Wind musicians were present since the first years of the Generale Vereenighde Nederlantsche G'octroyeerde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) at the Cape during the seventeenth century. Since 1656 the VOC muster rolls of the Cape garrison reveal the names of these musicians and they show that several German trumpeters worked at the Cape Castle during the seventeenth century. During the eighteenth century the number of German wind instrument players increased so considerably that the vast majority of all the trumpeters, fifers and haulbois-players of the Cape garrison were of German origin. Apart from these VOC officials, other German wind musicians were also present, viz. the band members of several foreign regiments, like the Regiments of Wurttemberg and Luxemburg, which were stationed at the Cape during the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Among the civilian musicians were a few German music teachers, some of whom gave instruction in the playing of wind instruments. Some of the Moravian missionaries in the Cape district were also capable of playing wind instruments, and they started a long and rich tradition of brass bands on several mission stations.


This thesis investigates three problems relating to thermoconvective stability in porous media. These are (i) the stability of an inclined boundary layer flow to vortex type instability, (ii) front propagation in the Darcy-B´enard problem and (iii) the onset of Prantdl-Darcy convection in a horizontal porous layer subject to a horizontal pressure gradient. The nonlinear, elliptic governing equations for the inclined boundary layer flow are discretised using finite differences and solved using an implicit, MultiGrid Full Approximation Scheme. In addition to the basic steady state three configurations are examined: (i) unforced disturbances, (ii) global forced disturbances, and (iii) leading edge forced disturbances. The unforced inclined boundary layer is shown to be convectively unstable to vortex-type instabilities. The forced vortex system is found to produce critical distances in good agreement with parabolic simulations. The speed of propagation and the pattern formed behind a propagating front in the Darcy-B´enard problem are examined using weakly nonlinear analysis and through numerical solution of the fully nonlinear governing equations for both two and three dimensional flows. The unifying theory of Ebert and van Saarloos (Ebert and van Saarloos (1998)) for pulled fronts is found to describe the behaviour well in two dimensions, but the situation in three dimensions is more complex with combinations of transverse and longitudinal rolls occurring. A linear perturbation analysis of the onset of Prandtl-Darcy convection in a horizontal porous layer subject to a horizontal pressure gradient indicates that the flow becomes more stable as the underlying flow increases, and that the wavelength of the most dangerous disturbances also increases with the strength of the underlying flow. Asymptotic analyses for small and large underlying flow and large Prandtl number are carried out and results compared to those of the linear perturbation analysis.


An algorithm is developed and validated for automatic avoidance of restricted airspaces. This method is devised specifically for implementation with an advanced flight control system designed for general aviation application. The algorithm presented here implements two inputs to the aircraft; the bank angle, and the airspeed, while the control system always ensures coordinated maneuvers. Unlike collision avoidance systems, the current method is not designed to serve in an advisory role, but to assume complete control of the aircraft is necessary. It is demonstrated that in order to implement this technique, the aircraft must be assigned an immediate domain whose size would have to depend on the aircraft performance and flight conditions. The strategy is designed such that as the domain surrounding the aircraft approaches that of the restricted airspace, aircraft control would switch gradually away from the pilot and to the controller, which would initiate an evasive maneuver. The degree of relative control is made dependant on the level of the threat defined by the steepness of trajectory and the extent of the overlap between the aircraft domain and the restricted space. While the algorithm is formulated primarily for avoiding a single zone, its application to multiple zones is also explored. Application of the method on a light single-engine general aviation aircraft is demonstrated. Simulations are made using a six-degree of freedom model that includes the effects of wind. Results are presented for six cases involving single zones and one case involving of multiple zones. The aircraft is made to approach the restricted zones with various airspeeds and attitudes with and without crosswind. It is shown that the controller can effectively prevent the aircraft from penetrating the prohibited area, while v leaving the pilot some level of control. Recommendations are made to refine the strategy by employing a more sophisticated switching strategy and by implementing a multivariable optimization of the control inputs.


T here is a high school dropout epidemic in America. Each year, almost one third of all public high school students – and nearly one half of all blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans – fail to graduate from public high school with their class. Many of these students abandon school with less than two years to complete their high school education. This tragic cycle has not substantially improved during the past few decades when education reform has been high on the public agenda. During this time, the public has been almost entirely unaware of the severity of the dropout problem due to inaccurate data. The consequences remain tragic. The decision to drop out is a dangerous one for the student. Dropouts are much more likely than their peers who graduate to be unemployed, living in poverty, receiving public assistance, in prison, on death row, unhealthy, divorced, and single parents with children who drop out from high school themselves. Our communities and nation also suffer from the dropout epidemic due to the loss of productive workers and the higher costs associated with increased incarceration, health care and social services. Given the clear detrimental economic and personal costs to them, why do young people drop out of high school in such large numbers? Almost every elementary and middle school student reports ambitions that include high school graduation and at least some college. Why are so many dreams cut short? And what steps should be taken to turn the tide? In an effort to better understand the lives and circumstances of students who drop out of high school and to help ground the research in the stories and reflections of the former students themselves, a series of focus groups and a survey were conducted of young people aged 16-25 who identified themselves as high school dropouts in 25 different locations throughout the United States. These interviews took place in large cities, suburbs and small towns with high dropout rates. A primary purpose of this report is to approach the dropout problem from a perspective that has not been much considered in past studies – that of the students themselves. These efforts were designed to paint a more in-depth picture of who these young people are, why they dropped out of high school, and what might have helped them complete their high school education. We wanted to give their stories and insights a voice, …


Merging omnidirectional defect modes are found in one-dimensional photonic crystals composed of periodic single-negative-permittivity and single-negative-permeability media layers and a single-negative defect. By increasing the defect size or the thickness ratio of the two periodic layers, two defect modes shift to each other from the upper and lower frequency side of the forbidden gap, respectively, then merge at the midfrequency of the gap. Merging conditions for such defect modes are given. These defect modes are insensitive to the incident angle. Moreover, the electric fields at the central frequency of the bandgap could be designed to be strongly localized at just one interface between the defect and the periodic layers in the photonic crystal with low transmission.


The United States prides itself as a country that respects free speech, the right of all persons to criticize the government even in times of war. However, it was not always so. The events related to World War I brought the first cases raising free speech issues to the U.S. Supreme Court. While several justices, in particular, Oliver Wendell Holmes, praised free speech, the Court upheld all the Government prosecutions of dissidents. It has taken nearly a century since those cases for the Supreme Court to come full circle and now protect those who criticize the Government in time of war. When the Court changed its views to create the modern protections, it relied on philosophical justifications for free speech that go all the way back to the ancient Greeks, 2,400 years ago. The modern justification for free speech relies on these philosophers from ancient Greece. There is little new under the sun. While governments typically believe that, for the public good, they must censor speech and squelch dissenters in time of war, the Greeks believed that their free speech made them stronger, not weaker. There are those who argue it is more difficult for a democracy to go to war because it cannot conduct the war successfully if the people oppose it and dissenters remain free to criticize. That is a good thing, not a bad thing. In modern times, no democracy has warred against another. As Pericles reminds us, "[t]he great impediment to action is, in our opinion, not discussion, but the want of knowledge that is gained by discussion preparatory to action." As other countries embrace democracy and protections for dissidents, our increased freedoms should bring us more peace and less war.


Radical Visions 1968-2008: The Impact of the Sixties on Australian Drama, by Denise Varney (Rodopi: Amsterdam & New York, 2011)  Summing up her penetrating and timely book, Denise Varney comments, 'The politics of freedom, liberation and emancipation central to the social movements of the sixties and seventies flowed through the Australian Performing Group […] The mobile, educated, opinionated and confident group of artists who came together in Carlton, Melbourne […] were empowered by the youth effect and emboldened by collective action. Members enjoyed the heady feeling of being at the vanguard of a new modernity in Australian theatre and of taking a receptive public along for the ride' (269).  But when the heady moment is over, what then? How should we regard the New Wave now that it is neither new nor an extant formation? Venerable relic? Outmoded approach? Embarrassing silo of nationalism for a country grappling with the intercultural implications of 'the Asian century'?


We propose several schemes for upper bounding the optimal value of the constrained most probable explanation (CMPE) problem. Given a set of discrete random variables, two probabilistic graphical models defined over them and a real number q, this problem involves finding an assignment of values to all the variables such that the probability of the assignment is maximized according to the first model and is bounded by q w.r.t. the second model. In prior work, it was shown that CMPE is a unifying problem with several applications and special cases including the nearest assignment problem, the decision preserving most probable explanation task and robust estimation. It was also shown that CMPE is NP-hard even on tractable models such as bounded treewidth networks and is hard for integer linear programming methods because it includes a dense global constraint. The main idea in our approach is to simplify the problem via Lagrange relaxation and decomposition to yield either a knapsack problem or the unconstrained most probable explanation (MPE) problem, and then solving the two problems, respectively using specialized knapsack algorithms and mini-buckets based upper bounding schemes. We evaluate our proposed scheme along several dimensions including quality of the bounds and computation time required on various benchmark graphical models and how it can be used to find heuristic, near-optimal feasible solutions in an example application pertaining to robust estimation and adversarial attacks on classifiers.


