Introduction T. Hofer The International Year of Mountains, Challenge and opportunity for mountain research Part I: Paleoenvironmental Changes K. Alverson, C. Kull, G.W.K. Moore and P. Ginot A dynamical perspective on high altitude paleoclimate proxy timeseries S.L. Shafer, P.J. Barlein and C. Whitlock Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of global environmental change in mountain regions L.G. Thompson, M.E. Davis, P.-N. Lin, E. Mosley-Thompson and H.H. Brecher Ice cores from tropical mountain glaciers as archives of climate change J.C. Goose The contribution of cosmogenic nuclides to unraveling alpine paleoclimate histories A. Nesje, S. O. Dahl, O. Lie and J. Bakke Holocene glacier fluctuations and winter precipitation variations in southern Norway O.N. Solomina Glacier and climate variability in the mountains of the former Soviet Union during the last 1000 years H. Kershner Glacier-climate models as palaeoclimatic information sources: examples from the Alpine Younger Dryas Period J. Overpeck, K.B. Liu, C. Morrill, J. Cole, C. Shen, D. Anderson and L. Tang Holocene environmental change in the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau Region: Lake sediments and the future M. Grosjean, H. Veit Water resources in the arid mountains of the Atacama Desert: Past climate changes and modern conflicts A.F. Lotter Paleolimnological investigations in the Alps: The long-term development of mountain lakes B.W. Batterbee, S. Patrick, M. Kernan, R. Psenner, H. Thies, J. Grimalt, B.O. Rosseland, B. Wathne, J. Catalan, R. Mosello, A. Lami, D. Livingstone, E. Stuchlik, V. Straskrabova, G. Raddum High mountain lakes and atmospherically transported pollutants N. Rose, H. Yang, P. Fernandez, J.O. Grimalt Trace metals, fly-ash particles and persistent organic pollutants in European remote mountain lakes W. Tinner, B. Ammann Long-term responses of mountain ecosystems to environmental changes: Resilience, adjustment, and vulnerability A. Lara, A. Wolodarsky-Franke, J.C. Aravena, R. Villalba, M.E. Solari, L. Pezoa, A. Rivera, and C. LeQuesne Climate fluctuations derived from tree-rings and other proxy-records in the Chilean Andes: State of the art and future prospects R. Villalba, M.H. Masiokas, T. Kitzberger, J.A. Bominsegna Biogeographical consequences of recent climate changes in the southern Andes of Argentina Part II: Cryospheric Changes W. Haeberli Mountain glaciers in global climate-related observing systems M.B. Dyurgerov Mountain glaciers are at risk of extinction G. Kaser, Ch. Georges, I. Juen, T. Molg Low latitude glaciers: Unique global climate indicators and essential contributors to regional fresh water supply. A conceptual approach B. Francou, P. Ribstein, P. Wagnon, E. Ramirez, B. Pouyaud Glaciers of the tropical Andes: Indicators of global climate variability B.G. Mark, G.O. Seltzer Glacier recession in the Peruvian Andes: Climatic forcing, hydrologic impact and comparative rates over time C. Harris Climate change, mountain permafrost degradation and geotechnical hazard A. Kaab, J.M. Reynolds, W. Haeberli Glacier and permafrost hazards in high mountains E. Martin, P. Etchevers Impact of climatic changes on snow cover and snow hydrology in the French Alps R. Hock, P. Jansson, L.N. Braun Modelling the response of mountain glacier discharge to climate warming Part III: Hydrological Changes C. Schar, C. Frei Orographic precipitation and climate change H.F. Diaz Monitoring climate variability and change in the western United States L. Menzel, H. Lang Spatial heterogeneity of snow conditions and evapotranspiration in the Swiss Alps A. Becker Runoff processes in mountain headwater catchments: Recent understanding and research challenges S. Uhlenbrook, J. Didszun, C. Leibundgut Runoff generation processes on hillslopes and their susceptibility to Global Change R. Kirnbauer, G. Bloschl, P. Haas, G. Muller, B. Merz Identifying space-time patterns of runoff generation: A casestudy from the Lohnersbach catchement, Austrian Alps J.M. Garcia-Ruiz, T. Lasanta, B. Valero, C. Marti, S. Begueria, J.I. Lopez-Moreno, D. Regues, N. Lana-Renault Soil erosion and runoff generation related to land use changes in the Pyrenees B.L. McGlynn The role of riparian zones in steep mountain watersheds J. Gurtz, H. Lang, M. Verbunt, M. Zappa The use of hydrological models for the simulation of climate change impacts on mountain hydrology L.R. Leung Effects of climate variability and change on mountain water resources in the Western U.S. Part IV: Ecological Changes Ch. Korner The green cover of mountains in a changing environment W.D. Bowman The response of alpine plants to environmental change. Feedbacks to ecosystem function H. Pauli, M. Gottfried, D. Hohenwallner, K. Reiter, G. Grahherr Ecological climate impact research in high mountain environments: GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) - its roots, its purpose and the long-term perspectives E.M. Spehn, Ch. Korner A global assessment of mountain biodiversity and its function R.J. Williams, C-H. Wahren Potential impacts of global change on vegetation in Australian Alpine landscapes: Climate change, landuse, vegetation dynamics and biodiversity conservation E. Tasser, U. Tappeiner, A. Cernusca Ecological effects of land-use changes in the European Alps J. Harte Climate interactions in mountain meadow ecosystems J.S. Baron, K.R. Nydick, H.M. Rueth, B. Moraska Lafrancois, A.P. Wolfe High elevation ecosystem responses to atmospheric deposition of Nitrogen in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, U.S.A, R.D. Vinebrooke, P.R. Leavitt Mountain lakes as indicators of the cumulative impacts of ultraviolet radiation and other environmental stressors D. Schimel, B.H. Braswell The role of mid-latitude mountains in the carbon cycle: Global perspective and a Western U.S. case study H.H. Shugart Remote sensing detection of high elevation vegetation change A. Guisan, J.-P. Theurillat Monitoring networks for testing model-based scenarios of climate change impact on mountain plant distribution H. Bugmann, B. Zierl, S. Schumacher Projecting the impacts of climate change on mountain forests and landscapes D. Fagre, S. W. Running, R.E. Keane, D.L. Peterson Assessing climate change effects on mountain ecosystems using integrated models: A case study L.J. Graumlich, L.A. Waggoner, A.G. Bunn Detecting global change at Alpine treeline: Coupling paleoecology with contemporary studies Part V: Human Dimensions M. Beniston The risks associated with climatic change in mountain regions M.F. Price Forests in sustainable mountain development L. Lebel Institutional dynamics and interplay: Critical processes for forest governance and sustainability in the mountain regions of Northern Thailand X. Jianchu, A. Wilkes State simplifications of land use and biodiversity in the Uplands of Yunnan, Eastern Himalayan Region P.S. Ramakrishnan Mountain biodiversity, land use dynamics and traditional ecological knowledge J. Hansen, R.S. DeFries Land use intesification around nature reserves in Mountains: Implications for biodiversity D.I. McCracken, S. Huband Nature conservation value of European mountain farming systems N.S. Jodha Economic globalization and its repercussions for fragile mountains and communities in the Himalayas H. Hurni, H.P. Liniger, U. Wiesmann Research partnerships for mitigating syndromes of global change in mountain regions I. Macmillan, H.P. Liniger Monitoring and modelling for the sustainable management of water resources in Tropical mountain basins: The Mount Kenya example H. Schreier Challenges in mountain watershed management M.R. v. Biebersten Koch-Wieser Overcoming the vertical divide: Legal, economic, and compensation approaches for sustainable management of mountain watersheds Synthesis A. Bjornsen, U.M. Huber, M. Reasoner, B. Messerli, H. Bugmann Future research direction


Hundreds of studies that have explored how biodiversity affects the productivity and stability of ecosystems have produced a consensus that communities composed of more species tend to have higher biomass that is more stable through time. However, the majority of this work stems from studies performed using highly simplified food webs, often composed of just primary producers competing for inorganic resources in the absence of trophic interactions. When studies have incorporated trophic interactions, diversity-function relationships have been more variable, leaving open the question of how biodiversity affects the functioning of ecosystems with more trophic levels. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment that used freshwater microcosms to test for effects of algal diversity (one or four species) on community biomass and temporal variability in the presence and absence of two different herbivore species (cladocerans Ceriodaphnia dubia and Daphnia pulex). When no herbivores were present, we found the classic pattern observed in hundreds of other studies – as species richness of algae increased, algal biomass increased, and the temporal variation in biomass decreased. This pattern was retained when one of the herbivores (C. dubia) was present. Ceriodaphnia dubia exhibited weak and non-selective grazing on the focal algae, leaving the effect of diversity on biomass and variability essentially intact. In contrast, D. pulex exhibited strong and selective grazing in algal polycultures that qualitatively altered both diversity–function relationships. As algal richness increased, total algal biomass decreased and variation through time increased. These changes were coupled with larger and less variable populations of D. pulex. Our results show that herbivory leads to a richer array of diversity–function relationships than often observed in studies focused on just one trophic level, and suggests trophic interactions should be given more attention in work that seeks to determine how biodiversity impacts the functioning of ecosystems.


