This paper investigates how the appropriation of chat apps by social actors is redesigning digital activism and political participation today. To this end, we look at the case of #Unidos Contra o Golpe (United Against the Coup), a WhatsApp "private group" which emerged in 2016 in Florianópolis, Brazil, to oppose the controversial impeachment of the then-president Dilma Rousseff. We argue that a new type of political activist is emerging within and alongside with contemporary movements: the WhatsApper, an individual who uses the chat app intensely to serve her political agenda, leveraging its affordances for political participation. We explore WhatsApp as a discursive opportunity structure and investigate the emergence of a repertoire specific to chat apps. We show how recurrent interaction in the app results into an all-purpose, identity-like sense of connectedness binding social actors together. Diffuse leadership and experimental pluralism emerge as the bare organizing principles of these groups. The paper is based on a qualitative analysis of group interactions and conversations, complemented by semi-structured interviews with group members. It shows how WhatsApp is more than a messaging app for "hanging out" with like-minded people and has come to constitute a key platform for digital activism, in particular in the Global South.


Several years ago, the editors of MCP, concerned with the widely varying standards in articles reporting large scale protein identifications, undertook the task of drafting and adopting guidelines for manuscripts that laid out what it felt (and strengthened by considerable advice and comments received from numerous experts in the field) were the minimum set of requirements for reporting and analyzing this type of data (1). The purpose was to raise awareness to the fact that if articles were severely flawed by incorrect or incomplete information, the field of proteomics was bound to suffer a major loss of credibility. Most importantly, opportunities to use the enormous potential of the underlying technology to make major strides in biomedical research would be lost. Since the adoption of the original guidelines for reporting protein identification data in 2005 (1), the journal has made a serious effort to enforce them (not, it must be said, without a fair amount of trial and tribulation for both editors and authors) and compliance has steadily improved. However, since their introduction, we have, admittedly, not attempted to assess their impact either on the content of MCP or on the field of proteomics in general. Rather, we are satisfied that this was an appropriate, and necessary, step and we do note that others share our concerns and in general are quite supportive of our efforts. We have now initiated a similar approach that targets an emerging and highly important area of proteomics, namely, that dealing with clinically relevant research. Clinical proteomics has, and continues to, emphasize translational applications and is perceived to be the most "relevant" discipline to foster the translation of basic discoveries into clinical applications for the benefit of the patient (2). Unfortunately, clinical proteomics is beginning to suffer from the same over-hyping that dominated proteomics at the time MCP was introduced ( 2001) (3–5), and that has left the field struggling to live up to unrealistic claims and promises (6). As a case in point, a major focus of the efforts of clinical proteomic researchers has been the identification and validation of biomarkers and targets. This has proven to be far more difficult than originally anticipated and as a result, it has generated something of a field day for the naysayers and pessimists, who are often quite vociferous in their denouncements. Those with a somewhat longer view of things likely find this amusing as they accept as true that little of lasting value is achieved in whirlwind approaches and are content to thoughtfully build the technology and the knowledge-base knowing that in due course real dividends will be achieved in the form of new and improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and prophylactics. The editorial staff of MCP shares this view. With the above considerations in mind, the journal has now prepared guidelines for authors that deal specifically with the reporting of studies based on clinically relevant material. As it was the case in developing the guidelines for peptide/protein identification, our aim was to ensure that the reports published in MCP are accurate and appropriately documented and thereby will help to bring the potential power of proteomics to productively bear on clinical applications. The underlying issues have been well discussed by Mischak et al. (7) who already provided a cogent case for developing community standards. Of course, the issues that had to be addressed in developing guidelines for clinically relevant manuscripts are more complex than those associated with the peptide/protein identification problem, and therefore presented a much greater challenge. The guidelines for protein identification largely dealt with a single technology, mass spectrometry, but that was not the case here. Nonetheless, the approach used to generate the protein identification guidelines, i.e. bringing together a group of stakeholders for a 2-day meeting to prepare a working draft, followed by a period of public scrutiny and comment, and then a final editing to produce the finished document, seemed an appropriate way to proceed. Accordingly, some two dozen individuals (identified on the MCP web site) met in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 24–25 of this year where presentations that outlined the issues were given and then a draft document was prepared. This draft was posted on the MCP web site and widely circulated for input from the community at large. The responses received were used to generate the final version, which is now posted (www.mcponline.org) and has been incorporated into our Instructions to Authors. We, and the other members of the journal editorial staff, are indebted to this group for their many efforts and contributions that made the development of these guidelines possible. The guidelines deal with a broad spectrum of issues, and of course, only a fraction may apply to any given manuscript. In recognition of this, the guidelines contain both required and recommended information. Most of the required information deals with ethical issues, sample collection and handling, or data that is necessary in order to allow peer evaluation and/or experimental repetition. For the next several months it is our 1 The abbreviation used is: MCP, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. Editorial


"Future dangerousness" is a very non-technical name for a particularly problematic capital sentencing factor used in nearly every capital jurisdiction in the United States, directly underlying at least half of all modern era executions and likely playing some role in the rest. Despite its popularity, the American Psychiatric Association has maintained for over twenty years that such predictions of future threat are "wrong in at least two out of every three cases." Thus, while an inquiry into a defendant's future dangerousness seems to align with a Supreme-Court-approved purpose of capital punishment ("the incapacitation of dangerous criminals and the consequent prevention of crimes that they may otherwise commit in the future"), in application the incapacitation rationale is severely undermined by alarmingly unreliable predictions of future threat. Of even graver concern should be the effect of future dangerousness to obscure any culpability determination, resulting in a high number of death sentences for vulnerable defendants most people would never consider "deserving of execution," and undercutting another common rationale for capital punishment: retribution.This should cause us all to pause and, as Justice Stevens recently urged in Baze v. Rees, to question our retention of a system that is "the product of habit and inattention rather than an acceptable deliberative process that weighs the costs and risks of administering that penalty against its identifiable benefits[.]" This article broadly examines future dangerousness' flawed application and unique ability to distort the constitutional function of capital sentencing hearings, replacing a juror's duty to consider individual culpability with a fear of responsibility for future violence. It concludes that, while comprehensive reforms might minimize its unsettling and unconstitutional implications, current use of future dangerousness is leading to unnecessary and unconstitutional executions lacking both incapacitation and retributive rationales.


As DNA sequencing throughput increases, novel strategies for discovering genes that affect traits of interest become available. One strategy starts with a population of animals and selects individuals over multiple generations for a particular trait. Subsequent whole genome sequencing should identify loci affecting this trait. We apply this strategy by sorting flies for wing length over 18 generations, obtaining two populations that differ in wing length by 20%. Flies with longer wings had increased overall body sizes and elevated TOR activity, suggesting that genetic variation targets TOR signaling to influence body size. High-throughput sequencing of big and small flies identified thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms that differed between the two populations, leading us to identify five novel regulators of TOR signaling. Surprisingly, stochastic simulations of the process show that large fractions of the genetic differences between the big and small flies are probably biological false positives, selected by chance by random drift. We employ these computer simulations to identify experimental setup parameters to improve the signal-to-noise ratio for successfully running sort-and-sequence experiments – a resource which will hopefully be useful for the community.


I propose a mechanism for redistricting inspired by cake-cutting mechanisms for fair division. The majority party proposes a partition of a state into districts. The minority party can accept it or undo any partisan disadvantage caused by irregular boundaries. Thus without imposing any requirement of regularity, the mechanism ensures that to the extent that irregular districts result from the process, the minority is never harmed by them.


MapReduce is a promising parallel programming model for processing large data sets. Hadoop is an up-and-coming open-source implementation of MapReduce. It uses the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) to store input and output data. Due to a lack of POSIX compatibility, it is difficult for existing software to directly access data stored in HDFS. Therefore, it is not possible to share storage between existing software and MapReduce applications. In order for external applications to process data using MapReduce, we must first import the data, process it, then export the output data into a POSIX compatible file system. This results in a large number of redundant file operations. In order to solve this problem we propose using Gfarm file system instead of HDFS. Gfarm is a POSIX compatible distributed file system and has similar architecture to HDFS. We design and implement of Hadoop-Gfarm plug-in which enables Hadoop MapReduce to access files on Gfarm efficiently. We compared the MapReduce workload performance of HDFS, Gfarm, PVFS and Gluster FS, which are open-source distributed file systems. Our various evaluations show that Gfarm performed just as well as Hadoop's native HDFS. In most evaluations, Gfarm performed bettar than twice as well as PVFS and Gluster FS.


The goal of this paper is a first attempt to link the geology and mineral deposits of the Gondwana GIS, called GO-GEOID, to spatial statistics and map modelling. Such integration allows, for example, meaningful identification of the mineral potential of unexplored regions relative to those around them that are known to host major ore deposits. We use gold and tin deposits of Africa to derive prescriptive and predictive potential mineral maps. In the case of the prescriptive output, techniques such as Boolean algebra or multicriteria analysis are explored together with the expert knowledge of the geologist (knowledge-driven models). In the case of the predictive output/models, map layers are combined using a Bayesian probabilistic framework; these models become data-driven and are more objective. Confidence in our predictive model for gold mineralisation is provided through validation against recently discovered gold deposits in Tanzania.


Qualitative reasoning about mereotopological relations has been extensively investigated, while more recently geometrical and spatio-temporal reasoning are gaining increasing attention. We propose to consider mathematical morphology operators as the inspiration for a new language and inference mechanism to reason about space. Interestingly, the proposed morpho-logic captures not only traditional mereotopological relations, but also notions of relative size and morphology. The proposed representational framework is a hybrid arrow logic theory for which we define a resolution calculus which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first such calculus for arrow logics.


