Purpose: The main objective of this study is to develop a methodology for monitoring threats to the economic security of the forestry sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on the principle of consistency, the authors proposed a proper algorithm for assessing the level of economic security of forestry which includes a list of parameters and evaluation criteria. The researchers also described the stages of its implementation and interpreted the results. Findings: The researchers considered the objective and subjective factors that have a negative impact on the forestry sector itself and on the effectiveness of the use of forest resources. The authors argue that there are two groups of threats to the economic security: threats to the forestry sector itself and threats related to the use of forest resources. Practical Implications: The study has practical significance as its results may be used both in forestry to assess the level of economic security of the industry, and in other industries. Originality/Value: The authors contributed to the development of methods for monitoring the threats to economic security in the forestry sector. These methods are aimed at identifying the main risks to the development of the forestry sector that belong to two different groups. The researchers developed the criteria for assessing possible risks and threats to the economic security of the forestry sector.


This article analyzes if a change in domestic political dynamics might lead to a change of attitude toward abandoning Iranian nuclear programme, focusing on the attitudes of Iranian political factions, namely radical conservatives, pragmatic conservatives and reformists toward the Iranian nuclear programme. Presently, there is a common agreement among the political factions on how to continue on nuclear programme. Though this difference among attitudes is known, there has not been much literature on this issue. The article aims to show that even though there might be a change in the inner political dynamics, it would be a mistake to expect a great change in the official policy of Iran on nuclear programme. Iran will not halt its nuclear programme. The article argues that with the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in the June 2009 presidential elections, in the short term, there will not be any change in Iran's official attitude regarding its nuclear programme. Besides in the long-term, it is underlined that even if Ahmedinejad administration might be replaced by "reformists", Iran will not abandon its aim to achieve nuclear power, only there may be moderation in Iran's official rhetoric, and negotiations with the international community might improve.


States alternate between the roles of 'caretaker' and 'rescuer' when providing care to citizens abroad. This article suggests that they are more likely to assume the 'rescuer' role when core values underpinning their self-identity are at stake. This dynamic is explored by examining a case where a Norwegian mother re-abducted her two children from Morocco. In the process, Norway's foreign minister authorized shielding the children at the Norwegian Embassy in Rabat, citing 'Norway's duty to protect two Norwegian minors in fear of their lives'. A diplomatic conflict between Norway and Morocco followed. The Norwegian response must be seen in light of Norway's self-identity as a frontrunner for children's rights. Ultimately, helping the children 'had' to trump concerns about diplomatic costs. The broader dilemmas that this case exemplifies should be relevant also to other cases where a state's concern for a child citizen is pitted against its obligation to diplomatic conventions.


Augmented reality (AR) is a developing technology that is expected to become the next interface between humans and computers. One of the most common designs of AR devices is the optical see-through headmounted display (HMD). In this design, the virtual content presented on the displays embedded inside the device gets optically superimposed on the real world which results in the virtual content being transparent. Color appearance in see-through designs of AR is a complicated subject, because it depends on many factors including the ambient light, the color appearance of the virtual content and color appearance of the real background. Similar to display technology, it is vital to control the color appearance of content for many applications of AR. In this research, color appearance in the see-through design of augmented reality environment is studied and modeled. Using a bench-top optical mixing apparatus as an AR simulator, objective measurements of mixed colors in AR were performed to study the light behavior in AR environment. Psychophysical color matching experiments were performed to understand color perception in AR. These experiments were performed first for simple 2D stimuli with single color both as background and foreground and later for more visually complex stimuli to better represent real content that is presented in AR. Color perception in AR environment was compared to color perception on a display which showed they are different from each other. The applicability of the CAM16 color appearance model, one of the most comprehensive current color appearance models, in AR environment was evaluated. The results showed that the CAM16 is not accurate in predicting the color appearance in AR environment. In order to model color appearance in AR environment, four approaches were developed using modifications in tristimulus and color appearance spaces, and the best performance was found to be for Approach 2 which was based on predicting the tristimulus values of the mixed content from the background and foreground color.


Because its benefit formula replaces a greater fraction of the lifetime earnings of lower earners than of higher earnings, Social Security is generally thought to be progressive, providing However, much of the intra-cohort redistribution in the U.S. Social Security system is related to factors other than lifetime income. Social Security transfers income from people with low life expectancies to people with high life expectancies, from single workers and from married couples with substantial earnings by the secondary earner to married one-earner couples, and from people who work for more than 35 years to those who concentrate their earnings in 35 or fewer years. This paper studies the redistribution accomplished in the retirement portion of the current U.S. Social Security system using a microsimulation model built around a match of the 1990 and 1991 Surveys of Income and Program Participation to Social Security administrative earnings and benefit records. The model simulates the distribution of internal rates of returns, net transfers, and lifetime net tax rates from Social Security that would have been received by members of the 1925 to 1929 birth cohorts if they had lived under current Social Security rules for their entire lives. The paper finds that annual income-related transfers from Social Security are only 5 to 9 percent of Social Security benefits paid, or $19 to $34 billion, at 2001 aggregate benefits levels, when taxes and benefits are discounted at the cohort rate of return of 1.29 percent. At higher discount rates, Social Security appears to be more redistributive by some measures, and less redistributive by others. Because much of the redistribution that occurs through Social Security is not related to income, the range of transfers received at a given level of lifetime income is quite wide. For example, 19 percent of individuals in the top lifetime income quintile receive net transfers that are greater than the average transfer for people in the lowest lifetime income quintile.


Graph theory and the fields of natural language processing and information retrieval are well-studied disciplines. Traditionally, these areas have been perceived as distinct, with different algorithms, different applications, and different potential end-users. However, recent research has shown that these disciplines are intimately connected, with a large variety of natural language processing and information retrieval applications finding efficient solutions within graph-theoretical frameworks. This book extensively covers the use of graph-based algorithms for natural language processing and information retrieval. It brings together topics as diverse as lexical semantics, text summarization, text mining, ontology construction, text classification, and information retrieval, which are connected by the common underlying theme of the use of graph-theoretical methods for text and information processing tasks. Readers will come away with a firm understanding of the major methods and applications in natural language processing and information retrieval that rely on graph-based representations and algorithms.


From the man who has inspired millions of people to transform their lives and create their heart's desire comes his latest book on seeking and embracing the power source within. Deepak Chopra has made clear his conviction that it is within the potential of every human being to live an enriching, self-aware, magnificent life. But to reach that state of empowerment is a difficult task, calling for courage, will power and - often - guidance. In Self-Power, Chopra offers that guidance and encouragement, while inspiring his readers to take their lives into their own capable hands no matter what challenges they may confront, be they job loss, financial difficulties, relationship issues, health problems or spiritual questions.


approved: Intermittent, headwater streams recently have been recognized as important components of forest ecosystems and have been provided increased protection by the Northwest Forest Plan. However, few studies have examined their distribution, dynamics, and ecological roles, such as habitat for wildlife. My goal was to provide additional information on the ecology of intermittent streams in the Pacific Northwest. I examined and compared hydrologic, water quality, and physical characteristics of 16 intermittent streams in old-growth and young forest stands in the central Cascade Range in western Oregon. I documented amphibian communities and habitat associations in these streams during spring and summer. I used comparisons of current habitat conditions and amphibian communities between stand types to gain insight into potential impacts of timber harvesting on these stream systems. Of the streams surveyed in old-growth and young forest stands, relatively few (23%) were designated as intermittent based on my definition which includedpresence of a definable channel, evidence of annual scour and deposition, and lack of surface flow along at least 90% of the stream length. Intermittent streams in old-growth stands exhibited the following characteristics: (1) annual flow pattern in which streams started to dry in May and June and were mostly dry by July; (2) lengthy annual flow durations (range 6 11 months); (3) cool and stable daily stream temperatures; (4) primarily coarse substrates, such as cobbles and pebbles; (5) streamside vegetation comprised of predominantly coniferous overstories, and plant species associated with uplands or dry site conditions, such as Oregon-grape and salal, as well as riparian areas or wet site Redacted for Privacy site conditions, such as Oregon-grape and salal, as well as riparian areas or wet site conditions, such as red alder, oxalis, red huckleberry, and vine maple (Steinblums et al. 1984, Bilby 1988); and (6) low to moderate densities of large wood, mostly moderatelyand well-decayed. Study streams in young forest appeared to dry about one to two months later than the streams in old growth but had similar annual flow durations. They also were characterized by higher daily stream temperatures, similar diel fluctuations, finer substrates, more deciduous overstory and herbaceous understory cover, and lower densities of moderately-decayed large wood. Differences in habitat conditions between stand types may be attributed to timber harvesting as well as discrepancies in physiographic and geological factors, such as elevationgradient, and soil type. Amphibian communities in spring and summer were comprised primarily of the Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae), Dunn's salamander (Plethodon dunni), and Pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus). Amphibian communities in streams in young forest stands exhibited different species composition and seasonal patterns in total density from those in old growth. Cascade torrent salamanders and Dunn's salamanders maintained similar densities and biomass between spring and summer by potentially adopting drought avoidance strategies. Species differed in their use of habitat types and associations with habitat features. In general, amphibian species were positively correlated with percent surface flow, water depth, intermediate-sized substrates and negatively associated with overstory canopy cover, elevation, and wood cover. Results of my study suggest that intermittent streams may warrant protection for their potential effects on downstream habitat and water quality and for their role as habitat for aquatic species, such as amphibians. Streamside vegetation should be maintained along intermittent channels to provide shade protection for water temperature regulation and sources of large woody debris and other allochthonous energy input, to help stabilize slopes, and to minimize erosion and sedimentation. At a minimum, intermittent stream channels should receive protection from physical disturbance during timber harvesting operations. However, since intermittent stream systems are highly variable, management should address individual site conditions and vary accordingly. Amphibian Communities and Physical Characteristics of Intermittent Streams in Old-Growth and Young Forest Stands in Western Oregon


