The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) (MPB) has infested and killed millions of hectares of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm) forests in British Columbia, Canada, over the past decade. It is now spreading out of its native range into the Canadian boreal forest, with unknown social, economic and ecological consequences. This review explores the ramifications of the MPB epidemic with respect to mid-term timber supply, forest growth, structure and composition, vegetation diversity, forest fire, climate change, and ecosystem resilience. Research confirms that, in British Columbia, all of these variables are more significantly impacted when salvage logging is used as management response to the outbreak. We conclude that appropriate management in response to MPB is essential to ensuring ecologically resilient future forests and reliable mid-term timber supplies for affected human communities. We highlight knowledge gaps and avenues for research to advance our understanding in support of sustainable post-disturbance forest management policies in British Columbia and elsewhere.


One of the main preconditions of the effective prevention of crimes, committed by persons who previously committed a crime, is a full and detailed official statistical reports, reliable sources of data and another sorts of information which reflects situation. There are a lot of problems closely connected with that sphere and accordingly some ways to improve it in Lithuania. The informative supply of recidivism prevention has to contain three levels of information: social information (social, economical, population statistics, culture); special social information about an ex-prisoners social adaptation in society (by sex, by age, able-bodied persons, state of health, economic conditions, financial position, living space and other); criminal law and criminology information (primary crime, punishment, characteristic of crime committers and convicted persons). Three levels of information like a system are necessary for effectual secondary crime prevention. At this moment in Lithuania there is no system of information about an ex-prisoners adaptation in society and their further crime prevention.


Deep neural network (DNN) model compression for efficient on-device inference is becoming increasingly important to reduce memory requirements and keep user data on-device. To this end, we propose a novel differentiable k-means clustering layer (DKM) and its application to train-time weight clustering-based DNN model compression. DKM casts k-means clustering as an attention problem and enables joint optimization of the DNN parameters and clustering centroids. Unlike prior works that rely on additional regularizers and parameters, DKM-based compression keeps the original loss function and model architecture fixed. We evaluated DKM-based compression on various DNN models for computer vision and natural language processing (NLP) tasks. Our results demonstrate that DKM delivers superior compression and accuracy trade-off on ImageNet1k and GLUE benchmarks. For example, DKM-based compression can offer 74.5% top-1 ImageNet1k accuracy on ResNet50 DNN model with 3.3MB model size (29.4x model compression factor). For MobileNet-v1, which is a challenging DNN to compress, DKM delivers 63.9% top-1 ImageNet1k accuracy with 0.72 MB model size (22.4x model compression factor). This result is 6.8% higher top-1accuracy and 33% relatively smaller model size than the current state-of-the-art DNN compression algorithms. Additionally, DKM enables compression of DistilBERT model by 11.8x with minimal (1.1%) accuracy loss on GLUE NLP benchmarks.


The article contains the analysis of modern approaches to determining the limits of the electromagnetic field of radio frequencies. The international discussion about the safe limits of electromagnetic radiation has been going on for half a century. In the 21st century, the national policy of electromagnetic safety is determined by the socio-economic priorities of countries and national legal principles of evidence of harm to health to a greater extent, than scientific data. There are three main approaches to determining the limits of electromagnetic fields. The Anglo-Saxon approach is based on the principle of passive regulation, i.e. using the recommended values of the permissible level of the electromagnetic field. The Soviet-Russian approach is based on establishing the maximum permissible level of the electromagnetic field, which guarantees no harm to present and future generations. The term of the maximum permissible level is historically associated with the concept of the priority of the nervous system responses to the influence of the electromagnetic factor. The state assumes responsibility for the scientific justification of the limit levels and implements the control functions for their observance, which allows excluding any harm to health. The third approach is based on the precautionary principle, the concept of which was first introduced in German law. It is aimed at preventing harm, in the absence of unambiguous, reliable scientific data and, in fact, it is a socially-oriented approach that takes into account social consensus in the context of the development of new technologies. Respectively, this approach implies strict maximum permissible levels (technically achievable), as well as a system of formal restrictions on placement of the electromagnetic field sources in the "susceptible" territories. Separately from the above approaches, a method of managing the safety of the electromagnetic environment in China has been formed: since 2015, electromagnetism has been fully attributed to environmental factors and is controlled by the Ministry of environmental protection. China has abandoned the hygienic regulation of the anthropogenic electromagnetic field, and the system, for establishing and monitoring the electromagnetic environment indices, combines elements of all three mentioned above approaches.


In response to a range of objectives outlined in Tertiary Education Strategies and the recommendations of work-parties around the use of information and communication technologies the New Zealand Ministry of Education has funded a range of open, flexible and networked learning research, developmental and implementation projects since 2003. The principle underlying these projects is that the smart use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) will provide learners with a greater choice as to where, when and how they learn. As a leading vocational education provider the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) recognised that conventional models of education, solely dependent upon physical attendance at scheduled face-to-face sessions, may no longer suit every educational situation, the needs of individual learners or the desires of local communities. It was clear that "flexibility" was a concept Wintec should consider in fulfilling their obligations of providing high quality learning experiences to their learners. During a review of Wintec's flexible delivery maturity a pictorial framework, A.C.E, was developed firstly, to guide the introduction of flexible learning activities undertaken within the institution and secondly, to provide a diagrammatic overview to increase institutional awareness of "flexibility". The A.C.E. framework is based on the three As, Cs, and Es, the constituent parts of the framework are: The 3As: Awareness (participants reflect upon the existing educational capacity and capability), Action (activities are generated providing guidance for e-learning implementations) and Accomplishment (the impact of implementations are measured). The 3Cs: Context (factors shaping and influencing perceptions), Content (factors influencing direction and focus) and Capability (factors shaping participant confidence and understanding). The 3Es: Enabled (initiatives can be measured by how they have enabled users to participate), Engaged (initiatives can be measured by how they have initiated and maintained engagement) and Empowered (initiatives can be measured by how they have ensured capability of participation). Using the A.C.E framework a pictorial diagram has been produced firstly, to guide the introduction of flexible learning in teaching and learning and the provision of support services in the institution and secondly, to provide a diagrammatic overview to increase institutional awareness of flexible learning. This invited presentation explored how the ACE Framework could be used by a range of organisations.


Crash warning systems have been deployed in the high-end vehicle market segment for some time and are trickling down to additional motor vehicle industry segments each year. The motorcycle segment, however, has no deployed crash warning system to date. With the active development of next generation crash warning systems based on connected vehicle technologies, this study explored possible interface designs for motorcycle crash warning systems and evaluated their rider acceptance and effectiveness in a connected vehicle context. Four prototype warning interface displays covering three warning mode alternatives (auditory, visual, and haptic) were designed and developed for motorcycles. They were tested on-road with three connected vehicle safety applications - intersection movement assist, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning - which were selected according to the most impactful crash types identified for motorcycles. It showed that a combination of warning modalities was preferred to a single display by 87.2% of participants and combined auditory and haptic displays showed considerable promise for implementation. Auditory display is easily implemented given the adoption rate of in-helmet auditory systems. Its weakness of presenting directional information in this study may be remedied by using simple speech or with the help of haptic design, which performed well at providing such information and was also found to be attractive to riders. The findings revealed both opportunities and challenges of visual displays for motorcycle crash warning systems. More importantly, differences among riders of three major motorcycle types (cruiser, sport, and touring) in terms of riders' acceptance of a crash warning interface were revealed. Based on the results, recommendations were provided for an appropriate crash warning interface design for motorcycles and riders in a connected vehicle environment.


Problem statement: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by not fully reversible progressing bronchial obstruction connected to abnormal inflammatory response to adverse particles or gases. The consequences are grave. Research Questions: Is there a connection between the perception of the quality of life and COPD determinants? Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of life of patients with COPD in connection to the gravity of the disease, its length and treatment. Research methods: The data was acquired using standardized questionnaires: Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) to assess the quality of life, Medical Research Council (MRC) – modified dyspnoea scale and the Nottingham screening questionnaire for malnutrition risk assessment. 120 respondents partook in this research at the Clinic of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis – 61 men/59 women with COPD aged 30–92 (64 on average). Findings: The respondents' physical and mental health was assessed in 8 dimensions. Patients with the 3–4 stage of COPD feel significantly limited in the physical health dimension. Patients diagnosed with COPD more than 6 years ago feel less vital than patients diagnosed one year ago. Undergoing rescue treatment has an impact on social activity. Conclusion: The quality of life rapidly worsens in the 3 and 4 stages of COPD in the physical activity dimension, general health assessment, vitality and social activity. However, the results cannot be generalized and the study is in progress. © 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK


Background: The infectious diseases in the livestock breeding industry represent a significant drawback that generates substantial economic loss and have led to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. The formulation of polymeric microparticles loaded with antibiotics for veterinary use can: reduce the number of required doses; protect the drug from inactivation; and maintain a sustained-release of the antibiotic drug at effective levels. Accomplishing all of these goals would have a significant economic and animal health impact on the livestock breeding industry. Results: In this work, we formulated ceftiofur-loaded PHBV microparticles (PHBV-CEF) with a spherical shape, a smooth surface and diameter sizes between 1.65 and 2.37 μm. The encapsulation efficiency was 39.5 ± 1.1% w/w, and we obtained a sustained release of ceftiofur in PBS-buffer (pH 7.4) over 7 days. The antibacterial activity of ceftiofur was preserved after the encapsulation procedure, and toxicity of PHBV-CEF microparticles evaluated by MTS was represented by an IC50 > 10 mg/mL. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PHBV-CEF particles have a potential application for improving the treatment of infectious diseases in the livestock breeding industry.


