The postwar expansion of trade among the industrial countries has not had the strong distributional effects which standard models of trade would have led us to expect. This paper develops a model which attempts to explain this observation, while at the same time making sense of some other puzzling empirical aspects of world trade. The basis of the model is a distinction between two kinds of trade: "Heckscher-Ohlin" trade, based on differences in factor proportions, and "intraindustry" trade, based on scale economies and product differentiation. To incorporate intraindustry trade into the model it is necessary to drop the usual assumptions of constant returns to scale and perfect competition; instead the paper deals with a world where economies of scale are pervasive and all firms possess some monopoly power. Surprisingly, it is nonetheless possible to develop a fully-worked-out general equilibrium model which remains simple and can be used to compare autarky and free trade. Two main results emerge from the analysis. First, the nature of trade depends on how similar countries are in their factor endowments. As countries become more similar, the trade between them will increasingly become intra-industry in character. Second, the effects of opening trade depend on its type. If intraindustry trade is sufficiently dominant the advantages of extending the market will outweigh the distributional effects, and the owners of scarce as well as of abundant factors will be made better off.


Research on the industrial transition in East Germany and its outcomes has long focused on the strategy of the Treuhand anstalt (IHA). According to institutionalists, David Stark and Lazlo Brust!: (1998), the powerful position of the German privatization agency was not only a result of German unification but also a function of a pathway rooted in the institutional peculiarities of the East German economy before 1989. This paper shows that neither a simple top-down perspective nor the pathway approach, as Stark and Brust!: suggested, are adequate for explaining the internal dynamic of enterprise transformation as well as the outcomes of this process. First of all, the dissolution of the former organizational structures and hierarchies was less coordinated by the 1HA than is often assumed. Often Kombinates fell apart more quickly from below than they could be dismantled from above since enterprises or their units chose the exit option and had good reasons to do so. Secondly, although the privatization by the 1HA resulted in the clear dominance of Western investors, the new ownership structure of East German industry as a whole could be characterized as a "capitalism without (East German) capitalists." In fact, what exists in East Germany is rather a kind of "small business capitalism" (KleinbetriebsknpitalifmllS) in which small-and medium-sized producers dominate the landscape. Finally, there was no single starting point in 1989. Two different industrial orders shaped the industrial history of the East German regions which were not destroyed between 1945-89, but rather transformed into the state socialist production system. It can be shown that these older historical patterns are relevant for transition and their outcomes as well.


Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions of people.  Tremor is a common symptom. Treatment with levodopa can reduce tremor but is associated with "off periods" when the tremor returns as the dose wear off. The association of levodopa with neurotoxicity needs to be managed. This case study demonstrates the potential role of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in reducing tremor by extending the duration of levodopa efficacy. The case study aimed to confirm visual observations of tremor reduction associated with paracetamol medication. It utilised a mobile phone accelerometer and a software application to monitor the tremor of a subject with PD. The data produced provided information on frequency and variations in the intensity of the tremor.  It was found that paracetamol alone does not appear to be effective at reducing tremor. The results show that paracetamol can reduce tremor in subjects during the period when their levodopa dose is usually wearing off particularly in the case of tremor concurrent with arm pain. There have been previous reports of a role for paracetamol or more particularly one of its metabolites, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinonimine, (NAPQI) in inhibiting pain signals in the spinal column. This could partly explain the theoretical basis for the reduction in tremor in this case.