Suppliers and retailers in the newsvendor setting need to submit their pricing and inventory decisions respectively, well before actual customer demand is realized. In the literature they have both been typically considered as perfectly rational optimizers, exclusively interested in their own respective benefits. Under the above set of conditions the wholesale price-only contract has long been analytically proven as inefficient. We asked real human subjects to act as suppliers or retailers in simulation games performed in the laboratory. We found their decisions to significantly deviate from the perfectly rational decisions. By using Agent Based Simulation as the evaluation tool, we investigated the effect of their varying individual preferences on the contract's efficiency. In doing so we established sufficient evidence that the contract can emerge as efficient, in spite of the underlying strategies' under-performances. This counter-intuitive result fully supports the contract's long observed wide popularity.


The 2009 Gordon Conference on Microbial Population Biology will cover a diverse range of cutting edge issues in the microbial sciences and beyond. Firmly founded in evolutionary biology and with a strongly integrative approach, past Conferences have covered a range of topics from the dynamics and genetics of adaptation to the evolution of mutation rate, community ecology, evolutionary genomics, altruism, and epidemiology. The 2009 Conference is no exception, and will include sessions on the evolution of infectious diseases, social evolution, the evolution of symbioses, experimental evolution, adaptive landscapes, community dynamics, and the evolution of protein structure and function. While genomic approaches continue to make inroads, broadening our knowledge and encompassing new questions, the conference will also emphasize the use of experimental approaches to test hypotheses decisively. As in the past, this Conference provides young scientists and graduate students opportunities to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leading investigators from a broad spectrum of disciplines. This meeting is never dull: some of the most significant and contentious issues in biology have been thrashed out here. The 2009 meeting will be no exception.


Stress causes deleterious effects to the physical, psychological and organizational levels, which highlight the need to use effective coping strategies to deal with it. Several coping models exist, but they don't integrate the different strategies in a coherent way nor do they take into account the new research on the emotional coping and acceptance of the stressful situation. To fill these gaps, an integrative model incorporating the main coping strategies was developed. This model arises from the review of the scientific literature on coping and from a qualitative study carried out among workers with low or high levels of stress, as well as from an analysis of clinical cases. The model allows one to understand under what circumstances the strategies are effective or ineffective and to learn how one might use them more wisely. It includes Specific Strategies in controllable situations (the Modification of the Situation and the Resignation-Disempowerment), Specific Strategies in noncontrollable situations (Acceptance and Stubborn Relentlessness) as well as so-called General Strategies (Wellbeing and Avoidance). This study is intended to undertake and present the process of development and validation of an instrument to measure coping strategies based on this model. An initial pool of items has been generated from the conceptual definitions and three expert judges have validated the content. Of these, 18 items have been selected for a short form questionnaire. A sample of 300 students and employees from a Quebec university was used for the validation of the questionnaire. Concerning the reliability of the instrument, the indices observed following the inter-rater agreement (Krippendorff's alpha) and the calculation of the coefficients for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) are satisfactory. To evaluate the construct validity, a confirmatory factor analysis using MPlus supports the existence of a model with six factors. The results of this analysis suggest also that this configuration is superior to other alternative models. The correlations show that the factors are only loosely related to each other. Overall, the analyses carried out suggest that the instrument has good psychometric qualities and demonstrates the relevance of further work to establish predictive validity and reconfirm its structure. This instrument will help researchers and clinicians better understand and assess coping strategies to cope with stress and thus prevent mental health issues. Keyword—Acceptance, coping strategies, measurement instrument, questionnaire, stress, validation process.


Smart grid presents the largest growth potential in the machine-to-machine market today. Spurred by the recent advances in M2M technologies, the smart meters/sensors used in smart grid are expected not to require human intervention in characterizing power requirements and energy distribution. These numerous sensors are able to report back information such as power consumption and other monitoring signals. However, SG, as it comprises an energy control and distribution system, requires fast response to malicious events such as distributed denial of service attacks against smart meters. In this article, we model the malicious and/or abnormal events, which may compromise the security and privacy of smart grid users, as a Gaussian process. Based on this model, a novel early warning system is proposed for anticipating malicious events in the SG network. With the warning system, the SG control center can forecast such malicious events, thereby enabling SG to react beforehand and mitigate the possible impact of malicious activity. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed early warning system through computer-based simulations.


An efficient method for genetic transformation of lactococci by electroporation is presented. Highly competent lactococci for electrotransformation were obtained by growing cells in media containing high concentrations of glycine and 0.5 M sucrose as the osmotic stabilizers. These cells could be stored at −85°C without loss of competence. With Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris BC101, a transformation frequency of 5.7 × 107 transformants per μg of pIL253 DNA was obtained, which represents 5% of the surviving cells. All the lactococcal strains tested could be transformed by the present method.


The SET-Plan declaration of intent for ocean energy has set ambitious targets for wave and tidal energy technologies. Tidal technologies are expected to reach a levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of 15 cEUR/kWh by 2025. To meet this target, technology costs need to be reduced by about 75 % from 2016 values. Cost-reduction of tidal technologies is expected to go hand in hand with technology deployment and further technology validation gained by the operation of first-of-a-kind tidal farms. In this paper we assess the learning investment needed to support the cost-reduction of tidal energy to meet the 2025 SET-Plan targets. The learning investment necessary to bring tidal energy to cost-competitiveness would be of about EUR 1.45 billion, requiring about 3.2 GW of installed capacity to achieve the LCOE target of 15 cEUR/kWh. Supporting the step growth for the sector requires the design of accompanying policies aimed at the industrialisation of the sector to support the creation of assembly and manufacturing facilities.


Uncivil behavior in the classroom threatens the teaching-learning process. Research to date has focused on nursing student incivility in academia with little research examining the faculty role associated with incivility. Due to the lack of research examining faculty incivility toward nursing students, additional research in this area is indicated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of faculty incivility on nursing students′ satisfaction with their Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) nursing program in a rural Southeastern state. Quantitative data was collected via surveys. Research questions included: (1) What percentage of senior nursing students report experiencing faculty incivility? (2) What is the relationship between faculty incivility and nursing students′ ratings of program satisfaction? (3) In what educational settings does perceived incivility toward nursing students occur? (4) How do nursing students respond to perceived faculty incivility? The results of this survey revealed that 35.3% of students had at least one nursing instructor that put them down or was condescending toward them during their educational experience. Furthermore, 20.7% reported that two or more faculty put them down or were condescending toward them. Collectively, the pilot study revealed that over half of the participants reported faculty behaving in a way that was perceived as uncivil. Incivility in the nursing profession has been an on-going problem. The high number (over half) of participating students reporting that they perceived that at least one nursing instructor had put them down or was condescending toward them during their educational experience raises additional concerns for the level of civility in nursing programs and the role modeling that is presented to students. It is imperative that nursing faculty and students interact professionally and establish effective communication patterns.


A Treatment Mechanism for Emotion Dysregulation Across Mood and Anxiety Disorders Andrada Delia Neacsiu Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Doctor Marsha M. Linehan, Department of Psychology Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993a) has been consistently shown to successfully improve indices of emotion regulation in a variety of client populations (e.g., Bohus et al., 2004; Lynch et al., 2007; Feigenbaum et al., 2011). Furthermore, evidence suggests that use of DBT skills is a mechanism of change for emotion dysregulation in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD; Neacsiu, Rizvi, & Linehan, 2010). Thus, DBT may offer a mechanism of treatment for emotion dysregulation. In this paper, evidence supporting emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic mechanism of disorder is presented. A theoretical model that accounts for the effectiveness of DBT skills training, a component of DBT, at reducing emotion dysregulation across disorders is proposed. In addition, the transdiagnostic effectiveness of DBT skills training to change emotion dysregulation is assessed via a randomized controlled trial. Forty-four men and women who met criteria for at least one mood or anxiety disorder and who reported high emotion dysregulation were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to DBT skills training or an Activities Based Support Group, designed to control for nonspecific factors. The randomization algorithm matched participants on gender, primary disorder and reported use of medication. Both treatment conditions were administered in a group format and lasted for 16 weeks, two hours per week. Enrolled participants were assessed before treatment started, at the middle of the treatment, at the end of treatment and at a 2-month follow up. Analyses using hierarchical linear modeling supported that DBT skills training was superior to the support group in increasing skills use and in reducing emotion dysregulation, general distress, shame, anger suppression and anxiety. Both treatments performed similarly in reducing depression, disgust and anger expression. Furthermore, use of DBT skills mediated all of the changes seen between conditions. Findings are discussed in the context of the current treatment literature.


In 2006, David Zucker, chief executive officer of Midway Games, came under fire for selling a significant amount of Midway stock just weeks before a precipitous decline in the company's share price. One year later, Angelo Mozilo, chairman and chief executive officer of Countrywide Financial, also increased the pace of his stock sales in the months before troubles in the U.S. mortgage lending market led to a similar drop off in Countrywide's share price. Both executives placed their trades through prearranged programs known as 10b5-1 plans. 10b5-1 plans, named after the Securities and Exchange Commission rule which led to their creation, provided a systematic method for corporate executives who were routinely in the possession of material nonpublic information to engage in the sale of company stock. When implemented appropriately, 10b5-1 plans provided a safe haven that shielded these individuals from liability under insider trading laws by demonstrating that certain safeguard conditions were in place at the time the trades were executed. However, the circumstances under which both executives carried out their programs led to an outcry from shareholders that the programs were being abused. Regulators and shareholders were left to decide whether the two men executed their 10b5-1 plans in good faith as required or whether their actions amounted to a sophisticated form of illegal insider trading.