Following injury, platelets rapidly interact with the exposed extracellular matrix (ECM) of the vessel wall and the surrounding tissues. Hyaluronan (HA) is a major glycosaminoglycan component of the ECM and plays a significant role in regulating inflammation. We have recently reported that human platelets degrade HA from the surfaces of activated endothelial cells into fragments capable of inducing immune responses by monocytes. We also showed that human platelets contain the enzyme hyaluronidase-2 (HYAL2), one of two major hyaluronidases that digest HA in somatic tissues. The deposition of HA increases in inflamed tissues in several inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We therefore wanted to define the mechanism by which platelets degrade HA in the inflamed tissues. In this study, we show that human platelets degrade the proinflammatory matrix HA through the activity of HYAL2 and that platelet activation causes the immediate translocation of HYAL2 from a distinct population of a -granules to platelet surfaces where it exerts its catalytic activity. Finally, we show that patients with IBD have lower platelet


The experimental investigation of the QCD phase diagram with heavy ion collisions is an ongoing intense research topic at international accelerator facilities since the 80's and recently got new boost with the first results from the LHC experiments. Together with results from the top RHIC energies they investigate partonic matter in every detail at high temperatures but very low net-baryon densities. Complementary to these studies, the planned Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will allow for a detailed investigation of nuclear matter at moderate temperatures but very high net-baryon densities this way completing our knowledge on the phase diagram. In this region of the QCD phase diagram structures such as a first order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter or further phases such as quarkyonic matter have been predicted. CBM will allow to study these topics with rare probes being sensitive to the medium, i.e. with the measurement of charm production and di-leptons. In this presentation, an overview on the motivation for CBM, its experimental program and status of preparations will be given.


The earliest sediments identified of late Pleistocene age are quiet-water calcarenites, containing abundant molluscs but few corals. As waters shallowed these were replaced by emergent intertidal sediments, probably colonized by mangroves. Further emersion into subaerial conditions resulted in cementation and solution of the limestones to form a dissected karst topography. Perhaps concurrent with this, phosphates, probably originally derived from sea birds, were deposited in open cavities. Further marine withdrawal caused the erosion and re-deposition of these phosphatic sediments at a lower level. A succeeding event was the formation of a sand cay at the western end of the atoll. Its emergent surface was colonized by tortoises, birds, crocodiles and snails, and the youngest deposits indicate the presence of at least seasonal bodies of standing fresh water. This terrestrial interlude was followed by inundation by a sea, perhaps 2-3 m higher than the present level, in which was deposited a fairly uniform limestone over the whole area of proto-Aldabra. The limestone consists largely of calcareous algae set in a calcilutite-calcarenite matrix, in which both corals and molluscs are low in numbers and diversity. The emergence that followed caused widespread erosion and the island formed, surrounded by low cliffs, was subject to solution fretting and a limited deposition of soils. Renewed submergence carved proto-Aldabra into a broad shallow bank, with an almost flat ring-like rim around the periphery, while re-emergence allowed deposition on this bank of a series of sandbanks, beaches and terrestrial soils. These deposits were truncated by a marine erosion surface which marked the beginning of a sea-level rise that continued to a level at least 8 m above present datum, proto-Aldabra (125000 years b.p.) then consisting of a shallow bank covered by coral-rich calcarenite. Coral growth was more prolific around the rim, but coral knolls were also common within the rim to the northwest, where both coral and mollusc diversities are highest. The dominant sediment in the southeast is a Halimeda -rich sand with relatively little coral growth, but the presence of abundant Acropora around the southeast rim suggests that the dominant wind was from this quarter. Early in the deposition of this rock unit a sea-level oscillation resulted in temporary emergence, causing a change in facies or a break in deposition. A subsequent drop in sea level resulted in the cutting of a terrace at about 8 m and a more conspicuous terrace at around 4 m. Aldabra then stood as a ring of narrow, low, rocky islets surrounding a broad shallow lagoon. Deposits with a land-fauna including crocodiles, tortoises and lizards possibly date from this period. Continued depression of the sea level as a result of the Wurm/Wisconsin glaciation left Aldabra as a steep-sided rocky island, perhaps up to 100 m high. This was well vegetated, and a high rainfall caused much solutional erosion. Sea level, in response to post-Glacial climatic warming, has risen to its present position, a principal consequence being the breaching of the land rim and the flooding of the lagoon to reduce the land area by almost 60 %. Small cavity-fill deposits, caves, and stromatolitic coatings have been formed since the last interglacial, but it is difficult to place them in sequence. A restless history, of changes in the size, shape and character of Aldabra had important effects upon both the marine and terrestrial biotas. The giant tortoise, Testudo gigantea , was eliminated and has recolonized the area on at least two occasions; and the faunas and floras characterizing the sediments of each marine event are very different in composition. The evidence presented does not accord with the popular view of reef growth as steady accretion. The limestones were formed as discrete increments, often with dramatic facies changes between one unit and the next.


Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been outlined as voluntarily additional legal duties of organization to serve environment and community. This voluntarily actions of corporate help them to develop reputation which can shape favorable attitude of employees towards work. Employee engagement is an attitude of commitment and involvement of employee towards their work and organization. Researchers have proved that engaged employees are more productive, more likely to achieve corporate goals and are customer centered. Although literature provides many researches that focus on corporate social responsibility, corporate reputation and employee engagement, less work can be seen that integrates all these variables. This study bridges this gap by investigating the influence of CSR and corporate reputation on employee engagement. This study is based on primary data collected from various organizations of Pakistan. Structural equation model technique is adopted to analyze data and test hypotheses. The study confirms the significant relationships between CSR and corporate reputation, CSR and employee engagement and corporate reputation and employee engagement. The implications and applications of this research are also discussed in detail.


This study analyzed and assessed spatio-temporal dynamics of land-use change (LUC) and urban expansion (UE) within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) of Ghana. This region serves as a case to illustrate how a major economic hub and political core area is experiencing massive spatial transformations, resulting in uneven geographies of urban land expansion. Quickbird/Worldview-2 images for the years 2008 and 2017 were segmented and classified to produce LUC maps. LUC and UE were analyzed by post-classification change detection and spatial metrics, respectively. The results revealed an intensive decrease in open-space by 83.46 km2, brushland/farmland (194.29 km2) and waterbody/wetland (3.32 km2). Conversely, forestland and urban built-up area increased by 3.45 km2 and 277.62 km2. Urban extent expanded from 411.45 km2 (27%) in 2008 to 689.07 km2 (46%) in 2017 at a rate of 5.9% and an intensity of 2.06% with an expansion coefficient of 1.5%, indicating low-density urban sprawl. The spatial pattern turned out to be an uneven and spatially differentiated outward expansion, which materialized mainly in districts located within the urban peripheries but intensely towards eastern and western directions, being the frontier and the hotspots of urbanization. Overall, the findings bear important implications for regional spatial planning and development.


The neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus are frequent. One of the most serious presentations is convulsion. This study was carried out to evaluate the relation between convulsion and anti-DNA antibody levels. An analytic, retrospective case-controlled study was carried out, with reference to 1001 recorded cases of systemic SLE lupus erythematosus in Lupus Unit, Rheumatology Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Thefrequency of convulsion was 13.3%. There was no significant difference in the frequency of convulsoin inpatients with different levels of anti-DNA antibodies. Anti-DNA antibody is not an important diagnostic and activity criterion for neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE.


[1] We discuss the motion and structure of the magnetopause/boundary layer observed by Cluster in response to a joint tangential discontinuity/vortex sheet (TD/VS) observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft on 7 December 2000. The observations are then supplemented by theory. Sharp polarity reversals in the east-west components of the field and flow By and Vy occurred at the discontinuity. These rotations were followed by a period of strongly northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). These two factors elicited a two-stage response at the magnetopause, as observed by Cluster situated in the boundary layer at the duskside terminator. First, the magnetopause suffered a large deformation from its equilibrium position, with large-amplitude oscillations of ∼3-min period being set up. These are argued to be mainly the result of tangential stresses associated with ΔVy the contribution of dynamic pressure changes being small in comparison. This strengthens recent evidence of the importance to magnetospheric dynamics of changes in azimuthal solar wind flow. The TD/VS impact caused a global response seen by ground magnetometers in a magnetic local time range spanning at least 12 h. The response monitored on ground magnetometers is similar to that brought about by magnetopause motions driven by dynamic pressure changes. Second, Cluster recorded higher-frequency waves (∼79 s). Two clear phases could be distinguished from the spectral power density, which decreased by a factor of ∼3 in the second phase. Applying compressible linearized MHD theory, we show that these waves are generated by the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability. Varying the local magnetic shear at the Cluster locale, as suggested by the temporal profile of the IMF clock angle, we find that locally stability was reinstated, so that the reduced power in the second phase is argued to be due residual KH activity arriving from locations farther to the dayside.


