One of the great achievements of the Middle Ages, Europe's courtly culture gave the world the tournament, the festival, the knighting ceremony, and also courtly love. But courtly love has strangely been ignored by historians of sexuality. With "Courtly Love, the Love of Courtliness, and the History of Sexuality", James A. Schultz corrects this oversight with careful analysis of key courtly texts of the medieval German literary tradition. Courtly love, Schultz finds, was provoked not by the biological and intrinsic factors that play such a large role in our contemporary thinking about sexuality - sex difference or desire - but by extrinsic signs of class: bodies that were visibly noble and behaviors that represented exemplary courtliness. Individuals became "subjects" of courtly love only to the extent that their love took the shape of certain courtly roles such as singer, lady, or knight. They hoped not only for physical union but also for the social distinction that comes from realizing these roles to perfection. To an extraordinary extent, courtly love represented the love of courtliness - the eroticization of noble status and the courtly culture that celebrated noble power and refinement.


This paper analyses testimonies of sexual violence provided in the context of the current trials in Argentina for crimes against humanity, in order to assess the role played by affects, both in historical representation and in the constitution of agency. Regarding these matters, it is important to stress that the concept of victimisation has been analyzed within the framework of gender theories in radical opposition to that of agency: the passiveness of the injury vis-a-vis the power of the action. It is my understanding that, throughout the analysis of what I call "metatestimonies", meaning what victims express about their experiences of giving testimony, lies the possibility of challenging such a dichotomy. This is particularly the case when these metatestimonies are scrutinised under the scope of affects. My field research, based on interviews with testifiers and on observations of the trials, seeks to contradict observations that sustain that these testimonies victimise women twice by having them re-enact their trauma.


In this work, we propose a semi-supervised method for short text clustering, where we represent texts as distributed vectors with neural networks, and use a small amount of labeled data to specify our intention for clustering. We design a novel objective to combine the representation learning process and the k-means clustering process together, and optimize the objective with both labeled data and unlabeled data iteratively until convergence through three steps: (1) assign each short text to its nearest centroid based on its representation from the current neural networks; (2) re-estimate the cluster centroids based on cluster assignments from step (1); (3) update neural networks according to the objective by keeping centroids and cluster assignments fixed. Experimental results on four datasets show that our method works significantly better than several other text clustering methods.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed at evaluating the AID ESBL line probe assay for the detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and KPC carbapenemase genes in Enterobacteriaceae.

METHODS
The AID ESBL line probe assay was verified for accuracy of its probes using PCR products from clinical ESBL Enterobacteriaceae strains harbouring TEM, SHV and CTX-M ESBL genes and KPC genes and mutant fusion PCR products generated from Enterobacteriaceae strains containing wild-type (wt) TEM and wt SHV. Sensitivity and specificity was determined testing a set of 424 clinical Enterobacteriaceae strains (including 170 strains negative for TEM, SHV, CTX-M and KPC to evaluate the possibility of false positive signals).

RESULTS
The line probe assay was shown to detect with 100% accuracy ESBL genes for which oligonucleotide probes are present in the assay. Testing a set of 424 clinical Enterobacteriaceae strains showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for the detection and differentiation of TEM, SHV and CTX-M ESBL genes present in that group. In addition, the line probe assay detected KPC genes accurately.

CONCLUSIONS
The AID ESBL line probe assay is an accurate and easy-to-use test for the detection of ESBL and KPC genes, which can readily be implemented in the diagnostic laboratory.


Introduction-This paper discussed the need of performance audit through LibQUAL+ technique in University Library users in West Bengal, India. LibQUAL+ Technique is developed by Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in the year 2000. It is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users' opinions of service quality. In this paper, an attempt has been made to measure the performance of Burdwan University Library and VisvaBharati Library Users through LibQUAL+ technique. Comparative study of each dimension that is Library as a Place (LP), Information Control (IC) and Affect of Service (AS), Adequacy Gap (AG), Superiority Gap (SG) and Zone of Tolerance has been determined. This technique has been applied to know what library users saying about the performance of the library. Methods-To conduct of this study a large variety of data-gathering and analysis techniques have been adopted such as surveys, interviews, observations, etc. of the users of both the libraries. FindingsVisva-Bharati Library (VBL) performs better in all respect than Burdwan University Library (BUL) specially overall library performance of VBL (3.20 mean score) where as BUL (3.34 mean score) in West Bengal, India. SuggestionsLibrary authority should concentrate whether minimum service levels are available to users, what their desired service levels are but what they are getting (perceived) at this moment. Faculty, scholars and students opinion (feedback & suggestions) regarding library services have to take regular interval i.e. quarterly, half-yearly or yearly. Besides that, authority of university library should always promote introduction of new services to the academic community through notification as well as put it library website or university website. Keywords-Performance Audit, University Libraries, Library as a Place, Information Control, Affect of Service, Adequacy Gap, Superiority Gap, Zone of Tolerance.


Veneral transmission of La Crosse virus by males of Aedes triseriatus was demonstrated. La Crosse virus was detected in the bursa of females after induced copulation, and disseminated infection was shown to occur occasionally. Since males of Aedes triseriatus have transovarial filial infection rates similar to those of females and can repeatedly mate, veneral transmission may be an important supplement to other natural endemic maintenance mechanisms.


Normative law and economics remains controversial decades after its emergence despite its successes in legal scholarship and its similarity to influential approaches in economics. The reason is that many of its proponents have exaggerated its value for policy while discounting other methods, tainting the enterprise. Normative law and economics as a method of policy analysis properly operates within narrow boundaries defined by its four main premises: (1) welfarism based on unrestricted preferences; (2) unimportance of distributional effects; (3) unimportance of impacts on non-welfare values; and (4) rational instrumental behavior of affected persons. Scholars have made progress in normative law and economics by abstracting away from these premises. The most successful work proposes "modular" insights at a middle level of abstraction. But this work can be properly put to use only if the excluded factors are reintroduced into analysis prior to application.


Changes of FHR long term variability (LTV) were studied in four groups of patients under different types of analgesia. The LTV was evaluated according to our visual criteria in each episode of more than one minute of duration on baseline fetal heart rate level between contractions. In the balanced anesthesia group incidence of the episodes with LTV decreased significantly after the administration of Diazepam and Methoxyflurane (64%-30%), further decreasing after the injection of Pethilorfan, but it increased to some degree within 20 min. before delivery. In the epidural group the change of LTV was mild, but the LTV decreased after each administration of 0.25% Bupivacaine (58%-44%-36%). It is also showed mild increase within 20 min. before delivery. Loss of variability was persistently noted until the end of labor from 20-40 min. after the administration of Diazepam and Pentazocine in the modified NLA group. The change in paracervical block group was quite different from the other groups. The incidence of episodes with LTV was increased after the injection of 1% Lidocaine Hydrochloride (35%-41%). There was no significant different of blood gas and acid-base balance among four types of analgesia.


This article explores the role of community development workers (CDWs) in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The CDWs are by law expected to regularly communicate, inter alia, government initiatives in a way which is easily accessible to community members. Literature shows that the CDWs forward concerns and issues on the service provided by national and provincial government in general, and local government to be specific. This article acknowledges that CDWs share the working space with Ward Committees who have a direct say in the planning, decision-making and project implementation that have impact on their respective wards. The question that this article attempts to answer is whether the establishment of CDWs in the country has achieved the desired result to the extent that it can be recommended for permanent incorporation in the local municipality structures. The research design used in this article was a qualitative method. Data were collected through extensive review of public documents, accredited journal articles, observations and interviews. The results showed that the CDWs coordinate teams of volunteers in community projects, coordinate teams employed on public works programmes, help communities develop and submit proposals for inclusion in integrated development plans to municipalities, and other spheres of government or donors. Furthermore, the roles and functions of both CDWs and Ward Committees do overlap. It is very difficult for the local communities to differentiate between these two structures.


: Purpose: The preliminary research carried out in 2020 in the group of the largest public companies in Poland was to check whether these companies use the NPV method and whether the method of assessing investment proposals is consistent with the indications of the theory. Design/Methodology/Approach: An empirical research was conducted in Poland in 2020 by interviews with management board members responsible for investment decisions, representing the largest public companies in Poland, information was obtained about the organization of the process of evaluating investment proposals. Findings: The survey confirmed the popularity of NPV application in the largest public companies in Poland, as all surveyed entities use this method. It is also no surprise that as many as 93.3% of the surveyed companies use IRR. What is surprising, however, is the frequency of using the payback period commonly criticized in the theory as a project evaluation criterion. This method is used by 80.0% of the largest public companies. Originality/value: This survey is one of the few studies on investment appraisal procedures in the largest Polish public companies.