Abstract Recent advances in computer hardware and signal processing have made possible the use of EEG signals or 'brain waves' for communication between humans and computers. Locked-in patients now have a way to communicate with the outside world, but even with the latest techniques, such systems still suffer communication rates of the order of 2-3 tasks/minute. In addition, existing systems are not likely to be designed with flexibility in mind, leading to slow systems that are difficult to improve. This work classifies different mental tasks through the use of the electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG signals from several subjects have been studied during the performance of five mental tasks: a baseline task for which the subjects were asked to relax as much as possible, a multiplication task for which the subjects were given nontrivial multiplication problem without vocalizing or making any other movements, a letter composing task for which the subjects were instructed to mentally compose a letter without vocalizing (imagine writing a letter to a friend in their head), a rotation task for which the subjects were asked to visualize a particular three-dimensional block figure being rotated about its axis, and a counting task for which the subjects were asked to imagine a blackboard and to visualize numbers being written on the board sequentially. The work presented here can be viewed as part of a larger project, whose goal is to classify EEG signals belonging to a varied set of mental activities in a real time brain-computer interface, in order to investigate the feasibility of using different mental tasks as a wide communication channel between people and computers.


International comparisons of emotional wellbeing rarely account for the situational and social context of the experience of emotions (such as happiness or pleasantness) associated with everyday activities. A small number of studies have revealed the emotional context of the daily time‑schedules of Americans. Knowing the emotions people associate with patterns of experience opens up the possibility of modelling how national emotional wellbeing might change, should policy persuade people to alter their routines. We compare time‑use patterns in two countries with relatively similar cultural and institutional contexts, Australia and the United States, to see how people in the United States might feel if they altered their routines to live more like Australians. We find that such a change could yield a reduction in unpleasant time in certain categories, such as paid work, but at the cost of losing more pleasant time in other activities, including socialising. We also find that men and women are likely to have different responses to policies that alter general behaviour. This paper highlights the need for future research to explore the emotional diversity, emotion work, and gender gaps in the emotional wellbeing of nations.


Polo-like kinase 4 (Plk4) initiates an early step in centriole assembly by phosphorylating Ana2/STIL, a structural component of the procentriole. Here, we show that Plk4 binding to the central coiled-coil (CC) of Ana2 is a conserved event, involving Polo-box 3 and a previously unidentified putative CC located adjacent to the kinase domain. Ana2 binding stimulates Plk4 kinase activity in vitro, and, in turn, is phosphorylated along its length. Previous studies showed that Plk4 phosphorylates the C-terminal STAN domain of Ana2/STIL, triggering binding and recruitment of the cartwheel protein Sas6 to the procentriole assembly site. However, the physiological relevance of N-terminal phosphorylation was unknown. We found that Plk4 first phosphorylates the extreme N–terminus of Ana2 which is critical for subsequent STAN domain modification. Phosphorylation of the central region then breaks the Plk4-Ana2 interaction. This phosphorylation pattern is important for centriole assembly and integrity because replacement of endogenous Ana2 with phospho-Ana2 mutants disrupts distinct steps in Ana2 function and inhibits centriole duplication.


Abstract Zakes Mda — novelist, playwright, painter and musician of the 'new' South Africa — started his career as a writer working in theatre-for-development with the Maratholi Travelling Theatre in Lesotho in 1985. Since then, Mda has written numerous plays which incorporate popular indigenous modes of performance to educate his audience for democracy. With the ending of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, creative writers transferred their energies from themes of resistance and struggle to issues of reconciliation in a newly democratic nation. They were, in Njabulo Ndebele's terms, free now to 'rediscover the ordinary'. Mda responded by moving to novel writing, finding in this fictional genre a new narrative freedom. Over the last few years he has published Ways of Dying (1995), The Heart of Redness (2000), The Madonna of Excelsior (2002), The Whale Caller (2005), Cion (2007) and Black Diamond (2009).


Using new redshift data reported in Gregory et al., we examine the structure of the Perseus supercluster. We discuss in detail three filaments lying in the plane of the sky on the western end of the supercluster that are distinct from each other in redshift and/or position. Additionally, radially directed filaments are found, and it appears that all of the filaments in the region are connected. We speculate that an important feature of filamentary structures may be the fact that many, if not all of them, connect in such a way as to form complete loops or rings. Underdense regions that border our filaments may not be very representative of the now classical cosmic void, in that their structures are not predominantly spheroidal.


Lumbar discectomy is being done in increasing frequency worldwide where formation of epidural scar formation has been known as a common cause of its failure. Application of a free fat graft despite controversies has been widely used to prevent further adhesion and post-laminectomy scarring. Single nerve root compression and cauda equina syndrome due to compressive effect of free fat graft with a few days to weeks after laminectomy is well known early complication of lumbar discectomy. However, late neurological deficit as the result of significant increase of fat graft volume has been not addressed previously in the literature. Herein, the authors present a middle-age man who was admitted with cauda equina syndrome for one day duration developing 11 years after a redo laminectomy for recurrent disc herniation and local stenosis. The MRI obtained urgently revealed significant overgrowth of the free fat graft that had been already used for prevention of scar formation. Piecemeal surgical removal of fat with clearance of the theca and the corresponding nerve roots result in steady but good recovery within a few weeks. To our knowledge, although overgrowth of fat has been reported in other locations, but this is the first example occurring after its application at the site of laminectomy. Therefore, overgrowth of free fat graft should be added to all previously describe unusual complication of lumbar discectomy.


In Natural Goodness, Philippa Foot aims to give an account of goodness and badness in action in terms of natural goodness and defect. In this paper I argue that Foot's account of natural goodness fails as an attempt to ground the evaluation of living things in their life forms, even before its extension to moral evaluation. Foot's overall project depends on her characterization of a life form, and she gives an account of life forms in terms of a theory of biological teleology. Teleological propositions, for Foot, give an answer to the question "What part does it play in the life cycle of things of the species S?" Foot's biological teleology holds that the features and behaviors of nonhuman organisms are all aimed at the ends of characteristic development, self‐maintenance, and reproduction. However, there are alternative theories of biological teleology from an evolutionary perspective. From this perspective, germ‐line gene replication is the end towards which the functions of living things are aimed. I argue that given the fact that Foot's teleology is not the only available theory, she faces a dilemma. She may either hold that her account is preferable biologically speaking, and that teleological notions in evolutionary biology are mistaken, or she may hold that her account of teleology is compatible with those in biology since each is concerned with very different tasks. Along with William FitzPatrick, I call the former the "exclusive approach," and the latter the "complementary approach." I argue that the exclusive approach fails on biological grounds. Against the complementary approach, I focus on worries about the ways Foot might understand the life form and life cycle if her teleology is not taken as a theory drawing on empirical science. I find that neither an exclusive approach nor a complementary approach will yield a theory of teleology sufficient for defending Foot's claims about the basis of natural evaluation.


The study of the worst-case complexity of the Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem has seen considerable progress in recent years, for various types of instances including CNFs, Boolean formulas and constant-depth circuits. We systematically investigate the complexity of solving mixed instances, where different parts of the instance come from different types. Our investigation is motivated partly by practical contexts such as SMT (Satisfiability Modulo Theories) solving, and partly by theoretical issues such as the exact complexity of graph problems and the desire to find a unifying framework for known satisfiability algorithms. We investigate two kinds of mixing: conjunctive mixing, where the mixed instance is formed by taking the conjunction of pure instances of different types, and compositional mixing, where the mixed instance is formed by the composition of different kinds of circuits. For conjunctive mixing, we show that non-trivial savings over brute force search can be obtained for a number of instance types in a generic way using the paradigm of subcube partitioning. We apply this generic result to show a meta-algorithmic result about graph optimisation problems: any optimisation problem that can be formalised in Monadic SNP can be solved exactly with exponential savings over brute-force search. This captures known results about problems such as Clique, Independent Set and Vertex Cover, in a uniform way. For certain kinds of conjunctive mixing, such as mixtures of $k$-CNFs and CNFs of bounded size, and of k-CNFs and Boolean formulas, we obtain improved savings over subcube partitioning by combining existing algorithmic ideas in a more fine-grained way. We use the perspective of compositional mixing to show the first non-trivial algorithm for satisfiability of quantified Boolean formulas, where there is no depth restriction on the formula. We show that there is an algorithm which for any such formula with a constant number of quantifier blocks and of size nc, where c < 5/4, solves satisfiability in time $2^{n-n^{\Omega(1)}}$.


