A fundamental issue in applied sport psychology is the development of competent professionals who can provide effective and ethical services to clients. The current study uses a qualitative longitudinal design to track the development of five novice sport psychology practitioners in their first year of practice. The research team analyzed and integrated data from surveys, interviews, and journals to understand the participants' experiences and compare them to previous literature on practitioner development. Participants reported increased confidence and flexibility over time, and reduced their perceived anxiety and dependence on supervision. These changes were similar in nature to what has been reported for counseling trainees, but seemed to happen more quickly. These findings highlight important developmental characteristics of first year sport psychology practitioners, which can help graduate programs to tailor their supervision and training to their students' needs.


The South African Highveld is a portion on the inland plateau characterized by low winter ambient temperatures. Studies done in several climatic regions around the world have found a positive relationship between inadequate housing and low indoor temperatures during the winter season. Prolonged exposure to low indoor temperature is a threat to human physical health. This study characterizes indoor human thermal comfort conditions in typical low-income residential dwellings during the winter season. Mapping indoor human thermal comfort can assist in exploring the potential for domestic thermal insulation retrofits interventions. In-situ temperature measurements were done in 2014, 2016 and 2017 across three Highveld settlements of kwaZamokuhle, kwaDela, and Jouberton. The sample included a mixture of old (pre-1994), post 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) as well as non-RDP structures. Findings were that 88% of sampled dwellings in Jouberton 2016, 86% in Jouberton 2017, 62% in kwaDela and 58% in kwaZamokuhle had daily mean temperatures below the WHO guideline of 18°C. These low indoor temperatures indicate poor insulation in these sampled dwellings. Across all settlements, insulated dwellings had higher daily mean indoor temperatures than non-insulated dwellings. These findings indicate the potential to use thermal insulation retrofits in improving indoor thermal conditions as the majority of dwellings are non-insulated thereby exposing occupants to low indoor temperatures.


Information about calls to the operating system (or kernel libraries) made by a binary executable may be used to determine whether the binary is malicious. Being aware of this approach, malicious programmers hide this information by making such calls without using the call instruction. For instance, the call addr instruction may be replaced by two push instructions and a ret instruction, the first push pushes the address of instruction after the ret instruction, and the second push pushes the address addr. The code may be further obfuscated by spreading the three instructions and by splitting each instruction into multiple instructions. This work presents a method to statically detect obfuscated calls in binary code. The idea is to use abstract interpretation to detect where the normal call-ret convention is violated. These violations can be detected by what is called an abstract stack graph. An abstract stack graph is a concise representation of all potential abstract stacks at every point in a program. An abstract stack is used to associate each element in the stack to the instruction that pushes the element. An algorithm for constructing the abstract stack graph is also presented. Methods for using the abstract stack graph are shown to detect eight different obfuscations. The technique is demonstrated by implementing a prototype tool called DOC (detector for obfuscated calls).


In recent work Ng assumes that it is good to engage in activities aimed at promoting ecosystem conservation. The only way Ng can derive this from the axiology he assumes (the view that wellbeing is the only intrinsically valuable or disvaluable thing) would be to assume that ecosystem conservation would benefit the individuals involved. This can be so as long as value prevails over disvalue in the target environments. Ng seems to assume this is indeed the case, but he does not explain why, and it is a claim that goes against the conclusions he has argued for previously (Ng 1995).


Abstract
 We present a molecular survey of the species in the green algal genus Codium that were collected as part of the Atimo Vatae expedition to southern Madagascar. Based on clustering analysis of partial tufA and rbcL sequences, we recognize 11–12 species-level clusters in this area. Through a combination of morphological identifications and DNA comparisons, these clusters are identified as C. mozambiquense, C. spongiosum, C. lucasii subsp. capense, C. duthieae, C. decorticatum, C. prostratum, C. dwarkense, C. taylorii, C. arenicola and C. cf. cicatrix, and a new ball-shaped species. We present a phylogenetic tree inferred from a concatenated alignment with tufA, rbcL and rps3-rpl16 to show the placement of these species in the broader context of the genus and to analyse the biogeographic affinities of the southern Madagascan Codium flora. We conclude that the Madagascan flora shares elements with temperate South Africa and contains tropical Indo-Pacific elements. It also has endemic elements, some clearly at the species level, some possibly representing isolated populations of more widely-ranging species.


Today's diverse architectural design directions have produced tall buildings of many different forms. This paper presents performance-based structural system design options for complex-shaped tall buildings, such as twisted, tilted and free form towers. For each complex form category, tall buildings of different heights are designed with various structural systems prevalently used for today's tall buildings, such as braced tube, diagrid and outrigger systems, to investigate the structural performance of each system comparatively in conjunction with its form. Parametric structural models are generated to study the impacts of varying important geometric configurations of complex-shaped tall buildings. The models are exported to structural engineering software for analyses and design. Based on the design studies, structural performance of each system in different complex form category is comparatively evaluated. KeywordsComplex-Shaped Tall Buildings, Structural Design, Diagrids, Braced Tubes, Outrigger Structures.


In the early 80s, I graduated at the department lead by Professor Jaap Bakema, the man that coined the term 'van stoel tot stad' (from chair to city). It offered me insights into the gradations of scale and different disciplines that characterize the building industry. These different levels of scale and disciplines are also at the foundation of my two-fold experience with building practice of the past decennia: that of architect and that of booster of architectural policy. This experience proves useful now: since the beginning of the 21st century, a permanent shift of the role and position of the architect within building practice becomes apparent. Those who want to connect the culture of building with technological innovation must know how design and ingenuity are interconnected. The present is asking for new values. We must combine a strong dose of innovation with the urgency of renewing the building stock.


When we are young we see change as a sweeping phenomenon, a roaring avalanche of paradigm shifts and situational changes that overwhelm the "status quo" into relinquishing its unjust usurpation of power. Such ideas do not rest far from the line demarcating dreams and reality. As we grow into our understanding of power dynamics, we realize that there are times when the stability of the SUMS quo allows for more advancement in gender equality than the rush of chaotic change. It can be argued that the Aral world is unfortunately an example of such a phenomenon at this stage of its spring of revolutions. The Arab world has seen significant advancements in gender equality over the last 30 years, leading commentators to worry about how the Arab Spring would affect this progress. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two-thirds of countries in the Arab world have more women than men enrolled in universities. This is a direct result of the leadership of individuals such as Shaikha Mozah hint Nasser, Founder and President of the Qatar Foundation, who among other distinctions is likely the global social entrepreneur with the largest and most diverse portfolio of initiatives. The plethora of smart, philanthropic, and entrepreneurial endeavors under way in the Arab world give much reason for positive hope for the future. A discussion or gender Inequality in education in the current environment of the Arab world, however, is incomplete without a concurrent consideration of employment and economic opportunity. A closer analysis of the reasons behind the Arab revolutions, the current educational gender gaps, and the early economic policies of various revolutionary governments show that the Arab Spring may not bring the justice Arab women have been looking for. In fact, one could argue that in the countries where there were no revolutions there was more advancement for the situation of women than in those nations that witnessed revolutions. Surely this would be an unfair statement without the proper context, but when approaching the discussion of opportunity gaps in the Arab world, the spring of change does not necessarily contribute to gender equality. Demanding Dignity for Women Before diving into an assessment of the situation of women and girls within the context of the Arab Spring, it is important to articulate a foundational point. There is great injustice towards women in most parts of the world. This injustice manifests itself in innumerable ways but permeates the reality in which girls and women live, as well as the avenues they are offered in their effort to stay alive and improve their wellbeing. Articulating this foundational point is important for two reasons. First, there is no magic cultural wand that exists anywhere in the world that brings equality and dignity to women and girls. Only comprehensive, scalable, and sustainable programming that incorporates elements of global differentiation more organic than merely "localizing" content will overcome this global phenomenon. Second, much of what negatively affects women and girls also ails the rest of society in less measurable and obvious ways, be it in the realms of economics, education, health, or any other area of life. The situation of women and girls can often serve as a litmus test for what is happening in other sectors of society and communal life; if women and girls are oppressed and disadvantaged it is likely that other groups such as young men and boys are similarly situated. Projects such as the Nike Foundation's Girl Effect work to spread an understanding of the exponential growth in development that can be achieved when programs across the world are focused specifically on the advancement of the status of girls. Gender Disparity Men Women World Illiteracy for Men and Women 40% 60% World Chronic Hungry for Men and Women 33.33% 66.67% Summer Institute of Linguistics and The World Food Programme, 2013 Photo Courtesy Reuters Note: Table made from pie chart. …


Structured in two unequal parts, Psalm 112 confronts the problem of retribution in accordance with the classic formula: the just prosper, the impious perish. The first part is made up of two parallel strophe: in the first (vv.1-4), the formulation is positive; in the second (vv.5-8), the formulation is negative, but the meaning is highly positive. The second part (vv.9-10), composed of only two antithetical verses, first of all describes the blessed destiny of the just (v. 9), and then the ruin of the impious (v. 10).The « blessed-happiness » of the just is linked to faithfulness to the code of the alliance. Of the two commandments of love: « You will love the Lord your God with all your heart... » (Dt.6:5), « You will love your neighbour as yourself» (Lev.19:18), Psalm 112, in its own « Ten Words », dwells on the second, that is on love towards one's neighbour. A love which postulates the protection of the rights of the weaker and helpless in all social categories. The psalm declares blessed those « who fear the Lord ». The fear of the Lord, which has nothing terrifying about it, is defined on the basis of some parallel terms such as: to love, to comply, to walk to serve, to listen, etc. He who fears the Lord and remains faithful to the alliance will receive glory as an inheritance, while the impious will go to his ruin, that is, will come up against a premature death. Whatever is affirmed of the just person is denied to the impious person and vice versa.The topical interest of the psalm, beyond that of the argument itself which is a summons back to faithfulness to the « law of goodness » in social relationships and to the value of almsgiving, lies above all in the use which St. Paul has made of it in 2 Cor. 9:9. Using the testimony of Psalm 112 as a basis, he underlines the equality which the life of faith requires not only on the spiritual, but also on the material level.


