotions towards the collaborative setting of the course exhibited a perfectionist attitude. Students who express a more positive attitude towards group work expressed greater emotional satisfaction with both the course and their own performance, and received better grades. Those students who have indicated orientation towards performance and stressed the importance of passing examinations were most dissatisfied with group work. These findings show the importance of the role of teachers in regulating students' emotions through guiding their work and continuously explaining the purpose of clinical education as more oriented towards collaborative problem-solving and learning by doing rather than as an exam to be passed.


The first edition of this book is recognised as one of the definitive sources on the subject of Computational Geometry. In fact, O'Rourke has a long history in the field, has published many papers on the subject and is responsible for the computer graphics algorithms newsgroup which is where all computer geometers meet to discuss their ideas and problems. Typical problems discussed include how a polygon can be represented, how to calculate its area, how to detect if two polygons intersect and how to calculate the convex hull of a polygon. This leads onto more complex issues such as motion planning and seeing if a robot is able navigate from point x to point y without bumping into objects. The algorithms for these (and other) problems are discussed and many are implemented. In addition, many of the ideas are also discussed from the point of view of three and more dimensions. The only disappointment is that many problems are posed as questions at the end of the chapters and, as far as I could see, you cannot get the answers in the forms of a lecturer's supplement. This is fine in academia but not a lot of use for the commercial world. Due to the range of problems that incorporate computational geometry this book cannot be expected to answer every problem you might have. You will undoubtedly need access to other textbooks but I have been using the first edition of this book for many years and the second edition is a welcome addition to my bookshelf. If I was only allowed one computational geometry book then it would undoubtedly be this one.


Introduced bivalves have suppressed phytoplankton production in many aquatic food- webs, but effects on higher trophic levels have been inconsistent. In the northern San Francisco Estu- ary, the introduced clam Corbula amurensis eliminated summer-long phytoplankton blooms starting in 1987, but responses of mesozooplankton biomass and most fish were somewhat muted. I con- ducted a retrospective analysis of the response of the estuarine foodweb to the decline in phyto- plankton due to clam grazing. When C. amurensis invaded, the distribution of northern anchovy Engraulis mordax shifted toward higher salinity, reducing summer abundance by 94% in the low- salinity region of the estuary. Northern anchovy dominates the biomass of fish in the more saline reaches of the estuary, and is genetically affiliated with the subpopulation on the central California coast, which in turn is strongly influenced by climate variability. However, abundance of northern anchovy within the estuary was not related to available estimates of biomass, catch, or abundance of northern anchovy on the California coast, nor was it related to any of 4 variables describing aspects of climate variability with different time and space scales. The shift in spatial distribution appears to have been a direct behavioral response to reduced food. Bioenergetic calculations showed reduced consumption of zooplankton by all planktivores, including mysids, after C. amurensis became abun- dant and the anchovy left the low-salinity region of the estuary. This reduced consumption appears to have mitigated effects of the loss of phytoplankton productivity, making a greater proportion of the zooplankton productivity available to other fish species. Such behavioral accommodations are likely wherever invasions occur in open systems.


The demand function represents the fundamental building block in economics and provides important information for investment and policy purposes. The aim of this paper is to characterize and measure the demand structure for imported cod products to Portugal. A PCAIDS model is used to identify ownand cross-price elasticities of demand for frozen, salted & dried and salted cod products. The estimated elasticities of demand are then used in combination with a demand growth index to measure shifts in demand overtime impacting price of product. Results suggest that over the period of study a strong positive shift in demand for frozen product doubling the price of the product relative to the initial period. But both imported salted & dried and salted product show overall negative shifts in demand decreasing price and may represent a structural shift towards frozen product.


