The candidate list of substances subject to authorisation is an instrument provided by the EU chemicals regulation (REACH) to publicly announce and prioritize chemi cal substances of very high concern (SVHC) as a first step of imposing an obligation of authorisation on them, i.e. including them into the authorisation list (Annex XIV of REACH). As a consequence of inclusion into the "candidate list", a variety of obli gations concerned with intensifying risk communication apply. Article producers, importers and distributors of articles have to communicate information about SVHCs contained in articles and necessary risk management measures to the recipients of the articles and provide this information to consumers on request (Art. 33 REACH). This research paper analyzes the reputational mechanism of the candidate list sho wing a potential to stigmatize not only the substances as such but also various actors of the supply chain associated with these substances and their brands. Drawing on behavioral psychology theories, hypotheses on the reputational impacts of the can didate list on substance manufacturers, downstream users (including formulators and manufacturers of articles) and distributors are derived. These are discussed on the basis of current empirical data surveyed by the European Commission.


Charlene Smith. Mandela: In Celebration of a Great Life. 2nd edition. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2003. 184 pp. Photographs. Bibliography. Index. $35.00. Cloth. Nelson Mandela Foundation. A Prisoner in the Garden: Photos, Letters, and Notes from Nelson Mandela's 27 Years in Prison. New York: Penguin, 2006. 209 pp. Photographs. Bibliography. $29.95. Cloth. Not surprisingly, the literature on South Africa's most famous son has grown steadily during the last several years. Charlene Smith and the Nelson Mandela Foundation have recendy added to this literature by producing richly illustrated books designed to honor Mandela and to appeal to a broad audience. Smith's Mandela: In Celebration of a Great Life, is a coffee table book of photographs depicting Mandela's life and career. Smith, a South African journalist, published a popular book on Robben Island in 1997 and has received widespread publicity for speaking out on AIDS in South Africa. Her latest work is more of a tribute to Mandela than an analysis of his life. Smith's text skims over Mandela's youth and early career and focuses instead on his involvement in the antiapartheid movement in the 1950s, his imprisonment, and his role in South Africa after his release from prison in 1990. This is an attractive book, richly illustrated with excellent photographs, in color and black and white. Many of the photographs have not been widely published before, and their quality is uniformly high. The quality of the text is less consistent. On the positive side, Smith draws upon interviews with Mandela, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Desmond Tutu, and Govan Mbeki to enliven her account. She skillfully describes Mandela's ability to promote reconciliation in South Africa and offers insights into Mandela's relationship with Thabo Mbeki and the differences in style between the two leaders. Although Smith obviously admires Mandela, she is not afraid to be critical. However, Smith's claim that her book "contains more original research than any book published previously on this great man" is an exaggeration. Some of her text reads like a time line of dates and events without analysis or a smooth, overarching narrative. Too often the book suffers from a lack of chronology, such as when it goes from discussing the Rivonia trial (1963-64) to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe (1961) to the apartheid laws passed by the Nationalist government (after 1948). Because the chronological framework is weak, the author tends to repeat information. She sometimes overquotes her sources as well, especially the minutes of meetings. And several mistakes appear, such as those regarding the age of Hector Petersen (the first fatality in the 1976 Soweto unrest), the date P. W. Botha became prime minister, and the occupation of Jesse Jackson, who is erroneously referred to as a U.S. senator. A Prisoner in the Garden: Photos, Letters, and Notes from Nelson Mandela's 27 Years in Prison is another attractive book, profusely illustrated with photographs, artifacts, letters, and other documents from Mandela's long incarceration. …


Abstract Voltage unbalance emission allocation principles prescribed in IEC61000-3-13:2008 Technical Report utilise a factor, kuE, which allows separation of the total voltage unbalance that arises at a point of evaluation due to both the load under consideration and the supply network. As per the definition given, this factor (kuE) accounts for the unbalance emission that arises due to the load whereas (1-kuE) accounts for unbalance that arises due to the network. The technical report prescribes a range of values from which a suitable value can be chosen based on the system characteristics, however, no systematic methodologies exist to-date to determine the kuE factor. Hence, the sensitivity of the kuE factor to various system parameters cannot be examined. The work presented in this paper examines the sensitivity of this factor to system characteristics covering line asymmetry, load type and the level of load unbalance. While giving a systematic methodology for the evaluation of kuE it is demonstrated that the use of a constant kuE factor as given in IEC61000-3-13:2008 can lead to erroneous outcomes under certain conditions. Abstract —Voltage unbalance emission allocation principles prescribed in IEC61000-3-13:2008 Technical Report utilise a factor, k uE , which allows separation of the total voltage unbalance that arises at a point of evaluation due to both the load under consideration and the supply network. As per the definition given, this factor (k uE ) accounts for the unbalance emission that arises due to the load whereas (1-k uE ) accounts for unbalance that arises due to the network. The technical report prescribes a range of values from which a suitable value can be chosen based on the system characteristics, however, no systematic methodologies exist to-date to determine the k uE factor. Hence, the sensitivity of the k uE factor to various system parameters cannot be examined. The work presented in this paper examines the sensitivity of this factor to system characteristics covering line asymmetry, load type and the level of load unbalance. While giving a systematic methodology for the evaluation of k uE it is demonstrated that the use of a constant k uE factor as given in IEC61000-3-13:2008 can lead to erroneous outcomes under certain conditions.


Thirty years ago, E. N. Lorenz provided some approximate limits to atmospheric predictability. The details—in space and time—of atmospheric flow fields are lost after about 10 days. Certain gross flow features recur, however, after times of the order of 10–50 days, giving hope for their prediction. Over the last two decades, numerous attempts have been made to predict these recurrent features. The attempts have involved, on the one hand, systematic improvements in numerical weather prediction by increasing the spatial resolution and physical faithfulness in the detailed models used for this prediction. On the other hand, theoretical attempts motivated by the same goal have involved the study of the large-scale atmospheric motions' phase space and the inhomogeneities therein. These "coarse-graining" studies have addressed observed as well as simulated atmospheric data sets. Two distinct approaches have been used in these studies: the episodic or intermittent and the oscillatory or periodic. The intermittency approach describes multiple-flow (or weather) regimes, their persistence and recurrence, and the Markov chain of transitions among them. The periodicity approach studies intraseasonal oscillations, with periods of 15–70 days, and their predictability. We review these two approaches, "particles" vs. "waves," in the quantum physics analogy alluded to in the title of this article, discuss their complementarity, and outline unsolved problems.


Media are key for the functioning of democracy. It is the essential link between politics and citizens, providing critical information and interpretation of politics and room for debate. Given this central role of the media for democratic political processes, questions about how mediated political information would affect citizens' perceptions of and attitudes toward politics, as well as ultimately political behavior, have been dominant in research in the field of political communication. While vast amounts of mid-range theories and empirical insights speak in favor of influences of media on citizens, there is little in terms of a universal theoretical framework guiding political media effects research, which makes it difficult to give a conclusive answer to the question: how and, in particular, how much do the media matter? It may matter for some people under some conditions in some contexts relating to some outcome variables. Technological changes in media systems pose additional challenges, both conceptually and methodologically, to come to comprehensive assessments of media influences on citizens' political cognitions, attitudes, or behaviors. Research needs to be clearer as to which conceptualization of media is followed and how such conceptualization may interact with other dimensions of media attributes. Measurement of media use and reception needs to take into account the increasing complexities of how citizens encounter political information, and it requires alignment with the conceptualization of media. Political media effect theories should not continue developing side by side, but should attempt to find a place in a more comprehensive model and take into account how they relate to and possibly interact with other approaches. In sum, the field of political media effects, while vast and covering a range of aspects, would do well to consider its role and purpose in increasingly complex media environments and, accordingly, provide more integrative perspectives, conceptually, methodologically, and theoretically.


A standardized approach for the definition, propagation, and reporting of uncertainty in the temperature lidar data products contributing to the Network for the Detection for Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) database is proposed. One important aspect of the proposed approach is the ability to propagate all independent uncertainty components in parallel through the data processing chain. The individual uncertainty components are then combined together at the very last stage of processing to form the temperature combined standard uncertainty. The identified uncertainty sources comprise major components such as signal detection, saturation correction, background noise extraction, temperature tie-on at the top of the profile, and absorption by ozone if working in the visible spectrum, as well as other components such as molecular extinction, the acceleration of gravity, and the molecular mass of air, whose magnitudes depend on the instrument, data processing algorithm, and altitude range of interest. The expression of the individual uncertainty components and their step-by-step propagation through the temperature data processing chain are thoroughly estimated, taking into account the effect of vertical filtering and the merging of multiple channels. All sources of uncertainty except detection noise imply correlated terms in the vertical dimension, which means that covariance terms must be taken into account when vertical filtering is applied and when temperature is integrated from the top of the profile. Quantitatively, the uncertainty budget is presented in a generic form (i.e., as a function of instrument performance and wavelength), so that any NDACC temperature lidar investigator can easily estimate the expected impact of individual uncertainty components in the case of their own instrument. Using this standardized approach, an example of uncertainty budget is provided for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) lidar at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawai'i, which is typical of the NDACC temperature lidars transmitting at 355 nm. The combined temperature uncertainty ranges between 0.1 and 1 K below 60 km, with detection noise, saturation correction, and molecular extinction correction being the three dominant sources of uncertainty. Above 60 km and up to 10 km below the top of the profile, the total uncertainty increases exponentially from 1 to 10 K due to the combined effect of random noise and temperature tie-on. In the top 10 km of the profile, the accuracy of the profile mainly depends on that of the tie-on temperature. All other uncertainty components remain below 0.1 K throughout the entire profile (15– 90 km), except the background noise correction uncertainty, which peaks around 0.3–0.5 K. It should be kept in mind that Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 4080 T. Leblanc et al.: NDACC-standardized uncertainty budget for temperature lidars these quantitative estimates may be very different for other lidar instruments, depending on their altitude range and the wavelengths used.


