Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of extracellular plaques of β-amyloid peptides and intracellular tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in the brain. The vast majority of cases are late onset AD (LOAD), which are genetically heterogeneous and occur sporadi- cally. High blood cholesterol is suggested to be a risk factor for this disease. Several neuropathological changes of LOAD can be reproduced by supplementing a rabbit's diet with 2% cholesterol for 12 weeks. Accumulating data in the literature suggest that microRNAs (miRNA) participate in the development of AD pathology. The present study focuses on the survey of changes of miRNA expression in rabbit brains during the progression of AD-like pathology using microarray followed by Taq-Man qRT-PCR analyses. Out of 1769 miRNA probes used in the experiments, 99 miRNAs were found to be present in rabbit brain, 57 were newly identified as miRNAs from rabbit brain. Eleven miRNAs showed significant changes over AD-like pathology progression. Among them, the changes of miR-125b, miR-98, miR-107, miR-30, along with 3 members of the let-7 family were similar to those observed in human AD samples, whereas the expression patterns of miR-15a, miR-26b, miR-9 and miR-576-3p were unique to this rabbit LOAD model. The significant up regulation of miR-26b is consistent with the decrease of leptin levels in the brains of cholesterol fed rabbit model for AD, confirming that miR-26b is indeed regulated by leptin and that both leptin and miR-26b may be involved in cholesterol induced AD-like pathology.


The guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein Ras functions in regulating growth and differentiation; however, little is known about the protein interactions that bring about its biological activity. Wild-type Ras or mutant forms of Ras were covalently attached to an insoluble matrix and then used to examine the interaction of signaling proteins with Ras. Forms of Ras activated either by mutation (Gly12Val) or by binding of the GTP analog, guanylyl-imidodiphosphate (GMP-PNP) interacted specifically with Raf-1 whereas an effector domain mutant, Ile36Ala, failed to interact with Raf-1. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) activity was only associated with activated forms of Ras. The specific interaction of activated Ras with active MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) was confirmed by direct assays. Thus the forming of complexes containing MAPKK activity and Raf-1 protein are dependent upon the activity of Ras.


A systematic procedure to identify the plasma equilibrium response to the poloidal field coil voltages has been applied to the JT-60U tokamak. The required response was predicted with a high accuracy by a state-space model derived from first principles. The ab initio derivation of linearized plasma equilibrium response models is re-examined using an approach standard in analytical mechanics. A symmetric formulation is naturally obtained, removing a previous weakness in such models. RZIP, a rigid current distribution model, is re-derived using this approach and is compared with the new experimental plasma equilibrium response data obtained from Ohmic and neutral beam injection discharges in the JT-60U tokamak. In order to remove any bias from the comparison between modelled and measured plasma responses, the electromagnetic response model without plasma was first carefully tuned against experimental data, using a parametric approach, for which different cost functions for quantifying model agreement were explored. This approach additionally provides new indications of the accuracy to which various plasma parameters are known, and to the ordering of physical effects. Having taken these precautions when tuning the plasmaless model, an empirical estimate of the plasma self-inductance, the plasma resistance and its radial derivative could be established and compared with initial assumptions. Off-line tuning of the JT-60U controller is presented as an example of the improvements which might be obtained by using such a model of the plasma equilibrium response.


Since its inception, North American information systems (IS) research has relied on a broad and varied collection of theories. The core of this theoretical landscape is an important determinant of the IS research community's identity, and, as such, researchers have discussed it extensively in recent years. Nevertheless, we know few concrete facts about the composition, consistency, or evolution of this theoretical core over time. Using a set of 318 theories in conjunction with n-gram analyses, we address these issues empirically by computationally analyzing the complete text of every research paper published in three leading North American IS journals over a 24-year period. In examining these 2,215 papers and more than 3.54 billion n-gram records, we identify the theories that constitute the overall core of North American IS research and provide insights into the evolution of that core. We further identify and quantify the nature of theoretical pluralism in North American IS research and examine the evolution of the theoretical density of IS research studies over time. Finally, our results shed light on the patterns of theory co-occurrence in North American IS research studies and demonstrate how such information can facilitate increasingly imperative efforts aimed at theory consolidation and generalization.


This research addresses the effect of using digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from different sources on the results of a kinematic wave based GIUH model. DEMs from different sources exhibit data-resolution effects on the important derived geomorphological properties of watersheds used in rainfall–runoff modelling. Using DEMs derived from topography maps (TOPO DEM) and the SRTM DEM, it was illustrated that different threshold areas for stream network extraction affect GIUH model performance. The results show that the SRTM DEM gives higher values for sub-basin and channel slope as well as number of streams, than the TOPO DEM, while mean length of overland and channel flow is greater for the latter source. The results also indicate that peak flow and slope of the hydrograph rising limb obtained from the SRTM DEM at different threshold areas (ranging from 0.25% to 3%) are greater than that for the TOPO DEM. Investigating the effects of stream network delineation threshold area on the simulated peak flow shows that the maximum and minimum differences (12% and 1%) occur at the threshold areas of 0.5% and 1%, respectively, while for threshold areas higher than 2% the difference in peak flow of the two sources is limited to 10%. Based on the results of this research, it is deduced that the effects of data resolution and stream network delineation threshold areas on the geomorphological parameter values and the performance of GIUH-based models are significant and should be  considered when using SRTM DEMs in ungauged watersheds. Keywords : SRTM DEM, topographic maps, rainfall–runoff Modelling, KW-GIUH, threshold area


A contemporary challenge in ecology is assessing the ecosystem effects of multispecies introductions. Quantifying shifts in body sizes, a common trait with which many per capita rates of ecosystems functioning scales, provide an important way forward. Evidence suggests that freshwater fish introductions have altered species-level body size distributions globally, but it is difficult to interpret their functional consequences because animals contribute to ecosystem functioning at the individual level at smaller spatial scales. In this study, we determine whether these macroecological patterns hold for individual size distributions (ISDs) at local scales. We use a comprehensive dataset of fish communities in a highly invaded dryland river to (1) compare the statistical moments of ISDs between native and non-native pools and (2) relate biological and environmental covariates to the univariate moments of local ISDs and the multivariate community structure of local fish assemblages. We found that ISDs of native and non-native pools were significantly different when data were pooled across sites. Non-natives had smaller mean body size than natives across all guilds and within invertivore and omnivore guilds, but were significantly larger within the invertivore–piscivore guild. Moreover, differences in the variance of size distributions were often relatively greater than differences in the mean. By modeling ISDs at the site level as a function of biological and environmental covariates, we found that non-native dominance within sites had similar effects on ISDs as expected from differences between species pools. However, neither biological nor environmental predictors explained significant community-level variation when size and trophic structure were considered simultaneously. Shifts in size distributions can have multiple ecological consequences, and our results provide a baseline for generating size-based predictions of non-native species' roles in ecosystem functioning. However, these size-based predictions should be considered alongside other important trait distributions such as trophic structure, which had no consistent relationship with non-native dominance in this study.


We present a method to automatically segment indoor scenes by detecting repeated objects. Our algorithm scales to datasets with 198 million points and does not require any training data. We propose a trivially parallelizable preprocessing step, which compresses a point cloud into a collection of nearly‐planar patches related by geometric transformations. This representation enables us to robustly filter out noise and greatly reduces the computational cost and memory requirements of our method, enabling execution at interactive rates. We propose a patch similarity measure based on shape descriptors and spatial configurations of neighboring patches. The patches are clustered in a Euclidean embedding space based on the similarity matrix to yield the segmentation of the input point cloud. The generated segmentation can be used to compress the raw point cloud, create an object database, and increase the clarity of the point cloud visualization.


During the past two decades, Latin American countries have made pioneering efforts in reforming infrastructure services. The "first generation of reforms" encompassed widespread privatization, deregulation and restructuring of the provision of energy, water, transport and telecommunications services. Second-Generation Reforms in Infrastructure Services evaluates the current challenges, leading to the consolidation of the initial reforms. This volume deals with post-privatization dispute settlement mechanisms, access arrangements in network industries, and inroads to effective competition in the reformed industries. The authors evaluate a set of contractual adjustments resulting from renegotiations and disputes that have taken place since the beginning of the reform process. In an effort to promote competition in the provision of public services, the authors suggest some practical rules for pricing access in network industries. The book presents a dynamic, global vision of second-generation reforms underway in energy markets around the world.


Electric machines can be overloaded for short periods of time due to their inherently large thermal capacitance. The state-of-the-art overload strategies are often based on static characteristics of a machine. The real-time thermal condition is not considered in such strategies, leaving overload potential partially unused. This paper presents a model predictive overload strategy for a water-cooled automotive switched reluctance machine. The maximum allowed torque is predicted based on a real-time hot-spot temperature estimation, ensuring that the thermal capacitance of the machine is fully exploited. Due to the predictive nature of the algorithm, the peak torque production is inherently guaranteed over the prediction horizon. The proposed strategy is validated on a test bench. The proposed overload algorithm can be applied to other machine types as well.


