A set of 17 experiments, using various combinations of physical parameterization schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, were carried out to choose a combination suitable for simulating the Indian summer monsoon. The model experiments, forced with the ERA-Interim reanalysis data, were at 30 km horizontal resolution. The WRF model experiments were initialized on 1 May of each year and integrated until 30 September to cover the entire monsoon season for the years 1982 to 2013. The results indicate that the simulated Indian summer monsoon precipitation and 2 m air temperature are sensitive to the physical parameterization schemes in the WRF model and that choosing the correct combination of physical parameterization schemes is essential for simulating the Indian summer monsoon realistically. Our analysis shows that a model setup with the Kain-Fritsch cumulus scheme, a radiation package with the Dudhia shortwave and Rapid Radiative Transfer Model longwave schemes, the Yonsei State University planetary boundary layer scheme, the WRF Single-Moment 3-class microphysics scheme, the revised MM5 Monin-Obukhov surface layer scheme, and the Unified Noah land surface model is suitable for simulating the precipitation realistically. The model setup with a combination of these physical parameterization schemes was found to have smaller biases and root mean square errors in the simulated precipitation, along with a realistic simulation of intraseasonal and interannual variability of precipitation. The results of this study will be useful to researchers and forecasters using the WRF model to improve the Indian summer monsoon simulations/forecasts over the Indian region.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the leading imaging technique for disease diagnostics. MRI contrast agents facilitate MRI technique to obtain tissue-specific image with improved sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. However, the applications of current MRI contrast agents are hampered by their uncontrolled blood circulation time, low relaxivity, and low specificity. To address such need, I have developed a series of analitical methods to determine and evaluate the strong metal binding affinity and metal selectivity of developed protein-based contrast agents (ProCAs). In addition, we have successed designed contrast agents ProCA3 series based on key determinats for metal binding sites and relaxivity. We have dementrated that one of the ProCA3 variants, ProCA32, has a high Gd affinity less than 10 M and high metal selectivity with relxivity of more than 30 mMs per Gd and 60 mMs per particle. Moreover, we have demonstrated that ProCA3 variants have proper blood circulation time, high relaxivity, high metal selectivity and low toxicity, which facilitate MR imaging of multiple organs, such as liver, kidney, and blood vessels, as well as tumors. ProCA32 is also able to image liver metastases a tumor size less than 0.25 mm, which is more than fourty times more sensitive than that of clinical diagnostics of liver metastases using MRI and our developed methodology. We have further created ProCA3 variants with targeting peptide moieties such as ProCA3.bomb or ProCA3.affi to against cancer biomarkers such as GRPR and HER2 with capability to imaging tumor biomarker expressions in vivo at molecular level. We have shown that ProCA3 has an excellent safety profile and pharmacokinetics for MRI in animals. With our additional effect in protein expression, modification, and scale up production of these developed protein contrast agents, ProCA3 is expected to be a promising MRI contrast for the diagnostics for disease, such as metastatic tumor and blood vessel abnormalities, and tumor biomarkers. INDEX WORDS: MRI contrast agent, Gadolinium, Melanoma, Tumor diagnostics, Liver metastasis, Relaxivities DESIGN OF NOVEL PROTEIN-BASED MRI CONTRAST AGERNETS WITH HIGH RELAXIVITY AND STABILTY FOR BIOMEDICAL IMAGING


Information Literacy is a recognised lifelong learning skill, and an expected graduate attribute. With the growth in distance provision of tertiary education it is important to acknowledge the barriers faced by distance students and the difficulties libraries face in delivering equivalent learning opportunities to students who are physically isolated from their institution. This paper outlines the importance of information literacy, the major barriers faced by distance students and makes suggestions as to how institutions and their libraries can better meet their learning needs.


Abstract: We find that local investors do better than foreigners in terms of trading execution. However foreign investors obtain better returns than local individuals both in short and long term. Local institutions are the best group on both dimensions. Our result reconcile apparent contradictions in the international finance literature on who invests better in an emerging market. These contradictions disappears with a more careful formulation of the research question at hand. The traditional Locals vs Foreigners or Institutions versus Individuals is too simplistic because it doesn't distinguish between the different dimensions of performance. Our study makes use of two unique databases of Colombian stocks and acts as out-of-sample test of previous findings. Moreover, we provide evidence that the better performance of Institutions and Foreigners is driven by information advantages.


In United States v. Jones, 132 S.Ct. 945 (2012), the Supreme Court restored the trespass test of Fourth Amendment law: Any government conduct that is a trespass onto persons, houses, papers, or effects is a Fourth Amendment 'search.' According to the Court, the trespass test had controlled the search inquiry before the reasonable expectation of privacy test was introduced in Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967). Although Katz had rejected the trespass test, Jones restored it. This essay examines the history of the Fourth Amendment search doctrine and reaches the surprising conclusion that the trespass test never existed. Pre-Katz decisions did not adopt a trespass test, and instead grappled with many of the same questions that the Court has focused on when applying the reasonable expectation of privacy test. The idea that trespass controlled before Katz turns out to be a myth of the Katz Court: Katz mischaracterized Fourth Amendment history to justify a break from prior precedent. Jones thus restores a test that never actually existed. The essay concludes by considering both the doctrinal and theoretical implications of the surprising history of the Fourth Amendment search doctrine.


A new gating strategy for concentric cities based on the notion of the macroscopic or network fundamental diagram and the feedback-based gating concept is introduced and successfully tested. Different regions of large-scale urban networks may experience congestion at different levels and times during the peak period. In this paper, the zone, including the initial core of congestion, is considered as the first region, which has to be protected from congestion via gating; eventually, as the congestion continues to expand, the border of an extended network part becomes the second perimeter for gating control. Remarkable extensions while distributing the ordered controller flow to the gated traffic signals in case of low demand or occurrence of spillback are also considered. A greater part of the San Francisco urban network is used as test-bed within a microscopic simulation environment. Significant improvements in terms of network-wide mean speed and average delay per kilometer are obtained compared to the single perimeter gating and non-gating simulation scenarios.


In this paper, a procedure for correlating electron microscope and light microscope cytochemical studies using immediately adjacent serial thin and thick sections has been described and discussed. This technique, combined with the Feulgen reaction for DNA, has been of particular value in framing and answering both general and specific questions about the nucleus. The results may be summarized as follows:— Apparent nuclear homogeneity in the electron microscope is not due to loss of DNA as evidenced by positive Feulgen reactions in such nuclei. Arrangement of Feulgen-positive material in chromosomes, heterochromatin, perinuclear and perinucleolar chromatin, etc., is similar to that customarily observed in the light microscope but this is not necessarily reflected in a cursory survey of the electron image. Careful comparison of light and electron images shows that fine differences in structure are associated with chromatin localization. Primary spermatocyte prophase chromosomes of crayfish have been positively identified by their Feulgen-positive nature. Core-like axial structures in such chromosomes have been observed (9) and are described further. A remarkable feature of spermiogenesis in the crayfish is an elaboration of the nuclear envelope of the spermatid accompanying the formation of what becomes a mass of convoluted membranes in the sperm. In the spermatid, perinuclear chromatin follows outpocketings of the nuclear envelope into the cytoplasm. In the early sperm, on the other hand, although the nuclear envelope is continuous with the system of convoluted membranes, the chromatin is distinct from it and is retained in the nucleus proper by some mechanism independent of the nuclear envelope. None of the above observations was apparent from the electron microscope images alone; they were possible only by virtue of the correlated cytochemical and electron microscope study of adjacent sections. The successful use of other cytochemical tests, such as the PAS reaction for certain carbohydrates, in such correlated studies is also described.


Self-assembled biomaterials are an important class of materials that can be injected and formed in situ. However, they often are not able to meet the mechanical properties necessary for many biological applications, losing mechanical properties at low strains. We synthesized hybrid hydrogels consisting of a poly(γ-glutamic acid) polymer network physically cross-linked via grafted self-assembling β-sheet peptides to provide non-covalent cross-linking through β-sheet assembly, reinforced with a polymer backbone to improve strain stability. By altering the β-sheet peptide graft density and concentration, we can tailor the mechanical properties of the hydrogels over an order of magnitude range of 10–200 kPa, which is in the region of many soft tissues. Also, due to the ability of the non-covalent β-sheet cross-links to reassemble, the hydrogels can self-heal after being strained to failure, in most cases recovering all of their original storage moduli. Using a combination of spectroscopic techniques, we were able to probe the secondary structure of the materials and verify the presence of β-sheets within the hybrid hydrogels. Since the polymer backbone requires less than a 15% functionalization of its repeating units with β-sheet peptides to form a hydrogel, it can easily be modified further to incorporate specific biological epitopes. This self-healing polymer−β-sheet peptide hybrid hydrogel with tailorable mechanical properties is a promising platform for future tissue-engineering scaffolds and biomedical applications.


