Few people ask, "What is a painting? A drawing? A sculpture?" But the medium of photography, especially since the 1970s, has been constantly changing as technological developments allow for endless experimentation - until the very definition of a photograph becomes ripe for debate. Beginning with the waning days of conceptual art, this book presents a wide variety of artists - among them James Welling, Christopher Williams, Uta Barth, Marco Breuer, Alison Rossiter, Parker Ito, Sigmar Polke, and Gerhard Richter - who have reconsidered and reinvented the role of light, color, composition, materiality, and subject in the art of photography. Brought together for the first time in book form, these individuals have found new ways of implementing both analog and digital technology, in many cases creating hybrid works that open up new possibilities for today's artists. Filled with brilliant colour reproductions, this volume not only traces the many strands of experimentation that have developed out of conceptual art, but also encourages dialogue on the continuing experimentation that is occurring as photography continues to evolve within the analogue and digital worlds. Published in association with the International Center of Photography.


When designing ensembles, it is almost an axiom that the base classifiers must be diverse in order for the ensemble to generalize well. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition of the key term diversity, leading to several diversity measures and many, more or less ad hoc, methods for diversity creation in ensembles. In addition, no specific diversity measure has shown to have a high correlation with test set accuracy. The purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate ten different diversity measures, using neural network ensembles and 11 publicly available data sets. The main result is that all diversity measures evaluated, in this study too, show low or very low correlation with test set accuracy. Having said that, two measures; double fault and difficulty show slightly higher correlations compared to the other measures. The study furthermore shows that the correlation between accuracy measured on training or validation data and test set accuracy also is rather low. These results challenge ensemble design techniques where diversity is explicitly maximized or where ensemble accuracy on a hold-out set is used for optimization.


Cover board arrays were used to measure the relative abundance of macroinvertebrates and terrestrial salamanders on prescribed burn and control sites in xeric southern Appalachians of northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee pine-oak forests. Three microsite variables were measured at each cover board: cover board moisture level, temperature under the cover board, and soil moisture. Soil moisture was significantly higher on the burn sites than the controls after the prescribed fire. Two groups of macroinvertebrates, Homoptera and Hymenoptera, were more abundant on the burn sites than the control sites. Coleoptera and Stylommatophora were significantly more abundant in riparian and low slope positions than upland positions; whereas, the other macroinvertebrate groups were not significantly related to slope position. Thirteen salamanders were found during the four sampling periods. Overall, there was little evidence of negative post-fire impacts on macroinvertebrates or salamanders.


Purpose - This paper seeks to explore the relationship between market positioning and rents of retail facilities in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach - Regression analysis is deployed in the paper to find out the impact of various attributes, in terms of a retail facility's physical characteristics, market positions, and location, on the annualized per-area net rental income. The sample data obtained from the initial public offerings of the Link real estate investment trust (REIT), one of the largest REITs in the world, is used for analysis. Findings - The study finds that district centers command the highest average rental levels, followed by local and estate centers. As the effects of positive externalities for unorganized shops are smaller, the average rental levels for shops are generally lower. In terms of the impact of individual attributes on rents, a retail property's age and its efficiency ratio have negative relationships with rents, while its size (in terms of gross floor area) and the amount of shops positively affect the facility's rental levels. Research limitations/implications - Although obtaining the largest possible dataset in the Link REIT portfolio for the study, the sample is not considered big enough to detect the impact of the location of a retail facility on its rental adjustments. Further studies are required with regard to this issue. Originality/value - The results of this study give planners and developers of retail facilities some insights about the effects of market positioning on a retail facility's performance on the leasing market.


Abstract. In the study of built heritage, the potential offered by the BIM methodology finds effective application in the knowledge and dissemination process. Today, the HBIM methodology often develops from 3D scanning point clouds with the so-called Scan-to-BIM processes. The complexity that often characterizes the architectural elements of the historical heritage and the lack of information on construction details and geometries, constitute a critical factor that sometimes affects the effectiveness of the application of the BIM methodology. Procedural methods define an approach that can help us when it is necessary to use external modelling tools for the local modelling of complex elements. Algorithmic modelling potentially could significantly reduce the investment normally required in digital content modelling operations, also in terms of time consuming. Furthermore, in procedural modelling, the definition of the detail can be calibrated a priori according to the objectives of the workflow. The research addresses the difficult management of point clouds in workflows aimed at the realization of the so-called serious games, tools that have proved invaluable in educational and teaching processes, as well as in the dissemination and promotion of heritage. Involving a remarkable variety of digital instruments for representation, serious games define a research topic in which the different needs related to the representation of the complexity of the objects can be investigated. Aimed at defining an effective development process for serious games, the paper proposes an HBIM workflow for reconstruction of 3D environments of historic buildings starting from laser scanning surveying approach.


Adenosine kinase (ADK) is the chief adenosine removing enzyme in the brain. Experimental research has highlighted that ADK is a diagnostic and a therapeutic marker for epilepsy. Clinical research from patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy also indicated that maladaptive changes of ADK lead to recurrent seizures in human chronic epilepsy, including Rasmussen encephalitis, focal cortical dysplasia, mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and Sturge-Weber syndrome. In addition, a subpopulation of remaining neurons demonstrated a revertant fetal expression pattern within the lesions are increasing, indicating that the early stage of developmental microenvironment alteration may impair the temporal transient expression pattern of neuronal ADK from fetal to postnatal brains. Increasing levels of ADK expression and adenosine deficiency caused by high levels of ADK played a crucial role in pharmacoresistant epilepsy and epilepsy associated comorbidities. Dysfunction of adenosine system may be a common pathologic hallmark of human pharmacoresistant epilepsy, which suggested the specific targets in the treatment of epilepsy, comorbidities associated with epilepsy in the patients. Future studies will undoubtedly seek to find the novel therapies targeting on ADK and to uncover the mechanism responsible for these future epilepsy therapies.


From Salt to Silver

I suppose it must have been sometime in the 1960s but I can remember waiting in Victoria Road for my aunty to come out of Salts mill, scanning the swarm of bustling faces, until I saw her strolling out the gates arm in arm laughing and joking with her friends. She worked here as a burler and mender a highly skilled job mending defects in woven cloth.

Twenty years later I walked through those gates to photograph the last days of production at Salts.
I had been commissioned by the newly opened and then called National Museum of Photography to document the demise of the textile trade and so in February of 1985 I made my first visit to Salts Mill.
The weaving shed was in full production and spinning was running shifts, I was given complete access to come and go as I pleased. I was a regular visitor for the next 18 months during which production ceased, the mill was stripped and eventually sold. Just a few of these images have been exhibited, the rest stored in my darkroom cupboards. In 2016 Maggie & Zoe Silver asked me to see what photographs I had. I was surprised to find that I have over 1000 negatives of Salts.

So thirty years later (with some new additions and poems by Ian McMillan) here they are, a small tribute to those who worked here when it was a textile mill, but more importantly it is a celebration of the development of Salts mill by the Silver family into a world famous hub of modern industry, creativity and enterprise.


Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is the fundamental theory in elementary particle physics that describes the strong interaction in terms of exchanges of force-carrying, colour-charged particles known as gluons. Although well-established through experimental verifications, there are fundamental unsolved problems in the theory. In this thesis, some novel aspects of strong interaction dynamics are studied in the context of colour singlet exchange processes — interactions where complex systems of gluons with no net colour charge are exchanged. Both perturbative and non-perturbative QCD methods are used, as well as Monte Carlo computer simulations. Soft colour interactions in the final state of a high energy collision can lead to effective colour singlet exchange. Non-perturbative models for such interactions are shown to give a good description of diffractive production of W, Z, bb, J/ψ and jets in pp collisions at the Tevatron. Predictions are given for diffractive Higgs boson and prompt photon production at hadron colliders. Rapidity gaps between jets is a new phenomenon which is studied with an improved perturbative calculation of hard colour singlet exchange using the BFKL equation, taking into account previously neglected contributions and non-leading logarithmic corrections. Including also underlying soft rescattering effects, the complete model reproduces well data from the Tevatron. Diffractive vector meson production through hard colour singlet exchange in γp collisions is studied in the framework of the conformal invariant non-forward solution of the BFKL equation. Expressions for helicity-dependent amplitudes are derived, and the results show good agreement with data on J/ψ and ρ production from the ep collider HERA. These studies lead to a deeper knowledge of complex gluon dynamics, and therefore advance our understanding of QCD.


The control of neuroprosthetic devices from the activity of motor cortex neurons benefits from learning effects where the function of these neurons is adapted to the control task. It was recently shown that tuning properties of neurons in monkey motor cortex are adapted selectively in order to compensate for an erroneous interpretation of their activity. In particular, it was shown that the tuning curves of those neurons whose preferred directions had been misinterpreted changed more than those of other neurons. In this article, we show that the experimentally observed self-tuning properties of the system can be explained on the basis of a simple learning rule. This learning rule utilizes neuronal noise for exploration and performs Hebbian weight updates that are modulated by a global reward signal. In contrast to most previously proposed reward-modulated Hebbian learning rules, this rule does not require extraneous knowledge about what is noise and what is signal. The learning rule is able to optimize the performance of the model system within biologically realistic periods of time and under high noise levels. When the neuronal noise is fitted to experimental data, the model produces learning effects similar to those found in monkey experiments.


