For some time, the concept of the gut-brain axis has served as a useful paradigm to explain the many interactions between the "big brain" (the central nervous system [CNS]) and the "little brain" (the enteric nervous system). Recently, the gut microbiome has been added to the equation and the proposition that gut microbes could influence brain structure and function and vice versa has emerged. Research in this field has been facilitated by dramatic progress in technologies that permit the delineation of the microbial constituents of the gut and their function in health and disease. Studies in a variety of animal models have amply supported the concept of a microbiota-gut-brain-axis and demonstrated that interventions that modulate the microbiome can influence animal behavior and CNS physiology. Understandably, studies of the impact of the microbiome on human brain structure and function are less numerous, but sufficient evidence does exist to indicate that this axis is operating in humans. In terms of neurodegenerative disorders, here again animal data dominate, but a sufficient body of evidence has accumulated to justify further explorations of the role of gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in the aging process per se—"inflammaging." Many confounding factors complicate the interpretation of human studies of the microbiome, and large, longitudinal studies that attempt to account for such confounders are needed. A number of interventions can be entertained—most notably, diet, probiotics, and prebiotics. To date, studies of any such interventions in neurodegenerative disease in humans are scanty.


The depth and breadth of this mega-regional agreement as well as the diversity of its twelve Parties pose a challenge to not only trade policies in the conventional sense but also many other cross-cutting issues. With the innovative institutional designs of the TPP, food safety governance is destined to be configured and reconfigured not only by the SPS Chapter alone, but also by other horizontal rules. For example, while harmonization with international standards, scientific principle, risk analysis, and transparency still serve as the fundamental rubrics of SPS (and SPS-Plus) cooperation among TPP members, cross-cutting regulatory coherence rules — such as notice-and-comment requirement, cost-benefit analysis, and regulatory impact assessment — will come into play with significant relevance and importance. What are the SPS-Plus rights and obligations in the TPP? Will such SPS-Plus provisions pose pro-trade or pro-health ramifications to countries within and beyond the scope of the TPP? How will the rules under the SPS Chapter and the Regulatory Coherence Chapter interact and work together for an optimal institutional design that can strengthen trade liberalization and ensure adequate food safety protection at the same time? What will the diversity of the TPP Parties in terms of legal systems and stages of development bear on the implementation of relevant rules? Last but not least, will the TPP platform for SPS cooperation produce constructive or destructive effects on the WTO multilateral trading system?
For their theoretical and practical importance, this paper endeavors to explore questions as such by taking a close look at the TPP Chapters on SPS Measures (and Regulatory Coherence). Part II briefly reviews the negotiation history of the SPS Chapter, sorting out the development of some contentious issues, which then serves as a vintage point to analyze the main provisions of the final text. Part III identifies the SPS-Plus provisions incorporated in the TPP by referencing to the WTO SPS Agreement, and characterizes them along the pro-trade versus pro-health continuum. It moves on to examine the implications of the TPP for global food safety governance, offering some preliminary observations for future discussions in comparable settings. Part IV concludes.


Solvent relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance has been widely used to study the interactions of polymers and surfactants with nanoparticles, an important area of research for use in a range of industrial formulations, especially with regards to competition effects between components. The ability of the solvent relaxation technique to distinguish between solvent molecules at the surface and those in the bulk solution has been used to obtain valuable information on the interfacial interactions and structure. We focus on systems containing combinations of polymer, surfactant and colloidal particles and illustrate how solvent relaxation measurements have addressed problems of stabilisation, flocculation and depletion in both academically and industrially relevant systems.


In general, a complex system consists of a large number of interacting units, which when viewed in an information-theoretic perspective, could be seen to possess gross redundant features. Further, a complex system is inherently stochastical in its extensive spatiotemporal universe and hence, some of its statistical features could manifest as patterns occurring more frequently than others; and, likewise some other patterns could form rare elements of the same set. In information-theoretic perspectives (in Shannon's sense) such more (or less) probabilistic occurrences of features specify the redundant (or nonredundant) aspects of the complex system. This attribute of information redundancy in a complex system could be adopted to devise a useful complexity metric as described in this paper. The use of such a complexity metric is demonstrated in differentiating codon–noncodon domains in human and bacterial genomes (which constitute a complex system when seen at the scale of observing a DNA sequence made of vast domains of protein molecules).


This research paper is an attempt to investigate the role of gender influencing sustainable consumption behavior among UAE consumers. This study is significant considering the fact that UAE ranks at the top in global retail consumption index. The existing literature on role of gender in sustainable consumption behavior yields mixed results. Data was gathered from 115 respondents with the help of self-administered questionnaire using Sustainable Consumption Behavior scale (SCB). The findings of the study are evident of the fact that gender differences do exist when it comes to efficient use of resources, green initiatives, minimizing wastage and optimizing the scarce resources. The purchase decisions of women were significantly influenced by sustainable consumption patterns in comparison to men in UAE. Hence, the findings of this study hold significant strategic relevance for the consumers, marketers and policy makers.


It is well known that children growing up in poor families leave school with considerably lower qualifications than children from better off backgrounds. Using a simple decomposition analysis, we show that around two thirds of the socio-economic gap in attainment at age 16 can be accounted for by long-run family background characteristics and prior ability, suggesting that circumstances and investments made considerably earlier in the child's life explain the majority of the gap in test scores between young people from rich and poor families. However, we also find that differences in the attitudes and behaviours of young people and their parents during the teenage years play a key role in explaining the rich-poor gap in GCSE attainment: together, they explain a further quarter of the gap at age 16, and the majority of the small increase in this gap between ages 11 and 16. On this basis, our results suggest that while the most effective policies in terms of raising the attainment of young people from poor families are likely to be those enacted before children reach secondary school, policies that aim to reduce differences in attitudes and behaviours between the poorest children and those from better-off backgrounds during the teenage years may also make a significant contribution towards lowering the gap in achievement between young people from the richest and poorest families at age 16.


The current clinical study focuses on the effect of concentration of epinephrine on the anesthetic activity of Lignocaine delivered by iontophoresis. The combination of drugs is supposed to lower the intensity of pain with lowering in various physical stimuli. The patches for drug reservoir (Lignocaine and Epinephrine) and electrolyte were formulated by casting solvent and evaporation method. The controlled, randomized trial was conducted on 30 subjects (15 male and 15 females) with mean age 52 years and mean height 158 cm. The total population was divided into 3 random groups and treated with varying concentration of epinephrine as AT1 (2% Lignocaine + 1:80000), AT2 (2% Lignocaine + 1:160000), AC (2% Lignocaine). The Lignocaine epinephrine patches were formulated successfully by casting solvent and evaporation method. AT2 group gave significantly less pain intensity than AT1 and AC group. The cool and warm sensation observed for AT2 group was significantly lowered than AT1 and AC group. All the formulation showed no significant skin reaction. High epinephrine concentration combined with Lignocaine offers significant advantage for pain relief. As concentration of Epinephrine increases the pain relieving effect also increases.


As openly gay and lesbian students become a more regular presence in public high schools, students in many schools have started lesbian and gay student organizations. In response, some school districts and state legislatures have attempted to prevent the clubs from meeting, either through categorical bans on all extracurricular groups or through legislation specifically designed to prevent the gay clubs from meeting. This Comment examines the First Amendment issues raised by these efforts. It argues that the Supreme Court's current approach to student speech, which focuses on whether the speech is school sponsored and on the application of public forum doctrine, lacks an underlying rationale and leads to inconsistent outcomes. In its place, the author urges the Court to adopt a mission-based test that examines the relationship between the regulation on speech and the educational purpose underlying the activity. Because student clubs generally exist to promote self-exploration and foster the development of individual identity, this new test would extend First Amendment protection to gay and lesbian student groups.


Context: Suryabheda pranayama is traditionally described as "increasing the inner fire" and is believed to be heat generating. Aims: The present study aimed at determining whether the surface body temperature would increase after Suryabheda pranayama practice compared with sitting quietly for the same duration as a control. Materials and Methods: Nineteen participants with experience of Suryabheda pranayama practice (group mean experience ± standard deviation, 30.2 ± 22.8 months) were assessed in 3 sessions on separate days. The sessions were (i) Suryabheda pranayama with physiological locks or breath retention, (ii) Suryabheda pranayama without physiological locks or breath retention, and (iii) quiet sitting (control session). The axillary surface body temperature was monitored in all three sessions before (5 min), during (15 min), and after (5 min) the intervention. Ambient temperature and humidity in the recording cabin used for testing were noted. From the ambient temperature and humidity, the heat index was derived Statistical Analysis: Repeated measures analyses of variance were performed to compare values before, during, and after the 3 sessions, using SPSS version 24.0. Results: The surface body temperature increased during and after Suryabheda pranayama with physiological locks (P < 0.001;P < 0.001), Suryabheda pranayama without physiological locks (P < 0.01;P < 0.001), and quiet sitting (P < 0.001;P < 0.001) compared to the respective before values. Conclusion: The control (i.e., quiet sitting) and experimental sessions (i.e., suryabheda with locks and suryabheda without locks) showed a comparable increase in the surface body temperature. Hence, the increase in surface body temperature during and after experimental sessions does not appear to be related to the pranayama techniques. The possible factors which may have contributed to increased surface body temperature in the control and experimental sessions have been discussed.


