UNLABELLED
(See the editorial commentary by Morris and Masur, on pages 203-204.)

BACKGROUND
Improved noninvasive diagnostic tests for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) are needed. We evaluated the test characteristics of plasma (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan (β-glucan) for HIV-related PCP among a large group of patients presenting with diverse opportunistic infections (OIs).

METHODS
The study population included all 282 participants in AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5164, a study of early versus deferred antiretroviral therapy in conjunction with initial therapy of acute OIs. Baseline plasma samples were assayed for β-glucan, with standard assay reference values defining ≥ 80 pg/mL as positive. Before this analysis, diagnosis of PCP was independently adjudicated by 2 study investigators after reviewing reports from study sites.

RESULTS
A total of 252 persons had a β-glucan result that could be analyzed, 173 (69%) of whom had received a diagnosis of PCP. Median β-glucan with PCP was 408 pg/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 209-500 pg/mL), compared with 37 pg/mL (IQR, 31-235 pg/mL) without PCP (P < .001). The sensitivity of β-glucan dichotomized at 80 pg/mL for the diagnosis of PCP was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87%-96%), and the specificity was 65% (95% CI, 53%-75%); positive and negative predictive values were 85% (95% CI, 79%-90%) and 80% (95% CI, 68%-89%) respectively, based on the study prevalence of 69% of patients with PCP. Rates of abnormal lactate dehyrogenase levels did not differ significantly between those with and without PCP.

CONCLUSIONS
Blood (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan is strongly correlated with HIV-related PCP. In some clinical centers, this may be a more sensitive test than the induced sputum examination and could reduce the need for both bronchoscopy and empirical therapy of PCP.


This article describes some of the major psychosocial challenges faced by lesbian and gay male survivors of hate crimes, their significant others, and the gay community as a whole. When an individual is attacked because she or he is perceived to be gay, the negative mental health consequences of victimization converge with those resulting from societal heterosexism to create a unique set of problems. Such victimization represents a crisis for the individual, creating opportunities for growth as well as risks for impairment. The principal risk associated with anti-gay victimization is that the survivor's homosexuality becomes directly linked to her or his newly heightened sense of vulnerability. The problems faced by lesbian and gay male victims of sexual assault, and the psychological impact of verbal abuse also are discussed. Suggestions are offered to assist practitioners in helping the survivors of anti-gay hate crimes.


Predicting attrition 2 This study examined 40 selected items from the Student Information Form that had been identified as representing cultural differences between men and women at the United States Military Academy. A principal components analysis of the data collected from 3005 male and 314 female cadets yielded 7 factors for men and 6 factors for women suitable for interpretation. As hypothesized, men and women were found to have similar cultual values, attitudes and experiences based on their similar factor structures. Next, item responses from 58 women attriters were compared to responses from the nonattriters. Using all the factors identified for the women, a discriminant function analysis to predict attrition resulted in the correct classification of 70% of the women. This exploratory approach is unique in that it is an attempt to predict and understand attrition of women from West Point through comparison to a norm of success based on women. Recommendations are made to focus future research on experiences and attitudes towards sexual harrassment at West Point along with measures of cultural ideation to better understand the dynamics which


Age composition and average annual growth rates were determined for a geoduck clam (Panope abrupta) population located in Ladysmith Harbour, British Columbia. Acetate peels were made from cross-sections of the right shell portion of each clam. The number and distances between the annuli in shell cross-sections were used to determine age and growth. Analysis of the growth measurements suggested the annual growth of individuals within this population in any year t was approximately 80% of the annual growth in year t − 1. This estimate does not appear to be a function of age. An average annual index of standardized geoduck growth was constructed for the period 1907–1980. Abrupt changes in mean annual growth were detected near 1919 and 1962. Intervention analysis was employed to quantify changes in mean standardized growth at these two points in time. An 8% increase in geoduck mean annual growth was coincident with an increase in mean annual temperature around 1920. A 27% decrease in growth occurred soon after the initiation of log booming and storage in Ladysmith Harbour (about 1960). The results of this study suggest measurements of growth from geoduck shells may be useful in identifying and quantifying changes in the marine environment.


Ancient origins, profound ecological divergence and extensive hybridization make the fire-bellied toads Bombina bombina and B. variegata (Anura: Bombinatoridae) an intriguing test case of ecological speciation. Narrow Bombina hybrid zones erect barriers to neutral introgression whose strength has been estimated previously. We test this prediction by inferring the rate of gene exchange between pure populations on either side of the intensively studied Kraków transect. We developed a software pipeline to extract high confidence sets of orthologous genes from de novo transcriptome assemblies, fitted a range of divergence models to these data and assessed their relative support with analytic likelihoods calculations. There was clear evidence for post-divergence gene flow, but, as expected, no perceptible signal of recent introgression via the nearby hybrid zone. The analysis of two additional Bombina taxa (B. v. scabra and B. orientalis) validated our parameter estimates against a larger set of prior expectations. Despite substantial cumulative introgression over millions of years, adaptive divergence of the hybridizing taxa is essentially unaffected by their lack of reproductive isolation. Extended distribution ranges also buffer them against small-scale environmental perturbations that have been shown to reverse the speciation process in other, more recent ecotypes.


Today's students live in an era that dominant social voices declare to be a "post-racial society." Issues of "discrimination," it follows, are simply isolated incidents easily addressed by the panoply of existing civil rights laws. This belief creates expectations on the part of first-year law students who may dismiss or ignore the existence of structural racism, sexism, and classism. The law not only creates structures of subordination, it also makes them invisible. Revelation of the subordinating effects of legal rules is an important first step in legal education.The apparent neutrality of contract law in particular masks the distributive effects of legal rules. Contract is an area of private ordering, but it is courts that invalidate or legitimize the use or allocation of power between or among parties to a contract. Unspoken assumptions about power — who has it, who may use it, and how it may be used — are embedded in contract law and theory. These assumptions may conceal bias, stereotypes, and cultural preferences in a court's final decision. An analysis that presumes neutrality on the part of the court and autonomy on the part of the parties overlooks the various advantages and handicaps that people bring with them to each transaction, some of which may be the result of the social identity of the parties. A "neutral" free market system tolerates certain pockets of discrimination in contracting which are, in turn, endorsed by the law in the name of freedom of contract.This Article addresses the importance of incorporating such discussions about identity in the first year core curriculum. It offers specific materials and techniques for doing this in a contracts class, with emphasis on the necessity and the value of grounding theoretical analysis squarely in the instruction students receive in legal reasoning. The Article proposes that issues of identity should be incorporated into the classroom not only when the parties in the cases are people of color, and not simply as a politically correct exercise, but pervasively throughout the semester as a way of advancing students' legal reasoning skills and understanding of legal doctrine. This approach should improve the law school experience for most students and produce lawyers who are more capable of practicing law holistically.


Abstract This study provides evidence of morphological differences in support of the current phylogenetic division of the owls into two familes (Strigidae, Tytonidae), with respect to the digital tendon locking mechanism (TLM). This mechanism consists of modified surfaces on the flexor tendons in the digits, which, when engaged form a lock that holds the digits in a flexed position. Although species-specific differences in TLM structure were apparent, consistent inter-family differences occurred in the degree of expression of the TLM, its location within the digit, and in the structure and arrangement of the locking elements. Phylogenetic differences also occurred in the location of the associated digital ligaments. The TLM of the Strigidae was found to resemble that of the Falconiformes (Falconidae and Accipitridae). However, the Tytonidae possess a more distinctive pattern, characterised by a digit 1 TLM located at the opposite end of the digit and bearing reversed plicae. The biomechanics of the mechanism are considered, along with the functional implications of the varying structures in an attempt to understand the adaptiveness, or otherwise, of this-little known structure within an avian order.


The most promising way of responding to arguments for the incompatibility of divine foreknowledge and human freedom (in one way or another) invokes a claim about the order of explanation: God knew (or believed) that you would perform a given action because you would, in fact, perform it, and not the other way around. Once we see this result, many suppose, we'll see that divine foreknowledge ultimately poses no threat to human freedom. This essay argues that matters are not so simple, for such reasoning threatens also to reconcile divine prepunishment with human freedom. The question here is this: if you have already been ( justly) punished by God for doing something, how then could you avoid doing that thing? As we'll see, there is a strong argument that seems to show that you couldn't. However, this essay argues that if divine prepunishment rules out human freedom, then so does divine foreknowledge. The arguments are exactly parallel in certain crucial respects. At any rate, investigating the issues surrounding prepunishment can help to throw into relief the various different strategies of response to the foreknowledge argument and can bring out what their costs and commitments really are. In particular, investigating prepunishment can help to bring out the inadequacy of the �Ockhamist� reply to the argument, as well as the sense in which God's past beliefs need to depend on what we do, if we are plausibly to have a choice about those beliefs.