It is possible to construct fully implicit Runge-Kutta methods like Gaus-Legendre, Radau-IA, Radau-IIA, Lobatto-IIIA, -IIIB, and -IIIC methods of arbitrary high order of convergence. The aim of this paper is to find a new adaptive time stepping for these classes which is based on the embedding technique. Adaptive time step control with embedding is well-known for Runge-Kutta methods, and therefore new embedded methods of order s-1 for the above classes of fully implicit Runge-Kutta methods are constructed. Since these fully implicit methods need the solution of a huge non-linear system of equations different approaches for non-linear equations are discussed and compared. It can be observed that non-linear solvers like the usually used simplified Newton method have a step size restriction if they are applied on higher order methods. We apply our new methods on some lower dimensional ODEs to show that our approach leads to an efficient method.


In this paper, we ask whether Vision Transformers (ViTs) can serve as an underlying architecture for improving the adversarial robustness of machine learning models against evasion attacks. While earlier works have focused on improving Convolutional Neural Networks, we show that also ViTs are highly suitable for adversarial training to achieve competitive performance. We achieve this objective using a custom adversarial training recipe, discovered using rigorous ablation studies on a subset of the ImageNet dataset. The canonical training recipe for ViTs recommends strong data augmentation, in part to compensate for the lack of vision inductive bias of attention modules, when compared to convolutions. We show that this recipe achieves suboptimal performance when used for adversarial training. In contrast, we find that omitting all heavy data augmentation, and adding some additional bag-of-tricks $(\varepsilon-\mathbf{warmup}$ and larger weight decay), significantly boosts the performance of robust ViTs. We show that our recipe generalizes to different classes of ViT architectures and large-scale models on full ImageNet-1k. Additionally, investigating the reasons for the robustness of our models, we show that it is easier to generate strong attacks during training when using our recipe and that this leads to better robustness at test time. Finally, we further study one consequence of adversarial training by proposing a way to quantify the semantic nature of adversarial perturbations and highlight its correlation with the robustness of the model. Overall, we recommend that the community should avoid translating the canonical training recipes in ViTs to robust training and rethink common training choices in the context of adversarial training. We share the code for your experiments at the following URL: https://github.com/dedeswim/vits-robustness-torch.


For the needs of future Internet, many researchers are proposing a paradigm shift towards a new information-centric approach. The Named-Data Networking (NDN) is one these proposals. Instead of addresses, packets should use only names, either expressing interest on specific information or naming the data content carried in. Applying the NDN model in a mobile ad-hoc network can greatly simplify the routing, since there is no need for global addresses and all nodes in the network can cache data packets. In this paper we propose a new strategy, called MultiPoint Relay (MPR) Strategy, targeted to minimize redundancy in Interest and Data packet forwarding in Ad-Hoc NDN networks. Interest packets sent by each node are only retransmitted by a subset of selected relay neighbors, as in OLSR. A time delay is also used to detect and prevent duplicated transmissions. Data packets can either be forwarded using the reverse path or by using similar delay technique in case of topology changes. The proposed strategy was implemented in ndnSIM simulator and compared with related works. Obtained results show that the strategy is effective in improving interest satisfaction ratio with reduced network overhead.


The neural networks have been used and tried for many intelligent processes to mimic human decision making power. Classification technique is a vital step in data mining for intelligent applications. Neural networks are quite often trained much in similar way of human learning process. The efficacy of neural networks depends upon how precisely these are trained. Training can be of many types. We have chosen harmony search algorithm to train the neural networks for its known advantages. The scope of this paper is focused on to examine the supervised learning of neural networks by employing harmony search algorithm to predict market selling trends for different items in order to support decision making and planning. We gathered data sets from market transactions to train and test real time and online neural network model. The model predicts sales automatically and updates the records after every transaction. We have implemented and tested the model over a long period by comparing actual sales with predicted ones and taking cyclical and seasonal effects into account. Results are quite encouraging and have shown good accuracy. We have analysed model by comparing with existing alternative techniques. It shows very competitive and high classification accuracy.


Consciousness lies at the core of being human. Therefore, to understand ourselves, we need a theory of consciousness. In Sisyphus's Boulder , Eric Dietrich and Valerie Hardcastle argue that we will never get such a theory because consciousness has an essential property that prevents it from ever being explained. Consequently, philosophical debates over materialism and dualism are a waste of time. Scientific explanations of consciousness fare no better. Scientists do study consciousness, and such investigations will continue to grow and advance. However, none of them will ever reveal what consciousness is. In addition, given the centrality of consciousness in philosophy, Dietrich and Hardcastle claim that philosophy itself needs to change. That the central problems of philosophy persist is actually a profound epistemic fact about humans. Philosophy, then, is a limit to what humans can understand. (Series A)


Based on unique data from the largest-ever sample of the Chinese oldest-old aged 80 and older, our multivariate logistic regression analyses show that either receiving adequate medical service during sickness in childhood or never/rarely suffering from serious illness during childhood significantly reduces the risk of being ADL (activities of daily living) impaired, being cognitively impaired, and self-reporting poor health by 18%–33% at the oldest-old ages. Estimates of effects for five other indicators of childhood conditions are similarly positive but mostly not statistically significant. Multivariate survival analysis shows that better childhood socioeconomic conditions in general tend to reduce the four-year period mortality risk among the oldest-old. But after additional controls for 14 covariates are put into the model, the effects are not statistically significant, thus suggesting that most of the effects of childhood conditions on oldest-old mortality are indirect—at least to the point of affecting current health status at the oldest-old ages, which itself is strongly associated with mortality. While acknowledging limitations of the present analyses due to a lack of information on childhood illness, the oldest-olds' recollection errors, and other data problems, we conclude, based on this and other studies, that policies that enhance childhood health care and children's socioeconomic wellbeing can have large and long-lasting benefits up to the oldest-old ages.


Abstract The Early Permian (290 Ma) Panjal Traps are the largest contiguous outcropping of volcanic (basaltic, andesitic and silicic) rocks within the Himalaya that are associated with the Late Palaeozoic break-up of Gondwana. The basaltic Panjal Traps have compositional characteristics that range from continental tholeiite to ocean-floor basalt but it is clear that crustal contamination has played a role in their genesis. The basalts that show limited evidence for contamination have Sr–Nd isotopes (87Sr/86Sri = 0.7043–0.7073; εNd(t) = 0 ± 1) similar to a chondritic (subcontinental lithospheric mantle) source, whereas the remaining basaltic rocks have a wide range of Nd (εNd(t) = −6.1 to +4.3) and Sr (87Sr/86Sri = 0.7051–0.7185) isotopic values. The primary melt composition of the low-Ti Panjal Traps is picritic with mantle potential temperatures (TP = 1400°C to 1450°C) similar to ambient mantle. The silicic volcanic rocks were derived by partial melting of the crust, whereas the andesitic rocks were derived by mingling between crustal and mantle melts. The Panjal Traps initially erupted within a continental rift setting. The rift eventually transitioned into a nascent ocean basin that led to seafloor spreading and the formation of the Neotethys Ocean and the ribbon-like continent Cimmeria.


This paper explores the increasing trend of adopting native advertising in the digital editions of traditional news media outlets. Native advertising is defined here as a form of paid media where the commercial content is delivered within the design and form of editorial content, as an attempt to recreate the user experience of reading news instead of advertising content. Methodologically, this study examines 12 news websites of legacy newspapers from Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and analyzes the adoption of native advertising during the span of January 2015. Subsequently, these advertisements are analyzed in terms of type, form, function, integration, measurement, disclosure, and authorship. The results show that while the degree of implementation is still modest, the way in which it is implemented is uneven across countries.


We present Neural Shape Deformation Priors, a novel method for shape manipulation that predicts mesh deformations of non-rigid objects from user-provided handle movements. State-of-the-art methods cast this problem as an optimization task, where the input source mesh is iteratively deformed to minimize an objective function according to hand-crafted regularizers such as ARAP. In this work, we learn the deformation behavior based on the underlying geometric properties of a shape, while leveraging a large-scale dataset containing a diverse set of non-rigid deformations. Specifically, given a source mesh and desired target locations of handles that describe the partial surface deformation, we predict a continuous deformation field that is defined in 3D space to describe the space deformation. To this end, we introduce transformer-based deformation networks that represent a shape deformation as a composition of local surface deformations. It learns a set of local latent codes anchored in 3D space, from which we can learn a set of continuous deformation functions for local surfaces. Our method can be applied to challenging deformations and generalizes well to unseen deformations. We validate our approach in experiments using the DeformingThing4D dataset, and compare to both classic optimization-based and recent neural network-based methods.