The international trafficking of human beings has emerged as one of the most lucrative and far-reaching industries in the world, second only to trafficking in drugs and tied with trafficking in arms. Many victims of international human trafficking, including teenagers and young children, are forced to work in the sex trade. Others work in areas such as agriculture, restaurants and sweatshops. In 2000, in an effort to combat trafficking and encourage trafficking victims to assist in the prosecution of traffickers, the United States enacted the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA), which created a new visa, called the T visa, for victims of severe forms of trafficking. As of August 2006, however, immigration officials had approved only 600 principle T visa applications since the enactment of the visa category. This Article identifies several problems with the T visa system that may be responsible for its failure to reach more trafficking victims. It calls for significant changes to the T visa process, primarily the establishment of a Trafficking and Exploitation Victims Assistance (TEVA) program designed specifically to facilitate the identification and evaluation of potential T visa beneficiaries. The Article also suggests interpretations of the T visa statute that recognize the economic and social conditions of the countries of origin of trafficking victims. The Article concludes that implementing the recommendations will lead to a more humane and effective system for protecting international human trafficking victims and prosecuting traffickers.


Vietnam is currently undergoing a metamorphosis from a relatively closed society with a centrally planned economy, to a rapidly urbanising one with a global outlook. These changes have been the catalyst for an exciting ferment of activity in popular culture. This volume contains contributions from scholars engaged in the most up-to-date social research in Vietnam, as well as some of Vietnam's most popular cultural producers who are forging new ways of imagining the present whilst at the same time engaging actively in reinterpreting the past. The diverse ways that Vietnam is culturally and socially negotiating the future are examined as the book addresses issues of indigenisation of cultural influences, ambivalence surrounding change, and the consistent blurring of boundaries between informal, non-state cultural activities and formal institutional structures in the evolution of a civil society in Vietnam.


The aim of this study is to increase the depth of data available to swimming coaches in order to allow them to make more informed coaching decisions for their athletes in front crawl swimming. A coach's job is to assist with various factors of an individual athlete to allow them to perform at an optimum level. The demands of the swimming coach require objective data on the swim performance in order to offer efficient solutions (Burkett and Mellifont, 2008). The main tools available to a coach are their observation and perceptions, however it is known that these used alone can often result in poor judgment. Technological progress has allowed video cameras to become an established technology for swim coaching and more recently when combined with software, for quantitative measurement of changes in technique. This has allowed assessment of swimming technique to be included in the more general discipline of sports performance analysis. Within swimming, coaches tend to observe from the pool edge, limiting vision of technique, but some employ underwater cameras to combat this limitation. Video cameras are a reliable and established technology for the measurement of kinematic parameters in sport, however, accelerometers are increasingly being employed due to their ease of use, performance, and comparatively low cost. Previous accelerometer based studies in swimming have tended to focus on easily observable factors such as stroke count, stroke rate and lap times. To create a coaching focused system, a solution to the problem of synchronising multiple accelerometers was developed using a maxima detection method. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of the method with 52 of 54 recorded data sets showing no time lag error and two tests showing an error of 0.04s. Inter-instrument and instrument-video correlations are all greater than r = .90 (p < .01), with inter-instrument precision (Root Mean Square Error; RMSE) ≈ .1ms−2, demonstrating the efficacy of the technique. To ensure the design was in line with coaches' expectations and with the ASA coaching guidelines, interviews were conducted with four ASA swim coaches. Results from this process identified the factors deemed important: lap time, velocity, stroke count, stroke rate, distance per stroke, body roll angle and the temporal aspects of the phases of the stroke. These factors generally agreed with the swimming literature but extended upon the general accelerometer system literature. Methods to measure these factors were then designed and recorded from swimmers. The data recorded from the multi-channel system was processed using software to extract and calculate temporal maxima and minima from the signal to calculate the factors deemed important to the coach. These factors were compared to video derived data to determine the validity and reliability of the system, all results were valid and reliable. From these validated factors additional factors were calculated, including, distance per stroke and index of coordination and the symmetry of these factors. The system was used to generate individual profiles for 12 front crawl swimmers. The system produced eight full profiles with no issues. Four profiles required individualisation in the processing algorithm for the phases of the stroke. This was found to be due to the way in which these particular swimmers varied in the way they fatigued. The outputs from previous systems have tended to be either too complicated for a coach to understand and interpret e.g. raw data (Ohgi et al. 2000), or quite basic in terms of output e.g. stroke rate and counts (Le Sage et al. 2011). This study has added to the current literature by developing a system capable of calculating and displaying a breadth of factors to a coach. The creation of this system has also created a biomechanical research tool for swimming, but the process and principles can be applied to other sports. The use of accelerometers was also shown to be particularly useful at recording temporal activities within sports activities. Using PC based processing allows for quick turnaround times in the processing of detailed results of performance. There has been substantial development of scientific knowledge in swimming, however, the exchange of knowledge between sport science and coaches still requires development (Reade et al. 2008; Williams and Kendall 2007). This system has started to help bridge the gap between science and coaching, however there is still substantial work needed. This includes a better understanding of the types of data needed, how these can be displayed and level of detail required by the coach to allow them to enact meaningful coaching programmes for their athletes.


Type II Diabetes Mellitus is associated with increasing complications and decreasing overall life expectancy globally. Vitamin D deficiency is rising equally worldwide. To observe the incidence of Vitamin D deficiency in type II diabetic and healthy subjects and the associated risk factors, an observational study of 150 subjects (100 diabetic and 50 non -diabetic) was conducted. The Ethical Committee approval was taken, and participation was voluntary. A pre-tested oral questionnaire was used to collect data of the subjects from two urban clinics. The data collected included personal information, medical history, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to hip ratio), biochemical parameters (fasting and postprandial blood sugar level, glycosylated haemoglobin, vitamin D and calcium levels), blood pressure, food frequency questionnaire and 24 hour three day dietary recall. Age group of the subjects was 51-60 years in the experimental and <40 years in the control group. Percentage of females was higher than males in both groups. 87% of the diabetics were overweight. 66% had a higher waist circumference. 93.8% diabetics had glycated haemoglobin levels above 6.5%.Vitamin D and calcium levels were higher in diabetics due to supplementation. 59% of the diabetics showed high blood pressure. Protein intake was less in both the groups. Fat intake was higher in the diabetics (p=.001). The study highlighted that the Vitamin D deficiency is common in type II diabetic patients and has a role to play in glucose metabolism. Low levels of vitamin D status, sun exposure and low intake of proteins (quality and quantity) and increased intake of fats increa ses the prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus.


First numerical investigations are undertaken to analyze and compare the performance and cost of 3-level Duobinary and PAM-4 formats as candidates for high-speed next-generation PONs that support downstream 28 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s per wavelength signal transmission over standard SMF in the C-band. Transceivers with bandwidths of 10 GHz, 20 GHz, 28 GHz and 40 GHz have been analyzed, showing the feasibility of PON-distance transmission with low-cost band-limited components. Duobinary achieves better sensitivities for smaller distances, whereas PAM-4 shows better results for larger distances. In addition, Duobinary and PAM-4 have similar transceiver cost.


Background: Macro- and micro-geometry are among the factors influencing implant stability and potentially determining loading protocol. The purpose of this study was to test a protocol for early loading by controlling implant stability with the selection of fixtures with different thread depth according to the bone density of the implant site. Materials and Methods: Patients needing implant therapy for fixed prosthetic rehabilitation were treated by inserting fixtures with four different thread diameters, selected based on clinical assessment of bone quality at placement (D1, D2, D3, and D4, according to Misch classification). Final insertion torque (IT) and implant stability quotient (ISQ) were recorded at baseline and ISQ measurements repeated after one, two, three, and four weeks. At the three-week measurement (four weeks after implant replacement), implants with ISQ > 70 Ncm were functionally loaded with provisional restorations. Marginal bone level was radiographically measured 12 months after implant insertion. Results: Fourteen patients were treated with the insertion of forty implants: Among them, 39 implants showing ISQ > 70 after 3 weeks of healing were loaded with provisional restoration. Mean IT value was 82.3 ± 33.2 Ncm and varied between the four different types of bone (107.2 ± 35.6 Ncm, 74.7 ± 14.0 Ncm, 76.5 ± 31.1 Ncm, and 55.2 ± 22.6 Ncm in D1, D2, D3, and D4 bone, respectively). Results showed significant differences except between D2 and D3 bone types. Mean ISQ at baseline was 79.3 ± 4.3 and values in D1, D2, D3, and D4 bone were 81.9 ± 2.0, 81.1 ± 1.0, 78.3 ± 3.7, and 73.2 ± 4.9, respectively. Results showed significant differences except between D1 and D2 bone types. IT and ISQ showed a significant positive correlation when analyzing the entire sample (p = 0.0002) and D4 bone type (p = 0.0008). The correlation between IT and ISQ was not significant when considering D1, D2, and D3 types (p = 0.28; p = 0.31; p = 0.16, respectively). ISQ values showed a slight drop at three weeks for D1, D2, and D3 bone while remaining almost unchanged in D4 bone. At 12-month follow-up, all implants (39 early loading, 1 conventional loading) had satisfactory function, showing an average marginal bone loss of 0.12 ± 0.12 mm, when compared to baseline levels. Conclusion: Matching implant macro-geometry to bone density can lead to adequate implant stability both in hard and soft bone. High primary stability and limited implant stability loss during the first month of healing could allow the application of early loading protocols with predictable clinical outcomes.