A number of modern researchers have studied the relationship between religion and health. In every religious tradition, virtues such as self-sacrifice, altruism, and appreciation have been considered quite essential. Arigato-Zen (AZ) (Gratitude Zen) is an easy and simple voice-meditation developed by Dr. Machida, which motivates the feeling of altruism and appreciation. By performing AZ, one is able to cleanse the negative subconscious memories that underlie problematic phenomena. Hypothalamic oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the ability to form social attachments, including parental care and pair bonding. It has been shown that social interaction is important to adapt to our daily life stress via the OT expression. It is hypothesized that OT is stimulated via the AZ meditation of altruism and appreciation. Using saliva samples, OT levels were measured in 32 participants before and after AZ. Salivary OT levels were significantly increased after AZ from 66.3 ± 6.7 pg/ml to 90.6 ± 18.7 pg/mL (M ± SE, n = 32, p = 0.028). AZ practice is a quite unique type of meditation, which combines voice-vibration system and traditional Zen meditation in order to synergistically stimulate OT system.


Antifragility of Islamic Finance: The Risk-Sharing Alternative explains how risk-sharing, as defined under Islamic finance, makes financial systems antifragile. It highlights the benefits of 100% equity-based finance over debt-based finance.

 The recent financial crisis has given rise to discussions on a new approach to risk management called antifragility. This concept specifies conditions under which systems become resilient to shocks caused by Black Swans?highly unpredictable outlier events that have a major negative (or positive) consequence when they occur, with their occurrence only explained retrospectively. Per this concept, the long-term survivability of any system centers exclusively on its antifragile nature, that is, its ability to absorb and even benefit from Black Swan?type shocks. This book aims to investigate risk-sharing Islamic finance as an antifragile system.

 As a by-product of the Great Recession, the problems of debt-based financial systems are starting to be highlighted by industry and by academia. The antifragile solution for avoiding future financial crises is primarily centered on moving the existing financial system towards more equity and less debt, thereby introducing skin-in-the-game into financial transactions. This book introduces a model of a 100% equity-based financial system, centered on risk sharing, as a possible alternative to the contemporary debt-based, conventional financial system, which is based on risk transfer and on risk shifting. In essence, this book attempts to provide a practical model for an antifragile financial system by evaluating the characteristics of Islamic finance under the criteria of antifragility.


We present four major results towards solving decentralized partially observable Markov decision problems (DecPOMDPs) culminating in an algorithm that outperforms all existing algorithms on all but one standard infinite-horizon benchmark problems. (1) We give an integer program that solves collaborative Bayesian games (CBGs). The program is notable because its linear relaxation is very often integral. (2) We show that a DecPOMDP with bounded belief can be converted to a POMDP (albeit with actions exponential in the number of beliefs). These actions correspond to strategies of a CBG. (3) We present a method to transform any DecPOMDP into a DecPOMDP with bounded beliefs (the number of beliefs is a free parameter) using optimal (not lossless) belief compression. (4) We show that the combination of these results opens the door for new classes of DecPOMDP algorithms based on previous POMDP algorithms. We choose one such algorithm, point-based valued iteration, and modify it to produce the first tractable value iteration method for DecPOMDPs that outperforms existing algorithms.


Background Recently, much attention has been paid to the role of neuromuscular function in long-distance running performance. Complex Training (CT) is a combination training method that alternates between performing heavy resistance exercises and plyometric exercises within one single session, resulting in great improvement in neuromuscular adaptation. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of CT vs. heavy resistance training (HRT) on strength and power indicators, running economy (RE), and 5-km performance in well-trained male distance runners. Methods Twenty-eight well-trained male distance runners (19–23 years old, VO2max:65.78 ± 4.99 ml.kg−1.min−1) performed one pre-test consisting of: maximum strength (1RM), counter movement jump (CMJ) height, peak power, a drop jump (DJ), and RE assessments, and blood lactate concentration (BLa) measurement at the speeds from 12–16 km.h−1, a 50-m sprint, and a 5-km running performance test. They were then divided into 3 groups: complex training group (CT, n = 10), that performed complex training and endurance training; heavy resistance training group (HRT, n = 9) that performed heavy strength training and endurance training; and control group (CON, n = 9) that performed strength-endurance training and endurance training. After the 8 weeks training intervention, all participants completed a post-test to investigate the training effects on the parameters measured. Results After training intervention, both the CT and HRT groups had improvements in: 1RM strength (16.88%, p < 0.001; 18.80%, p < 0.001, respectively), CMJ height (11.28%, p < 0.001; 8.96%, p < 0.001, respectively), 14 km.h−1RE (−7.68%, p < 0.001; −4.89%, p = 0.009, respectively), 50-m sprints (−2.26%, p = 0.003; −2.14%, p = 0.007, respectively) and 5-km running performance (−2.80%, p < 0.001; −2.09%, p < 0.001, respectively). The CON group did not show these improvements. All three training groups showed improvement in the 12 km.h−1RE (p ≤ 0.01). Only the CT group exhibited increases in DJ height (12.94%, p < 0.001), reactive strength index (19.99%, p < 0.001), 16 km.h−1 RE (−7.38%, p < 0.001), and a reduction of BLa concentrations at the speed of 16 km.h−1 (−40.80%, p < 0.001) between pre- and post-tests. Conclusion This study demonstrated that CT can enhance 1RM strength, CMJ height, 12 and 14 km.h−1REs, 50-m sprints and 5-km running performances in well-trained male distance runners and may be superior to HRT for the development of reactive strength and 16 km.h−1RE, and reduction of BLa concentrations at speed of 16 km.h−1. Young male distance runners could integrate CT into their programs to improve the running performance.


This paper examines how traditional marriage market institutions affect households' financial decisions. We study how bride-to-groom marriage payments, i.e., dowries, influence saving behavior in rural India. Exploiting variation in firstborn gender and heterogeneity in dowry amounts across marriage markets, we find that the prospect of paying higher dowry increases household savings, which are primarily financed through increased paternal labor supply. This is the first paper that highlights this alternative motive for savings in dowry-paying societies. However, we find no impacts of dowry expectations on son-preferring fertility behaviors and investments in girls.


There is widespread agreement that, in the United States, higher house prices raise consumption via collateral or possibly wealth effects. The presence of similar channels in Canada would have important implications for monetary policy transmission. We trace the impact of shifts in non-price household credit conditions through joint estimation of a system of error-correction equations for Canadian aggregate consumption, house prices and mortgage debt. We find strong evidence that, after controlling for income and household portfolios, easier credit conditions raise house prices, debt and consumption. However, unlike in the United States, housing collateral effects on consumption are absent. Given credit conditions, rising house prices increase the mortgage down-payment requirement and reduce consumption, although there is evidence for some attenuation of this effect over the 2000s. We also find that high and rising levels of both house prices and debt since the late-1990s can be mostly explained by movements in incomes, housing supply, mortgage interest rates and credit conditions, suggesting that the outlook for house prices and debt could depend mainly on the future paths of these variables.


An anti-cancer lifestyle and diet is an important strategy you can use to reduce your risk for ANY cancerous condition. The American Cancer Society recommends, for example, that you eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily and eat the right amount of (alkaline) food to stay at a healthy weight. In addition, researchers are finding that certain plant foods or herbs may be particularly useful in protecting and reversing many cancerous conditions. The following article covers several of these medicinal herbs and their benefits in the prevention and treatment of brain cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, blood cancers, prostate cancer, oral cancer, liver cancer thyroid cancer, kidney cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, skin cancer and pancreatic cancer.


Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, heightened concerns were expressed about the use of risk-significant radioactive materials in a malevolent act. In the changed threat environment after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Commission determined that certain licensed material should be subject to enhanced security requirements and safeguarded during transport, and that individuals with unescorted access to risk-significant quantities of radioactive material should be subject to background investigations. The NRC initially regulated these changes by Order. Since then, the NRC has developed a final regulation which when complied with will replace existing orders. The first part of this session will address the NRC's final rule and guidance document. This final rule is effective on May 20, 2013 with compliance required by March 19, 2014.The second part of this session will address the experience and practicalities of implementing the Orders and the process required for compliance with the final rule.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Individuals will understand the content and complexity of the final 10 CFR 37 and its corresponding guidance document. 2. Individuals will understand if the 10 CFR 37 requirements are applicable to their Radioactive Materials Program. 3. Individuals will understand the complexity and challenge in implementing 10 CFR 37 requirements in practice.


Deep neural networks are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Due to their black-box nature, it is rather challenging to interpret and properly repair these incorrect behaviors. This paper focuses on interpreting and repairing the incorrect behaviors of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). We propose a lightweight model-based approach (RNNRepair) to help understand and repair incorrect behaviors of an RNN. Specifically, we build an influence model to characterize the stateful and statistical behaviors of an RNN over all the training data and to perform the influence analysis for the errors. Compared with the existing techniques on influence function, our method can efficiently estimate the influence of existing or newly added training samples for a given prediction at both sample level and segmentation level. Our empirical evaluation shows that the proposed influence model is able to extract accurate and understandable features. Based on the influence model, our proposed technique could effectively infer the influential instances from not only an entire testing sequence but also a segment within that sequence. Moreover, with the sample-level and segmentlevel influence relations, RNNRepair could further remediate two types of incorrect predictions at the sample level and segment level.


