[Law, Literature and a wider understanding of 'the possible'] In their tales of mankind's experiences, the great works of literature help jurists to understand the basic profiles of the juridical dimension and its continuous transformations.
This essay focuses on some high literary works in referring on a very long time.
Through the Aeschylus' tragedies and the Homeric epic, we can understand the slow rise of a new legal culture that surpasses the archaic one, dominated by the principle of vengeance. Machiavelli's works show how the change of cultural paradigms leads also the change of political and legal orders. Such as we note the work by the jurist Gio-vanni Battista De Luca, from the 1600's, for its focus on legal language and jurist as direct indicators of the evolution of the juridical order, to describe juridical culture in that era the contribution by Alessandro Manzoni is more important.
High literature contributes to our understanding of the social dimension of juridical phenomena.


Student involvement in patient care has been debated for many decades. There is an increasing body of literature calling for greater respect for patients' rights in a teaching environment. South African legislation already gives patients certain rights, including the right to non-medical information such as the costs of procedures. This paper analyses pertinent international guidelines and South African legislation to ascertain whether the existing rights of patients extend to the teaching environment. It is concluded that patients have a right to informed consent in every aspect of healthcare, including student involvement.


Study Design. A human cadaveric biomechanical study of 2 sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion implant placement techniques. Objective. To evaluate and compare the biomechanical properties of 2 implant placement techniques for SI joint fusion. Summary of Background Data. Minimally invasive placement of SI joint fusion implants is a potential treatment of SI joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. Biomechanical studies of screw fixation within the sacrum have shown that placement and trajectory are important in the overall stability of the implant. Although clinical results have been promising, there is the possibility that a more optimal arrangement of implants may exist. Methods. Bilateral SI joints in 7 cadaveric lumbopelvic (L4-pelvis) specimens were tested using a single leg stance model. All joints were tested intact, pubic symphysis sectioned, and treated (3 SI joint fusion implants). The implants were laterally placed using either a posterior or transarticular placement technique. The posterior technique places the implants inline in the inlet view, parallel in the outlet view, and parallel to the posterior sacral body in the lateral view. The transarticular technique places all implants across the articular portion of the SI joint. For all conditions, the range of motion was tested in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Results. The posterior technique significantly reduced the range of motion in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation by 27% ± 24% (P = 0.024), 28% ± 26% (P = 0.028), and 32% ± 21% (P = 0.008), respectively. The transarticular technique significantly reduced the range of motion in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation by 41% ± 31% (P = 0.013), 36% ± 38% (P = 0.049), and 36% ± 28% (P = 0.015), respectively. No significant differences were detected between the posterior and transarticular placement techniques (P > 0.25). Conclusion. Posterior and transarticular placement of SI joint fusion implants stabilized the SI joint in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Level of Evidence: N/A


Creativity - the ability to produce novel and useful ideas (Amabile, 1988) – has become a democratic necessity and the most important human skill to face the uncertainties brought by the digital era we are going through.

This era and its digital technologies (i.e., IoT, AI, AR, etc…) are reshaping the social, behavioral and cognitive development of digitally enhanced individuals (Pransky, 2001) who are growing up with digital habits (TV, cell phones, video games, etc.). Researches have shown empirical evidence about how the Internet environment and the advent of new digital technology have altered the cognitive behaviors and structures involved in information processing, executive control, and reward-processing. This means a gravitation toward a shallow mode of learning characterized by a quick scanning of information and reduced contemplation; increased multitasking behaviors that are linked to increased distractibility; higher prevalence of Internet-related addictive behaviors (Kee Loh and Kanai, 2015).

The co-evolution of society and digital technologies require this generation to develop new competencies and skills among which human creativity is the most important one. The central question arising from these considerations is about how the technological evolution is influencing the creative thinking abilities of the digitally enhanced generation?

In this sense, a big debate in literature is open. Many authors, for example, report that the increasing synaptic activity in areas of the brain with digital exposure may contribute to expanding possibilities for creative activity. The hypothesis that arises from this context is that it could be necessary to develop new creativity stimuli for the digital generation according to the digital cultural changes and the cognitive swing occurred.

The aim of this paper is to present the Creativity 4.0 model framed to allow the identification of the positive and negative consequences of the digital transition on creativity. The model enables the integration and interpretation of creativity factors, blocks and conditions that can boost or lock creativity in the digital era. The framework will benefit several context and disciplines, and open opportunities for other researches: in the educational field, the framework could support educators that aim to train and provide digitally enhance people with tools and technique to keep active their creativity. In the design education, it shapes new design tools and actions to support designers at all stages of the design process. Within the design studies, the design research community could use it as the starting reference to study the evolution of the creative design process.

We are all moving toward digital enhancement (Prensky, 2009), technology is becoming our next nature (Van Mensvoort, 2011) and companies, schools and organization should be able to deal with a digital generation representing the actors of a near future. It is therefore essential for the design research to understand the impact of technologies on the creative design process in order to: update the conceptual toolbox, facilitate and guide the expression of people creative potential, address new technological challenges achieving large-scale innovation. Empowering people with creativity skill becomes for designers a fundamental aim and a new field of action.


BACKGROUND
Diphallus, also known as penile duplication, is a rare malformation, seen once in every 5 to 6 million births. Newborns showing this condition present higher mortality rates due to malformations and infections. The underlying etiology of this malformation is uncertain, but it is thought to be associated with trauma, drug use, or infections that may affect fetal the mesoderm between the 23rd and 25th day of pregnancy. Our objective is to describe this rare malformation - diphallus - through magnetic resonance imaging, as well as additional findings.

CASE
A Three-month-old male patient with a 33-week ultrasound demonstrating genital malformation presented to our clinic. At birth, the physical examination revealed diphallia and imperforated anus. Surgical procedures were carried out right after birth to correct the anus malformation. The child did not present any alteration in skin color, and no signs of pain were shown in the abdomen, pelvis, and penises palpations. Urination was observed only through the right penis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed two penile structures, each one presenting developed with corpus cavernosum. The penis located on the right showed a complete urethral path in the corpus spongiosum to the vesical floor while the penis located on the left was bigger and did not present a urethral path.

CONCLUSIONS
Penile duplication is a rare condition that is often, associated with other malformations, especially anorectal. To fully understand the extension of congenital anomalies and to determine the optimal surgical approach, MRI yields detailed imaging of the entire pelvic region, providing a thorough anatomical frame of reference, and should be routinely incorporated into presurgical evaluation.


The paper examines how the process of producing energy savings in energy efficiency programs can be compared to the Total Quality Management approach to process control for an industrial process producing manufactured products. The comparison indicates how a process of continuous feedback and process improvement can be appropriately designed for energy efficiency programs. A combination of software tools was developed to support this ideal process. The system includes building modeling tools, benchmarking tools and online databases, with information flowing between the different components. Appropriate feedback from the system is available to a variety of types of users including program managers, contractors and customers. The system is being implemented in residential energy efficiency programs in New Hampshire, New York and California. The elements of the system are described and the future impacts of this approach are forecasted.


In the paper, an X-band airborne SAR system developed and produced at the Institute of Radio Astronomy is described. The system is designed to be operated from light-weight aircrafts. Implemented hardware and real-time software solutions are discussed. Several original approaches to the post-processing of the recorded data are considered. Experimental results are also presented and discussed.


Given an input video sequence of one person conducting a sequence of continuous actions, we consider the problem of jointly segmenting and recognizing actions. We propose a discriminative approach to this problem under a semi-Markov model framework, where we are able to define a set of features over input-output space that captures the characteristics on boundary frames, action segments and neighboring action segments, respectively. In addition, we show that this method can also be used to recognize the person who performs in this video sequence. A Viterbi-like algorithm is devised to help efficiently solve the induced optimization problem. Experiments on a variety of datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


This paper presents a new approach for the design of a full reference objective quality metric for the assessment of color pictures. Our goal is to build a multi-channel metric based on the perceptual weighting of single-channel metrics. A psycho-visual experiment is thus designed in order to determine the values of the weighting factors. This metric is expected to provide a new useful tool for the quality assessment of compressed pictures in the framework of codec performance evaluation.


Hardware implementation of neuromorphic computing is attractive as a computing paradigm beyond the conventional digital computing. In this work, we show that the SET (off-to-on) transition of metal oxide resistive switching memory becomes probabilistic under a weak programming condition. The switching variability of the binary synaptic device implements a stochastic learning rule. Such stochastic SET transition was statistically measured and modeled for a simulation of a winner-take-all network for competitive learning. The simulation illustrates that with such stochastic learning, the orientation classification function of input patterns can be effectively realized. The system performance metrics were compared between the conventional approach using the analog synapse and the approach in this work that employs the binary synapse utilizing the stochastic learning. The feasibility of using binary synapse in the neurormorphic computing may relax the constraints to engineer continuous multilevel intermediate states and widens the material choice for the synaptic device design.