Manuscript type: Research paper Research aims: This study aims to investigate the prevalent choice of capital investment appraisal practices and the influence of firm characteristics on the choice of these practices. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey is conducted by using a sample of 186 Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) from companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange platform in Sri Lanka. Research findings: This study reveals that the most popular capital investment appraisal techniques used in Sri Lanka encompass Net Present Value (NPV), followed by Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Payback (PB), Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) and Discounted Payback (DPB). As for the capital investment appraisal tools incorporating risks, Sri Lankan firms prefer uncertainty absorption in cash flows, followed by sensitivity analysis, probability analysis, scenario analysis, and adjusting the required returns. Emerging real options are used at the embryonic stage in Sri Lanka. The use of naive capital budgeting practices is mostly preferred by small firms managed mainly by CFOs with non-MBA educational qualifications with short tenures in the firms. In contrast, sophisticated and advanced capital budgeting practices are mostly used by large firms managed by MBA qualified CFOs with a long tenure in the firms. As for industry differences, ARR is primarily applied by non-MBA CFOs in most non-manufacturing firms. None of the other methods trigger any significant difference in terms of industry types. Theoretical contributions/Originality: This study makes contextual contributions by providing evidence of the application of capital investment appraisal practices in an emerging market economy, namely Sri Lanka. This study also provides parametric contributions as it identifies the influence of firm characteristics on the choice of capital budgeting practices. Practitioner/Policy implications: This study raises the awareness of top management, policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders of companies with regards to capital investment appraisal practices and the influence of firm characteristics on these practices. Research limitations/Implications: A more detailed study encompassing other countries with a similar culture like Sri Lanka is beneficial for further validation, replication and generalisation. Future studies may also consider looking at the influence of behavioral factors in making capital budgeting choices. Keywords: Capital Budgeting, Risk, Developing Countries JEL Classification: G30, G31, G32JEL Classification: G30, G31, G32


During the first decades of the 19th century, a number of prominent scientists conducted experiments in the revival of dead organisms using new galvanic technologies. In several cases, these experiments were conducted on human bodies, using the corpses of executed criminals. Such experiments captured the cultural imaginary of the day, posing new questions about the relationship between emergent technologies, automated movement, and human agency. This article examines the role played by spectacle, aesthetics, and new practices and technologies of visualization in these scientific experiments.


The aim of this study was to examine the expression and clinicopathological role of caudal homeobox 2 (CDX2) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). CDX2 expression was determined immunohistochemically in 93 patients with ICC. The association between CDX2 expression and clinicopathological features of ICC was also examined in patients with ICC. Immunohistochemical staining for CDX2 was noted in 27 patients (29.03%); patients with CDX2-positive tumors had significant survival advantages over those with CDX2- negative tumors (median survival was 40 months for patients with CDX2-positive tumors and 13 months for patients with CDX2-negative tumors; the hazard ratio was 0.36, the 95% confidence interval was 0.22-0.59, and p < 0.001). The rate of CDX2 expression was 13.46% in patients with lymphatic invasion and 48.78% in patients without lymphatic invasion (χ2 = 13.88, p < 0.01); positivity for CDX2 expression was significantly higher in patients with well-differentiated or moderately differentiated tumors than that in patients with poorly differentiated tumors (41.7% in patients with well-differentiated tumors, 47.6% in patients with moderately differentiated tumors, and 20.0% in patients with poorly differentiated tumors; Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.01). In addition, CDX2 expression differed significantly in patients with ICC due to hepatolithiasis and patients with ICC not due to hepatolithiasis (36.51% and 13.33%, respectively, χ2 = 5.30, p = 0.02). Positivity for CDX2 expression resulted in significant survival advantages for patients with ICC. CDX2 might be used as a prognostic marker in patients with ICC.


The use of surface floating dredgers in deep inland reservoirs and continental shelves, either for dredging or mining purposes, is restricted by several operational limitations. Use of smaller surface floating dredgers in deep inland reservoirs is constrained by the ladder (a long truss like structure 'arm' that supports the excavation tool) length. Bigger dredgers have operational restrictions and mobilization problems. In shelf areas, the dredging operation is less precise due to currents, winds and waves. The floating pipelines, floats and winch wires are obstacles to navigational paths for other surface vessels. High investment costs are involved in the construction of bigger high capacity dredgers. It is difficult to modify such systems once they are constructed. The limitation of the existing technology served as the main motivation to design an active legged submersible dredger / miner, which is described in this thesis. The designed vehicle is named the 'Golden Tortoise' because it simulates the belly crawling motion of a tortoise or turtle. A full scale prototype vehicle was manufactured by Excavation & Equipment Manufacturing (P) Ltd., (EEM (P) Ltd.) India. The prototype vehicle is suitable for operation in deep inland reservoirs up to a depth of 50 m and is designed to excavate sand, silt or clay mixtures in various proportions. -- Parametric performance models were developed to evaluate the locomotion, excavation and transportation processes of the designed vehicle. Periodic gait plans were developed for straight line and curvilinear locomotion on natural terrain. Experimental validation of the theoretical gait plans was performed, which showed that the average slip was about 20% at the foot/soil interface in medium to relatively fine sands. Parametric models were developed for the evaluation of the locomotion cycle time of the designed vehicle. The locomotion cycle time was also measured from the gait plan tests and was found to be an average of 30 seconds. The static load incident at each foot as a function of the vehicle weight and the leg joint parameters was predicted by developing a two-dimensional model based on simple beam theory. Prototype tests were performed to measure the static load incident at each foot as a function of the leg swing angle. The maximum static load measured due to weight of the vehicle was approximately 13 kN. The subsequent soil settlement and failure were estimated based on the theories of elasticity and plastic equilibrium as well as the shallow foundation theories. The dynamic load as a function of the leg actuating hydraulic cylinders was also considered for predicting the soil response. Comparisons between the different performance parameters of tracked vehicles and the designed legged vehicle were made. The shear stress-shear displacement relationship for different types of terrain was considered to predict the traction available for each foot during locomotion under different slip conditions. It was observed that the foot with grousers (lugs or teeth underneath the foot) provided more tractive effort compared to a tracked vehicle of similar dimensions and weight in cohesive soils. -- Parametric performance models for the designed excavation system were developed based on the theories of earth moving machinery and their dynamics. The performance of the designed excavation system was evaluated based on the excavation production, spillage generated and the excavation power required under varying operational and soil conditions. -- Parametric models were developed for evaluation of the designed pump-pipeline system by integrating the two-phase flow theories developed by various previous researchers. The models predict the total head loss in the pipeline system and hence the required pump power and also the limiting settling velocity condition and thereby the chances of pipeline blockage. In the present design this means that the suitable pipeline diameter is between 0.15 to 0.3 m to achieve a production of 61 m³/hr with a maximum volumetric concentration of 18 %. The mean mixture velocity in the pipeline should vary between 2 to 5 m/sec to achieve the desired production and avoid pipeline blockage. A conceptual model was developed showing the complex interrelationships existing between the dredging and locomotion processes. -- The results from this thesis can now be used to design the requisite controllers for the automatic operation of the 'Golden Tortoise'.


Although Hannah Arendt is considered one of the major contributors to social and political thought in the twentieth century, this is the first general anthology of her writings. This volume includes selections from her major works, including "The Origins of Totalitarianism", "Between Past and Future", "Men in Dark Times", "The Jew as Pariah", and "The Human Condition", as well as many shorter writings and letters. Sections include: extracts from her work on fascism, Marxism, and totalitarianism; her treatment of work and labour; her writings on politics and ethics; and, a section on truth and the role of the intellectual.


We describe an absolute energy efficiency metric (measured in dBε) that can be universally applied to any ICT system, subsystem and component. It shows what energy efficiency improvements are possible for any data processing/transmission/storage system. The metric's versatility is also displayed by applying it to biologically based and quantum-level information systems. As an exemplar, we identify ten different and independent approaches, each of which on its own could achieve at least a 50% energy efficiency saving, so as to enable a thousand-fold (i.e., 30 dB) improvement in overall energy efficiency in photonic telecommunications networking.


Oxidative
stress has been implicated as one of the causes in cell death in many neurodegenerative disorders. Due to antioxidative properties in vitro, the use of flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds synthesised by plants are considered to be a promising
strategy to prevent Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsons's disease. In the
present study, we tested protective effects of some polyphenols and sodium
pyruvate on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), salsolinol and 3-hydroxykynurenine
(3-HK) induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. We found
that luteolin prevented from 6-OHDA and 3-HK induced cell viability reduction
and that one of the mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective process was the ability to increase the level of cellular ATP.
However, luteolin was ineffective against salsolinol-induced toxicity. Neither
pre-treatment with flavonoids nor
simultaneous addition had any protective effects on 6-OHDA, salsolinol or 3-HK induced neurotoxicity.
Interestingly, both pre-treatment and co-treatment with pyruvate provided
protection against 6-OHDA, salsolinol or 3-HK induced toxicity.
Moreover, luteolin and sodium pyruvate, administered together, acted
additively, so to achieve the same effect, lower concentrations were needed.
The ability of luteolin and sodium pyruvate to reduce toxicity of 6-OHDA and
3-HK in SH-SY5Y cells may be related to two different neuroprotective mechanisms and the capability to penetrate into the
cell.


Normalized random measures (NRMs) provide a broad class of discrete random measures that are often used as priors for Bayesian nonparametric models. Dirichlet process is a well-known example of NRMs. Most of posterior inference methods for NRM mixture models rely on MCMC methods since they are easy to implement and their convergence is well studied. However, MCMC often suffers from slow convergence when the acceptance rate is low. Tree-based inference is an alternative deterministic posterior inference method, where Bayesian hierarchical clustering (BHC) or incremental Bayesian hierarchical clustering (IBHC) have been developed for DP or NRM mixture (NRMM) models, respectively. Although IBHC is a promising method for posterior inference for NRMM models due to its efficiency and applicability to online inference, its convergence is not guaranteed since it uses heuristics that simply selects the best solution after multiple trials are made. In this paper, we present a hybrid inference algorithm for NRMM models, which combines the merits of both MCMC and IBHC. Trees built by IBHC outlines partitions of data, which guides Metropolis-Hastings procedure to employ appropriate proposals. Inheriting the nature of MCMC, our tree-guided MCMC (tgMCMC) is guaranteed to converge, and enjoys the fast convergence thanks to the effective proposals guided by trees. Experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the benefit of our method.