Abstract "Uncertain futures" refers to a set of policy problems that possess some combination of the following characteristics: (i) they potentially cause irreversible changes; (ii) they are widespread, so that policy responses may make sense only on a global scale; (iii) network effects are difficult to understand and may amplify (or moderate) consequences; (iv) time horizons are long; and (v) the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes is unknown or even unknowable. These characteristics tend to make uncertain futures intractable to market solutions because property rights are not clearly defined and essential information is unavailable. These same factors also pose challenges for benefit-cost analysis (BCA) and other traditional decision analysis tools. The diverse policy decisions confronting decision-makers today demand "dynamic BCA," analytic frameworks that incorporate uncertainties and trade-offs across policy areas, recognizing that: perceptions of risks can be uninformed, misinformed, or inaccurate; risk characterization can suffer from ambiguity; and experts' tendency to focus on one risk at a time may blind policymakers to important trade-offs. Dynamic BCA – which recognizes trade-offs, anticipates the need to learn from experience, and encourages learning – is essential for lowering the likelihoods and mitigating the consequences of uncertain futures while encouraging economic growth, reducing fragility, and increasing resilience.


Although numerous studies indicate that increasing atmospheric CO2 or temperature stimulate soil CO2 efflux, few data are available on the responses of three major components of soil respiration [i.e. rhizosphere respiration (root and root exudates), litter decomposition, and oxidation of soil organic matter] to different CO2 and temperature conditions. In this study, we applied a dual stable isotope approach to investigate the impact of elevated CO2 and elevated temperature on these components of soil CO2 efflux in Douglas‐fir terracosms. We measured both soil CO2 efflux rates and the 13C and 18O isotopic compositions of soil CO2 efflux in 12 sun‐lit and environmentally controlled terracosms with 4‐year‐old Douglas fir seedlings and reconstructed forest soils under two CO2 concentrations (ambient and 200 ppmv above ambient) and two air temperature regimes (ambient and 4 °C above ambient). The stable isotope data were used to estimate the relative contributions of different components to the overall soil CO2 efflux. In most cases, litter decomposition was the dominant component of soil CO2 efflux in this system, followed by rhizosphere respiration and soil organic matter oxidation. Both elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and elevated temperature stimulated rhizosphere respiration and litter decomposition. The oxidation of soil organic matter was stimulated only by increasing temperature. Release of newly fixed carbon as root respiration was the most responsive to elevated CO2, while soil organic matter decomposition was most responsive to increasing temperature. Although some assumptions associated with this new method need to be further validated, application of this dual‐isotope approach can provide new insights into the responses of soil carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems to future climate changes.


The figure of Carmen has emerged as a cipher for the unfettered female artist. Dance historian and performance theorist Ninotchka Bennahum shows us Carmen as embodied historical archive, a figure through which we come to understand the promises and dangers of nomadic, transnational identity, and the immanence of performance as an expanded historical methodology. Bennahum traces the genealogy of the female Gypsy presence in her iconic operatic role from her genesis in the ancient Mediterranean world, her emergence as flamenco artist in the architectural spaces of Islamic Spain, her persistent manifestation in Picasso, and her contemporary relevance on stage. This many-layered geography of the Gypsy dancer provides the book with its unique nonlinear form that opens new pathways to reading performance and writing history. Includes rare archival photographs of Gypsy artists.


Creating money out of thin air is one of the few truly magical things Muggles are capable of, which makes it odd that J.K. Rowling did not include a more thoughtful discussion of banking in her Harry Potter books. Indeed, the banking system in the wizarding world seems quite rudimentary -- more like the safe deposit business than true banking. Nevertheless, Muggle bankers and magical bankers face similar problems relating to security and money laundering and they have developed regulatory strategies to deal with those problems.


This is the sixteenth in a series of articles on indigenous plants that have traditionally been used by humans in southern Africa for food, medicine, crafts and charms. Some of these plants are now threatened while others that once formed an important part of our diet have been forgotten. It is hoped that these articles will help revive an interest in growing, using and conserving a valuable indigenous resource. Please note that cited traditional information about medicinal use of plants does not constitute a recommendation for their use for self-treatment. Improper or uninformed use of wild plants can be extremely dangerous.


The commercial production of biodiesel in Brazil began in 2005 and increased in such a way that the country has become one of the largest producers in terms of volume in 2012. This study aims to analyze the biodiesel market in Brazil and its socio-economic effects resulting from the mandatory addition of biodiesel in the distribution system of mineral diesel. This work is characterized as a qualitative and exploratory study. The technical procedures adopted include literature research and data collection from government agencies involved. It is highlighted that the Programa Nacional de Producao e Uso de Biodiesel no Brasil - PNPB ("National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel in Brazil") was designed for the purposes of: promoting rural development; the growth of biodiesel production plants; and positively impact the environment. The survey showed the following results: i) significant increase in investment in renewable energy, especially biodiesel, ii) a high unused capacity in the biodiesel production plants; iii) a high dependence on soy for biodiesel production, iv) unfavorable prices of oilseeds; v) high concentration of the biodiesel market; vi) difficulty in standardizing the biodiesel auctions; vii) a small increase in inflation; viii) increased generation of income, employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to the presence of biodiesel in the energy market. It was found that by adding a percentage of biodiesel to diesel oil caused positive impacts on the national economy, contributing to improvement in employment policies, income distribution, environmental issues, technological and regional development.


This paper describes the first catalogue of photometrically-derived stellar mass estimates for intermediate-redshift (z < 0.65) galaxies in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) spectroscopic redshift survey. These masses, as well as the full set of ancillary stellar population parameters, will be made public as part of GAMA data release 2. Although the GAMA database does include NIR photometry, we show that the quality of our stellar population synthesis fits is significantly poorer when these NIR data are included. Further, for a large fraction of galaxies, the stellar population parameters inferred from the optical-plus-NIR photometry are formally inconsistent with those inferred from the optical data alone. This may indicate problems in our stellar population library, or NIR data issues, or both; these issues will be addressed for future versions of the catalogue. For now, we have chosen to base our stellar mass estimates on optical photometry only. In light of our decision to ignore the available NIR data, we examine how well stellar mass can be constrained based on optical data alone. We use generic properties of stellar population synthesis models to demonstrate that restframe colour alone is in principle a very good estimator of stellar mass-to-light ratio, M*/Li. Further, we use the observed relation between restframe (g-i) and M*/Li for real GAMA galaxies to argue that, modulo uncertainties in the stellar evolution models themselves, (g-i) colour can in practice be used to estimate M*/Li to an accuracy of < ~0.1 dex. This 'empirically calibrated' (g-i)-M*/Li relation offers a simple and transparent means for estimating galaxies' stellar masses based on minimal data, and so provides a solid basis for other surveys to compare their results to z < ~0.4 measurements from GAMA.


The growing demand for mobile Internet, and the increasing number of connected devices, has required significant advancements in radio technology and networks compared to the previous generations of mobile telecommunication. Security however has only seen incremental changes to the previous mobile telecommunication generation, with enhancements that mitigate new threats and address revealed weaknesses. 5G is expected to change this, as novel use-cases will demand new trust models and require novel security solutions.

In this paper, we examine the state of 5G Security, and start by describing the new expectations, requirements and enablers in 5G and the design principles conferred by material presented in selected publications. Furthermore, we describe the historic development of the authentication and key agreement protocols, which were introduced with GSM (2G), as an example of the incremental improvements to security. Additionally, we present select published papers that suggest different types of attacks on the current generations of mobile networks, and solutions to the identified weaknesses, which must be taken into account in 5G security. Finally, we describe a proposed 5G Security architecture, which bring new models for authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) to 5G.

The role of 5G security is clear, it must not only meet the basic security requirements in confidentiality, integrity and privacy, but also foster user confidence in mobile telecommunication.


Wagnerite ( Mg ,Fe,Ca,Mn) 2 [PO 4 (F,OH)] was found in high-MgAl granulite near Anakapalle, ca . 40 km W of Vishakhapatnam, East-India. This is the first reported occurrence of this mineral in the granulite-facies Eastern Ghats Belt (EGB). The high-MgAl granulite occurs as xenoliths of several meters in diameter within basic granulite. The rocks experienced Grenvillian ultra-high-temperature (UHT) metamorphism (8 kbar; T > 900°C). Still at high-grade conditions, the rock assemblage was intruded by large volumes of felsic melt (charnockite). Hence, the MgAl granulite became partially metasomatised, resulting in microdomains with variable Ca/(Ca+Mg) - ratios and different assemblages. Three principal wagnerite-bearing petrographic domains are distinguished. Within domains 1 & 2 (Ca/(Ca+Mg) ~ 0.02) wagnerite occurs as a stable phase of the UHT-assemblage and is the major phosphorus-bearing phase, while apatite is absent. In domain 3 (Ca/(Ca+Mg) ~ 0.25), wagnerite reacted with the intruding felsic melt and is now rimmed by apatite. Isokite, CaMg[PO 4 F], was not observed and seems not to be stable at UHT-conditions. Wagnerite from Anakapalle is characterised by unusually high OH content (F/(F+OH) = 0.47-0.60) and low Ca content (0-0.5 wt% CaO). The Fe content in domain 3 is slightly higher (3-3.5 wt% FeO) compared to domains 1 & 2 (1.5-2.5 wt%).


Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Although numerous therapies have been developed over the past 10 years to treat acute ischemic stroke, the stark reality remains that only 5% of these patients are so treated in the United States,1 in part, because of treatment window times <3 to 6 hours post-onset, and many of these 5% nonetheless have significant long-term disability. Acute treatment options after hemorrhagic stroke remain limited.2

In parallel with efforts to further develop acute stroke interventions, researchers are studying recovery and rehabilitation treatments, which can have a treatment time window measured in days, weeks, or months poststroke. To achieve this goal, therapies aim to maximize function in brain areas that survive the stroke or provide compensatory approaches to improve overall function. Strategies targeting recovery and rehabilitation must be seen as distinct from acute stroke therapies, such as reperfusion or neuroprotection, where the strategy is to limit the severity of ischemic injury, including preserving penumbral tissue and reducing infarct size.

Preclinical and translational research have successfully identified numerous molecular and physiological events spontaneously arising in the nervous system during the days-to-weeks after an infarct, and, subsequently, potential restorative therapies that target these events to improve long-term behavioral outcomes.3,4 In parallel, a burgeoning volume of data from human subjects has emerged regarding mechanisms of recovery from stroke. Together, these efforts inform translation into clinical studies for several classes of therapy, including small molecules, growth factors, stem cells, monoclonal antibodies, brain stimulation, robotics and other devices, cognitive strategies, intensive training, and telerehabilitation.5,6

The majority of patients with stroke survive the initial event but go on to live with significant disability for many years. Indeed, there are >7 million stroke survivors …


Developing countries are facing a formidable unemployment challenge due to a combined effect of slow economic growth and rapid increase in population. In Kenya, Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) estimates that 500,000 jobs would be created annually with 88% of these generated by small and medium size enterprises. Yet, the attrition level is alarming. It has been shown that for every 100 new enterprises started in a year, 60 percent close down within the first year, and those that survive the first year, 40% are likely to close in the second year (Kenya 1998; 1999). The question that begs answers is, why so? One untested theory has been unfair competition and unethical behavior of the small and medium enterprises. This leads to low confidence, and trust and difficulties in sustaining customers as well as establishing long lasting networks. This study explores the extent to which SME's embrace business work ethic. It seeks to answer questions as to how much the growth of SMEs is affected by work ethics or lack of it. The study employed expost facto survey design among small manufacturing enterprises in Eldoret Municipality with respondents sampled through proportionate random sampling in clusters based on geographical location. This paper measures the perception of the entrepreneurs on the relative importance of ethical practices and social responsibility in business.  It goes further to highlight core competencies that can be leveraged to prepare small and medium size manufacturing enterprises engage in ethical practices.


Abstract This work examines bootstrap current in quasi-symmetric stellarators with a focus on the impact of bootstrap current on the equilibrium properties of stellarator configurations. In the design of the Quasi-Poloidal Stellarator (QPS), a code was used to predict the bootstrap current based on a calculation in an asymptotically collisionless limit. This calculation is believed to be a good approximation of the bootstrap current for low-collisionality plasmas but is expected to be higher than the actual bootstrap current for more collisional plasmas. A fluid moments approach has been developed to self-consistently calculate viscosities and neoclassical transport coefficients. The viscosities and transport coefficients can be used to calculate the bootstrap current for arbitrary collisionality and magnetic geometry. The bootstrap current calculations from the two codes were done for low-density, electron cyclotron–heated (ECH) plasmas and high-density, ion cyclotron–heated (ICH) plasmas for a range of configurations, and provide a benchmark for the moments code and a test of the range of validity of the collisionless code. In the configurations examined here, namely, QPS, the National Compact Stellarator Experiment, the Helically Symmetric Experiment, the Large Helical Device, and the Wendelstein-7X Stellarator, the bootstrap currents predicted from the two codes agree qualitatively for both ICH and ECH profiles.


A closed-end fund, known as an investment trust in the UK and closed-end fund in the US, is a collective investment company that invests in shares of other companies. This
study attempts to describe and explain the persistence of the excess discount return on UK investment trusts and US closed-end funds. The ability to identify which factors
best capture return variation is central to applications of multifactor pricing models. So the main purpose of this thesis is the application of a multifactor risk model that
will explain the-existence of the excess discount return. Hence, the title of the thesis: "A Multifactor Model of Investment Trust Discounts. A Comparative Study of UK
Investment Trusts and US Closed-End Funds" First, the time-series properties of the closed-end funds' net asset values (NAVs) and discounts are investigated. In terms of normality, we find that the UK and US excess NAV returns and discounts are approximately normally distributed. In addition, through Augmented Dickey-Fuller tests, we find that the UK and US discounts are non-stationary, but the excess discount returns and the excess NAV returns are
stationary. In terms of multicollinearity, we find that the independent variables included in our models are not closely correlated, so we do not have problems in using them in the regression models in Chapters 7 and 8. Finally, there are no significant differences in the discount during the month of January and other months. In Chapter 7, we study the importance of management performance in terms of excess NAV returns and discount persistence. We use three approaches: Fama and French's (1993) three-factor model, an extended Fama and French model which incorporates a market timing variable, and a performance persistence model used by Carhart (1997) and Dimson and Minio-Kozerski (2001).
On average, the six-factor model developed in the thesis can explain 67% of the variation in the excess discount return in the UK market by taking into consideration the market effect, size, the book-to-market effect, momentum, sentiment and expenses. In contrast, Fama and French's (1993) three-factor and Carhart's (1997) four-factor models explain only 42% of the variation of the excess discount return. Similarly, the six-factor model can explain 66% of the variation in the excess discount return in the US market by taking into consideration the same six independent
variables. In contrast, Fama and French's (1993) three-factor model explains 59% of the excess discount return variation and Carhart's (1997) four-factor model explains
65% of the variation.


Understanding human trajectory patterns is an important task in many location based social networks (LBSNs) applications, such as personalized recommendation and preference-based route planning. Most of the existing methods classify a trajectory (or its segments) based on spatio-temporal values and activities, into some predefined categories, e.g., walking or jogging. We tackle a novel trajectory classification problem: we identify and link trajectories to users who generate them in the LBSNs, a problem called Trajectory-User Linking (TUL). Solving the TUL problem is not a trivial task because: (1) the number of the classes (i.e., users) is much larger than the number of motion patterns in the common trajectory classification problems; and (2) the location based trajectory data, especially the check-ins, are often extremely sparse. To address these challenges, a Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) based semi-supervised learning model, called TULER (TUL via Embedding and RNN) is proposed, which exploits the spatio-temporal data to capture the underlying semantics of user mobility patterns. Experiments conducted on real-world datasets demonstrate that TULER achieves better accuracy than the existing methods.


Struvite precipitation for nutrient recovery from wastewater and sewage sludge has been attracting interest, due to the remarkable fertiliser quality of the product. A method to recover struvite from digested sludge was developed at Stuttgart University, involving first an acidic dissolution of nutrients from digested sludge followed by a precipitation step. The application was first tested in a pilot scale plant and recently upscaled to a semi-industrial size by constructing a recovery plant at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The study reports on the technical features and the operation of the large-scale plant with a short overview on the pathway leading to the construction, as well as quality of the product.


We investigate the improvements that can be obtained in several conventional video-processing algorithms through the incorporation of three-dimensional (3-D) (spatiotemporal) segmentation information. Four classes of image sequence processing techniques are considered: low-pass filtering, high-pass filtering, high-frequency emphasis, and 3-D Sobel filtering. It is demonstrated that segmentation information can improve the performance of these techniques substantially so that this approach may be promising for other applications (e.g., deinterlacing and resolution conversion) as well.


We numerically investigate the interaction of vectorial solitary waves propagating in a bulk crystal with a phase-matchable quadratic nonlinearity. We obtain coalescence, steering, crossing, or repulsion by controlling the launched intensities in two orthogonal polarizations without any coherent seed at the second harmonic.


With 280 accepted species, the genus Riccardia S.F.Gray (Aneuraceae) is one of the most speciose genera of simple thalloid liverworts. The current classification of this genus is based on morphological and limited-sampling molecular studies. Very few molecular data are available and a comprehensive view of evolutionary relationships within the genus is still lacking. A phylogeny focusing on relationships within the large genus Riccardia has not been conducted. Here we propose the first worldwide molecular phylogeny of the genus Riccardia, based on Bayesian inference and parsimony ratchet analyses of sequences from three plastid regions (psbA-trnH, rps4, trnL-F). The results support the monophyly of Riccardia and a new monospecific genus, Afroriccardia Reeb & Gradst. gen. nov., is described based on molecular and morphological evidence. The results indicate that several currently recognized infrageneric divisions and a few species are not monophyletic, suggesting that further analyses are needed to arrive at a proper understanding of the phylogeny of the genus. Although evidence for an Andean clade was found, most of the species appear scattered in different clades without clear geographical segregation. Broader sampling and further analyses are necessary in order to improve our understanding of the phylogeny of this poorly known liverwort genus.