The paper deals with various methodological approaches to regional systems classification and typology setup. The comparative study of existing approaches to regions classification assisted in design and implementation of a competitiveness-based approach to regional classification using clustering algorithms of multidimensional classification. The designed typology of the Russian regions employs vast dataset on the following groups of indicators: infrastructure development, industrial output performance, investment activity, foreign trade development and intensity, social and economic development, institutional factors, technology gap characteristics and innovation activity parameters. The output standings of regional typology comprised of 5 unevenly distributed groups of the Russian Federation regions regarding their level of competitiveness: "potential competitiveness leader", "traditional competitiveness factors holders", "outsiders of competition", "moderate competitiveness regions" and "leaders of competitiveness".


abstract late preterm infants: a population at risk in the short and long term Preterm Birth has increased over the last decades in developed countries; the mayor contribution to this increa-se has been from "late preterm" births (lP). recent publications show higher rates of mortality and morbidity for lP compared with full term infants, both in the short and long term; the risk of mortality and morbidity increases with decreasing gestational age, the lowest risk being at 39 weeks of gestation. complications of lP birth are related to immaturity of the different organs and systems. during the neonatal period, the most frequent complications are hyaline Membrane disease, transient tachipnea, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubine-mia and feeding problems. in the long term, outcomes show that lP have an increased risk for developmental delay, academic and behavioral difficulties. While most complications are less frequent and less severe than extremely preterm infants, the large number of children that are born as lP represent a large population at risk. the purpose of this article is to review available evidence on mortality, morbidity and long term development in lP. this data may help obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatricians and public health workers to pay attention to this new population at risk.(


The two of us wrote Anti-Oedipus together. Since each of us was several, there was already quite a crowd. We have made use of everything that came within range, what was closest as well as farthest away. We have assigned clever pseudonyms to prevent recognition. Why have we kept our own names? Out of habit, purely out of habit. To make ourselves unrecognizable in turn. To render imperceptible, not ourselves, but what makes us act, feel, and think. Also because it is nice to talk like everybody else, to say the sun rises, when everyone knows it's only a manner of speaking. To reach not the point where one no longer says I, but the point where it is of no importance whether one says I. We are no longer ourselves. Each will know his own. We have been aided, inspired, multiplied.Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus (3).


Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is elevated in a variety of malignant tumors and has been shown to affect several hallmarks of cancer. Accordingly, the PGE2 receptor, E-prostanoid 2 (EP2), has been reported to be associated with patient survival and reduced tumor growth in EP2-knockout mice. Thus, the aim of the present study was to screen for major gene expression alterations in tumor tissue growing in EP2-knockout mice. EP2-knockout mice were bred and implanted with EP2 receptor-expressing and PGE2-producing epithelial-like tumors. Tumor tissue and plasma were collected and used for analyses with gene expression microarrays and multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Tumor growth, acute phase reactions/systemic inflammation and the expression of interleukin-6 were reduced in EP2-knockout tumor-bearing mice. Several hundreds of genes displayed major changes of expression in the tumor tissue when grown in EP2-knockout mice. Such gene alterations involved several different cellular functions, including stemness, migration and cell signaling. Besides gene expression, several long non-coding RNAs were downregulated in the tumors from the EP2-knockout mice. Overall, PGE2 signaling via host EP2 receptors affected a large number of different genes involved in tumor progression based on signaling between host stroma and tumor cells, which caused reduced tumor growth.


[1] The use of ensemble filters for estimating sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2) is becoming increasingly common, because they provide a relatively computationally efficient framework for assimilating high-density observations of CO2. Their applicability for estimating fluxes at high-resolutions and the equivalence of their estimates to those from more traditional "batch" inversion methods have not been demonstrated, however. In this study, we introduce a Geostatistical Ensemble Square Root Filter (GEnSRF) as a prototypical filter and examine its performance using a synthetic data study over North America at a high spatial (1 � � 1 � ) and temporal (3-hourly) resolution. The ensemble performance, both in terms of estimates and associated uncertainties, is benchmarked against a batch inverse modeling setup in order to isolate and quantify the degradation in the estimates due to the numerical approximations and parameter choices in the ensemble filter. The examined case studies demonstrate that adopting state-of-the-art covariance inflation and localization schemes is a necessary but not sufficient condition for ensuring good filter performance, as defined by its ability to yield reliable flux estimates and uncertainties across a range of resolutions. Observational density is found to be another critical factor for stabilizing the ensemble performance, which is attributed to the lack of a dynamical model for evolving the ensemble between assimilation times. This and other results point to key differences between the applicability of ensemble approaches to carbon cycle science relative to its use in meteorological applications where these tools were originally developed.


Induction motors are the main workhorses of industry. Condition monitoring (CM) of motor based systems plays an important role in the early detection of possible defects, averting adverse operational and financial effects caused by unexpected breakdowns. Limited information has been found which explores the diagnostic abilities of voltage and motor current signals from motors with variable speed drives (VSDs), which are increasingly used in industry to obtain better dynamic response, higher efficiency and lower energy consumption. This study addresses the gap identified by carrying out a systematic review of the monitoring of mechanical systems using induction motors with sensorless VSDs. Specifically, existing techniques often prove ineffective for common internal and external faults that develop in Induction motors. The primary aim is to extract accurate diagnostic information from the power supply parameters of a VSD to monitor IM driven systems for early diagnosis of both mechanical and electrical faults. This thesis examines the effectiveness of both motor current and voltage signals using spectrum analysis for detecting broken rotor bar(s) and/or shaft misalignment and gear oil viscosity changes with different degrees of severities under sensorless control (close) modes. The results are obtained from common spectrum analysis applied to signals from a laboratory experimental setup operating under different speeds and loads. Evaluation of the results shows that the faults cause an increase in sideband amplitudes, which can be observed in both the current and voltage signals under the sensorless control mode. In addition, combined faults cause an additional increase in the sideband amplitudes and this increase can be observed in both the current and voltage signals. The voltage signals show greater change compared with the current signals because the VSD adapts the voltage supply source to compensate for changes in the system dynamics. Furthermore, this study also presents a model of an induction motorfed by a variable speed drive (VSD), as an approach to simulate broken rotor bars and shaft misalignments to give an in-depth understanding of fault signatures. The model was validated with experimental results in both current and voltage signals, with good agreement. The model confirmed that BRB causes a shift and increase in the amplitudes of the sidebands with the amplitudes of the rotor frequency components increased due to shaft misalignment.


The biological basis of the uniqueness of human abilities is one of the most fascinating research topics of all time. Evolutionary studies now allow us, at least in principle, to identify the underlying functional genetic elements which are specific to humans. However, despite enormous progress in the biosciences over recent years, which has resulted in the complete sequencing of the human genome as well as the genomes of two closely related primate species – chimpanzee and rhesus macaque – the molecular mechanisms underlying human-specific abilities remain unknown. Gene expression studies now provide us with a powerful tool to identify the functional differences distinguishing humans from chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. From the evolutionary and functional perspective, however, the interpretation of the observed expression differences is almost never as straightforward as we would ideally like.

Keywords:

microarrays;
human;
chimpanzee;
brain;
expression


This paper addresses the use of genetic biomarkers in occupational epidemiology and some of the scientific, ethical, and social implications for epidemiologists and practitioners to consider, including issues involving individual risk estimation, the communication of epidemiologic results, and the translation of epidemiologic data into clinical or occupational health practice. Three scenarios from the occupational setting illustrate some of these issues and implications. The scenarios involve glutathione-S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) and hematopoietic cancer in hospital workers, human leukocyte antigen coding for glutamic acid in the 69th position (HLA DPB1(E69)) and chronic beryllium disease in beryllium workers, and peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) deletion and carpal tunnel syndrome in railroad track workers. Epidemiologic research involving genetic biomarkers requires the application of genetic tests and can be considered on a continuum between basic sciences and clinical and occupational and public health practice for which questions of test relevance, validity, and utility become important.


Catchment tracer studies have typically suffered from a stark mismatch of measurement timescales: water fluxes are typically measured sub-hourly, but their chemical signatures are typically sampled only weekly or monthly. More intensive measurement campaigns usually last only for short periods, such as individual storm cycles. At the Plynlimon catchment in mid-Wales, however, precipitation and streamflow have now been sampled every seven hours for nearly two years, and analyzed for water isotopes and more than 40 chemical tracers spanning the periodic table. Here we explore these unique tracer time series, and compare them to longer-term ( 20 years) but less frequently sampled (weekly) hydrochemical data from the same catchment. The high-frequency sampling reveals clear diurnal cycles in many chemical species, including some that are not normally thought to be biologically controlled. Passive tracers such as chloride and water isotopes are very strongly damped in streamflow relative to precipitation, implying that the catchment stores and mixes volumes of water that are much larger than individual storms, on timescales that are much longer than the intervals between events. However, other chemical species show strong coupling to streamflow on timescales of hours, implying that the catchment can rapidly re-set the chemical signature of "old water" in response to changes in the flow regime. The implications of these observations for catchment flowpaths, runoff generation, and biogeochemical processes will be discussed.


Drama swirls around the manga creators as they try to move forward after being canceled from Shonen Jump. Moritaka and Akito work hard on a new comedy story pitch while Aoki and Nakai struggle with some personal issues. But when Kaya uncovers Akito's meetings with Aoki and Iwase, things might never be the same.


Objective— To review the literature systematically and perform meta-analyses to address these questions: 1) Is there evidence that self-measured blood pressure (BP) without other augmentation is superior to office-based measurement of BP for achieving better BP control or for preventing adverse clinical outcomes that are related to elevated BP? 2) What is the optimal target for BP lowering during antihypertensive therapy in adults? 3) In adults with hypertension, how do various antihypertensive drug classes differ in their benefits and harms compared with each other as first-line therapy? Methods— Electronic literature searches were performed by Doctor Evidence, a global medical evidence software and services company, across PubMed and EMBASE from 1966 to 2015 using key words and relevant subject headings for randomized controlled trials that met eligibility criteria defined for each question. We performed analyses using traditional frequentist statistical and Bayesian approaches, including random-effects Bayesian network meta-analyses. Results— Our results suggest that: 1) There is a modest but significant improvement in systolic BP in randomized controlled trials of self-measured BP versus usual care at 6 but not 12 months, and for selected patients and their providers self-measured BP may be a helpful adjunct to routine office care. 2) systolic BP lowering to a target of <130 mm Hg may reduce the risk of several important outcomes including risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and major cardiovascular events. No class of medications (ie, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, or beta blockers) was significantly better than thiazides and thiazide-like diuretics as a first-line therapy for any outcome.


