Deviating from normal business practices to manipulate reported income is defined as real earnings management (Roychowdhury, 2006). A firm can alter the level of accruals to obtain the desired level of a high stock price and/or earnings. The desire to achieve a high stock price and/or earnings to meet the earnings benchmark induces corporate managers to engage in earning management, inflating current earnings at the expense of the firms' economic values. To meet a certain earnings target, managers can wait until the year-end to use discretionary accruals to manage reported earnings. However, this strategy runs the risk that the amount of earnings that needs to be manipulated is greater than the available discretionary accruals because the discretion on accruals is bounded by GAAP (Barton and Simko, 2002). Real activities manipulations are less subject to this constraint. The focus of this study is the real activities manipulations because the auditors and regulators are less likely to be concerned with such behaviors. The results suggest that firms are likely to engage in real activity manipulation through operating cash flow. Further analysis reveals that firms more likely to engage in real activity manipulation have higher market performance than do their counterpart.


Semiconductor films prepd. by electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition can be used to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells after treatment at 150°. However, the resulting photocurrent is less than when the film is sintered at 500°. The difference in short-circuit current is a factor of 2.2 with the Ru-based dye N719 and is 3.5 with the org. dye D5. The photocurrent at a given wavelength is proportional to the light-harvesting efficiency, charge injection efficiency and charge collection efficiency. Sintered films take up >60% more of either dye than un-sintered films and therefore absorb more photons. Electron injection is hindered in un-sintered films due to a conduction band edge potential 100 mV more neg. than in a sintered electrode. Addnl. injection effects could be due to adsorption of the dye to polymer rather than to TiO2 in un-sintered films, although the measurement results were inconclusive. Kinetic studies show electron transport times an order of magnitude faster then electron lifetimes in both sintered and un-sintered electrodes. Also, a Li+ insertion expt. shows that both films have good elec. connectivity between TiO2 nanoparticles. Un-sintered films thus exhibit efficient charge transport despite the presence of polymer and the lack of heat treatment to induce necking.


Bun Bendle introduces us to his very first story, called The Sleeping Sword, written after he suddenly became blind. Nothing's been the same since Bun dived off a quay and hit his head on a rock. What he can't bear to tell anyone is that as well as his sight, the accident seems to have wiped out parts of his memory. In despair, he contemplates suicide, but the love of his great friend Anna saves him. His friends petition for him to be able to stay on his home island of Bryher in the Scilly Isles, and not be sent away to school. Calling his father in for tea one day, Bun falls through a cavity under the field. His father's tractor rumbling towards him just manages to stop, inches away. The cavity is a tomb, containing an ancient and beautiful sword and shield. Bun is immediately drawn to them, and as he holds the sword, Bedivere, a knight of the Round Table appears and commands him to take it to King Arthur. Taking Anna on his quest, Bun finds a galleon waiting at the quay to them to the king. Bun suddenly remembers their meeting before, told in Arthur, High King of Britain, and Arthur stands before them, a warrior reunited with his shield and his sword, Excalibur. Arthur reveals his purpose; Bun must drive Excalibur back into the stone until it is time for the king to come again. Bun and Anna return to Bryher on the ghost ship, hardly believing what has happened around them. The next morning Bun wakes to find his sight restored, the sword and shield safely in the cavity in the field and Anna totally unaware of the previous night's events. So Bun concludes his story, proud to have written such a long one, and Anna loves it. Bun strolls off to the field towards his father's tractor, and suddenly falls down a cavity. The tractor is rumbling towards him...and he knows everything he's dreamt is about to come true.


Recent phylogenetic studies have provided compelling evidence that confirms the once disputed hypothesis of monophyly for heterosporous leptosporangiate ferns (Marsileaceae and Salviniaceae). Hypotheses for relationships among the three genera of Marsileaceae (Marsilea, Regnellidium, and Pilularia), however, have continued to be in conflict. The phylogeny of Marsileaceae is investigated here using information from morphology and rbcL sequence data. In addition, relationships among all heterosporous ferns, including the whole‐plant fossil Hydropteris pinnata are reconsidered. Data sets of 71 morphological and 1239 rbcL characters for 23 leptosporangiate ferns, including eight heterosporous ingroup taxa and 15 homosporous outgroup taxa, were subjected to maximum parsimony analysis. Morphological analyses were carried out both with and without the fossil Hydropteris, and it was excluded from all analyses with rbcL data. An annotated list of the 71 morphological characters is provided in the appendix. For comparative purposes, the Rothwell and Stockey (1994) data set was also reanalyzed here. The best estimate of phylogenetic relationships for Marsileaceae in all analyses is that Pilularia and Regnellidium are sister taxa and Marsilea is sister to that clade. Morphological synapomorphies for various nodes are discussed. Analyses that included Hydropteris resulted in two most‐parsimonious trees that differ only in the placement of the fossil. One topology is identical to the relationship found by Rothwell and Stockey (1994), placing the fossil sister to the Azolla plus Salvinia clade. The alternative topology places Hydropteris as the most basal member of the heterosporous fern clade. Equivocal interpretations for character evolution in heterosporous ferns are discussed in the context of these two most‐parsimonious trees. Because of the observed degree of character ambiguity, the phylogenetic placement of Hydropteris is best viewed as unresolved, and recognition of the suborder Hydropteridineae, as circumscribed by Rothwell and Stockey (1994), is regarded as premature. The two competing hypotheses of relationships for heterosporous ferns are also compared with the known temporal distribution of relevant taxa. Stratigraphic fit of the phylogenetic estimates is measured by using the Stratigraphic Consistency Index and by comparison with minimum divergence times.


Abstract — Thousands ofmasters athletes participate quadrennially in the World Masters Games (WMG), yet this cohort of athletes remains proportionately under-investigated. Due to a growing global obesity pandemic in context of benefits of physical activity across the lifespan, the BMI trends for this unique population was of particular interest. The nexus between health, physical activity and aging is complex and has raised much interest in recent times due to the realization that a multifaceted approach is necessary in order to counteract the obesity pandemic. By investigating age based trends within a population adhering to competitive sport at older ages, further insight might be gleaned to assist in understanding one of many factors influencing this relationship.BMI was derived using data gathered on a total of 6,071 masters athletes (51.9% male, 48.1% female) aged 25 to 91 years (=51.5, s =±9.7), competing at the Sydney World Masters Games (2009). Using linear and loess regression it was demonstrated that the usual tendency for prevalence of higher BMI increasing with age was reversed in the sample. This trend in reversal was repeated for both male and female only sub-sets of the sample participants, indicating the possibility of improved prevalence of BMI with increasing age for both the sample as a whole and these individual sub-groups.This evidence of improved classification in one index of health (reduced BMI) for masters athletes (when compared to the general population) implies there are either improved levels of this index of health with aging due to adherence to sport or possibly the reduced BMI is advantageous and contributes to this cohort adhering (or being attracted) to masters sport at older ages.


Recently, umbilical cord blood (CB) has received attention as the allogeneic optimum source for immunotherapies. More recently, the umbilical cord (UC) has been rapidly utilized as an abundant source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which migrate toward the inflammatory and damaged tissue to subside the inflammation and support tissue repair. Both CB and UC can be provided "off-the-shelf" cell products for immunotherapies and regenerative medicine. As biomedical wastes, CB and UC can be obtained noninvasively without any risks to the donor. CB cells and UC-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) also have higher proliferation potentials than other cells obtained from adult tissues. In addition, UC-MSCs are less immunogenic and have significant immunosuppressive ability. Several clinical trials with CB or UC-MSCs have been conducted based on these advantages. The establishment of a stable supply system of CB and UC-MSCs is critical now for their utilization in regenerative and immune cell therapies. We have thus established the cord blood/cord bank, "IMSUT CORD," as a new type of biobank, to supply both frozen CB and UC tissues and derived cells for research and clinical uses. In this chapter, we will introduce the overall flow from collection to shipment and discuss several issues that need to be resolved in unrelated allogeneic stable supply system.


Seed dispersal and seedling recruitment are crucial phases in the life cycle of all spermatophyte plants. The net contribution of seed dispersers to plant establishment is known as seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) and is defined as the product of a quantitative (number of seeds dispersed) and a qualitative (probability of recruitment) component. In Galápagos, we studied the direct contribution to SDE (number of seeds dispersed and effect on seedling emergence) provided by the five island groups of frugivores (giant tortoises, lizards, medium-sized passerine birds, small non-finch passerine birds, and finches) in the two main habitats in this archipelago: the lowland and the highland zones, and found 16 vertebrate species dispersing 58 plant species. Data on frequency of occurrence of seeds in droppings and number of seeds dispersed per unit area produced contrasting patterns of seed dispersal. Based on the former, giant tortoises and medium-sized passerines were the most important seed dispersers. However, based on the latter, small non-finch passerines were the most important dispersers, followed by finches and medium-sized passerines. The effect of disperser gut passage on seedling emergence varied greatly depending on both the disperser and the plant species. Although the contribution to SDE provided by different disperser guilds changed across plant species, medium-sized passerines (e.g., mockingbirds) provided a higher contribution to SDE than lava lizards in 10 out of 16 plant species analysed, whereas lava lizards provided a higher contribution to SDE than birds in five plant species. While both the quantitative and qualitative components addressed are important, our data suggests that the former is a better predictor of SDE in the Galápagos archipelago.