Li et al. used time-lapse microscopy to visualize fluorescently labeled mitochondria in cultured rat hippocampal neurons and observed that, whereas most dendritic mitochondria were localized in the dendrite shaft, the fraction in protrusions (spines and filopodia) was affected by developmental stage, increasing during periods of synaptogenesis and spine formation. Repeated depolarization through exposure to 90 mM KCl stimulated the formation of new protrusions and of synapses (evaluated by staining for PSD-95) and increased both the fraction of mitochondria in protrusions and the percentage of protrusions containing mitochondria. Similarly, localized high-frequency synaptic stimuli elicited a localized increase in the size of dendritic spines followed by an increase in the percentage of spines with mitochondria. Overexpression of Drp-1 (dynamin-related protein-1, a guanosine triphosphatase involved in regulating mitochondrial fission) increased dendritic mitochondrial density, as well as the density of dendritic spines and synapses, whereas overexpression of a dominant-negative form of Drp-1 depleted dendrites of mitochondria and reduced the density of dendritic spines and synapses. Creatine, which stimulates mitochondrial respiration, also increased synaptic density. Moreover, both Drp-1 and creatine enhanced synaptogenesis in response to repeated depolarization with 90 mM KCl. Finally, depolarization with 50 mM KCl reduced the rate of mitochondrial movement and promoted fission over fusion, whereas tetrodotoxin had the opposite effects. Thus, the activity and dendritic distribution of mitochondria appear to play a role in regulating synaptic density and activity-dependent synaptogenesis, whereas neuronal activity appears to affect the motility, overall morphology, and distribution of mitochondria. Schuman and Chan provide context in a Preview. Z. Li, K.-I. Okamoto, Y. Hayashi, M. Sheng, The importance of dendritic mitochondria in the morphogenesis and plasticity of spines and synapses. Cell 119, 873-887 (2004). [Online Journal] E. Schuman, D. Chan, Fueling synapses. Cell 119, 738-740 (2004). [Online Journal]


In this paper, the financial/ownership structures of agribusiness co-operatives (co-ops) are analyzed in order to examine whether new co-op models perform better than the more traditional ones. The assessment procedure introduces a new financial decision-aid approach, which is based on data-analysis techniques in combination with a Preference Ranking Organization Method of Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE II). The application of this multi-criteria decision-aid approach allows the rank ordering of the co-ops on the basis of the most prominent financial ratios. The financial ratios were selected using principal component analysis. This analytical procedure reduces the dimensionality of large numbers of interrelated financial performance measures. We assess the financial success of selected EU agribusiness co-ops for the period 1999-2007. Results show that there is no clear-cut evidence that co-op models used to attract outside equity perform better than the more traditional models. This suggests that ownership structure of co-ops is not a decisive factor for their financial success.


An untested common assumption in prior literature is that conservatism reduces accruals-based earnings management. We test this prediction and also, whether by imposing limits to accruals manipulation, there is a downside to conservatism in the form of increases in real earnings management. If the incentives to engage in earnings management stay constant, it is likely that when managers face constraints to manipulate accruals, they may shift to potentially more costly real earnings management practices (Ewert and Wagenhofer [2005], Zang [2012]). Using a large US sample for the period 1991-2010 we find a negative association between conservatism and measures of accruals manipulation, and a positive association between conservatism and real earnings management. However, our evidence is consistent with only a moderate displacement effect and with conservatism constraining earnings management overall.


This paper offers a survey of Italian colonial policy towards Muslim religious endowments (waqf, pl. awqaf) in Libya from 1911 to 1943. Through an analysis of 41 lawsuits presented to the colonial Court of Appeals and a detailed survey of the laws promulgated to reform the administration of the awqaf in Libya, this study reveals the legal mechanisms adopted by Italian jurists to regulate awqaf matters in their only North African colony. It demonstrates that, unlike other colonial powers in the region, the Italians did not set out to confiscate real estate that had been immobilized as religious endowments, nor did they seek to delegitimize the principles of Islamic law on which awqaf were founded. When confiscation of endowed property did occur, it was to retaliate against those Muslim brotherhoods, such as the Sanusiyya, which had taken up arms against colonial rule. With few exceptions, Italians respected the legal validity of the awqaf, and limited themselves to exercising more direct control over their administration by removing them from the jurisdiction of the qadi (Islamic judge) and placing them under the judicial oversight of state courts.


Introduction: People who have a high level of learning love, tend to be as an innovator. As a matter of fact, they intend to lie within the first ones who are consistent with their new status. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between love of learning and global innovation within medical students. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out on students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences during 2014-2015. The study sample consisted of 200 students who were selected via random sampling method using Cochran's formula. McFarlane's love of learning and Hurt's global innovation questionnaires were utilized to glean the study data. Moreover, the study data were analysed via SPSS software (version 16), applying standard t-test, Pearson correlation-coefficients and linear regression. Results: The study results indicated that the students' love of learning was reported at a higher level than the desirable level, though their global innovation level was demonstrated to be lower than the minimum level. A positive significant relationship was observed between love of learning and global innovation. In other words, love of learning was considered as a positive and significant predictor of students' global innovation. Conclusion: The study findings revealed that love of learning is influential in creating students' global innovation. Furthermore, it can provide the ground for students' growth and talent in order to lead students towards self-actualization.


This article attempts to examine the increase of unemployment in Japan from the perspective of what we term "the employment mismatch". Using UV curve analysis, which is derived from a combination of the unemployment rate and the job vacancy rate, our research demonstrates a steady and significant increase in the employment mismatch in the Japanese labour market dating to the late 1990's. We further attribute a substantial measure of the stagnation of labour productivity in Japan along with the associated increases in labour expense to this problem. As a logical consequence of this severe and growing phenomenon, we expect Japan to encounter serious additional pressures with respect to the creation of new jobs. The regulative reforms since 1997 led to a change in the structure of Japanese labour market. The current mismatch and the increase in temporary work opportunities could be interpreted as a result of corporate efforts to increase personnel flexibility. A national policy recommendation is that an efficient labour market is indispensable to workers and firms to take full advantage of the wider variety of employment styles provided.


Tissue culture and genetic transformation in banana (Musa) cv. Basrai was studied. In vitro cultures were established from field grown suckers. Shoot tips were sterilized with sodium hypochlorite (NaGCI) and at higher concentrations of sodium hypochlorite browning of tissues increased. After culture initiation BBTV was indexed by double antibody sandwich (DAS) enzyme linked immuno sorbant assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 97.4 percent cultures were found BBTV free. During in vitro multiplication, BAP affected the shoot multiplication significantly and maximum shoot number (5.44/explant) was achieved on liquid medium having 4.0 mg/l BAP 1.0 mg/l IAA. When kinetin was used instead of BAP keeping all other parameters same, the maximum shoot number was 4.33/explant. Above optimal concentrations of cytokinins lowered the multiplication rate and callus like swelling was observed at the base of shoot tips. It was also observed from the results that auxins (IAA) did not affect shoot multiplication but increased shoot length up to 5.5 cm against 1.4 cm in control. During in vitro multiplication it was observed that multiplication behavior of each shoot tip was different on the same medium and under similar culture conditions. Multiplication rate declined after 3rd sub-culturing however shoot tips which initially had higher rate of multiplication continued this behavior in succeeding sub-culturings. During in vitro rooting of banana shoots, use of IAA and IBA (1 mg/l) resulted in an increase in the root number and length to 8.6 and 6.8 cm respectively. During hardening of in vitro raised plants, maximum plants survived(88.7 percent) in green house when covered with polythene. When tissue culture raised plants were compared with conventionally propagated plants in the field, it was observed that tissue culture plants were taller than suckers (8.1 percent), produced more suckers (31 percent), time to flowering was reduced (2.8 percent) and produced more fingers/bunch (9 percent). For callus induction and regeneration different explant sources were used but callus and regeneration was observed from male flowers. During plant transformation studies, shoot tips were injured either by biolistic gene gun or bisected longitudinally into two halves. Transgenic banana plants having marker gene were achieved when bisected shoot tips were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA 105 containing pCAMBIA 1301. Transgenic banana plants were selected on MS. Medium containing 50 mg/l hygromycin. A part of hygromycin gene was amplified by PCR and three out of five surviving plants were found positive for hygromycin gene.


Invasive species are increasingly recognized as one of the main threats to biodiversity and both an urgent need and a unique tool for ecological research. Although attempts to identify future invasive species are not new to ecology, rigorous quantitative analyses emanate mostly from the last decade. In 2001, quantitative studies dealing with the distinguishing ecological features of invasive species were reviewed but no papers on fish species were identified. Subsequently, several quantitative studies have addressed this issue for freshwater fishes, including those that have focused on California, Colorado, the Great Lakes of North America and the Iberian Peninsula. In the present paper, 12 such studies are reviewed and compared with regard to their conclusions and methodology. The issues of different invasion stages and comparison strategies, propagule pressure, information-theoretic analyses v. sequential techniques, use of phylogenetic comparative methods and spatial scale are discussed. Non-native fish transport and release are the least investigated although taxonomy and human interests seem key in these first initial stages. Establishment success, which has received more study, seems more multi-factorial, context-dependent and more mediated by species-specific life-history traits. The dispersal and impact phases are less understood, although the comparison of traits (and taxonomy) between native and invasive species and particularly its variability holds promise. The lack of data on propagule pressure and the use of sequential techniques for observational data sets with many intercorrelated variables could affect the conclusions of previous studies. Research on the dispersal, impact and particularly transport and introduction phases should be prioritized rather than establishment. All the studies identified were at temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere; studies in other regions and comparison of different regions and multiple scales are lacking. # 2007 The Author


Within accounting education, both conceptual and experiential learning have been important learning approaches. However, while experiential learning has been extensively studied in accounting education, the critical role of conceptual learning has received considerably less attention. In this article, we review theory and research to develop a framework involving the Throughput Model that relates to both conceptual and experiential learning. Based on our review and combination, we suggest implications for the design and implementation of accounting education.