Aims: Our group has conducted several Internet investigations into the biobehavioural effects of self-reported recreational use of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or Ecstasy) and other psychosocial drugs. Here we report a new study examining the relationship between self-reported Ecstasy use and traces of MDMA found in hair samples. Methods: In a laboratory setting, 49 undergraduate volunteers performed an Internet-based assessment which included mood scales and the University of East London Drug Use Questionnaire, which asks for history and current drug use. They also provided a hair sample for determination of exposure to MDMA over the previous month. Results: Self-report of Ecstasy use and presence in hair samples were consistent (p < 0.00001). Both subjective and objective measures predicted lower self-reported ratings of happiness and higher self-reported stress. Self-reported Ecstasy use, but not presence in hair, was also associated with decreased tension. Conclusion: Different psychoactive drugs can influence long-term mood and cognition in complex and dynamically interactive ways. Here we have shown a good correspondence between self-report and objective assessment of exposure to MDMA. These data suggest that the Internet has potentially high utility as a useful medium to complement traditional laboratory studies into the sequelae of recreational drug use.


OBJECTIVE
An analysis is made of the influence of continuous compression loading on different types of cast posts and cores and its effects on the crowns and teeth.

METHOD AND MATERIALS
Thirty extracted maxillary canines were prepared and divided into three groups (n = 10) according to the type of cast posts and cores used for restoration: chrome-nickel alloy, acetalic resin, and IPS-Empress porcelain. Metallic cast crowns were luted onto the cores. The specimens were evaluated with an Instron testing machine at an angulation of 45 degrees and a forward speed of 0.5 mm/min. After testing, the specimens were sectioned along the axis and examined under x40 magnification.

RESULTS
Mean load resistance of the restorations until fracture was 2,120 N, 1,491 N, and 2,139 N in the chrome-nickel, IPS-Empress ceramic, and acetalic resin groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Significant differences in resistance were observed between metal and porcelain and between resin and porcelain. Microscopically, the apical portion was found to be most affected by fracture and compromised the teeth subjected to chrome-nickel restorations. The metal cast posts and cores exhibited different angulations, while the ceramic restorations showed cracks. The acetalic resin cast posts and cores presented no fractures.


In contrast to its role in stimulating DNA synthesis and cell division, the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK1 has been implicated in signaling that leads to cell death in nonproliferating neuronal cells. Yuan et al. present evidence that the CDK1 protein kinase phosphorylates the FOXO1 transcription factor, which leads to the accumulation of FOXO1 in the nucleus and activation of a FOXO1-dependent reporter gene. This conclusion contrasts with previous work, which reported that phosphorylation of FOXO1 by CDK2 caused movement of FOXO1 out of the nucleus and decreased FOXO1-dependent transcription. In proliferating cells, CDK1-induced activation of FOXO1 led to increased expression of the gene encoding another kinase that contributes to regulation of mitosis--polo-like kinase (Plk). These results may lead to better understanding of neuronal degeneration. Z. Yuan, E. B. E. Becker, P. Merlo, T. Yamada, S. DiBacco, Y. Konishi, E. M. Schaefer, A. Bonni, Activation of FOXO1 by Cdk1 in cycling cells and postmitotic neurons. Science 319, 1665-1668 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


INTRODUCTION This paper examines the liability rules that apply to the growing number of private entities that perform state functions and fall within the purview of Section 1983. In particular, this paper asserts that in Section 1983 cases, courts often determine the scope of private-entity liability by comparing private-entities to government actors, and that this act of comparison leads to poor results that impair victims of constitutional violations from vindicating their rights. Instead of focusing on comparison and analogy, this paper proposes that courts should recognize that private entities are their own separate category of defendants and should treat them as such. Rather than engaging in analogy, courts can utilize the huge body of law that already exists for determining the liability of private parties that commit injurious acts – tort law. First, I briefly describe the current approach to determining private-entity liability and explains how courts often rely on analogy as their interpretive method. Second, I examine three recent Supreme Court decisions in Section 1983 or Bivens cases – two involving private defendants and one involving governmental defendants – and shows how the Court's focus on analogy in each case leads to unsound or misguided results. Third, I offer some hypotheses about why courts tend to use analogy in the private-entity context. Finally, I suggest that courts should limit their focus on analogy and offers an alternative framework for assessing private-entity liability. I. THE CURRENT APPROACH TO PRIVATE-ENTITY LIABILITY. Because Section 1983 only applies to persons acting "under color" of state law, it deals primarily with governmental defendants -- public employees, municipalities, and States. Consequently, the liability rules that courts have crafted have been crafted primarily with governmental defendants in mind. When dealing with private-entity defendants, courts often have made liability determinations by analogizing to (or distinguishing from) particular government actors and then applying, or refusing to apply, the liability rules controlling those actors to the private entity. The use of analogy, however, can become very strategic because of the different liability rules that apply to different public actors. For example, municipalities are immune from punitive damages whereas individual governmental employees are not; individual public employees receive qualified immunity whereas municipalities do not; and state governments are exempt from damages entirely and may only be sued for equitable relief. Thus, the particular analogy that a court chooses to draw has significant implications for the relief available to a plaintiff seeking to recover for a private entity's constitutional violations. However, when courts do rely on analogy, the focus on analogy can lead to misguided and unsound results. II.THE DANGERS OF USING ANALOGY – THREE EXAMPLES A. Richardson v. McKnight, 521 U.S. 399 (1997). The Richardson Court held that employees of a private prison are not entitled to the defense of qualified immunity in § 1983 actions, even though employees of public prisons do receive qualified immunity. Richardson is a case where I believe the Court reached a good result, but based its decision on a flawed distinction between public and private actors that leaves the decision open to attack, and that may have caused the Court to create a caveat that has substantially limited the reach of its decision. B. Correctional Services Corporation v. Malesko, 534 U.S. 61 (2001). The Malesko Court held that a plaintiff cannot bring a Bivens action against a private entity that performs services for the federal government but can only bring a Bivens claim against the entity's employees. This case is one in which I believe the central role of analogy in the Court's decision-making causes the Court to lose focus on the underlying policy that the principles analogized to are supposed to serve. C. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009). The Iqbal Court, analogizing in part to § 1983's rule that municipal defendants cannot be held vicariously liable for the torts of their employees but can be held liable only if a municipal custom or policy causes the constitutional violation, determined that high-level federal officials could not be held liable in a Bivens action under a theory of "supervisory liability," even where they had actual knowledge of their subordinates' misconduct and failed to act. To the extent that the Court relied on analogy to § 1983 in reaching its decision, the analogy it drew does not support the result. In contrast to the Court's holding in Iqbal, § 1983 contemplates liability for supervisory employees, and permits municipal liability based on a municipal official's actual or constructive knowledge of an employee's constitutional violation and a failure to stop it. III. REASONS THAT COURTS TEND TO USE ANALOGY TO ASSESS PRIVATE PARTY LIABILITY A. The State Action Doctrine B. A Veneer for Judicial Policymaking C. Natural Difficulties with Categorizing Private Entities IV. An Alternative Framework Instead of determining private-entity liability based on the entity's perceived similarities to or differences from government actors, courts should treat the private entity as a distinct type of defendant. It is neither a government entity nor an individual. Consequently, instead of analogizing to government actors, courts can apply laws and doctrines that have been specifically developed to deal with private entities, specifically private tort law. Private tort law generally does not bestow private parties with the kinds of immunities and protections provided under Section 1983, and it is not necessarily the case that private entities should receive such protections simply because they happen to act under color of state law. Although tort law principles have been used in the past to constrain liability under Section 1983, at least with respect to private-entity defendants, using a tort law framework could actually eliminate several unnecessary barriers to recovery in Section 1983 actions and better fulfill the statute's purpose of protecting constitutional rights.


A case is made that in the absence of an effective feedback control on the rate of delivery of CaO to the oceans, the CO2 content of the Earth's atmosphere would have wandered over a large range threatening life either by overheating or by carbon dioxide starvation. In this paper, we defend the suggestion by Walker et al. [1981] that control is exerted by the interaction between the CO2 content of the atmosphere and the continental weathering rates. We contend that in spite of the arguments raised against it [Raymo and Ruddiman, 1992; Edmond and Huh, 1997] the CO2‐ chemical weathering feedback is the dominant mechanism that stabilizes the atmospheric carbon dioxide content.


Online social networks (OSNs) are popular collaboration and communication tools for millions of users and their friends. Unfortunately, in the wrong hands, they are also effective tools for executing spam campaigns and spreading malware. Intuitively, a user is more likely to respond to a message from a Facebook friend than from a stranger, thus making social spam a more effective distribution mechanism than traditional email. In fact, existing evidence shows malicious entities are already attempting to compromise OSN account credentials to support these "high-return" spam campaigns. In this paper, we present an initial study to quantify and characterize spam campaigns launched using accounts on online social networks. We study a large anonymized dataset of asynchronous "wall" messages between Facebook users. We analyze all wall messages received by roughly 3.5 million Facebook users (more than 187 million messages in all), and use a set of automated techniques to detect and characterize coordinated spam campaigns. Our system detected roughly 200,000 malicious wall posts with embed- ded URLs, originating from more than 57,000 user accounts. We find that more than 70% of all malicious wall posts advertise phishing sites. We also study the characteristics of malicious accounts, and see that more than 97% are compromised accounts, rather than "fake" accounts created solely for the purpose of spamming. Finally, we observe that, when adjusted to the local time of the sender, spamming dominates actual wall post activity in the early morning hours, when normal users are asleep.