Too frequently, current approaches to discipline de-emphasize the importance of social, emotional, and behavioral instruction and overemphasize the use of punishment. When reactive, punitive consequences are the primary form of discipline, a negative school climate emerges. To prevent an unconstructive learning environment, educators need to teach students the knowledge, skills, and abilities that lead to the development of emotional competency. This article describes creative ways to use graphic organizers to effectively manage educational environments, build behavioral literacy in students, and create a learning community that celebrates diversity and empowerment.


The ongoing globalization and the ever changing economic climate put pressure on companies' innovative capability. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what role leadership has for enhancing innovation in a small software company in the open innovation dimension. This thesis is a qualitative research of the leadership and organizational impact on innovations. We have interviewed the CEO and two employees in a software company specialized in interface programming on industry computer monitors in .NET and consulting services. The company is Swedish and there are currently ten employees working in the business. A vast literature review was made to cover the main subjects on transformational leadership and open innovation. These theories were then combined with the results from the performed case study. The used technique for data collection was semi-structured interviews which we conducted in three different occasions spread over a three week period. We found out that there are some problems to take into consideration when managing innovations in smaller firms. For example there are some problems for these companies to find and retain skilled staff members due to the lack of time for competence development. Smaller firms also rarely have the time or competence needed to develop new products by themselves. It requires that the firms organization is held flexible to find the needed knowledge externally. The case-study revealed that the indirect positive impact and idealized influence displayed by the leader helps mediating organizational innovation. The studied company also showed characteristics from Chesbrough's open innovation theories. Co-creation and spin-off activities existed where only co-creation could be seen as part of open innovation. Due to the size and structure of the business in this case study the employees are to be considered as self-managed, that is further strengthened by the empowerment of the leadership organization. The importance of empowerment in conjunction with transformational leadership were discovered. There is a delicate balance between self-management and unity of direction that requires leadership in order to sustain maximum innovation capabilities. During the transition process towards an open innovation approach there are numerous challenges that leadership will face. Many of these negative effects can be minimized by a leader possessing the traits attributable to a transformational leadership. We therefore argue that a transformational leader is a good candidate if the outcome of the transition to open innovation is to be maximized.


Physical activity is beneficial for the physical and mental health of the elderly by helping to prevent occurrence of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, falls, cognitive decline, dementia, and depression. However, information on the participation of elderly in exercise in Kenya is lacking. This study sought to explore measures for enhancing participation in exercise and sports by the elderly in Eldoret West district. The study utilized cross-sectional survey research design. Data were collected among the elderly people aged 50 years and above in Eldoret West district. The instruments of data collection were interviews, questionnaires and focused group discussions. The sample size selected for the study was 260 elderly from an estimated population of 2600 in Eldoret West district. These respondents were sampled through snowballing techniques. The data collected were analyzed by descriptive statistics employing frequency distributions, chi-square tests and correlation analysis using Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 16.0). The elderly agreed that their main reasons for engaging in exercises were: presence of finance to pay, encouragements from the family members, and high levels of education among other things. It was further established that the elderly engaged in exercises to become alert, to increase confidence, to maintain health and as a way of passing time. Finally, it was established that the elders lacked time, money; space among other things that should be availed to enhance participation in exercises. They however agreed, to be provided with opportunities and facilities and moral support for them to participate in exercises. This study demonstrated that measures for enhancing participation in exercise and sports among the elderly in Kenya seem inadequate and ineffective, perhaps leading to low participation in exercises. It is thus recommended that local authorities, in collaboration with the ministry of Youth and Sports, take up responsibility for the funding and designing of the exercises for elderly people in Kenya as well as providing the adequate facilities and equipment for their successful implementation. Keywords: Exercise, sports, elderly, participation, Kenya.


Feather-pecking and cannibalism may reduce the potential of organic husbandry to enhance the welfare of laying hens. We report risk factors for these issues based on a large survey of 107 commercial flocks in eight European countries. Information was collected regarding housing, management and flock characteristics (age, genotype). Near the end of lay, 50 hens per flock were assessed for plumage condition and wounds. Potential influencing factors were screened and submitted to a multivariate model. The majority of the flocks (81%) consisted of brown genotypes and were found in six countries. Since white genotypes (19%) were found only in the two Scandinavian countries, a country effect could not be excluded. Therefore, separate models were made for brown and white genotypes. Feather damage in brown hens could be explained by a model containing a lower dietary protein content and no daily access to the free range (30% of the variation explained). For feather damage in white hens, no model could be made. Wounds in brown hens were associated with not having daily access to free range (14% of the variation explained). Wounds in white hens were explained by a model containing not topping-up litter during the laying period (26% of the variation explained). These results suggest that better feeding management, daily access to the free-range area and improved litter management may reduce incidence of plumage damage and associated injurious pecking, hence enhancing the welfare of organic laying hens. Since this was an epidemiological study, further experimental studies are needed to investigate the causal relationships.


Beginning in 1995 a large proportion of the Brazilian electricity distribution sector went through privatisation and restructuring, whereas privately-owned U.S. utilities did not suffer similar ownership change process. This paper is an empirical assessment of the efficiency of the Brazilian distribution sector relative to its U.S. counterpart in 1994 and 2000. Two techniques are applied: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), including the computation of Malmquist indices of productivity growth, and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). For the models that use operating costs as input, we find a positive but not statistically significant impact of Brazilian privatisation on technical efficiency. For the models that use total costs, the impact is significantly negative. Although this should be taken with caution, the negative impact can be the result of an investment surge after privatisation or of an increased rate of substitution of capital for labour in the Brazilian distribution sector. These results suggest that capital costs should not be excluded from the benchmarking. The findings also highlight the importance of establishing standard measures of capital costs for international benchmarking and incentive based regulation.


The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has profound implications for improving human and computational productivity in the future. However, it also is an existential risk to human life because it could exceed human capabilities. As such, information about the technology, the direction of the development and its purpose is important. This can be achieved through openness and transparency of processes. Indeed, companies hold property rights over AI and monopolies of software, data and experts. As a countermovement to leading AI companies, the "Open AI Movement" has evolved to push open-source AI research and products, to empower users, and to bridge the digital divide through participation and access. In this thesis, the implications of the declaration of AI as a commons have been analyzed through interviews with AI experts in the United States. The legal placement of AI is controversial but it could be seen as a basic human right. Other findings are that this field is very competitive and that the best approach is to collaboratively develop software that adds additional value on the edge of the commons.


"Strong upward trends and increased variability in global food prices over the past two years have led to concern that hunger and poverty will increase across the world. At the same time, rising food prices provide an incentive and opportunity for many developing countries to strengthen the contribution their farmers make to national economic growth and poverty reduction. Policymakers and opinion leaders in developing countries, however, often lack sufficient information to gauge the likely effects of global food crises on their country and to identify, design, and implement policy actions that can best avoid risks and take advantage of opportunities.The deficiencies in information and analysis can lead to over- and underreactions, resulting in policy and market failures. Experiences across countries in 2007 and 2008 show ample evidence of such outcomes. This report seeks to support national decisionmakers, as well as their international development partners, in acquiring information and applying methods for understanding the likely effects of a global food crisis on their country and acting to alleviate the risks and exploit the opportunities brought about by such crises. It describes data and methods and suggests how to facilitate their collection and use. The report then outlines the design and implementation of an open Internet-based portal for sharing reliable, appropriate information and decision-support tools for national policymakers so they can respond quickly to changes in world food markets in an informed manner." from Text


Title of dissertation: THE RHETORICAL ORIGINS OF THE AFRICAN COLONIZATION MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES Bjørn F. Stillion Southard, Doctor of Philosophy, 2009 Dissertation directed by: Professor James F. Klumpp Department of Communication From the introduction of slavery to British North America, the concurrent presence of freedom and slavery fostered much tension. Still, in the early 1800s, slavery was not yet the intransigent issue that would lead to civil war. Amidst mounting tensions and declining, yet still viable, possibility for resolution, a nationwide effort to colonize free blacks to Africa began. Positioned as neither immediate emancipation, nor the continuation of the status quo, colonizationists framed their scheme as a solution to the problem of slavery. With the discourse generated at a germinal meeting on December 21, 1816, the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour of the United States (later called the American Colonization Society) was created and motivations for African colonization were set forth. This project explores the rhetorical development of the national African colonization movement in The United States. To begin, this project traces the discursive tensions between discourses of security and morality to which colonizationists would need to attend to advance their scheme. Driving this tension was an emerging antagonism between instrumental and pathetic dimensions of rhetoric. The project then illuminates the potential to overcome such tensions that had been cultivated in political economic (i.e., legislative) discourse about slavery. This potential resolution was defined by the development of moderate rhetorical strategies to address the problem of slavery. Turning to the initial meeting of the Colonization Society, this project attends to how colonizationists negotiated the discursive tensions and used the rhetorical resources of the moment to motivate colonization. Ultimately, this project argues that the motivations offered by colonizationists in support of African colonization failed in their attempt to use moderate rhetorical strategies and thus, failed to overcome the discursive tensions of slavery. THE RHETORICAL ORIGINS OF THE AFRICAN COLONIZATION MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES


Motile cells respond to extracellular gradients of chemoattractants by moving in a directed manner up the gradient in a process called chemotaxis. Studies of chemotaxis in the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum revealed a key role for the polarized production of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3], which is produced by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and degraded by the lipid phosphatases PTEN (a PI-3 phosphatase) and SHIP (PI-5 phosphatase). Chen et al. now show that, in addition to this PI3K-dependent pathway, there is a parallel pathway dependent on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and arachidonic acid derivatives. The chemotaxis of wild-type Dictyostelium was not diminished by low concentrations of inhibitors of PI3K (such as LY294002) but was blocked by high concentrations of such inhibitors. Chen et al. screened for Dictyostelium mutants that showed chemotaxis defects in the presence of low concentrations of LY294002 and were resistant to chemotaxis inhibition by high concentrations of LY294002. Characterization of one of the mutants revealed the disrupted gene to be homologous to genes in plants encoding patatin PLA2 and in animals encoding calcium-independent PLA2, so they named the gene plaA and the encoded protein PLA2A. The purified protein from Dictyostelium produced arachidonic acid from phosphatidylcholine in vitro. Targeted disruption of the plaA gene phenocopied the chemotaxis defect of the mutant, and these cells were used for further analysis, along with cells in which two of the PI3K genes were disrupted (pi3k1−/2−) and cells in which all three were disrupted (plaA−,pi3k1−/2−). The triple-mutant cells failed to aggregate under starvation conditions and exhibited defective migration toward a cAMP point source. The cells in which PLA2A or PI3K signaling was individually disrupted did not show such migration defects unless the parallel pathway was inhibited pharmacologically--the plaA− cells were defective in chemotaxis in the presence of low concentrations of LY294002, and the pi3k1−/2− cells were defective in chemotaxis in the presence of the PLA2 inhibitor bromoenol lactone. PLA2A activity was not required for proper PI(3,4,5)P3 dynamics based on monitoring PI(3,4,5)P3 accumulation with a pleckstrin homology domain green fluorescent protein fusion protein. Lipid analysis of wild-type and plaA− cells revealed that the chemoattractant-stimulated plaA− cells had a greatly reduced accumulation of an arachidonic acid derivative that was abundant in the chemoattractant-stimulated wild-type cells. Thus, there appear to be two parallel paths contributing to chemotaxis of Dictyostelium, one reliant on PI3K signaling and one reliant on PLA2 signaling. L. Chen, M. Iijima, M. Tang, M. A. Landree, Y. E. Huang, Y. Xiong, P. A. Iglesias, P. N. Devreotes, PLA2 and PI3K/PTEN pathways act in parallel to mediate chemotaxis. Dev. Cell 12, 603-614 (2007). [PubMed]


Keloids are fibrous growths that occur as a result of abnormal response to dermal injury. Keloids are cosmetically disfiguring and may impair function, often resulting in decreased patient quality-of-life. Treatment of keloids remains challenging, and rate of recurrence is high. We present a case of a 39-year-old African-American man (Fitzpatrick VI) with a 10-year history of keloid, who was successfully treated with eight sessions of fractionated carbon dioxide (CO2) laser immediately followed by laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) of topical triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) ointment and review the medical literature on fractionated CO2 laser treatment of keloids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful treatment of a keloid using combination therapy of fractionated CO2 laser and LADD with topical TAC ointment in an African-American man (Fitzpatrick VI) with excellent cosmetic results sustained at 22 months post-treatment. We believe that this combination treatment modality may be safe and efficacious for keloids in skin of color (Fitzpatrick IV-VI) and other patients. This case highlights the ability of laser surgeons to safely use fractionated CO2 lasers in patients of all skin colors. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(9):925-927..


Title of Thesis: Biosynthesis of Amine Oxides Using Calcium-Alginate Immobilized Hog Liver Microsomes: An Evaluation of Process and Reactor Design. Ioannis I. Valvis, Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, 1988. Thesis directed by : Sam 8. Sorer, Professor Sponsored Chair in Biotechnology An evaluation of the biocatalytic ability and the potential utilization of Calcium-alginate immobilized hepatic microsomes (beads) for the biosynthesis of amine oxides has been performed. To accomplish this task, the following three areas were investigated: immobilization, catalytic biooidation ability, and reactor configurations. Immobilization was found to result in higher yields over free microsomes at the expense of higher cofactor requirements. Refrigerated drying of immobilized microcomes appears to be a better storage technique than wet storage in buffer. Smaller beads resulted in higher rates than larger beads, but size did not affect the overall yield. Chlorpromazine (CPZ), diphenylamine (DPA) and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) were used as substrates to demonstrate the catalytic ability of microsomal enzymes to biooxidize tertiary and hindered secondary amines. The biooxidation of all three compounds to their oxides, by hog liver microsomes, required the presence of NADPH and oxygen. CPZ was converted to its Noxide while, DPA and TMP were converted to nitroxide free radicals. Optimal reaction reguirements for each substrate were established. NADPH is a reaction limiting factor for the oxidation of all three compounds. Biooxidation of the substrates increased, up to two-fold, by addition of n-octylamine, suggesting that mixed function amine oxidase (MFAO) is responsible for the N-oxidation of the amines. The progress of the previously described reactions was followed by means of oxygen uptake and HPLC. The identification of CPZ N-oxide was done using NMR, HPLC and TLC. ESR spectroscopy was used to verify the formation of nitroxide free radicals. A recirculation flow reactor is recommended for large scale production with immobilized whole microsomes. This configuration helps to maintain the physical integrity of the biocatalyst over longer reaction periods. The recirculation flow reactor also gives higher yields than a batch reactor.


Contemporary development of successful incineration devices is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of reacting flow. Thus, the appropriate numerical simulation is engaged as a tool to develop new or to upgrade old incinerators. State-of-the-art commercial software packages enable reliable and accurate simulation of combustion processes including the ultimate analysis of the physical complete combustion conditions. Turbulence, temperature and residence time can be calculated and predicted by applying various macroscopic empirical fluid flow and combustion models. Direct accurate insight into processes inside the combustion chamber are however possible only through the practical CFD application. In our case the study of achievement difficulties of the complete combustion conditions in a two stage pilot incinerator has been numerically investigated by applying the CFD software package CFX 5.6. Initially all available combustion models were examined and the most appropriate model giving most accurate results chosen for further numerical investigations. Results obtained by different combustion models have been compared at different combustion and flow conditions in the secondary chamber of the two-stage pilot incinerator. The most suitable combustion model has been used for the ultimate analysis of the complete combustion conditions considering real boundary condition values. The influences of the way of secondary and tertiary air inflow, flue gases mass flow rate and changes of the waste calorific value on the physical complete combustion conditions (i.e. temperature, residence time and turbulence) have been investigated. The original second chamber pilot incinerator design modifications were submitted. New secondary and tertiary air intake design proposals were made in accordance with the primary incineration goal of achieving complete combustion of waste. Modifications are small-scale low cost interventions.


The Rugby World Cup in 1995 was indeed a memorable event for South Africa. It was an exalting experience for the country and the world when the then President Nelson Mandela sporting a Springbok cap and jersey, stepped onto the field of Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg. He had come to present the William Webb Ellis Cup to South Africa's captain Francois Pienaar after their victorious win over New Zealand and cheer their success along with the over 50 000 stadium spectators. The final match event was not only about rugby itself but was used as a vehicle for nation building and unifying people of different backgrounds in the aftermath of apartheid rule.


The world pharmaceutical industry has been changing profoundly in the last decade. Intensive globalization, increased competitiveness and the fight for global market shares create new challenges for pharmaceutical companies. Fast globalization definitively reinforces the consolidation of the world pharmaceutical industry. Alliancing in forms of mergers and acquisitions prevail more and more as a strategic orientation for the world pharmaceutical companies. By alliancing, they tend to create strategic synergies in an endeavour to be successful, competitive and capable to continue with further development circles. The pharmaceutical industry in Eastern Europe has been, to a great majority, taken-over by their multi-national peer companies, thus creating completely new managerial challenges. One may forecast that intensive alliancing processes in the world pharmaceutical industry are to continue to form even bigger pharmaceutical concerns and speed up the oligopolization of the global pharmaceutical industry. It can be concluded that strategic management with a dedicated market focus is to play an even more important and especially the highest top priority function in future globalization and consolidation processes of the world pharmaceutical industry. 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORLD PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY One may define the main characteristics of the world pharmaceutical industry as follows: * increased globalization, * changing structure of competition and increased competitiveness, * lack of new products, despite increased investments into RD however, we may say that the pharmaceutical industry has been adapting itself more and more to strategic market trends and market demands. Further strategic development of the world pharmaceutical industry shows clearly its consolidation, concentration and strong market orientation. The pharmaceutical industry today, with no doubt, unites one of the biggest potentials of all mankind. Development of a brand new drug is estimated to need an investment of more than $1.2 billion and takes more than 12 years to bring it as a finished, legally registered and approved product to the market place (Pharma Strategy Group, 2005). This is, at the same time, a very complex, comprehensive and highly risky job with no final guarantee that the potential new product might succeed on the market and bring back revenues. If a pharmaceutical company wants to achieve market success with a brand new product, it needs to invest strongly into marketing and sales activities. Thus, by no surprise, we may conclude that basic research and development (R&D), together with marketing and sales activities are two of the most important operative and even more strategic priorities of the world pharmaceutical industry. Here, the biggest investments of the pharmaceutical industry are put by all means. Having analysed these figures, we have found that the biggest, inventive world pharmaceutical companies invest, on average, approximately 16% of their sales into R&D and even more, about 26% or more into marketing and sales activities (Kesic, 2006). However, these ratios, especially the one of R&D investment, are even higher with the specialists, like biotechnology and pharmacogenomic companies, and much lower with the generic pharmaceutical companies (Kesic, 2006). …


The building sector is responsible for a large share of human environmental impacts, over which architects and planners have a major influence. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a method for environmental building design optimization based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that is applicable as part of the design process. The research approach includes a thorough analysis of LCA for buildings in relation to the architectural design stages and the establishment of a requirement catalogue. The key concept of the novel method called Parametric Life Cycle Assessment(PLCA) is to combine LCA with parametric design. The application of this method to three examples shows that building designs can be optimized time-efficiently and holistically from the beginning of the most influential early design stages, an achievement which has not been possible until now.