Service Grids with mobile devices are not exploited to their full potential yet because device owners cannot control how much energy is spent on providing a certain service. Solving this problem can increase the willingness of device owners to share their resources. We propose to extend existing middleware for mobile Grids by an energy aware component that allows to implement sophisticated policies of energy management. Based on an energy aware middleware for mobile Grids new systems of incentive and accounting can be derived.


After five years of disappointing recovery throughout the major economies, almost everyone is ready to believe the worst. The widespread large declines in global asset prices indicate a significant divergence between what financial markets fear and what most mainstream macroeconomic forecasts are showing for the world economy. Having some clarity to distinguish between the more solid underlying economic outlook and the shadows thrown by financial puppetry is critical to avoid an unnecessary recession. In this Briefing, a group of PIIE scholars came together to provide a reality check for the global economy. They set out what is known, both about macroeconomic dynamics and policy capabilities, in a context where distrust of both mainstream economic analysis and policymakers' credibility has become excessive. Global economic fundamentals today are not so grim, though there is room for improvement in key areas including China, the United States, European banks, Brazil and Latin America, oil markets, global trade, and monetary policy options


Stability and Change in Women's Personality Across the Life Course Carly D. L. LeBaron School of Family Life, BYU Doctor of Philosophy The current study sought to examine change and stability of personality in a sample of women over the course of 35 years. Existing research is mixed regarding whether or not personality changes over time or whether it remains stable. Using a sample of 187 women tracked over four time points (approximately 10 years between each time point), change and stability in openness to experience, extraversion, and neuroticism was tested using a stacked multilevel growth curve analysis. Four life course events (transition to parenthood, change in marital status, wife entering or leaving the workforce, and husband retiring) were added as predictors to attempt to explain any variance in personality change. When examining group means of the three personality dimensions studied, only openness to experience showed significant change over time, first decreasing and then increasing in subsequent years. Neither neuroticism nor extraversion showed significant group change over time. However, the results revealed significant within-person change, or individual variation in personality change, in all three personality dimensions over time. In examining the predictor variables, wives entering or leaving the workforce was a significant predictor of change in extraversion and the transition to parenthood had a significant effect on neuroticism scores at Time 1. Clinical implications suggest working with individuals, couples, and families using acceptance and change techniques. Limitations and directions for future research encourage researchers to study larger, more heterogeneous samples using long-term longitudinal methodology and to focus more attention on individual change over time using mixture modelling.


A sensitized genetic screen was carried out to identify essential genes involved in silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This screen identified temperature-sensitive alleles of ORC2 and ORC5, as described elsewhere, and ABF1, NPL3, and YCL54, as described here. Alleles of ABF1 that caused silencing defects provided the genetic proof of Abflp's role in silencing. The roles of Npl3p and Ycl54p are less clear. These proteins did not act exclusively through any one of the three protein binding sites of the HMR-E silencer. Unlike the orc2, orc5, and abf1 mutations that were isolated in the same (or a similar) screen for silencing mutants, neither temperature-sensitive mutation in NPL3 or YCL54 caused overt replication defects.


Background: There are few data about disease progression and response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in vertically HIV-infected infants in the era of effective therapy. Design: Cohort study. Methods: We examined progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and death over calendar time for infants reported to the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood in the United Kingdom/Ireland. The use of ART and CD4 and HIV-1 RNA responses were assessed in a subset in the Collaborative HIV Pediatric Study. Results: Among 481 infants, mortality was lower in those born after 1997 (HR 0.30; P < 0.001), with no significant change in progression to AIDS. Of 174 infants born since 1997 in the Collaborative HIV Pediatric Study, 41 (24%) were followed from birth, 77 (44%) presented pre-AIDS and 56 (32%) presented with AIDS. Of 125 (72%) children on 3- or 4-drug ART by the age of 2 years, 59% had HIV-1 RNA <400 at 12 months; median CD4 percentage increased from 24% to 35%. Among 41 infants followed from birth, 12 progressed to AIDS (5 while ART naive) and 3 died; 1 of 10 infants initiating ART before 3 months of age progressed clinically. Conclusion: Mortality in HIV-infected infants is significantly lower in the era of effective ART, but symptomatic disease rates remain high. Infrequent clinic attendance and poor compliance with cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or ART in infants born to diagnosed HIV-infected women and late presentation of infants identified after birth appear to be major contributors. Poor virologic response to ART during infancy is of concern because of increased likelihood of early development of resistance.


A methane-air premixed flame with an equivalence ratio of 1.25 was simulated with a model including 91 pairs of elementary reactions occurring among 29 species. In this first work, the structure of a representative transversal section of the flame is presented and the mechanisms of combustion at the inner and outer cones are discussed in detail. CH4 and O2 in the mixture both react with H atoms, but the reaction between CH4 and H occurs preferentially to that between O2 and H at the fuel side of the inner cone. This results in a lack of oxygen atoms at the position where CH4 breaks into CH3 radicals and the reactions belonging to the C2 route proceed with higher velocities than those belonging to the C1 route. The consumption of O2, being posterior to the consumption of CH4, produces O atoms at the center of the inner cone. These O atoms, though not abundant, are sufficient to oxidize the last stable product of the C2 route, C2H2, preventing soot production. The diffusion of H atoms from the flame front to low-temperature regions and the subsequent production of OH radicals were found to be essential to the stability of both inner and outer cones, by triggering the combustion chain reactions.


This book is designed to help to prepare law students and lawyers for ethical and professional issues that arise in the practice of law and to understand and apply rules of professional conduct. The book can be used, alone or as a supplement to other texts, to generate discussions among students or within a classroom environment about legal ethics. Undergraduate students, legal clients and other members of the public who are interested in the rules that govern lawyers' professional lives may also wish to read the book. It consists of three parts. Part I is an annotated version of the Rules of Professional Conduct by the Law Society of Upper Canada (the Ontario bar), which includes selected rulings by Law Society tribunals as well as relevant case law. Part II of the book is a legal ethics novella entitled Sandra's Trust. The novella tells the story of Terry Bradford, and his efforts to build his law practice while assisting a mysterious new client, Sandra Nishiyama. Part III provides an answer key to the legal ethics questions within Sandra's Trust. The answer key identifies important issues of professional conduct with an emphasis on reviewing the interaction between the core rules of professional conduct and ethical challenges arising from practice. The SSRN post includes the book's preface, table of contents, first two chapters of Sandra's Trust and the answer key for these two chapters.


It is important for psychology - as a discipline of thought about the nature of psyche - and for psychotherapy, as its practice of understanding, to draw a distinction between neurotic and authentic suffering if it aims to assist a person to become an indivisible being. A difficulty with mainstream psychology is the conviction that psyche begins and ends in the realm of Reason as this conviction tends to establish a reality of permanence, absolutes and substance, and hence consequently, colludes with the 'ten thousand things' of neurotic suffering. When reason sets the rules of reality, it is argued, a deep sense of alienation and meaninglessness takes root. A psychology stuck in this realm is unable to attend to authentic human suffering, which is the reconciliation and synthesis of opposites in human nature. In the dichotomy of subject and object, and unconscious and conscious, a psychology of the reason unwittingly identifies with and acts out that which it rejects as inferior. It thus suffers from the very condition it sets out to alleviate. The concepts of enlightenment and individuation on the other hand draw a clear distinction between neurotic and authentic suffering. They conceive of a reality in which subject and object are one, so providing support to one suffering authentically so as to remain true to oneself and thus to become an indivisible being.


