Thermoelectric effects were discovered in the early 19th century. Seebeck (1821) discovered that a voltage appears when two different conductors are joined together and the junction is heated. The Peltier effect (1834) occurs when an electric current is passed through the junction between two conductors. The junction becomes heated or cooled according to the direction of current through it. These two effects combined constitute the thermoelectric phenomenon. Thermoelectric effect can have practical applications in the fields of alternate power generation (Seebeck effect) or as environment friendly refrigeration and cooling devices in modern electronics (Peltier effect). However, their performance would depend on the specific properties of the materials that are used to build those devices. A good thermoelectric material should have a high electrical conductivity like a metal, and low thermal conductivity, like a glass. One promising class of materials that fit the requirements for good thermolectrics is the semiconductor clathrates. Among the two major types of clathrate compounds, the type II clathrates has been relatively less investigated compared to the type I variety. The type II clathrates form a cage-like structure with 136 atoms in the cubic unit cell. The cages can accommodate weakly bound impurities or "guests", usually Group I or Group II atoms. This unique structural characteristic lead to important electronic and vibrational properties which makes these materials potentially useful for various applications including thermoelectrics. This work is based on a theoretical study of the type II silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) clathrates. It involves a systematic study of the structural, electronic and vibrational properties of several materials. iv Texas Tech University, Koushik Biswas, August 2007 The guest impurity atoms inside the clathrate cages modify the material electronic structure. Guest atom electrons occupy the host conduction band states, resulting in a Fermi Level shift into the conduction band of the "parent" framework, therefore making the materials metallic. This metallic character means that the electronic contribution to the total thermal conductivity could be large and hence such materials are not very useful as thermoelectrics. However, upon substitution of a few framework atoms by gallium (Ga) restores the semiconducting behavior of the partially filled materials. It indicates that the Ga atoms, with their s2p1 valence electronic configuration, accept electrons from the guest atoms and form covalent bonds with the neighboring Si atoms. The projected electronic density of the filled clathrates show the impurity derived s-orbital character of the states near the Fermi level. This feature may help to qualitatively explain the temperature-dependent Knight shift observed for the NMRactive nuclei in the filled clathrates. All the filled clathrates are predicted to have low frequency guest vibrational modes that are near the middle of the host acoustic band, which effectively compresses the acoustic mode band width. This could lead to an efficient scattering of the host acoustic phonons. Based on the harmonic oscillator model and the LDA-calculated frequencies, the effective force constants of the various guest atoms have been estimated. Those values have been used to predict the temperature-dependent isotropic mean square displacement amplitudes (Uiso) and the Einstein temperatures (θE) of the various guest atoms. The temperature dependence of the vibrational contribution to the free energy, the entropy and the specific heat capacity at constant volume (CV) of the empty Si136 and Ge136 clathrates have been predicted. All quantities were calculated using the harmonic v Texas Tech University, Koushik Biswas, August 2007 approximation. The Si136 and Ge136 are structurally very different from their respective diamond structured phases. However, their entropies and specific heats bear close resemblance to their corresponding diamond phases.


OF DISSERTATION THE ROLE OF SNAP AND HABIT FORMATION ON HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR This collection of essays examines the impact of two antecedents of household food consumption: SNAP and habit formation to nutrients. Household food choice invariably plays a substantial role in health outcomes such as obesity. Low-income households may be especially vulnerable to obesity as they face a more restricted set of food choices due to income constraints and may have less information on healthy eating relative to high-income households. This dissertation unravels this dynamic by providing causal estimates of the effect of two major determinants of food choice. Chapter 2 and chapter 3 test the impact of SNAP participation on consumption of foods that are likely to cause obesity. With some exceptions, SNAP restricts benefits to be spent only on unprepared grocery food items from participating retailers. Chapter 2 considers the broad category of Food Away From Home (FAFH) which is shown to be less healthy than meals prepared at home and shows that SNAP significantly reduces FAFH expenditure of participants. However, the magnitude of this decrease is not large enough to have a tangible impact on obesity. Chapter 3 considers household expenditure on carbonated soda, which is the key source of sugar intake among low-income households. Not only is carbonated soda SNAP-eligible, it is cheaper when purchased with SNAP benefits relative to cash because benefits are exempt from all sales taxes. Results show that SNAP participation leads to a significant rise in carbonated soda sales in low-income counties. I also find that the SNAP tax exemption does not lead to higher consumption among participants relative to non-participants. Chapter 4 tests habit formation to dietary fat using purchases of ground meat and milk products. Products in both categories have salient fat content information on the packaging. Products within each category differ only by fat content and are usually identical otherwise. Differences in habit formation are, therefore, caused by different levels of fat content. Results show a positive association between habit formation and fat content for all products in the ground meat category and all products, except fat-free milk, in the milk category. However, this relationship is modest leading to the conclusion that policy interventions, such as a saturated fat tax, might be effective in discouraging consumption of high fat products.


Research was conducted in the nature reserve De Westhoek (B) in order to estimate the hydrological impact of shrub removal in favour of the recolonisation and development of herbaceous vegetation types in the dune slacks. Dune slacks are one of the most rare ecotopes in Europe. Therefore, the evapotranspiration of herbaceous and shrub vegetation types was estimated based on experimentally obtained data and modelling. Analysis of the experimentally obtained stomatal resistance values revealed that there was no difference in the minimal stomatal resistance values (in absence of any stress) between herbs and shrubs. Stomatal resistance was modelled based as a function of climatic variables. Maximal rooting depth was similar in both vegetation types, and was maximal 60cm. For both vegetation types more than 60% of the roots were found in the upper 15cm. The mean leaf-area-index (LAI) of herbaceous and shrub vegetations is respectively 2.11±0.34 and 3.27±0.20 m 2 .m -2 . Evapotranspiration of both vegetation types was modelled with a multi-layer dynamic vegetation model FORUG and seasonal evapotranspiration amounted roughly 200 and 550mm for the herbaceous and shrub vegetation types respectively. Although these estimates can be somewhat refined, from these results it can be concluded that shrub removal, and the replacement of this vegetation type by a herbaceous vegetation type, will not result in a lowering of the groundwater table. This knowledge can help managing hydrologically disturbed dune ecosystems.


For 40 years after the war, government in the UK supported, subsidised and promoted the expansion of agricultural production, to the exclusion of almost all other rural issues. Similar expansion of food production was encouraged across Western Europe. This 'productivist' era came to an end during the 1980s provoking a reassessment of the role of agriculture and of rural areas. Rural geographers have identified a post-productivist transition but have sought to explain the causes of change through the framework of regulation theory. The study rejects this approach as focusing its explanation on changes in accumulation imperatives within some agent-less process. It adopts a constructivist/discursive institutionalist framework which endogenizes agency and seeks to explain institutional change through exploring the role of ideas in responding to crises and critical junctures. The study proceeds through the construction of structured policy narratives over the period from the war to the present. The study contrasts the development of productivist regimes in the UK and the European Community and reveals significant differences in the policy institutions which have strongly influenced UK relations with the Community and the integration of UK agriculture within the Common Agricultural Policy. It is argued that responses to the crisis created by the end of the productivist regime reflected the contrast in rural policy institutions. The study identifies a paradigm shift in the Common Agricultural Policy enabling reform to be constructed within the context of the normative values which shaped its original design. The Thatcher government by contrast introduced a neo-liberal rural policy. Recently, New Labour has introduced a re-design of rural governance. It is argued that the Treasury was influential in its role as meta-governor in advocating alternative cognitive assumptions which denied the distinctiveness of rural economic and social needs. The outcome has been the disintegration of rural policy in England.


The Gediz River, one of the principal rivers of Western Anatolia, has an extensive Pleistocene fluvial archive that potentially offers a unique window into fluvial system behaviour on the western margins of Asia during the Quaternary. In this paper we review our work on the Quaternary Gediz River Project (2001-2010) and present new data which leads to a revised stratigraphical model for the Early Pleistocene development of this fluvial system.In previous work we confirmed the preservation of eleven buried Early Pleistocene fluvial terraces of the Gediz River (designated GT11, the oldest and highest, to GT1, the youngest and lowest) which lie beneath the basalt-covered plateaux of the Kula Volcanic Province. Deciphering the information locked in this fluvial archive requires the construction of a robust geochronology. Fortunately, the Gediz archive provides ample opportunity for age-constraint based upon age estimates derived from basaltic lava flows that repeatedly entered the palaeo-Gediz valley floors. In this paper we present, for the first time, our complete dataset of 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age estimates and associated palaeomagnetic measurements. These data, which can be directly related to the underlying fluvial deposits, provide age constraints critical to our understanding of this sequence.The new chronology establishes the onset of Quaternary volcanism at ∼1320ka (MIS42). This volcanism, which is associated with GT6, confirms a pre-MIS42 age for terraces GT11-GT7. Evidence from the colluvial sequences directly overlying these early terraces suggests that they formed in response to hydrological and sediment budget changes forced by climate-driven vegetation change. The cyclic formation of terraces and their timing suggests they represent the obliquity-driven climate changes of the Early Pleistocene. By way of contrast the GT5-GT1 terrace sequence, constrained by a lava flow with an age estimate of ∼1247ka, span the time-interval MIS42 - MIS38 and therefore do not match the frequency of climate change as previously suggested. The onset of volcanism breaks the simple linkage of terracing to climate-driven change. These younger terraces more likely reflect a localized terracing process triggered by base level changes forced by volcanic eruptions and associated reactivation of pre-existing faults, lava dam construction, landsliding and subsequent lava-dammed lake drainage.Establishing a firm stratigraphy and geochronology for the Early Pleistocene archive provides a secure framework for future exploitation of this part of the archive and sets the standard as we begin our work on the Middle-Late Pleistocene sequence. We believe this work forms a benchmark study for detailed Quaternary research in Turkey.