In this paper, we propose a unified panoptic segmentation network (UPSNet) for tackling the newly proposed panoptic segmentation task. On top of a single backbone residual network, we first design a deformable convolution based semantic segmentation head and a Mask R-CNN style instance segmentation head which solve these two subtasks simultaneously. More importantly, we introduce a parameter-free panoptic head which solves the panoptic segmentation via pixel-wise classification. It first leverages the logits from the previous two heads and then innovatively expands the representation for enabling prediction of an extra unknown class which helps better resolve the conflicts between semantic and instance segmentation. Additionally, it handles the challenge caused by the varying number of instances and permits back propagation to the bottom modules in an end-to-end manner. Extensive experimental results on Cityscapes, COCO and our internal dataset demonstrate that our UPSNet achieves state-of-theart performance with much faster inference.


In the years since the first human genome was sequenced at a cost of over $3 billion, technological advancements have driven the price below $1,000, making personal genome sequencing affordable to many people. Personal genome sequencing has the potential to enable better disease prevention, more accurate diagnoses, and personalized therapies. Furthermore, sharing genomic data with researchers promises identification of the causes of many diseases and the development of new therapies. However, sequencing costs, data privacy concerns, regulatory restrictions, and technical challenges impede the growth of genomic data and hinder data sharing. In this article, we propose that these challenges can be addressed by combining decentralized system design, privacy-preserving technologies, and an equitable compensation model in a platform that vests control over data with individual owners; ensures transparency and privacy; facilitates regulatory compliance; minimizes expensive data transfers; and shifts the sequencing costs from consumers, patients, and biobanks to researchers in industry and academia. We exemplify this by describing the implementation of Nebula, a distributed genomic data generation, sharing, and analysis platform.


Objective: To describe the contribution of changes in fitness and fatness resulting from exercise training on changes in submaximal exercise blood pressure (BP) during treadmill testing. Design and setting: Prospective, randomised, controlled trial. Participants: Sedentary older adults (n = 115) with untreated prehypertension or mild hypertension. Intervention: Six-month supervised aerobic and strength training. Main outcome measurement: Systolic BP (SBP) was assessed at rest and during each stage of a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) that determined Vo2peak. General and regional fatness was assessed by anthropometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and MRI. BP changes were calculated for each GXT stage, and multivariate regression models were used to describe the association of changes in exercise BP with changes in fitness and fatness. Results: After training, exercisers versus controls had significantly increased Vo2peak and significantly lower measures of general and regional fatness. Also, stage-specific SBP was significantly lower at stage 3 (−9.4 vs −1.6 mm Hg, p = 0.03) and stage 4 (−7.9 vs −1.2 mm Hg, p = 0.03). Pooled regression analysis across all stages showed that exercisers had a 7.1 mm Hg reduction in SBP, but this reduction fell short of statistical significance (p = 0.12) compared with controls. A 1.0 ml/kg/min increase in Vo2peak and a 1.0 cm decrease in waist circumference independently predicted a 1.0 mm Hg decrease in exercise SBP (p = 0.04 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Decreased exercise SBP was independently associated with decreased waist circumference, a marker of abdominal obesity and increased fitness. These findings suggest that exercise training improves multiple factors that have an independent influence on SBP.


The free movement provisions have always been generously construed by the
European Court of Justice. Through a teleological rather than a literal interpretation,
the Court ensured that individuals would enjoy tangible benefits
from their State's membership of the Community. Further, the Court has
adopted a dynamic interpretation, reflecting both the evolving nature of the
Community integration process, and changes in society.
If, following Keck, the scope of the free movement of goods has been (at
least partially) curtailed, the scope of the free movement of persons provisions
has been considerably broadened. The step towards a non-discriminatory
assessment of the workers and establishment provisions, together with
some developments which have occurred in the field of services, have made
it considerably easier for individuals (and companies) to bring themselves
within the scope ratione materiae of the Treaty. Consequently, an increasing
number of rules are subject to the necessity and proportionality assessment
demanded by the imperative requirements doctrine. This creates three main
problems. First of all, it is debated whether such intrusion into the regulatory
autonomy of the Member States is justified by the Treaty. Secondly, it is increasingly
difficult to assess the boundaries of the free movement provisions.
Thirdly, the practical difficulty in drawing a demarcation line between rules
which can be construed as obstacles to the exercise of the movement rights,
and rules which should fall altogether outside the scope of the Treaty, is reflected
in the difficulty of providing a satisfactory conceptual framework capable
of defining the scope of the Treaty rights whilst also accommodating
the developments of the often confused case law.
This article aims at exploring these problems by focusing on the case law
on non-discriminatory restrictions in the field of free movement of persons.
It will be argued that whilst the discrimination/double burden approach does
not reflect the State of the law, the market access theory either cannot explain
the post-Gebhard case law, or, if it can, it does not provide us with any
indication as to the content of the free movement provisions. It will then be
suggested that the internal market rationale does not provide a valid explanation
for some of the Court's case law. Rather, the rulings in Gebhard, Gourmet
and Carpenter are part of a broader phenomenon, where the Court is
protecting the citizen qua citizen, rather than simply qua mover, thereby assuming
a role which traditionally pertained to national constitutional courts.
Thus, it will be argued, these cases should be seen in the context of the introduction,
and development, of Union citizenship.
We will start by outlining the different conceptual frameworks elaborated
in relation to the free movement provisions, to then turn our attention to the
case law to assess how the theory relates to the practice, and to suggest a
new framework of analysis.


Abstract. Biomass burning, such as domestic heating, agricultural, and wild open-land fires, has a significant influence on the atmosphere at the global and, especially, at the local scale. Levoglucosan has been shown to be a good tracer for biomass burning emissions in atmospheric particulate matter, and several analytical techniques have been presented for the determination of levoglucosan from filter samples. In this paper, a novel combination of a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) to a high-performance anion-exchange chromatograph (HPAEC) with the detection by a mass spectrometer (MS) is presented for the online analysis of levoglucosan in ambient particles. The PILS–HPAEC–MS technique enables a fast online analysis of levoglucosan from the particulate samples. The method was tested at an urban background station in Helsinki, Finland, in winter 2011. A comparison with simultaneous levoglucosan measurements from filter samples by the HPAEC–MS was performed and it showed a good agreement between the online and offline methods. Additionally, the online levoglucosan data were compared with the biomass burning tracer fragments measured by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). As there were no local biomass burning sources close to the measurement station, online levoglucosan measurements revealed that most of the particles from biomass burning were either regionally distributed or long-range transported in the urban background of Helsinki. The average levoglucosan concentrations were relatively low (average 0.083 μg m−3) during the measurement campaign. The highest concentration peak measured for levoglucosan (1.4 μg m−3) seemed to originate from biomass burning in the Baltic countries, likely in Estonia, that was transported to Helsinki.


Semi-supervised learning is an efficient way to improve performance for natural language processing systems. In this work, we propose Para-SSL, a scheme to generate candidate utterances using paraphrasing and methods from semi-supervised learning. In order to perform paraphrase generation in the context of a dialog system, we automatically extract paraphrase pairs to create a paraphrase corpus. Using this data, we build a paraphrase generation system and perform one-to-many generation, followed by a validation step to select only the utterances with good quality. The paraphrase-based semi-supervised learning is applied to five functionalities in a natural language understanding system. Our proposed method for semi-supervised learning using paraphrase generation does not require user utterances and can be applied prior to releasing a new functionality to a system. Experiments show that we can achieve up to 19% of relative slot error reduction without an access to user utterances, and up to 35% when leveraging live traffic utterances.


Fluids play a key role in the transfer of both heat and mass within the crust and in the attainment of chemical equilibrium in metamorphic rocks, controlling both reaction rates and deformation mechanisms. However, our understanding of fluid movement through the deep crust is limited because rocks readily recrystallize, and fluids are invariably lost from grain boundaries. Little is known about how textures evolve during metamorphism since minerals rarely preserve much textural history that can be directly related to grain-boundary processes. Here we report on a study of the surfaces of apatite within gneisses. A variety of textural features is preserved on these surfaces, including imprinted texture of fossil grain boundaries. This texture is linked to deformation that caused a temporary excursion to fine grain size in the surrounding silicates. The geometry of paleoporosity is also recorded by microhollows on the apatite surface and gives a unique insight into both fluid behavior within the crust and the textural evolution of rocks.


This ambitious work is the definitive account of Russia's land reform initiatives from the late 1980s to today. In Russia, a country controlling more land than any other nation, land ownership is central to structures of power, class division, and agricultural production. The aim of Russian land reform for the past thirty years--to undo the collectivization of the Soviet era and encourage public ownership--has been largely unsuccessful. To understand this failure, Stephen Wegren examines contemporary land reform policies in terms of legislation, institutional structure, and human behavior. Using extensive survey data, he analyzes household behaviors in regard to land ownership and usage based on socioeconomic status, family size, demographic distribution, and regional differences. Wegren's study is important and timely, as Russian land reform will have a profound effect on Russia's ability to compete in an era of globalization.