Deviance is by definition a social problem. Since deviant behavior violates the normative expectations of a given group, deviance must be regarded as a problem for that group, since all groups of people want their norms to be enforced. Many modern societies place considerable value on personal liberty, so much so that interference with personal choices to deviate from group norms can be justified only in terms of the potential damage that particular kinds of behavior might do to the legitimate interests of others. Sociological research suggests that the social problem associated with deviance is often the behavior of individuals who violate norms cannot be justified in terms of basic values of liberty, social order, or justice. In other kinds of deviance, though, the social problem is that people or, in a more organized way, social institutions, interfere with individual liberty and self-realization. Each selection in this volume has been chosen to cover a full range of substantive problematic issues, a range of social science perspectives that can be brought to bear on issues of all kinds, and a range of social science methodologies used in studying modern society. Deviance and Liberty is divided up into thirty-nine contributions and five main parts ranging from "Modern Perspectives on Deviance and Social Problems"; "Deviant Exchanges: Gambling, Drugs, and Sex"; "Deviant Personal Control: Illness, Violence, and Crime; Deviance, Identity, and the Life Cycle"; and "Moral Enterprise and Moral Enforcement." It is a welcome addition to the libraries of those interested in the study of deviance or society as a whole.


The objective of this study was to assess the phonetic use of the allomorphic variations of the past [+ed] and plural [+s] morphemes by a sample of 45 EFL semester one students at Ibn Tofail University, Morocco, using error analysis approach. To collect relevant data, two written tests were designed and distributed to a randomly selected sample to be filled in separately during 40 minutes: the first test consisted of a set of past regular verbs including some adjectives ending in ed, and the second one included a number of English nouns requiring the regular plural [+s]. Further, the participants were given an adapted list of nonce words from Berko's study (1985). The principle was if they could provide the plural marking of the unfamiliar words correctly, it would be concluded that they knew how to pluralize words in different phonological contexts. The findings of the study demonstrated that the majority of the subjects failed to use the allomorphic variations /t/ and /id/ in different phonetic environments, substituted the latter allomorphs with the allomorph /d/, and erroneously generalized the allomorph /d/ to the adjectives that end in ed. In the second test, a great number of the subjects performed better in pluralizing the nouns that require the voiceless alternant /s/, but found the allomorph /iz/ more complex than the others since it requires a vowel insertion rule to break the cluster of two consonants having similar point of articulation, and overgeneralized the allomorph /-z/ to the nonce words requiring /-iz/.


This paper presents models verified by tests of the excitation control systems (ECSs) of six large synchronous compensators (SCs) rated +125/-120 MVAr. These equipments for grid voltage control are placed in the substation Ezeiza of 500 kV belonging to the Interconnected Argentine System (SADI in Spanish). The substation Ezeiza is located in the SADI load center. Each SC has an ECS integrated by an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) with several limiters and a reactive power control (RPC). ECSs are governed by a single voltage joint control (VJC) to control the voltage at a 500-kV bus bar. The ECS is UNITROL F from ABB and, the VJC is implemented in a programmable logic controller (PLC). The AVR, RPC, and VJC models are presented. These models were predefined with information furnished by the manufacturer. Then, these models were validated by tests. Test records and their simulations with the proposed model are also presented. Described models have been incorporated to the database of dynamic models used for stability studies in the SADI


This study is based on a coupled basin infilling study and a
landforms analysis of the Lake Albert Rift located at the northern
part of the western branch of the East African Rift.
The basin infilling study is based on both subsurface data and
outcrops analysis. The objective was to (1) actualize age model,
(2) to reconstruct the 3D architecture of the rift using sequence
stratigraphy correlations and seismic data interpretation, (3) to
characterize the deformation and its changes through times and
(4) to quantify the accommodation for several time intervals. The
infilling essentially consists of isopach fault-bounded units composed
of lacustrine deposits wherein were characterized two major
unconformities dated at 6.2 Ma (Uppermost Miocene) and
2.7 Ma (Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary), coeval with major subsidence
and climatic changes.
The landforms analysis is based on the characterization and relative
dating of Ugandan landforms which consist of stepped planation
surfaces and incised valleys. We here proposed a seven-steps
reconstruction of the deformation-erosion-sedimentation relationships
of the Lake Albert Basin and its catchments:
- 55-45 Ma: formation of laterites corresponding to the African
Surface during the very humid period of the Lower-Middle Eocene;
- 45-22: stripping of the African Surface in response of the beginning
of the East-African Dome uplift and formation of a pediplain
which associated base level is the Atlantic Ocean;
- 17-2.5 Ma: Initiation of the Lake Albert Basin around 17 Ma and
creation of local base levels (Lake Albert, Edward and George) on
which three pediplains tend to adapt;
- 18-16 Ma to 6.2 Ma: "Flexural" stage (subsidence rate: 150-
200 m/Ma; sedimentation rate 1.3 km3/Ma between 17 and 12
Ma and 0.6 km3/Ma from 12 to 6 Ma) – depocenters location
(southern part of Lake Albert Basin) poorly controlled by fault;
- 6.2 Ma to 2.5 Ma: Rift stage 1 (subsidence rate: > 500m/Ma
up to 600-800 m/Ma; sedimentation rate: 2.4 km3/Ma) – Rifting
climax;
- 2.5-0.4 Ma: uplift of the Ruwenzori Mountains and shifting from
an alluvial system to a network of bedrock river incision – Rift
Stage 2 (subsidence rate: 450 to 250 m/Ma; sedimentation rate:
1.5 km3/Ma);
- 0.4-0 Ma: long wavelength downwarping of the Tanzanian Craton,
initiation of the Lake Victoria trough, drainage network inversion
and uplift of the present-day Ugandan escarpment (normal
faulting motion of the border faults) with formation of perched
valleys associated to the Lower Pleistocene (2.5-0.4 Ma) rivers
network.
The sediment budget is successful with, between 17 and 2.5 Ma,
an excess of 16 % of upstream eroded material compared to the
sediment volume deposited that can be explained by the chemical
erosion prevailing at this period in Central Africa. The significant
(60%) opposite difference between 2.7 and 0 Ma may be the consequence
of a high sediment supply resulting from the erosion of
the uplifted Ruwenzori Mountains.


With the 2011 launch of Industrie 4.0, a German project aiming to promote the computerization of manufacturing, the integration of physical or actual manufacturing systems with cyber-physical systems (CPS) using various technologies, such as the Internet of things (IoT), industrial Internet of things (IIOT), and artificial intelligence, is considered to be more important than ever before. One of the goals of the Industrie 4.0 is to realize smart factories or smart manufacturing using advanced digital technologies. However, the core component in the manufacturing systems is still machine tools.
 This special issue, composed of eleven excellent research papers, focuses on the latest research advances in machine tools and manufacturing processes. It covers various topics, including machine tool control, tool path generation for multi-axis machining, and machine tool components. Furthermore, this special issue includes innovative machining technologies, including not only cutting and grinding processes but also the EDM process and burnishing process connected effectively with force control techniques. All the research contributions were presented at IMEC2018, a joint event with JIMTOF2018, held in Tokyo, Japan in 2018.
 The editors would like to sincerely thank the authors for their dedication and for their well written and illustrated manuscripts. We are also profoundly grateful for the efforts of all the reviewers who ensured their quality. Finally, we sincerely hope that studies on machine tools and related manufacturing technologies will further contribute to the development of our global society.


The adaptation of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS- MAIN; Gagarina, et al., 2019) to Catalan contributes to advancing our knowledge of the development of children's narrative skills in a diversity of languages using the same protocol, making it possible to evaluate narratives also in Catalan-speakers. The adaptation of MAIN will be very useful in Catalonia, because it is a region where two official languages (Catalan and Spanish) coexist, Catalan being the language of schooling, so that most of the population is bilingual. However, currently there is no instrument for assessing narrative skills that allows for parallel assessment of Catalan in bilingual children. For these reasons, this adaptation will be of great value to promote the study of narratives in the bilingual population considering Catalan within the possible language combinations. The present paper describes the process of adapting MAIN to Catalan and reports results from the first pilot study using the Catalan MAIN.