Scholarship of welfare stigma agrees that the more selective the welfare policy is, the more stigmatizing it is. Yet there are controversies about the impact of welfare stigma on the take-up of welfare benefits. Earlier studies hold that welfare stigma is a major deterrent factor of welfare take-up, whereas more recent studies from comparative perspectives produce more complex results. To what extent is this knowledge from the well-established welfare states explanatory to the fact of the developmental welfare states? This paper, taking the highly selective social assistance program—the Minimum Livelihood Guarantee in China— as an example, explores the relationship between selectivity and welfare stigma, and its effect on the take-up of social assistance via questionnaire interviews and a unique data set compiled for this research. Analysis shows that though there are multiple stringent selection mechanisms and stigmatizing official propaganda, average citizens do not perceive strong stigma. They do believe that welfare fraud is serious, and yet they don't show strong resentment for the welfare claimants, as they don't relate the transfer to their own wallets. More importantly, they attribute poverty and welfare receipt more to bad luck and slack labor market than to negative personal characteristics or misbehaviors. In addition, the public distrust of the official propaganda and the strategic behaviors of the grass-roots bureaucrats neutralize the stigmatizing effect. Therefore, the statistical discrimination approach —one of the conventional theories of welfare stigma sources — is irrelevant in the context of China, while taxpayer resentment view and individual attribution theory have strong explanatory power. Among all the deterrent factors of welfare participation, the significant ones are: the high guarantee threshold, substitution effect of the informal social assistance system, the limited coverage, and transaction cost of the participants (in descending order of importance). By contrast, welfare stigma has a relatively limited impact on welfare participation. To promote the program's effectiveness in poverty reduction, the state needs to lower the threshold of protection, increase the program's coverage, reduce the participation cost of the residents, and shoulder greater responsibility in the welfare system.


About 5% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are diagnosed before age 18. Because pediatric MS is uncommon, little is known about the experiences of children and adolescents living with MS. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn from these youth what it is like to live with the diagnosis of MS. Twelve patients with clinically definite MS between the ages of 8 and 18 years were interviewed. Initially, they were unfamiliar with MS and had a multitude of feelings about the diagnosis. Over time, they adapted to the temporary or permanent effects and incorporated changes caused by MS into their lives. Most described participation in social and recreational activities typical of their age group. Although they recognized their lives were different because they had MS, in many ways they felt unchanged. Most noted positive and negative changes in their relationships. They described common stressors unique to having MS that made life more challenging, but they used diverse coping strategies to address these stressors. They expressed the need to move forward with life and identified hopes and plans for the future. MS contributed to shaping their self-identities, but their disease remained only one component of who they were. The findings of this study provide a greater understanding of the experiences and views of youth with MS and offer guidance for nurses to enhance care.


Background: Bungur leaves have saponins, tannins, ellagitannin and flavonoids that could function as antioxidant and antihyperglycemic. Bungur leaves also consumed in Indonesia people for their diabetes treatment for a long time. Objective: The aim of this research is to know bungur leaves as antioxidant and antihyperglycemic so that can be used in the alternative therapy of diabetes mellitus. Methods: Mice were made hyperglycemic using alloxan, except normal group. The study was carried out using 30 mice divided into 6 groups: normal group, negative group, positive group, and treated group with 3 dose variation from bungur leaves decoction and taken the data on day 0, 5, and 19. Results: The result in normal group, negative group (alloxan), positive group (glibenclamide), treatments group which given by doses 1.6 g/kgBW, 3.2 g/kgBW, 6.4 g/kgBW of MDA levels respectively 0.6993 nmol/mL; 4.1953 nmol/mL; 0.8462 nmol/mL; 4.2873 nmol/mL; 3.3700 nmol/mL; 2.0670 nmol/mL while blood glucose levels on 19th day respectively 107.6 mg/dL;149.2 mg/dL; 104 mg/dL; 93 mg/dL; 109.6 mg/dL; 104 mg/dL. MDA levels on 6.4 g/kgBW and the averages of MDA levels have different significantly with a positive group, while blood glucose levels showed all treatments groups doses has no different significantly with positive group analyzed statistically. Conclusion: Bungur leaves have an effect to decrease MDA levels but not as well as glibenclamide while they have an effect to decrease blood glucose as well as glibenclamide. Key words: Anti hyperglycemic, Antioxidant, Bungur, Glibenclamide, Hyperglycemic mice.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether hydrotherapy programmes improve exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure. Data sources utilised were EBSCO, Scopus, Medline, PubMed, OVID, Proquest, PEDro and Cochrane Systematic Reviews databases. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials or quasi randomised controlled trials investigated hydrotherapy compared with a suitable control. Methodological quality was assessed using a modified version of the Downs and Black critical appraisal tool. Findings demonstrated that hydrotherapy was well tolerated with few adverse events reported. Two studies demonstrated hydrotherapy intervention groups significantly improved 6MWT from baseline (p≤0.05), while two studies found significantly greater improvements when compared to non-exercising (p=0.01) and land based exercising (p=0.001) controls. Four studies found significant gains (p≤0.05) in VO 2 peak from baseline following hydrotherapy interventions. Two studies reported significant (p=0.01) intragroup improvements in total score of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire in hydrotherapy intervention groups when compared with baseline and a non-exercising control respectively. In conclusion, hydrotherapy exercise programmes were well tolerated and appear to improve exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure but firm conclusions could not be drawn due to the poor to moderate quality of the evidence. Graetz B, Sullivan M, Robertson T, Reeve J (2015) Do hydrotherapy exercise programmes improve exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure? A systematic review New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 43(2): 64-71. DOI: 10.15619/NZJP/43.2.07


- By the coauthor of the #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller The One Minute Entrepreneur
 - Offers a simple, straightforward, and proven approach to negotiating anything
 - Written in the popular and accessible "business fable" format

 Negotiation impacts every aspect of our lives, from the deals we strike on the job to our relationships with family members and neighbors, to the transactions we make as customers. Yet most people do anything they can to avoid negotiation -- it makes them uncomfortable, nervous, even frightened. This plague of "negotiaphobia" is that The One Minute Negotiator will remedy.

 Don Hutson and George Lucas use an engaging business parable to tell the story of a high-level sales professional who learns to master a simple yet profound approach to negotiations. Jay Baxter sells more than anyone else in his company, but his profit margins are slim. Instead of negotiating the best deal for the company, he's giving too much away to get the sale. On a company-sponsored cruise he meets the One Minute Negotiator, who teaches him a three-step negotiating process that can be applied to any situation: closing a deal to get your product in a big-box retail store, getting the best loaner car while your car is in the shop, seeking a fair solution after a hotel messes up your reservation, settling on the price for your new home -- in short, any transaction.

 The key is flexibility. Most books on negotiation preach one of two gospels: thou shalt collaborate or thou shalt compete. Either everybody works together toward a common goal or the process is basically adversarial. The problem is no two negotiations are alike -- one strategy cannot fit all. The One Minute Negotiator teaches you four potential strategies and shows how to choose the one best suited to the situation, your own inclinations, and the strategy being used by the other side.

 Besides the obvious benefits, conquering negotiaphobia will reduce your stress level. You'll never walk away thinking about what you should have asked for or might have gotten. Instead, with tools Hutson and Lucas provide you can confidently and consistently guide any negotiation to the best possible conclusion.


In search for the genetic basis of hypertension, we applied an integrated genomic-transcriptomic approach to identify genes involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension in the Sabra rat model of salt-susceptibility. In the genomic arm of the project, we previously detected in male rats two salt-susceptibility QTLs on chromosome 1, SS1a (D1Mgh2-D1Mit11; span 43.1 cM) and SS1b (D1Mit11-D1Mit4; span 18 cM). In the transcriptomic arm, we studied differential gene expression in kidneys of SBH/y and SBN/y rats that had been fed regular diet or salt-loaded. We used the Affymetrix Rat Genome RAE230 GeneChip and probed >30 000 transcripts. The research algorithm called for an initial genome-wide screen for differentially expressed transcripts between the study groups. This step was followed by cluster analysis based on 2×2 ANOVA to identify transcripts that were of relevance specifically to salt-sensitivity and hypertension and to salt-resistance. The two arms of the project were integrated by identifying those differentially expressed transcripts that showed an allele-specific hypertensive effect on salt-loading and that mapped within the defined boundaries of the salt-susceptibility QTLs on chromosome 1. The differentially expressed transcripts were confirmed by RT-PCR. Of the 2933 genes annotated to rat chromosome 1, 1102 genes were identified within the boundaries of the two blood pressure QTLs. The microarray identified 2470 transcripts that were differentially expressed between the study groups. Cluster analysis identified genome-wide 192 genes that were relevant to salt-susceptibility and/or hypertension, 19 of which mapped to chromosome 1. Eight of these genes mapped within the boundaries of QTLs SS1a and SS1b. RT-PCR confirmed 7 genes, leaving TcTex1, Myadm, Lisch7, Axl-like, Fah, PRC1-like, and Serpinh1. None of these genes has been implicated in hypertension before. These genes become henceforth targets for our continuing search for the genetic basis of hypertension.


