A great deal of research has been carried out over the past two decades related to the effectiveness of computer-assisted teaching and learning. This large body of work, however, has not produced unequivocal findings, especially in the area of CALL. Our study takes a systematic look at what dedicated meta-research since 1991 might have contributed to this controversial field. Data was gathered from several hundred studies including ca 20,000 subjects. The paper highlights the benefits and limitations associated with this type of research, synthesizes findings and recommends models and strategies for future research in the context of an agreed research agenda. Our synthesis suggests consistent positive findings related to L1 spelling, writing and reading. While there is some support for this related to CALL per se, much work needs to be done before we might reach the levels of confidence enjoyed by some of the findings reported here.


Abstract The Integrated Microbial Genomes & Microbiomes system v.5.0 (IMG/M: https://img.jgi.doe.gov/m/) contains annotated datasets categorized into: archaea, bacteria, eukarya, plasmids, viruses, genome fragments, metagenomes, cell enrichments, single particle sorts, and metatranscriptomes. Source datasets include those generated by the DOE's Joint Genome Institute (JGI), submitted by external scientists, or collected from public sequence data archives such as NCBI. All submissions are typically processed through the IMG annotation pipeline and then loaded into the IMG data warehouse. IMG's web user interface provides a variety of analytical and visualization tools for comparative analysis of isolate genomes and metagenomes in IMG. IMG/M allows open access to all public genomes in the IMG data warehouse, while its expert review (ER) system (IMG/MER: https://img.jgi.doe.gov/mer/) allows registered users to access their private genomes and to store their private datasets in workspace for sharing and for further analysis. IMG/M data content has grown by 60% since the last report published in the 2017 NAR Database Issue. IMG/M v.5.0 has a new and more powerful genome search feature, new statistical tools, and supports metagenome binning.


The presence of uncertainty in policy evaluation significantly complicates the process of policy ranking and selection in real-world settings. We formally consider offline policy selection as learning preferences over a set of policy prospects given a fixed experience dataset. While one can select or rank policies based on point estimates of their policy values or high-confidence intervals, access to the full distribution over one's belief of the policy value enables more flexible selection algorithms under a wider range of downstream evaluation metrics. We propose BayesDICE for estimating this belief distribution in terms of posteriors of distribution correction ratios derived from stochastic constraints (as opposed to explicit likelihood, which is not available). Empirically, BayesDICE is highly competitive to existing state-of-the-art approaches in confidence interval estimation. More importantly, we show how the belief distribution estimated by BayesDICE may be used to rank policies with respect to any arbitrary downstream policy selection metric, and we empirically demonstrate that this selection procedure significantly outperforms existing approaches, such as ranking policies according to mean or high-confidence lower bound value estimates.


Biosensors are used for the detection of a range of analytes for applications in healthcare, food production, environmental monitoring and biodefence. However, many biosensing platforms are large, expensive, require skilled operators or necessitate the analyte to be labelled. Direct electrochemical detection methods present a particularly attractive platform due to the simplified instrumentation when compared to other techniques such as fluorescence-based biosensors. With modern integrated circuit capabilities electrochemical biosensors offer greater suitability for monolithic integration with any necessary signal processing circuitry. This thesis explores micro- and nanogap devices for both redox cycling and dielectric spectroscopy sensing mechanisms. By using two electrodes with interelectrode separation down to distances in the micro- and nanometre scale, several benefits can be realised. Firstly the close proximity of the two electrodes significantly reduces the interdiffusion time. This allows an electroactive species to be rapidly shuttled across the gap and switched between reduced and oxidised states. The result is feedback amplification of the amperometric response, increasing the signal. The second benefit is that the screening effect caused by electric double layers at the electrode–electrolyte interface is reduced due to the electric double layers occupying a larger fraction of the sensing volume. This significantly improves the sensor suitability for dielectric spectroscopy by increasing the potential drop across the biolayer. These two sensing mechanisms are demonstrated using a large area dual-plate microgap device for the detection of two different analytes. Utilising the first mode, detection of cysteine–cystine, an important redox couple involved in the signalling mechanism for the regulation of protein function, interaction and localisation is shown. The microgap device is then used for dielectric spectroscopy sensing of a mannose-specific uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain whilst also demonstrating the effect of ionic concentration on the capacitive response. The response of these devices is highly dependent on the interelectrode separation as well as the surface area of the electrodes. However, fabrication of large-area nanogap devices presents a significant challenge. This meant that careful optimisation and the development of novel techniques was necessary. This work reports the design, fabrication and characterisation of both a vertical and a horizontal coplanar large area nanogap device. The vertical nanogap device is fabricated using an inductively-coupled plasma reactive ion etching process to create a channel in a silicon substrate. A lower electrode is then optically patterned in the channel before anodically bonding a second identical electrode patterned on glass directly above. The horizontal nanogap device uses a different approach, utilising a state-of-the-art electron-beam lithography system to create a long serpentine nanogap with passivation to reduce fringing effects. The design allows the electron-beam lithography step to be substituted with nanoimprint lithography to reduce cost and improve throughput. Both of these devices have integrated microfluidic channels and provide a capacity for relatively high-throughput production.


Unlike the annual bi-directional movements of over 200 bird species within the Palaearctic–Afrotropical region, irregular movements such as irruptive migration with a low degree of philopatry are reported for a variety of species depending on highly seasonal and unpredictable resources. These flexible movements allow for itinerant breeding – consecutive breeding attempts in two or more geographically different regions during the same annual reproductive cycle. In order to illuminate migratory and breeding strategies of the erratic wetland species Baillon's crake Zapornia pusilla across the W-Palaearctic–Afrotropical region, we used a set of six DNA microsatellites as well as δ2Hf values of individuals sampled at one African and four European breeding sites. We investigated the degree of genetic population structure within and among different sites and assigned individuals' feathers of unknown origin to their probable moulting (hence breeding) site using a likelihood approach.

We found three genetic clusters, differentiating into one 'European' and two 'African' populations. Connectivity between the sampling sites was probable as genetic 'African' individuals were found in breeding conditions in Europe and vice versa. Likewise, assigned moulting locations based on δ2H isoscapes suggested trans-continental movements as well as moulting and possibly breeding by the same individual both in African and European breeding grounds. Both isotopic and genetic data reveal the Baillon's crake pursue a complex migration and breeding strategy, allowing as well for irruptive movements and itinerant breeding across the W-Palaearctic–Afrotropical region. However, a better knowledge about the species' distribution as well as a more comprehensive data set, including samples from the southern and eastern boundaries of the distribution area would be necessary to improve the spatial resolution to the precision required to unambiguously infer migration directions and extent of exchange between African and European breeding grounds.


Patients, who are coinfected with hepatitis B and C, are at high risk for a progression to severe liver disease (cirrhosis, decompensated liver disease), hepatocellular carcinoma, and unresponsiveness to treatment. In this article, a case who developed a reactivation of chronic hepatitis B subsequent to Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) treatment is presented. A 42-year-old woman with HBV and HCV was admitted to infectious diseases clinic with a major complaint of fatigue for three months. Laboratory tests revealed an elevated alanine transaminase of 182 IU/L (Normal range: 0-55 IU/L), elevated aspartate transaminase of 150 IU/L, serum HCV-RNA levels of 2080195 IU/mL (genotype 1b), and HBV-DNA of 1184 IU/mL. The results of other laboratory tests were within the normal range and remained to be normal during the follow-up. Pegylated interferon alpha-2a (180 mcg/week) and ribavirin (1200 mg/day) were administered for the treatment of CHC for 48 weeks. After one year of CHC treatment, our case was admitted with the elevation in liver enzymes and HBV-DNA of 878215 IU/mL. The histopathological examination of liver tissue revealed a mildly active histologic activity (6/18) and a mildly active histological activity (1/6) according to ISHAK scoring. Tenofovir disoproxil tablet (245 mg/day) was initiated for the chronic hepatitis B treatment. The patient is followed up at the ambulatory clinic of infectious diseases. As a result, patients coinfected with HBV and HCV should be followed up for the reactivation of HBV after CHC treatment with either pegylated interferon-based therapy or oral direct-acting antiviral agents in the medium-term, and the cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in the long-term.


This thesis looks at the issue of interdomain user authentication, i.e. user authentication in systems that extend over more than one administrative domain. It is divided into three parts. After a brief overview of related literature, the first part provides a taxonomy of current approaches to the problem. The taxonomy is first used to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and then employed as the basis for putting into context four concrete and novel schemes that are subsequently proposed in this part of the thesis. Three of these schemes build on existing technology; the first on 2nd and 3rd-generation cellular (mobile) telephony, the second on credit/debit smartcards, and the third on Trusted Computing. The fourth scheme is, in certain ways, different from the others. Most notably, unlike the other three schemes, it does not require the user to possess tamper-resistant hardware, and it is suitable for use from an untrusted access device. An implementation of the latter scheme (which works as a web proxy) is also described in this part of the thesis. As the need to preserve one's privacy continues to gain importance in the digital world, it is important to enhance user authentication schemes with properties that enable users to remain anonymous (yet authenticated). In the second part of the thesis, anonymous credential systems are identified as a tool that can be used to achieve this goal. A formal model that captures relevant security and privacy notions for such systems is proposed. From this model, it is evident that there exist certain inherent limits to the privacy that such systems can offer. These are examined in more detail, and a scheme is proposed that mitigates the exposure to certain attacks that exploit these limits in order to compromise user privacy. The second part of the thesis also shows how to use an anonymous credential system in order to facilitate what we call 'privacy-aware single sign-on' in an open environment. The scheme enables the user to authenticate himself to service providers under separate identifier, where these identifiers cannot be linked to each other, even if all service providers collude. It is demonstrated that the anonymity enhancement scheme proposed earlier is particularly suited in this special application of anonymous credential systems. Finally, the third part of the thesis concludes with some open research questions.