Abstract. Four pig hybrids (Pannon, Hungahib-39, Kozeptiszai and Dalland) were fattened up to 100±2 kg body weight. Feed intake and body weight were measured and daily weight gain was calculated. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were measured in liver and kidney. Daily weight gain was significantly lower in Pannon and Hungahib-39 hybrids. Amount of MDA was significantly higher in the liver of the hybrids with higher daily weight gain, and similar tendency was found in kidney. GSH content of liver did not differ significantly among the hybrids. The kidney of the Kozeptiszai hybrid had significantly lower GSH concentration than the others. GPx activity was the lowest in liver and kidney of Kozeptiszai hybrid. There was no significant correlation between daily weight gain and MDA content in liver, but positive correlation was found in the kidney of Pannon and Hungahib-39 hybrids. Daily weight gain showed significant correlation with GSH content of liver of Kozeptiszai hybrid. Between daily weight gain and GPx activity negative correlations were found in all hybrids and tissues, but none of them was significant. GSH content showed negative significant correlation with MDA content of liver of Kozeptiszai and in kidney of Pannon hybrid. Correlation between GSH content and GPx activity was positive and significant in the liver and kidney of Pannon hybrid. The results showed that different daily weight gain of pig hybrids has effect on the lipid peroxide and glutathione status of liver and kidney.


Problem: Localities and states are turning to land planning and urban design for help in reducing automobile use and related social and environmental costs. The effects of such strategies on travel demand have not been generalized in recent years from the multitude of available studies. Purpose: We conducted a meta-analysis of the built environment-travel literature existing at the end of 2009 in order to draw generalizable conclusions for practice. We aimed to quantify effect sizes, update earlier work, include additional outcome measures, and address the methodological issue of self-selection. Methods: We computed elasticities for individual studies and pooled them to produce weighted averages. Results and conclusions: Travel variables are generally inelastic with respect to change in measures of the built environment. Of the environmental variables considered here, none has a weighted average travel elasticity of absolute magnitude greater than 0.39, and most are much less. Still, the combined effect of several such variables on travel could be quite large. Consistent with prior work, we find that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is most strongly related to measures of accessibility to destinations and secondarily to street network design variables. Walking is most strongly related to measures of land use diversity, intersection density, and the number of destinations within walking distance. Bus and train use are equally related to proximity to transit and street network design variables, with land use diversity a secondary factor. Surprisingly, we find population and job densities to be only weakly associated with travel behavior once these other variables are controlled. Takeaway for practice: The elasticities we derived in this meta-analysis may be used to adjust outputs of travel or activity models that are otherwise insensitive to variation in the built environment, or be used in sketch planning applications ranging from climate action plans to health impact assessments. However, because sample sizes are small, and very few studies control for residential preferences and attitudes, we cannot say that planners should generalize broadly from our results. While these elasticities are as accurate as currently possible, they should be understood to contain unknown error and have unknown confidence intervals. They provide a base, and as more built-environment/travel studies appear in the planning literature, these elasticities should be updated and refined. Research support: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.


OF DISSERTATION A LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION TO DECREASE RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN A RURAL POPULATION Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at risk for developing lifethreatening comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). As a consequence, T2DM is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and decreased quality of life, thus highlighting the importance of prevention of T2DM. Further, the prevalence of T2DM is substantially greater in rural populations compared to urban populations, making rural individuals particularly appropriate targets for T2DM prevention. T2DM is a largely preventable disease that is associated with modifiable risk factors such as poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity. Lifestyle interventions to improve these modifiable risk factors have been used to decrease the risk of developing T2DM. There is little evidence that supports lifestyle interventions as a means to decrease T2DM risk in rural populations with prediabetes, the precursor of T2DM. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine whether rural-living individuals with prediabetes would improve modifiable risk factors, specifically diet quality by following a lifestyle intervention; thereby, decreasing their risk of developing T2DM. Specific aims for this dissertation were to, 1) examine and synthesize data from dietary interventions used to reduce risk of T2DM in rural populations on order to identify gaps and guide future research, 2) critically evaluate validity and reliability of indices used to determine diet quality in research, and 3) determine the effect of a risk reduction program on improving diet quality and glucose control (as a measure of T2DM risk) in rural adults with prediabetes and CVD risk factors. Specific aim one was achieved by a review and synthesis of literature focused on lifestyle and dietary interventions used in rural populations to decrease the risk of developing T2DM. Common goals in these studies were a decrease in weight, decrease in dietary fat and calories, and an increase in physical activity. Decreased weight and increased physical activity were demonstrated in all eight studies, and a decrease in T2DM incidence was also demonstrated in one of the studies. However, diet quality was not adequately assessed in the majority of the studies. Furthermore, none of the studies were randomized controlled trials and only half used a control group. It was concluded that research using a more robust design is needed to determine the effect of lifestyle changes, specifically diet, on T2DM risk in rural populations. Specific aim two was addressed by a critical analysis of six common indices of dietary quality. Validity and reliability of the Healthy Eating Index, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, the DASH diet score, the Diet Quality Index-Revised, the Healthy Diet Indicator, and the Diet Quality Score were examined. Five of the six indices are valid and reliable tools for measure diet quality but all five rely on an extensive food frequency questionnaire that may be burdensome for participants. The Diet Quality Score does not provide adequate evidence to support its use in research. It was concluded that a short, reliable, and validated diet screener may be useful in research. Specific aim three was addressed by a secondary data analysis of a longitudinal, randomized controlled study of rural residents with CVD risk factors and prediabetes. Diet quality, measured by the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), and glucose control, measured by hemoglobin A1c, were analyzed in a subpopulation of 62 participants with prediabetes. Neither diet quality nor glucose control improved between baseline, four month, and 12 month post intervention. The reliability and validity of the MEDAS in this population is not known and may have been a factor in the lack of intervention effect related to diet quality. Participants were also not informed of their prediabetes status, thus it is not known if this knowledge would have made an impact on the outcomes of the study. In addition, the small sample size limits the statistical power to determine changes between the intervention and control groups. It was concluded that further research is needed to determine if a high quality diet will reduce T2DM risk in this rural population Considering the disproportionate prevalence of T2DM in rural populations compared to their urban counterparts, the results of this dissertation demonstrate a continued need for interventions that decrease modifiable risk factors associated with this disease. Interventions that target obesity, poor diet quality, and sedentary lifestyles in atrisk rural populations that are culturally tailored are needed to decrease risk of developing T2DM and the comorbidities associated with this preventable disease.


Abstract : Several computer systems have now been constructed that allow users to access databases by posing questions in natural languages, such as English. When used in the restricted domains for which they have been especially designed, these systems have achieved reasonably high levels of performance. However, these systems require the encoding of knowledge about the domain of application in complex data structures that typically can be created for a new database only with considerable effort on the part of a computer professional who has had special training in computational linguistics and the use of databases. This paper describes initial work on a methodology for creating natural-language processing capabilities for new databases without the need for intervention by specially trained experts. The approach is to acquire logical schemata and lexical information through simple interactive dialogues with someone who is familiar with the form and content of the database, but unfamiliar with the technology of natural-language interfaces. A prototype system using this methodology is described and an example transcript is presented.


ABSTRACT This paper examines the thorny issue of authority and legitimacy in relation to 'outsider' emergency volunteering within the context of the community resilience policy agenda. Outsider emergency volunteering is any volunteering that: (a) aims to assist communities in any aspect of disaster preparedness, response, relief and recovery, and (b) is not registered with or under the direction of a formally recognised emergency management organisation (EMO). Hence, it does not have clear grounds to establish its authority and legitimacy within the formal authorising environment of the emergency management sector. The paper draws on co-production theory to examine how three important challenges for establishing authority and legitimacy were navigated in four Australian cases of co-production involving outsider emergency volunteering. Given the rise of resilience in disaster policy and the changing nature of volunteering in modern society, the very formalised and defined foundations of authority and legitimacy in emergency management will need to soften and expand to become more networked and distributed. The four cases described here shed some light on what softer and expanded foundations for authority and legitimacy can look like and the processes that can support them in the emergency management context.


Expressive accuracy, being viewed in line with one's unique, distinctive personality traits, is emerging as an important individual difference that is strongly linked to psychological well-being. Yet little is known about what underlies expressive accuracy and its associations with well-being. The current studies examined whether personality-behavior congruence, the tendency to behave in line with one's distinctive personality trait profile, contributes to the links between well-being and expressive accuracy with new acquaintances (Unique perceiver-target pairs: Study 1: N = 437; Study 2: N = 874), by assessing congruence in naturalistic situations, including in a series of getting-acquainted interactions (Study 1; Ntargets = 77; Mdn Interactions: 7) and social situations in daily life over a 2-week period (Study 2; Ntargets = 146; MdnAssessments: 49). Across studies, we found that greater well-being predicted greater congruence, in both naturalistic social interactions and in daily life, which in turn contributed to greater expressive accuracy in getting-acquainted interactions. Overall, the current studies demonstrate the important role that congruence plays in expressive accuracy, helping to explain why well-adjusted individuals are seen more accurately. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).