In North Dakota v. Heydinger, two Eighth Circuit judges disagreed about the constitutionality of a Minnesota statute regulating the electricity imported into the state. Their disagreement stemmed from the judges' conflicting understandings of the behavior of electrons. Judge James B. Loken described electrons as "flow[ing] freely" through the grid's transmission lines "without regard to state borders." Judge Diana E. Murphy, by contrast, contended that electrons do not "flow"; rather, they "oscillate in place." Whereas Judge Murphy's description of electrons comports with the language of physicists and engineers in the energy field, Judge Loken's language is incorrect. This Note discusses the inaccurate and inconsistent language with which attorneys and judges describe electricity and the problems that result from this language. While many utilize the incorrect and outdated language of electrons and electricity flowing directly from a power plant to people's homes, others reject this language. This flawed description likely did not cause problems in energy law cases in the early and mid-1900s. Due to the highly-interconnected structure of today's electric grid, however, inaccuracies in the language that individuals use to describe electricity has caused fundamental disagreements in attorneys' and judges' interpretations of state and federal statutes. In order to avoid ongoing problems caused by these language discrepancies, attorneys and judges should conceptualize and describe the grid using language that


Land use type in the human dominated matrix
surrounding tropical forest can influence edge effects at the
forest-matrix interface. Edge effects can alter ecological
processes and impact the function of forest edge ecosystems. A key
ecological process that helps maintain tropical forest and is
affected by forest disturbance is seed dispersal by large, fruit
eating vertebrates (frugivores). This dissertation examines how the
type of vegetation in the matrix, the `soft' edge contrast of pine
plantations and the `hard' edge contrast of tea plantations, affect
seed dispersal behavior of large frugivores, and the structure and
composition of tree species, in forest edge habitat. Research was
conducted in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, a protected area
located in East and Central Africa. Focal tree observations were
conducted from December 2011 to September 2012 in forest edges
adjacent to two different matrix types and within the forest
interior. I recorded visitation frequency and seed removal of
frugivores at large-seeded trees. For analysis, seed dispersers
were divided into two groups, birds and primates. The response to
matrix type differed between disperser groups. Feeding visits by
birds were less common in forest edges adjacent to a tea planation
matrix, whereas feeding visits by primates were more common in
edges adjacent to tea plantations. To explore the influence of
matrix type and edge effects on tree species structure and
composition, I sampled forest edges adjacent to the different
matrix types and within the forest interior. The type of
surrounding matrix influenced edge effects on forest structure and
composition. I found evidence that a pine plantation matrix
mitigated some of the adverse effects of edge on tree communities;
tree communities in edges adjacent to tea plantations showed a
stronger response to edge effects. Overall, this study shows
evidence that land use type in the human dominated matrix can
affect ecosystem function and the long-term persistence of some
groups of species. The study provides new knowledge on the impact
of matrix type on plants, animals, and plant-animal interactions in
the edges of a large protected area and indicates the degree to
which human disturbance may alter ecological
function.


In 1997, Moody and Wu presented recurrent reinforcement learning (RRL) as a viable machine learning method within algorithmic trading. Subsequent research has shown a degree of controversy with regards to the benefits of incorporating technical indicators in the recurrent reinforcement learning framework. In 1991, Nison introduced Japanese candlesticks to the global research community as an alternative to employing traditional indicators within the technical analysis of financial time series. The literature accumulated over the past two and a half decades of research contains conflicting results with regards to the utility of using Japanese candlestick patterns to exploit inefficiencies in financial time series. In this paper, we combine features based on Japanese candlesticks with recurrent reinforcement learning to produce a high-frequency algorithmic trading system for the E-mini S&P 500 index futures market. Our empirical study shows a statistically significant increase in both return and Sharpe ratio compared to relevant benchmarks, suggesting the existence of exploitable spatio-temporal structure in Japanese candlestick patterns and the ability of recurrent reinforcement learning to detect and take advantage of this structure in a high-frequency equity index futures trading environment.


Understanding large, structured documents like scholarly articles, requests for proposals or business reports is a complex and difficult task. It involves discovering a document's overall purpose and subject(s), understanding the function and meaning of its sections and subsections, and extracting low level entities and facts about them. In this research, we present a deep learning based document ontology to capture the general purpose semantic structure and domain specific semantic concepts from a large number of academic articles and business documents. The ontology is able to describe different functional parts of a document, which can be used to enhance semantic indexing for a better understanding by human beings and machines. We evaluate our models through extensive experiments on datasets of scholarly articles from arXiv and Request for Proposal documents.


Given a point set S and an unknown metric d on S, we study the problem of efficiently partitioning S into k clusters while querying few distances between the points. In our model we assume that we have access to one versus all queries that given a point s in S return the distances between s and all other points. We show that given a natural assumption about the structure of the instance, we can efficiently find an accurate clustering using only O(k) distance queries. Our algorithm uses an active selection strategy to choose a small set of points that we call landmarks, and considers only the distances between landmarks and other points to produce a clustering. We use our algorithm to cluster proteins by sequence similarity. This setting nicely fits our model because we can use a fast sequence database search program to query a sequence against an entire dataset. We conduct an empirical study that shows that even though we query a small fraction of the distances between the points, we produce clusterings that are close to a desired clustering given by manual classification.


The increase in the population and industrial growth has led to increased production of industrial and domestic waste, which contains heavy metals in different forms, hence affect the diversity and activities of soil microflora and environmental sustainability. This research was aimed at evaluating the heavy metals on soil microflora diversity in soils of Robertkiri, Idama and Jokka in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area in River State Nigeria. Soil samples were collected randomly from each location at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth, respectively. The heavy metal contents of soil were determined using standard methods, while the microbial analysis of samples was determined by the enumeration of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) and fungi and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria and fungi on plate count Agar at 37°C, and the count recorded after 4 h using standard methods. Results showed that Fe concentration was highest in the contaminated locations at 15-30 cm depth with values 1362.01, 894.01 and 674.11 mg/kg for Robertkiri, Idama and Jokka compared to 0-15 cm depth and the control. Similar trend was observed at 15-30 cm depth for Zn 33.61, 41.20 and 33.98 mg/kg within the study locations. Whereas Cu and Cr had lowest concentration of 0.49 and 0.78 mg/kg in Robertkiri, 0.74 and 1.17 mg/kg in Idama and 0.76 and 1.87 mg/kg in Jokka at 15-30 cm depth. The THB and total heterotrophic fungi (THF) count was relatively low and ranged between 0.59 and 2.85 cfu at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth in Robertkiri and Idam. While at jokka, THB and THF count ranged between 0.23 and 1.94 cfu at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth compared to control. Likewise, the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and hydrocarbon utilizing fungi (HUF) count was found to be low across depth in all the three locations in relative to the control. The study revealed that there is a gradual accumulation of heavy metals and the concentration was high in the contaminated soils than the control. The low count of soil microflora in the study locations may be due to the high levels of heavy metals observed in the contaminated soils from different locations.


For over a century, English husbands sold their wives at auctions. We argue that wife sales were an institutional response to an unusual constellation of property rights in Industrial Revolution-era English law. That constellation simultaneously required most wives to obtain their husbands' consent to exit their marriages and denied most wives the right to own property. In doing so it precluded direct Coasean divorce bargains between spouses that could dissolve inefficient marriages when wives' valuation of life outside their marriages was higher than husbands' valuation of life inside them. To overcome this problem, spouses used wife sales to conduct divorce bargains indirectly. Wifesale auctions achieved this by identifying and leveraging "suitors" — men who valued unhappy wives more than their current husbands, who unhappy wives preferred to their current husbands, and who had the property rights required to buy unhappy wives' right to exit marriage from their husbands. The resulting transactions enabled unhappy wives in inefficient marriages to exit those marriages where English law otherwise prevented them from doing so.


Both the Indus River and the Witwatersrand basin contain sand with grains of detrital uraninite. Because this mineral is easily oxidized, its presence in Archean strata as a detrital particle has been used as evidence for a low-oxygen atmosphere before 2.5 Ga. However, its presence in modern sand from the Indus River system has been used to argue that detrital uraninite does not provide information about the oxygen concentration of Earth's early atmosphere. Petrographic and chemical study of sand from these two sources reveals differences that suggest the modern Indus sand cannot be used as an analog for the Archean Witwatersrand occurrences. The Witwatersrand quartzites are depleted in Ca, Mg, and Na, indicating that the original sand from which they formed had been subjected to intense weathering. The chemical index of alteration (CIA), a commonly used indicator of degree of weathering, yields an average value of about 0.80 for Witwatersrand quartzites, comparable to modern tropical streams such as the Orinoco that drain deeply weathered terrains under tropical conditions (CIA=0.75). In contrast, the CIA for Indus sand is 0.45, indicating virtually no chemical weathering. The significance of Archean quartz-pebble conglomerates is not just that they contain unstable detrital phases like uraninitemore » and pyrite, but that these particles are associated with rocks whose compositions suggest intense weathering. These conglomerates must have been subjected to intense weathering under tropical conditions, either in their source area or at the site of deposition, and the preservation of minerals like uraninite such conditions is indeed strong evidence for a low-oxygen atmosphere.« less


Natural availability of carbonyl groups offers reductive carbonyl coupling tremendous synthetic potential for efficient olefin synthesis, yet the catalytic carbonyl cross-coupling remains largely elusive. We report herein such a reaction, mediated by hydrazine under ruthenium(II) catalysis. This method enables facile and selective cross-couplings of two unsymmetrical carbonyl compounds in either an intermolecular or intramolecular fashion. Moreover, this chemistry accommodates a variety of substrates, proceeds under mild reaction conditions with good functional group tolerance, and generates stoichiometric benign byproducts. Importantly, the coexistence of KOBu and bidentate phosphine dmpe is vital to this transformation.