One of the most important problems in satellite design is that of attitude control. An
architecture of attitude control for small satellite using flywheel system is proposed.
This flywheel system can combinedly perform both the energy and attitude control
task that are the crucial area for all types of satellites. Combining the conventional
energy and attitude control system is a feasible solution for small satellites to improve
the space missions. In this combined energy and attitude control system (CEACS) a
double rotating flywheel in the pitch axis is used to replace the conventional battery
for energy storage as well as to control the attitude of an earth oriented satellite. Each
flywheel is to be controlled in the torque mode. The energy and attitude inputs for the
flywheels' control architecture are also in the torque mode. All related mathematical
representations along with the relevant transfer functions are developed. The required
numerical calculations are performed using at lab^^ for studying the system
performances. The goals of this work are to determine the CEACS attitude performance in the torque mode with respect to the ideal and non-ideal test cases for
chosen reference missions, i.e., Nanosatellite (10 kg), Microsatellite (50 kg) and
Enhanced Microsatellite (100 kg). The test results concerning to the entire satellite
test cases are satisfactory and the ideallnon-ideal CEACS attitude performances
coincide with the reference mission requirements. The simulation results show that
the torque mode CEACS is able to achieve a good pointing error for small satellites.


This thesis seeks to explain irredentism by identifying the set of variables that determine its occurrence. To do so it provides the necessary definition and comparative analytical framework, both lacking so far, and thus establishes irredentism as a field of study in its own right. The thesis develops a multi-variate explanatory model that is generalisable yet succinct. It builds critically on Donald Horowitz's theory of irredentism (1985;1991) which, like many studies of ethno-nationalism, underperforms due to a bias towards rationalism, materialism and individualism. The present study improves explanatory value by identifying three further variables that tackle ethno-territorial retrieval on its own terms. It argues that irredentism is primarily determined by shared ethno-national identity and the political system factors that condition its politicisation domestically and internationally. The resulting combined model is applied in two, variable-centred parts. First, it is quantitatively tested on a dataset of irredentism which the thesis collates based on its novel definition of irredentism. Second, the theory is applied in a historic case study of so-called "inconsistent irredentism" (Saideman 1998), i.e. an instance where retrieval was abandoned in an outwardly identical setting and therefore must result from factor change over time. The chosen example is that of the Hungarian irredenta in the interwar period (1920-1940), contrasted with its absence in the postcommunist era (1989-2005). To enhance generalisability, the thesis adds a comparison across space by examining Hungary and not one, but two transborder Magyar minorities (in Southern Slovakia and Transylvania). By offering a comprehensive definition of irredentism this thesis unifies previously disjointed cases for analysis. It avoids a rationalist and materialist bias in favour of what genuinely matters: namely the ethno-national bond and the factors shaping its politicisation. Because this approach does greater justice to ethno-national movements it furnishes a more explicative, generalisable and, potentially, predictive model of irredentism.


Statement of Problem: Although there is a rapidly increasing interest in creativity in specific domains such as science and math, there are not enough valid and reliable scales to assess students' creativity in these domains. If mathematical creativity potential can be measured, then the curriculum can be adapted to address the needs of creative students. In addition to measuring mathematical creativity potential, it is crucial to identify students at as early an age as possible and develop a mathematics curriculum that would complement and supplement their potential (Balka, 1974; Mann, 2005). For these reasons, valid and reliable scales of measurement are necessary for determining the middle school students' (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade: 10-15 years old) mathematical creativity. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable Mathematical Creativity Scale for middle school students (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade: 10-15 years old). Method: The main aim of the study is to develop a valid and reliable scale of math creativity for use with middle school students. The pilot study's sample consists of 50 middle school students who attend 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades. The field study's sample consists of 297 students who attend 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades at 4 middle schools in Istanbul. Exploratory factor  analysis (EFA) was applied to evaluate the factor structure of the scale. Item analyses were conducted to check on item discrimination, internal consistency, and agreement between scorers, construct-related validity, and face validity. Findings: Item analysis including the calculation of item discrimination, item total and item remainder values showed that each item was consistent with the entire scale and that distinctive powers of the items were at an acceptable level. To test internal consistency, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient value was found to be .80, which supports scale reliability. Since it has a naturally subjective scoring process, the scale was rated by two scorers, and the same scorer re-rated it at a different time. The correlation showed that the scale has an interrater reliability and intrarater reliability. Test-retest coefficient values showed that the scale measurements are consistent. Content, construct and face validity results are presented as a part of validation works of the scale. Acceptability to students' results are also presented. Results: The study results showed that this scale was an appropriate instrument to evaluate middle school (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade) students' mathematical creativity. This scale can be used for measurement of the students' creativity in mathematics for the purpose of educational interventions and also for the purpose of determining gifted and talented students in mathematics. Keywords: Mathematical Creativity, Gifted and Talented Students, Mathematical Creativity Scale.


Executive Summary A study involving 440 university faculty members in 70 different academic departments explored the relationship between transformational and contingent reward leadership behaviors by university department chairs and faculty satisfaction with supervision, willingness to expend extra effort and organizational effectiveness. Results indicated that the idealized influence (charisma) factor of transformational leadership was significantly more predictive of desired organizational outcomes than has been reported in other settings. Surprisingly, contingent reward was not predictive in this setting. The unique characteristics of the employment arrangements and psychological contract between faculty and their institutions may make charismatic, relationship-oriented leadership a key determinant of department chair effectiveness. ********** An ongoing challenge facing leaders in higher education is balancing the demands between administrative control and faculty autonomy (Bennett, 1998; Birnbaum, 1992). Academic leaders must respond to the business pressures of controlling costs, maintaining enrollment, and fundraising while managing faculty who often view business interests as secondary to academic freedom and fealty to the academy (Raelin, 1995). A growing body of research has developed to explore academic leadership behavior within the context of these demands. The majority of research in this area has drawn from various traditional leadership theories, including path-goal theory (House, 1971), the initiating structure/consideration model (Stogdill & Coons, 1957), the situational leadership model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977), and the leader-participation model (Vroom & Yetton, 1973, Vroom & Jago, 1988) to try to explain what makes for successful leadership in higher education, especially in the area of faculty administration. However, most of this research (e.g. Groner, 1978; Knight & Holen, 1985) addresses leadership from a transactional perspective; that is, viewing leaders as individuals who guide or motivate their followers toward established goals by clarifying role and task requirements (Bass, 1985a). More recently, leadership researchers investigating non-educational settings have focused on the concept of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership emphasizes the inspirational aspects of the relationship between leaders and followers. Among the many definitions provided by researchers and commentators, a relatively representative description is that transformational leaders are individuals who "... broaden and elevate the interests of their employees when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of the group, and when they stir their employees to look beyond their own self interest for the good of the group" (Bass, 1990b: 20). Transactional leadership, by contrast, emphasizes a quid-pro-quo exchange relationship between the leaders and followers. Bass suggests that a prototypical transactional leader/manager might approach followers by explaining "... what is expected of them and what compensation they will receive if they fulfill these requirements" (1990b: 19-20). This study addresses the issue of transformational leadership in higher education by exploring the affects of both transformational and transactional behaviors by academic department chairs on desired organizational outcomes. Department chairs are a particularly important group of leaders in higher education because they are responsible for as much as 80 percent of all administrative decisions made in colleges and universities (Knight & Holen, 1985). While academic department-level leadership has received some attention in the literature (Bennett, 1998; Deetz, 1992; Gomes & Knowles, 1999), the use of a transformational perspective to explore leadership effectiveness in this context has been sparse. Literature Review And Hypotheses Languishing and suffering from a lack of unifying theoretical perspective, leadership research and leadership theory were revitalized when they underwent a rapid and transforming paradigm shift in the 1980s (Hunt, 1999). …


PURPOSE
To determine the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and effect on serum angiogenic growth factors of two dose levels of thalidomide in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer were randomized to receive either daily 200 mg of thalidomide or 800 mg to be escalated to 1,200 mg. Fourteen heavily pretreated patients were assigned to each dose level. Each cycle consisted of 8 weeks of treatment. Pharmacokinetics and growth factor serum levels were evaluated.

RESULTS
No patient had a true partial or complete response. On the 800-mg arm, 13 patients had progressive disease at or before 8 weeks of treatment and one refused to continue treatment. The dose was reduced because of somnolence to 600 mg for five patients and to 400 mg for two and was increased for one to 1,000 mg and for four to 1,200 mg. On the 200-mg arm, 12 patients had progressive disease at or before 8 weeks and two had stable disease at 8 weeks, of whom one was removed from study at week 11 because of grade 3 neuropathy and the other had progressive disease at week 16. Dose-limiting toxicities included somnolence and neuropathy. Adverse events that did not require dose or schedule modifications included constipation, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, anorexia, arrhythmia, headaches, skin rash, hypotension, and neutropenia. Evaluation of circulating angiogenic factors and pharmacokinetic studies failed to provide insight into the reason for the lack of efficacy.