The Dionisio Point site on Galiano Island, British Columbia has been the focus of previous research directed by Dr Colin Grier. This thesis builds upon Grier's excavation and analysis of House 2 at the site through a consideration of animal bone remains. These data are examined at several scales, beginning at the level of excavation units and moving toward a discussion of regional settlement patterns. Temporal trends in fauna within House 2 are visible at only a very fine level of analytical resolution. The nuanced nature of these changes suggests minimal variation in subsistence practice during the use of Dionisio Point. The diversity and scale of such activities are reduced following the abandonment of House 2, although their overall orientation remains very similar. When house inhabitation layers are combined, spatial patterning in faunal remains within the house is likewise observable only through fine-grained analysis. The absence of obvious patterns in the distribution of these spatial data is striking. This suggests that use of House 2 by its inhabitants was more contextual and subtly variable than originally proposed. Multiple lines of archaeological evidence indicate that the house was inhabited during the spring and summer and that Dionisio Point was likely the location of seasonal group aggregation. During the spring and summer months, family groups appear to have arrived at the site according to their individual seasonal routines. At times House 2 itself was inhabited by fewer groups than during the peak of summer aggregation. These yearly movements through the southern Strait of Georgia landscape encompassed a diverse range of activities and preferences. Archaeological evidence from fourteen further Strait ofGeorgia shell midden sites supports a significant degree of variation in site use. The indication is that social relationships were equally variable across a dialectical continuum of human interaction.


Using Stokes-vectors formalism, we present a simple model describing steady and dynamic characteristics of all-fiber Raman lasers. This model allows us to describe experimental behaviors that are not yet understood in Raman lasers. In lasers made with standard fibers we show theoretically that weak birefringence and the optical Kerr effect lead to the emergence of unstable regimes similar to those recently observed in experiments [Opt. Lett. 28, 2464 (2003)]. However, the model shows that lasers made with polarization-maintaining fibers are always stable, as evidenced in experiments.


The MAX phase family is a set of nanolaminated, hexagonal materials typically comprised of three elements: a transition metal (M), an A-group element (A), and carbon and/or nitrogen (X). In this thesis, first-principles based methods have been used to investigate the phase stability and physical properties of a number of MAX and MAX-like phases.Most theoretical work on MAX phase stability use the constraint of 0 K conditions, due to the very high computational cost of including temperature dependent effects such as lattice vibrations and electronic excitations for all relevant competing phases in the ternary or multinary chemical space. Despite this, previous predictions of the existence of new MAX phases have to a large extent been experimentally verified. In an attempt to provide a possible explanation for this consistency, and thus help strengthen the confidence in future predictions, we have calculated the temperature dependent phase stability of Tin+1AlCn, to date the most studied MAX phases. We show that both the electronic and vibrational contribution to the Gibbs free energies of the MAX phases are cancelled by the corresponding contributions to the Gibbs free energies of the competing phases. We further show that this is the case even when thermal expansion is considered.We have also investigated the stability of two hypothetical MAX-like phases, V2Ga2C and (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C, motivated by a search for ways to attain new two-dimensional MAX phase derivatives, so-called MXenes. We predict that it is possible to synthesize both phases. For x≤0.25, stability of (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C is indicated for both ordered and disordered solid solutions on the M sublattice. For x=0.5 and x≥0.75, stability is only indicated for disordered solutions. The ordered solutions are stable at temperatures below 1000 K, whereas stabilization of the disordered solutions requires temperatures of up to 2100 K, depending on the V concentration.Finally, we have investigated the electronic, vibrational, and magnetic properties of the recently synthesized MAX phase Mn2GaC. We show that the electronic band structure is anisotropic, and determine the bulk, shear, and Young's modulus to be 157, 93, and 233 GPa, respectively, and Poisson's ratio to be 0.25. We further predict the magnetic critical order-disorder temperature of Mn2GaC to be 660 K. We base the predictions on Monte Carlo simulations of a bilinear Heisenberg Hamiltonian constructed from magnetic exchange interaction parameters derived using two different supercell methods: the novel magnetic direct cluster averaging method (MDCA), and the Connolly-Williams method (CW). We conclude that CW is less computationally expensive than MDCA for chemically and topologically ordered phases such as Mn2GaC.


How do macro-financial shocks affect investor behavior and market dynamics? Recent evidence on experience effects suggests a long-lasting influence of personally experienced outcomes on investor beliefs and investment, but also significant differences across older and younger generations. We formalize experience-based learning in an OLG model, where different cross-cohort experiences generate persistent heterogeneity in beliefs, portfolio choices, and trade. The model allows us to characterize a novel link between investor demographics and the dependence of prices on past dividends, while also generating known features of asset prices, such as excess volatility and return predictability. The model produces new implications for the cross-section of asset holdings, trade volume, and investors' heterogenous responses to recent financial crises, which we show to be in line with the data.


This study investigates the acquisition of gender agreement marking in Polish noun phrases. It thus sheds light on the general acquisition of noun gender in Polish which, in most cases, can be predicted by the auslaut of the noun. Whether a child knows the gender of a given noun is indicated by his/her ability to produce gender marked attributive adjectives. To test this ability we elicited attributive adjectives in a group of 34 Polish-German children from age 2;11 to 6;5 with Polish as L1. We tested contexts with typically and atypically marked nouns, as well as with nonce words. With respect to correct markings, error rates and error types, we checked whether the children relied on the morphophonological clues of a given noun and/or whether they use a default strategy. Furthermore, we investigated the development of gender agreement marking. Our results show that (1) even at age six the development of gender agreement/marking is not yet completed, (2) the children use morphophonological as well as semantic clues to identify the gender of a given noun, and (3) the children over-apply feminine and masculine markings.


This article describes the practical challenges faced by instructors who must blend a faceto-face laboratory experience into a distance education course. This issue is discussed in the context of an ongoing kinesiology and health course that includes a mandatory physical activity laboratory experience. The challenges that have arisen around this mandatory laboratory experience over the six-year period that this course has been televised are identified and discussed. Resume


The nation's 95,000 small dams face many of the same problems as the rest of its infrastructure, but with less money available for repair. In response, the owners of small dams are finding inventive and budget-conscious ways of rehabilitating aging structures and getting more use out of them. Three case histories, developed from papers presented at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials 1992 annual conference in Baltimore, Md., show how engineers are fixing up the aging, earthen structures. At Fellows Lake, Springfield, Mo., City Utilities, the local power and water company, used removable concrete blocks to raise the spillway crest by 4 ft and add 1 billion gal. of reservoir capacity. Near Las Vegas, N.M., a team from Wright Water Engineers, Denver, Co., performed emergency temporary repairs on a concrete conduit that prevented a possible catastrophic failure and permitted the annual irrigation season to begin unhindered a week later. And in Cobb County, Ga., where encroaching downstream development meant the Reeves Lake Dam posed a possible threat to human life, Law Engineering, Atlanta, Ga., developed a seven-point plan to refurbish an overgrown dam and safely pass the design storm.


Background Since there is no cure for Huntington's disease (HD) yet the intention of all forms of treatment is to improve quality of life. All treatment must be individually tailored, as the symptoms and signs are different for each person and change over time. Music therapy (MT) recognises individual needs and can be adapted to meet them. The aim is to maintain function and provide opportunities for compensatory behaviour. In MT functional training can be combined with cognitive, emotional and communicative/relational approaches. Practice based evidence has shown that MT could be a suitable non-pharmacological intervention to improve quality of life in every stage. Aims This will be the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to study the efficacy of MT, to be executed in three different long care facilities in The Netherlands, specialised in HD. The aim is to determine whether MT can improve expressive and communicative skills, and if so, whether these improvements lead to behavioural change. Methods Sixty patients will be included and randomised: the experimental MT and the control group. The basic principle is to challenge expressive and communicative skills. Results The primary outcome measures are the Behaviour Observation Scale Huntington and the Problem Behaviour Assessment. Assessments will take place at baseline and will be repeated after session 8 and 16, and 3 months after the last intervention. Conclusions Music therapy is promising for improving QOL in HD, but not evidence based. This study aims to test it's effectiveness in a RCT.


"She's all my fancy painted her, she's lovely, she is light. She waltzes on the waves by day and rests with me at night. But I had nothing to do with her painting. The man who built her did that. And I commence with the canoe because that is about the first thing you need on entering the Northern Wilderness." Thus opened Nessmuk's first commissioned "letter" for Forest and Stream in 1880. For years thereafter, George Washington Sears, under the penname Nessmuk, contributed a glorious series of pieces on canoeing the Adirondacks, exploring rivers and streams, climbing the many mountains and peaks, and chronicling his long relationship with one of the greatest canoe builders, J. Henry Rushton.


Correlates of prosodic phrasing are examined in a comparative study between two languages, German and French. The material was elicited in a production experiment with 30 speakers of German and 20 speakers of French, who were asked to describe orally the spatial arrangement of toy animals on a table. Prosodic phrasing clearly correlates to syntactic structure in both languages, but tonal excursions correspond to pitch accents plus boundaries in German, and have a demarcative function in French. This difference is explained by the presence vs. absence of lexical stresses in the two languages. It is reflected in the position of tones, which are peripheral in the French prosodic phrases, but are associated with metrical heads in German, and also with final lengthening, which is systematic in French, but not in German. A final difference between the two languages is deaccenting, used in German, but not in French.


Hennissen et al . (2010) described a chitinozoan fauna from the Dawangou section in the Xinjiang region of China, an auxiliary Global Stratoype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Upper Ordovician Series. The fauna contained one new species, which they named Cyathochitina giraffa . Their paper was published in December 2010 (formally accepted 10 July 2010). However, Grahn & Nolvak (2010) had already published a paper in June of the same year, including a different new species that was also named Cyathochitina giraffa . According to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999, Art. 52.3.), the species Cyathochitina giraffa Grahn & Nolvak, 2010 is the senior homonym and, therefore, has nomenclatural priority. The species described by Hennissen et al . (2010) needs to be renamed. Here, we introduce a new name for this species: Cyathochitina cycnea nom. nov.