Deities, demons, and angels became important protagonists in the magic of the Late Antique world, and were also the main reasons for the condemnation of magic in the Christian era. Supplicatory incantations, rituals of coercion, enticing suffumigations, magical prayers and mystical songs drew spiritual powers to the humain domain. Next to the magician's desire to regulate fate and fortune, it was the communion with the spirit world that gave magic the potential to purify and even deify its practitioners. The sense of elation and the awareness of a metaphysical order caused magic to merge with philosophy (notably Neoplatonism). The heritage of Late Antique theurgy would be passed on to the Arab world, and together with classical science and learning would take root again in the Latin West in the High Middle Ages. The metamorphosis of magic laid out in this book is the transformation of ritual into occult philosophy against the background of cultural changes in Judaism, Graeco-Roman religion and Christianity. This volume, the first in the new series Groningen Studies in Cultural Change, offers the papers presented at the workshop The Metamorphosis of Magic from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period held from 22 to 24 June 2000, and organised by Jan N. Bremmer and Jan R. Veenstra. The papers have been written by scholars from such varying disciplines as classics, theology, philosophy, cultural history, and law. Their contributions shed new light upon several old obscurities; they show magic to be a significant area of culture, and they advance the case for viewing transformations in the lore and practice of magic as a barometer with which to measure cultural change.


The aim of this project was to synthesise fluorinated polymers that might act as hot material in a guest-host system for use in non-linear optical applications. These polymers would be expected to have the advantage over materials such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) which is known to be incompatible with many nlo active materials. A series of bicyclic fluorinated monomers was prepared by the reaction of fluorinated dienophiles with cyclopentadiene in a series of Diels-Alder reactions. The monomers were purified and then used in ring opening metathesis polymerisation. The materials were then characterised by gel permeation chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and cast as films for determination of their activities as nlo materials using a Nd/YAG laser system. The second harmonic intensity of each was measured relative to quartz. However no materials of significant activity were produced. In an attempt to produce polymers that might subsequently be functionalised the polymerisation of 1,2-methylenedioxybenzene and 1,4-benzodioxane was investigated.


The news we see daily is selected from among alternatives by journalists. 'Argumentation in the newsroom' uses ethnographic data from Swiss television and print newsrooms to shed light on how journalists make decisions regarding the selection and presentation of news items in their daily professional practice. The evidence illustrates that, contrary to the standard view, journalistic decisions are not limited to the influence of standardized production patterns, instinct, or editors? orders. Rather, in their attempt to produce the best news possible, journalists carefully ponder and discuss their choices, utilizing full-fledged critical discussions at all stages of the newsmaking process. Employing the pragma-dialectical model of a critical discussion, in conjunction with the argumentum model of topics, a detailed reconstruction of how journalists make use of argumentative reasoning while basing their decisions on a complex set of material premises and on recurrent procedural premises, is provided.


Currently, there is worldwide interest in and focus on the implementation and effectiveness of quality management initiatives in various industries with the objective of enhancing effectiveness and efficiency. By raising performance, Total Quality Management (TQM) is a quality management model, which can have a transforming impact on an industry that is in a state of substantial structural change and facing increased competition. Therefore, there is no doubt that TQM has received a great deal of attention from practitioners, academics and researchers over recent decades across the world in both developed and developing countries. However, Iraq as a developing country is still lagging behind on the TQM journey. The Iraqi oil companies constitute the main industrial structure in Iraq, as oil is the main source of income in the country. However, these companies are facing a number of challenges including decreasing performance and quality levels, particularly in management systems. In addition, they are challenged by increasing competition from international companies working in Iraq. In order to face these challenges and increase their efficiency and competitiveness, Iraqi oil companies need to successfully employ quality management initiatives such as TQM, which can enable and empower the entire workforce, raise performance and improve their competitive position. Hence, the current research into TQM as a means of improving the efficiency and the entire performance of operations in Iraqi oil companies. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to facilitate the implementation of TQM in the Iraqi upstream oil sector. This entailed a review of issues relevant to TQM in general and an exploration of the current levels of awareness of TQM in the oil company by identifying the presence or absence of certain recognised TQM key factors and barriers impede TQM implementation as well as the expected benefits to be gained from TQM implementation. This framework will facilitate the oil company to adopt better practices towards achieving the expected results. To achieve this aim, the study utilises a mixed research approach and adopting a single holistic case study strategy by triangulating the data collected through different techniques (semi-structured interviews, questionnaire survey and literature review). Data was collected from one of the most significant oil company in Iraq. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis in addition to content analysis methods were used to analyse the data. To the best of the researcher's knowledge, this study will be the first of its kind to be undertaken in the Iraqi oil industry. Therefore, the findings will enrich the existing literature on the TQM implementation in the oil industry and fill the gaps in knowledge of studies on Iraq, where there is no national framework for a universal TQM implementation in the Iraqi oil industry in particular, and in the Iraqi business environment, in general. The research identified nine TQM key factors that can support TQM implementation and seven TQM barriers that hinder TQM implementation. Additionally, five TQM benefits, which can be gained as a result of successful implementation were also identified. Furthermore, the research reveals two key relationships. Firstly, the relationship between the barriers that hinder TQM implementation and the key factors required for successful TQM implementation. Secondly, the relationship between the key factors of TQM implementation and the potential benefits of successful TQM implementation. Finally, emerging from the study, a conceptual framework has been developed to facilitate the TQM implementation in the Iraqi upstream oil sector. It is hoped that the outcome of this research will lead to a better understanding of the need for TQM practices in Iraq and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.


In many observational studies, analysts estimate causal effects using propensity scores, e.g. by matching, sub‐classifying, or inverse probability weighting based on the scores. Estimation of propensity scores is complicated when some values of the covariates are missing. Analysts can use multiple imputation to create completed data sets from which propensity scores can be estimated. We propose a general location mixture model for imputations that assumes that the control units are a latent mixture of (i) units whose covariates are drawn from the same distributions as the treated units' covariates and (ii) units whose covariates are drawn from different distributions. This formulation reduces the influence of control units outside the treated units' region of the covariate space on the estimation of parameters in the imputation model, which can result in more plausible imputations. In turn, this can result in more reliable estimates of propensity scores and better balance in the true covariate distributions when matching or sub‐classifying. We illustrate the benefits of the latent class modeling approach with simulations and with an observational study of the effect of breast feeding on children's cognitive abilities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


A reconfigurable bandpass filter able to switch between WiFi and UMTS reception standards is presented. The topology allows achievement of two accurate centre frequencies, each associated with a precisely defined bandwidth, using six pin diodes. The design carefully takes into account the external quality factor for both filter states to ensure a good impedance match at each band of operation. Coupling coefficients and resonator lengths produce the bandwidths and centre frequencies required by both standards definitions. Surface mount components were carefully modelled and included in simulations. Simulated and measured results show excellent agreement.


Background Our goal was to provide measurements of the posterior cerebral circulation using non-invasive imaging and advanced software analysis tools. Methods 100 consecutive patients aged ≥40 years (50 men and 50 women) who had undergone CT angiography (CTA) but had no vascular abnormality were analyzed. Specific software was used to make vessel measurements along the center line. The length of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA), the basilar artery (BA) and the distance from the mid-basilar artery to the posterior cerebral artery (mBA-PCA) was recorded. Vessel diameter was measured at the proximal and distal ends of these vessel lengths. Vessel taper was calculated as the change in diameter in millimeters per centimeter of length. Results The mean lengths of the intracranial VA, the BA and the mBA-PCA were 40±10.6 mm, 27.3±5.7 mm and 25.6±4.3 mm, respectively. The proximal and distal diameters were 3.9±0.8 mm and 2.8±0.6 mm for the VA and 3.6±0.6 mm and 3.1±0.5 mm for the BA, respectively. The mean mid-BA diameter and the proximal PCA diameter were 3.2±0.5 mm and 2.2±0.4 mm, respectively. There was a significant increase in arterial caliber in patients aged ≥60 years compared with those aged 40–59 years. Men also tended to have longer vessels with a larger diameter than women. Conclusions Advanced software and non-invasive imaging can be used to perform accurate vessel analysis. The posterior circulation measurements showed an increase in arterial caliber with age. This baseline information may be useful in planning neurovascular procedures and endovascular device development.


We use money every day. Yet the practice of exchanging paper or bytes for goods and services seems absurd if you think about it. Naked Money explores why money exists and why it so often gets entire nations in trouble. Charles Wheelan explains with his trademark wit and refreshing clarity how our banks and monetary systems should work in ideal situations, and he reveals the havoc and suffering caused in real situations by inflation, deflation, illiquidity and other monetary effects. With illuminating stories from Argentina, Zimbabwe, North Korea, America, China and elsewhere around the world, Naked Money demystifies the curious world behind the paper in our wallets and the digits in our bank accounts.