CONCLUSION
Single-agent thalidomide has little or no activity in patients with heavily pretreated breast cancer. Further studies that include different patient populations and/or combinations with other agents might be performed at the lower dose levels.


Abstract — We selected 2 sites on the Saw Mill River and conducted biological assessments of water quality using macroinvertebrate composition. Assessment metrics used were: Shannon-Weiner diversity, evenness, species richness, Hilsenhoff biotic index (HBI), Ephemeroptera—Plecoptera—Trichoptera richness (EPT), and non-Chironomidae and Oligochaete (NCO) richness. Water temperature, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and water flow and velocity were not significantly different across sites. Shannon-Weiner diversity values were 2.32 (evenness = 0.20) for Chappaqua and 2.68 (evenness = 0.31) for Hawthorne. Species and NCO richness for Chappaqua were 49 and 22, respectively, and for Hawthorne were 44 and 23, respectively. HBI was 7.99 for Chappaqua and 7.69 for Hawthorne. Both sites had equal EPT values of 5. Based on macroinvertebrate assessment indices, we classified water quality at these sites as non-impacted.


Sojourner Truth: ex-slave and fiery abolitionist, figure of imposing physique, riveting preacher and spellbinding singer who dazzled listeners with her wit and originality. Straight talking and unsentimental, Truth became a national symbol for strong black women - indeed, for all strong women. Like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, she is regarded as a radical of immense and enduring influence; yet unlike them, what is remembered of her consists more of myth than of historical fact. Now, in a masterful blend of scholarship and sympathetic understanding, eminent historian Nell Irvin Painter goes beyond the myths, words, and photographs to uncover the life of a complex woman who was born into slavery and died a legend. Inspired by religion, Truth transformed herself from a domestic servant named Isabella into an itinerant Pentecostal preacher; her words of empowerment have inspired black women and poor people the world over to this day. As an abolitionist and a feminist, Truth defied the stereotype of "the slave" as male and "the woman" as white - expounding a fact that still bears repeating: among blacks there are women; among women, there are blacks.


Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) is a unique categorization of electronic game which allows thousands of players to play simultaneously through the Internet in the same virtual environment. A number of researchers have started to introduce the use of MMOG as a new generation of educational platform, allowing players to interact and to learn together through collaborative game-play. However, the answers for the occurrence of collaborative learning behaviour and the motivational drivers for learning collaboratively in a MMOG are still underresearched. Motivated by such concerns, this study tests a theoretical model to explain individual's intention to learn by peer motivations. The model employs motivational theories to propose two external motivational factors, namely peer intrinsic motivation and peer extrinsic motivation, and investigates effects of the two new constructs on MMOG players' intention to learn individually and intention to learn collaboratively by building on the cognitive learning theory. Based on a study with 94 valid current MMOG player responses, PLS analysis shows that peer intrinsic motivation to play has a significant positive influence on the intention to learn collaboratively, while peer extrinsic motivation to play has a significant positive influence on the intention to learn individually. The results of our findings indicate potential implications to researchers, educators and game developers.


Litigants seeking to lift burdens on the right to vote and judges adjudicating these claims have an unremarkable problem—what is the benchmark for measuring the nature of these burdens? Legal theories abound for claims under the constellation of rights known as the "right to vote." And when a legislature changes a voting practice or procedure, courts may have an easy benchmark—they can consider what the right to vote looked like before and after the enactment of the new law, and they can evaluate a litigant's claim on that basis. Recently, federal courts have been relying on this benchmark for the principal causes of action litigants might raise after a new law has been enacted—a Section 2 challenge under the Voting Rights Act, a freedom of association claim subject to the Burdick balancing test, and an Equal Protection analysis derived from Bush v. Gore. And frequently, courts have found that new laws that eliminate once-available voting practices or procedures fail.

I describe this new practice as the Democracy Ratchet. But it is only recently that a convergence of factors have driven courts to (often unwittingly) adopt the Democracy Ratchet more broadly. So while a legislature can expand such opportunities, courts scrutinize cutbacks on such opportunities with deep skepticism—deeper than had no such opportunity ever existed. The ratchet tightens options, squeezing the discretion that legislatures once had. This Article seeks to solve the puzzle of how courts have scrutinized, and should scrutinize, legislative changes to election laws.

Part I identifies recent instances in which federal courts have invoked a version of the Democracy Ratchet. It identifies the salient traits of the Democracy Ratchet in these cases. Part II describes why the Democracy Ratchet has gained attention, primarily as a tactic of litigants and as a convenient benchmark in preliminary injunction cases. Part III examines of the history of the major federal causes of action concerning election administration—Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the Burdick balancing test, and the Equal Protection Clause. In each, it traces the path of the doctrine to a point where a version of the Democracy Ratchet might be incorporated into the test. It concludes that these causes of action do not include a substantive Democracy Ratchet. Part IV turns to determine how the Democracy Ratchet might be used. It concludes that the Democracy Ratchet is best identified as an evidentiary device and a readily-available remedy for courts fashioning relief. It then offers suggestions for its appropriate use. Part V identifies some concerns with existing use of the Democracy Ratchet and instances in which it may be incorrectly used. It offers guidance for courts handling changes to election laws. Part VI concludes.


The pharmacokinetics and organ uptake of a 3'-biotinylated, [32P] internally labeled 36-mer phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotide (PO-ODN) were measured after intravenous injection in the anesthetized adult rat. The PO-ODN was antisense to the tat gene of the human immunodeficiency virus, and was 3'-biotinylated to a) protect against serum and tissue 3'-exonuclease activity, and b) facilitate coupling to a neutral avidin-based transcellular drug delivery vector. The latter was comprised of a covalent conjugate of neutral avidin (NLA) and the OX26 murine monoclonal antibody to the rat transferrin receptor. The PO-ODN was internally labeled at the 21-nucleotide position to prevent rapid hydrolysis [32P] label by serum and tissue 5'-phosphatases. The uptake of the 3'-bio-[32P21]PO-ODN by brain, heart, kidney, lung, and liver was measured. The studies show that the unconjugated 3'-bio-[32P21]PO-ODN was rapidly removed from plasma, with a mean residence time of 22 +/- 1 min and a systemic clearance of 9.2 +/- 0.5 ml/min/kg. Large amounts of [32P] radioactivity were recovered in the urine following the injection of the PO-ODN, and when this fraction was included in the calculation of the renal clearance parameter, the renal clearance was 20-fold higher, indicating the principal site of organ clearance of the unconjugated PO-ODN was the kidney. Conjugation of the 3'-bio-PO-ODN to the NLA-OX26 vector reduced the systemic clearance 50%, owing to a > 10-fold reduction in renal clearance. Following conjugation of the 3'-bio-PO-ODN to the NLA-OX26 vector, the major clearance organ was the liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


In this paper, we introduce RELLISUR, a novel dataset of real low-light low-resolution images paired with normal-light high-resolution reference image counterparts. With this dataset, we seek to fill the gap between low-light image enhancement and low-resolution image enhancement (Super-Resolution (SR)) which is currently only being addressed separately in the literature, even though the visibility of real-world images are often limited by both low-light and low-resolution. Part of the reason for this, is the lack of a large-scale dataset. To this end, we release a dataset with 12750 paired images of different resolutions and degrees of low-light illumination, to facilitate learning of deep-learning based models that can perform a direct mapping from degraded images with low visibility to sharp and detail rich images of high resolution. Additionally, we provide a benchmark of the existing methods for separate Low Light Enhancement (LLE) and SR on the proposed dataset along with experiments with joint LLE and SR. The latter shows that joint processing results in more accurate reconstructions with better perceptual quality compared to sequential processing of the images. With this, we confirm that the new RELLISUR dataset can be useful for future machine learning research aimed at solving simultaneous image LLE and SR. The dataset is available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5234969 .


The Year 3 pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Batu 9 Jalan Bomba, Tanjung Karang lack motivation in reading English materials. Something needs to be done to improve their reading readiness. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of comic strips in the prereading activity within the lesson which could improve the Year 3 pupils' reading comprehension of narrative text. The study was conducted on 30 pupils from class 3 Cerdik. A pre and post-test experimental design was used to examine the effect of the comic strips strategies on students' achievement. In order to determine the effect of the comic strips implementation on the students' achievement, lessons with different degrees of implementation were compared. Pupils in a Year 3 Cerdik served as the subjects for this study. There were 30 pupils in the class; 11 girls and 19 boys. A pre-test was administered which consisted of theme-related open-ended questions. The post test showed that there was a significant improvement in the pupils' understanding of reading the narrative comprehension. Thus, it shows that the pupils gained the interest to read because they enjoyed reading using the comic strips. Data was gathered from the pre and post-test. A simple interview was also conducted with the pupils to know their responds of using comic strips in the learning process. From the data collected and the interviews done, this research found out that there was improvement in the pupils' achievement when suitable method is used in the learning process. The method used should continuously be implemented by the teacher and other teachers in the school in order to improve the pupils' reading interest in English materials.


Thesis: S.M. in Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, 2016. In conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT.