In the dissertation a new robust estimation technique for range image segmentation and fitting has been developed. The performance of the algorithm has been considerably improved by incorporating the genetic algorithm. The new robust estimation method randomly samples range image points and solves equations determined by these points for parameters of selected primitive type. From K samples we measure RESidual Consensus (RESC) to choose one set of sample points which determines an equation best fitting the largest homogeneous surface patch in the current processing region. The residual consensus is measured by a compressed histogram method which can be used at various noise levels. After obtaining surface parameters of the best fitting and the residuals of each point in the current processing region, a boundary list searching method is used to extract this surface patch out of the processing region and to avoid further computation. Since the RESC method can tolerate more than 80% of outliers, it is a substantial improvement over the least median squares method. The method segments range image into planar and quadratic surfaces, and works very well even in smoothly connected curve regions. A genetic algorithm is used to accelerate the random search. A large number of offline average performance experiments on GA are carried out to investigate different types of GAs and the influence of control parameters. A steady state GA works better than a generational replacement GA. The algorithms have been validated on the large set of synthetic and real range images.


Background:In determining ideal anthropomorphic values of the female breast, previous studies relied on the aesthetic judgments of 1 plastic surgeon alone or conveyed no aesthetic judgment. Methods:Anthropomorphic measurements were recorded from the breasts of 109 female volunteers. Images of their breasts were arranged into a computerized survey, and plastic surgeons, cosmetic breast surgery patients, and reconstructive breast surgery patients were interviewed for aesthetic feedback. Results:In all, 252 plastic surgeons, 15 cosmetic patients, and 25 reconstructive patients submitted 4446 evaluations. The ideal sternal notch to nipple distance was 21 to 21.5 cm, the ideal nipple to base distance was 6 cm, and the ideal base to inframammary fold distance was 2 cm. These and other ideal anthropomorphic measurements were calculated and compared with previously published values. Among cosmetic patients, insufficient cleavage had the most negative effect on aesthetic value, and among reconstructive patients, severe asymmetry had the most negative effect. Conclusions:Ideal anthropomorphic values were similar among plastic surgeons and patients, and these values will be useful in achieving quantitative breast surgery. In cosmetic patients, operative planning should focus more on superomedial fullness of the breast to create cleavage, and in reconstructive patients, postoperative asymmetry should be minimized.


Following up the empirical works of Jones (1995a,b) that reject two classes of the major endogenous growth models: the AK models and R&D based models, the paper tests the third class of endogenous growth models that generate endogenous evolution in division of labor against empirical data. It is shown that this class of endogenous growth models not only avoid scale effects, but also accommodate both convergence and divergence phenomena. One of the hypotheses generated by this class of endogenous growth models is that the divergence phenomenon takes place first between each pair of economies that enter the take off stage at different points in time, then the convergence phenomenon follows. This implies that the difference in per capita real income between the two economies is an inverse U shape curve. The empirical data strongly support the hypothesis.


Real time PCR is a powerful tool for studying the expression of genes involved in the pathophysiology of human diseases. Recent studies of the RAN (6p21), ZHX-2 (8q24.3), CHC1L (13q14.3) loci highlight the importance of these genes in multiple myeloma (MM) prognosis and therapeutic applications. Here, we described a detailed Real-Time PCR method for the detection of RAN, ZHX-2, and CHC1L expression, which could be applied in clinical situations. The expression profiles of these genes were studied in peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy individuals, patients suffering from MM, and in the myeloma cell line, MOLP-8. Low expression levels of RAN, ZHX-2, and CHC1L were observed in myeloma patients, compared with peripheral blood lymphocytes and MOLP-8 cells. An inhibitor of histone deacetylases (TSA) had the ability to decrease expression of CHC1L and ZHX-2 in MOLP-8 cells, while expression of RAN was relatively stable in peripheral blood lymphocytes, control MOLP-8, and TSA- or 5-azacytidine treated MOLP-8 cells. In myeloma patients, we observed significant decreases in the expression of selected genes, but it was patient-specific. Our experiments illustrate new methodological approaches and troubleshooting for conducting gene expression studies in clinical laboratories.


Spatiotemporal aspects of filovirus entry and release are poorly understood. Lipid rafts act as functional platforms for multiple cellular signaling and trafficking processes. Here, we report the compartmentalization of Ebola and Marburg viral proteins within lipid rafts during viral assembly and budding. Filoviruses released from infected cells incorporated raft-associated molecules, suggesting that viral exit occurs at the rafts. Ectopic expression of Ebola matrix protein and glycoprotein supported raft-dependent release of filamentous, virus-like particles (VLPs), strikingly similar to live virus as revealed by electron microscopy. Our findings also revealed that the entry of filoviruses requires functional rafts, identifying rafts as the site of virus attack. The identification of rafts as the gateway for the entry and exit of filoviruses and raft-dependent generation of VLPs have important implications for development of therapeutics and vaccination strategies against infections with Ebola and Marburg viruses.


Most people in medieval Europe lived at subsistence in a violent feudal world. Adam Smith explained both the long-term stability of the feudal system and how the towns escaped this violence trap through political exchange that fostered their ability to enter long-distance trade, significant division of labor, and economic growth and development. Violence is central to Smith's approach to development, which Smith scholars have systematically under-appreciated. In the face of episodic violence, individuals had little incentives to be industrious, to save, or to invest. Smith argued that the medieval towns escaped the violence trap through trade expansion. In Smith's view, development required three mutually reinforcing elements – liberty; commerce, including long-distance trade; and security from all forms of violence.


Evidence is provided from the array of observations amassed during the recent eclipse, that defines the enigmatic binary e Aurigae as comprised of an unstable F0-1 Iab star, in orbit around a comparable mass upper main sequence star (or stars) enshrouded in a disk resulting from F star mass loss. In this picture, the F star may be undergoing rapid evolutionary changes, and the recent 67-day primary quasi-period may make it suitable for asteroseismic studies. The hidden star(s) may have gained mass from the F star, and the disk itself provides opportunities for study of accretion, dust evolution and dynamics.


Consumption of diets with low glycemic impact is highly recommended for diabetics and pre-diabetics as it helps maintain their blood glucose levels. However, laboratory analysis of dietary glycemic potency is time-consuming and expensive. In this paper, we explore a data-driven approach utilizing online crowdsourcing and machine learning to estimate the glycemic impact of cooking recipes. We show that a commonly used healthiness metric may not always be effective in determining recipes suitable for diabetics, thus emphasizing the importance of the glycemic-impact estimation task. Our best classification model, trained on nutritional and crowdsourced data obtained from Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT), can accurately identify recipes which are unhealthful for diabetics.


Title of Document: METHODS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND DISTRIBUTED SEQUENCE ANALYSIS Samuel Vincent Angiuoli, Ph.D., 2011 Directed By: Professor S.L. Salzberg, Department of Computer Science High-throughput sequencing has accelerated applications of genomics throughout the world. The increased production and decentralization of sequencing has also created bottlenecks in computational analysis. In this dissertation, I provide novel computational methods to improve analysis throughput in three areas: whole genome multiple alignment, pan-genome annotation, and bioinformatics workflows. To aid in the study of populations, tools are needed that can quickly compare multiple genome sequences, millions of nucleotides in length. I present a new multiple alignment tool for whole genomes, named Mugsy, that implements a novel method for identifying syntenic regions. Mugsy is computationally efficient, does not require a reference genome, and is robust in identifying a rich complement of genetic variation including duplications, rearrangements, and large-scale gain and loss of sequence in mixtures of draft and completed genome data. Mugsy is evaluated on the alignment of several dozen bacterial chromosomes on a single computer and was the fastest program evaluated for the alignment of assembled human chromosome sequences from four individuals. A distributed version of the algorithm is also described and provides increased processing throughput using multiple CPUs. Numerous individual genomes are sequenced to study diversity, evolution and classify pan-genomes. Pan-genome annotations contain inconsistencies and errors that hinder comparative analysis, even within a single species. I introduce a new tool, MugsyAnnotator, that identifies orthologs and anomalous gene structure across a pan-genome using whole genome multiple alignments. Identified anomalies include inconsistently located translation initiation sites and disrupted genes due to draft genome sequencing or pseudogenes. An evaluation of pan-genomes indicates that such anomalies are common and alternative annotations suggested by the tool can improve annotation consistency and quality. Finally, I describe the Cloud Virtual Resource, CloVR, a desktop application for automated sequence analysis that improves usability and accessibility of bioinformatics software and cloud computing resources. CloVR is installed on a personal computer as a virtual machine and requires minimal installation, addressing challenges in deploying bioinformatics workflows. CloVR also seamlessly accesses remote cloud computing resources for improved processing throughput. In a case study, I demonstrate the portability and scalability of CloVR and evaluate the costs and resources for microbial sequence analysis. METHODS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND DISTRIBUTED SEQUENCE ANALYSIS


We study estimation and non-parametric identification of preferences in two-sided matching markets using data from a single market with many agents. We consider a model in which preferences of each side of the market are vertical, utility is non-transferable and the observed matches are pairwise stable. We show that preferences are not identified with data on one-to-one matches but are non-parametrically identified when data from many-to-one matches are observed. The additional empirical content in many-to-one matches is illustrated by comparing two simulated objective functions, one that does and the other that does not use information available in many-to-one matching. We also prove consistency of a method of moments estimator for a parametric model under a data generating process in which the size of the matching market increases, but data only on one market is observed. Since matches in a single market are interdependent, our proof of consistency cannot rely on observations of independent matches. Finally, we present Monte Carlo studies of a simulation based estimator.