This study investigated the viability of a Digital Badge system to deliver professional development to teachers working with English language learners. The study
asked several research questions to determine if Purdue's Passport system was effective at
delivering ELL teacher PD. First, the study asked, is a digital badge system a viable tool for
delivering professional development to in-service teachers of English language learners? This
question helped determine if the in-service teachers participating in this study would be able to
obtain the training materials and navigate the online system on their own to obtain the digital
badge. Then, the study asked, what types of training do ELL teachers think could be converted to
digital badges? This question was asked to identify the types of trainings the participants in this
study believed could be transferred to an online system such as Purdue's Passport system and
delivered as individual badges teachers could complete with little to no assistance. This question
also helped investigate how teachers perceive the current training they attend in face-to-face
sessions. The final question the study asked was, what are ELL teachers' perceptions of digital
badges and their role in professional development? The final question was asked to determine if the participants' attitudes toward digital badges changed throughout the study and what the
participants believed digital badges' role could be in delivering ELL teacher professional
development. The data collected in this study included the participants' written reflections within the
digital badge system, pre and post-surveys and interviews after they completed the running record
badge. The results of this qualitative study suggest that for in-service teachers there are some
benefits to delivering ELL teacher PD through digital badges. Results indicate that the participants
enjoyed the ability to complete the training on their own schedule and had no issues viewing the
content within the running record digital badge. The participants also had numerous
recommendations for the types of training they believed could be converted to digital badges and
how a digital badge system could be implemented at their school.


PURPOSE
To gain further insight into the pathogenesis of progressive facial hemiatrophy, a sporadic disease of unclear etiology characterized by shrinking and deformation of one side of the face.

METHODS
We investigated possible brain involvement. MR of the head and face was performed in three female patients with progressive facial hemiatrophy. The central-nervous-system findings were correlated to a clinical protocol and a review of the literature.

RESULTS
One patient with epilepsy had abnormal brain findings confined to the cerebral hemisphere homolateral to the facial hemiatrophy. These consisted of monoventricular enlargement, meningocortical dysmorphia, and white-matter changes.

CONCLUSIONS
These MR findings, and corresponding neuroradiologic data disclosed by the review, indicate that homolateral hemiatrophy occasionally occurs in a subgroup of patients with progressive facial hemiatrophy. The MR features do not seem consistent with an underlying simple or nutritive atrophic process. We propose chronic localized meningoencephalitis with vascular involvement as a possible underlying cause of the occasional brain involvement in progressive facial hemiatrophy.


Up until today reinforced concrete has been used in most cases for the manufacturing of bridge decks. Depending on the quality of the work carried out, defects can already occur after only a few years. These defects mostly appear in the form of corrosion of the steel reinforcement due to concrete's sensitivity to de-icing salts and water. To reduce maintenance costs, which are mainly caused by corrosion of the steel reinforcement, attempts were made to eliminate the steel reinforcement in the bridge deck. This was achieved for example by replacing the whole concrete bridge deck with an FRP1 bridge deck. FRP bridge decks, besides the advantage of the absence of steel reinforcement, exhibit the advantage of a low dead load (approx. 20% of a comparable concrete deck) combined with high strength. These properties resulted in the fact that today more than 200 bridges with FRP decks are in service worldwide. Most of them need steel or concrete main girders to bridge the required span. Despite the many bridges already in service, assessment of their load-bearing capacity or deflections still remains difficult. Some of the reasons for this this are as follows: Geometry and material properties vary considerably between different FRP bridge-deck types. The problem of the connection between main girders and bridge decks has only been partially solved. No design method exists which allows determination of the stresses and deflections of composite girders, and takes the degree of composite action of the bridge deck into account. This thesis contributes to solve these problems. Experiments with two different bridge decks were carried out in order to determine the necessary system properties (in-plane compression and shear resistance and in-plane compression and shear stiffness) for the calculation of the load-bearing behavior of steel/FRP composite girders. The method developed to determine the system properties can also be applied to other FRP bridge decks (e.g. sandwich decks). In a second step, four composite girders (two with each bridge deck) were manufactured by bonding the bridge decks onto conventional steel girders. Local failure of the bridge deck, as occurs in girders with stud or bolt connections, is therefore prevented and a clear load transfer in the joint is assured. One of the two girders, with each bridge deck system, was tested statically and the other statically and under fatigue loads. The results of the girder experiments showed that adhesive bonding is a reliable connection technique, since failure always occurred first in the bridge deck and then in the adhesive layer. The stiffness and failure load of the composite girders could be increased considerably in comparison with the pure steel girder. The determined system properties concerning in-plane shear and compression stiffness were confirmed with the girder experiments. The results of the experiments with the composite girders were compared with results of an analytical design method for concrete/wood girders adapted for steel/FRP composite girders. It was shown that the load-bearing behavior of composite girders consisting of steel main girders and adhesively- bonded FRP bridge decks can be determined with good accuracy in the linear-elastic region. Furthermore a design method was developed which allows the loadbearing capacity of the steel/FRP composite girders investigated in this thesis to be determined with very good accuracy. Subsequently a parameter study was carried out in order to verify the assumption of full composite action in the adhesively- bonded joint. This is one of the requirements for application of the developed design methods. The study showed that the assumption is applicable for different adhesives and even for thicknesses up to 50 mm. ---------------------------------------- 1 Fiber Reinforced Polymer


The use of three-dimensional (3D) printing is not yet prevalent throughout the construction industry. Although there have been some uses, each has been small and relatively experimental, however, a current renovation project to the Mexican Museum in downtown San Francisco utilized 3D printing to aid in design coordination. The decision came after the General Contractor, Webcor Builders, noticed a possible constraint in pouring a section of the foundation; a pair of nine-foot vertical concrete walls surrounding the elevator shaft. The walls posed a serious threat to the schedule and budget of the project, raising concerns with shoring, waterproofing, and constructability. This paper will look at how the use of 3D printing on the project aided in the design process; what issues gave way to the use of 3D printing; what benefits the physical 3D model added; and what some possible expansions on this technology could be. The decision to utilize a 3D printed model is not standard procedure when faced with design constraints. However, the implementation of the 3D model proved to be beneficial on multiple fronts and opened the door to more innovation surrounding 3D printing within the construction industry.


"The Medieval World Complete" re-creates one of the great ages of European civilization through a sequence of spectacular images accompanied by a lively, informed commentary. Ingeniously organized by topic and thoroughly cross-referenced, this all-embracing book enables the reader to explore and understand every facet of the Middle Ages, an era of breathtaking artistic achievement and of religious faith in a world where life was often coarse and cruel, cut short by war, famine and disease. Framed by chapters that outline the way the Middle Ages began and ended, the book consists of six sections encompassing religion and the Church, nations and law, daily life, art and architecture, scholarship and philosophy, and the world beyond Christendom. The book is completed by biographies of key personalities, from Charlemagne to Wycliffe, and timelines, maps, a glossary, gazetteer and bibliography.


We measure and model the dynamic temperature response of electrocaloric (EC) multilayer capacitors (MLCs) which have been recently highlighted as novel solid-state refrigerators. The MLC temperature responses depend on the operation voltage waveform, thus we consider three types of voltage waveforms, which include square, triangular, and trapezoidal. Further, to implement an effective refrigeration cycle, the waveform frequency and duty cycle should be carefully chosen. First, our model is fitted to the measurements to evaluate an effective EC power and thermal properties, and calculates an effective cooling power for an EC MLC. The prediction shows that for a MLC with a thermal relaxation time for cooling, trc, a square voltage waveform with a duty cycle of 0 < d ≤ 0.3 and a period of trc < P ≤ 1.4trc provides the maximum cooling power. This work will help to improve the implementing methods for EC refrigeration cycles.


Long before they came as occupiers, the British were drawn to the Middle East by the fabled riches of its trade and the enlightened tolerance of its people. The Pashas, merchants and travelers from Europe, discovered an Islamic world that was alluring, dynamic, and diverse. Ranging across two and a half centuries and through the great cities of Istanbul, Aleppo, and Alexandria, James Mather tells the forgotten story of the men of the Levant Company who sought their fortunes in the Ottoman Empire. Their trade brought to the region not only merchants but also ambassadors and envoys, pilgrims and chaplains, families and servants, aristocratic tourists and roving antiquarians. Unlike the nabobs who gathered their fortunes in Bengal, they both respected and learned from the culture they encountered, and their lives provide a fascinating insight into the meeting of East and West before the age of European imperialism. Intriguing, intimate, and original, "Pashas" brings to life an extraordinary tale of faraway visitors beguiled by a mysterious world of Islam.