Throughout history human societies have been shaped and sculpted by the weather conditions that they faced. More than just the physical parameters imposed by the weather itself, how individuals, communities, and whole societies have imagined and understood the weather has influenced many facets of human activity, from agriculture to literary culture. Whether through direct lived experiences, oral traditions and stories, or empirical scientific data these different ways of understanding meteorological conditions have served a multitude of functions in society, from the pragmatic to the moral.
 While developments made in the scientific understanding of the atmosphere over the last 300 years have been demonstrably beneficial to most communities, their rapid onset and spread across different societies often came at the expense of older ways of knowing. Therefore, the late 20th century turn to emphasizing the importance of and interrogating and incorporating of traditional ecological knowledge within meteorological frameworks and discourses was essential. This scholarly research, underway across a number of disciplines across the humanities and beyond, not only aides the top-down integration and reach of mitigation and adaptation plans in response to the threat posed by anthropogenic climate change; it also enables the bottom-up flow of forgotten or overlooked knowledge, which helps to refine and improve our scientific understanding of global environmental systems.


Summary

1
Top-down regulation of ecosystems by large herbivores is a topic of active debate between scientists and managers, and a prime example is the interaction between elephants Loxodonta africana and trees in African savannas. A common assumption among wildlife managers is that a local reduction in elephant numbers will ultimately allow woodland to self-restore to a desired former state. Such regeneration is, however, dependent on the survival of seedlings of impacted tree species. We conducted a field experiment to investigate seedling predation in the elephant-transformed Chobe riparian woodland of northern Botswana.

2
We planted seedling gardens in (i) complete exclosures that excluded all herbivores except small rodents and invertebrates, (ii) semi-permeable exclosures that excluded ungulates but included primates, lagomorphs, all rodents, gallinaceous birds, etc, and (iii) completely open plots. Seedlings were of two tree species decreasing in the area (Faidherbia albida and Garcinia livingstonei) and two that are increasing (Combretum mossambicense and Croton megalobotrys).

3
After 9 months, seedling survival ranged from >75% for all species in the complete exclosure to <20% for Faidherbia albida in the open plots. Survival of all seedlings except C. megalobotrys declined precipitously in open plots during the dry season when invertebrates are largely dormant but when impalas Aepyceros melampus (locally abundant ungulates) increase the browse components of their diets.

4
Seedling survival in the open plots was negatively related to local impala density but unrelated to that of any other browser.

5
Synthesis and applications. Our findings relate to the current debate about managing elephants to restore southern African savanna landscapes to desired historical states. Various seedling predators, including the ubiquitous impala Aepyceros melampus, regulate the regeneration of trees from seedlings, and our experiments support the hypothesis that tall closed-canopy woodlands originate during episodic windows of opportunity for seedling survival. To artificially recreate such a window would require the decimation of seedling predators as well as elephants, which is impractical at the landscape scale.


This paper presents a theoretical and computational nonlinear study of structure selection in carbon fibers obtained by spinning binary blends of carbonaceous mesophases precursors. Although models for single component mesophase precursors seem to capture many structural features present in real carbon fibers, predictions of mixture models are needed to further optimize, control, and understand structure formation in real carbon fibers. In this paper, we focus on binary blends, and seek to elucidate the role of blending on specific carbon fiber textures. Nonlinear modeling shows that blending has a significant effect on both macroscopic and microscopic details of typical carbon fiber structures. The nonlinear models are able to resolve well-known solution multiplicity and defect structures.


Cross-feeding is an important metabolic interaction mechanism of bacterial groups inhabiting the human colon and includes features such as the utilization of acetate by butyrate-producing bacteria as may occur between Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium genera. In this study, we assessed the utilization of different carbon sources (glucose, starch, inulin and fructooligosaccharides) by strains of both genera and selected the best suited combinations for evidencing this cross-feeding phenomenon. Co-cultures of Bifidobacterium adolescentis L2-32 with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii S3/L3 with fructooligosaccharides as carbon source, as well as with F. prausnitzii A2-165 in starch, were carried out and the production of short-chain fatty acids was determined. In both co-cultures, acetate levels decreased between 8 and 24 h of incubation and were lower than in the corresponding B. adolescentis monocultures. In contrast, butyrate concentrations were higher in co-cultures as compared to the respective F. prausnitzii monocultures, indicating enhanced formation of butyrate by F. prausnitzii in the presence of the bifidobacteria. Variations in the levels of acetate and butyrate were more pronounced in the co-culture with fructooligosaccharides than with starch. Our results provide a clear demonstration of cross-feeding between B. adolescentis and F. prausnitzii.


This paper presents an approach applying social network analysis on collaborative edit log data. Semantic Web Wiki and FAO ontologies are given as case studies. A number of users that are editing the same ontology or the same pages can be viewed as a social network of people interacting via the ontology. We propose to represent the edit log files as a graph either of users that are connected if they are editing the same ontology concepts or of concepts that are connected if edited by the same users. We apply social network analysis on such graphs in order to provide some insights into activity of the wiki/ontology editors. Finally, a plugin was developed which provides a comfortable GUI to some of the used analysis techniques, so that the people interested in monitoring the editing activity can perform that analysis and visualization on their own.


In this study, whether or not the criteria affecting plot value changes depending on age was investigated in Ankara, Konya and Kayseri, which are three major cities of The Central Anatolian Region in Turkey, through survey method. 2,531 respondents, who were 18 and older, were included in the survey based on a technical viewpoint. Respondents consisted of 559 experts and 1,915 citizens. Fifty seven survey forms were considered invalid for several reasons and excluded from evaluation. The experts were selected from among people who worked on real estate valuation by using The Purposeful Sampling Method. The citizens were chosen from among people who could as well be agents in purchase and sale of the real estate by using The Simple Random Sampling Method. The survey questions were prepared on a Five-Point Likert Scale. These were made up of a total 82 questions and two main titles as locational (64 criteria) and neighbourhood (18 criteria) features (except for demographic questions). The age of the respondents was classified into six different groups. Whether or not averages of criteria were significantly different depending on the age groups was tested by ANOVA. Differences between the age groups were determined through several criteria.


During maintenance, systems are updated to correct faults, improve functionality, and adapt the software to changes in its execution environment. The typical software update process consists of stopping the system to be updated, performing the update of the code, and restarting the system. For systems such as banking and telecommunication software, however the cost of downtime can be prohibitive. The situation is even worse for systems such as air-traffic controllers and life-support software, for which a shut-down is in general not an option. In those cases, the use of some form of on-the-fly program modification is required. In this paper, we present a new technique for dynamic updating of Java software. Our technique is based oil the use of proxy classes and requires no support from the runtime system. The technique allows for updating a running Java program by substituting, adding, and deleting classes. We also present DUSC (dynamic updating through swapping of classes), a tool that we developed and that implements our technique. Finally, we describe an empirical study that we performed to validate the technique of a real Java subject. The results of the study show that our technique can be effectively applied to Java software with only little overhead in both execution time and program size.


If estimates of the effect of a treatment variable on an outcome of interest are to be adjusted for a set of possible confounding factors, it is necessary to rely on the assumption of experimental treatment assignment (ETA) according to which each experimental unit has positive probability of being observed at any of the possible levels of the treatment variable regardless of the values the confounding factors may take on. Even if this assumption is only practically violated in the sense that certain values of the confounding factors cause some treatment levels to become not impossible, but at least highly unlikely, the adjusted variable importance parameter often becomes poorly identified in finite samples. We introduce an algorithm that is intended to make variable importance estimation more robust with respect to violations of the ETA assumption. Two different identifiability criteria are proposed for deciding when an adjusted variable importance parameter cannot be reliably estimated from the data. These criteria are then used to identify a maximal set of adjustment variables for which the ETA assumption appears reasonably well satisfied. A more efficient estimator of the parameter corresponding to the selected adjustment set is then sought by selecting from among estimators making use of even smaller adjustment sets by minimizing an estimate of the mean squared error for the selected parameter. A simulation study aimed at evaluating the benefits of this latter step suggests that it can lead to efficiency gains on the order of 100% if the ETA assumption is violated to some extent and to efficiency gains on the order of 35% if the ETA assumption is well approximated. The proposed algorithm is applied to the problem of identifying mutations in the protease enzyme of HIV that have an effect on virologic response to the commonly used antiretroviral drug lopinavir. While both unadjusted and fully adjusted analyses yield unsatisfactory results, the subset of significant mutations identified by the algorithm introduced here includes eight of the 12 known major lopinavir resistance mutations as well as two mutations that are thought to increase susceptibility to lopinavir. Two of the four major mutations not identified in our analysis occurred very rarely in our data set, giving the algorithm low power to detect any impact on virologic response. Recent in vitro experiments suggest that the other two major mutations not identified here may in fact be less important in determining lopinavir resistance than previously thought. The excellent agreement of the results reported here with current understanding of lopinavir resistance suggest that variable importance estimation based on data-adaptive selection of the adjustment set represents a promising new approach for studying the effects of HIV mutations on clinical virologic response to antiretroviral therapy as well as for biomarker discovery in general.