Distance education delivery has shifted from the mere meaning of distance due to the use of abridged technologies. Current distance education utilizes technologies that have made the term distance a metaphor. The affordances of technology have promoted student-student interaction; teacher-student interaction as well as student-student interaction across boundaries. This has been possible due to blended leaning that combines both the online component in addition to the face-to-face sessions. One of the technologies that have made blended learning possible in distance education is the Learning Management System (LMS). However, intentions towards the use of LMS have been a crucial element in contemporary literature especially in Africa. Consequently, one of the key determinants of LMS use intentions is attitude towards the technology. Hence, this study is focused on unraveling the key determinants of attitude based on a Technology-Related Stimulus-Response Theoretical Framework (TR-SR-TF) while addressing empirically, the mediating role of attitude on these determinants. In view of this, the study employed a survey design with the questionnaire as an instrument for data collection from a sample of 267 course tutors in distance education. The results from a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach revealed performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions as key antecedents of attitude towards LMS for blended learning. Again, attitude had a significant mediating effect on all three antecedents in determining behavioural intention towards LMS use for blended learning in distance education. The results of the study suggests that factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions should be critically addressed while implementing LMS-enabled blended learning because the former factors have a direct effect on attitude towards use intentions of blended learning for distance education delivery.


Retirement is considered a critical stage of life with profound changes in an individual's life and lifestyle. With increased life expectancy, an individual could spend a third of his/her lifetime in retirement. It is in this period that falls start to become commonplace and they have been linked to lower limb muscle weakness, reduced joint range of motion, and balance instability. The objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether the sudden life changes that occur at retirement are reflected in changes in lower limb strength, joint range of motion, balance performance and physical activity levels. Following a series of pilot studies, ninety-seven healthy individuals aged 50 – 67 years (mean ± [SD] 59.6 [3.9] years) consented to participate in the study (44 males, 53 females). Two groups were established: a retirement group (due to retire imminently), and a control group (at least 12 months away from retirement). Assessments of lower limb strength, joint range of motion, balance performance and physical activity levels within the workplace and household, leisure and sporting activities were undertaken at baseline (one week pre-retirement for the retirement group) and repeated six and twelve months later. The t-Test for independent samples was used to analyse the difference between the groups' mean values at baseline. No significant differences were found between the retirement group and the control group for the measurement variables (P > 0.05). Correlations were found between balance performance, peak torque and joint range of motion measurements. One third of the participants in both the retirement and control groups were sedentary, and the average lower limb strength values were lower than expected for this age group. Repeat assessments were undertaken six and twelve months post baseline measurements. A mixed design factorial ANOVA test was used to investigate any differences between visits for the groups. Significant differences between the retirement and control group were only observed in the reported physical activity levels for household, leisure and sporting activities (P < 0.01), as the activity level of the control group remained stable, whilst the activity level of the retirement group increased. It would appear that in the twelve months following retirement there is no measurable effect on lower limb strength, joint range of motion or balance performance. This may be due to the significant increase in physical activity levels post retirement, which may have compensated for the loss of physical activity undertaken within the workplace.


We present a comprehensive, self-contained, and mechanically verified proof of correctness of a maximally redundant SRT design for floating-point division and square root extraction, supported by verified procedures that 1) test the admissibility of a proposed digit selection table, 2) determine the minimal dimensions of an admissible table for a given arbitrary radix, and 3) generate these tables. For square root extraction, we also provide a verified procedure for generating an initial approximation that meets the accuracy requirement of the algorithm and ensures that the digit selection index derived from successive partial roots remains static throughout the computation. A radix-8 instantiation of these algorithms has been implemented in the floating-point unit of the AMD processor code-named Steamroller. To ensure their correctness, all of our results and procedures have been formalized and mechanically checked by the ACL2 prover. We present evidence of the value of this approach by comparing it to that of a more conventional published paper that reports similar results, which are shown to be fatally flawed.


Soil monitoring and inventory require a sampling strategy. One component of this strategy is the support of the basic soil observation: the size and shape of the volume of material that is collected and then analysed to return a single soil datum. Many, but not all, soil sampling schemes use aggregate supports in which material from a set of more than one soil cores, arranged in a given configuration, is aggregated and thoroughly mixed prior to analysis. In this paper, it is shown how the spatial statistics of soil information, collected on an aggregate support, can be computed from the covariance function of the soil variable on a core support (treated as point support). This is done via what is called here the discrete regularization of the core‐support function. It is shown how discrete regularization can be used to compute the variance of soil sample means and to quantify the consistency of estimates made by sampling then re‐sampling a monitoring network, given uncertainty in the precision with which sample sites are relocated. These methods are illustrated using data on soil organic carbon content from a transect in central England. Two aggregate supports, both based on a 20 m 20 m square, are compared with core support. It is shown that both the precision and the consistency of data collected on an aggregate support are better than data on a core support. This has implications for the design of sampling schemes for soil inventory and monitoring.