Only a small fraction of the estimated species diversity on Earth already has been discovered, and expected high extinction rates force biologists to rapid surveys. Molecular barcoding techniques meet such goals, but taken alone they can hardly connect genetic discoveries with the large morphology-based body of taxonomic knowledge that accumulated during centuries. Also, the study of organismic evolution requires reliable information on phenotypes. Morphological and biological knowledge on formally described species can be, however, very heterogeneous regarding both quality and quantity. Especially problematic are meiofaunal taxa – biodiversity generally is poorly explored, and species are small, hard to collect, externally quite uniform and difficult to distinguish by means of traditional taxonomic techniques. Old species descriptions often are fragmentary and information may or may not be reliable. Novel microanatomical imaging techniques raised the hope to combine the rapid examinations with the obligatory accuracy and desired comprehensiveness of structural information obtainable.
Among the most successful interstitial gastropod taxa are the Acochlidia, combining extremely high morphological and biological diversity with modest species diversity. The state of research at the beginning of my PhD thesis considered the Acochlidia as poorly known, enigmatic and morphologically and biologically aberrant Opisthobranchia, comprising only 27 valid species. Most of the acochlidian species are marine mesopsammic and distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans, but some species succeeded to invade freshwater systems on tropical islands. Uniquely among the otherwise hermaphroditic euthyneurans, some acochlidians have separate sexes. Previous sampling efforts were biased to European waters and a few other places that had been visited by experts. Original descriptions of the acochlidian species were often limited to the external morphology, the structure of calcareous spicules and the examination of the radula by light microscopy; furthermore, some anatomical data were traditionally obtained from gross-morphological dissection or from paraffin-based histology. Inner acochlidian classification was controversial and neither morphology-based nor molecular phylogenetic studies resolved the origin of this traditional "order" among euthyneuran heterobranch gastropods.
In a case study for Mollusca, and for the first time for heterobranch gastropods, I comparatively explored the microanatomy of a representative sampling of known acochlidian taxonomic diversity applying computer-aided 3D reconstructions with Amira® based on serial semi-thin histological sections. My dissertation aimed (1) to revise the morphology and taxonomy of acochlidians, including the most dubiously and incompletely described species, (2) to generate detailed microanatomical data sets for comparative purposes, (3) to reconstruct global acochlidian phylogeny and major traits of their evolution, and (4) to explore the power and the limits of modern microanatomy against traditional taxonomy and molecular approaches, and to develop integrative approaches.
Original type material was traced in museums and institutions according to the literature and loaned for re-examination whenever possible. Most of the acochlidian species were re-collected at the type localities. Seven acochlidian species covering seven of eight families were re-examined in full detail; other species were studied to the level necessary and possible considering time constraints; additionally five species were introduced new to science. The microanatomical part of my dissertation clearly demonstrates that traditional acochlidian taxonomy did not provide sufficiently detailed and reliable anatomical information. In contrast, computer-based 3D reconstructions with the software Amira® are an efficient, powerful tool for microanatomy, providing a wealth of new data on all major organ systems of the Acochlidia. Transforming specimens into serial histological sections is "invasive", but generates vouchers that carry testable information. Semithin-sectioning (1-2 µm) and staining as applied herein provide resolution adequate to trace relevant organs, ducts and tissues; limits of this method refer to quantitative detection of fine nerves. The process of preparing complete 3D models is time consuming, but greatly supports accurateness of finding and identifying structures and includes several steps of internal quality control. 3D models, especially when interactive, are attractive and instructive, comprise verifiable high-quality data, and revealed considerable amounts of erroneous data within original species descriptions. Former outliers – i.e. apparently aberrant and enigmatic species - fit well into the pattern of known acochlidian species after the correction of the original data. 3D modeling from serial sections as applied herein is discussed as the best currently available method for exploring complex soft part microanatomy in small invertebrate specimens.
Using the verified and supplemented morphological data, more than 100 morphological characters were defined and coded for all 27 acochlidian species considered valid at that time, and 11 euthyneuran outgroups. A cladistic analysis with PAUP recovered monophyletic Acochlidia originating from an unresolved basal opisthobranch level. The Acochlidia split into the Hedylopsacea (Tantulum (Hedylopsis (Pseudunela (Strubellia ('Acochlidium', 'Palliohedyle'))))) and Microhedylacea (Asperspina (Pontohedyle, 'Parhedyle', 'Microhedyle', (Ganitus, Paraganitus))). The formerly enigmatic Ganitidae, resembling sacoglossan opisthobranchs by having dagger-like rhachidian radular teeth, were recovered as highly derived microhedylids. This topology is largely well-supported, robust to modifications of outgroup taxon sampling, and in principles was supported by a recent multi-locus molecular analysis. In addition, molecular analyses revealed the formerly enigmatic, amphibious Aitengidae also clustering within hedylopsacean Acochlidia. Although my phylogenetic hypothesis is not considered definitive, the paraphyly of some of the traditionally recognized family level taxa induced a preliminary reclassification of the Acochlidia.
Rarely among invertebrates, morphology-based and molecular acochlidian topologies are compatible, and thus may closely reflect natural relationships. Major traits of the acochlidian evolutionary history were reconstructed tracing character state changes on the tree. The previous hypothesis of a general regression of morphological complexity in the Acochlidia applies only for microhedylacean species. Within Microhedylacea, we confirmed a tendency towards successive reductions, particularly in the reproductive system. Species are aphallic, sperm transfer occurs by spermatophores and dermal fertilisation and the secondary gonochorism evolved once in the ancestor of the Microhedylidae. In contrast, already basal hedylopsacean species show a complex excretory system adapted to a freshwater influenced environment. An evolutionary trait from a simple unarmed copulatory system towards complex hypodermal injection systems was recognised culminating in a large, trap-like spiny rapto-penis of several limnic Acochlidiidae.
In spite of a high level of convergence involved, precise microanatomical data sets on a vast (yet incomplete) ingroup sampling thus allowed reconstructing a novel, plausible and detailed hypothesis on acochlidian phylogeny and evolution. This approach may have considerable potential also in other groups with similarly small and rare members that are elusive to molecular studies. Limits of morphology-based phylogeny concern any subgroups with just limited information available, old and possibly rapid diversifications, such as the origin of Acochlidia among Euthyneura, and relatively recent subgroups with little phenotypical differences fixed. We show that traditional taxonomy fails to differentiate some genetically clearly distinct lineages. In Pseudunela, sophisticated microanatomy alone cannot reliably delimitate all of the evolutionary lineages, but may reveal diagnosable differences among pseudocryptic species once they have been delimited by molecular analyses. Integrative taxonomy combining modern microanatomical data on acochlidians with molecular analyses thus is superior to individual approaches.
With all key species revised in microanatomical and testable detail, and many additional species compared to such standard, now the Acochlidia probably range among the best described heterobranch groups. There is, however, still a critical gap of knowledge regarding biological observations and ontogenetic stages. Future work also should focus on resolving the exact origin of Acochlidia among Panpulmonata and on generating comparative anatomical data from potential sister groups. In spite of the urgency for speed facing the biodiversity crisis, my dissertation showed the essential need for revisory work on acochlidians, and this may be true also for other poorly known micromolluscs. Integrative 3D microanatomical and molecular approaches as exemplified herein are efficient, and thus suitable to explore the diversity and evolution of neglected micromolluscs within overall reasonable time scales.