This paper presents the compositional logic of my most recent piece, braneworlds, a 15-minute work for seven musicians, according to three basic concepts: musical space, polymorphic counterpoint, and 'branes', as inspired by the popular book Warped Passages by experimental physicist Lisa Randall. The idea of musical space is outlined, in which musical parameters—conceived broadly as variable characteristics of music—are taken as dimensions and each work may define its own set of basic dimensions. Musical identities or objects are formed, located at different points within this space. The idea of 'polymorphic counterpoint', in which larger-scale internally-elaborated musical structures, rather than lines or points, are superimposed, is drawn upon as a method for exploring in a particularly direct manner the different degrees of identity and difference between objects along the different dimensions. To give this a clear structure across time, the work draws upon the concept of 'branes'—lowerdimensional 'slices' of higher-dimensional realities—from theoretical physics. This is metaphorically adopted in this work to mean musical structures that are fixed for the duration of the work on one or more parameters, but free with regard to others. In braneworlds, four core parameters are chosen to construct the musical space: temporal division, register, pitch, and dynamic contour. Within these, four branes are constructed to which groups of instruments are assigned. These branes fix these instrumental groups with regard to two parameters, but allow them freedom with regard to the other parameters. The branes are also constructed in a complementary sense, such that different groups occupy different 'ends' of the musical space, denying the possibility of a number of textures, but also allowing for a wide exploration of identity and difference. In the course of composing the work, a number of weaknesses and gaps in the compositional logic were uncovered, such as the problem of intermediate values, hierarchies of parameters, and the impact of the sectional form on identity relations. Nonetheless, the logic of the construction of braneworlds provides a relatively systematic way of exploring possible relations of identity and difference between musical objects within a constrained space. This article is available in Directions of New Music: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/dnm/vol1/iss1/3 Composing musical branes


ABSTRACT Most strains of Shigella flexneri 2a and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli carry a highly conserved chromosomal locus which encodes a 109-kDa secreted mucinase (called Pic) and, on the opposite strand in overlapping fashion, an oligomeric enterotoxin called ShET1, encoded by the setA and setB genes. Here, we characterize the genetic regulation of these overlapping genes. Our data suggest that pic and the setBA loci are transcribed as complementary 4-kb mRNA species. The major pic promoter is maximally activated at 37°C in exponential growth phase. Our data suggest that the setB gene is transcribed from a promoter which lies more than 1.5 kb upstream of the setB structural gene; setA may be transcribed via readthrough of the setB transcript and possibly by its own promoter. The long leader of the setB gene provides a strong silencing effect on setB transcription. The signals which provide relief from setB silencing are not clear, but significant induction is observed in a continuous anaerobic culture of human fecal bacteria, suggesting that some complex characteristics of the human intestine act to lift repression of setB expression. Our studies provide the first insights into the mechanisms affecting expression of this unusual virulence locus.


A special exemption from the 1986 Age Discrimination Act allowed colleges and universities to enforce mandatory retirement of faculty at age 70 until 1994. We compare faculty turnover rates at a large sample of institutions before and after the federal law change, and at a set of institutions that were covered by earlier state laws prohibiting compulsory retirement. Retirement rates at institutions that enforced mandatory retirement exhibited sharp 'spikes' at ages 70 and 71. About 90 percent of professors who were still teaching at age 70 retired within two years. After the elimination of compulsory retirement the retirement rates of 70 and 71-year-olds fell to levels comparable to 69-year-olds, and over one-half of 70-year-olds were still teaching two years later. These findings indicate that U.S. colleges and universities will experience a rise in the number of older faculty over the coming years. The increase is likely to be larger at private research universities, where a higher fraction of faculty has traditionally remained at work until age 70.


Understanding the relationship between life cycle events of native species and their prevailing environmental conditions provides a framework in which site-specific propagation strategies can be developed. We examined the ecophysiological aspects of seed germination in three Allium species native to the Intermountain West (A. acuminatum, A. brandegei, and A. passeyi) to evaluate ecotypic variation in relation to the altitude of the collection site. Three populations of each species were evaluated along an altitudinal gradi ent. The study consisted of two laboratory experiments: 1) germination trials assessing the effects of moist chilling temperatures on germination percent age in each species; and, 2) germination trials measuring the response within and among species from contrasting habitats to moist chilling duration. The data demonstrate a strong among-species pattern of increasing dormancy with increasing elevation. Although germination in all three species responded favorably to moist chilling at 3 °C, there was significant variation in the chill duration required to break dormancy. The presence of a non-dormant frac tion only in the lowest A. acuminatum collection, and all three of the A. passeyi collections also indicates a higher level of selection pressure against this trait in sites with longer and more predictable winters. The observed patterns in seed germination are typical of survival strategies in other spring ephemerals. This current understanding of the influence of habitat on ger mination traits in these Intermountain Allium species will aid in the devel opment of seed-source specific propagation protocol.


The Ali Efenti catchment is a rural upstream subcatchment of the Pinios river basin in central Greece. The average annual precipitation in this subcatchment is relatively higher and groundwater recharge is relatively faster than in the rest of the river basin. Yet, seasonal water shortages occur due to the rapid increase of water abstractions in the summer months, mainly for crop irrigation. Up until 2030 the gap between water supply and demand is expected to deteriorate, considering the impacts of climate and socio-economic change. The adoption of environmental restrictions on water abstraction, which is a measure foreseen in the local river basin management plan, could decrease water stress substantially from 19.2% to 13.9%. However, this would require enormous (−26%) cuts in the current water abstractions during June–September, lowering water demand coverage from 86% to 68%. Optimal combinations of measures, from an economic and environmental perspective, will need to be designed to bridge the gap between water supply and demand and restore water demand coverage to satisfactory levels. Hydrologic and water resources management modelling has been implemented using the Water Evaluation and Planning system (WEAP), which is a conceptual model based on water balances.


Weld residual stress (RS) measurements are often undertaken on test-pieces which have been cut out from large components, yet it remains unclear to what extent the RSs in test-pieces are representative of those present in the original component. Similarly weld mechanical performance tests are frequently undertaken on cross-weld test-pieces without a proper understanding of the level or influence of retained RS. We present a systematic study of the relaxation of longitudinal RS in thin-plate butt welds produced using different materials and welding methods (FSW, laser-MIG, and pulsed-MIG). In each case the RSs were measured repeatedly in the same location as the welds were progressively and symmetrically cut down. Although cutting inevitably leads to stress redistribution, significant relaxation of the longitudinal RS was only observed when the weld length or width was reduced to below a certain value. This critical value appears to correlate with the lateral width of the tensile zone local to the weld-line and may be considered to be the characteristic length as defined in St. Venant's principle. Further, it was found that the level of stress relaxation as a function of weld length for all the welds studied could be collapsed onto a single empirical curve using a simple approach based on the characteristic length scales of the weld. Given the range of materials and welding methods used, this relation appears to be of general use for thin-plate welds although further work is required to test the limits of its applicability.


At the core of graph mining lies independent expansion of substructures where a substructure (also referred to as a subgraph) independently grows into a number of larger substructures in each iteration. Such an independent expansion, invariably, leads to the generation of duplicates. In the presence of graph partitions, duplicates are generated both within and across partitions. Eliminating these duplicates (for correctness) not only incurs generation and storage cost but also additional computation for its elimination. Our primary aim is to design techniques to reduce generating duplicate substructures as we show that they cannot be eliminated. This paper introduces three constraint-based optimization techniques, each significantly improving the overall mining cost by reducing the number of duplicates generated. These alternatives provide flexibility to choose the right technique based on graph properties. We establish theoretical correctness of each technique as well as its analysis with respect to graph characteristics such as degree, number of unique labels, and label distribution. We also investigate the applicability of their combination for improvements in duplicate reduction. Finally, we discuss the effects of the constraints with respect to the partitioning schemes used in graph mining. Our experiments demonstrate significant benefits of these constraints in terms of storage, computation, and communication cost (specific to partitioned approaches) across graphs with varied characteristics.


In this paper, a method for maximizing the probability of prostate cancer detection via biopsy is presented, by combining image analysis and optimization techniques. This method consists of three major steps. First, a statistical atlas of the spatial distribution of prostate cancer is constructed from histological images obtained from radical prostatectomy specimen. Second, a probabilistic optimization framework is employed to optimize the biopsy strategy, so that the probability of cancer detection is maximized under needle placement uncertainties. Finally, the optimized biopsy strategy generated in the atlas space is mapped to a specific patient space using an automated segmentation and elastic registration method. Cross-validation experiments showed that the predictive power of the optimized biopsy strategy for cancer detection reached the 94%-96% levels for 6-7 biopsy cores, which is significantly better than standard random-systematic biopsy protocols, thereby encouraging further investigation of optimized biopsy strategies in prospective clinical studies.