"Learning From the Tanya" offers a key for unlocking the mysteries of one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written. A seminal document in the study of Kabbalah, the "Tanya" explores and solves the dilemmas of the human soul by arriving at the root causes of its struggles. Though it is a classic Jewish spiritual text, the "Tanya" and its commentary take a broad and comprehensive approach that is neither specific to Judaism nor tied to a particular personality type or time or point of view.


This paper uses a New Keynesian DSGE model of a small open economy to compare how the effects of fiscal consolidation differ depending on whether monetary policy is constrained by currency union membership or by the zero lower bound on policy rates. We show that there are important differences in the impact of fiscal shocks across these monetary regimes that depend both on the duration of the zero lower bound and on features that determine the responsiveness of inflation. JEL Classification: E52, E58


Motivation Research in the emerging field of epitranscriptomics is increasingly generating comprehensive maps of chemical modifications in messenger RNAs (mRNAs). A computational framework allowing a reproducible and standardised analysis of these mRNA modification data is missing, but will be crucial for reliable functional meta-gene analyses and cross-study comparisons. Results We have developed RNAModR, an open-source and R-based set of methods, to analyse and visualise the transcriptome-wide distribution of mRNA modifications. RNAModR allows the statistical evaluation of the mRNA modification site distribution relative to null sites on a meta-gene level, providing insight into the functional role of these mRNA modifications on e.g. mRNA structure and stability. Availability and implementation RNAModR is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL) as an R-package from https://github.com/mevers/RNAModR. Contact email@example.com


ABSTRACT The rail seat load distribution is critical for analysing failure mechanisms associated with rail seat deterioration (RSD), the degradation of concrete surface at the sleeper rail seat. RSD can lead to wide gauge, cant deficiency, and an increased risk of rail rollover. Previous experimentation with matrix-based tactile surface sensors (MBTSS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has yielded concern regarding the feasibility of crushing of the concrete material at the rail seat. This paper examines data collected from laboratory experimentation in which the particle size, particle intrusion, vertical rail seat load, and lateral over vertical force ratio were varied to generate extreme loading environments. No pressures exceeded the concrete compressive strength. However, certain loading scenarios yielded pressures exceeding the concrete fatigue strength. It was therefore concluded that accumulated crushing damage due to a high number of repeated load applications is a feasible failure mechanism of RSD initiation.


Blockchain technology has been applied in a variety of fields due to its capability of establishing trust in a decentralized fashion. However, the application of blockchain in wireless mobile networks is hindered by a major challenge brought by the proof-of-work (PoW) puzzle during the mining process, which sets a high demand for the computational capability and storage availability in mobile devices. To address this problem, we propose a novel mobile edge computing (MEC) enabled wireless blockchain framework where the computation-intensive mining tasks can be offloaded to nearby edge computing nodes and the cryptographic hashes of blocks can be cached in the MEC server. Particularly, two offloading modes are considered, i.e., offloaded to the nearby access point (AP) or a group of nearby users. First, we conduct the performance analysis of each mode with stochastic geometry methods. Then, the joint offloading decision and caching strategy is formulated as an optimization problem. Furthermore, an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) based algorithm is utilized to solve the problem in a distributed manner. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.


A proof procedure verifies relative consequence relations
 B ⊨_E C (1)
in first-order logic with equality by generating a refutation (or proof of contradiction) for some clause-representation C of B ˘ {¬ C}, using the axioms and inferences of some sound and effective calculus for ⊨_E. Performance of the procedure depends upon two forms of heuristic knowledge about ⊨_E. which it may embody:

(S) Structural knowledge is formalized by a refinement (or decidable subset) of the deductions admitted by the procedure's calculus which acts as a "search-space filter": only those deductions from C contained in the refinement are generated.

(P) Procedural knowledge is formalized by a search strategy (or enqueing function): it determines which of the admissible inferences will be generated next on the basis of the current deduction.

This investigation develops a general hierarchical method for the design of refinements embodying structural forms of heuristic knowledge characteristic of expert human problem solvers in an axiomatized problem domain.

Initially we design refinement Δ for E-resolution deductions, whose inferences have the form
{B_1 v q_1,...,B_n v q_n} ⊢ C (2)
where (b_1 -q_1) θ v ... v (B_n - q_n) θ ≥ C ≥ (B_1 θ - q_1θ) v...v (B_nθ-q_nθ) and θ is a substitution (of terms for variables) which makes {q_1θ,...q_nθ} contradictory in E. The unit-clause set {q_1,...,q_n} is called a latent E-contradiction.

E-resolution is not in general effective: each inference (2) must be realized by finding a "lower level" refutation for E ˘ {q_1,...,q_n} and extracting θ from it. For this sub-problem we design and E'-resolution refinement Δ' where E > E'. The normal composition Δ • Δ' consists of deductions in Δ wherein each inference (2) is "realized" by a refutation in Δ'; Δ • Δ' is actually an E'-resolution refinement.

Iterating the above (with E' for E), we obtain an E_o-resolution refinement Δ_M = (...(Δ_n • Δ_(n-1))...Δ_o) where Δ_k is an E_k-resolution refinement and E = E_n >...>E_o = unit clauses of E. An E_o-resolution inference is realized by refuting a latent A-contradiction {p,q} where A is a set of equations including E_o˘{[x=x]}. For this sub-problem we design an (E_o-) resolution micro-refinement Δ_µ for the set of deductions composed of factoring, binary resolution, and paramodulation inferences.

Normal refinements Δ_M • Δ_µ combine the composite structural knowledge embodied in Δ_M with the effectiveness, efficiency, and most-general inference properties of Δ_µ.

Hyper-E-resolution (HR(E,≻,s)) exemplifies Δ_µ. ≻ is an "invariant complexity ordering" which well-orders constant terms. For each resolution inference {A v p, B v Q} ⊢ (A v B)θ in a member of ND(E,≻), underlined literals must have been reduced to a "least complex" normal form by a chain of ≻ -ordered replacement operations based on equations of E and current derived equations; moreover, tθ cannot be "more complex" than sθ. "Functional reflexivity" equations [fx_1...x_n = fx_1...x_n], being sudsumed by [x=x], are excluded from E-normal deductions by strong subsumption-deletion constraints.

Theorem B. ND (E,≻) is refutation complete on unit-clause sets.

Corollary. If E and Δ_M are as in Theorem A and no non-unit clause of E contains a (positive) equation then Δ_M • ND(E_o,≻) is refutation complete on clause-sets whose non-unit clauses each contain at most one equation.

Normal refinements are illustrated in the solutions of several refutation problems in Group Theory and Integer Arithmetic, where useful forms and complexity orderings are employed.


The opinion reproduced below was delivered to us anonymously, with a cover note stating that it had been found on a photocopy machine in the Supreme Court of the United States. Efforts to identify the source of the note have been unsuccessful; further, we have been unable to confirm that a case denominated Pasquinade v. Quillet Enterprises, Inc., was ever filed in that Court or in any other federal court. In light of its unverified origins, the Pasquinade opinion should not be cited as authority. Nevertheless, it contains a few points of interest, and, who knows, could represent a kind of trial run by the Justice who supposedly authored it, complete with reaction to anticipated dissent. We express no opinion on the matter and merely offer Pasquinade "for what it's worth."


Androgen-dependent prostate cancer (PC) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) can be treated either by surgical resection or through the use of drugs that produce androgen deprivation. Inhibition of the enzyme 5[alpha]-reductase (5[alpha]R), which is a membrane-bound NADPH-dependent protein and which metabolises testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within androgen-dependent target cells, has been under investigation as a possible chemotherapeutic target for the treatment of BPH, and possibly of PC, although the correlation between the two diseases has yet to be determined.
Due to the localisation of this protein within the membrane, attempts to gain information regarding the active site of 5[alpha]R have been slow. As such, a molecular modeling study of both steroidal and non-steroidal inhibitors of 5[alpha]R was undertaken in order to elucidate the essential requirements needed for the design of novel non¬steroidal inhibitors. It suggests that: (i) there is a requirement for groups to mimic the carbonyl group at the C3-position of the steroid substrate A-ring; (ii) the area about the C3, C4, CS and C6-positions of testosterone appears to be sterically hindered, presumably due to the binding of the NADPH moiety; (iii) the area of the active site about the C17-0H position of the substrate does not appear to possess hydrogen bonding groups and is unrestricted.
Using the modeling data, a number of steroidal and non-steroidal compounds based upon N- and 3-substituted pyrrolidine-2,S-diones has been designed and their synthesis attempted using a number of reaction schemes.


