Real data often contain anomalous cases, also known as outliers. These may spoil the resulting analysis but they may also contain valuable information. In either case, the ability to detect such anomalies is essential. A useful tool for this purpose is robust statistics, which aims to detect the outliers by first fitting the majority of the data and then flagging data points that deviate from it. We present an overview of several robust methods and the resulting graphical outlier detection tools. We discuss robust procedures for univariate, low‐dimensional, and high‐dimensional data, such as estimating location and scatter, linear regression, principal component analysis, classification, clustering, and functional data analysis. Also the challenging new topic of cellwise outliers is introduced. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2018, 8:e1236. doi: 10.1002/widm.1236


Linda Turner and Rob Snow are history teachers working at King James School in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. They both reflect on the deficiencies of their teacher training. Linda recalls her early career in a secondary modern in Buckinghamshire in the mid-1970s. Here she worked with an 'inspirational' head of department who engaged the students through local history. Rob by contrast recalls the challenge of moving to a multi-cultural school in Bradford where each teacher had to sort out their own curriculum. Rob and Linda talk about the changes in the teaching of history over their careers - the impact of GCSE, the National Curriculum, of technology and of the lack of time to do 'fun' things, such as the 'trip around Rome' in the school quad, with chariot races on hobby horses and mock gladiator fights, or the Arkwright song competition, which involved the singing of the songs as well as the writing of them! Interviewed by Nicola Sheldon.


Providing guarantees in the Quality of Service (QoS) has become essential to the transmission of multimedia traffic over wireless links with fading channels. However this poses significant challenges due to the variable nature of such channels and the diverse QoS requirements of different applications including voice, video and data. The benefits of dynamic adaptation to system and channel conditions have been accepted, but the true potential of optimized adaptation is lost if the layers operate independently, ignoring possible interdependencies between them. Cross-layer design mechanisms exploit such interdependencies to provide QoS guarantees for the transmission of multimedia traffic over fading channels. Channel adaptive M-QAM schemes are examples of some of the earliest works in the area of cross-layer design. However, many of the original schemes use the assumption that thresholds designed for A WGN channels can be directly applied to slow-fading channels . The thresholds are calculated with a commonly used approximation bit error rate (BER) expression and the first objective of the thesis was to study the accuracy of this commonly used expression in fading channels. It is shown that that the inaccuracy of the expression makes it unsuitable for use in the calculation of the threshold points for an adaptive M-QAM system over fading channels. An alternative BER expression is then derived which is shown to be far more accurate than the previous one. The improved accuracy is verified through simulations of the system over Nakagami-m fading channels. Many of the cross-layer adaptation mechanisms that address the QoS provisioning problem only use the lower layers (physical and data link) and few explore the possibility of using higher layers. As a result, restrictions are placed on the system which introduces functional limitations such as the inability to insert more than one class of traffic in a physical layer frame. The second objective in this thesis was to design a physical and application layer cross-layer adaptation mechanism which overcomes this limitation. The performance results of the scheme in both A WGN and fading channels show that the cross-layer mechanism can be efficiently utilized for the purposes of providing error rate QoS guarantees for multimedia traffic transmissions over wireless links.


Concerned that neither the general public nor civil engineers themselves were fully appreciative of the contributions of civil engineers to the development and standard of living of the country, a few dedicated civil engineers persuaded the ASCE Board of Direction to establish a history and heritage committee and a formal program in 1964. The committee has more or less flourished since that date, with an ever-expanding number of programs. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and description of some of these programs, with some consideration of what has worked well, and what has been less successful. It is hoped that this overview will encourage local ASCE units to reenergize their history and heritage efforts. It may also be of use to engineering groups, or perhaps others, contemplating an increased effort in the areas of history, heritage, or preservation. The primary purposes for the program were (1) to create an awareness and pride in civil engineers for the rich history and heritage of their chosen profession; and (2) inform the general public of the role that civil engineering has played in the development of the country and in improving the quality of life. These purposes are accomplished through the following activities: landmark programs, conference sessions and congresses, historic publications, recognition of civil engineers, cooperative efforts, slide shows and videos, tours, historic preservation, and other activities.


This path-breaking book provides unique insights into the organisational realities of strategic reconfigurations in uncertain markets, thus advancing the dynamic capability perspective.


"The Foundations and Anatomy of Shareholder Activism" examines the landscape of contemporary shareholder activism in the UK. The book focuses on minority shareholder activism in publicly listed companies. It argues that contemporary shareholder activism in the UK is dominated by two groups; one, the institutional shareholders whose shareholder activism is largely seen as a driving force for good corporate governance, and two, the hedge funds whose shareholder activism is based on value extraction and exit. The book provides a detailed examination of both types of shareholder activism, and discusses critically the nature of, motivations for and consequences following both types of shareholder activism. The book then locates both types of shareholder activism in the theory of the company and the fabric of company law, and argues that institutional shareholder activism based on exercising a voice at general meetings is well supported in theory and law. The call for institutions to engage in more informal forms of activism in the name of 'stewardship' may bring about challenges to the current patterns of activism that institutions engage in. The book argues, however, that a more cautious view of hedge fund activism and the pattern of value extraction and exit should be taken. More empirical evidence is likely to be necessary, however, to weigh up the long terms benefits and costs of hedge fund activism.


The field of design has offered the maxim that "form follows function," suggesting that the physical properties of an artifact should reflect our conception of its intended use. This advice can lead us astray, however, when looking to the brain for inspiration when developing intelligent systems. Too often, our preconceived notions concerning functional decomposition cause us to force strongly delineated functional roles on specific neural subsystems. To fully leverage the lessons of natural cognitive systems, we must remain open to functional architectures that might seem unnatural to us but are revealed in the form, or structure, of the brain. To illustrate this point, this report briefly reviews several nontraditional functional organizations of neural systems that have been proposed for working memory.


The purpose of this study was to see how students used podcasts in an eighth-grade American history unit and the value they placed on them as an educational tool. The 6-week study was conducted in a suburban middle school in a district that is part of a large metropolitan area in Texas. Participants included 29 students and 2 eighth-grade teachers. The research questions were the following: (1) How do students use podcasts in an eighth-grade American history class? (2) How do students perceive the impact of the podcasts on their overall learning of the subject material? and (3) Do the podcasts motivate the students to study? Quantitative data were collected through a Likert-scaled student survey and logs kept by students. Qualitative data were collected through an open-ended portion of the student survey, student focus group discussion, and a faculty interview. The treatment tools were audio podcasts in the form of vocabulary-quiz reviews, historical vignettes, lectures, and a unit test review—all on the topic of the American Revolution. The data indicated that the students primarily used their computers at home to listen to the podcasts as they prepared for quizzes and/or the unit test. The students believed that the podcasts had a positive impact upon their grade, were a positive educational tool, and helped them to better understand the material at hand. The students also wanted to see an expansion of podcast usage in other subjects. The students claimed that it motivated them to study and the participating teachers agreed that it motivated the students to study in a non-traditional manner. Data illustrated a need for further research regarding podcasting's impact on grades and performance at the K-12 level, student podcast construction, podcast delivery modes, and podcast use with special education and ELL students.


Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections are increasingly recognized for their polymicrobial nature. These polymicrobial infections may alter the biology of the organisms involved in CF-related infections, leading to changes in growth, virulence, and/or antibiotic tolerance, and could thereby affect patient health and response to treatment. In this study, we demonstrate interactions between P. aeruginosa and streptococci using a coculture model and show that one interaction between these microbes is likely competition for iron. Thus, these data indicate that one CF pathogen may influence the growth of another, and they add to our limited knowledge of polymicrobial interactions in the CF airway. ABSTRACT Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes patients to accumulate thick, dehydrated mucus in the lung and develop chronic, polymicrobial infections due to reduced mucociliary clearance. These chronic polymicrobial infections and subsequent decline in lung function are significant factors in the morbidity and mortality of CF. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus spp. are among the most prevalent organisms in the CF lung; the presence of P. aeruginosa correlates with lung function decline, and the Streptococcus milleri group (SMG), a subgroup of the viridans streptococci, is associated with exacerbations in patients with CF. Here we characterized the interspecies interactions that occur between these two genera. We demonstrated that multiple P. aeruginosa laboratory strains and clinical CF isolates promote the growth of multiple SMG strains and oral streptococci in an in vitro coculture system. We investigated the mechanism by which P. aeruginosa enhances growth of streptococci by screening for mutants of P. aeruginosa PA14 that are unable to enhance Streptococcus growth, and we identified the P. aeruginosa pqsL::TnM mutant, which failed to promote growth of Streptococcus constellatus and S. sanguinis. Characterization of the P. aeruginosa ΔpqsL mutant revealed that this strain cannot promote Streptococcus growth. Our genetic data and growth studies support a model whereby the P. aeruginosa ΔpqsL mutant overproduces siderophores and thus likely outcompetes Streptococcus sanguinis for limited iron. We propose a model whereby competition for iron represents one important means of interaction between P. aeruginosa and Streptococcus spp. IMPORTANCE Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections are increasingly recognized for their polymicrobial nature. These polymicrobial infections may alter the biology of the organisms involved in CF-related infections, leading to changes in growth, virulence, and/or antibiotic tolerance, and could thereby affect patient health and response to treatment. In this study, we demonstrate interactions between P. aeruginosa and streptococci using a coculture model and show that one interaction between these microbes is likely competition for iron. Thus, these data indicate that one CF pathogen may influence the growth of another, and they add to our limited knowledge of polymicrobial interactions in the CF airway.