Bodypainting is widespread in African, Australian and Papua New Guinean indigenous communities. Many bodypaintings use white or bright yellow/grey/beige stripes on brown skin. Where the majority of people using bodypainting presently live, blood-sucking horseflies are abundant, and they frequently attack the naked brown regions of the human body surface with the risk of transmitting the pathogens of dangerous diseases. Since horseflies are deterred by the black and white stripes of zebras, we hypothesized that white-striped paintings on dark brown human bodies have a similar effect. In a field experiment in Hungary, we tested this hypothesis. We show that the attractiveness to horseflies of a dark brown human body model significantly decreases, if it is painted with the white stripes that are used in bodypaintings. Our brown human model was 10 times more attractive to horseflies than the white-striped brown model, and a beige model, which was used as a control, attracted two times more horseflies than the striped brown model. Thus, white-striped bodypaintings, such as those used by African and Australian people, may serve to deter horseflies, which is an advantageous byproduct of these bodypaintings that could lead to reduced irritation and disease transmission by these blood-sucking insects.


Book synopsis:

The thirteen specially-commissioned essays in this volume are written by philosophers at the forefront of feminist scholarship, and are designed to provide an accessible and stimulating guide to a philosophical literature that has seen massive expansion in recent years. Ranging from history of philosophy through metaphysics to philosophy of science, they encompass all the core subject areas commonly taught in anglophone undergraduate and graduate philosophy courses, offering both an overview of and a contribution to the relevant debates. Together they testify to the intellectual value of feminism as a radicalizing energy internal to philosophical inquiry. This volume will be essential reading for any student or teacher of philosophy who is curious about the place of feminism in their subject.


Josh Henneha has always been a traveler, drowning in dreams, burning with desires. As a young boy growing up within the Muskogee Creek Nation in rural Oklahoma, Josh experiences a yearning for something he cannot tame. Quiet and skinny and shy, he feels out of place, at once inflamed and ashamed by his attraction to other boys. Driven by a need to understand himself and his history, Josh struggles to reconcile the conflicting voices he hears from the messages of sin and scorn of the non-Indian Christian churches his parents attend in order to assimilate, to the powerful stories of his older Creek relatives, which have been the center of his upbringing, memory, and ongoing experience. In his fevered and passionate dreams, Josh catches a glimpse of something that makes the Muskogee Creek world come alive. Lifted by his great-aunt Lucille's tales of her own wild girlhood, Josh learns to fly back through time, to relive his people's history, and uncover a hidden legacy of triumphs and betrayals, ceremonies and secrets he can forge into a new sense of himself. When as a man, Josh rediscovers the boyhood friend who first stirred his desires, he realizes a transcendent love that helps take him even deeper into the Creek world he has explored all along in his imagination. Interweaving past and present, history and story, explicit realism and dreamlike visions, Craig Womack's Drowning in Fire explores a young man's journey to understand his cultural and sexual identity within a framework drawn from the community of his origins. A groundbreaking and provocative coming-of-age story, Drowning in Fire is a vividly realized novel by an impressive literary talent.


Gas markets are undergoing significant changes which are triggered by general supply diversification and the accelerated growth of LNG transports, as well as the abundance of global gas resources enabled by the US shale revolution. Europe has been gradually shifting over the past 30 years its traditionally monopolistic gas markets towards full market integration in the Single Energy Market. Eastern Europe is still lagging behind these global gas trends due to poor interconnections and a high dependence on Russian gas supplies. Romania has recently discovered significant gas reserves in the Black Sea which would enable it to become a gas exporter. The build-up of the Romanian gas hub would secure a diversified gas supply for Central and South-eastern Europe. The Romanian gas hub would work as an arbitrage mechanism between gas prices of the northern corridors bringing Russian gas to Western Europe, and the prices of the new Southern Gas Corridor. This position would allow Romania to offer a price correlation to global gas markets for isolated continental countries in Central and South East Europe.


There are massive research papers published from various of disciplines every year, and people who are engaged in scientific research usually have to spend a large amount of time on searching and finding the papers that they are interested in. In this thesis, we illustrated a unique personalized literature recommender system (PLUS) which was proposed to predict users' personal research interests and recommend the latest papers to them as much as possible. The system shows advantages in four aspects: (1) it takes multiple sources that could reflect a user's personal research interest as the input; (2) it prevents the recommendations from going outdated due to the timely update to the user's interest and the Resource Pool; (3) it is targeted to recommend the latest papers to the users; and (4) it is using a comprehensive survey to evaluate users' satisfaction to the system, which is more approaching users' real interests. The experimental results showed that PLUS was capable of discovering the papers that users are indeed interested, and the time that the users have consumed on searching papers was reduced significantly with the help of this recommender system.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to determine relative frequencies of acute leukemia immunophenotypes using commonly expressed markers and to describe the clinicopathological characteristics. Design: This was a prospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING
The study was based at Aga khan clinical laboratory department.

SUBJECTS
One hundred and thirty two (132) consecutive blood and bone marrow specimens from patients suspected to have acute leukemia were analysed for cytomorphological characteristics and immunophenotyping. The clinical-pathological characteristics were also recorded. Immunological category was assigned using the EGIL criteria.

RESULTS
There were 88 AML and 42 ALL patients analysed for immunophenotypes. Only tw cases of biphenotypic leukemia were found. The commonest overall AML morphological sub-type was AML-M2, 26 (29.5%). Majority of ALL cases were B-cell immunological sub-type (96.6%). Early pre-B phenotype constituted 62.07% and Common B-cell ALL 37.93%. There were only 4 cases of T-cell ALL. Majority of patients presented with anaemia with a median hemoglobin of 7.5g/dl (range 2-15g/dl). The median platelet count was 55 (range 4-462 x 10(9)/L).

CONCLUSION
Immunophenotyping of acute leukemia is beneficial in accurate diagnosis of patients with these malignancies in this setup. T-cell ALL, AML-M6 and M7 are less frequent than what has been reported in most studies in Africa.


Design and evaluation of input methods for secondary tasks in dual-task systems presents specific challenges not covered by traditional human-computer interaction design techniques. Emerging trends in the fields of mobile, ubiquitous, and in-vehicle information systems demonstrate a desire for users to interact with information systems while engaging in other tasks. Research on interaction within these various fields has revealed input methods that perform well for a particular task. However, few focus on the tradeoffs of attention that must be made to react to this notification information. A design analysis technique for input methods is proposed focusing on the design objectives of interruption, reaction, and comprehension for the secondary task made at the cost of primary task attention. Through a study conducted using a reusable usability test platform constructed for this thesis, a typical in-vehicle information system is analyzed using the proposed design analysis. Three input methods were designed and compared: a graffiti character recognizer, a touch screen, and a remote control for their proficiency at selecting an item from a list while operating a driving simulator. The results of the study revealed similar task performance between the varied input methods; however, the design analysis enabled recommendations about future design directions, confirming the viability of the technique for notification systems research. iii Acknowledgments


This article explores the importance of pursuing Access to Justice and Civil Right to Counsel even in a time of economic crisis. The article uses as its starting point the January, 2008 Courthouse Centennial events hosted by the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The commemoration include a "Civil Gideon" panel as part of its "Access to Justice Symposia." As part of my comments as a panelist, I pressed for an Access to Justice Strategy that included an expanded civil right to counsel, or "Civil Gideon," as an integral component. I argued that Access to Justice efforts must target the forfeiture of rights due to the absence of counsel, as reflected in a coordinated, three-pronged approach: 1) revising the roles of the key players, such as the Judges, Mediators and Clerks, 2) using, but also evaluating robust and effective assistance programs, and 3) expanded access to full representation where basic human needs are at stake and lesser forms of assistance cannot protect those basic needs.While neither the panelists nor speakers questioned the need or justification for an expanded right to counsel, the comments and questions reflected skepticism as to the feasibility of such an approach. If there was skepticism in January, 2008, events since that time might render the concept of a civil right to counsel even more of a pipedream. The worst recession since the Great Depression has dramatically increased the numbers of Americans whose basic human needs are at issue in legal proceedings, and need counsel. Yet, the same funding crisis that expands the numbers of those needing help has decimated the ability of legal services offices to provide assistance. Offices relying on money from Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) have faced devastating cutbacks with plummeting interest rates and the collapse of the real estate market. Offices dependent on aid from state and local governments have faced cutbacks with the fiscal crises facing governments. Lay-offs and retrenchment seem more likely than an expanded right to counsel.While these events might suggest a tabling of an agenda to expand the provision of counsel, I believe instead the scenario underscores the need to pursue a Civil Gideon as a component of an overarching Access to Justice Strategy. This article will briefly review the structure of the proposed approach and practical steps to move ahead. Developing our understanding of precisely the scenarios in which counsel is most needed becomes more essential the scarcer the resources. The article will then explore opportunities to move the agenda forward despite the current political and economic realities. In some states, task forces focused on Civil Gideon and Access to Justice Commissions are moving ahead on the agenda to expand the civil right to counsel. In other instances, the expansion of the right involves litigation.An Access to Justice strategy must also include initiatives to decrease the need for counsel where possible. Changes in the operation of particular courts and agencies might reduce the need for counsel in certain eviction, debt collection, immigration and benefits cases. Finally, we should seize the political moments that emerge, identifying opportunities to expand the provision of counsel from sources we might not have anticipated. Examples include the governmental response to the foreclosure crisis, national attitudes toward immigration proceedings that may be shifting and the increased availability of pro bono resources.