Application of SeaWinds Scatterometer Data to the Study of Antarctic Icebergs Keith M. Stuart Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Doctor of Philosophy Knowledge of iceberg location and size is important for safety reasons as well as for understanding many geophysical and biological processes. This dissertation analyzes large tabular icebergs in the Southern Ocean using the SeaWinds scatterometer. SeaWinds is a spaceborne radar designed to measure the microwave backscatter from the Earth's surface. Using resolution-enhancement techniques, backscatter measurements are processed into backscatter images in which icebergs can be observed. An iceberg detection methodology is formalized using daily scatterometer images. Radar profiles from common Antarctic scatterers are quantified and an iceberg detection methodology is formalized using daily scatterometer images. Iceberg positions are determined in real-time and a time-series of iceberg positions is maintained in an Antarctic iceberg database. Using the Antarctic iceberg database, characteristic iceberg motion trends are identified. Iceberg detection and tracking is demonstrated through real-time operational support of the 2005, 2008, and 2009 National Science Foundation Antarctic cruises. To supplement iceberg position reports, I develop multiple algorithms to estimate iceberg size and rotational orientation from backscatter images and from raw backscatter measurements. Estimates derived from SeaWinds images are found to be more accurate. Using iceberg size parameters in conjunction with Newton's equations of motion and forcing profiles (e.g., ocean and air currents), I also develop an iceberg motion model to predict the translational and rotational motion of large tabular icebergs. To improve model results, a Kalman filter is used to incorporate actual iceberg measurements into the motion model, and statistics from the Kalman filter are used to evaluate model performance. Simulated iceberg motion is found to best coincide with observed iceberg motion in regions where slower iceberg drift speeds are observed. The model is less accurate at high speeds. The iceberg motion model is inverted to produce estimates of ocean currents given observations of iceberg size and motion. Multiple ocean current estimates are combined using reconstruction techniques and compared with numerically-derived ocean currents from the Ocean Circulation and Climate Advanced Modeling (OCCAM) project. It is found that reconstructed ocean currents coincide with OCCAM currents in regions where observed iceberg motion is not extreme. Also, reconstructed ocean currents coincide more with OCCAM currents that have been averaged over multiple years than with monthly-reported values.


Newspaper clippings of an article about WASP members, including Grace Birge Mayfield, Mary Macabe, Kristine Lent, Alice Riff, Ann Oliver, Ann Criswell Adden, Verda Mae Jennings Lowe, Betty Haas Pfister, Florene Miller, Millicent Young, and Barbara Flemming Foss. The article discusses the personal experiences of the women serving in WWII. On the back of the clippings, there is an advertisement for a drapery shop and an article on catalog ordering.


The vpr genes of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV/SIV) encode proteins which are packaged in the virus particle. HIV‐1 Vpr has been shown to mediate the nuclear import of viral reverse transcription complexes in non‐dividing target cells (e.g. terminally differentiated macrophages), and to alter the cell cycle and proliferation status of the infected host cell. Members of the HIV‐2/SIV(SM) group encode, in addition to Vpr, a related protein called Vpx. Because these two proteins share considerable sequence similarity, it has been assumed that they also exhibit similar functions. Here, we report that the functions of Vpr and Vpx are distinct and non‐redundant, although both proteins are components of the HIV‐2/SIV(SM) virion and reverse transcription complex. Characterizing SIV(SM) proviruses defective in one or both genes, we found that Vpx is both necessary and sufficient for the nuclear import of the viral reverse transcription complex. In contrast, Vpr, but not Vpx, inhibited the progression of infected host cells from the G2 to the M phase of the cell cycle. Thus, two independent functions of the HIV‐1 Vpr protein are encoded by separate genes in HIV‐2/SIV(SM). This segregation is consistent with the conservation of these genes in HIV‐2/SIV(SM) evolution, and underscores the importance of both nuclear transport and cell cycle arrest functions in primate lentivirus biology.


The judgment of the Constitutional Court in Democratic Alliance v President of the Republic of South Africa & others 2013 (1) SA 248 (CC) might bear some political significance given the identity of the litigants. Yet the decision is of wider legal importance. For in deciding the case, the court sought to clarify and further develop a foundational constitutional principle whose scope of application extends far beyond the context of this particular dispute. The principle in question is the baseline or safety-net constitutional requirement of rationality, according to which every exercise of public power must be rationally related to a legitimate government purpose. It is now accepted that rationality is required by the principle of legality, which in turn is a doctrine derived from of the constitutional value of the rule of law (see Fedsure Life Assurance Ltd v Greater Johannesburg Transitional Metropolitan Council 1999 (1) SA 374 (CC) paras 56-8 and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of South Africa: In re Ex parte President of South Africa 2000 (2) SA 674 (CC) para 85).


Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) both mediate direct cholinergic synaptic transmission and modulate synaptic transmission by other neurotransmitters. Novel ligands are needed as probes to discriminate among structurally related nAChR subtypes. α-Conotoxin MII, a selective ligand that discriminates among a variety of nAChR subtypes, fails to discriminate well between some subtypes containing the closely related α3 and α6 subunits. Structure-function analysis of α-conotoxin MII was performed in an attempt to generate analogs with preference for α6-containing [α6* (asterisks indicate the possible presence of additional subunits)] nAChRs. Alanine substitution resulted in several analogs with decreased activity at α3* versus α6* nAChRs heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. From the initial analogs, a series of mutations with two alanine substitutions was synthesized. Substitution at His9 and Leu15 (MII[H9A;L15A]) resulted in a 29-fold lower IC50 at α6β4 versus α3β4 nAChRs. The peptide had a 590-fold lower IC50 for α6/α3β2 versus α3β2 and a 2020-fold lower IC50 for α6/α3β2β3 versus α3β2 nAChRs. MII[H9A;L15A] had little or no activity at α2β2, α2β4, α3β4, α4β2, α4β4, and α7 nAChRs. Functional block by MII[H9A;L15A] of rat α6/α3β2β3 nAChRs (IC50 = 2.4 nM) correlated well with the inhibition constant of MII[H9A;L15A] for [125I]α-conotoxin MII binding to putative α6β2* nAChRs in mouse brain homogenates ( K i = 3.3 nM). Thus, structure-function analysis of α-conotoxin MII enabled the creation of novel selective antagonists for discriminating among nAChRs containing α3 and α6 subunits.


In "The Litigation Explosion", Walter Olson exposed the irrational incentives within the legal system that have made America the world's most litigious society. Now Olson has trained his considerable investigative talents on another aspect of the legal system: employment law. "The Excuse Factory" goes right to the heart of the increasingly absurd American workplace, showing how Kafkaesque employment laws make it nearly impossible to fire even the most incompetent and unmotivated workers. Employers have become understandably nervous about firing someone lest it open them up to a lawsuit, no matter how frivolous. They would rather tolerate bad employees than remove them-- a choice that has profound implications for the future of business, the American economy, and our collective mental health. From the merely annoying, like the chronically late secretary, to the extremely dangerous, like the alcoholic airline pilot, Olson shows how the legal system coddles those who least deserve it. In the name of protecting victims of discrimination with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1991 Civil Rights Act, we have made it tremendously difficult just to get people to do their jobs. Olson gives eloquent voice to this mounting workplace crisis. As the corporate environment degenerates to the lowest common denominator, the frustration and anger among the majority of workers who do pull their own weight is palpable. Enshrining mediocrity in the workplace imposes high costs on society-- costs reflected in lost jobs, lost wages, reduced safety, and rising aggravation. "The Excuse Factory" will spur outrage and spark a national debate about the role of government in the workplace. Olson's expose is certain to shake up the legal industry, rattle government regulators, and cause thousands of workers and managers to nod in vigorous agreement.


There is showed in the article ,,The freedom of the consciousness – human rights' alfa and omega" that constructing today's human right's conception it is good to remember and to use the philosophical ideas of Kant. Namely the ideas of Kant's work ,,Practical philosophy" helps us to answer the question why the human right's doctrine in the constitutional adoption the consciousness freedom right is the main human right. There is shown in the article that the goodness idea, that is the object of consciousness, may be expressed through social value system. In its way the social value system as a human individual and social being back ground and as a human rights' value background is consolidated in the democratic state constitution. There is made a conclusion in the article that the consciousness freedom right is time-limited in democratic state's constitution norms.


Do individuals' perceptions of how much others save for retirement influence their own long-range financial saving decisions? In this study, social comparison theory was used as a theoretical touchstone for understanding the impact of interpersonal perceptions on saving behavior. Respondents ( N = 224) reported not only the amount they had saved for retirement during the previous year, but they also reported perceptions of the magnitude of their savings relative to peers and completed 6 psychological scales related to retirement planning. A 2-stage ordinary least squares (OLS) regression approach was used to examine: (a) the extent to which nine demographic indicators were predictive of individuals' retirement savings practices, and (b) whether unexplained savings from the initial regression model could be hierarchically predicted using the 6 psychological scales and perceptions of one's savings relative to peers. The findings suggest that social comparisons do account for savings practices over and above demographic and psychological indicators. Results are discussed in terms of how individuals' implicit social comparisons might shape not only their perceptions, but also their saving behavior.


This study investigated differences in kinematic and temporal parameters between two velocity groups of baseball pitchers. Data were collected from 127 healthy college and professional baseball pitchers. Those who threw faster than 1 SD above the sample mean (>38.0 m/s) were assigned to the high velocity group ( n = 29), and those who threw slower than 1 SD below the sample mean (<34.2 m/s) were assigned to the low velocity group (n = 23). Twelve kinematic parameters and 9 temporal parameters were measured and analyzed. The pattern of lead knee movement was also investigated. Maximum shoulder external rotation, forward trunk tilt at the instant of ball release, and lead knee extension angular velocity at the instant of ball release were significantly greater in the high velocity group. Maximum lead knee flexion angular velocity was significantly greater in the low velocity group. Seventy percent of the high velocity group showed knee extension during the approach to ball release, whereas the low velocity group showed a variety of knee movement patterns involving less knee extension and more knee flexion. The greater shoulder external rotation in the high velocity group produced an increased range of motion during the acceleration phase.