Professional jockeys are required to fit their weight, mainly weight loss, for two game days every weekend during racing season which usually lasts 10 months a year in Korea. The repetitive routine weight loss protocol is performed for 4 to 5 days a week include two game days. This situation would have brought some negative effects on the professional jockeys' overall health and physical condition with the relation of their performance. The purpose of the present study was: 1) to examine the weight loss habits of projockeys, and 2) effects of chronic short-term weight loss on nutritional status, bone health, and physical fitness of them. Pro jockeys (n=43) completed a questionnaire for the assessment of weight loss habits. Pro jockeys (n=10, around 12 years of career) were compared with trainee jockeys (n=10, less than 1 years of career) for their nutritional status, bone health, and physical fitness. The nutritional status was measured by a computerized program (CAN Pro 2.0). Bone mineral density was measured by DEXA (Hologic, QDR4500W, USA). All participants performed grip strength test, standing on one leg with eyes closed test, and side step test for the assessment of physical fitness. According to the result, more than 80% of pro jockeys underwent a routine weight loss process every week, for around 1 kg, within 2 to 3 days prior to the game days by diet mainly and/or exercise/sauna. Around 70% of them reported severe fatigue during the weight loss period. There were no significant differences in nutritional status between two groups. However, they consume average of 1,100 Kcal a day reflecting 21 to 80% of recommended daily consumption during weight loss periods. In bone health, six trainee jockeys and two pro jockeys were diagnosed as osteopenia. One pro jockey was diagnosed as osteoporosis. No significant difference was found in fitness factors between two groups. In conclusion, chronic exposure to short-term weight loss may result in serious health problems especially on bone health. For the jockeys in Korea, balanced diet program and the related education on weight management are strongly required..


Several manufacturers make substantial investments to compete in sports contests, using the gear they develop and market. However, no systematic analysis of the breeding (i.e., innovation) and branding (i.e., marketing) returns from such investments exists. In this study, the authors conceptualize and empirically estimate the breeding and branding returns that such manufacturers obtain. The authors gather data for 30 car brands of 16 manufacturers over the period 2000–2015 regarding their participation, spending, and performance in Formula One championships, annual patent citations, and research-and-development (R&D) budgets as well as monthly vehicle registrations, advertising expenditures, and Formula One TV viewership. The authors find that only gear manufacturers with relatively high levels of R&D spending obtain a positive and significant breeding return from competing in sports contests. While most brands obtain positive branding returns, the lower the level of advertising spending for the brand, the greater the branding returns they obtain from competing in these contests. Thus, research-intense (compared with advertising-intense) gear manufacturers have more to gain from competing in sports contests. These findings can help guide manufacturers in budget allocation decisions on sports competitions, R&D, and advertising.


Objective To investigate whether lipid-related or body mass index (BMI)–related common genetic polymorphisms modulate the associations between serum lipid levels, BMI and disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods The association between disability progression (annualised Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) change over 5 years, ΔEDSS) and lipid-related or BMI-related genetic polymorphisms was evaluated in a longitudinal cohort (n=184), diagnosed with MS. We constructed a cumulative genetic risk score (CGRS) of associated polymorphisms (p<0.05) and examined the interactions between the CGRS and lipid levels (measured at baseline) in predicting ΔEDSS. All analyses were conducted using linear regression. Results Five lipid polymorphisms (rs2013208, rs9488822, rs17173637, rs10401969 and rs2277862) and one BMI polymorphism (rs2033529) were nominally associated with ΔEDSS. The constructed lipid CGRS showed a significant, dose-dependent association with ΔEDSS (ptrend=1.4×10−6), such that participants having ≥6 risk alleles progressed 0.38 EDSS points per year faster compared with those having ≤3. This CGRS model explained 16% of the variance in ΔEDSS. We also found significant interactions between the CGRS and lipid levels in modulating ΔEDSS, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL; pinteraction=0.005) and total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein ratio (TC:HDL; pinteraction=0.030). The combined model (combination of CGRS and the lipid parameter) explained 26% of the disability variance for HDL and 27% for TC:HDL. Interpretation In this prospective cohort study, both lipid levels and lipid-related polymorphisms individually and jointly were associated with significantly increased disability progression in MS. These results indicate that these polymorphisms and tagged genes might be potential points of intervention to moderate disability progression.


Background Treatment of asymptomatic individuals, regardless of their malaria infection status, with regularly spaced therapeutic doses of antimalarial drugs has been proposed as a method for reducing malaria morbidity and mortality. This strategy, called intermittent preventive treatment (IPT), is currently employed for pregnant women and is being studied for infants (IPTi) as well. As with any drug-based intervention strategy, it is important to understand how implementation may affect the spread of drug-resistant parasites. This is a difficult issue to address experimentally because of the limited size and duration of IPTi trials as well as the intractability of distinguishing the spread of resistance due to conventional treatment of malaria episodes versus that due to IPTi when the same drug is used in both contexts. Methods and Findings Using a mathematical model, we evaluated the possible impact of treating individuals with antimalarial drugs at regular intervals regardless of their infection status. We translated individual treatment strategies and drug pharmacokinetics into parasite population dynamic effects and show that immunity, treatment rate, drug decay kinetics, and presumptive treatment rate are important factors in the spread of drug-resistant parasites. Our model predicts that partially resistant parasites are more likely to spread in low-transmission areas, but fully resistant parasites are more likely to spread under conditions of high transmission, which is consistent with some epidemiological observations. We were also able to distinguish between spread of resistance due to treatment of symptomatic infections and that due to IPTi. We showed that IPTi could accelerate the spread of resistant parasites, but this effect was only likely to be significant in areas of low or unstable transmission. Conclusions The results presented here demonstrate the importance of considering both the half-life of a drug and the existing level of resistance when choosing a drug for IPTi. Drugs to which little or no resistance exists are not advisable for IPT in high-transmission areas, but IPTi is not likely to significantly impact the spread of highly resistant parasites in areas where partial resistance is already established. IPTi is more likely to accelerate the spread of resistance in high-transmission areas than is IPT in adults (i.e., pregnant women).


Sexual dimorphism in intelligence suggests that this phenotype is a sexually selected trait. This view is supported by an overrepresentation (compared to the autosomal genome) of genes affecting cognition on the X chromosome.The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that sexual selection can explain sex and country-level differences in performance on tests of fluid intelligence. Nationally representative samples from N=44 countries were obtained from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Creative Problem Solving (CPS), which evaluates the core of intelligence, that is novel problem-solving ability. Sexual selection has the double effect of increasing the prevalence of a favored phenotype and reducing genetic variation in sexually selected traits. Matching these predictions from evolutionary theory, the average country fluid intelligence is positively correlated to sexual dimorphism after partialling out per capita GDP and gender inequality. Sexual dimorphism in fluid g in turn is inversely correlated to variance in intelligence scores within populations. Males have a higher variance than females but there is a negative correlation between male-female difference in variance and sexual dimorphism in intelligence, suggesting that selection reduces variance more in the selected sex. Average country male height is negatively correlated to sexual dimorphism in intelligence, a fact that supports the notion of a trade-off between physical and intellectual competition in the context of access to females. The results of this study, if replicated, imply that genome-wide association studies of cognition may benefit from a focus on sex chromosomes, which so far have been neglected. Another implication of this study is that intelligence has continued to evolve after different human populations migrated out of Africa and possibly up to the 19th century, as suggested by the substantial variability in sex differences even between neighbouring countries.


Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nHA) exhibits improved mechanical properties and biocompatibility. To optimise the benefits of nano-sized precursors, the particles must have a uniform shape and size and minimum degree of agglomeration. In this study nHA was synthesised using an Iranian strain of Serratia. The powder was synthesised in different pH of reaction solution and incubation temperatures. After calcinations treatment in different temperatures, the powder was characterised using different analytical methods. Results showed that the optimum powder production was achieved at the pH around eight and temperature of 37°C. The powder particles were single crystal with the size of 25-30 nm. Moreover the shape and the size of the particles were relatively uniform and the amount of agglomeration was less compared to conventional methods. This powder could be used in regeneration of bone defects, fabrication of medical implants and as a vector for pharmaceuticals and biological materials such as genes.


Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unclassified (IBDU) accounts for ~10% of paediatric IBD (PIBD). The natural history of IBDU includes potential evolution to Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to describe the incidence and the natural history of paediatric IBDU in a population-based cohort. Methods Incidence of IBDU was collected over a 10-year period (01/03–12/12) from the two largest Scottish paediatric gastroenterology networks (serving 74.4% of Scottish population <16 years). Demographics, diagnostic investigation and follow-up data were obtained until study end (31.10.13; unless prior transition or emigration) to ascertain reclassification of IBD subtype, clinical progress and outcome at last follow up. Incidence rates and trends were calculated using publicly available population data and statistics generated using Poisson regression. Results 65 patients were IBDU (57% male) at diagnosis with a median age of 11.3yrs (range 2.6–15.9). The age adjusted incidence of IBDU was 0.65/100,000/yr (95% CI 0.42–0.97) in the 5-year epoch 2003–2007 and 1.14/100,000/yr (95% CI 0.81–1.56) for 2008–2012, a non-significant increase (p = 0.068). All patients had colonoscopy (74% ileal intubation), 62 (95%) had an upper GI endoscopy; remaining 3 had small bowel imaging. 61 (94%) had radiological imaging, 44 (68%) had a barium meal and follow through with 15 (23%) having MR enterography. At diagnosis, 53 (82%) had a pancolitis, 4 (6%) had disease distal to the hepatic flexure, 5 (8%) had disease distal to the splenic flexure and 3 (4%) had proctitis. 37 (57%) had mild disease (defined as mild infrequent relapses) while 7 (11%) had severe chronically active disease. Median follow-up was 3.1yrs (range 0.4–6.8). 16 (25%) had their diagnosis changed (all after endoscopic re-evaluation) after a median of 1.6yrs (range 0.6–5.7), to CD in 11 and UC in 5; 10 (15%) remained IBDU. Conclusions Incidence of IBDU showed a non-significant trend to rise during the 10 year study period. 25% had their diagnosis changed after endoscopic re-evaluation, more than previously reported by systematic review (Prenzel and Uhlig 2009) after median follow up of 1.6years. Most cases had inactive/mild disease activity; a minority remained IBDU despite re-assessment.