According to Dascal (1998), controversy is characterised by a special kind of rationality, one result thereof being the unique contribution of this kind of polemics to the growth of knowledge. This, in turn, implies that complete cooperation may be detrimental for the efficiency of communication. In this article I discuss the kind of rationality that characterises controversy in legal discourse, in order to provide additional support to Dascal's thesis about the uniqueness of the rationality of this kind of polemic exchange. I present empirical evidence supporting the conclusion that we may characterise the rationality inherent in controversy by its tolerance to inconsistency; I elucidate the tolerance to inconsistency of the rationality of legal polemic by showing that the norms recommended by the Israeli Supreme Court in the domain of conjugal relationships between men and women verge on inconsistency: On the one hand, the legal system defends the right of women over their bodies, including a woman's right to establish a romantic relationship, regardless of the nature of the relationship she has with other men; on the other hand, the court acknowledges a man's uncontrolled tendency to impose monogamous behaviour on his female partner.


Book synopsis: During the early middle ages, Europe developed complex and varied Christian cultures, and from about 1100 secular rulers, competing factions and inspired individuals continued to engender a diverse and ever-changing mix within Christian society. This volume explores the wide range of institutions, practices and experiences associated with the life of European Christians in the later middle ages. The clergy of this period initiated new approaches to the role of priests, bishops and popes, and developed an ambitious project to instruct the laity. For lay people, the practices of parish religion were central, but many sought additional ways to enrich their lives as Christians. Impulses towards reform and renewal periodically swept across Europe, led by charismatic preachers and supported by secular rulers. This book provides accessible accounts of these complex historical processes and entices the reader towards further enquiry.


A theoretical model for simulation of airborne depth-sounding lidar is presented with the purpose of analyzing the influence from water surface waves on the ability to detect 1-m3 targets placed on the sea bottom. Although water clarity is the main limitation, sea surface waves can significantly affect the detectability. The detection probability for a target at a 9-m depth can be above 90% at 1-m/s wind and below 80% at 6-m/s wind for the same water clarity. The simulation model contains both numerical and analytical components. Simulated data are compared with measured data and give realistic results for bottom depths between 3 and 10 m.


Set against the powerful lakeshore landscape of northern Minnesota, Safe from the Sea is a heartfelt novel in which a son returns home to reconnect with his estranged and dying father 35 years after the tragic wreck of a Great Lakes ore boat that the father only partially survived and that has divided them emotionally ever since. When his father for the first time finally tells the story of the horrific disaster he has carried with him so long, it leads the two men to reconsider each other. Meanwhile, Noah's own struggle to make a life with an absent father has found its real reward in his relationship with his sagacious wife, Natalie, whose complications with infertility issues have marked her husband s life in ways he only fully realizes as the reconciliation with his father takes shape. Peter Geye has delivered an archetypal story of a father and son, of the tug and pull of family bonds, of Norwegian immigrant culture, of dramatic shipwrecks and the business and adventure of Great Lakes shipping in a setting that simply casts a spell over the characters as well as the reader.


New Zealand conservation managers have a distinguished history in translocating forest birds, shorebirds and waterfowl to achieve conservation gains. Although New Zealand is a centre of seabird diversity, and many species are threatened and/or have suffered human-induced range reductions, until recently there had been few attempts to translocate seabirds. Reluctance to attempt translocations was due largely to the perceived risk of dispersal, and the expectation that birds would return to their source colony. Translocations have now been attempted with 10 species of burrow-nesting petrels in New Zealand, with chicks moved before they were likely to have developed awareness of their natal colony location, and hand-fed until they fledged. The translocation of 240 fairy prion chicks from Takapourewa (Stephens I) to Mana I in 2002-04 was one of few petrel translocation studies where systematic searches for returning translocated chicks at both the release site and the source colony were undertaken, and where a sample of marked control chicks allowed comparison of natural return rates with those of translocated chicks. Twenty translocated chicks returned to Mana I during 2004-12, and 25 were recovered at the source colony during 2005-08. Nearly identical proportions (c.20%) of translocated and control chicks were recovered, with higher recovery rates at the release site for each successive cohort. Birds appeared to develop their homing ability at different ages, and there was no apparent maximum age after which chicks should not be translocated. Exposing chicks to the source colony surface in daylight did not increase the risk of them returning to the source colony. Miskelly, C.M.; Gummer, H. 2013. Attempts to anchor pelagic fairy prions (Pachyptila turtur) to their release site on Mana Island. Notornis 60(1): 29-40.


In visual data exploration with scatter plots, no single plot is sufficient to analyze complicated high-dimensional data sets. Given numerous visualizations created with different features or methods, meta-visualization is needed to analyze the visualizations together. We solve how to arrange numerous visualizations onto a meta-visualization display, so that their similarities and differences can be analyzed. We introduce a machine learning approach to optimize the meta-visualization, based on an information retrieval perspective: two visualizations are similar if the analyst would retrieve similar neighborhoods between data samples from either visualization. Based on the approach, we introduce a nonlinear embedding method for meta-visualization: it optimizes locations of visualizations on a display, so that visualizations giving similar information about data are close to each other.


This study investigates firstly the relations between students" moral standards and acceptance of plagiarism, cheating, collaboration and equity of treatment, and secondly, the effects of educational experience and discipline on these factors. The participants were 357 university students, 183 enrolled in the teacher education and 136 informatics students and 35 students of cognitive science/consciousness. The instrument included 29 items and was found valid by factor analyzes. The relations were investigated with Pearson"s correlation and variance analyses (ANOVA) in SPSS. The results showed a close to zero relation between students" personal, conventional moral standards and their acceptance of plagiarism. Instead students" moral standards had significant relations toward cheating and equity of treatment. Dependent on educational discipline, teacher education versus informatics, norms and ethical value systems influence not only to what degree students find plagiarism unacceptable, but also in what degree they accept cheating and collaboration.


As the world moves towards eliminating lead from consumer products, the microelectronics industry has put effort into developing lead-free solder paste. The major drawback of lead-free solder is the problems caused by its high reflow temperature. Variable frequency microwave (VFM) processing has been shown to allow some materials to be processed at lower temperatures. Issues addressed in this study include using VFM to reduce the solder reflow temperature, comparing the heating rate of different size solder particles, and comparing the reliability of VFM reflowed solder versus conventionally reflowed solder. Results comparing the effect of particle size on the heating rate of solder showed that the differences were negligible. This is due in part to the particle sizes overlapping. Many lead-free solder pastes reflow around 250℃. Results indicate that when using the VFM, lead-free solder paste will reflow at 220℃. The reliability of solder that was reflowed using the VFM at the reduced temperature was found to be comparable to solder reflowed in a conventional manner. Based on these findings, VFM processing can eliminate the major obstacles to making lead-free solder paste a more attractive option for use in the microelectronics industry.


Aquaticum Debrecen Thermal and Wellness Hotel is one of the most successful hotels in the North Great Plains region as well as in Hungary. The key to success lies in high level customer satisfaction. On the one hand only the satisfied guests will return to the hotel, on the other hand the guests' positive or negative opinions will be shared with thousands of potential customers immediately by means of the Internet. Consequently, exploring the main factors of guest satisfaction has never been so important as nowadays. An online questionnaire system was introduced to the hotel in 2010, which resulted in an increased number of customer responses, thus it became possible to analyse the various aspects of customer satisfaction in a greater detail. In the present study the critical factors of guest satisfaction are analysed. We investigated the guests' willingness to return to the hotel, and found that there is no significant difference between the guests' gender, age, permanent place of residence and the fact if they travel alone or with a company and their willingness to return to the hotel, i.e. guest satisfaction. However, business travellers' opinion significantly differs from the recreational travellers' views concerning their return to the hotel. Business travellers are less satisfied and less willing to return. Furthermore, we investigated whether the problems experienced by the guests in the hotel influence the guests' willingness to return to the hotel. We found that the guests who experienced problems are less willing to return. However, we also concluded that there was no significant difference in their willingness to return among those guests who experienced problems during their stay and these were efficiently handled, and those guests who did not experience any problem.


Research conducted at the School of Engineering, University of Guelph, has developed a media-integrated waste minimization plan for a major Ontario paint and coatings manufacturer. The study facility produces alkyd, latex and aerosol paints and a variety of household chemicals, all for national distribution. The alkyd line was selected for detailed study because of its complex product mix, production volume and high wastestreams generation. Phase one of the project focused on collection and compilation of data and phase two developed waste minimization options. Results indicated that the most significant contributors of total hydrocarbons and solid wastes were equipment cleaning wastes and solvent recovery wastes, with evaporative vapour emissions and spent filters next most important. The study identified fifty-four primarily low-cost waste minimization actions for the alkyd line. The results of this assessment will provide one component of the facility's enviromnental protection strategy for the future. The study served as an illustration of a model for innovative media-integrated waste minimization planning capable of identifying cost-effective approaches for emission control both within paint formulating industry and in the larger chemical sector.


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As intelligence agencies like the NSA increase their surveillance activities on law-abiding citizens, the need for protection of privacy rights becomes apparent. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) was designed to protect this fundamental right, but due to changes in the law and to the structure of the court, the court's role as a watchdog has been weakened. This Comment provides an overview of amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that have tempered the court's role, including the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 (Freedom Act), and discusses the need for reform of the FISC due to the unwieldy nature of surveillance agencies. Ultimately, this Comment identifies structural changes that could restore the court to the protector of privacy rights that it was initially intended to be.