This project was undertaken not so much as a farewell to the contribution Adama Dieng has selflessly offered to humanity, but mainly as a token of appreciation to his dedication and contribution to the rule of law and human rights, especially in his native continent, Africa. As a high-ranking international civil servant, diplomat, teacher, activist and accomplished jurist, Adama Dieng has inspired, and indeed continues to inspire, a generation of men and women both in Africa and beyond with his unqualified commitment to the advancement of the ideals reflected in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through his work and commitment to the cause of international justice and conflict prevention, he has consistently placed the interests of his fellow men and women, and indeed those of his continent, before his own interests. It is, therefore, in recognition of his efforts that, his fellow jurists, friends and colleagues decided to honour his contribution through a collection of essays on a life dedicated to the advancement of international peace and justice through the rule of law. The contributions gathered here represent, in good measure, the values and beliefs in rule of law and human rights that have characterized Adama's commitment to work towards a better Africa and a better world.


The OECD Biotechnology Statistics – 2009 edition brings together the latest available economic and activity
data on biotechnology and innovation, collected by OECD member and non-member countries. The report builds
on the extensive work of the OECD and national experts to improve the comparability of biotechnology statistics.
The results should provide a valuable source of information on biotechnology for policy makers, academics and
business managers.
The 2009 edition contains government survey data for 22 OECD countries and additional data for four nonmember
countries. The survey data provide results on the number of biotechnology firms, business expenditures
on R&D, biotechnology employment, and sales of biotechnology goods and services. Unfortunately, very few or
no survey results are available in this edition for four OECD countries that are leaders in biotechnology: Denmark,
Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. However, some data are available for these countries from nonsurvey
data sources for biotechnology patents, venture capital, alliances, GM crops, biofuels, and
biopharmaceuticals. Results for biofuels and biopharmaceuticals are provided for the first time in this edition.1
This is the fourth collection of OECD biotechnology indicators. The previous version, published in 2006,2
provided data for 23 OECD and 3 non-member countries. The results for OECD member states were obtained
from government survey data for 16 OECD countries and from a private consulting firm for six OECD countries.
Developing internationally comparable biotechnology statistics has been a challenge for many years, largely
due to different survey definitions of biotechnology and of a biotechnology firm. Unlike ICT or other technologies,
there is no single biotechnology 'sector' that can be quickly identified and surveyed. The 2009 edition of OECD
biotechnology indicators has benefited from the on-going efforts of the OECD and of national experts to develop
and use a harmonized definition of biotechnology and guidelines for the collection of biotechnology statistics.3
However, a few countries continue to use slightly different definitions of biotechnology.
For 2009, comparability in the definition of a biotechnology firm and classification boundaries for firm size
and biotechnology applications have also improved. However, there are still a few challenges for developing full
comparability. The main issue is national differences in the method of surveying biotechnology firms. Fourteen
countries collected data on biotechnology firms through an official R&D survey, while 12 countries used a
dedicated survey of firms that are known to be active in biotechnology. The results are not fully comparable
because an R&D survey will not capture firms that are active in biotechnology but do not perform R&D, while
dedicated surveys could miss the biotechnology R&D of large diversified firms where biotechnology is only a small
part of their business. Ideally, countries would use both survey methods.


The Gammamed Plus 192Ir high dose rate brachytherapy sources were calibrated using the therapy level ionization chambers (0.1 and 0.6 cc) and the well-type chamber. The aim of the present study was to assess the accuracy and suitability of use of the therapy level chambers for in-air calibration of brachytherapy sources in routine clinical practice. In a calibration procedure using therapy ion chambers, the air kerma was measured at several distances from the source in a specially designed jig. The room scatter correction factor was determined by superimposition method based on the inverse square law. Various other correction factors were applied on measured air kerma values at multiple distances and mean value was taken to determine the air kerma strength of the source. The results from four sources, the overall mean deviation between measured and quoted source strength by manufacturers was found -2.04% (N = 18) for well-type chamber. The mean deviation for the 0.6 cc chamber with buildup cap was found -1.48 % (N = 19) and without buildup cap was 0.11% (N = 22). The mean deviation for the 0.1 cc chamber was found -0.24% (N = 27). Result shows that probably the excess ionization in case of 0.6 cc therapy ion chamber without buildup cap was estimated about 2.74% and 1.99% at 10 and 20 cm from the source respectively. Scattered radiation measured by the 0.1 cc and 0.6 cc chamber at 10 cm measurement distance was about 1.1% and 0.33% of the primary radiation respectively. The study concludes that the results obtained with therapy level ionization chambers were extremely reproducible and in good agreement with the results of the well-type ionization chamber and source supplier quoted value. The calibration procedure with therapy ionization chambers is equally competent and suitable for routine calibration of the brachytherapy sources.


The governance of private equity-backed companies is a "black box": relatively little is known about the decision-making structures in these economically important businesses. This thesis looks inside that black box and, by studying the corporate governance arrangements in a unique sample of predominantly small and mid-size UK private equity-backed companies, proposes a theory to explain them.
The dominant theoretical framework for UK legal scholars is grounded in the notion that separation of ownership and control within large companies creates an "agency problem" which either the market, or regulators, or a combination of both, needs to fix. In this thesis, I explain the structure of the typical private equity-backed company and conclude that – although there is no separation of ownership and control in the sense that the shareholders lack economic incentives and wherewithal to intervene – agency problems do need to be solved by private ordering, and I describe how that is achieved in practice. However, I also describe two parallel functions of the decision-making structures that are established: to ensure that the company makes better, and more legitimate, decisions; and to protect the specific and separate interests of the investor.
I then explore how well these three objectives can be achieved within the framework set by UK company law, and the ways in which the actors adopt or vary default rules, and seek to contract around apparently mandatory rules, in order to accommodate their multiple objectives.
In the final part of this thesis, I describe the evidence that private equity-backed companies outperform their peers, and consider existing empirical research that seeks to explain that outperformance. I argue that the corporate governance systems are a significant explanatory factor and that, by re-conceptualising private equity corporate governance in the way that I have suggested, we can adopt alternative academic frameworks to better understand the drivers of that outperformance. Finally, I draw out lessons for policy-makers and practitioners and suggest avenues for future research.


Background: To solve the problems caused by using synthetic pesticides in agricultural fields and aquaculture ponds studies are being carried out on the feasibility of using biopesticides or plant extracts, which are less toxic. Extensive research is being carried out by researchers globally to manufacture pesticides using plant extracts. The present study evaluated the effect of Datura metel plant's aqueous leaf extract on histological changes in gill and intestine of the common carp Cyprinus carpio. Methods: Twenty-four hour LC50 value was determined by standard methods and was calculated as 100 ppm. The fishes were exposed to sublethal concentration (1/10 of 24 h LC 50 value i.e., 10 ppm) for a period of 14 d. After 7 and 14 d, the gill and intestine were dissected out from both the exposed and control groups and were processed and sectioned at 4 μm and stained with H & E stain. The slides were then observed under 40 x magnification. Results: The exposed gills showed vacuolation, bending of secondary gill lamellae, and cell masses between the secondary gill lamellae thickened to such an extent that interlamellar spaces were completely occluded. Intestines demonstrated narrowing of lumen, vacuolation, inflammation and rupture of epithelium. The pathological changes were more severe after 14 days of exposure in both the tissues. Conclusion: Aqueous leaf extract of D. metel can be used as an agrochemical. Because of its toxicity its usage should be monitored well.


Soybean products are limited in terms of safe consumption because of the sensitization of raw materials. In this study, the allergenicity of cross-linked tofu with microbial transglutaminase (MTG) was evaluated on the basis of a BALB/c mouse model. The mice were randomly divided into five groups. Cholera toxin was used as an adjuvant to sensitize the mice through intragastric administration, and tofu was given orally to investigate its sensitization effect on the mice. The allergy symptoms, body temperature, and weight of the mice were detected. The immunoglobulin E (IgE), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and spleen cytokines of the mice were determined through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The regulation of the differentiation balance of the different subsets of splenic T lymphocyte (Th1, Th2) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the mice was measured through flow cytometry. Results showed that the mice administered with MTG-cross-linked tofu had fewer allergic symptoms compared with those of the control group. The concentrations of serum-specific IgE and IgG, plasma histamine, and mast cell protease 1 (mMCP-1) significantly decreased. The Th2-related cytokine levels reduced, and the IFN-γ levels increased. The proportion of Th2 cells decreased, and the proportion of CD4+CD25+Foxp+ Tregs increased as the percentage of Th1 cells increased. Therefore, the sensitization of enzymatic cross-linked tofu decreased.


We studied the long-term impact of wildfire on the vegetation dynamics of sand grasslands in a forest-steppe vegetation mosaic in Central Hungary (Kiskunsag). Long-term permanent quadrat monitoring was carried out from 1997 to 2008. We sampled the forest-steppe mosaic both in burnt and unburnt areas in 100 patches altogether using 1 m × 1 m quadrats. The effect of fire and precipitation on vegetation dynamics was characterized by patch type transitions between years. Patch types were defined by means of Cocktail method. Nine patch types of sand grasslands were altogether identified. The least productive patch types, bare soil and cryptogam dominance, did not occur in the burnt patches, while annual dominated patch type appeared only in burnt patches. The frequencies of patch type changes were significantly higher in burnt patches than in unburnt ones, independently on time after fire. All the eight patch types found in the unburnt patches proved permanent, while in the burnt patches only four of seven were so. The relative frequency of patch type changes did not correlate with precipitation in the vegetation period in the unburnt patches, while positively correlated in the burnt patches. It was concluded that the long-term difference in grassland dynamics between the unburnt and burnt patches, i.e., the excess of the patch type transitions in the burnt grasslands, is due to increased drought sensitivity of the grassland, which is the consequence of the elimination of the woody component of the forest-steppe vegetation.