Utilizing an experimental design, the study investigates the effects of eshopping behavior (experiential, utilitarian, or mixed) and interactivity level (low or high) on the consequences of eshopping (site attitude and future purchase intentions), as mediated by eshopping experience (sensory, affective, and cognitive) and flow experience (control, attention focus, and cognitive enjoyment).
Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Eshopping behavior had a weak negative effect, and interactivity level had a weak positive effect, on eshopping experience. Experiential eshopping behavior decreased eshopping experience more than mixed or utilitarian eshopping behavior did. The latter two behaviors were not significantly different from each other in terms of eshopping experience. High interactivity level web sites increased eshopping experience more than low interactivity level sites did. Interactivity level had a weak negative effect on flow's control dimension and a moderate positive effect on flow's cognitive enjoyment component. High interactivity level sites moderately increased cognitive enjoyment more than low interactivity level sites did. Eshopping experience strongly and positively influenced flow experience in terms of control and cognitive enjoyment, and moderately impacted attention focus. Cognitive enjoyment had a strong positive effect on site attitude and future purchase intentions. However, control and attention focus did not significantly affect future purchase intentions. The study found an indirect effect of eshopping behavior on site attitude, instead of the traditional effect of attitude on behavior based on the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model. The results of the pilot study (N = 105) were consistent with the final study (N = 310).
The study attempts to add to the small base of existing studies that examine eshopping experience and flow theory in an ecommerce setting (Novak et al. 2003; Skadberg and Kimmel 2004). The present study contributes to the online consumer behavior literature by utilizing flow theory and investigating the mediating effects of eshopping experience and flow experience on the consequences of eshopping. The findings should help inform web site design, facilitating the creation of sites which are more responsive to users by providing interactive features and understanding eshopping behaviors which users exhibit.


Writing Anthropologists, Sounding Primitives re-examines the poetry and scholarship of three of the foremost figures in the twentieth-century history of U.S.-American anthropology: Edward Sapir, Margaret Mead, and Ruth Benedict. While they are widely renowned for their contributions to Franz Boas's early twentieth-century school of cultural relativism, what is far less known is their shared interest in probing the representational potential of different media and forms of writing. This dimension of their work is manifest in Sapir's critical writing on music and literature and Mead's groundbreaking work with photography and film. Sapir, Mead, and Benedict together also wrote more than one thousand poems, which in turn negotiate their own media status and rivalry with other forms of representation. A. Elisabeth Reichel presents the first sustained study of the published and unpublished poetry of Sapir, Mead, and Benedict, charting this largely unexplored body of work and relevant selections of the writers' scholarship. In addition to its expansion of early twentieth-century literary canons, Writing Anthropologists, Sounding Primitives contributes to current debates about the relations between different media, sign systems, and modes of sense perception in literature and other media. Reichel offers a unique contribution to the history of anthropology by synthesizing and applying insights from the history of writing, sound studies, and intermediality studies to poetry and scholarship produced by noted early twentieth-century U.S.-American cultural anthropologists.


Humankind is now using natural resources more rapidly than natural systems can replace them and has been doing so for approximately two and a half decades. Moreover, both natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides are being diminished at an unprecedented rate. Finally, the human population is expected to increase by three billion by 2050. This situation is clearly unsustainable, but it can be made less so by redesigning societal wastes so that they benefit the biospheric life-support system. Nature initiates and maintains a system of energy and nutrient cycling and, if the system integrity is maintained, provides alternative and redundant means that help stabilize functional capacity. The system is composed of opportunistic individuals that compete with other individuals to acquire the resources essential to their survival. The interrelationships within this aggregation of individuals (i.e. system components) are based on energy flow. This self-organizing and self-maintaining system is increasingly stressed by human activities. Humans are a part of, not apart from, this system and are governed by the same laws of nature. In short, an ecologically-based economic system is essential to sustainable use of the planet. The planet's life-support system has been a superb model of sustainability, which humans should emulate and become a part of more than they now are. When the biospheric life-support system is stressed to the point of disequilibrium, the results are disastrous for societies, individuals and ecosystems. Evolutionary processes have produced replacement systems following the five great biological extinctions. However, the probability is high that the next replacement system will not be as suitable for humankind as the present system. Sustainable practices are intended to prevent biospheric disequilibrium and maintain the present environmental conditions so favorable to humankind, including posterity.


Sri Lanka is a land of a rich heritage. From very ancient times this island and herneighboring countries are rich in resources of manuscripts. Compared to other countriesof the world Sri Lanka is one of the richest countries in terms of palm-leaf manuscripts.The palm-leaf manuscripts are the written records of man which served as the path ofintellectual ideas reflecting the wisdom and knowledge of the ancestors of the medievalperiod. Therefore ancient rare palm-leaf manuscripts are a precious treasure for anycountry which possesses the literary evidence of the society to trace the cultural legacyof that particular nation. Care of these manuscripts was a major concern in the past and efforts were madeto protect them from the different agents of deterioration. There are many biologicalagents which deteriorate these organic materials. This may have happened due to thelack of proper maintenance, unsuitable storage techniques and unsatisfactoryenvironmental conditions. Today many synthetic chemicals and pesticidesmanufactured are used for the preservation of this cultural property in Sri Lanka. Mostof the modern materials and readymade materials used to counter deterioration arerelatively toxic and harmful too. It is therefore important to find out the traditionalmaterials and methods which are in use and to conserve them for the sake of thesetreasures of knowledge. This study will make an investigative approach into the traditional Sri Lankanmanuscript conservation techniques practiced in Sri Lanka and their applicability in thepresent day. Therefore the following stages of the palm-leaf manuscripts were discussedin detail with the traditional conservation techniques used for seasoning the leaves,preparation for writing, writing on leaves, oiling methods, storage and housekeepingmethods of palm-leaves and insect control methods. Some of the aforesaid informationmay enable us to unravel some of the secrets of preservative methods and techniquesused in the past time which are cheaper and convenient. This study will make an investigative approach into the traditional Sri Lankanmanuscript conservation techniques practiced in Sri Lanka and their applicability in thepresent day. A literary survey will also be applied to identify the traditional methods inthe conservation of palm-leaves. Therefore, by a reviewing of these traditional treatments of existing palm-leafmanuscripts and the materials used for conservation and protection may help in the fieldof conservation to improve the longevity and endurance of the cultural heritage in thecountry. According to the budgetary conditions of the repositories, the identifiedtraditional materials and methods can be applied to preserve the palm leaves. Key words: Preservation, Conservation, Palm leaf, Traditional method, Sri Lanka


Ever since their description by Dubois (1920, 1922) the Wajak skulls Java) have played an important role in the discussions on the evolution of modern humans in Australasia. Because of the robust morphology of the skull, Wajak Man was seen as a link between Pleistocene hominids from Java (Solo) and Recent Australian Aborigines. However, for a long time hardly any attention has been paid to the contents of the other boxes with human, faunal and cultural remains, as collected by Dubois around 1890. Because a satisfactory description of the Wajak fossils has so far been lacking and the archaeological context of the Wajak site has so far been ignored, the evolutionary position of Wajak Man necessarily remained unclear. The present study suggests that the evolutionary significance of the Wajak skulls can no longer be seen in terms of a Late Pleistocene transitional form between the Middle Pleistocene Solo skulls and Recent Australian Aborigines, nor can they be seen as proof of a gracile link between Chinese and Australian populations. Rather, the significance of these skulls is that they give some insight into microevolutionary processes that have taken place on Java itself. The most likely interpretation is to consider the Wajak skulls as Mesolithic robust representatives of the present inhabitants of Java. According to the hypothesis presented at the end of this thesis there are two species within the genus Homo in Australasia: Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Within Homo sapiens one can recognise in Australasia two main types: a Sunda type (Chinese and Javanese) with strong neotenic trends, and a Sahul type (Papuans and Australians) which is closer to a generalised Homo sapiens morphology. Wajak-1 (Java) and Liujiang (China) possibly represent the earliest clear examples of the Proto-Sunda type (proto meaning more robust). Hence, they are from this point of view, very important skulls when trying to understand the origin of the Sunda people. Gracilisation of the human skull, as has occurred since the Late Pleistocene, has been reported from different parts of the world. Various explanations have been proposed for their occurrence, like the development of agriculture and climatic changes. To explain the worldwide decrease in size of the human body one could seek for a phenomenon that also has a global character. I propose the idea that because of population increase, technological innovations and rising temperatures, since the Late Pleistocene, various aspects of human life changed (like relaxation of predation, decrease of home range and mobility and increasing symbiosis with other organisms), which enabled an overall decrease in body size.


Forces of globalisation and economic competition enhanced by, among others, the digital technologies, are radically transforming the social context. Digital technologies are characterised by a powerful and pervasive Internet as well as the related information and communication technologies. Globalisation is facilitated by the universally accessible, reliable and inexpensive communication assisted by these digital technologies. However, there is growing and valid scepticism regarding the digitally influenced socio-economic emancipation. This scepticism is mainly driven by a lack of understanding of digital literacy as a holistic process of creating the necessary social, economic and political changes within a given context. The understanding of digital literacy therefore needs to join a number of seemingly divergent views of digital technology when dealing with these technologies' benefits in socio-economic emancipation. This understanding of digital literacy should therefore be shaped and focused more on understanding how digital literacy impacts the poor and marginalised, especially in looking at the socio-economic welfare of these marginalised sections of the society. This article discusses digital literacy by firstly looking at the shortcomings of the available definitions and approaches and then recommends a socio-economic development-orientated definition. The article brings to the fore the most critical digital literacy issues for socio-economic development. These issues are important; they ensure that digital literacy is not viewed in isolation, but rather in terms of its outcomes and consequences, especially with regard to socio-economic development.