Ireland as a common law jurisdiction operates an adversarial system. Ireland has a written Constitution, Bunreacht na h-Éireann. Other sources of law include legislation and European Union Law and a doctrine of precedent operates. This paper comprises a discussion of the law of evidence in Irish Civil Procedure. It follows the structure of a questionnaire circulated for the purposes of a comparative study as part of an EU wide project and is repetitive in parts. It was completed between November 2013 and August 2014 and in the interim there have been significant developments in the Irish legal system, most notably the establishment of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court decision in D.P.P. v. J.C. [2015] IESC 31, which modified the exclusionary rule concerning unconstitutionally obtained evidence. The primary form of proof in Irish courts is oral evidence. Competent witnesses are generally compellable. Usually testimony, on oath or affirmation, is given viva voce in open court before the Judge and where necessary a jury, and in the presence of the parties. The right to cross-examine is constitutionally guaranteed. In civil cases, the standard of proof is the balance of probabilities. The burden of proof rests on the party which asserts. The principle of audi alteram partem applies. A distinction is drawn between unconstitutionally obtained evidence and illegally obtained evidence. There is pre-trial discovery. Evidence taking by and for foreign courts is discussed.


Manganese exposure promotes α-synuclein propagation, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. Manganese in Parkinson's disease Manganese is an essential mineral, but chronic exposure to high amounts of it, such as is experienced by welders, is associated with symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A hallmark of the disease is aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αSyn), which is toxic to neurons. Harischandra et al. found that extracellular vesicles called exosomes isolated from serum collected from welders contained misfolded αSyn. In cell culture and mouse models, exposure to manganese or to isolated, manganese-induced exosomes promoted the transfer of αSyn between neurons and microglia, which induced inflammation and neuronal cell death. These findings further explain the role of manganese in neurodegenerative disease. The aggregation of α-synuclein (αSyn) is considered a key pathophysiological feature of certain neurodegenerative disorders, collectively termed synucleinopathies. Given that a prion-like, cell-to-cell transfer of misfolded αSyn has been recognized in the spreading of αSyn pathology in synucleinopathies, we investigated the biological mechanisms underlying the propagation of the disease with respect to environmental neurotoxic stress. Considering the potential role of the divalent metal manganese (Mn2+) in protein aggregation, we characterized its effect on αSyn misfolding and transmission in experimental models of Parkinson's disease. In cultured dopaminergic neuronal cells stably expressing wild-type human αSyn, misfolded αSyn was secreted through exosomes into the extracellular medium upon Mn2+ exposure. These exosomes were endocytosed through caveolae into primary microglial cells, thereby mounting neuroinflammatory responses. Furthermore, Mn2+-elicited exosomes exerted a neurotoxic effect in a human dopaminergic neuronal model (LUHMES cells). Moreover, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis revealed that Mn2+ accelerated the cell-to-cell transmission of αSyn, resulting in dopaminergic neurotoxicity in a mouse model of Mn2+ exposure. Welders exposed to Mn2+ had increased misfolded αSyn content in their serum exosomes. Stereotaxically delivering αSyn-containing exosomes, isolated from Mn2+-treated αSyn-expressing cells, into the striatum initiated Parkinsonian-like pathological features in mice. Together, these results indicate that Mn2+ exposure promotes αSyn secretion in exosomal vesicles, which subsequently evokes proinflammatory and neurodegenerative responses in both cell culture and animal models.


In the 1960s, NGI investigated numerous potential research sites and established the first Onsoy soft clay site in 1968. In 2016, the NGTS project established five research sites, one of which is the NGTS Onsoy soft clay site. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reference for further in-situ and laboratory testing at the site and easy access to high-quality soil investigation data. The paper interprets the soil conditions providing engineering soil properties, comments on data reliability and quality, and correlations between different soil parameters where appropriate. The lightly overconsolidated soft clay site has been characterized based on extensive in-situ and laboratory testing. In-situ methods include electrical resistivity tomography, multichannel analysis of surface waves, total soundings, rotary pressure soundings, cone penetration testing with and without seismic and electrical resistivity measurements, dilatometer with seismic measurements, self-boring pressuremeter, electric piezometers, thermistor string, hydraulic fracture testing and earth pressure cells. Soil samples were obtained using Sherbrook block sampler, Geonor ϕ 72 mm piston sampler, Geonor ϕ 54 mm composite piston sampler and hydraulic piston and push samplers with liners. Laboratory tests include multi-sensor core logging, index testing, cyclic and monotonic, consolidated and unconsolidated triaxial tests, bender element tests, oedometer tests with constant rate of strain and incremental loading and direct simple shear tests.


Arsenic is a ubiquitous element in the environment and has been classified as a human carcinogen primarily based on epidemiological evidence. It has been estimated there are over 100 million people globally being exposed to elevated arsenic from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Surprisingly, positive carcinogenicity animal studies were lacking until recent years. We aim to validate inorganic arsenate carcinogenic effect in C57Bl/6J mice, and establish the dose-response relationship using environmental concentrations of arsenic similar to those found in typical endemic-areas. Mice were given 0, 100, 250 or 500 μg As/L in the form of sodium arsenate in drinking water ad libitum over 2 years. Tumours occurred after about 18 months of arsenic exposure otherwise the animals appeared to be normal in their appearance and behaviour. Incidences of all types of tumours and non-tumourous lesions in the treated groups were higher than those observed in the control group. The induction of tumours was in a dose-response manner for some tumour types. Enlargement of the mesenteric lymph node due to hyperplasia or neoplasia of lymphoid elements was commonly observed. Apart from abdominal cavity lymph nodes, tumours were frequently observed in the liver, spleen and intestinal wall, and to a lesser extent in the lung with various other tissues also occasionally affected. Of the non-tumourous lesions, haemorrhagic ovarian cysts occurred more frequently in the treated groups than in the control group. Our results suggest that the C57Bl/6J mouse model can be a useful adjunct for further mechanistic studies of arsenic carcinogenesis. This bioassay data may also be considered for the risk evaluation of chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic.


A modulation transfer function (MTF) measurement technique suitable for large-format, small-pixel detector characterization has been investigated. A volume interference grating is used as a test image instead of the bar or sine wave target images normally used. This technique permits a high-contrast, large-area, sinusoidal intensity distribution to illuminate the device being tested, avoiding the need to deconvolve raw data with imaging system characteristics. A high-confidence MTF result at spatial frequencies near 200 cycles/mm is obtained. We present results at several visible light wavelengths with a 6.8-microm-pixel CCD. Pixel response functions are derived from the MTF results.


As the settlement of breast implant cases illustrate, the dynamics of the tort system are such that safe products can still be driven from the market by emotional pleas to juries. Given the importance of medical devices in modern medicine, it is critical that the legal system limit tort claims against medical device manufacturers. While it may ultimately be necessary for Congress to create a statutory compensation system for medical device injuries, the best short-term chance for relief of the pre-emption of tort claims is found in the MDA.


This chapter focuses on the legal system in the UK and looks at how the legal system and human rights relate to the political system. The chapter starts by defining both the legal system and human rights and shows how they are important in politics and in our democratic society and how they work in practice. These are closely connected issues, as the UK legal system is supposed to operate within human rights principles. The chapter introduces a series of theoretical concepts that aid to the understanding of the legal system. Central to this is the concept of the rule of law. The chapter presents some practical examples to show how various goals are realized. The first example given in the provision of legal aid to those who cannot afford their own legal advice. The second example relates to how policy makers attempt to deal with threats of terrorism. The third example is the key legal basis for the upholding of human rights via the Human Rights Act 1998. The chapter finishes with a debate on the political role of courts and looks at the implications of Brexit for the legal system and human rights.


The papers of the late Justice Harry A. Blackmun provide a remarkably rich archive that documents how the Court, for nearly a quarter century, handled environmental cases during a period crucial to the development of environmental law. This Article reviews highlights of what the Blackmun papers reveal about the U.S. Supreme Court's handling of environmental cases during Justice Blackmun's service on the Court from 1970 to 1994. The Article first examines what new light the Blackmun papers shed on some of the principal findings of the author's October 1993 article Environmental Law in the Supreme Court: Highlights from the Marshall Papers, 23 ELR 10606 (1993). It then analyzes what the Blackmun papers reveal about challenges to environmental regulation in three areas in which the Rehnquist Court has had great impact: federalism, regulatory takings, and environmental standing. The Blackmun papers show the Justices struggling to understand the complex, new federal regulatory programs Congress established in the early 1970s to protect the environment. They show a Court whose Justices often express bewilderment, or even contempt, for the new laws and the regulatory programs they spawn, but who nonetheless try to ensure that the laws will be given a fair chance to accomplish their ends. They do so initially by granting substantial deference to the administrative agencies charged with implementing and enforcing the laws and by opening up the courts to lawsuits by the laws' intended beneficiaries. The Blackmun papers illustrate the important role the Chief Justice can play in shaping the direction of the Court through his power to assign opinion writing responsibilities if he votes with the majority. They reveal that Chief Justice Burger often passed when initially voting on a case, which preserved his ability to vote in the majority and thus assign the opinion. Aside from the greater selectivity of the Justices in deciding how many cases to hear each year, perhaps the most striking change in the Court during the Blackmun years is the increasingly sharp ideological split among the Justices, which is reflected in material in the Blackmun papers. Review of the Blackmun papers indicates that even though the Justices often failed to fully grasp the intricate details of the environmental laws or the complex regulatory programs they spawned, the Court has continued to play a vital role in preserving law as a vehicle for environmental protection. When extreme interpretations were urged by opponents of regulation, moderate voices on the Court usually asserted themselves and kept the laws' basic infrastructure intact and the courthouse doors open to environmental interests.