The twentieth anniversary of the area of freedom, security and justice
(AFSJ) brings to light several transformations with regard to border management, and
also several concerns that did not cease to reemerge twenty years after its creation. The
term is understood to concern external borders and the reintroduction of internal
controls within the common European territory. The attacks of September 11, 2001
consolidated the recognition of transnational security threats to be countered at a
supranational level, considering that a national level administration would not be
sufficient. The idea behind the construction of a common management administration
of security threats relied on the protection of the entire single market. This is to say,
an inadequate national external border control could undermine the collective trust and
the free movement. The above-named fear of jeopardising the common market,
enthusiastically advanced by France and Germany, became true in recent years
following the apex of the migration crisis and the terror attacks in France in 2015. The
reintroduction of internal border controls in several countries, the derogation from the
Schengen Code for reasons of public security and the extension of the minimum period
of internal border controls demonstrates a need of re-appropriation of the AFSJ. The reason for this stands behind the rationale of free movement within the area of
freedom, security and justice, which has created a Common European Asylum System.
This re-appropriation has to do with balancing freedom and security so that security
does not take precedence over freedom. If policing internal borders is a matter
dependent upon discretionary power, we cannot help but wonder whether migration
flips between "crimmigration" and unilateral derogatory regimes to the disadvantage
of fundamental rights. When it comes to internal borders, does this discretionary power
of policing create grey zones of uncertainty?


Taking agent-based models (ABM) closer to the data is an open challenge. This paper explicitly tackles parameter space exploration and calibration of ABMs combining supervised machine-learning and intelligent sampling to build a surrogate meta-model. The proposed approach provides a fast and accurate approximation of model behaviour, dramatically reducing computation time. In that, our machine-learning surrogate facilitates large scale explorations of the parameter-space, while providing a powerful filter to gain insights into the complex functioning of agent-based models. The algorithm introduced in this paper merges model simulation and output analysis into a surrogate meta-model, which substantially ease ABM calibration. We successfully apply our approach to the Brock and Hommes (1998) asset pricing model and to the "Island" endogenous growth model (Fagiolo and Dosi, 2003). Performance is evaluated against a relatively large outof-sample set of parameter combinations, while employing different user-defined statistical tests for output analysis. The results demonstrate the capacity of machine learning surrogates to facilitate fast and precise exploration of agent-based models' behaviour over their often rugged parameter spaces


The functional equivalence between mental images and perception or motion has been proposed on the basis of neuroimaging evidence of large spatially overlapping activations between real and imagined sensori-motor conditions. However, similar local activation patterns do not imply the same mesoscopic integration of brain regions active during imagery and perception or action. Here we present the first EEG evidence of topological equivalence between functional network organization at intermediate and global scales during tasks. We show that the degree of functional equivalence varies in the population and is associated with different magnitudes in the restructuring of the functional connectivity between imagery and real tasks. In particular, changes observed during imagery with respect to basal conditions account for the cognitive effort experienced during imagery, and subjects characterized by stronger functional equivalence exhibit smaller topological deviations in the imagination tasks performed after real tasks, thus showing learning effects. Altogether, our findings point to different sensori-cognitive information processing in the subjects showing different functional equivalence. We anticipate our results to be a starting point for a novel dynamical description of functional equivalence, which will be relevant for socio-cognitive theories of embodiment and cognitive formulations of how different selves emerge from neurophysiological assets.


Connections are the source of life in Vietnam. The tangible and intangible ties that bind Vietnamese people to their families and compatriots are characteristically rich and are constitutive of self, community, and nation. In traditional Vietnam, the person was enmeshed in relations (quan hệ) of hierarchy and reciprocity that structured family life and the thicket of mutual exchanges that typified the traditional village. The Vietnamese polity has long drawn metaphorically on relations of this kind, as rulers have utilised idioms of kinship and debt to secure legitimacy, command loyalty, and promote social cohesion. History has been made by people who were able to inspire a following and call on the resources of their entourage to repel an enemy or found new settlements and alliances. Vietnamese from all walks of life have long cultivated social relationships to deal with the authorities, form martial unions, make a living, and gain promotion. As social certitudes have dissolved and been recast by the experience of revolution, war, and market-based global integration, one constant has been the role played by such relationships. As the nation has changed, connections have remained central to what it means to be Vietnamese.


: The present study evaluated the duration of internal quality of cage-free eggs in the first few hours of storage under environment temperature. For this, 480 eggs of Isa Brown® laying hens, created on the cage-free system, with 60 weeks age were utilized. The eggs were distributed in an completely randomized design composed by eight periods: (fresh eggs and eggs with: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 hours of storage), with 60 repetitions each. The analyzed variables were: egg weight, shell percentages, albumen and yolk; Haugh unit and yolk index. The obtained results were submitted to variance analysis and the averages compared by the Tukey test on 5% significance. There were not significant differences (P>0.05) on the eggs' weight, on the shell, albumen and yolk's percentages and on the yolk index of the eggs on the hours of storage. There was, however, significant effect (P<0.05) of the hours of storage on the eggs' Haugh unit. The registered Haugh unit average values on the 3 rd hour were bigger than the ones observed between the 5 th and 7 th hour, but kept similar to the fresh eggs and to the other evaluation periods. It was concluded that the duration of internal egg quality was kept similar during the first seven hours of storage.


From the Book:
PREFACE
This book grew out of the simple desire to describe exactly how Linux works on an IA-64 machine. By realizing that desire, we hope not only to shine a light on the inner workings of Linux, but also to share some of the excitement and the creative processes that are involved in solving the many technical challenges that arise when designing an operating system for a platform as radical and innovative as IA-64. Many of the innovations in IA-64 are targeted at increasing performance by giving a compiler more control over the CPU. However, as we see in this book, IA-64 also comes with a powerful system architecture which supports—indeed encourages—innovative solutions at the operating-system level.

Linux is a no-nonsense operating system, sticking to tried and true principles whenever possible. At the same time, Linux has always been able to adapt quickly to genuine advances in hardware and operating-system technology. Thus, while we believe that the design and implementation described in this book provide a solid foundation, we also believe that there is plenty of room for improvement. In this sense, we hope to encourage research and development around this platform. Of course, the fact that Linux is an Open Source operating system also helps make it an ideal test bed for exploring new ideas. Unlike more speculative operating systems, Linux offers the opportunity to turn truly inspired solutions into practice almost overnight.

Given that the Linux source code is freely available, some people may wonder whether it would not be possible to learn Linux and its IA-64 implementation directly from reading the source code. It is true that thesource code contains the most precise description of how Linux works, but too much precision sometimes hurts: it can make us see all the trees but miss the forest. Source code also can explain only how things are done, not why they are done in a particular way. This book is designed to compensate for these shortcomings.

When introducing a new topic, we start at a high level, describing the ideas, principles, and motivations for the approaches taken by Linux. Then we describe the hardware abstraction interfaces used by Linux and, finally, their IA-64 implementations. Throughout these discussions, the focus is always on what needs to be accomplished. How they are accomplished is described also, but at a sufficiently high level that avoids drowning a reader in details. This implies that this book can be used in two primary ways: readers mainly interested in an overview of Linux/ia64 find a self-contained and authoritative description. Readers interested in gaining hands-on experience find a smooth introduction to the world of Linux/ia64 and the underlying source code. To assist with the latter, the descriptions in this book have embedded in them pointers to key pieces of the Linux source code. Those pointers tend to be most accurate for Linux kernel version v2.4.14, though they also apply to earlier and later versions.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This book is primarily targeted at professionals interested in learning more about how the Linux kernel works on IA-64. In addition, hardware architects may find the book useful as a case study of how one particular operating system takes advantage of IA-64. Similarly, software architects interested in designing other operating systems for IA-64 will find many tips on how to handle some of the more advanced features of IA-64. For example, the book discusses the operating-system impact of speculative execution, the register stack, and the virtual hash page table walker. Finally, students in the area of Computer Science and Engineering may find the book interesting as a description of how a real, general-purpose operating system works on real hardware.

Among the Linux professionals, the book should be of most direct value to general kernel programmers, authors of device drivers, and application programmers interested in tuning performance for IA-64. Beyond that, the descriptions of the Linux hardware abstraction interfaces are valid independently of the target platform. We believe that the interface descriptions in this book are among the most accurate and most comprehensive descriptions in existence. But we should caution that these interfaces were developed by a large group of developers over a long period of time and, to some degree, they continue to evolve. For that reason, we cannot claim that the descriptions are authoritative beyond the IA-64 platform, though we did try to make them as inclusive as possible.

Knowledge of the C programming language is a prerequisite for this book. Familiarity with basic operating-system concepts, assembly programming, and the machine organization of computers are also helpful, though not strictly required. No prior knowledge of IA-64 is needed.
ORGANIZATION
The first two chapters of this book contain introductory material. Chapter 1, Introduction, provides background information on the evolution of both microprocessor architectures and Linux. The second half of the chapter is dedicated to an overview of the Linux kernel. As part of this overview, we also establish the terminology used throughout the remainder of the book.

Chapter 2, IA-64 Architecture, introduces the IA-64 architecture and software conventions. IA-64 is a rich architecture that cannot be learned overnight. Because of this, we recommend that this chapter first be read in a fluid fashion, without undue attention to details. Once a basic familiarity has been established, the reader may then want to revisit the chapter from time to time and study specific aspects in more detail.