Abstract Background Anterior and posterior clinoidectomies have been proposed to augment exposure of the basilar apex. A sequential quantitative benefit analysis offered by these maneuvers has not been reported. Methods Fourteen datasets from eight cadaveric specimens were analyzed. A modified orbitozygomatic frontotemporal craniotomy was performed. The extent of proximal control of the basilar artery was determined through the exposed opticocarotid and carotidoculomotor triangles before and after clinoidectomies and mobilization of the third nerve at the porous oculomotarius. Results Removal of the anterior and posterior clinoids significantly improved proximal basilar artery access (p < 0.012) and increased the opticocarotid triangle and carotidoculomotor triangle areas (p < 0.017). Surgical freedom increased inferosuperiorally in the opticocarotid triangle following anterior clinoidectomy (p < 0.047) and in carotidoculomotor triangle following posterior clinoidectomy (p < 0.047). Mobilization of the third nerve increased surgical freedom in the mediolateral projection of the carotidoculomotor triangle (p < 0.047). Conclusion Anterior and posterior clinoidectomies significantly improved the area of exposure of the opticocarotid triangle, carotidoculomotor triangle, and the exposed length of the basilar artery available for proximal control. This improvement is extremely important for large or giant aneurysms of the upper basilar artery or aneurysms hidden by the posterior clinoid.


Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely grown grain crop in Australia and throughout the World, and yield is often limited by environmental stresses like drought. Australia's wheat crop is grown mainly under rain - fed conditions, and yield losses vary with the timing and intensity of drought. Phenology genes play an important role in adaptation to a particular environment by modifying duration of crop developmental phases, and hence breeders have the opportunity to optimize developmental phases for differing environments by manipulating the allelic composition of the phenology genes. Vernalization ( Vrn ), photoperiod ( Ppd ) and autonomous earliness per se ( Eps ) genes are the components of wheat phenology that interact in the flowering pathway to determine the development and time of maturity of wheat. The aim of this study is to determine the most appropriate allelic combinations of Vrn1 and Ppd genes that would improve yield in water limited environments. In a preliminary study with a double haploid (DH) population segregating for all Vrn1 alleles, we observed nearly a month variation in physiological maturity. The number of dominant alleles pre sent was positively correlated with early flowering and maturity, but seed weight was reduced, possibly due to a reduction in the duration of grain filling. This earliness could be utilized to optimise yield in those environments where terminal drought occurs. Additional research is being undertaken in both glasshouse and field trials with segregating populations for Vrn1 and Ppd genes, to determine the most suitable allelic combinations for changing the duration of pre - and post - flowering growth phases to optimize wheat yield in water limited environments of Western Australian wheat belt


Abstract Similar to many addiction disorders, pathological gambling is associated with an increased preference for immediate rewards (steep temporal discounting). In healthy participants, episodic future thinking has been shown to reduce impulsivity during intertemporal choice. Here, we examine for the first time a modulation of temporal discounting via episodic future thinking in a group of pathological gamblers. We investigated a sample of 24 pathological gamblers and 24 matched healthy controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants made intertemporal choices in two experimental conditions. In the control condition, delayed monetary rewards were offered with the respective amount and delay. In the episodic condition, rewards were additionally associated with participant-specific personal future events. We replicated previous findings of increased temporal discounting in pathological gambling. On a trend level, episodic future thinking attenuated discounting across all participants. We found that pathological gamblers could successfully recruit a prospection related network during decision-making in the presence of episodic information. The episodic condition modulated the functional connection between ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum, a mechanism that might support the increase in striatal value coding observed in the episodic condition in gamblers. However, in controls, but not in gamblers, valuation signal changes in the hippocampus were associated with less impulsive behavior. We provide first evidence that by episodic cues during intertemporal decision-making striatal valuation signals can be enhanced in pathological gamblers. Further research is needed to explore interventions that reliably reduce impulsive choice behavior in pathological gambling.


A number of genes on human chromosome 20 have been implicated in susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. This study investigated the association between genetic variants on chromosome 20 and DR development in T2D patients in a Taiwanese population. Unrelated subjects with T2D, without DR (n = 575) and with DR (n = 174), were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using Illumina BeadChips and genotypes compared between these 2 groups. Seven SNPs on chromosome 20 demonstrated associations with DR, with p-values < 1 10 6 . After controlling for diabetic duration and haemoglobin A1C, rs761207 and rs6031415, in junctophilin 2 (JPH2), remained associated to DR and increased the risk for DR development 1.43-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04- 1.98) and 1.42-fold (95% CI = 1.02-1.97), respectively. These SNPs were also associated with non-proliferative DR. The results implicate that genetic variants of JPH2 are associated with the pathogenesis of DR, particularly in the earlier non- proliferative phase. Given that JPH2 is an essential regulator of calcium flux and that vascular endothelial growth factor, which has previously been implicated in DR, is a mediator of calcium entry, calcium release, and endothelial permeability, our finding indicates that JPH2 is a plausible new candidate gene for DR development.


During the late 1990s, employment and incomes improved for many households in the bottom part of the income distribution in the United States. It is unknown, however, whether these improvements markedly reduced households' financial strains. In this study, I examine how changes in resources, needs and other characteristics are associated with self-reports of financial strains using a longitudinal survey of low-income households from three American cities. I develop and estimate longitudinal Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause models of financial strains. The models combine information from several different measures of strains; they also control for unobserved characteristics, like differences in families' permanent incomes and subjective assessments of needs, that might be confounded with the observed explanatory measures. The analyses reveal that there is considerable persistence in households' reports of financial strains. They also indicate that increases in income are associated with reductions in strains but that the relationship is weak. Other characteristics, such as wealth, disability, social networks and marital status, are more strongly associated with financial strains.


A 248-nm excimer laser was used to produce ionized nitrogen by the process of multiphoton excitation in gaseous nitrogen at room temperature. First-negative N(2)(+) emission spectra were analyzed to yield rotational temperatures of typically 600 to 1200 K. Rotational Raman scattering of H(2) in gaseous mixtures of N(2) and H(2) was used to determine if laser heating of the gas produced the observed increase in temperature, but the room temperature value of 295 K was inferred from the H(2) Raman data. Therefore the use of N(2)(+) spectra produced by multiphoton excitation at 248 nm does not appear to be acceptable for air-temperature diagnostics. N(2)(+) emission spectra were also recorded subsequent to optical breakdown in air induced by Nd:YAG 1064-nm radiation, and temperatures were determined to be greater than 5000 K in the decaying plasma.


In a companion paper, the authors provide the development and description of the Integrated Systems Model (ISM). In this article, they describe 14 general implications of the ISM for continuing medical education (CME). They discuss how applying the ISM would change CME by describing (1) how CME and the larger health care environment would be restructured if they were based on the ISM and (2) how the ISM would impact CME under the current environment of health care in the United States. They close by describing how the ISM can be used as CME moves to address the long lag between discovery and practice and begins to decrease its dependence on pharmaceutical companies. The ISM helps not only explain why the current health care system in the United States (or anywhere) produces what it produces, but also predict what that system would produce if it changed. At present, the ISM is a conceptual model, but with more research into measures of its various elements, it could become a more quantitatively predictive model. In its present form, however, the ISM can serve Marinopoulos's call for a "sound conceptual model of what influences the effectiveness of CME" and address Grimshaw's concern that current research lacks "a theoretical base to support the choice and development of interventions as well as the interpretation of study results." The statistician George Box said, "All models are wrong, some models are useful." The authors believe that the ISM is useful and that maybe it will prove Box wrong.


Prison scandals, terrorism, corporate fraud, election riggingmost likely you have heard something of the sort in the last ten minutes. But what is truth and what is part of the great "washout" of biased reporting? A celebration of lucid investigative reporting, selected by titan of the craft John Pilger, could come at no better moment. Pilger's book travels through contemporary history, from war correspondent Martha Gelhorn's wrenching 1945 account of the liberation of Dachau to Edward R. Murrow's groundbreaking excavation of McCarthyism to recent coverage of the war in Iraq. This homage to brave, often unsettling coverage features a range of great writing, from Seymour Hersh's Vietnam-era muckraking to Eric Schlosser's expos of the fast-food industry to preeminent theorist Edward Said's writing on Islam and terrorism. Unrepentant in its mission to expose the truth behind the messages that politicians, warmongers, and corporate-run media inculcate, Tell Me No Lies is essential for anyone who wants to understand the world around them objectively and intelligently. It's not just a collection of high-quality reporting, but a call-to-arms to all who believe in honesty and justice for humanity.