The problem of selecting small groups of itemsets that represent the data well has recently gained a lot of attention. We approach the problem by searching for the itemsets that compress the data efficiently. As a compression technique we use decision trees combined with a refined version of MDL. More formally, assuming that the items are ordered, we create a decision tree for each item that may only depend on the previous items. Our approach allows us to find complex interactions between the attributes, not just co-occurrences of 1s. Further, we present a link between the itemsets and the decision trees and use this link to export the itemsets from the decision trees. In this paper we present two algorithms. The first one is a simple greedy approach that builds a family of itemsets directly from data. The second one, given a collection of candidate itemsets, selects a small subset of these itemsets. Our experiments show that these approaches result in compact and high quality descriptions of the data.


As part of a strategic initiative from the Division of Health Sciences at the University of
Otago, a project was established to increase researchers' use of "big data" in research
projects. The first steps taken in beginning to build this capability were to ramp up both the
delivery of Software and Data Carpentry workshops, and the training of local instructors in
The Carpentries pedagogy. As part of this initiative, Murray and Matt have been delivering
and facilitating Carpentries workshops across the multiple University of Otago campuses
(Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington), developing additional training materials and lessons,
and supporting other groups in the use of Carpentries pedagogy for non-Carpentries
workshops. In this talk we will discuss some of the impacts this initiative has had on
delivering Carpentries workshops, and on the Carpentries community at Otago.ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Murray Cadzow is a Teaching Fellow and Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Otago. He
is both a Carpentries instructor and instructor trainer. His teaching focus is on delivering
digital literacy training to researchers, and the development and support of the local
Carpentries community at Otago. His research involves the use of large datasets to
investigate the genetic basis of Gout in Māori and Polynesian populations.Matt Bixley a Carpentries Instructor and Teaching/Research Fellow at the University of
Otago. His research background extends from Lab and Field work through Quantitative
Genetics and Bioinformatics. Current research is in the use of Machine Learning tools to
predict cancer outcomes.Mik received a BSc(Hons) in statistics from the University of Canterbury, and a MSc
(mathematical statistics) and PhD (statistics) from Purdue University. After completing his
PhD in 2002, Mik returned to New Zealand to work as a lecturer in the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland. An ongoing involvement in a number of Dunedinbased collaborative genomics projects resulted in a move to the University of Otago in 2006,
where he now leads a research group focused on the development and application of
statistical methods for the analysis of data from genomics experiments, with a particular
emphasis on human disease. Mik has also been heavily involved in major initiatives
designed to put in place sustainable national research infrastructure for NZ: Genomics
Aotearoa and NZ Genomics Limited for genomics, digital literacy training via The
Carpentries, and NeSI (New Zealand eScience Infrastructure) for high performance
computing and eResearch.


This study explored how guided ideation can support concept initiation and development. We conducted a set of in-class activities in a junior-level industrial design studio at a large Midwestern US university with 20 students. Participants generated concepts individually while working on a previously defined problem. They performed a functional decomposition of existing concepts, then used a self-selected function to rapidly generate ideas in three stages over 45 minutes, supported by Design Heuristics cards. Through analysis of eight cases, we found that generated concepts were consistent with the originally defined function. The students ability to create a range of solutions increased over time, and concepts became more divergent through each of the three stages. Use of Design Heuristics changed, beginning as a tool for divergent concept generation (ideation), moving to a more mechanical transformation of existing concepts (iteration), and concluding with a broader, more evaluative synthetic framing (recomposition). Based on these results, we offer implications for the integration of idea generation methods across multiple stages in design and engineering contexts.


Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) has two active forms, adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin which have a key role in two important metabolic pathways in humans and their deficiency is responsible for clinical problems. Cobalamin is essential during whole life, but its sufficient amount is extra important in fetal and neonatal period, when it is essential for normal child growth and development as well as for normal development of the central nervous system. Because of very complex transport and metabolism, its deficiency can be manifested in numerous congenital and acquired disorders. Vitamin B12 deficiency mostly has non-specific clinical features, it carries a great risk of permanent consequences, but most frequently it is easily curable if diagnosed on time. In Croatia cobalamin deficiency in children has been diagnosed too rarely. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to point to the recently gained knowledge on cobalamin metabolism, present typical case reports and to provide guidelines for rapid and proper diagnostic and therapeutic approach.


Abstract Objectives The current study assessed the attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs of Arab speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the Middle East using the clinician's attitudes towards stuttering inventory (CATS). The aim was to determine whether the attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of clinicians would potentially influence service provision, treatment efficacy, as well as the implementation of early intervention. Patients and methods Sixty-three Arab SLPs were surveyed using the CATS inventory. The survey consists of 50 attitudinal statements, assessing a broad range of beliefs related to the etiology of stuttering, people who stutter (PWS), the effectiveness of stuttering treatment, early intervention, and about their attitudes towards parents of children who stutter. A component in the survey also looked specifically at issues of awareness and knowledge about early intervention for stuttering. Results The study found the presence of outdated concepts in the attitudes and beliefs of some SLPs towards stuttering and PWS. Although respondents seemed confident in treating PWS, they felt they required guidance from a stuttering specialist. Overall, SLPs believed that the treatment of stuttering is a complex and difficult area. Conclusion The results highlight the need for education and training programs in the area of stuttering in the Middle East to improve knowledge about the disorder and its treatment.


Abstract Zircon and apatite fission track (FT) and morphotectonic analyses were applied in order to infer quantitative constraints on the Alpine morphotectonic evolution of the western part of the Southern Veporic Unit which is related to: (1) Eo-Alpine Cretaceous nappe stacking and metamorphism of the crystalline basement in the greenschist facies. (2) Exhumation phase due to underthrusting of the northerly located Tatric-Fatric basement (~ 90–80 Ma), followed by a passive en-block exhumation with cooling through ~ 320–200 °C during the Palaeocene (ZFT ages of ~ 61–55 Ma). (3) Slow Eocene cooling through ~ 245–90 °C, which most likely reflected erosion of the overlying cover nappes and the Gosau Group sediments. Cooling reached up to 60 °C till the Oligocene (AFT ages of ~ 37–22 Ma) in association with erosion of cover nappes. The efficient Eocene erosion led to the formation of the first Cenozoic planation surface with supergene kaolinization in many places. (4) The early Miocene erosion coincided with surface lowering and resulted in the second planation surface favourable for kaolinization. (5) In the middle Miocene, the study area was covered by the Poľana, Javorie, and Vepor stratovolcanoes. (6) The late Miocene stage was related to the erosion and formation of the third Cenozoic planation surface and the final shaping of the mountains was linked to a new accelerated uplift from the Pliocene.


South Africa's Resistance Press Alternate Voice in the Last Generation under Apartheid. Les Switzer and Mohammed Adhikari, eds. Athens, OH: Ohio University Center for International Studies, 2000. 505 pp. $30. The multicultural twosome of Professor Les Switzer of the School of Communication at the University of Houston in Texas and Senior Lecturer Mohammed Adhikari of the Department of History at the University of Capetown in South Africa have written a seminal textbook about one of the world's most turbulent, multicultural nations and its resistance press. Although South Africa's resistance press was predominantly black, it formed an unusual alliance with supportive white bishops, Afrikaner "vertigtes" (enlightened Afrikaners), and Englishmen. These unlikely allies published newspapers that had a twofold mission: to support black South Africans' struggle for equality and dismantle the Afrikaans' Hitlerian apartheid. I became aware of South Africa's resistance press early in its history. During the 1950s and 1960s, I was the editor of three major black newspapers in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago. Designated by Newsweek in October 1983, as "the angry man of the Negro press," I wrote columns comparing similarities and dissimilitudes of the black struggles for racial equality in the two nations. My four trips to South Africa included a two-week cultural organization-sponsored trip in 1991 and a four-day assessment in 2000 of its AIDS crisis. For decades, South Africa's apartheid and the United State's euphemistic "separate but equal" provoked black resistance through mass demonstrations and militant black press articles. In the United States, Stokely Carmichael credited the black press with helping to inspire the black power movement of the 1960s. In South Africa, Professor Les Switzer noted that the resistance press was "associated with the Black Consciousness movement and its press during the 1970s." But South Africa's resistance press did double duty. It agitated for racial equality and opposed censorship of the press. As Professor Switzer confirms, the resistance press "provided a voice to alienated communities that were too often voiceless ... and contributed immeasurably to broadening the concept of a free press." The book's excellent research, however, suffers from a lack of historical synergy in its introduction. For example, the introduction s first half traces the history of South African apartheid from the deadly violent 1960s to the nation's first multicultural, democratic election on 24 April 1994. But this first half never analyzes the extent to which the resistance press influenced historic events over a thirty-year period. …


We have previously shown that hepatic cryoablation (cryo), but not partial hepatectomy, induces a systemic inflammatory response, with distant organ injury and overproduction of NF-kappaB-dependent cytokines. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) levels are markedly increased 1 h and beyond after cryo compared with partial hepatectomy where no elevation occurs. NF-kappaB activation (by electrophoretic mobility shift assay) is strikingly increased in the noncryo liver (but not in the lung) at 30 min and in both the liver and lung tissue 1 h after cryo, returning to the baseline by 2 h and beyond. The current study investigated the histopathologic changes associated with cryoablation-induced acute lung injury. Animals underwent 35% hepatic resection or a similar volume hepatic cryo and were sacrificed at 1, 2, 6, and 24 h. Pulmonary histologic features were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin and immunoperoxidase staining with a macrophage-specific antibody (anti-lysozyme, 1:200 dilution, Dako, Carpinteria, CA). The following features were graded semiquantitatively (0-3): perivascular lymphoid cuffs, airspace edema and hemorrhage, margination of neutrophils within pulmonary vasculature, and the presence of macrophages with foamy cytoplasm in the pulmonary interstitium. Hepatic resection (n = 21) resulted in slight perivascular edema at 1, 2, 6, and 24 h post-resection, but there were no other significant changes. Pulmonary findings after hepatic cryo (n = 22) included prominent perivascular lymphoid cuffs 1 and 2 h following hepatic injury that were not present at any other time point (P 0.01). Marginating PMNs and foamy macrophages were more common after cryo at all time points (P<0.05, cryo vs resection). Severe lung injury, as evidenced by airspace edema and parenchymal hemorrhage, was present in four of six (67%) animals at 24 h (P 0.03). In follow-up studies immediate resection (n = 15) of the cryo-treated liver prior to thawing prevented the pulmonary changes. The findings of pulmonary perivascular interstitial macrophages 2 h following hepatic cryo suggests that hepatic cytokine production may induce downstream recruitment of pulmonary macrophages, which may contribute to subsequent severe lung injury. This study suggests that a soluble mediator from direct liver injury leads to neutrophilic lung inflammation and this is associated with the thawing phase of cryoablation.