Vaccinia virus assembly has been well studied at the ultrastructural level, but little is known about the molecular events that occur during that process. Towards this goal, we have identified the major membrane and core proteins of the intracellular mature virus (IMV). Pure IMV preparations were subjected to Nonidet P-40 (NP-40) and dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment to separate the core proteins from the membrane proteins. These proteins were subsequently separated by two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis, and the major polypeptide spots, as detected by silver staining and 35S labeling, were identified by either matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, N-terminal amino acid sequencing, or immunoprecipitation with defined antibodies. Sixteen major spots that partitioned into the NP-40-DTT-soluble fraction were identified; 11 of these were previously described virally encoded proteins and 5 were cellular proteins, mostly of mitochondrial origin. The core fraction revealed four major spots of previously described core proteins, two of which were also detected in the membrane fraction. Subsequently, the NP-40-DTT-soluble and -insoluble fractions from purified virus preparations, separated by 2D gels, were compared with postnuclear supernatants of infected cells that had been metabolically labeled at late times (6 to 8 h) postinfection. This relatively short labeling period as well as the apparent shutoff of host protein synthesis allowed the selective detection in such postnuclear supernatants of virus-encoded proteins. These postnuclear supernatants were subsequently treated with Triton X-114 or with sodium carbonate to distinguish the membrane proteins from the soluble proteins. We have identified the major late membrane and nonmembrane proteins of the IMV as they occur in the virus as well as in infected cells. This 2D gel map should provide an important reference for future molecular studies of vaccinia virus morphogenesis.


Objective : To conduct a systematic review of the literature about the factors that drive patients toward satisfaction after orthodontic treatment. Material and Methods : The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42013004528). Four databases as well as the reference lists and citations of the included publications were searched according to PRISMA guidelines, yielding 6.387 titles and abstracts. Two reviewers performed data collection independently and a third reviewer was included, if there was no consensus. Results : Nine surveys (2.742 participants) remained after data extraction and interpretation. A total of 14 findings were abstracted from the reports and were grouped together into 4 topics that were judged to be similar: treatment, aesthetics, function and social well-being. The main findings for adherence based on their calculated frequency effect sizes were: self-perception of esthetics of teeth (44%); harmony of the teeth with other structures of the face (44%); alignment of anterior teeth (33%); greater comfort, absence of pain and improved chewing/ eating (33%); social well-being (33%); treatment was worth it (33%). Conclusion : Despite the few studies and limitations related to the report and data quality, the evidence showed the main factor leading to patient satisfaction was improved aesthetics. Chewing, absence of pain, social wellbeing and the way treatment was conducted were highlighted as reasons for patient satisfaction after orthodontic treatment. KEYWORDS Corrective orthodontics; Patient satisfaction; Systematic review.  Keywords Corrective orthodontics; Patient satisfaction; Systematic review.


Within the United States type 2 diabetes is an ever growing health epidemic. The prevalence in the adult population has quadrupled over the past 30 years and is expected to continue on a similar path in the coming decades. While the cause of type 2 diabetes is multifactorial, it is considered to be an acquired condition related to environmental contributors including poor diet, obesity, and physical inactivity, which may be managed to alter the course or progression of the disease. Preventative or maintenance measures emphasize nutritional intervention strategies, including encouraging individuals to follow a nutrient-dense, high-fiber diet with ample whole-grains, such as brown rice. A number of scientific studies have determined that regular consumption of brown rice is linked with improved diet quality and adequate fiber intake. Furthermore, researchers have demonstrated the various health properties of brown rice and its nutritional constituents and conclusively shown that brown rice is beneficial and effective in managing blood glucose and insulin levels. However, while the effects on glucose and insulin are well understood, there is limited research regarding its effects on GLP-1 and ghrelin, two satiety hormones which are fundamental in the progression of diabetes. Despite extensive evidence supporting an inverse relationship between regular brown rice consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes, multiple national-level studies have reported that the majority of Americans seldom consume brown rice. Previously, much focus has been placed on examining rice consumption in the population as a whole; little information is currently available addressing geographical trends. Therefore, the first objective of this research was to provide details on nutrient intake and rice consumption patterns in the Southern U.S., the region where diabetes is most prevalent. Secondly, in the interest of promoting brown rice consumption, the Korean rice cake (Seolgitteok) has been suggested as a potential functional food product which could simultaneously increase rice intake and satisfy U.S. consumers' increasing demand for ethnic foods. Thus, the second objective was to investigate the health effects of consuming Seolgitteok made with varying ratios of white-to-brown rice flour, in hopes of enhancing the consumption of brown rice among American consumers.


Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is an important signalling molecule which regulates critical events across all stages of the malaria parasite lifecycle. To further our understanding of how cGMP signalling governs important events involved in blood stage egress and invasion as well as gametocyte development and gametogenesis, this study investigates two different members of this signalling cascade in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Guanylyl Cyclase a (GC-alpha) is a large, seemingly bifunctional enzyme, which consists of a type IV P-type ATPase domain, which is predicted to flip aminophospholipids between lipid bilayer leaflets; and a GC domain, which is thought to be responsible for generating cGMP. Using a combination of approaches including mutagenesis and conditional disruption of PfGC-alpha, work presented in this thesis confirms that GC-alpha is responsible for cGMP synthesis and that both ATPase and GC domains are required for asexual blood stage growth. Although the exact role of the ATPase domain remains unknown, chemical complementation of GC-alpha-deficient parasites, which lack both ATPase and GC domains, with a cGMP analogue has revealed that the ultimate role of the ATPase is in modulating cGMP synthesis. Activation of this cGMP signalling cascade culminates in the phosphorylation of numerous effector proteins, many of which form part of the glideosome. This includes the actomyosin motor protein, Myosin A (MyoA), which is phosphorylated at serine 19 (S19). Since the glideosome generates the force required for merozoites to invade host cells, these cGMP-dependent phosphorylation events may be involved in modulating motor activity. In the second part of this thesis, conditional disruption of MyoA has confirmed that the actomyosin motor is essential for red blood cell invasion, however it is dispensable during gametocyte development and gametogenesis. Complementation of the MyoA knockout line with mutant versions of the protein that either mimic or ablate phosphorylation of S19 revealed that phosphorylation of this residue is important but not essential for parasite viability. In vitro motility assays using material derived from parasites expressing either wild type or mutant MyoA demonstrate that non-phosphorylated MyoA displays slower motility, providing evidence that cGMP-dependent phosphorylation is involved in modulating the activity of the actomyosin motor.


Objective: To test whether the combination of calcium antagonism is additive with the other newer antihypertensives, namely α-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Design: Three-way double-blind, Latin-square crossover studies in two groups of 12 patients with essential hypertension. The three treatment periods were amlodipine, doxazosin (study A) or enalapril (study B), and the combination of amlodipine with the second drug. Methods: Each treatment was taken for 1 month, preceded by a 2-week single-blind run-in period, in which the patients received a low dose of doxazosin (study A) or enalapril (study B) to enable recruitment of patients with moderate or severe hypertension. Blood pressure, foot volume and plasma noradrenaline concentration were measured at the end of each run-in and treatment period. Results: The combination of α-blockade and calcium antagonism caused a fall in supine and erect blood pressures. These falls were significantly greater than on either drug alone, and greater than the sum of the falls when taking the individual drugs. The combination of amlodipine and the ACE inhibitor was also additive. Both combinations with amlodipine were tolerated well by all patients. Conclusions: The combination of α-blockade and calcium antagonism has not previously been studied and should be useful for resistant hypertensives who have not tolerated P-blockade or ACE inhibitors. The combination of ACE inhibition and calcium antagonism has previously been shown to be additive; its use as a positive control in the present studies suggests that the use of an active drug for a run-in period may be a useful design for permitting the study of patients from whom all treatment cannot safely be withdrawn.


Abstract We describe the integumentary anatomy of titanosaur sauropod embryos from the Auca Mahuevo nesting site. Natural (calcitic) casts of the skin show the non-imbricating, tuberculate scales (i.e., tubercles) typical of other non-avian dinosaurs. However, a variety of scale patterns previously unknown for the skin of these animals is reported. The observed integumentary patterns include ground tubercles, large and elongated tubercles, parallel rows of large tubercles, tubercles in rosette-like and flower-like arrangements, and in striate-like rows. Ground tubercles and rosette-like patterns resemble the few examples of skin known for adult sauropods. The former pattern also resembles the arrangement of osteoderms of the armored titanosaur Saltasaurus. Although the embryonic skin does not show definitive evidence of armor, the posthatching development of osteoderms cannot be ruled out. This material, the only available evidence of the embryonic skin of non-avian dinosaurs, contributes significantly to our knowledge of the integumentary morphology of these animals.


With respect to health, the Constitution Act, 1867 does not specifically assign legislative authority to any level of government. As a result, Parliament and provincial legislatures can enact laws relating to health. This inevitably leads to disputes between both levels of government over who has the authority to enact legislation to deal with whatever aspect of health is in question. However, it is now fairly well established that Parliament can regulate health using its criminal law power, among others, and that the provinces can do the same under various heads of provincial powers. The courts have also laid down a number of guiding principles to help delineate the legislative space occupied by each level of government in health and other subjects of shared jurisdiction. Still, controversy remains, as was the case in the Assisted Human Reproduction Act reference, which considered whether Parliament acted within its authority in using the criminal law power to enact provisions governing aspects of assisted human reproduction and related research.