Incertae Sedis Group Chitinozoa Eisenack, 1931

Order Prosomatifera Eisenack, 1972

Family Lagenochitinidae Eisenack, 1931

Subfamily Cyathochitininae Paris, 1981

Genus Cyathochitina Eisenack, 1955 emend. Paris et al ., 1999

 Cyathochitina cycnea …


Bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics has led to the search for new therapeutic agents. With this aim, we have evaluated antimicrobial activity of extracts prepared from forty species of marine organisms belonging to different phyla and collected from Mandapam, south-east India, (916' N; 7912'E) and Kanyakumari coasts, south India, 84' N; 7734'°E. The extracts were screened against clinical isolates of bacteria including multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains and fungi. The sponge, Ectyobatzella enigmatica-extract was quite promising as bactericidal agent especially against MDR Streptococcus pyogenes and except for its ineffectiveness against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella sp. it was as effective as standard streptomycin against each of the bacteria tested. Besides E. enigmatica, Spongia officinalis and the echinoderm Pentaceraster affinis extracts also exhibited good activity against MDR strains of S. pyogenes and Acinetobacter sp. An unidentified ascidian extract effectively inhibited the growth of Shigella flexineri and the soft corals, Sinularia sp.(iii) and Sinularia kavarattiensis were weakly active against some of the bacteria tested . Both the sea grasses (Halodule sp. and Halophila ovalis) were antifungal but not anti-bactericidal. Follow up studies showed that except Ectyobatzella enigmatica where the activity was distributed in all the fractions, the activity of the other extracts were concentrated mainly in the low polar hexane and chloroform fractions. Among the 7 fungal pathogens used in the study, Fusarium sp. was sensitive at varying degrees to 12 marine extracts while 17 extracts were weakly fungicidal against Nocardia sp. The extracts were practically inactive towards the remaining fungal strains. The standard antibiotic (ketoconazole) used was moderately effective only against Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus niger.


The purpose of this paper is to show possibilities of modern game device such a Microsoft Kinect sensor for examinations in otoneurology. There are several traditional examinations, which can be revived for use in current medical practice. The aim of this study was to utilize skeleton tracking feature of the Microsoft Kinect sensor to monitor patients' movement to provide objective outputs from particular examination. The preliminary tests have shown that device is able to provide significant information that can be useful for implementation of Unterberger's and Hautant's test. Hautant's test has been subsequently programmed for laboratory experiments and in the course of this year the results will be discussed and tested in cooperation with specialists in otoneurology. The combination of Kinect sensor and future software application appear to be further applicable with possible benefits in practice. Using gaming equipment can greatly accelerate the development, because research does not need to focus on the development of hardware, but most efforts may be directed to the implementation of the particular objectives and results may be earlier deployed for practical tests and use. Great importance is also the price of the hardware. Due to the masses spread of the gaming industry the price is much lower than the equipment developed specifically for particular medicine examination. However, to enforce any new device into practical use in medicine is a complicated process and push the proposed solution, at least for screening tests will be a sufficient satisfaction.


A multitude of commentators has spoken against and written both articles and books condemning official-English and English-- only1 legislation as unwise,2 unconstitutional,3 racist,4 and divisive.5 Yet, even though few commentators support the constitutionality of English-only statutes,6 such legislation is on the rise, mostly through IMAGE FORMULA2 the ballot initiative process. "U.S. English," the Washington D.C.-- based sponsor of these laws,7 has gone from state to state collecting enough signatures to place English-only initiatives on state ballots. That scenario repeated itself in Utah in the November 2000 election. After the Utah state legislature refused to pass English-only statutes in 1997 and 1999,(8) "U.S. English" spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to get the measure on the Utah ballot in 2000.(9) The English-only initiative passed by approximately seventy percent.10 Alaska, in 1998, similarly passed a very restrictive English-only initiative.11 In the 1988 election, Arizona passed an English-only initiative amendment to the Arizona Constitution, similar in wording and in scope to the Utah and Alaska initiatives.12 The Arizona Amendment declared that English was the "language of the ballot, the public schools and all government functions and actions."13 The amendment required that unless one of the few enumerated exceptions applied, "[t]his State and all political subdivisions of this State shall act in English and in no other language."14 This prohibition on nonEnglish languages applied to "all government officials and employees during the performance of government business."15 Arizona's amendment was universally recognized as "by far the most restrictively worded official-English law to date."16 The IMAGE FORMULA4 amendment was declared unconstitutional: first by a federal district court," then by the Ninth Circuit,18 and finally in 1998 by the Arizona Supreme Court.19 All three courts found the amendment unconstitutional under the First Amendment as an abridgment of free speech. In contrast, many, and perhaps most, commentators who have argued that English-only statutes are unconstitutional have relied primarily on the Equal Protection Clause.20 Some have criticized the Ninth Circuit and Arizona courts for resting their English-only IMAGE FORMULA6 analysis on the First Amendment, stating that the courts should have invoked the Equal Protection Clause, rather than "dressing an equal protection analysis in First Amendment clothes."21 In spite of these criticisms, there are some good reasons for the courts to have avoided the Equal Protection Clause. First, under the Equal Protection Clause, a statute will likely be upheld as constitutional unless strict or intermediate scrutiny applies, neither of which is likely in the English-only context.22 Second, courts may be wary of creating an affirmative fundamental right to government services in a foreign language under the Equal Protection Clause.23 First Amendment doctrine allows a court to strike IMAGE FORMULA8 down an English-only provision as an impermissible restriction on speech without holding that language minorities have an enforceable, fundamental right to services in a foreign language.24 Finally, unless a statute facially discriminates against a suspect class, it is likely valid under the Equal Protection Clause unless the plaintiffs can prove that those who enacted the statute acted with an improper motive or intent to discriminate.25 By contrast, First Amendment analysis does not turn on motives. Consequently, the First Amendment has been the judicial doctrine of choice in striking down English-only statutes. Specifically, courts have found that restrictive English-only statutes abridge (1) the free speech rights of government employees; (2) the free speech rights of legislators and elected government officials; (3) the free speech rights of the recipients; and (4) the First Amendment rights of non-English-speaking citizens to petition their government for IMAGE FORMULA10 redress of grievances. …


Designing and optimizing traffic behavior and animation is a challenging problem of interest to virtual environment content generation and to urban planning and design. While some traffic simulation methods have appeared in computer graphics, most related systems focus on the design of buildings, roads, or cities but without explicitly considering urban traffic. To our knowledge, our work provides the first interactive approach which enables a designer to specify a desired vehicular traffic behavior (e.g., road occupancy, travel time, emissions, etc.) and the system will automatically compute what realistic 3D urban model (e.g., an interconnected network of roads, parcels, and buildings) yields the specified behavior. Our system both altered and improved traffic behavior in novel procedurally‐generated cities and in road networks of existing cities. Our urban models contain up to 360 km of roads, 300,000 vehicles, and typically cover four hours of simulated peak traffic time. The typical editing session time to "paint" a new traffic pattern and to compute the new/changed urban model is two to five minutes.


Jesus was more than just a supernatural figure, says William Phipps. He had much in common with teachers and shared many of the interests of rabbis, ethicists, philosophers, and satirists. Phipps provides evidence of this in his thought-provoking book and then gives a boarder perspective of Jesus, showing that he differed from the traditional ancient wisdom with his rejection of the ideas of female inferiority, nationalistic prejudices, and intolerance of the unlearned. Readers are presented with a view of Rabbi Jesus as the consummate master teacher with a keen sense of humor, whose central theme was love.


Purpose: To review systemic modifiable factors that might downregulate pathologic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and thereby reduce the risk of blindness in affected infants. Methods: Review of the author's clinical experience as compared to the STOP-ROP study, and discussion and literature review of the potential effects of oxygen supplementation, light adaptation state, and correction of severe anemia on the course of prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Results: Moderate oxygen supplementation, combined with light adaptation to reduce retinal oxygen consumption and correction of severe anemia, were associated, in the author's experience, with improvement in the clinical course of prethreshold ROP. Withdrawal of these measures was often associated with deterioration of ROP. Conclusion: Systemic measures can be taken that may reduce the risk of blindness in infants with prethreshold ROP. For those infants who require laser treatment for threshold ROP, prior efforts to moderate excessive levels of VEGF may improve the chances of a successful surgical result, by slowing the momentum of the disease.


This qualitative study examines the education policies, political dynamics, and key players in Wisconsin (WI) and North Carolina (NC) to develop a theory to explain how a targeted parental school choice voucher policy was legislated in WI but not in NC. The study seeks to offer a theoretical policy framework that explains the absence of a targeted parental school choice voucher policy in NC. Using Grounded Theory methods, this study examined the policies, politics, and players of WI in the years leading up to 1990 when the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program was legislated. The debate that took place is described through the lens of the six major controversial concepts found in the literature. The study reveals how the contentiously debated issues were overcome by the application of a policy framework that supported success. By contrast, the study explored the policymaking dynamics, the politics, and the players of NC to discover why no targeted parental school choice voucher debate has taken place and what level of controversy exists, if at all. This study used the generative and emergent processes of Grounded Theory through archival research, historical analysis, and personal interviews with a total of five identified and nine anonymous participants--including high level public officials--to systematically generate a theory about the absence of a targeted voucher policy in NC. The data analysis suggests that the social construction policy framework, as applied to both the dependent student population in Milwaukee and to the advantaged K-12 public school advocates in NC, provides a theoretical proposition to explain the absence of a targeted voucher policy in NC. Implications from the study's conclusions are that to attain successful school choice legislation advocates for parental school choice must recognize and work within the social construction policy framework. Their efforts should be directed at diminishing the advantaged status of K-12 public education advocates and constructing a targeted group of disadvantaged, dependent, and deserving students to be assigned the benefits of parental school choice vouchers. With a targeted population in place--either the disadvantaged and poor, mostly minority students of NC's inner cities and rural areas, or the students with disabilities population--the strength of an advocacy coalition, and striking at the "window of opportunity," the parental school choice advocates will improve the chances for success.