Background : Semarang is endemic city for leptospirosis in Indonesia with an increased incidence every year. Surveillance and its mapping is needed to help directing the preventive measures and consequently, reduce the incidence.
Objectives : To identify and analize the distribution of leptospirosis cases in Semarang spatially and temporally.
Methods : A cross sectional design have been used. Secondary data was obtained from leptospirosis registry in Semaran.g. The primary data of patients' residences astronomical location (latitude and longitude) were obtained by GPS recording. The data were descriptively analyzed by means of Microsoft Excel 2003 and ArcView GIS 3.3.
Results : Research's subject consisting of 110 men and 61 women. The age ranged from 1 to 78 and the incidence peaked in 1-10 age group (33,3%).Peak incidence was occured in July 2009 (24,6%) and the districts with the highest incidence was Tembalang (51,5%). Leptospirosis cases tend to cluster in area of high population density and follow the pattern of river flow. In high total rainfall months the distribution pattern shift to flood area.
Conclusion : Leptospirosis cases tend to cluster in area with high population density, follow the pattern of river flow and the distribution pattern shift to flood area in months with high total rainfall number. Preventive measures could be aimed primarily in those areas.

Key Words : leptospirosis, spatiotemporal analysis, GIS


Measuring performance and quantifying a performance change are core evaluation techniques in programming language and systems research. Out of 122 recent scientific papers published at PLDI, ASPLOS, ISMM, TOPLAS, and TACO, as many as 65 included experimental evaluation that quantified a performance change using a ratio of execution times. Unfortunately, few of these papers evaluated their results with the level of rigour that has come to be expected in other experimental sciences. The uncertainty of measured results was largely ignored. Scarcely any of the papers mentioned uncertainty in the ratio of the mean execution times, and most did not even mention uncertainty in the two means themselves. Furthermore, most of the papers failed to address the non-deterministic execution of computer programs (caused by factors such as memory placement, for example), and none addressed non-deterministic compilation (when a compiler creates different binaries from the same sources, which differ in performance, for example again because of impact on memory placement). It turns out that the statistical methods presented in the computer systems performance evaluation literature for the design and summary of experiments do not readily allow this either. This poses a hazard to the repeatability, reproducibility and even validity of quantitative results. Inspired by statistical methods used in other fields of science, and building on results in statistics that did not make it to introductory textbooks, we present a statistical model that allows us both to quantify uncertainty in the ratio of (execution time) means and to design experiments with a rigorous treatment of those multiple sources of non-determinism that might impact measured performance. Better still, under our framework summaries can be as simple as ''system A is faster than system B by 5.5 ± 2.5, with 95 confidence'', a more natural statement than those derived from typical current practice, which are often misinterpreted.


Literary education and language education are connected by a relationship of mutual exchange. On the one hand, without the mastery of appropriate language skills it is impossible to grasp the complexity of literary works. On the other, improving language competence is one of the multiple aims of literary education. Moreover, considering the current multicultural dimension of the Italian school system, teaching literature from an intercultural perspective provides an opportunity to foster the development of relational skills while discussing the meaning of the works.
In this scenario, we explore the state of the art of literary education and the teaching of literature in Italy and we consider their implications with language education, intercultural education, and intercultural communication. Furthermore, we present both a model of literary and intercultural communicative competence and a hermeneutic and relational method, also aimed at improving language acquisition and promoting intercultural awareness. In our view, literary and intercultural communicative competence makes it possible to communicate effectively in events where the language is spoken in order to understand literary texts, to identify the original meanings, to discuss their significance from the students' current perspective, and to formulate critical judgements.
The aim of the volume is to offer content and methodological resources for the teaching of literature that can impact positively on the development of language and relational skills. Thus, we draw up some guidelines aimed at increasing students' motivation for studying the works, fostering their active participation and allowing literature to preserve its educational function.


A family with a history of severe recurrent venous thromboembolic disease was studied to determine if a plasma protein deficiency could account for observed disease. Protein S levels in plasma were determined immunologically using the Laurell rocket technique. The propositus, his mother, his aunt, and his cousin who were clinically affected had 17% to 65% of the control levels of protein S antigen (normal range, 71% to 147%). Since three of these patients were receiving oral anticoagulant therapy, the ratios of protein S to prothrombin, factor X, and protein C in these patients were compared with values for a group of orally anticoagulated controls. These results suggested that protein S is half-normal in all family members with thrombotic disease. Other proteins known to be associated with familial thrombotic disease, including antithrombin III, plasminogen, fibrinogen, and protein C, were normal. Because plasma protein S serves as a cofactor for the anticoagulant activity of activated protein C and because protein C deficiency is associated with recurrent thrombotic disease, it is suggested that recurrent thrombotic disease in this family is the result of an inherited deficiency of protein S.


The flood will become too much strain to the affected persons. Today's, many
floods occur not only in the rural area but also include the urban area which has a good
manage drain facilities. We cannot predict the situation but we can take pre caution
action on risk of life and reduce the properties destruction. Just bear in mind it will
happen anytime, anyplace without counter to any other else. We need some time to
prepare before the flood occurs. What can be done to at least reduce the negative
impacts of floods? One system must be built to inform the affection person about the
situation. So this system has been build to solve the problem that haunted them with a
cheap and easy way to encounter this situation. Flood detection system is the system
that being used to detect the rising water level in the river. When the water rises, circuit
will send signal to the system. The system will inform the rising of water level to the
several departments that in charge the disaster using email or sms. The main purpose of
flood detection system is to avert or minimize loss of life. We expanded this vision and
defined the purpose of the flood detection system as a means of establishing public
safety, to reduce damage to property and to relieve public anxiety


We examine the effectiveness of bonuses and fines in an 'inspection game' where an employer can learn the effort of a worker through costly inspection. Standard game theoretic analysis predicts that fines discourage shirking, whereas bonuses encourage shirking. In contrast, ownpayoff effects suggest that both fines and bonuses discourage shirking. In an experiment we find that fines are more effective than bonuses in reducing shirking. However, we do not find that bonuses encourage shirking. Behavioral theories based on Impulse Balance Equilibrium or Quantal Response Equilibrium provide a good account of deviations from Nash equilibrium predictions.


Engineering As of 2008 1.46 billion people, or 22 percent of the World's population, were without electricity. Many of these people live in remote areas where decentralized generation is the only method of electrification. Most mini-grids are powered by diesel generators, but new hybrid power systems are becoming a reliable method to incorporate renewable energy while also reducing total system cost. This thesis quantifies the measurable Operational Costs for an experimental hybrid power system in Sierra Leone. Two software programs, Hybrid2 and HOMER, are used during the system design and subsequent analysis. Experimental data from the installed system is used to validate the two programs and to quantify the savings created by each component within the hybrid system. This thesis bridges the gap between design optimization studies that frequently lack subsequent validation and experimental hybrid system performance studies.


Individuals often have to decide to which degree of risk they want to expose others, or how much risk to accept if their choice has an externality on third parties. One typical application is a household. We run an experiment in the German Socio-Economic Panel with two members from 494 households. Participants have a good estimate of each other's risk preferences, even if not explicitly informed. They do not simply match this preference when deciding on behalf of the other household member, but shy away from exposing others to risk. We model the situation, and we find four distinct types of individuals, and two distinct types of households.


In 1979 Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky created the prospect theory. It became an accepted and appropriate theory in explaining decision making under risk. The prospect theory has been one of the most cited articles in economics and Kahneman received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences as a result of the creation and development of the theory. Therefore the prospect theory is considered to be more suitable compared to the previously accepted theory, the expected utility theory. Following the prospect theory, researchers have utilized it to describe individual but also corporate management decision making when faced with risk. In this thesis the authors will focus on the latter. Despite the prospect theory being a well-accepted theory, there have been several critics due to its limitations and Audia and Greve (2006) are one of these critics. Their study suggested that corporations under threat, i.e. small firms with low returns, act risk averse. The findings of Audia and Greve (2006) violate the prospect theory when considering small firms that have below target returns. They tested the theory on an industry that has the characteristics of having relatively high proportions of tangible assets. Audia and Greve (2006) also proposed that a similar conclusion could be drawn if tested on an industry characterized by having a high level of intangible assets. This thesis examines the applicability of the prospect theory in the Swedish automotive industry and staffing and recruitment industry. The characteristics of the two industries are that the automotive industry has a high proportion of tangible assets and the staffing and recruitment industry has a high level of intangibles. The authors test if the prospect theory can be used to describe the decision making of both industries but also test the theory on small and large firms. Following the results of this paper we show that the prospect theory can be applied to the Swedish automotive industry and staffing and recruitment industry, characterized by having high levels of tangible assets and intangible assets respectively. The theory can also be used to explain decision making under risk for small firms within both industries and large firms within the automotive industry. Even though the prospect theory was originally tested on individuals, the conclusion can be drawn that the prospect theory once again prevails as an explanation of the decision making in the management of corporations. It can describe the decision making of firms in the two industries having characteristics of different asset tangibility and for firms of different size.