Mississippian rocks were studied in detail in the Ladron, Lemitar, and Magdalena Mountains, and Coyote Hills, of west-central New Mexico. The oldest Mississippian strata in this area belong to the Caloso Formation, which contains a small brachiopod fauna suggestive of a Kinderhookian or lower Osagian age. The Caloso Formation rests on a truncated igneous and metamorphic complex of Precambrian age. The base of the Caloso Formation consists of intergrading arkoses, sandstone, shales, and limestones. This is followed by about 30 ft of dark-gray fine-crystalline algal limestone. The Caloso Formation is overlain disconformably by the Kelly Formation, which varies from 0-70 ft in thickness and is light-tan to gray crinoidal limestone that contains a brachiopod and blastoid fauna of upper Osagian age. The Kelly Formation is overlain unconformable by the Sandia Formation of Pennsylvanian age in the Lemitar and Magdalena Mountains. In the Ladron Mountains the Kelly and Caloso Formations pinch out northward beneath the Sandia unconformity. The brachiopod, blastoid, and coral fauna of the Kelly and Caloso Formations are described and illustrated. This paper presents the results of faunal and stratigraphic studies of the Mississippian of west-central New Mexico. Exposures are limited largely to the Magdalena, Lemitar, and Ladron Mountains. From a regional viewpoint, the Mississippian strata of this region fill a gap between those of southern and those of northern New Mexico. The region covered in the present report is indicated. From a stratigraphic viewpoint, the Mississippian of west-central New Mexico has proved somewhat anomalous in relation to either southern or northern New Mexico. The two formations in the region under discussion, the Caloso and Kelly Formations, are not typically developed in any section containing either the Arroyo Penasco Formation of the north of the Caballero and Lake Valley Formations of the south. This report is concerned almost exclusively with the Mississippian strata present in the Magdalena, Lemitar, and Ladron Mountains. The Magdalena Mountains are a northward trending range with a maximum elevation of over 10,000 ft. They consist of tilted and faulted sedimentary and volcanic rocks on a Precambrian basement. The stratified rocks form the western slope of the range. The eastern side of the range consists mainly of Precambrian granite.


Intracellular vesicles are abundant in eukaryotic cells but absent in the Gram‐negative bacterium Escherichia coli. However, strong overexpression of a monotopic glycolipid‐synthesizing enzyme, monoglucosyldiacylglycerol synthase from Acholeplasma laidlawii (alMGS), leads to massive formation of vesicles in the cytoplasm of E. coli. More importantly, alMGS provides a model system for the regulation of membrane properties by membrane‐bound enzymes, which is critical for maintaining cellular integrity. Both phenomena depend on how alMGS binds to cell membranes, which is not well understood. Here, we carry out a comprehensive investigation of the membrane binding of alMGS by combining bioinformatics methods with extensive biochemical studies, structural modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. We find that alMGS binds to the membrane in a fairly upright manner, mainly by residues in the N‐terminal domain, and in a way that induces local enrichment of anionic lipids and a local curvature deformation. Furthermore, several alMGS variants resulting from substitution of residues in the membrane anchoring segment are still able to generate vesicles, regardless of enzymatic activity. These results clarify earlier theories about the driving forces for vesicle formation, and shed new light on the membrane binding properties and enzymatic mechanism of alMGS and related monotopic GT‐B fold glycosyltransferases.


Colorful outcrop exposures of diagenetic iron oxide, clay, and carbonate cements in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone reflect a mul- ti-phase history of fluid-rock interactions. Characteristic mineralogical and geochemical variability occurs on microscopic and outcrop scales throughout southern Utah. We identify six common diagenetic facies and evaluate formation mechanisms, paragenetic relationships, and relative timing between alteration events. The diagenetic facies have distinctive visual characteristics, variations in mineralogy, major ox- ides, trace elements, and carbon and oxygen isotopes. They include red and bleached sandstone, diffuse and concretionary iron oxide precip- itates, and carbonate concretions. Development of these facies requires changes in the interstitial fluid environment and an open geochemical system with basinwide fluid flow and variations in redox conditions. Spatial and temporal changes in paleohydrologic and diagenetic con- ditions indicate complex coupling and feedbacks between stratigraphic architecture, fluid flow, and basin evolution.


In contrast to static imagery, detection of events of interest in video involves evidence accumulation across space and time; the observer is required to integrate features from both motion and form to decide whether a behavior constituents a target event. Do such events that extend in time elicit evoked responses of similar strength as evoked responses associated with instantaneous events such as the presentation of a static target image? Using a set of simulated scenarios, with avatars/actors having different behaviors, we identified evoked neural activity discriminative of target vs. distractor events (behaviors) at discrimination levels that are comparable to static imagery. EEG discriminative activity was largely in the time-locked evoked response and not in oscillatory activity, with the exception of very low EEG frequency bands such as delta and theta, which simply represent bands dominating the event related potential (ERP). The discriminative evoked response activity we see is observed in all target/distractor conditions and is robust across different recordings from the same subjects. The results suggest that we have identified a robust neural correlate of target detection in video, at least in terms of the stimulus set we used-i.e., dynamic behavior of an individual in a low clutter environment. Additional work is needed to test a larger variety of behaviors and more diverse environments.


Let E/F be a quadratic extension of p-adic fields. The local Langlands correspondence establishes a bijection between n-dimensional Frobenius semisimple representations of the Weil-Deligne group of E and smooth, irreducible representations
of GL(n, E). We reinterpret this bijection in the setting of the Weil restriction of
scalars Res(GL(n), E/F), and show that the Asai L-function and epsilon factor on
the analytic side match up with the expected Artin L-function and epsilon factor on
the Galois side.


This thesis describes an analysis of the transient growth characteristics of arrangements of parallel vortices including vortex pairs and four-vortex systems. These flows are a useful model for the far-wake created by the combination of a wing and tail of an aircraft. These wakes can be extremely hazardous to aircraft moving through the same airspace, and increase in strength as the lift of the generating aircraft increases. Given that aircraft have undergone a significant jump in size with the Airbus A380 and the C-17 Globemaster aircraft, the investigation of these types of vortex flows has experienced renewed interest. Specifically, this study investigates an equal strength two-vortex system, a symmetric four-vortex system (with the vortex strength equal, but opposing in vorticity sign across the mid-plane for each vortex pair) with varying vertical displacement of the vortex pair that represents the tail vortex pair, and an asymmetric strength four-vortex system (with the vortex strength differing across the mid-plane) with a similar varying vertical displacement of the tail vortex pair. The 'flat tail' and 'high tail' cases referred to later in the thesis refer to the cases without and with vertical displacement of the tail vortex pair respectively (for example, the Airbus A380 is a 'flat tail' aircraft and the C-17 Globemaster is a 'high tail' aircraft). It was found in all the cases studied that by seeding various vortex flows with the perturbations that lead to optimal energy growth (created from a transient growth analysis in the linear regime) it is possible to obtain very large reductions in the time required to cause transition into the non-linear regime and subsequent destruction of the coherence of the vortex flow. The transient growth analysis performed on the symmetric four-vortex system demonstrated that both the 'high tail' and 'flat tail' configurations were most unstable to the transient growth of perturbations at the same axial wavenumber, k a1 = 5.3. This gave the perturbation that leads to optimal energy growth, centered in the tail vortex pair of the system in the form of a mode [-1,1,1] elliptic instability. The three-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the four-vortex study demonstrated that there are two main vortex interactions present in the growth and subsequent destruction of four-vortex flows. If the instability has reached a sufficient magnitude in the tail vortex pair before entering the highly strained region between the wing vortex pair, the tail vortices are forced to interact with each other, causing a rapid breakdown into small scale flow structures. Conversely, if the instability inthe tail vortex pair has not reached the critical magnitude before entering this highly strained region, the tail vortex pair will not interact with each other, leading to a slower growth due to the interaction between the wing and tail vortices alone. The asymmetric four-vortex study found an immediate growth of the instability, by seeding the flow with the perturbation that leads to optimal energy growth. One finding of interest is that the perturbation that leads to optimal energy growth is predominantly contained within the weaker tail vortex. The three-dimensional DNS demonstrates that the instability grows in the weaker tail vortex first, causing its destruction, then continuing through the other vortices in order of strength. The implication of this study is that by seeding the wake with specific perturbations, the time that is required to eliminate the hazard of the wake can be decreased significantly, reducing the hazard to trailing aircraft. This would allow a reduction in the spacing of aircraft through airports, increasing throughput. This increase in throughput would allow for airports to reduce the fuel usage of aircraft having to wait to land due to the wakes of other aircraft, while maintaining safety. Another implication of the study for real aircraft is that the seeding of instabilities in the wake is most effective if seeded within the tail vortex pair, which would mean that a control system only needs to be present on the tail, reducing the cost of such a system. An important discovery by this study is the importance of the transition into the non-linear growth for systems comprising of more than two vortices and how the interactions can change due to the magnitude of the instability as the vortices enter favourable regions. A major implication of this study is to elucidate the limitations of vortex filament methods used in previous studies (Crow 1970; Crouch 1997; Fabre & Jacquin 2000; Bristol et al. 2004) compared to methods such as the transient growth method. These limitations are due to the vortex filament ignoring any viscous interaction (such as two-dimensional vortex stripping) between the vortices and the assumption of a specific mode shape of the instability.