This paper addresses the question of whether incumbents can buy political support through targeted public spending. Using a regression discontinuity approach which takes advantage of the quasi-experimental design of a recent Romanian government program that distributed coupons worth 200 Euros to poor families towards the purchase of a computer, we find that program beneficiaries were significantly more likely to support the parties of the incumbent governing coalition. These effects occurred both through higher political mobilization and through party-switching. The paper also analyzes the drivers of such political gains and we find that program beneficiaries did not trust either the central government or the governing parties any more than the control group. Instead, it appears that local governments reaped the benefits of increased trust, and the political support for incumbent parties occurred mostly in towns where the local government was controlled by one of the parties of the national ruling coalition.


We study the relation of financial development and the pace of technological advance in a dynamic agency theoretic model. A firm which is financed by outside shareholders but run by managers has the prospect of a process innovation which arrives stochastically. Adopting the innovation requires firing old management and hiring new with skills appropriate for the new technique. We show that subgame perfect equilibria in this game can be of two types. In entrenchment equilibrium once the new techniques has been announced old style management raises their dividend payout sufficiently to pre-empt the innovation. In maximum rent extraction equilibrium managers are unable or unwilling to match the impending productivity improvement and instead respond by increasing their perquisites for the remaining time of their tenure. We show that both equilibria involve several types of inefficiencies and can result in underinvestment in positive NPV projects. We discuss the role of financial innovation in reducing the inefficiencies identified.


Glycogen storage disease type 1a (GSD 1a) is caused by a deficiency in microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). A variant (GSD 1b) is caused by a defect in the transport of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) into the microsome and is associated with chronic neutropenia and neutrophil dysfunction. Mutually exclusive mutations in the G6Pase gene and the G6P transport gene establish GSD 1a and GSD 1b as independent molecular processes and are consistent with a multicomponent translocase catalytic model. A modified translocase/catalytic unit model based on biochemical data in a G6Pase knockout mouse has also been proposed for G6Pase catalysis. This model suggests coupling of G6Pase activity and G6P transport. A 5-mo-old girl with hypoglycemia, hepatomegaly, and lactic acidemia was diagnosed with GSD 1a. She also developed neutropenia, neutrophil dysfunction, and recurrent infections characteristic of GSD 1b. Homozygous G188R mutations of the G6Pase gene were identified, but no mutations in the G6P translocase gene were found. We have subsequently identified a sibling and two unrelated patients with similar genotypic/phenotypic characteristics. The unusual association of neutrophil abnormalities in patients with homozygous G188R mutations in the G6Pase gene supports a modified translocase/catalytic unit model.


The IEA EBC Annex 72 focuses on the assessment of the primary energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts of buildings during production, construction, use (including repair and replacement) and end of life (dismantling), i.e. during the entire life cycle of buildings. In one of its activities, reference buildings (size, materialisation, operational energy demand, etc.) were defined on which the existing national assessment methods are applied using national (if available) databases and (national/regional) approaches. The "be2226" office building in Lustenau, Austria was selected as one of the reference buildings. TU Graz established a BIM model and quantified the amount of building elements as well as construction materials required and the operational energy demand. The building assessment was carried out using the same material and energy demand but applying the LCA approach used in the different countries represented by the participating Annex experts. The results of these assessments are compared in view of identifying major discrepancies. Preliminary findings show that the greenhouse gas emissions per kg of building material differ up to a factor of two and more. Major differences in the building assessments are observed in the transports to the construction site (imports) and the construction activities as well as in the greenhouse gas emissions of the operational energy demand (electricity). The experts document their practical difficulties and how they overcame them. The results of this activity are used to better target harmonisation efforts.


This interdisciplinary volume of thirty original essays engages with four key concerns of queer theoretical work – identity, discourse, normativity and relationality.

A combination of distinguished and emerging scholars from a wide range of international locations, put the terms 'queer' and 'theory' under interrogation in and effort to map the relations and disjunctions between them. These contributors are especially attendant to the many theoretical discourses intersecting with queer theory – feminist theory, LGBT studies, postcolonial theory, psychoanalysis, disability studies, Marxism, poststructuralism, critical race studies and posthumanism to name a few.

This Companion provides an up to the minute snapshot of queer scholarship from the past two decades, identifies many current directions queer theorizing is taking, while also signposts several fruitful avenues for future research. This book is both an invaluable and authoritative resource for scholars and an indispensable teaching tool for use in the classroom.

Contents: Introduction: the ''q'' word, Noreen Giffney; Section 1 Identity: On being post-normal: heterosexuality after queer theory, Calvin Thomas; Why 5 sexes are not enough, Iain Morland; ''The scholars formerly known as …'': bisexuality, queerness and identity politics, Jonathan Alexander and Karen Yescavage; The curious persistence of lesbian studies, Linda Garber; ''Making it like a drag king'': female-to-male masculinity and the culture of boyhood, Bobby Noble; Phenomenology, embodiment and the political efficacy of contingent identity claims, Annabelle Willox; Queer posthumanism: cyborgs, animals, monsters, perverts, Patricia MacCormack. Section 2 Discourse: Queering, cripping, Todd R. Ramlow; Generic definitions: taxonomies of identity in AIDS discourse, Meredith Raimondo; Rethinking the place of queer and the erotic within geographies of sexualities, Jon Binnie; ''To play the sodomits'': a query in 5 actions, Garrett P.J. Epp; Queer but classless, Yvette Taylor; Queer-in the sociology of sport, Jayne Caudwell; ''Things that have the potential to go terribly wrong'': homosexuality, paedophilia and the Kincora Boys'' Home scandal, Margot Gayle Backus. Section 3 Normativity: Queer theory goes to Taiwan, Song Hwee Lim; Queer theory meets archaeology: disrupting epistemological privilege and heteronormativity in constructing the past, Thomas Dowson; ''A queer case of judicial diversity'': sexuality, law and judicial studies, Les Moran; Queerying lesbian and gay psychology''s ''coming of age'': was the past just kid stuff?, Peter Hegarty; ''Nothing to hide … nothing to fear'': discriminatory surveillance and queer visibility in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Kathryn Conrad; Biologically queer, Myra J. Hird; The new queer cartoon, Noreen Giffney; post-queer considerations, David V. Ruffolo. Section 4 Relationality: Intimate counter-normativities: a queer analysis of personal life in the early 21st century, Sasha Roseneil; Queer middle ages, Steven F. Kruger; ''Smacking my bitch up'' - queer or what?, Nikki Sullivan; ''Quare'' studies, or (almost) everything I know about queer studies I learned from my grandmother, E. Patrick Johnson; ''A strange perversity'': bringing out desire between women in Frankenstein, Mair Rigby; Sex and the lubricative ethic, Dinesh Wadiwel; All Foucault and no knickers? Assessing claims for a queer-political erotics, Tamsin Wilton.


Recent legislation has reinvigorated the scholarly debate over the proper relationship between Congress and the federal courts in matters of federal-court jurisdiction. The traditional view of jurisdiction-stripping is that Congress has virtually plenary power to determine the jurisdiction of the federal courts. Others have argued that there are substantial limits on Congress's authority to deprive the federal courts of jurisdiction over certain matters. A similar debate has raged over the obligation of federal courts to exercise jurisdiction that Congress ostensibly has conferred. Since the debate over Congress's role in crafting a jurisdictional regime last flared in full force, textualism has been ascendant as a methodology for interpreting statutes, and has had a profound impact on the way that judges - textualists and non-textualists alike - read statutes. The rise of textualism provides an important opportunity to update the long-standing debate over the proper roles of Congress and the courts in matters of federal-court jurisdiction. Like the debate over congressional control of the federal jurisdictional regime, textualism is largely about the judicial role in a democracy. Textualists argue that their methodology recognizes the properly limited judicial role, and they insist that judges must be faithful agents of the legislature, guided by the plain meaning of statutory text. To the extent that textualism has had a significant impact on judicial decision-making, particularly by the Supreme Court, we might expect to see a move towards strict interpretation of jurisdictional statutes, and a vindication, at least as a descriptive matter, for the strong congressional-control models. After all, if the textualist judge is supposed to act as a faithful agent of Congress, following the plain meaning of statutory text, then when Congress plainly withdraws jurisdiction, faithfully textualist judges can be expected to decline to exercise authority; and if Congress confers jurisdiction without qualification, then we might expect textualist judges to eschew arguments for implicit exceptions to the exercise of jurisdiction. In practice, however, textualism has been applied somewhat unevenly to jurisdictional statutes. Although the Court's textualists have strictly read statutes that purport to divest the federal courts of jurisdiction, they have not been as consistent in applying textualism to statutes that appear, based on their plain language, to confer expansive grants of jurisdiction. Textualism's goal to limit the judicial role in a democratic society is advanced by strict interpretations of statutes purporting to divest the courts of jurisdiction. But when Congress appears to confer broad grants of authority - such as in the general federal-question statute - being a truly faithful agent based on statutory language will result in a more robust judicial role than some textualists might otherwise prefer. The treatment by the Court's textualists of jurisdictional statutes suggests that the textualists' urge to constrain judicial power has sometimes trumped the textualists' demand that courts act as faithful agents of Congress by considering only the plain meaning of statutory language in deciphering Congress's instructions. This has implications both for textualism and for the larger question of the proper relationship between Congress and the courts in crafting a jurisdictional regime. It should force textualists to defend their approach more explicitly as a device for constraining judicial authority, and perhaps less as the optimal means for implementing a theory of faithful agency in statutory interpretation. And it suggests that, at least as a positive matter, the strong congressional-control models of federal jurisdiction have not yet fully prevailed, at least with respect to the question of the courts' authority to decline to exercise jurisdiction that Congress ostensibly has granted.