This thesis is an anthropological study of consumption and self-construction on the Greek tourist island of Mykonos. The ethnographic material is collected from informants/agents of an, initially, heterogeneous cultural background and with a highly individualistic discourse, who, paradoxically, form a group. The identity of this new Mykonian group of exogenous 'locals' is self-created and draws on several 'local' myths. Therefore, the ethnography concentrates on the discursive making of these myths. The characteristic all these myths share is that they revolve around a common theme: symbolic 'otherness'. This discursive otherness, is initially reflected in the emerging myth of the cosmopolitan place in which it is performed, the place-myth of Mykonos. But symmetrically in our case, the myth of the place, counter-reflects the myth of its subjects. A series of invented 'heroes' gradually prospers in the mythical space of 'otherness': first the reckless, unorthodox locals; then the eccentric 'first visitors' followed by the alternative groups of the seventies, the subcultural groups of the eighties and the tribestyles of the nineties. The myth of this spatial 'otherness', apart from the peculiar groupings which it simultaneously attracts and creates, is also a propagator of self- myths. The thesis explores the construction of selves and communities through their consumption patterns, manipulation of aesthetics, invented rituals and a distinctive set of social practices, but primarily through their discursive otherness. The myth of the idiosyncratic space is echoed in the myth of their unclassified and fetishised selves. Nevertheless, the 'anarchic' property of the space is its only consistent pattern and, in turn, a source of communal identity. The discourse of locality that stems out of these 'mythologies' celebrates a highly subjective pattern of aesthetic 'otherness'. The bonding of all these myths lies precisely in their taste for 'difference'. The fetishisation of the self reflects upon the fetishisation of space; as much as, the fetishisation of space reflects upon the fetishisation of the self.


The content of epicuticular waxes on the surface of the cladodes of Opuntia streptacantha and their thermal characteristics based on the stage of maturation of the plant were determined. The moisture content of samples of cladodes from O. streptacantha at different stages of maturation was determined. The ultrastructure of the surface of the cladodes was determined in dehydrated samples employing scanning electron microscopy. The surface of the cladodes contains amorphus particles related to epicuticular waxes in all stages of maturation. The extraction of hydrophobic compounds was carried out through soxhlet. The extracts obtained were thermally characterized utilizing DSC. Results showed no significant differences for the moisture content or hydrophobic compounds, regardless the stage of maturation. The melting temperature was different in young cladodes (1 and 2 years old) than old cladodes (3 and 4 years old); however, these temperatures are similar to thoses waxes with high commercial value, hereby we propose as a new alternative to commercial waxes for different technological applications.


The modern trends towards economy and the use of high strength materials have resulted in long spans and slender floors of low frequencies. These frequencies may be within the range of the first few harmonics of daily life human activities. Though the problem of resonance with walking vibrations, an activity most common on all floors, is unlikely, high amplitude or persistent vibrations due to these low-level excitations may cause alarm to building occupants. There may also be some problems with the most sensitive equipment. These uncomfortable vibrations are a serviceability limit state problem and can only be avoided by ensuring a high floor fundamental natural frequency and damping. There is a need, therefore, for a method to accurately predict the fundamental natural frequency and damping of these floors and to ensure that they are high enough to avoid any resonance or perceptibility problems. Available analytical formulae for the estimation of fundamental natural frequency are not directly applicable to actual floors due to various assumptions. The only method that may be reliably used for static or dynamic analyses is the finite element method because it can conveniently model the three dimensional nature of structures and account for the various boundary conditions and material properties. The research reported in this thesis consists of measuring fundamental natural frequencies and corresponding damping of a range of actual floors. The experimental frequencies have then been compared with those results which are based on the analytical formulae and finite element method. The analytical methods suitable for various categories of floors have been identified. A new linear-elastic single panel or beam finite element model, correlated with the experimental results, has been developed for the accurate estimation of the fundamental natural frequency of these floors. The correct boundary conditions for various categories of floors have been identified. The single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) formula for the estimation of fundamental natural frequency using static deflections has been modified for the floors tested. This modified SDOF formula can be used for convenient hand calculations by the consultants and designers who want a quick estimation of fundamental natural frequency due to time and cost limitations. The formula may also be used to limit static deflections and, therefore, design loads for any choice of a minimum fundamental natural frequency. Also, new limits on span/depth ratios for flat slabs and span limits for double-T beam floors have been suggested. Similarly, minimum fundamental natural frequencies, damping ratios and maximum static deflections have been suggested for the floors tested. The single panel or beam model may also be used for various parametric studies, both for static and dynamic analyses.


BackgroundRecent health reform laws might accelerate high-deductible health plan (HDHP) growth. The impact of HDHPs on long-term colorectal cancer screening rates and low socioeconomic status (SES) members is unknown. MethodsWe studied colorectal cancer screening rates among 1306 Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members for 1 year before and 2 years after an employer-mandated switch to HDHPs, compared with 1306 propensity score-matched controls who remained in HMOs by employer choice. HDHP members had full coverage of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) but colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and double-contrast barium enema were subject to $500 to $2000 annual deductibles. HMO members had full coverage of these tests. We used generalized estimating equations to adjust screening rates for member characteristics. We stratified analyses by SES. ResultsOverall colorectal cancer screening rates in the HDHP group relative to the control group trended down from baseline to the first and second follow-up years [ratios of change, 0.88, (95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.06) and 0.83, (0.69 to 1.00), respectively]. Low SES HDHP members experienced a statistically significant relative decrease in colonoscopy in both follow-up years [0.65, (0.48 to 0.88) and 0.59, (0.42 to 0.84), respectively] and a trend toward increased FOBT [1.26, (0.92 to 1.72) and 1.30, (0.95 to 1.77), respectively] to maintain stable overall colorectal cancer screening rates [1.01, (0.77 to 1.32) and 0.93, (0.71 to 1.22), respectively]. High SES members experienced less pronounced decrease in colonoscopy [0.89, (0.67 to 1.18) and 0.87, (0.62 to 1.21), respectively] but FOBT rates did not increase [0.83, (0.62 to 1.11 and 0.81), (0.60 to 1.11), respectively]. ConclusionsSwitching to a HDHP was associated with a downward trend in overall colorectal cancer screening rates after 2 years. Low SES HDHP members maintained stable rates, but substituted FOBT for colonoscopy and other tests now more widely recommended. Further research should investigate whether such reduced adherence to screening guidelines adversely affects health outcomes.


Proton transfer across biological membranes underpins central processes in biological systems, such as energy conservation and transport of ions and molecules. In the membrane proteins involved in these processes, proton transfer takes place through specific pathways connecting the two sides of the membrane via control elements within the protein. It is commonly believed that acidic residues are required near the orifice of such proton pathways to facilitate proton uptake. In cytochrome c oxidase, one such pathway starts near a conserved Asp-132 residue. Results from earlier studies have shown that replacement of Asp-132 by, e.g., Asn, slows proton uptake by a factor of ∼5,000. Here, we show that proton uptake at full speed (∼104 s−1) can be restored in the Asp-132–Asn oxidase upon introduction of a second structural modification further inside the pathway (Asn-139–Thr) without compensating for the loss of the negative charge. This proton-uptake rate was insensitive to Zn2+ addition, which in the wild-type cytochrome c oxidase slows the reaction, indicating that Asp-132 is required for Zn2+ binding. Furthermore, in the absence of Asp-132 and with Thr at position 139, at high pH (>9), proton uptake was significantly accelerated. Thus, the data indicate that Asp-132 is not strictly required for maintaining rapid proton uptake. Furthermore, despite the rapid proton uptake in the Asn-139–Thr/Asp-132–Asn mutant cytochrome c oxidase, proton pumping was impaired, which indicates that the segment around these residues is functionally linked to pumping.


Although the proliferation of "smart beta" products using various style factors makes them seem new, many of these factors have been used in portfolio construction and risk management for decades. This article examines the historical performance of style risk factors to show that 1) their returns vary widely through time, and even those with no long-term return association can have unexpected, outsized returns at times; 2) across geographical regions, the same factor can exhibit quite different returns at the same time; and 3) an investor's goals need to be considered when deciding which factors are appropriate to use to generate portfolio alpha.