On the basis of mass balance calculations performed for nitrogen (N) uptake experiments in the Southern California Bight (SCB), it has been suggested that a significant portion of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) uptake results in the production of dissolved organic N (DON). To investigate this process, the fate of ammonium (NH4 ) and nitrate (NO3 ) uptake was quantified within the euphotic zone at three coastal stations in the SCB using N tracer techniques. Several trends in the fate of DIN and the production of DON were observed. First, production of particulate N (PN), from both NH4 + and NO3 , was quantitatively more important in near surface waters, while DON release dominated within the nitracline. Second, the percentage of gross N uptake released as DON was generally higher when NO3 , rather than NH4 , was the substrate. Third, the percentage of N released as DON was higher at night, relative to the day. Fourth, rates of DON release were significantly correlated to NH4 + regeneration, suggesting that similar mechanisms are responsible for both processes—presumably grazing. The results of this study indicate that the DON pool is a sink for DIN uptake on the time scale of hours. One implication of this finding is that new production estimates based on NO3 uptake rates will likely underestimate particle flux out of the surface layer because the rate of NO3 uptake is underestimated due to loss of DON during the incubation. On time scales of months to years, however, the N that is taken up as NO3 and released as DON will likely contribute to export flux via incorporation of the dissolved phase during seasonal mixing into sinking particles or transport. The export of DON on these time scales argues for the use of gross uptake rates to calculate f-ratios. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Mesenteric vein thrombosis (MVT) is uncommon condition. The purpose of this study was to assess prevalence of prothrombotic disorders in these patients. Eleven patients with MVT were screened for protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III deficiencies. Gene analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction. A prothrombotic disorder was detected in 9 (81.8%) patients. Factor V Leiden, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase TT677, and prothrombin G20210A mutations were found in 2 (18.2%), 2 (18.2%), and 5 patients (45.4%), respectively. Protein S, protein C, and antithrombin III deficiencies were present in 1, 1, and 2 patients, respectively. Four patients (36.3%) had combined defects. Thus, prothrombotic disorders may have a causative role in the pathogenesis of MVT, and these patients must be screened for these disorders.


This paper investigates the incidence, trend and determinants of remote work in Greece. A crisis-stricken country in the years preceding the Covid-19 crisis, Greece entered the first wave of the public health shock as a laggard in digitalisation and remote work arrangements among European countries. While Covid-19 induced a spike in the use of remote work arrangements in many countries, this paper presents evidence that working from home (WfH) in Greece was subdued in the past decade. By analysing the profile of the job tasks and skill needs of Greek homeworkers, the paper also shows marked deviations in homeworking patterns and determinants in Greece, relative to other EU countries. This includes a higher prevalence of WfH among Greek females and non-nationals, limited use by young workers and families with children and a stronger relation with atypical work hours. While remote workers in Greece receive a 7% monthly wage premium, their jobs are found to involve standardised and moderate ICT tasks and to rely more on social serving tasks. The paper highlights that there is significant scope to enhance remote work in Greece, which can amount to up to 37% of all salaried jobs, subject to changing work organisation, norms and policies. In the coronavirus era, overcoming barriers to remote work will be key for the Greek labour market to adapt to social distances practices and digitalisation.


Steven Salaita's ambitious and thought-provoking work draws a comparison between the dynamics of settler colonialism in the United States in regard to Native Americans and Israel in regard to the Palestinians, revealing the way in which politics influences literary production. The author's nuanced analysis is not based on similarities between the two disparate settler regions, but rather on similarities between the rhetoric employed by early colonialists in North America and that employed by Zionist immigrants in Palestine. Meticulously examining histories, theories, and literary depictions of colonialism and inter-ethnic dialects, Salaita identifies the commonalities in the myths and rationales employed by both groups as well as the "counter-discourse" cultivated in the literature of resistance by native peoples. He complements his analysis with personal observations of Palestinians in Lebanese refuge camps, where he encountered a sympathetic perception of American Indians. "The Holy Land in Transit" presents one of the first intercommunal studies to assess the ways in which indigenous authors react comparably to analogous colonial dynamics. With great energy and perception, the author offers a fresh contribution to an emerging frame of reference for historical, political, literary, and cultural comparison.


Alternative pre-messenger RNA splicing is an important mechanism for generating protein diversity and may explain in part how mammalian complexity arises from a surprisingly small complement of genes. Here, we describe "digital polony exon profiling,"a single molecule–based technology for studying complex alternative pre-messenger RNA splicing. This technology allows researchers to monitor the combinatorial diversity of exon inclusion in individual transcripts. A minisequencing strategy provides single nucleotide resolution, and the digital nature of the technology allows quantitation of individual splicing variants. Digital polony exon profiling can be used to investigate the physiological and pathological roles of alternately spliced messenger RNAs, as well as the mechanisms by which these messenger RNAs are produced.