Products of the metabolism of arylamine carcinogens ¹⁴C-benzidine, N-¹⁴C-methylaminoazobenzene and ¹⁴C-aminofluorene and ¹⁴C-phenol bind irreversibly to nuclear DNA in intact polymorphonuclear leukocytes activated by the tumor promoter phorbol myristate acetate. Little binding occurred under anaerobic conditions indicating that the binding was dependent upon oxygen. Sulfhydryl inhibitors p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide inhibited oxygen uptake as well as decreased the binding of arylamine carcinogens and phenol to DNA in leukocytes activated by tumor promoter. Phenolic antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole or nordihydroguaiaretic acid also had a similar inhibitory effect. Azide increased both the oxygen uptake and binding, presumably as a result of intracellular catalase inhibition. However, higher concentrations of azide and cyanide inhibited binding without affecting the oxygen uptake indicating that the binding is catalysed by myeloperoxidase. Granules isolated from the activated leukocytes catalysed a cyanide-sensitive binding of benzidine to calf-thymus DNA in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. -- Products of the metabolism of ¹⁴C-phenol also bind irreversibly to calf-thymus DNA in the presence of horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide. Binding also occurred to the homopolyribonucleotides polyriboadenylic acid, polyriboguanylic acid, polyribocytidylic acid and polyribouridylic acid, suggesting that the binding is relatively non-specific with respect to nucleotide bases. -- DNA, binding of ¹⁴C-phenol oxidized with horseradish peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide was prevented by glutathione and N-acetylcysteine and the mechanism was shown to involve reduction of the activated phenol intermediates and the formation of conjugates with glutathione and N-acetylcysteine. Ascorbate prevented binding by reduction of the activated phenol intermediates. -- Phenol oxidation by horseradish peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide initially results in p,p'-biphenol and o,o'-biphenol formation and subsequently results in polymer formation. o,o'-Biphenol is the major product formed but is rapidly oxidized to polymer, particularly in the presence of phenol. Phenol oxidation with bone marrow homogenate and hydrogen peroxide also results in 0,0'-biphenol as the major product. p,p'-Biphenol is very rapidly oxidized to p,p'-biphenoquinone which can also be involved in polymer formation. -- Enzymic or acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of DNA releases the bound products. o,o'-Biphenol, but not p,p'-biphenol binds to DNA following peroxidase-catalysed oxidation. Enzymic hydrolysis of the DNA, to which the products of the oxidation of o,o'-biphenol had bound, resulted in the release of products derived from the biphenol. -- Peroxidase also catalysed the formation of active oxygen species in the presence of NADH or GSH and traces of hydrogen peroxide and arylamine or phenolic substrates. Some oxygen activation occurred with some arylamines even in the absence of NADH or GSH. Oxygen consumption was proportional to the NADH oxidized or GSSG formed. Approximately 0.80 and 0.40 moles of oxygen were consumed per mol of NADH or GSH oxidized respectively. The requirement for trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide and arylamine or phenolic substrate suggests that the redox cycling resulted in hydrogen peroxide formation. It is proposed that initially formed phenoxv radicals or arylamine cation radicals oxidize NADH or GSH to radicals which react with oxygen to form superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide. -- Non-carcinogenic arylamines mesidine, aniline and 1-naphthylamine were poor at initiating redox cycling in the presence of NADH or GSH, whereas carcinogenic 2-naphthylamine, 4-aminobiphenyl, methylaminoazobenzene, N,N'-dimethyl p-toluidine or 2-aminofluorene were highly effective in initiating redox cycling in this system with resultant hydrogen peroxide formation. -- Only phenol and o,o'-biphenol were effective among phenolic substrates in redox cycling with resultant hydrogen peroxide formation. p,p'-Biphenol, hydroquinone and catechol were ineffective in activating oxygen. p,p'-Biphenol formed a glutathione conjugate when oxidized with horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of glutathione. The major conjugate formed was identified as 3-S-(glutathion-yl)-p,p'-biphenol using FAB-Mass spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy.


An effective fusion scheme is necessary for combining features from multiple biometric traits. This paper presents a method of fusion using multiple features from hand vein biometric traits for Multimodal biometric recognition. In the proposed method, a biometric authentication system using three different set of veins images, such as, finger vein, palm vein and dorsal vein is developed. Here the multiple features from the input vein images are extracted by applying Radon transform, Hilbert– Huang transform and Dual tree complex wavelet transform for each of the vein images. Once the features are extracted, a feature level fusion is carried out using the optimization algorithm called, Group Search Optimization. Then, recognition is done using the trained features by different classifiers such as support vector machine, fuzzy, neural network, bayes classifier and k-nearest neighbor classifiers. This approach is tested on the standard data bases of finger vein, palm vein and dorsal vein images of the hand. The proposed method provides higher accuracy and lower equal error rate which shows the efficiency of the technique compared with the other existing techniques.


The development of multicellular organisms is accompanied by the formation of tissues of precise shapes, sizes and topologies. Remarkable similarities between tissue topologies, in particular proliferating epithelial topologies, in various species suggest that the mechanisms that govern the formation of tissues are conserved among species. To understand these mechanisms various models have been developed. In this thesis, we present a novel mechanical model for cell divisions and tissue formation. The model accounts for cell mechanics and cell-cell adhesion. In our model, each cell is treated individually, thus the changes in cell's shape and its local rearrangements occur naturally as a response to the evolving cellular environment and cell-cell interactions. We introduce the processes of cell growth and divisions and numerically simulate tissue proliferation. As tissue grows starting from few cells, we follow the dynamics of the tissue growth and cell packing topologies. The outcomes are compared with experimental observations in Drosophila wing growth. Our model accounts for the exponential decay of the mitotic index and reproduces commonly observed cell packing topologies in proliferating epithelia. Next, we consider two biologically relevant division schemes, namely, division through asymmetric division plane and division by Hertwig's rule. We study the impact of division planes on tissue growth and show that the division plane may affect cell packing topologies. Development of the tissue is accompanied by cellular rearrangements. We vary the extent of cellular rearrangements and analyse their effects on tissue topology. We find that when cells are allowed to move freely, more organized packing topologies emerge.


Dimensional reduction of superconducting anti PbO-type iron selenide has been achieved by terminating the tetragonal square layers of FeSe4/4 tetrahedra by ethylenediamine (en) ligands. We obtained three new structures in the Fe-Se-en system. Fe3Se4(en)3 contains FeSe2 single chains bridged via Fe(en)3 complexes. Fe10Se12(en)7 has Fe2Se3 double strands separated by Fe(en)3 complexes and free en molecules. Fe0.85Se(en)0.3 conserves the tetragonal layers of bulk FeSe which are now widely separated by en molecules. Through systematic dilution of the solvent we were able to introduce an additional parameter in solvothermal synthesis and thus have control over the connectivity of the tetrahedra. Additionally, a phase diagram of the Fe-Se-en system is generated by variation of the reaction temperature. The magnetic properties of the FeSe derivatives range from superconductivity and antiferromagnetism to paramagnetism.

publisher-specific, author manuscript: http://rsc.li/journals-terms-of-use


Sociologists conceptualize lifestyles as structured hierarchically where people seek to emulate those higher up. Growing income inequality in the United States means those at the top bid up the price of valued goods like housing and those in lower groups have struggled to maintain their relative positions. We explore this process in the context of the U.S. housing market from 1999 to 2007 by analyzing over 4,000 residential moves from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Houses are the ultimate status symbol. Their size, quality, and location signal to others that one has (or has not) arrived. We show that in areas where income inequality was higher, all movers went deeper into debt and increased their monthly housing costs to live in more desirable neighborhoods. But because people at the top of the income distribution had so much more money, they were able to take on less debt to keep their position in the status queue. Everyone below them who made a move to buy a house took on more debt, particularly in areas with higher income inequality. This evidence suggests that growing inequality implies that those at the top buy the best homes while others struggle to keep pace amid rising housing costs.


Preface Awards and Honors of Hidenori Kimura Technical Publications of Hidenori Kimura Part I: Signal Processing A Convex Optimization Approach to Generalized Moment Problems / C.I. Byrnes and A. Lindquist Toeplitz Covariance Matrices and the von Neumann Relative Entropy / T.T. Georgiou Digital Filter Design via Sampled-Data Control Theory / Y. Yamamoto and M. Nagahara Time-Domain FIR Filters for Stochastic and Deterministic Systems / W.H. Kwon and S.H. Han Part II: Identification Learning H-infinity Model Sets from Data: The Set Membership Approach / M. Milanese and M. Taragna System Identification: A Learning Theory Approach / M. Vidyasagar and R.L. Karandikar Distribution-Free Approach to Probabilistic Model-Set Identification / Y. Oishi Part III: Robust Control Analysis of Weight Change in H-infinity Control Design / B.D.O. Anderson and X. Bombois Performance Limits under Control Effort Constraints / J. Chen and S. Hara Complexity of Systems and Controllers / K. Tsumura Off-Line Reference Shaping for Systems with State and Control Constraints / T. Sugie Finite Frequency Characterization of Easily Controllable Plant toward Structure/Control Design Integration / S. Hara and T. Iwasaki Part IV: Hybrid, Chaotic, and Nonlinear Systems On Stabilization of Switched Linear Systems \ L. Guo Well-Posedness of a Class of Piecewise Affine Systems \ J. Imura Robust Stabilization of Chaos via Delayed Feedback Control \ S. Yamamoto and T. Ushio Time Varying Deadbeat Control of High Order Chained Systems with Applications to the Control of Underactuated Manipulators \ T. Mita and T.K. Nam Control of Nonholonomic Systems with Bad Controllability Structure \ M. Sampei, H. Date, and S. Nakaura Part V: Control Applications Computer Control of Vehicles: Overcoming Limitations ofHuman Drivers / M. Tomizuka Modeling, Control and Experiment of a Feedback Active Noise Control System for Free Sound Fields / S. Adachi Visuomotor Architecture for High-Speed Robot Control / K. Hashimoto, A. Namiki, and M. Ishikawa


Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach that has been identified as promoting learning outcomes consistent with ABET criteria. Although the learning benefits of PBL have been well documented, little is known about the effects of PBL on students' motivation and engagement in learning. As problem-based approaches are becoming more widespread in use across engineering programs and curricula, it is particularly important to understand the impact that such approaches have on students' motivation. As part of a larger mixed methods study, this paper focuses on the critical element of team facilitation. Specifically, we examine how students perceive the role of facilitators and how these perceptions influence student motivation. Grounded in the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation, we present findings from interviews conducted with first-year engineering students at two different research sites. State U1 participants are engaged in a well-established PBL-based course. State U2 participants are engaged in a course that uses a project-based approach to integrate design projects into the class (termed traditional engineering design, or TED, for this study). We conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven men and eight women from State U1 and three men and eleven women from State U2 at the end of their first year. Audio recordings were transcribed and then analyzed using MAXQDA coding software. We developed codes inductively through the data and based on relevant literature. Our findings demonstrated that participants at both sites viewed the facilitator (PBL) or workshop leader (TED) as the grading authority, although it was most salient for the TED participants from State U2 and for participants in only one of the six PBL groups at State U1. For most participants at State U1, however, the more dominant function of the facilitator was modeling the engineering problem solving process. These State U1 participants also expressed feelings of empowerment and were motivated to put more effort into their coursework through the engagement of faculty in the learning process.