Student achievement and teacher-parent collaboration are strongly correlated to teachers' attitudes toward involvement (Muller & Kerbow, 1993; Swap, 1993). However, there is very little research in China (Gu, 2006) on examining factors that are well documented to show impacts on teachers' attitudes toward parent involvement. This research explores potential relationships between Chinese teachers' demographic characteristics and their attitudinal perspectives concerning Chinese parent involvement approaches. Chinese kindergarten teachers (N=159) participated in this study by completing a self designed questionnaire (Gu, 2006). This questionnaire consists of five questions concerning teachers' demographic characteristics (age, highest degree received, years in kindergarten teaching, class size and number of membership in professional organizations), 15 Likert-based questions assessing teachers' attitudes toward school-based parent involvement and 15 Likert-based questions assessing home-based parent involvement. Two multiple regression analyses were performed to explore relationships between teachers' demographic characteristics (e.g., age) and their attitudes toward school-based (e.g., attending parent-teacher conference) and home-based (e.g., reading to child at home) parent involvement modes. The major results indicated that teachers with younger age and higher degree had more positive attitudes toward both school-based and home-based parent involvement. ********** Positive influence of parent involvement on children's development has been widely documented by many researchers (e.g., McNeal, 1999; Scribner, Young, & Pedroza, 1999; Yan & Lin, 2002). Meanwhile, researches also indicate that as the key to actualize positive parent involvement, teachers are potentially very influential in parents' decisions about involvement in their child's education (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997). Shick (1997) points out that teachers with positive attitudes toward parent involvement are more likely to forge partnerships with parents. Meanwhile, researchers (e.g., Lazar & Slostad, 1999) also show that teacher's negative perceptions about parents and parent involvement, shaped by culture, history and schooling practices, may inhibit home-school linkages. Teachers' attitudes toward parents and parent involvement are of great importance to the level and quality of parent involvement, which play integral roles in the quality of childhood education. In China, childhood education is still a comparatively new and emerging area. Very little research has been conducted to examine the critical factors that show impacts on teachers' attitudes toward parent involvement. The purpose of this study is to explore potential relationships between Chinese teachers' demographic characteristics and their attitudinal perspectives concerning Chinese parent involvement approaches to fill the research gap. The research question of this study is: "Is there any relationship between teachers' attitudes toward parent involvement and the following variables? 1. Teacher's age 2. Teacher's highest degree 3. Years of kindergarten teaching experience 4. Class size 5. Membership in professional organizations Method The method of this research is explained below in four sections: participants, instrument, data collection and data treatment. Participants A total of 159 kindergarten teachers in the City of Nanjing, China participated in this study. The 159 teachers were randomly selected from 16 government kindergartens located in 11 administrative districts in Nanjing. Random selection meant each teacher was chosen entirely by chance from the teacher roster at the school principal's office. Table 1 below, as developed by the lead investigator, shows the distribution of selected kindergartens from the different districts in Nanjing. …


Introduction: Since the early 90s, the concept of human development were proposed as one of the development evaluation criteria, improving community health, which constituted an essential component of this development, the challenge for governments grew. This study was conducted to determine the level of health development of Yazd province in 2013, using the techniques numerical taxonomy. Methods: This descriptive study was to assess the health indicators in the 10 township of Yazd province in 2013. Required data were collected based on experts opinion and referring to the deputies of Hygiene, Treatment, Management and Resource Development, Food and Drug Administration of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd Province Health Center, Yazd province Statistics Center, Welfare Organization of Yazd province and were analyzed with AHP techniques and numerical taxonomy. Results: Mehriz and Abarkooh were the richest and most deprived townships, with degree of development of 0.474 and 0.987 and Bafgh, Yazd, Ardakan, Meybod, Taft, Bahabad, Saduq and Khatam, fall between them, respectively. Conclusion: There is difference and gap in the development of health, between townships of Yazd province, there is hope that the national and provincial authorities in the allocation of health facilities to each of the township of Yazd, plan and act based on the rate of development of the township.


In his 2013 election campaign, Tony Abbott promised his government would build a world-class "five pillar economy", encompassing manufacturing, agriculture, services, education and mining. Two years later, as his government prepares its second federal budget, just how are these sectors faring?

The prices of exported goods over the past year have stabilised or fallen, particularly for iron ore, oil and coal. Australia's mining sector is also moving from the construction phase (which creates considerable employment) to the operation phase (which requires up to 10 times fewer workers). So it's a good time to have a look at the mining sector in a more historic context and examine the outlook for the future.

Australia's mining sector has been hailed as a saviour to the economy, protecting it from the effects of the severe economic downturns experienced in the USA, Europe and other countries during and after the global financial crisis of 2007-08.

There is no doubt that the minerals and energy boom of the 2000s was responsible for much of the growth in commodity export earnings. It also protected economic growth rates and, to some extent, jobs during this time. The mining boom was in large part due to the significant increase in demand for raw materials and energy by China and India during their very rapid economic growth over the past decade.


This study explores the way in which companies and public bodies reflect and argue regarding their own engagement in a cluster project. The aim is to create a focus on clustering and to contribute to the understanding of how cluster involvement affects an organisation. Action net models are employed, unfolding engagement as it is revealed in interviews with representatives of participating private companies and public bodies. The outcome identifies a decoupling in the cluster project producing two clearly divided communities of actors. One comprises public bodies and the facilitating organisation, and one, private companies and R&D projects. A small group of actors harmonise transactions between the two communities. The decoupling of the cluster is described differently with regard to relating to, engaging in and understanding the cluster project. Discussions replace dependency with agency as the mechanism applied in clustering, illustrating that the cluster project is a meeting place of temporary and competing mindsets and practices. Clustering is portrayed as an ambiguous venture continuously challenging and confronting its own engagement and rationality.


The law relating to derivative actions in India draws inspiration from English common law. While the Indian Companies Act, 1956 does not expressly provide for derivative actions, Indian courts have entertained, on the rare occasion, such actions applying principles of common law through judicial precedents. There is yet no serious attempt to statutorily recognize derivative actions although several other jurisdictions in the Commonwealth have adopted that path. The rarity of derivative actions in India can be attributed to a number of reasons. First, the substantive law governing such actions imposes a significant burden on plaintiff shareholders. Courts firmly rely on the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, which generally prohibits such actions and are willing to entertain actions only if they fall within any of its rather limited and nebulous exceptions. Second, there is no clear procedure for bringing derivative actions apart from general rules regarding joinder of parties. Courts also generally do not entertain derivative actions where alternate remedies are available. Those pertain to actions for oppression and mismanagement before the Company Law Board and complaints to the Ministry of Company Affairs to initiate investigations. Further, in the case of public listed companies, there are applications to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) under appropriate securities laws and there are prohibitions on civil courts entertaining cases where SEBI is empowered to act. Moreover, the failure of case law to clearly distinguish direct personal actions from derivative actions has only precipitated the obscurity of the latter.Third, the requisite economic incentives that engender derivative actions are absent in India. U.S.-style contingency fees are not permissible, due to which a plaintiff bar is non-existent. Plaintiff shareholders are entitled to recover costs only if they are specifically indemnified by the company or are awarded costs by the court, although the benefit of recovery inures to the company. On the other hand, plaintiffs risk payment of costs if they are unsuccessful. These factors limit the applicability of derivative actions. While SEBI has recently introduced a funding mechanism to assist investor associations, not individual shareholders, to initiate actions, there are severe limitations with that approach.This chapter examines these and other general factors pertaining to the Indian legal system and local corporate structures and culture that affect derivative actions, economic theories for when such actions might be desirable, and makes recommendations for reforms.


Theoretical results for the existence of (non-smooth) control Lyapunov functions (CLFs) for nonlinear systems asymptotically controllable to the origin or a closed set have been available since the late 1990s. Additionally, robust feedback stabilizers based on such CLFs have also been available though, to the best of our knowledge, these stabilizers have not been implemented. Here, we numerically investigate the properties of the closed loop solutions of the nonholonomic integrator using three control techniques based on the knowledge of two different nonsmooth CLFs. In order to make the paper self-contained, we review theoretical results on the existence of nonsmooth CLFs.


We report a systematic study of the isotope shift of an argon atom for s–p and p–d transitions in the visible and the near-infrared regions. The isotope shifts were determined by saturation spectroscopy, and the measurements were effected by use of a standard error of approximately 1 MHz. Combining our spectroscopic measurements with the nuclear charge radii available from muonic transitions, we were able to extract the specific mass and the volume contributions to the isotope shift. In all the investigated transitions we observed a field shift contribution that is surprising for a light element like argon. Moreover, for p–d transitions we also found a field shift larger than for s–p ones, in spite of the fact that s orbitals experience more of the electron density at the nucleus.


The fundamental performance limits of coherent optical transmission systems can be observed by a simple optimization between the linear noise and the nonlinear noise generated within the system. Optical Phase Conjugation (OPC) is considered to be one of the promising techniques to compensate for optical fiber's dispersion and nonlinearity that cause crosstalk between signals traveling through long-haul optical transmission systems, nonlinearity compensation can lead to significant information capacity and distance reach expansion of optical fiber transmission links. To get the full benefit from the deployment of OPC in optical transmission systems, a few considerations must be taken into account, such as: power profile symmetry, fiber's dispersion slope and Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD). In this contribution, we will present our simplified theoretical predictions of optical fiber transmission systems performance that deploy mid-link OPC and multiOPC and we will show that the introduction of multi-OPC in an optical transmission system will minimize the impact of uncompensated/nondeterministic signal-signal nonlinear interactions due to fiber's PMD and signal-noise interactions. We will show wide range of simulation and experimental results that validate the theoretical predictions of system's performance for various types of links: dispersion managed, dispersion unmanaged, discretely amplified systems and distributed Raman amplified systems. Also, we will present an extensive experimental study shows that the deployment of mid-link OPC can provide a significant reach improvement in asymmetric lumped optical fiber links when optimizing the span length.