Issues Around Aligning Theory, Research and Practice in Social Work Education provides a reflection on social work education with a slant towards an Afrocentric approach, aiming to facilitate strong reflective thinking and to address local realities about social work education on the African continent as well as in broader global contexts. This volume focuses on issues around aligning theory, research and practice in social work education. A significant contribution is made here to the scholarly understanding of opportunities to sustain the academic discourse on social work education. Social work as a profession and a social science discipline is dynamic, and it ought to meet the challenges of the realities of the societies in which it serves, given the history of the changing society of South Africa from apartheid to democracy. Over the years, social work education and training has undergone tremendous curricular changes with the enactment of the White Paper for Social Welfare and the national review, respectively, by the South African Council for Social Services Professions (SACSSP) and the Council on Higher Education (CHE) for the re-accreditation of all Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programmes in South Africa fulfilling the prescripts of the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of 1997, as amended) and Social Service Professions Act (No. 110 of 1978). It is worth mentioning that the curricular changes will also continue with the current reviewing of Social Service Professions Act (No. 110 of 1978), as amended, which is underway in South Africa. This book is really ground-breaking! The Afrocentric perspective on social work practice contributes to the current discourse on decolonisation of social work teaching and practice. From a methodological perspective, the book is premised on multi-, inter- and trans-disciplining in social sciences. It covers aspects of social work education and practice through research (narrative, qualitative, African methodology, secondary data analysis, etc.), engendering values and ethics, report writing, supervision in fieldwork as well as exchange programmes and international service-learning, addressing a number of concepts such as cultural competency, cultural awareness and sensitivity are addressed.


1. The effect of lung deflation was studied during treatment of patients for spontaneous pneumothorax: (a) in four patients acute lung deflation was produced by opening the chest drain to the atmosphere and the immediate effect on breathing was observed and (b) breath-holding time and the ventilatory response to CO 2 were determined on admission to hospital and after recovery in a further four patients. 2. Allowing one lung to deflate suddenly produced an immediate increase in respiratory rate and electrical activity in inspiratory muscles. 3. Maximum breath-holding times were always decreased by pneumothorax. 4. In the presence of pneumothorax, the ventilatory response to rebreathing CO 2 was increased at the break point, the respiratory rate was increased and the P co 2 at the breakpoint decreased in three out of four patients. 5. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that lung deflation has a reflex excitatory effect on breathing (Hering—Breuer deflation reflex). If this hypothesis is correct, it would appear that the threshold for the reflex is higher than for other mammalian species.


MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.


The present paper analyzes the perceptions of the bank's customer regarding ebanking services.The survey was conducted in Ludhiana district of Punjab in October, 2020. The customers of almost all the bank groups exhibit their perceptions in favour of edelivery channels. Among all the e-delivery channels ATM is the most preferred e-delivery channel. Age-wise, upto 25 and 35-45 age groups more preferred e-delivery channels. Similarly professionals more preferred e-services. Chi-sq test used to know difference in the opinion of the three bank group's customers. The paper concludes suggesting some strategies to enhance the e-banking services.


The upper and the lower epidermises of Artemisia abrotanum introduced in Zhytomyr Polissya are covered with cuticle. The leaf blades are amphistomatic, with oval anomocytic stomata. On adaxial and abaxial epidermal surfaces present indumentary trichomes of various types. In particular, there are located oval multi-cellular glandular trichomes, which are typical for Asteraceae. Secretory tissues of internal secretion are represented by essential oil containers. Leaf blade of A. abrotanum has isobilateral structure with collateral vascular bundles. A. abrotanum reveals certain xeromorphic traits: small and compact leaves, presence of covering trichomes, more developed palisade parenchyma in comparison with spongy one, and thick walls of epidermal cells. Investigated secretory structures and non-glandular trichomes are considered taxonomical characters and can be applied for identification of pharmaceutical raw material of A. abrotanum.


The fundamental assumption of the contingent valuation method (CYM) is that responses to CY questionnaires may be interpreted as expressions of consumer preferences. The consumer preference interpretation has been challenged in recent papers arguing that willingness to pay for wildlife preservation is generated, at least in part, by ethical concerns, rather than by a view that wildlife preservation will yield any benefit to individual respondents. Some further evidence bearing upon these questions is derived from a study of forest management in Australia undertaken by the Resource Assessment Commission (RAC). The evidence supports the interpretation that respondents are acting primarily as citizens.


In China, the private sector may make healthcare markets more competitive, thereby improving affordability, increasing the supply and quality of healthcare services and improving the accessibility to healthcare. It can also improve financial coverage via private health insurance, as a substitute or complement to government plans. However, strict regulation, insurance designation bias against private hospitals, insufficient risk-management capacity and crowding out by social health insurance have hampered private sector involvement in health services production and insurance. We argue that the best option at China's current state of development may be a compromise model in which competing private providers are given an important role, but in which the government intervenes in such a way as to attain both a high degree of equity of access to healthcare, and to avoid the most significant forms of 'market failure' in an unregulated private system.


The aim of this study is to determine the relationships of yield-capacity-risk in a multiple reservoir system. In this study, yield, capacity and risk have been defined as the average energy production, storage volume of reservoir and obtaining the same yield with lower capacity, respectively. Then, an optimization model using dynamic programming with successive approximations (DPSA) for a multi-reservoir system for energy production has been developed. The objective function used in the model has the objective of the maximization of the total energy. A multi-reservoir system in the Munzur River Basin of Turkey has been selected for the application. The results of the proposed approach have been evaluated with regard to relationships of yield-capacity-risk. As a result, the capacity was increased when the yield was raised, and the same yield has been obtained in a different capacity by reducing the capacity under a certain yield risk. The yield risk has been raised in the direction of the yield coordinate of the yield-capacity-yield risk curve.


This study of Durkheim seeks to help the reader to achieve a historical understanding of his ideas and to form critical judgments about their value. To some extent these tow aims are contradictory. On the one hand, one seeks to understand: what did Durkheim really mean, how did he see the world, how did his ideas related to one another and how did they develop, how did they related to their biographical and historical context, how were they received, what influence did they have and to what criticism were they subjected, what was it like not to make certain distinctions, not to see certain errors, of fact or of logic, not to know what has subsequently become known? On the other hand, one seeks to assess: how valuable and how valid are the ideas, to what fruitful insights and explanations do they lead, how do they stand up to analysis and to the evidence, what is their present value? Yet it seems that it is only by inducing oneself not to see and only by seeing them that one can make a critical assessment. The only solution is to pursue both aimsseeing and not seeingsimultaneously. More particularly, this book has the primary object of achieving that sympathetic understanding without which no adequate critical assessment is possible. It is a study in intellectual history which is also intended as a contribution to sociological theory. "


This paper provides a review of decisional balance (DB) and proposes strategies for improving DB measurement with respect to alcohol interventions for college students. Although existing alcohol interventions for college drinking are widely available, many undergraduates do not perceive any need to change their drinking. Intervention strategies that encourage students to consciously consider reasons for changing problem behaviors and resolve ambivalence may provide unique benefit. The DB and alcohol literature suggest; 1) a relationship exists between DB and motivation to change (MTC); 2) the decisional balance proportion (DBP) represents a promising new way to conceptualize MTC; and 3) while the DBP is a step forward in DB measurement, it can be improved. Alternative strategies proposed for improving the DBP include; 1) a weighted DBP, which may increase predictive ability and provide a closer approximation of an individual's MTC compared to the original DBP; 2) a coded DBP, which may allow for identification of common reasons why college students choose to drink or not drink; and 3) personalized DBP feedback, which may increase intervention efficacy by further highlighting the discrepancy between behaviors and goals. These strategies can be applied separately or in conjunction, and represent a potentially promising new avenue for DB research.