As the scope of the brain-computer interface (BCI) applications is extending from medical to recreational use, the expectations of BCIs are also changing. Although the performance of BCIs is still important, finding suitable BCI modalities and investigating their in uence on user experience demand more and more attention. As BCIs have widely been used in medical applications, to facilitate
making selections, it would be imaginable to apply similar BCIs to recreational applications. However, whether they are suitable for recreational applications is unclear as they have rarely been evaluated for user experience. In this study two BCI selection methods and a comparable non-BCI selection method were integrated into a computer game to evaluate user experience in terms of immersion
and affect. The BCI selection methods were based on the P300 and steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) paradigms. An experiment with fourteen participants showed that the SSVEP selection method was capable of
enriching the user experience in terms of immersion and affect. Participants were significantly more immersed and the SSVEP selection method was found
more positively affective. Although it was expected that P300 would enrich user
experience, it did not.


This study examines Merton's Classical Strain Theory (1938) as a causative factor in intimate partner violence among college students. We theorize that college students experience general life strain and cumulative strain as they pursue the goal of a college degree. We test this strain on the likelihood of using intimate partner violence. Strain due to unrealistic expectations of intimate partnership and economic strain are also examined. The analysis examines the following causative factors representing strain: 1) the College Undergraduate Stress Scale (Renner & Mackin, 1998); 2) cumulative academic strain measured by college classification; 3) cumulative intimate partner strain measured as the length of time in the relationship; 4) academic strain measured by number of hours studied weekly, and 5) economic strain measured by number of hours worked weekly. Additionally, we examine the extent to which gender and race/ethnicity differentially affect intimate partner in the context of these measures of strain. The Conflict Tactics Scales II (Straus et al, 1996) are used to measure dating violence and include indicators for sexual coercion, physical aggression, injury, and psychological aggression. Data were collected from 142 students in lower-division classes from Texas Tech University. Results show that general strain and cumulative intimate partner strain increase the use of dating violence among college students. The longer dating partners are in a relationship, the higher the chances of psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion. Converse to our expectations, time spent working reduces psychological aggression due to reducing time spent together rather than reflecting economic strain.


PURPOSE
We have previously identified paclitaxel as an active single agent in the treatment of esophageal cancer. We performed a phase II trial of paclitaxel in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil (5-FU), conventionally used chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. The antitumor response, toxicity, and survival of patients treated with the three-drug regimen were evaluated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Sixty-one patients with advanced, surgically unresectable, or metastatic squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were treated. No prior chemotherapy was allowed. Thirty patients had adenocarcinoma and 31 patients had squamous cell carcinoma. The majority (47 patients; 77%) had metastatic disease and 14 patients (23%) had an unresectable primary or locally recurrent tumor. Patients received paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 by 3-hour infusion day 1; cisplatin 20 mg/m2 daily days 1 through 5, and 5-FU by continuous infusion at a dose of 1,000 mg/m2 daily days 1 through 5. Because of toxicity observed in the first 10 patients treated, the starting dose of 5-FU was subsequently reduced to 750 mg/m2 daily in the remaining patients. A planned attenuation of cisplatin to 15 mg/m2 daily was made after the first three cycles. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was not routinely administered unless the patient had an episode of febrile neutropenia or prolonged grade 4 neutropenia. Treatment was recycled every 28 days.

RESULTS
Sixty-one patients completed a median of five cycles, and 60 patients were assessable for response. Major responses were seen in 29 patients (48%; 95% confidence intervals, 35 to 61), which included seven complete responses (12%). Comparable response rates were seen for patients with adenocarcinoma (46%) and those with squamous carcinoma (50%), and for patients with metastatic disease (22 of 46 patients; 48%) and those with locally advanced disease (seven of 14 patients; 50%). A significantly higher complete response rate was observed in patients with squamous carcinoma (20%) compared with those with adenocarcinoma (3%; chi2 P=.04). The median duration of response was 5.7 months (range, 1 to 18.6 months). Median survival was 10.8 months (range, 1.5 to 25 months). Toxicity was severe but manageable with dose attenuation, and included 18% of patients with grade 3 neurologic toxicity. Twenty-eight patients (46%) required a dose attenuation for toxicity, and 42 of 275 treatment cycles (15%) required a dose attenuation. Twenty-nine patients (48%) required hospitalization for toxicity, which included 11 patients for neutropenic fever (18%). There were no treatment-related deaths.

CONCLUSION
The combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and 5-FU has substantial antitumor activity in metastatic esophageal carcinoma, with a remarkable complete response rate noted in patients with squamous carcinoma. Paclitaxel is an important new agent in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma, and further evaluation of this agent in combination chemotherapy is warranted. Given the toxicity associated with the current regimen, the optimal dose and schedule of paclitaxel in combination chemotherapy remain to be established.


Public relations is a critical profession in contemporary society, which is characterized by global interaction, relationships, and responsibility. Unfortunately, public relations has been institu- tionalized as a symbolic-interpretive activity that organizations use to exert their power over publics and to disguise the consequences of their behaviors from publics, governments, and the media. Th is article discusses an alternative role for public relations as a strategic management rather than a mes- saging activity. It presents a model of public relations in strategic management and examines research that elaborates segments of the model: environmental scanning, stakeholders and publics, issues and crises, scenario building, cultivating and evaluating relationships, tracing the eff ect of relationships on reputation, planning and evaluating communication programs strategically, and how digital media can be used to further the strategic management process. It concludes that research is needed on how public relations can be empowered and institutionalized as a strategic management activity.


According to conventional wisdom, a fiscal consolidation is likely to contract real aggregate demand. It has often been argued, however, that this conclusion is misleading as it neglects the role of expectations of future policy; if the fiscal consolidation is read by the private sector as a signal that the share of government spending in GDP is being permanently reduced, households will revise upward the estimate of their permanent income, and will raise current and planned consumption. Only the empirical evidence can sort out which of these two contending views about fiscal policy is more appropriate-i.e., how often the contractionary effect of a fiscal consolidation prevails on its expansionary expectational effect. This paper brings new evidence to bear on this issue drawing on the European exercise in fiscal rectitude of the 1980s, and focusing, in particular, on its two most extreme cases-Denmark and Ireland. We find that at least in the experience of these two countries the expectations view has a serious claim to empirical relevance.


Objective. To define the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of malignancy and factors associated with malignancies in Korean patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). Methods. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of 151 patients diagnosed with DM/PM were compared in patients with and without malignancies. Results. Malignancies were found in 23 of 98 patients with DM (23.5%) and in 2 of 53 with PM (3.8%). Lung cancer (8 patients) was the most common malignancy. Compared with the period-specific, sex-matched, and age-matched Korean population, the SIR for malignancy in patients with DM was 14.2 (95% CI 9.0–21.3). Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with malignancy included older age (p < 0.001), DM (p = 0.002), dysphagia (p < 0.001), the absence of interstitial lung disease (ILD; p = 0.001), and lower elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.005) and lactate dehydrogenase concentrations (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that factors independently associated with malignancy included older age (per 10 years, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6–3.5, p < 0.001), DM (OR 5.9, 95% CI 1.3–26.2, p = 0.020), dysphagia (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2–6.6, p = 0.042), and the absence of ILD (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01–0.9, p = 0.040). Conclusion. DM was associated with a greater risk of concomitant malignancies, especially lung cancer, than PM. Independent factors associated with malignancies in patients with DM/PM were older age, the presence of dysphagia, and the absence of ILD.


Known as the cross-race effect (CRE), psychological research has consistently shown that people are less accurate at identifying faces of another, less familiar race. While the CRE has most often been demonstrated in recognition memory, its effects have also been found in temporally preceding social-cognitive stages—including racial categorization, perceptual discrimination, and higher-level cognitive processing. Using path models of own- and other-race face processing, the current study sought to estimate how temporally preceding processes might mediate the CRE established in recognition memory. Results demonstrated that racial categorization and higher-level cognitive processes primarily mediate the CRE in recognition memory, and that the degree of interracial contact moderated the incidence of repetition errors on other-race faces.