This public policy brief examines the relationship between trend inflation and commodity price increases and finds that evidence from recent decades supports the notion that commodity price changes do not affect the long-run inflation rate. Evidence from earlier decades suggests that effects on inflation expectations and wages played a key role in whether commodity price movements altered trend inflation. This brief is based on a memo to the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as background to a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.


In vitro analyses of plant GATA transcription factors have implicated some proteins in light-mediated and circadian-regulated gene expression, and, more recently, the analysis of mutants has uncovered further diverse roles for plant GATA factors. To facilitate function discovery for the 29 GATA genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we have experimentally verified gene structures and determined expression patterns of all family members across adult tissues and suspension cell cultures, as well as in response to light and signals from the circadian clock. These analyses have identified two genes that are strongly developmentally light regulated, expressed predominantly in photosynthetic tissue, and with transcript abundance peaking before dawn. In contrast, several GATA factor genes are light down-regulated. The products of these light-regulated genes are candidates for those proteins previously implicated in light-regulated transcription. Coexpression of these genes with well-characterized light-responsive transcripts across a large microarray data set supports these predictions. Other genes show additional tissue-specific expression patterns suggesting novel and unpredicted roles. Genome-wide analysis using coexpression scatter plots for paralogous gene pairs reveals unexpected differences in cocorrelated gene expression profiles. Clustering the Arabidopsis GATA factor gene family by similarity of expression patterns reveals that genes of recent descent do not uniformly show conserved current expression profiles, yet some genes showing more distant evolutionary origins have acquired common expression patterns. In addition to defining developmental and environmental dynamics of GATA transcript abundance, these analyses offer new insights into the evolution of gene expression profiles following gene duplication events.


This paper investigates the effects of price discrimination on prices, profits and consumer surplus, when one or more competing firms can use consumers' private information to price discriminate and consumers can pay a privacy cost to avoid it. While a monopolist always benefits from higher privacy costs, this is not true in the competing duopoly case. In this last case, firms' individual profits are decreasing while consumer surplus is increasing in the privacy cost. Finally, under competition, we show that the optimal selling strategy for the owner of consumer data consists in dealing exclusively with one firm in order to create maximal competition between the winner and the loser of data. This brings ineficiencies, and we show that policy makers should concentrate their attention on exclusivity deals rather than making it easier for consumers to protect their privacy.


This ethnography investigates the cultural construction of reflection about teaching. The central setting was a two-semester practicum and seminar course in college teaching for psychology Ph.D. candidates in their third year of study at a four-year public university, Key participants were two male and two female doctoral students. Other participants included the two tenured faculty members who supervised the practicum and seminar. Reflection was defined as the purposeful deliberation of anticipated and/or past teaching behavior, and included examination of relevant assumptions, values and beliefs. The purpose of the study was to describe and understand the reflective processes about teaching demonstrated by key participants operating within the setting. Methods included participant observation over two semesters of the practicum and seminar; semi-structured interviews; observation of participant teaching; and collection of teaching artifacts. Data analysis included construction of field notes and memos, the coding of information units, and the use of an interpretive framework on reflective thinking. Case studies were developed for each key participant using a narrative and analysis approach. This study revealed that participant reflection was influenced by a variety of factors, including the belief systems and experiences of participants, and the social and structural elements of the practicum and seminar. Individual participants demonstrated significantly different meanings of reflection, and their behaviors indicated that the development of reflective attitudes is a continuous negotiation between self and environment. The nature of problem framing emerged as a significant factor in determining the nature of reflective behavior. Results indicate a need for future inquiry into the elements influencing the reflective process of novice university teachers.


A study of the microstructural evolution of Zircaloy-4 (Zy-4) during hot extrusion has been performed on a small scale device mounted on a standard MTS machine. Before extrusion the billets present a Wind-manstatten lamellar microstructure. Additional data have been obtained by hot torsion tests. After hot deformation some samples have been heat treated in various conditions. Thus the fragmentated volume fraction has been quantified with optical microscopy for various strain, strain rate and temperature histories, focusing on post dynamic effects (activation and kinetics of grain growth after deformation). For describing the microstructural evolution, the model separates dynamic and post dynamic effects. The dynamic part uses a Gourdet-Montheillet approach to describe the fragmentation. The growth is described by an explicit differential Avrami approach which can model the non isothermal evolution during cooling after extrusion. The first calculations with this model provide a good prediction of the recrystallized volume fraction for several thermal and mechanical conditions. © 2008 Verlag Stahleisen GmbH, Dusseldorf.


This article argues that there is a link between one's theory of constitutional law and one's judgments about style in judicial opinion writing. It identifies several special functions of the constitutional opinion, including the democratic function of responding to the counter-majoritarian difficulty through an act of public justification, and the inter-generational function of provoking a temporally extended dialogue about constitutional values. Drawing on these functions, it argues for an opinion writing style dubbed open-textured minimalism, which seeks to resolve cases narrowly, articulate fundamental values and principles, and spark long-term debates about the underlying values supporting each decision. The article then applies these lessons to the Canadian Supreme Court's rulings on freedom of expression, arguing that the Court's rulings on this subject in the first two decades of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom suffered from their length and technicality, and that the Court should have taken a more open-textured minimalist approach. Although the article addresses Canadian law specifically, its attempt to draw connections between constitutional theory and opinion style, and its advocacy of an open-textured minimalist approach, should be of interest to readers in the United States and elsewhere - particularly lawyers in countries whose constitutional jurisprudence is still relatively young.


This article examines the evolution of wealth inequality in Sweden from 1750 to 1900, contributing both to the debate on early modern and modern inequality and to the general debate on the pattern of inequality during industrialization. The preindustrial period (1750–1850) is for the first time examined for Sweden at the national level. The study uses a random sample of probate inventories from urban and rural areas across the country, adjusted for age and social class. Estimates are provided for the years 1750, 1800, 1850, and 1900. The results show a gradual growth in inequality as early as the mid-eighteenth century, with the sharpest rise in the late nineteenth century. Whereas the early growth in inequality was connected to changes in the countryside and in agriculture, the later growth was related to industrialization encompassing both compositional effects and strong wealth accumulation among the richest. The level of inequality in Sweden in 1750 was lower than for other western European countries, but by 1900 Sweden was just as unequal.


Abstract
Background
Axis Communications is a Lund based company which specializes in network cameras. In addition to the cameras, the company has a wide range of accessories that ensure their customers receive complete solutions. While the company has had significant successes by investing heavily in R&D, increased competition from low-cost competitors is now placing higher demands on cost-efficiency.
Problem
The high introduction rate of new cameras and solutions have resulted in an ever-expanding portfolio of accessories. As the number has grown they are starting to cause problems in the company's operations. For example, the increased complexity is making it more difficult to balance supply and demand. Further, it is a challenge due to the administrative complexities it introduces. By making more informed decisions early in the development process, it is believed the inflow of new accessories can be more controlled.
Purpose
To design a practically viable decision support model that enables more informed decisions with regards to accessory development at Axis Communications.
Method
The study has used a constructive research approach. The construct is a decision support model for Axis to use when developing accessories. The study started with a literature review to gain insight into the current body of knowledge. A multiple case study was used to contribute with empirical data on how companies work with the selection of projects in practice. Interviews and workshops at Axis were then conducted to see what construct would fit the company and product context. The final model was constructed and tested with key stakeholders at the company to ensure its validity.
Theory
In the literature review we have looked at areas which are deemed important for the problem at hand. Product portfolio management is a broad field and a literature review by Jugend & da Silva (2014) was used for the initial structure. To further structure the selection and development process, Michael Cooper's work around the Stage-Gate process has been used. By combining the stage-gate perspective with portfolio management an input-output framework was developed. This framework has then been the basis to which we have formulated 26 theoretical propositions.

Empirical research
Axis' camera development was used as a test case, this enabled fine tuning of the case study protocol ahead of the main cases. The companies which participated were Sony Mobile, Thule Group, Husqvarna Group and Alfa Laval. Companies were chosen to ensure a wide perspective on the contextual aspects of life cycle length, company size, profitability and technology sophistication. The study contributed with ways of practically working with selection of projects and methods of maintaining data integrity.
Analysis
Many of the theoretical propositions were supported by the case study findings. Several empirical propositions were also developed and evaluated for generalizability. Theory and empirics were then combined to form a generic decision support model which companies can use to improve development decisions. It starts with choosing criteria that are aligned with company strategy and goals of the product portfolio. These criteria then dictate the input deliverables and decision makers needed to make the decision. After the decision, a formal decision and goal setting for the ensuing work should be performed. Finally, a post-launch review should be conducted to follow-up on deliverables and decisions made at the decision point. This to ensure a learning process.
The construct
It was decided that the focus of the model would be accessories developed within camera projects. Criteria and methods were developed in order to reach the strategic goals of increasing structure, priority and data integrity of accessories. Nine suggestions were proposed to Axis. They were fitted into four different points of the current camera development structure. In short, they serve to increase early awareness of accessories within camera projects. This through requesting that certain deliverables are presented before an accessory is released for development. We also suggest the decision to order tooling receives more focus as it results in the most significant investment for an accessory. Finally, a post launch review is suggested in order to follow-up on assumptions made at the decision point. This way the process will receive continuous feedback and learning. As a result, Axis will be able to make more informed decisions regarding accessories and thus increase control over their product portfolio.