Autophagy describes the process by which eukaryotes selectively and non-selectively target cytoplasm and entire organelles for lysosomal or (in yeast) vacuolar degradation. More than thirty different proteins contribute to this complex process, and it is widely recognised that the term autophagy does not describe merely a single linear pathway by which intracellular components are routed for lysosomal degradation. Yet, whilst autophagy has been unequivocally demonstrated in evolutionarily diverse organisms and the importance of autophagy in many aspects of human health and development is becoming ever more apparent, the extent to which autophagy in different taxa draws on a conserved cohort of readily recognisable proteins is not particularly clear. Here, we address this issue by comprehensive mapping of known autophagy components across a taxonomically diverse range of unicellular eukaryotes. Unexpectedly, our analysis points to independent examples of secondary loss of macroautophagy, the best understood of the autophagy pathways, in two parasites and one extremophile. Additionally, whilst our data point towards autophagy being an ancient innovation, utilising conserved core machinery, it is also clear that lineage-specific moderation (e.g. probable loss of Atg17 in some unikonts) and elaboration (paralogue expansion) of the core macroautophagy pathway occurs readily. Finally, we also consider the interplay between autophagy and organelle turnover in protists. Here, there are likely to be intriguing issues, as exemplified by mitochondrial turnover. In contrast to the dynamic mitochondrial fusion and fission observed in many eukaryotes (including yeast), cell-cycle regulated division of a single mitochondrion occurs in some protists. Yet, in these organisms mitochondrial function can often be rapidly re-modelled; we contend that in these species turnover of mitochondrial proteins is the product of intra-organellar protease activity.


This paper presents an overview of the coding aspects of a GNSS receiver. Coding allows detection and correction of channel-induced errors at the receiver, here the focus is on the mitigation of threats from malicious interferences. Although the effects of interference at different stages of GNSS baseband processing has been deeply analyzed in the literature, little attention was devoted to its impact on the navigation message decoding stage. Theis paper provides an introduction to the various coding schemes employed by current GNSS signals, discussing their performance in the presence of noise in terms of block-error rate. Additionally, the benefits of soft-decoding schemes for navigation message decoding are highlighted when jamming interferences are present. The proposed scheme requires estimating the noise plus interference power, yielding to enhanced decoding performances under severe jamming conditions. Finally, cryptographic schemes as a means of providing anti-spoofing for geosecurity location-based services, and their potential vulnerability are discussed, with particular emphasis on the dependence on the dependence of the scheme on successful navigation message decoding.


A 1D organic redox-active material is combined with another 1D conductive material for rechargeable batteries. Poly(vinyl carbazole) (or PVK) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (or PEDOT:PSS) are used as the redox-active and conductive 1D materials, respectively. Due to their extremely anisotropic geometry, the two polymers are expected to be inter-tangled with each other, showing a kinetically ideal model system in which each redox-active moiety of PVK is supposed to be directly connected with the conducting pathways of PEDOT:PSS. In addition to its role as a conductive agent providing kinetic benefits, PEDOT:PSS works as an efficient binder that guarantees enhanced electrochemical performances with only a tenth of the amount of a conventional binder (polyvinylidene fluoride or PVdF). The benefit of gravimetric energy density gain obtained using the conductive binder comes mainly from efficient spatial coverage of binding volume due to the low density of PEDOT:PSS. Towards realizing flexible all-polymer batteries, a quasi-all-polymer battery half-cell is designed using the PVK/PEDOT:PSS composite with a polymer gel electrolyte.


Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating and deadly disease that causes inflammation and tissue necrosis of the intestinal tract. Probiotics, live microbial additives that colonize the intestines, are known to protect high-risk premature neonates from developing NEC. Although complex and extensive literature exists recommending the use of probiotics in NEC prevention, many clinicians are resistant to utilizing this therapy. This may be attributed to a lack of current patient specific evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The aim for this scholarly project was to develop and implement a clinical practice guideline for the use of probiotics in premature infants with birth weights greater than 1,000 grams. Lewin's Change Theory provides the theoretical framework that underpins this translational research project. An integrative review of literature based upon the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting was utilized. Strength and confidence of the evidence was examined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method. This comprehensive approach assisted in guideline development for determining, appropriate treatment populations, contraindications, strain combinations, dosing, administration, preparation, storage, quality assurance methods, clinical monitoring and adverse effects, and family centered involvement in regards to implementing probiotics for prevention of NEC in the neonatal intensive care setting.


Power and informality interact in complex ways in urban shelter provision. This briefing is based on a study of three East African cities: Nairobi, Hawassa and Mogadishu (see Box 1). The three-year research project studied both financial constraints to accessing land or housing and nonfinancial constraints such as discrimination on the basis of identity. Our findings underline the importance of knowing who has power within the housing and land markets. Power does not just derive from wealth; politicians, traditional leaders, gatekeepers and others exercise influence in these markets. A person's identity — and income — impacts the extent to which they can navigate these power structures, and the formal and informal systems that govern access to shelter. Governments and international donors need to improve the lives of the urban poor: notably with low-income, regulated rental schemes; slum-upgrading and affordable finance.


One reason legal history is more interesting than it was several decades ago is the increased role of interest groups in our accounts of legal change. Diverse movements including law and society, critical legal theory, comparative law, and public choice theory have promoted this development, even among writers who are not predominantly historians. Nonetheless, in my own survey course in American legal history I often push back. Taken too far, interest group theorizing becomes an easy shortcut for assessing legal movements and developments without fully understanding the ideas behind them. Intellectual history in the United States went into decline because its practitioners often wrote as if the history of ideas drove everything else, either disregarding or minimizing the role of interest groups. In the process it became viewed as inherently conservative because its source materials came almost exclusively from elite white males. On the other side, social and economic history have been driven by impulses originating from both the left and the right that sees policy as little more than the outcome of conflict among interest groups. Further, these preference are generally "naked" in the sense that they reveal little more than the desires of each individual for wealth, stability, social status, or other recognition. Articulated ideas are little more than rationalizations, and the public processes that make legal rules are largely a zero sum game. I try to instill in my students the idea that legal history is a much more complex process in which ideas and preferences interact. In differing areas and at different times one may dominate over the other, but almost never permanently. Further, ideas lead to preferences just as much as the other way around. Teaching legal history in this fashion is more challenging to both the instructor and the students because it requires that ideas be taken more seriously. One cannot simply pass a hand over an entire area such as business policy and proclaim it to be the result of Social Darwinism, populism, labor and the surge in immigration, or some other interest group movement. I certainly do not expect my students to become experts in Calvinism, the social contract, classical political economy, genetic determinism, Freud, or the many other areas that wander into and out of my legal history course. But I do expect them to learn enough to take them seriously, and to understand that these intellectual ideas were as powerful to those who encountered them as the ideas that we hold today.


CONTEXT
The imperative to establish so-called endophenotypes-quantifiable measures of risk for neurological dysfunction-is a growing focus of research in schizophrenia. Electrophysiological markers of sensory processing, observable in human event-related potentials, hold great promise in this regard, lying closer to underlying physiology than descriptive clinical diagnostic tests.

OBJECTIVE
Early visual processing deficits, as measured by clear amplitude reductions in the occipital P1 component of the visual event-related potential, have been repeatedly demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia. However, before P1 amplitude may be considered as an endophenotypic marker for schizophrenia, it is necessary to establish its sensitivity to genetic liability.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Event-related potential responses to simple visual isolated-check stimuli were examined in 25 clinically unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia and 15 DSM-IV-diagnosed schizophrenia probands and compared with responses from 26 healthy, age-matched control subjects. Using high-density electrical scalp recordings, between-groups analysis assessed the integrity of the visual P1 component across the 3 groups. The study was conducted at St Vincent's Psychiatric Hospital in Fairview, Dublin, Ireland.

RESULTS
Substantially reduced P1 amplitude was demonstrated in both relatives and probands compared with controls with topographical mapping and inverse source analysis localizing this deficit largely to midline regions in early visual sensory cortices and regions of the dorsal visual stream. Additional later differences between these groups, where the relatives actually show larger amplitude responses, may point toward compensatory mechanisms at play in relatives.

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate a deficit in early visual processing in clinically unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia, providing evidence that this deficit may serve as a genetic marker for this disorder. The efficacy of using P1 amplitude as an endophenotype is underscored by the observation of a large effect size (d=0.9) over scalp sites where the deficit was maximal.


Pan trapping is a standardised and commonly used method for collecting bees, but characteristics of the trap may influence its effectiveness or bias results. The effect of trap colour on the species and numbers caught has been studied in the Northern Hemisphere, but not in the Australian region. Australia has a unique bee fauna and colour preferences, if any, may differ from those found in other continents. In four separate surveys across a wide area of New South Wales, it was tested whether there was a difference in the abundance or species richness captured by yellow- and white-coloured pan traps. In total, 1267 bees were collected, comprising 66 species, 50 of which are in the family Halictidae. In all surveys, yellow pan traps collected a significantly larger number and greater diversity of bees. Eight of the thirteen most common species were observed significantly more frequently (P < 0.01) in yellow pan traps, while the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) was found in larger numbers in white traps. Our results demonstrate that differently coloured traps collect different components of the Australian bee fauna. Therefore, a variety of pan colours should be used when sampling overall bee biodiversity, but specific colours may be more effective when targeting certain groups or species.


Bibliometric analysis is used as a measuring activity technique for basic research. There are many country level analyses of trends in scientific publications. These analyses give us an understanding of the macro-scale character of scientific activities. However, it is difficult to capture the qualitative evolution of scientific activities through them. In this regard, a meso-scale analysis of science activities, i.e., analysis of "research areas", is suitable for grasping qualitative changes in scientific activities. In this study, we develop a new method for mapping science at the research area level. Our method consists of two parts: constructing research areas from scientific publications and content analysis by experts. Research areas are explored through a co-citation analysis, and a map of science was generated to analyze how research areas relate to each other. This method contributes to endeavours to understand and track the changing nature of science.