Linguists in the past two centuries have, for the most part, approached language as an autonomous entity; their practice has been to study languages without considering the culture, society, or beliefs of the speakers. "Autonomous linguistics" has been attacked from both the left and the right. Critics on the left (in particular Marxists) argue that the separation of language from its societal context reinforces the status quo by downplaying the role of language as an instrument of ideology and social control. Critics on the right object to the value-free analyses of individual languages required by the autonomous approach and to the idea that all languages merit equal attention."The Politics of Linguistics" surveys two centuries of debate over autonomy. The discussion includes the political implications of the birth of the modern field of linguistics in the Romantic movement, the views of Marx and Engels on language, the attack on structural linguistics by both Hitler and Stalin, the role of Christian missionary groups and the military in building the field in the United States, and the relation between Noam Chomsky's linguistic theories and his political views.Frederick J. Newmeyer demonstrates that external political demonstrates that external political currents have often influenced the relative popularity of the autonomous approach to language. He argues that autonomous linguistics, far from being inconsistent with progressive political goals, can be creatively applied to the fulfillment of such goals."


Monohydrocalcite (MHC, CaCO 3 · H 2 O) is a thermodynamically metastable phase relative to calcite and aragonite in aqueous solution. Although MHC occurs broadly in organisms, little information about its biogenic origin is available. In this paper, a series of amorphous calcium carbonates (ACCs) with different Mg 2+ contents were first synthesized in the presence of polyaspartic acid (PASP), and the phase transformations of the PASP-regulated Mg-ACCs (PASP-Mg-ACCs) were then studied under different medium conditions. The structure, morphology and composition of the precursor PASP-Mg-ACCs and transformation products were investigated by using a wide range of techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, TG-DTA, 13 C NMR and ICP-AES. Our results show that PASP-Mg-ACC with 24.71 mol% Mg 2+ can be transformed into MHC, without formation of hydromagnesite or other hydrated magnesium carbonates, whereas the PASP-Mg-ACCs with 2+ resulted in magnesian calcite and aragonite. Time-course transition experiments unveiled that the transformation from PASP-Mg-ACCs to crystalline phases proceeds through the dissolution of the initial precursor PASP-Mg-ACCs and the subsequent crystallization of the secondary mineral phases. The formation of different secondary minerals depends not only on the Mg 2+ but also on the PASP content in precursor PASP-Mg-ACCs. Because of the exclusive formation of MHC from PASP-Mg-ACC under current biomimetic conditions, biomacromolecule-regulated Mg-ACC may act as the transient precursor and be responsible for the biogenesis of MHC. The current results contribute to the elucidation of the biogenic origin and role of MHC in nature.


From the early cities in the second millennium BC to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan on the eve of the Spanish conquest, Ancient Mesoamericans created landscapes full of meaning and power in the center of their urban spaces. The sixteenth century description of Tenochtitlan by Bernal Diaz del Castillo and the archaeological remnants of Teotihuacan attest to the power and centrality of these urban configurations in Ancient Mesoamerican history. In Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica, Rex Koontz, Kathryn Reese-Taylor, and Annabeth Headrick explore the cultural logic that structured and generated these centers.Through case studies of specific urban spaces and their meanings, the authors examine the general principles by which the Ancient Mesoamericans created meaningful urban space. In a profoundly interdisciplinary exchange involving both archaeologists and art historians, this volume connects the symbolism of those landscapes, the performances that activated this symbolism, and the cultural poetics of these ensembles.


Coleridge's Shorter Works and Fragments brings together a number of substantial essays that were not long enough to require volumes to themselves, among them his "Theory of Life," "Essays on the Principles of Genial Criticism," "Treatise on Method," "Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit," "On the Passions," and "On the Prometheus of Aeschylus." To these are added more than four hundred other pieces, some of them fragmentary, many of them previously unpublished, ranging in date from school essays of the early 1790s to a discussion of the bullion controversy in 1834. As might be expected, the subject matter includes literature and language, theology, philosophy, politics, and science, but many less predictable topics (such as child labor laws, marriage, suicide, church history, the abolition of slavery, and the state of the colonies) also appear. By gathering this material and presenting it in chronological order, Shorter Works and Fragments reveals the development and major characteristics of Coleridge's seemingly inexhaustible variety.


1. The new peripherally acting selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor blocking agent ketanserin was given (10 mg intravenously) to 17 patients with essential hypertension. 2. Systemic mean systolic arterial pressure fell from 192 ± 6 to 146 ± sem 10 mmHg and mean diastolic arterial pressure fell from 90 ± 4 to 68 ± 5 mmHg. Right atrial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary capillary 'wedge' pressure, measured in 12 patients, were also significantly lowered. Heart rate, cardiac output and plasma noradrenaline rose after ketanserin, probably due to baroreflex-mediated sympathetic stimulation, but the changes were small compared with the fall in systemic arterial pressure. 3. Phenylephrine (50, 100 and 200 μg intravenously) was given to five patients before ketanserin and during continuous infusion of ketanserin (2 mg/h after a loading dose of 10 mg) and dose-response curves for mean systemic arterial pressure were constructed. The pressor response to phenylephrine was not shifted by ketanserin. Thus ketanserin, in a dose capable of lowering systemic arterial pressure, does not act as an α-adrenoceptor antagonist. 4. 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor blockade appears to cause dilatation of resistance vessels and possibly also of capacitance vessels. The data suggest a hitherto unknown role for 5-hydroxytryptamine in the maintenance of high blood pressure.


Quorum Sensing (QS) is a process that enables bacteria to communicate via chemical signalling molecules, which are called autoinducers (AI). When a threshold concentration of QS molecules is reached, the bacteria start their QS regulated gene expression e.g. bioluminescence (Vibrio fischeri), virulence factor secretion (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), biofilm formation (Burkholderia cepacia), sporulation, and mating. It was found that many Gram-negative bacteria use acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs or HSLs) as autoinducers. Due to the broad biological functions of HSLs, the interest in detection and analysis of HSLs is increasing for medical, biotechnological and agricultural applications. In the past years, numerous analytical methods have been developed for HSLs. Conventional analysis, which usually combines chromatography, mass spectrometry (MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been very successfully applied for identification and quantification of HSLs. But normally, conventional analysis requires many steps of sample preparation, e.g. extraction, pre-concentration and optimisation of conditions to separate individual HSL molecules. In addition, many sensitive bioreporter assays have been developed using different LuxR responsive promoters, which contain LuxR family functional proteins but lack the HSL synthase. A combination of different bioassays is strongly recommended, since no bioreporter is sensitive to all HSLs.
Alternatively, in this study, an anti-HSL antibody based immunochemical detection method has been successfully developed and established. HSL molecules consist of a homoserine lactone ring and an acyl side chain (4-18 carbon atoms), and they differ only from side chain length and substitution at C3 atom. Regarding the variation of the molecule structures, four HSL haptens, named HSL1, HSL2, HSL3 and HSL4, were designed for antibody and assay development. HSL1 and HSL3 have a long chain (C11-COOH), but HSL1 has an -oxo and HSL3 has an –OH functional group at the C3 position. In comparison, HSL2 (C5-COOH) and HSL4 (C9-COOH) have shorter side chains and no substitution on the C3 atom. The haptens were synthesised and were covalently coupled to the C-terminal COOH-group of the NH2-residues (lysines) of the carrier proteins (BSA/OVA). Using these HSL hapten-conjugates, rat and mouse anti-HSL monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced, screened and further characterised with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Corresponding to hapten structures, the antibodies showed different selectivities to HSLs with different substitution on C3 position and chain length.
Eight mAbs (HSL1-1A5, HSL1-8E1, HSL1/2-2C10, HSL1/2-4H5, HSL4-4C9, HSL4-5H3, HSL4-5E12 and HSL4-6D3) were selected from about 200 mAbs and characterised in detail using coating antigen and enzyme tracer formats. It was demonstrated that the new assays have HSL detection ranges from nM to low µM, which is sensitive enough for detection of HSLs in natural samples according to literature. Interestingly but not surprisingly, AHLs mAbs have at least 20 times higher sensitivity against hydrolysed HSLs (named HSs) than original HSLs, because the conjugation and immunisation conditions, e.g. pH and temperature, for mAb development resulted in HSL hydrolysis. This property of antibodies additionally offers a new sensitive method to detect quorum quenching (QQ) relevant homoserines (HSs), which are important degradation products of HSLs. Comparable results have been obtained by Biacore and Aqua-Optosensor biosensors for HS (L) characterisation. Based on these properties of the mAbs, a detection method of HSLs and HSs in biological samples has been developed and optimised. With the comparison of the real samples before and after hydrolysis treatment, the assays could simply present the relative HSL- and HS- contents in the samples. Similar to bio-reporters, the identification or quantitation of single HSL molecules is not possible only using immunoassay due to the broad recognition of HSLs and HSs. For this purpose, a combination with conventional chemical analysis is a must. However, as a novel sensitive HSL and HS detection method, the developed immunoassays have the advantages of being fast, cost effective and having low sample volume requirement.
Using the direct or indirect fluorescence signals of fluorophore labelled anti-HSL mAbs, the in situ experiments with modified Burkholderia cepacia biofilm on ibidi slide (plastic flow chamber from ibidi GmbH) and Pseudomonas putida inoculated barley root have been carried out. Unfortunately, the in situ tests were not successful, mainly due to remaining unspecific background signals. Nevertheless, a few steps, e.g. fluorophore labelling, biofilm formation, and surface blocking have been optimised. The door of HSL in situ tests with the antibodies is still open, if a suitable specific visualising detection method could be found in the future. Certainly, the antibodies can also be broadly applied for many other immunochemical techniques, such as immunosensors or immunoaffinity columns for characterisation or pre-screening of HSLs/HSs, as have been demonstrated successfully.