Experience is a significant source of knowledge for any human activity. Knowledge about past failures may help to avoid similar failures in the future, while repeating or even improving successes. Driving is a complex and dynamic activity, and the extensive previous experience provides great help when some important decision has to be made quickly. This thesis proposes and demonstrates methods for learning driving patterns and their use in supporting driving navigation tasks. Driving patterns are sequences of events in the traffic system repeating over time. We developed a framework of the driving warning system based on the learned driving patterns. The learning part of the proposed system builds and maintains the model of the traffic system. The system also predicts the most likely future events. The predicted event is compared with the actual event and if/when driver's behaviour becomes significantly different from "usual", appropriate warnings may be generated. We developed a hardware system for data acquisition from navigation sensors. We used off-the-shelf components and a standard software development environment to create an inexpensive but reliable platform for our experiments. Neural networks are computational methods developed to mimic human information processing. In this thesis we present experiments in vehicle movement prediction, using data from a small number of sensors. We tested prediction capabilities of multi-line perceptrons, recurrent and time-delay neural networks. We found that all neural network architectures have good performances for short-term vehicle movement prediction. However, the prediction error becomes significantly higher when predicting events further in the future. Here we also present the new method for driving event recognition based on hidden Markov models. The data from a very limited set of sensors is collected and transformed to observation sequences representing driving events. For each event type we wish to recognize, one hidden Markov model is trained with observation sequences of this type. Sequences representing test events are applied to all models, and the model with the highest probability indicates the type of event for each sequence. Experiments performed show that the proposed method has a very high recognition rate. We developed a system to predict future driving events based on recognized event types and other data collected from sensors. This system was able to successfully predict future events for previously used routes and to detect when an unexpected event has been experienced.


We analyze graph smoothing with \emph{mean aggregation}, where each node successively receives the average of the features of its neighbors. Indeed, it has quickly been observed that Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), which generally follow some variant of Message-Passing (MP) with repeated aggregation, may be subject to the oversmoothing phenomenon: by performing too many rounds of MP, the node features tend to converge to a non-informative limit. In the case of mean aggregation, for connected graphs, the node features become constant across the whole graph. At the other end of the spectrum, it is intuitively obvious that some MP rounds are necessary, but existing analyses do not exhibit both phenomena at once: beneficial ``finite'' smoothing and oversmoothing in the limit. In this paper, we consider simplified linear GNNs, and rigorously analyze two examples for which a finite number of mean aggregation steps provably improves the learning performance, before oversmoothing kicks in. We consider a latent space random graph model, where node features are partial observations of the latent variables and the graph contains pairwise relationships between them. We show that graph smoothing restores some of the lost information, up to a certain point, by two phenomenon: graph smoothing shrinks non-principal directions in the data faster than principal ones, which is useful for regression, and shrinks nodes within communities faster than they collapse together, which improves classification.


Software security is an important quality aspect of a software system. Therefore, it is important to integrate software security touch points throughout the development life-cycle. So far, the focus of touch points in the early phases has been on the identification of threats and attacks. In this paper we propose a novel method focusing on the end product by prioritizing countermeasures. The method provides an extension to attack trees and a process for identification and prioritization of countermeasures. The approach has been applied on an opensource application and showed that countermeasures could be identified. Furthermore, an analysis of the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the countermeasures could be provided.


300 stunning maps from all periods and from all around the world, exploring and revealing what maps tell us about history and ourselves. Map: Exploring the World brings together more than 300 fascinating maps from the birth of cartography to cutting-edge digital maps of the twenty-fist century. The book's unique arrangement, with the maps organized in complimentary or contrasting pairs, reveals how the history of our attempts to make flat representations of the world has been full of beauty, ingenuity and innovation. Selected by an international panel of curators, academics and collectors, the maps reflect the many reasons people make maps, such as to find their way, to assert ownership, to record human activity, to establish control, to encourage settlement, to plan military campaigns or to show political power. The selection includes the greatest names in cartography, such as James Cook, Gerard Mercator, Matthew Fontaine Maury and Phyllis Pearsall, as well as maps from indigenous cultures around the world, rarely seen maps from lesser'known cartographers, and maps of outstanding beauty and surprising individuality from the current generation of map makers.


In this survey, we examine an important class of facility location problems known as the multisource Weber problem (also referred to as the continuous location-allocation problem). We also show how recent advances in the use of metaheuristic rules have significantly improved the ability to solve problems of this type. The new solution methods are discussed for both the well known multisource Weber problem and its counterpart the capacitated case. Research issues which we believe to be worthwhile exploring in future are also highlighted.


To build, not rebuild. War damage and restoration in ancient Brescia, 1944-1954 (by Gian Paolo Treccani) - ABSTRACT: Brescia's historic town center, although the city had no significant military and strategic role, was damaged by aerial bombardment during the Second World War. Many monuments were severely damaged. The reconstruction started immediately the day after the end of the war. However, operations were not limited to repairing damage, as the war offered an opportunity to continue the refurbishment of the historic town center started in the 'thirties with the approval of the Piacentini master plan. Also, war damage offered the chance to increase volume and improve the road network.


Abstract. Since December 2010, the MyOcean global analysis and forecasting system has consisted of the Mercator Ocean NEMO global 1/4° configuration with a 1/12° nested model over the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The open boundary data for the nested configuration come from the global 1/4° configuration at 20° S and 80° N. The data are assimilated by means of a reduced-order Kalman filter with a 3-D multivariate modal decomposition of the forecast error. It includes an adaptive-error estimate and a localization algorithm. A 3-D-Var scheme provides a correction for the slowly evolving large-scale biases in temperature and salinity. Altimeter data, satellite sea surface temperature and in situ temperature and salinity vertical profiles are jointly assimilated to estimate the initial conditions for numerical ocean forecasting. In addition to the quality control performed by data producers, the system carries out a proper quality control on temperature and salinity vertical profiles in order to minimise the risk of erroneous observed profiles being assimilated in the model. This paper describes the recent systems used by Mercator Ocean and the validation procedure applied to current MyOcean systems as well as systems under development. The paper shows how refinements or adjustments to the system during the validation procedure affect its quality. Additionally, we show that quality checks (in situ, drifters) and data sources (satellite sea surface temperature) have as great an impact as the system design (model physics and assimilation parameters). The results of the scientific assessment are illustrated with diagnostics over the year 2010 mainly, assorted with time series over the 2007–2011 period. The validation procedure demonstrates the accuracy of MyOcean global products, whose quality is stable over time. All monitoring systems are close to altimetric observations with a forecast RMS difference of 7 cm. The update of the mean dynamic topography corrects local biases in the Indonesian Throughflow and in the western tropical Pacific. This improves also the subsurface currents at the Equator. The global systems give an accurate description of water masses almost everywhere. Between 0 and 500 m, departures from in situ observations rarely exceed 1 °C and 0.2 psu. The assimilation of an improved sea surface temperature product aims to better represent the sea ice concentration and the sea ice edge. The systems under development are still suffering from a drift which can only be detected by means of a 5-yr hindcast, preventing us from upgrading them in real time. This emphasizes the need to pursue research while building future systems for MyOcean2 forecasting.


We present a study of a family of 40 unique hydroxylated β-cristobalite surfaces generated by cleaving the β-cristobalite unit cell along crystallographic planes to include a combination of several low Miller index surfaces. The surface silicon atoms are quantified as percentages of Q 2 and Q 3 centers based on their polymeric state. We find that Q 3 centers are, on average, three times more abundant than Q 2 centers. To study the surface properties, we use two different empirical potential energy functions: the multibody potential proposed by Fueston and Garofalini (J. Phys. Chem. 1990, 94, 5351) and the newly developed CHARMM potential by Lopes et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110, 2782). Our results for the surface water interactions are in good agreement with previous ab initio theoretical studies by Yang et al. (Phys. Rev. B 2006, 73, 146102) for the (100) surface. We find that the most commonly studied family of {100} surfaces is unique and is the only surface with 100% abundance of Q 2 centers, whereas there are nine examples of surfaces with 100% Q 3 centers. The predominantly pure Q 3 surfaces show no hydrogen bonding with the neighboring surface hydroxyl groups and weakly adsorb water overlayers. This is markedly different from the {100} pure Q 2 surface that shows strong hydrogen bonding within the surface groups and with water. As compared to all the surfaces studied in this work, we find that the {100} surfaces are not true representations of the overall β-cristobalite surfaces and their properties. We find that the two main factors that characterize the physical properties of silica surfaces are the polymeric state of the silicon atom and surface topography. Two types of pure Q 3 crystallographic planes have been identified and are labeled as Q 3A and Q 3B based on the differences in their topological features. Using the {111} and {011} surfaces as examples, we show that the Q 3A surface adsorbs H 2 O that forms a stable monolayer, but the Q 3B surface fails to form a stable H 2 O overlayer. Other crystallographic planes with different ratios of Q 2 to Q 3 centers are contrasted by the differences in the hydrogen-bonding network and their ability to form ordered H 2 O overlayers.