Inoculation of simian immunodeficiency virus into cultures of primary rhesus monkey macrophages or CD4-bearing transformed T lymphocytes resulted in persistent infection, with minimal virus replication in the macrophages and extensive replication in the lymphocytes. However, uninfected T cells added to infected macrophages underwent rapid fusion and lysis and were almost completely eliminated without the production of virus particles. Lysis required direct contact between the T cells and the infected macrophages, which enabled binding between CD4 on the former and viral gp120 on the latter to occur. This process was blocked by soluble CD4 and dextran sulphate. Neutralizing antibodies in the serum of an infected macaque prevented cell fusion by preventing infection of the macrophages. However, these antibodies did not prevent fusion when added to previously infected macrophages. Infected macrophages were incorporated into the syncytia of lymphocytes and continued incorporation of new lymphocytes into the syncytia required infected macrophages to be metabolically active. One inference from these studies is that infected macrophages in vivo could help mediate the well known depletion of T4 cells in patients with AIDS.


Ethnic diversity is considered detrimental to national unity, especially if ethnicity is politically mobilized: Ethnic parties in electoral competition in particular are thought to increase the salience of ethnic differences and, with it, ethnic tensions. Yet the individual links of this psychological chain have only been examined cross-sectionally, and never together. This article employs original longitudinal survey data to simultaneously assess changes in ingroup identification, outgroup aversion, and national identification over the election period within one diverse society: Romania. While ingroup identification does increase, ethnic relations do not worsen. On the contrary, outgroup aversion decreases while national identification increases, for minority and majority Romanian citizens alike. I explain these findings with the common ingroup identity model from social psychology: Elections in ethnically diverse societies may not only increase the salience of ethnic groups but also that of the superordinate, national identity. The findings question the often assumed automaticity of


Many studies have focused on the generation and mitigation of acidic drainage generated when sulfide bearing material is exposed to the atmosphere and undergoes oxidation. Neutral or alkaline mine drainage can be produced from mining waste containing little or no sulfides, and such drainage can also contain elevated metal concentrations, potentially impacting receiving environments. The goal of this study was to characterize the biogeochemical interactions occurring throughout a natural wetland located in the Farr Creek drainage area in Cobalt Canada and to evaluate the ability of the system to effectively attenuate alkaline mine drainage. The biological characterization of the sediment samples demonstrated the presence of acid producing bacteria in consistent numbers with sulphate reducing bacteria and iron reducing bacteria. The data suggested that the acid produced by these active bacterial populations was immediately neutralized by the dissolution of carbonate minerals within the tailings, yielding a neutral to alkaline drainage. The distribution of metals including As, Co, Cu, and Zn throughout the sediments, pore water, and vegetation samples collected at various core locations the metal mass was primarily bound in the sediments or adsorbed onto organic matter or oxide fractions of the sediments. Phytoremediation processes involving Typha latifolia were shown to attenuate metals, particularly Cu and Zn. Adsorption onto organic matter and oxides was another attenuation pathway that significantly improved metal retention. Iron and sulfate reduction were also found to lead to the formation of metal sulfide precipitates, thereby immobilizing the metals.


Sustainable development and the Information Society are two concepts that are not commonly associated. However, both could have a major impact on the other. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may have important negative impacts on the environment. At the same time, ICT can also bring improvements. To provide guidance on how ICT devices and applications can be oriented towards positive effects, new methodology and tools are needed to understand and assess these various effects. In that respect, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a pertinent approach, potentially enabling a holistic and in-depth analysis. This thesis proposes to develop appropriate Life Cycle tools and methodology and to apply them to measure the sustainability of ICT devices and of their applications. Specific objectives are: to explore the possibilities of combining Process LCA (PLCA) and Input-Output LCA (IOLCA), and to develop an operational method for ICT applications; to apply the developed method to assess the direct impacts of a computer network, including software and maintenance and developing strategies, to account for the high renewal rate in ICT technologies; to extend the method to consider not only negative impacts, but also benefits of ICT; to develop a method to address effects on lifestyles and rebound effects, and apply it to assess the impacts and benefits of innovative ICT services; Chapter 1 is a short introduction describing the environmental impacts of ICT and how this work addresses them. Chapter 2 presents the main methodological developments: It looks in detail at how PLCA and IOLCA can be compared and used in a complementary way. A method is developed to compare the two approaches in detail and to evaluate the cut-offs processes – the processes that are not traditionally considered in a PLCA – of two specific ecoinvent processes. The conclusions are that a full integration of PLCA and IOLCA remains difficult with our present level of knowledge. IOLCA could be use to complement PLCA when no other evaluation is available, but IOLCA should also be used as a quality check for PLCA and to determine priorities. Chapter 3 assesses comprehensively the environmental impacts of the computer network of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. The LCA shows that the computers have the highest environmental impact, but also that short-term technology changes can reduce significantly their impact. The use phase dominates the impacts, but the production phase is also significant. Finally, using the Input-Output (IO) approach leads us to the conclusion that the service-linked contribution included in the total cost of ownership - that is, all of the costs associated with the computer network - has a significant impact on the environment. Chapter 4 evaluates the impacts and benefits of the ICT application to help the management of urban networks. The CREM, in Switzerland, uses a telemonitoring system to assess the water, electricity, district heating, and natural gas networks to increase the efficiency of their management. We want to know how the environmental and economical costs of the infrastructure and its maintenance compare with the savings. An LCA has been performed using a tiered hybrid approach. It shows that the savings overcome largely the cost and environmental impacts of the infrastructure. Chapter 5 analyses an innovative service developed by France Telecom. The visiophonic station enables the substitution of physical interviews by virtual interviews. A PLCA of the service shows that the saved km due to the shift from physical to virtual interviews dominates the effects on the environment and that the potential savings are therefore important. However, depending on what is consumed when using the time and financial resources made available by the service, the related impacts counterbalance the savings. Rebound effects must therefore be considered, studied, and addressed in the development as well as the implementation of new ICT services. Chapter 6 concludes with recommendations towards environmental beneficial uses of ICT and identifies what is needed for the necessary further LCA developments.


Abstract In Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) devices, a voltage difference between concentric, nearly transparent spherical grids accelerates ions to fusion-relevant velocities. The University of Wisconsin (UW) operates two IEC devices: a cylindrical aluminum chamber and a spherical, water-cooled, stainless-steel chamber, with a power supply capable of 75 mA and 200 kV. The research program aims to generate fusion reaction products for various applications, including protons for creating radioisotopes for nuclear medicine and neutrons for detecting clandestine materials. Most IEC devices worldwide, including the UW devices, presently operate primarily in a pressure range (1-10 mtorr) that allows ions to make only a few passes through the core before they charge exchange and lose substantial energy or they collide with cathode grid wires. It is believed that fusion rates can be raised by operating at a pressure where neutral gas does not impede ion flow, and a helicon ion source has been developed to explore operation at pressures of ~0.05 mtorr. The UW IEC research group uses proton detectors, neutron detectors, residual gas analyzers, and spectroscopic diagnostics. New diagnostic techniques have also been developed, including eclipse disks to localize proton production and chordwires to estimate ion fluxes using power balance.


The nuclear norm is widely used to induce low-rank solutions for many optimization problems with matrix variables. Recently, it has been shown that the augmented Lagrangian method (ALM) and the alternating direction method (ADM) are very efficient for many convex programming problems arising from various applications, provided that the resulting subproblems are sufficiently simple to have closed-form solutions. In this paper, we are interested in the application of the ALM and the ADM for some nuclear norm involved minimization problems. When the resulting subproblems do not have closed-form solutions, we propose to linearize these subproblems such that closed-form solutions of these linearized subproblems can be easily derived. Global convergence of these linearized ALM and ADM are established under standard assumptions. Finally, we verify the effectiveness and efficiency of these new methods by some numerical experiments.


The maximum efficiency use of climate resources in plant culture technology is the principal aim of agriculture adapted to climate change. In this paper, there are presented the results of experimental research concerning the maximizing effect of climatic factors on the yield of wheat in the G�� vanu-Burdea Plain. The research was carried out within 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 in the SC Polirom Prod SRL experimental field, situated inside G�� vanu-Burdea Plain, Scurtu-Mare locality, Teleorman County, on the ground of preluvosol reddish type. Within the trial, there have been used 3 wheat Romanian varieties and 10 foreign varieties, belonging to the precocious/half-precocious varieties, with increased resistance to drought, heat, and wintering. The applied technology was that specific to minimum system works. In terms of climate, crop year 2011-2012 has been a dry year. From sowing to harvesting 370.0 mm precipitation fell, and during the growing season, after leaving winter there was a precipitation quantity of 248.0 mm. Instead, 20122013 crop year was characterized by high pluviometric regime: 478.6 mm from sowing to harvesting and 261.8 mm during the spring-summer growing season. Specific consumption of climate resources in the vegetation period is averaging 79 mm/t of grains and 423 o C/t of grains. Varieties with water specific consumption below average are: Izvor (68 mm/t), Felix (69 mm/t), Renata (75 mm/t) Kalasz (76 mm/t), Csillag (77 mm/t), Glosa (78 mm/t), Akratos (78 mm/t). The highest specific water consumption from precipitation were registered in the varieties: Quebon (102 mm/t), Genius (93 mm/t), and Mulan (86 mm/t). Precipitations and temperature recovery efficiency, expressed through the annual average unit yield, recorded the following values: 13 kg grains/mm precipitation during the growing season; 2.4 kg grains/ o C active temperature in the vegetation period. Varieties with specific minimum levels of water consumption had the highest recovery efficiency (15 kg grains/mm for Izvor, 14 kg grains/mm for Felix, 13 kg/mm for Renata, Kalasz, Csillag, Petur, Glosa varieties etc.). Among all the experienced varieties, Izvor Romanian variety is to be remarked, this one achieving the highest recovery efficiency of climate resources. Almost similaris the Romanian Glosa variety as well as some foreign varieties: Felix and Renata (originating in Croatia), Kalasz, Csillag and Petur (from Hungary). Quebon, Mulan and Genius German varieties are not recommended.