Background Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the leading cause of non-ischaemic heart failure. It causes approximately 10,000 deaths in Europe per year. Studies suggest that up to 50% of patients with DCM have a genetic predisposition and that mutations within one of 40 genes coding for structural and functional cardiac proteins accounts for up to 40% of familial disease. The relevance of genotype to clinical phenotype, treatment and prognosis is poorly understood. This study aimed to clinically and genetically characterise probands with familial DCM using next-generation sequencing technology (NGS) to determine specific genotype-phenotype correlations in DCM. Methods 72 probands with DCM were consecutively recruited into this study within our centre. All received pre-test genetic counselling and provided written informed consent. All patients were clinically characterised using a standard phenotyping protocol. Genomic data isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes using standardised protocols, was collected and screened for all major genes involved in cardiomyopathies and selected candidate genes using NGS. Eighty-six genes with 1528 exons representing 500kb of coding sequence, were studied using target enrichment methods (Agilent SureSelect System) followed by sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Clinical parameters were correlated with genotype findings. Results Variant calling from 72 probands (male 54%, age 41 years (mean 40.7, range 14 to 68 years) generated 1415 exonic and splice-site calls. After filtering, 420 distinct candidate variants were reported, 253 of which were published pathogenic mutations, 112 of which were frameshift insertion/deletion or splice-site variants predicted to cause loss of function (thus likely to be pathogenic). A further 55 novel variants were considered potentially pathogenic on the basis of preliminary in silico analysis. Each proband, on average, carried 3 published pathogenic variants which included known mutations associated with DCM and other forms of cardiomyopathy. Up to two further variants predicted to be pathogenic were identified per DCM proband illustrating genetic heterogeneity. However, there was no simple correlation between a specific mutation or the number of mutations and the clinical phenotype. Moreover, there was no evidence of a 'poly-hit' theory of multiple mutations contributing to a worsened phenotype nor of specific variant demonstrating causality of phenotype suggesting that genotype-phenotype correlations in DCM are complex and may be influenced by both genetic and epigenetic factors. Conclusion This study demonstrates the exciting potential for utilisation of next generation sequencing in routine clinical practice. However it highlights the genetic heterogeneity and high frequency of novel variants with uncertain effects on gene function in DCM. This presents considerable challenges for clinical interpretation. Large-scale phenotyping is therefore required to fully understand genotype-phenotype relations in DCM.


A tool makes it possible to couple a torque wrench to an externally knurled, internally threaded, round cable connector. The purpose served by the tool is to facilitate the tightening of multiple such connectors (or the repeated tightening of the same connector) to repeatable torques. The design of a prior cable-connector/ torque-wrench coupling tool provided for application of the torque-wrench jaws to a location laterally offset from the axis of rotation of the cable connector, making it necessary to correct the torque reading for the offset. Unlike the design of the prior tool, the design of the present tool provides for application of the torque-wrench jaws to a location on the axis of rotation, obviating correction of the torque reading for offset. The present tool (see figure) consists of a split collet containing a slot that provides clearance for inserting and bending the cable, a collet-locking sleeve, a collet-locking nut, and a torque-wrench adaptor that is press-fit onto the collet. Once the collet is positioned on the cable connector, the collet-locking nut is turned to force the collet-locking sleeve over the collet, compressing the collet through engagement of tapered surfaces on the outside of the collet and the inside of the locking sleeve. Because the collet is split and therefore somewhat flexible, this compression forces the collet inward to grip the connector securely. The torque wrench is then applied to the torque-wrench adaptor in the usual manner for torquing a nut or a bolt.


Abstract Model calculations have been performed to provide guidance for the development of solution spray techniques for coating NIF scale mandrels with 150 μm thick polyimide ablator layers. The deposition models considered assume independent random placement of the spray droplets on the mandrel surface followed by their spreading to form thin disk-like additions. The dependence on the final surface roughness of the effective thickness of the addition, the size (diameter) of the addition, and the cross-sectional profile of the addition have been explored. In addition, a model that assumes randomly placed, independent additions that cover 50% of the mandrel surface per addition is considered For each model and parameter set the rms surface finish is calculated as well as the surface power spectra. The primary result is that individual, randomly placed coating additions must be very thin, on the order of a few nm at most, if NIF surface specifications are to be met.


Tubular elements are used in steel structures not only for bracing of other members but also as cross girders diaphragms. They are a competitive solution both due to the lightweight and structural efficiency. Slotted tube-to-plate connections are the natural and most common choice. However, fatigue design of the abrupt transition and differences in the stiffness corresponding to the welded connection, is a critical part of the design. Although such a fatigue connection is classified in different standards (e.g. EN1993-1-9, IIW recommendations), no guidance is given on the specific detailing. In this paper, the existing fatigue datasets for this connection are reviewed. An assessment of the different fatigue details constituting the connection (welds end, hole, etc.) using FEM models and the notch stress method is then made. The results are compared with the experiments and recommendations are issued in order to achieve the best fatigue performance.


The study of antonyms (or 'opposites') in a language can provide important insight into word meaning and discourse structures. This book provides an extensive investigation of antonyms in English and offers an innovative model of how we mentally organize concepts and how we perceive contrasts between them. The authors use corpus and experimental methods to build a theoretical picture of the antonym relation, its status in the mind and its construal in context. Evidence is drawn from natural antonym use in speech and writing, first-language antonym acquisition, and controlled elicitation and judgements of antonym pairs by native speakers. The book also proposes ways in which a greater knowledge of how antonyms work can be applied to the fields of language technology and lexicography.


Using the distillation component of the Distillation and Matching Model framework (Chorpita, Daleiden, & Weisz, 2005), we examined which engagement practices were associated with three domains of treatment engagement: attendance, adherence, and cognitive preparation (e.g., understanding of, readiness for treatment). Eighty-nine engagement interventions from 40 randomized controlled trials in children' s mental health services were coded according to their engagement practices and outcomes. Analyses examined whether the practices used in successful interventions differed according to engagement domain. Practice patterns differed somewhat depending on whether attendance, adherence, or cognitive preparation was the outcome of interest. For example, assessment of barriers to treatment frequently occurred in successful interventions targeting attendance, whereas homework assignment frequently occurred in successful interventions when adherence was the target outcome. Modeling and expectation setting were frequently used in successful interventions targeting cognitive preparation for treatment. Distillation provides a method for examining the practice patterns associated with different engagement outcomes. An example of the application of these findings to clinical practice includes using certain practices (e.g., assessment, psychoeducation about services, and accessibility promotion) with all youth and families to promote attendance, adherence, and cognitive preparation. Then, other practices (e.g., modeling, homework assignment) can be added on an as-needed basis to boost engagement or to address interference in a particular engagement domain. The use of a distillation framework promotes a common language around engagement and highlights practices that lend themselves well to training, thereby promoting the dissemination of engagement interventions.


There are increasing reports of novel metal-based chemotherapeutics that have either improved cancer cell selectivity, or alternative mechanisms of action, to existing anticancer drugs, and techniques are required for determining their sub-cellular molecular targets. Imaging methods offer many distinct advantages over destructive fractionation techniques, including the preservation of useful morphological information; however, mapping the intracellular distribution of metal ions inside tumour cells still remains challenging. Recent advances in three modes of imaging are discussed in this review, with a particular focus on the application to metal-based cancer chemotherapy – fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy (including energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM)), and a new technique, Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS).


This study provides insights on the role of early childhood family environment within the process of preference formation. We start by presenting evidence showing that breastfeeding duration is a valid measure of the quality of early childhood environment. In the main analysis, we then investigate how early childhood environment affects the formation of fundamental economic preferences such as time, risk, and social preferences. In a sample of preschool children we find that longer breastfeeding duration is associated with higher levels of patience and altruism as well as a lower willingness to take risk. Repeating the analysis on a sample of young adults indicates that the observed pattern is replicable and persists into adulthood. Importantly, in both data sets our findings are robust when controlling for cognitive ability and parental socio-economic status. We can further rule out that the results are purely driven by nutritional effects of breastfeeding. Altogether, our findings strongly suggest that early childhood environment as measured by breastfeeding duration systematically and persistently affects preference formation.


Several tidal power schemes have been proposed for the River Severn Estuary between the South West of England and Wales. An indicative technology assessment has been undertaken in order to evaluate the so-called 'Shoots Barrage' over its foreseen lifespan of 120 years in terms of its cradle-to-site, operation and maintenance requirements. It would be located just upriver of the Severn road crossings in the United Kingdom (UK), involve an estimated cost of £3.2 bn to construct, and could potentially generate around 2.7 TWh per year (or a little under 1% of UK electricity demand). This scheme is favoured by environmental groups, because to its more benign environmental impacts compared with the much larger, Cardiff-Weston scheme. The present analysis suggests that the proposed Shoots Barrage would yield relatively attractive 'figures of merit' in terms of its net energy and carbon emissions, although its financial performance is poorer than alternative power generators.