OBJECTIVE A three-way, crossover, open-label, randomized study was designed to compare the evening and night (1800–0800) glycemic control when the evening premeal lispro dose was reduced by 20% and the bedtime basal NPH dose increased by 25%, or when the basal NPH dose was moved to before dinner at 1800, compared with the control arm on standard premeal human regular insulin and pre-bedtime NPH insulin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 13 type 1 diabetic patients who use a premeal plus basal insulin regimen were studied on three separate days, with identical meals and snacks at the same times on each study day. On the control study day, patients received human regular insulin before dinner and NPH at bedtime in their usual doses. On another day, lispro was given before dinner with a dose reduction of 20%, and NPH at bedtime at 125% of usual dose. In the third regimen, the lispro and NPH were administered together in their usual dose before the evening meal by separate injections. The three regimens were tested in random order. RESULTS Postprandial (1800–2200) blood glucose concentrations were lower after reduced-dose lispro compared with human regular insulin (6.0 ± 0.3 [SEM] vs. 7.4 ± 0.3 mmol/1, P < 0.05). Nighttime (2400–0400) blood glucose concentrations were not different (8.6 ± 0.3 vs. 9.2 ± 0.3 mmol/1, NS), and prebreakfast concentrations were also unchanged (7.7 ± 0.9 vs. 8.7 ± 0.8 mmol/1) after lispro with increased-dose NPH compared with standard insulin. By contrast, both nighttime (10.0 ± 0.3 mmol/1, P < 0.05) and fasting glucose concentrations (10.8 ± 0.6 mmol/1, P < 0.05) were significantly higher with dinnertime usual-dose lispro plus dinnertime usual-dose NPH compared with standard human insulin. Hypoglycemia at night (blood glucose <3.0 mmol/1) did not differ between study days, but it was more frequent postprandially after dinner usual-dose lispro plus early NPH (2 vs. 7 patients, P = 0.062). CONCLUSIONS With lower mealtime and higher basal bedtime insulin doses, patients using insulin lispro may be able to gain an overall improvement in evening blood glucose control without deteriorated nighttime glucose levels. Earlier basal NPH dosage alone does not ameliorate the nighttime hyperglycemia of short-acting insulin analog regimens.


Background The 11 and The 11+ are accepted effective injury-prevention training programs for junior football players. However, their impact on physical fitness is unclear. Objective To elucidate the effectiveness of The 11 and The 11+A in injury prevention and physical fitness improvement. Design A prospective and pre-post intervention study. Setting The first division of a Japanese collegiate football league. Participants This study included 182 collegiate male football players, who were divided into three groups: The 11 (n=62), The 11+A (n=60) and Control (n=59). 77 players were evaluated for physical fitness. Interventions The 11 program, originally developed by FIFA, and The 11+A, by one of the authors, were conducted once or twice a week for 6 months. The 11+A focuses on plyometric training and differs slightly from The 11+. Main outcome measures Injury incidence rates during football (game and training), game and training were reported as the number of injuries per 1000 player-hours (PH). Using several field tests (sprint, pro-agility, bounding and balance), each subject's physical fitness level was evaluated prior to and 6 months after training. Results The incidence rates during football, game and training were 3.62, 19.18 and 2.58 injuries/PH in the Control group, 2.27, 11.92 and 1.53 injuries/PH in The 11 group and 2.24, 10.75 and 1.75 injuries/PH in The 11+A group, respectively. The injury incidence rate during football was significantly lower in both the training groups than in the Control group (p<0.05). Pro-agility time was significantly decreased in both training groups than in the Control groups (p<0.05). Balance ability improved significantly only in the 11 group (p<0.05). Conclusion The 11 and The 11+A were effective in injury prevention and physical fitness improvement.


This article addresses the overlooked negative consequences of law firms transitioning from a traditional partnership to a limited liability partnership or company. Part I of this article introduces the topic by providing a brief history of the development of LLCs and LLPs and noting the lack of attention given to the detrimental consequences of such firm structures. Part II reviews the forces behind the limited liability movement and the emergence of limited liability law firms. Part III surveys the statutory approaches to limiting vicarious liability in LLCs and LLPs. Part IV then examines possible internal consequences of attorneys' practicing as limited liability firms. Using an economic analysis to evaluate possible outcomes of attorneys' limiting their vicarious liability through limited liability firms, Part V examines the external effects of the elimination of vicarious liability. After showing how the limited liability rules under LLP and LLC legislation adversely affect incentives to assure quality legal services, Part VI proposes an alternative approach to limited liability that eliminates strict vicarious liability for the acts and omissions of partners, while creating incentives for firms to monitor attorney conduct through reasonable risk management controls. This alternative approach limits attorneys' liability while protecting clients and other members of the public. Part VII concludes by summarizing the key points of the article and reasserting the benefits of the alternative approach to limited liability.


To elucidate whether cytokines induce nitric oxide synthase in vascular smooth muscle cells, we studied the effects of human recombinant interleukin-1 beta on the synthesis and release of nitric oxide in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells by measurement of NO2-/NO3- levels. Furthermore, we performed Northern blot analysis using subcloned polymerase chain reaction products as probes for constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Interleukin-1 beta dose dependently (1 to 20 ng/mL) stimulated NO2-/NO3- production as a function of time. Northern blotting demonstrated the interleukin-1 beta-induced expression of messenger RNA for an inducible but not for the constitutive nitric oxide synthase after 3 hours. NG-Monomethyl L-arginine completely blocked the interleukin-1 beta-induced NO2-/NO3- production, the effect of which was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. Dexamethasone inhibited the interleukin-1 beta-induced NO2-/NO3- production in a dose-dependent manner (10(-9) to 10(-7) M) and the interleukin-1 beta-inducible nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA levels. Neither a calmodulin inhibitor (W-7) nor a protein kinase C inhibitor (staurosporine) showed any effects on the induction of nitric oxide synthase transcripts or production of NO2-/NO3- stimulated by interleukin-1 beta, whereas cycloheximide and actinomycin D completely inhibited the basal and stimulated NO2-/NO3- production. These data demonstrate for the first time that interleukin-1 beta induces gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and its de novo protein synthesis in rat vascular smooth muscle cells, thereby leading to generation of nitric oxide via Ca2+/calmodulin-independent and protein kinase C-independent mechanisms.


Root branching is stimulated by auxin and occurs as a result of lateral roots initiated from the pericycle. Here, new light is shed on how the cell cycle is regulated during lateral root initiation by two interacting cell cycle regulatory proteins, the D-type cyclin CYCD2;1 and the auxin-regulated inhibitory protein ICK2/KRP2. The integration of cell division in root growth and development requires mediation of developmental and physiological signals through regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase activity. Cells within the pericycle form de novo lateral root meristems, and D-type cyclins (CYCD), as regulators of the G1-to-S phase cell cycle transition, are anticipated to play a role. Here, we show that the D-type cyclin protein CYCD2;1 is nuclear in Arabidopsis thaliana root cells, with the highest concentration in apical and lateral meristems. Loss of CYCD2;1 has a marginal effect on unstimulated lateral root density, but CYCD2;1 is rate-limiting for the response to low levels of exogenous auxin. However, while CYCD2;1 expression requires sucrose, it does not respond to auxin. The protein Inhibitor-Interactor of CDK/Kip Related Protein2 (ICK2/KRP2), which interacts with CYCD2;1, inhibits lateral root formation, and ick2/krp2 mutants show increased lateral root density. ICK2/KRP2 can modulate the nuclear levels of CYCD2;1, and since auxin reduces ICK2/KRP2 protein levels, it affects both activity and cellular distribution of CYCD2;1. Hence, as ICK2/KRP2 levels decrease, the increase in lateral root density depends on CYCD2;1, irrespective of ICK2/CYCD2;1 nuclear localization. We propose that ICK2/KRP2 restrains root ramification by maintaining CYCD2;1 inactive and that this modulates pericycle responses to auxin fluctuations.


Seabirds are integral components of marine ecosystems and, with many populations globally threatened, there is a critical need for effective and scalable seabird monitoring strategies. Many seabird species nest in burrows, which can make traditional monitoring methods costly, infeasible, or damaging to nesting habitats. Traditional burrow occupancy surveys, where possible, can occur infrequently and therefore lead to an incomplete understanding of population trends. For example, in Oregon, during the last three decades there have been large changes in the abundance of Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhoa), which included drastic declines at some colonies. Unfortunately, traditional monitoring failed to capture the timing and magnitude of change, limiting managers' ability to determine causes of the decline and curtailing management options. New, easily repeatable methods of quantifying relative abundance are needed. For this study, we tested three methods of remote monitoring: passive acoustic monitoring, time-lapse cameras, and radar. Abundance indices derived from acoustics and imagery: call rates, acoustic energy, and counts were significantly related to traditional estimates of burrow occupancy of Leach's storm-petrels. Due to sampling limitations, we were unable to compare radar to burrow occupancy. Image counts were significantly correlated with all other indices, including radar, while indices derived from acoustics and radar were not correlated. Acoustic data likely reflect different aspects of the population and hold the potential for the further development of indices to disentangle phenology, attendance of breeding birds, and reproductive success. We found that image counts are comparable with standard methods (e.g., radar) in producing annual abundance indices. We recommend that managers consider a sampling scheme that incorporates both acoustics and imaging, but for sites inaccessible to humans, radar remains the sole option. Implementation of acoustic and camera based monitoring programs will provide much needed information for a vulnerable group of seabirds.


Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal X-linked disease caused by the absence of functional dystrophin. Abnormal excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling has been reported in dystrophic muscle fibers from mdx mice, and alterations in E-C coupling components may occur as a direct result of dystrophin deficiency. We hypothesized that muscle-specific overexpression of insulin-growth factor-1 (IGF-I) would reduce E-C coupling failure in mdx muscle. Mechanically skinned extensor digitorum longus muscle fibers from mdx mice displayed a faster decline in depolarization-induced force responses (DIFR); however, there were no differences in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-mediated Ca(2+) resequestration or in the properties of the contractile apparatus when compared with nondystrophic controls. The rate of DIFR decline was restored to control levels in fibers from transgenic mdx mice that overexpressed IGF-I in skeletal muscle (mdx/IGF-I mice). Dystrophic muscles have a lower transcript level of a specific dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) isoform, and IGF-I-mediated changes in E-C coupling were associated with increased transcript levels of specific DHPR isoforms involved in Ca(2+) regulation. Importantly, IGF-I overexpression also increased the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to Ca(2+). The results demonstrate that IGF-I can ameliorate fundamental aspects of E-C coupling failure in dystrophic muscle fibers and that these effects are important for the improvements in cellular function induced by this growth factor.