Procurement systems are vital in ensuring the successful implementation of a construction project, precisely executed for  all phases of any particular project. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate, in a systematic manner, the factors that influence the selection of a procurement system in the South African construction industry. An extensive theory and literature review of procurement systems was conducted. The literature reviewed included a sample of 6 case studies of completed building and civil engineering projects within South Africa. Questionnaire surveys were carried out using a 4-round Delphi method approach to conduct the empirical study in order to obtain participants' opinions about the factors that influence the selection of procurement systems, as well as the utility value of various procurement systems on each factor as identified. Finally, data analysis of both qualitative and quantitative techniques was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). After qualitative analysis, the findings indicate that factors that influence the selection of procurement systems are closely linked to the problem areas or they cut across all the phases of the project as identified in this paper. Therefore, these factors are categorically classified into internal and external factors. Factors from the internal environment were further classified into client characteristics and project characteristics, with client characteristics comprising variables such as: client's level of knowledge and control, political and social consideration, familiarity of procurement systems, competition, funding arrangements, government (public/private sector projects) and risk allocation; whereas project characteristics comprise factors (variables) such as: size and technical complexity of the project, influence of the project life cycle, expedited project delivery, time, quality and price certainty. Factors from the external environment include variables such as market competition, information technology, regulatory environment, natural causes and globalization. After factor analysis had been performed on variables obtained from the literature review, five newly established factors were identified and are considered to be the most significant factors that influence the selection of a procurement system for the South African construction industry. These 5 factors are: socio-economic consideration, client requirements, capital cost/cash flow, procurement policy and project characteristics. In terms of its scope, this study focused on both national and international literature reviews and the empirical survey of this study was conducted within South Africa. However, its target participants were limited to civil engineers, quantity surveyors, construction/project managers, architects and contractors located in three provinces of South Africa, namely: Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. This study investigates factors that influence the selection of procurement systems in South Africa for the purpose of assisting and guiding construction practitioners in selecting suitable procurement systems for their planned projects.

 Key words: Procurement systems, traditional, non-traditional, construction projects, South Africa, internal and external factors.


Abstract:The restitution of human remains is a process wherein diverse agencies and meanings emerge. In Argentina there has been a significant increase of these processes, as well as claims of human bodies, during the early twenty-first century, allowing the appearance of new actors, the reconfiguration of public policies, and varied academic approaches. This article deals with a seldom-studied phenomenon—resignification of the territory as a consequence of a restitution—focusing on a recent example that involved the Rankülche Nation, an Indigenous nation in central Argentina, and its relationship with the government of La Pampa province, with scientists, and with members of the local community.


Electronic signal processing is becoming very attractive to overcome various impairments that affect optical communications, and electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) represents a typical application in the currently designed systems. However, the inherent limits in performance achievable by electronically processing the signal at the output of a nonlinear photodetector have not received the attention they deserve. In this paper, we investigate the information-theoretic limits of electronic signal processing in transmission systems employing direct photodetection and two possible modulation formats: 1 on-off keying (OOK) with nonreturn-to-zero pulses; and 2 optical duobinary modulation (ODBM). The analysis is based on the computation of the information rate, i.e., the maximum achievable data transfer rate, and accounts for the modulation format as well as relevant parameters of the transmission scheme. In particular, we investigate the impact of sampling rate, uncompensated chromatic dispersion (CD), and quantization resolution of the electrical signal at the output of a direct photodetector. For OOK systems, the obtained results show that the optical signal-to-noise ratio penalty entailed by EDC can be limited to about 2 dB at most values of CD of interest in current applications. Moreover, ODBM systems at high values of CD can almost perform as OOK systems at zero CD. For all the considered modulation formats, the obtained results show that the received electrical signal can be sampled at a rate of two samples per bit interval and quantized with a precision of 3 bits per sample to practically achieve the ultimate performance limits.


Ceria (CeO2)-based materials are of great importance in numerous technological applications such as three-way catalysts (TWCs) [Catal. Today 62, 35-50 (2000) and Chem. Rev. 116, 5987-6041 (2016)], hydrocarbon reforming [Chem. Rev. 116, 5987-6041 (2016) and Catalysis by Ceria and Related Materials; Trovarelli, A.; Fornasiero, P., Eds.; 2nd Edition; Imperial College Press: London, 2013] and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) [Chem. Rev. 116, 5987-6041 (2016) and Catalysis by Ceria and Related Materials; Trovarelli, A.; Fornasiero, P., Eds.; 2nd Edition; Imperial College Press: London, 2013]. These materials possess a property that is key to most of such applications, namely, their capability for easy conversion between the Ce4+ and Ce3+ oxidation states, which is achieved by releasing oxygen atoms from the crystal lattice and forming oxygen vacancies. In particular, the replacement of Ce by Zr to form CeO2-ZrO2 solid solutions was found to facilitate the reducibility of the oxide as well as to increase the oxygen storage capacity and the system thermal stability, compared to pure CeO2. This theoretical work employing DFT+U calculations, is a systematic study of the effects of Zr doping on the stoichiometric and reduced CeO2(111) surfaces to determine the preferred location of the Zr dopants at various concentrations, as well as to pinpoint how Zr doping affects the stability of near-surface oxygen vacancies -including the position of the Ce3+ ions. We found that for a given Zr content, the more stable structures do not correspond to those configurations with Zr located in the topmost O-Ce-O trilayer (TL1), but in inner layers, and the stability decreases with increasing Zr concentration. Regarding the formation of oxygen vacancies, it was found that the most stable configuration corresponds to the Zr atom located in the surface layer (TL1) neighboring a subsurface oxygen vacancy with next-nearest neighbor Ce3+, being the formation energy equal to 1.16 eV. The corresponding surface oxygen vacancy is 0.16 eV less stable. These values are by 0.73 and 0.92 eV, respectively, smaller than the corresponding ones for the pure CeO2(111) surface. The results are explained in terms of Zr- and vacancy-induced lattice relaxation effects. This study provides microscopic insight into the interplay between Zr-doping, vacancy formation, lattice relaxations, and the localization of the excess charge that will be key to understanding surface chemistry and catalysis on Zr-doped ceria surface, as well as conductive ceria-based materials for advanced applications.


The article discloses characteristics of consumer value of goods; it highlights the problem of choosing target audiences for particular product groups. According to the authors' position presented in the paper, there is no market without marketing and logistics, since it is marketing and logistics that make demand management. The article reveals characteristics of the contemporary consumer and presents the analysis of market needs which allow satisfying customer needs.


This paper comparatively examines how the League of Women Voters and Lake Erie sportsmen emerged to awaken the public to the pollution crisis affecting the Lake Erie watershed in the mid-twentieth century. Recognizing the degradation of the smallest of the Great Lakes due to the explosion of wartime industrial development and population growth, the League and the sportsmen commenced a decades-long struggle to clean up the lake and its tributaries through direct action in urban areas throughout the Lake Erie watershed. Disgusted by a fall in the number of fish, caused by cyanide poisoning, and the effect of oil on waterfowl, the sportsmen pressed for pollution control. The League members' approach to water resources, on the other hand, was based on a broad and academic perspective regarding water quality and quantity in response to a series of regionally severe droughts that plagued the United States in the late 1940s and mid-1950s, and led to a national debate on water shortages and supplies. Ultimately, this paper examines two distinctly different approaches to an environmental emergency in the immediate postwar era.


The generalized planar fault energy, including the generalized stacking fault (GSF) and the generalized twinning fault energy (GTF) of body-centered cubic metal Ta are investigated based on the embedded atom potential. The GSF of Ta, much different from that of fcc metal, reveals that no evident energy minimum is observed in the energy curve. This implies that only full dislocations are possibly emitted in the {112} slip plane. From the GTF it is predicted that the minimum thickness of a metastable twin is as large as four layers and the five-layer twin is more stable. The incipient twin Ta tends to grow thicker once it is created. To confirm the significance of the GSF and GTF in revealing incipient plasticity, quasicontinuum method is used to simulate the mode Ⅱ crack of single Ta crystal. The results show that deformation twin and full dislocation along direction in {112} plane are two co-existing mechanisms of crack tip plastic deformation. The initial four-layer twin quickly extends into five-layer and more-layer twins with further loading. A full dislocation is emitted into the front of the crack tip in {112} plane. These two plastic deformation mechanisms are well explained by the GTF and the GSF respectively.


Continuous monitoring of the polar regions by satellites has shown that sea ice extent (SIE) in the Antarctic has increased slightly since 1979. By contrast, climate model simulations including all major anthropogenic and natural climate influences simulate an average decrease in SIE since 1979. Here we take a longer view and assess the consistency of observed and simulated changes in Antarctic SIE using recently recovered satellite‐based estimates of Antarctic SIE for September 1964 and May–July 1966, hence extending the current observational record from 35 to 50 years. While there is evidence of inconsistency between observed trends in Antarctic SIE and those simulated since 1979, particularly in models with realistic interannual variability, the observed trends since the mid‐1960s fall within the 5–95% range of simulated trends. Thus, our results broadly support the hypothesis that the recent increase in Antarctic SIE is due to internal variability, though the reasons for the inconsistency in simulated and observed changes since 1979 remain to be determined.


The planning fallacy, i.e., people's tendency to underestimate the time required to complete a project despite past failures, is ubiquitous and resistant to coping strategies. We propose scenarios where visualizations may help alleviate this problem, motivated by previous research in psychology. We hope that with the help of visualizations, people will become more reliable in their judgments and work together in a way that is both more productive and more gratifying.