The next three chapters describe the most fundamental components of Linux and how they work on IA-64: Chapter 3, Processes, Tasks, and Threads, describes aspects related to scheduling and execution. It starts with an overview of key data structures, then moves on to describe the Linux thread interface and the various synchronization primitives that Linux supports. Chapter 4, Virtual Memory, describes the virtual memory system of Linux. A brief introduction is followed by detailed descriptions of all hardware abstraction interfaces and their IA-64 implementations. Topics covered include the Linux page tables, linearly-mapped virtual page tables, TLB (translation lookaside buffer) management, page fault handling, and memory coherency. Chapter 5, Kernel Entry and Exit, describes all aspects related to entering and exiting the kernel. In particular, it explains how system calls and signals work, as well as how data is passed across the user/kernel boundary. Like the preceding two chapters, this one starts by describing the Linux aspects that apply to all platforms and completes the discussion with descriptions of the IA-64 implementations.

The next three chapters are fairly independent of each other. Chapter 6, Stack Unwinding, discusses the general topic of stack unwinding. While the topic is not really IA-64 specific, it does play a more important role on this platform. Indeed, anyone wishing to write IA-64 assembly code needs to be familiar with the material presented in the third section of this chapter. The other sections describe the IA-64 kernel unwinder and its implementation. Chapter 7, Device I/O, describes aspects related to device input/output (I/O). Specifically, it covers the hardware abstraction interfaces for programmed I/O (both memory-mapped and port-based), DMA (direct memory access), and device interrupts. The interface descriptions are followed by descriptions of their IA-64 realizations. Chapter 8, Symmetric Multiprocessing, discusses aspects specific to multiprocessor (MP) machines. Where appropriate, the other chapters cover MP aspects in the course of normal discussion, but this chapter covers all remaining issues. In particular, the first section provides an overview of the Linux locking principles and the MP support interface. The remaining two sections cover the handling of CPU-specific data areas and the issue of maintaining high-resolution timestamps on MP machines.

The final three chapters are mostly IA-64 specific. Chapter 9, Understanding System Performance, introduces the IA-64 performance monitoring support, its Itanium implementation, and the associated perfmon kernel subsystem. This chapter should be of great value to anyone interested in characterizing and tuning the performance of IA-64 programs, whether the programs are normal applications or part of the Linux kernel. Chapter 10, Booting, covers all aspects related to booting a machine. The first two sections contain an overview of the IA-64 firmware and the IA-64 bootloader. The third section covers the Linux bootstrap interface and its implementation on IA-64. Chapter 11, IA-32 Compatibility, describes how Linux/ia64 manages to provide backward compatibility with IA-32. By its very nature, this discussion is IA-64 specific. However, most 64-bit Linux platforms provide backward compatibility with some 32-bit platform. For this reason, many of the topics and solutions discussed here apply to other platforms as well.

A glossary of terms and abbreviations used in this book is provided in Appendix E. We would like to encourage the reader to refer to it whenever encountering an acronym that may seem unfamiliar.
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
While we strived to make this book as interesting, useful, and accurate as possible, we encourage our readers to provide feedback on how to improve future editions. For this purpose, we set up a web site at the following address (URL):
http://www.lia64.org/book/
Please visit this site to report errors or to make suggestions for improvements. The web site also contains an up-to-date errata, links to related software and tools, and a summary of the evolution of Linux as it pertains to this book.

David Mosberger and Stephane Eranian
Palo Alto, California
November, 2001


Since the very first graphical user interfaces, progress indicators have been widely used to provide feedback regarding the execution of long-running system tasks. In order to make progress feedback possible, the involved services must provide on-line monitoring capabilities. However, on larger concurrent and object-oriented implementations, as services execution involve multiple interactions between various components and abstraction layers, the crosscutting nature of the monitoring concerns can introduce some challenges to the software development --- such as code quality degradation, absence of standardized code patterns, and loss of development productivity. In this context, after analyzing some possible solutions to the monitoring problem, we propose a general framework to support the development of monitorable services, as well as some extended libraries that are used to illustrate a concrete implementation. We also evaluate the proposed solution through a real case study performed in a private software development organization.


The war for talent, whereby skilled workers move between countries, continues to remain a global issue. This paper is informed by the human resource management (HRM) literature on global careers of skilled migrants and their cross-cultural adjustment and well-being. These literatures draw on human capital theory to understand skilled migration. In this paper, a case study of Western Australia's answer to addressing skills shortages by employing skilled migrant workers through temporary skilled migration schemes (employer-sponsored) situates the discussion within the role of HRM. Temporary skilled migrants are vulnerable in that they can experience a number of stressors, including long periods of separation from their loved ones, commencing a new job in an alien environment and resettlement tasks. The paper makes a contribution in utilising Al Ariss and Syed's (2011) model of human capital drawing on social, cultural, economic and symbolic forms of currency for temporary skilled migrants. This group is not homogenous in that they all draw on these aspects of human capital in varying ways. By addressing the gaps, HRM can add value in providing assimilation strategies for temporary migrant workers that supports retention and ensures improved worker well-being.


We propose to use Chu categories as a general framework for uncertainty analysis, with a special attention to fuzzy theory. We emphasize the fact that by viewing fuzzy concepts as Chu spaces, we can discover new aggregation operators, and model interactions and relationship between fuzzy data; these possibilities are due, in essence, to the category structure of Chu spaces, and especially to their morphisms. This paper is a tutorial introduction to the subject.


Abstract Background Nutritional intake in adolescent girls in Indonesia has been well studied, but there has been little study on its influence on serum estradiol levels. A high estradiol level has been associated with higher risk of breast carcinogenesis. Objective To evaluate the influence of dietary factors on serum estradiol concentration in adolescent girls. Methods A community-based survey was conducted in female junior high school students in Jakarta from January 2014 to January 2015. Nutritional intake was assessed by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), which included the intake of total energy (kcal), carbohydrate (g), protein (g), fat (g), fiber (g), and phytoestrogen (g). Based on the Indonesian recommended daily allowance (RDA), energy and nutrient intakes were categorized as minimal (<70%), low (70-99.9%), normal (100-129.9%), and high (≥130%). Serum estradiol levels were measured during the follicular phase using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results A total of 189 girls aged 13-15 years were enrolled from 8 junior high schools across the municipalities of Jakarta. Twenty-eight (14.8%) subjects were overweight or obese. Median estradiol level was 41.83 (range 13.14-136.5) pg/mL. Serum estradiol level was significantly correlated with energy, protein, and fat intake. Estradiol level was also significantly associated with carbohydrate (P=0.030) and fat (P=0.036) intake status. Multivariate analysis revealed that intake of energy, protein, and fat, as well as body mass index (BMI) were independent predictors of estradiol levels. However, due to its importance as energy source, we included carbohydrate intake in the final equation to predict estradiol level as follows: E2 = 60.723 – 0.053 (energy) + 0.185 (carbohydrate) + 0.483 (protein) + 0.491 (fat) – 1.081 (BMI). Conclusion Serum estradiol levels in adolescent girls aged 13-15 years are influenced by diet, especially fat intake. Estradiol levels can be predicted from energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake, as well as BMI. [Paediatr Indones. 2016;56:134-8.].


Interferon-induced transmembrane (IFITM) proteins are potent antiviral factors shown to restrict the infection of many enveloped viruses, including HIV. Here we report cloning and characterization of a panel of nonhuman primate IFITMs. We show that, similar to human IFITM, nonhuman primate IFITM proteins inhibit HIV and other primate lentiviruses. While some nonhuman primate IFITM proteins are more potent than human counterparts to inhibit HIV-1, they are generally not effective against HIV-2 similar to that of human IFITMs. Notably, depending on SIV strains and also IFITM species tested, nonhuman primate IFITM proteins exhibit distinct activities against SIVs; no correlation was found to support the notion that IFITM proteins are most active in non-natural primate hosts. Consistent with our recent findings for human IFITMs, nonhuman primate IFITM proteins interact with HIV-1 Env and strongly act in viral producer cells to impair viral infectivity and block cell-to-cell transmission. Accordingly, knockdown of primate IFITM3 increases HIV-1 replication in nohuman primate cells. Interestingly, analysis of DNA sequences of human and nonhuman primate IFITMs suggest that IFITM proteins have been undergoing purifying selection, rather than positive selection typical for cellular restriction factors. Overall, our study reveals some new and unexpected features of IFITMs in restricting primate lentiviruses, which enhances our understanding of virus-host interaction and AIDS pathogenesis.


The African Lexis in Jamaican: Its Linguistic and Sociohistorical Significance Joseph Tito Farquharson This thesis presents a fresh and comprehensive treatment of the putative lexical Africanisms in Jamaican with a view to assessing the volume and nature of this aspect of the grammar of Jamaican. The work draws on a set of best practices in the field of etymology and outlines a set of transparent guidelines for assigning etyma. These guidelines are put to work by conducting careful etymological analyses of the over 500 putative Africanisms that have been identified for Jamaican. The analyses produce a list of 289 words whose African etymologies have been fairly well established. An entire chapter is devoted to surveying the distribution of these 289 secure Africanisms based on their source languages, time of attestation, the African region they come from, and the semantic domains to which they belong. The thesis also discusses some of the regularities observed among secure Africanisms such as the fate of noun-class prefixes, the shape of iterative words, the number of taboo words, and pejoration. A reconstruction of Akan day-names shows that the Jamaican system shares more in common with the reconstructed system than it does with any modern version of the system used in Africa. The final substantive chapter attempts to trace substrate patterns in compounding, an exercise which turns up two potential cases of substrate influence. The thesis assigns fewer Akan etymologies than most previous works, and proposes that many of the Akan words in Jamaican appear to be post-formative. On the converse, the number of Koongo etymologies has increased. This is accompanied by the fact that there is more evidence for Koongo lexical contribution to Jamaican up to the end of the eighteenth century than for Akan.


Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most common form of intraocular inflam mation seen by eye care professionals that affects relatively younger patients, with significant distress and potentially long-lasting sight-threatening complications. The diagnosis of AAU is relatively simple for clinicians because of multiple pre senting signs and symptoms; however, the etiology is often much more difficult to elucidate. Therefore, it is critical for interns and practicing clinicians to have an extensive understanding of the pathogenesis of AAU. Judicious yet effective dosage of topical corticosteroid and cycloplegic agents are the mainstay of AAU treatment. Depending on the presentation and cause, other medications, lab tests and tertiary procedures may be necessary. Finally, coordination with other specialists (i.e., ophthalmologists, rheumatologists) may be critical in diagnosis and treatment. Eye care providers play a key role in the interdisciplinary management of the patient with AAU.


The bilateral cultural issues of the 1980s and 1990s between Canada and the U.S. centered on trade involving Sports Illustrated, Country Music Television, Borders Books, film distribution and satellite television. These took place within the context of commitments in multilateral and regional agreements dealing with cultural trade issues. Except in the case of Sports Illustrated, the disputes were resolved in the political arena outside the provisions of either the World Trade Organization (WTO) or the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The cultural exemption/retaliation provisions of the latter have yet to be tested. With the new millennium, some of the old issues remain but new ones have appeared. This paper summarizes current and prospective issues and then focuses on two aspects of the topic. The first, the growing importance of foreign markets for the Canadian cultural industries, has received limited attention to date; the second is current, a proposal for an international agreement on cultural diversity to address the frictions that arise at the interface between domestic cultural policies and international trade and investment obligations. The two are related in that the thrust of the draft agreement is inconsistent with the direction being taken by prominent members of the Canadian creative community. Background Historically, Canadian cultural policy has been inward looking, espousing ways to protect Canadians from inflows from the U.S. while at the same time being supportive of Canadian cultural producers. The rhetoric of cultural protectionism repeats the following phrases: promoting Canadian cultural sovereignty and identity; assuring shelf space for Canadian products; allowing Canadians to tell their stories to each other; countering the commercial advantage enjoyed by U.S. producers that have a large domestic market and dump their product into Canada; overcoming American discrimination against the consumption of foreign content; supporting Canadian ownership of producers and distributors in the pursuit of national sovereignty, unity and identity; asserting that Canadian owners will cross-subsidize the production of Canadian content; affirming that cultural content is unlike that of other goods and services and cannot be subject to traditional economic analysis; and maintaining that trade in cultural goods and s ervices should be exempted from trade agreements. Most recently, this viewpoint has been expanded to include the need to protect and promote cultural diversity. Versions of this rhetoric can be found in the statements of those supporting existing Canadian cultural policies, and especially in the speeches of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and publications of this department. Seldom is an attempt made to evaluate whether the policies have achieved and are achieving their objectives. Elsewhere we have noted their deficiencies (Acheson and Maule, 1999, 329-48). The nationalist rhetoric ignores some inconvenient facts. Canadian consumers often choose not to watch the content that is the result of subsidies and tax incentives, especially Canadian films and television drama programs. Audiences for the Canadian public broadcaster have been dwindling. Canadian private broadcasters, film distributors and book publishers have been rewarded handsomely for importing foreign content and fight to maintain this privilege. At the same time, some are active exporters and are anxious to sell further ownership to foreign investors. The system of subsidies has been subject to abuse, in some cases supporting the importation of non-Canadian material. And technology is undermining the effectiveness of measures like content quotas. The U.S. rhetoric that counters the positive claims of cultural nationalism is that these industries are part of the entertainment sector of the economy that is governed by market forces. Whatever unique features the cultural industries have, they should be treated like any other industry as far as trade and investment negotiations are concerned; they should be subject to GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) commitments for goods and GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) commitments for services trade. …


X-ray Diffraction DTU Orbit (18/11/2019) Characterization of Metalloproteins and Biomaterials by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction This thesis presents thework on combining complementary X-rays techniques for studying the structures of proteins and other biomaterials, and consists of three different projects: (i) Characterization of protein powders with X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). (ii) The combination of X-ray crystallography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) applied to studying different hexameric insulin conformations. (iii) The structures of polymorphs of strontium ranelate and the distribution of strontium in bone tissue. A procedure for fast identification and verification of protein powders using XRPD was developed and tested on microcrystals of lysozyme and insulin. Different protein crystal forms were identified by comparing experimental powder diffraction patternswith patterns calculated from PDB coordinates. The key factor to bring the calculated patterns in agreement with the observed patterns was correction for disordered bulk-solvent, but also correction for background and optimization of unit cell parameters have to be taken into account. A sample holder was designed for collecting powder diffraction data on a standard laboratory X-ray powder diffractometer. The background was reduced by use of pinholes integrated in the sample holder design, and crystal forms of well diffracting protein powders were safely identified from only 7 μl of sample. The sample holder was furthermore adaptable for XAS experiments. The crystal structures of three conformations of hexameric bovine zinc insulin (T6, T3R3 and R6) were solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) to 1.40 Å, 1.30 Å and 1.80 Å resolution, respectively. The zinc coordination in each conformation was studied by XAS including both extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and Xray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. High quality XAS spectra were collected at the Zn K-edge on insulin micro-crystals with EXAFS signal up to 14 Å−1 in k-space. Regarding the hexamer as a dimer of trimers where each trimer contains a Zn2+ ion, zinc adopted tetrahedral coordination in all R3-trimers, and octahedral coordination in T3trimers. The coordination distances to zinc were refined from EXAFS with standard deviations below 0.01 Å for the first coordination sphere. In contrast to the distances determined from the medium resolution crystal structures, the XAS results were in good agreement with distances found in small molecules with similar coordination geometries, as well as in other high resolution insulin structures. As the radiation doses for the XRD experiments were significantly higher compared to that of XAS experiments, the single crystals were exposed to a higher degree of radiation damage affecting the zinc coordination in the T3-sites, in particular. Furthermore, XANES spectra for the zinc sites in T6 and R6 insulin were successfully calculated using finite difference methods, and the bond distances and angles were optimized from a quantitative XANES analysis. T6 insulin was furthermore crystallized with iron, nickel and copper, and their XRD crystal structures were solved to 1.90 Å, 1.50 Å and 1.45 Å resolution, respectively. As the affinity to iron is low, iron insulin crystals were grown in presence of small amounts of zinc. The two metal sites in the XRD structure thus contained respectively one Fe2+ and one Zn2+ ion, with respectively tetrahedral and octahedral coordination geometry. The metal sites in nickel and copper insulin were studied by XAS. Coordination distances were refined from EXAFS showing a very regular octahedral coordination of Ni2 +, which was further verified by calculated XANES spectra. The coordination geometry of copper was, however, ambiguously determined in the XRD structure of copper insulin. The XANES spectrum revealed the presence of copper in oxidation state +I, which was caused by photoreduction of Cu2+ during the XAS experiments. Photoreductionwas not observed for nickel and zinc insulin. EXAFS analysis showed a tetrahedral coordination of copper, which was further supported by ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations, as well as calculated XANES spectra. Strontium ranelate, a pharmaceutical used in the treatment of osteoporosis, was synthesized and crystallized and the crystal structure of the nonahydrate was solved. The crystalswere highly sensitive to humidity and temperature and easily deteriorate upon dehydration. Four other hydrates were observed by in situ XRPD upon dehydration. These were identified as heptahydrate, pentahydrate, trihydrate and dihydrate by estimation of the water content by thermogravimetric analysis. Bone tissue from dogs treated with strontiummalonate was studied using XAS. A new approach for analysing the X-ray absorption spectra resulted in a compositional model, from which the relative distribution of strontium in the different bone composites was estimated. Approximately 35–45 % of the strontium present was incorporated into calcium hydroxyapatite by substitution of some of the calcium ions, and at least 30 % was located at sites with a high structural disorder similar to Sr2+ in solution. The remaining strontium was absorbed in collagen. The relative distribution of strontium among the different composites seemed to be independent of treatment period and dose level.


There are many TEX packages available for creating presentations. Mostly they imitate the ubiquitous style of a certain tool, striving to produce PowerPoint-like slides, hopefully with better typographical execution. In this talk the principles of good design for presentations are considered. We discuss the problems with the common design of presentations as well as the famous proposition by Tufte to avoid slides at all. We try to formulate the principles of good presentation design and discuss TEX implementations from this point of view. The discussion is based on the author's experience in making slides for talks, lectures and training sessions.


This article explores the cross sectional variation in risk arbitrage spreads. Factors that are relevant to the probability of deal success (i.e., target termination fees, target resistance, target price run-up, relative size of the target, and arbitrageurs' activity), bid revision (i.e., target's growth opportunity), potential loss when a deal fails (i.e., bid premium and bidder's systematic risk) and transaction costs for risk arbitrageurs (i.e., bidder's return volatility and low priced shares) are found to be significant in developing a prediction model for risk arbitrage spreads. Risk arbitrage portfolios are created by comparing predicted arbitrage spreads with actual arbitrage spreads. The results show that deals whose actual spreads exceed the predicted spreads tend to be more attractive investments. The model may be used by risk arbitrageurs to identify attractive risk arbitrage opportunities.