Sanskrit is better known for its antiquity and profundity than for its ability to attract undergraduates, so Sanskrit classes in Western universities have always been small. Yet as universities find themselves squeezed for funding, few can afford to offer courses that routinely attract low numbers, and many have already closed their doors to would-be Sanskrit students. At the Australian National University, however, enrolments are increasing because of our use of educational technologies to provide flexible delivery of Sanskrit teaching. With texts, audio resources and video-recorded lectures available online, and face-to-face tutorials presented through video-conferencing, Australian students can now benefit from high quality, accredited undergraduate courses in Sanskrit regardless of where they live. Two years after introducing flexible delivery, Sanskrit enrolments have doubled, students are thriving, and accountants are being held at bay. The future also looks bright, with a promise of substantial growth in enrolments nationally and even internationally. Surprisingly, the greatest obstacles to the introduction of flexible delivery have not been technological, but administrative. Through examining the experiences of lecturer and students, this paper discusses the pros and cons of flexible delivery of a small enrolment language for the university sector.


Abstract. A unique set of maps and plans, showing in detail the Jewish settlement in the Czech Republic originating from the first half of the 18. century, was compiled and expertly handled by researchers of the Czech National Archives. The set consist of 98 plans and sketches produced on the basis of the Imperial Translocation Rescripts (1726). All maps and sketches have been produced within one year 1727 and depicted small towns and villages in some cases already extinct. During research large data base file was created with the aim of spatial identification of individual maps and plans, and objects that appear on them. In cooperation with the VÚGTK application has been developed to publish this unique map set through the Web application. The application allows viewing individual maps including the preserved archive materials, their overlap with other major cartographic sources, mainly with the Index Sketches of the Stable Cadastre dating from the first half of the 19th century. (The Index Sketches of the Stable Cadastre was one of the main sources used in the professional processing and spatial identification of individual maps.) The application also allows comparing with the current cartographic materials (aerial imagery, nowadays maps, GIS data etc.) The benefit of application is not only for research of Jewish settlement development in the Czech Republic but also for other research like urban planning and development of the countryside and its settlements.


Digital games are rich learning environments that require players to engage with challenging situations in order to progress. Recent research indicates that game-play involves overcoming breakdowns and achieving breakthroughs in relation to player action, understanding and involvement. In particular, breakthroughs involve moments of insight where learning occurs which, in turn, can help increase involvement. However, little is known about how players actually achieve breakthroughs. We applied the breakdown/breakthrough "lens" to explore how players attempt to achieve breakthroughs in relation to two single player games. We identified a finite number of strategies that illustrate how players learn in games. These strategies are considered in relation to producing playable and engaging games.


Epigenetic regulation through the methylation of genomic cytosine nucleotides is a crucial component in the regulation of gene expression. DNA methylation in mammalian genomes serves as an important modulator of when and where a gene should be expressed, by primarily targeting 5′‐CpG‐3′ dinucleotides which have been associated with gene regulatory sites, including promoter sequences. Food deprivation in mammals is associated with increases in reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), an inactive form of the metabolism driving thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), as a direct consequence of increases in the expression of the gene deiodinase type 3 (DI3). However, in prolong‐fasted, metabolically active elephant seal pups, cellular thyroid hormone‐mediated components are up‐regulated with fasting duration, while rT3 levels remain low. To address our hypothesis that methylation status of DI3 contributes to the silencing of a gene that would otherwise be expressed under such physiological conditions, we infused early fasted pups with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), extracted and treated genomic DNA with sodium bisulfite in an effort to detect and quantify 5‐methylcytosine (5mCs) at single base‐pair resolution. In reference to the genomic sequence of DI3 in elephant seals, prior to infusion with TSH, there is 50% methylation of 15/30 CpG sites in adipose tissue. Twenty‐four hours post infusion with TSH, the degree of methylation of DI3 increases to 93%, with methylation observed in 27/29 CpG sites. Moreover, in muscle, methylation reaches 90%, with 26/29 CpG sites being methylated at only 60 minutes post‐infusion with TSH, suggesting a tissue specific sensitivity. Aside from providing an initial and novel assessment of methylation regulation and status in elephant seals, the data demonstrates a unique adaptation to a methylation pattern where the compacted chromatin structure of DI3 plays a crucial role in suppressing the normal physiological response to fasting otherwise present in most mammals.


Global warming is becoming an increasingly prominent issue. It is commonly disputed whether electronics and the radiation they emit are harmful towards the growth of organisms. As this cannot be tested on a human, we chose plants which are a key element of Earth. To be specific, this research was conducted on basil plants. The purpose of this experiment is to find out if electromagnetic (EM) radiation from electronics affects plant growth. After experimentation, it can be concluded that EM radiation did affect basil plant growth. The plants exposed to EM radiation were taller, thinner, and a much lighter shade of green compared to the unexposed plants. With the help of this experiment, the effects of EM radiation on the growth of organisms can be seen and studied. Further study is necessary to determine if the EM radiation affected the plants on a molecular level, as well as understand how they adapt or if they die. This research can be used to determine the potential detrimental effects that electronics can have on living organisms and the environment to eventually help create a solution to reduce or eliminate this harm.


Spate irrigation is a complex and unique form of water management, which represent the main source of irrigation water in semi-arid river catchments. Water is diverted from seasonal rivers by using diversion structures made by stones, earth and brushwood, located within the river bed. The modernisation of spate irrigation realised in Raya Valley (northern Ethiopia) resulted in disappointing performances. One of the main reasons for this failure was the poor consideration of the characteristics of seasonal catchments and local communities' needs and preferences. Local farmers, who showed a deep knowledge of the river system, were involved only at the level of consultation. The aim of this research was to develop a participatory Diagnostic Analysis (DA) for a traditional non-modernised spate irrigation system in Raya Valley, in order to involve local farmers within the development process, and to build a solid knowledge basis for effective improvements. A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) of the Harosha spate irrigation system was undertaken. PRA techniques focusing on spatial, temporal, socio-economical and spatiotemporal aspects of the system were performed with local farmers in order to identify and rank main problems and constraints to development. Farmers recognised the need of more resistant diversion structures and gabion walls for the stabilisation of the river bank. The involvement of farmers also helped to highlight that not only irrigation-related problems, but also flood-related problems threaten agricultural production and rural livelihoods. Rather than an irrigation system approach, an approach integrating irrigation development and flood risk mitigation is suggested for framing future development strategies.


The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment systems (WWTS) in three different districts (Kolkata, Howra and Hugli) in West Bengal, India. Performance of these wastewater treatment plants are essential parameter to be monitored as the treated effluent is discharged into River Ganga which is the National River of India. The performance evaluation will also help for the better understanding of design and operating difficulties in wastewater treatment plants. The performance evaluation was done on the basis of removal efficiency of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Coliform (TC) and Fecal Coliform (FC). The performance of prevailing oxidation pond and activated sludge process type was good in terms of BOD, COD and TSS removal. Even though the removal efficiency of total and fecal coliform was high (85-98%), none of the plants meet the coliform discharge standards because of the high incoming TC and FC.


This is a very significant publication. If it's dangerous falsely to concretise religion and religions, it's no less so non-religious and atheism. Similarly, it's arbitrary to exclude any engagement with atheisms from inter-religious dialogue or to characterise humanism as necessarily anti-religious. By contrast this book brings Religion and Atheism together into the same room in a common universe which is their shared home. They may be mutually challenging, but categorically, in their respective preoccupations with questions of human meaning, they show a degree of shared intimacy which is remarkable. The book is edited by Anthony Carroll of Heythrop, in Jesuit guise, and Richard Norman from Kent, kitted as a Humanist philosopher. In its background shaping it also owes much to Brian Pearce, renowned as the enabler of the Inter Faith Network, and here in the Foreword identifying questions at the heart of both the book and ongoing challenge. The two editors are joined by 19 others in producing individual chapters. Their perspectives are diverse ranging across literature and poetry, continental European philosophy past and present, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, medical and political sciences, Humanisms and secularity.


This paper describes techniques for finding narrative elements in the archived email of a scholar. The goal is to test a narrative approach to searching using a 15-year email archive containing nearly 45,000 messages belonging to University of Maryland Professor Ben Shneiderman and ranging from 1984-1998. The goal is not to find complete narratives (although, many do exist) but to search for narrative elements, the building blocks that make up a narrative. Thus, narrative search is defined as both a set of search techniques and a way of thinking like a storyteller that allows designers and users to uncover narrative elements. We argue that narrative search is a promising strategy that can be productively applied to other email archives. This paper makes a contribution to HCI by showing that a narrative approach to search can be productive and compelling. By encouraging designers (and users) to think like storytellers, we can create robust interfaces that help users make narrative sense out of overwhelming amounts of messages.


Local space-time features capture local events in video and can be adapted to the size, the frequency and the velocity of moving patterns. In this paper, we demonstrate how such features can be used for recognizing complex motion patterns. We construct video representations in terms of local space-time features and integrate such representations with SVM classification schemes for recognition. For the purpose of evaluation we introduce a new video database containing 2391 sequences of six human actions performed by 25 people in four different scenarios. The presented results of action recognition justify the proposed method and demonstrate its advantage compared to other relative approaches for action recognition.