Over 300 government members have had the main responsibility for international development cooperation in 23 member countries of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee since the organization started reporting detailed Official Development Assistance (ODA) data in 1967. Understanding their role in foreign aid giving is crucial since their decisions might directly impact aid effectiveness and thus economic development on the ground. Our study examines whether development ministers' personal characteristics influence aid budgets and aid quality. To this end, we create a novel database on development ministers' gender, political ideology, prior professional experience in development cooperation, education in economics, and time in office over the 1967-2012 period. Results from fixed-effects panel regressions show that some of the personal characteristics of development ministers matter. Most notably, we find that more experienced ministers with respect to their time in office obtain larger aid budgets. Moreover, there is evidence that female ministers as well as officeholders with prior professional experience in development cooperation and a longer time in office provide higher-quality ODA.


A small-molecule drug mimics the beneficial effects of adiponectin in cells and in animal models of diabetes and obesity. Since its initial description in 1995 (1), few molecules in metabolism research have received as much continued interest as adiponectin. The focus of more than 12,000 publications, this adipokine has been widely studied in preclinical and clinical settings under a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions (2). Adiponectin is produced by adipocytes and released into circulation. It is considered protective, based on the potent insulin-sensitizing, antilipotoxic, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory actions it exerts on different cell types. These compelling effects marked adiponectin as a possible drug target for diabetes and other obesity-associated diseases. The long wait for a small-molecule agonist for adiponectin receptors may soon be over. Okada-Iwabu et al. (3) have identified a compound that is an adiponectin receptor agonist in rodent and cell culture models. It represents an important step toward filling an unmet clinical need for additional therapeutic options against diabetes, obesity, and other associated disorders.


This classic work continues to offer a comprehensive treatment of the theory of univariate and tensor-product splines. It will be of interest to researchers and students working in applied analysis, numerical analysis, computer science, and engineering. The material covered provides the reader with the necessary tools for understanding the many applications of splines in such diverse areas as approximation theory, computer-aided geometric design, curve and surface design and fitting, image processing, numerical solution of differential equations, and increasingly in business and the biosciences. This new edition includes a supplement outlining some of the major advances in the theory since 1981, and some 250 new references. It can be used as the main or supplementary text for courses in splines, approximation theory or numerical analysis.


The ability to measure sludge network strength is important in sludge dewatering applications because it can be used to determine optimum polymer dose for conditioning to achieve good dewaterability. This was demonstrated in laboratory and in full-scale dewatering and thickening.

The network strength increased as the polymer dose was increased, however, at the optimum dose a 'drop' in the network strength occurred. Further research is needed to verify this concept at full scale and to provide a robust technology to the water and wastewater treatment industry. A second phase is sought through WERF funding.

Rheometry was used for determining the sludge network strength. This report also formulated and demonstrated a standard protocol for measuring network strength in terms of energy dissipated in a certain volume of sludge. Two protocols for measuring network strengths by either torque or concentric cylinder rheometers are described in this report. A mathematical derivation has shown that area under rheograms, namely the curves which were developed by plotting shear rate (1/sec) versus shear stress (Pa) and time (sec) versus torque (mNm), indicated the rate of energy dissipation within the sludge system and the total dissipated energy was related to the network strength.

The research did not intend to measure the 'absolute' network strength, rather a comparative strength of different aggregates using the same instrument and under the same measuring conditions. Thus, the measured strength is relative.

This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series

ISBN: 9781780404158 (eBook)

ISBN: 9781843397137 (Print)


Samples consisting of the whole above-ground part of the oilseed rape plant (Brassica napus L), were taken every 2 weeks from before stem extension to maturity. The plants were separated into vegetative tissue, floral tissue, pods and seeds (when these components appeared), and the individual glucosinolates present were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. A high glucosinolate variety (Rafal) and a low glucosinolate variety (Cobra) were compared. The effect of sulphur (32 kg ha−1 elemental sulphur applied at the beginning of stem extension) on the various parts of the plant was investigated. Total glucosinolate concentration in all plant parts was higher in Rafal than in Cobra. Glucosinolate concentration in the vegetation declined over time, most noticeably when the flowers and seeds were produced, and glucosinolate concentration of the pods also fell as that of the seeds rose. It is suggested that there may have been some redistribution of glucosinolates or glucosinolate precursors within the plant as maturity approached. Changes occurred in the proportions that individual glucosinolates contributed to the total glucosinolate content, and this may be relevant to plant/pathogen relationships. Sulphur application increased the glucosinolate concentration of the vegetative tissue by mid April and also increased the glucosinolate concentration of the flowers. It is suggested that this could affect the plant's resistance to disease.


This paper introduces some basic concepts of the interdisciplinary field of neuromuscular control, without the intention to be complete. The complexity and multifaceted nature of neuromuscular control systems is briefly addressed. Principles of stability and planning of motion trajectories are discussed. Closed-loop and open-loop control are considered, together with the inherent stability properties of muscles and the geometrical design of animal bodies. Various modelling approaches, as used by several authors in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, May 1999 issue, such as inverse and forward dynamics are outlined. An introductory overview is presented of the other contributions in that issue.


Summaryrecent increase in mental health problems probably reflects the fragmentation of social cohesion of modern society, with changes in family composition, work and living habits, peer communication and virtual-based reality. Fragmentation can also be due to the rapid expansion of urban agglomerations, too often chaotic and unregulated, the increase of market illicit substances, the reduction of social networks and the increase of social distance among people. As society changes, psychiatry has to adapt its role and target, moving from the treatment of mental disorders to the management of mental health problems. This adaptation will require a re-examination of the paradigms of psychiatry on which mental healthcare professionals have based their practice over the last century. Re-examination should include the paradigm of mental disorders as nosological entities with the development of a new psychiatric nosology, the concept of single disease entity, and a patient-centered psychopathology, since actual descriptions are not able to catch the inner world and reality of patients with mental health problems. Some of these changes will be highlighted and discussed in this paper.


Oxytetracyline, (OTC), is a secondary metabolite antibiotic produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces rimosus. All of the structural genes for OTC synthesis are clustered on the S. rimosus chromosome and flanked by resistance determinants, otrA and otrB. OtrA mediates resistance through non-covalent modification of the bacterial ribosome whilst otrB, the subject of this thesis, acts by efflux of the drug from the cell.

At the outset of this thesis otrB had previously been cloned and sequenced. During the course of the work some discrepancies with previously published data were found, parts of the gene were then re-sequenced and a revised otrB sequence submitted to the NCBI database.

The OtrB protein is a transmembrane protein belonging the Major facilitator Superfamily (MFS). Sequence comparison with other members of the family shows OtrB to be part of a subfamily of antibiotic transporters and multi drug resistance proteins made up from 14 transmembrane helices (6+2+6) arrangement. OtrB contains many conserved motifs typical of the subfamily and of the MFS.

otrB was cloned into E. coli and expressed. The functional activity of the cloned gene was assessed by growth on various concentrations of OTC. Substrate specificity was investigated using TET and CTC in the growth media.

Isolation of OtrB from E. coli as a polyhistidine fusion was attempted, reasons why this was not successful are discussed.

Tetracycline exporters from Gram-negative bacteria generally contain 12 transmembrane helices (6+6). The relevance of the two "extra" helices present in OtrB was investigated by the construction and expression in E. coli, of a deletion mutant in which the two putative central helices were absent.


Voltage-dependent calcium channels represent a major pathway of calcium entry into neurons, where they participate actively to cell excitability and to the molecular processes of synaptic transmission. For that reason, they have been the direct or indirect pharmacological targets of analgesics and this long before their implication in the physiology of nociception had been demonstrated. These last years, the still more refined molecular characterization of these channels and their associated regulatory subunits and the demonstration of their implication in nociceptive processes indicates that these structures are prime pharmacological targets for the management of pain. Herein, we detail the recent breakthroughs on calcium channel structure, function and pharmacology, review the implication of calcium channels in the transmission of nociception, and evaluate their importance as targets for the treatment of pain perception. The search for specific inhibitors of voltage-dependent calcium channels appears as a prelude to the development of new promising analgesic molecules.


Background COPD is a heterogeneous disease, but there is little consensus on specific definitions for COPD subtypes. Unsupervised clustering offers the promise of 'unbiased' data-driven assessment of COPD heterogeneity. Multiple groups have identified COPD subtypes using cluster analysis, but there has been no systematic assessment of the reproducibility of these subtypes. Objective We performed clustering analyses across 10 cohorts in North America and Europe in order to assess the reproducibility of (1) correlation patterns of key COPD-related clinical characteristics and (2) clustering results. Methods We studied 17 146 individuals with COPD using identical methods and common COPD-related characteristics across cohorts (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FVC, body mass index, Modified Medical Research Council score, asthma and cardiovascular comorbid disease). Correlation patterns between these clinical characteristics were assessed by principal components analysis (PCA). Cluster analysis was performed using k-medoids and hierarchical clustering, and concordance of clustering solutions was quantified with normalised mutual information (NMI), a metric that ranges from 0 to 1 with higher values indicating greater concordance. Results The reproducibility of COPD clustering subtypes across studies was modest (median NMI range 0.17–0.43). For methods that excluded individuals that did not clearly belong to any cluster, agreement was better but still suboptimal (median NMI range 0.32–0.60). Continuous representations of COPD clinical characteristics derived from PCA were much more consistent across studies. Conclusions Identical clustering analyses across multiple COPD cohorts showed modest reproducibility. COPD heterogeneity is better characterised by continuous disease traits coexisting in varying degrees within the same individual, rather than by mutually exclusive COPD subtypes.