Large scale dense Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) will be increasingly deployed in different classes of applications for accurate monitoring. Due to the high density of nodes in these networks, it is likely that redundant data will be detected by nearby nodes when sensing an event. Since energy conservation is a key issue in WSNs, data fusion and aggregation should be exploited in order to save energy. In this case, redundant data can be aggregated at intermediate nodes reducing the size and number of exchanged messages and, thus, decreasing communication costs and energy consumption. In this work, we propose a novel Data Routing for In-Network Aggregation, called DRINA, that has some key aspects such as a reduced number of messages for setting up a routing tree, maximized number of overlapping routes, high aggregation rate, and reliable data aggregation and transmission. The proposed DRINA algorithm was extensively compared to two other known solutions: the Information Fusion-based Role Assignment (InFRA) and Shortest Path Tree (SPT) algorithms. Our results indicate clearly that the routing tree built by DRINA provides the best aggregation quality when compared to these other algorithms. The obtained results show that our proposed solution outperforms these solutions in different scenarios and in different key aspects required by WSNs.


'The Problem with…' series covers controversial topics related to efforts to improve healthcare quality, including widely recommended but deceptively difficult strategies for improvement and pervasive problems that seem to resist solution.

The '5 whys' technique is one of the most widely taught approaches to root-cause analysis (RCA) in healthcare. Its use is promoted by the WHO,1 the English National Health Service,2 the Institute for Healthcare Improvement,3 the Joint Commission4 and many other organisations in the field of healthcare quality and safety. Like most such tools, though, its popularity is not the result of any evidence that it is effective.5–8 Instead, it probably owes its place in the curriculum and practice of RCA to a combination of pedigree, simplicity and pedagogy.

In terms of pedigree, '5 whys' traces its roots back to the Toyota Production System (TPS).9 It also plays a key role in Lean10 (a generic version of TPS) as well as Six Sigma,11 another popular quality improvement (QI) methodology. Taiichi Ohno describes '5 whys' as central to the TPS methodology:The basis of Toyota's scientific approach is to ask why five times whenever we find a problem … By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear. The solution, or the how-to, is designated as '1H.' Thus, 'Five whys equal one how' (5W=1H). (ref. 9, p. 123)

This quote also makes the case for the technique's simplicity. Asking 'why' five times allows users to arrive at a single root cause that might not have been obvious at the outset. It may also inspire a single solution to address that root cause (though it is not clear that the '1H' side of the equation has been adopted as widely).

The pedagogical argument for …


The article draws on a specific slice of data about gender-based violence from a recent Quality of Life (QoL) survey conducted amongst 16,729 respondents in Gauteng. While gender-based violence comes in multiple forms, the focus of the survey was on spousal or partner violence. The survey posed a provocative statement to respondents about the circumstances under which a man is justified in hitting or beating his wife/partner, i.e. if she goes out without telling him; if she doesn't look after the children; if she argues with him; if she refuses to have sex with him; if she burns the food; and if she is unfaithful. This article explores the extent to which particular attributes of respondents (sex, race, income, education, participation of men/women; as well as participation in civil society organisations) may account for views that spouse/partner beating or hitting is justified. One finding of interest was that the gender-based violence question 'if she is unfaithful' received the strongest response across all the socio-economic characteristics that were evaluated.


Public Private Academic Partnerships are becoming more popular in Denmark to guide companies in becoming more sustainable. The strength is in the interrelationship between the public, private and academic partner in which they interdependently make efforts on reducing their impact on the environment. However, not all the PPAPs in Denmark can show how they are actually achieving this. It is proposed in this research that an environmental impacts calculator like the Milieubarometer could show the member's achievements in reducing their environmental impacts from direct consumption (i.e. electricity, fuels, water and waste). Interviews are conducted with five companies and the municipality to find out if and how the Milieubarometer can be used among the members of the PPAP. Three of the six interviewees provided data to enter in the Milieubarometer or entered the data in the tool themselves. Due to this, some adjustments for the Milieubarometer are proposed to make it feasible for the members to use. For the PPAP as a whole, the Milieubarometer is proposed as a tool to support internal discussions among the members to show the reductions made in their production related emissions (and with that in the financial costs) and/or to incite competitiveness among each other in reducing their CO2 emissions. Next to that, the Milieubarometer can be used to disclose the effectivity of joint organised environmental impact reduction programs, like a water consumption reduction plan. The Milieubarometer is seen as a way to communicate about environmental achievements, which is necessary for a good interrelationship between the partners of the PPAP as well as to external partners to show how important PPAPs are in reducing the impacts on the environment while still encouraging modernization among the partners.


The Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament represents one of the most significant planned reforms of punishment in Scotland for generations. But, as we plan and debate a new penal future, to what extent have we learned the lessons of Scotland's penal history? In this year's Apex Scotland Annual Lecture, Professor Fergus McNeill presented findings from a British Academy funded research study of oral histories of Scottish probation in the 1960s - the forgotten but significant period immediately before the introduction of the Children's Hearings system and the generic social work departments. In offering an analysis of the sometimes powerful and moving stories of people who were subject to probation at that time, he aimed to challenge our preconceptions about how criminal sanctions can help, hold and hurt those who are subject to them, in so doing providing an important and fresh perspective on key aspects of the current reform programme.


The concentration of halide in the Varal Devi lake water were determined during festival periods.The water sample collected from three different sites of Varal Devi lake in Bhiwandi city. Sampling of water sample carried out pre, during and post Idol immersion activities.The physicochemical parameter like chloride and residual chlorine were determined. The results were compared with standards prescribed by WHO (1973) and ISI (10500-91). The level of Chloride in all water samples from all station are less than the standard set by WHO and BIS.It was found that the water samples collected from three sites of Varal Devi Lake in Bhiwandi city was not contaminated with chloride but vice versa is true for residual chlorine.


In northern Europe, beach erosion, coastal flooding and associated damages to engineering structures are linked to mid-latitude storms that form through cyclogenesis and post-tropical cyclones, when a tropical cyclone moves north from its tropical origin. The present work analyses the hydrodynamic forcing and morphological changes observed at three beaches in the north coast of Northern Ireland (Magilligan, Portrush West's southern and northern sectors, and Whiterocks), prior to, during, and immediately after post-tropical cyclone Katia. Katia was the second major hurricane of the active 2011 Atlantic hurricane season and impacted the British Isles on the 12–13 September 2011. During the Katia event, offshore wave buoys recorded values in excess of 5 m at the peak of the storm on the 13 September, but nearshore significant wave height ranged from 1 to 3 m, reflecting relevant wave energy dissipation across an extensive and shallow continental shelf. This was especially so at Magilligan, where widespread refraction and attenuation led to reduced shore-normal energy fluxes and very minor morphological changes. Morphological changes were restricted to upper beach erosion and flattening of the foreshore. Longshore transport was evident at Portrush West, with the northern sector experiencing erosion while the southern sector accreted, inducing a short-term rotational response in this embayment. In Whiterocks, berm erosion contributed to a general beach flattening and this resulted in an overall accretion due to sediment influx from the updrift western areas. Taking into account that the post-tropical cyclone Katia produced £100 m ($157 million, 2011 USD) in damage in the United Kingdom alone, the results of the present study represent a contribution to the general database of post-tropical storm response on Northern European coastlines, informing coastal response prediction and damage mitigation.


The Bush Administration will likely have the opportunity to make a number of appointments to the Supreme Court, however such nominations may experience contentious confirmation hearings in the Senate. When such an appointment opportunity does present itself questions are bound to arise concerning the appropriate role of the United States Senate in the confirmation of Supreme Court nominees under the advice and consent provisions of article II of the United States Constitution. Disputes over the Senate's proper role and scope of inquiry have seemed to emerge whenever a nominee has faced the confirmation process, and have been a timeworn subject of legal debate. In this article we assess the proposition that the Senate should have an active role in the confirmation process which includes investigation into a nominee's ideological beliefs and constitutional philosophy. We begin by examining the background of the Constitution's advice and consent phraseology and consider early applications of the confirmation process by senators during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We then discuss the struggle for judicial selection power between the Senate and the President and conclude by suggesting the need for an active Senate response to executive nominations.


We present a framework that supports the development of pervasive cross-media applications through a clean separation of interaction design and application programming. The approach is based on a novel concept of active components that provides a lightweight mechanism for linking physical and digital entities to services. We show how the development of cross-media applications can be simplified by adopting an authoring rather than a programming approach and how we achieved this by integrating the active component concept into an extensible hypermedia server.