. The mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) in a warming climate is of critical interest to scientists and the general public in the context of future sea-level rise. An improved understanding of temporal and spatial variability of snow accumulation will reduce uncertainties in GrIS mass balance models and improve projections of Greenland's contribution to sea-level rise, currently estimated at 0.089 ± 0.03 m by 2100. Here we analyze 25 NASA Operation IceBridge accumulation radar flights totaling > 17 700 km from 2013 to 2014 to determine snow accumulation in the GrIS dry snow and percolation zones over the past 100–300 years. IceBridge accumulation rates are calculated and used to validate accumulation rates from three regional climate models. Averaged over all 25 flights, the RMS difference between the models and IceBridge accumulation is between 0.023 ± 0.019 and 0.043 ± 0.029 m w.e. a − 1 , although each model shows significantly larger differences from IceBridge accumulation on a regional basis. In the southeast region, for example, the Mod-èle Atmosphérique Régional (MARv3.5.2) overestimates by an average of 20.89 ± 6.75 % across the drainage basin. Our results indicate that these regional differences between model and IceBridge accumulation are large enough to significantly alter GrIS surface mass balance estimates. Empirical orthogonal function analysis suggests that the first two principal components account for 33 and 19 % of the variance, and correlate with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), respectively. Regions that disagree strongest with climate models are those in which we have the fewest IceBridge data points, requiring additional in situ measurements to verify model uncertainties.


Population estimates from 1987 to 1995 are reported for the terrestrial anuran, Eleutherodactylus coqui, from four long-term study plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of northeastern Puerto Rico. The major factor influencing population size during this time was Hurricane Hugo, which deposited much of the canopy onto the forest floor in 1989. This increase in ground-level structure was in part responsible for a six-fold increase in the number of adult frogs in 1990 and a large increase in the number of juvenile frogs in 1991. Population densities since Hurricane Hugo have been influenced by succession, with continued high densities associated with thickets of Cecropia and Heliconia. Treefalls, which are similar to hurricanes on a local scale, also were shown to influence population sizes. Years with prolonged dry periods reduced numbers of juvenile frogs, but rainfall patterns alone did not explain most population variation. Population levels of invertebrate predators were related to variation in frog numbers.


BACKGROUND
Knowledge of the influence of nutritional intake on bone health is limited. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been suggested to influence bone growth and modeling in humans, although data are sparse.

OBJECTIVE
The objective was to investigate the role of fatty acids in bone accumulation and the attainment of peak bone mass in young men.

DESIGN
The cohort studied consisted of 78 healthy young men with a mean age of 16.7 y at baseline. Bone mineral density (BMD; in g/cm(2)) of total body, hip, and spine was measured at baseline and at 22 and 24 y of age. Fatty acid concentrations were measured in the phospholipid fraction in serum at 22 y of age.

RESULTS
Concentrations of n-3 fatty acids were positively associated with total BMD (r = 0.27, P = 0.02) and spine BMD (r = 0.25, P = 0.02) at 22 y of age. A positive correlation between n-3 fatty acid concentrations and the changes in BMD at the spine (r = 0.26, P = 0.02) was found between 16 and 22 y of age. Concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) were positively associated with total BMD (r = 0.32, P = 0.004) and BMD at the spine (r = 0.30, P = 0.008) at 22 y of age. A positive correlation was also found between DHA concentrations and the changes in BMD at the spine (r = 0.26, P = 0.02) between 16 and 22 y of age.

CONCLUSION
The results showed that n-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, are positively associated with bone mineral accrual and, thus, with peak BMD in young men.


Traditional analysis in population genetics evaluates differences among groups of individuals and, in some cases, considers the effects of distance or potential barriers to gene flow. Genetic variation of organisms in complex landscapes, seascapes, or riverine systems, however, may be shaped by many forces. Recent research has linked habitat heterogeneity and landscape or seascape configuration to genetic structure by integrating methods from landscape ecology, population genetics, and spatial statistics in approaches known as landscape or seascape genetics. However, functional differences between terrestrial or seascapes systems in comparison to riverscape topography (i.e., movement pathways for aquatic obligate species are constrained to river channels) make translating these approaches into freshwater analyses problematic. Studies that may be described as riverscape genetics (RG) have linked temperature, stream gradient, and confluences to genetic variability. Lack of consistency in methodology, however, has made comparisons across species and scales difficult. We provide a perspective on how RG could be used to provide a more comprehensive conceptual and applied understanding of connectivity and dispersal in freshwater systems. We describe four thematic areas of study representing current and future research opportunities and describe a basic workflow for conducting RG analysis. Although numerous methodological challenges remain, a RG approach can enhance our understanding of habitat heterogeneity in shaping gene flow and spatial genetic structure. These characteristics of populations are critical components for interpreting demographic and evolutionary consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation. WIREs Water 2018, 5:e1269. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1269


The story of Jesus of Nazareth, as recounted in the New Testament, has always been understood by the church to be historically true. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of a real person, whose links with history are firmly signalled in the creeds of the early church, which affirm that Jesus 'suffered under Pontius Pilate'. Contemporary historical scholarship has, however, called into question the reliability of the church's version of this story, and thereby raised the question as to whether ordinary people can know its historical truth. This book argues that the historicity of the story still matters, and that its religious significance cannot be captured by the category of 'non-historical myth'. The commonly drawn distinction between the Christ of faith and Jesus of history cannot be maintained. The Christ who is the object of faith must be seen as historical; the Jesus who is reconstructed by historical scholarship is always shaped by commitments of faith. A reconsideration of the Englightenment epistemologies that underlie much historical scholarship shows that historical knowledge of this story is still possible. Such knowledge can be inferential, based on historical evidence. A careful look at contemporary New Testament studies, and the philosophical and literary assumptions upon which it rests, shows that this scholarship should not undermine the confidence of lay people who believe that they can know that the church's story about Jesus is true.


In this work William Ulmer boldly advances our understanding of Shelley's concept of love by exploring eros as a figure for the poet's political and artistic aspirations. Applying a combination of deconstructive, historicist, and psychoanalytic approaches to six major poems, Ulmer follows the logic of the writing's rhetoric of love by tracing links between such elements as imagination, eros, metaphor, allegory, mirroring, repetition, death, and narcissism. Ulmer takes the mutual desire of self and antitype as a paradigm for rhetorical and social relations throughout Shelley and, in a significant departure from critical consensus, argues that his poetics were predominantly idealist. Ulmer demonstrates how the idealism of Shelleyan eros centers on a symbiosis of contraries organized as a dialectical variation of metaphor. In so doing, he contends that this idealism is both a rhetorical construct and revolutionary agency, and traces the failure of Shelley's visionary humanism to the gradual emergence of contradictions latent in his idealism. What emerges are new readings of individual texts and a reconsideration of the poet's imaginative development. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


The Parkinson's disease factors PINK1 and Parkin interact with mitofusin 2 on damaged mitochondria. Damaged mitochondria are removed from cells in a process known as mitophagy. Failure of this quality-control mechanism contributes to Parkinson's disease. When damaged mitochondria lose membrane depolarization, the protein kinase, PINK1, accumulates on the mitochondrial surface, recruits Parkin, and promotes mitophagy. Chen and Dorn describe another component of this process, mitofusin 2, which appears to function as the receptor for Parkin on the surface of damaged mitochondria. Y. Chen, G. W. Dorn II, PINK1-phosphorylated mitofusin 2 is a Parkin receptor for culling damaged mitochondria. Science 340, 471–475 (2013). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Hydrophobic core/shell latex particles were synthesized for use in barrier coatings using the miniemulsion polymerization process. Particles with liquid or with hard cores were successfully synthesized using miniemulsion as a one-step nanoencapsulation technique. Different materials, including an oil (hexadecane, HD) and two different waxes (paraffin and microcrystalline wax), were used as the core of the particles. The shell of the particles was mainly made from a copolymer containing three relatively hydrophobic monomers, namely methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl acrylate (BA) and vinyl neodecanoate (Veova-10). Before any further investigations could be carried out, it was important to determine the morphology of the synthesized core/shell particles at the nanometer level. Particle morphology was mainly determined by two different techniques: transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). TEM was used to directly visualize the morphology of the investigated core/shell particles at the nanometer level, while AFM was used to confirm the formation of these core/shell particles. AFM was a powerful technique with which to study the particle morphology of the core/shell latices during the film formation process. As a second part of the study, the effect of various factors on the hydrophobicity and barrier properties of the resulting films produced from the synthesized core/shell latices to water and water vapour was investigated. This included the effect of: (i) the surfactant concentration, (ii) the wax/polymer ratio for both waxes, (iii) the molecular weight of the polymeric shell, (iv) the amount of the most hydrophobic monomer used (Veova-10), and (v) the degree of crosslinking in the polymeric shell. Results showed that all the above-mentioned factors had a significant impact on the water sensitivity of the resultant films prepared from the synthesized core/shell latices. It was found that the presence of wax materials as the cosurfactant, instead of HD, in the miniemulsion formulation could significantly improve the hydrophobicity and barrier properties of the final films to water and water vapour. In addition, increasing the amount of wax, Veova-10, and the molecular weight of the resultant polymeric shell, led to a significant increase in the hydrophobicity and barrier properties of the resultant latex films. In contrast, hydrophobicity and water barrier properties decreased drastically as the quantity of surfactant and degree of crosslinking increased in the final latex films.