Android is the most popular mobile platform today, and it is also the mobile operating system that is most heavily targeted by malware. Existing static analyses are effective in detecting the presence of most malicious code and unwanted information flows. However, certain types of malice are very difficult to capture explicitly by modeling permission sets, suspicious API calls, or unwanted information flows. One important type of such malice is malicious application logic, where a program (often subtly) modifies its outputs or performs actions that violate the expectations of the user. Malicious application logic is very hard to identify without a specification of the "normal," expected functionality of the application. We refer to malicious application logic that is executed, or triggered, only under certain (often narrow) circumstances as a logic bomb. This is a powerful mechanism that is commonly employed by targeted malware, often used as part of APTs and state-sponsored attacks: in fact, in this scenario, the malware is designed to target specific victims and to only activate under certain circumstances. In this paper, we make a first step towards detecting logic bombs. In particular, we propose trigger analysis, a new static analysis technique that seeks to automatically identify triggers in Android applications. Our analysis combines symbolic execution, path predicate reconstruction and minimization, and inter-procedural control-dependency analysis to enable the precise detection and characterization of triggers, and it overcomes several limitations of existing approaches. We implemented a prototype of our analysis, called TriggerScope, and we evaluated it over a large corpus of 9,582 benign apps from the Google Play Store and a set of trigger-based malware, including the recently-discovered HackingTeam's RCSAndroid advanced malware. Our system is capable of automatically identify several interesting time-, location-, and SMS-related triggers, is affected by a low false positive rate (0.38%), and it achieves 100% detection rate on the malware set. We also show how existing approaches, specifically when tasked to detect logic bombs, are affected by either a very high false positive rate or false negative rate. Finally, we discuss the logic bombs identified by our analysis, including two previously-unknown backdoors in benign apps.


The most widely accepted empirical dividend model is that proposed by Lintner, who argued that firms smooth dividends over time. Many theoretical dividend models, however, either predict that dividends should be highly variable, or at least offer no support for the smoothing hypothesis. We use a switching regression model to test the Lintner model against an alternative which allows dividend behavior to differ depending upon whether or not firms are issuing shares. We reject the Lintner model, finding no evidence of dividend smoothing when firms are not issuing shares, and a high negative dividend growth rate when firms are issuing shares. This description of dividend behavior suggests the existence of a financing hierarchy in that the marginal source of finance differs over time. To further explore the financing hierarchy, we estimate logit models which explain the decisions by firms to change dividends, and to issue or repurchase shares. The results are consistent with the existence of a financing hierarchy.


The Medical University of South Carolina is currently participating in clinical trials of 131I radiolabeled Anti-B1 antibody for treatment of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Under current South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control regulatory guidelines,; these patients are required to be admitted to the hospital and to remain as inpatients until the whole body burden is <30 mCi or the exposure rate measured 1 m from the patient is <5 mR h(-1). We demonstrate that these patients can be released in accordance with the new recommended guidelines of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the release of patients containing radioactive materials in compliance with all radioactive material and public dose standards. This benefits these patients by reducing their risk of infection and other hospital insults and by reducing the length of hospitalizations. Further, unnecessary hospital admissions are decreased, and the overall cost of healthcare delivery for these patients is significantly reduced.


Abstract. Hourly total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations at three monitoring sites (receptors) in Ontario were predicted for four selected periods at different seasons in 2002 using the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model, which transports Lagrangian air parcels backward in time from the receptors to provide linkages to the source region in the upwind area. The STILT model was modified to deal with Hg deposition and high stack Hg emissions. The model-predicted Hg concentrations were compared with observations at three monitoring sites. Estimates of transport errors (uncertainties in simulated concentrations due to errors in wind fields) are also provided that suggest such errors can reach approximately 10% of simulated concentrations. Results from a CMAQ chemical transport model (CTM) simulation in which the same emission and meteorology inputs were used are also reported. The comparisons show that STILT-predicted Hg concentrations usually agree better with observations than CMAQ except for a subset of cases that are subject to biases in the coarsely resolved boundary conditions. In these comparisons STILT captures high frequency concentration variations better than the Eulerian CTM, likely due to its ability to account for the sub-grid scale position of the receptor site and to minimize numerical diffusion. Thus it is particularly valuable for the interpretation of plumes (short-term concentration variations) that require the use of finer mesh sizes or controls on numerical diffusion in Eulerian models. We report quantitative assessments of the relative importance of different upstream sources for the selected episodes, based on emission fluxes and STILT footprints. The STILT simulations indicate that natural sources (which include re-emission from historical anthropogenic activities) contribute much more than current-day anthropogenic emissions to the Hg concentrations observed at the three sites.


Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) when paired with Förster resonance energy transfer (FLIM-FRET) enables the monitoring of nanoscale interactions in living biological samples. FLIM-FRET model-based estimation methods allow the quantitative retrieval of parameters such as the quenched (interacting) and unquenched (non-interacting) fractional populations of the donor fluorophore and/or the distance of the interactions. The quantitative accuracy of such model-based approaches is dependent on multiple factors such as signal-to-noise ratio and number of temporal points acquired when sampling the fluorescence decays. For high-throughput or in vivo applications of FLIM-FRET, it is desirable to acquire a limited number of temporal points for fast acquisition times. Yet, it is critical to acquire temporal data sets with sufficient information content to allow for accurate FLIM-FRET parameter estimation. Herein, an optimal experimental design approach based upon sensitivity analysis is presented in order to identify the time points that provide the best quantitative estimates of the parameters for a determined number of temporal sampling points. More specifically, the D-optimality criterion is employed to identify, within a sparse temporal data set, the set of time points leading to optimal estimations of the quenched fractional population of the donor fluorophore. Overall, a reduced set of 10 time points (compared to a typical complete set of 90 time points) was identified to have minimal impact on parameter estimation accuracy (≈5%), with in silico and in vivo experiment validations. This reduction of the number of needed time points by almost an order of magnitude allows the use of FLIM-FRET for certain high-throughput applications which would be infeasible if the entire number of time sampling points were used.


End-user programming concepts are increasingly employed in smart home research to address the growing complexity of controlling smart home environments. Different approaches and visual styles of end-user programming have been proposed and implemented within this context. Smart home control does however not only necessitate end-user programming but also understanding and modifying existing program structures. In this study, we compare three different approaches regarding their suitability for this application context with a specific focus on intelligibility and modification performance. We conducted an empirical study with 39 users performing three types of tasks (understanding, configuring, and programming), using three different approaches for end-user programming (form-filling, data-flow, and grid-canvas). The results of our study found no significant differences regarding the intelligibility of the three different implementations but clear differences in the subjective preference of users as well as configuration and programming performance.


Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce mitochondrial apoptotic signaling that can be negatively regulated by prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins. ABT-737 is a small-molecule BH3 mimetic that binds to and antagonizes Bcl-2/Bcl-xL but not Mcl-1. We show that ABT-737 can synergistically enhance TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. ABT-737 was shown to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis as shown by DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase-8 and Bid, and cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. A Bax conformational change induced by TRAIL was enhanced by ABT-737. ABT-737 disrupted the interaction of Bak with Bcl-xL in both cell lines. Furthermore, ABT-737 untethered the proapoptotic BH3-only protein Bim from its sequestration by Bcl-xL or Bcl-2. Bim small hairpin RNA (shRNA) was shown to attenuate caspase-3 cleavage and to reduce the cytotoxic effects of TRAIL plus ABT-737 compared with shRNA control cells. Finally, Mcl-1 shRNA potentiated caspase-3 cleavage by ABT-737 and enhanced its cytotoxic effects. Taken together, ABT-737 augments TRAIL-induced cell killing by unsequestering Bim and Bak and enhancing a Bax conformational change induced by TRAIL. These findings suggest a novel strategy to enhance cross-talk between the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways to improve therapeutic efficacy against pancreatic cancer. [Cancer Res 2008;68(8):2944–51]


The characteristics of power system restoration (its combinational aspects, use of knowledge from a wide variety of origins and of different types and number of criteria to satisfy) make it a difficult problem. As a solution, a number of research teams are considering the use of expert systems to generate restoration plans. Promising results have already been obtained. Yet most expert systems remain in the prototype stage. One reason seems to be that the study of support systems for knowledge-based behavior (unable to describe with any rule) is insufficient. This paper begins by analyzing power system restoration based on the human performance model and discusses knowledge-based behavior as a high conceptual level human performance to solve this problem with combinational aspects. The paper then reports on its applications to the trunk line power network dispatching center. Finally the paper verifies the relation between knowledge-based behavior and designed human interfaces with a power network restoration case-study.