This study aims at re-transmit the spirit of the national democratic project of Iraq post of the chaos left by the Daesh terrorist group stage(The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS) , Which controlled large parts of Iraq, and had an adverse effect on the political scene in Iraq, inspired everyone that there are deficiencies in the political, economic, religious and ethnic structure of the Iraqi people in non-response to democratic thought.The researcher relied on the hypothesis that " the requirements of building a democratic project are based on the need to provide the requirements ranging from two interrelated aspects, like the institutional aspect and the aspect that related to the general and necessary requirements for the establishment of democracy in society, in which the principles of majority rule, the rule of law, authority concentration on the principles of the people's rule , and the rights of individuals guaranteed". This study utilized systematic analysis approach, historical approach,and the inductive approach undertaking the research. Government reports, statutes and laws were likewise hotspots for essential information in this review. Optional information was fundamentally from scholastic works, for example, books, diary articles, and theses. The results revealed that the model of building democratic Iraqi society post-ISIS needs primarily the government integrated system that includes principles, institutions and mechanisms that ةلجم ةيسايسلا مولعلا ددعلا ( 95 ) 0202 م The Requirements of the National Democratic Project in Iraq post Daesh..... 55 control the process of identifying options, making public decisions and the circulation of power periodically, In addition to balancing between rights and duties which can considered as the one of the main characteristic of democracy in order to achieve and developing security and stability in Iraq .


This article evaluates the relevance of a popular emphasis on the benefits of extended coresidence with parents as an explanation for the trend toward later marriage in Japan. Estimating hazard models for the transition to first marriage separately by gender, living arrangements, and birth cohort, I find that the trend toward later marriage is indeed more pronounced among young men and women living with parents. Conditional on coresidence, however, there is little evidence that access to parental provision of financial resources and domestic services is negatively associated with marriage. I suggest alternative scenarios in which parental resources may contribute to later marriage by facilitating children 's independence rather than by keeping them at home. Key Words: coresidence, Japan, marriage, nest-leaving, parental resources. Although links between nest-leaving and the transition to adult roles among young Americans have been studied extensively (e.g., Avery, Goldscheider, & Speare, 1992; Buck & Scott, 1993; Goldscheider & DaVanzo, 1989), relatively little is known about these relationships in other countries. There appears, however, to be a growing interest in international research on the nest-leaving process (Goldscheider, 1997). Interestingly, work from an emerging literature on nest-leaving patterns in southern European countries suggests that, in contrast to the United States where the trend toward earlier nest-leaving has contributed to later marriage (Goldscheider & Waite, 1987), delayed nest-leaving is an important component of the trend toward later marriage in Italy and Spain (Billari, Castiglioni, Martin, Michielin, & Ongaro, 2000; Cordon, 1997; Rossi, 1997). Although less visible in the academic literature, a similar emphasis on delayed nest-leaving as an explanation for later marriage currently enjoys considerable popularity in Japan (see Butler, 1998, and Orenstein, 2001, for summaries in English). Proponents of this popular explanation for delayed marriage suggest that extended coresidence with parents has emerged as an advantageous alternative to early marriage as parents have become increasingly willing and able to provide their children with economic support and domestic services (Miyamoto, Iwakami, & Yamada, 1997; Yamada, 1996, 1999). Despite its wide popularity, there is little evidence either to support or refute the hypothesized link between later marriage and an increase in the advantages of extended coresidence with parents. The goal of this article is to provide the first empirical analysis of the relationship between premarital living arrangements, the characteristics of unmarried men and women and their families, and the transition to first marriage in Japan. Following a brief overview of trends in Japanese marriage, I elaborate the extended coresidence hypothesis as an explanation for these trends. I then examine data from a large, nationally representative survey to evaluate the implications of this popular, yet untested, explanation for the trend toward later marriage. MARRIAGE TRENDS IN JAPAN Table 1, which presents both mean age at first marriage and age-specific proportions never married at each census year between 1970 and 2000, illustrates the trend toward later marriage. Over this 30-year period, the mean age at first marriage increased from 24.2 to 27.0 for women (top panel) and from 26.9 to 28.8 for men (bottom panel). Even more striking are changes in the age-specific proportions never married, particularly for women in their 20s and men in their late 20s and 30s. For example, whereas only one in five women aged 25-29 in 1970 had yet to marry, over half of similarly aged women in 2000 had never married. Among men in this age group, the proportion yet to marry increased by 24 percentage points. For men in their early 30s, the proportion never married more than tripled, reaching two fifths by 2000. Although marriage behavior in most industrialized societies is characterized by similar changes, the implications of later and fewer marriages are particularly important in Japan. …


Current power systems create environmental impacts due to utilization of fossil fuels, especially coal, as carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. In contrast to fossil fuels, renewable energy offers alternative sources of energy which are in general pollution free, technologically effective and environmentally sustainable. There is an increased interest in renewable energy, particularly solar and wind energy, which provides electricity without giving rise to carbon dioxide emissions. This paper presents economic analysis of a renewable hybrid system for a subtropical climate and also investigated the impact of renewable energy sources to the existing and future smart power system. The daily mean global solar irradiance and three hourly mean wind speed have been collected from the Rockhampton Aero Weather Station, Queensland (RAWS), Australia for this study. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER), a computer model developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been used to perform comparative analysis of solar and wind energy with diesel and hybrid systems. Initially total net present cost (NPC), cost of energy (COE) and the renewable fraction (RF) have been measured as performances metrics to compare the performances of different systems. For better optimization, the model has been refined with sensitivity analysis which explores performance variations due to wind speed, solar irradiation and diesel fuel prices. From the simulation, it is shown that there are a number of factors that impact the integration and performance of renewable energy sources to the power systems.


Dental pulp cells (DPCs) are known to be enriched in stem/progenitor cells but not well characterized yet. Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to control protein translation, mRNA stability and transcription, and have been reported to play important roles in stem cell biology, related to cell reprogramming, maintenance of stemness and regulation of cell differentiation. In order to characterize dental pulp stem/progenitor cells and its mechanism of differentiation, we herein sorted stem-cell-enriched side population (SP) cells from human DPCs and periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs), and performed a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based miRNA array. As a result, miR-720 was highly expressed in the differentiated main population (MP) cells compared to that in SP cells. In silico analysis and a reporter assay showed that miR-720 targets the stem cell marker NANOG, indicating that miR-720 could promote differentiation of dental pulp stem/progenitor cells by repressing NANOG. Indeed, gain-and loss-of-function analyses showed that miR-720 controls NANOG transcript and protein levels. Moreover, transfection of miR-720 significantly decreased the number of cells positive for the early stem cell marker SSEA-4. Concomitantly, mRNA levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which are known to play crucial factors during stem cell differentiation, were also increased by miR-720 through unknown mechanism. Finally, miR-720 decreased DPC proliferation as determined by immunocytochemical analysis against ki-67, and promoted odontogenic differentiation as demonstrated by alizarin red staining, as well as alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin mRNA levels. Our findings identify miR-720 as a novel miRNA regulating the differentiation of DPCs.


Between July 29 and August 5 2013, near Ilganii de Jos village (part of ROSCI 0065 Danube Delta, Nuf�� ru commune, Tulcea County), on the oldest Danube branch, Sfântu Gheorghe, a personal field trip took place. In order to complete the didactic collections with some new fresh material, both animal and vegetal samples were collected, photographed, preserved and brought back in Bucharest, at U.A.S.V.M. laboratories. With the aid of an entomological net, various terrestrial arthropods (adult and larval insects, opilionids and arachnids) were captured on plants. Many species of the local vascular flora were pressed and dried further in a herbarium. Some of the specimens were already arranged for the use of students in class, like a Decticus verrucivorus (Orthoptera, Tettigonidae) female ovipositor, unionid adductor muscles or water caltrop (Trapa natans, Lythraceae) seeds. Natural phenomenons as mimicry and camouflage were noticed for Hyla arborea/Xanthium italicum or Coreus marginatus/Rumex obtusifolius associations.


In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the near-horizon region around the supermassive black hole at the core of the M87 galaxy. These 1.3 mm wavelength observations revealed a compact asymmetric ring-like source morphology. This structure originates from synchrotron emission produced by relativistic plasma located in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. Here we present the corresponding linear-polarimetric EHT images of the center of M87. We find that only a part of the ring is significantly polarized. The resolved fractional linear polarization has a maximum located in the southwest part of the ring, where it rises to the level of about 15%. The polarization position angles are arranged in a nearly azimuthal pattern. We perform quantitative measurements of relevant polarimetric properties of the compact emission and find evidence for the temporal evolution of the polarized source structure over one week of EHT observations. The details of the polarimetric data reduction and calibration methodology are provided. We carry out the data analysis using multiple independent imaging and modeling techniques, each of which is validated against a suite of synthetic data sets. The gross polarimetric structure and its apparent evolution with time are insensitive to the method used to reconstruct the image. These polarimetric images carry information about the structure of the magnetic fields responsible for the synchrotron emission. Their physical interpretation is discussed in an accompanying publication.