Experiences with racial discrimination may contribute to stress-induced blood pressure (BP) elevations among African Americans. It was reported that perceived racism was associated with ambulatory BP (ABP) during waking hours. This study examined perceived racism and ABP among 40 African American college students, who completed an ABP assessment from which daytime and nighttime averages were computed. Perceived frequency of experiences with racism and racial discrimination was measured using the Perceived Racism Scale. Controlling for gender and body mass index, perceived racism in academic settings was associated with higher diastolic BP (DBP) during waking hours and nighttime sleep. Systolic BP (SBP) was unrelated to perceived racism, and perceived racism in the public realm and in statements from Whites was unrelated to ABP. Perceived racism in academic settings predicted ambulatory DBP among college students. Previous laboratory research has found stronger effects of perceived racism for DBP than SBP. The hemodynamic regulation of BP may explain this phenomenon. Future laboratory and ambulatory studies should assess the contributions of vascular resistance and cardiac output to BP elevations associated with perceived racism.


Ensemble. The skirt is of heavy gold felt covered with black floral lace, which has been heavily "beaded" with sequins. Side zipper closure, and two side-seam pockets. Retailer's label inside skirt on side seam: "Neiman-Marcus". With black velvet belt, which is marked on reverse: "16 Charming Belts. 6406", "This / 'Bac-A-Belt' backing / guaranted by / Good Housekeeping" / wash or clean / as garment". The accompanying blouse is of black silk jersey with half length sleeves and gathered detail at scoop neckline. Center back zipper closure that extends full length of the garment. Inner waistband of grosgrain ribbon with hook and eye closure.
 No labels in blouse.


It is impossible to discuss municipal finance without considering the cost of pensions and other post-retirement employee benefits (OPEB), largest of which is retiree health insurance. These costs have received enormous press coverage, usually incorporating sweeping generalities about the burden of employee post-retirement benefits for the nation as a whole. Much is made of the bankruptcies in Vallejo, California (2008), Prichard, Alabama (2010), Central Falls, Rhode Island (2011), Stockton, California (2015), and Detroit, Michigan (2015). At the state level, the pension situation in Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut is often described as typical. No one mentions Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina – states that have done a good job of providing reasonable benefits, paying their required contributions, and accumulating assets. The point is that the picture at the state and local level is extremely heterogeneous, so it is crucial to look at the numbers state by state and locality by locality. This paper provides a comprehensive accounting of pension and OPEB liabilities for state and local governments and the fiscal burden that they pose. The analysis includes plans serving more than 800 entities: 50 states, 178 counties, 173 major cities, and 415 school districts related to the sample of cities and counties. The analysis apportions the liabilities of state-administered cost-sharing plans to participating local governments for a more accurate picture of which governmental entity is actually responsible for funding pension and OPEB liabilities. The cost analysis calculates, separately, pension and OPEB costs as a percentage of own-source revenue for states, cities, and counties. It then combines pension and OPEB costs to obtain the overall burden of these programs. Finally, it adds debt service costs to provide a comprehensive picture of government revenue commitments to long-term liabilities.


ABSTRACT A total of 34 isolates (28 Enterobacter sakazakii and 6 Enterobacteriaceae) from infant formulae, milk powder, and the production environment of milk powder factories were identified using ID 32E and VITEK 2 compact GN systems (bioMérieux, France). The ID 32E version 3.0 and VITEK 2 compact GN version 01.01b correctly identified 100% (28) of the Enterobacter sakazakii isolates tested, whereas the previous software version 2.0 for ID 32E showed only 71.4% correct results. None of the non-E. sakazakii isolates tested were misidentified as E. sakazakii with either of the identification systems used.


The goals of this research were to quantify the achievable outcomes and associated costs of controlling Cape ivy (Delairea odorata), a non-native invasive plant. Current gaps in the knowledge-base limit decision makers from assigning appropriate costs, and therefore funding, for invasive species control (D'Antonio and Chambers 2006). Towards these goals, I measured and compared the success and cost-effectiveness of three control methods on Cape ivy in riparian areas along the Central Coast region of California. The control methods used in this study included hand removal, herbicide application (glyphosate), and a combination of these two methods. Control methods were applied to Cape ivy infestations at three research sites; two within Santa Cruz County and one in Monterey County, beginning July 2008 and concluding September 2009. Success of each control method was measured by comparison of pre and post-treatment vegetation sampling. The costs associated with each method (labor, herbicides, materials) were also recorded for each method. After twelve months, the hand removal method achieved the highest reduction of Cape ivy cover and resulted in the highest native plant cover. However, the most cost-effective method (per dollar) for the first twelve months of Cape ivy control was the herbicide only method. The results of this study will be provided to staff at California State Parks, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, and the Big Sur Land Trust to inform future management of Cape ivy on their properties. Additionally, this research will contribute to needed guidelines for restoration of Cape-ivy infested riparian ecosystems, and serve as a resource for researchers interested in control of invasive plants and restoration of disturbed areas.


This paper introduces a new generalisation of scale-space and pyramids, which combines statistical modelling with a spatial representation. The representation uses the familiar concept of multiple resolutions, but applied to a Gaussian mixture representation of the image - hence the title MGMM. It is shown that MGMM can approximate any probability density and can adapt to smooth motions. After a presentation of the theory, it is shown how MGMM can be applied to the estimation of visual motion.


This volume examines the ways in which changing political and economic processes impact upon patterns of population movement and settlement. It focuses on the southern African region as it has moved from the experiments of the early independence era, through civil war and refugee flight, into the current era characterised by globalization and the demise of apartheid. Focused case studies from across the region deal with specific aspects of these transformations and their policy implications.


This article describes the origin and development of local political culture in the La Florida commune (Lo Canas neighborhood), located in the foothills of the Andes, on the edge of Santiago, Chile. It presents an ethnography of la Red, a civil association created in 2006 to 'protect' the foothills from real estate development. First, this work analyses how nature's destruction is experienced as a threat to the way of life and utopian project of residents and Red members. The construction of the neighborhood is intimately related to the configuration of this political project. Different ideals of what the environment means were studied in order to analyze the construction of, and the engagement with, this space. Through this case study, we consider two different utopias: the community project as a common savoir-vivre in the precordillera and, later, the creation of a civil-political project aimed at producing political changes and maintaining a way of life. Keywords: Collective action, environmental protection, precordillera, Santiago, utopia.


In recent decades, epidemiology, public health, and medical sciences have been increasingly compartmentalized into narrower disciplines. The authors recognize the value of integration of divergent scientific fields in order to create new methods, concepts, paradigms, and knowledge. Herein they describe the recent emergence of molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE), which represents an integration of population and molecular biologic science to gain insights into the etiologies, pathogenesis, evolution, and outcomes of complex multifactorial diseases. Most human diseases, including common cancers (such as breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers, leukemia, and lymphoma) and other chronic diseases (such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, psychiatric diseases, and some infectious diseases), are caused by alterations in the genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, microbiome, and interactome of all of the above components. In this era of personalized medicine and personalized prevention, we need integrated science (such as MPE) which can decipher diseases at the molecular, genetic, cellular, and population levels simultaneously. The authors believe that convergence and integration of multiple disciplines should be commonplace in research and education. We need to be open-minded and flexible in designing integrated education curricula and training programs for future students, clinicians, practitioners, and investigators.


subscription. The role of the federal and state-level government, of the national intelligentsia, and of the local entrepreneurial bourgeoisie in the development of ethnic tourism in Mexico has been complex. This study focuses on the Maya culture area in the Chiapas highlands, in and around the mestizodominated city of San Cristobal de las Casas. Locally, the government has acted as a general modernizing agent and thus prepared the ground for ethnic tourism. But the development of a specific tourist infrastructure and the marketing of Mayas has been largely a response of the local mestizo bourgeoisie


This article illustrates the transtheoretical evolution of caring science within complex systems from the discovery of the theory of bureaucratic caring, in 1981, to the emergence of the metatheory relational caring complexity in 2011. The theory of bureaucratic caring, derived from research, is the sentinel grounded theory in the area of caring and economics, and complex healthcare systems in general. Its tenets remain applicable to contemporary nursing practice. Other grounded theories advanced from the original theory, including struggling to find a balance, the paradox between caring and economics, relational complexity, and relational self-organization in workforce redevelopment, as well as professional and patient relational caring questionnaires are presented and discussed.


This study aimed to investigate the effect of different activity levels of a thermoresistant protease, produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens (ATCC 17556), on the cheesemaking properties of milk and proteolysis levels. Sterilized reconstituted skim milk powder was inoculated with the bacteria, and after incubation, centrifuged to obtain a supernatant-containing protease. Raw milk was collected and inoculated to obtain a protease activity of 0.15, 0.60, and 1.5 U/L of milk (treatments P1, P4, and P10, respectively). One sample was not inoculated (control) and noninoculated supernatant was added to a fifth sample to be used as a negative control. Samples were stored at 4°C for 72 h. After 0, 48, and 72 h, the rennet coagulation properties and proteolysis levels were assessed. The protease produced was thermoresistant, as no significant differences were observed in the activity in the pasteurized (72°C for 15 s) and nonpasteurized supernatants. The chromatograms and electrophoretograms indicated that the protease preferably hydrolyzed κ-casein and β-casein, and levels of proteolysis increased with added protease activity over storage time. The hydrolysis of αS-caseins and major whey proteins increased considerably in P10 milk samples. At 0 h, the increase in the level of protease activity decreased the rennet coagulation time (RCT, min) of the samples, possibly due to synergistic proteolysis of κ-casein into para-κ-casein. However, over prolonged storage, hydrolysis of β-casein and αS-casein increased in P4 and P10 samples. The RCT of P4 samples increased over time and the coagulum became softer, whereas P10 samples did not coagulate after 48 h of storage. In contrast, the RCT of P1 samples decreased over time and a firmer coagulum was obtained, possibly due to a lower rate of hydrolysis of β-casein and αS-casein. Increased levels of protease could result in further hydrolysis of caseins, affecting the processability of milk over storage time.