This paper summarizes floristic and phytossociology data of 11, out of 14 plots of 1 ha, allocated along an altitudinal gradient in the Serra do Mar, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study was conducted at Serra do Mar State Park and the plots start at the sea level (10 m - plot of Restinga Forest that occurs at Praia da Fazenda, Picinguaba, municipality of Ubatuba) up to 1100 m above sea level (the Montane Ombrophilous Dense occurs alongside the Itamambuca Trail, municipality of Sao Luis do Paraitinga). The Restinga Forest occurs in Pleistocenic Coastal Plain where the soil is classified as a sandy Quartzipsamment (Quartzenic Neosol), while along the slopes of the Serra do Mar, the Ombrophylus Dense Forest grows on the top of a pre-Cambrian crystalline basement with granitic rocks, where the soil is a sandy-loam Dystrophic Inceptisol (Cambisol/Latosol). In all 14 plots soils are acidic (pH 3 - 4), chemically poor, with high dilution of nutrients and high saturation of aluminum. In the Restinga and at the foot of the slope the climate is Tropical/Subtropical Humid (Af/Cfa), with no dry season, an average annual rainfall over 2,200 mm and an average annual temperature of 22 oC. Towards the top of the Serra do Mar there is a gradual cooling along the slope, but there is no reduction in rainfall, so at 1,100 m above sea level the climate is classified as Humid Subtropical (Cfa/Cfb), with no dry season and an average annual temperature of 17 oC. It is important to remark that, almost daily, from 400 m above sea level up to the top of slopes the mountains are covered by a dense fog. In the 14 plots 21,733 individuals with DBH > 4.8 cm, including trees, palms and ferns, were marked, measured and sampled. The average number of individuals sampled in each plot was 1264 ind.ha-1(± 218 SE 95%). Within the parameters considered trees prevailed (71% in the Montane ODF to 90% in the Restinga Forest), followed by palms (10% in the RF and 25% in the Montane Ombrophilous Dense Forest/ODF) and ferns (0% % in the RF and 4% in the Montane ODF). Regarding these proportions the Exploited Lowlands ODF differs from the others with only 1.8% of palm trees and striking 10% of ferns. The forest canopy is irregular with heights ranging from 7 to 9 m, rarely emergent trees reach 18 m, and due to this irregularity of the canopy the amount of light that gets through sets conditions for the development of hundreds of epiphytic species. Aside from Montana ODF, where the number of dead trees was more than 5% of individuals sampled, in the other phytophysiognomies this value was below 2.5%. In the 11 plots where the floristic study was conducted we found 562 species in 195 genera and 68 families. Only seven species - Euterpe edulis Mart. (Arecaceae), Calyptranthes lucida Mart. ex DC. and Marlierea tomentosa Cambess (both Myrtaceae), Guapira opposita (Vell.) Reitz (Nyctaginaceae), Cupania oblongifolia Mart. (Sapindaceae), Cecropia glaziovii Snethl. and Coussapoa microcarpa (Schott) Rizzini (both Urticaceae) - occurred from Restinga to Montane ODF, while 12 other species did not occur only in the Restinga Forest. Families with the greatest number of species are Myrtaceae (133 spp), Fabaceae (47 spp), Rubiaceae (49) and Lauraceae (49) throughout the gradient and Monimiaceae (21) specifically in portions Montane ODF. Only in the F plot, where logging has occurred between 1950 and 1985, the abundance of palm trees has been replaced by Cyatheaceae. The study shows a peak of diversity and richness, Shannon-Weiner index (H') ranging from 3.96 to 4.48 nats.ind-1, in the intermediate altitudes (300 to 400 m) along the slope. Several explanations for this result are raised here, including the fact that these elevations are within the limits expansions and retractions of the different phytophysiognomies of the Atlantic ODF due to climate fluctuations during the Pleistocene. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the extraordinary richness of tree species of the Atlantic Rainforest from the northeastern coast of the State of Sao Paulo, reinforcing the importance of its conservation throughout the altitudinal gradient. The richness of this forest justifies a long term commitment to study its dynamics and functioning through permanent plots, and monitor the impacts of climate change in this vegetation.


We address the issue of electromagnetic pulsar spin-down by combining our experience from the two limiting idealized cases that have been studied thoroughly in the past: that of an aligned rotator, in which ideal MHD conditions apply, and that of a misaligned rotator in vacuum. We construct a spin-down formula that takes into account the misalignment of the magnetic and rotation axes, and the magnetospheric particle acceleration gaps. We show that near the death line, aligned rotators spin down more slowly than orthogonal ones. In order to test this approach, we use a simple Monte Carlo method to simulate the evolution of pulsars and find a good fit to the observed pulsar distribution in the P-Ṗ diagram without invoking magnetic field decay. Our model may also account for individual pulsars spinning down with braking index n < 3, by allowing the corotating part of the magnetosphere to end inside the light cylinder. We discuss the role of magnetic reconnection in determining the pulsar braking index. We show, however, that n ~ 3 remains a good approximation for the pulsar population as a whole. Moreover, we predict that pulsars near the death line have braking index values n > 3, and that the older pulsar population has preferentially smaller magnetic inclination angles. We discuss possible signatures of such alignment in the existing pulsar data.


Islam's tense relationship with modernity is one of the most crucial issues of our time. Within Islamic legal systems, with their traditional preference for eyewitness testimony, this struggle has played a significant role in attitudes toward expert witnesses. Utilizing a uniquely comparative approach, Ron Shaham here examines the evolution of the role of such witnesses in a number of Arab countries from the premodern period to the present. Shaham begins with a history of expert testimony in medieval Islamic culture, analyzing the different roles played by male experts, especially physicians and architects, and females, particularly midwives. From there, he focuses on the case of Egypt, tracing the country's reform of its traditional legal system along European lines beginning in the late nineteenth century. Returning to a broader perspective, Shaham draws on a variety of legal and historical sources to place the phenomenon of expert testimony in cultural context. A truly comprehensive resource, "The Expert Witness in Islamic Courts" will be sought out by a broad spectrum of scholars working in history, religion, gender studies, and law.


The origin of the extreme hydrogen deficiency observed in the R Coronae Borealis (RCrB) stars remains poorly understood. A likely mechanism for producing this deficiency is one whereby the original hydrogen envelope of the star is engulfed and destroyed in its interior. One of the few RCrB stars so far analysed, U Aquarii, in fact shows emphatic evidence of such an event having indeed occurred. This evidence takes the form of the large s-process enhancements observed in U Aquarii. Such enhancements are caused by the production of significant neutron fluxes which are directly produced by envelope engulfment 12 13 + 13 16 giving rise to the C(p,~) N(ft y) C(O<,n) 0 sequence of nuclear reactions. In order to obtain vital information regarding the nature of the envelope mixing event from observed s-process enhancements, detailed nucl eosynthesis calculations investigating neutron production and s-process synthesis are carried out using a series of nuclear reaction networks and covering a wide range of parameter space. These calculations are mainly based on low-mass AGB and post-AGB stellar models since it is widely believed that the RCrB's are in some way related to this group of stars. It is shown how the ingestion rate of envelope material, the initial abundances and the type of mixing model used have a large influence on the neutron and s-process production. New spectral observations of U Aquarii are presented, and it is shown how these new observations allow a new interpretation of the mixing event which occurred in this star and how further improved abundance data of the star will lead to an unambiguous determination of the nature of the mixing event. The RCrB stars are also thought to be related to the extreme helium stars. Discovery of variability in two of these latter stars is presented.


Conversion of cholesterol to bile acids constitutes an important pathway for excretion of cholesterol and for generation of the bile acids themselves, which promote absorption of dietary cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins. Accordingly, synthesis of bile acids is tightly regulated by feed-forward and feedback control mechanisms. A key step is regulated synthesis of cytochrome P-450 7A1 (CYP7A1), which catalyzes a rate-limiting step in biosynthesis of bile acids. The nuclear receptor FXR (farnesoid X receptor) is a bile acid receptor, but its role in feedback inhibition of expression of CYP7A1 has not been clear. Now papers by Lu et al. and Goodwin et al. show that FXR works by directly increasing expression of another nuclear receptor called SHP (for short heterodimer partner). SHP lacks a DNA-binding domain and inhibits activity of other nuclear receptors when it heterodimerizes with them. In this case, SHP binds yet another nuclear receptor, LRH-1 (liver receptor homolog 1), and attenuates the stimulatory action of LRH-1 on the CYP7A1 promoter. This regulatory cascade of nuclear receptors is apparently no fluke. The same strategy applies in regulation of the ecdysone receptor in Drosophila where one nuclear receptor causes expression of an inhibitory nuclear receptor lacking a DNA binding domain, which in turn represses the activity of a third nuclear receptor. Lu, T.T., Makishima, M., Repa, J.J., Schoonjans, K., Kerr, T.A., Auwerx, J., and Mangelsdorf, D.J. (2000) Molecular basis for feedback regulation of bile acid synthesis by nuclear receptors. Mol. Cell 6: 507-515. [Online Journal] Goodwin, B., Jones, S.A., Price, R.R., Watson, M.A., McKee, D.D., Moore, L.B., Galardi, C., Wilson, J.G., Lewis, M.C., Roth, M.E., Maloney, P.R., Willson, T.M., and Kliewer, S.A. (2000) A regulatory cascade of the nuclear receptors FXR, SHP-1, and LRH-1 represses bile acid biosynthesis. Mol. Cell 6: 517-526. [Online Journal]


Batracylin (NSC-320846) is a dual inhibitor of DNA topoisomerases I and II. Batracylin advanced as an anticancer agent to Phase I clinical trials where dose limiting hemorrhagic cystitis (bladder inflammation and bleeding) was observed. To further investigate batracylin's mechanism of toxicity, studies were conducted in Fischer 344 rats. Once daily oral administration of 16 or 32 mg/kg batracylin to rats for 4 days caused overt toxicity. Abnormal clinical observations and adverse effects on clinical pathology, urinalysis, and histology indicated acute renal damage and urothelial damage and bone marrow dysfunction. Scanning electron microscopy revealed sloughing of the superficial and intermediate urothelial layers. DNA damage was evident in kidney and bone marrow as indicated by histone γ-H2AX immunofluorescence. After a single oral administration of 16 or 32 mg/kg, the majority of batracylin was converted to N-acetylbatracylin (NAB) with a half-life of 4 hr to 11 hr. Mesna (Mesnex™), a drug known to reduce the incidence of hemorrhagic cystitis induced by ifosfamide or cyclophosphamide, was administered to rats prior to batracylin, but did not alleviate batracylin-induced bladder and renal toxicity. These findings suggest that batracylin results in DNA damage-based mechanisms of toxicity and not an acrolein-based mechanism of toxicity as occurs after ifosfamide or cyclophosphamide administration.