One hundred seventy-seven patients, 53 medical students, and 109 house staff were surveyed by questionnaire regarding the confidentiality of information that patients give to physicians. Physicians and students reported discussing cases in situations in which most patients did not expect this to occur. These included discussions at parties (36% v 9%) and with spouses (51% v 17%), and identification of patients by name (60% v 23%). Both patients and medical personnel thought it was common to discuss cases with other physicians, even at large meetings, for additional opinions or because of interest. However, patients were less likely than physicians to think that this occurred (90% v 51%). Medical students in their first 60 days of training responded more like physicians than like the lay public. Physicians responded similarly at various levels of training. Primary v non-primary care physicians showed no differences in response.


Every day young people engage in risky behaviors that affect not only their immediate well-being but their long-term health and safety. These well-honed essays apply diverse economic analyses to a wide range of unsafe activities, including teen drinking and driving, smoking, drug use, unprotected sex, and criminal activity. Economic principles are further applied to mental health and performance issues such as teenage depression, suicide, nutritional disorders, and high school dropout rates. Together, the essays yield notable findings: price and regulatory incentives are critical determinants of high-risk behavior, suggesting that youths do apply some sort of cost/benefit calculation when making decisions; the macroeconomic environment in which those decisions are made matters greatly; and youths who pursue high-risk behaviors are significantly more likely to engage in similar behaviors as adults. This important volume provides both a key data source for public policy makers and a clear affirmation of the usefulness of economic analysis to our understanding of risky behavior.


The Rotten Egg Nebula has at its core a binary composed of a Mira star and an A-type companion at a separation >10 au. It has been hypothesized to have formed by strong binary interactions between the Mira and a companion in an eccentric orbit during periastron passage ~800 years ago. We have performed hydrodynamic simulations of an asymptotic giant branch star interacting with companions with a range of masses in orbits with a range of initial eccentricities and periastron separations. For reasonable values of the eccentricity, we find that Roche lobe overflow can take place only if the periods are <<100 years. Moreover, mass transfer causes the system to enter a common envelope phase within several orbits. Since the central star of the Rotten Egg nebula is an AGB star, we conclude that such a common envelope phase must have lead to a merger, so the observed companion must have been a tertiary companion of a binary that merged at the time of nebula ejection. Based on the mass and timescale of the simulated disc formed around the companion before the common envelope phase, we analytically estimate the properties of jets that could be launched. Allowing for super-Eddington accretion rates, we find that jets similar to those observed are plausible, provided that the putative lost companion was relatively massive.


We present Bristlecone, a programming language for robust software systems. Bristlecone applications have two components: a high-level organization specification that describes how the application's conceptual operations interact and a low-level operational specification that describes the sequence of instructions that comprise an individual conceptual operation. Bristlecone uses the high-level organization specification to recover the software system from an error to a consistent state and to reason how to safely continue the software system's execution after the error. We have implemented a compiler and runtime for Bristlecone. We have evaluated this implementation on three benchmark applications: a Web crawler, a Web server, and a multiroom chat server. We developed both a Bristlecone version and a Java version of each benchmark application. We used injected failures to evaluate the robustness of each version of the application. We found that the Bristlecone versions of the benchmark applications more successfully survived the injected failures. The Bristlecone compiler contains a static analysis that operates on the organization specification to generate a set of diagrams that graphically present the task interactions in the application. We have used the analysis to help understand the high-level structure of three Bristlecone applications: a game server, a Web server, and a chat server.


This issue of Libellarium features papers based on presentations at the Publishing trends and contexts conference which took place in Pula, Croatia, on December 6-7, 2013 (http://epubconf.sanjamknjige.hr). The conference has gathered a group of experts from prominent European universities in Sweden, Scotland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia. Together with The e-books research project managed by the Universities of Gothenburg and Borås (http://projectebooks.wordpress.com) and International Book Science Conference organized by Vilnius University, (http://www.ibsc.kf.vu.lt) this new conference reflects both the rising interest in modern publishing in smaller European markets and the reinforcement of ties between the dynamic and progressive publishing industry and the scientific research of its trends and contexts. The two crucial questions were: what is the advantage of publishing in small markets as opposed to big ones, and which successful business models are best suited for small language markets. Most speakers, needless to say, observed these questions in regard to new technologies and phenomena like e-publishing and e-books. The conference, on the one hand, has identified many similarities between small markets, but on the other, showed great differences in the overall acceptance and infrastructural support for e-content development. Among the conclusions based on the presentations and discussions, three are of particular importance. Firstly, small markets have many faces. Markets are shaped by cultural and intellectual heritage, publishing tradition and reading habits, complex political and economic processes, scope, infrastructure, etc. E-books are not intended for ideal, naive readers, but rather for markets which are already influenced by numerous past and present developments. Secondly, a small market is always bilingual, if not multilingual. E-books in national languages, usually distributed via national platforms, are a minority compared to those in English available through global distributors. Finally, although the conference approached the small markets through a comparative perspective, results are not always comparable, since different countries have been covered by different methodologies. Thus, a common instrument, e.g. a questionnaire for all stakeholders in the publishing industry, simultaneously applied in different countries, along with a unique methodology for data collection and analysis, would greatly contribute to a better understanding of publishing practices and book reception in small European markets.


Abstract: MaryTTS is a modular speech synthesis system whose development started around 2003. The system is open-source and has grown significantly thanks to the contribution of the community. However, the drawback is an increase in the complexity of the system. This complexity has now reached a stage where the system is complicated to analyze and maintain. The current paper presents the new architecture of the MaryTTS system. This architecture aims to simplify the maintenance but also to provide more flexibility in the use of the system. To achieve this goal we have completely redesigned the core of the system using the structure ROOTS. We also have changed the module sequence logic to make the system more consistent with the designer. Finally, the voicebuilding has been redesigned to follow a continuous delivery methodology. All of these changes lead to more accurate development of the system and therefore more consistent results in its use.


Aquaculture plays an important role to increase farm income and hence alleviate widespread poverty in the country. Fish is considered as the principal source of animal protein. The research was conducted to assess the status of adoption of improved fish production technologies available in the Rupandehi, Nepal. The research was designed to ascertain the socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers, determine available technologies on fish production, determine awareness and adoption of the available technologies and identify the major problems faced by farmers in using improved fish production technologies. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents for the study. Data were analyzed using frequency count, percentages, standard deviation and indexing. The result shows that average age of the respondents was 39.8 years. Eighty percent respondents had post-secondary school certificate. Major sources of information of fish farming were trainings and information and communication technologies. Average pond size of respondents was 0.8 ha. Most of the respondents were aware of the technologies and adopted them. Indexing showed that High cost of fish feed was ranked as the major problem followed by high cost of fingerlings and inadequate capital in using improved fish production technology.


Extracting energy from waves and tides is seen as crucial to the achievement of ambitious national targets for meeting energy demands from renewable sources (e.g. 100% of electricity demand by 2020 in Scotland), but the requirements of this new industry must be balanced against the needs of traditional users of the sea, particularly marine fisheries. Whilst previous studies have indicated relatively little overlap between hydrodynamic energy resources and exploited marine fish stocks at national scales, there appears to be greater potential for locallysignificant interactions involving inshore fisheries. Although interactions are expected to differ according to marine renewable energy development types and technologies, and to involve spatial scales ranging from devices and individual fish to regions and fish stocks, the first concern for fisheries is likely to centre on spatial occupancy of fishing areas by developments. Whilst exclusion from portions of traditional fishing grounds can be seen as a loss of fishing opportunity, it is also relevant to consider that spatial measures can be an important tool for fisheries management. We develop a spatial model of yield and spawning potential for inshore fisheries, demonstrating the sensitivity of sustainable management criteria to spatial exclusion of fisheries activities at scales relevant to marine renewable energy developments. We show that the sum effects of multiple exclusion zones depend on the interaction between spatial turnover of fish populations and the size and shape of these zones. Fish mobility is a primary factor in determining sensitivity to spatial management measures, but this factor is mediated by the ways in which patterns of individual movement and site fidelity determine spatial turnover at a population level. Managed sensitively with respect to potential impacts and opportunities, there appears to be considerable scope for positive working relationships between the marine renewable energy and fishing industries, but this depends to a large extent on the development of effective frameworks for marine spatial planning.


Analytical expressions of the temporal power spectral models of angle of arrival(AOA) fluctuations are derived using the generalized exponential spectral model for optical waves propagating through weak non-Kolmogorov turbulence. Compared with expressions of temporal power spectral models derived from the general non-Kolmogorov spectral model, the new expressions consider the influences of the inner and outer scales of finite turbulence. Numerical calculations show that large outer scales of turbulence increase the value of the temporal power spectrum of AOA fluctuations in low-frequency regions.