Microgrids are gaining a significant interest as a promising solution to handle several electricity-related issues worldwide. Isolated Microgrids as one of the most applied topologies in the emergency power supplying systems, essentially incorporate battery storage system (BSS), acting as a stabilizing agent by balancing the unmet power for the system. Moreover, BSS is playing a great role in the context of energy cost minimizing of the system. This work proposes an adaptive operation policy for BSS in an isolated microgrid incorporating conventional generation (e.g. Diesel Generator) and Renewable resources (e.g. PV solar array) in addition to BSS, based on the driven forecast. Yet, it handles the uncertain prediction of both renewable generation and load profile. More precisely, an offline optimal policy of charging and discharging of BSS is firstly derived assuming a perfect prediction and the algorithm then responds instantaneously to act upon the actual changes of the given forecast. The simulation results show a significant reduction of the total operation cost, even in the worst case scenario, when compared with the blind method which does not employ the prediction.


The most common type of sustained arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF), affecting about 2% of the general population and 8% to 11% of the elderly, more than 65 years of age. The treatment of atrial arrythmia is still based on empirical considerations and is usually evaluated in clinical studies or in animal experiments. The main drawbacks of animal experiments lie in the difficulty of technically accessing the whole atria and in the differences between animal and human anatomy. In the last years, ever-increasing computer power has permitted the development of biophysical models of the human atria. It has become possible to simulate cellular electrical propagation in the whole human heart. Compared to clinical and animal studies, an in silico approach has the advantages of repeatability and reproducibility under controlled conditions. In this thesis, a biophysical model of the human atria has been used to investigate therapies of atrial arrhythmias: surgical ablation and therapeutic pacing. First, a brief review of the concepts of biophysical modeling of human atria developed until now is presented, as well as a brief description of several types of arrhythmia that can be simulated with the biophysical model. Second, measures of organization are considered to quantify and classify the different types of AF. With these measures, AF organization is evaluated at the electrogram signals level as well as at the cellular level. Four types of atrial arrhythmia are differentiated with the use of the biophysical model: atrial flutter, chronic AF, meandering AF and cholinergic AF. Finally, simulations of atrial therapies are investigated. The biophysical model has been used to test the efficacy of ablation lines. The surgical Maze-III procedure has proven to be highly effective in treating chronic AF. However, due to the technical difficulty and the risk of the procedure, less invasive ablation techniques have been investigated. The results confirm the superiority of aggressive surgical procedures in the termination of AF, as described in the clinical studies. Furthermore, an ideal ablation pattern has been proposed using the biophysical model. The ideal pattern should be able to prevent AF with a limited number of ablation lines of minimal length, while allowing for the maintenance or recovery of mechanical activity of both atria during sinus rhythm. The second therapeutic approach investigated is that of pacing. An algorithm of pacing and different pacing sites are investigated during this research. Antitachycardia pacing on different types of AF are carried out. The simulations showed that more organized arrhythmia such as atrial flutter can be pace-terminated. On the other hand, only local capture is possible on more complex AF. The results obtained with the biophysical model are in agreement with the clinical studies. The results of the present research prove that atrial therapies can be approached by means of a biophysical model of the human atria. This tool can be used to investigate further therapeutic techniques and thus, improve the quality of life of patients.


CONTEXT
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been associated with an increasing incidence of malignancy, and HIV-infected persons have an increased incidence of primary lung carcinoma compared with the general population.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the molecular changes present in HIV-associated lung tumors and compare them with those present in lung carcinomas arising in HIV-indeterminate subjects ("sporadic tumors").

DESIGN
Convenience sample.

SUBJECTS
Archival tissues from 11 HIV-positive persons and from 35 persons of indeterminate HIV status.

SETTING
University-based medical centers and affiliated hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Analysis of frequency of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite alteration (MA) using polymerase chain reaction and 16 polymorphic microsatellite markers at 8 chromosomal regions frequently deleted in lung cancer. Presence of HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) sequences.

RESULTS
The overall frequency of LOH at all chromosomal regions tested and the frequencies at most of the individual regions were similar in the 2 groups. Frequency of MA present in the HIV-associated tumors (0.18) was 6-fold higher than in sporadic tumors (0.03) (P<.001). At least 1 MA was present in 10 (91%) of 11 HIV-associated tumors vs 17 (48%) of 35 sporadic tumors (P=.02). Molecular changes were independent of tumor stage and gender. HIV and HPV sequences were not detected in the HIV-associated lung carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS
Microsatellite alterations, which reflect widespread genomic instability, occur at greatly increased frequency in HIV-associated lung carcinomas. Although the mechanism underlying the development of increased MAs is unknown, it may play a crucial role in the development of many HIV-associated tumors.


Production of the red antibiotic, undecylprodigiosin, by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was studied by DNA cloning and biochemical analysis. Over 21 kb of genomic DNA were cloned, in several segments, into plasmid vectors. The cloned DNA 'complemented' several specific mutations in the red gene cluster. Four red genes (redA, B, E, and F) were mapped to different regions within the cloned DNA. Screening with redE probes for DNA homologies among various streptomycetes revealed hybridizing DNA in three strains, one of them not known to synthesize prodigiosin pigments. Biochemical studies using protoplasted cells revised our interpretation of the nature of redE and redF mutations. Two forms of undecylnorprodigiosin: S-adenosylmethionine O-methyltransferase activity on gel filtration columns were detected: a very high molecular mass peak (greater than 5 MDal) and a 49 kDal) and a 49 kDal peak. Analyses of extracts from red mutants suggested that these two forms are related, and that at least the redE and redF gene products are necessary for O-methyltransferase activity in vivo. Lack of activity of the redE gene in a heterologous host, S. glaucescens, is consistent with the necessity for a biosynthetic complex involving several red gene products for efficient expression. Experiments in liquid antibiotic production medium indicated that prodigiosin compounds in S. coelicolor are examples of 'secondary metabolites' whose synthesis lags behind that of cell mass. The peak of specific activity of O-methyltransferase coincided with the 'late exponential' phase of growth. Thus, understanding the genetic regulation of undecylprodigiosin biosynthesis in S. coelicolor may be relevant to other antibiotic production pathways, and perhaps to 'secondary' metabolism in general.


The conservation of many threatened species can be advanced by the eradication of alien invasive animals from islands. However, island eradications are an expensive, difficult and uncertain undertaking. An increasingly common eradication strategy is the construction of 'interior fences' to partition islands into smaller, independent eradication regions that can be treated sequentially or concurrently. Proponents argue that, while interior fences incur substantial up front construction costs, they reduce overall eradication costs. However, this hypothesis lacks an explicit theoretical or empirical justification. We formulate a general theory that relates the number of interior fences to the magnitude and variation of the economic cost of island eradication. We use this theory to explore the conditions under which interior fences represent a defensible management strategy, under cost and risk minimisation objectives. We then specifically consider the forthcoming eradication of cats Felis catus from Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia, by parameterising our general theory using published data on the cost and success of previous projects. Our results predict that under a wide range of reasonable conditions, interior fences can reduce the expected cost of a successful invasive alien animal eradication from large islands. On Dirk Hartog Island, interior fences will marginally reduce eradication costs, with two fences reducing expected costs by 3%. Interior fences have a much more substantial effect on the variability of eradication costs: two fences reduce the width of the 95% confidence bounds by more than one‐third and halve the size of the average project cost overrun/underrun. Our results reveal that the construction of interior fences is a defensible management strategy for eradicating alien invasive species from islands. However, the primary benefit of interior fences will be risk management, rather than a reduction in expected project costs.


NaV1.1 is the primary voltage-gated Na+ channel in several classes of GABAergic interneurons, and its reduced activity leads to reduced excitability and decreased GABAergic tone. Here, we show that NaV1.1 channels are expressed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Mice carrying a heterozygous loss of function mutation in the Scn1a gene (Scn1a+/−), which encodes the pore-forming α-subunit of the NaV1.1 channel, have longer circadian period than WT mice and lack light-induced phase shifts. In contrast, Scn1a+/− mice have exaggerated light-induced negative-masking behavior and normal electroretinogram, suggesting an intact retina light response. Scn1a+/− mice show normal light induction of c-Fos and mPer1 mRNA in ventral SCN but impaired gene expression responses in dorsal SCN. Electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm elicits reduced calcium transients and impaired ventro-dorsal communication in SCN neurons from Scn1a+/− mice, and this communication is barely detectable in the homozygous gene KO (Scn1a−/−). Enhancement of GABAergic transmission with tiagabine plus clonazepam partially rescues the effects of deletion of NaV1.1 on circadian period and phase shifting. Our report demonstrates that a specific voltage-gated Na+ channel and its associated impairment of SCN interneuronal communication lead to major deficits in the function of the master circadian pacemaker. Heterozygous loss of NaV1.1 channels is the underlying cause for severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy; the circadian deficits that we report may contribute to sleep disorders in severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy patients.