African feminist thought refers to the dynamic ideas, reflections, theories and other expressions of intellectual practices by politically radical African women concerned with liberating Africa by focusing women's liberation, and as such cannot be easily defined or captured. However, the conditions out of which Africa's feminist movements form, and the intellectual labor that they carry out in the pursuit of women's rights and freedoms can be explored and discussed. African feminist thought is the potentially limitless product of movements that are themselves constantly in the making, succeeding in changing the conditions of their formation by their very existence. African feminist political thought can be traced to the world's women's movements that formed in the context of transnational liberal and emancipatory political discourses of the late 19th and 20th centuries of European empire. Out of these liberal emancipatory reformist, international labor, communist, socialist revolutionary, and Pan-African Diasporic and African nationalist movements were all formed.
 However, following the flag independence of over fifty nation-states, women who joined the anti-colonial freedom movements have had to pursue further struggles in independent nation-states, because Africa's new states often hesitated or reverted to conservative patriarchal views when it came to extending freedom and equality to African women. It is as citizens of new nations that 20th century African women have formed independent feminist movements that continue to demand freedom, equality and rights, for example, by seeking freedom of movement, political representation, educational and economic equality, and perhaps most commonly of all, freedom from sex and gender-based violence.
 Contemporary publications and writings by African feminists are the primary sources consulted here, because of the need to correct the spurious mis-representation of African feminism as "un-African," a position that hinges on the definition of feminism as exclusively Western. This view is advanced by conservative African men and women who seek the restoration of pre-colonial cultures, as well as in some of the early scholarly literature on the subject.
 African feminism is a radical proposition: it refers to the liberatory political philosophies, theories, writings, research and cultural production, as well as the organizing work of the transnational community of feminists from Africa. These respond to objective conditions of global systemic inequality that have led African women to resume the struggle for freedom and liberation. African feminists in 2019 identify with earlier generations of women freedom fighters but enunciate visions of a future in which the women of Africa will be afforded human rights and freedoms, on a continent liberated from a global neoliberal capitalist system that continues to marginalize the vast majority of the world's peoples and exploits natural and human resources to a degree that now threatens planetary survival.


Abstract Although predictions suggest that ocean acidification will significantly impact polar oceans within 20–30 years, there is limited information regarding present-day pH dynamics of the Southern Ocean. Here, we present novel high-frequency observations of pH collected during spring of 2010 using SeaFET pH sensors at three locations under fast sea ice in the southern Ross Sea. During these deployments in McMurdo Sound, baseline pH ranged between 8.019–8.045, with low to moderate overall variation (0.043–0.114 units) on the scale of hours to days. The variation was predominantly in the direction of increased pH relative to baseline observations. Estimates of aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) were > 1 with no observations of subsaturation. Time series records such as these are significant to the Antarctic science community; this information can be leveraged towards framing more environmentally relevant laboratory experiments aimed at assessing the vulnerability of Antarctic species to ocean acidification. In addition, increased spatial and temporal coverage of pH datasets may reveal ecologically significant patterns. Specifically, whether such variation in natural ocean pH dynamics may drive local adaptation to pH variation or provide refugia for populations of marine calcifiers in a future, acidifying ocean.


This article provides insights into the driving forces that underpin new forms of political participation. Digital technologies offer opportunities for engaging in a wide range of civically oriented activities, each of which can contribute to deeper democratic engagement. Conventional acts of political participation are argued to be driven primarily by intrinsic motivations relating to self-efficacy and empowerment, with participants feeling they can have influence over decision makers. Little research explores whether similar motivations drive participation in less conventional acts, as well as whether mobilization attempts via social media by peers or political organizations mediate those motivations. Drawing on data from a survey among a representative sample of the U.K. electorate, we find the offline and online spheres of agency remain fairly distinct. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations both matter but extrinsic motivations have the strongest explanatory power independent of the sphere of activity. The mediating effect of mobilization tactics has a minimal effect on extrinsic motivations, online or offline, but online intrinsic motivations lose their explanatory power. As intrinsic factors offer little explanatory power, some forms of online political participation may lack meaning to the individual. Rather, these non-conventional acts result from reward seeking and are more likely to be encouraged by nongovernmental campaigning organizations, suggesting social media users are most likely to perform simple acts in support of non-contentious causes.


In this paper a transfer function model is developed to evaluate the dynamic performance of the direct-drive direct-grid connected slip permanent magnet wind generator system. The modelling of the generator is done in the dq reference frame fixed to the PM-rotor, for both the grid frequency and slip-frequency generator components. The transient response of a single, 15 kW grid-connected system to changes in turbine torque and grid voltage and frequency is evaluated. It is shown that the generator is very stable under transient turbine-torque conditions and that it acts as a filter to prevent voltage flickering. The dynamic performance is confirmed by laboratory measurements on a 15 kW direct drive slip permanent magnet generator.


A solution to a one dimensional diffusion equation applicable to a finite interval was adapted to be a probability distribution function. This distribution function can accom m odate various shapes of distribution such as those similar to the uniform, single-modal, and bi-modal distributions. This distribution is bounded a t both boundaries. It was named the finite Fourier distribution (FFD) to recognize the form of the distribution. The FFD was extended to include a linear combination of the FFD termed two-component FFD. Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to evaluate four parameter estimation techniques. Method of Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE), Method of Moments (MOM), Method of L-Moments (LMM), and Method of Least Square (LSQ). Robustness evaluation and other goodness-of-fit measures of these parameter estimation techniques are discussed. Both FFD and two-component FFD were applied to the field measured dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, laboratory measured hydraulic conductivity of clay liners, river quality data, and pore size distribution of compacted clays. Goodness-of-fit tests were performed to evaluate the models. The FFD provides similar or slightly better fit than the traditional distributions for certain sample data. Two-component FFD performed very well modeling the pore size distributions in com pacted clays.


A broad collection of technologies, including e.g. drug metabolism, biofuel combustion, photochemical decontamination of water, and interfacial passivation in energy production/storage systems rely on chemical processes that involve bond-breaking molecular reactions. In this context, a fundamental thermodynamic property of interest is the bond dissociation energy (BDE) which measures the strength of a chemical bond. Fast and accurate prediction of BDEs for arbitrary molecules would lay the groundwork for data-driven projections of complex reaction cascades and hence a deeper understanding of these critical chemical processes and, ultimately, how to reverse design them. In this paper, we propose a chemically inspired graph neural network machine learning model, BonDNet, for the rapid and accurate prediction of BDEs. BonDNet maps the difference between the molecular representations of the reactants and products to the reaction BDE. Because of the use of this difference representation and the introduction of global features, including molecular charge, it is the first machine learning model capable of predicting both homolytic and heterolytic BDEs for molecules of any charge. To test the model, we have constructed a dataset of both homolytic and heterolytic BDEs for neutral and charged (−1 and +1) molecules. BonDNet achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.022 eV for unseen test data, significantly below chemical accuracy (0.043 eV). Besides the ability to handle complex bond dissociation reactions that no previous model could consider, BonDNet distinguishes itself even in only predicting homolytic BDEs for neutral molecules; it achieves an MAE of 0.020 eV on the PubChem BDE dataset, a 20% improvement over the previous best performing model. We gain additional insight into the model's predictions by analyzing the patterns in the features representing the molecules and the bond dissociation reactions, which are qualitatively consistent with chemical rules and intuition. BonDNet is just one application of our general approach to representing and learning chemical reactivity, and it could be easily extended to the prediction of other reaction properties in the future.


This work examines correlations between functional morphology and behaviour in the instance of the burrowing locomotion of bivalves. A comparatively simple and assessable behaviour and a rich fossil record documenting the evolutionary adaptations in morphology make these animals adequate for investigation. In this paper a robotic setup to simulate the burrowing behaviour of bivalves is presented. Models of both natural bivalve shell shapes and artificially designed shapes are pulled into sediment in the rocking modality these animals typically use. Different shapes, motion patterns and a water expulsion mechanism are evaluated and compared in terms of burrowing performance. The results presented here and further experiments using the (improved) platform may shed light on how bivalves burrow, how features of functional morphology evolved and how efficient automatic burrowing devices may be constructed. Keywords: biorobotics, biomimetics, underwater robots, functional morphology, burrowing locomotion, shell morphology, bivalves, artificial evolution.


The vestiges of the pre-Caledonian magma-poor hyperextended margin of Baltica are preserved in a mélange zone in southern Norway. The rock assemblage in the distal domains of magma-poor hyperextended margins includes extensional allochthons and basement slivers, which share a pre-rift tectonometamorphic history with the non-rifted basement. After incorporation into an orogenic belt, these distinct fingerprints may be used to test whether such heterogeneous mélange units were derived from the basement units below or have been transported to the orogen from elsewhere. Later magmatic additions and tectonometamorphic events may provide additional information on the geological evolution of the margin. We present U–Pb results from 12 gneisses and meta-igneous rocks from the mélange zone. We find Proterozoic gneisses of Telemarkian affinity over the length of the mélange zone that support the formation of the mélange along the ancient Baltican margin. We also find latest Cambrian–early Ordovician meta-igneous rocks that may be linked either to shortening of transitional crust formed in the Ediacaran or, alternatively, to an episode of extension in the Ordovician. Scandian thrusting initiated between 438 and 427 Ma and was followed by the emplacement of syntectonic 'Scandian' granitoids at 421 Ma; that emplacement coincides with peak metamorphism. Supplementary material: A high-resolution photomicrograph of the chlorite schist from Stølsheimen is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3592064.