Conditional knockout in adult mice of D-type cyclins results in complete loss of hematopoietic cells. Members of the family of D cyclins (cyclin D1, D2, and D3) are primarily recognized for their importance in stimulating progression through the cell cycle by promoting the phosphorylation-dependent inactivation of the transcriptional repressor Rb. Genetic knockout of all three D cyclins is embryonically lethal in mice due to compromised proliferation of fetal liver hematopoietic cells. Choi et al. created adult mice in which the three forms of cyclin D were specifically and inducibly [with poly(I:C)] knocked out in bone marrow (TKO mice). As expected, proliferation of the hematopoietic stem cells, progenitor cells, and differentiated blood cells in the bone marrow was inhibited after induction. In adults, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are generally quiescent; however, flow cytometric cell sorting (FACS) analysis showed that within 12 hours after induction, half of the stem cell population was lost and that by 48 hours this population was undetectable. By 96 hours, the mature bone marrow blood cell populations were reduced by half. FACS analysis of HPSCs stained for active caspase 3 showed that loss of cyclin D induced apoptosis, and analysis of mature blood cells in the bone marrow stained for apoptotic markers indicated an increase in apoptosis in these cells as well at later time points. Targeted transcriptional analysis for changes in the expression of genes involved in regulation of apoptosis showed that genes encoding the death receptor Fas and its ligand, FasL, were stimulated in the TKO bone marrow cells, and protein analysis confirmed an increase in the cell surface abundance of each of these in the hematopoietic cells of the TKO mice. Fas stimulates the extrinsic apoptotic pathway through activation of caspase 8, and increased caspase 8 cleavage was detected in the bone marrow cells of TKO mice. Administration of a nonspecific caspase inhibitor reduced the loss of bone marrow cells, and administration of a FasL-neutralizing antibody blocked apoptosis of the HSPCs in the TKO mice. A main target of cyclin D is Rb, phosphorylation of which releases its inhibition of E2F transcription factors. Bone marrow cells from the TKO mice had reduced phosphorylation of Rb and reduced expression of E2F target genes. Knockdown of E2F1 in hematopoietic cells resulted in an increase in the mRNAs for Fas and FasL, and reporter gene analysis showed that, of the three E2F family members, overexpression of repressed reporters was controlled by the Fas or FasL promoters. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed that E2F1 was bound to the Fas promoter in HPSCs. Thus, this study indicates that in the bone marrow, the cyclin D family is required not only for the proliferation of hematopoietic cells but also for their survival. Y. J. Choi, B. Saez, L. Anders, P. Hydbring, J. Stefano, N. A. Bacon, C. Cook, I. Kalaszczynska, S. Signoretti, R. A. Young, D. T. Scadden, P. Sicinski, D-cyclins repress apoptosis in hematopoietic cells by controlling death receptor Fas and its ligand FasL. Dev. Cell 30, 255–267 (2014). [PubMed]


We study the set of $k$-abelian critical exponents of all Sturmian words. It has been proven that in the case $k = 1$ this set coincides with the Lagrange spectrum. Thus the sets obtained when $k > 1$ can be viewed as generalized Lagrange spectra. We characterize these generalized spectra in terms of the usual Lagrange spectrum and prove that when $k > 1$ the spectrum is a dense non-closed set. This is in contrast with the case $k = 1$, where the spectrum is a closed set containing a discrete part and a half-line. We describe explicitly the least accumulation points of the generalized spectra. Our geometric approach allows the study of $k$-abelian powers in Sturmian words by means of continued fractions.


After years of relative stability in terms of both mission and membership, NATO is undergoing rapid change in both areas, primarily because of the end of the Cold War. Currently, the most important membership issue involves the inclusion of former Cold War `enemy' states from Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, NATO has, in effect, become a peacekeeping arm of the United Nations in Bosnia, a mission that was certainly not anticipated within the original NATO charter, as well as a peacemaker in Kosovo. These critical changes may have profound consequences for NATO's future. In this article we explore the attitudes towards NATO of a cross-national sample of international relations scholars and practitioners drawn from NATO nations. Taking the same approach used in Vincent's studies of UN delegate attitudes, we apply `capability theory' to the observed variation in attitudes towards NATO's decisionmaking structure. That is, we expect that the critical explanation of the division of attitudes towards NATO's method of decisionmaking will relate to the `capability' of the nation to which the respondent belongs. This is predicted since nations, under the theory, attempt to augment their capabilities through their membership in international organizations. It follows they will tend to value the organization to the extent of the augmentation. Because the decisionmaking rules of NATO, which are currently based on consensus, could prevent NATO from acting if a single `new' member disagreed with a proposed NATO course of action, we feel that capability theory may be applicable, since this would affect the capabilities of the other members. In general, we find significant support for this `capability' interpretation of attitudinal differences relating to possible alteration of NATO's decisionmaking rules.


The need for on-line teamwork has increased - particularly in transnational
collaborations and in regional and rural areas, where distance and time prohibit
easy face-to-face communication. On-line collaboration, however, exacerbates the
forces that cause difficulties in face-to-face teams. This research identified a
facility for creating and monitoring rules of interaction as a useful component for
supporting virtual collaboration. Investigations in the disciplines of team
psychology, sociology, education, computer supported collaborative work and
computer supported collaborative learning, contributed to the design of the
facility. Its value was examined in real-life venues and by teamwork experts.
Communities build structures devoted to norms of interaction, making these
norms overt and regulating interaction. The creation of this social capital is deeply
linked to notions of trust, which has been identified as a major contributor to
successful virtual teams.
There has been little attention paid to providing software support for the
sociological aspects of collaboration. Because (virtual) teams are complex, the
patterns of interaction that suit a particular team may or may not be predictable,
making the creation of software difficult. The sociology underlying community
development and the social psychology of team interaction suggest the need for
an interaction rule facility and the principles upon which the design should be
based. Interaction rule software would further optimise the performance of virtual
teams by nurturing trust and may be of assistance in training potential virtual team
members in the behavioural issues of on-line collaboration.
Can we design software to further develop levels of trust in on-line teams by
emulating societal structures of behaviour regulation? A prototype was developed
and deployed in educational scenarios to explore this question. The
implementation of Phreda, an editable interaction rule facility, addressed a major
difficulty in current research; the inability to determine which team member
behaviours are important and what they signify.
The rule module positively influenced behaviour. Although team members could
construct and manipulate rules, they did not do so voluntarily. Indications were
that the participating teams were not sufficiently remote, independent and virtual
to make full use of the module.
Experts concluded that being involved in Phreda processes would increase
member commitment and hence trust. Its effective use should be early in a team's
life for team-critical behaviours and involve all members. Recommended rules
can be helpful. Team knowledge gained during the process of rule construction,
was seen to be more important than the corresponding artefacts. By using the rule
module, members would learn what was behaviour was important, (and hence the
meanings of the rule artefacts) and gain skills in the process of establishing team
norms.


Fiduciary duties might be said to grow out of a variety of relationships involving one party's exercise of some measure of control. Fiduciary duties therefore are "structural" in the sense that they arise from the structure of the parties' relationship rather than from the parties' individual attributes, such as ignorance and lack of sophistication. This view of fiduciary duties is bound with the contractual nature of fiduciary duties. Moreover, this article shows that there are significant costs in extending fiduciary duties beyond the specific situation in which they are most appropriate - that involving clear separation of management powers and ownership. Extending fiduciary duties beyond this paradigm case increases litigation and contracting costs, decreases the effectiveness of owners' governance rights, and dilutes true fiduciaries' legal and extralegal incentives.


Occurrence of hypoxia in estuarine waters is increasing, and recovery of impacted estu- aries is slow. Detection of early effects of hypoxia is needed for timely remedial action to be taken. Here we examine the use of hypoxia-responsive gene and protein expression profiles in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus as early indicators of impacts of hypoxia. We cloned 23 potential hypoxia- responsive genes, which were used to construct gene macroarrays. Crabs exposed to chronic hypoxia (2.5 ppm dissolved oxygen (DO)) for 15 d showed significant (p < 0.05) changes in gene expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), copper metallothionein (CuMt3), cytosolic MnSOD (cyt-MnSOD) and ribosomal proteins S15 and L23. In all cases except for CuMt3, gene expression decreased after 5 d exposure to hypoxia. Expression of Hsp70, CuMt3 and cyt-MnSOD also increased (p < 0.05) in nor- moxic crabs held for 15 d, suggesting confounding effects from confinement stress. Hemocyanin pro- tein concentrations changed significantly (p = 0.005) across the 15 d chronic hypoxia exposure. Hemocyanin in crabs exposed to 10 d intermittent hypoxia (2.5 to 8 ppm DO over a 24 h cycle) did not change, but cyt-MnSOD gene expression increased significantly (p = 0.037), whereas cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (ccox1) showed a 2.2-fold downregulation. Blue crabs collected from Pensacola Bay, Florida, showed significant (p < 0.006) downregulation of ccox1 and cyt-MnSOD gene ex- pression as well as hemocyanin protein levels at a diurnally hypoxic marsh site. Several hypoxia- responsive genes (elongation factor 2, cryptocyanin, hemocyanin) were also significantly elevated (p < 0.006) in intermolt versus premolt normoxic crabs. The identification of hypoxia-responsive genes and proteins in the blue crab is a promising first step towards the development of sensitive molecular tools for the detection of sublethal effects of hypoxia in estuarine-resident species.


Chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry (CX-MS) is a structural technique that has been gaining in popularity with the advent of instruments that provide increased access to high-resolution MS/MS data. The Speicher laboratory is interested in zero-length cross-links, which provide the highest-quality data, but are the most difficult to identify and analyze. A MS sample preparation and data analysis pipeline, including a software package called ZXMiner, has been developed to collect and analyze zero-length CX-MS data to use in molecular modeling experiments. I used this pipeline to examine the peroxiredoxin-6 (PRDX6) enzyme, which prevents oxidative damage in the lung. I found the identified cross-links did not fit the published crystal structure of a catalytic intermediate, which suggests PRDX6 undergoes conformational changes as part of catalysis. A solution structure of PRDX6 was created using this CX-MS data. Next, I performed optimization experiments in order to adapt the ZXMiner data analysis pipeline from the LTQ Orbitrap XL instrument it was created for to a more state-of-the-art Q Exactive Plus instrument in order to expand its ability to probe complex samples. Combined with a new version of ZXMiner, I was able to determine several parameters that improved the quality of cross-link data for erythrocyte membrane white ghost (WG) samples. I combined the cross-links identified in those samples with immunoprecipitation experiments and review of the pertinent literature to determine a topology model for the anion exchanger 1 (AE1) protein, which plays critical roles in CO2 transport and the erythrocyte membrane skeleton. Using this topology model and published crystal structures for the N-terminal domain of AE1, I was able to perform combinatorial modeling experiments which resulted in a model of the full-length protein that resolved several controversies in the field. These results show that zero-length CX-MS is a powerful technique to determine structural information of proteins difficult to interrogate through conventional means. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics First Advisor David W. Speicher


It is estimated that there are currently as many as 38,000 people with dementia in Ireland and that this figure may exceed 70,000 by 2026.1 Indeed the prevalence of dementia is rising worldwide and it is not surprising therefore, that Alzheimer's disease (AD), which accounts for 50 60% of all cases of dementia is the focus of a great deal of scientific endeavour.2 The current trend towards increasing numbers of patients in the moderate to severe stages of AD who require substantial residential and community healthcare resources is particularly worrying. Existing therapies have limited effects on the underlying disease pathobiology and the need for the disease modifying therapies that act at an earlier stage of the disease process is overwhelming. The failure to either delay disease onset or progression will have stark implications for the demands placed on healthcare resources, patients and their informal caregivers.3


The refluxing of furochromone carboxaldehyde (1) and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate with amine derivatives namely m-nitroanilline, p-methylanilline, o-aminophenol, o-anisidine and p-anisidine to give compounds (2a-e). While the reaction of mixture of furochromone carboxaldehyde (1) with dimethyl acetylendicarboxylate in the presence of cyclohexyl isocyanide to afford compound (3). The reaction mixture of furochromone carboxaldehyde (1), cyclohexyl isocyanide with cinnamic acid, chlorocarboxylic acid and/ or benzoic acid respectively to give compounds (4a-c). Also, the condensation of furochromone carboxaldehyde (1), cyclohexyl isocyanide and o-aminophenol/and or o-phenylenediamine 5a, b respectively with chlorocarboxylic acid, carboxylic acid and cinnamic acid give compounds (6a, b 8a, b). The addition of aldehyde with cyclohexyl isocyanide afforded compound (9) which when react with p-anisidine give compound (10). Some of the newly synthesized derivatives shows a reasonable antiproliferative activity towards liver and breast (HEPG2 & MCF7) tumor cell lines compared to traditional anticancer agents: 5-Fluorouracil & Doxorubicin. Moreover, compound 6a showed anticancer activity against NMU induced breast tumor in vivo.


- This article examines the functioning of the euro area with emphasis on the desirability of its further enlargement.- This is based on theoretic research regarding optimal currency areas, empirical studies on the euro area in the past 20+ years, as well as historical experiences of two monetary unions in Europe in the late nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries.-The discussion highlights a number of problems in the euro area's design and documents the damage caused especially in the periphery (southern) countries.-Consequently, the analysis implies that it would be too risky for the seven countries on the accession list (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary,Poland, Romania and Sweden) to adopt the euro at this point. It is also argued that in most of these countries voters do not seem to be sufficiently informed to adequately assess all the pros and cons of euro accession.-The article concludes by outlining structural reforms that could in principle alleviate the euro area's key problems, and potentially make its enlargement desirable in the future


This paper presents the interrelationship between the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) strength, Global Positioning System (GPS)‐derived total electron content (TEC), and postsunset scintillation from ground observations with the aim of finding reliable precursors of the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities. Mutual relationship studies provide a possible route to predict the occurrence of TEC fluctuation and scintillation in the ionosphere during the late afternoon and night respectively based on daytime measurement of the equatorial ionosphere. Data from ground based observations in the low latitudes of the west American longitude sector were examined during the 2008 solar minimum. We find a strong relationship exists between the noontime equatorial electrojet and GPS‐derived TEC distributions during the afternoon mediated by vertical E × B drift via the fountain effect, but there is little or no relationship with postsunset ionospheric scintillation.


Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common cardiovascular disease which is an under-appreciated contributor to the global burden of non-communicable diseases. Previously pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were regarded as a single disease entity and still today, public awareness of DVT and PE remains comparatively low. But after recognition of genetic factors, such as Factor V Leiden (FVL), the concept has been changing. More studies are going on to observe the correlation between the genetic factors, such as FVL and PE. Although there is some biasness regarding the concept of factors associated with the PE, the role of possible genetic factors (FVL) remains the main priority in our review.


Barley is currently the most cultivated crop in Spain with about three million ha. Its importance stems from its adaptation to areas with poor soil conditions and water stress. The aim of this work is to describe the historical evolution of barley types and varieties of barley grown by farmers in Spain. A historical review has been performed consulting articles and books on history, archeology, and agronomy related with the issue. Different web sites and articles have been also consulted about the current varietal state of barley in Spain. Another important information source came from the CRF (Center of Plant Genetic Resources) of Spain where a great collection of landraces is preserved. First barleys came to Spain about 7600 years BP by three sites: north, east and south. The south entrance is special, because those genotypes could came from a secondary domestication center of barley located in Morocco. Crop spread throughout the country and its cultivation were reported by Romans, Arabs, and Christians after the 'Reconquista' (re-conquest). At the beginning of the nineteenth century the first attempt of classification was carried out. Until the 1940s, most barley acreage was sown with ancient landraces, but from that period onward a steady varietal renovation took place up to the present. The history of barley types and varieties in Spain is rich, and a great set of landraces is preserved in seed banks. These landraces may contain genes for resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.


This report focuses on the emergence of "next generation users" in Britain, Internet users who are developing a new pattern of Internet access. We follow the emerging next generation users throughout the next eight sections that summarise the details and highlights of the 2011 Oxford Internet Survey. The report closes with a methodological appendix. The first detailed section of the report focuses on describing the diffusion of the Internet as an innovation in information and communication technology (ICT). The second section focuses on the characteristics and attitudes of Internet users. The third part describes how people with different backgrounds use the Internet, followed by a fourth part which looks specifically at the use of the Internet in politics and government. The fifth section turns to the question of how the Internet is reshaping friendships and social networks. The sixth section looks at the social implications of Internet use. The seventh section examines beliefs and attitudes of individuals about the control and regulation of the Internet. The final section examines the key issue of exclusion, either by social and economic divides or by personal choice, describing non-users and former users. Each section opens with an overview of the trends described in the section.


The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is being promoted worldwide, but relatively little is yet known about its impacts at farm level. This article reviews available evidence on the impact of SRI practices in terms of yield and productivity. Adoption of SRI practices necessarily changes the mix and allocation of inputs, in particular of water, seeds, fertiliser and labour. However, SRI impact studies have generally failed to distinguish between technological change – a more productive use of inputs, evidenced by a change in total factor productivity – increases in input use, or selection effects and their respective effects on yields. The studies reviewed point not only to modest increases in rice yields associated with SRI adoption, but also to concurrent increases in labour and fertiliser use. Often SRI is selectively practised on more fertile plots. As a result, no firm evidence on changes in total factor productivity can be discerned, while partial productivities of land and labour show mixed results. Though yields tend to be higher under SRI management, risk also seems to increase, which initially favours adoption by better-endowed farmers and on better soils. Evidence on SRI impact is further complicated by the large diversity of SRI practices associated with different biophysical, socio-economic and institutional circumstances. We conclude by identifying knowledge gaps surrounding the SRI phenomenon, encompassing agro-technical aspects, socio-economic issues and (dis)adoption behaviour.


Abstract (40-Word Limit): We report and characterize an amplifier which provides gain to a record six spatial modes simultaneously. Two sections of erbium-doped fibre with different mode-dependent gain characteristics are concatenated to equalize gain between modes. The overall gain excursion does not exceed 4dB across all modes. The noise figure is found lower than 7dB.


We call into question the growing presence of private security companies (PSCs) in cities throughout the world. Though PSCs have grown enormously in recent decades, there exist few academic analyses to consider their broad-reaching effects. Researchers still have much to understand about the relationships between PSCs and changing patterns of urban development, governance and public security. PSCs are prevalent in both the Global North and South, yet their presence is perhaps most intense in emerging countries, where social inequality is high and public security is tenuous. As such, in this article we draw on specific examples from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, where demand is soaring for private security and PSCs operate in complicated networks between the state, private capital and organised crime. Our analysis draws attention to the paradoxes of urban private security, beginning with the fact that public insecurity is in fact good for PSC business. By reflecting on existing published resources – and making connections across several disciplines – our goals in this article are threefold: (1) to highlight the need for more research on PSCs in urban settings; (2) to draw attention to the ways private security is changing urban space, and; (3) to suggest that the growth of PSCs, rather than being representative of increased public security, may in some cases coincide with rising levels of urban crime and insecurity.


The taxonomic position of a novel aerobic, Gram-positive actinobacteria, designated strain RB5T, was determined using a polyphasic approach. The strain, isolated from the gut of the fungus-farming termite Macrotermes natalensis, showed morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties typical of the genus Streptomyces . Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the closest phylogenetic neighbour of RB5T was Streptomyces polyrhachis DSM 42102T (98.87 %). DNA–DNA hybridization experiments between strain RB5T and S. polyrhachis DSM 42102T resulted in a value of 27.4 % (26.8 %). The cell wall of strain RB5T contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic amino acid. Mycolic acids and diagnostic sugars in whole-cell hydrolysates were not detected. The strain produced the following major phospholipids: diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol-mannoside and phosphatidylserine. The menaquinone profile showed hexa- and octahydrogenated menaquinones containing nine isoprene units [MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8)]. The strain exhibited a fatty acid profile containing the following major fatty acids: 12-methyltridecanoic acid (iso-C14 : 0) 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (anteiso-C15 : 0), 13-methyltetradecanoic acid (iso-C15 : 0) and 14-methylpentadecanoic acid (iso-C16 : 0). Here, we propose a novel species of the genus Streptomyces – Streptomyces smaragdinus with the type strain RB5T (=VKM Ac-2839T=NRRL B65539T).