Many existing advanced methods of traffic signal control depend on information about
approaching traffic provided by inductive loop detectors at particular points in the road. But
analysis of images from CCTV cameras can in principle provide more comprehensive
information about traffic approaching and passing through junctions, and cameras may be
easier to install and maintain than loop detectors, and some systems based on video detection
have already been in use for some time.
Against this background, computer simulation has been used to explore the potential of
existing and immediately foreseeable capability in automatic on-line image analysis to extract
information relevant to signal control from images provided by cameras mounted in
acceptable positions at signal-controlled junctions. Some consequences of extracting relevant
information in different ways were investigated in the context of an existing detailed
simulation model of vehicular traffic moving through junctions under traffic-responsive signal
control, and the development of one basic and one advanced algorithm for traffic-responsive
control. The work was confined as a first step to operation of one very simple signalcontrolled
junction.
Two techniques for extraction of information from images were modelled - a more ambitious
technique based on distinguishing most of the individual vehicles visible to the camera, and a
more modest technique requiring only that the presence of vehicles in any part of the image
be distinguished from the background scene. In the latter case, statistical modelling was used
to estimate the number of vehicles corresponding to any single area of the image that
represents vehicles rather than background.
At the simple modelled junction, each technique of extraction enabled each of the algorithms
for traffic-responsive control of the signals to achieve average delays per vehicle appreciably
lower than those given by System D control, and possibly competitive with those that MOVA
would give, but comparison with MOVA was beyond the scope of the initial study.
These results of simulation indicate that image analysis of CCTV pictures should be able to
provide sufficient information in practice for traffic-responsive control that is competitive
with existing techniques. Ways in which the work could be taken further were discussed with
practitioners, but have not yet been progressed.


When sharing load among multiple muscles, humans appear to select an optimal pattern of activation that minimizes costs such as the effort or variability of movement. How the nervous system achieves this behavior, however, is unknown. Here we show that contrary to predictions from optimal control theory, habitual muscle activation patterns are surprisingly robust to changes in limb biomechanics. We first developed a method to simulate joint forces in real time from electromyographic recordings of the wrist muscles. When the model was altered to simulate the effects of paralyzing a muscle, the subjects simply increased the recruitment of all muscles to accomplish the task, rather than recruiting only the useful muscles. When the model was altered to make the force output of one muscle unusually noisy, the subjects again persisted in recruiting all muscles rather than eliminating the noisy one. Such habitual coordination patterns were also unaffected by real modifications of biomechanics produced by selectively damaging a muscle without affecting sensory feedback. Subjects naturally use different patterns of muscle contraction to produce the same forces in different pronation–supination postures, but when the simulation was based on a posture different from the actual posture, the recruitment patterns tended to agree with the actual rather than the simulated posture. The results appear inconsistent with computation of motor programs by an optimal controller in the brain. Rather, the brain may learn and recall command programs that result in muscle coordination patterns generated by lower sensorimotor circuitry that are functionally "good-enough."


Recent scholarship on slavery and politics between 1776 and 1840 has wholly revised historians' understanding of the problem of slavery in American politics. "Contesting Slavery" builds on the best of that literature to reexamine the politics of slavery in revolutionary America and the early republic.The original essays collected here analyze the Revolutionary era and the early republic on their own terms to produce fresh insights into the politics of slavery before 1840. The collection forces historians to rethink the multiple meanings of slavery and antislavery to a broad array of Americans, from free and enslaved African Americans to proslavery ideologues, from northern farmers to northern female reformers, from minor party functionaries to political luminaries such as Henry Clay.The essays also delineate the multiple ways slavery sustained conflict and consensus in local, regional, and national politics. In the end, "Contesting Slavery" both establishes the abiding presence of slavery and sectionalism in American political life and challenges historians' long-standing assumptions about the place, meaning, and significance of slavery in American politics between the Revolutionary and antebellum eras. "Contributors" Rachel Hope Cleves, University of Victoria * David F. Ericson, George Mason University * John Craig Hammond, Penn State University, New Kensington * Matthew Mason, Brigham Young University * Richard Newman, Rochester Institute of Technology * James Oakes, CUNY Graduate Center * Peter S. Onuf, University of Virginia * Robert G. Parkinson, Shepherd University * Donald J. Ratcliffe, University of Oxford * Padraig Riley, Dalhousie University * Edward B. Rugemer, Yale University * Brian Schoen, Ohio University * Andrew Shankman, Rutgers University, Camden * George William Van Cleve, University of Virginia * Eva Sheppard Wolf, San Francisco State University


The persistence of high interest rates in Ghana is the collective responsibility of banks, the fiscal authorities, and the monetary authorities. High bank lending rates and large spreads are of particular concern; not only can they not be justified in terms of the costs and risks in the industry, they also reflect industry inefficiencies, low and ineffective competition, and collusive practices. The monetary authorities cannot remain aloof but must exercise their regulatory authority to correct an obvious market failure in the credit system by capping interest rate spreads at the minimum.


The looting, trafficking, and illicit sale of cultural objects is a form of transnational crime with significant social and legal dimensions that call into question competing ideas of ownership and value, as well as how we define organized crime, white collar crime, and crimes of the powerful. The looting of cultural objects from archaeological and heritage sites is inherently destructive and is almost always illegal. However, through a complex smuggling chain which depends on lack of import/export regulation standardization in transit and opaque business practices at market, stolen cultural objects are able to be passed onto the international market in large quantities and at little risk to market actors.


This Article identifies a key doctrinal shift in courts' treatment of public employees' First Amendment claims - a shift that imperils the public's interest in transparent government as well as the free speech rights of more than twenty million government workers. In the past, courts interpreted the First Amendment to permit governmental discipline of public employee speech on matters of public interest only when such speech undermined the governmental employer's interest in efficiently providing public services. In contrast, courts now increasingly focus on - and defer to - government's claim to control its workers' expression to protect its own speech. More specifically, courts increasingly permit government to control its employees' expression while at work, characterizing such speech as the government's own for which it has paid with a salary. This trend frustrates a meaningful commitment to republican government by allowing government officials to punish, and thus deter, whistleblowing and other valuable on-the-job speech that would otherwise facilitate the public's ability to hold the government politically accountable for its choices. Courts also increasingly consider government workers to be speaking "as employees" even when away from work, deferring to government's assertion that its association with employees who engage in certain off-duty expression undermines its credibility in communicating its own contrary views. Implicit in courts' reasoning is the premise that a public entity's employment relationship with an individual who engages in certain expression communicates a substantive message to the public that the government is entitled to control. Courts' unfettered deference to such claims permits government agencies to fire workers for any unpopular or controversial off-duty speech to which the public might object, potentially enforcing an expressive orthodoxy as a condition of public employment. To be sure, government speech is as valuable as it is inevitable. But taken together, these trends lead to the rejection of government workers' First Amendment claims in a growing number of cases that undermine workers' free speech rights as well as the public's interest in transparent government. More careful attention to what it is that government seeks to communicate - and whether that message is actually impaired by employee speech - can help us capture and accommodate government's expressive interests while providing greater protection for workers. This Article thus proposes a less deferential approach to assessing government's expressive claims, exploring both categorical and contextual frameworks for identifying with greater precision that comparatively small universe of worker speech that actually threatens government's legitimate speech.


Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are crucial components of many stress response systems. The envelope stress response (ESR) of Gram‐negative bacteria is a paradigm for sRNA‐mediated stress management and involves, among other factors, the alternative sigma factor E (σE) and one or more sRNAs. In this study, we identified the MicV sRNA as a new member of the σE regulon in Vibrio cholerae. We show that MicV acts redundantly with another sRNA, VrrA, and that both sRNAs share a conserved seed‐pairing domain allowing them to regulate multiple target mRNAs. V. cholerae lacking σE displayed increased sensitivity toward antimicrobials, and over‐expression of either of the sRNAs suppressed this phenotype. Laboratory selection experiments using a library of synthetic sRNA regulators revealed that the seed‐pairing domain of σE‐dependent sRNAs is strongly enriched among sRNAs identified under membrane‐damaging conditions and that repression of OmpA is crucial for sRNA‐mediated stress relief. Together, our work shows that MicV and VrrA act as global regulators in the ESR of V. cholerae and provides evidence that bacterial sRNAs can be functionally annotated by their seed‐pairing sequences.


Abstract The present study focuses on forest incomes of households around forest concessions in Cameroon. The contributions of forest income to the economy and well-being of households were measured and the explanatory factors for heterogeneity determined. We used the Gini index to evaluate the distribution of household forest incomes and their influence on well-being and income inequality amongst forest-dependent households. Three TOBIT econometric models with sample selection were estimated to identify factors that influence the level of each source of forest income. Results from our analysis show that forest contributes on average 38% of total annual household income with 19, 13 and 6% from illegal logging, hunting and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) of vegetal origin, respectively. Forest income overall contributes in increasing disparities among people by 3%. Income from illegal logging was found to be a major source of income inequality while other forest income sources such as NTFPs and hunting slightly reduced income inequality. Access to villages and the amount of agricultural income were the main factors that explained the differences in forest income.


Many animal species tolerate different amounts of predation risk based on environmental conditions and the individual's own condition, often accepting greater risk when energetically stressed. We studied the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica to see whether it too accepts greater risk of predation when less light energy is available. This plant displays a defensive behavior of rapidly folding its leaves when stimulated by touch, thereby decreasing visibility to herbivores. Averting herbivory involves a trade-off because leaf closure results in a reduction in light foraging. We manipulated the light environment of individual M. pudica plants and recorded the time it took a plant to reopen its leaves following stimulation as a measure of tolerance of predation risk. As predicted by theory, avoidance behavior was sustained longer under high light conditions than under more light-limited conditions. These findings suggest this species balances the risk and reward of antiherbivore behavior in relation to current environmental conditions and that behavioral-ecological theory is a useful framework for understanding plant responses to predators.