The objects studied in this thesis are families of cycles on schemes. A space — the Chow variety — parameterizing effective equidimensional cycles was constructed by Chow and van der Waerden in the first half of the twentieth century. Even though cycles are simple objects, the Chow variety is a rather intractable object. In particular, a good functorial description of this space is missing. Consequently, descriptions of the corresponding families and the infinitesimal structure are incomplete. Moreover, the Chow variety is not intrinsic but has the unpleasant property that it depends on a given projective embedding. A main objective of this thesis is to construct a closely related space which has a good functorial description. This is partly accomplished in the last paper. The first three papers are concerned with families of zero-cycles. In the first paper, a functor parameterizing zero-cycles is defined and it is shown that this functor is represented by a scheme — the scheme of divided powers. This scheme is closely related to the symmetric product. In fact, the scheme of divided powers and the symmetric product coincide in many situations. In the second paper, several aspects of the scheme of divided powers are discussed. In particular, a universal family is constructed. A different description of the families as multi-morphisms is also given. Finally, the set of k-points of the scheme of divided powers is described. Somewhat surprisingly, cycles with certain rational coefficients are included in this description in positive characteristic. The third paper explains the relation between the Hilbert scheme, the Chow scheme, the symmetric product and the scheme of divided powers. It is shown that the last three schemes coincide as topological spaces and that all four schemes are isomorphic outside the degeneracy locus. The last paper gives a definition of families of cycles of arbitrary dimension and a corresponding Chow functor. In characteristic zero, this functor agrees with the functors of Barlet, Guerra, Kollar and Suslin-Voevodsky when these are defined. There is also a monomorphism from Angeniol's functor to the Chow functor which is an isomorphism in many instances. It is also confirmed that the morphism from the Hilbert functor to the Chow functor is an isomorphism over the locus parameterizing normal subschemes and a local immersion over the locus parameterizing reduced subschemes — at least in characteristic zero.


Engineering a product-line is more than just describing a product-line: to be correct, every variant that can be generated must satisfy some constraints. To ensure that all such variants will be correct (e.g. well-typed) there are only two ways: either to check the variants of interest individually or to come up with a complex product-line analysis algorithm, specific to every constraint. In this paper, we address a generalization of this problem: we propose a mechanism that allows to check whether a constraint holds simultaneously for all variants which might be generated. The contribution of this paper is a function that assumes constraints that shall be fulfilled by all variants and generates ("lifts") out of them constraints for the product-line. These lifted constraints can then be checked directly on a model product-line, thus simultaneously be verified for all variants. The lifting is formulated in a very general manner, which allows to make use of generic algorithms like SMT solving or theorem proving in a modular way. We show how to verify lifted constraints using SMT solving by automatically translating model product-lines and constraints. The scalability of the approach is demonstrated with an industrial case study, in which we apply our lifting to a domain specific modeling language of the manufacturing domain.


ABSTRACT We analyze the evolution of macroeconomic uncertainty in the United States, based on the forecast errors of consensus survey forecasts of various economic indicators. Comprehensive information contained in the survey forecasts enables us to capture a real-time measure of uncertainty surrounding subjective forecasts in a simple framework. We jointly model and estimate macroeconomic (common) and indicator-specific uncertainties of four indicators, using a factor stochastic volatility model. Our macroeconomic uncertainty estimates have three major spikes has three major spikes aligned with the 1973–1975, 1980, and 2007–2009 recessions, while other recessions were characterized by increases in indicator-specific uncertainties. We also show that the selection of data vintages affects the estimates and relative size of jumps in estimated uncertainty series. Finally, our macroeconomic uncertainty has a persistent negative impact on real economic activity, rather than producing "wait-and-see" dynamics.


A laser stimulus at terahertz (THz) frequency is expected to offer superior control over magnetization dynamics compared to an optical pulse, where ultrafast demagnetization is mediated by heat deposition. As a THz field cycle occurs on a timescale similar to the natural speed of spin motions, this can open a path for triggering precessional magnetization motion and ultimately ultrafast magnetic switching by the THz magnetic field component, without quenching. Here, we explore the ultrafast magnetic response of a ferromagnetic nickel thin film excited by a strong (33 MV/cm) terahertz transient in non-resonant conditions. While the magnetic laser pulse component induces ultrafast magnetic precessions, we experimentally found that at high pump fluence, the THz pulse leads to large quenching which dominates the precessional motion by far. Furthermore, degradation of magnetic properties sets in and leads to permanent modifications of the Ni thin film and damage.


Fourier domain Optical coherence microscopy (FDOCM) offers excellent sensitivity and high axial resolution to image the structure of biological tissue. The depth information is extracted in parallel and allows very high volume acquisition rates. An illumination scheme employing an axicon lens provides extended depth of field (xf) in combination with high lateral resolution. The xf-OCM signal reveals the spatial distribution of changes of the refractive index in the sample with high contrast at a near isotropic resolution of  2um. However identification and differentiation between different tissues may be difficult with this purely structural sample information at hand. Combining the xf-OCM setup with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) offers a powerful method to obtain functional contrast with molecular specificity. The FLIM- system works in the Fourier domain measuring the phase offset between the modulated excitation signal and the returned fluorescence intensity. Both the fluorescence amplitude and lifetime are retrieved. Previously labeled structures can be identified and help interpreting the xf- OCM signal. The fluorescence lifetime provides additional functional information. It varies between different fluorophores and can be very sensitive to environmental changes. The xf-OCM tomograms and FLIM images are acquired in parallel and provide a complementary view of the sample. This combined system was applied to the imaging of biological tissue such as rat hair follicle and mouse pancreas.


This paper is about a discussion on educating citizenship and social responsibilities at universities through a real life example from Turkey. The recent literature on corporate social responsibility is searching for new ways of education. This paper summarizes one of these new innovative programs, Civic Involvement Projects (CIPs) developed at Sabanci University. The paper starts with a summary of educational issues in the corporate social responsibility literature, including examples of methods and tools used at universities across the world. This overview might help us to see the uniqueness of the CIP experience. The paper concludes with suggestions to universities that are developing or planning to develop their own social responsibility programs. The main question will be to find the ways in reaching major goal of education for social responsibility to assist in understanding, values, and action skills that will help students to work with others to improve the quality and sustainability of their natural and social environments. There is more than one solution in achieving this goal; hence this paper will show just one of these potential solutions based on a real life experience. The methodology of the paper will be a literature review and a case study.


In recent years, important works on the relationship between history and mathematics education have appeared: (a) The Proceedings of the Mathematics Education>> (Montpellier, France, 1993, Braga, Portugal, 1996, and Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 1999), (b) Two books based on the elaboration of papers which were presented during the satellite meetings of HPM (History and Pedagogy of Mathematics, one of the ICMI affiliated international groups), the first edited by R. Calinger (MAA 1996), and the second edited by V. Katz (MAA 2000), (c) The ICMI Study book on >, edited by J. Fauvel and J. van Maanen. (d) Journals for Mathematics Teachers and/or Mathematics Education Researchers have published special issues on the History of Mathematics in Mathematics Teaching (e.g. For the Learning of Mathematics in 1991, Mathematics in school in 1998 and Mathematics teacher in 2000). The re-born newsletter of HPM (International Study Group on the Relations between History and Pedagogy of Mathematics) is becoming (we hope) a forum where piece of information and ideas are shared. These material and the experiments carried out all over the world make further discussion on the role of the History of Mathematics in Mathematics Teaching both possible and necessary. In recent discussions the expression > appears frequently. Which ideas are behind this expression? The main idea is that of using History as a mediator to pursue the objectives of Mathematics Education. This means that, these objectives, together with the study of the historical evolution of concepts should be analysed. This work has to be carried out by educators and historians in a collaborative way. Among the benefits, which are expected to result from this work, is the new perspective offered by History to consider students difficulties in learning Mathematics. To make teachers active actors in this process we need to give a convenient place to the History of Mathematics in pre-service and in-service teacher education.


New r 37A in force in Cape high court Rule 37A has been in operation in the Cape high court on an experimental basis for a number of years. From the outset the purpose was to extend the procedure under r 37 of the Uniform rules of Court, which provides for a mandatory pre-trial conference, into a more effective management mechanism for ensuring that cases are brought to trial speedily and cost-efficiently.


We consider boundary value problems for the elliptic sine-Gordon equation posed in the half plane y > 0. This problem was considered in Gutshabash and Lipovskii (1994 J. Math. Sci. 68 197–201) using the classical inverse scattering transform approach. Given the limitations of this approach, the results obtained rely on a nonlinear constraint on the spectral data derived heuristically by analogy with the linearized case. We revisit the analysis of such problems using a recent generalization of the inverse scattering transform known as the Fokas method, and show that the nonlinear constraint of Gutshabash and Lipovskii (1994 J. Math. Sci. 68 197–201) is a consequence of the so-called global relation. We also show that this relation implies a stronger constraint on the spectral data, and in particular that no choice of boundary conditions can be associated with a decaying (possibly mod 2π) solution analogous to the pure soliton solutions of the usual, time-dependent sine-Gordon equation. We also briefly indicate how, in contrast to the evolutionary case, the elliptic sine-Gordon equation posed in the half plane does not admit linearisable boundary conditions.