ABSTRACT This paper consists of two parts. It is argued in Part One that, the crisis in our educational systems, reflected in their poor outcomes (SEC) Supreme Education Council (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006); Rand Organization (2007, 2009); Hoyt, (2002); The Office of the Undersecretary, (2002), is not so much a result of a crisis in classroom assessment per se, as Black and William ( 1998); and R. Stiggins (2001) would like us to believe, as it is a crisis in instructional design and practice. The most serious aspects of this crisis are a) many educators and teachers seem to have undermined the significance of the internal conditions for learning, i.e. the affective and cognitive variables, which are vital for the success of any type of learning, b) teachers have either neglected the role of verbal classroom discourse between them and their students, or used it in such an ineffective way that made most teachers test rather than instruct their students, and c), most educators seem to have misconceived the nature and role of formative assessment, or assessment for learning, as it is now popularly, called (Stiggins, 2001, 2005). Evidence for all of this is provided by the Practice of our local teachers, as well as by the practice of highly renowned educators from both sides of the Atlantic (Black, et al (2003); Bloom ( 1984); R. Gagne and Briggs (1979); Gagne et al (2005); and R. E. Slavin (1994). Part Two does not only elucidate how this crisis was resolved by developing and using "The Model of Effective Teaching Leading to Mastery" (Hamed el Neil el Fadil, 1995, 2011), but it also presents strong empirical evidence as to the effectiveness of this Model. Perhaps, this was mainly achieved by marrying classroom assessment to the instructional process. This was conceived by using both formative and summative assessments as phases within the instructional design of the single lesson. Moreover, it has also been possible to activate the internal conditions for learning by preparing the learners, affectively and cognitively. At the beginning of every lesson. Furthermore, the fruits of this marriage are presented and discussed. First, there was a substantive increase in the percentage of achievement of the primary school students9 (See Chart (1 attached). Second there had also been gains of more than 2 standard deviations for the students of 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, of Al Furgan Primary Private School- Doha, State of Qatar. Less, but significant gains were reported for the students of the upper grades. Since our initial objective was to develop the teaching performance of Al Furgan Primary School teachers, and not to try out The Model of Effective Teaching, it has been possible to avoid some of the difficulties, which affect the internal and external validity of true experiments. Viz, the Hawthorne and Henderson Effects… Hence, it may also be reasonable to conclude that this investigation has high ecological validity. Given the state of the art, it may be reasonable to consider this research a breakthrough.


I consider a heterogeneous federal system in which policy coordination is desirable but underprovided in the absence of a federal intervention. To improve policy coordination, the federal layer can intervene by imposing bounds on local policies. These federal bounds define a restricted policy space within which local jurisdictions have residual discretion. I analyze a voting game in which the federal bounds are determined directly by the citizens via federal majority rule. The voting equilibrium exhibits various forms of inefficiencies. When the distribution of voters' ideal policy is skewed in one direction, the federal bounds are biased in the opposite direction. When the gains from policy coordination are negligible, local discretion is too limited, and a majority of voters are worse-off with the federal intervention than without. When policy coordination is more important, the federal intervention is supported by a majority of voters, but contrary to the received wisdom, it is socially worse than no intervention. Hence, the model shows that inadequate and excessively rigid federal interventions can emerge in a democratic federation without agency costs or informational imperfections.


The closely related cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus have different distributions in stratified water columns in the northern Sargasso Sea. The abundance of Synechococcus is relatively uniform with depth, but Prochlorococcus cell numbers are low within shallow mixed layers and high in and below the thermocline. Because free cupric ion (free Cu2+) concentrations are high (up to 6 pM) in shallow mixed layers and lower in deeper water, there is an inverse relationship between Prochlorococcus densities and the free Cu2+ concentration. We explored the possibility of a causal underpinning for this relationship by examining the relative copper sensitivities of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus in cultures and field populations. Prochlorococcus isolates from both the highߚ and lowߚlight adapted ecotypes were inhibited at free Cu2+ concentrations that had no effect on Synechococcus. However, the highߚlight adapted strains were more copper resistant than their lowߚlight adapted counterparts. When copper was added to Prochlorococcus from environments where the in situ free Cu2+ was low (in deeply mixed water columns and below the mixed layer in stratified conditions), net growth rates were substantially reduced and cells arrested in the G1 and early S phases of the cell cycle. Prochlorococcus in shallow mixed layers were less sensitive to copper and were probably members of the copperߚresistant highߚlight adapted ecotype. Synechococcus were relatively copper resistant across a range of environments in the Sargasso Sea. These observations are consistent with our hypothesis that copper plays a role in cyanobacteria ecology in the Sargasso Sea.


The interactions of 4-aminopyridine with the delayed potassium
conductance of skeletal muscle have been investigated. It is
!
fo~nd that 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is 10 times more potent than TEA
ions in blocking the potassium conductance, and in addition 4-AP
appears to block in a different way.
(2) 4-AP is a weak base with a pKa of 9.17. The distribution of such
a weak base across the cell membrane and means for determining
which class of the base is responsible for the biological activity are
discussed.
(3) When 4-AP is present on both sides of the membrane, the peak
potassium conductance is reduced and there is an initial faster
component to the timecourse of inactivati.on. When 4-AP is present on
the outside of the fibre only the peak conductance is reduced (Kdiss =l.lmH).
(4) It is proposed that the cationic form of 4-AP is the active form
and that it acts at two sites. One is accessible from the extracellular
solution and is responsible for the reduction in peak current;
and the other accessible from the intracellular solution and responsible
for the initial faster component of inactivation.
(5) After an initial delay the inactivation induced by 4-AP inside the
fibre, 4-AP:, is found to d.ecay exponentially at a rate which
~
increases as the internal potential is made more positive.
(iv)
(6) The fraction of channels that become inactivated by 4-AP+. in the'
1
course of a depolarizing step is found to increase as the internal
potential is made more positive. In the voltage range -4OmV to Omv this
fraction undergoes an e-fold increase every l2mV; beyond +lOmV this
fraction reaches a limit, the value of which depends only on the
concentration of 4-AP.
(7) The blocking actions of 4-AP outside the fibre, 4-AP + , can be
o
separated into two components. One component is not influenced by
the membrane electric field and the level of block depends only on the
concentration of 4-AP. The second component is influenced by the membrane
electric field and undergoes an e-fold change every 38mV, increasing as
the internal potential is made negative.
(8) Upon early 'repolarization of the membrane to -8OmV this voltage
dependent component of 4-AP+ block proceeds exponentially with a o
time constant of 8 msec.
(9) The blockage of the delayed channel by 4-AP: and 4-AP+ is described
1 0
in mathematical form; and the results discussed in terms of possible
molecular structures and events within the channel.
(10) The repolarizingphase of the action potential is slowed in the
presence of lmM 4-AP (pH 7.2). The resting potential, the r~te of
rise and overshoot of the action potential are little affected.
(11) The inwardly rectifying component of the potassium conductance is
reduced by 4-AP. This block is intensified in alkaline solution
which' suggests that the cationic form inside the cell is the active form.
(12) The delayed potassium channel has also been studied ~n solutions "
of different pH. At pH 5.0, gK is reduced by 16.3% and the threshold
shifted by 20.2 mV in the depolarizing direction. At pH 9.8, gK is red"uced
by 13% and the threshold shifted by l5mV in the depolarizing direction.
(13) The delayed potassium current is abolished after treatment with 5mM
4-AP (pH 9.8). In these experiments, the transient current which
remains is associated with the charging of the membrane capacity.
(14) Asymmetries in the membrane capacity are observed, similar to those
described by Schneider and Chandler (1973). These asymmetries are
thought to be intra membrane currents associated \-lith exitation contraction ~
coupling. Formaldehyde, which interrupts exitation contraction coupling,
reduces the asymmetry in the membrane capacity.
(vi)


Modulation of radiosensitivity with gibberellic acid (GA3) for cytogenetical, biochemical, seedling physiology and genetic variation was carried out in three chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) genotypes having different seed coat colours. Dry seeds of three genotypes namely Noor 91, Punjab 91, and C 141, were irradiated at dose level of 10,20,30,40, 50, 60, 70, 90, and 110 Kr. A part of the irradiated seeds were treated with 0.5 mM solution of GA3 for 16 hours prior to various experiments. Mitotic index decreased, while chromosomal anomalies increased with an increase of irradiation level. The chromosomal aberrations recorded were fragments, bridges, and laggards at anaphase. However, these anomalies were not observed upto 30 Kr in the three varieties. Post mutagenic application of GA3 increased the mitotic index and decreased the chromosomal anomalies and it was more pronounced at higher doses. Irradiation level of 10, 60 and 110 Kr was used to determine the effect on nucleolar volume and structure. Frequency of cells having greater nucleolar volume increased with an increase of irradiation, while the effect was reduced with the application of GA3.

Gamma irradiation decreased the fresh weight, protein, RNA and DNA contents with an increase of irradiation dosages except at lower doses where simulation as compared to control was observed. Application of GA3 modulated the radiosensitivity and fresh weight, protein, RNA and DNA contents increased at various irradiation dosages.