Technology-based applications hold promise as effective, efficient means of disseminating research- and practice-based information to professionals whose work relates to domestic violence. Other related uses of technology in the field have grown, including safety planning to address technology-related risks to victims and software programs being integrated into domestic violence agencies. However, to date, the levels of technology readiness and technology-related information needs of these professionals have received minimal research attention. This study involved a national survey of 471 professionals whose work addresses domestic violence. The findings demonstrate differences in professionals' technology readiness based on key demographic and professional characteristics. They also reveal the most frequently noted information needs within this professional field. Implications for future research and practice are provided.


Rapid environmental change has generated growing interest in forecasts of future popu lation trajectories. Traditional population models built with detailed demographic obser vations from one study site can address the impacts of environmental change at particular locations, but are difficult to scale up to the landscape and regional scales relevant to man agement decisions. An alternative is to build models using population-level data that are much easier to collect over broad spatial scales than individual-level data. However, it is unknown whether models built using population-level data adequately capture the effects of density-dependence and environmental forcing that are necessary to generate skillful forecasts. Here, we test the consequences of aggregating individual 29 responses when forecasting the population states (percent cover) and trajectories of four perennial grass species in a semi-arid grassland in Montana, USA. We parameterized two population models for each species, one based on individual-level data (survival, growth and recruitment) and one on population-level data (percent cover), and compared their forecasting accuracy and fore cast horizons with and without the inclusion of climate covariates. For both models, we used Bayesian ridge regression to weight the influence of climate covariates for optimal prediction. In the absence of climate effects, we found no significant difference between the forecast accuracy of models based on individual-level data and models based on population-level data. Climate effects were weak, but increased forecast accuracy for two species. Increases in accuracy with climate covariates were similar between model types. In our case study, percent cover models generated forecasts as accurate as those from a demographic model. For the goal of forecasting, models based on aggregated individual level data may offer a practical alternative to data-intensive demographic models. Long time series of percent cover data already exist for many plant species. Modelers should exploit these data to predict the impacts of environmental change.


Asserting that the 1977 AFC champion Denver Broncos were the tipping point for the transformation of Denver, Colorado from an outpost city with an inferiority complex to today's sports and entertainment mecca, award-winning author Terry Frei provides an intimate look at both a professional sports team and the city it brought together at a time of great change. Frei offers profiles of catalyst coach Red Miller and such legendary players as Randy Gradishar, Craig Morton, Louis Wright, Billy Thompson, Tom Jackson, and Lyle Alzado, but doesn't stop there, making readers feel as if they intimately know virtually everyone on the roster as the often ground-breaking narrative of that season continues. Frei describes Denver's evolving politics that year-when Richard Lamm was a young and controversial governor and Bill McNichols was one of the last machine-style mayors-plus the metro-area culture in the late 1970s as the Broncos go from victory to victory on their way to their first Super Bowl. As '77 wide receiver Haven Moses, part of the famed M&M Connection, put it, "Denver should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize that year. There was more done that year to bring people together than I've ever seen in my life ...And this brought attention to what Denver was about to become."


The success of Wikipedia demonstrates that open collaboration can be an effective model for organizing geographically-distributed volunteers to perform complex, sustained work at a massive scale. However, Wikipedia's history also demonstrates some of the challenges that large, long-term open collaborations face: the core community of Wikipedia editors--the volunteers who contribute most of the encyclopedia's content and ensure that articles are correct and consistent--has been gradually shrinking since 2007, in part because Wikipedia's social climate has become increasingly inhospitable for newcomers, female editors, and editors from other underrepresented demographics. Previous research studies of change over time within other work contexts, such as corporations, suggests that incremental processes such as bureaucratic formalization can make organizations more rule-bound and less adaptable--in effect, less open--as they grow and age. There has been little research on how open collaborations like Wikipedia change over time, and on the impact of those changes on the social dynamics of the collaborating community and the way community members prioritize and perform work. Learning from Wikipedia's successes and failures can help researchers and designers understand how to support open collaborations in other domains--such as Free/Libre Open Source Software, Citizen Science, and Citizen Journalism. In this dissertation, I examine the role of openness, and the potential antecedents and consequences of formalization, within Wikipedia through an analysis of three distinct but interrelated social structures: community-created rules within the Wikipedia policy environment, coordination work and group dynamics within self-organized open teams called WikiProjects, and the socialization mechanisms that Wikipedia editors use to teach new community members how to participate. To inquire further, I have designed a new editor peer support space, the Wikipedia Teahouse, based on the findings from my empirical studies. The Teahouse is a volunteer-driven project that provides a welcoming and engaging environment in which new editors can learn how to be productive members of the Wikipedia community, with the goal of increasing the number and diversity of newcomers who go on to make substantial contributions to Wikipedia.


Christianity's originality resides in the definitive and universal character of God's revelation in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is the fullness and fulfilment of all revelation (cf. DV 3). This truth is Christianity's very heart, foundation and reason for being. The author looks at the ways in which, in the course of twenty centuries, the Church has sought to relate this truth of faith to the presence in the world of other religions too. In this, the first part of a two-part article, the author reviews the handling of the question from the early Church through the Scholastic era to the eve of Vatican II. Diachronic in method of presentation, this first part is to prepare the way for a consideration, in the second part (to be published later,) of the the more recent expressions of the Church's teaching, starting with the Second Vatican Council.


BACKGROUND
Ursolic acid and its cis- and trans-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl esters have been identified as constituents of American cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), which inhibit tumor cell proliferation. Since the compounds may contribute to berry anticancer properties, their content in cranberries, selected cranberry products, and three other Vaccinium species (V. oxycoccus, V. vitis-idaea and V. angustifolium) was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The ability of these compounds to inhibit growth in a panel of tumor cell lines and inhibit matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity associated with tumor invasion and metastasis was determined in DU145 prostate tumor cells.

RESULTS
The highest content of ursolic acid and esters was found in V. macrocarpon berries (0.460-1.090 g ursolic acid and 0.040-0.160 g each ester kg(-1) fresh weight). V. vitis-idaea and V. angustifolium contained ursolic acid (0.230-0.260 g kg(-1) ), but the esters were not detected. V. oxycoccus was lowest (0.129 g ursolic acid and esters per kg). Ursolic acid content was highest in cranberry products prepared from whole fruit. Ursolic acid and its esters inhibited tumor cell growth at micromolar concentrations, and inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity at concentrations below those previously reported for cranberry polyphenolics.

CONCLUSION
Cranberries (V. macrocarpon) were the best source of ursolic acid and its esters among the fruit and products tested. These compounds may limit prostate carcinogenesis through matrix metalloproteinase inhibition.


The market for corporate control is fundamentally changing the corporate landscape. Transactions in this market in 1985 were at a record level of $180 billion. These transactions involve takeovers, mergers, and leveraged buyouts. Closely associated are corporate restructurings involving divestitures, spinoffs, and large stock repurchases for cash and debt. The changes associated with these control transactions are causing considerable controversy. Some argue that takeovers are damaging to the morale and productivity of organizations and are therefore damaging to the economy. Others argue that takeovers represent productive entrepreneurial activity that improves the control and management of assets and helps move assets to more productive uses. The controversy has been accompanied by strong pressure on regulators and legislatures to enact restrictions that would curb activity in the market for corporate control. In the spring of 1985 there were over 20 bills under consideration in Congress that proposed new restrictions on takeovers. Within the past several years the legislatures of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan has passed antitakeover laws. The Federal Reserve Board entered the fray early in 1986 when it issued its controversial new interpretation of margin rules that restricts the use of debt in society. This paper analyzes the controversy surrounding takeovers and provides both theory and evidence to explain the central phenomena at issue. The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 contains basic background analysis of the forces operating in the market for corporate control -- analysis which provides an understanding of the conflicts and issues surrounding takeovers and the effects of activities in this market. Section 3 discusses the conflict between managers and shareholders over the payout of free cash flow and how takeovers represent both a symptom and a resolution of the conflict. Sections 4, 5, and 6 discuss the relatively new phenomena of, respectively, junk-bond financing, the use of golden parachutes, and the practice of greenmail. Section 7 analyzes the problems the Delaware court is having in dealing with the conflicts that arise over control issues and its confused application of the business judgment rule to these cases. The following topics are discussed: - The reasons for takeovers and mergers in the petroleum industry and why they increase efficiency and thereby promote the national interest. - The role of debt in bonding management's promises to pay out future cash flows, to reduce costs, and to reduce investments in low-return projects. - The role of high-yield debt (junk bonds) in helping to eliminate mere size as a takeover deterrent. - The effects of takeovers on the equity markets and claims that managers are pressured to behave myopically. - The effects of antitakeover measures such as poison pills. - The misunderstandings of the important role that golden parachutes play in reducing the conflicts of interests associated with takeovers and the valuable function they serve in alleviating some of the costs and uncertainty facing managers. - The damaging effects of the Delaware court decision in Unocal vs. Mesa that allowed Unocal to make a self-tender offer that excluded its largest shareholder (reverse greenmail). - The problems the courts are facing in applying the model of the corporation subsumed under the traditional business judgment rule to the conflicts of interest involved in corporate controversies.