Ivanova, S., Nikolova, T. & Dimitrova, A. (2022). Effect of the probiotic Baykal EM-1 on some haematological and biochemical parameters and faecal score of suckling pigs. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 28 (2), 242–249 The effect of the probiotic Baykal EM-1 on some hematological and biochemical parameters of suckling pigs was tested in an experiment with 15 equalized by breed, origin, piglet age, farrowing sequence and litter size litters. A total of 154 pigs were included into the experiment, 82 pigs (8 litters) in the experimental and 72 pigs (7 litters) in the control treatment. The feed additive, a multi-purpose microbiological product containing a complex of living, useful microorganisms, Baykal EM-1, was added to the feed of the trial group, both to the feed of sows and piglets. The dosage was 10 ml/kg of feed, from the day 8th after birth to the day 35th at weaning of the pigs. On the day 35th, at weaning, blood samples were taken and hematological and biochemical parameters alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total protein level were tested. Through the whole experimental period, pigs were observed for clinical signs of diarrhea and a faecal scoring system was applied to indicate its presence and severity. A trend for a positive effect of adding the probiotic Baykal EM-1 on white blood picture in suckling pigs has been found, although not clearly demonstrated. Better biochemical status in piglets, consuming multi-strain probiotic (P < 0.01), was established. Elevated above reference values biochemical parameters in the control group were indicative of an existing, though not manifested, bacterial infection.


Lack of transparency and accountability were recognised as a major threat to integrity in public procurement at the 2004 OECD Global Forum on Governance: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement. To verify this hypothesis, the OECD Public Governance Committee launched a survey primarily targeted at procurement practitioners in charge of designing, supervising and managing procurement processes in central governments. Auditors, members of competition authorities and anticorruption specialists have also been involved. On the basis of the information collected, good practices were identified by government officials, representatives from civil society and private sector at the OECD Symposium: Mapping out Good Practices for Integrity and Corruption Resistance in Public Procurement in November 2006. This project maps out good practices, that is, successful measures for enhancing integrity in public procurement. It is a complementary part of multidisciplinary efforts in the OECD to improve public procurement systems, in particular: (1) Assessments of public procurement systems in developing countries by the Aid Effectiveness and Donor Practices Working Party of the Development Assistance Committee; (2) Analysis of bribery in public procurement by the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions; and (3) Studies of the central procurement structure and capacity as well as review and remedies systems of the European Union Member States bythe Support for Improvement in Governance and Management Programme (SIGMA).


This paper presents a model of general equilibrium stability in which agents understand that they are not at equilibrium. Rather, agents expect prices to change and contemplate the possibility that they may not be able to complete their own transactions. They optimize their actions taking account of such price changes and transaction constraints. It is shown that a necessary condition for instability is the continuing perception of new, previously unforeseen opportunities (real or imagined). Without this, old opportunities will be arbitraged away and the system will converge to equilibrium. The equilibrium approached will depend on the history of the system and may not be Walrasian if transaction constraints are present.


In recent years, financial markets appear better able to anticipate FOMC policy changes. Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, longer-term interest rates and futures rates have tended to incorporate movements in the federal funds rate several months in advance, in contrast to the largely contemporaneous response typically observed before that time. After identifying these emerging trends, the paper parses the enhanced predictability into a component that can be attributed to the autoregressive behavior of the funds rate and a non-autoregressive component. The paper considers institutional developments in FOMC policy making that may have contributed to each of these components, including gradualism in adjusting the federal funds rate target and transparency regarding the setting of the target and future policy intentions.


Abstract Experiments are described in which the dynamic accommodation response to a stimulus whose vergence was varying sinusoidally with time between 1.33 and 2.38 D was measured as a function of frequency for 19 subjects, with ages distributed between 18 and 49 years. Response to abrupt stimulus change between the same levels was also measured. The results showed that at any age, for the sinusoidal stimuli, gain fell with frequency and phase lag increased: at fixed frequency, gain fell with age and phase lag increased. Neither reaction nor response times for step stimuli changed with age. Analysis of the sinusoidal data suggests the possible existence of a cut‐off frequency of about 2 Hz, which varies little with age and above which the system cannot respond. The phase data is compatible with the existence of a frequency‐independent time delay, which increases with age from about 0.17 s at 20 years to 0.48 s at 40 years. The results are discussed in terms of current knowledge of the factors contributing to the development of presbyopia.


Hydroxyapatite and carbonated-hyrdroxyapatite have been commonly used for orthopedic and dental applications because their composition is similar to bones and teeth. They have the ability to be partially dissolved, and so allow cells to proliferate in their place. However, such property is not suitable for dental applications as it promotes teeth dissolution even when tooth enamel cells do not regenerate. Furthermore, much of the commercially available apatite is currently produced through chemical synthesis, making the product expensive and technology-dependent. Fluorapatite is known to be the harder and more insoluble alternative. It promotes re-mineralization, and is said to have anti-microbial properties. In addition, the mineral occurs in certain brachiopod shells found in the country. They are called Balay in Visayas. Fluorapatite was successfully extracted and characterized from these locally available shells. Protein analysis yielded an excellent degree of organic matter removal, while FTIR and XRD verified the extraction and purity of the obtained fluorapatite powder. Pellets made through pressing and sintering showed that it is also formable and compatible with current dental material fabrication techniques. The sintered pellets passed the ISO standards for dissolution of dental restoratives. In addition, the compression loading test and Vickers indentation showed that the milling time played a role in the resulting mechanical properties. Thus, to bring out these desired properties, one only needed to optimize the fabrication parameters. This study proves the viability of fluroapatite from brachiopod shells as an alternative biomaterial.


This study examines the relationship between capital account liberalisation and income inequality. Adopting a novel identification strategy, namely a difference-in-difference estimation combined with propensity score matching between the liberalised and closed countries, we provide robust evidence that opening the capital account is associated with an adverse impact on income inequality in developing countries. The main findings are threefold. First, fully liberalising the capital account is associated with a small rise of 0.07-0.30 standard deviations in the Gini coefficient in the short-run and a rise as large as 0.32-0.62 standard deviations in the ten years after liberalisation, on average. Second, widening income inequality is the outcome of the growing income share of the rich at the cost of the poor. The long-term effect of capital account liberalisation includes a reduction in the income share of the poorest half by 2.66-3.79 percentage points and an increase in the income share of the richest 10% by 5.19-8.76 percentage points. Third, the directions and categories of capital account liberalisation matter. Inward capital account liberalisation is more detrimental to income equality than outward capital account liberalisation, and free access to the international equity market exacerbates income inequality the most, while foreign direct investment has an insignificant impact on inequality.


The increase in global production of nanomaterials has raised concern as to their possible effects on plants that could ultimately affect the human population. The effects on the hydroponic growth of wheatgrass of four types of nanomaterials were studied: raw-single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), purified-SWCNTs, multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and iron oxide nanoparticles (n-FeOx) as a model of the catalyst residue typically present in CNTs. The germination rate (GR), mean germination time (MGT), shoot length, and a visual score of the plants' growth were determined for wheatgrass over the course of two weeks as a function of exposure to the nanomaterials dispersed in either water or THF (as well as appropriate controls). Raw-SWCNTs, MWCNTs, and n-FeOx show little impact suggesting that the catalyst residue (iron oxide) present in CNTs has little effect. Exposure to purified-SWCNTs dispersed in water shows increased GR (and shoot length), while wheatgrass exposed to purified-SWCNT dispersed in THF had retarded GR, suggesting that SWCNTs act as a carrier for adsorbed organic solvents whose effects are detrimental. A similar but lesser effect was observed for MWCNTs. Interestingly raw-SWCNTs showed no solvent effect, suggesting that the reduction of hydrophobicity of the SWCNTs through functionalisation enables the adsorption and subsequent release of harmful organic solvents. The positive effect of purified SWCNTs when dispersed in water is likely a function of their highly hydrophobic nature facilitating enhanced uptake of water.