Background Reports of chronic hepatitis in dogs caused by Leptospira spp. are confined to small case series. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allows the identification of spirochetes in liver samples. Consequently, this technique may help elucidate the role of Leptospira spp. in cases of chronic hepatitis. Objectives To describe cases of hepatic leptospirosis in dogs diagnosed by FISH and subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) speciation, with the absence of clinically relevant renal involvement. Animals Ten client‐owned dogs. Methods Retrospective case series from the University of Cambridge presented between 2013 and 2016 or cases consulted by telephone advice during this time period. Cases were selected based on histopathologically confirmed granulomatous hepatitis and leptospiral organisms identified by FISH and PCR speciation (Leptospira interrogans/kirschneri). Results All cases had increased liver enzyme activities, and FISH in combination with PCR speciation‐confirmed infection with L. interrogans/kirschneri. Four dogs underwent repeat liver biopsy, FISH and PCR speciation 4‐15 months after initial presentation and doxycycline treatment with 1 dog undergoing repeat sampling at necropsy. Three dogs that underwent repeat biopsy remained positive for L. interrogans/kirschneri infection. Six dogs were alive at the time of manuscript preparation and 4 dogs were euthanized as a result of progressive liver disease. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The presence of hepatic leptospiral organisms may be associated with chronic granulomatous hepatitis without clinical evidence of renal involvement. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the etiological role of these organisms in the disease.


Significant attention has been given to the necessary conditions for a viable and legitimate European polity. Drawing on traditions in political philosophy, a central strand of this debate has concerned what must be common to a set of people such that they may be ruled through the same institutions, with various types of collective bond proposed as possible bases for political community. The argument of this article is that many such approaches, which conceive a bond in terms of shared interests, cultural attributes or shared values and principles, are liable either to underplay or to overplay how much the citizens of a polity must have in common, tending either to empty public life of the pursuit of shared ends or conversely to downgrade the importance of adversarialism. Both may be seen as depoliticising moves. The article goes on to explore how a more explicitly political bond, based on the appraisal of political problems, might be conceived for a European polity.


The impact of colonialism on Aboriginal groups in Canada is often described as ''cultural genocide'' or ''ethnocide.'' In contrast, this article offers a re-reading of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) that is sensitive to Aboriginal understandings and experiences of group life and group destruction. Through this re-reading, it is argued that genocide must be understood in a culturally contextualized manner so as to avoid modernist and Eurocentric biases. Only by opening up the conception of genocide will we be able to contend adequately with Canadian Aboriginal experiences of colonialism.


The dark face of digital commerce generalization is the increase of fraud attempts. To prevent any type of attacks, state-of-the-art fraud detection systems are now embedding Machine Learning (ML) modules. The conception of such modules is only communicated at the level of research and papers mostly focus on results for isolated benchmark datasets and metrics. But research is only a part of the journey, preceded by the right formulation of the business problem and collection of data, and followed by a practical integration. In this paper, we give a wider vision of the process, on a case study of transfer learning for fraud detection, from business to research, and back to business.


In condensed matter physics, it has been a long-standing goal to detect quantum mechanical behavior in macroscopic systems. Theoretically, a macroscopic system reveals its quantum dynamics when the mechanical quanta (hw) are not obscured by thermal fluctuations (kBT). The mechanical quanta will be observable if a mechanical resonator vibrates at GHz frequencies while kept at sub-Kelvin temperatures. Such a resonator's displacement fluctuations will be approximately a few femto-meters. Therefre, an ultra-sensitive and ultra-fast displacement sensor is desired to monitor the resonator's motion. Several research groups have been working at the edge of nanotechnology to develop such a high-performance resonator-sensor system. Despite the great effort, it has not been experimentally realized yet. In this thesis, we propose a new experimental methodology that has a major potential to approach the quantum limit. The method comprises of fabrication of a high frequency resonator with a built-in tunneling junction. Theoretical analyses reveal the clear advantage of a tunneling sensor over the presently applied capacitance based sensors. However, apparent complexities have detained their application to this problem. Here, we have developed and tested a new fabrication method that can overcome the major obstacles leading to application of this measurement scheme.


A major factor controlling soil organic matter dynamics is believed to be the differing degrees of protection from decomposition afforded by the spatially hierarchical organization of soil aggregate structure. Changes in the natural 13 C content and in the concentration of soil organic C resulting from the growth of C3 pasture grasses (low δ 13 C PDB ) on former C4 cropland (high δ 13 C PDB ) were used to investigate the turnover and inputs of organic C in water-stable aggregates of different sizes. After removal of free and released particulate organic matter (POM) in aggregate size separates (POM with a density ≤1.85 g cm -3 that was either exterior to aggregates in situ or released from unstable aggregates by slaking), organic C concentrations were greater in macroaggregates (>212 μm) than in microaggregates (53-212 μm). The turnover time (1/k) for C4-derived C was 412 yr for microaggregates, compared with an average turnover of 140 yr for macroaggregates, indicating that old C associated with microaggregates may be both biochemically recalcitrant and physically protected. Net input rates of C3-derived C increased with aggregate size (0.73-1.13 g kg -1 yr -1 ), supporting the concept of an aggregate hierarchy created by the binding of microaggregates into increasingly larger macroaggregates. The net input rate for microaggregates, however, was equal to the rates for small macroaggregates, suggesting that the formation and degradation of microaggregates may be more dynamic than is predicted by their stability in cultivated soils or by the observed turnover times for old C.