Audit has been defined as 'the systematic, quantifiable comparison of specific clinical practices against explicit current standards in order to identify opportunities to improve the quality of patient care'. Translated this means evaluating the care a patient receives including procedures for diagnosis and treatment and reviewing the outcome from the patient's perspective. Clinical audit's main objective is to review the quality of care rather than the cost of providing it, and unlike research which aims to identify the best treatment, audit puts research into practice by measuring the gap between actual practice and evidence based practice. The assessment and then the improvement of quality are widely regarded as forming a cycle of activity which together produce continuing improvements in quality. Many cancer patients experience problems which are psychological in nature. To date most clinical audit efforts in cancer have focused almost exclusively on medical aspects of care. Current care provision is based primarily on the biomedical model with medical interventions offered to address psychosocial issues such as distress, fatigue etc. Most research conducted on psychosocia1 aspects of cancer care is cross-sectional multiple time series questionnaire administration. The primary emphasis here being multivariate statistical analyses in between group designs. The authors report findings from a psychosocial care clinical audit model where 198 cancer patient notes were reviewed extensively by hand in an attempt to add value to quality of life data already collected by self-report questionnaire over time.


In this article we will discuss the early development in deaf children and the interaction between linguistic, cognitive, and emotional factors. In this context we will consider the model of Piaget (1962), in which the early stages of development are stated and a pre-linguistic-symbolic form of a toddler's intelligence is recognised. In addition to Piaget's initial ideas we will focus especially on the function of gestures in mother-child-communication, which also occur in a hearing toddler's development and have been dubbed Baby Signs by Acredolo and Goodwyn (2002). These gestures will be discussed as pre-symbolic signals that enable early communication and have a distinctive function in the transitional process towards language acquisition. Subsequently it will be argued that a holistic perspective on the development of deaf children should include all means of early communication in order to provide a cognitive, linguistic, and emotional environment as stimulating as possible. We will conclude that an early intervention philosophy, which includes signs or sign languages, embraces such a perspective on deaf children's linguistic and cognitive development and can help to address their psycho-emotional needs. Keywords: deaf children; early communication; social-emotional development; language acquisition; early intervention; baby signs; sign language; bilingual education


This book puts forward a controversial argument which has not been countered in the decade since it first appeared. Underlying its approach la the view that the New Testament may be of less relevance to the modem world than is commonly supposed. The ethical perspective of Jesus, Professor Sanders argues, is so Inescapably linked to his expectation of the imminent coming of the kingdom of God that the two cannot be separated. Paul shares Jesus' expectation of an imminent end, and consequently makes frequent use of arbitrary divine pronouncements, and so on. Professor Sanders makes it quite clear that the years have not made him change his mind over essentials. Of course, scholarship has moved on. but, 'If I were revising the present work I would still continue to hold that Jesus provides no guide for ethics today, that Paul's ethics are equally eschatotogically orientated, except for his brief glimpse of the transcendence of love; and also that John's simple ethics are intended to be valid only in the church, not generally. I would also still maintain that James offers more promise for providing a continuing Christian ethical base than do the other New Testament writers, for it is James who best points beyond the disappointment of eschatological hopes to the real world and to everyday problems.' Controversial this thesis may be, but there is much to be said for it and it cannot be pushed aside. Jack T. Sanders was Professor of Religious Studies In the University of Oregon,


The predictions of quantum mechanics are probabilistic. Quantum probabilities are extracted using a postulate of the theory called the Born rule, the status of which is central to the "measurement problem" of quantum mechanics. Efforts to justify the Born rule from other physical principles, and thus elucidate the measurement process, have involved lengthy statistical or information-theoretic arguments. Here we show that Bohm's deterministic formulation of quantum mechanics allows the Born rule for measurements on a single system to be derived, without any statistical assumptions. We solve a simple example where the creation of an ensemble of identical quantum states, together with position measurements on those states, are described by Bohm's quantum dynamics. The calculated measurement outcomes agree with the Born-rule probabilities, which are thus a consequence of deterministic evolution. Our results demonstrate that quantum probabilities can emerge from simple dynamical laws alone, and they support the view that there is no underlying indeterminism in quantum phenomena.


Peptide R23, consisting of residues 1091-1115 of bovine interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), had some unusual immunologic properties in Lewis rats. The peptide induced experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis and pinealitis in these rats, but only at high doses. The minimal immunopathogenic dose was found to be 100 nmol/rat. On the other hand, R23 was highly immunogenic in Lewis rats, producing cellular immunity, as measured by the lymphocyte proliferation assay, with a minimal dose of 1 nmol/rat. This unusual dissociation between the uveitogenic and immunogenic activities of R23 was attributed to different sites on the peptide, stimulating either the lymphocytes which induce disease or those which vigorously proliferate in culture. The potent immunogenicity of R23 was consistent with the peptide being immunodominant, as demonstrated by its capacity to be recognized by lymphocytes sensitized against whole IRBP and to stimulate these cells in culture to proliferate and acquire uveitogenic capacity. Likewise, lymphocytes sensitized against R23 are stimulated in culture by whole IRBP. Unexpectedly, peptide R23 was inferior to whole IRBP in its capacity to stimulate uveitogenicity in R23-sensitized lymphocytes. This finding also was attributed to the preferential stimulation by R23 of the lymphocytes specific for the putative "nonuveitogenic" site on the peptide. Peptide R23 also differs from the other tested bovine IRBP-derived peptides in the specificity of its antibodies. Unlike antibodies to the other peptides, those to R23 showed a strong cross reactivity toward whole IRBP.


Abstract All of the components of an exhumed Devonian petroleum system occur in Orkney. These include a good quality mature source rock to bitumen-bearing sandstone reservoirs, with several separate accumulations that could have held about 1.88 billion barrels of oil. The exhumed system presents an excellent analogue for deeply buried petroleum systems offshore. Whilst lighter oils are now absent, reported oil shows occur, commonly associated with faults cutting the Eday Group. On Orkney, Middle Devonian source rocks (750 m thick) were thick lacustrine laminites (fish beds) representing some 30% of the sequence. RockEval and vitrinite analyses show the organic matter is good quality Type I and II and within the early oil window. These source rocks underwent burial until Permian inversion. Several exhumed reservoirs occur on Orkney in aeolian and fluvial sandstones with porosities from 15 to 25%. These reservoirs have been 'breached', losing the light-end hydrocarbons, leaving pore space oil stain and bitumen residues. Thin fluvial and sheet-floods sands found within the lake cycles have bitumen residues and provided connectivity between the thicker reservoir units. All types of trap are found including a major, broad anticline running north–south on Mainland Orkney and an unconformity with fault traps and pinchouts.


Abstract Schools are increasingly seen as key sites for support to HIV‐affected and other vulnerable children, and teachers are assigned the critical role of identifying and providing psychosocial support. Drawing on the life–work history narratives of 12 teachers in Zimbabwe, this paper explores the psychosocial processes underpinning teachers' conceptualisations of these caring roles. The influence of prolonged adversity, formative relationships, and broader patterns of social and institutional change in teacher identity formation processes speak to the complex and embodied nature of understandings of 'care'. In such extreme settings teachers prioritise the material and disciplinary aspects of 'care' that they see as essential for supporting children to overcome hardship. This focus not only means that emotional support as envisaged in international policy is commonly overlooked, but also exposes a wider ideological clash about childrearing. This tension together with an overall ambivalence surrounding teacher identities puts further strain on teacher–student relationships. We propose the current trainings on providing emotional support are insufficient and that more active focus needs to be directed at support to teachers in relation with their students. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


We present a new class of quadratic filters that are capable of creating spherical, elliptical, hyperbolic and linear decision surfaces which result in better detection and classification capabilities than the linear decision surfaces obtained from correlation filters. Each filter comprises of a number of separately designed linear basis filters. These filters are non-linearly combined using an algorithm called the extended piecewise quadratic neural network (E-PQNN). We consider the use of Gabor basis filters; the Gabor filter parameters are separately optimized; the fusion parameters used to combine the Gabor filter outputs are optimized using the conjugate gradient method; they and the non-linear combination of filter outputs are included in our E-PQNN algorithm. We present results obtained for an infra-red (IR) vehicle detection problem.


BACKGROUND
Perioperative steroid protocols for patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary pathology vary by institution.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety of withholding glucocorticoids in patients undergoing TSS.

METHODS
Patients with an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis undergoing TSS for a pituitary tumor at the same academic institution between 2012 and 2015 were randomized to either receive 100 mg of intravenous hydrocortisone followed by 0.5 mg of intravenous dexamethasone every 6 h for 4 doses (STER, n = 23) or to undergo surgery without steroids (NOSTER, n = 20). Postoperative cortisol levels were then used to determine the need for glucocorticoids after surgery. Data regarding postoperative cortisol levels, hospital stay length, and complications were collected.