The Gran Desierto dune field is only partially composed of quartz-rich sands from the ancestral Colorado River. Local sources have been previously underestimated as a major source of sand because previous remote-sensing studies were limited in their capability to detect silicate minerals. Compositions of sands were evaluated in this study using a combination of laboratory thermal emission spectroscopy and thermal remote-sensing data acquired from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument. The spatial interpolation of sample compositions allowed visualization of the sand transport pathways from feldspar-rich local sources by revealing gradients of composition between the dune field and surrounding local sources. The laboratory data were comparable to the remote-sensing retrievals of quartz and feldspar abundance. The mineralogical maturity of the Desierto dunes could be determined by the quartz/feldspar ratio, therefore providing a context for understanding the provenance of the Gran Desierto in relation to other Mojave and Sonoran dune fields. The composition of a previously undescribed group of dunes east of the Pinacate, the Sonoyta dunes, was measured as higher in potassium feldspar relative to the rest of the dune field. The composition of Sonoyta dunes is characteristic of other Mojave dune fields, which are more isolated near local feldspar-rich sources. South of the Pinacate, quartz-rich sand from the west admixes with feldspar-rich sand from the Sonoyta dunes to the east. The northern margin of the Gran Desierto is similarly enriched in feldspar from alluvial fans, and the coastal sand is influenced by carbonate sand that does not appear to survive transport to the inland dunes.


This book represents the second, fully revised edition of the original volume published in 1982. Experience in neuroradiology has confirmed the outstanding value of computed tomography (CT) for the diagnosis of space-occupying lesions within the skull and orbit. It might be assumed, then, that the second edition of this book would simply represent a numerically expanded continua tion of the popular first edition. That is not the case, however. Advances in imaging techniques have promp ted the creation of a new book whose expanded title reflects its more comprehen sive nature. The added illustrations, the revised text, and the expanded circle of editors and contributors document this. Since publication of the first edition, a new modality, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has become an established neuroradiologic study. We felt it was essential to include this new modality in our book and explore its capabilities as an adjunct or alternative to CT scanning. Because of the high acquisition costs of MRI and the still small number of MR units currently in operation, we have relied in part on images furnished by other institutions and private practitioners, to whom we are indebted. Many problems relating to MR, both in terms of equipment and image interpretation, have yet to be resolved. There is no denying that we still have much to learn."


This paper uses regional panel data to investigate the mechanism whereby foreign direct investment (FDI) has contributed to China's regional development through quantifying regional marketization levels. It is found that FDI inflow generates a demonstration effect in identifying regional market conditions for investment in fixed assets and hence affects industrial location. In addition, its effects on regional export and regional income growth have varied across east, central and west China since the second half of the 1990s, depending on differences in FDI orientation between different regions. In east China, geographical advantage in exports attracts FDI inflow and FDI promotes exports. In addition, the rise of the FDI-GDP ratio increases east China's share in national industrial value added. These effects contribute positively to regional income growth in east China although there is a direct crowding-out effect between FDI and domestic investment (as input) in growth. In contrast, the negative impact of FDI inflow on regional export orientation in central China weakens its contribution to regional income growth. Furthermore, the contribution of the improvement in the market mechanism to regional development is evidenced in attracting FDI, in promoting export and directly contributing to regional income growth. Copyright (c) 2007 The Author Journal compilation (c) 2007 The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.


Cells in almost all eukaryotes ranging from yeast to humans contain membrane-enclosed compartments called organelles. To survive and proliferate, cells must communicate signals within themselves and with their environment and this is achieved through membrane trafficking. It involves generation of a vesicle carrying specific soluble or membrane-anchored cargo from a precursor membrane, transport of the vesicle to its destination and ultimately fusion of the vesicle with the target membrane. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor Attachment protein Receptors (SNAREs) have been identified as key components of membrane fusion in the endomembrane system. SNARE proteins typically consist of a single transmembrane domain at the carboxy terminal and a coiled-coil SNARE domain and are designated as Qa, Qb, Qc and R depending upon the presence of a Glutamine or Arginine residue at a conserved position in the SNARE domain. A critical intermediate in the membrane fusion pathway is the trans-SNARE complex generated by the assembly of SNAREs residing in opposing membrane compartments destined to fuse. Mechanistic details of trans-SNARE complex formation and topology in a physiological system remain largely unresolved. This study on native yeast vacuoles revealed that SNAREs alone are insufficient to form trans-SNARE complexes and that additional factors, potentially tethering complexes and Rab GTPases, are required for the process. HOmotypic fusion and vacuole Protein Sorting (HOPS) is a tethering complex that is known to function in endosome to vacuole/lysosome transport and is well conserved across multiple species. Ypt7 is the Rab7 homolog in yeast that coordinates endolysosomal trafficking. I found that the HOPS complex exists as a dimer on the surface of yeast vacuoles. I report a new finding that a HOPS tethering complex dimer catalyzes Ypt7-dependent formation of a topologically preferred QbQcR-Qa trans-SNARE complex in yeast vacuole fusion.


Despite increasing interest in understanding patterns of criminal behavior over the life course and, especially, desistance from crime, evidence about the predictors of these experiences has been derived only from samples of male offenders. We evaluate whether there are gender differences in the predictors of both self-reported illegal earnings and arrest among samples of recently released male and female offenders. Our analysis of gender differences illustrates how both the behavior of the offender and the behavior of law shape our understanding of the transition out of crime. We analyze event history data from a large-scale social experiment that provided employment to male and female offenders. The results indicate that (1) gender differences in the predictors of desistance largely depend on the domain of behavior under consideration; (2) indicators of normative status, as opposed to the perceived risks of crime or age-graded informal controls, are particularly important determinants of women's risks of rearrest. Scholars have long known that to understand crime we must study both the behaviors of individuals and the behavior or law. Yet, perhaps because of controversies surrounding career and life-course perspectives of crime, offender behavior, or more specifically male offender behavior, has taken center stage. The failure to address how legal responses to offenders shape our understanding of crime is particularly evident in the emerging desistance research. There are at least two definitions of desistance: (1) behavioral desistance, or the transition from criminal to noncriminal conduct; and (2) official desistance, or desistance in the eyes of the law. To study behavioral desistance one need only examine the internal and external controls (e.g., commitment to work, risk of criminal sanction) relevant to offenders' lives to understand reoffense patterns (see, e.g., Piliavin, Gartner, & Thornton 1986; Sampson & Laub 1992, 1993; Shover & Thompson 1992). The influence of offender attributes on official desistance, however, has been virtually ignored despite abundant data indicating that such characteristics as sex, age, and social class affect arrest decisions (Bittner 1967; Black 1980; Visher 1983; Smith 1987; Gartner & Piliavin 1988). Scholars have yet to examine, then, how both individual and legal behaviors shape our understanding of men's and women's desistance from crime. We seek to address here these omissions and add to our understanding of desistance from crime and, especially, gender differences in the desistance process. Early work on desistance emerged from attempts to explain the age-crime curve, more specifically, the apparent "aging out of crime" or "maturational reform" process (Glueck & Glueck 1937). Some scholars drew attention to social conditions that appeared to be correlated with crime cessation, such as the "drift" associated with adolescent male status anxiety (Matza 1964) or the reduction in the material deprivations of youth combined with increasing social integration (Greenberg 1979). Others focused on biopsychosocial factors such as the changes in physical strength, energy, and psychological wellbeing that co-occur over time and reduce deviant motivations (Gove 1985). Still others argued that attempts to explain desistance with social correlates is misguided because the factors that explain crime or its absence are constant across the life course (Hirschi & Gottfredson 1983, 1985; Gottfredson & Hirschi 1990). Today, the development of micro models of criminal careers continues, identifying groups of offenders with similar offending trajectories (D'Unger, Land, & McCall 1998; Nagin & Land 1993). With the recent application of life-course and developmental perspectives in criminology (Loeber & LeBlanc 1990; Farrington 1992; Sampson & Laub 1992), theories that initially addressed the stability of offending are being recast to determine whether they can also explain change and the cessation of offending. …


While commitment devices such as defaults and direct deposits from wages have been found to be highly effective to increase savings, they are unavailable to the millions of people worldwide who not have a formal wage bill. Self-help peer groups are an alternative commitment device that is widespread and highly accessible, but there is little empirical evidence evaluating their effectiveness. We conduct two randomized field experiments among low-income micro-entrepreneurs in Chile. The first experiment finds that self-help peer groups are very potent at increasing savings. In contrast, a more classical measure, a substantially increased interest rate, has no effect on the vast majority of participants. A second experiment is designed to unbundle the key elements of peer groups as a commitment device, through the use of regular text messages. It finds that surprisingly, actual meetings and peer pressure do not seem to be crucial in making self-help peer groups an effective tool to encourage savings.


Multiple-injection strategies are characterized by a complex and transient interplay between high- and low-temperature reactions. Tracking low-temperature reaction products such as formaldehyde (CH2O) is particularly important to understand ignition phenomena and the so-called "combustion recession" that is observed in experiments. Experimentally, it is often difficult to discriminate between formaldehyde and other species such as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, which is why a selective excitation approach is used in this work. Simultaneous high-speed imaging of the chemically-excited hydroxyl radical (OH*) is used to improve indication of flame location and second stage ignition. During experiments in a constant-volume vessel, two 0.5-ms injections of n-dodecane, separated by 0.5-ms dwell time, are injected into a 900-K ambient. The global flame development is characterized based on high-speed diagnostics, followed by an investigation into the spatial distribution of formaldehyde at four different times after start-of-injection (aSOI). Results show significant influence of the first injection on characteristics of the second. Ignition delay and lift-off location of the second injection are prominently reduced, while flame penetration is greatly enhanced by the wake of the first injection. Formaldehyde structure is observed during both end-of-injection transients, reaching as far upstream as 6 mm from the nozzle. Even after the second injection, the flame structure still appears to be influenced by the first, with a shorter lift-off length and compressed formaldehyde structure. Based on the selective excitation procedure, it becomes clear that the interpretation of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) images obtained by 355-nm excitation alone is prone to ambiguity.