Title of Dissertation: BIODEPOSITION AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN SHALLOW, MESOHALINE SEDIMENTS OF CHESAPEAKE BAY Rebecca R. Holyoke, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Directed By: Research Associate Professor Jeffrey C. Cornwell Marine Estuarine Environmental Science Stocks of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, have been declining in Chesapeake Bay since the late 19 century, and current strategies involve restoring culture of C. virginica on-bottom and in devices suspended within the water column. Subtidal suspension culture of C. virginica in Chesapeake Bay occurs mostly in sheltered inlets and tidal creeks and, thereby, has the potential to influence shallow water biogeochemical processes. To assess the influence of C. virginica biodeposits and benthic microalgae on sediment nitrogen and phosphorus exchange, field studies with C. virginica held in aquaculture floats and laboratory experiments were conducted. Enhanced organic nitrogen deposition from C. virginica biodeposits led to gradual increases in surface sediment nitrogen and pore water ammonium concentrations; however, modifications to pore water concentrations were not always expressed at the sediment-water interface. Benthic microalgae often modulated the influence of biodeposits on sediment nitrogen exchange but, as observed in laboratory experiments, the supply of nitrogen from C. virginica biodeposits may exceed their biological demand. Organic carbon from biodeposits had varying influences on aerobic respiration but consistently stimulated anaerobic metabolism. Shifts in net phosphorus exchange were driven by this anaerobic remineralization and concentrations of iron and manganese oxy(hydr)oxides, with transitions in fluxes coinciding with changes in benthic photosynthesis and oxidation of surface sediments. Manganese and iron oxy(hydr)oxides from biodeposits supported incorporation of added phosphorus and prevented exchange at the sediment-water interface in the absence of iron-sulfide mineral formation. Differences in the response of shallow water sediments to C. virginica biodeposits were due to the quality and quantity of biodeposits supplied, as well as the spatial and temporal variability within these sediments. Initial conditions and corresponding reference sediments illustrated the potential for sediment biogeochemistry and nutrient exchange from tidal creek sediments to vary spatially and temporally on relatively small scales. Factors influencing variability within tidal creek sediments were related to shifts in riverine freshwater inputs, macroalgal blooms, nutrient concentrations in overlying waters, and bioirrigation from the clam, Macoma balthica. BIODEPOSITION AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN SHALLOW, MESOHALINE SEDIMENTS OF CHESAPEAKE BAY


CF is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene. The life expectancy for patients with CF remains severely shortened, with the median predicted survival for patients currently estimated at 36.5 years. For patients with a lifelimiting disease such as CF, the decision to participate in a clinical trial is often based on the desire to improve quality of life and/or increase the likelihood of long-term survival. Recent advances in CF care have increased the number of therapies available for CF patients which in turn has increased life expectancy and diminished disease progression. The CFF has developed a patient registry and has worked with individual CFFaccredited care centers in the US to approach all patients followed at these CF centers to participate in an observational prospective cohort study. Using data from 504 patients followed at Boston Children's Hospital and submitted to the data registry maintained by the CFF, we examined disease progression, as measured by the decline in pulmonary function tests between 2007 and 2012 and compared multiple subsets of CF patients: those who participated in interventional studies, those who participated in observational studies only, and those who did not participate in any research studies. Results suggest a lower amount of lung function decline for adults who participate in interventional trials; however, the opposite pattern is true for children, with a higher amount of lung function decline seen for children who participate in interventional trials.


Present work reports extraction of mucilage of Eulophia campestris by multiple maceration technique using water and precipitation by acetone (36% w/w yield). Physicochemical characteristics of mucilage, such as solubility, swelling index, loss on drying, pH and viscosity, were studied and also microbial load was determined. The mucilage was evaluated for its granulating and binding properties in tablets, using paracetamol as a model drug. Mucilage was used in three different concentrations - 6, 8 and 10% w/v. The granules were prepared by wet granulation technique. The prepared granules were evaluated for percentage of fines, average particle size, total porosity, compressibility index and flow properties. The properties were compared with starch, which was used as a standard binder at 10% w/v concentration. The tablets were prepared and evaluated for content uniformity, hardness, friability, disintegration time and in vitro dissolution profiles. The tablets had good physicochemical properties, and the drug release was more than 85% within 3 h. The tablets prepared by using 10% mucilage as binder exhibited more hardness than by using 6 and 8% concentrations. Hence, 6 and 8% concentrations can be considered as ideal concentrations for preparation of tablets.


Aim The goal of this study is to know the potential of cellulase in the degradation of cyst wall Acanthamoeba sp. Methods Sample of Acanthamoeba sp. obtained from isolate collection of Department of Parasitology FKUI of which two samples come from patient and one sample is from environment. All three samples were cultured using non-nutrient agar (NNA) media and identified by PCR and sequencing. The concentration of cellulase concentration used was 50 U, 100 U, 150 U, 200 U, 250 U, and 300 U with the incubation time used being 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours. Furthermore, treatment results with the most optimum concentration and incubation time were observed by using SEM to see changes in the surface of the walls of the cyst. A cysticidal test was performed to determine the effectiveness cysticidal action of disinfectant solution, cellulase, and the combination of disinfectant solution and cellulase in killing Acanthamoeba sp. cyst assessed by their viability value. Results The most optimal cellulase concentration in killing Acanthamoeba sp. cysts was 300 U with an incubation time of 24 hours. Percentage of viability of Acanthamoeba sp. which was exposed to a disinfectant solution for 24 hours was 95%, cellulase alone for 24 hours 75%, and the combination of cellulase and disinfectant solution for 24 hours 25%. Conclusions Cellulase is capable of degrading Acanthamoeba sp. cyst wall. Optimal cellulase concentration in degrading Acanthamoeba sp. cyst wall is 300 U with an optimal incubation time being 24 hours. The addition of cellulase to the disinfectant solution has the potential to increase the effectiveness of the disinfectant solution because cellulase is capable of degrading the cyst wall allowing the disinfectant solution to enter and kill Acanthamoeba sp. cysts.


Malaysia is one of the Asian countries which are endowed with highly
diverse biological resources. Indeed, quite high percentage of flora available
in this country is believed to have medicinal and nutritional values, Even
though a few spesies such as "Kacip Fatimah", "Tongkat Ali" and "Misai
Kucing", just to name a few has undergone scientific research, but they are
many more need thorough investigation. Studies on the antioxidant,
antiproliferative and antimicrobial properties of ethanol leaf extracts of
Pereskia bleo, Pereskia grandifolia and Polygonurn odoraturn were undertaken.
DPPH assay was carried out to measure the capacity of the extracts to
scavenge free radicals, whereas the inhibitions of lipid peroxidation by the
extracts were done using p-carotene bleaching method. The phenolics
content was quantified using Folin Ciocalteau reagen-t and the correlation
between total phenolics content and antioxidant activity was tested.
Antiproliferative property of the extracts were assessed using MTT assay on
different cancer cell lines, namely CaOV3, HeLa, HepG2 and MDA-MB231,
while the antimicrobial property of the extracts were screened using disc
diffusion assay. Determination of vitamin A, C, E and mineral contents were
also carried out. From both antioxidant assays, these extract showed high
antioxidant activities which could be attributed to the occwrence of
phenolics. Result obtained from la/f'TT assay showed that the proliferations of
&La and Ca(3Y3 cells were eifestiveiy inhibited by the extracts


This thesis seeks to understand the generic changes wrought by targum Qohelet and Qohelet midrash rabbah upon our home-text, the masoretes' reading of Qoh. 9. 7-10. An introduction orientates the reader by contextualizing our three subsequent analyses: of the masoretic text (Chapters I and II) of the targum (Chapters III and IV) of the midrash (Chapters V and VI) Hence the Bibical verses are positioned within their structural context, the targumic verses within their wider thematic context (the rabbinic debate on the respective merits of Torah-study, charity and prayer) and the midrashic verses within a methodological context (differing approaches to the study of haggadic midrash). Having located Qoh. 9. 7-10 within their parent text, we are free to define them generically. In Chapter I, we examine the indices of our sample verses' poeticism; and in Chapter II, the generic "nursery" from which our putative verse-fragment emanates, comparing it with Ancient Near Eastern parallels: in the Gilgamesh Epic, Ugaritic Baal myth, Theognidean lyric and Egyptian Royal Instruction. We further argue (a) that, although these may elucidate our sample-text's Sitz im Leben, they do not, demonstrably stand in a direct literary relationship to it; and (b) that it is best understood when read intrabiblically, that is with reference to its wider Wisdom context (the Proverbial "table etiquette" and "temperance" traditions, and the Deuteronomic Calls to Joy). Chapter III introduces our chosen targum-text (Knobel's) of Qoh. 9. 7-10, and investigates its modifications of the Biblical text and co-text, accounting for these in terms of (a) the targum's exegetical presuppositions (its dogmatic agenda) and (b) generic transformation (conversion into a pro-Solomonic oracle). Chapter IV broadens our enquiry by classifying the thematic matrix of the targumic adjustments, their explicit and implicit motifs: the Messianic banquet and sages' charity-obigations (explicit); Torah-study's priority, the world to come and Torah-renewal (implicit). The rabbis' pedagogical preoccupation with personal deportment further contextualises, we argue, the targumic rendition. Our two midrashic chapters offer a selective critique of Qohelet midrash rabbah 9. 7-10: Chapter V assesses its generic transformation of Qoh. 9. 7, principally arguing, with three examples, (one of which, the Abba Tahnah pericope, is further tendered as a case-study in "chriization" - a specialized generic change) that its diverse traditions are thematically congruent (Abrahamic), hermeneutically dextrous comments on the Aqedah. Chapter VI, a quasi-biographical reading of the haggadic stories built around Qoh. 9.10, proposes that these evidence later tradents' reimaging of their predecessors: amoraim generally (in relation to sage-dreams), and R. Judah ha Nasi specifically (in relation to his holiness). The conclusion highlights some methodological issues outstanding from our comparative survey.