An oft told parable relates how a frog, when dropped in a kettle of hot water, will instantly jump out. But if you drop that frog in a kettle of cold water, and slowly heat it up, the frog will not be aware of the gradual change in its environment and will die in the kettle. I had formerly limited the kettle analogy to the broad concepts of the "worldly culture" alluded to by pastors who use this imagery. Then, after completing educational experience at major state universities and a fifteen year career in industry, I decided to enter upon a career as a professor at a small, Christian, liberal arts university. This change has been quite a shock to my system, but unlike the clever frog, I did not immediately jump out. This experience alerted me to the fact that the kettles in which we live are much smaller and more distinctive than I had previously thought. Furthermore, it is quite likely that the environment of these kettles may be gradually changing, and the results of these changes might affect me in ways that I might find ... unpleasant. In having my eyes opened to the Christian-college culture, I have made a few observations about how this kettle seems quite different from the others in which I have previously existed. These observations include aspects about the people who make up this institution, the purpose and mission of the institution, and the operation of the institution. For example, I have been stunned by the diversity of this small group of mostly white, American, Christians. This diversity has profound effects on the mission of the University, as well as the communities of the students and faculty in ways that I did not expect. We have factions, battlegrounds, independent agendas, differing personality traits, insightful viewpoints, and all of these differ wildly from what I have experienced in "other kettles." It is not my purpose in this paper to set about an agenda for change. As a first year faculty member, I think that it would be naive of me to assume that I not only have the answers, but that I can even adequately determine the questions. This paper simply purports to put down many of my observations about this culture and to ask myself to what degree I want to reject, embrace, or engage these elements. I reserve the right to change my opinions in the future (which may be seen as adapting to the kettle). Finally, I would like to stimulate dialog amongst other engineers who have gone through this process and ask them where they find that they have rejected, embraced, or engaged this culture – and to what degree these actions were intentional. It may very well be my Lord is asking me to be like the frog and to die in a number of areas – that these observations might indicate not what is out of balance at this institution, but what is out of balance in my own life and in the other kettles in which I have existed. Please forbear me any grievances you might have against my questioning of ideas or institutions that you might hold dear. It is my desire that we all come together in unity for the cause of Christ. It is my hope that this conversation might help us to do so together.


Half-Heusler thermoelectrics offer the possibility to choose from a variety of non-toxic and earth-abundant elements. TiNiSn is of particular interest and - with its relatively high electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient - allows for optimization of its thermoelectric figure of merit, reaching values of up to 1 in heavily-doped and/or phase-segregated systems. In this contribution, we used an energy- and time-efficient process involving solid-state preparation in a commercial microwave oven and a fast consolidation technique, Spark Plasma Sintering, to prepare a series of Ni-rich TiNi1+xSn with small deviations from the half-Heusler composition. Spark Plasma Sintering plays an important role in the process by being a part of the synthesis of the material rather than solely a densification technique. Synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and microprobe data confirm the presence of a secondary TiNi2Sn full-Heusler phase within the half-Heusler matrix. We observe a clear correlation between the amount of full-Heusler phase and the lattice thermal conductivity of the samples, resulting in decreasing total thermal conductivity with increasing TiNi2Sn fraction. This trend shows that phonons are scattered effectively as a result of the microstructure of the materials with full-Heusler inclusions in the size range of microns to tens of microns. The best performing samples with around 5% of TiNi2Sn phase exhibit maximum figures of merit of almost 0.6 between 750 K and 800 K which is an increase of ca. 35% compared to the zT of the parent compound TiNiSn.


This conceptual paper seeks to engage with migration theory by examining the nature and functions of aspirations in migration processes. I argue that aspirations play a pivotal role in all migration, but in different ways. Aspirations are elusive, however, both theoretically and empirically. People's general aspirations in life form part of form part of the background to migration desires; such desires can also be described as migration aspirations, which are the focus of this paper. This conviction that migration is preferable to staying can be understood as an attitude, which helps us raise several epistemological issues. Is the desire to migrate an enduring state of mind, or a context-specific speech act? Do migration aspirations, conceived of as attitudes, comparatively evaluate places, or culturally constructed projects? Does migration have intrinsic value, or is it simply a means to an end? Addressing such questions and relating them to the factors that inhibit or facilitate actual migration can shed new light on how we conceptualize and empirically analyse the determinants of migration. It can also help understand the relationships between force, choice and mobility. In conclusion, I propose an aspirations-centred model of migration, in which observable outcomes—in the form of mobility and immobility—are interpreted as products of three interlinked processes.


In the summer of 2000 the German geo-research satellite CHAMP was launched into orbit. Its innovative payload arrangement and the low initial orbit allow CHAMP to simultaneously collect and almost continuously analyse precise data relating to gravity and magnetic fields at low altitude. In addition, CHAMP also measures the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere using GPS techniques. Three years after launch, more than 200 CHAMP investigators and co-investigators from all over the world met at the GeoForschungsZentrum in Potsdam to present and discuss the results derived from the extensive data sets of the mission. The main outcome of this expert meeting is summarized in this volume. The book offers a comprehensive insight into the present status of the exploitation of CHAMP data for Earth system research and practical applications in geodesy, geophysics and meteorology.


Background Differential diagnosis of genital ulceration includes benign skin disease, infection and malignancy. An increase in sexually transmitted infections in older patients has been seen. Biologics inhibit immune system components that fuel inflammation. They are used to treat refractory chronic inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis. Concerns have been raised regarding an association between use of biologic treatments such as Etanercept and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We present a case of a patient taking Etanercept for psoriasis, who developed penile SCC. Case A 57 years old man, listed by Urology for biopsy of a penile ulcer of 8 week duration, was referred to Genitourinary Medicine to exclude infective causes. He had a long history of severe psoriasis which had been treated with Etanercept for more than 7 years. He had had sex with one casual female partner 3 months prior to presentation. A deep, clean, indurated ulcer was seen on the corona. Regional nodes were impalpable. Tests were negative for syphilis, HIV and herpes simplex. The biopsy showed invasive SCC. He subsequently underwent a partial penectomy. Discussion Penile cancer is uncommon in the United Kingdom. Embarrassment may cause delay in presentation. Penile SCC has been reported in patients on Etanercept. Clear evidence of association is lacking. Patients on biologics should be advised to carefully examine their skin including the genitals, reporting any skin changes promptly. Increasing awareness among patients and physicians about this possible association could prevent delay in diagnosis. The National Biologic Registers will reveal more definite evidence over time.


Michael Oakeshott's distinction between 'civil association' and 'enterprise association' has inspired international society theorists to conceive of international society as not just a 'purposive association' constructed by states to satisfy their interests but also as a 'practical association' providing formal and pragmatic rules that are not instrumental to particular goals of state policy. While this article is supportive of the Oakeshottian turn in international society theory, it suggests that somewhat different conclusions can be drawn from it. The article sketches out an alternative conception of international 'civil association', one that transcends the boundaries of communities. It is argued that such a notion of civil association is both possible and at the same time anchored in the experiences of the modern state. It is suggested that this notion of international civil association, when sustained by an adequate legal conception, promotes the enforcement of moral and political responsibility across borders. Finally, it is argued that European governments post-Brexit should strive to retain, as much as possible, the element of civil association present in European relations in order to preserve the civil condition, the rule of law, and in order to enhance political responsibility across borders.


In microscopy, several different phase contrast methods (e.g. Zernike contrast, differential interference contrast) have been developed to image phase objects. For these methods specialized microscopic equipment (modified microscope objectives, filters, etc.) is needed. The static elements within such microscopes are a trade-off, because phase contrast imaging depends strongly on the object and the information to be visualized. We show results of an implementation of many different phase contrast methods using a high resolution phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) in the pupil plane. All implemented methods are realized by software. Therefore, it is not only feasible to change the different phase contrast methods in real time, but it is also possible to optimize the parameters. Images obtained from different settings are combined digitally to improve the final image quality. Furthermore, completely new phase contrast filters can be tested easily because the phase of each pixel can be changed arbitrarily. We use this method to implement a new phase contrast filter that is obtained by combining a focused and a defocused point spread function. We will present theoretical as well as experimental results of this vertical differential interference contrast filter.


Dormant cancer cells known as disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) are often present in bone marrow of breast cancer patients. These DTCs are thought to be responsible for the incurable recurrence of breast cancer. The mechanism underlying the long-term maintenance of DTCs remains unclear, however. Here, we show that Fbxw7 is essential for the maintenance of breast cancer dormancy. Genetic ablation of Fbxw7 in breast cancer cells disrupted the quiescence of DTCs, rendering them proliferative, in mouse xenograft and allograft models. Fbxw7-deficient DTCs were significantly depleted by treatment with paclitaxel, suggesting that cell proliferation induced by Fbxw7 ablation sensitized DTCs to chemotherapy. The combination of Fbxw7 ablation and chemotherapy reduced the number of DTCs even when applied after tumor cell dissemination. Mice injected with Fbxw7-deficient cancer cells survived longer after tumor resection and subsequent chemotherapy than did those injected with wild-type cells. Furthermore, database analysis revealed that breast cancer patients whose tumors expressed FBXW7 at a high level had a poorer prognosis than did those with a low FBXW7 expression level. Our results suggest that a wake-up strategy for DTCs based on Fbxw7 inhibition might be of value in combination with conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer.


Shake-up studies of model systems for adsorbates are presented. The molecule CO adsorbed on transition metal surfaces belong to one of the most studied systems in surface science. The interest is motivated by fundamental questions about the adsorbate-substrate interaction as well as technical applications, such as catalysis. A good starting point in order to get more detailed understanding of the CO-metal interaction is to study the transition metal carbonyls, where CO is coordinated to metal atoms. It has been found that many aspects of the adsorbate systems can be modelled by these molecules. These are the main reasons for studying the molecules Mo(CO)6 and Cr(CO)6, for which results are reported in this thesis.