In this work we present a flexible read-out circuit embedded with a POSTFT (Piezoeletric Oxide Semiconductor TFT) tactile sensor for electronic skin application. The circuit has been fabricated using n-mos LTPS (Low Temperature Poly-Silicon) technology, integrated on a flexible substrate of PI (PolyImide). A cascade of two common source amplifiers, engineered to provide enhanced output, composes the schematic. The tactile sensor has been designed adopting an extended gate configuration to provide higher robustness to the mechanical solicitations. The optimization of the piezoelectric properties of the device has been accomplished through a well-established poling procedure, reaching piezoelectric coefficient of 45 pC/N. Once fabricated, the sensor has been detached from the rigid carrier and bonded to a flexible PCB for testing purpose. A mini-shaker has been used to electromechanically stimulate the sensor and verify the performance, obtaining output signal up to 2.5Vp-p for a mechanical stimulus of 1N @200Hz.


The optimum parameters affecting the adsorption of Ni(II) using Prosopis Juliflora bark carbon (PJBC) were determined. The adsorption of Ni(II) was strongly dependent on pH, temperature and initial adsorbate concentration. The equilibrium adsorption data follows Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The optimum pH for Ni(II) ions removal was found out to be 5.5. The equilibrium data shows the exothermic nature of adsorption. Kinetic studies shows pseudo second order and intra-particle diffusion equations successfully describe the adsorption process.


The thalamus plays a critical role in perceptual processing, but many questions remain about what thalamic activities contribute to sensory and motor functions. In this book, two pioneers in research on the thalamus examine the close two-way relationships between thalamus and cerebral cortex and look at the distinctive functions of the links between the thalamus and the rest of the brain. Countering the dominant "corticocentric" approach to understanding the cerebral cortex -- which does not recognize that all neocortical areas receive important inputs from the thalamus and send outputs to lower motor centers -- S. Murray Sherman and R.W. Guillery argue for a reappraisal of the way we think about the cortex and its interactions with the rest of the brain. The book defines some of the functional categories critical to understanding thalamic functions, including the distinctions between drivers (pathways that carry messages to the cortex) and modulators (which can change the pattern of transmission) and between first-order and higher-order thalamic relays -- the former receiving ascending drivers and the latter receiving cortical drivers. This second edition further develops these distinctions with expanded emphasis throughout the book on the role of the thalamus in cortical function. An important new chapter suggests a structural basis for linking perception and action, supplying supporting evidence for a link often overlooked in current views of perceptual processing.


This study investigates the development of pre-service teachers with reference to the core conditions of counselling in a guidance training programme, which is a part of a pre-service new B.Ed, module. It aims to make some suggestions for effective preparation of the pre-service teachers to play their guidance role in Hong Kong primary schools. Qualitative rather than quantitative research approach was used. The sample was a class of 37 pre-service teachers. Among them, 16 student teachers with some seemed to be very aware of, others largely ignorant about the guidance role of teacher were selected for in-depth interviews to chart their development. Their responses for handling of two different cases of pupils' problems in the interview schedule were analyzed. Classroom assessment technique for the whole class of student teachers was used to get feedback and to monitor the progress of the programme. The results of the study show that student teachers had increased awareness and understanding of the guidance role of teachers during the training programme. They also developed their abilities in handling pupils' problems in terms of attitude towards pupil, feeling for pupil and counselling strategies and skills. Nearly all of them had progress in each of these three areas in different contexts of pupils' problems. However, they had greater progress in case 1 of an anxious pupil (with emotional difficulties) than in case 2 of an angry pupil (with emotional and behavioural difficulties). Moreover, bias towards pupils existed in both cases. Six different groups with different progress were identified among the 16 student teachers. The themes / patterns for change in attitudes, feeling and skills were explored. They were suspension of judgment and empathetic understanding. From their learning experiences, the training methodology that help them most were watching videos, case study and newspaper cutting, understanding theories, lecturing and interacting with the lecturer, group discussion, role play and doing ranking in multi-response exercise. These were in descending order of reported frequency. The results of the present study have implications for policy setting and implementation of Whole School Approach to guidance in schools and teacher education programme. At the end, a model is proposed for removing or minimizing bias of teachers towards pupils in teacher education. This is very important for effective guidance and counselling.


Production of edible oil in the country is only one third of the total requirements. Soybean yield is very low, due to poor plant stand and seed viability. The objective of this study was to explore the production potential and seed viability of indigenous land races and improved varieties under different planting dates and storage conditions. Two experiments were conducted during 2004 and 2005 at New Developmental Farm, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan. In experiment I, three soybean land races, (Kulat brown, Kulat white and Mothi) and two improved varieties (NARC-II and Swat 84) were planted at four planting dates (April, May, June and July) in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement replicated four times. Planting dates were allotted to main plots and varieties to subplots. In experiment II, the seed of four varieties (Kulat brown, Kulat white, NARC-II and Swat-84) harvested from four planting dates (April, May, June and July) were stored in three storage materials (plastic jar, cloth bag and pod) under two storage conditions (room and refrigerator) for different storage durations (2-12 months) in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Planting dates significantly affected agronomic plant characteristics, nutritional values, physiological parameters, seed quality and vigour values. Maximum days to emergence (6), flower initiation (86), bloom (88), pod initiation (90), pod elongation (105), seed initiation (117), full seed formation (127), physiological maturity initiation (172) and full maturity (187) were recorded for April planted crop. Similarly maximum pods plantl (74.2), seeds pod-1 (2.1), seed yield (1459 kg ha-I), protein content (321 g kg-I), protein yield (467.7 kg ha-1), leaf area planr1 (2735 cm2), leaf area index (LAI) (11), specific leaf area (SLA) (391.6 cm2 g-l), field emergence (60%), emergence index (79) and viable seeds (75 %) determined by tetrazolium test was recorded for the crop planted in April. However, maximum plant height (91.4 em), hundred seed weight (11.4 g), biological yield (12598 kg ha-I), nodules plane1 (24), nodule weight plane-I (53.3 mg), oil content (169 g kg-I) and oil yield (244 kg ha-I), standard germination (74.6%) and accelerated aging germination (73.9%) was exhibited by May planting. When planting was advanced from April to July, days to various reproductive stages, agronomic plant characteristics, seed viability and vigour values gradually declined but specific leaf weight, crop growth rate (CGR) and relative growth rate (RGR) at early vegetative stage and electrical conductivity values increased. Varieties significantly affected days to 50% emergence, days to various reproductive stages and maturity, yield components, CGR and RGR, seed viability and vigour. Land races took maximum days to flower initiation (85), bloom (87), pod initiation (99), pod elongation (106), seed initiation (117), full seed formation (130), physiological maturity initiation (160) and maturity (169). Similarly maximum plant height (93.2 cm), pods planr1 (62.4), biological yield (12353 kg ha-1), leaf area planr1 (1871 cm2), LAI (7.1), SLA (214.7 cm2 g-l), standard germination (77.1 %), accelerated aging germination (71.2%), field emergence (61.8%), emergence index (79.2) and tetrazolium test values (80.6 %) were recorded for land races. Improved varieties produced maximum seeds pod-1 (2), hundred seed weight (15.3 g), seed yield (1306 kg ha-1), oil and protein content (17.1 and 31.9 g kg-I), oil yield (227 kg ha-1), protein yield (415 kg ha-1), seedling dry weight (15.7 mg) and electrical conductivity values (0.49 dsm-2). Moisture content and germination of stored seeds was significantly affected by planting dates, varieties, storage material, storage condition and storage duration. Maximum moisture was recorded in seeds stored in cloth bag, in refrigerator for the first four months. Maximum germination was recorded in seeds stored in plastic jars, in refrigerator during the first two months of storage. Germination decreased with storage duration. Seeds from April planting gave maximum germination. It is concluded that early planting (April, May) produced good quality highest seed yield. Land races produced equal seed yield of superior quality and storability.

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OBJECTIVE
To compare calf weaning weight and associated economic variables for beef cows with serum antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) or from which MAP was isolated from feces with those for cows that were seronegative for antibodies against or culture negative for MAP.

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

ANIMALS
4,842 beef cows from 3 herds enrolled in the USDA National Johne's Disease Demonstration Herd Project.

PROCEDURES
Individual cow ELISA and culture results were obtained from the project database. During each parity evaluated for each cow, the 205-day adjusted weaning weight (AWW) of its calf was calculated. The AWW was compared between test-positive and test-negative cows by use of multilevel mixed-effect models. The median value for feeder calves from 2007 to 2011 was used to estimate the economic losses associated with MAP test-positive cows.