Many attempts have been made in recent times to increase the numbers of disabled people in the UK workforce. Present policy makers have proposed a raft of seemingly new initiatives to solve what appears to be a somewhat intractable problem. This paper argues that the present disability rights movement's concern with establishing equal rights for disabled people, including the right to independent living, has fused with government concerns in the area of employment, but questions whether this is a recent occurrence. Using historical data, it is suggested that a careful re‐reading of the actions and arguments of organizations and activists during the early part of the 20th century indicates rather more continuity with the present disability movement than is generally acknowledged and that many of the current policy initiatives aimed at the inclusion of disabled people into paid work can be seen as 'old wine in new glasses'. The line between independence and dependence, between the efficient and the unemployable, has to be made clearer and broader … [the latter] must become the acknowledged dependants of the State and removed from industry. (Beveridge 1906) Work for those who can, support for those who can't. (Blair, 1998, p. 3)


This paper builds on twin assumptions that human behavior and physical places influence one another, and that design and planning should therefore be sensitive to the users of the built environment. Sociologists have a key role to play in shaping the built environment: they can bring the users' concerns to the design and planning process. Predesign research, research on the design process, and postoccupancy evaluation research are among the tools utilized by clinical sociologists working with environmental and design issues. Criteria to employ in selecting design research methods are identified and nine specific methods are ranked on those criteria and explained.


Yet again: mission and evangelism. Mutual relationship, range and structuring In the past the distinction between "mission" and "evangelism" was usually seen in an outreach to different categories of people. Mission, it was said, has to do with "not-yet-Christians", whereas evangelism tries to win hack "no-more-Christians". The theological reason for the distinction was the presence or absence of (previous) covenant relations. Nowadays it is preferred to differentiate rather on the basis of an understanding of the essence of the two activities. Mission is understood as the broader activity of the church's involvement with the world, while evangelism is seen as the explicitly evangelising dimension of mission.


, Abstract Background— A number of studies have linked neuropsychiatric symptoms to increase risk of dementia. Objective— To determine if risk of conversion to mild cognitive impairment or dementia among healthy controls varied as a function of their pattern of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Method— We studied individuals in the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center dataset collected from 34 Alzheimer Disease Centers between 2005 and 2013. The analysis included 4,517 volunteers who were ≥ 60 years old, cognitively normal, and had complete Neuropsychiatric Inventory data at their baseline visit, and had at least one follow-up. We used latent class analysis to identify 4 classes based on patterns of NPI symptoms. We used a cox proportional hazards model to determine if time to MCI or dementia varied by baseline latent class membership. Results— We identified 4 latent classes of neuropsychiatric symptoms: irritable, depressed, complex (depression, apathy, irritability and nighttime behaviors) and asymptomatic. 873 participants converted to MCI or dementia. Hazard ratios for conversion by class were 1.76 (95% CI: 1.34, 2.33) for the irritable class, 3.20 (95% CI: 2.24, 4.58) for the complex class, and 1.90 (95% CI: 1.49, 2.43) for the depressed class, with the asymptomatic class as the reference. Conclusions— Membership in all 3 symptomatic classes was associated with greater risk of conversion to MCI or dementia; the complex class had the greatest risk. Different patterns of neuropsychiatric symptoms may represent different underlying neuropathological pathways to dementia. Further work imaging and pathology research is necessary to determine if this is the case.


When people recurrently interact in familiar settings, social conventions may develop so that people tend to disregard alternatives outside the conventional norm. For rational players to usually restrict attention to a block of conventional strategies, no player should prefer to deviate from the block when others are likely to act rationally and conventionally inside it. We explore concepts that formalize this idea for finite normal-form games. Settled equilibria are Nash equilibria with support in minimal blocks that can be conventionally accepted in such a sense. This refinement has a lot of cutting power in many games. It excludes some equilibria that meet other stringent refinements, for instance mixed equilibria of simple coordination games. We provide a psychological micro model for our approach and show that it implies a form of properness. We prove the general existence of settled equilibria. Since these are proper, they induce sequential equilibria in all extensive-form games with the given normal form. Thus, settled equilibrium is also a refinement of sequential equilibrium.


Linear complementarity problems are a powerful tool for modeling many practically relevant situations such as market equilibria. They also connect many sub-areas of mathematics like game theory, optimization, and matrix theory. Despite their close relation to optimization, the protection of LCPs against uncertainties—especially in the sense of robust optimization—is still in its infancy. During the last years, robust LCPs have only been studied using the notions of strict and Γ-robustness. Unfortunately, both concepts lead to the problem that the existence of robust solutions cannot be guaranteed. In this paper, we consider affinely adjustable robust LCPs. In the latter, a part of the LCP solution is allowed to adjust via a function that is affine in the uncertainty. We show that this notion of robustness allows to establish strong characterizations of solutions for the cases of uncertain matrix and vector, separately, from which existence results can be derived. For an uncertain LCP vector, we additionally provide sufficient conditions on the LCP matrix for the uniqueness of a solution. Moreover, based on characterizations of the affinely adjustable robust solutions, we derive a mixed-integer programming formulation that allows to solve the corresponding robust counterpart. If the LCP matrix is uncertain, characterizations of solutions are developed for every nominal matrix, i.e., these characterizations are, in particular, independent of the definiteness of the nominal matrix. Robust solutions are also shown to be unique for positive definite LCP matrix but both uniqueness and mixedinteger programming formulations still remain open problems if the nominal LCP matrix is not positive definite.


Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is crucial during embryonic development. Upon Wnt stimulation, Dishevelled proteins relay the signal from upstream Frizzled receptors to downstream effectors. By using affinity purification followed by ion-trap mass spectrometry we identified K-homology splicing regulator protein (KSRP) as a novel Dishevelled-interacting protein. We show that KSRP negatively regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling at the level of post-transcriptional CTNNB1 (β-catenin) mRNA stability. Thus, Dishevelled-KSRP complex operates in Wnt regulation of β-catenin, functioning post-transcriptionally upon CTNNB1 mRNA stability.


The present research examined whether Japanese culture became more individualistic between 1947 and 2015 by investigating temporal changes in indicators of family structure. Previous research has shown that Japanese culture has become more individualistic. However, the amount of research investigating temporal changes in individualism in Japan is small. Thus, it is important to examine whether Japanese culture has become more individualistic by investigating indicators that have not been used in previous research. Therefore, indicators of family structure that have been validated as indices of individualism were used to examine whether people came to live more independently from other family members. Analyses indicated that the rate of people living alone, the rate of nuclear households, and the divorce rate increased, while the rate of three-generation households and the household size decreased. These results showed that family structure became more individual-based in Japan, suggesting that Japanese culture changed toward greater individualism.


This study was conducted to investigate the level of underemployment in agricultural sector of Peshawar Valley. Underemployment is a situation wherein the number of hours worked of an employed person is not enough compared to what he is willing and able to engage in. The study is based on data collected through structured questionnaire from three hundred sampled farmers using multi stage stratified random sampling technique. Respondents were categorized into six groups on the basis of size of land holdings. In the study area, agriculture is the major source of employment. Three types of labour---family labour, casual hired labour and permanent hired labour, were found engaged in the farming activities. The average size of land holdings was 2.72 hectares ranging from 0.20 to 12.14. About 50% of farmers had their land holdings below 2 hectares. On an average, 2.46 adult units of family labour were engaged in agricultural activities ranging from 1.61 to 3.54. The results of the study revealed that average level of underemployment was 22.95%. The major determinants of underemployment were farm size, size of family labour, size of livestock herd, level of off-farm employment, level of education and distance of the village from the main road. Econometric analysis revealed that coefficients of the farm size, size of livestock herd, level of off-farm employment and level of education were negatively correlated and significant while coefficients of size of family labour and distance of the village from main road were positively correlated. There was significant difference in the level of underemployment among various size of farms. Some of small farmers find it difficult to eke out their livelihood solely from agriculture. They are switching to other sources of income. About 25.33% of sampled farmers were engaged in off-farm employments. Negative correlation was found between farm size and level of off-farm employment. Other major factors affecting off-farm employment were household size, size of livestock herd, level of education, village distance from main road and age of sampled respondents. The analysis shows that coefficients of farm size, size of livestock herd and village distance from main road were negatively correlated while coefficients or household size, level of education and age of sampled respondents were positively correlated with the level of off-farm employment. Size of land holdings decreases as a result of subdivision due to law of inheritance. In addition to this, technological change continues to exert a significant long run influence on farm sector employment and it is likely that, this long-term trend will continue. The result is a decline in the demand for labour in farming. As a result, underemployment in the agricultural sector is likely to increase in future. Off-farm employment has the potential to absorb excess labour from agricultural sector. So, there is need to create off-farm employment opportunities. In rural areas, livestock provides a secondary income for households. This sector may indicate scope for development. There is need to develop livestock sector through various measures. Agro-processing industries are limited in the study area. It is recommended to look towards processing activities and value added products in the field of agriculture. Agricultural marketing system needs to be improved through expanding network of farm to market roads and storage facilities. It is also recommended to open skill development centers in rural areas to impart training and skills in various needed profession.