This paper will outline the importance of implementing an instructional design model which incorporates a continuous cycle of evaluation, revision and implementation. The context is a case study of a distance learning module which was first presented in 1993 as an introductory module for students taking an Oscail BA programme. As the majority of Oscail students are adults returning to education after a long period of absence from formal education, providing learners with a supportive learning environment which would ease re-entering the educational world has always been one of Oscail's key goals. Between 1993 and 2002, the Introductory Module was offered in the traditional distance education format and was subject to regular evaluation and revision (Lorenzi, MacKeogh and Fox, 2004; MacKeogh and Lorenzi, 2005). By early 2000, the wider accessibility of technology encouraged Oscail to combine the need to prepare students for university study with the development of e-learning skills. In 2002 the Introductory Module was reconstituted as the SPEL (Student Passport for E-learning) module and was presented for three years. A review of the module in 2006 indicated shortfalls in what is described in the literature as the bolt-on 'skills approach' which makes use of 'a set of atomized skills – removed from subject specific domains' (Lea & Street, 1998: 158). This prompted a rethink of the overall approach to preparing students for study, and resulted in a decision to adopt an embedded approach to e-skills development. It was hoped that a task-based approach to applying skills to subject specific activities would improve the quality of the learning experience and ultimately result in better retention rates.
A review of the implementation of the embedded approach in the first year reveals that while students reported an increase in skills development over the module, and identified a number of positive features, the approach did not succeed in increasing retention. Detailed evaluation including surveys of tutors and students as well as online focus groups have identified a number of factors which militated against the achievement of some of the goals of the module. These included the scheduling of activities, workload, a shorter than usual academic year, insufficient tutor training and student induction, and administrative support.
This paper will start with a brief overview of instructional design systems and the models used by Oscail in developing its elearning programmes. We will then outline the way in which through a cycle of implementation, evaluation and revision, the original introductory module evolved into a full year-long module comprising an embedded portfolio of study skills tasks. We will describe the outcomes of the embedded SPEL programme and will outline the evaluation process that has led to further revisions. We will discuss the specific issues that have emerged from the evaluations and will show what measures have been put in place to overcome the difficulties encountered. We will conclude with some observations on the changing roles of stakeholders in the context of new elearning approaches.


Background and Aims: Critical illness may complicate any pregnancy. Timely intensive care management of critically ill obstetric patients has better outcomes than expected from the initial severity of illness. The aim was to study the indications of transfer of post-cesarean section patients to post-anesthesia intensive care unit (PACU). (PACU transfer indicated that the patient required intensive care). Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study carried out in the PACU of a tertiary care teaching public hospital over a period of 2 years. Sixty-one postoperative lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) females admitted consecutively in PACU were studied. The study included obstetric PACU utilization rate, intensive care unit interventions, outcome of mother, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, and its correlation with mortality. Results: Postanesthesia intensive care unit admission rate was 2.8% and obstetric PACU utilization rate was 3.22%. Of 61 patients, four had expired. Obstetric indications (67.2%) were the most common cause of admission to PACU. Among the obstetric indications hemorrhage (36.1%) was found to be a statistically significant indication for PACU admission followed by hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (29.5%). Cardiovascular disease (16.4%) was the most common nonobstetric indication for PACU transfer and was associated with high mortality. The observed mortality was 6.557%, which was lower than predicted mortality by APACHE II Score. Conclusion: Obstetric hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of PACU admission in post LSCS patients. Prompt provision of intensive care to critically ill obstetric patients can lead to a significant drop in maternal morbidity and mortality.


We present an exploratory test on the production of null subjects by 13monolinguals acquiring Capeverdean, 6 bilingual speakers of Capeverdeanand European Portuguese with typical language development and 7 bilingualspeakers with SLI features. Capeverdean does not allow null referential subjectsin matrix clauses. European Portuguese, on the other hand, is a prototypicalpro-drop language. The results from an elicited production task revealedthat the production of null subjects does not appear to constitute a distinctivefeature for bilingual children with language impairment. As for the contrastbetween the early abandon of subject drop by Capeverdean monolinguals andthe maintenance of null subjects among the bilinguals in both languages, thelatter confirms that this is an area of interference.


Selective segmentation provides the opportunity to monitor and assess closely the activities of cells within a confined section of a given cell image. Segmentation of cells through traditional graph cut method is well known; however, when a selective segmentation is desired, the task becomes cumbersome. In order to take advantage of the optimum segmentation of graph cut while simultaneously adopting a local (selective) segmentation strategy, a third term is added to the graph cut energy function. The term is referred to as adaptive distance penalties (ADP). ADP constrains graph cut to any selected region of interest while using a reference image to achieve a semi-automatic segmentation. Experiments show that for fairly homogeneous cell images, the proposed model outperforms the grab cut selective segmentation.


The research described in this thesis concerns an investigation of the kinetics and mechanisms of two gas phase chemical reactions. It is thus convenient to divide the work into these two main parts. The first part deals with the oxidation of carbon monoxide by nitrous oxide. Many gas phase oxidation processes have been studied. Often these have involved molecular oxygen as the oxidant, and the results have been confused by the occurrence of branched chain reactions leading to explosions and results that are highly dependent on the nature of reaction vessel surface and the presence of trace impurities. Nitrous oxide was used in this work as the oxidant because it was expected that no branching of the chains resulting in the observation of explosion limits, would occur. On reaction with a univalent radical, nitrous oxide is likely to give nitrogen and one further univalent radical : R + N2O → N2 + OR (R is any free radical) which is a chain propagating step. The analogous reaction with molecular oxygen is a chain branching process : R + O2 → OR + O. It was thus hoped that by studying oxidation by nitrous oxide rather than oxygen more tractable data on combustion processes would be obtained, and also that some information on the reactions of oxygen atoms (produced by thermal decomposition of N2O) might be forthcoming. The oxidation of carbon monoxide is known to be an important final stage in the burning of hydrocarbon fuels. Since Dixon's discovery in 1880 that water vapour had a marked influence on the combustion of carbon monoxide [37], the CO/O2 reaction has been extensively investigated. However, the mechanism is not completely understood, and the role of water is still obscure. On the other hand, since the rate constants of most of the elementary steps that may be involved in the carbon monoxide/nitrous oxide reaction are known to some extent, a semiquantitative evaluation of postulated reaction mechanisms is feasible. So that theory may be closely compared with experimental results. The second major section of this thesis also concerns water, but its environment was more unusual, Ion-molecule reactions were investigated in the ion-source of a mass spectrometers Ion-molecule reactions in water, giving rise to such species as H3O+ are of obvious importance in solution chemistry, and the application of gas phase methods to the study of solvated species is arousing a great deal of interest [100]. A number of theories have been developed to predict and explain reactions between gas phase ions and molecules. One of the more successful of these was first developed by Gioumousis and Stevenson [101] in which they considered the path of the ion in the potential field set up between the ion and the ion-induced-dipole of the neutral molecule. They treated both the ion and the molecule as hard spheres and predicted rate constants entirely dependent on physical parameters such as the charge, mass, velocity of the primary ion, and mass and polarizability of the neutral species, rather than on any specific chemical properties of the reactants. The ion-induced dipole model proposed by Gioumousis and Stevenson is clearly an excellent approximation to the truth for many reactions between ions and non-polar neutral molecules. Comparatively little work has been carried out on reactions between ions and polar molecules, so it was decided to investigate an important reaction of this type.


NHS staff frequently experience violence and aggression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is amongst the potential psychological consequences. Using a prospective
design, the present study sought to establish whether cognitive factors, specified in Ehlers and Clark's (2000) model, could predict symptom severity over and above other established risk factors. The aim was to develop and refine a predictive tool, which could be used to identify
individuals who may benefit from early, targeted interventions. Forty-eight healthcare workers completed questionnaires assessing a range of cognitive factors, immediately following an incident of violence or aggression. Of these participants, twenty provided data concerning PTSD symptoms at three-month follow-up, despite implementing strategies to maximise response rates. It was therefore not possible to address the original research question owing to the small sample size. However, several participants reported experiencing symptoms, and for
some these were moderate to severe.

Several potential reasons for non-response were identified, including the possibility that healthcare workers appraise workplace incidents in such a way that subsequent effects are minimised. An experimental analogue study examined this hypothesis. Student nurses (N = 190) read a vignette as an analogue for a violent incident, in which the context was manipulated. Results indicated that neither organisational setting (work / non-work), nor cause of the perpetrator's behaviour (illness / non-illness) influenced the type of appraisals endorsed, or ratings of perceived distress. It therefore seems likely that other factors contributed to the low response rate observed in Study 1. However, in line with Ehlers and Clark's (2000) cognitive model, appraisals explained a significant amount variance in dysfunctional behaviours after controlling for perceived distress.

Study 1 indicated that a proportion of staff were adversely affected by incidents of violence and aggression. Replication of this research is warranted in light of the current literature, and recommendations are made for modification.