This paper addresses the issue of contingency and the event vis-a-vis private and public documentaries. In China, the private and the public documentary form are often understood as mutually antagonistic, with the former defining itself explicitly against the latter. Rather than dwell on these differences, many of which are both well-documented and legitimate, I intend here to demonstrate how in certain ways, the private documentary form may actually be seen as a logical culmination of the xianchang [shooting live] aesthetic initiated by the early pioneers of the New Documentary Film Movement [hereafter NDFM]. In order to do this, I will focus on the issue of the spontaneous event, and its connection with the two documentary forms. After outlining the theoretical relationship between the spontaneous event and the problem of contingency, I proceed to suggest that the early relationship with this aspect of shooting live was in fact highly conflicted, and that the development of the public documentary form was in part a response to such tension. In fact, it was a means of limiting exposure to the contingent as understood in these terms. In the documentary form, such inhibitions have been shed in favour of drawing the contingent event into the heart of the documentary film, something I argue is not in fact restricted to the private genre, but characteristic of a range of contemporary documentary film work. This reflects not only changes in documentary film practice, but also how understandings both of what a documentary is, and what it does, have altered in the decade since the NDFM's inception.


It is easy to dismiss advertising as simply the background chatter of modern life, often annoying, sometimes hilarious, and ultimately meaningless. But Kerri P. Steinberg argues that a careful study of the history of advertising can reveal a wealth of insight into a culture. In Jewish Mad Men, Steinberg looks specifically at how advertising helped shape the evolution of American Jewish life and culture over the past one hundred years. Drawing on case studies of famous advertising campaigns - from Levy's Rye Bread ("You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's") to Hebrew National hot dogs ("We answer to a higher authority") - Steinberg examines advertisements from the late nineteenth-century in New York, the center of advertising in the United States, to trace changes in Jewish life there and across the entire country. She looks at ads aimed at the immigrant population, at suburbanites in midcentury, and at hipster and post-denominational Jews today. In addition to discussing campaigns for everything from Manischewitz wine to matzoh, Jewish Mad Men also portrays the legendary Jewish figures in advertising - like Albert Lasker and Bill Bernbach - and lesser known "Mad Men" like Joseph Jacobs, whose pioneering agency created the brilliantly successful Maxwell House Coffee Haggadah. Throughout, Steinberg uses the lens of advertising to illuminate the Jewish trajectory from outsider to insider, and the related arc of immigration, acculturation, upward mobility, and suburbanization. Anchored in the illustrations, photographs, jingles, and taglines of advertising, Jewish Mad Men features a dozen color advertisements and many black-and-white images. Lively and insightful, this book offers a unique look at both advertising and Jewish life in the United States.


Abstract. Fractal analysis relies on scale invariance and the concept of fractal dimension enables one to characterize and quantify the space filled by a geometrical set exhibiting complex and tortuous patterns. Fractal tools have been widely used in hydrology but seldom in the specific context of urban hydrology. In this paper, fractal tools are used to analyse surface and sewer data from 10 urban or peri-urban catchments located in five European countries. The aim was to characterize urban catchment properties accounting for the complexity and inhomogeneity typical of urban water systems. Sewer system density and imperviousness (roads or buildings), represented in rasterized maps of 2 m  ×  2 m pixels, were analysed to quantify their fractal dimension, characteristic of scaling invariance. The results showed that both sewer density and imperviousness exhibit scale-invariant features and can be characterized with the help of fractal dimensions ranging from 1.6 to 2, depending on the catchment. In a given area consistent results were found for the two geometrical features, yielding a robust and innovative way of quantifying the level of urbanization. The representation of imperviousness in operational semi-distributed hydrological models for these catchments was also investigated by computing fractal dimensions of the geometrical sets made up of the sub-catchments with coefficients of imperviousness greater than a range of thresholds. It enables one to quantify how well spatial structures of imperviousness were represented in the urban hydrological models.


The amygdaloid complex is involved in associational processes, such as the formation of emotional memories about sensory stimuli. However, the anatomical connections through which the different amygdaloid nuclei process incoming information and communicate with the other amygdaloid nuclei, is poorly understood. As part of an ongoing project aimed at elucidating the intrinsic connections of the rat amygdaloid complex, we injected the antero grade tracer PHA‐L (Phaseolus vulgaris‐leucoagglutinin) into different rostrocaudal levels of the basal nucleus of the amygdala in 21 rats and analyzed the distribution of labeled fibers and terminals throughout the amygdaloid complex. The connectional analysis, together with cytoarchitectonic observations, suggested that contrary to previous notions the basal nucleus in the rat has three divisions: magnocellular, intermediate, and parvicellular. The magnocellular division has heavy reciprocal connections with the lateral portion of the parvicellular division and the intermediate division projects weakly to the parvicellular division, whereas the projection from the medial: portion of the parvicellular division to the intermediate division is heavy and the lateral and medial portions of the parvicellular division are only weakly interconnected, as are the magnocellular and intermediate divisions. The main intraamygdaloid targets of the basal nucleus projections are the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, the anterior amygdaloid area, the medial and capsular divisions of the central nucleus, the anterior cortical nucleus, and the amygdalohippocampal area. Our findings provide the most detailed understanding of the intra‐amygdala connections of the basal nucleus to date and show that the connections within the basal nucleus and between the basal nucleus and other amygdaloid areas are more widespread and topographically organized than previously recognized. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


A drop falling from a faucet is a common example of a mass fissioning into two or more pieces. The shape of the liquid in this situation has been investigated by both experiment and computer simulation. As the viscosity of the liquid is varied, the shape of the drop changes dramatically. Near the point of breakup, viscous drops develop long necks that then spawn a series of smaller necks with ever thinner diameters. Simulations indicate that this repeated formation of necks can proceed ad infinitum whenever a small but finite amount of noise is present in the experiment. In this situation, the dynamical singularity occurring when a drop fissions is characterized by a rough interface.


A new form of 'transformational crisis' has been observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina since at least 2005. Politicians representing the three major ethno-political communities (Bosnians, Croats and Serbs) have successively been raising disputes and have employed various political tools to preserve the conflicts instead of resolving them. As a result, the central state institutions and organisations have been weakened and attempts to replace them with narrower ethnic structures have been made. This is increasingly paralysing the state, thus impeding its everyday operation and preventing its structures and legislation from being modernised; had this been achieved, it would have resulted in a real acceleration of the process of Bosnia's integration with the EU and NATO.
The present crisis is also an effect of the disagreement between the key international players - the European Union, the United States and Russia - over the 'plan for Bosnia' and the role and duties of the Office of the High Representative, who acts on behalf of the international community in the country.


In the last decades, there has been a remarkable advance in the treatment of most types of cancer, improving the patient's prognosis. During cancer progression, tumor cells develop several biological changes to support initiation, proliferation, and resistance to death. Nearly 50–80% of all oncologic patients experience rapid weight loss that is related to ~ 20% of cancer-related deaths. Cancer cachexia is a syndrome characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, anorexia, and anemia. A lot of effort in scientific investigation has contributed to the understanding of cancer processes, in which epigenetic changes, as microRNAs, can influence cancer progression. Therefore, useful strategies to control the cancer-induced epigenetic changes in the tumor cells can have a key role in a clinical perspective to decrease the cancer development and aggressiveness. Physical activity has been proposed as a suitable tool to manage tumor growth and cachexia and to improve the deleterious sequelae experienced during cancer treatment. Although the molecular mechanisms involved in these responses are poorly understood, this chapter aims to discuss the role of microRNAs in the cancer-induced epigenetic changes and how physical activity could influence the epigenetic control of tumor cells and cachexia and their potential role in clinical applications for cancer.


Title of Dissertation: A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART'S CORE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF TEACHING THE CORE KNOWLEDGE CURRICULUM Margarete C. Grove, Doctor of Philosophy, 2005 Dissertation Directed by: Professor Francine H. Hultgren Department of Education Policy and Leadership This dissertation is a hermeneutic phenomenological study of the Core Knowledge curriculum. The question I am called by is what is the lived experience of being a Core Knowledge teacher? I orient myself to life by being a teacher, and I seek to know more about this phenomenon of being a Core Knowledge teacher. In what ways do teachers live out their "core" beliefs in the Core Knowledge curriculum? The foundation of this research is philosophically grounded in the work of Ted Aoki, Edward Casey, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Martin Heidegger, and Parker Palmer, among others. I am called by the philosophical idea of exploring "being." To explore "being" requires a movement beyond conceptual meaning, to the place of what living the experience of being a Core Knowledge teacher is like. Philosophers provide a more complete picture of the journey into knowing and being. Van Manen's (1990) methodological guide, Researching Lived Experience, provides the research framework that I followed while pursuing this phenomenological project. Working within van Manen's framework, I involved seven teachers who were invited to participate in conversations with me about their experience of teaching Core Knowledge. These conversations provided text for further study and thematizing. Core Knowledge as the appearance of choice; being defined by the choice of Core Knowledge; and the experience of regarding curriculum as "thing" were themes uncovered and explored more deeply to open up the experience of teaching Core Knowledge. Hearing these teachers speak about their work with Core Knowledge adds more voices to the conversation about this curriculum and provides more questions to explore. What might be heard from other Core Knowledge teachers as they work with this curriculum? In what ways might the conversations about Core Knowledge be open and deepened by hearing all who journey on this path? This journey into the heart's core provides a place to hear these Core Knowledge teachers as they share their experiences with the curriculum and, in turn, teach others how to listen more thoughtfully. A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART'S CORE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF TEACHING THE CORE KNOWLEDGE CURRIUCLUM By Margarete C. Grove Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2005 Advisory Committee: Professor Francine Hultgren, Chair and Advisor Professor Sharon Fries-Britt Dr. James D. Greenberg Dr. Richelle Patterson Professor Steven Selden ©Copyright by Margarete C. Grove 2005