There are about 33 million people who are living with HIV and AIDS worldwide and approximately 67% are in sub Saharan African countries. In Tanzania 2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and 30% of them are in need of antiretroviral treatment. Several studies highlighted some psychological experiences in people living HIV/AIDS including feelings of shame, guilt, helplessness, self-blame and self-isolation that suggest negative self-image and this negative self-image has influence on accessing medical care. Stigma and depressive morbidity related to HIV infection has serious individual and public health ramifications, including reluctance to testing for HIV, refusal to initiate treatment as well as poor treatment compliance and hence increased risk of HIV disease transmission and progression. No studies reported in Tanzania have systematically explored associations between HIV related stigma, depressive morbidity and uptake of medical recommendation hence limited local information is available for improvements in uptake of medical recommendations. To determine the influences of HIV AIDS stigma and depressive morbidity on uptake of selected medical recommendations among persons living with HIV (PLHA) attending the Mwananyamala HIV and AIDS care and treatment clinic (CTC). Hospital based descriptive cross sectional study where quantitative methods were used to collect information. An Average of 6 per day of 370 randomly selected patients were invited to participate in the study then they were assessed, on socio demographic and socioeconomic measures, uptake of selected medical recommendations and depressive morbidity and HIV related stigma measures. Outcome measures included; antiretroviral adherence, defined as adequate if 95% or more medications were taken as prescribed in the past 4 days analyzed dichotomously; whether counseling sessions were attended or not during the index clinic visit and whether the last scheduled clinic visit was kept or not, also reported dichotomously and all summarized as simple frequencies. The predictors of interest explored were HIV related stigma and depressive symptoms. The magnitudes of stigma and depressive morbidity were computed using sum scores of responses; depressive morbidity was summarized as mild, moderate and severe and levels of stigma as tertiles. Logistic regression models using a backwards removal method were used to determine the strength of associations between the
predictors of interest and the outcomes after adjusting for socio-demographic and economic confounders. A total of 220 participants were included in the study, 69 (31.4%) being males and 151 (68.6%) females. Mean age (SD) was 35.5 (9.7) years with an age range of 18 to 68 years. All patients were on ART medication for not more than six months. The proportion non adherent to ART medication was 21.3%, and the proportion missing the last scheduled clinic visit was 19.1%. In linear regression analysis participants reporting divorce/widow (er) or cohabiting status were more likely to adhere to ART medication than those that were married
(p value<0.01). In adjusted multivariate models, mild depressive morbidity was independently associated with non-adherence to the last scheduled clinic visit (OR 2.7; 95% confidence interval 1.02, 7.27; p<0.05) and attending individual counseling (OR 0.20; 95% confidence interval 0.05, 0.85 p <0.05) and was marginally associated with non adherence to ART medication (OR 2.6; 95% confidence interval 0.98, 6.82; p=0.06). Low level of stigma was independently associated with adequate adherence to ART medication (OR 3.00, 95% confidence interval 1.34, 6.91, p<0.01). No significant association was shown between internalized stigma and attending scheduled clinic visits or individual counseling during the index visit, or between depression and attending individual counseling sessions during the
index visit. Internalized stigma and depressive morbidity are challenges to the uptake medical of medical recommendations among PLHA. The study showed that PLHA who experience internalized stigma and depressive morbidity are more likely to be recently non-adherent to ART medications, while depressive morbidity influenced attending the last scheduled clinic visit. It is therefore recommended that interventions for recognition and management of both internalized stigma and depressive morbidity be a focus of the activities of health care workers in HIV and AIDS treatment clinics as one way of improving uptake of medical recommendations and including retention in HIV care and treatment.


The primary agricultural product of Malaysia is palm oil. As a result, some two million tons of empty fruit bunch wastes are being dumped behind palm oil mills every year. This is causing serious environmental problems. This paper discusses a study undertaken in 1996 to look into the suitability of the Malaysian oil palm fiber in Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) mixes. The oil palm fiber was analyzed and compared with other traditional European fiber that is commonly used in gap-graded mixes. Several experiments were carried out on the fiber including the Fiber Drain Down Test (FDDT) and Morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Besides this, chemical analysis was also carried out with a variation of cellulose content and particle size. The results of the laboratory analysis showed that the Malaysian Cellulose Oil Palm Fiber (COPF) has great potential to be used in SMA mixes.


Throughout The Sun Also Rises, money is a central metaphor. Although scholars have paid a great deal of attention to money in the novel, they have largely failed to move beyond its explicit mentions to examine economics more broadly or to analyze money outside the context of the Hemingway 'code.' In this essay, I argue that the characters' use of money classifies them socially in terms of gender, titles, and religion, and that these social classifications form their own economies beyond explicit monetary exchange. Additionally, I argue that money positions the expatriates culturally, since the majority of their interactions with French and Spanish nationals are mediated by money and since characters such as Jake Barnes even evaluate France and Spain in terms of the function of money in those countries. Together, these modes of analysis expand the critical conversation surrounding money in The Sun Also Rises to incorporate new perspectives and to move beyond simplistic readings of a central metaphor in a novel, which so rarely provides simple answers.


Working-age households where no-one is in work have become an increasing focus of policy concern even before the economic crisis, and the European Union (EU) has included household joblessness in its new poverty reduction target for 2020. This paper focuses on the variation across EU countries in the prevalence of household joblessness and its impact on income poverty and deprivation, and on the implications for the new EU poverty reduction target. It highlights first that there are some divergences across key data sources in the extent of joblessness. The prevalence of household joblessness varies substantially across EU countries, but there is little evidence of a consistent pattern among groupings of countries often categorized together in terms of welfare regime or geographically. In aggregate there is little association between the overall extent of household joblessness in a country and the percentage in relative income poverty or above a material deprivation threshold. At a micro level, being in a jobless household has a substantial impact on the likelihood of being in relative income poverty or deprived, but the scale of these impacts is shown to be very much greater in some countries than in others, and to vary between single-adult and multiple-adult households. In most EU countries little more than half the working-age adults in jobless households are either income-poor or deprived, so including joblessness in the poverty reduction target does make a difference, without a clearly articulated rationale.


Over the past few decades China's subnational governments (SNGs) have issued prodigious amounts of debt in order to fund the massive urbanization and industrialization movements that have taken place in the country. The central government has recently attempted to address this problem by creating a municipal bond market in the hopes of creating more transparent and efficient borrowing. However, there is a chance that the current levels of debt are unsustainable and that many SNGs will ask the central government for debt assistance via a bailout. If forced to make this decision, it is likely that the Xi Jinping administration would grant the bailout in order to meet development goals. Unfortunately, this would be counter to the optimal strategy of letting the SNGs default and will delay the creation of a functioning municipal bond market.


In response to financial reporting scandals, Congress and the securities exchanges mandated increases in board and audit committee independence and banned most non-audit services. We exploit these exogenous shocks to examine whether these governance reforms reduced financial reporting fraud. Comparing firms forced to comply with the reforms to firms already in compliance, we find that mandated increases in overall board independence significantly reduced the rate of fraud, while mandating a fully independent audit committee had a weaker effect. Further, banning non-audit services did not reduce the incidence of fraud.


Difficulties in developing fully automated AI problem-solving systems have prompted interest in interaction methodologies that support increased user involvement in the solutiongeneration process. This paper considers the merits of interactive problem solvers grounded in the metaphor of advice.taking. An advicetaking system allows users to specify high-level characteristics at runtime of both the desired solution and the problem-solving process to be employed for the task at hand, with the underlying problem-solver applying those directives to guide solution construction. Advisability enables users to influence the behavior and output of problemsolving systems by making recommendations in terms that are natural and meaningful for them. This paper presents a model of advice-taking and characterizes applications for which advisability is best suited. In addition, it describes an ongoing effort to develop an advisable planner that marries an advice-taking interface to state-of-theart planning technology.


The cyclopentane scaffold has attracted much attention due to its ubiquity in numerous bioactive natural products such as prostaglandins and polyquinanes. However, despite a plethora of available procedures to access this motif, a lack of methods that rival the generality of the Diels-Alder reaction for the synthesis of six-membered rings represents an important gap. Thus, the development of protocols providing efficient access to functionalized chiral cyclopentanes from simple and readily accessible starting materials is highly desirable. In this respect, the tremendous advances in the development of nickel-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, combined with the unique properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes have led to the development of new approaches to five-membered carbocyclic rings. These include nickel-catalyzed reductive couplings and reductive [3+2] cycloadditions. These strategies are attractive, as functionalized five-membered carbocyclic rings can be accessed from two simple pi-components without any changes in atom connectivity. Despite the recent development of numerous chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes and their successful application in various transition metal-catalyzed reactions, applications in asymmetric nickel catalysis remain scarce. This thesis describes the development of efficient enantioselective nickel-catalyzed methodologies for the formation of five-membered carbocycles from readily accessible and inexpensive starting materials, enabled by two novel chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. First, the development of an intermolecular enantioselective nickel-catalyzed reductive [3+2] cycloaddition of unsaturated aromatic esters and internal alkynes for the synthesis of cyclopentenones is described. For this scalable methodology, a bulky chiral C1-symmetric N-heterocyclic carbene ligand was shown to facilitate the efficient asymmetric synthesis of cyclopentenones from a wide range of mesityl enoates and internal alkynes under mild conditions. Unsymmetrically substituted alkynes were incorporated in a regioselective fashion and the cyclopentenones were synthesized in high yields and enantioselectivity. As a second methodology for the construction of chiral cyclopentane scaffolds, an intermolecular diastereoselective and enantioselective nickel-catalyzed reductive three-component coupling of various aryl aldehydes, norbornene derivatives and silanes is described, which gives access to synthetically valuable silyl-protected indan-1-ols via an aromatic C(sp2)-H functionalization. A bulky chiral C2-symmetric N-heterocyclic carbene ligand possessing a 1,2-(dinaphthalen-1-yl)ethylene diamine scaffold provided the silylated indan-1-ols under mild and scalable conditions, as a single diastereoisomer, in high enantioselectivity and good regioselectivity in the case of meta-substituted aryl aldehydes.


Information literacy skill acquisition is a form of learning that is influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social processes. This research studied how two emotional constructs (emotional intelligence and dispositional affect) and two cognitive constructs (motivation and coping skills) interacted with students' information literacy scores. Two studies were carried out with a group of undergraduate students. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that emotional intelligence and motivation significantly predicted students' information literacy scores. Instruction librarians may consider incorporating greater awareness of the emotional and cognitive aspects of information literacy skill acquisition in their instructional content and delivery.