This paper analyses the content of fatal electrical accident records (n=157) in Finland during the years 1980–2019 in order to identify and classify accident types and causes. During the 40-year period, the death rate from electrical accidents has decreased from 0.29 per 100,000 people per year to 0.00-0.07 in the last decade. The number of accidents rooting from accidentally touching live parts and by making illegal electrical installations has plummeted. Of all fatalities, 37% could probably have been prevented if the circuit had been protected with a residual current device, which is now mandatory in new installations. The most common electrical accident in 2010–2019 was an electric shock from a railway overhead power line. Of fatal electrical accidents, 76% occur between April and September and 92.5% of victims are male. Child casualties are very rare. The level of electrical safety can be considered acceptable, but educating the public still has room for improvement.


Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of an enhanced heart failure (HF) education with a 6-month telephone follow- up program in post-discharge ambulatory HF patients. Methods: The Hit-Point trial was a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of enhanced HF education with a 6-month telephone follow-up program (EHFP) vs routine care (RC) in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction. A total of 248 patients from 10 centers in various geographical areas were randomized: 125 to EHFP and 123 to RC. Education included information on adherence to treatment, symptom recognition, diet and fluid intake, weight monitoring, activity and exercise training. Patients were contacted by telephone after 1, 3, and 6 months. The primary study endpoint was cardiovascular death. Results: Although all-cause mortality didn't differ between the EHFP and RC groups (p=NS), the percentage of cardiovascular deaths in the EHFP group was significantly lower than in the RC group at the 6-month follow up (5.6% vs. 8.9%, p=0.04). The median number of emergency room visits was one and the median number of all cause hospitalizations and heart failure hospitalizations were zero. Twenty-tree percent of the EHFP group and 35% of the RC group had more than a median number of emergency room visits (p=0.05). There was no significant difference regarding the median number of all–cause or heart failure hospitalizations. At baseline, 60% of patients in EHFP and 61% in RC were in NYHA Class III or IV, while at the 6-month follow up only 12% in EHFP and 32% in RC were in NYHA Class III or IV (p=0.001). Conclusion: These results demonstrate the potential clinical benefits of an enhanced HF education and follow up program led by a cardiologist in reducing cardiovascular deaths and number of emergency room visits with an improvement in functional capacity at 6 months in post-discharge ambulatory HF patients.


Considering the size of its population and cultural isolation, Tasmania has
produced a singular number of talented writers, both of fiction and nonfiction.
No generation of writers has been more prominent in the field of
Tasmanian letters than that of the post-war generation, that is , those either
born around 1945, or those born in the thirties, reaching their maturity in the
post-war world of the fifties.
This generation was the best educated and the most widely travelled since
European settlement of the island in 1803. For these reasons, amongst
others, no earlier generation had so plied itself with questions over
Tasmanian identity and the Tasmanian condition. No earlier generation had
so distanced itself from its formative childhood and from the island itself in
order to undergo the catharsis of self-examination.
This generation was perhaps the first to be concerned about its colonial
status. Their parents had revelled in the Empire; it caused this generation
only angst. They felt that they were victims of a colonial frame of mind and
they knew that their role as artists was to create their own country and
landscapes in their mind's eye; formidable and daunting tasks.
For writers such as Koch and Conrad, the two most important of the group,
the island had set the terms of their lives and despite their periods of "exile",
they had carried off inside them the home they could not return to Their role was to examine their society and its past and to rework it with
new insights. thus to "cast shadows into the future". Tasmania's past was
grim, but not inescapable. Their artistic hope and optimism survived, as,
"Though the ghosts of Tasmania's past have not been laid to rest, it is
possible to go forward with hope." The task that this generation set itself was thus one of exorcism. This
dissertation seeks to examine their attitudes to the -Tasmanian sense of
difference; their reactions to the burden of Tasmanian history; their response
to the Tasmanian sense of isolation and finally their varying responses to the
Tasmanian environment.
Despite their diversity, there is a unifying theme. This generation of writers
accepts Tasmanian difference and recognises that Tasmanians, whatever
the cost and pain, must come to terms with themselves without the use of
outside references. They must achieve some sort of spiritual autonomy. They
must accept the challenge postulated by the Rev. John West in the last
century and attempt to create a new society based on a new spirit of place.
The selection of Tasmanian writers in this dissertation is by no means
exhaustive. Limitations of space have demanded ruthless selection and for
that reason, the field has been limited to native-born Tasmanians with the
single exception of Helen Hodgman. Her inclusion was initially in error, but
she remains as an interesting contrast to the sympathies of the native born.
For the native-born, even the highly critical, the island retains a certain
charm, but Hodgman quite obviously detested the place. For although the
island is no longer the principal place of residence for most of these writers,
it is clearly an ineradicable part of their psyche, for,
"We are like birds, we human beings; in the end we fly back to where we
come from."


The induction of calcium precipitation via bacterial action has been studied increasingly in past years for self-(healing/sealing) concrete applications. Several of these studies have presented promising conclusions that microbiologically induced calcite precipitation might be a useful approach for remediation and rehabilitation of shallow cracks on existing structures. Such studies have noted the necessity to encapsulate the ingredients (bacteria, nutrients and organic precursors) separately for self-healing concrete using microbiologically induced calcite precipitation. However, during mixing there is a chance that capsules or other carriers of self-healing agents may release their cargoes and affect the properties of the concrete. Based on the above-mentioned information, the objective of this research was to evaluate whether or not shallow concrete cracks can be remediated using a bacteria-based system of repair. This research also aims to develop a new bacterial agent for use in the remediation of concrete cracks and to understand the effect of bacterial agents on the properties of cement-based mortar. The scope of this research is diverse; it requires an understanding of the factors that affect durability, water permeability, and cement properties such as initial and final setting time as well as the quality and quantity of the precipitated materials from the bacteria-based healing/sealing system. This research is broadly divided into four stages. In spite of a number of studies on the mechanism and efficiency of bacterial self-(healing/sealing) concrete, stage one investigates the effect of bacterial self-(healing/sealing) agents on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. This information is critical for further research and implementation of this novel material. As with any additives, this may have a negative effect on the concrete's final properties. This will be viewed with skepticism and limited uptake. This stage included the effects of the self-(healing/sealing) agents individually and as a combined medium on the mechanical properties of fresh concrete, the hydration kinetics, and early and final setting times, as well as strength and microstructure development over time. In addition, the effects of self-(healing/sealing) agents on hardened concrete were investigated to determine whether or not capsule rupture in response to a crack would have a detrimental effect on concrete properties in the area surrounding the crack. The results showed that self-(healing/sealing) agents such as sodium citrate greatly influenced hydration kinetics when the concentration exceeded 0.05% of the cement mass. Although the self-(healing/sealing) agents at 0.5% by binder mass retarded lightly of setting time, they had little negative effect on either 3- or 28-day strength. Calcium acetate, the dominant self-(healing/sealing) agent, acts as an accelerator while other components of the medium can have detrimental effects on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. However, provided the quantity of self-healing/sealing agents released is below a certain threshold, it is unlikely that any detrimental effects will limit the application of bacterial self-healing/sealing concrete. Stage two included applying the main components of the self-sealing agents (calcium lactate and yeast extract) with the ingredients of the mortar mix and as a combined medium with mortar mix (two-stage bio-concrete/mortar) to investigate the ability of B. cohnii, B. halodurans and B. pseudofirmus to induce calcite precipitation through the cracks. The results showed that the sealing materials using each one of the three bacteria with the main components of self-sealing agents were very weak and were not distributed along the crack. Moreover, the primary components of self-sealing agents in 5% bio-cement mortar of the combined medium by binder mass distributed in entire samples were unable to seal cracks. Results showed that the samples dissolved in water, meaning that with more self-healing agent (SHA-1) ingredients added to the bio-mortar, the weaker and more ineffective it was with cement. Remediating cracks of hardening concrete with three different types of bacteria (B. cohnii, B. halodurans, and B. pseudofirmus) was performed during Stage three. Factors affecting the quantity and quality of healed materials included start and end healing time, the growth of each bacterium, and the viability of each bacterium in alkaline environment, all of which were also studied experimentally. Results showed that the three bacteria can produce calcium carbonate in a self-healing/sealing process, although B. pseudofirmus is the most suitable, efficient, and economical for remediating concrete cracks. The delivery of bacteria spores inside the concrete environment has always been the most challenging task. The main objective of stage four is to study the possibility of using successful previous delivery system used to remediate concrete cracks by using mineral agent to be used as delivery systems of bacteria spores. This study investigated three different encapsulate techniques within cement mortar namely calcium alginate beads (CAB), vascular tubes, and perlite. Results showed that CAB is very weak and very light due to low density, which cause decrease in their size, floating on the surface of mortar and poor distribution in mortar matrix. In spite of some passive mode effect variables such as tube length and diameter, the viscosity of bacteria solutions and their agents (SHA) and the ability of the glass tube to resist internal stresses were investigated. The results showed there was not enough data to demonstrate its ability to heal cracks. The mechanical and physical properties of uncoated and coated perlite, the ability of perlite to carry bacteria and its SHA, and the ability of bacteria and its SHA to form calcite out of perlite were investigated. The results demonstrated the ability of perlite to inoculate bacteria and its SHA, and the ability of this system to heal cracks. It is clear from the above perlite is the most suitable delivery system.