RESULTS
The AWW of calves from cows with strongly positive ELISA results was 21.48 kg (47.26 lb) less than that of calves from cows with negative ELISA results. The AWW of calves from cows classified as heavy or moderate MAP shedders was 58.51 kg (128.72 lb) and 40.81 kg (89.78 lb) less, respectively, than that of calves from MAP culture-negative cows. Associated economic losses were estimated as $57.49/calf for cows with strongly positive ELISA results and $156.60/calf and $109.23/calf for cows classified as heavy and moderate MAP shedders, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Calves from cows with MAP-positive test results had significantly lower AWWs than did calves from cows with MAP-negative test results, which translated into economic losses for MAP-infected beef herds.


The bilateral symmetry that is such a visible characteristic of higher animals is not without its exceptions--for example, in birds and mammals, the heart loops off to one side as it develops. The signaling events that establish this asymmetry seem to begin with the earliest stages of gastrulation. García-Castro et al. now demonstrate that N-cadherin, a molecule that generally mediates cell adhesion, is expressed at the right place and time in chick embryos to be one of the earliest mediators of left-right asymmetry. Thus, the processes that result in established asymmetry may include cell adhesion, as well as the already known signaling events. García-Castro, M., Vielmetter, E., and Bronner-Fraser, M. (2000) N-Cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule involved in establishment of embryonic left-right asymmetry. Science 288: 1047-1051. [Abstract] [Full Text]


The body size of Caenorhabditis elegans is thought to be controlled by sensory inputs because many mutants with sensory cilium structure defects exhibit small body size. The EGL-4 cGMP-dependent protein kinase acts in sensory neurons to reduce body size when animals fail to perceive sensory signals. In addition to body size control, EGL-4 regulates various other behavioral and developmental pathways, including those involved in the regulation of egg laying and chemotaxis behavior. Here we have identified gcy-12, which encodes a receptor-type guanylyl cyclase, as a gene involved in the sensory regulation of body size. Analyses with GFP fusion constructs showed that gcy-12 is expressed in several sensory neurons and localizes to sensory cilia. Genetic analyses indicated that GCY-12 acts upstream of EGL-4 in body size control but does not affect other EGL-4 functions. Our studies indicate that the function of the GCY-12 guanylyl cyclase is to provide cGMP to the EGL-4 cGMP-dependent kinase only for limited tasks including body size regulation. We also found that the PDE-2 cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase negatively regulates EGL-4 in controlling body size. Thus, the cGMP level is precisely controlled by GCY-12 and PDE-2 to determine body size through EGL-4, and the defects in the sensory cilium structure may disturb the balanced control of the cGMP level. The large number of guanylyl cyclases encoded in the C. elegans genome suggests that EGL-4 exerts pleiotropic effects by partnering with different guanylyl cyclases for different downstream functions.


From James Chang MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery [Plastic Surgery]and Orthopedic Surgery Hand and Microsurgery, Program Director, Plastic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center: "The Yearbook of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery is an annual review of the year's most relevant articles pertaining to this specialty. World-recognized hand surgery experts provide commentary on their personal experience related to these published abstracts. This interactive format allows the resident, fellow, or practicing surgeon to become quickly updated in this rapidly-changing field. The portable book form allows this Yearbook to be carried anywhere for ease of use. On first reading, the hand surgeon can become familiar with the latest studies published. Thereafter, it can remain on the bookshelf for easy reference of that year's key articles."


Objective- To compare transabdominal (TA) and transrectal (TR) ultrasonography of the prostate gland.
Design- Experimental study.
Animals- 10 intact male dogs that required euthanasia for reasons other than prostatic disease.
Procedures- Prostatic length (L), width (W) and height (H) were measured in T A (L1, W1 and H1) and TR (L2 and H2) ultrasonography. Prostatic volume was calculated using the formula for the volume of an ellipsoid (VE1 and VE2) or for a box (VB1 and VB2) in TA and TR procedures, respectively. The dogs were euthanized, the prostate gland removed, and actual prostate dimensions and volume were measured. Linear regression was used to compare prostatic dimensions and volume measured by ultrasonography to actual ones.
Results- In TR ultrasonography there was no damage to rectum, the time for evaluation of the prostate gland was faster and the resolution of prostatic images was better than other procedure. There was highly significant correlation between prostatic parameters and their actual dimension. VB1, VE1 and VB2 were greater and VE2 were lesser than actual prostatic volume. In TR and TA methods the dimensions had significant correlation with real prostatic sizes, while had not significant statistical differences with real prostatic sizes.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance - TR ultrasonography found to be a simple, quick and noninvasive method and TA ultrasonography also yields useful information about the prostate. Calculated prostatic volume doesn't estimated prostatic volume correctly and need to use equations produced by linear regression: V = 0.427 VB1 – 0.88. V = 0.796 VE1 – 0.40. V = 0.680 VB2 – 1.95.                                                      V = 0.980 VE2 + 1.94.


Future wireless networks will employ unprecedentedly high number of transmitters along-with larger bandwidth signals. Therefore, complexity efficient Power Amplifier (PA) modelling methods with the ability to quantify memory effects are required. This paper presents a low complexity method to quantify memory effects by studying the symmetry in the PA transfer functions estimated with the density estimation method. It is shown that the symmetry helps in reducing the method complexity by more than two orders of magnitude. Further, it is verified that the symmetry can be used as a non-model based metric for quantifying memory effects in PAs.


One of the main aims of the European Union in the field of education is to promote language learning. Many programmes and innovations have been carried out by the Council of Europe, Language Policy Division in order to achieve this aim. After completing an extensive research and wide consultation the Council published a document called the "Common European Framework (CEFR)" to provide a common basis among professionals working in the field of modern languages. As CEFR was recommended by the European Union Council Resolution in 2001 to be used, it has now become a key reference tool not only throughout Europe but also all over the world. Turkey as a member of the Council of Europe has therefore been conducting changes in foreign language teaching in order to apply European standarts. However, CEFR is not widely used in training of foreign language teachers in Turkish context. This study aims to learn the views of the teacher trainers on a training programme based on CEFR. 73 teacher trainers working at foreign languages teaching department at 32 universities in Turkey participated in the study through a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Most of the participants stated that the teacher training program based on CEFR is necessary.


The purpose of this paper was to determine shoppers perceptions of service quality offered in Kenyan supermarkets and very small convenience shops. A cross sectional design of explorative nature was adopted for this study to evaluate the shoppers' perception of the convenience shops and supermarkets. Data from semi-structured questionnaire was analyzed using factor analyses and Pearson correlation analysis. Factor analysis revealed the following as important factors that customers of convenience shops (Kiosk/Dukas) considered and arranged in order of importance are: (1) ability to solve their problems (2) physical facilities and displays (3) assistance/helping the customer (4) variety and deep assortment (5) cleanliness (6) accurate records (7) responsiveness-dealing with complaints efficiently and promptly (8) appearance (9) individualized attention and (10) convenience. These factors were further condensed into three factors namely; tangibles, responsiveness and reliability. The important factors considered by customers of supermarkets, arranged in order of importance include: (1) courtesy (2) physical facilities and displays (3) accurate records (4) individualized attention (5) competence (6) keeping promises (7) variety and deep assortments (8) prompt service (9) neat appearance and (10) accessibility. These factors were further condensed into four factors namely; reliability, responsiveness, empathy and tangibles. The overall level of satisfaction with the convenience shops (Dukas) compared to the supermarket was a mean score of 2.74, on a five point scale, indicating a positive level of satisfaction. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between level of satisfaction and recommending a friend to the outlet. This research was only a pilot study with limitations on sample size and geographical scope. The study concentrated on only two sub-urban areas of Nairobi (Ongata Rongai and Ngong areas) thus limiting the generalization of the findings. The list of factors identified in this study can be used by both the small convenience shops and supermarkets to determine whether they are allocating their efforts in the areas that are considered important by the shoppers. It could also be used as a guideline for resource allocation, financial or otherwise. This study provides a useful guide to research into service quality within retail sector. The study identified important factors that shoppers considered important in their perception. Article type: Research paper


In paper 1, we showed that the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instruments on the pair of NASA STEREO spacecraft can be used to image the streamer belt and, in particular, the variability of the slow solar wind which originates near helmet streamers. The observation of intense intermittent transient outflow by HI implies that the corresponding in situ observations of the slow solar wind and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) should contain many signatures of transients. In the present paper, we compare the HI observations with in situ measurements from the STEREO and ACE spacecraft. Analysis of the solar wind ion, magnetic field, and suprathermal electron flux measurements from the STEREO spacecraft reveals the presence of both closed and partially disconnected interplanetary magnetic field lines permeating the slow solar wind. We predict that one of the transients embedded within the second CIR (CIR-D in paper 1) should impact the near-Earth ACE spacecraft. ACE measurements confirm the presence of a transient at the time of CIR passage; the transient signature includes helical magnetic fields and bidirectional suprathermal electrons. On the same day, a strahl electron dropout is observed at STEREO-B, correlated with the passage of a high-plasma beta structure. Unlike ACE, STEREO-B observes the transient a few hours ahead of the CIR. STEREO-A, STEREO-B, and ACE spacecraft observe very different slow solar wind properties ahead of and during the CIR analyzed in this paper, which we associate with the intermittent release of transients.