Public agencies are required by state and federal laws to provide accessibility on their right-of-way (ROW). Failure of public agencies to provide accessibility on their ROW has resulted in costly settlements. Accordingly, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) needs to provide information for local public agencies, consultants, contractors, and IDOT personnel about current accessibility requirements and ways to improve accessibility and avoid costly penalties resulting from non-compliance. This report presents the findings of a research project funded by the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) to develop resource materials on providing accessibility to the public ROW to ensure that public works projects are built to meet the latest accessibility requirements. The objectives of this project were to (1) conduct a comprehensive literature review to gather and analyze the most current resource materials on public ROW accessibility requirements, (2) recommend content for public ROW accessibility requirements on an IDOT website, (3) develop a comprehensive and practical field guide for IDOT that can be used by field engineers and construction inspectors to verify compliance with all applicable accessibility laws and regulations in the State of Illinois, (4) create e-learning modules on accessibility requirements for IDOT classroom training, and (5) develop recommendations that provide guidance to IDOT on improving compliance with public ROW accessibility requirements.


This study explores the effects of foreign aid on democracy in Mozambique during the last decade. Aid for democracy built on historic relationships forged between donors and the government during the wartime humanitarian emergency. Foreign aid played an important role in Mozambique's transition from war to peace and from single-party rule to multiparty politics in the early 1990s. Since 2000, aid has shifted markedly toward general budget support and away from project support. Emphasis has moved from building central government institutions to bolstering local governance, and from a focus on democracy to good governance.


Abstract We conducted a pilot study to test the usefulness of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars for investigating wolf (Canis lupus) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns. Using GPS collars with short location-attempt intervals on 5 wolves and 5 deer during summers 2002–2004 in northeastern Minnesota, USA, demonstrated how this approach could provide new insights into wolf hunting behavior of fawns. For example, a wolf traveled ≥1.5–3.0 km and spent 20–22 hours in the immediate vicinity of known fawn kill sites and ≥0.7 km and 8.3 hours at scavenging sites. Wolf travel paths indicated that wolves intentionally traveled into deer summer ranges, traveled ≥0.7–4.2 km in such ranges, and spent <1–22 hours per visit. Each pair of 3 GPS-collared wolf pack members were located together for ≤6% of potential locations. From GPS collar data, we estimated that each deer summer range in a pack territory containing 5 wolves ≥1 year old and hunting individually would be visited by a wolf on average every 3–5 days. This approach holds great potential for investigating summer hunting behavior of wolves in areas where direct observation is impractical or impossible.


Epidithiodiketopiperazines (ETPs) are a class of ecologically and medicinally important cyclodipeptides bearing a reactive transannular disulfide bridge. Aspirochlorine, an antifungal and toxic ETP isolated from Aspergillus oryzae used in sake brewing, deviates from the common ETP scaffold owing to its unusual ring-enlarged disulfide bridge linked to a spiroaminal ring system. Although this disulfide ring system is implicated in the biological activity of ETPs the biochemical basis for this derailment has remained a mystery. Here we report the discovery of a novel oxidoreductase (AclR) that represents the first-in-class enzyme catalyzing both a carbon-sulfur bond migration and spiro-ring formation, and that the acl pathway involves a cryptic acetylation as a prerequisite for the rearrangement. Genetic screening in A. oryzae identified aclR as the candidate for the complex biotransformation, and the aclR-deficient mutant provided the biosynthetic intermediate, unexpectedly harboring an acetyl group. In vitro assays showed that AclR alone promotes 1,2-sulfamyl migration, elimination of the acetoxy group, and spiroaminal formation. AclR features a thioredoxin oxidoreductase fold with a noncanonical CXXH motif that is distinct from the CXXC in the disulfide forming oxidase for the ETP biosynthesis. Crystallographic and mutational analyses of AclR revealed that the CXXH motif is crucial for catalysis, whereas the flavin-adenine dinucleotide is required as a support of the protein fold, and not as a redox cofactor. AclR proved to be a suitable bioinformatics handle to discover a number of related fungal gene clusters that potentially code for the biosynthesis of derailed ETP compounds. Our results highlight a specialized role of the thioredoxin oxidoreductase family enzyme in the ETP pathway and expand the chemical diversity of small molecules bearing an aberrant disulfide pharmacophore.