De-identification in multimedia content can be defined as the process of concealing the identities of individuals captured in a given set of data (images, video, audio, text), for the purpose of protecting their privacy. This will provide an effective means for supporting the EU's Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC), which is concerned with the introduction of appropriate measures for the protection of personal data. The fact that a person can be identified by such features as face, voice, silhouette and gait, indicates the de-identification process as an interdisciplinary challenge, involving such scientific areas as image processing, speech analysis, video tracking and biometrics. This Action aims to facilitate coordinated interdisciplinary efforts (related to scientific, legal, ethical and societal aspects) in the introduction of person de-identification and reversible de-identification in multimedia content by networking relevant European experts and organisations.


Two different novel families of bifunctional water-soluble dendrimers are synthesized, using the specific functionalization of one function of the cyclotriphosphazene core. Dendrimers are grown from the 5 remaining functions, up to generation 2. Water-solubility is attained in the last step of the synthesis by grafting either ammonium terminal groups or carboxylate terminal groups, on generations 1 and 2 of these bifunctional dendrimers. 12 new compounds are synthesized and fully characterized, in particular by multi-nuclear NMR. The function linked to the core is thioctic acid, suitable for grafting onto gold, thus both types of water-soluble dendrimers can be used to coat gold surfaces. These macromolecular assemblies are characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In a preliminary attempt, the gold surfaces modified by either positively or negatively charged dendrimers are used for studying their interaction with cells. Exposed to human osteoblast cells (OBC), the influence of the surface coatings on the cell responses is investigated. Polycationic dendrimers provoke cell apoptosis, whereas negatively charged dendrimers support cell adhesion and proliferation.


NMF induces the terminal differentiation or acquisition of more benign characteristics in certain malignant cells in vitro and has good antitumour activity against murine tumours in vivo. This study was concerned with a comparison of the mechanism of antitumour activity of NMF in vitro and in vivo against the murine TLX5 lymphoma, which is sensitive to NMF in vivo. TLX5 cells incubated continuously with NMF in vitro showed a concentration and time dependent decrease in cell growth rate, which was associated with an increase in membrane permeability, a decrease in cell size and at the higher NMF concentrations, cell death. Analysis of the cell cycle after incubation with NMF indicated an early G1 phase arrest. TLX5 cells were incubated with NMF and washed free of the drug. Analysis of clonogenicity and tumourigenicity showed that all viable cells retained their proliferative potential and malignancy. Therefore, TLX5 cells exposed to NMF in vitro are not terminally differentiated, but reside in a quiescent substate which was reversed on drug removal. The intracellular GSH levels of TLX5 cells was decreased in a concentration and time dependent fashion by NMF. GSH depletion of TLX5 cells was not however a prerequisite for growth arrest, unlike the reported data for human colon carcinoma cell lines. A single administration of NMF caused a dose dependent regression of the TLX5 lymphoma in tumour bearing mice. Cell death occurred by apoptosis and necrosis. The antitumour activity of NMF was dependent on formyl C-H bond fission, with the parent drug or metabolites reaching all parts of the tumour 4h after dosing. There was a non-dose dependent increase in the S phase population, which was due to an increase in DNA synthesis, 24h after administration of NMF. NMF administration caused a decrease in GSH levels of the TLX5 lymphoma, which did not correlate with the antitumour response. However, the GSH depleting agent, BSO, marginally increased the antitumour activity of NMF.


Data mining applications have facilitated knowledge discovery in a multitude of areas including marketing, biological and geological sciences, and image processing. Through well established mathematical algorithms related to pattern recognition, predictive modeling, and anomaly detection, warehouses of data have been explored and interpreted with the purposes of helping researchers unveil and understand complex patterns. In this paper, we present the development of a web-based Data Mining Utility, created with the ultimate goal of allowing medical researchers to detect new artifacts that have been previously obscured through conventional signal processing techniques in neurological datasets. This web tool is powered by Data to Knowledge, which was created by the Automated Learning Group of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, by integrating a vast library of customizable data mining techniques into a unified programming environment. Using this framework, along with the D2K Web Service, this Data Mining Utility will enhance an established Multi-Site Pediatric Network for fMRI in Childhood Epilepsy, as a means for researchers to gain further insight on medical case studies.