Mulch can provide many benefits in water-wise landscapes. Mulch covers the soil and prevents crusting, compaction, and water evaporation. In fact, mulching around trees, shrubs, and in flower beds can result in a ten-fold reduction in evaporative water loss from soil. Reducing soil water loss means more water is available to plants and less water needs to be provided. Mulch also reduces the number of weeds in a water-wise landscape by preventing light-induced germination of weed seeds. With fewer weeds, less cultivation is required, which can prevent damage to plant roots, soil structure, and soil organisms. In addition, mulch moderates soil temperature and protects plant roots. In winter, moderation of soil temperature can prevent plants from heaving out of the ground due to freezing and thawing. Mulch also can be an important visual design element in a water-wise landscape, and it is used along walkways, in plant borders, and for color and structure in a landscape or garden.


Time-frequency distribution (TFD) analysis is a relatively new process for decomposing a complex signal to understand its spectral content Traditional signal spectral analysis examines both temporal and spectral contents distinctly. This method of analysis is suitable for signals where the spectral content is stationary and time-invariant. However, many naturally occurring signals are not only multicomponent, but are also highly time-variable, such as speech, heart rate variability, and other biological signals. Typically, the Fourier transform exposes sinusoidal frequencies present in a signal. It cannot, however, tell when these frequencies existed temporally. This is where timefrequency analysis excels over traditional spectral processing techniques. Time-frequency analysis allows the spectral content of the signal to be determined as well as when these frequency components occurred. The process can be thought of as time dependent Fourier analysis. The following thesis explores the effectiveness of timefrequency analysis for examining heart rate and blood velocity variability of dorsal aortic blood flow in developing chick embryos. These hemodynamic data series are used to assess embryonic cardiovascular function.. It is hoped that this thesis aids in the creation of cluneal tools for the early identification of functional heart defects in a developing human fetus. These heart defects can lead to serious heart disease later in life. Clinical treatments of morphological and functional heart defects are possible if they can be identified during early embryo/fetal development The time-frequency analysis performed, utilized the binomial distribution with a Hanning window as the input parameters. Through the use of Discrete Time Frequency Laboratory (DTFL) software, TFD analysis appears to be an effective tool for functional assessment of cardiovascular health during development


With recent successes of laboratory, inatmosphere, and space demonstrations of free-space optical communications, there is no doubt that the technology is ready for operational deployment. While these successes have shown that there are no laws of physics against such systems, their estimated system costs are still much too high for serious considerations. Two types of development can reduce the cost dramatically. The first is via the improvement of physical-link communication efficiency by an order of magnitude using photon-counting receivers for vacuum channels, system complexity, weight, and power for space systems can be greatly reduced. The second is through the use of coherent systems in links where clear-air turbulence impairs communication efficiency, and in multiple access applications where coherent processing can reduce the level of interference, significant reduction in system costs can be realized


I. INTRODUCTION At first glance, the Tenth Circuit's decision in June v. Union Carbide Corp.1 is an unremarkable one. The court reaches what appears to be a reasonable result in interpreting the Price-Anderson Act to exclude medical monitoring claims, and the case mirrors the reasoning of a sister circuit in doing so. But while die court presents its reasoning as a matter of simple statutory interpretation, the court's holding fails to take into account or even mention its own reversal of previous Price -Anderson jurisprudence in the Tendi Circuit. Thus, the most striking aspect of the opinion is the court's lack of awareness that it is reversing itself. Indeed, the plaintiffs failed to stress to the court that a previous panel of the Tenth Circuit had decided die issue in Building This Note begins with a brief history of medical monitoring claims, the Price-Anderson Act, and die relevant jurisprudence in those areas. The Note then recaps the Tenth Circuit's decision in June. Next, die Note analyzes the June decision and the alternate paths that decision could have taken had the court relied on Building & Construction Department - as the plaintiffs should have more pointedly asked it to do. The Note concludes by noting the potential nationwide consequences of the plaintiffs' failure to rely more heavily on Building & Construction Department in presenting their case to the court. II. CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND This Part of the Note will examine the relevant statutory audiority and case law informing the Tenth Circuit's decision in June. This examination will begin with a brief discussion of the law regarding medical monitoring claims followed by a synopsis of die relevant provisions of the Price-Anderson Act. The Note will then survey the approaches the various circuits have taken in dealing with medical monitoring claims brought under the Act. A. Medical Monitoring Claims Medical monitoring first arose as an independent cause of action in die 1980s.5 Philosophically, medical monitoring claims are based on the proposition that a person has "an interest in avoiding expensive medical evaluations caused by die tortious conduct of others."6 Thus, it is appropriate for the tortfeasor to pay for die diagnostic costs of an event carrying with it a risk of injury "that is neither inconsequential nor of a kind die community generally accepts as part of die wear and tear of daily life."7 An early case based the decision to award medical monitoring costs to asymptomatic plaintiffs on the following hypodietical: Jones is knocked down by a motorbike which Smith is riding through a red light. Jones lands on his head with some force. Understandably shaken, Jones enters a hospital where doctors recommend that he undergo a battery of tests to determine whether he has suffered any internal head injuries. The tests prove negative, but Jones sues Smith solely for what turns out to be the substantial cost of the diagnostic examinations.8 The D. C. Circuit, in examining this scenario, stated "diat even in the absence of physical injury Jones ought to be able to recover the cost for the various diagnostic examinations proximately caused by Smith's negligent action."9 Courts initially found this sort of reasoning persuasive, and over the next several years multiple jurisdictions adopted medical monitoring as an independent cause of action. …


Our evolutionary history has endowed us with biological systems for identifying those elements of the environment that contribute to our biological fitness and for modifying our behaviors to allow us to acquire them. Theoretical propositions suggest that the ability to detect changes in the statistics underlying in the environment may be useful for rapidly adapting our behaviors. However, little is known about the neural representation of the quantity representing the evidence for a change point: unexpected uncertainty. In Chapter 2, I describe a study in which humans interact with an unstable reward environment while undergoing fMRI. Representations of unexpected uncertainty were found in multiple cortical areas, as well as the noradrenergic brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus. Other unique cortical regions were found to encode estimation uncertainty, or the uncertainty in one's estimates of the reward contingencies, and risk, or one's estimate of the stochasticity of the environment. Collectively, these findings support theoretical models in which uncertainty computations determine the speed of learning. Although learning from direct experience in this way is vital to our survival, humans are also particularly adept at learning from conspecifics. However, it is not known whether differing computational strategies thought to support experiential learning, model-based and model-free learning, also support learning by observation. Chapter 3 describes a study in which human participants played a multi-armed bandit task that encouraged them to employ both experiential and observational learning while they underwent fMRI. Model-based learning signals are found during both observational and experiential learning in the intraparietal sulcus. However, unlike in experiential learning, model-free learning signals in the ventral striatum were not detectable during observational learning. These results provide insight into the flexibilty of the model-based learning system, and further suggest that the model-free learning system may be less flexible with regard to its involvement in observational learning. While Chapters 2 and 3 are concerned with modifying reward-seeking behavior in reponse to changes in the external environment, Chapter 4 examines a modification of reward-seeking behavior in response to changes in the internal hormonal environment. Specifically, it describes how the behavior of human males in a simple economic game was influenced by the administration of testosterone. Although a popular view on the role of testosterone in human social behaviour proposes that it increases aggression, a recent theory states that it instead promotes behaviors that enhance social status. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled between-subjects design, administration of testosterone increased punishment of players who treat the participants unfairly but also increased reward of those who treat them generously. Our findings are inconsistent with the view that testosterone simply increases aggression and provides causal evidence for the social-status hypothesis in men. In Chapter 5, I describe an investigation of the phenomenon of 'choking under pressure', in which reward-seeking behavior is compromised by the promise of high reward for successful performance. A novel approach to attenuating such 'choking under pressure' using cognitive reappraisal of the incentive is described and tested. When participants performed a demanding motor task under reappraisal, choking was indeed significantly reduced, with the magnitude of this reduction being predicted by the striatal BOLD response to incentive magnitude. In addition, application of the reappraisal strategy was associated with reduced sympathetic arousal during trials on which performance failed at high levels of incentive. These results suggest that reappraisal of the incentive is indeed a promising intervention for attenuating choking under pressure.


The horseshoe prior is frequently employed in Bayesian analysis of high-dimensional models, and has been shown to achieve minimax optimal risk properties when the truth is sparse. While optimization-based algorithms for the extremely popular Lasso and elastic net procedures can scale to dimension in the hundreds of thousands, algorithms for the horseshoe that use Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for computation are limited to problems an order of magnitude smaller. This is due to high computational cost per step and growth of the variance of time-averaging estimators as a function of dimension. We propose two new MCMC algorithms for computation in these models that have significantly improved performance compared to existing alternatives. One of the algorithms also approximates an expensive matrix product to give orders of magnitude speedup in high-dimensional applications. We prove guarantees for the accuracy of the approximate algorithm, and show that gradually decreasing the approximation error as the chain extends results in an exact algorithm. The scalability of the algorithm is illustrated in simulations with problem size as large as N = 5, 000 observations and p = 50, 000 predictors, and an application to a genome-wide association study with N = 2, 267 and p = 98, 385. The empirical results also show that the new algorithm yields estimates with lower mean squared error, intervals with better coverage, and elucidates features of the posterior that were often missed by previous algorithms in high dimensions, including bimodality of posterior marginals indicating uncertainty about which covariates belong in the model.


Australia's comparatively small and open economy is subject to boom-bust shocks that centre on its exporting mining and agricultural industries which, in average years, are minor contributors to its GDP. The associated real exchange rate effects, however, have important implications for overall performance and its distribution between traded industries and largely non-traded services, the latter contributing four-fifths of its GDP with much of it dominated by oligopolies. A common inference concerning the recent "China" boom has been that the following bust will be seriously contractionary, indirectly implying symmetry in economic responses. This paper explores this issue using an economy-wide approach that represents oligopoly behaviour and its regulation explicitly. The results show considerable asymmetry, with booms having proportionally larger effects on performance than busts. This is shown to be affected by oligopoly but to have its roots in neoclassical behaviour. Key implications are that busts do not place all boom gains at risk. Tight regulatory control of pure profits raises and better distributes gains during booms but it prevents pure losses or exits during busts and so exacerbates downturns.