Until recently the Nigerian Nok Culture had primarily been known for its terracotta sculptures and the existence of iron metallurgy, providing some of the earliest evidence for artistic sculpting and iron working in sub-Saharan Africa. Research was resumed in 2005 to understand the Nok Culture phenomenon, employing a holistic approach in which the sculptures and iron metallurgy remain central, but which likewise covers other archaeological aspects including chronology, settlement patterns, economy, and the environment as key research themes. In the beginning of this endeavour the development of social complexity during the duration of the Nok Culture constituted a focal point. However, after nearly ten years of research and an abundance of new data the initial hypothesis can no longer be maintained. Rather than attributes of social complexity like signs of inequality, hierarchy, nucleation of settlement systems, communal and public monuments, or alternative African versions of complexity discussed in recent years, it has become apparent that the Nok Culture, no matter which concept is followed, developed complexity only in terms of ritual. Relevant information and arguments for the transition of the theoretical background are provided here.


This submission is written by Professor Stephen Howes, Director of the Development Policy Centre and Mr Jonathan Pryke a researcher at the Centre. Professor Howes has twenty-five years of experience working in and on aid and development in the AsiaPacific region. Formerly Lead Economist for India with the World Bank and Chief Economist with AusAID, he was a lead author of the Core Group Report on Aid Effectiveness (2006), the review of Australian aid to PNG (2010) and the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness (2012). He currently serves on the Board of CARE Australia. Jonathan Pryke graduated from the ANU in 2011 with a Masters in Public Policy and Masters in Diplomacy. Ms Alicia Mollaun also contributed to this submission via the provision of a literature survey. Ms Mollaun is a PhD student at the Crawford School working on American aid to Pakistan. She has worked for the Australian Government with PM&C and DFAT, and is currently on leave from DFAT.


Despite the nearly 40-year history of library councils in Canadian academic libraries, scholarly literature regarding library governance and decision-making processes within the context of Canadian university libraries is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a general disenfranchisement of librarians from significant decisions affecting library operations, resources, services, and the appointment and evaluation of senior administrative positions. Furthermore, it is evident that library councils in Canadian academic libraries, where they do exist, function primarily as information-sharing forums rather than as the collegial decision-making bodies they were originally intended to be. Through a close examination of the CAUT Bulletin , this paper traces the development of library councils in Canadian academic libraries. Within the framework of institutional theory and drawing from librarianship, management, and educational administration literature, the paper proceeds to critically discuss systematic barriers to collegial governance in academic libraries. Historical and anecdotal evidence suggests that administrative resistance is a continued and key obstacle to the democratization of decision-making processes in Canadian academic libraries.


The deepening financial liberalisation and the tightening of financial integration globally have made it more challenging to manage macroeconomic policies in general, and to contain the spread of financial turbulence in particular. The financial sector has been shown to be inherently pro-cyclical and capable of amplifying macroeconomic volatilities, making management of monetary policy increasingly complex. In these ever changing financial landscapes, the success of monetary policy and macroeconomic policies, in general, hinges on the ability of policy makers to design policies that explicitly take into account macro-financial channels, and to interpret more cautiously the potential risk in financial system disruptions that can rapidly destabilise macroeconomic stability. The objective of this study is to take stock and examine the impact of linkages between macroeconomic development and financial market condition with a special focus on the SEACEN economies.


The four authors in this study took on the exhilarating task of listening to 79 oral arguments in the Supreme Court's 2011-2012 term. After two years spent recovering from oral argument overload, the authors have prepared a study that ingeniously tricks readers into reading a study on humor that is really about gender inequality at the Supreme Court and in the field of Law. Initially tallying instances of un-transcribed laughter, the authors — prompted by Hillary Clinton's urging — began noticing gender and humor discrepancies between the justices and the advocates; what started as a simple humor tabulation devolved into important research. In the following study, the authors lull readers into complacency by offering data related to humor, but then shock their audience with serious data about gender inequality — ruining any fun that readers might have had. It's true the authors show that the Supreme Court is far funnier than previously thought, and that Justice Scalia enjoys bullying Justice Breyer; however, potential readers should turn back now, because what follows is mind numbing boredom and "PC" discussions about gender veiled within a "humor" study. The authors would like readers to know that the following study, if you haven't been able to tell already, does not follow traditional scholarly conventions. "Why?" you may ask, because it would be boring and no one would read it, duh. The authors have endeavored to make this study both interesting in the data and entertaining to read — a truly ground-breaking feat in scholarly studies. Great risk comes with great rewards, and we're just hoping someone other than ourselves will read this study.


TEACHERS MATTER--and some matter more than others. That recognition has driven a tidal wave of controversial policy reforms over the past decade, rooted in new evaluation systems that link teachers' ratings and, in some cases, their pay and advancement to evidence of classroom practice and student learning. Two out of three U.S. states overhauled teacher evaluations between 2009 and 2015, supported by federal incentives such as Race to the Top and Teacher Incentive Fund grants, as well as No Child Left Behind Act waivers. What is the impact, so far, of these reforms? One common narrative would indicate a flop. Most states adopting new evaluation systems saw little change in the share of teachers deemed less than effective, arguably limiting their potential to address underperformance. Meanwhile, a broader backlash against reform, fueled by concerns about over-reliance on standardized tests, the accuracy of new evaluations, and the efficacy of performance-based incentives, has led some states to reverse course. Congress ultimately chose to exclude any requirements about teacher evaluation policies from the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, dashing some reformers' hopes for a federal mandate. A closer look at one high-stakes evaluation system, however, shows the positive consequences such systems can have for students. Since 2012, we have been studying IMPACT, a seminal effort by the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to link teacher retention and pay to their performance. Under IMPACT, the district sets detailed standards for high-quality instruction, conducts multiple observations, assesses individual performance based on evidence of student progress, and retains and rewards teachers based on annual ratings. Looking across our analyses, we see that under IMPACT, DCPS has dramatically improved the quality of teaching in its schools--likely contributing to its status as the fastest-improving large urban school system in the United States as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Such reforms are often considered politically impossible, and the effort in DCPS shows the potential fallout. The district's controversial chancellor, Michelle Rhee, resigned a year after IMPACT launched, when the mayor who appointed her, Adrian Fenty, lost a reelection bid in a campaign focused on school reform. But IMPACT outlasted them both, to the benefit of students. DCPS dismissed the majority of very low performing teachers and replaced them with teachers whose students did better, especially in math. Other low-performing teachers were 50 percent more likely to leave their jobs voluntarily, and those who opted to stay improved significantly, on average, the following year. High-performing teachers improved their performance as well, especially those within reach of the significant financial incentive created by the system. Certainly, improvement was not universal, and some very good teachers decided to leave the district. Nonetheless, our analysis finds that improved teaching was common and that student achievement increased as a result. The DCPS story shows that it may be politically challenging to adopt high-stakes evaluation systems, but it is not impossible. And it shows that well-designed and carefully implemented teacher evaluations can serve as an important district improvement strategy--so long as states and districts are also willing to make tough, performance-based decisions about teacher retention, development, and pay. A More-Rigorous Approach Teacher evaluations came into focus in 2009 alongside a growing research consensus that teacher quality has dramatic, long-lasting impacts on student success. DCPS was in the vanguard of these efforts, and was one of the first school districts in the country to link individual performance evaluations to high-stakes decisions about pay and retention when it launched IMPACT in the 2009-10 school year. …


The Rural Math Excel Partnership (RMEP) identified math competencies used by technicians in the workplace compared to standards of learning required in the public school curriculum. A modified DACUM process revealed 39 math competencies used by technicians in STEM-related occupations of the rural region. Group interviews with faculty in three community colleges helped substantiate math gaps. A project math specialist and team of teachers identified four types of learning gaps: (1) math competencies not included in state standards; (2) math competencies included in state standards taught prior to Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Algebra Functions and Data Analysis (AFDA) courses; (3) math competencies included in high school state standards that students struggle to learn; and (4) math competencies community college students struggle to learn. Implications include five lessons learned in the gap analysis process and six questions for guiding future innovation and research.


There is an unexplored synergy between the ways media archaeology and decolonial theory handle the notion of modernity. Both consider modernity as happening at different places and at different times: modernity is an event that is larger than Europe or the United States. Using this resonance, this article will make a media archaeological reading of the decolonial theorists, Walter Mignolo and Santiago Castro-Gomez's concept, "the zero point." The zero point will be read as a media topos present throughout the immersive media that grounds much western media history and visual culture. Finally, based on these criticisms, this article will offer an alternative starting point based in the imaginary media of Adolfo Bioy Casares' novel, The Invention of Morel. The goal of this intervention is to demonstrate the way the western paradigm of technology has imperialized the imaginations of the world and to offer another place for media artists and technologists to begin from.


Since its first publication in 1942, this book has become the classic analytical study of Marxist economics. Written by an economist who was a master of modern academic theory as well as Marxist literature, it has been recognized as the ideal textbook in its subject. Comprehensive, lucid, authoritative, it has not been challenged or even approached by any later study.