We describe an algorithm for Byzantine agreement that is scalable in the sense that each processor sends only Õ(&sqrt;n) bits, where n is the total number of processors. Our algorithm succeeds with high probability against an adaptive adversary, which can take over processors at any time during the protocol, up to the point of taking over arbitrarily close to a 1/3 fraction. We assume synchronous communication but a rushing adversary. Moreover, our algorithm works in the presence of flooding: processors controlled by the adversary can send out any number of messages. We assume the existence of private channels between all pairs of processors but make no other cryptographic assumptions. Finally, our algorithm has latency that is polylogarithmic in n. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first algorithm to solve Byzantine agreement against an adaptive adversary, while requiring o(n2) total bits of communication.


Recent studies on virtual teams reveal that team virtuality may be considered from different levels which have a considerable impact on team processes and management. However, as a recent concept introduced to virtual team literature, virtuality and its effects on team effectiveness are still under studied. The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it aims to define the concept of virtuality and provide a multidimensional approach to assess its different levels based on the main characteristics of virtual teams expressed in the literature. On the other hand, it analyzes how variations in virtuality influence team effectiveness. The effectiveness measures retained in this study are: work performance, attitudes and behaviours. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted on ten virtual teams composed of three to five students involved in online Master degree programmes at a French university. The results highlighted the importance of differentiating technological and social virtuality to improve our understanding of team virtuality and to better apprehend its effects on team effectiveness.


The bending-loss and dispersion-sensitivity characteristics of a dispersion-shifted dual-shape core fiber with an alpha index center core are described. Calculations show that these characteristics can be improved by decreasing a and that a bend-optimized, dual-shaped core fiber exhibits a small bending loss and a large mode field diameter.


We propose a knapsack-based feedback suppression algorithm for reliable multicast transport protocols operating over a satellite network. A reliable transport protocol needs to identify the packets which failed to reach a given destination. This is achieved through feedback packets returned to the source. For multicast services, receiver feedback has been shown to lead to the feedback implosion problem. Feedback implosion is a well-studied problem and various solutions exist in the literature. However, these solutions mainly focus on terrestrial networks and do not take into account the inherent characteristics of the satellite channel and the architecture of the deployed network. Therefore, we need to revisit the problem and provide a new set of solutions for efficient integration to next generation satellite systems. We introduce a feedback implosion suppression algorithm, which effectively suppresses the amount of feedback relayed through the satellite channel, while ensuring that critical information is conveyed in a timely fashion. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through simulations.


Summary of Main Findings 'The Pedagogic Quality and Inequality in University First Degrees Project' was a longitudinal investigation of sociology and related social science degree courses in four universities . Its main objectives were to investigate what social science students value about their university education and differences in curriculum and teaching in different universities. The main findings are summarised below and relate to defining, improving and measuring the quality of undergraduate courses. Defining good quality undergraduate courses • High quality undergraduate courses are those in which students engage with academic knowledge in transformative ways. Courses in different disciplines are likely to be transformative in different ways. • In sociology-related social sciences, academic engagement is transformative in three ways: students gain access to an understanding of academic knowledge that is interesting and relevant to their lives; it changes the way that they understand themselves and their place in the world; and they gain an enhanced understanding of society. Such outcomes emphasise the importance of maintaining sociology-related social science courses across the sector. • Good teaching is vital if students are to engage with academic knowledge in transformative ways. Improving the quality of undergraduate courses • Improving teaching is central to improving the quality of undergraduate courses. • Good teaching is multidimensional and improving it is timeconsuming and challenging. • A focus on quality enhancement that supports lecturers is in danger of being obscured by the emphasis in recent policy documents on improving quality through competition. Measuring the quality of undergraduate courses • Key measures of the quality of undergraduate courses are students' engagement with academic knowledge and good teaching. • When quality is measured by engagement with academic knowledge, the ranking of the universities in the study is very different from that in national higher education league tables. • Without engaging meaningfully in academic knowledge, students are unlikely to gain much benefit from studying an undergraduate degree. So in order to be valid measures of the quality of undergraduate courses, national higher education league tables, Key Information Sets and the National Student Survey need to take account of students' engagement with academic knowledge.


Summary
Quantification of ecosystem services (ES) is an important step in operationalizing the concept for management and decision-making. With the exponential increase in ES research, ES have become a 'catch-all phrase', which some suggest has led to a poorly defined, impractical and ambiguous concept. An overview of the methods used in ES quantification is needed to examine their scientific rigour and provide guidelines for selecting appropriate measures.
We present a systematic review of 405 peer-reviewed ES research papers to address the question: 'Is the biophysical and socio-economic reality of ES adequately quantified? First, we considered whether ES measures are scientifically rigorous enough by considering four predefined criteria (the type of data used, quantification of uncertainty, validation done and data reported). Secondly, using a novel approach, we determined which part of the ES cascade was measured: the ecosystem property, function, service, benefit or value.
Our results showed that each of the 21 ES analysed had on average 24 different measures, which may indicate the complex reality of ES and/or suggest a potential lack of consensus on what constitutes an ES. We found that uncertainty is often not included and validation mostly missing.
When analysing which part(s) of the ES cascade each measure corresponded to, we found that for regulating ES, ecosystem properties and functions (ecological aspects) are more commonly quantified (67% of measures). Conversely for provisioning ES, benefits and values (socio-economic aspects) are more commonly quantified (68%). Cultural ES are predominantly quantified using scores (35%).
In conclusion, ES appear to be poorly quantified in many cases, as often only one side of the cascade is considered (either the ecological or socio-economic side) and oversimplified and variable indicators are often used.
Policy implications. This review provides a detailed overview of ecosystem services (ES) quantification (ranging from simple scores to advanced methods) with the aim to support future ES quantification and ultimately the successful application of the ES concept.


SYNOPSIS:  In this study, we examine the impact of conditional conservatism on audit fees and, more importantly, the influence of corporate governance on this relationship. Prior literature presents evidence regarding explanations for the existence and pervasiveness of accounting conservatism such as compensation and debt contracting, shareholder litigation, taxation, and accounting regulation. However, there is very limited evidence or discussion of the potential benefit of accounting conservatism on audit risk and thus audit fees, and how the potential benefit can be attenuated by corporate governance quality. Using a sample of firm-year observations over the period of 2004–2009, we provide evidence consistent with conditional conservatism and firms' commitment to such conservatism reducing their audit fees. However, our evidence shows that this reduction in audit fees is moderated by higher corporate governance quality. These results have implications for auditors, regulators, standard setters, and fir...


A. T . ('Tony') James first came to scientific prominence in the 1950s while working with A. J. P. Martin at the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research, London, for demonstrating the practicality of gas–liquid chromatography. This technique enabled the separation and analysis of complex mixtures of closely related volatile compounds down to microgram amounts. The method was rapidly taken up by research laboratories and industrial organizations worldwide. James himself used the technique to study lipid biosynthesis, first in plants and later in animal tissues; he established at the Unilever Research Laboratory Colworth House one of the premier lipid biochemistry groups in the world. As his administrative and managerial duties increased, he established himself as a leader in UK science policy, being an advocate for the better funding of biological research through his work for several research councils.


Abstract We challenge the 'big-bang' approach to economic history offered by Acemoglu et al. (2011). The creation story in dispute is the French Revolution and the subsequent French occupation of a very small portion of Germany. We show that the four institutional reforms claimed to have spurred German industrialization have been incorrectly dated. These corrections nullify any explanatory power of the ACJR econometric model. Moreover, even with the corrected vintages, their identification strategy is undermined by a flawed 'explanatory' variable – 'years of reform'. We show that this variable simply enters their model as a year trend and explains nothing except the passage of time. We develop a fixed-effects model to capture the overlooked role of coal production that began in several regions shortly after 1840. This model offers a credible account of German industrialization and urbanization. Most economic change is, after all, continuous. Big-bang intrusions are of doubtful efficacy.


Alongside the familiar pitched battles, regular sieges, and large-scale manoeuvres, medieval and early modern wars also involved assassination, abduction, treason and sabotage. These undercover operations were aimed chiefly against key individuals, mostly royalty or the leaders of the opposing army, and against key fortified places, including bridges, mills and dams. However, because of their clandestine nature, these deeds of 'derring-do' have not been studied in any detail, a major gap which this book fills. It surveys a wide variety of special operations, from the eleventh to the sixteenth century. It then analyzes in greater depth six select and exciting operations: the betrayal of Antioch in 1098; the attempt to rescue King Baldwin II from the dungeon of Khartpert in 1123; the assassination of Conrad of Montferrat in 1192; the attempt to storm Calais in 1350; the 'dirty war' waged by the rulers of France and Burgundy in the 1460s and 1470s; and the demolition of the flour mill of Auriol in 1536. Dr Yuval Noah Harari teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.


Abstract In recent fast ignitor research, neutron measurements have become increasingly important not only to understand the ultraintense laser-plasma interaction physics associated with ion acceleration and energy transport processes in dense plasmas but also the characterization of the plasma temperature in integrated experiments, as summarized in this paper. New technologies that are relevant to the next-generation integrated fast ignition experiments are also reviewed. These will become increasingly important in the next few years as second-generation multikilojoule petawatt facilities come online and the detection environment becomes increasingly hostile, particularly if, as anticipated, the generated neutron fluxes begin to approach energy breakeven conditions.