Abstract A well-preserved nearly complete avian tarsometatarsus was collected by the 2002 expedition of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences from upper Eocene deposits exposed at the locality of Alag Tsav in the Eastern Gobi desert (Dornogov Aimag) of Mongolia. The new specimen is identified as part of a proposed Eogruidae clade, although it is unclear whether it is appropriately the holotype of a new species within this clade or referable to a previously named species. The clade Eogruidae has, as its current contents, species named as part of the traditional families Eogruidae + Ergilornithidae, which include several taxa of completely didactylous and apparently flightless birds. Referral of the new fossil to the clade Eogruidae is on the basis of derived reduction/loss of the metatarsal II trochlea. A series of phylogenetic analyses was used to investigate the systematic position of Eogruidae (including the new fossil, IGM 100/1447), which have been proposed to be a dominant part of Eocene to Miocene Asian faunas. First, the Mayr and Clarke (2003) dataset for crown clade Aves was used to investigate placement of Eogruidae within Aves, using a more completely known eogruid, Eogrus aeola, as an exemplar taxon. Eogrus aeola was identical to the new tarsometatarsus for all scored characters. A strict consensus cladogram of three most parsimonious trees from 1000 replicate heuristic searches placed Eogrus aeola in an unresolved polytomy with Psophiidae and Gruidae (Trumpeters and Cranes). Given the results of this analysis, Eogruidae (including IGM 100/1447) was analyzed in the suborder Grues dataset of Livezey (1998). Eogruidae was placed as the sister taxon to an Aramidae + Gruidae clade in the strict consensus cladogram of the eight most parsimonious trees resulting from a branch and bound search. Because monophyly of the traditional order Gruiformes has been repeatedly questioned, and the outgroups used in the original Grues dataset were identified through analyses assuming monophyly, the impact of removing these assumptions was investigated. Placement was robust to both changing outgroup assumptions and to swapping in the more incompletely known IGM 100/1447 as an exemplar for Eogruidae.


Given that Teacher-Training Courses (TTC's) have responsibility for assisting prospective teachers with building up a repertoire of technical and pedagogic knowledge, the systematically evaluation of such courses is regarded as seminal (Lynch, 2003 and Peacock, 2009). Therefore, the present study is an attempt to (a) probe into the way professional expertise is acquired by preservice Iranian EFL teachers, (b) analyze the instructional content of TTC's currently held in Iran, with a focus on teachings on Dynamic Assessment (DA), and (c) examine preservice teachers' and TTC trainers' opinions about the TTC's. To this end, 9 purposefully selected TTC's were observed, employing participant observation, and content analyses were carried out on their syllabi. Also, 107 TTC participants filled out a questionnaire, and 14 TTC instructors were interviewed; the sampling of the TTC participants and instructors was nonprobability convenient. Results of descriptive statistics showed that accounting for 84.73% of all the instructional attempts, the craft model was the most frequently prevalent model of teacher learning. Content analyses and preservice teacher questionnaire results signified that writing skill was marginalized in all the courses, and none of them included instructions on DA in their syllabi. Open, selective, and axial coding as well as content analyses of the collected data gave rise to eight themes delineating major areas fueling the current research-practice divide in the TTC syllabi. Findings of the study provide an opportunity to examine the status quo, strengths, and weaknesses of the TTC's. The eight identified impediments to the employment of research in pedagogy could help reach a framework for factors that might induce TTC organizers to disregard the implication of relevant research findings for the courses they run.


Once upon a time, not so long ago, I guess, I lived in a ramshackle house perched perilously on a bank of the Malang River. By day, I trekked to the city's outskirts to interview members of Laskar Jihad, the earliest and most notorious of the Islamic militias that burgeoned like wildflowers after the fall of Suharto. The young men wore white robes and cultivated patchy beards and waved their machetes to shrieks of "jihad." Malang nights, by contrast, were quiet, and I would slip out to the local internet cafe, which stayed open as long as there were glassy-eyed customers to patronize it. So I often found myself in the wee hours of the morning, tracing a potted path home along the accordion shutters of the city's Chinese shop-fronts. I would pick my way over the sleeping sex workers and rickshaw [becak] drivers and street children, whose tender bodies curled in slumber like the green tips of budding ferns. Then it would be a short dash across a bridge swallowed in darkness before I found my ragged purple door and darted in.