Developing new techniques for human-computer interaction is very challenging. Vision-based techniques have the advantage of being unobtrusive and hands are a natural device that can be used for more intuitive interfaces. But in order to use hands for interaction, it is necessary to be able to recognize them in images. In this paper, we propose to apply to the hand posture classification and recognition tasks an approach that has been successfully used for face detection (B. Froba and A. Ernst, 2004). The features are based on the modified census transform and are illumination invariant. For the classification and recognition processes, a simple linear classifier is trained, using a set of feature lookup-tables. The database used for the experiments is a benchmark database in the field of posture recognition. Two protocols have been defined. We provide results following these two protocols for both the classification and recognition tasks. Results are very encouraging


PURPOSE
Amputation of the trigeminal nerve leads to decreased corneal sensitivity and dry eye. Our previous study showed that the drug FK962 (N-[1-acetylpiperidin-4-yl]-4-fluorobenzamide) induced neurite elongation from trigeminal ganglion (TG) cells and accelerated recovery of corneal sensitivity in a rabbit model of in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. However, the molecular pathways leading to FK962-induced neurite elongation and regeneration are not well defined. Thus, the purposes of the present experiments were to determine if FK962 induces elongation and regeneration of cultured rat TG cells and to investigate the mechanism of FK962-induced neurite elongation.

METHODS
Mixed TG cells were cultured with or without FK962, and immunocytochemistry was used to detect stimulation of neurite elongation. Neurite regeneration was also tested in an in vitro model of neuronal ablation. ELISA was used to detect glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and somatostatin (SST) release, and mRNA expression was measured by qPCR. Antibody neutralization was used to determine the mechanism for FK962-induced neurite elongation/regeneration.

RESULTS
FK962 enhanced elongation and regeneration of neurites in TG neurons. GDNF treatment-induced neurite elongation and GDNF antibody significantly inhibited neurite elongation induced by GDNF and FK962. Nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment also induced neurite elongation, which was inhibited by NGF antibody, but NGF antibody did not inhibit FK962-induced neurite elongation.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggested that FK962 stimulated induction of GDNF from TG cells. GDNF may be a part of the signaling pathway for FK962-induced neurite elongation/regeneration in rat TG neurons.


The Law and economics movement has paid a lot of attention to carefully analyzing various doctrines of contract law. Yet, with few exceptions, the doctrine of anticipatory breach seems to have escaped law and economics scholars' scrutiny. Specifically, the question of optimal choice of remedies has escaped scholars' eyes. While traditionally in England the party who files a law suit can get only damages, in the US the party can not only ask for assurances for performance, but also, in appropriate cases, get specific performance. Which regime is better? Can parties opt in and out of those regimes? Is there a legal regime which is superior to both the English and American regimes? In this paper we attempt to start filling in this gap by studying the relationship between various regimes of remedies. Specifically, we start by studying the conditions in which the American legal regime (which grants the non-breaching party an option to choose, in appropriate cases, between specific performance and actual damages) is superior to the English regime (which allows the non-breaching party to seek only actual damages). We then explore a third regime, which as far as we know does not exist, and show that it is unconditionally Pareto Superior to both the English and American legal regimes. Our analysis in this paper informs transactional lawyers of the relevant economic factors they should consider when deciding between remedies in a given anticipatory breach context. We focus on the ex-ante design of the contract in light of new and asymmetric information that the parties anticipate they will gain after they draft the contract. We assume fist, for simplicity, that no renegotiation or investments are involved. We demonstrate the optimal way to design contract clauses which takes advantage of the information that the seller and the buyer receive between the time they enter into the contract and the time of the breach. We present two models. One is for non-market goods and the other is for market-goods. The law is different with respect to the way damages are calculated for these two classes of goods. We thus model both types of transactions. Section two describes the legal background against which we have designed our models. Section three surveys the literature that evaluates contract remedies in the context of anticipatory breach context from an economic perspective. Section four presents two simple models with incomplete two-sided asymmetric information. In section four, we compare the performance of the American legal regime with that of the English one. Section five discusses some interesting extensions meant to approach the first-best allocative efficiency. The appendix provides a more rigorous mathematical demonstration of the model. Remedies for Anticipatory Breach of Contract with Two-Sided Asymmetric Information: A Comparison of Legal Regimes. Ronen Avraham Northwestern University School of Law Zhiyong Liu Managerial Economics and Strategy Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University ∗ We are grateful for valuable comments from ....All remaining errors are our own responsibility. Hosted by The Berkeley Electronic Press 2


Issues of school financing and school-based resource management (SBRM) in Sri
Lanka were discussed during the past two decades, and actions were taken to minimize
resource allocation disparities; nonetheless the unequal distribution of resources to
schools was still evident. Since 2000, the government of Sri Lanka, with the financial
assistance of the World Bank, has employed a norm-based unit cost resource
allocation mechanism (NBUCRAM) as a new policy for the formula funding of
schools (FFS), notably for ensuring equity in the provision of learning resources. The
government implemented two types of SBRM programme: 'strengthened basic'
SBRM, and the 'extension' of SBRM, to improve efficiency. Strengthened basic
SBRM was for all public schools to receive cash allocated by formula for spending on
learning materials, consisting of consumables and perishables (excluding chemicals).
The extension of SBRM was piloted to enable schools to also decide on the purchase
of inexpensive equipment (capital expenditure) to support teaching and learning. This
thesis attempts to evaluate the impact of SBRM and FFS on the efficiency and equity
of resource allocation in Sri Lanka. The required data were gathered using
questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis.
Longitudinal and c ross-sectional d ata reveal t hat b efore the introduction oft he new
mechanism, there were vast disparities in school funding for learning resources. At
present, schools have adopted a rational and transparent mechanism of allocation, to
ensure procedural and distributional equity. Qualitative interpretative data show that
since 2000 this has contributed to minimizing the gaps among and within the schools.
Evidence shows a substantial improvement in real per-pupil expenditure on learning
resources, compared to the previous three years. Legal support for resourcing
disadvantaged schools is another principal impact of NBUCRAM. The evidence of
school revenues highlights socio-economic factors as challenges to equity.
Constitutionally, education is free for all children, although it is still expensive for
low-income families. The system has established a national policy for funding schools,
although more consideration of adequacy criteria is needed. The present formula
funding system does not fully address some essential issues (i.e. pupils with special
educational needs, lack of identification of disadvantaged children and schools, and of
adequacy criteria) in relation to resourcing schools. It is impossible to achieve a perfect solution, since equity is a subjective issue; but it is essential to reduce the
disparities in resourcing schools. Moreover, it is crucial to apply procedural and
distributional (including horizontal and vertical) equity principles, as well as adequacy
criteria.
Longitudinal and cross-sectional data further suggest that strengthened basic SBRM is
a preliminary step in the delegation of power and decision-making authority to schools
to purchase consumable learning materials (recurrent expenditure) compared to basic
SBRM and non-SBRM regimes. The extension of SBRM is the way to delegate
extensive power and decision-making authority to schools, beyond strengthened basic
SBRM to purchase inexpensive capital learning resources (capital expenditure).
Longitudinal, quasi-experimental and cross-sectional data suggest that both
programmes have led to increasing participation in decision-making and to
improvement in the process of acquisition of learning resources. Expenditure per pupil
for learning resources, both materials and equipment, considerably improved under
these two programmes, a result of efficiency incentives. In the extension of SBRM,
pilot schools get more expenditure per pupil for inexpensive capital learning
equipment than non-pilot schools. Non-pilot schools still depend upon centralized
provisions. While these two programmes show some successes, some weaknesses are
also evident. Both SBRM policies do not identify the relationships between
educational inputs and outputs, access to local market, institutional capacities, and
regional imbalances.
NBUCRAM and the two SBRM practices are intervention policies meant to improve
equity and efficiency significantly, although at present the improvement seems to be
insufficient.


Study of the health and medical technology student's knowledge and attitudes will open the ways to solve the deficit in their information regarding radiation hazards. The aim is to assess the knowledge of Al-Zahra university students toward radiation hazard.This study is a cross-sectional observational analytical study of the amount of knowledge and altitude towards radiation hazards and protection of the Health and Medical Technology students' of Al-Zahra University in Karbala, Iraq. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on 129 out of 132 undergraduate students from The Health and Medical Technology College, whose curriculum included General Radiology, after completing 90 days in the Department of Radiological Techniques at Al-Zahra University for Women. Among 132 students, 129 students participated in this Google Classroom questionnaire, giving an overall response rate of (97.7%). Their overall knowledge was good and showed a higher KAP value in relation to hazardous protection that (Is x ray is harmful) with a percentage of (66.6%), while their knowledge was poor concerning the safety guidelines. The lack of knowledge about ALARA or ALADA principles needs to be considered by updating first year student 's curriculum as well as creating training courses to improve their knowledge.