The banana industry played an important role in the economy of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) since it was established in the 1950's. The industry has contributed to the country's economy by providing employment and development for rural households. St Vincent and the Grenadines has the highest income dependency percentage (22.3%) among the Windward Islands and has traditionally exported bananas to the United Kingdom (UK) under a preferential treatment marketing import system. Preferential access ceased in 1995 when WTO trade rules were implemented. Currently, the EU has eliminated its quota system and has reduced preferential access to its markets. At present, banana from St Vincent and the Grenadines is exported under the Fairtrade label which guarantees a stable price per box. This research examines the SVG banana industry value chain under a new EU marketing and pricing regime. It focuses on the current economic status of the banana industry and the contributions of the major Stakeholders along the chain. A critical analysis was done of the cost of production and the value potential of bananas in both the UK and regional market. Results indicate that the banana industry's contribution to the economy has declined significantly in the last few decades. The study also found that most of the value is added after the fruit leaves the farmgate, with Winfresh making the highest contribution to value in the chain. Interestingly, while the volume of exports to the UK has been declining, exports to the regional market has been increasing. Further, the value per tonne of banana sold in the regional market has been increasing since 2004. From a marketing perspective it suggests the need for a closer examination of the attractiveness of regional markets, not just Trinidad and Tobago, for SVG bananas.


Nearby, young stars are the ideal targets for investigations of stellar and protoplanetary disk evolution, so as to understand the processes involved in planet formation and evolution, as well as the origins of our Solar System. High energy radiation (X-ray and FUV) from the central star significantly alters the structure, chemistry, and ionization of planet-forming circumstellar disks. In this dissertation, I present observations of young stars and star-disk systems to better understand the connection between stellar high energy radiation and the evolution of circumstellar environments, and to further develop methods to exploit the signatures of youth, as well as methods to identify nearby, young stars. Our unbiased radio spectroscopic survey with the Institute de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30 meter telescope reveals the chemical richness of the circumstellar disk orbiting the ∼2–5 Myr-old, actively accreting solar analog LkCa 15. We find that high-energy (FUV and/or X-ray) radiation from the central star, a known X-ray-luminous source, may be enhancing the abundances of CN and C2H within the disk. To ascertain the evolutionary status of the erratically variable star RZ Piscium (RZ Psc), we obtained observations of RZ Psc with the European Space Agency's X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton), as well as high-resolution optical spectroscopy with the Hamilton Echelle on the Lick Shane 3 m telescope and with HIRES on the Keck I 10 m telescope. These data provide strong support for the young-star status of RZ Psc, as well as evidence for the presence of a significant mass of circumstellar gas, suggesting the recent destruction of one or more young exoplanets within 1 au of the star. It is evident from our Chandra X-ray Observatory survey of very cool members of the ∼8 Myr-old TW Hydra Association (TWA) that X-ray luminosity relative to bolometric luminosity (LX/Lbol) decreases with decreasing effective temperature (Teff ). The fraction of TWA stars that display evidence for residual primordial disk material sharply increases in this same (mid-M) spectral type regime, suggesting that disk survival times may be longer for ultra-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs than for higher-mass M stars. Finally, we use parallax data available in Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) to estimate the distances and ages of a sample of candidate young stars identified by the Galex Nearby Young Star Survey (GALNYSS). The youth of these stars is confirmed by their relative positions, compared to main sequence stars and giant stars, in Gaia-based color-magnitude and color-color diagrams produced for all Galex and WISE-detected stars with parallax measurements available in Gaia DR1.


This fourth volume in Robert Burns's celebrated series on the warrior King Jaume the Conqueror's Kingdom of Valencia describes the crucial years of 1270 to 1273, a period during which Jaume continued his consolidation of political power for future territorial expansion. Here in the colonial kingdom that he carved out from the Islamic Mediterranean regions of coastal Spain, Jaume presided over a society more complex than any in Christendom. This lively frontier was home to semiautonomous communities of Muslims, Jews, and Christian settlers. Jaume's pioneering exploitation of Valencia's Islamic paper mills left behind thousands of charters--records in the king's registers--that provide a wealth of detailed information about every aspect of these parallel cultures. Burns's Diplomatarium volumes represent the first systematic exploration of this massive deployment of paper in the West. They open up to readers the rich humanistic panorama of medieval life as seen from the traveling court of a conqueror king. The 500 charters collected in this book cover a kaleidoscope of topics, including public baths, castles, the renaissance of law, irrigation, mosques and monasteries, hospitals and banks, even exotic women. There are records on crossbow manufacture, riot and fire control, ship launchers, dogs of war, crime, slavery, prisons, and pardons. This critical edition includes reconstructions of each charter in its original Latin or Romance language with a corresponding translation in English, making it invaluable for students and scholars alike.


It has been shown that cosmic rays may affect the aggregate transitions of water in the free atmosphere
through ionization of air and, thereby, the atmospheric parameters. The pressure variations derived from
measurements of the water content across the atmosphere have been estimated. According to these
estimates, the magnitude of possible pressure variations caused by cosmic rays in the form of Forbush
decreases of galactic cosmic rays is 4.8 mbar. Data on the near-Earth pressure at three considerably
distant points (Moscow, Apatity, and Yakutsk) have been analyzed in order to prove this effect. It follows
from an analysis that the effect of galactic cosmic rays on the atmosphere is simultaneously observed at
least in polar and middle latitude regions of the Earth.


The 2015 Better Regulation Communication advocates an evidence-based approach to regulation, which includes better consultations and broader civic engagement. In this article I consider the recent EU public consultation on the regulatory environment of online platforms and the collaborative economy. I inquire in this context whether citizens were seriously regarded as evidence providers and how their knowledge materialized in individual narratives could contribute to more legitimate and thus better regulation. I argue that an evidence-based approach to regulation should also include citizen narratives as they can provide first-hand and diverse perspectives which might not be considered in standard consultation questions. I contend that citizen narratives can be particularly useful in complex and rapidly evolving fields where there is yet little empirical evidence and where participants are likely to have diverse personal experiences. Drawing on the literature on narratives, I contend that this method of collecting information can help regulators identify new problems and structure solutions in rapidly changing and diverse regulatory fields such as the collaborative economy.


OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an order verification screen, including a patient photograph, is an effective strategy for reducing the risk that providers will place orders in an unintended patient's electronic medical record (EMR). METHODS: We describe several changes to the EMR/provider interface and ordering workflow that were implemented as one part of a hospital-wide quality improvement effort to improve patient identification and verification practices. We measured the impact by comparing the number of reported incidents of care being provided to any patient other than for whom it was intended before the intervention, and directly after the intervention. RESULTS: For the year before the interventions described herein, placement of orders in the incorrect patient's chart was the second most common cause of care being provided to the wrong patient, comprising 24% of the reported errors. In the 15 months after the implementation of an order verification screen with the patient's photo centrally placed on the screen, no patient whose picture was in the EMR was reported to have received unintended care based on erroneous order placement in his or her chart. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of patient pictures within a computerized order entry verification process is an effective strategy for reducing the risk that erroneous placement of orders in a patient's EMR will result in unintended care being provided to an incorrect patient.


In a rich and fascinating history John Cornwell tells the epic story of Germany's scientists from the First World War to the collapse of Hitler's Reich. He shows how Germany became the world's Mecca for inventive genius, taking the lion's share of Nobel awards, before Hitler's regime hijacked science for wars of conquest and genocidal racism. Cornwell gives a dramatic account of the wide ranging Nazi research projects, from rockets to nuclear weapons; the pursuit of advanced technology for irrational ends, concluding with with penetrating relevance for today: the inherent dangers of science without conscience.


ZDHHC13 is a member of DHHC-containing palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs) family of enzymes. It functions by post-translationally adding 16-carbon palmitate to proteins through a thioester linkage. We have previously shown that mice carrying a recessive Zdhhc13 nonsense mutation causing a Zdhcc13 deficiency develop alopecia, amyloidosis and osteoporosis. Our goal was to investigate the pathogenic mechanism of osteoporosis in the context of this mutation in mice. Body size, skeletal structure and trabecular bone were similar in Zdhhc13 WT and mutant mice at birth. Growth retardation and delayed secondary ossification center formation were first observed at day 10 and at 4 weeks of age, disorganization in growth plate structure and osteoporosis became evident in mutant mice. Serial microCT from 4-20 week-olds revealed that Zdhhc13 mutant mice had reduced bone mineral density. Through co-immunoprecipitation and acyl-biotin exchange, MT1-MMP was identified as a direct substrate of ZDHHC13. In cells, reduction of MT1-MMP palmitoylation affected its subcellular distribution and was associated with decreased VEGF and osteocalcin expression in chondrocytes and osteoblasts. In Zdhhc13 mutant mice epiphysis where MT1-MMP was under palmitoylated, VEGF in hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteocalcin at the cartilage-bone interface were reduced based on immunohistochemical analyses. Our results suggest that Zdhhc13 is a novel regulator of postnatal skeletal development and bone mass acquisition. To our knowledge, these are the first data to suggest that ZDHHC13-mediated MT1-MMP palmitoylation is a key modulator of bone homeostasis. These data may provide novel insights into the role of palmitoylation in the pathogenesis of human osteoporosis.