Peroxidase and catalase activity increased over the control upto 3rd and 5th day, respectively and then decreased for the following days at various doses of irradiation. Exogenous application of GA3 increased the catalase and peroxidase activity at various doses throughout the developmental period. IAA oxidase activity stimulated at lower doses of irradiation, while at higher doses it was decreased regularly with irradiation intensity. GA3 treatment increased this activity across various doses. Germination was inhibited regularly with an increase of gamma irradiation except at lower doses, while with GA3 treatment inhibitory effect was recorded only at higher doses of 60, 70, 90 and 110 Kr. Shoot length, root length and number of roots decreased consistently with an increase of gamma irradiation. Application of GA3 restored the growth and an increase was observed at various doses. From this study doses of 40, 50 and 60 Kr were considered as appropriate for induction of genetic variability.

Irradiated seeds at 40, 50 and 60 Kr of three genotypes along with the application of GA3 were sown at Barani Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal. A wide range of genotypic variation was induced with gamma irradiation for all the characters like plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield, harvest index, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity. Application of GA3 changed the spectrum of induced variation either in positive or negative direction at various intensities of irradiation. Genotype-treatment revealed significant and highly significant interaction for all the characters under study in one or the other generation. Stimulating effect with GA3 were observed for seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, grain yield and harvest index in M2 and M3 population. It was, therefore, suggested that post mutagenic application of GA3 might be beneficial if utilized for grain yield enhancement.

Albina, xantha, chlorina and viridis chlorophyll mutants along with other morphological i.e., stem, branching, leaf, pod, seed, flowering and maturity mutants were obtained in M2 generation. Chlorophyll mutants decreased, while morphological increased with application of GA3

The results regarding correlation coefficients revealed a high magnitude of genotypic than phenotypic for most of the characters in M1, M2 and M3 generation. However, the association of grain yield with other characters changed in succeeding generations independently among the genotypes. Grain yield was positively correlated with pods per plant, seed per pod, and 100-seed weight in different populations of the three genotypes, while the association of other characters with grain yield was inconsistent. Harvest index and biological yield in variety Noor 91 had positive direct effect on grain yield in Ml, M2 and M3 population. In Punjab 91, harvest index and biological yield in Ml generation, while in M2 and M3 generation pods per plant, seeds per pod and 100-seed weight had strong positive direct effect on grain yield. In case of variety C 141, 100-seed weight and pods per plant had direct positive effect on grain yield in Ml, M2 and M3 generation. So harvest index and biological yield would be a reliable criterion in Noor 91 and pods per plant and 100-seed weight in variety Punjab 91 and C 141, in the selection of best genotypes of chickpea


One of the greatest challenges the world is facing is climate change. The need of reduction of energy use and an increased use of renewable energy in buildings constitutes important climate change mitigation measures.The objective of this research is to investigate methodologies and performance indicators for the evaluation of energy and moisture performance of buildings, including co-benefits which may occur in "green buildings". Furthermore, the objective is to identify a methodology for evaluation of the energy and moisture performance of buildings, including co-benefits.This work was set out with a historical review of building envelopes for residential buildings followed by a literature review and case studies to investigate how energy performance, moisture conditions and green co-benefits may be calculated. An evaluation method based on multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was developed and tested.The study of the existing residential building stock shows that it is not possible to analyse a single reference building that would cover a majority of the existing buildings, e.g. renovation potentials. A set of different reference buildings and constructions are needed to enable further studies, which may investigate different possibilities related to renovation.Results also show that the relative share of transmission heat transfer losses due to thermal bridges increases when the heat resistance of a building envelope is increased. Hence, thermal bridges must be given more attention in the design of buildings.The term "energy performance" of buildings is often used today, and it is generally alleged that it refers to the annual energy use per conditioned living area. However, differences exist in building regulations in different countries and in definitions of Net Zero Energy Buildings. In relation to "moisture performance", no international or European standard or framework for assessing and presenting moisture performance has been found within this study. Quantifying and including green co-benefits may be very profitable.Common for all calculations and investigations presented—regardless if it is energy performance of building envelopes, buildings' energy performance, hygrothermal simulations, quantification of green co-benefits or a life cycle assessment—is the need to clearly state the boundary conditions when the results are presented, as they may have a major impact on the results.A model based on MCDA was proposed and tested. The tests of the model showed that it is possible to handle a large set of criteria and to weight them into one value. Hence, it should be possible to use the model to assist with decision-making.Recommendations for future research are to further develop calculation and evaluation methods for energy and moisture performance in buildings, including co-benefits that may arise in green buildings. Finally, there is a need for an MCDA software tailored for the construction industry to facilitate more use of MCDA. The software could be based on the method presented in this thesis. (Less)


The use of computer-aided learning in education can be advantageous, especially when interactive 3D models are used to aid learning of complex 3-dimensional structures. The anatomy of the cerebral ventricular system is difficult to fully understand as it is seldom seen in 3D, as is the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Using MR images of the ventricular system of the brain and several widely available commercial and free software packages, the techniques of 3D modelling, texturing, sculpting, image editing and animations were combined to create a workflow for the creation of an interactive education and training application. This was focussed on cerebral ventricular system anatomy and the flow of CSF. A robust methodology was produced, resulting in an interactive learning application detailing the anatomy of the cerebral ventricles and flow of CSF, using an anatomically accurate 3D model. The workflow presented shows how tutorials, animations and self-assessment tools can also be embedded into the training application. This study showed that an interactive educational and training package could be created for both specialist and non-specialist users, aiding understanding of an otherwise complex area of anatomy. This workflow methodology could be applied to other complex areas of anatomy to aid understanding.


![Figure][1]

In Male, the capital of the Maldives, more than 120,000 people live just a meter or so above current sea level.

PHOTO: GEORGE STEINMETZ

The phrase "climate change" typically evokes thoughts of rising air temperatures or other atmospheric phenomena such as droughts and extreme storms. Much less often do we consider the parallel changes that are occurring in the oceans, despite their extent and importance.

Climate change in the oceans has many facets. One is a rise in sea levels. Scientists are learning about how previous warm periods altered sea levels, and what that past may tell us about the future. To help us cope, so-called green infrastructure, such as planted marshes or oyster reefs, may help protect low-lying shorelines. Climate change is also creating problems for fisheries; for example, commercially valuable stocks move in response to warming seas.

Climate change has caused ocean temperatures to rise, a trend that will continue in the coming centuries even if fossil fuel emissions are curtailed. The uptake of carbon dioxide also makes the oceans more acidic, affecting the ability of organisms to create and maintain calcium-based shells and skeletons. Warm-water corals are particularly susceptible to these effects and may not survive the century unless carbon emissions are greatly reduced. Climate change impacts in the deep ocean are less visible, but the longevity and slow pace of life in the deep makes that ecosystem uniquely sensitive to environmental variability. Marine vertebrates at every depth are being affected, as are humans. Even if international negotiations like those kicking off soon in Paris succeed, we will be coping with the impacts of ocean climate change for centuries.

 [1]: pending:yes


The inherited spatial, land use and transportation form in developing countries represent various challenges in addressing effectiveness and efficiency in attaining resilience and sustainability goals and objectives for urban development. Addressing development and growth in spatial systems within urban areas in developing countries are too often guided and determined by political preferences of decision makers. This practice is applied notwithstanding the existence of planning instruments in developing countries to guide decision making in a technical and accountable preferred practice. Priorities for development in such countries is thus determined subjectively notwithstanding the variety of needs to be addressed with restricted resources for development capital as well as allocation of funding for maintenance and operational practices related to infrastructure and transportation systems. Socio-economic realities complicate decision making further. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the use of modelling tools to guide strategic planning and decision making in determining development priorities in urban areas within developing countries. It will consider components such as spatial and land use planning and development realities; infrastructural input and needs; application of standards and a prioritisation approach towards optimal development and application of best practices.


The multiple uses of coastal space, the implications of coastal processes on society and the fragility of the marine terrestrial interface requires integrated and sustainable coastal management strategies one where humans can live harmoniously with nature. On the K waZulu Natal north coast of South Africa, property development is a key feature of economic development. The last two years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in up market real estate along this coastline. This has been based on an increasing demand for coastal property for the development of tourist, commercial and residential development. It is also a sector that has contributed much towards environmental damage to sections of the coastline and places a considerable burden on current infrastructure (sewage, water and roads). A time-series analysis of aerial photography, spanning a period of 20 years (1983 and 2003), was used to assess the collective impacts of development on both land use and important ecosystems since 1983. The rate of change indicates significant decreases in coastal forest (3%), cultivated land (3%), rivers (1 %), sugar cane (3%) and untransformed grassland (1 %). There was a concomitant increase in non residential development (2%), residential (4%), transformed grassland (2%), transport corridors (2%) and wetlands (0.4%). A social perspective from a total sample of 50 respondents was achieved by administering questionnaires off five different key coastal stakeholders (planners/managers/local authorities, CBOs, environmental groups, developers and tourism interest groups) to establish their perspectives on overall development, legislation, the state of the environment and stakeholder participation in coastal issues in the study area. The results yielded the following: development is currently occurring in an ad hoc fashion due to the amount of land owned privately. This is further compounded by the lack of legislation such as land use management systems and a Coastal Management Act which would allow for control over development. The biggest non-compliance issue is adhering to environmental management plans (EMPs). There are conflicts and constraints coupled with capacity issues which do not allow for effective management or the curtailment of bad land uses. The environment is being impacted on to a large degree through rationalization rather than expanding environmental concerns. Lastly, while stakeholders in the area are active, political decisions are still taken. In conclusion, while the White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Zone Management in South Africa advocates' sustainability', the only thing being sustained on this coastline is development. This coastline will probably provide significant opportunities for tourism, but its amenity from a natural perspective will be lost.