Abstract. Aiming at the problems of the lack of reasonable judgment of fleet size and non-optimization of rebalancing for dockless bike-sharing station, based on the usage characteristics of dockless bike-sharing, this paper demonstrates that the Markov chain is suitable for the analysis of the fleet size of station. It is concluded that dockless bike-sharing Markov chain probability limit state (steady-state) only exists and is independent of the initial probability distribution. On that basis, this paper analyses the difficulty of the transition probability matrix parameter statistics and the power method of the bike-sharing Markov chain, and constructs the transition probability sparse matrix in order to reduce computational complexity. Since the sparse matrices may be reducible, the rank-one updating method is used to construct the transition probability random prime matrix to meet the requirements of steady-state size calculation. An iterative method for solving the steady-state probability is therefore given and the convergence speed of the method is analysed. In order to improve the practicability of the algorithm, the paper further analyses the construction methods of the initial values of the dockless bike-sharing and the transition probability matrices at different time periods in a day. Finally, the algorithm is verified with practical and simulation data. The results of the algorithm can be used as a baseline reference data to dynamically optimize the fleet size of dockless bike-sharing station operated by bike-sharing companies for strengthening standardized management.


The corticostriatothalamic circuit regulates learning behaviors via dopamine neurotransmission. D2 long (D2L) receptors are an isoform of dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) and may act mainly at postsynaptic sites. It is well known that D2Rs influence high brain functions, but the roles of individual D2R isoforms are still unclear. To assess the influence of D2L receptors in visual discrimination learning, we performed visual discrimination and reversal tasks with D2L knockout mice using a touchscreen operant system. There were no significant differences in an operant conditioning task between genotypes. However, D2L knockout mice were impaired in both visual discrimination and reversal learning tasks. D2L knockout mice were also significantly slower than wild-type mice in collecting the reward in the visual discrimination task. These results indicate that D2L receptors play an important role in visual discrimination and reversal learning.


Once again the federal government is challenged for violation of the ESA and NEPA in relation to forest management projects affecting the Northern Spotted Owl. Conservation Congress, joined by a number of other plaintiffs, brought suit against the USFWS and USFS challenging both the agencies consultation under § 7 of the ESA, and the Forest Service's failure to take a "hard look" as required within the EIS completed under NEPA. Although Conservation Congress provided sufficient notice of intent to sue in accord with 16 U.S.C.S. § 1540(g)(2)(A) and their claims were not moot, the summary judgment was appropriately awarded to the government on both challenges. The Ninth Circuit reviewed the district court's ruling.


— We examine quantitatively the suggestion that the heavy anomalous isotopes of Xe-HL found in meteoritic diamonds were produced by a short intense neutron burst and then implanted into the diamonds. Using a large nuclear reaction network we establish one (out of many) neutron irradiation histories that successfully reproduces the heavy isotopes of Xe-HL, and then evaluate what that same history would produce in every heavy element. This has become more relevant following recent measurement of anomalous Ba and Sr in those same diamond samples. Therefore we offer these calculations as a guide to the anomalies to be expected in all elements if this scenario is correct. We also discuss several other aspects of the problem, especially the established contradictions for Ba, the observed Kr pattern, the near normalcy of 129Xe, and some related astrophysical ideas. In particular we argue from p-process theory that the observed deficit of 78Kr in correlation with 124–126Xe excess implicates Type II supernovae as the diamond sources. However, our more complete astrophysical conclusions will be published elsewhere. This present work is offered as computational expectation for this class of models and as a guide to considerations that may accelerate the digestion of new experimental results in the diamonds.


When one talks about teacher education one must also, of necessity, include professional development. Teacher education does not end with the conferring of the degree; it must continue throughout the teacher's professional career or we will have instructors who are out of touch with their discipline. In essence, teacher education subsumes both preservice and inservice teachers, and this is particularly germane to foreign language (FL) teacher education. Second language acquisition is clearly an ongoing process, one that rarely--if ever--ends, if only because the languages and cultures we study are constantly evolving. The acquisition of professional knowledge and abilities is also a continuing process; successful teachers perpetually hone their skills and acquire new talents for use in the classroom. To accomplish this continuing renewal, FL teachers need to remain current with research in the field and trends in methodology and instruction, and to be reflective practitioners who think about their work. How to do this when one is either busy preparing to enter the teaching profession or, equally as busy, teaching on a daily basis with many students and language lessons to juggle? Having useful FL resources easily available can facilitate professional development of both the preservice and the inservice FL teacher. This column will examine a few sites that are designed for FL educators and serve as vehicles for both teacher education and professional development. The ERIC Clearinghouse for Languages and Linguistics or ERIC/CLL is one such useful and easily available resource for FL educators. As stated on their Web site, ERIC/CLL is operated by the Center for Applied Linguistics, a private non profit organization. The Clearinghouse collects and disseminates information on current developments in education research, instructional methods and materials, program design and evaluation, teacher training, and assessment in the following areas: * Foreign languages * English as a second or foreign language * Bilingualism and bilingual education * Psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics * Theoretical and applied linguistics * Intercultural communication and cultural education * Study abroad and international exchange While the ERIC/CLL site is extensive, in this column we will concentrate on those resources that are most directly involved with teacher education and professional development. First is the ERIC/CLL Resource Guides Online series that includes Internet Resources for Foreign Language Teachers. This comprehensive site offers links to the following FL teaching resources, some of which are created by ERIC though others are available from other sources: * ERIC Digests: brief summaries of the latest hot topics dealing with FL learning and instruction written by recognized specialists in the field, including a specific section devoted to Professional Development * ERIC/CLL Resource Guides Online: other ERIC series on related topics including Immersion, Bilingualism, and Early language learning * Annotated Bibliographies: these minibibs are short bibliographies of recent research and articles dealing with a wide range of current issues in FL learning * Other ERIC/CLL Publications: email newsletters (such as Language Link), bulletins, and even a publication for parents dealing with early language learning questions; * Online Journals and Newsletters: additional resources not directly affiliated with ERIC/CLL including Language Learning and Technology * Listservs: online discussion forums of interest to FL teachers, such as FLTEACH (Foreign Language Teaching Forum) and LLTI (Language Learning Technology International), with directions on how to subscribe * Web Sites: certainly not exhaustive but a very good place to start * National, Regional, and Language-Specific Organizations of Language Teachers, and Foreign Language Resource Centers: contact information and, in many cases, specific missions and areas of focus * Conferences: some limited information on annual FL conferences * ERIC Documents: a helpful illustration of what can be available from a search of the ERIC database of educational documents, including information about how to then obtain copies of documents identified through the search process Language Link, mentioned above, frequently publishes articles that deal directly with teacher education and professional development. …


This presentation outlines why and how @MIRE transformed the DSpace platform to create a hosted conference management repository service. It is our intention to present this innovative use of DSpace to the developer and user community in order to gather feedback and to stir up the discussion about architectural issues involved in transforming the DSpace application profile in such a drastic way. And of course it also our intention to increase visibility of the hosted service.

First of all we would like to elaborate on the idea of using a repository as an underlying base for a general web application with a large focus on storing, retrieving, describing, preserving, … various types of content. When we look at the DSpace community members, we mainly see academic or research oriented institutions that use DSpace as an archive for content with long-term "academic" value (research archive, digital museum, …). But the DSpace repository platform can actually be reused as a repository component for many other types of applications such as the conference management repository in question.

@MIRE has chosen DSpace as the starting point for the development of an hosted conference management repository, and would like to elaborate on which requirements for this application profile were already met by DSpace and which it didn't salvage. First of all the DSpace communities and collections hierarchy allows for a means of structuring different conferences and their content. Furthermore the DSpace platform also offers a workflow on a per collection basis for reviewing submitted items, which can be reused to support a more elaborate call-for-papers type workflow. Also DSpace's search & browse functionality can be "scoped" in a very flexible way to suit the requirements for a per conference browse & search. Furthermore the ability to create and manage individual "homepages" for each community and collection allows for conference organizers to easily manage their informational web content. Other core features such as user management, authentication, authorization, metadata, … are also meaningful in a conference management repository context.

For the requirements that an out-of-the-box DSpace didn't already met, we will present how @MIRE has fulfilled them and whether or not they could be useful additions to the DSpace codebase. One of the features that can be of general use is the capability of dynamically adding metadata to any DSpace object such as an EPerson, a Collection, … by defining a metadata schema per DSpace object type. Other features such as conference registration, registration form creation, program scheduling, … are on the other hand specific to a conference management system and therefore don't belong in the DSpace codebase. Of course a demonstration of the "tog@ther" conference management repository interface and a high-level technical explanation will be presented. And to conclude @MIRE will officially launch the hosted "tog@ther" repository, which will by then include hosting for approximately five selected beta conferences.


We describe a dependent type theory, and a denotational model for it, that incorporates both intensional and extensional semantic universes. In the former, terms and types are interpreted as strategies on certain graph games, which are concrete data structures of a generalized form, and in the latter as stable functions on event domains. The concrete data structures themselves form an event domain, with which we may interpret an (extensional) universe type of (intensional) types. A dependent game corresponds to a stable function into this domain; we use its trace to define dependent product and sum constructions as it captures precisely how unfolding moves combine with the dependency to shape the possible interaction in the game. Since each strategy computes a stable function on CDS states, we can lift typing judgements from the intensional to the extensional setting, giving an expressive type theory with recursively defined type families and type operators. We define an operational semantics for intensional terms, giving a functional programming language based on our type theory, and prove that our semantics for it is computationally adequate. By extending it with a simple non-local control operator on intensional terms, we can precisely characterize behaviour in the intensional model. We demonstrate this by proving full abstraction and full completeness results.