A large body of research focused on first-level digital divides in rural/remote contexts references structural factors including geography, market failure, limited infrastructure, policy gaps, and so on. It points out issues including access, affordability, reliability, and speed, but tends to overlook the perceptions and reactions of people living in these regions. Taking this observation as a starting point, this study investigates connectivity challenges—and responses to them—as experienced by residents of small-population, geographically dispersed communities in Northern Canada. Consistent with the paradox of telecommunications development in remote regions, we confirm that speed and cost remain primary challenges—despite desires for better connectivity. We also learned how Northern residents are innovating to address these challenges. Employing a network analysis, we argue that structural challenges reinforce one another in a dynamic spiral of digital inequality and propose support for nonprofit community networks (CNs) as one way to break this cycle.


This study extends and deepens our understanding of why and how organisational sustainability activities and accounting unfold and embed over time. It presents a longitudinal case study examining the emergence and evolution of an environmental management system, environmental management accounting, sustainability reporting, and a sustainability programme in a large, family-owned group of companies. The case analysis is theoretically framed using the concepts of organisational identity and internal legitimation. The study reveals an enduring interplay between the organisation's sustainability programme and its organisational identity and internal legitimation processes. It demonstrates how key participants in the sustainability programme used a variety of strategies to seek legitimacy for the programme from internal audiences and powerful stakeholders while also engaging in their own legitimacy (re)evaluations. While prior research has identified a set of strategies for establishing external legitimacy, this study finds that legitimating 'identity talk' is an important additional mechanism in the process of establishing internal legitimacy for new organisational activities. In contrast with prior research, the study uncovers how external sustainability reporting can be a by-product of other sustainability-related activities rather than an organisation's primary medium (or output) of the process of engaging with sustainability. The study shows how despite a highly supportive organisational environment, external sustainability reporting may be weakly and temporally legitimated within an organisation rather than institutionalised.


This chapter focuses on the it -cleft construction and aims at, first, profiling it from the perspective adopted in Meta-Informative Centering Theory (hereafter, MIC) and, second, describing the major tendencies yielded by a diachronic corpus-based analysis. It -clefts deserve a specific place in an account of English constructions because of at least two specific characteristics: the expletive nature of its introducer and the difficulty of accounting for the postverbal subordinate clause by resorting to grammatical concepts such as relativisation, detached postmodification, or even some kind of right dislocation. The English it-cleft will be presented here as a device of focalisation used for establishing a meta-informative contrast with the second part of the utterance, making it possible, in a Strict Word Order (SWO) language as English, to put this focalised constituent at the front of the utterance (thus contradicting the neutral order: given-before-new). The study presented here illustrates the quite recent consolidation of the mechanism of clefting as a thematising meta-informative strategy in the English language. This consolidation of the it -cleft construction is corroborated both quantitatively and qualitatively. By means of this system, the speaker focuses on the referent of the Local CA constituent that occupies the X-position and places heavy (normally available) information in final location within the background rightmost clause.


The ways in which people need, seek, and use information vary considerably from one context to another. This thesis reports on a qualitative study investigating the contextual factors affecting information behaviour in a developing country. The literature review revealed that cultural and social factors have a significant impact on cognition and information behaviour, yet contextualised understandings of information behaviour that take diverse local conditions into account have yet to be developed for non-Western, developing country contexts. An interpretivist research design was employed in this study, using Dervin's sense-making methodology, the critical incident technique, and discourse analysis to collect, analyse and interpret interview data on everyday information behaviour from 30 participants in Laos.  The primary objective of the research was to identify the contextual factors that affect information behaviour in Laos, and to understand how contextual factors influence how people need, seek, manage and use information. The findings indicated that a number of interdependent primary and secondary contextual factors play a key role in how people engage with information in Laos. Primary factors included the social and cultural contexts of an individual, with numerous secondary factors such as personal, situational, physical, and economic contexts also playing a role in information behaviour. The interpretation of the findings enabled the development of a contextualised understanding of information behaviour for individuals in Laos. In addition, the research methods provided a framework from which contextualised understandings of information behaviour in diverse local contexts can be explored, fulfilling a secondary objective of the research. These findings have implications for information professionals, information systems design, and international aid projects, by providing contextualised understandings of information behaviour, facilitating the development of more relevant services and resources.


The words ''Chemistry" and "Alchemy" have been derived from "Khem", an ancient name for Egypt. The history of chemistry represents a time span from ancient history to the present. By 1000 BC, civilizations used technologies that would eventually form the basis to the various branches of chemistry. Many chemists lived long ago, so what happened a long time ago is history. Chemistry analyzes the composition of different substances, their physical and chemical properties and the specific conditions under which they combine with other substances. The practical applications of Chemistry affect every aspect of civilization. By performing experiments and recording the results, alchemists set the stage for modern chemistry. Both alchemy and chemistry are concerned with matter and its transformations, chemists are seen as applying scientific method to their work. Alchemy was that branch of Chemistry which studied the hidden sprit of the elements. The history of chemistry is intertwined with the history of thermodynamics, especially through the work of Willard Gibbs. The idea of a drug appears from the ancient Indian Vedas from before 1000BC. The Chinese Alchemy believed that there were five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and these were linked to five colors, five directions and to five metals, gold, silver, leads, copper and iron. As a result, every Chinese alchemical technique involved repeating stages five times. Around 420 BC, Empedocles stated that all matter is made up of four elemental substances earth, fire, air and water. Aristotle (384-323 BC) developed the idea of properties of the elements, saying different types of matter depend on a specific balance of the qualities of hot, cold, wet, and dry. In 1789 a French chemist Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier established the Law of Conservation of Mass, which is also called "Lavoisier's Law and is called "father of modern chemistry. John Dalton in 1803 proposed that matter is composed of indivisible smallest particle called atom.


Aim To explore and describe trends in the principal disorders/conditions ('cause') for severe sight impairment (SSI) (blind) and sight impairment (SI) (partial sight) certification in children in England and Wales since 1999. Methods We obtained certification data for SI and SSI from a national database for all individuals aged 16 years or less at the time of certification in England and Wales for the years 1999/2000 and for the years 2007/2008–2009/2010. Results In total, there were 861 certifications in the year 1999/2000, rising to 1040 certifications in 2009/2010. The commonest single causes of SSI certification in 1999/2000 were cerebral visual impairment (23.2%) and optic nerve disorders (23.2%). The commonest single causes of SI certification in the same year comprised nystagmus (16.7%) and optic nerve disorders (15.5%). Cerebral visual impairment was the commonest single cause of SSI in children in England and Wales annually between 2007/2008 and 2009/2010 accounting for 21%–31% of certifications. The commonest causes of SI certification in 2009/2010 were congenital globe anomalies (18.4%) and retinal dystrophy (16.6%). The proportion of SI and SSI due to optic nerve disorders has decreased since 1999/2000. Conclusions Our findings suggest that in England and Wales, cerebral visual impairment is now the commonest cause of paediatric SSI certification and hereditary retinal dystrophy and congenital globe anomalies are the commonest causes of SI certification.


In contrast to communitarian and pluralist approaches to participation, the following article develops a deliberative model of participation in rulemaking at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This deliberative model is distinguished by its concern for the emergence of publics and for the speaking and listening capacities of policymakers and publics alike. The model focuses both on spaces for collective discussion as well as translation between sites of discussion. Embracing a complex view of civil society, and stressing the principle of inclusion, a deliberative model corresponds to a form of legitimacy that extends beyond the boundaries of conventional administrative procedure.


The current research work was aimed to investigate the impact of The Trivedi Effect® - Energy of Consciousness Healing Treatment (Biofield Energy Healing) on the structural properties and isotopic abundance ratio (PM+1/PM) of magnesium gluconate using LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Magnesium gluconate was divided into two parts. One part was denoted as the control, while the another part was defined as The Trivedi Effect® Treated sample, which received the Biofield Energy Healing Treatment remotely from eighteen renowned Biofield Energy Healers. The total ion chromatogram of the control sample showed two peaks at Rt of 1.81 and 2.06 min, whereas the treated sample displayed peaks at Rt of 1.79 and 2.04 min. The ESI-MS spectra of the control and the treated samples revealed the presence of the mass for magnesium gluconate ion in two forms at m/z 447 (adduct form with methanol) and 415 (protonated ion) in positive ionization mode. But, it showed the mass for the gluconate ion at m/z 195 in the negative ionization mode. The fragmentation pattern of magnesium gluconate in the treated sample was notably altered compared with the control sample. The proton and carbon signals for CH, CH2 and CO groups in the proton and carbon NMR spectra were found almost similar for the control and treated samples. The LC-MS based isotopic abundance ratio analysis indicated that the PM+1/PM (2H/1H or 13C/12C or 17O/16O or 25Mg/24Mg) in the treated magnesium gluconate ion at m/z 415 was significantly decreased by 79.24% compared with the control sample. Similarly, the isotopic abundance ratio of PM+1/PM (2H/1H or 13C/12C or 17O/16O) in the gluconate ion was decreased by 6.62% in the treated sample compared with the control sample. The treated magnesium gluconate might be beneficial in the nutraceutical and/or pharmaceutical industries for designing various forms of formulations, which could be providing better therapeutic response against various diseases such as diabetes mellitus, allergy, aging, inflammatory diseases, immunological disorders, and other chronic infections. Consequently, The Trivedi Effect® - Energy of Consciousness Healing Treated magnesium gluconate would be more helpful for understanding the enzymatic reactions as well as assist in the designing of the novel potent enzyme inhibitors by applying its kinetic isotope effects.