Purpose
Reoxygenation after hypoxia can increase reactive oxygen species and upregulate autophagy. We determined, for the first time, the impact of elevated IOP on hypoxia induction, superoxide accumulation, and autophagy in a bead model of glaucoma.

Method
Ocular hypertension was achieved with magnetic bead injection into the anterior chamber. Before mice were killed, they were injected with pimonidazole for hypoxia detection and dihydroethidium (DHE) for superoxide detection. Total retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and optic nerve (ON) axons were quantified, total glutathione (GSH) was measured, and retinal and ON protein and mRNA were analyzed for hypoxia (Hif-1α and Hif-2α), autophagy (LC3 and p62), and SOD2.

Results
With IOP elevation (P < 0.0001), the retina showed significantly (P < 0.001) decreased GSH compared with control, and a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in RGC density compared with control. Pimonidazole-positive Müller glia, microglia, astrocytes, and RGCs were present in the retinas after 4 weeks of ocular hypertension but absent in both the control and after only 2 weeks of ocular hypertension. The ON showed significant axon degeneration (P < 0.0001). The mean intensity of DHE in the ganglion cell layer and ON significantly increased (P < 0.0001). The ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I revealed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in autophagic activity in hypertensive retinas compared with control.

Conclusions
We report a novel observation of hypoxia and a significant decrease in GSH, likely contributing to superoxide accumulation, in the retinas of ocular hypertensive mice. The significant increase in the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I suggests autophagy induction.


WiMAX Broadband Wireless Access Technology, based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, is at the origin of great promises for many different markets covering fixed wireless Internet Access, Backhauling and Mobile cellular networks. WiMAX technology is designed for the transmission of multimedia services (voice, Internet, email, games and others) at high data rates (of the order of Mb/s per user). It is a very powerful but sometimes complicated technique. The WiMAX System is described in thousands of pages of IEEE 802.16 standard and amendments documents and WiMAX Forum documents. WiMAX: Technology for Broadband Wireless Access provides a global picture of WiMAX and a large number of details that makes access to WiMAX documents much easier. All the aspects of WIMAX are covered. Illustrations and clear explanations for all the main procedures of WiMAX are pedagogically presented in a succession of relatively short chapters Topics covered include WiMAX genesis and framework, WiMAX topologies, protocol layers, MAC layer, MAC frames, WiMAX multiple access, the physical layer, QoS Management, Radio Resource Management, Bandwidth allocation, Network Architecture, Mobility and Security Features a glossary of abbreviations and their definitions, and a wealth of explanatory tables and figures Highlights the most recent changes, including the 802.16e amendment of the standard, needed for Mobile WiMAX Includes technical comparisons of WiMAX vs. 802.11 (WiFi) and cellular 3G technologies This technical introduction to WiMAX, explaining the rather complex standards (IEEE 802.16-2004 and 802.16e) is a must read for engineers, decision-makers and students interested in WiMAX, as well as other researchers and scientists from this evolving field.


The compatibility relation occurs in many different disciplines in science and engineering. When a compatibility relation exists between pairs of elements in a set, an important problem is to derive the collection of aU those elements that form maximal compatibles. If the set of elements with the compatibility relation can be visualized as a compatibility graph of which the different nodes represent the elements of the set, the only edges of the graph being the nonoriented lines joining pairs of elements with the compatibility relation, then the problem of deriving the maximal compatibles becomes identical to the graph theory problem of finding all the maximal complete subgraphs in a symmetric graph. Recently, in connection with simplifying incompletely specified sequential machines, where a kind of compatibility relation also exists between pairs of internal states, Das and Sheng proposed a method for deriving the different maximal compatibles through finding all of the modified cut-sets of the incompatibility graph of the machine. This paper, without confining itself to only incompletely specified machines, considers the problem involving the compatibility relation in a broader perspective and suggests a new approach for finding aU the modified cut-sets of the incompatibility graph of a set having a compatibility relation between its different pairs of elements.


Digital pen interaction has become a first-class input modality for precision tasks such as writing, annotating, drawing, and 2D manipulation. The key enablers of digital inking are the capacitive or resistive sensors that are integrated in contemporary tablet devices. In Virtual Reality (VR), however, users typically provide input across large regions, hence limiting the suitability of using additional tablet devices for accurate pen input. In this paper, we present Flashpen, a digital pen for VR whose sensing principle affords accurately digitizing hand writing and intricate drawing, including small and quick turns. Flashpen re-purposes an inexpensive gaming mouse sensor that digitizes extremely fine grained motions in the micrometer range at over 8 kHz when moving on a surface. We combine Flashpen's high-fidelity relative input with the absolute tracking cues from a VR headset to enable pen interaction across a variety of VR applications. In our two-block evaluation, which consists of a tracing task and a writing task, we compare Flashpen to a professional drawing tablet (Wacom). With this, we demonstrate that Flashpen's fidelity matches the performance of state-of-the-art digitizers and approaches the fidelity of analog pens, while adding the flexibility of supporting a wide range of flat surfaces.


The objective of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the probability of employment and predictors of employment in patients with moderate- to- severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) over 10-year follow-up. One hundred nine patients (18-67 years) were included with follow-up measurements 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months and 10 years post-TBI. Potential predictors of employment probability included patient characteristics, injury severity factors, functional outcome measured at discharge from the hospital with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Barthel Index (BI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Functional Assessment Measure (FAM). Forty-eight patients (42%) completed the 10-year follow-up. Three months post-TBI, 12% were employed, which gradually, but significantly, increased to 57% after 2-years follow-up (p < 0.001), followed by a significant decrease to 43% (p = 0.041) after 10 years. Ten years post-TBI, we found that employed persons had less-severe TBI, shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), and higher scores on the GOS, BI, FIM, and FAM at hospital discharge than unemployed persons. No significant differences in age, sex, educational level, living with partner/family or not, pre-injury employment, professional category, psychiatric symptoms, or discharge destination were found. Longitudinal multivariable analysis showed that time, pre-injury employment, FAM, and LOS were independent predictors of employment probability. We concluded that employment probability 10 years after moderate or severe TBI is related to injury severity and pre-injury employment. Future studies on vocational rehabilitation should focus on modifiable factors and take into consideration the effects of national legislation and national labor market forces.


Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived organizational justice and organizational commitment of female teachers in Iran. Methodology: One hundred fourteen female teachers were randomly selected using descriptive-correlational method. For data gathering, the Colquitt's Organizational Justice Questionnaire and May-Allen's Organizational Commitment Questionnaire were used. The validity of the questionnaires was verified according to the viewpoints of experts in educational sciences and management. The reliability of the questionnaires estimated using Cronbach's α coefficient in a primary study on a 30-people sample, organizational justice questionnaire α =0.913 as well as Organizational Commitment Questionnaire α =0.924. After data gathering, they were analyzed based on research hypotheses using multivariate analysis of variance as well as multiple regression analysis. Results: The results indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between all components of organizational justice and the aspects of organizational commitment. In addition, there is a significant predictive relationship among procedural justice, interactional justice, and distributive justice with continuous commitment and normative commitment. Conclusion: According to the theory of equity, it can be predicted that the personnel reacts toward the presence or absence of organizational justice at workplace. The increase of attachment and dependence is one of such reactions. That is, if the personnel witness that justice is not observed in the organization, they will feel some sort of tension, and therefore, they try to reduce their own dependency and commitment to the organization. In such cases, their organizational commitment may be diminished. Conversely, if they feel that organizational justice exists in the organization, they will be motivated to embrace more duties, tasks, and responsibilities so that, thereby, they would fulfill their debts to their career and consequently their organizational commitment would be increased.


Full life-cycle and real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) rely on numerous, heterogeneous sets of data collected from sensors and extracting feathers that support the estimation of the health condition of a bridge. It is the principal challenges facing the SHM application on transmission and storing such huge amounts of data. Compressive sensing (CS) is a novel data acquisition method whereby the compression is done in a sensor simultaneously with the sampling. In this work, we established the possibility of compressed sensing to address this challenges on bridge SHM. Based on the sparsity of the deformation data of bridge, we proposed a random sampling scheme based on CS to minimize the number of field data. The CS recovery performance is mostly determined by the decomposition basis which is associated with the sparsity of the sampling signal. Different bases have been tested to recover the deformation data. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed method allows a reduction of the measurement data with an acceptable recovery accuracy. And reconstruction performance based on DWT to sparse transform is better than that based on DCT to sparse transform. When the compression ratio is above 0.6, the reconstruction error grows moderately; whereas the reconstruction error grows rapidly as the compression ratio is below 0.6. With the compression ratio decreased from 0.6 to 0.2, reconstruction error is reduced about 2.5 times by using DWT and reduced about 2 times by using DCT.


Negation has fascinated thinkers and scholars for some 2,500 years.However, within linguistics, it is only in the recent years that negation has been given the attention it deserves. Within language typology, the main subject of investigation has been the notion of standard negation. This is well covered and data from several languages has been presented.When it comes to Japanese, it has proved hard to come across a detailed description of negation. There is a rich general literature covering many aspects of Japanese grammar, but there seems to be a lack of a work that investigates and collects all negation phenomena in one place. Furthermore, the general grammars do not take the typological perspective of negation into consideration. The aim of this thesis is to describe various negation strategies and related phenomena in the Japanese language and to put them in a typological perspective. To carry this out, a questionnaire for describing negation is used. Information and examples are extracted from grammars, articles, and a corpus. This is a descriptive text, and the analyses and conclusions presented can clearly contribute to the already existing literature on negation in Japanese, with the addition of a typological perspective.