From infancy through old age, many people's lives are enriched by the love of a pet. In addition, both volunteer and trained service animals are an increasingly common sight as they participate in hospital, school, and nursing home visitation and therapeutic programs. Yet, there has been little scientific research on the role that pets and therapeutic animals play in our health and development. While animal-assisted therapies appear promising, they often lack solid evidence of effectiveness. More research is therefore needed to understand the effects of human-animal interaction (HAI) and to optimize the value of this interaction. The findings in this volume deepen our understanding of human and animal behavior, including the impact that pets can have on children's development and the efficacy of animal-assisted therapies. This volume first addresses HAI research methodology, including recommended research designs, terminology, and topics for further exploration. It then summarizes the progress of HAI research in child development and human health, including how young children think about animals, links between children's early abuse of animals and later conduct disorders, the association between pet ownership and better health, and whether such health improvements result in health cost savings. The volume ends with a detailed agenda for future research. With its interdisciplinary approach, this book will appeal to a wide range of researchers and practitioners interested in what happens when people meet and engage with animals.


Dual-frame random digit dialing (RDD) and address-based sampling (ABS) are typically considered for household survey frames. Inaccurate geographic assignments using RDD can lead to undercoverage of the target population and challenges in oversampling geographically-clustered subpopulations. Geographic targeting is straightforward with an ABS design, but ABS poses challenges related to contact for telephone data collection. The Aligning Forces for Quality: Assessment of Consumer Engagement (AF4Q) survey was originally based on an RDD design and was migrated to an ABS design due to concerns with coverage, sampling efficiencies, and data collection costs. We discuss the challenges associated with each sampling method and compare key measures between the designs. We find that the ABS design offered higher frame coverage, lower costs, and improved sampling efficiency, while the RDD design had higher response rates. ABS should be considered as a viable option for telephone-only data collection efforts that feature geographic targeting or oversampling of geographically-clustered populations.


The probability of finding a spherical cavity or "hole" of arbitrarily large size in typical disordered many-particle systems in the infinite-system-size limit (e.g., equilibrium liquid states) is non-zero. Such "hole" statistics are intimately linked to the thermodynamic and nonequilibrium physical properties of the system. Disordered "stealthy" many-particle configurations in d-dimensional Euclidean space [Doublestruck R]d are exotic amorphous states of matter that lie between a liquid and crystal that prohibit single-scattering events for a range of wave vectors and possess no Bragg peaks [Torquato et al., Phys. Rev. X, 2015, 5, 021020]. In this paper, we provide strong numerical evidence that disordered stealthy configurations across the first three space dimensions cannot tolerate arbitrarily large holes in the infinite-system-size limit, i.e., the hole probability has compact support. This structural "rigidity" property apparently endows disordered stealthy systems with novel thermodynamic and physical properties, including desirable band-gap, optical and transport characteristics. We also determine the maximum hole size that any stealthy system can possess across the first three space dimensions.


Prior research on co-operation and competition has established that co-operative goal relationships with government units are beneficial to business enterprises operating in China. We report a quantitative study, conducted in Shanghai and based on 119 paired responses by government officials and business managers, which sought to establish the antecedents of co-operative business‐government goal relationships. We found that business enterprises in China that were represented by managers with favorable attitudes toward ethics and social responsibility were considered by government officials as more inclined to engage in reflexivity, i.e. to hold open discussions with them about organizational objectives and procedures, with a view to mutual adjustment and improvement. Greater reflexivity was, in turn, more likely to lead to business‐government relationships based on co-operative rather than independent or competitive goals. Given the considerable importance of business‐government relationships in China, these findings imply that concern for corporate social responsibility (CSR) may be advantageous for firms there, and we discuss how the HRM function may contribute to development of suitable CSR policies, projects and practices, to greater reflexivity, and to the increased likelihood of establishing co-operative goals.


There exist several methods, which can be used for evaluation of commercially available CASE-tools. Each method has its own focus and is based on specific underlying assumptions. There have been attempts to standardise evaluation of CASE-tools; however available methods differs much from each other. One such method, named the 2G method has been proposed, which for each application, will establish a specific evaluation framework. This framework is tailored to the organisation at a specific point in time (since an organisation will change over time). The method consists of two phases which are iterated a sufficient number of times before a stable evaluation framework will be the result. The 2G method has been successfully applied on several applications in different organisations, though only for evaluation of CASE-tools before adoption. In this dissertation we report on an application of the 2G method, which aims to evaluate a CASE-tool from a company context which has already adopted a CASE-tool. As part of this method application the 2G method has also been transferred to the organisation. An additional issue this dissertation addresses is what kind of support a general Qualitative Research Tool will offer a method user when using the tool in a 2G method application. Likewise the goal includes to establish is what is poorly or unsupported in such tool in a 2G application. This dissertation will show that the 2G method is applicable also in a scenario where a CASE-tool has already been adopted, and therefore demonstrate that the method also is useful in evaluation studies performed after a CASE-tool has been adopted in an organisation. From the experiences of the application points will be made concerning what kind of support one would like to have in a qualitative research tool to simplify the work during the 2G applications.


The flow pattern and mixing in an industrial Peirce-Smith converter (PSC) has been experimentally and numerically studied using cold model simulations. The effects of air volumetric flow rate and presence of overlaying slag phase on matte on the flow structure and mixing were investigated. The 2-D and 3-D simulations of the three phase system were carried out using volume of fluid (VOF) and realizable k - ɛ turbulence model to account for the multiphase and turbulence nature of the flow respectively. These models were implemented using commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical code FLUENT. The cold model for physical simulations was a 1:5 horizontal cylindrical container made of Perspex with seven tuyeres on one side of the cylinder typifying a Peirce-Smith converter. Compressed air was blown into the cylinder through the tuyeres, simulating air or oxygen enriched air injection into the PSC. The matte and slag phases were simulated with water and kerosene respectively in this study. The influence of varying blowing conditions and simulated slag quantities on the bulk mixing was studied with five different air volumetric flow rates and five levels of simulated slag thickness. Mixing time results were evaluated in terms of total specific mixing power and two mixing time correlations were proposed for estimating mixing times in the model of PSC for low slag and high slag volumes. Both numerical and experimental simulations were in good agreement to predict the variation characteristics of the system in relation to global flow field variables set up in the converter through mathematical calculation of relevant integrated quantities of turbulence, Volume Fraction (VF) and velocity magnitudes. The findings revealed that both air volumetric flow rate and presence of the overlaying slag layer have profound effects on the mixing efficiency of the converter.


Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) present a promising alternative to the conventional internal combustion engine for automotive applications because of zero harmful exhaust emissions, fast refuelling times and possibility to be powered by hydrogen generated through renewable energy. However, several issues need to be addressed before the widespread adoption of PEMFCs, one such problem is the removal of waste heat from the fuel cell electrochemical reaction at high ambient temperatures. Automotive scale fuel cells are most commonly liquid cooled, evaporative cooling is an alternative cooling method where liquid water is added directly into the fuel cell flow channels. The liquid water evaporates within the flow channel, both cooling and humidifying the cell. The evaporated water, along with some of the product water, is then condensed from the fuel cell exhaust, stored, and re-used in cooling the fuel cell.

This work produces a system level model of an evaporatively cooled fuel cell vehicle suitable for the study of water balance and heat exchanger requirements across steady state operation and transient drive cycles. Modelling results demonstrate the ability of evaporatively cooled fuel cells to self regulate temperature within a narrow region (±2°C) across a wide operating range, provided humidity is maintained within the flow channels through sufficient liquid water addition. The heat exchanger requirements to maintain a self sufficient water supply are investigated, demonstrating that overall heat exchange area can be reduced up to 40% compared to a liquid cooled system due to the presence of phase change within the vehicle radiator improving heat transfer coefficients. For evaporative cooling to remain beneficial in terms of heat exchange area, over 90% of the condensed liquid water needs to be extracted from the exhaust stream.

Experimental tests are conducted to investigate the condensation of water vapour from a saturated air stream in a compact plate heat exchanger with chevron flow enhancements. Thermocouples placed within the condensing flow allow the local heat transfer coefficient to be determined and an empirical correlation obtained. The corresponding correlation is used to produce a heat exchanger model and study the influence different heat exchanger layouts have on the overall required heat transfer area for an evaporatively cooled fuel cell vehicle.

A one-dimensional, non-isothermal model is also developed to study the distribution of species, current density and temperature along the flow channel of an evaporatively cooled fuel cell using different methods of liquid water addition. Results show that good performance can be achieved with cathode inlet humidities as low as 20%, although some anode liquid water addition may be required at high current densities due to increased electro-osmotic drag. It is also demonstrated that both good membrane hydration and temperature regulation can be managed by uniform addition of liquid water across the cell to maintain a target exhaust relative humidity.


The Orlicz-Pettis Theorem for locally convex spaces asserts that a series in the space which is subseries convergent in the weak topology is actually subseries convergent in the original topology of the space. A subseries convergent series can be viewed as a multiplier convergent series where the terms of the series are multiplied by elements of the scalar sequence spacem0 of sequences with finite range. In this paper we show that the conclusion of the Orlicz-Pettis Theorem holds (and can be strengthened) if the multiplier space m0 is replaced by a sequence space with the signed weak gliding hump property.