Using echo sounders to detect gas plumes in seawater is common, especially in the context of hydrothermal circulation areas or gas hydrate-bearing cold seeps. To understand the distribution of gas plumes in the southernmost Okinawa Trough, we have conducted 13 cruises with a 38 kHz single-beam echo sounder (EK60). A total of 266 gas plumes of acoustic image, associated with the hydrothermal circulation, are detected. To estimate the near-seafloor bottom current speeds, 201 gas plumes are further used. As a result, the gas plumes around the axial depression of the Okinawa Trough generally tilt to the northeast at rising tides and high tides, suggesting a northeastward flow of the bottom current. However, the gas plumes in the Keelung continental slope tilt to the southwest at ebb tides and low tides, suggesting a southwestward flow of the bottom current. Our results significantly show a good estimation of the near-seafloor bottom currents from EK plume images in the case of lacking real observations. The directions of the bottom currents depend on semidiurnal tides. Assuming a quasi-constant speed of upward gas bubbles out of seabed, we have estimated the bottom current speeds in 6 hydrothermal circulation zones near the rifting center of the southernmost Okinawa Trough. The estimated bottom current speeds in submarine volcanic areas vary largely from 2 to 160 cm s-1, but bottom current speeds in relatively flat region are between 20 and 50 cm s-1. The large variation of the bottom current speeds in the submarine volcanic areas could be due to the variable emissions of the gases out of the submarine volcanic areas. Article history: Received 26 January 2019 Revised 2 July 2019 Accepted 7 July 2019


Measurements of cerebral spinal fluid pressure, arterial pressure, and internal carotid artery blood flow were obtained in a series of patients during a Valsalva maneuver. During straining (phase II), an 11% reduction in mean arterial pressure was associated with a 21 % decrease in internal carotid flow from control values; and following release (phase IV), the 19% increase in mean arterial pressure produced a 22% increase in internal carotid artery flow. Perfusion pressure computed as the mean arterial pressure minus cerebral spinal fluid pressure and internal carotid artery blood flow were used to calculate an index of cerebral vascular resistance. The data indicate that a modest but significant decrease in vascular resistance occurred during phases II and III followed by return to control levels during phase IV. These changes in vascular resistance were not rapid enough or of sufficient magnitude to maintain constant cerebral perfusion during the Valsalva maneuver. Stroke Vol 15, No I, 1984


Compiled by the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) in the US, the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology has impacted the field of educational technology in many important ways, since the 1990s. The third edition, published in 2008, in particular, provides the reader with more innovative content due to the collected efforts of its co-editors and a large team of contributing scholars. This article will focus on the third edition of the handbook by first outlining its overall structure and contents, and directing the reader to those arguments that stimulate the field most. It will then concentrate on a more in-depth discussion of a re-appraisal of the following two issues: the constructivist learning principles and the relationship between constructivist and engineering instructional design. The former is considered, in the third edition, as one of the two most important research discoveries, while the later is deemed as one of the four important developments in educational communications and technology in the past five years.


Orbita is a very important region as it is a frequent area of interest in plastic and reconstructive surgery for medical and cosmetic purposes. Detailed and accurate knowledge of anatomy of this region is crucial as the type of surgical procedure differs depending on the location of the pathology. Thus knowing the anatomy of the preseptal region and the orbita walls in details may help in choice of the operation technique of this region and provide better results.


The standard account in support of plea bargaining is that it reflects both likely trial and sentencing outcomes, but a growing literature explores the ways in which plea negotiations are influenced by factors other than the likelihood of conviction and the probable post-trial sentence. For example, structural factors such as limited pre-trial discovery, attorney self-interest and incompetence, pretrial detention, and determinate sentencing can affect the parties' willingness and power to negotiate. Several scholars have also observed the ways that psychological and cognitive factors, such as overconfidence, denial, information barriers, framing, anchoring, and risk aversion, can influence plea bargaining. Previous examinations of the influence of cognitive bias on plea bargaining have focused primarily on the decision making of defendants. This Article, a contribution to Marquette Law Review's symposium on plea bargaining, seeks to contribute an additional dimension to the understanding of plea bargaining dynamics by exploring influences on the decision making of prosecutors. A central tenet of plea bargaining is that prosecutors are willing to negotiate settlements to free up trial resources for other cases. Accordingly, the first step in this Article's exploration of prosecutorial decision making in plea bargaining is an examination of the factors that drive a prosecutor's prioritization of cases. Specifically, Part I argues that prosecutors prioritize cases in part by the amount of passion they feel in each case. Prosecutorial passion - how much a prosecutor "cares" about a case - is an undefined and unexplored factor in the current literature, and reflects subjective determinations beyond the strength of a case's evidence or its likely post-conviction sentence. Part II explores the ways that prosecutorial passion might affect plea bargaining. First, passion might create a conscious aversion to plea bargaining in prosecutors. Second, even when a passionate prosecutor believes she desires settlement, passion might trigger or exaggerate cognitive biases that will make settlement less likely, such as selective information processing, loss aversion, framing, overoptimism, hindsight bias, anchoring, and the sunk cost fallacy. Part III concludes with some brief thoughts regarding the implications of prosecutorial passion for plea bargaining reform.


Constrained and congested streets hinder accelerated transit service and the provision of protected space for cycling. Although bus rapid transit has proved effective at improving transit service in cities, the addition of a physical priority for transit must be balanced against competing needs for traffic flow and parking, particularly in areas with high levels of activity. On October 10, 2010, the New York City Transit Authority of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority—now known as MTA New York City Transit—and the New York City Department of Transportation implemented the M15 select bus service on First and Second Avenues. This bus rapid transit service generated a significant improvement to transit service in a constrained corridor and created space for safe bicycling facilities and pedestrian safety improvements, and all general traffic flow along the corridor was maintained. The M15 select bus service improved bus speed and reliability with proof-of-payment fare collection, new bus lanes, and improved bus lane treatments, including offset bus lanes (next to the parking lane). Passenger comfort and reliability were also enhanced through route simplification, improved scheduling, enhanced stations, and better customer information. The results have been noteworthy, with a 15% to 18% improvement in travel time and a 10% increase in corridor ridership. Cycling has also increased substantially along the corridor, on which new parking-protected bike lanes were installed as part of the project. These gains were achieved through close coordination with all corridor stakeholders, careful use of priority treatments on parts of the corridor, and the close working partnership between the New York City Department of Transportation and MTA New York City Transit.


CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Recent Developments III. The Takings Clause A. Fifth Amendment "Property" 1. Background Principles 2. Fractional Property B. Possessory Takings 1. General Rule 2. Rent Control C. Regulatory Takings 1. Economic Impact 2. Substantially Advancing Prong D. Unconstitutional Conditions 1. Discretionary Benefits and Relinquished Rights 2. Exactions 3. Individual Adjudicative Discretionary Actions E. Temporary vs Permanent Takings 1. Doctrinal Origins 2. Regulatory Delay IV. Due Process Clause A. The Theory of "Confiscation" 1. Modern Standard for Confiscation 2. Particular Problems in Confiscation B. Preference for Takings Analysis V. Conclusion I. INTRODUCTION Housing is one of the necessities of life. (1) It also comprises a large share of most Americans' disposable income. Unlike other consumables, competition in supply and demand does not result in effective market restrictions on price. First, there is a limited supply of housing. The limit is both natural (there is a finite amount of land) and artificial (zoning restrictions limit housing supply). Second, consumers of rental housing do not have the same market power as do consumers of other goods. This is principally because substituting one product or brand for another, say at lease renewal time, exacts a high transaction cost--the considerable expense and inconvenience of relocating. Since rental housing is not fungible, each landlord is a demi-monopolist. (2) This is not meant as a pejorative, only to describe the owner's market power. The absence of a free market in rental housing (at least in an idealized sense) often leads to exploitation by housing providers. This is especially true in times of economic stress, when the nation's resources are devoted to more pressing needs (e.g., wartime), or during periods of high inflation and real estate speculation. It is during these times that government policy makers often consider restrictions on rent increases and other forms of tenant protection. (3) Of course, there are other means to overcome market inefficiencies in housing. Tax and cash subsidies can encourage housing production or assist with rent payments. Zoning incentives can do likewise. But federal and state governments are not as concerned with housing as they once were; the issue is currently perceived as one of local concern. As a result, municipalities are left holding the bag, so to speak, with a dwindling arsenal of regulatory means available to them in addressing housing shortages. Rent control is one of those still-remaining means. Rent controls were first enacted in the United States during World War I. Since then, the Supreme Court has considered the constitutionality of rent control at least a dozen times, upholding the challenged law on every occasion save one. (4) It is somewhat remarkable that even during periods of extraordinary judicial protection of property rights, rent control laws have nonetheless survived. This was true in the Lochner era, (5) as well as during the modern resurgence of property rights activism, at least at the Supreme Court. Despite long-standing judicial acceptance of rent regulation, the attack on rent control has been unrelenting. For some reason, rent control triggers greater emotional and ideological opposition than do most other forms of economic regulation. Virtually every constitutional theory has been tried. Most challenges are based on the takings and due process clauses, but the contracts clause (6) and even the first (7) and thirteenth amendments (8) and equal protection (9) have made their way into the opinions. Creative statutory claims have also been mounted, such as the argument that rent control is an illegal form of price fixing. …


Supporters claim that entrepreneurship is critical to building and sustaining the regional economies of urban and rural areas across the nation. Proponents argue that economic development practices that enhance and support entrepreneurship are essential because they cultivate innovation which, in turn, creates new jobs, new wealth, and a better quality of life. However, South Carolina's real self-employed per capita income has decreased over the last decade. This downward trend highlights the need to examine the drivers of entrepreneurial income. The income of self-employed workers, as opposed to the number of self-employed, is critical to economic development because a major goal of economic policy is to increase incomes not just employment. Identifying and quantifying the personal, cultural, and economic factors that influence self-employed income provides policy makers with another tool to enhance economic development policies. This study uses data from the American Community Survey for South Carolina in both an ordinary regression approach and a quantile regression approach to investigate the relationship between individual entrepreneurial income and individual personal attributes, social/institutional assets available to the entrepreneur, and the regional economic environment the entrepreneur operates within. Personal attributes, such as education and sex, and the importance of self-employed income to total family income are significant variables in explaining income variation among self-employed individuals.