The fisheries sector of Vietnam plays an important role in the social and economic development of the country. The sector contributes about 3% of the GDP and fish contributes about 40% of animal protein consumption in the country. In 1999, total fisheries production amounted to 1.8 million t. Of this, 1.2 million t was derived from marine capture fisheries and 0.6 million t from aquaculture. Fish exports were valued at US$971.12 million in the same year. VietnamA†s marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture have further potential for development. However, overfishing in coastal areas, degradation of the marine environment and conflicts between small-scale and large scale fishers must be resolved to realize the sectorA†s potential. This report presents the status of coastal fisheries resources, reviews government fisheries policies and suggested management measures. Based on the recommendations from a multisectoral consultative workshop conducted among the key experts on fisheries and resource management in Vietnam, the following fisheries management objectives were suggested for sustainable development of coastal fisheries in Vietnam: (1) optimization of productivity and efficiency of the fisheries exploitation regime; (2) ensuring that the benefits of production are distributed equitably; (3) ensuring that the productivity generated results in minimum damage to the resource base and the supporting natural environment; and (4) upgrading and strengthening the related institutions. Indicative action programs for improved management are also presented.


The year 1989 marked a turning point for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). But unlike other places in the region, that year saw a turn towards growing political conflict which soon led to violent warfare. This paper identifies and discusses three processes that led to this outcome. The first process was the impetus towards reform of the Yugoslav federal state, its political and economic system. The second was the conflict over the future of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Savez komunista Jugoslavije – SKJ). The third was the shifting meanings of ethnic and nonethnic labels and the ways in which putative "national" and "ethnic" interests came to be aligned with specific political options. By the end of 1989 these three processes had come together to spell the end of the SKJ, of the SFRY, and of "Yugoslavism" as a political identity. In their places, ruling parties threatened by changes within their own societies, as well as by pressures created by the 1989 revolutions in the region, resorted to strategies of conflict and violence in an attempt to forestall the kinds of changes and elite turnovers seen in other socialist countries.


On April 20, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA). BAPCPA was hailed by some as a sensible overhaul of the bankruptcy code aimed towards decreasing repeat bankruptcy filing rates. In this article, we consider specific changes that BAPCPA made to the Bankruptcy Code. Some of these changes were specifically targeted at the congressional view that repeat bankruptcy filings are largely the result of strategic and irresponsible behavior. This article considers whether, in actuality, BAPCPA decreased repeat filings. Our statistics show that while BAPCPA did increase the time between filings, it did not change the rate of repeat filings. Moreover, the financial description of repeat filers remained the same before and after BAPCPA. BAPCPA may have prolonged the inevitable, but it did not lower the rate of repeat filing or affect who repeatedly files for bankruptcy.The statistical and economic analysis in this article is based on a random sample of bankruptcy petitions filed in the Northern District of Texas in 2004 and 2006. The sample was restricted to the Northern District of Texas because extensive financial data had already been collected for a previous study. For each debtor, we extracted information from individual Statements of Financial Affairs and Bankruptcy Schedules and analyzed that information to consider impacts of BAPCPA on repeat filings.Part II of this article will discuss the legislative history of BAPCPA to show the assumptions underlying BAPCPA and the Congressional intent behind the provisions discussed herein. Part II will also consider BAPCPA's legislative intent as described by scholars and courts interpreting BAPCPA soon after its enactment. Finally, Part II will describe the state of economic research and literature discussing bankruptcy and repeat filing, and describe our data in more detail.Part III of this article will discuss three specific changes to the Bankruptcy Code implemented by BAPCPA, which were aimed in particular at curbing "abusive" repeat filing. Section 362(c) was amended to limit the automatic stay for repeat cases filed within a year of earlier dismissed cases. BAPCPA amended section 707(a)(8) to increase the time debtors must wait between discharges, and added section 109(h) to require that all individual debtors obtain credit counseling before filing for bankruptcy.In addition to discussing these changes from a legal and historical perspective, Part III will also discuss whether and how each change had an impact on repeat filings.Part IV of this article will discuss the more general themes that can be observed from the data. We will detail the financial description of debtors who filed repeat cases before and after BAPCPA, and we will discuss whether BAPCPA had any broad impact on those filers.


The variations of pleasure and their expression in Dutch rustic landscapes of the seventeenth century are recurring themes in Walter S. Gibson's engaging new book. Gibson focuses on Haarlem between 1600 and 1635, in his interpretation of Dutch landscapes and emphasizes prints, the medium in which the rustic view was first made available to the general art-buying public. Gibson begins by looking at the origins of the rustic landscape in the sixteenth-century Flanders and its later reformation by Dutch artists, a legacy very much alive today. He next offers a critical review of 'scriptural reading', a popular mode of interpreting the Dutch rustic landscape that incorporates Calvinist-influenced moral allegories. Gibson then explores traditional ideas concerning recreation and suggests that the pleasure of rural landscapes, not preaching, constituted their chief appeal for seventeenth-century urban viewers. Using Visscher's "Plaisante Plaetsen" ("Pleasant Places") as a point of departure, Gibson examines the ways that townspeople, both the day-trippers and owners of country houses, experienced the Dutch countryside. He also discusses the role of staffage and suggests how the representations of peasants might have conditioned the responses of contemporary viewers to rural images. Finally, Gibson considers how scenes of the dilapidated farm buildings, dead trees, and other evidence of material decay may reflect traditional ideas rustic life as imagined by a townsperson. Or how they may represent another way for the artist to engage his urban audience: far removed from the idealized landscapes of a Giorgione, the rustic landscape of a Ruisdael conveys a countryside that was beginning to disappear under the relentless pressures of urbanization. Gibson's multilayered exploration of the rustic landscape enhances our understanding of the Golden Age in Dutch art. His richly illustrated book recalls a countryside now largely gone; at the same time, his evocative language gracefully articulates the role of the Dutch rustic landscape in the history of landscape painting.


We show that house prices from Aberdeen in the UK improve inand out-of-sample oil price forecasts. The improvements are of a similar magnitude to those attained using macroeconomic indicators. We explain these forecast improvements with the dominant role of the oil industry in Aberdeen. House prices aggregate the dispersed knowledge of the future oil price that exists in the city. We obtain similar empirical evidence for Houston, another city dominated by the oil industry. Consistent with our explanation, we find that house prices from economically more diversified areas in the UK and the US do not improve oil price forecasts.


For the many lakes world‐wide with short residence times, changes to the rate of water throughput may have important effects on lake ecology. We studied relationships between current and predicted residence times and phytoplankton biomass using a eutrophic lake in the north‐west of England with an annual residence time averaging about 20 days, as a test case. Using 32 years of recent hydrological flow data for Bassenthwaite Lake, multiple sets of scaled flow for each year, and the process‐based phytoplankton response model, PROTECH, we modelled the effects of changing river flow on phytoplankton biomass in the lake. The impact on biomass was shown to depend on seasonal changes in flow rather than annual changes. Furthermore, there was a qualitative difference in impact depending on whether the nutrient loading to the lake came principally from flow‐independent sources, or from flow‐dependent ones. Predictions for changes in river flow under future climate scenarios in the north‐west of England have suggested that, despite little change in the annual flow magnitude, there will be a shift to greater flow in the winter and lesser flow in the summer. Applying these flow predictions to our modelling of Bassenthwaite Lake revealed that, with flow‐independent nutrient loading, and no overall increase in nutrient load, phytoplankton abundance in the summer could increase by up to 70%, including an increased proportion of Cyanobacteria. Conversely, were the loading completely dependent on the flow, the biomass would fall. In many parts of the world, river flow is expected to decrease in the summer even more than in England, suggesting these areas may expect substantial changes to seasonal phytoplankton biomass as a result of climate‐driven changes to seasonal river flow. Such changes would be in addition to any other changes owing to warming effects or eutrophication.


Social media plays an important role in the process of political engagement, especially in societies where significant constraints over traditional media and participation still exist. Little is known about how social media use is related to these constraints. This study examines how citizens' perceptions of government control predict social media use and how this use is related to offline participation in the context of a city-state, Singapore. Based on a national survey of 2000 respondents, we found that perceptions of control over traditional media and political activity increase content production on social media and that perceived control of the mass media motivates citizens to consume political content on social media. Interestingly, perceptions of government control over the Internet reduced rather than increased social media production. More importantly, we find that social media use is related to a greater likelihood of offline citizen participation, namely attendance of political rallies. The findings suggest that social media alters the balance of power in the dependency relationships that exist between the government, media organizations and citizens, creating new venues for online political discourse which in turn help promote real-world political participation.


Three dimensional (3D) reference structures segment source spaces based on whether particular source locations are visible or invisible to the sensor. A lensless 3D reference structure based imaging system measures projections of this source space on a sensor array. We derive and experimentally verify a model to predict the statistics of the measured projections for a simple 2D object. We show that the statistics of the measurement can yield an accurate estimate of the size of the object without ever forming a physical image. Further, we conjecture that the measured statistics can be used to determine the shape of 3D objects and present preliminary experimental measurements for 3D shape recognition.