Introduction Electroglottography (EGG) is a common method for providing noninvasive measurements of glottal activity. The object of this study was to characterise EGG based parameters, specifically the open quotient (OQ), during fricative production, and during the phones preceding and following the fricative in a carrier phrase. With the OQ measures we aim to quantitatively establish if the relatively weak voicing during the fricative production may be differentiated from the stronger voicing of the contextual vowel. Our long term goal is to understand the mechanisms by which voicing is initiated and maintained as a guide to improving strategies for initiating and maintaining voicing in patients with laryngeal impairment such as unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) (Pinho, Jesus, & Barney, 2009). Methods Data were collected from two adult female (JG and HV) and two adult male (LJ and RS) speakers of EP. None had reported speech, language or hearing disorders, and all had normal vocal qualities. They were assessed by an experienced Speech and Language Therapist using a standardised evaluation protocol (Jesus, et al., 2009). Speakers were recorded producing 51 utterances, including 9 isolated words containing the EP voiced fricatives /v, z, Z/, in initial, medial and final word position, and the same 9 words embedded in 51 different carrier sentences, that presented a variety of consonantal (taps, laterals, stops and nasals) and vocalic (close, open front and back vowels) contexts in real EP sentences (only vowel-fricative-vowel sequences were analysed). To analyse the EGG signal we built Matlab scripts based on the open source software "MOQ interface" (Henrich, Alessandro, Doval, & Castellengo, 2004; Henrich, Gendrot, Michaud, & Tuan, 2005). We used the method "DEGG DECOM", reported as the one that presented the best results compared to OQ measurements derived from the inverse-filtered glottal flow (Henrich, et al., 2004). These functions, developed for the singing voice (Henrich, et al., 2004), assume a quasi-periodic signal and were therefore considered to be more suitable for voiced fricative analysis. To characterise the fricatives in terms of their production mechanisms, we analysed the OQ derived from the EGG signal during the steady state of the fricative and of the adjacent vowels. The strategy used to correlate and extract information from these different modes of speech production was based on average values calculated for the OQ within phone1 (vowel), phone2 (fricative) and phone3 (vowel). Results We calculated for each phone (1, 2 and 3) the average of the OQ values derived from EGGDEGG. In cases where the peaks do not stand out clearly and the OQ cannot be calculated reliably, it does not make sense to talk of an OQ at all (Henrich, et al., 2005). Therefore, zero and nonsense OQ values (e.g., fundamental frequency derived from EGG, with values equal or greater than 400Hz) were not included in subsequent analysis. For both female and male data, an increase in the OQ values during fricative production (phone2) was observed when compared to OQ values from the adjacent vowels (phone1 and phone3), as shown in Table 1. Discussion There was a small increase in the OQ values during the fricative, relative to that of the adjacent vowels. We can hypothesise that a more physically efficient voice is related with a decrease of the OQ value during the production of vowels (Howard, 1995). Changes observed in the EGG waveform during fricative production, thought to result from the rise in the supraglottal pressure due to a supraglottal constriction (Rothenberg & Mahshie, 1988), may be useful in a definition of weak voicing (Pinho, Jesus, & Barney, 2009). Some differences in the OQ values were also observed for different places of articulation: alveolar (/z/) fricatives showed OQ values slightly lower (59±9) than labio-dentals (/v/) and postalveolars (/Z/) (61-65±9). Further work is needed to relate these results to vocal fold mechanics. In future work we plan to extract the OQ from the inverse-filtered glottal flow (a signal we simultaneously acquired during data collection) in order to extend our study of OQ to UVFP patients where EGG cannot be reliably collected.


In terms of simple and complex systems, it is a whole new world out there. At the initial publication of this book, fourteen years ago, the web was in its infancy, DVDs did not exist, cell phones were few and far between, and the information superhighway was just a blip upon the horizon. If you used the terms "social engineering," you were most likely a political scientist, and if you were "phishing" you might be listening to a rock band. The second edition of a bestseller, Human Factors in Simple and Complex Systems provides the necessary understanding of the breadth and depth of human factors issues that influence the design, implementation, and evaluation of products and systems. Emphasizing the close relationship between basic theory and application, the authors delineate a framework for the research process, present an integrated view of the current state of knowledge, and examine how these factors can be applied to system design. The new edition addresses such concepts as situation awareness and highlights topics of interest, with a special focus on computer applications and human-computer interaction. See whats new in the Second Edition New topics, such as situational awareness, that capture the tremendous changes in human factors and ergonomics Tightly integrates basic research and application, strengthening the link between knowledge and practice Each chapter includes a separate box that discusses a topic of current interest related to human interaction with computers and recent technology Demonstrating a general approach to solving a broad range of system problems, the book provides coverage of the theoretical foundation on which the discipline of human factors is built. Structured around human information processing, it covers the full range of contemporary human factors and ergonomics, then shows you how to apply them.


Abstract Orthopterans play an important role in Red-footed Falcon diet, however, most studies focus only on its qualitative food composition, and less on quantitative composition and preferences of the taxa identified as prey. During the present research, an extensive orthopterological investigation was carried out in the Red-footed Falcon study area, Vásárhelyi Plain (SE-Hungary) between 2006 and 2008. Grasshoppers were sampled in their main habitats by sweep netting and pitfall trapping, and orthopterans were identified in the food remnants collected from the nests, both artificial and natural ones. 26 species were detected during the field works, 18 species from the food remnants. Altogether 32 species were identified. Prey preference values for all species for each year were calculated. More than two thirds of the identified preys were Decticus verrucivorus, and nearly 20% were Tettigonia viridissima. Other common prey species were Melanogryllus desertus, Platycleis affinis, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, Calliptamus italicus and Gryllus campestris. Based on the prey preference analysis, the most preferred species was Decticus verrucivorus with extreme high values, and the other preferred ones, overlapping with the previous list, were Platycleis affinis, Bicolorana bicolor, Tettigonia viridissima, Calliptamus italicus and Roeseliana roeselii. These results may help in the development of Red-footed Falcon-friendly habitats through the application of habitat management favourable for the preferred prey species.


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The 2004/2005 year has flown by very
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go through the events of the past year.
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addressed us on "South African Weather
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of highveld lightning were memorable.
In August the long title of the talk
was "Archaeoastronomical Aspects of the
Great Zimbabwe/Mapungubwe Cultural
Complex", presented provocatively by
Richard Wade. Tim Cooper used Beginner's
Corner to highlight the encroachment
of Light Pollution in our society and
proposed a program for ..


Marilyn Manning, Ph.D., is a certified management consultant, conflict mediator, and international speaker. She facilitates and coaches teams and leaders to solve difficult people problems and organizational challenges. Her interactive keynote speeches and workshop topics include Strategic Planning, Communications, Change and Conflict Management, Teambuilding, and Customer Service. This edition has been revised to reflect the changing technologies and values in the workplace. Sections on emails, laptops, and LCD screens will help you use these tools to your advantage. As you deal with leadership, stress, and interruptions, this book will guide you in a politically correct and sensitive way. Coverage includes: To help you position yourself as a professional To discuss techniques for enhancing your professional image To provide ideas for expanding skills and responsibilities To describe practical ways to communicate for better results To provide tips for building relationships and networks


Everything casual users need to know to get the most out of their new Windows 7 PCs, software, and the Internet The best-selling beginner's guide, now completely updated for Windows 7 and today's most popular Internet tools - including Facebook, craigslist, Twitter, and Wikipedia Easy step-by-step instructions cover setting up a new PC, getting online, working with digital media, using productivity tools, and much more By the world's #1 author of beginning technology books, Michael Miller This year, you may be one of the millions of casual computer users that will buy a new Windows 7 notebookor desktop PC. You'll want to know how to find your way around, get comfortable, and get the job done - without jargon, complexity, or hassle. There's a book for you: Michael Miller's Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics, Windows 7 Edition. It's the one book that covers everything today's beginners and near-beginners need to know: not just about Windows, but also about software, hardware, and the Internet. Through 90+ books, author Michael Miller has established an unparalleled track record in explaining complicated concepts simply and clearly, and empowering beginners. Now, he's thoroughly updated his best-selling Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics to cover today's user experience - with Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, and today's hottest online tools, from craigslist and Facebook to Twitter, Wikipedia, and Google Docs. Miller offers step-by-step instructions and friendly, practical advice for making the most of Windows 7's improvements, including the new taskbar, Action Center, and Aero Snap. He walks through setting up a new computer; connecting to the Internet; working with digital media; burning custom CDs; watching DVD movies; using Microsoft Office and other popular software; managing money online; setting up home networks; keeping PCs running reliably; and protecting them from spam, viruses, and spyware. This is the one indispensable book for today's PC novice


This Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation paper presents a physical property comparison study between exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGNP) modified and control asphalt models, including density, glass transition temperature, viscosity and thermal conductivity. The three-component control asphalt model consists of asphaltenes, aromatics, and saturates based on previous references. The xGNP asphalt model was built by incorporating an xGNP and control asphalt model and controlling mass ratios to represent the laboratory prepared samples. The Amber Cornell Extension Force Field (ACEFF) was used with assigned molecular electro-static potential (ESP) charge from NWChem analysis. After optimization and ensemble relaxation, the properties of the control and xGNP modified asphalt models were computed and analyzed using the MD method. The MD simulated results have a similar trend as the test results. The property analysis showed that: (1) the density of the xGNP modified model is higher than that of the control model; (2) the glass transition temperature of the xGNP modified model is closer to the laboratory data of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) asphalt binders than that of the control model; (3) the viscosities of the xGNP modified model at different temperatures are higher than those of the control model, and it coincides with the trend in the laboratory data; (4) the thermal conductivities of the xGNP modified asphalt model are higher than those of the control asphalt model at different temperatures, and it is consistent with the trend in the laboratory data.