A wide variety of farm household models have provided a valuable theoretical basis for empirical and conceptual analysis of interactions between production and consumption resource allocations of poor rural people. A weakness of common applications of many such models, and unfortunately of much analysis, is failure to routinely also recognise and adequately describe the fundamental seasonal nature of most agricultural production and the effects of pervasive seasonal finance market failures on poor rural people's behaviour and welfare. This is despite considerable theoretical work demonstrating the importance of seasonal financial market failures as constraints on agricultural development. A general model recognising this is presented, with graphical applications showing the potential importance of seasonal finance constraints on farm households' behaviour and welfare. Formal methods for allowing for the effects of seasonal finance constraints on household responses to policy and other change should be standard tools used by applied rural development economists.


The impact of absorbing aerosols on climate is complex, with their potential positive or negative forcing, depending on many factors, including their height distribution and reflective properties of the underlying background. Measurement data is very limited, due to insufficient remote sensing methods dedicated to the retrieval of their vertical distribution. Columnar values of absorbing aerosol optical depth (AAOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA) are retrieved by the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). However, the number of available results is low due to sky condition and aerosol optical depth (AOD) limitation. Presented research describes results of field campaigns in Strzyżów (South-East Poland, Eastern Europe) dedicated to the comparison of the absorption coefficient and SSA measurements performed with on-ground in-situ devices (aethalomter, nephelometer), small unmanned aerial system (UAS) carrying micro-aethalometer, as well as with lidar/ceilometer. An important aspect is the comparison of measurement results with those delivered by AERONET. Correlation of absorption to scattering coefficients measured on ground (0.79) and correlation of extinction on ground to AOD measured by AERONET (0.77) was visibly higher than correlation between AOD and AAOD retrieved by AERONET (0.56). Columnar SSA was weakly correlated with ground SSA (higher values of columnar SSA), which were mainly explained by hygroscopic effects, increasing scattering coefficient in ambient (wet conditions), and partly high uncertainty of SSA retrieval. AAOD derived with the use of profiles from UAS up to PBL height, was estimated to contribute in average to 37% of the total AAOD. A method of AAOD estimation, in the whole troposphere, with use of measured vertical profiles of absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient profiles from lidars was proposed. AAOD measured with this method has poor correlation with AERONET data, however for some measurements, within PBL, AAOD was higher than reported by AERONET, suggesting potential underestimation in photometric measurement under particular conditions. Correlation of absorption coefficient in profile to on ground measurements decrease with altitude. Measurements of SSA from drones agree well with ground measurements and are lower than results from AERONET, which suggests a larger contribution of absorbing aerosols. As an alternative for AAOD estimation in case of lack of AERONET AAOD data simple models are proposed, which base on AOD scaling with SSA measured with different methods. Proposed solution increase potential of absorption coefficient measurements in vertical profiles and columns of the atmosphere. Presented solutions make measurements of absorption coefficients in vertical profiles more affordable and allow rough estimation of columnar values for the whole atmosphere.


Based on planktonic foraminifera, inoceramids and echinoids, we present a detailed biostratigraphic analysis of the Abderaz Formation at the 606 m thick Padeha section, NE Iran. This sequence consists mainly of gray shales and marls with four levels of chalky limestones intercalated. The lower boundary of the Abderaz Formation with the Aitamir Formation is a paraconformity, while the upper boundary with the Abtalkh Formation represents a gradual transition. Fifty four species of planktonic foraminifera from 15 genera were identified, and five zones were recognized, namely: Whiteinella archaeocretacea (Bolli) Partial-Range-Zone; Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica (Sigal) Total-Range-Zone; Marginotruncana schneegansi (Dalbiez) Interval-Range-Zone; Dicarinella concavata (Brotzen) Interval-Range-Zone; and Dicarinella asymetrica (Sigal) Total-Range-Zone. Based on these data, the age of the Abderaz Formation is determined as earliest Turonian to earliest Campanian. Inoceramid bivalves Cremnoceramus walterdorfensis walterdorfensis (Andert) and Cremnoceramus deformis deformis (Meek) were identified in the uppermost Turonian and in the middle part of the early Coniacian, respectively. Echinocorys ex. gr. scutata and Cordiceramus sp. were recorded near the Coniacian/Santonian boundary.


This paper aims to be a compendium on the significance of images as an effective mediator in communication. The research work has resulted from the assumption that it is possible to think of the image as an intrinsically ethical mediator in communication. It has been amply demonstrated that the use of images can reach a level within a communication that is inherently ethical, able to take effective account of an otherness. There cannot exist, in this sense, a communication that is not an appeal, a search for the other, inside this kind of exchange, with full respect of the other's essence. A communication that makes use of images in an ethical manner will also be more immediate and certainly more effective. In order to address these issues, this paper's investigation has been deepened with the semiotics bibliography of French essayist Roland Barthes, with particular reference to those essays concerning a kind of poetics of the punctum, an analysis in relation to those images that are able to disrupt the relationship between observer and observed.


Introduction. A partially stratified estuary is defined as one which possesses a quite definite longitudinal salinity gradient from the mouth to the head of the estuary, but only a very weak vertical or transverse salinity structure. For an estuary to exhibit such characteristics it must possess a source of fresh water near the head of the estuary, sufficient vertical mixing to overcome the potential energy associated with such a fresh water inflow and be very much longer than its width to reduce transverse variations. If the estuary is very shallow (a few meters) then wind generated turbulence is often sufficient to eliminate most or all the vertical structure. Deeper, or very sheltered, estuaries require additional strong tidal shears to break up the vertical density gradients. However, in both cases the mixing is usually not sufficient to completely homogenize the estuary longitudinally and it is found that these estuaries display a near linear salinity gradient along the principle axis of the estuary throughout most of the spring and summer months. Such a density gradient drives a gravitational circulation within the estuary which leads to a net transport of salt from the sea mouth to the head of the estuary. Two dimensional theories (see for instance Rat tray and Mitsuda (1974)) have been established, but In general these greatly underestimate the longitudinal transport found in such estuaries and three dimensional circulation effects must be considered. Fischer (1972) was the first to recognise this fact and he carried out a first order analysis which pointed to a greatly increased longitudinal dispersion. However, Fischer (1972) carried out his analysis only to first order, not explaining how the transverse pressure field, set up by the first order velocity field convecting the longitudinal density gradient, is balanced. It is the purpose of this paper to give a rigorous foundation to Fischer's (1972) hypothesis that it is the transverse variations in velocity which yield the greatest contribution to any longitudinal transport of the density or any passive pollutant. Furthermore, the presented theory is applied to a local Western Australian estuary which is ideally suited for such a comparison complying strictly to the assumptions of the theory.


Background: Recent evidence-based guidelines expanded the definition of appropriate candidates for the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). We investigated correlates of evidence-based selection of candidates for the LNG-IUS by physicians who offer insertion. Methods: We conducted a mixed-mode (online and mail) survey of practicing family physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists in Seattle. Results: A total of 269 physicians responded to the survey (44% response rate). Of the 217 respondents who inserted intrauterine devices, half or fewer routinely recommended the LNG-IUS to women who are nulliparous, younger than 20 years old, or have a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In multivariable analyses, training/resident status was positively associated with recommending the LNG-IUS to women <20 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6–8.0) and women with history of STI (aOR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.6–8.4). Perceived risk of infection or infertility was negatively associated with recommending the LNG-IUS to nulliparous women (aOR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1–0.5) and women with a history of STI (aOR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1–0.8). Conclusions: Many family physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists who insert the LNG-IUS are overly restrictive in selecting candidates, although those who train residents are more likely to follow evidence-based guidelines. Interventions that address negative bias and perceptions of risks, in addition to improving knowledge, are needed to promote wider use of the LNG-IUS.


Abstract This paper describes a longitudinal case study detailing the communication profile of one child with both Williams syndrome (WS) and autism. The participant was administered two standardized assessments of language and general cognitive abilities. His parents completed the Pre-Verbal Communication Schedule; and a sample of the child's spontaneous interaction was analyzed. The results show that this child presents with markedly delayed language and communication skills and that his communication profile is the opposite of the assumed 'typical' WS profile. The conclusion is that clinicians need to be aware of the co-occurrence of genetic disorders, such as WS and autism in order to facilitate accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Keywords: Williams syndrome, case study, language, communication, autism Background Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder which affects 1 in 25,000 to 50,000 live births and results from a microdeletion on chromosome 7 affecting one of the alleles of the elastin gene (Korenberg, Chen, Hirota et al., 2000). The early literature describing language and cognitive characteristics of individuals with WS claimed that these individuals have intact language abilities in the face of moderate to severe cognitive deficits (Bennett, La Veck and Sells, 1978; Arnold, Yule and Martin, 1985; Bellugi, Marks, Bihrlie, & Sabo, 1988). However, subsequent research has shown that the language abilities of individuals with WS are not intact and that they are in line with other cognitive abilities rather than being dissociated from them (Karmiloff-Smith, Grant, Berthoud, Davis, Howlin & Udwin, 1997; Grant, Valian and Karmiloff-Smith, 2002; Pagon, Bennet, La Veck, Stewart & Johnson, 1987; Stojanovik, Perkins & Howard 2004). Good social communication skills in individuals with WS have been reported (Jones, Bellugi, Lai, Chiles, Reilly, Lincoln & Adolphs, 2000). Indeed, Jones et al. (2000) argued that superior social-communication skills distinguish this population from other developmental disorders, such as Down syndrome and autism. Recently, however, Laws & Bishop (2004) and Stojanovik (2006) reported pragmatic language impairment and social deficits in children and young adults with WS, which suggests that social skills in WS may not be as 'good' as previously reported. It has also been shown that infants and toddlers with WS pass through atypical trajectories in the development of language and cognition. Referential word production precedes referential pointing; and fast mapping of novel objects appears prior to exhaustive sorting, which is the opposite of what happens in typical development (Mervis & Bertrand, 1997). Paterson, Brown, Gsodl et al., (1999) also reported that infants and toddlers with WS go through an atypical learning trajectory with regard to language and numeracy. Moreover, Laing et al. (2002) reported that children with WS differ significantly from typical peers in their development of critical prelinguistic communication skills. For example, they demonstrate different patterns of initiating joint attention and requests, and they do not produce any declarative pointing even after they have acquired their first words. Mervis et al. (2003) described two studies in which they found unusual looking pattern in infants and toddlers with WS. Study 1 included one infant with WS who was compared to a group of typically developing infants in a triadic interaction. The infant with WS spent significantly more time looking at the mother's face than did the typically developing infants. In study 2, several infants with WS were compared to typically developing children, also during triadic interactions, but this time involving a stranger instead of their mother. The infants with WS were found to spend approximately 70% of their time looking at the stranger's face. The second study was not video-recorded or coded, however the conclusion was that the infants with WS showed a stronger preference for looking at faces than objects. …