we study the impact of heterogeneity of nodes, in terms of their energy, in wireless sensor networks that are hierarchically clustered. In these networks some of the nodes become cluster heads, aggregate the data of their cluster members and transmit it to the sink. We assume that a percentage of the population of sensor nodes is equipped with additional energy resources—this is a source of heterogeneity which may result from the initial setting or as the operation of the network evolves. We also assume that the sensors are randomly (uniformly) distributed and are not mobile, the coordinates of the sink and the dimensions of the sensor field are known. Classical clustering protocols assume that all the nodes are equipped with the same amount of energy and as a result, they cannot take full advantage of the presence of node heterogeneity. We propose An Amend LEACH, a heterogeneous aware protocol to prolong the time interval before the death of the first node (we refer to as stability period), which is crucial for many applications where the feedback from the sensor network must be reliable. A-LEACH is based on weighted election probabilities of each node to become cluster head according to the remaining energy in each node


Fluxgate magnetometers have played a major role in space missions due to their stability, range of operation and low energy consumption. Their principle of operation is relatively simple and easy to implement, a nonlinear magnetic material is driven into saturation by an alternating excitation current inducing a voltage that is modulated by the external field intended to be measured. With the increasing use of nanosatellites the instruments and payload on board have been reduced considerably in size and weight. The Small Magnetometer in Low-Mass Experiment, SMILE, is a miniaturised triaxial fluxgate magnetometer with volume compensation incorporating efficient signal processing algorithms within a field programmable gate array (FPGA). SMILE was designed in collaboration between the Lviv Centre of Institute of Space Research in Ukraine where the sensor was developed and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden where the electronics used to operate the instrument were designed and programmed. The characteristic dimensions of the SMILE magnetometer and geometry of its parts make impractical the task to find an analytical expression for the voltages induced in the pick-up coils to evaluate its performance. In this report, the results of numerical simulations of the SMILE magnetometer using a commercial finite element method (FEM) based software are presented. The results obtained are compared with the experimental data available and will serve as a first step to understand the behaviour of the nonlinear components that could lead to improvements of its design in a future.


Our understanding of the short-term behavior of the Earth's magnetic field is currently mainly hampered by a lack of high-resolution records of geomagnetic intensity variations that are well distributed over the globe and cover the same timespan. Over the past decades many efforts have been made to improve the methodology to obtain reliable estimates of the paleointensity from lavas – the only recorder of the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field that is available for all parts of the globe on geological time scales, and is capable of registering short-term fluctuations. In this thesis we demonstrate that some paleointensity methods will work on certain lavas with specific thermomagnetic behavior, but fail for others. We therefore propose a 'multi-method paleointensity approach' that consists of Thellier-style, MSP-style, and pseudo-Thellier-style experiments to construct high-resolution records of non-dipole variations in the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. By applying our new approach to suites of lavas from Hawai'i (USA), and Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) we obtain important constraints for short-term local geomagnetic intensity highs, and their possible driving mechanisms. Our new record for Hawai'i indicates that, approximately 1000 years ago, the local field intensity increased on the order of 50% for 200 years – a qualitatively similar phenomenon to that observed 200 years earlier in western Europe and 500 years later in southwestern USA. When these records are combined with a record for Japan, a coherent picture emerges that includes the dipole component decaying steadily since at least 1000 years ago. Superimposed onto this at a regional level are strong but shorter-term intensity variations whose asynchronicity necessitates a highly non-dipolar nature. Our paleointensity data obtained for Tenerife reveals high paleointensities coinciding with an intensity highs occurring in the Middle East around 1000 BC. If our findings are related to this jerk, it must have extended more than 50 degrees westwards in longitude. With the multi-method paleointensity approach outlined in this thesis it is feasible to obtain records of regional variations in the paleofield's intensity from lavas. Hence, we can set out to produce similar records for other volcanic edifices – especially on the Southern hemisphere – and thereby increase the global description of the short-term behavior of the geomagnetic field, along with regional, non-dipole, features. A better spatial and temporal global coverage of these records will lead to an improved understanding of the occurrence of the short-lived regional intensity highs observed in some records, and may elucidate their driving mechanism. Furthermore, they will provide essential observational constraints for (numerical) models of the geomagnetic field and the geodynamo, constraints that cannot be obtained otherwise.


The European Space Agency'sPlancksatellite, which was dedicated to studying the early Universe and its subsequent evolution, was launched on 14 May 2009. It scanned the microwave and submillimetre sky continuously between 12 August 2009 and 23 October 2013, producing deep, high-resolution, all-sky maps in nine frequency bands from 30 to 857 GHz. This paper presents the cosmological legacy ofPlanck, which currently provides our strongest constraints on the parameters of the standard cosmological model and some of the tightest limits available on deviations from that model. The 6-parameter ΛCDM model continues to provide an excellent fit to the cosmic microwave background data at high and low redshift, describing the cosmological information in over a billion map pixels with just six parameters. With 18 peaks in the temperature and polarization angular power spectra constrained well,Planckmeasures five of the six parameters to better than 1% (simultaneously), with the best-determined parameter (θ*) now known to 0.03%. We describe the multi-component sky as seen byPlanck, the success of the ΛCDM model, and the connection to lower-redshift probes of structure formation. We also give a comprehensive summary of the major changes introduced in this 2018 release. ThePlanckdata, alone and in combination with other probes, provide stringent constraints on our models of the early Universe and the large-scale structure within which all astrophysical objects form and evolve. We discuss some lessons learned from thePlanckmission, and highlight areas ripe for further experimental advances.


The enhancement of primary healthcare has been a core strategy for the empowerment of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Recent guidelines issued by OPAS and the Ministry of Health highlight the role it has played as a thematic communication network center, a regulating agent for the access and use of services required for comprehensive healthcare. Sponsored by PPSUS/Fapesp, this study examines the possibilities of the primary healthcare network exercising such a strategic function. Life narratives involving 15 regular users were produced in two cities of ABC Paulista, which have adopted the Family Health Strategy for the organization of their primary healthcare networks. The study presents three main findings: the primary healthcare network serves as an outpost of SUS by producing user values even for high complexity service users; the primary network is perceived is a place for simple care needs; there is shared impotence between users and teams when it comes to the network functioning as the coordinator of care, indicating that it does not possess the technological, operational and organizational material conditions or symbolic conditions (values, meanings, and representations) to be in a central position in the coordination of thematic healthcare networks.


Bioenergy is the main source of renewable energy today. IEA modelling also indicates that modern bioenergy is an essential component of the future low carbon global energy system if global climate change commitments are to be met, playing a particularly important role in helping to decarbonise sectors such as aviation, shipping and long haul road transport.
However, the current rate of bioenergy deployment is well below the levels required in low carbon scenarios. Accelerated deployment is urgently needed to ramp up the contribution of sustainable bioenergy across all sectors, notably in the transport sector where consumption is required to triple by 2030.  But bioenergy is a complex and sometimes controversial topic. There is an increasing understanding that only bioenergy that is supplied and used in a sustainable manner has a place in a low carbon energy future.
This Technology Roadmap re-examines the role of bioenergy in light of changes to the energy landscape over the past five years as well as recent experience in bioenergy policy, market development and regulation. It identifies the technical, policy and financial barriers to deployment, and suggests a range of solutions to overcome them.


A central goal in governing the interface of the economies of the United States and European Community (EC) is to reconcile the objectives of protective social regulation, on the one hand, and free competition facilitated through open trade policies, on the other. These policies can be both complementary and conflicted. This paper examines how these issues have been addressed bilaterally in a number of economic sectors through mutual recognition agreements and a hybrid form, the safe harbor principles on data privacy protection. The paper provides an overview and analysis of the 1997 Mutual Recognition Agreement and its six sectoral annexes, and the 2000 agreement on Safe Harbor Principles (for data privacy protection). The paper assesses what spurred these agreements, which actors participated in their negotiation, what constrains their implementation (in terms of both political and market forces), and, ultimately, what are the prospects and limits for their adoption in other areas. Although neither of these agreements directly prescribe harmonization of U.S. and EC laws or regulatory approaches, they have led to some de facto harmonization by regulatory authorities and firms. The paper concludes that, overall, transatlantic institutional adaptation has been slow (and often creeping), but where it has occurred, it has been rather unidirectional, and will likely continue to be so. Simply stated, the United States has made most of the changes, whether through adoption of international standards that mirror EC ones, through delegation of testing and certification responsibilities to private laboratories reflecting the EC's global approach, or through coordination and oversight of these laboratories under a new U.S. national program analogous to those operating in the EC for over a decade.


This thesis consists of four papers. Articles I-III address gender aspects of land formalization and the role of land ownership for intra-household bargaining power. They draw on evidence from a land tenure reform in Madagascar implemented in 2005, a key component of which was to grant land certificates, i.e. private property rights to landholders. During fieldwork in Madagascar in 2011, I collected household survey data and conducted focus group interviews, mainly in the rural municipality Soavinandriana. In Articles I and II I assess the outcome of the reform in terms of securing women's land rights, using a combination of econometric and qualitative methods. The analyses suggest that the certification program has strengthened both men's and women's formal claims to individually held land. However, there is bias for men's land certificates. Policy makers presumed the land legislation to be gender-neutral and therefore no gender equality principles and no mechanisms to ensure joint ownership were enforced. Problems of access, long waiting times, and high costs of the land administration were given priority over gender issues. The political crisis in Madagascar in 2009, resulting in underfunding and weak implementation of the reform, further weakened efforts to promote women's rights to land. In Article III we investigate analytically and through numerical simulations how the intra-household bargaining positions of a couple are affected by the opportunity to title agricultural land, and how the couple's titling choice is determined. Results suggest that when land registration is offered to couples as a discrete choice between individual or joint titles there is a risk that women with weak initial bargaining positions will be further weakened following the reform. A joint title will only be chosen if the spouses start off with relatively equal bargaining positions; otherwise a male title will be chosen.