This paper proposes a new algorithm for fitting a 3D morphable face model on low-resolution (LR) facial images. We analyse the criterion commonly used by the main fitting algorithms and by comparing with an image formation model, show that this criterion is only valid if the resolution of the input image is high. We then derive an imaging model to describe the process of LR image formation given the 3D model. Finally, we use this imaging model to improve the fitting criterion. Experimental results show that our algorithm significantly improves fitting results on LR images and yields similar parameters to those that would have been obtained if the input image had a higher resolution. We also show that our algorithm can be used for face recognition in low-resolutions where the conventional fitting algorithms fail.


: [ Objective ] This study aims to help an organization automatically download its empolyees' open access papers from iSwitch, and then import these articles to the institutional repository. [ Methods ] We first synchronized data from iSwitch through timing task scheduling based on FTP protocol. Second, we parsed files and saved metadata to the database in advance. Some functions, such as import process and data management, as well as audit, were also provided. [ Results ] Papers could be automatically synchronized from iSwitch and then imported to the institutional repository by the system administrator. We have successfully analyzed and imported more than 60, 000 items from Web of Science. [ Limitations ] The accuracy and timeliness of the service by iSwitch need to be improved. The data import function of the institutional repository should also be optimized for better services. [ Conclusions ] The high quality institutional repositories built on iSwitch, which significantly relieve burden of researchers and system administors, should be promoted.


A data set of key macro-sustainability indicators, constructed after several fact-finding missions, and World Bank methodologies on estimating wealth accounting are used to study Mauritania's wealth, which is estimated to be between USD50 and USD60 billion. The country's produced wealth represents roughly 12 percent of total wealth, much less than in lower-middle-income countries; by contrast, natural wealth represents approximately 45 percent of the total figure. Renewable resources account for slightly less than two-thirds of natural wealth, with fisheries alone equaling about one-fourth of natural wealth. This is good news for Mauritania, as sound management of these resources may ensure a constant flow of resources in the future and therefore -- with adequate policies -- the achievement of the same or higher levels of welfare for future generations. On the negative side, however, the ratio of net adjusted savings over gross national income is estimated to have been negative since 2006, meaning that the wealth of the country is being depleted. Mauritania has recently joined the ranks of lower-middle-income countries, largely thanks to its considerable natural resources endowment. Over time the mining sector's contribution to gross domestic product has grown significantly and important discoveries continue to be made. The overarching objective of this wealth accounting exercise is thus to support Mauritania to measure its assets better and achieve a more complete picture of the prospects for future income, with a view to better orienting public policies toward sustainable growth and shared prosperity. The paper concludes with several indicative policy recommendations.


Experimental and theoretical results on recording of spatial gratings with interfering femtosecond pulses at 388 nm and time-resolved Bragg-matched readout at 776 nm are presented for LiNbO3 crystals. These include dependences of the diffraction intensity on the time delay between probe and pump pulses, on the pump intensity and angle, and on the crystal composition. The grating buildup involves instantaneous and quasi-permanent changes of the refractive index and the absorption coefficient. These changes are due to Kerr and two-photon absorption effects and the modulation of photoexcited carriers, respectively. A good agreement between theory and experiment is achieved. Our analysis provides an understanding of nonlinear optical phenomena in LiNbO3 crystals on the femtosecond time scale. The theory is applicable to a large range of optical materials with modestly wide, ≈3to5 eV, bandgap.


Previous studies have established the link between one's actions (e.g., engaging with others vs. minding one's own business) and one's national culture (e.g., collectivist vs. individualistic), and such actions have been shown to be important as they are collectively affiliated with a country's economic outcomes (e.g., Gross Domestic Product). Hitherto there has not been any systematic study of whether one's action on Twitter (e.g., deciding when to post messages) is linked to one's culture (e.g., country's Pace of Life). To fix that, we build different network snapshots starting from 55,000 seed users on Twitter, and we do so for 10 weeks across 30 countries (after filtering those with low penetration rates) for a total of 2.34 M profiles. Based on Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions and Levine's Pace of Life theory, we consider three behavioral patterns on Twitter (i.e., temporal predictability of tweets, engaging with others, and supporting others who are less popular) and associate them with three different dimensions derived from the two theories: Pace of Life, Individualism and Power Distance. We find the following strong correlations: activity predictability negatively correlates with Pace of Life (r=-0.62), tweets with mentions negatively correlates with Individualism (r = -0.55), and power (e.g, Twitter popularity) imbalance in relationships (between, for example, two users mentioning each other) is correlated with Power Distance (r=0.62). These three cultural dimensions matter because they are associated with a country's socio-economic aspects - with GDP per capita, income inequality, and education expenditure.


This paper analyzes the sources of U.S. productivity growth in recent years using both aggregate and industry-level data. We confirm the central role for information technology (IT) in the productivity revival during 1995-2000 and show that IT played a significant, though smaller, role after 2000. Productivity growth after 2000 appears to have been boosted by industry restructuring and cost cutting in response to profit pressures, an unlikely source of future strength. In addition, the incorporation of intangible capital into the growth accounting framework takes some of the luster off the performance of labor productivity since 2000 and makes the gain during 1995-2000 look larger than in the official data. Finally, we examine the outlook for trend growth in labor productivity; our estimate, though subject to much uncertainty, is centered at a year, faster than the lackluster pace that prevailed before 1995 but somewhat slower than the 1995-2006 average.


This thesis aims at investigating the financial stability of China's banking system. Since the banking system is one of the most important financial intermediaries in the financial systems, the financial soundness of banks could secure the stability of the whole financial system. Two of the factors that may significantly increase imbalance of the banking system, and hence affect financial stability of an economy is the accumulated non-performing loans of banks and the macro-economic turbulences. This fact raises the questions of how macroeconomic condition, as a determinant of systemic distress, can be assessed more comprehensively and consistently, and what the implications are for modelling it within an integrated credit risk framework. The aim of this thesis is addressing these issues. We develop a framework for macro stress-testing of China's banking system. Our estimates of the correlations between banks' stability indicators and macroeconomic factors establish significant relationships between the non-performing loan ratio and key macro-economic variables, such as GDP growth, the retail price index, the unemployment rate, total fixed investment, the money supply, interest rates and exchange rates. Further, results from the macro stress tests show that robustness, or otherwise, of the banking system is highly dependent on the source of the potential risk. Our value-at-risk tests suggest that (at a 99% confidence level) the Chinese banking system is robust with respect to interest rate shocks. However, GDP growth and exchange rate shocks exhibit a profound negative effect, indicating that significant losses become likely.
We also examine the determinants of non-performing loan ratio for regional China's banking system, using data from 2002 to 2011 for 31 regions in China. Our estimations suggest that the non-performing loan ratio worsens with decreasing economic growth, shrinking export and property market depression. Further, with the help of a probit model, we identify the leading indicators of banking distress and estimate the banking distress probability for regional China. Moreover, this study provides an overview of banking system stability in the geographical distribution of these indicators. The findings show there are significant relationships between the regional banking distress indicator and key macroeconomic variables, such as GDP growth, the consumer price index, the unemployment rate, and house price. Based on the findings, we designed an early-warning system to monitor banking stability of regional China. These results should prove informative for policymakers and regulators alike, regarding awareness of loss-limitation in China's banking system, the banking distress signals and macro-prudential perspectives to monitor the potential risk exposure of the banking system in China's regions.


Long-term relationships between organization and customers and their loyalty become the most significant assumption of nowadays business success. To achieve customer loyalty and enhance it loyalty programmes are created and implemented. It gains special importance in those fields of activities where competition is strong and supply is standard. But loyalty programme by itself does not guarantee success. Whether it reaches organization's aims first of all depends on the main thing if the programme is beneficial to its participants. The article deals with how loyalty programmes are estimated by Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains' customers. In the first part of the article concept of customer loyalty, essence of loyalty programme and how its value is perceived by customer are analyzed in theoretical level; in the second part – results of Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains' loyalty programme content analysis and questionnaire investigation of customers are presented. Research shows that Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains' loyalty programmes are closed; basis of reward (most often financial) is amount of points which depend on how much money customers spend on buying goods. Similar forms of investigated retail store chains' loyalty programmes do not create special attractiveness which would stimulate customers to be loyal to certain retail store chain. Results of questionnaire investigation prove hypothesis that through discounts investigated retail store chains' loyalty programmes more stimulate sales than enhance loyalty. Most respondents point that participation in loyalty programmes is beneficial financially but none of them mentioned getting emotional or social value. It means that loyalty of programme participants is rational, so it can be not long-term. Almost one third of respondents states that declared benefit of loyalty programme is bigger than a real one. Possibility of retail store chains' loyalty programmes to grow loyal behaviour is doubted because only half of respondents buy in the store in which they have loyalty card. Almost one third of respondents has loyalty cards of two-three retail store chains; most of them do their shopping not far from their living/work place or where goods are cheaper. Just a little bit more than a third of Maxima LT and Iki retail store chains' loyalty programmes participants are satisfied by the services they get but only half of them have intent to recommend these programmes to people they know. Value of loyalty programmes is doubtful even to the respondents who do not participate in any investigated programme while investigation was in progress. Loyalty programmes orientated into sales stimulation and offered by retail store chains lose their attractiveness in the eyes of a customer. It means that to attract independent customers and even more important "to tie" them, retail store chains need a lot of organizational efforts and financial resources. All of that will increase costs of creating and implementing loyalty programmes, that is why retail store chains should choose another type of loyalty programme or look for new instruments to enhance loyalty.