Computer simulation techniques have been used to study the effect of gross vehicle weight and other design and operating factors on fuel consumption and fuel utilization of articulated vehicles. Vehicles were classified by gross vehicle weight and body type. For each class a representative vehicle was selected and its fuel consumption and fuel utilization were calculated over a representative duty cycle. In addition, plausible modifications were made to vehicle and engine design and operating parameters. The effect of these changes was evaluated. The results show that some gross vehicle weight configurations above the present legal limit of 32.5 tonne can yield improvements in fuel efficiency provided that existing load factors are maintained. If a fleet were composed of vehicles on 5 axles at 38 or 40 tonne gross weight these fuel savings might be gained without causing additional road damage, if the fourth power law relating road damage to axle weight is applied. The use of vehicles on 4 axles at 36 tonne gross weight and on 5 axles at 44 tonne gross weight would increase road damage. Single-drive configurations are 4 to 5 per cent more fuel efficient than double-drive configurations. An example of a package of possible economy measures has been shown to give 18 per cent improvement, which includes the construction of lighter tractive units and trailers, reductions in aerodynamic drag using a low governed speed engine matched to a suitable transmission and the use of a demand actuated cooling fan. /Author/TRRL/


ISSUE ADDRESSED
To examine factors associated with preventing regular smoking among Aboriginal adolescents.

METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of data from 106 Aboriginal adolescents aged 12-17, and their caregivers, from four Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in urban New South Wales, 2008-12. The relation of individual, social, environmental and cultural factors to having 'never' smoked tobacco regularly was examined using Poisson regression.

RESULTS
Overall, 83% of adolescents had never smoked regularly; 13 reported current and 5 past smoking. Most lived in smoke-free homes (60%) despite 75% reporting at least one current smoker caregiver. Participants were significantly more likely to have never smoked regularly if they had good mental health (PR=1.4, 95% CI:1.1-1.9), their mother as their primary caregiver (1.3, 1.0-1.6), good family relationships (1.2, 1.0-1.5), stable housing (1.3, 1.1-1.7), had never used alcohol (1.8, 1.3-2.4), were not sexually active (3.1, 1.3- 7.2) and had no criminal justice interactions (1.8, 1.2-2.8).

CONCLUSIONS
Most participants lived in smoke-free homes and the vast majority had never smoked regularly. Promoting good mental health and strengthening social connections may be protective against smoking as those experiencing less social disruption were more likely to have never smoked regularly. Smoking may be an indicator of psychosocial conditions and a prompt for screening and simultaneous treatment. SO WHAT?: Organisations should be resourced to deliver holistic adolescent health promotion programs. Programs and policies should support positive family relationships and stable housing as this may protect against the uptake of regular smoking.


State and federal reforms of the 1990s transformed the U.S. cash assistance program for single parents and their children. Despite an extensive literature examining these changes and their impacts, there have been few studies that consider the effects of these reforms from the perspective of the recent period. The analysis here focuses on the characteristics and employment of welfare recipients in Maryland and Missouri, 1991-2004. We find that there has been only modest change in the observable characteristics of those entering, remaining on or leaving welfare, but the importance of employment has grown for each of these groups. We also examine the dynamics of employment and welfare recidivism, comparing cohorts of leavers prior to and after welfare reform. We find that after welfare reform leavers are much more likely to be working. Although in Maryland those working have earnings that are somewhat below employed leavers prior to reform, in Missouri earnings for employed leavers are unchanged. In both states, the types of jobs leavers hold have not changed substantially, and leavers are less likely to return to welfare following reform.


Based on prior mine vehicle studies of operators' exposure to whole-body vibration, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated four seat designs on mine haulage vehicles, with regard to roadway-induced jarring/jolting and operator comfort. Investigators collected objective and subjective data from vehicle operators on two existing and two NIOSH seat designs. This study included time and frequency response data using accelerometers and a data recorder, operator perceptions of jarring/jolting and discomfort levels using a linear visual analogue scale, and data from a questionnaire developed for this study. Results from the analysis of subjective data show that operators generally favoured the NIOSH-designed seats over the existing seats. The results of analyses from the absorbed power method and the threshold limit method, based on ISO 2631-1 (ISO, 1985), support the premise that NIOSH seat designs are superior to the existing vehicle seat designs on both models of mine shuttle cars used in the study. The NIOSH seat designs, featuring viscoelastic foam padding, were more effective in reducing vibration energy for operators exposed to vehicle jarring/jolting. In this paper, the performances of the NIOSH and existing seat designs are compared relative to the operator's exposure to vehicle vibration (mainly jarring/jolting).


The Russian pentameter is historically associated with the English and German traditions, but typologically it has with some justice been compared to the French decasyllable. The present article analyzes the structure and cultural context of Russian pentameter and examines in detail the use of caesura in a small corpus of iambic pentameter poems by Afanasy Fet. It is shown that the use of caesura correlates with patterns of word stress. In particular, the appearance of caesuraed lines in poems in which caesura is relatively weak correlates with the stress patterns of the lines in question: caesuraed lines are less heavily stressed than uncaesuraed ones, a correlation that theoretically should promote equalization of line length across the text. Russian poetry has a general tendency to promote equality of line length, and the intrusion of occasional I6 lines into I5 texts, a phenomenon known in many Russian I5 poems, can be viewed as a related strategy for handling ragged I5 lines.


The intensity of light radiated from a fiber-optic light tap is observed to depend sensitively on the phase difference between LP(01) and LP(02) modes in a few-mode fiber. This observation is used to design a novel dual-mode interferometer in which light loss through the light tap is monitored, eliminating the need for a bulky spatial filter at the exit end of the fiber. Application of the device as an interferometric temperature sensor is described.


Limits on the storage space or the computation time restrict the applicability of model predictive controllers (MPC) in many real problems. Currently available methods either compute the optimal controller online or derive an explicit control law. In this paper we introduce a new approach combining the two paradigms of explicit and online MPC to overcome their individual limitations. The algorithm computes a piecewise affine approximation of the optimal solution that is used to warm-start an active set linear programming procedure. A preprocessing method is introduced that provides hard real-time, stability and performance guarantees for the proposed controller. By choosing a combination of the quality of the approximation and the number of online active set iterations the presented procedure offers a tradeoff between the warm-start and online computational effort. We show how the problem of identifying the optimal tradeoff for a given set of requirements on online computation time, storage and performance can be solved. Finally, we demonstrate the potential of the proposed warm-start procedure on a numerical example.


This letter presents a simple model of induction machines able to appraise the induction generator effect of the subsynchronous resonance phenomenon. The proposed model is general and can be applied to induction machines utilized in wind power applications, such as doubly-fed induction generators. A rigorous stability analysis is carried out based on the proposed model. This analysis shows that the induction generator effect leads to a Neimark–Sacker bifurcation.


Birch plywood has favorable mechanical properties that could be used in new types of connections for timber structures, and thus enable a substitution of the current system with steel plates. Such new connections could result in significant advantages in terms of environmental impact and economy as well as ease of prefabrication and mountability. However, there is a lack of data concerning some of the mechanical properties of birch plywood that would be necessary in order to perform a safe design. In particular, there is a lack of reliable data and understanding of the mechanical properties of birch plywood in directions other than along and perpendicular to the face grain. The aim of this thesis is to gain new knowledge about this anisotropy and to study the variation of the in-plane mechanical properties of birch plywood at different loading angles to the face grain, including effects of size and moisture changes. The goal is that this knowledge will serve as input for the design of birch plywood connections under various loading conditions in timber structures. Specifically, birch plywood specimens were laboratory tested in in-plane tension, compression, shear and bending. The results show that birch plywood possesses the highest tensile, compressive and bending strength and elastic modulus parallel to the face grain and the lowest ones at 45° to the face grain. The opposite findings were noticed for the shear strength and the shear modulus. Moreover, a size effect on the in-plane bending strength property was observed at 0° (parallel) and 90° (perpendicular) to the face grain but not at other angles, which is attributed to the different failure mechanisms. In addition, the increase of moisture leads to the decreased bending strength and elastic modulus in the hygroscopic range. Validated by the experimental work, both analytical and numerical models to predict the mechanical performance of birch plywood under different load conditions and various moisture contents are proposed.