A series of 5 electronic dummies that speak and take photographs with their automated mouths.
Curator: Joanna Zielinska
Coordination: Katarzyna Tomczak-Wysocka
Dramaturgy: Tim Etchells
Jokes: Michael Portnoy, translated by Wladyslaw Chlopicki
Design: Noviki Studio Grafiki

Artists: Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Geoffrey Farmer, Pierre Huyghe, Christopher Kline, Tomasz Kowalski, Antje Majewski, Paul McCarthy, Shelly Nadashi, Paulina Olowska, Tony Oursler, Mary Reid Kelley and Patrick Kelley and Lindsay Seers.

A puppet theatre resembles the human world, in miniature, with the one difference: its actors are small, animated objects. Puppets often remind us of the way we were as children and, indeed, the word "puppet" comes from "poppet," an English term of endearment for a child. The little actors are like shells, they belong to anyone who knows how to make a character out of them. They have been known to become our agents in the world of grown-ups. They can be sharp-tongued, making grandiose speeches about politics, and they embody our inner voices and the weaknesses we want to conceal. Since they are in a way immortal, puppets can perform in scenes that are too daredevil for humans. They make us laugh. They often turn into animal figures, sometimes they become giants or naturalistic dolls, which look almost exactly like humans. Interacting with them can give us an anxious or uncanny feeling.

The Objects Do Things project appeals to the pleasure we get from engaging with the world of the imagination. It is shaped by the changes that have taken place in the visual arts in the past few years: the appearance of very many narrative and fictional threads and the unstoppable need to tell stories. It also uses the distinctive aesthetic that in popular culture brings to mind children's theatre and television programs. By contrast, the tradition of the puppet theatre has deep roots in the history of the European avant-garde and the early days of performance art, especially Bauhaus, Surrealist, and Dada experiments.

This project came about at the point where theatre and the visual arts meet, with fictional characters created by artists. Connecting the exhibition's scenographic quality with live theatrical acts is an important innovation of the project. What happens when the theatre in its most traditional form interacts with the art world, and who are the characters of this exhibition? What traits does a character need to possess for the public to want to identify with her? Empathy helps a human community survive, but when do emotions develop towards inanimate objects? How far can empathy go in the world of things?

The project puts "things" at the centre of the study. It shows how objects can exist and interact in the artistic world and how this can refer to human existence. This is one of the key challenges of object-oriented ontology, with its commitment to realism and the belief that objects exist independently of the human mind. The characters brought into existence by artists have the ability to speak; rather extraordinarily, they activate stories contained in the exhibition space. Puppets become tools to actuate memories, and at the same time introduce narrative as part of the project.

The exhibition will host a film program, a performance program, and a puppet slam—a cabaret whose actors will include puppets. We will put on sketches conceived by visual artists and expert puppeteers. Stand-up comedy improvisations, karaoke jokes, and many other attractions will take place on a specially constructed stage set in the theatre space of the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle.


Filament winding is a manufacturing method to produce composite materials with a thermosetting or thermoplastic matrix impregnated continuous fibers. Due to the high melt viscosity of thermoplastics, some problems such as inadequate fiber dispersion in the structure, low wetting ability, and interface quality problems between matrix and fiber might emerge. Preforms can be used in order to solve these problems in the continuous fiber reinforced composite manufacturing; division of the polymer can be made using either powder or fiber form. In this study, polyethylene/E-glass fiber and polypropylene/E-glass fiber hybrid yarns were used as materials to produce thermoplastic composite structures. Firstly, plate samples were produced at various temperatures, periods of time and different thicknesses of ply. After the preparation of samples tensile test, 3 point bending flexural test, and calcination test were applied and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observations were also performed to these samples, and then the production parameters were optimized. After that, cylindrical shaped samples were produced by a laboratory-type manual filament winding device and ring stiffness tests were performed. According to the test results of the plate samples, the optimum production conditions were determined as 200 °C for 5 minutes for polyethylene/E-glass fiber composite structure and 220 °C for 5 minutes for polypropylene/E-glass fiber composite structure. Mechanical test results of plate samples revealed that polypropylene composites presented slightly better results than polyethylene ones. Additionally, in the cylindrical specimens, close results to the ring stiffness values determined by the standards were obtained.


Summary A representative sample of more than three thousand members of a German political party were asked in which of eleven party related activities they had been involved. A one-dimensional Guttman scale was found with a maximal e = 17% or 536 violations in a declared zero cell. The construction and evaluation of this scale is described in some detail. We interpret the scale as ordering the activities with respect to the public commitment required on behalf of the party. A two-dimensional MSA, e Key words: Guttman scaling, one- and two-dimensional scalogram analysis, participation in political activities, identification with political parties Introduction to the research problem Modern representative democracy is unthinkable without political parties. They function as a democratic link between society and government. Rooted in society, political parties articulate the interests of social groups; organized in governmental institutions, they aggregate conflicting interests to political binding decisions. Political parties can fulfill their democratic function only if an active citizenry is willing to engage in them permanently, bringing this democratic link to life. During the last two decades the ability of parties to serve these functions has come under severe stress. The number of citizens interested in joining a political party has steadily declined; and the party members are less inclined to engage in party activities. At the same time, we saw an increase in citizen action committees and social movements, especially in the younger population as the new generation of party members. These diametrically opposed trends have been characterized as de-institutionalization of political participation, indicating a growing tendency of citizens to restrict their participation to a short term engagement and to single issues. In this problem definition it was the aim of a large-scale party membership study of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) to analyse the motivations for intra-party participation and the reasons for their decline (for details see Veen & Neu 1995). In the broader context of this study the specific aim of the following analysis is to elaborate the relationship between various modes of intra-party participation: Do different modes of party activity constitute separate dimensions, or are the "easier" forms connected to the more "difficult"? Could thus the preference for short-term and single-issue participation lead to an engagement on a permanent basis? Could, for example, members attending only party meetings also be expected to stand for elected office in the party organization or in a local or national parliament? Methodologically this translates to the question whether the various forms of party activity are organized unidimensionally, being structured in a cumulative, hierarchical order (Milbrath 1965, Falke 1981). The alternative hypothesis states that the different modes of participation in the general public (Verba, Nie & Kim 1978; Verba, Schlozman & Brady 1995; Dalton 1996) could be separated empirically for intra-party participation, too. For the test of these hypotheses, we could draw on the national representative sample of 3411 members of the CDU of Germany. The fieldwork of this standardized face-to-face interview was completed in 1993 in both the Old and New Bundeslander; the sampling institute was BASISRESEARCH. …


The work carried out during this PhD programme has been concerned with the reinvestigation
and development of a general synthetic methodology towards the 3-
acyltetramic acids (3-acylpyrrolidine-2,4-diones).
Through a nitrile oxide cycloaddition strategy developed previously within our
group we have synthesised a variety of 'masked' isoxazole precursors. We have
further developed this strategy to include extension at the C-3 position in the
bicyclic 3-methylpyrrolo[3,4-c]isoxazoles by deprotonation and condensation with
a variety of aromatic aldehydes. Ring opening of the products with hydrogen
yielded novel 3-(3-arylpropanoyl)tetramic acids, whilst using molybdenum
hexacarbonyl produced 3-(3-arylpropenoyl)tetramic acids.
Extension of the C-3 position on the 3-methylpyrrolo[3,4-c]isoxazoles has also
been accomplished using aliphatic ketones.


As open public data initiatives have become prevalent among local and national governments across the globe with promises of benefits such as increased accountability, challenges, especially the governments' lack of willingness to open public data, have also begun to emerge. Existing governance research on open public data primarily focuses on how open public data can increase the accountability of public bodies. The important steps in achieving accountability are, however, ignored. In this paper, we view the perceived risk of liability as a barrier for the public bodies to disclose their data in the first place, and hence to achieve accountability as a desired outcome. We explore the link between perceived risk of liability and accountability by looking into the recently announced Interim Measures for the Opening of Public Data in Shanghai as an example of a local regulatory initiative of open public data. Our findings show that by identifying the specific data entities and outlining their corresponding duties, the interim measures clarify the roles of different public bodies and under what conditions they can incur liability. By introducing an exemption clause, they also provide public bodies with legal flexibility to cope with uncertain consequences of data utilization. In this way, we argue that the interim measures, outlining duties for specific entities in data opening in accounting for the consequences of data utilization while remaining flexible due to their temporality, constitute a novel regulatory approach towards reducing the legal uncertainty around perceived risks of liability in the area of open public data, hence potentially contributing to increased accountability.