The OLNEY ART GALLERY was a privately owned and operated art gallery on Jennings Ave. (W. 14th St.). It was established in 1893 by Prof. Chas. Fayette Olney and his wife, Abigail, after the tremendous success of the ART LOAN EXHIBITIONS assured the Olneys that Cleveland needed an art gallery. Olney Art GalleryObjects from the Olneys' private collection were the basis of the gallery, although at times other prominent Cleveland citizens, including Windsor T. White and CHAS. F. BRUSH, donated works for display. The gallery operated out of a long, narrow brick-and-stone building that housed over 200 objects, including oil and watercolor paintings, porcelains, and statuary. In 1896 the gallery was one of several in the U.S. that displayed Hungarian artist Michel Leib Munkacsy's Christ before Pilate. The gallery closed in 1907, 4 years after Olney died; the bulk of the collection was left to Oberlin College.


In this paper we have to design and implement surveillance system by use of smart sensors like ultrasonic sensors and pyroelectric infrared sensors (PIR) to detect an intruder in a home, ATM, Industries, Bank Locker room or a storehouse. The PIR sensors are placed on the ceiling, and the ultrasonic sensor module consists of a transmitter and a receiver which are placed vertically on the wall. We are going to use the camera to capture images of the people those are coming under the surveillance area. And we are sending these images to authorized and related personnel via e-mail to avoid the storage cost. This system will also help to reduce the power consumption.


Integrated watershed models can be used to calculate streamflow generation in snow‐dominated mountainous catchments. Parameterization of water flow is often complicated by the lack of information on subsurface hydraulic properties. In this study, bulk density optimization was used to determine hydraulic parameters for the upper and lower regolith in the GEOtop model. The methodology was tested in two small catchments in the Dry Creek Watershed in Idaho and the Libby Creek Watershed in Wyoming. Modelling efficiencies for profile‐average soil–water content for the two catchments were between 0.52 and 0.64. Modelling efficiencies for stream discharge (cumulative stream discharge) were 0.45 (0.91) and 0.54 (0.94) for the Idaho and Wyoming catchments, respectively. The calculated hydraulic properties suggest that lateral flow across the upper–lower regolith interface is an important driver of streamflow in both the Idaho and Wyoming watersheds. The overall calibration procedure is computationally efficient because only two bulk density values are optimized. The two‐parameter calibration procedure was complicated by uncertainty in hydraulic conductivity anisotropy. Different upper regolith hydraulic conductivity anisotropy factors had to be tested in order to describe streamflow in both catchments.


Tall alpine herb field is largely absent from the Tasmanian alpine zone. This absence has been attributed to marsupial grazing. Small islands
in the upper Ouse River valley are partly dominated by Craspedia paludicola, a showy tall alpine herb. The herbs dominate on the upstream
ends of the islands. The surrounding vegetation on the banks is mainly grassland. The tall herbs are a very minor element of the shore
vegetation, occurring on the undercut banks. Grassy islands close to the river banks are grazed and few tall herbs are found there. Craspedia
paludicola also occurs in small numbers in damp areas on grassy heaths at other grazed locations, largely within bushes with pungent leaves.
The distribution of Craspedia paludicola suggests that it is highly palatable and can thus only survive in larger numbers away from the
influence of vertebrate grazers (rabbits and marsupials). It appears that this species requires both disturbance and a lack of grazing to
dominate an area.


Note: Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied in this paper are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or any other government agency. Conclusions Developing National Strategy in Time of Transition We remain in transition to a new international system following the Cold War, a transition that is likely to last through the decade. The nature of the new system will be determined largely by the health of America's alliances with Europe and Japan, by the outcome of Russian and Chinese transitions, and the rate of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Developing a new grand strategy to replace containment has proven difficult precisely because the system remains in transition. Both the Bush and Clinton administrations have struggled with their international vision. The Bottom Up Review was developed in the context of a strategy of "Engagement and Enlargement" that emerged as speeches during the first nine months of 1993. The crises with Iraq and North Korea in the autumn of 1994 confirmed the validity of the two major regional conflict threat envisioned by the Bottom Up Review. That concept may need to be amended in time, but it is appropriate for the interim. The Nature of the Slowly Emerging International System There are at least three ways in which one might envision the emerging international system: The first is a geo-strategic assessment of the major powers. We are in an historically unique moment of relative cooperation among the great powers: the United States, the European Union, Japan, China, Russia and perhaps India. Generally, the major powers don't envision each other as current threats and are not building military establishments to either attack or defend against each other. Regional economic blocks are forming, but are not being used by the great powers to develop closed alliances. Spheres of influence do not appear to overlap in ways that could cause conflict. However, it is unclear how much longer these favorable conditions will last. Another way to assess the emerging international system is to look at political and economic orientations of individual countries. From this perspective, the world can be seen as consisting of three groups. The dominant market democracies, a group much larger than the old "First World" of the Cold War, includes not just the OECD Countries, but most of Latin America, the "tigers" of East Asia, and gradually, parts of Central Europe. The success of the major transitional states, including Russia, China, India, and South Africa, is crucial to the future world order. Troubled states, primarily in Africa and the greater Middle East, are falling behind politically and economically and many are torn by rampant ethnic or religious tensions. These countries are the breeding ground for failed states and rogue states. The Administration's strategy of "enlargement" is most consistent with this perspective of the world order. The third view looks at transnational threats. The porousness of international borders has positive effects: totalitarian regimes cannot last when they can no longer manage the flow of information to their people. But porous borders also mean that international crime, narcotics, disease, terrorists, illegal immigrants, pollution, and smugglers of nuclear material pose greater threats to our national security. Each has a greater impact on the average American than what happens in Somalia. Combining these perspectives, there are grounds for both optimism and pessimism. The grounds for optimism include: * The major powers are at peace and there are few signs of exclusive spheres of influence or economic blocs; * Most nations aspire to democracy and the market system; and; * The U. …


Aims. We study the inner region (∼1.0 AU up to a few 10 AUs) of the circumstellar disk around the "classical" T Tauri star RY Tau. Our aim is to find a physical description satisfying the available interferometric data, obtained with the mid-infrared interferometric instrument at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, as well as the spectral energy distribution in the visible to millimeter wavelength range. We also compare the findings with the results of similar studies, including those of intermediate-mass Herbig Ae/Be stars. Methods. Our analysis is done within the framework of a passively heated circumstellar disk, which is optionally supplemented by the effects of accretion and an added envelope. To achieve a more consistent and realistic model, we used our continuum transfer code MC3D. In addition, we studied the shape of the 10 µm silicate emission feature in terms of the underlying dust population, both for single-dish and for interferometric measurements. Results. We show that a modestly flaring disk model with accretion can explain both the observed spectral energy distribution and the mid-infrared visibilities obtained with the mid-infrared infrared instrument. We found an interesting ambiguity: a circumstellar active disk model with an added envelope, and a lower accretion rate than in the active disk model without envelope, could represent the observations equally as well. This type of model with the envelope should be considered a viable alternative in future models of other T Tauri stars. The approach of a disk with a puffed-up inner rim wall and the influence of a stellar companion is also discussed. We also investigate the influence of various fit parameters on the outcome of the radiative transfer modeling. From the study of the silicate emission feature we see evidence for dust evolution in a T Tauri star, with a decreasing fraction of small amorphous and an increasing fraction of crystalline particles closer to the star.


The concave-convex procedure (CCCP) is a majorization-minimization algorithm that solves d.c. (difference of convex functions) programs as a sequence of convex programs. In machine learning, CCCP is extensively used in many learning algorithms like sparse support vector machines (SVMs), transductive SVMs, sparse principal component analysis, etc. Though widely used in many applications, the convergence behavior of CCCP has not gotten a lot of specific attention. Yuille and Rangarajan analyzed its convergence in their original paper, however, we believe the analysis is not complete. Although the convergence of CCCP can be derived from the convergence of the d.c. algorithm (DCA), its proof is more specialized and technical than actually required for the specific case of CCCP. In this paper, we follow a different reasoning and show how Zangwill's global convergence theory of iterative algorithms provides a natural framework to prove the convergence of CCCP, allowing a more elegant and simple proof. This underlines Zangwill's theory as a powerful and general framework to deal with the convergence issues of iterative algorithms, after also being used to prove the convergence of algorithms like expectation-maximization, generalized alternating minimization, etc. In this paper, we provide a rigorous analysis of the convergence of CCCP by addressing these questions: (i) When does CCCP find a local minimum or a stationary point of the d.c. program under consideration? (ii) When does the sequence generated by CCCP converge? We also present an open problem on the issue of local convergence of CCCP.


Viruses causing severe mosaic, epinasty, defoliation, and premature death of Passiflora spp. were isolated from west central Colombia. Western blot analyses indicated the presence of potyviruses. Two Colombian isolates (COL-22 and -GR) were compared to known potyviruses as to host range, symptomatology, serological activity, amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity in the coat protein and 3' noncoding region (3'NCR), and reactivity in dot-blot hybridization. Host range and symptomatology of COL-22 and -GR indicated they are similar to soybean mosaic virus (SMV). Also, both isolates reacted strongly with SMV antisera in immunodiffusion plates. Aphid transmission by Aphis gossypii and Toxoptera citricida was confirmed, but seed transmission was not demonstrated. In addition to COL-22 and -GR, five other Colombian isolates were cloned and sequenced. The deduced coat protein amino acid sequences for all of the Colombian isolates were virtually identical and shared a 98% similarity with SMV. Dot-blot hybridization experiments, using DNA complementary to the 3'NCR of the virus as a probe, further confirmed that the potyvirus infecting Passiflora spp. in Colombia is a strain of SMV. To our knowledge, infection of Passiflora spp. by a strain of SMV has not been previously reported.