The digital humanities (DH) enrich the traditional fields of the humanities with new practices, approaches and methods. Since the turn of the millennium, the necessary skills to realise these new possibilities have been taught in summer schools, workshops and other alternative formats. In the meantime, a growing number of Bachelor's and Master's programmes in digital humanities have been launched worldwide. The DH Course Registry, which is the focus of this article, was created to provide an overview of the growing range of courses on offer worldwide. Its mission is to gather the rich offerings of different courses and to provide an up-to-date picture of the teaching and training opportunities in the field of DH. The article provides a general introduction to this emerging area of research and introduces the two European infrastructures CLARIN and DARIAH, which jointly operate the DH Course Registry. A short history of the Registry is accompanied by a description of the data model and the data curation workflow. Current data, available through the API of the Registry, is evaluated to quantitatively map the international landscape of DH teaching.


Strict enforcement and supportive procedures by tax authorities are often discussed as means of enhancing tax compliance. However, it is still not clear how these strategies influence tax compliance. The extended "slippery-slope framework" postulates that coercive power and legitimate power lead to tax compliance, albeit by leading the taxpayer along different motivational paths. The exercising of coercive power reduces citizens' implicit trust in the authorities and increases the need for enforced compliance and perceptions of an antagonistic climate between tax authorities and taxpayers. Legitimate power is assumed to increase reason-based trust, voluntary cooperation and perceptions of a service climate. Two experimental studies that have manipulated qualities of power either separately or simultaneously have suggested that legitimate power affects intended tax compliance in line with theoretical predictions, whereas the effect of coercive power is less clear.


Alcohol has been promoted and used as a motor fuel for more than 50 years. However, United States ethyl alcohol production is small compared with gasoline production. High latent heat of vaporization of alcohol makes possible some increase of power over gasoline. The heating value of alcohol is low and energy content of alcohol blends is less than that of gasoline; fuel consumption of blends is therefore increased. The ability of ethanol to improve the octane number of gasoline has diminished as the octane number of gasoline has improved. There is no published evidence that alcohols can appreciably reduce air pollution problems.


We demonstrate second-harmonic generation in a mixture of powders of laser [Nd0.5La0.5Al3(BO3)4] and frequency-doubling (2-methyl-4-nitroaniline) (MNA) materials. We quantitatively describe short-spike 1.06-μm stimulated emission and its second harmonic with the model accounting for the population inversion and the energy density of 1.06-μm and 0.53-μm radiation in the pumped volume. The experimental results are in a good agreement with the model predictions. The optimum MNA concentration was shown to be dependent on the pumping energy. The determined optimum nonlinear coefficient in (pulverized) nonlinear material was shown to be 102–103 times larger than that in MNA.


This dissertation investigates the syntax and morphology of several functional morphemes that display surface optionality in Indonesian. Three case studies consider how syntactic environments constrain optional realization. Chapter 2 investigates the declarative complementizers bahwa and kalau, which are disallowed in case of A-bar movement; I show that bahwa is also disallowed in wh-in situ questions that do not involve movement. These facts are developed into an analysis of wh phrases and the structure of wh questions in Indonesian. I also propose that the morpheme yang, as well as the null form of the complementizer, constitute a pattern of morphological wh-agreement on C. Chapter 3 discusses the verbal prefixes meNand ber-, which have received varied analyses in the literature. I argue that meNand berparticipate in wh-agreement resulting from A-bar movement, and argue against previous analyses that assume that A-movement results in a similar deletion. In addition, I differentiate between deterministic properties that are relevant in the syntax, and non-deterministic properties of meNand berthat are extra-syntactic. This distinction accounts for a number of puzzling properties that have been observed for these prefixes. Chapter 4 discusses possessor subextraction in Indonesian, with additional data from similar constructions in Javanese and Madurese. I pursue a novel analysis of the nominal suffix -nya, which is optional is possessive DPs: in possessor extraction, this suffix is a pronunciation of the head D. The analysis of wh-agreement is extended to the DP domain, where nya marks A-bar movement on phase heads; the consequence is that DP is a phase for syntactic movement. One language-specific finding in this dissertation is that morphological wh-agreement applies across three domains: complementizers, verbs and possessive nominals. This has cross-linguistic implications for the phasehood of DP and wh-agreement patterns. More broadly, the dissertation contributes a syntactic approach to the analysis of variable morphemes, revealing how multiple factors constrain surface optionality. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Linguistics First Advisor Julie Anne Legate


Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) are catching the attention of telecom operators. Telecom environments establish a set of Carrier Grade requirements such as high availability, high throughput and low latency. To address these challenges SDN deploys logically-centralized controllers, such as ONOS and OpenDayLight. Based on the JAIN SLEE component model, which is a Carrier Grade component already deployed at telecom operators, and the Libfluid OpenFlow driver, this work presents the CREDENCE, a carrier grade SDN controller, which in our evaluation shows that it offers a higher throughput and a lower latency when compared to ONOS, OpenDayLight, Ryu and POX.


This study was carried out to determine the impact of traffic on soil compaction, crop and energy consumption during the sugarcane harvest in the Cauca river valley (Colombia). Four experiments with four replicates were harvested with different systems. Plots were mechanically harvested with self tipping, HD8000, HD12000 and HD20000 trailers and evaluated by traffic intensity (IT), direct stool traffic, penetration resistance and fuel consumption. Heavy trailers caused a greater effect due to a greater IT and direct stool traffic. IT varied between 241 and 317 Mg km ha-1. Stool traffic at the end of field varied from 8 to 18 m per furrow, meanwhile stool traffic along the furrow varied from 5 to 24%. There were no significant differences for productivity up to 13.9% favoring light trailers. Semi-mechanical harvesting was realized with trains of trailers, IT fell down to a 60 - 113 Mg km ha-1 range because a larger area is harvested during one pass of the equipment, but stool traffic increased up to 39 m per furrow for the longer trains, there was a 4% non significant difference for productivity from light to heavy trailers. Furthermore, light trailers with an adequate management are better options with lower energy consumption and emissions.


Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects a growing number of men in reproductive age. Diabetes can impair male reproduction, though changes on the hypothalamus-pituitarytesticular axis, it may cause sexual dysfunction and defective function of the male accessory glands. However, clinical data regarding sperm parameters and other aspects of reproductive function in diabetic patients are limited.
Objective: To evaluate the characteristics and bio-functional differences of sperm in diabetic patients.
Materials and methods: observational, comparative cohort study of diabetic patients with a history of infertility or subfertility, collecting their main bio-functional sperm
parameters, hormone levels and metabolic characteristics.
Results: A sample of 90 patients with DM, with an age of 40 ± 10 years (mean ± SD) and range between 20 and 60 years old, the highest percentage of patients being around 30 years old, with a time of infertility of 4.7 ± 4.2 years, and an average diabetic disease time of 9.8 years. Patient's type 1 represented
36% of total and 63% had type 2 DM. Up to 62 % of patients had suffered from DM for more than 10 years. A total of 199 non-diabetic patients with infertility aged 37.7 ± 7.39 years were obtained as control group. Age and BMI were higher in the group of DM compared to controls. Patients with DM had a
significantly lower percentage of sperm with progressive motility, pH, sperm concentration and total sperm count per ejaculate, as well as a lower proportion of spermatozoa with normal morphology than controls. A negative correlation was observed among the number of diabetic complications and semen volume (R=-0.277, p <0.05). Biochemical parameters, such as triglycerides, cholesterol and gonadotropins did not show any significant differences, while creatinine was higher and testosterone was lower in the group of DM compared to control group.
Conclusion: Infertile patients with DM show a significant impairment of the main sperm parameters we compared with non-diabetic infertile patients. These findings may explain why patients with DM have frequent fertility disorders.


: there should be a point of convergence of the involving soul in the region of the entirety of its people. The issues to do to gather mTeams are absolutely critical as they make a commitment to the familiar enhancement of group people and in flip upgrade the all-inclusive generally execution of the team. This moreover reinforces the bond among staff and they are animated to work and increase objectives. Now and again, a definite state of the pastime when developing team members might want to be completed so as to move the group members to paint troublesome works of craftsmanship and increase their objectives.


Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are heterogeneous acidic polysaccharides involved in a range of biological functions. They have a significant influence on the regulation of cellular processes and the development of various diseases and infections. To fully understand the functional roles that GAGs play in mammalian systems, including disease processes, it is essential to understand their structural features. Despite having a linear structure and a repetitive disaccharide backbone, their structural analysis is challenging and requires elaborate preparative and analytical techniques. In particular, the extent to which GAGs are sulfated, as well as variation in sulfate position across the entire oligosaccharide or on individual monosaccharides, represents a major obstacle. Here, we summarize the current state-of-the-art methodologies used for GAG sample preparation and analysis, discussing in detail liquid chromatograpy and mass spectrometry-based approaches, including advanced ion activation methods, ion mobility separations and infrared action spectroscopy of mass-selected species.