In Article IV we compare the costs of livestock depredation by carnivores across different carnivore species – brown bear, wolf and lynx – and regions. We estimate the government's compensation cost function, using Swedish data on county level in the years 2001–2013. Results indicate that costs are determined by the densities of predators, livestock, and alternative prey, the share of forest pasture, and the unit compensation level granted by authorities. Considerable differences in marginal costs between predator species and counties are estimated, accentuating the challenges facing policy makers trying to reconcile different policy objectives.


The relation between the morphological form of a pronoun and its semantic function is not always transparent, and syncretism abounds in natural languages. In a language like English, for instance, three types of indefinite pronouns can be identified, often grouped in series: the some-series, the any-series, and the no-series. However, this does not mean that there are also three semantic functions for indefinite pronouns. Haspelmath (1997), in fact distinguishes nine functions. Closer inspection shows that these nine functions must be reduced to four main functions of indefinites, each with a number of subfunctions: (i) Negative Polarity Items; (ii) Free-Choice Items; (iii) negative indefinites; and (iv) positive or existential indefinites. These functions and subfunctions can be morphologically realized differently across languages, but don't have to. In English, functions (i) and (ii), unlike (iii) and (iv), may morphologically group together, both expressed by the any-series. Where morphological correspondences between the kinds of functions that indefinites may express call for a classification, such classifications turn out to be semantically well motivated too. Similar observations can be made for definite pronouns, where it turns out that various functions, such as the first person inclusive/exclusive distinction or dual number, are sometimes, but not always morphologically distinguished, showing that these may be subfunctions of higher, more general functions. The question as to how to demarcate the landscape of indefinite and definite pronouns thus does not depend on semantic differences alone: Morphological differences are at least as much telling. The interplay between morphological and semantic properties can provide serious answers to how to define indefinites and the various forms and functions that these may take on.


Customer service is perceived as the ability to satisfy the requirements and expectations of customers, mainly as to the time and place of the ordered supplies, using all available forms of logistics activities. The specificity of the production process indicates that one of the main factors affecting the production continuity is the availability of spare parts for machines and equipment. The aim of the research was to develop a method of analysis of spare parts in terms of their availability management for the production processes needs, which can be used by logistics and maintenance managers. This article presents an analysis of spare parts availability management in terms of ensuring continuity of production resources. The proposed method supports the management of the availability of spare parts and is composed of two parts, ie. Spare parts classifications by two aspect: frequency of use and criticality criterion (for effective maintenance). Spare parts classifications by aspect of frequency of use divided items into three classes based on their history of consumption. Spare parts classifications by aspect of criterion for effective maintenance based on knowledge and experience of employees of the Maintenance Department and applying the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. Based on the results of analyses and adopted criteria, among others such as: logistics costs of deliveries, time of waiting for delivery, place of storage of parts, time of preparation of machines for repair, etc. a decision algorithm has been developed for the selection of variants ensuring availability of a spare part.This paper takes into account both literature analysis and business practice research on the basis of research projects (national and international) carried out at the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing and Poznan School of Logistics in Poland.


Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) is an invasive weed producing copious amounts of viable seed that compete with seedling turfgrasses during renovation. These fi eld studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of dazomet (tetrahydro-3,5-dimethyl-2H-1,3,5- thiadiazine-2-thione), a granular soil sterilant that breaks down in soil to release methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), for controlling the soil seed bank of annual bluegrass during turfgrass renovation. Field trials in Urbana, Ill., and West Lafayette, Ind., in Spring and Fall 2000 and 2001 evaluated dazomet rate from 0 to 504 kg·ha -1 and soil preparation techniques to determine the most effective practices to reduce annual bluegrass reestablishment into a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) seeding. The interval, in days, between dazomet application and creeping bentgrass planting was also examined to determine the optimal seeding time as measured by the level of annual bluegrass reestablishment. Spring trials generally gave poor results that were attributed to windy conditions resulting in rapid loss of MITC. The annual bluegrass soil seed bank was reduced 46% in spring trials compared to 78% in fall trials. Increasing dazomet rates reduced the absolute number of viable an- nual bluegrass seeds remaining in the soil. However, signifi cant quantities of viable seed remained, regardless of dazomet rate. Annual bluegrass infested the renovated turf in all trials to varying degrees. Dazomet rates of 420 or 504 kg·ha -1 yielded the lowest rates of annual bluegrass reestablishment. Trials conducted in the fall at these rates resulted in annual bluegrass cover of 1% to 20% in the resulting turf. Creeping bentgrass planted at 1 day after dazomet application had signifi cantly less annual bluegrass than when seeded at 7 or 9 days after dazomet application. Dazomet is a tool that can help reestablish a new turf with lower levels of annual bluegrass. However, eradication of annual bluegrass with dazomet is not likely and environmental conditions will dramatically affect the success of the sterilization.


The numerical technique of Fox and Li for computing laser resonator modes is applied to the case of three-dimensional laser resonators without circular or rectangular symmetries. The computation techniques are explained, and results are presented for several specific resonators, both stable and unstable. The effect of laser medium shock waves on the refractive index of the optical cavity is approximated by a thin sheet near one resonator mirror. The near-field burn pattern of the laser output beam exactly follows the phase pattern of the shock fronts, in good qualitative agreement with experimental results reported for gas dynamic lasers. The far-field output beam demonstrates pronounced astigmatism, being considerably broadened at right angles to the flow direction, and it suggests a breakup of the far-field pattern into several separate intensity spots. The optical phase of the resonator mode is quite smooth, even in the worst cases studied, suggesting the possibility of phase compensation by suitable optics.


The purpose of this research was to contribute to the development of H\(_2\) production technologies from biomass. The study integrated thermochemical processes to achieve biomass hydrolysis with biological methods to then obtain H2 by the fermentation of these hydrolysates using E. coli.
Different strains of E. coli were tested under controlled conditions in 3 L scale fermentations with the aim to find the most useful strain for the fermentation process in terms of H\(_2\) produced and the subsequent hydrogen production potential of the organic acid co-products in a downstream photofermentation. Among the strains tested FTD89, FTD67 and RL009 gave the best results, however ethanol was successfully abolished by strain RL009 making this strain more suitable for long term fermentations.
Model polysaccharide compounds such as starch and cellulose, and representative food and lignocellulosic wastes were hydrolysed in hot compressed water in the presence of CO\(_2\) under pressure and various temperatures to produce hydrolysates with high sugar content suitable for fermentation for H\(_2\) production. Optimum hydrolysis conditions for maximum sugar yields for each compound were determined. Fermentation of the obtained hydrolysates yielded acceptable amounts of H\(_2\) after their 'detoxification' with activated carbon (AC), comparable to H\(_2\) yielded by the glucose controls in all cases. The maximum yield of glucose after HCW treatment was obtained from starch at 200 °C yielding 548 g C.kg C initial starch\(^{-1}\); maximum glucose yield from cellulose was 225 g C.Kg C initial cellulose\(^{-1}\) obtained from cellulose hydrolysis at 250 °C, and the glucose yield from food waste was 45.5 g.g food waste\(^{-1}\). The main degradation product (DP) from these hydrolysates was 5 Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), whereas the main DP obtained from the lignocellulosic wastes was Furfural. Both were successfully removed by AC treatment.
The best hydrolysate obtained from wastes was evaluated for H\(_2\) production at 3 L scale. Despite obtaining low H\(_2\) yields improvements would be possible and are discussed. Fermentations for H\(_2\) production at pilot plant scale were also trialled, indicating key areas for future development for successful scale up.


Quality of Service is major factor for a successful business in modern and future network services. A minimum level of services is assured indulging quality of Experience for modern real time communication introducing user satisfaction with perceived service quality. Traffic engineering can be applied to provide better services to maintain or enhance user satisfaction through reactive and preventive traffic control mechanisms. Preventive traffic control can be more effective to manage the network resources through admission control, scheduling, policing and traffic shaping mechanisms maintaining a minimum level before it get worse and affect user perception. Accuracy, dynamicity, uniformity and reproducibility are objectives of vast research in network traffic. Real time tests, simulation and network emulation are applied to test uniformity, accuracy, reproducibility and dynamicity. Network Emulation is performed over experimental network to test real time application, protocol and traffic parameters. DummyNet is a network emulator and traffic shaper which allows nondeterministic placement of packet losses, delays and bandwidth changes. KauNet shaper is a network emulator which creates traffic patterns and applies these patterns for exact deterministic placement of bit-errors, packet losses, delay changes and bandwidth changes. An evaluation of KauNet with different patterns for packet losses, delay changes and bandwidth changes on emulated environment is part of this work. The main motivation for this work is to check the possibility to delay and drop the packets of a transfer/session in the same way as it has happened before (during the observation period). This goal is achieved to some extent using KauNet but some issues with pattern repetitions are still needed to be solved to get better results. The idea of history and trace-based traffic shaping using KauNet is given to make this possibility a reality.