Sight and sound are equally crucial to our understanding of the world, yet the visual has dominated discussions of cultural experience. The very way we relate to, and think about, our everyday world has been influenced by this emphasis on sight over sound. Providing a definitive overview of an emerging field, this pioneering reader is the first to redress a glaring imbalance by investigating how auditory culture subtly and profoundly impacts on our everyday lives.

From the evocative tolling of village bells to the grating rattle of exhaust pipes, what we hear influences how we feel and what we do. As technology advances, the world has become an increasingly noisy, confusing and disturbing place. The recent addition of mobile phones alone has irrevocably changed our auditory experiences. In order to retreat from jarring sounds, we seek new sounds sounds that calm, block, soothe. Beginning with the role of sound in historical and social thought, The Auditory Culture Reader moves on to consider city noise, music, voices, and new technologies and medias of sound. It explores, for example, the sectarian sounds of North Belfast, sounds of the powwow amongst Native Americans, football chants, recorded sermons, and the power and influence of the DJs voice.

Filling a significant gap, this groundbreaking and multidisciplinary reader combines classic texts, interviews and original contributions by leading social and cultural theorists. It represents a landmark statement on a surprisingly overlooked aspect of our everyday experience.


A non-invasive detection method for the status analysis of cell culture is presented based on digital holography technology. Lensless Fourier transform digital holography (LFTDH) configuration is developed for living cell imaging without prestaining. Complex amplitude information is reconstructed by a single inverse fast Fourier transform, and the phase aberration is corrected through the two-step phase subtraction method. The image segmentation is then applied to the automatic evaluation of confluency. Finally, the cervical cancer cell TZMbl is employed for experimental validation, and the results demonstrate that LFTDH imaging with the corresponding image post-processing can provide an automatic and non-invasive approach for monitoring living cell culture.


The speechreading ability of a group of young children with normal hearing was assessed using a simple, closed‐set, single word identification task. The speechreading test was devised such that the accurate identification of half of the test items would be expected to be facilitated by the ability to perceive voicing contrasts. All of the subjects performed the task twice, once with visual speech information only and once with visual information supplemented by a voice pitch signal, derived using an electrolaryngograph. Subjects were found to be able to identify familiar words through speechreading, both in the silent condition and with the addition voice pitch signal. No significant overall improvement was found to result from the provision of voice pitch information. However, subjects were found to significantly improve in their ability to identify those test items which required the discrimination of voicing contrasts. Conclusions were drawn about the normal speech perceptual processes of young childre...


Cognition in the human brain requires processes of memory consolidation and retrieval that are carried out across reentrant connections between limbic cortex and multiple network levels of the neocortex. Given this layered architecture, and the point-to-point reentrance of the connections, cognition is likely to be recursive, changing its internal representations dynamically with each cycle of consolidation. To provide structure and constancy within this dynamic interplay, language operations appear to draw on the capacity for inhibitory specification emergent within the ventral, paleocortical corticolimbic pathways. We propose that inhibitory specification has been essential to regulate the dynamism of recursive consolidation, supporting the evolution of both the object qualities of words and the regularized structure of grammar.


Irrigation in (semi-) arid climates can be managed in such a way that it can be sustained indefinitely. Salination can be avoided by providing adequate drainage. Drainage, however, exacts a price. The drainage water needs disposal and causes a degradation of water quality along its disposal route. Increased pressure on natural resources generally, and on Western water resources specifically, suggests that the benefits of irrigation and acceptance of the disbenefits of irrigation drainage can no longer be taken for granted. Irrigation agriculture must adopt to changing physical and social conditions in order to survive. Fortunately, the technology exists to increase irrigation efficiency substantially and thus to reduce the volume of drainage water needing disposal. Changes in institutional arrangements and reductions in direct or indirect subsidies to more nearly reflect the true costs of irrigation may well force some economically inefficient operations out of business. The bulk of irrigated agriculture will adapt to new circumstances.


Local Hochschild, cyclic Homology and K-theory were introduced by N. Teleman in [10] with the purpose of unifying different settings of the index theorem. This paper is one of the research topics announced in [10], {\S}10. The definition of these new objects inserts the Alexander-Spanier idea for defining the co-homology [8] into the corresponding constructions. This is done by allowing only chains which have smal l support about the diagonal. This definition, applicable at least in the case of the Banach sub-algebras of the algebra of bounded operators on the Hilbert space of L2-sections in vector bundles, differs from various constructions due to A. Connes [1], A. Connes, H.Moscovici [2], M. Puschnigg [7], J. Cuntz [4]. In this paper we prove that the local Hochschild homology of the Banach algebra of Hilbert-Schmidt operators on any countable, locally finite homogeneous simplicial complex X is naturally isomorphic the Alexander-Spanier homology of the space X, Theorem 1. This result may be used to compute the local periodic cyclic homology of the algebra of Hilbert-Schmidt operators on such spaces X. The same result should hold in the case of the algebra of trace class operators L1 as well as in the case of smoothing operators s \subset L 1. In addition, the tools we introduce in this paper should apply also for computing the local Hochschild and periodic cyclic homology of the Schatten class ideals Lp, at least for the other values 1 < p < 2. Parts of what is presented here were stated in author's lecture at the International Alexandroff Reading Conference, Moscow, 21-25 May 2012.


The CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK (formerly the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area) was created by an act of Congress sponsored by Rep. John F. Seiberling and signed by Pres. Gerald Ford on 27 Dec. 1974. It designated 32,000 acres along 22 mi. of the CUYAHOGA RIVER in southern Cuyahoga and northern Summit counties as the third urban park in the Natl. Park system; the Golden Gate Natl. Recreation Area in San Francisco and the Gateway Natl. Recreation Area in New York City were established in 1972. The northern boundary of the park is at Rockside Rd. in VALLEY VIEW. The CVNRA was established to preserve the "scenic, recreational, natural, and historic" values of undeveloped land between Cleveland and Akron, land threatened by commercial development and rapid population growth. Established officially on 26 June 1975, the CVNRA includes such already developed recreational facilities as the Virginia Kendall Park, Blossom Music Ctr., and Hale Farm & Village. Congress authorized $34.5 million for land acquisition over a 5-year period, and under the direction of Superintendent Wm. C. Birdsell, the Natl. Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers embarked on a controversial land-buying spree that angered many people residing in the park area and politicians. By 1980 only 60% of the land had been acquired, at a cost of more than $42 million, and the Park Service had bought 306 of the 750 homes in the park area.By the fall of 1980, CVNRA was offering visitors' biking and nature tours, programs for children, concerts, and craft programs. After Birdsell's death on 18 Aug. 1980, Lewis S. Albert became the superintendent of CVNRA. Under his direction and that of the Reagan administration in Washington, policies at CVNRA were changed. The CVNRA stopped purchasing land not needed for park purposes and sought other ways to preserve it. By Nov. 1984 the Natl. Park Service had bought 14,444 acres of land for CVNRA for $78 million and had plans to buy 3,000 additional acres. John Debo has served as park superintendent since 1988.The CVNRA continued to expand its offering of cultural and recreational activities in the 1980s. Although it hosted the Natl. Folk Festival from 1983-85, the Folk Festival left in 1985. Soon after, the Park Service began sponsoring its own event, the Cuyahoga Valley Heritage Festival, held annually in August. The CVNRA also focused on the rehabilitation of historic structures and Park Service facilities. The Canal Visitor Center, located at Hillside and Canalroads in Valley View, was renovated in 1984. The Park Service also spent $2 million to renovate 50 other historic structures.In the 1990s the CVNRA opened the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Ctr. The towpath, completed in Oct. 1993, parallels remnants of the canal and the Cuyahoga River. Opened in May 1994, the Environmental Education Ctr. serves elementary-age students from 1,800 schools around the northeastern Ohio region. In 1994 visitation surpassed 3.3 million visitors. By the time it celebrated its 20th anniversary in Sept. 1995, the CVNRA had an annual operating budget of $6.5 million and 139 employees. In October 2000, the park was renamed the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by an act of Congress.