The present study deals with the reduction of barium sulfate (Barite) to barium sulfide by use of carbon as the reduction agent. Pellets of barite ore containing about 95% BaSO4 has been reduced under different conditions of temperature, time, ore grain size and the type and grain size of the carbon materials. Graphite, coke and charcoal have been used as the reducing agent and the reduction experiments have been performed in the temperature range of 925- 1150 °C. Apart from conducting the experiments using pellets made of ore powder, kinetic analysis of the experimental data by use of the reduced (dimensionless) time method has been another unique feature of the present study. Experimental results show that grain size of either carbon material or barite ore has not appreciable effect on the reaction rate. Kinetic analysis of the experimental data revealed the rate is strongly controlled by the chemical reaction of carbon gasification (Boudouard reaction). The reaction rate is very considerably related to the type of carbon material so that the activation energy varies from 15.6 kcal.mol-1 for charcoal to 26.3 kcal.mol-1 for graphite and 20.8 kcal.mol-1 for coke. This behavior provides further support for the postulated reaction mechanism, i.e., carbon gasification.


Lithium ion conductivity in many structural families can be tuned by many orders of magnitude, with some rivaling that of liquid electrolytes at room temperature. Unfortunately, fast lithium conductors exhibit poor stability against lithium battery electrodes. In this article, we report a fundamentally new approach to alter ion mobility and stability against oxidation of lithium ion conductors using lattice dynamics. By combining inelastic neutron scattering measurements with density functional theory, fast lithium conductors were shown to have low lithium vibration frequency or low center of lithium phonon density of states. On the other hand, lowering anion phonon densities of states reduces the stability against electrochemical oxidation. Olivines with low lithium band centers but high anion band centers are promising lithium ion conductors with high ion conductivity and stability. Such findings highlight new strategies in controlling lattice dynamics to discover new lithium ion conductors with enhanced conductivity and stability.


Improved staggered fermions are a numerically efficient formulation of the fermion action in lattice QCD.
They are used for nonperturbative theoretical calculations of the QCD form factors appearing in the decay rates for radiative and semileptonic meson transitions.
The constituent quarks are bound inside hadrons by the strong interaction, so the decay rate depends on the interactions between the quarks, which are described by QCD.
The fermion action used in these calculations is the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action.

The HISQ Dirac operator, $\slashed{D}_{HISQ}$, contains four tastes of quark equivalent to one continuum quark, which is a consequence of the discretisation.
In gauge configurations including staggered sea quarks, the extra tastes are accounted for by taking the fourth root of the fermion determinant.
The validity of this step relies on the taste structure of $\slashed{D}_{HISQ}$.
To look into this, the interactions of the eigenvectors of $\slashed{D}_{HISQ}$ with the topology of the gauge field is studied.
The results show that the eigenvectors corresponding to the different tastes decouple in the continuum limit in such a way that $\slashed{D}_{HISQ}$ resembles the continuum Dirac operator.

Using the HISQ action for the charm quark, the form factor $V(q^2)$ appearing in the radiative decay rate for $J/\psi \to \eta_c \gamma$ is calculated.
The form factor on the lattice is calculated by computing 3-point correlation functions, which are fitted simultaneously with 2-point correlation functions to obtain the meson transition matrix element.
Only the form factor at $q^2 = 0$ enters the decay rate for a physical photon, so the kinematics of the decay are tuned to calculate $V(0)$.
The lattice operator used for the electromagnetic vector current is nonperturbatively normalised.

Lattice QCD can also be used to calculate matrix elements for the decays of mesons to 2 photons.
The form factor for the radiative decay $\eta_c \to 2\gamma$ is calculated at the physical kinematics using nonperturbatively normalised lattice operators for the currents.
The form factor is the same when calculated on gauge configurations containing $N_f = 2+1$ flavours of asqtad sea quarks and $N_f = 2+1+1$ flavours of HISQ sea quarks.

Lattice 3-point correlators are used to calculate the form factors for the semileptonic decay $D_s \to \phi \ell \nu$.
This interaction is mediated by a weak $W$ boson, so contains vector and axial vector form factors.
Each of these is calculated on the lattice with a nonperturbatively normalised current.
The decay includes a $c \to s$ quark decay, so the experimentally measured decay rate depends on the CKM matrix element $V_{cs}$.
By comparing the theoretical calculation of the decay rate to the measurements, a value of $V_{cs} = 0.975(48)$ is obtained.


The paper focuses on the problem of point-to-point trajectory planning for flexible redundant robot manipulators (FRM) in joint space. Compared with irredundant flexible manipulators, a FRM possesses additional possibilities during point-to-point trajectory planning due to its kinematics redundancy. A trajectory planning method to minimize vibration and/or executing time of a point-to-point motion is presented for FRMs based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Kinematics redundancy is integrated into the presented method as planning variables. Quadrinomial and quintic polynomial are used to describe the segments that connect the initial, intermediate, and final points in joint space. The trajectory planning of FRM is formulated as a problem of optimization with constraints. A planar FRM with three flexible links is used in simulation. Case studies show that the method is applicable.


This study uses monthly data on 115 hedge funds for the seven-year period 1994–2000 to examine performance after accounting for target market indices and illiquidity effects. We find that the excess return on hedge funds is so small relative to the survivorship bias that it can be considered trivial, a finding suggesting no manager skill. Results also indicate that higher moments of returns do not appear to have a significant impact on the performance measure with excess returns. Incentive fees have significant positive effects on excess returns using the simple CAPM, but not on excess returns adjusted for illiquidity effects using the Dimson model. In addition, incentive fees appear to motivate hedge fund managers to reduce the systematic risk. Management fees, fund size, fund age, and leverage are important factors in explaining excess returns, but not in determining contemporaneous or lagged market betas.


There is currently considerable knowledge relating to the relationship between a mother and her child. This relationship is based upon the proposition that both mother and child are innately programmed to be sociable and the child is pre-programmed to respond to social situations and therefore elicit caregiving. Equally, adults are programmed to respond to their children. However, many parents of young children with autism have suggested that little prepares them for the limited responsiveness that many of their children exhibit.

This qualitative study, using six case studies, focused upon the reciprocal nature of the mother-child relationship in young children with autism who were also non-verbal, and sought to explore any factors which influenced the relationship experienced by the mother with her child. To date no published study has explored this relationship.

This study is based upon a naturalistic paradigm and comprised six in-depth case studies using mixed methods of data collection. Each case study includes a mother and her young child diagnosed with autism who is non-verbal. Data collection methods included a semi-structured interview, observation of mother-child interaction and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) questionnaire which is commonly used in clinical practice. The qualitative data were coded and themes were generated. The numerical data were analysed resulting in descriptive statistics. Each case study was initially analysed separately, which was followed by cross-case analysis. The qualitative and quantitative data were integrated using a conceptually clustered matrix, which was followed by the development of an association network which displays relationships amongst the variables and has an associated narrative text describing the meaning of the connections between the variables.

Findings suggest that these mothers experienced difficulties in forming and maintaining a connection or an attachment with their children and deemed the interactions within the relationship to be very one-sided. This resulted in the mothers feeling rejected and unloved by their children and therefore they often did not reciprocate love for their children. Five of the mothers and children included in this study received autism-specific interventions and support. This resulted in an improvement in their children's communication and interaction, together with an increase in the mothers' understanding of autism and of their children. Conversely this resulted in an increase in the mothers' ability to be responsive and synchronise their behaviours with their children's, and in an increase in maternal confidence which culminated in a possible strengthening of the mother-child relationship.

Changes to the strategic and operational practice of professionals working with these dyads are proposed which include specific objectives for professionals comprising workshops, further research and undergraduate training to raise awareness and alter practice.


Introduction : A growing biological research field is the cellular senescence, a mechanism that has been associated, under certain circumstances, with malignant transformation. Given the high incidence of ovarian cancer and its main origin from the ovarian surface epithelium, as well as the possibility that an epithelial-mesenchymal transition occurs, we evaluated both the in vitro growth of stromal fibroblasts from the ovarian cortex and their β-galactosidase activity at pH 6, enzyme whose expression is considered as a marker of replicative senescence. Methods: 48 samples of ovarian cortical fibroblasts from donors without a history of cancer were serially cultured until the end of their replicative life. β-galactosidase activity at pH 6 was quantified in each passage by the chemiluminiscent method. As control, we used ovarian epithelial cell cultures from the same donors. The enzyme activity was also evaluated in fibroblasts previously induced to senescence by exposure to hydrogen peroxide. Results: The analysis of the enzyme activity and the replicative capacity taken together showed that the fibroblast cultures reached the senescent state at passages 4-5, as what happened with the control epithelial cells. Fibroblasts induced to senescence showed high variability in the values of enzymatic activity. Conclusions: The similarity between both types of cells in reaching the senescent state deserves to be taken into account in relation to the epithelialmesenchymal transition that has been proposed to explain their behavior in the genesis of cancer arising from ovarian surface epithelium. Low β-galactosidase activity values at pH 6 would suggest possible inactivation of the response pathways to oxidative stress.