This article attempts to explore the links between sovereignty and constituent power. Both these concepts have deep-rooted links to amendments affected in any Constitution. Accordingly, their interplay with respect to the Indian Constitution is explored in this paper. The first section is concerned with a general introduction to the subject. The second section provides a jurisprudential understanding of the concepts explaining their relevance individually and further to different theories notably that of Carl Schmitt, linking sovereignty with constituent power. The third section is devoted to understanding the link between sovereignty and constituent power, and the amending power. The fourth section works through a tentative solution suggesting that the amending power is something akin to constituent power and discusses briefly how sovereignty could be protected by exercise of the amending power. The concept of implied limitations is discussed with reference to the position prevailing in different countries, furthered with the aid of the basic structure doctrine prevailing in India. The conclusion ends on a cautionary note: that judges, who propose to be the selfdesignated guardians of sovereignty and the Constitution, could need some guarding as well.


Abstract This essay reviews the book Contemporary Chinese Art: Primary Documents edited by Wu Hung and published by the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2010, as part of an ongoing series aiming to introduce art critical texts produced in non-mainstream art locales to an English-speaking audience. Gathering a large number of translated critical essays, the book outlines the production of Chinese Contemporary Art since what is normally accepted as its onset in the late 1970s. This essay argues that this process of definition, legitimized by the prominent publisher of this book, amounts to a form of canonization performed at the expenses of other contemporaneous artistic forms—ink and academic painting—whose culturally and historically specific nature de facto excludes them from a concept of art globalization still largely determined and rooted by Euro-American modernism.


We studied the power spectrum of the diaphragm electromyogram (EMG) at frequencies between 31 and 246 Hz in four young normal subjects and five patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). Diaphragm EMGs were analyzed during spontaneous breathing and maximum inspiratory efforts to determine the effect of signal-to-noise ratio on the power spectrum and if treadmill exercise to dyspnea was associated with diaphragm fatigue. We found that the centroid frequencies of the power spectra (fc) were strongly correlated (r = 0.93) with ratios of power at high frequencies to power at low frequencies (H/L) for all subjects. Of the two indices, H/L had the largest standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the mean. The mean values of both of these decreased significantly after exercise, fc from 100.2 to 97.3 and H/L from 1.07 to 0.97. Signal-to-noise ratios were higher in maximal inspiratory efforts and after exercise in normal subjects and higher in COPD patients. The signal-to-noise ratio was correlated negatively with fc and H/L, indicating that these indices of the shape of the power spectrum are influenced by signal strength and noise levels as well as muscle function. We conclude that the fc and H/L index similar qualities of the power spectrum, that they are partially determined by the signal-to-noise ratio, and that, in some cases, exercise to dyspnea is associated with apparently mild diaphragm fatigue.


Abstract. Warming of the Arctic in recent years has led to changes in the active layer and uppermost permafrost. In particular, thick active layer formation results in more frequent thaw of the ice-rich transient layer. This addition of moisture, as well as infiltration from late season precipitation, results in high pore-water pressures (PWPs) at the base of the active layer and can potentially result in landscape degradation. To predict areas that have the potential for subsurface pressurization, we use susceptibility maps generated using a generalized additive model (GAM). As model response variables, we used active layer detachments (ALDs) and mud ejections (MEs), both formed by high PWP conditions at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory, Melville Island, Canada. As explanatory variables, we used the terrain characteristics elevation, slope, distance to water, topographic position index (TPI), potential incoming solar radiation (PISR), distance to water, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; ME model only), geology, and topographic wetness index (TWI). ALDs and MEs were accurately modelled in terms of susceptibility to disturbance across the study area. The susceptibility models demonstrate that ALDs are most probable on hill slopes with gradual to steep slopes and relatively low PISR, whereas MEs are associated with higher elevation areas, lower slope angles, and areas relatively far from water. Based on these results, this method identifies areas that may be sensitive to high PWPs and helps improve our understanding of geomorphic sensitivity to permafrost degradation.


The digital revolution has reinvigorated the discussion about the problem how to consider innovation in the application of competition law. This raises difficult questions about the relationship between competition and innovation as well as what kind of assessment concepts competition authorities should use for investigating innovation effects, e.g., in merger cases. This paper, on one hand, reviews briefly our economic knowledge about competition and innovation, and claims that it is necessary to go beyond the limited insights that can be gained from industrial economics research about innovation (Schumpeter vs. Arrow discussion), and take into account much more insights from innovation research, evolutionary innovation economics, and business and management studies. On the other hand, it is also necessary to develop much more innovation-specific assessment concepts in competition law (beyond the traditional product market concept). Using the example of assessing innovation competition in merger cases, this article suggests to analyze much more systematically the resources (specialized assets) that are necessary for innovation. This concept is directly linked to the new discussion about the Dow/DuPont case in the EU and about data as necessary resource for (data-driven) innovation.


This article describes the joint evolution of Federal Reserve policy and the study of the impact of monetary policy surprises on high-frequency asset prices. Since the 1970s, the Federal Open Market Committee has clarified its objectives and modified its procedures to become more transparent and predictable. Researchers have had to account for these changes to procedures and perceived objectives in developing methods to study the effects of monetary surprises. Unexpected changes to the Committee's federal funds target and postmeeting statements strongly and consistently affect asset prices, including interest rates, exchange rates, and (for target changes) stock prices. The study of monetary surprises on asset prices provides important insight for policymakers, financial market participants, and economic models.


This study concern the measurement of the diameter of abdominal aortaat its bifurcation to right and left femur artery, for diabetic patients and hypertensive patients and normal ascontrol group using Multi Detector Computed Tomography MDCT 64 slice. Information was available for 300 patients, 100 patient's diabetics, 100 hypertensives and 100 normal as a control group, Diameter measurement of abdominal aortic at its bifurcation to right and left femur artery and the study sample diabetic patients and hypertensive and control group a normal; the average diameter of normal femoral artery was (7.96 mm) which is bigger than that of hypertensive patients (7.41 mm) and diabetic (5.91 mm) patients, for abdominal aorta bifurcation of hypertensive patients the diameter was (17.18 mm) which is bigger thanthe normal (16.47 mm) and diabetic patient's which is (14.89 mm). diameter of abdominal aorta and its bifurcation to left and right femoral artery show that the hypertensive patients showed bigger diameter than the normal and diabetic patients, and the dimension of left and right femoral artery the normal patients showed bigger diameter than hypertensive and diabetic patients.


This new Liberty Fund edition of James McClellan's classic work on the quest for liberty, order, and justice in England and America includes the author's revisions to the original edition published in 1989 by the Center for Judicial Studies. Unlike most textbooks in American Government, Liberty, Order, and Justice seeks to familiarize the student with the basic principles of the Constitution, and to explain their origin, meaning, and purpose. Particular emphasis is placed on federalism and the separation of powers. These features of the book, together with its extensive and unique historical illustrations, make this new edition of Liberty, Order, and Justice especially suitable for introductory classes in American Government and for high school students in advanced placement courses.


The Berlin Wall is arguably the most prominent symbol of the Cold War era. Its construction in 1961 and its dismantling in 1989 are broadly understood as pivotal moments in the history of the last century. In A Wall of Our Own, Paul M. Farber traces the Berlin Wall as a site of pilgrimage for American artists, writers, and activists. During the Cold War and in the shadow of the Wall, figures such as Leonard Freed, Angela Davis, Shinkichi Tajiri, and Audre Lorde weighed the possibilities and limits of American democracy. All were sparked by their first encounters with the Wall, incorporated their reflections in books and artworks directed toward the geopolitics of division in the United States, and considered divided Germany as a site of intersection between art and activism over the respective courses of their careers. Departing from the well-known stories of Americans seeking post–World War II Paris for their own self-imposed exile or traveling the open road of the domestic interstate highway system, Farber reveals the divided city of Berlin as another destination for Americans seeking a critical distance. By analyzing the experiences and cultural creations of "American Berliner" artists and activists, Farber offers a new way to view not only the Wall itself but also how the Cold War still structures our thinking about freedom, repression, and artistic resistance on a global scale.