This Article analyzes the "TurboTax defense" under section 6664(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Article addresses the issue of whether reliance on computer tax software may be permitted as reasonable cause in good faith exempting taxpayers from the accuracy-related penalty of section 6662(a). It suggests (1) the courts have missed an opportunity to clarify when a TurboTax defense is justifiable, (2) the software companies, in conjunction with the IRS, should work together to promote a more equitable, efficient, and effective use of computer tax software, (3) the Treasury should promulgate detailed guidelines or regulations establishing when a TurboTax defense can be used by an individual taxpayer, (4) the IRS should consider offering taxpayers the option of assessing their tax due or refund owing, and (5) the current informal partnership between the software companies and the IRS should be critically assessed to address advances in software technology and increasing taxpayer reliance on commercial tax preparation software.


BACKGROUND
Chronic pelvic pain in adolescents accounts for 10% of outpatient gynecology visits, and 70% of adolescent patients whose pelvic pain is unresponsive to initial therapy have endometriosis. To date, there has been no published research investigating the use of acupuncture for adolescents with chronic pelvic pain and/or endometriosis.

METHODS
This paper presents two case reports describing the impact of a course of acupuncture on adolescent girls with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain of more than 1 year.

RESULTS
Both patients, undergoing between 9 and 15 treatments over a 7- to 12-week period, experienced modest improvement in pain as measured by oral self-reports of pain on a scale from 1 to 10, as well as self or family-reported improvement in headaches, nausea and fatigue. No adverse effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONS
These case reports provide preliminary evidence that acupuncture may be an acceptable and safe adjunct treatment therapy for some adolescents with endometriosis-related pelvic pain refractory to standard antiendometriosis therapies. These observations suggest that a prospective, randomized controlled trial of the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for this population may be warranted.


This essay explains the constitutional basis of Joseph Fishkin and William Forbath's recent call for an "Anti-Oligarchy Constitution" and a "Constitution of Opportunity." Fishkin and Forbath correctly argue that one cannot separate democracy and political freedom from a nation's political economy. They contend that public officials have a political duty to promote an inclusive and broad-based middle class, because economic independence is crucial to preserve democratic self-government.These claims are modern-day versions of a very old idea in the American constitutional tradition. This is the requirement of republican government, a basic principle of American constitutionalism that not only undergirds several different parts of the constitutional text but also has deep roots in the ideals of the founding generation.I describe several key features of republicanism and how a commitment to a republican political economy flows from them. Republican ideals like equal citizenship and opposition to oligarchy and aristocracy remain important and relevant in the twenty-first century, but inevitably they must take new forms. Because of what I have called "ideological drift," opponents of oligarchy and aristocracy in one generation are often co-opted into becoming the defenders of new forms in later years. And because of ideological drift, older versions of anti-oligarchy rhetoric can be captured by new aristocracies and oligarchies to defend and entrench their interests.As time goes on, corruption finds ever-new ways of entering the political system, weakening the institutions and practices that secure civic equality and representative democracy. The causes of corruption are not simply human frailty and fallenness. They also arise from social, demographic, and technological changes. These alter the meanings and practical effects of older social arrangements, offering ever-new opportunities for attaining and entrenching power. Hence republicanism, if it is to have a coherent and enduring set of political commitments, cannot be identified with a fixed set of social and economic arrangements. Instead, every generation must reconsider the terms of the nation's political economy, and remain vigilant to deal with new threats to self-rule.


Nineteen species of jumping spiders of the family Salticidae are represented in material from the Brandberg survey in Namibia. Only two species have previously been recorded from Namibia. Eleven new species are described: Aelurillus mirabilis, Evarcha acuta, Habrocestum namibicum, Heliophanus montanus, Langona pilosa, L. vitiosa, Mashonarus brandbergensis, Pellenes tharinae, Phlegra karoo, Ph. Tenella and Pseudicius adustus. Menemerus insolidus Wesolowska, 1999, is transferred to the genus Icius and a new combination Icius insolidus is proposed; the first description of the male of the species is also given.


Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and microtubule-associated serine threonine kinase 2 (MAST2) are key negative regulators of survival pathways in neuronal cells. The two proteins interact via the PDZ (PSD-95, Dlg1, Zo-1) domain of MAST2 (MAST2-PDZ). During infection by rabies virus, the viral glycoprotein competes with PTEN for interaction with MAST2-PDZ and promotes neuronal survival. The C-terminal PDZ-binding motifs (PBMs) of the two proteins bind similarly to MAST2-PDZ through an unconventional network of connectivity involving two anchor points. Combining stopped-flow fluorescence, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), microcalorimetry and NMR, we document the kinetics of interaction between endogenous and viral ligands to MAST2-PDZ as well as the dynamic and structural effects of these interactions. Viral and PTEN peptide interactions to MAST2-PDZ occur via a unique kinetic step which involves both canonical C-terminal PBM binding and N-terminal anchoring. Indirect effects induced by the PBM binding include modifications to the structure and dynamics of the PDZ dimerization surface which prevent MAST2-PDZ auto-association. Such an energetic communication between binding sites and distal surfaces in PDZ domains provides interesting clues for protein regulation overall.


A novel alkaline lipase-producing strain 1–7 identified as Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was isolated from soil samples collected from Bohai Bay, China, using an olive oil alkaline plate, which contained olive oil as the sole carbon source. The lipase from strain 1–7 showed the maximum activity at pH 9.0 under 40 °C. One interesting feature of this enzyme is that it exhibits lipase activity over a broad range of temperatures and good stability. It is also stable at a broad range of pHs from 4.0 to 10.0 for 24 h. Its catalytic activity was highly enhanced in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+, but partially inhibited by Cu2+, Al3+, Fe3+, Ba2+and Zn2+. The fact that it displays marked stability and activity in the presence of TritonX-100, Tween-20, Tween-80, SDS, Hydrogen peroxide, Sodium perborate, Sodium hypochlorite, Sodium citrate, Sodium taurocholate, Glycerine and NaCl suggests that this lipase is suitable as an additive in detergent formulations.


Introduction: Vancouver9s Downtown Eastside (DTES) community, one of poorest locales in Canada, has shown to be high-risk for oral mucosal abnormalities, including oral cancer. From our previous study, this community not only exposes to high-risk factors but has also high incidence of oral cancer: one oral cancer patient identified in 150 screened dental patients. This is much higher comparing to the rest of Canada and the US (1:10,000). Studies have shown that regular dental care is related to early-staged oral cancer detection. Traditionally dentistry is within the private health sector and access to dental service can be challenging to the DTES residents. Objective: 1) To determine the frequency of oral cancer risk behaviors; 2) To explore the available social assistant program to dental care; 3) To assess the dental care service utilization and its potential barriers in the DTES. Methods: To increase access, mobile screening clinics are set up at 3 main gathering locations: Vancouver Native Health Society (VNHS), Women9s centre (WC) and LifeSkill9s Centre (LC). Eligibility includes those of age 18 or over, reside in DTES at least for the past 3 months, and are able to sign a consent to participate. Using person-to-person interview, questionnaires for demographics, risk behaviors, perceived dental health status, available health care assistance programs, and dental care service utilization are used collect data. The oral health status is obtained through dental and oral mucosal examination by a dentist and an oral pathologist respectively. Each participant is given an incentive package as well as a five dollar honorarium after completion of questionnaire and screening. Results: A total of 106 participants were screened through 3 mobile clinics at each centre (VNHS: 40; WC: 44; LS: 22). Participants are more female (57%), middle-aged (average age, 48.3 years), Aboriginal (65%), low-income (annual income ≤12000, 71%), and less educated (≤ grade 12, 57%). Many are heavy smokers (20 or more pack-years, 32%), heavy drinkers (male ≥ 3 units or female ≥ 2 units daily, 57%), and have high-risk behavior vulnerable to the human papillomavirus infection (≥ 6 oral sex partners, 27%). Their host immunity is compromised by the prevalence of HIV (41%) and Hepatitis C viral (42%) infection. One in two participants has never heard of oral cancer. Among 106 screened, 20% show oral mucosal abnormalities, including infection (N=11), trauma (N = 7), and potential premalignant conditions requiring further investigation (N=3). The majority (71%) is under coverage of limited assistance from Federal (51%) and/or Provincial government (20%) but only half of the participants (49%) used any dental services within the past 12 months. This is much less comparing to the national level (74%). For those having social assistance in dental care, the main barriers are cost or 'not enough insurance coverage' (28%), and not the priority (9%). Conclusion: The pilot data show that this is a community at high-risk for oral cancer. Regular screening is essential. How to use existing limited resources and raising awareness of oral cancer are vital for oral cancer prevention in this high-risk community. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):B20.


In this paper we present a wide area tracking system based on consumer hardware and available motion
capture modules and middleware. We are using multiple depth cameras for human pose tracking in order to increase the
captured space. Commercially available cameras can capture human movements in a non-intrusive way, while associated
software-modules produce pose information of a simplified skeleton model. We calibrate the cameras relatively to each
other to seamlessly combine their tracking data. Our design allows an arbitrary number of sensors to be integrated and used
in parallel over a local area network. This enables us to capture human movements in a large arbitrarily shaped area. In
addition we can improve motion capture data in regions, where the field of view of multiple cameras overlaps, by mutually
completing partly occluded poses. In various examples we demonstrate, how human pose data is being merged in order to
cover a wide area and how this data can easily be used for character animation in a virtual environment.


Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is an important cereal crop in Kenya. Despite the crops importance, the yields attained by farmers in Eastern, Coastal and Nyanza regions of Kenya remain low. Access to good quality seeds of sorghum is one of the constraints facing the subsistence farmers. Good quality seed is important for increasing yield to attain food security. The aim of this study was to evaluate quality attributes of the seed used by farmers. A total of 108 germplasm accessions were obtained from 76 farmers. The seeds were tested for time and percentage of germination, seed vigour index, shoot and root dry weight. Data collected was subjected to analysis of variance. Means were separated using Fisher's Least Significance Difference test at p ≤ 0.05. Seed samples of 26 accessions attained germination percentage below stipulated standards by Seeds and Plant Varieties Act CAP 326. Majority of seeds showed longer mean germination time with only nine accessions germinating in less than ten days. Seed vigour index was relatively high in most of the accessions, while biomass accumulation varied from high to very low among accessions. Though most of the seeds attained a high germination percentage, about 92% of seeds showed longer mean germination time. The environmental conditions in the fields, pre and post harvest handling practices impact on the seed quality hence the wide variability in germination percentage, germination time, seed vigour index and dry matter accumulation. Therefore the need to improve quality of seeds used by subsistence farmers by providing extension services on best pre and post harvest handling practices. Increasing production of sorghum in these regions will contribute significantly towards realizing food security. Further analysis could be carried out on genetic and sanitary quality aspects of the seeds planted by farmers in Eastern, Nyanza and Coastal regions.


Graph theory, as modern and young branches of mathematics, studies graphs which are abstract mathematical objects. The use of graph models for description or data structures is very common. Investigation of algorithms to solve problems using graph, is a very important part of computer science. The genetic algorithms represent a family of algorithms using some of genetic principles being present in nature, in order to solve particular computational problems. These natural principles are: inheritance, crossover, mutation, survival of the fittest, migrations and so on. The problems degree-limited graph of nodes considering the weight of the vertex or weight of the edges, with the aim to find the optimal weighted graph in terms of certain restrictions on the degree of the vertices in the subgraph. This class of combinatorial problems was extensively studied because of the implementation and application in network design, connection of networks and routing algorithms. It is likely that solution of MDBCS problem will find its place and application in these areas.


The current controversy over teaching evolution in the public schools has grabbed front-page headlines and topped news broadcasts all across the United States. "In the Beginning" investigates the movement that has ignited debate in state legislatures and at school board meetings. Reaching back to the origins of antievolutionism in the 1920s, and continuing to the promotion of intelligent design today, Michael Lienesch skillfully analyzes one of the most formidable political movements of the twentieth century. Applying extensive original sources and social movement theory, Lienesch begins with fundamentalism, describing how early twentieth-century fundamentalists worked to form a collective identity, to develop their own institutions, and to turn evolution from an idea into an issue. He traces the emerging antievolution movement through the 1920s, examining debates over Darwinism that took place on college campuses and in state legislatures throughout the country. With fresh insights and analysis, Lienesch retells the story of the 1925 Scopes "monkey" trial and reinterprets its meaning. In tracking the movement from that time to today, he explores the rise of creation science in the 1960s, the alliance with the New Christian Right in the 1980s, and the development of the theory of intelligent design in our own time. He concludes by speculating on its place in the politics of the twenty-first century. "In the Beginning" is essential for understanding the past, present, and future debates over the teaching of evolution.


We propose a novel method of quadrature demodulation with synchronous difference for suppressing noise in interferometric fiber-optic gyroscopes (IFOGs). For an IFOG with sine wave phase modulation, an in-phase result and a quadrature result are obtained simultaneously by coherent detection. Eigenfrequency modulation is used and a phase shift of 45° is set between the modulation signal and the reference signal, so that two results have the same expectation of amplitude but with opposite signs. A synchronous difference procedure is carried out for output, in which signals are added up and common noise between two results is eliminated. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that both short term noise and long term instability of the IFOG are reduced by this method. In experimental comparison with the traditional demodulation method on the same IFOG with a 1982 m fiber coil, this method reduces the bias drift from 0.040°/h to 0.004°/h.


We report a new proviverrine hyaenodontid creodont mammal, Boualitomus marocanensis, n.g., n.sp., from the earliest Eocene of Morocco, and provide new comments on Tinerhodon from the late Paleocene of Morocco. Aside from the autapomorphic loss of P/1, Boualitomus is characterized by a primitive morphology (e.g. M/3 subequal to M/2, short molar trigonid, narrow talonid, metaconid comparable to paraconid) which resembles most closely the proviverrine Prototomus. Boualitomus is more primitive than Prototomus, especially in its small size and the talonid of P/4 not being fully simplified, bearing at least two accessory cusps including a bulbous protostylid. These primitive features are remarkably reminiscent of Tinerhodon. The morphological relationship of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon supports the proviverrine affinity of the latter. Significant basal hyaenodontid synapomorphies of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon are the paraconid and paracristid development in M/1–3, anterior premolar morphology and occurrence of diastemata. Boualitomus and Tinerhodon throw new light upon the question of the origin of the Creodonta. Tinerhodon further fills the structural gap between Hyaenodontidae and primitive insectivore-like eutherians, and it provides additional data for the hypothesis of a didelphodontan origin for the Creodonta. The presence of cimolestids (as the stem-group of hyaenodontids) in the late Paleocene of Morocco, and the identification of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon as the most primitive and earliest known Hyaenodontidae, support an African origin of the family and its order.


Dummett's Manifestation Argument against realism attempts to show that a realist conception of meaning cannot explain the understanding of truth-conditions transcendent to evidence. In this work the general structure of the argument is discussed along with several objections to it. This examination finds that the anti-realist is committed to a deflationary conception of the normative character of meaning that is unpalatable. This essay contends that the argument in its present form cannot have the metaphysical consequences it claims (at least not without begging the question).


Differential capacitance versus potential and current density vs. potential measurements were used to determine the energetics and kinetics, respectively, of the interfacial electron-transfer processes of n-type ZnO electrodes in contact with aqueous solutions. The electron-transfer rate constant, ket, vs. driving force was investigated employing a series of non-adsorbing, one-electron, outer-sphere redox couples with formal reduction potentials spanning approximately 900 mV in the band-gap region. The data were well-fit by a parabola generated using classical Marcus theory with a reorganization energy, λ, of 0.67 eV. The dependence of ket on λ was determined using a series of compounds with similar formal reduction potentials, but reorganization energies that span approximately 1 eV. The interfacial electron-transfer rate constant decreases as the reorganization energy of the acceptor species increases and a plot of the logarithm of the electron-transfer rate constant vs. (λ+ΔG0'2/4λKBT is linear with a slope of ≈-1. Changes in solution pH were used to shift the band-edge positions of ZnO electrodes relative to solution-based electron acceptors having pH-independent redox potentials. This strategy allowed investigation of the pH-induced driving-force dependence of ket in the normal and inverted regions. It was further found that introduction of the tert-butyl functionality on osmium tris-bipyridyl decreased the self-exchange rate constant, determined from NMR line-broadening measurements, by a factor of 50 and the interfacial electron-transfer rate constant by 100, compared to that of the analogous methyl-substituted complex. The results indicate that the tert-butyl group can act as a spacer on an outer-sphere redox couple to significantly decrease the electronic coupling of the electron-transfer reaction both in self-exchange and interfacial electron-transfer processes. Methyl-terminated, n-type, (111)-oriented Si surfaces in contact with an electron acceptor having a pH-independent redox potential were used to verify that the band edges of the modified Si electrode were fixed with respect to changes in solution pH. These results, taken together, provide strong evidence that interfacial electron-transfer rate constants at semiconductor electrodes are in excellent agreement with the predictions of a Marcus-type model of interfacial electron-transfer reactions.


Abstract This article reports on research which seeks to compare and measure the similarities between phonetic transcriptions in the analysis of relationships between varieties of English. It addresses the question of whether these varieties have been converging, diverging, or maintaining equilibrium as a result of endogenous and exogenous phonetic and phonological changes. We argue that it is only possible to identify such patterns of change by the simultaneous comparison of a wide range of varieties of a language across a data set that has not been specifically selected to highlight those changes that are believed to be important. Our analysis suggests that although there has been an obvious reduction in regional variation with the loss of traditional dialects of English and Scots, there has not been any significant convergence (or divergence) of regional accents of English in recent decades, despite the rapid spread of a number of features such as TH-fronting.


Syria is almost unique among Arab states in that the only variant of political Islam to be found here is state–sanctioned. This paper observes how the trends, tendencies and central figures of political Islam in Syria have positioned themselves with regard to relations with Europe, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and European Neighbourhood Policy. Based on a series of (anonymous) interviews with both 'independent' and more government-linked sources, Salam Kawakibi traces the evolution of political Islam in Syria, the growth of civil society agitation and the revival of practices of faith in this country. No party, no organisation and no individual within the country can claim to be both a representative of political Islam and independent, states this author in exile.


This paper presents an analysis of the Red River Delta (RRD) water control system. In order to get a better understanding of the current situation, the paper starts with a description of the changes to the technical and organisational framework of the RRD over the last 30 years. The results of the investigation conducted at the level of a primary hydraulic unit are presented, information on local dynamics are provided and the participation of each concerned actor, from central to local level, is detailed. A comparison with the general findings from a broad range of studies shows that there is not such a big difference between current and design pumping capacity as was generally thought. Management state agencies decreased their irrigation capacity but the gap was filled by the development of local pumping stations, managed by localities. It seems that rather than a question of the age of the pumping stations and the lack of investment devoted to hydraulics, management difficulties are due to inappropriate recognition and an unequal capacity for negotiation of each involved actor.