Cocaine is the illicit drug whose abuse most often results in cardiopulmonary symptoms and emergency treatment. Habitual smoking of alkaloidal cocaine ("freebase," "crack") has replaced nasal insufflation as the most common method of abuse. Smoking of cocaine exposes the lung directly to the volatilized drug as well as to the other combustion products of the smoked mixture, thereby increasing the risk of adverse pulmonary effects. A wide variety of pulmonary complications including interstitial pneumonitis, fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, alveolar hemorrhage, asthma exacerbation, barotrauma, thermal airway injury, hilar lymphadenopathies, and bullous emphysema may be associated with the inhalation of crack cocaine or of associated substances such as talc, silica, and lactose. Cocaine abuse represents one of the most serious medical and social problems of our time. Radiologists should be familiar with the various pleuropulmonary complications associated with the abuse of illicit drugs in general and of cocaine in particular to ensure correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment planning in patients with respiratory manifestations associated with such abuse. © RSNA, 2007


The CSA Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn deposit, one of the Cobar-style deposits, is located 11km NNW of
Cobar in central New South Wales within an area known as the Cobar Mining Field. Historically
mined for Pb-Zn, CSA currently recovers Cu-Ag and has a resource base (measured, indicated and
inferred) of 11.4 mt at 6% Cu and 22 g/t Ag. While much work has been done on the Cobar-style
deposits, there remains a variety of questions regarding the formation of each deposit and the mining
field as a whole. Historically, structural studies of the CSA deposit have been restricted to the surface
and upper levels of the mine (>9800m RL). Recent mining within the deposit has allowed for further
structural analysis up to 1.3 km. A structural and mineralogical study of the CSA mine was undertaken
to answer a variety of questions concerning the formation of the deposit, its key characteristics and
features (structurally, mineralogically and geochemically) and how this information could be used to
explore for similar styles of mineralization both on site and in the Cobar region.
Hosted in the Devonian CSA Siltstone, the deposit resides within the hanging-wall of the
steep, west-dipping Cobar Fault. Major ore minerals include acanthite, chalcopyrite, cubanite,
pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, pyrite, magnetite, and native bismuth. Gangue minerals include quartz,
chlorite, calcite, stilpnomelane, plagioclase, biotite, muscovite and talc. The most common alteration
styles are Fe-rich chlorite, Fe-Mg-rich chlorite and silicification.
Structural measurements and samples were collected from 45 drill holes across four major ore
zones known as the Western, Eastern, QTS North and QTS South systems. Each system is composed
of multiple lenses ranging in strike length (13-200 m), width (5-80 m), and vertical extent (200 m-1.2
km). Structural analysis highlighted the presence of two major cleavage groups, one corresponding to
the regional cleavage (S2) and another with varying orientations found locally deemed SX to avoid
timing implications. A subset of SX was found to represent an early cleavage and was deemed S1. The
orientation of S2 changes from 80°/090° at surface and the upper portions of the mine (>92000mRL)
to 85°/264 (< 9000mRL) with depth and proximity to the Cobar Fault suggesting drag in the hangingwall
of the fault as it rotated in response to EW compression. Stereographic projections of S2 and
S2∧S0 intersection lineations show that S2 transects the regional folding produced early in the EW
compression. The presence of a stretching lineation with down-dip orientation suggests the lineation
was formed during dip-slip regime with very little transpression. Two cross-cutting fault systems, one
sub-parallel with S2 and the other sub-parallel with S1 were identified and suggested the presence of
orthorhombic fault arrays. Dilation occurred along the intersections of these faults allowing
mineralizing ore fluids to be focused into pipe-like ore lenses.
A 3D model of the regional stress state was produced using the boundary elements method
(Poly3D) in order to ascertain the affect the regional Plug Tank and Cobar Faults had on the formation
and spatial location of the CSA deposit. The model showed that, when activated by EW compression,
the geometries of these two faults produced a zone of minimum ơ3 directly beneath the deposit and
caused dilation in the overlying orthorhombic fault arrays. Deep seated ore-forming fluids were driven
along the Plug Tank Fault towards the eastern margin of the basin and up the Cobar Fault into this
zone of dilation during compression. Ore-forming fluids were then focused along the intersections of
the orthorhombic fault arrays producing the pipe-like ore lenses.
Geochemical analysis suggests that enrichments of Se, Cd, Fe, Mn, Sn, Tl, and Ge and
depletions of Ba, K Na, and Rb occur within 100 m of ore lenses and can be used as vectors to ore.
The most useful distal vector to ore was determined to be the depletion in Sr and Na occuring up to
500 m from mineralization. Fe-Mg-rich chlorite alteration is recognizable within 10 m of ore lenses.
Ore forming fluids are most likely sourced from the deepest part of the Cobar Basin during
inversion. The amount of Cu and the presence of abnormally high fluorine within CSA suggest that the source of the ore-forming fluids was most likely a basal unit in the rift package containing basalts
and carbonates and/or rhyolites. Once the fluids sourced from the rift package travelled along the Plug
Tank and Cobar faults into the orthorhombic fault arrays, they mixed with a cooler, locally sourced
fluid already circulating through the faults causing precipitation of the Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn minerals.
Overall, this study concluded that the CSA deposit was formed via the interaction of far field
stresses acting on regional faults to focus ore-forming fluids into the hanging-wall of the Cobar Fault.
This study suggests that exploration done both on the mine site and within the region should include
analysis of regional folding and faulting patterns as well as conventional geophysical and geochemical
methods.


Abstract In the reform era, management of information by the Chinese Communist Party has been continuously moving away from explicit, crude tactics of the past toward more subtle and orderly mechanisms of the present. This study examines one facet of this transformation in the online sphere: digital persuasion. Drawing on three emerging trends in online persuasion, including official digital revamping of state media, expansion of government Weibo, and official promotion of patriotic bloggers, the authors explain how online persuasion is taking on an increasingly participatory form under President Xi. Specifically, the conceptualization of 'authoritarian participatory persuasion 2.0' includes direct co-production of persuasion, with netizens called to repost, share and create content, as well as the indirect participation, whereby netizens are invited to partake in the life of the top leader, Xi Jinping, and to consume exclusive practical tips provided by the state. The participatory digital persuasion, whereas intended to facilitate public complicity with the regime, has also opened up spaces for satire and 'incivility' unmasking and challenging the state's covert propaganda practices.


Much evidence suggests individuals di⁄er in their predisposition to cooperate, which is essentially a component of human capital. This paper examines the role of individual cooperative tendencies and their interactions with institutions in generating social trust; it also endogenizes cooperative tendencies using a human capital investment model. Multiple equilibria and ine¢ ciencies exist due to positive externalities. An innovative (cid:133)nding is that, when institutions are more e⁄ective in punishing defecting behaviors, more people invest in cooperative tendencies and hence the endogenous social trust is higher, though the equilibrium cooperative tendencies are lower. This paper provides a plausible explanation for many empirical and experimental results. (JEL: Z13, J24)


This volume is a much-needed new selection of Seamus Heaney's work, taking account of recent volumes and of the author's work as a translator, and offering a more generous choice from previous volumes. Opened Ground: Poems 1966-1996 comes as close to being a 'Collected Poems' as its author cares to make it. It replaces his New Selected Poems 1966-1987, giving a fuller selection from each of the volumes represented there and adding large parts of those that have appeared since, together with examples of his work as a translator from the Greek, Latin, Italian and other languages. The book concludes with 'Crediting Poetry', the speech with which Seamus Heaney accepted the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded to him, in the words of the Swedish Academy of Letters, for his 'works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth'.


International economic integration has been a central policy goal for the Vietnam government since the doi moi reform was initiated in 1986. We explore the Vietnamese increasing integration into the world market and bouts of high inflation. Five price transmission models using three levels of sectoral aggregation, examine the transmission of world price shocks to the Vietnamese domestic market and the impact of inflation on domestic prices from 1999 to 2008. Empirical results find wide sectoral variation, imperfect price transmission, non-neutral inflation pass-through, the dominant effect of inflation on domestic prices, and a low speed of adjustment to the Law of One Price. We conclude that policy analysts need disaggregated sector-level price transmission elasticities for accurate trade policy analysis and that careful attention must be paid to how inflation influences the economy. Moreover, while tariff reforms have typically been focused in many studies to come to grips with policy outcomes, the key to such understanding should be more associated with institutional reforms, market access, and incentives for foreign investment.


Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like oil-soluble molecule that has anti-oxidant and anti-ageing effects. To determine the most optimal CoQ10 delivery vehicle, CoQ10 was solubilised in both water and fish oil, and formulated into hydrogel, oleogel and bigel. Permeability of CoQ10 from each formulation across porcine ear skin was then evaluated. Furthermore, the effects of the omega-3 fatty eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids from fish oil on skin permeation were investigated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and computerised molecular modelling docking experiments. The highest drug permeation was achieved with the bigel formulation that proved to be the most effective vehicle in delivering CoQ10 across the skin membrane due to a combination of its adhesive, viscous and lipophilic properties. Furthermore, the interactions between CoQ10 and fatty acids revealed by NMR and molecular modelling experiments likely accounted for skin permeability of CoQ10. NMR data showed dose-dependent changes in proton chemical shifts in EPA and DHA. Molecular modelling revealed complex formation and large binding energies between fatty acids and CoQ10. This study advances the knowledge about bigels as drug delivery vehicles and highlights the use of NMR and molecular docking studies for the prediction of the influence of drug–excipient relationships at the molecular level.