Introduction: Pain is considered a major clinical problem and is a source of social and economic burden for many people. Problem Statement: Many patients experiencing pain find conventional treatments to be moderately effective; however, they often experience adverse side effects, leaving them to seek complementary and alternative therapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of wet-cupping therapy (WCT) for the treatment of several chronic pain conditions and additionally to evaluate whether these effects differ according to the time of application during any lunar month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Material and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted using data from the records of patients who attended the Hijama Clinic of King Abdulaziz University Hospital from January 2017 to December 2017. In total, 347 patients visited the clinic during 2017; 231 of these patients experienced pain, and 117 of these patients met the inclusion criteria for participation. Scores from the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the effect of wet cupping on pain intensity. Results: A Wilcoxon signed-rank test demonstrated that the median (Mdn) VAS scores at 1 month postintervention (Mdn = 5) were significantly lower than the Mdn VAS scores at baseline (Mdn = 7, P = 0.000). Results from a Mann–Whitney U-test revealed that the difference in Mdn VAS scores of patients with headaches and migraines who received WCT during the second half of the lunar month (Mdn = 3) was significantly higher than the difference in Mdn in VAS scores of patients who received WCT during the first half of the lunar month (Mdn = 0, P = 0.005). Conclusion: A single application of WCT appeared to effectively treat several chronic pain-related conditions for at least 4 weeks. In addition, the improvement in pain severity may be enhanced when WCT is performed during the second half of the lunar month.


ABSTRACT Copper isotope ratios and Cu concentrations have been measured in oxide and sulphide minerals from leached cap (hematite-goethite-jarosite-malachite), supergene (chalcocite-pyrite-hematite) and hypogene (pyrite-chalcopyrite) zones in the Chahfiroozeh, Darrehzar, Iju and Parkam porphyry Cu deposits from the Kerman porphyry Cu belt of Iran. In general, δ65Cu values show distinctive values of 0.23‰ to 0.79‰ in hypogene, 2.52‰ to 4.82‰ in supergene and -1.00‰ to -6.16‰ in leached cap minerals. Leach cap minerals contain less Cu than supergene and hypogene minerals. This study supports previous distinct Cu isotopic patterns for leached cap, supergene and hypogene zones reported from other porphyry Cu deposits. Weathering and oxidative dissolution of Cu sulphide minerals normally generate isotopically heavier fluids and lighter residual minerals. Upon encountering reducing conditions at greater depths, the oxidative solutions precipitate secondary Cu-sulphides in the enriched zone and the new minerals possess heavier Cu isotopic compositions. The degree of isotopic separation and difference in concentrations among the three reservoirs is most likely related to the weathering processes and the isotopic signatures present in the leach cap may have exploration potential.


Due to the limited resources and dynamically varying nature of wireless links, guaranteeing high quality demands for a large number of heterogeneous users is very challenging in video streaming over wireless networks. In this paper, we introduce a layered multiple description coding with an embedded forward error correction scheme (LMDC-FEC). The combination of layered MDC and FEC aims at coping with not only the diverse bandwidth and unreliability of wireless links but also the heterogeneous user devices. We further propose a joint replication density and rate allocation (RD-RA) optimization problem in the context of video on-demand systems (VoDs) over wireless mesh networks (WMNs), and employ a genetic algorithms based approach to solve the optimization problem. Our objective is to elaborately distribute proper replication density for each video segment and allocate optimal bit rate to each layer of each segment in order to gain high user-perceived quality (UPQ) with small consumption of storage resource. By this method, both optimal replication densities and rate allocations are found in accordance with the access rate of segments, the diverse loss characteristics of descriptions in each segment, and the rate-distortion relationship of segments, so as to thoroughly optimize UPQ and storage resource consumption. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed method significantly enhances the streaming performance of VoDs over WMNs.


In this article, Professor Cochran responds to Professor Freedman's comments concerning Cochran's criticism of client-centered lawyering for its tendency to focus exclusively on the interests of clients, often at the expense of other people. Professor Freedman and his co-author, Professor Abbe Smith, appear to be alone among the client-centered counselors in supporting the idea of moral counsel as an integral part of the decision-making process. In this response, Cochran attempts to generate a conversation among those who identify themselves as client-centered lawyers as to the very significant differences between them in the matter of lawyer-client moral discourse. Under the dominant method of client-centered counseling, the lawyer and client consider alternatives in light of consequences for the client, not consequences for others. After lawyers encourage the client to see things from the client's perspective and the client makes a decision, Cochran argues that it will be difficult for lawyers to shift gears and introduce moral discourse. Cochran also criticizes Freedman's emphasis on client autonomy. Cochran argues that the concept of client autonomy is too absolute, and that each lawyer and client should have a discussion about the appropriate level of client autonomy. Professor Freedman may not be willing to break from the client-centered lawyers and join Professors Cochran, Shaffer, and others as a "collaborative counselor," in a school of client counseling that better captures his call for lawyer-client moral discourse, but Cochran encourages Professor Freedman to challenge the dominant client-centered position on this issue and seek reform from within. Cochran concludes that lawyer-client moral discourse should be an integral part of legal representation.


Increases in intracellular calcium concentration are required for the release of neurotransmitter from presynaptic terminals in all neurons. However, the mechanism by which calcium exerts its effect is not known. A low-sensitivity calcium-dependent photoprotein (n-aequorin-J) was injected into the presynaptic terminal of the giant squid synapse to selectively detect high calcium concentration microdomains. During transmitter release, light emission occurred at specific points or quantum emission domains that remained in the same place during protracted stimulation. Intracellular calcium concentration microdomains on the order of 200 to 300 micromolar occur against the cytoplasmic surface of the plasmalemma during transmitter secretion, supporting the view that the synaptic vesicular fusion responsible for transmitter release is triggered by the activation of a low-affinity calcium-binding site at the active zone.


A deniable authentication protocol allows a sender to transfer an authenticated message to a receiver in such a way that the receiver cannot prove to a third party about the source of the message. In recent years, many deniable authentication protocols have been proposed. In 2005, Lu et al. proposed a secure and non-interactive deniable authentication protocol based on factoring. Although Lu et al. claimed that their protocol could provide complete security and properties of a deniable authentication protocol, we will point out that Lu et al. protocol is unable to achieve the second requirement of being the deniable authentication protocol.


The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) shocked the world when it entered the world stage in 2014. By seizing large territories in Syria and Iraq, its expansion within the Middle East seemed unrestrainable as the Iraqi Army fell apart and in Syria, various actors were caught up in a bloody civil war in the wake of the Arab spring. With US support, the Syrian and Iraqi Kurds became the main stand against ISIS acting as boots on the ground. The Kurdish success against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq quickly won them acclaim from the West and rendered them the key ally in the continued US-led effort against ISIS. In Western media and among Western decision makers, the Kurds as an entity are highly praised for their role in this fight. In addition, their fight for human rights, gender equality, secular rule, and democracy has also been highlighted as key features in assessing Kurds as a homogeneous entity that almost naturally shares strategic interest with the West. This book, as it sets out to paint a more comprehensive picture of the different Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq, concludes that these groups indeed have very different policy objectives and diverging regional partners of alliance thereby questioning the underlying assumption of a uniformed Kurdish entity. The book makes a significant contribution to a better understanding of the political goals, affiliations and rivalries of these important actors and Western allies in the Middle East.


Two US medical device executives are facing criminal charges for off-label promotion of a device to treat nasal sinus problems.

William Facteau, former chief executive officer, and Patrick Fabian, vice president for sales, of the ear, nose, and throat medical device company Acclarent, have been charged with "distributing adulterated and misbranded medical devices" and securities fraud related to their promotion of the Status medical device to open up nasal sinuses.1 Acclarent was sold to Johnson & Johnson for $785m (£542m; €690m) in 2010.

The Food and Drug Administration had cleared the device under its "510(k)" scheme, which allows devices to be marketed on the basis of the existence of a "substantially equivalent" product (known as a predicate device) already on the market. The predicate device cited by Acclarent was intended to keep sinuses open mechanically. However, the Status device was manufactured in such a way that it could be …


After crossing oceans, a man and a boy arrive in a new land. Here they are each assigned a name and an age, and held in a camp in the desert while they learn Spanish, the language of their new country. As Simon and David they make their way to the relocation centre in the city of Novilla, where officialdom treats them politely but not necessarily helpfully. Simon finds a job in a grain wharf. The work is unfamiliar and backbreaking, but he soon warms to his stevedore comrades, who during breaks conduct philosophical dialogues on the dignity of labour, and generally take him to their hearts. Now he must set about his task of locating the boy's mother. Though like everyone else who arrives in this new country he seems to be washed clean of all traces of memory, he is convinced he will know her when he sees her. And indeed, while walking with the boy in the countryside Simon catches sight of a woman he is certain is the mother, and persuades her to assume the role. David's new mother comes to realise that he is an exceptional child, a bright, dreamy boy with highly unusual ideas about the world. But the school authorities detect a rebellious streak in him and insist he be sent to a special school far away. His mother refuses to yield him up, and it is Simon who must drive the car as the trio flees across the mountains. The Childhood of Jesus" is a profound, beautiful and continually surprising novel from a very great writer.


Managers of service organizations seek to improve productivity without eroding service quality. We explore whether privately versus publicly disclosing relative performance feedback (RPF) about individual workers' processing times can help achieve this goal. Using three years of patient encounter data from two emergency departments, one of which changed from privately to publicly disclosing RPF to physicians, we find an 8.6% improvement in productivity and no significant reduction in quality associated with implementing public RPF. This benefit is greater when workers are carrying out understandardized, rather than standardized, tasks. We conduct further analyses that suggest the benefit of public RPF may primarily stem from the identification and diffusion of best practices around workflow, rather than from the motivation to be top-ranked or the shame of being bottom-ranked. Thus, our results suggest public RPF can foster the sharing and adoption of strategies for improving the management of workflow.