The reserved water rights doctrine is — and always has been — a controversial doctrine in Western water law circles because it provides a federal trump over state systems of water allocation. First articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court over a century ago, states and their water rights holders have always resisted implementation of federal water rights because the federal government and its trustee Indian tribes often have different water priorities than the states, long committed to diversionary rights largely for irrigated agriculture. In Idaho, opposition to federal water rights largely succeeded in defeating water for wilderness, national forests, national recreational areas, and other federal conservation lands in the decisions by state courts in the massive Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA). Now, in an Idaho Law Review article, two advocates for state water rights who helped defeat federal water rights in the SRBA proffer a theory that, if accepted by other Western states, would export their Idaho victories. This response to their effort explains why their theory is flawed and should be rejected by Western state courts. Their argument was in fact not adopted by the Idaho Supreme Court, which employed other reasoning for rejecting federal reserved water rights. This essay maintains that, although Congress certainly has the power either to affirm or reject water rights for federal lands, the idea that water rights may be lost by mere congressional discussion of the doctrine followed by a decision not to take action cannot be interpreted as a rejection of a legal doctrine over a century old. There is no support for interpreting congressional inaction to reverse a long settled legal doctrine like federal reserved water rights — and the costs imposed on federal interests, especially in terms of instream flows, would be significant.


This article is included in the symposium "Can the Ordinary Practice of Law Be a Religious Calling?". The teaching and practice of law assume and are shaped by the standard vision of lawyer conduct and ethical responsibility. Under the standard vision, which is reflected in the various codes of professional responsibility governing lawyers, the lawyer is a "neutral partisan" for his or her client: "neutral" in that he does not let his moral values affect his actions on behalf of his client; "partisan" in that she does whatever she can within the limits of the law to advance her client's stated interests. Because the standard vision is readily understood by most lawyers as imposing a code of conduct upon them in their practice of law, the standard vision is referred to as the "Code." Bost evaluates some of the merits or limitations of the Code by examining the decline and fall of Enron Corporation, which has occasioned a comprehensive reappraisal of American business and professional ethics and behavior. He pays particular attention to the role and conduct of Enron's attorneys, especially their primary outside law firm, Vinson & Elkins. Bost proposes that lawyers endeavor to move beyond being mere "implementers" to becoming wise "counselors" to their clients. He concludes the article by examining the Enron situation from the perspective of a Christian lawyer and argues that the teachings of Christ mandate that lawyers must be willing and able to tell their clients the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


Introduction: Antimicrobials are among the most widely used and misused medicines worldwide. Resistance to antimicrobials is an emerging global issue, mainly in developing countries. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are therefore important, but their implementation in Yemen warrants investigation. Objective: The study aimed to determine the perception and self-reported practices of AMS by community pharmacists in Aden, Yemen. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2019 using pre-designed structured questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Science was used for data analysis version 22 (SPSS Incorporation, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Three hundred community pharmacists were audited, of which, 219 were males (73.0%) and 81 (27.0%) were females. Fifty-nine percent of the pharmacists were familiar with the vital role of AMS program and it is importance in enhancing patient care. Less than half of the respondents (45.3%) strongly agreed and 50.7% agreed that the program should be incorporated at the pharmacy level. Less than half (42%) agreed and 20% strongly agreed that Pharmacists have a responsibility to take prominent role in antimicrobial stewardship and infection control programs in health system. However, the practice of AMS program was found to be inadequate. For instance, 19.7% often dispense antibiotics without a prescription. Conclusion: The current study showed that pharmacists are adequately aware of AMS. Undesirably, however, practice of AMS was found to be inadequate. The study highlighted gaps in the perception and practice of community pharmacist and the urgent need to implement AMS program in community pharmacy.


This doctoral thesis explores a range of issues within the development of the offence of incitement to genocide. It examines how the 'notorious Jew-baiter' Julius Streicher, was prosecuted in 1945/46 before the International Military Tribunal (IMT) for 'the incitement of the persecution of the Jews'. The newly defined category of 'crimes against humanity' under Article 6( c) of the Nuremberg Charter, classified 'persecutions on political, racial, or religious grounds' as a new criminal offence. In 1945, the prosecution alleged that Streicher's antiSemitic propaganda had paved the way for Hitler's extermination policy, leading to the mass murder of approximately six million Jews. On October I, 1946, the Tribunal held that Streicher's actions of 'incitement to murder and extermination' were classified as 'persecution' and found him guilty of crimes against humanity. This thesis asks the question how was it that 'words used as persecution' became recognised as an international criminal offence as a sub set of crimes against humanity, without being directly or expressly criminalised by the Charter?
In order to provide an answer to this question, this thesis conducts the first in-depth analysis and comprehensive reconstruction of how the prosecution's case against Streicher developed during the various phases of the pre-trial and trial process. This detailed reconstruction, based on archival sources not previously discussed in the academic literature on Nuremberg, forms the most original element of the thesis. The present study critically examines the factual evidence raised and dropped during different stages in the development of Streicher' s case. It explores the various strategies and tactics deployed by the prosecution, and evaluates the success and weaknesses, along with the counterarguments submitted by Streicher' s defence counsel. The aim in explicating and discussing these issues and conflicts of strategic interpretations and reinterpretations is to provide an original perspective that effectively explores the process 'behind the scenes'. This study suggests that it was this process of selective interpretation and decision-making that resulted in the emergence, or 'birth', of a new offence, 'incitement to genocide' that today would be recognised as 'direct and public incitement to commit genocide', under Article III( c) of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.


In southern Africa, co-existence between human and wildlife is hampered by the rate of conflict between the two, especially where the two share a common resource. We investigated this in the Okavango Delta using crop raiding and livestock predation by wildlife. We found that both crop raiding and livestock predation were significant increase from 1992 to 2012 around the Okavango Delta. Potential strategies (conservation agriculture, game ranching and community natural resource management) to reduce the conflict and promote co-existence are suggested.


There exist in certain nervous systems topological mappings of one set of spatially ordered nerve cells onto another, whose formation has not yet been satisfactorily explained. In this paper the role that competition may play in the development of such spatially patterned nervous connexions is discussed, and simple models incorporating competition and graded affinity between axons and postsynaptic sites have been tested by computer simulation. It is shown that the conditions for map making by this mechanism are that there is not only competition between axons for postsynaptic sites but also between postsynaptic sites for axons; and that this can be effected by imposing saturation conditions limiting the number of postsynaptic sites an axon may contact simultaneously and similarly the number of axon branches that can contact a postsynaptic cell. The possibility was investigated that competition models might lead to spreading or compression of the pattern of connexions in spatial mismatch experiments, such as have been done on the visual system of lower vertebrates. Two classes of these experiments exist: (a) those in which no size disparity is present between the set of presynaptic branches and the set of postsynaptic sites (for example, Xenopus the compound eye experiments); competition models predict an obligatory spreading of connexions without postulating regulation; (b) those in which a size disparity does exist (for example, a complete retina being made to regenerate into a half tectum, or vice versa); competition models predict spreading-compression only if the number of possible presynaptic branches available for contact formation is once more made equal to the number of available sites. The interpretation of other experimental designs is discussed. The importance of the establishment of transient or temporary contacts during development is emphasized.


The fundamental characteristic of the external action of the European Union (EU) in recent years has been the use of the so-called soft power. This soft power has made the Union a key actor for the development of a large part of the world's regions. The last decades the EU has participated in a considerable amount of projects in the economic, cultural and political fields in order to fulfil the article 2 of its founding Treaty and thus promote their values and interests and contribute to peace, security and sustainable development of the globe through solidarity and respect for all peoples. Nevertheless, EU's interventions in different regions of the world have not been free of objections that have placed in the spotlight a possible direct attack by the Union to the external States' national sovereignties, thus creating a principle of neocolonialism by the EU.


Principles of International Litigation and Arbitration is part of West Academic Publishing's Concise Hornbook Series. Its coverage commences in Part One with an introduction to the area, notably choice of law, choice of forum and forum non conveniens issues. Part Two focuses on International Commercial and Foreign Investment Arbitration. Part Three examines International Business Litigation (including jurisdiction, procedure, sovereign defenses, enforcement of judgments and the EU litigation system), finishing with Part Four on WTO and NAFTA Dispute Settlement. Principles provides considerably more depth, analysis, citations and related documents than found in the West Nutshell Series. Principles of International Business Litigation and Arbitration can be used in connection with any international dispute settlement course book. West Academic Publishing has a number of course books in these areas. Principles can also be used independently as an inexpensive course book, notably in conjunction with the legal documents appended at the end of its chapters.


Attribute-based encryption (ABE) is a type of public key encryption that allows users to encrypt and decrypt messages based on user attributes. For instance, one can encrypt a message to any user satisfying the boolean formula ("crypto conference attendee" AND "PhD student") OR "IACR member". One drawback is that encryption and key generation computational costs scale with the complexity of the access policy or number of attributes. In practice, this makes encryption and user key generation a possible bottleneck for some applications. To address this problem, we develop new techniques for ABE that split the computation for these algorithms into two phases: a preparation phase that does the vast majority of the work to encrypt a message or create a secret key before it knows the message or the attribute list/access control policy that will be used (or even the size of the list or policy). A second phase can then rapidly assemble an ABE ciphertext or key when the specifics become known. This concept is sometimes called "online/offline" encryption when only the message is unknown during the preparation phase; we note that the addition of unknown attribute lists and access policies makes ABE significantly more challenging. One motivating application for this technology is mobile devices: the preparation work can be performed while the phone is plugged into a power source, then it can later rapidly perform ABE operations on the move without significantly draining the battery.