Abstract The impact of organic compounds on iodine volatility was investigated under a range of postaccident chemical conditions expected in a reactor containment structure. The rate of production of volatile iodine was evaluated in the presence of 10-3 M concentrations of carbonyl, alkyl halide, and aromatic compounds. A bench-scale apparatus, installed in the irradiation chamber of a Gammacell, was used to measure the rate of iodine volatilization from 10-6 to 10-4 M CsI solutions with pH values from 5 to 9. The results indicated that organic compounds could be classified into groups, based on their distinct effects on iodine volatility. Iodine volatilization increased significantly, up to two orders of magnitude, in the presence of carbonyl compounds and alkyl chlorides, while it decreased in the presence of aromatic compounds. Gas phase speciation indicated that organic iodides dominate the airborne iodine species in the presence of carbonyl compounds and alkyl halides.


Importance A critical bottleneck in clinical genomics is the mismatch between large volumes of results and the availability of knowledgeable professionals to return them. Objective To test whether a web-based platform is noninferior to a genetic counselor for educating patients about their carrier results from exome sequencing. Design, Setting, and Participants A randomized noninferiority trial conducted in a longitudinal sequencing cohort at the National Institutes of Health from February 5, 2014, to December 16, 2016, was used to compare the web-based platform with a genetic counselor. Among the 571 eligible participants, 1 to 7 heterozygous variants were identified in genes that cause a phenotype that is recessively inherited. Surveys were administered after cohort enrollment, immediately following trial education, and 1 month and 6 months later to primarily healthy postreproductive participants who expressed interest in learning their carrier results. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were applied. Interventions A web-based platform that integrated education on carrier results with personal test results was designed to directly parallel disclosure education by a genetic counselor. The sessions took a mean (SD) time of 21 (10.6), and 27 (9.3) minutes, respectively. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes and noninferiority margins (&dgr;NI) were knowledge (0 to 8, &dgr;NI = −1), test-specific distress (0 to 30, &dgr;NI = +1), and decisional conflict (15 to 75, &dgr;NI = +6). Results After 462 participants (80.9%) provided consent and were randomized, all but 3 participants (n = 459) completed surveys following education and counseling; 398 (86.1%) completed 1-month surveys and 392 (84.8%) completed 6-month surveys. Participants were predominantly well-educated, non-Hispanic white, married parents; mean (SD) age was 63 (63.1) years and 246 (53.6%) were men. The web platform was noninferior to the genetic counselor on outcomes assessed at 1 and 6 months: knowledge (mean group difference, −0.18; lower limit of 97.5% CI, −0.63; &dgr;NI = −1), test-specific distress (median group difference, 0; upper limit of 97.5% CI, 0; &dgr;NI = +1), and decisional conflict about choosing to learn results (mean group difference, 1.18; upper limit of 97.5% CI, 2.66; &dgr;NI = +6). There were no significant differences between the genetic counselors and web-based platform detected between modes of education delivery in disclosure rates to spouses (151 vs 159; relative risk [RR], 1.04; 95% CI, 0.64-1.69; P > .99), children (103 vs 117; RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.85-1.36; P = .59), or siblings (91 vs 78; RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.94-1.46; P = .18). Conclusions and Relevance This trial demonstrates noninferiority of web-based return of carrier results among postreproductive, mostly healthy adults. Replication studies among younger and more diverse populations are needed to establish generalizability. Yet return of results via a web-based platform may be sufficient for subsets of test results, reserving genetic counselors for return of results with a greater health threat. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00410241


Bacillus subtilis sporulation is an adaptive response to nutritional stress and involves the differential development of two cells. In the last 10 years or so, virtually all of the regulatory genes controlling sporulation, and many genes directing the structural and morphological changes that accompany sporulation, have been cloned and characterized. This review describes our current knowledge of the program of gene expression during sporulation and summarizes what is known about the functions of the genes that determine the specialized biochemical and morphological properties of sporulating cells. Most steps in the genetic program are controlled by transcription factors that have been characterized in vitro. Two sporulation-specific sigma factors, sigma E and sigma F, appear to segregate at septation, effectively determining the differential development of the mother cell and prespore. Later, each sigma is replaced by a second cell-specific sigma factor, sigma K in the mother cell and sigma G in the prespore. The synthesis of each sigma factor is tightly regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Usually this regulation involves an intercellular interaction that coordinates the developmental programmes of the two cells. At least two other transcription factors fine tune the timing and levels of expression of genes in the sigma E and sigma K regulons. The controlled synthesis of the sigma factors and other transcription factors leads to a spatially and temporally ordered program of gene expression. The gene products made during each successive stage of sporulation help to bring about a sequence of gross morphological changes and biochemical adaptations. The formation of the asymmetric spore septum, engulfment of the prespore by the mother cell, and formation of the spore core, cortex, and coat are described. The importance of these structures in the development of the resistance, dormancy, and germination properties of the spore is assessed.


B cells become effective factories for antibody production only after they have gone through a series of maturation steps that select clones of B cells carrying somatic mutations for high-affinity antibody. This process takes place in the germinal center, where B cells are also thought to compete vigorously for available antigen. Using intravital microscopy, Allen et al. observed that the behavior of germinal center B cells is more consistent with a competition for the attention of helper T cells than for scarce antigen. This finding could prove useful in considering how best to stimulate robust immune responses with vaccines. C. D. C. Allen, T. Okada, H. L. Tang, J. G. Cyster, Imaging of germinal center selection events during affinity maturation. Science 315, 528-531 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The purpose of this study is to scrutinise the Code for Sustainable Homes as it is being withdrawn from the construction industry and being replaced by the building regulations. Furthermore the study will attempt to show a level of understanding held by construction professionals in the industry to enable the reading to see what responses were given from these professional after the demise of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Within this study the author intends to examine the use of sustainable products, sources and investigate if they are as cost effective as they should be to allow the build to meet the set criteria of the Code, in the form of 6 levels. Within the Literature Review the author plans to discuss numerous issues raised by the Codes departure as well as other facts and further worthwhile sources of information which will further support or undermine the question that has been asked.
The questionnaire was sent out to 15 people who are employed within the construction industry in various different roles and relative to this study. The applicants have been nominated by work colleagues and also people the author knew first hand. It was thought that by issuing the questionnaire to a variety of people within the construction industry this would increase the likelihood of a varied response to the questions asked.

The results collected from the data analysis indicated that the applicants asked were aware of the changes and seem to be encouraging the change to happen. However they were sceptical of how the Code for Sustainable Homes and the building regulation would integrate successfully together without losing any vital parts from either.

The Conclusion that will be identified within this study has been collated and analysed from the views on whether the withdrawal of the code for sustainable homes has been a success or an error. It may have been a mistake to withdraw the code for sustainable homes as the future of the construction is unknown now that the code has been withdrawn; however there are construction professionals who believe this is a step in the right direction. The Study elaborates on this and provides arguments for both cases on the success or failure for the withdrawal of the code for sustainable homes and the inclusion of the building regulations.


An increase in mesopredators caused by the removal of top-order predators can have significant implications for threatened wildlife. Recent evidence suggests that Australia's top-order predator, the dingo, may suppress the introduced cat and red fox. We tested this relationship by reintroducing 7 foxes and 6 feral cats into a 37 km2 fenced paddock in arid South Australia inhabited by a male and female dingo. GPS datalogger collars recorded locations of all experimental animals every 2 hours. Interactions between species, mortality rates, and postmortems were used to determine the mechanisms of any suppression. Dingoes killed all 7 foxes within 17 days of their introduction and no pre-death interactions were recorded. All 6 feral cats died between 20 and 103 days after release and dingoes were implicated in the deaths of at least 3 cats. Dingoes typically stayed with fox and cat carcasses for several hours after death and/or returned several times in ensuing days. There was no evidence of intraguild predation, interference competition was the dominant mechanism of suppression. Our results support anecdotal evidence that dingoes may suppress exotic mesopredators, particularly foxes. We outline further research required to determine if this suppression translates into a net benefit for threatened prey species.


This paper reports findings from a between-subjects experiment that investigates how different learning content representations in virtual environments (VE) affect the process and outcomes of learning. Seventy-eight participants were subjected to an immersive virtual reality (VR) application, where they received identical instructional information, rendered in three different formats: as text in an overlay interface, as text embedded semantically in a virtual book, or as audio. Learning outcome measures, self-reports, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) were used to compare conditions. Results show that reading was superior to listening for the learning outcomes of retention, self-efficacy, and extraneous attention. Reading text from a virtual book was reported to be less cognitively demanding, compared to reading from an overlay interface. EEG analyses show significantly lower theta and higher alpha activation in the audio condition. The findings provide important considerations for the design of educational VR environments.