In this work proposed here is framed in the project of research V3 (Video, Videoconference, and Visualization) of the Foundation i2CAT, that has for final goal to design and development of a platform of video, videoconference and independent visualization of resolution in high and super though inside new generation IP networks. i2CAT Foundation uses free software for achieving its goals. UltraGrid for the transmission of HD video is used and SAGE is used for distributed visualization among multiple monitors. The equipment used for management (capturing, sending, visualization, etc) of the high definition stream of work environment it has to be optimized so that all the disposable resources can be used, in order to improve the quality and stability of the platform. We are speaking about the treatment of datum flows of more of 1 Gbps with raw formats, so that the optimization of the use of the disposable resources of a system is given back a need. In this project it is evaluated the requirements for the high definition streams without compressing and a study of the current platform is carried out, in order to extract the functional requirements that an optimum system has to have to work in the best conditions. From this extracted information, a series of systems tests are carried out in order to improve the performance, from level of network until level of application. Different distributions of the Linux operating system have been proved in order to evaluate their performance. These are Debian 4 and openSUSE 10.3. The creation of a system from sources of software has also been proved in order to optimize its code in the compilation. It has been carried out with the help of Linux From Scratch project. It has also been tried to use systems Real Time (RT) with the distributions used. It offers more stability in the stream frame rate. Once operating systems has been test, it has proved different compilers in order to evaluate their efficiency. The GCC and the Intel C++ Compilers have proved, this second with more satisfactory results. Finally a Live CD has been carried out in order to include all the possible improvements in a system of easy distribution.


Purpose – There is little doubt that organizational identity – that which is central, distinctive, and enduring about an organization – mediates in adaptive processes. Exactly how this mediation takes place, and whether it is favorable or unfavorable to adaptation, must still be fully established. The purpose of this paper is to add to the literature on identity and adaptation by exploring the relationship between these two constructs in family firms operating in an emerging economy. Based on measures of strength of identity, the authors examine how identity affects the adaptive processes of issue identification, strategic impulse definition, and implementation, where the authors look at pace of adjustment.

Design/methodology/approach – Longitudinal and comparative case studies were conducted of polar types presenting two pairs of organizations in two separate industries. These organizations faced the challenge of founder succession and a radical shift in macroeconomic conditions over a period of three decades. Through these four cases the authors hope to provide clear pattern recognition of strength of identity and adaptation – and of the relationship between these two constructs – in the face of severe internal and external shocks. The approach seems adequate in the larger context of inductive theory development and particularly suitable to the exploration of theoretical constructs, as it allows the researcher to unravel the underlying dynamics of path dependencies and/or evolutionary processes.

Findings – It is found that strong-identity organizations are able to foresee relevant changes in their industries, define adequate strategic responses, and implement them in an evolutionary (i.e. smooth) manner. Conversely, loose-identity organizations misread industry trends, incur strategic paralysis, and must eventually enforce revolutionary (i.e. violent) changes in order to ensure survival.

Originality/value – The paper addresses a critical issue for the advancement of organizational theory: the relationship between organizational identity and adaptation in emerging economies. In addition, it has important practical implications for managers doing business in turbulent environments. It makes a sound theoretical contribution and has important managerial implications.


This book edited by J.-S. Bergé, S. Harnay, U. Mayrhofer, L. Obadia, and published by Springer in November 2017, offers new perspectives on global phenomena that play a major role in today's society and deeply shape the actions of individuals, organizations and nations. In a complex and rapidly changing environment, decision-makers need to gain a better understanding of global phenomena to adapt and to anticipate the evolution of the global context. The authors — ten renowned international scholars of anthropology, economics, law, management and political science — propose an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to social sciences. They analyse how international phenomena, such as globalisation or transnationalisation, transform the disciplines of social sciences from an epistemological standpoint. Explaining what 'global' means in difference disciplines, the authors analyse several global phenomena that characterise today's international environment such as the circulation of norms and ideas, the linkages between war and globalization, corporate governance, and the impact of multinational enterprises on sustainable development and poverty reduction. Providing examples of analytical disciplinary approaches and guidelines for decision-makers in a fast-changing global context this book will be useful to scholars and students of anthropology, economics, law, management and political science as well as practitioners in the private and public sectors.


Archaeological data dissemination is complicated by the need to serve disparate audiences, each of which has different data needs. This study examined the websites of 148 Virginia institutions identified as having archaeological collections or data, and used content analysis to see how they supported characteristics of scholarly publishing, open data and public outreach. Archaeologists are increasingly looking for comparative data sets for research needs, with professional ethics and a desire for public engagement encouraging data sharing. However this analysis suggests that, while there are some exemplary websites, much of the archaeological record remains publicly inaccessible. The majority of websites examined provided no reference to archaeology and, of the remainder, a third did not provide archaeological data. These websites did provide many supporting characteristics for public outreach, but concerns about preservation, data "openness," and limited datasets remain.


The mode of action of petroleum oils on insects is usually assumed to be suffocation due to blocked spiracles. However, Citrus Postharvest Dip, a formulated C15 alkane used by Australian citrus packers to control surface pests, can also affect the neural activity of lightbrown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana Walker, (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The alkane penetrates deep into the tracheoles and absorbs onto nerve membranes, apparently causing direct nervous disruption. In electrophysiological experiments, Citrus Postharvest Dip in the ganglia induced a rapid onset of multiple nerve firing in peripheral nerves of LBAM larvae. Repetitive firing after exposure to the C15 alkane or surfactants used in the formulation showed that either of the components of Citrus Postharvest Dip can similarly affect the nerves. Nervous disruption by the oil is unlikely to be due to specific chemical binding. Assays with bovine acetylcholine esterase showed no specific inhibition of that enzyme using high oil doses (1%) and long incubation times (15 h). It is proposed that oils displace the protective lipids by their solvent action, affecting nerve activity by increasing membrane permeability to ion exchange. One of the major mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance in insects is reduced neuronal sensitivity. A role for alkanes in overcoming insecticide kdr-like resistance to pyrethroids is proposed.


This paper discusses some of the electromagnetic-compatibility issues concerning the use of power lines for communication. Based on a series of measurements performed in a laboratory environment and in the field, five different types of interactions between communication and end-user equipment are distinguished. Measurement examples are shown for several of these types. It is concluded that the creation of a low-impedance path by end-user equipment is the main cause of interference.


Irene was born in 1923 in North East London and first went to primary schools there. Then her family moved to Southend in Essex. The first history she remembers being taught was at Westborough Senior Girls' School, a non-selective secondary school in Southend. Unlike most pupils we interviewed who were at school in the early 1930s she was given duplicated material to stick in her history book; she was then encouraged to stick in other material ranging from newspaper cuttings to cigarette cards and advertisements. The result was a wonderful collection of illustrated material [see her photographed material]. Irene's school ended at 14 and she worked in offices and administration during her working life and in the National Fire Service during the war. Interviewed by Jenny Keating.


Small RNAs can be transferred between human B cell and T cell lines in a cell contact–dependent manner. Small noncoding RNAs, such as short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs for degradation. Mechanisms exist in plants and worms for the transfer of small RNAs from cell to cell, but similar pathways have not been characterized for mammalian cells, although small RNAs have been found in vesicles secreted from mammalian cells. Rechavi et al. investigated a cell contact–dependent mechanism for the transfer of small RNAs from human BL2 B cells to a T cell line. Flow cytometric analysis showed the transfer of fluorescently tagged miRNA-like oligonucleotides from transfected BL2 cells to the T cells in coculture. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) was not transferred from transfected BL2 cells to the T cells, suggesting that transfer of oligonucleotides from one cell to another was selective. Transfer of tagged small RNAs in the opposite direction, from transfected T cells to BL2 cells, also occurred. Separating the BL2 cells from the T cells by a semipermeable membrane almost completely blocked transfer of the tagged small RNAs. Conditions that increased the strength of interaction between the donor and acceptor cells increased the efficiency of transfer of the small RNAs. Coculture of Raji cells, a B cell line carrying the Epstein-Barr virus, with T cells resulted in the transfer of an EBV-specific miRNA, as detected by sequence analysis of the T cell fraction. Finally, short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were transferred from transfected B cells to T cells, and reporter assays showed that the transferred shRNAs were functional. Together, these data suggest a cell contact–dependent mechanism for the transfer of small RNAs that might regulate gene expression nonautonomously. O. Rechavi, Y. Erlich, H. Amram, L. Flomenblit, F. V. Karginov, I. Goldstein, G. J. Hannon, Y. Kloog, Cell contact-dependent acquisition of cellular and viral nonautonomously encoded small RNAs. Genes Dev. 23, 1971–1979 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Some facts in the Web of Data are only valid within a certain time interval. However, most of the knowledge bases available on the Web of Data do not provide temporal information explicitly. Hence, the relationship between facts and time intervals is often lost. A few solutions are proposed in this field. Most of them are concentrated more in extracting facts with time intervals rather than trying to map facts with time intervals. This paper studies the problem of determining the temporal scopes of facts, that is, deciding the time intervals in which the fact is valid. We propose a generic approach which addresses this problem by curating temporal information of facts in the knowledge bases. Our proposed framework, Temporal Information Scoping (TISCO) exploits evidence collected from the Web of Data and the Web. The evidence is combined within a three-step approach which comprises matching, selection and merging. This is the first work employing matching methods that consider both a single fact or a group of facts at a time. We evaluate our approach against a corpus of facts as input and different parameter settings for the underlying algorithms. Our results suggest that we can detect temporal information for facts from DBpedia with an f-measure of up to 80%.