Edited by Robert D. Blackwill and Paul Dibb. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000. 143 pages. $17.95. As this generation of leadership seeks to reexamine America's established ties in Asia, this book is a useful tool. Nine distinguished strategists present systematic and concrete prescriptions for strengthening America's Asian alliances. The book is a collaborative effort between Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. It offers an examination of US relations with Japan, Korea, and Australia--each alliance conceived in circumstances of a bygone era--and provides an analysis of the contemporary regional security environment. Unlike the new and largely peaceful Europe, the Asia-Pacific region is fraught with old instabilities, new risks, and opportunities. America's Asian alliances face an arc of potential instability, from the divided Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia, to the nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan on the South Asian subcontinent, to an unstable Indonesia in Southeast Asia. The United States and its allies must also address the rise of Chinese power, as well as continue efforts to halt the spread of nuclear and high-tech conventional weapons, maintain access to energy resources, and expand the world's free-trade system. In the first chapter, Australian Paul Dibb provides a snapshot of Asia's strategic environment. He argues that despite the fashionable view that geography and geopolitics are no longer relevant in the post-Cold War era, Asia retains many of the geopolitical elements of the Cold War. In his assessment of the next five years, he argues that the US alliance system in the Asia-Pacific region needs to adjust to the lack of a clear enemy by developing a "new common security concept." Rather than being threat-based, the alliance emphasis in the Asia-Pacific region needs to focus on shared interests in the maintenance of regional stability. The second chapter, by Phillip Zelikow, examines the evolution of America's role in Asia, and his argument will undoubtedly be met with cheers from Asia-watchers. He debunks the standard narratives that tend to reinforce the notion that the history of American foreign policy toward Europe equates to the history of American foreign policy for the rest of the world. Zelikow provides a very useful comparison of the distinctive character of US engagement in Asia to its policy toward Europe. He concludes with the warning that the erratic character of US policy toward Asia may carry great risks given the unstable equilibrium in the region. Australian Stuart Harris and American Richard N. Cooper address the US-Japan alliance using a cost-benefit framework to foreshadow where differences on bilateral or regional issues could develop in traditional areas of tension. …


Abstract This article explores the role played by public sector software (PSS) in social change in India. Viewing public sector software as a public good, it explores its potential as well as the challenges that it faces in a context in which proprietoral software is an established and dominant force. Using both theory and examples, it argues that state investment in this public good makes infinite sense in the context of e-governance and commitments to access and affordable use of information resources for all its citizens. Based on the principles of Free Open Source Software (FOSS), PSS offers not only possibilities of access but also adaptation and use by a variety of 'recursive publics'. Using the example of PSS in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, it offers insights into the practical benefits of software deployed for the common good.


This chapter illustrates the claim that Chinese L1 speakers acquiring French as an L2 may face a double challenge stemming from their previous experience of a language without grammatical tense. For these learners, the process of ascertaining the temporal value of French tenses as well as their aspectual values may be hindered by negative transfer from the L1. This chapter starts with a brief description of the tense-aspect system of French and Mandarin Chinese, highlighting the main differences between them; it then presents analyses and results from a study based on narrative stretches relating to past situations extracted from the blogs written by the participants. We claim that French present tense is often used as a neutral form by Chinese L1 speakers, rather than being a default or base form typical of lower L2 proficiency. Arguments supporting this claim are based both on comparative linguistic descriptions and on semantic analyses of the learner's productions, taking into account the interaction of lexical aspect and overt tense marking. The chapter ends with a discussion of the results weighing the explicative power of the transfer hypothesis as opposed to universalist hypotheses.


Two PhD students for the newly established research group in "Spatial Development and Urban Policy" at ETH Zurich, Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development. The research group and both PhD students will work at the intersection of public policy, urban politics, and spatial planning. PhD in Spatial Planning Policy Analysis : https://apply.refline.ch/845721/7300/pub/1/index.html PhD in Participatory Urban Governance : https://apply.refline.ch/845721/7301/pub/1/index.html Applications (...)


Pretty Bubbles in the Air: America in 1919. William D Miller. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1991. $29.95 cloth. This commendable book delves uncompromisingly into the core of what has been troubling America all along. In comparison, John Dos Passos' critical novel 1919 (1932) renders a mild picture of American life. The closest portrait to the one done by Miller is the opening section of The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan (1934), in which James D. Farrell ably captures in some 30 pages America's war mania and the savage vulgarity of Chicago's V-Day celebration. The year 1919 was not only a breaking point in American life, it was the watershed year of the current century for European history. In America, it marked the end of an epoch of social reform and opened a decade of social anarchy under the mask of "normalcy." In Europe, the Paris peace conference of the same year set the stage for World War II and the turmoil of present-day events in Eastern Europe. It can be safely said that 1919 was a tragic year. Miller's book is a stunning example of how historiography can be made alive by focusing on a single crucial year. The method of presentation is both panoramic and journalistic in that the author provides a cross section of 1919's events. The book's title is an ironic comment on the disparity between the surface structure of pleasure-seeking and material success and the deep structure of lynching, scapegoating, and paranoia. Millers' concern has been "to get as close to the action of the time as I can, to breathe the air and stride along with it." Largely documenting his history of 1919, Miller uses the New York Times as a controlling force for social history as well as the Washington Post and magazines such as McClure's and the Saturday Evening Post. Standard histories and biographical reminiscences provide additional sources. For better readability, Miller abandons cumbersome foot or endnotes in favor of incorporating his numerous citations in the body of the text and adding to the Prologue and each of the 22 chapters a bibliography of Sources and Further Reading. Miller's thought-provoking study successfully captures the idea climate of 1919, from politics both at home and abroad to music and sport to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse that galloped across Europe. Two popular songs ("Pretty Bubbles in the Air" and Caruso's "Over There") provide the key to the practice of displacement that Americans used in dealing with problems at home and abroad. Therefore, Miller's central theme is the madness of the American system, in which a backwoods mentality, hypocrisy, and arrogance combine to create a state of paranoia. …


ARTICLE INFO Fatigue damage is one of the most important distresses in asphalt pavements. Fatigue cracking is influenced by many factors such as pavement structure, loading and environmental conditions and the shape and duration of tensile response pulses at the bottom of asphalt layer greatly affects fatigue life of apshlat layer. In this study, both thick and thin pavement structures in different conditions were analyzed by the 3D-Move program. In the analysis, the asphalt layer was treated as viscoelastic and other layers were considered as elastic material. Haversine and bell-shape functions were fitted to the tensile response pulses computed using dynamic analysis. The results showed that the vehicle speed, thickness of asphalt pavement, pavement temperature and radius of the contact area are the most important factors that affect the shape and duration (frequency) of the tensile response pulses at the bottom of the asphalt layer. In this study, two general models are presented to predict the duration of stress and strain response pulses in longitudinal and transverse directions based on the haversine and the bell-shape waveforms.


This study examined the long-term impact of the Summer Science Exploration Program (SSEP), a 2-week inquiry-based science camp, conducted at Hampshire College Amherst, MA from 1992 to 1994. The goal of the program was to stimulate greater interest in science and scientific careers among middle-school students. One hundred fifty-eight students were selected from a pool of applicants to attend the program using stratified random sampling procedures. In 1996, 22 participants were selected to participate in follow-up interviews using stratified random sampling procedures. Two quantitative surveys, the Science Opinion Survey and the Career Decision-Making Revised Surveys, were administered to 79 SSEP students and 35 students who applied but were not accepted (the control group). Pretest and posttest scores were analyzed for any significant change over time. Additionally, a cohort of over 500 students who were enrolled in the same grades and public schools that SSEP students attended completed the two surveys in both 1992–1994 and 1996–1997. The interviews and surveys suggested that SSEP students maintained a more positive attitude towards science and a higher interest in science careers than students who applied to the program but were not selected. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed86:693–705, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10039


This chapter considers the relationship between private practice and the public good through the lens of an under-examined organizational form: the "private public interest law firm." This form of practice attempts to marry profit and principle in organizations built around some vision of the public good, and it rejects the conventional understanding of pro bono, which distinguishes between paid work and public service. Our analysis of the trajectory of the private public interest sector suggests that it has grown in scale and complexity over the past quarter century. Its development has been influenced by "pull" and "push" factors: the advent of fee-shifting statutes has provided a significant financial incentive for private practice in areas associated with public interest law, while constraints on nonprofit public interest organizations have prodded some lawyers to enter the private sector in search of greater autonomy. Our preliminary survey of the field suggests that lawyers in private public interest firms generally believe that their core (paid) practices advance the public good and they tend to see pro bono, as conventionally defined, as a modest public-spirited gesture promoted by lawyers whose practice model is much less consistent with the public interest than their own. Although they sometimes accept what are, in effect, pro bono cases with no (or very little) expectation of recovering fees, they do so for reasons that differ from those of their big firm counterparts. The views and practices of lawyers in such firms show that the bar's definition of pro bono, as unpaid service to clients who cannot pay, is a particular view of professionalism that is more congenial to lawyers in some practice settings than others. We suggest that "lawyering for the good" in the private sector should be understood as a spectrum of market-embedded practices that entail different tradeoffs between professional ideals and economic realities.


Chapter 1 introduces the discovery of elemental fluorine by H. Moissan and some uses of inorganic fluoride. Organo fluoro compounds and their place in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals are also introduced. The general properties of fluorine and the C-F bond are discussed as well as conformational influences such as the fluorine gauche effect. Chapter 2 describes the C-N------F-C charge dipole interactions within protonated amines and explains the influence of a β fluorine on the conformation on various crystalline structures. A number of systems are synthesised which contain this charge dipole interaction, such as four, five and eight membered aza heterocycles. It was demonstrated that these provided a N-C-C-F gauche torsion angle. This electrostatic effect was also observed in the non-protonated N-ethylpyridinium cations possessing a fluorine β to the charged nitrogen. This clearly showed that hydrogen bonding is not playing a part in the observed N-C-C-F gauche interactions and that it is a purely electrostatic effect. Chapter 3 discusses the effort to explore the C-O-------F-C charge dipole interaction and the synthetic approaches that were taken towards candidate substances. However in the event a Grignard reaction on a fluoro cyclohexanone was found to provide an unexpected product where rearrangement followed by fluorine elimination had occurred. Chapter 4 details the experimental procedures for the compounds synthesised in this thesis and an Appendix outlines the detail of 24 crystal structures that were solved during this research. 1 F O O F O CH3 F OH NH3 CO 2 N N O OH O H F O S O O N H2 N N NH2 F OH O F OH HO2C HO2C CO2H + Chapter