Background A number of genetic studies have reported an association between vitamin D related genes such as group-specific component gene (GC), Cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily R, polypeptide 1 (CYP2R1) and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase/nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide synthetase 1 (DHCR7/NADSYN1) and serum levels of the active form of Vitamin D, 25 (OH) D among African Americans, Caucasians, and Chinese. Little is known about how genetic variations associate with, or contribute to, 25(OH)D levels in Arabs populations. Methods Allele frequencies of 18 SNPs derived from CYP2R1, GC, and DHCR7/NADSYN1 genes in 1549 individuals (Arabs, South Asians, and Southeast Asians living in Kuwait) were determined using real time genotyping assays. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured using chemiluminescence immunoassay. Results GC gene polymorphisms (rs17467825, rs3755967, rs2282679, rs7041 and rs2298850) were found to be associated with 25(OH)D serum levels in Arabs and South Asians. Two of the CYP2R1 SNPs (rs10500804 and rs12794714) and one of GC SNPs (rs1155563) were found to be significantly associated with 25(OH)D serum levels only in people of Arab origin. Across all three ethnicities none of the SNPs of DHCR7/NADSYN1 were associated with serum 25(OH)D levels and none of the 18 SNPs were significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D levels in people from South East Asia. Conclusion Our data show for the first time significant association between the GC (rs2282679 and rs7041), CYP2R1 (rs10741657) SNPs and 25(OH)D levels. This supports their roles in vitamin D Insufficiency in Arab and South Asian populations respectively. Interestingly, two of the CYP2R1 SNPs (rs10500804 and rs12794714) and one GC SNP (rs1155563) were found to correlate with vitamin D in Arab population exclusively signifying their importance in this population.


ABSTRACT Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in secondary school settings (i.e., grades 6-12) typically struggle with multiple academic challenges. Critics have noted that secondary schools traditionally have not been particularly effective in helping students with ASD develop self-determination (e.g., self-management) skills, which are considered pre-requisites to success in academics. Thus, there is a significant need for increased parent-professional collaboration in secondary schools. This study examined the effectiveness of coaching parents to implement a technology-mediated (e.g., iPad) approach to increasing the homework-related self-management skills for mathematics of five middle school students with ASD. Results indicate that these five students significantly increased their math homework self-management skills as a consequence of effectively using iPad applications when coached by their parents.


The utilization of the vast hydropower potential the Himalayas possess is growing in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Export of electricity to India is now the largest contributor to the economic well being of the country and an ambitious plan of harnessing over 10000 MW of hydropower by the year 2020 is being carried out. The large scale hydropower development in Bhutan started in the 1980s with construction of the Chhukha hydroelectric plant with capacity of 336 MW. The next milestone was the commission of the 1020 MW Tala hydroelectric plant in 2006 and 2007. The two plants are in close proximity to one another, near the Main Central Thrust of the Himalayan fault system. Here the powerhouse excavations of both power plants will be modelled and analysed, regarding stability and accuracy of rock mass quality parameters, with focus on Tala hydroelectric plant. The powerhouse complex at Tala, which consists of two large caverns, has experienced failure both during construction and while operating. During the excavation of the crown portion of the powerhouse large rockfall occurred in the roof and during the rest of the excavation and after commission rockbolts have been failing. No records are of failure in the Chhukha powerhouse cavern after construction, but during excavation fatal rockfall occurred. The Main Central Thrust provides high horizontal stresses, especially at Tala, in overall poor rock conditions. The initial modelling is done in Examine3D, a 3D BEM elastic modelling software. The model of Tala powerhouse complex is then compared to models from Examine2D and Phase2, elastic 2D BEM and plastic 2D FEM models respectively. The powerhouse of Chhukha is also modelled in Examine3D, and circumstances compared to Tala. Additionally, the model of Tala is matched with actual measured values of convergence, but maximum convergence measured in the powerhouse cavern was 0,374 m. That was done by iterating the Young's modulus in the Phase2 until a value that represented the actual convergence was found. Elastic models with same Young's modulus value were then created in the other codes and compared. The challenges of underground excavation in the tectonically active Himalayas is portrayed here, as the high uncertainty in estimates of quality of the rock mass encountered can lead to flawed design. The methodology used here is reviewed and proven to be beneficial as visualization of the problem is far greater in the 3D space.


In an epoch of networks, flows and global mobility, the notion of territory as a politico-institutional bounded space needs further investigation. Besides studying territory as a symbolic resource in nationalist discourses, a control device in the hands of the state or a 'spatial fix' in the process of capital accumulation and reproduction, geographers should also explore how territory remains implicated in and implicates discourses and practices of societal integration, belonging and loyalty beyond the national rhetoric of 'one territory, one people'. The article illustrates this argument by focusing on the case of Western Europe.


This paper demonstrates that the average investor would be better off by following a readily implementable strategy of investing in a portfolio of the five largest active funds in U.S. equity, fixed income, and international equity asset categories than investing in a corresponding portfolio of passive index funds. The active-fund-portfolio outperforms not only in terms of average returns, but also in risk-adjusted returns, providing far greater downside risk protection than the passive fund portfolio. This paper has important implications for investment advisors because its findings question the "wisdom" of index investing, which has been receiving considerable attention in the financial press in recent years.


Energy minimization of Ising spin-glasses has played a central role in statistical and solid-state physics, facilitating studies of phase transitions and magnetism. Recent proposals suggest using Ising spin-glasses for non-traditional computing as a way to harness the nature's ability to find min-energy configurations, and to take advantage of quantum tunneling to boost combinatorial optimization. Laboratory demonstrations have been unconvincing so far and lack a non-quantum baseline for definitive comparisons. In this work we (i) design and evaluate new computational techniques to simulate natural energy minimization in spin glasses and (ii) explore their application to study design alternatives in quantum adiabatic computers. Unlike previous work, our algorithms are not limited to planar Ising topologies. In one CPU-day, our branch-and-bound algorithm finds ground states on 100 spins, while our local search approximates ground states on 1, 000, 000 spins. We use this computational tool as a simulator to study the significance of hyper-couplings in the context of recently implemented adiabatic quantum computers.


The Maastrichtian–Late Eocene Ulukisla Basin is representative of the tectonic and sedimentary evolution of prominent Early Tertiary basins in central Anatolia, including the Tuzgölü and Şarkışla basins. The Ulukisla Basin overlies an ophiolitic mélange of Late Cretaceous age between the Bolkar Carbonate Platform to the south and the Nigde–Kırşehir metamorphic massif to the north. The basin stratigraphy records successive phases of transgression, subsidence, volcanism, evaporite deposition, deformation and uplift. Subsidence curves are consistent with an extensional (or transtensional) basin origin terminated by uplift. The Ulukisla Basin includes a thick succession (c. 2 km) of Upper Paleocene–Lower Eocene basaltic to andesitic submarine pillow lavas, lava flows, volcaniclastic rocks and intercalated limestones. Whole-rock XRF chemical analysis indicates a within-plate origin, with a marked subduction influence, believed to be inherited rather than contemporaneous. The Ulukisla Basin formed after Late Cretaceous ophiolite and mélange emplacement and ended with Late Eocene emergence, deformation and onset of Oligo-Miocene non-marine deposition. We propose that Late Cretaceous ophiolite and mélange emplacement reflect initial ocean basin closure. This was followed by a long period (c. 30 Ma) of microcontinental adjustment, including possible strike-slip, palaeorotation and suture tightening, during which the Early Tertiary Ulukisla Basin developed. Possible driving forces were regional slab pull (of a relict subduction zone) or oblique (diachronous) convergence. Suture tightening was complete by Late Eocene time marked by collisional deformation and regional uplift.


The epigenetic lead-zinc-barium-strontium mineralisation of the Loch Sunart area of Argyllshire has taken place along channels provided by dykes and faults. Dolerite and lamprophyre dykes of Permo-Carboniferous age constitute the most important structural controls. These were intruded along lines of displacement some of which were initiated before and some after the intrusion of the Strontian Caledonian Granitic Complex. The re-opening of certain faults after dyke intrusion and prior to mineralisation was connected with movements of probable Permian age. The dykes are strongly altered at mineral vein contacts Mafic minerals have been replaced by chlorites, serpentines and carbonates, plagioclases severely albitised, magnetite-ilmenite grains converted to leucoxene and rock textures disintegrated. In rare cases, potash feldspar and iron-magnesian carbonates have been formed. During mineralisation, iron, magnesium and sodium have been lost to the mineralising fluids and carbon-dioxide, potassium, sulphur and sometimes calcium, bariurn and water gained by the dyke-rocks. Comparative data for mineralised dykes from Lanarkshire, Linlithgowshire and Shropshire have been collected. The important Blackcraig Vein dyke (Kircudbrightshire) is not significantly mineralised. In the geological history of the Loch Sunart area, numerous lamprophyre sheets, hornblendic schist bands and amphibolites were formed within the Moine Basement Complex before the emplacement of the strontian Granite. Small numbers of minette, spessartite vogesite, kersantite and. felsite dykes are of post-Granite, (probably Devonian) age. Later abundant W.N.W. trending dykes, often mineralised, are considered to be connected with Carboniferous and Permian volcancity. Among them are broad quartz-dolerite intrusives which have thermally altered the adjacent country-rocks to a marked degree. Narrow dykes of normal dolerite, olivine- dolerite and hornblende-bearing olivine-dolerite display a complete petrographical gradation into camptonite through camptonitic dolerite. They are, however, of an earlier age than members of the W. Highland camptonite-monchiquite swarm. The differentiation of camptonite from olivine-basalt magma is suggested. The classification of the lamprophyres is also discussed, A detailed study of harmotome from the Strontian Mines has been made. North-south trending dykes of quartz-dolerlte, normal dolerite and olivine-dolerite cut through the mineral veins. They are believed to be connected with the W. Scottish Tertiary Volcanic Centres. Magnetometer investigations have aided the mapping of the Loch Sunart Intrusives and palaeomagnetic measurements the determination of their age-relationships.


Sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) films were synthesized on carbon steel substrates through solution deposition, and a film formation growth mechanism is delineated in detail herein. Dislocation-driven film formation took place at the lower concentration of Na2S2O3 (0.1 M) studied, where screw dislocation loops were identified. Interestingly, we observed the co-existence of screw dislocation spiral loops and hierarchically-ordered molecular assembly in the film, and showed the importance of hierarchical morphology in the origin of screw dislocation. The screw dislocation loops were, however, distorted at the higher studied concentration of Na2S2O3 (0.5 M), and no hierarchical structures were formed. The mechanisms of film formation are discussed in detail and provide new insights into our understanding regarding morphology of the hierarchical molecular assembly, screw dislocation loop formation, and the role of chemical elements for their development. The main crystalline and amorphous phases in the surface films were identified as pyrite/mackinawite and magnetite. As sodium thiosulphate is widely used for energy, corrosion inhibition, nanoparticle synthesis and catalysis applications, the knowledge generated in this study is applicable to the fields of corrosion, materials science, materials chemistry and metallurgy.


Research on processes and practices around information systems is often best conducted in naturalistic setting. To conduct valid and reliable research in such settings, researchers must find ways to reliably bound the phenomenon in which they are interested. In this paper we propose that researchers use episodes—events or processes occurring over a specified period of time—to isolate that which interests them from the vast set of related human behavior. The paper discusses the nature of episodes in the literature and suggests particular research settings in which episodes can be useful. The paper describes a three stage methodology to identify episodes for systematic data collection and analysis. The paper presents an example study using episodes to study group learning process in distributed groups.


The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ('CISG') is an international sales law treaty concluded in 1980. Given its vintage, the CISG was drafted with traditional (physical) goods trade in mind. A significant body of scholarship has addressed the CISG's capacity to govern electronic software transactions. However, only limited commentary has explored its digital application beyond software per se. This article develops a specific legal framework for assessing the CISG's capacity to regulate international trade in non-software data: a framework so far missing from existing scholarship. 'To Boldly Go, Part II', this article's counterpart, will go on to apply this framework to non-software data trade. Collectively, these articles establish that the CISG is capable of governing not only software trade (as previously established) but also trade in non-software data: a category of trade becoming increasingly economically important.


In modern-day metagenomics, there is an increasing need for robust taxonomic annotation of long DNA sequences from unknown micro-organisms. Long metagenomic sequences may be derived from assembly of short-read metagenomes, or from long-read single molecule sequencing. Here we introduce CAT, a pipeline for robust taxonomic classification of long DNA sequences. We show that CAT correctly classifies contigs at different taxonomic levels, even in simulated metagenomic datasets that are very distantly related from the sequences in the database. CAT is implemented in Python and the required scripts can be freely downloaded from Github.


Portuguese and Spanish universities have adopted well-defined royalty sharing schedules during the last fifteen years. We investigate whether these inventor royalty shares have been effective at stimulating inventors' efforts and ultimately improving university outcomes. We base our empirical analysis on university-level data as well as on new self-collected surveys completed by inventors and Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs). Econometric evidence from the university-level dataset indicates that royalty shares have no impact on patenting or licensing income. The same result emerges from the inventors' survey, with most respondents claiming to be largely unaffected by royalty sharing. Evidence from both the TTO and inventors' surveys suggests that inventors do not react to royalty sharing because of the poor commercial prospects of their inventions, which means there is little income to be shared. These poor prospects appear to reflect the fact that the TTOs do not focus sufficiently on commercializing inventions and inventors are unable to produce potentially licensable inventions.


Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a condition where a surplus of triglycerides or fat are present in the liver. The mechanisms leading to NAFLD are variable and poorly understood; however, it is known that high cholesterol, obesity, poor diet, and diabetes are risk factors for fatty liver disease. NAFLD has been previously induced in Drosophila melanogaster through the administration of a coconut oil-based diet, establishing this as a useful model to study the disease and possible treatments. Researchers monitor the progression of the disease through measuring triglyceride levels or alanine transaminase levels, two markers of NAFLD. In this study, ezetimibe, a cholesterol lowering drug, was used to treat flies modeling NAFLD. It was hypothesized that if ezetimibe was tested in a model of NAFLD in Drosophila melanogaster, ezetimibe would effectively lower triglyceride and alanine transaminase levels, two markers of the disease. Flies were held in vials with either a high fat diet or a control diet and were then transferred to control diet vials with or without the drug treatment. Flies were assayed every day over a period of five days and two datasets were collected. Compared to the coconut oil fed flies that were transferred to the control medium, the flies transferred to the control medium treated with ezetimibe showed a decrease in their triglyceride and alanine transaminase level.


Over the course of 2014/15 fiscal year, the Ugandan shilling depreciated against the US dollar by over 20%. Uganda, like many other economies, was struggling with the falling value of its' currency against the dollar which was attributed to the fall in export commodity prices, heavily impacted by export markets. This depreciation made mobilizing capital from international markets difficult. Given the circumstances and the depreciation of the Ugandan shilling, long-term ramifications for the economy were likely. It was against this background that the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) held the 59th State of the Nation (STON) Platform to bring together key stakeholders for discussions on the likely impact of the falling value of the Ugandan shilling. Titled the "Depreciation of the Ugandan Shilling: Implications for the National Economy", three main recommendations emerged; chief among them was the need to prioritise investment in the agricultural sector. Second was the need to pursue import substitution and export promotion, and thirdly the Government of Uganda (GoU) was advised to prioritise the adoption of an updated national monetary policy that reflected current economic needs. REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS 7TH AUGUST, 2015 AT PROTEA HOTEL KAMPALA Barbara Ntambirweki and Emma Jones STON Infosheet 59-Series 36, 2016 DEPRECIATION OF THE UGANDAN SHILLING: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL ECONOMY


Information programs to promote cellulosic biofuels may not achieve their objectives unless consumers can be induced to care about the information presented to them. The social psychology literature highlights two commonly used models to link psychological variables to environmentally related behaviors: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Theory (NAT). Other studies have compared the strength of these models or have adapted these models by adding additional variables, but few have compared across the alternative variable combinations noted in the literature. That is, most studies have added one or two psychological variables to the NAT or TPB models and have found that the additional variable is a significant factor influencing behavior. However, we are unfamiliar with any study that has included the full suite of examined variables within one model. This could be a problem in that the psychological variables are likely to be correlated. In turn, the output of these models may suffer from omitted variable bias; which could lead to erroneous conclusions about the importance of any specific variable. Previous findings that individual variables are significant in influencing behaviors may be incorrect. One objective here then is to start examining whether these 'significant findings' are robust, and if not, whether we can be more parsimonious in future modeling efforts. Economists often assume preferences are adequately proxied by the person's socioeconomic characteristics or by the person's participation in some environmental behavior. Recently, economists have begun to recognize that these characteristics are poor proxies especially since the proxies commonly used are binary (0/1) variables that provide relatively little detail, are usually not policy or program relevant and lack a theoretical justification. Thus, another objective is to compare the performance of models that incorporate these proxy variables with models incorporating psychological variables. Our results suggest: that a combined TPB and NAT model may be more effective than either model alone; that many variables seen as important in the literature may be less important than previously thought (allowing for more parsimonious models resulting in less costly data collection); and that common proxy variables like membership in an environmental group may not work that well. Author Notes: Presented at the 2nd International Workshop on Ecolabeling, Laboratory of Forest Economics, INRA–AgroParisTech. Nancy, France June 29-30.


ABSTRACT The importance of polarized growth for fungi has elicited significant effort directed at better understanding underlying mechanisms of polarization, with a focus on yeast systems. At sites of tip growth, multiple protein complexes assemble and coordinate to ensure that incoming building material reaches the appropriate destination sites, and polarized growth is maintained. One of these complexes is the polarisome that consists of Spa2, Bud6, Pea2, and Bni1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Filamentous hyphae differ in their development and life style from yeasts and likely regulate polarized growth in a different way. This is expected to reflect on the composition and presence of protein complexes that assemble at the hyphal tip. In this study we searched for polarisome homologues in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and characterized the S. cerevisiae Spa2 and Bud6 homologues, SpaA and BudA. Compared to the S. cerevisiae Spa2, SpaA lacks domain II but has three additional domains that are conserved within filamentous fungi. Gene replacement strains and localization studies show that SpaA functions exclusively at the hyphal tip, while BudA functions at sites of septum formation and possibly at hyphal tips. We show that SpaA is not required for the assembly or maintenance of the Spitzenkörper. We propose that the core function of the polarisome in polarized growth is maintained but with different contributions of polarisome components to the process.