The cytogenetic expression of the folate sensitive fragile site, FRAXE, is due to the expansion of a GCC repeat in proximal Xq28 of the human X chromosome and is associated with a mild form of mental handicap. Normal individuals have 6-35 copies of the repeat whereas cytogenetically positive, developmentally delayed males have > 200 copies and show methylation of the associated CpG island. Through the use of conserved sequences adjacent to the FRAXE GCC repeat, we have isolated a 1495 bp cDNA which begins 331 bp distal to the FRAXE site and extends to a region > 170 kb distal in Xq28. The cDNA sequence possesses both a putative start of translation and a poly-A tail. The predicted protein has amino acid motifs which share significant homologies with the human AF-4 gene which encodes a putative transcription factor. On northern analysis, the cDNA detects a 9.5 kb transcript in human brain, placenta and lung. This transcript is present in multiple human brain tissues, but is more abundant in the hippocampus and the amygdala, thus providing possible functional insights. RT-PCR of normal adult brain RNA provides evidence for the existence of the 1495 bp transcript represented by the isolated cDNA.


The growing gap between processor and memory speeds is motivating the need for optimization strategies that improve data locality. A major challenge is to devise techniques suitable for pointer-intensive applications. This paper presents two techniques aimed at improving the memory behavior of pointer-intensive applications with dynamic memory allocation, such as those written in Java. First, we present an allocation time object placement technique based on the recently introduced notion of prolific (frequently instantiated) types. We attempt to co-locate, at allocation time, objects of prolific types that are connected via object references. Then, we present a novel locality based graph traversal technique. The benefits of this technique, when applied to garbage collection (GC), are twofold: (i) it improves the performance of GC due to better locality during a heap traversal and (ii) it restructures surviving objects in a way that enhances locality. On multiprocessors, this technique can further reduce overhead due to synchronization and false sharing. The experimental results, on a well-known suite of Java benchmarks (SPECjvm98 [26], SPECjbb2000 [27], and jOlden [4]), from an implementation of these techniques in the Jikes RVM [1], are very encouraging. The object co-allocation technique improves application performance by up to 21% (10% on average) in the Jikes RVM configured with a non-copying mark-and-sweep collector. The locality-based traversal technique reduces GC times by up to 20% (10% on average) and improves the performance of applications by up to 14% (6% on average) in the Jikes RVM configured with a copying semi-space collector. Both techniques combined can improve application performance by up to 22% (10% on average) in the Jikes RVM configured with a non-copying mark-and-sweep collector.


Taylor cones are integral parts in many important applications like electrospinning and electrospray mass spectroscopy. A better understanding of this complex phenomenon of Taylor cone is critical for better control of these processes. As an example, if it is possible to identify and prioritize the roles of fluid characteristics and externally applied electric field, it might be easier to target and control the diameters of nanofibers in an electrospinning process. Under the influence of high electric fields, Taylor cones are formed by a number of liquids including many polymeric solutions. Because of small spatial (microns and below) and temporal (microseconds and below) scales, it is difficult to experimentally study the transient formation of Taylor cones. A number of theoretical analyses have been done under simplifying assumptions like uniform electric field, constant electrohydrodynamic behaviors of the fluid, stationary droplet, etc. Initial Taylor formulation included the introduction of "leaky dielectric" that accumulated charges only on the surface for certain dielectric fluids. Yarin et al. later developed analysis for stationary droplets assuming them to be "perfectly conducting". To simulate the electrospinning process, the formulation needs the ability to analyze moving boundary conditions, complex fluid properties, three dimensional geometry, and nonlinear coupling between air and liquid, among others. To overcome some of the assumptions of theoretical analyses and as another complementary tool, a computer simulation method was proposed using a commercially available software. In this investigation, much studied aqueous polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution was used to study formation and distortion of Taylor cones. An initial velocity was given to the fluid from the tip of a nozzle and an appropriate electric field was applied to form the Taylor cones. Literature values were used for flow, fluid, and electrical characteristics of the solution. By appropriately manipulating fluid velocities and electric fields, simulations were successful to both replicate the classical cone and distort it to various degrees. These formation and distortion of Taylor cones were similar to reported experimental results. While the numerical and experimental Taylor cones were significantly different in sizes, nondimensional shapes, and sizes of both the results were strikingly similar. Velocities of the fluid in the jet jumped almost 50 times to meters/second as was experimentally observed. Unlike theoretical solutions, the simulation results showed the interaction of the electric fields between the air and advancing fluid tip.


Abstract. During the centuries, the seaside has represented a crucial pole for future human development and civilization. The use of the sea for transport and trade and the overwhelming availability of food derived from coastal waters have encouraged and strengthened the growth of urban settlements. In the same time, the human pressure menaces to destroy coastal habitats and consequently their carrying capacity that allows for many essential functions. Low-impact activities are often replaced, on the surface, by new intensive ones that are attractive in the short term, but that in the long term undermine by reducing the resilience of the coast. It is clear that, in a perspective of sustainable development, economically efficient and socially equitable use of coastal areas need to be supported inside strategies to correct these weaknesses. The definition of such strategies and their implementation in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an essential tool for supporting decisions and of monitoring. The issues of monitoring, more in particular, have been the subject of study and modelling by the use of Dynamic Spatial Data Analysis (DSDA), in the case of the SEA of the Coastal Plan of the Italian Apulia Region, as an information instrument for regulating the anthropogenic changes; a possibility to implement the analysis of environmental sensitivity and propensity to Coastal erosion has been explored, in order to control the level of human pressure on land. The monitoring system should provide an automatic "alert" when the dimension and the velocity of the change of land use overpass some threshold of environmental pressure.


Sustainability is rapidly becoming a widely accepted and desired attitude, as well as a stimulus for both environmentally-conscious individuals and firm behavior. However, does the public interest in sustainability also extend to large U.S. federal agencies? Does the public care about on-site sustainability programs? To answer this question, we surveyed 922 people who live within 50 miles of one of four U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) major facilities: Hanford, Idaho National Laboratory, Savannah River and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Only 14% expressed no interest in DOE's on-site sustainability efforts. Five percent said that they were interested enough to join a local community group to provide feedback to the DOE; 49% were interested and wanted more information, as well as interaction with the DOE's site-specific advisory boards or local elected officials. Compared to other DOE on-site activities, respondents rated sustainability as "somewhat important". Native Americans who live near a site, are familiar with it and self-identify as interested in environmental protection disproportionately belong to the "most interested" category. We conclude that public interest is sufficient to merit outreach by DOE to involve interested and knowledgeable local residents in on-site sustainability plans.


This paper is a review about the book 'Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises' by Timothy Geithner. The book mainly discusses the policy decisions and implications of T. Geithner during his job as New York FED president and US-Treasury secretary under president Obama. The book reveals some hidden information about the decision-making process in both institutions. But it lacks a scientific foundation in order to explain the financial crisis in more detail. Hence, I think the book is less convincing than recognized in public. No doubt, Geithner crisis response deserves appreciation especially the 'Stress Test'. However, the overall book does not demonstrate that the response is sustainable in the long run and scientifically sound. Consequently, it is more a book on public policy and governance than economics. Keywords. Financial Crisis, Regulation, Cause of Financial Bubbles. JEL.A30, B31, E58, E61, G18, G38.


The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) criminalizes a broad range of conduct related to the compromise of computer systems. Specifically, the CFAA prohibits unauthorized access to computer systems, defining such access as that which occurs "without authorization" or in a manner that "exceeds authorized access." Courts interpreting the meaning of unauthorized access under the CFAA have diverged into two camps. On one side, proponents of the broad approach argue that the CFAA unauthorized access inquiry should focus on access purpose, assessing whether a given access was conducted for a purpose authorized by the computer owner. On the other side, proponents of the narrow approach argue that the relevant inquiry should instead be permission focused, looking only at whether the computer owner had granted the accesser permission to access the computer (without regard for why the computer was accessed). This Comment proposes a three-step framework for assessing CFAA unauthorized access that will resolve the present circuit split. Leveraging concepts from CFAA case law and offering applicability across a wide range of factual and technological contexts, this Comment's Available-Granted-Revoked (AGR) Framework sequentially evaluates (1) whether the computer in question is publicly available or private; (2) whether the computer's owner had, at any point, granted the accesser permission to access the computer; and (3) whether the computer owner had affirmatively revoked the accesser's permission, if any, prior to the purportedly unauthorized access. By adopting the Available-Granted-Revoked Framework, courts will be able to effectively advance the interests underlying both sides of the current circuit split and bring clarity to a persistent legal ambiguity.


We apply the "assisted opamp technique" to the design of a 1 GS/s single-bit continuous-time ΔΣ modulator (CTDSM) that achieves 10 bit resolution in 15.625 MHz bandwidth. The enhanced linearity and speed of the first integrator of the modulator, necessitated by single-bit operation, are obtained in a power efficient manner using opamp assistance. However, timing-skew between the feedback and assistant DAC currents can be a potential problem at high speeds. We analyze and give intuition for the effects of timing mismatch in such CTDSMs, and show that opamp assistance is quite robust to timing errors. Measurement results from an implementation in a 0.13 μ m CMOS process show that the modulator achieves a dynamic range of 67 dB in 15.625 MHz bandwidth while consuming 4 mW.