Many Americans across this county strive to achieve the dream of home ownership. The obstacles that stand in the way of achieving that dream can be staggering and unique to the persons pursuing home ownership. To a certain extent, it is expected that there be some proverbial hoops of fire to jump through before finally turning that key to a new home. What the consumer does not expect is to find a statutory scheme that creates unnecessary obstacles, such as a broker with a divided loyalty and information barriers, at the expense of the public. This statutory scheme is enshrined in Minnesota Statutes, section 82. The statute provides for standardized disclosure and notices regarding the agency relationship between the broker/salesperson and the consumer — in all there are three required notices. Nor does the consumer expect the state to favor a brokerage's bottom line over a consumer's right to fully understand all the relevant aspects of the transaction. Yet in Minnesota, that is precisely what happens. All too often, a typical residential real estate transaction involves a broker with a divided loyalty — to buyer, to seller, and to self. The average consumer likely understands that an agent, or a party acting on behalf of a seller or buyer, owes a significant duty of loyalty to the represented consumer. Thus, when a broker represents both the buyer and the seller in a realty transaction, the consumer will likely sense that something is amiss. The interests of a seller and a buyer are fundamentally at odds. The seller will want to sell the property at the highest price possible, disclaim every warranty and representation permitted by law, adhere only to the minimum disclosure requirements, keep confidential information confidential, and have an aggressive representative to negotiate with the other side. The buyer on the other hand will want the price lowered as much as possible, obtain as many warranties and representations as possible above the statutory disclosure requirements, maintain confidential information secret, and secure aggressive representation to advance the buyer's other interests in negotiations. The consumer may be surprised, however, to find that a real estate agent is permitted to represent both sides to the transaction. What is not surprising is that such representation is the source of many disputes. Despite the fact that this dual relationship is rife with troubles, the consumer will often find him or herself subject to it. This form of agency is called dual agency. Minnesota courts recognize the conflict of interest as an inherent one, yet they consider it an acceptable conflict so long as the parties can agree to it. Even though the required disclosure has been increasingly limited. But the question remains, to what extent the parties actually understand the implications of this conflict? It seems absurd that an informed consumer would consent to this kind of conflict in what is likely to be the largest and most significant type of transaction in which he or she will engage in. This article proposes a new approach to how Minnesota should view the agency relationship between a real estate broker/salesperson with consumers. This article focuses exclusively on the residential real estate-dual representation form of agency. In Part II, the article provides useful definitions of agency concepts and outlines current Minnesota law. In Part III, the origins of agency law is discussed and Minnesota's common law history of agency is evaluated, along with the pattern of limiting consumer disclosures. Part IV discusses the legislative purpose of section 82 and how that purpose is evaded through the statutory text itself. Part V evaluates how other jurisdictions view the topic of dual and designated agency and how some of those jurisdictions strive to serve their legislative purposes, similar to those in Minnesota. Next, in Part VI, the article discusses how Minnesota and other states view the concept of the attorney-broker acting in a dual agency capacity. Finally, in Part VII, the article proposes various statutory amendments that will help align the text of the law with the purpose of the law, followed by a brief summation in Part VIII.


This paper presents a reactive collision avoidance algorithm, which avoids both static and moving obstacles by keeping a constant avoidance angle between the vehicle velocity vector and the obstacle. In particular, we consider marine vehicles with underactuated sway dynamics, which cannot be directly controlled. This gives an underactuated component in the vehicle velocity, which the proposed algorithm is designed to compensate for. The algorithm furthermore compensates for the obstacle velocity. Conditions are derived under which the sway movement is bounded and collision avoidance is mathematically proved. The theoretical results are supported by simulations. The proposed algorithm makes only limited sensing requirements on the vehicle, is intuitive and suitable for a wide range of vehicles. This includes vehicles with heavy forward acceleration constraints, which is demonstrated by applying the algorithm to a vehicle with constant surge speed.


The impact of performing exercise on the immune system presents contrasting effects on health when performed at different intensities. In addition, the consequences of performing chronic exercise have not been sufficiently studied in contrast to the effects of acute bouts of exercise. The porpoise of this work was to determine the effect that a popular exercise regimen (chronic/moderate/aerobic exercise) has on the proportion of different immune cell subsets, their function and if it affects the cannabinoid system with potentially functional implications on the immune system. A marked increase in several immune cell subsets and their expression of cannabinoid receptors was expected, as well as an enhanced proliferative and cytotoxic activity by total splenocytes in exercised animals. For this study male Wistar rats performed treadmill running 5 times a week for a period of 10 weeks, at moderate intensity. Our results showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4+, Tγδ, and CD45 RA+ cells) and an increase in the cannabinoid receptors expression in those same cell. Although functional assays did not reveal any variation in total immunoglobulin production or NK cells cytotoxic activity, proliferative capability of total splenocytes increased in trained rats. Our results further support the notion that exercise affects the immunological system and extends the description of underlying mechanisms mediating such effects. Altogether, our results contribute to the understanding of the benefits of exercise on the practitioner´s general health.


In October 1999 the European Commission recommended that Turkey should be considered a candidate country for EU membership, but without opening negotiations at that stage. The announcement of Turkey's candidacy resonated differently on the two sides of the Atlantic. The leading American newspapers and the American government supported Turkey's aim strongly, as an assurance that the strategically located Turkey would be fully integrated into the democratic west. Contrarily, the declaration of Turkey's candidacy to EU has divided Europeans substantially and some have reacted to the declaration of the candidacy with mixed feelings. This article provides an overview of Turkey's relations with the EU since 1959 and discusses the costs and benefits of the Customs Union with the EU. Turkey is the first country in the European integration which has joined the Customs Union without being a full member of the EU. Turkey's chances of becoming a full member of the EU.


A 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q) diagnosis is relevant at any given time. With the barriers and quality of life concerns, it is important that a timely and accurate diagnosis is made. In order for this to occur, primary care providers should have the knowledge to properly assess the presenting abnormalities that may be found in a patient. Without a recognizable anomaly such as a heart disorder or palate deficiencies, individuals affected with 22q could live years without answers to critical health conditions. The lack of this diagnosis may cause additional medical conditions, even premature death. The purpose of this study was to measure primary care provider knowledge on 22q. Next, it was to examine the effect of education on the number of primary care initiated referrals when two or more known 22q anomalies are present. Many medical conditions associated with 22q are complex and complicated. Primary care providers in this research is defined as those physicians, medical residents, medical students, and other healthcare providers who attended the annual 2016 family practice spring conference in Tulsa, OK.


Bank Monitoring: Impact on Equity REIT Risk and Return by Mariya Letdin Adviser: Professor Linda Allen The first half of this paper studies the impact of bank screening on the risk of asset collateral pledged against secured loans for a sample of US equity REITs. Using a unique, hand-collected data sample, I show that bank screening results in lower risk assets being pledged as collateral, a finding confirmed by property type risk and location risk. Further, I find evidence consistent with the role of monitoring for secured, non-recourse mortgage loans. Finally, examining risk at the company level, I find that screening and monitoring of REITss assets via utilizing secured mortgage financing (as opposed to unsecured, recourse debt) lowers the overall company risk of a REIT. The second half of this paper explores the heterogeneity of debt in REITs in terms of both financing costs and equity returns. Using a loan level data set of REIT borrowings and controlling for REIT risk and loan collateral, we find that interest costs on secured debt are greater than on unsecured debt. Further, access to public debt markets (via the issuance of unsecured recourse bonds) raises the cost of bank debt, inconsistent with the presence of a hold-up problem for REITs bank debt. Instead, we find evidence consistent with a bank certification effect since public debtholders benefit from the presence of monitoring banks. REITs with access to public markets continuously outperform REITs without access. The findings are robust to endogeneity controls and apply both during and outside the financial crisis of 2007-2009.


Background: Data on diabetes mellitus in general population in Benin is scarce. This study aimed therefore to assess prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus in Benin. Methods: The study consisted of a cross-sectional survey, using the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s instrument for stepwise surveillance (STEPS) of non-communicable diseases risk factors. A five-stage random sample of 25 to 64 years old male and female adults living in Benin participated in structured interviews and their size, weight and blood pressure were measured according to standardized procedures. Glycaemia was measured using ACCUTREND® test strips for capillary blood glucose. Prevalence and means were computed with their 95% confidence interval and standard error respectively, taking into account the sampling design. Prevalence was compared by Khi2 and means by Student's t test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify socio-demographic diabetes's risk factors. Results: A total of 3772 adults participated in the study. The average age of respondents was 44.2 years. Overall, 68.3% of subjects were illiterate, 82.4% lived in rural areas, 82.57% were self-employed, 20% overweight, 7.51% obese and the prevalence of hypertension was 29.5 p.100. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 1.4 p.100 [CI95% = (0.94:2.05)]. This prevalence was higher in men than in women (2.1% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.0031). This prevalence was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The Littoral department had the highest prevalence (3.4%), followed by the Collines department (2.7%), Donga (2.4%) and Borgou (2.3%). As many as 49.3% of subjects diagnosed with diabetes mellitus were not aware of their status. The age group of 56 - 64 years had the highest risk [OR = 6.6, IC95% = (1.6; 22.4)]. The risk of diabetes was higher in people living in urban areas than in people living in rural areas [OR = 3.04 CI95% = (1.6; 6.0)]. After controlling for confounding factors, risk factors of diabetes were gender, men being more at risk than women (p = 0.002) age from 55 to 64 years (p = 0.009), overweight (p < 0.0001) and obesity (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Our findings suggested that diabetes mellitus was common in Benin. The prevalence of diabetes is more likely to increase in regard to the nutritional transitions (diet) and the accelerating urbanization of Benin. Communication campaigns for behavioral change are needed to slow down or even reverse this trend.