RESULTS
Mean postoperative 8 am cortisol levels were higher in the NOSTER group compared to the STER group (745 ± 359 nmol/L and 386 ± 193 nmol/L, respectively, P = .001) and more patients were discharged on glucocorticoids in the STER group (42% vs 12%, P = .07). There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative complications, including hyperglycemia, diabetes insipidus, or permanent adrenal insufficiency. Permanent adrenal insufficiency occurred in 8% of patients.

CONCLUSION
Perioperative steroids can be safely withheld in patients with an intact HPA axis undergoing TSS. Although administration of perioperative glucocorticoids does not appear to increase the risk of complications, it may interfere with assessment of the HPA axis after surgery.


Background Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients achieving rapid virological response (RVR) on PEG-IFN/ribavirin (P/R) therapy have high chance of sustained virological response (SVR). To analyze host immunological factors associated with RVR, viral kinetics, phenotype distribution and Th1/Th2 cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were studied prior to and during P/R therapy. Methods TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-10 production by PBMC were measured after Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) or phorbol myristate acetate/Ionomycin stimulation in 20 healthy controls and in 50 CHC patients before receiving and during P/R therapy. RVR was achieved by 14, complete early virological response (cEVR) by 19 patients and 17 patients were null-responders (NR). Results Patients with RVR showed an increased baseline TNF-α and IL-6 production by TLR-4 activated monocytes and increased IFN-γ, decreased IL-4 and IL-10 production by lymphocytes compared to non-RVR patients. SVR was also associated with increased baseline TNF-α production and decreased IL-10 levels compared to patients who did not achieve SVR. Baseline IL-2 production was higher in cEVR compared to NR patients. Antiviral treatment increased TNF-α, IL-6 production by monocytes and IFN-γ secretion by lymphocytes and decreased IL-4 and IL-10 production by lymphocytes in cEVR compared to NR patients. Conclusion RVR was associated with increased baseline proinflammatory cytokine production by TLR-4 stimulated monocytes and by activated lymphocytes. In null-responders and in patients who did not achieve SVR both TLR-4 sensing function and proinflammatory cytokine production were impaired, suggesting that modulation of TLR activity and controlled induction of inflammatory cytokine production may provide further therapeutic strategy for CHC patients non-responding to P/R treatment.


Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) consist of a nuclease domain fused to a DNA binding domain which is engineered to bind to any genomic sequence. These chimeric enzymes can be used to introduce a double strand break at a specific genomic site which then can become the substrate for error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), generating mutations at the site of cleavage. In this report we investigate the feasibility of achieving targeted mutagenesis by microinjection of TALEN mRNA within the mouse oocyte. We achieved high rates of mutagenesis of the mouse Zic2 gene in all backgrounds examined including outbred CD1 and inbred C3H and C57BL/6J. Founder mutant Zic2 mice (eight independent alleles, with frameshift and deletion mutations) were created in C3H and C57BL/6J backgrounds. These mice transmitted the mutant alleles to the progeny with 100% efficiency, allowing the creation of inbred lines. Mutant mice display a curly tail phenotype consistent with Zic2 loss-of-function. The efficiency of site-specific germline mutation in the mouse confirm TALEN mediated mutagenesis in the oocyte to be a viable alternative to conventional gene targeting in embryonic stem cells where simple loss-of-function alleles are required. This technology enables allelic series of mutations to be generated quickly and efficiently in diverse genetic backgrounds and will be a valuable approach to rapidly create mutations in mice already bearing one or more mutant alleles at other genetic loci without the need for lengthy backcrossing.


Till now in Northern Germany neophytic plant communities were hardly noted. In the present paper the sociology of the following species is investigated for the first time for the south-eastern part of Lower Saxony: Anstolochia clematitis, Aster lanceolatus, Aster tradescantu, Claytonia perfoliata, Erigeron annuus, Helianthus tuberosus, Impatiens parviflora, Parietaria officinalis, Reynoutria japonica, Rey-noutria sachalinensis, Solidago canadensis, Solidago gigantea and Tulipa sylvestris. To classify the often character-speciesless communities the deductive method of KOPECKY & HEJNY is used. Most of these neophytic plants have their chief importance in skirt communities of the order Galio-Caly-stegietalia, first of all in Aegopodion and Lapsano-Geranion. In contrary to the western and southern parts of central Europe they are hardly no object in bank eommunities. Their occurrence accumulates in ancient towns, especially like Brunswick. The rieh Stands of Parietaria officinalis and Tulipa sylvestris in Brunswick should be shown off here. During this work, the great importance of ancient parks for pro-tection of species turned out: Numerous species are able to hold their ground in the border of bushes. Solely the spreading of Solidago gigantea and Solidago canadensis has taken a threatening extent: At edges of the forests both Solidago species penetrate into native plant communities and destroy them. De-positing ofgarden refuse is the main reason of their quiek spreading. A list of plant communities belonging to the classes Artemisietea till now known for the eastern part of Lower Saxony is presented; probably it is valid for whole Lower Saxony.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Guidelines for the management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) from the American College of Chest Physicians do not address patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a group with a high risk of both VTE and gastrointestinal bleeding. We present recommendations for the prevention and treatment of VTE in patients with IBD.

METHODS
A systematic literature search was performed to identify studies on VTE in IBD. The quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were rated according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Statements were developed through an iterative online platform, then finalized and voted on by a working group of adult and pediatric gastroenterologists and thrombosis specialists.

RESULTS
IBD patients have an approximately 3-fold higher risk of VTE compared with individuals without IBD, and disease flares further increase this risk. Anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis is recommended for IBD patients who are hospitalized with IBD flares without active bleeding and is suggested when bleeding is nonsevere. Anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis is suggested during moderate-severe IBD flares in outpatients with a history of VTE provoked by an IBD flare or an unprovoked VTE, but not otherwise. The recommended duration of anticoagulation after a first VTE is based on the presence of provoking factors. Specific suggestions are made for the prevention and treatment of VTE in pediatric and pregnant IBD patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Using the American College of Chest Physicians' guidelines as a foundation, we have integrated evidence from IBD studies to develop specific recommendations for the management of VTE in this high-risk population.


This paper presents a new hybrid optimization algorithm for the distribution expansion planning problem including distributed generation (DG). The proposed algorithm (BPSGA) combines the feature of two powerful algorithms: binary particle swarm (BPS) and the genetic algorithms (GAs). The objective of this work is to focus on the development of optimization algorithm to find the optimum scenario for the expansion of distribution system including DG as an alternative solution in addition to the expansion of existing substation and feeders. The resulted solution will satisfy operational and economical requirements by using DG as a candidate alternative for distribution expansion and reducing expanding existing substations and upgrading existing feeders. The model decides the locations and the size of the new facilities in the system as well as the amount of the purchased energy from the main grid. The results show that the proposed algorithm achieves better results than the previous algorithms.


Plants are due to their constitution unable to escape from environmental stress and are constantly at the risk of being exposed to several stress factors simultaneously that usually are associated with oxidative stress. We are presenting some genetic, molecular and physiological examples that plants functionally integrate varieties of intra- and intercellular signalling in response to such stresses. It is concluded that fine control of cellular redox homeostasis as a function of the interaction of hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling is important for integrated regulation of plant defence and acclimatory responses.

Keywords:

acclimation;
inter- and intra-cellular signalling;
defense responses;
phytohormones;
programmed cell death;
reactive oxygen species


We propose a simple class of deep reinforcement learning (RL) methods, called FactoredRL, that can leverage factored environment structures to improve the sample efficiency of existing model-based and model-free RL algorithms. In tabular and linear approximation settings, the factored Markov decision process literature has shown exponential improvements in sample efficiency by leveraging factored environment structures. We extend this to deep RL algorithms that use neural networks. For model-based algorithms, we use the factored structure to inform the state transition network architecture and for model-free algorithms we use the factored structure to inform the Q network or the policy network architecture. We demonstrate that doing this significantly improves sample efficiency in both discrete and continuous state-action space settings.


The study analyses the issues of protection of national minorities from the perspective of international law. The study consists of three parts. In the first part, the author reveals the understanding of a national minority on the basis of objective and subjective features. This part focuses on such problematic issues as national minorities and citizenship, non-dominant position of a national minority. The second part of the study concentrates on international minorities as subjects of international law. The author analyses international legal subjectivity of national minorities. A question is raised whether the rights of national minorities are individual or collective rights. The third part of the study focuses on the analysis of normative basis for the protection of national minorities. The author notes that the monist system exists in the Republic of Lithuania regarding the relation of international and national law. Under this system, the international treaties ratified by the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) are seen as an indivisible part of the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania. Therefore, the Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is an international treaty that is directly applicable in the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania. The fourth part of the study focuses on the question whether Lithuania should become a party to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Although this issue is complex and includes the problems of political, economic, legal and other nature, the author focuses on the legal analysis of the problems related to the participation in the Charter. It is emphasised that the Charter is not the only document that ensures the linguistic rights of national minorities. Under the Law on International Treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, while considering participation in the Charter, the right of treaty initiative should be implemented, and the question of efficiency of the treaty must also be solved.