: The objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) as described by Harden and Gleeson could be evaluated for a specific, limited skill (history and physical examination) on two third-year classes. The candidates were also evaluated on the same skills by conventional techniques in the Departments of Paediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology during the same examination period. The results were comparable and had significant Spearman rank correlations with the overall mark. The new method is highly acceptable to both students and examiners, and especially noteworthy was the fact that 93% of students experienced this test as a learning situation. They assessed it as an objective and fair evaluation, an opinion shared by most of the participating examiners. It would appear justified to use this test instrument more often, and in other combinations of disciplines and for other skills in subsequent years of the course.


Background In April 2010, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission asked the National Academy of Sciences to update a 1990 study of cancer risks near nuclear facilities. Prior research on this topic has suffered from problems in hypothesis formulation and research design. Objectives We review epidemiologic principles used in studies of generic exposure–response associations and in studies of specific sources of exposure. We then describe logical problems with assumptions, formation of testable hypotheses, and interpretation of evidence in previous research on cancer risks near nuclear facilities. Discussion Advancement of knowledge about cancer risks near nuclear facilities depends on testing specific hypotheses grounded in physical and biological mechanisms of exposure and susceptibility while considering sample size and ability to adequately quantify exposure, ascertain cancer cases, and evaluate plausible confounders. Conclusions Next steps in advancing knowledge about cancer risks near nuclear facilities require studies of childhood cancer incidence, focus on in utero and early childhood exposures, use of specific geographic information, and consideration of pathways for transport and uptake of radionuclides. Studies of cancer mortality among adults, cancers with long latencies, large geographic zones, and populations that reside at large distances from nuclear facilities are better suited for public relations than for scientific purposes.


Property rights play an important but largely under-appreciated role in channeling local knowledge into decisions about physical resources. Property devolves decision-making authority to a dispersed pool of owners, who are likely to be aware of local conditions relevant to their resource. As a result, property owners are often in a position to make better-informed decisions about the use of the resource than other parties. The homeowner who preemptively repairs an old roof, the retailer who offers a new product for sale, and the farmer who decides to switch crops are all decision-makers who are empowered through property rights to act on local knowledge that no one else may have. This article seeks to explain the local knowledge function of property rights, beginning with how arguments from local knowledge can help justify the pervasive institution of private property. When ownership is not unduly concentrated, property rights can facilitate better-informed decision-making about resources than more centralized resource management regimes, yielding better outcomes according to a range of consequentialist criteria. The article goes on to consider how the local knowledge function of property can explain some of the fundamental features of property law. In particular, this theory helps explain owners' agenda-setting authority, the central place of possession in property law, the principle of accession, as well as doctrines that restrict the ongoing control of past owners.


Using research conducted in Bogota, Colombia, I discuss in this article how urban nature has been used as a vehicle by social movements to contest urban commons. The article explores the "environmentalization" of strategies and repertoires of social movements in urban struggles dating back to the 1980s, which developed in parallel with public urban planning debates. In recent years these were nurtured in turn by environmental discourse in a quest to change the city's growth paradigm. I suggest that the legitimacy of knowledge and law about urban nature advocacy is co-created by communities confronting institutions that are supposed to represent state power. This case study analyses conceptualizations of urban nature in and from Latin America, and shows that urban politics and environmental issues are part of a process in which political mobilization is a key element to overcome socio-ecological inequalities. Key words: urban social movements; political ecology of urbanization; situated knowledge; socio-ecological inequalities; Latin America


In 2014, number of exploratory wells were drilled and tested in Umm Niqa (UN) Field located in north Kuwait NE which approved a new discovery in Lower Fars (LF) reservoir.
 LF is unconsolidated, sub –hydrostatic- sand stone reservoir with highly sour and moderate corrosive environment (H2S 8% and CO2 4%). Subsequently additional wells were drilled to evaluate the production potential of UN field. With rig on location UN wells are completed with test (Progressive Cavity Pump) PCP and tested. During the initial testing period the PCP is run at different speeds to evaluate the well productivity, water cut, and determine sand-free draw down to enable selection of suitable completion PCP for production.

 Well UN-X is one of the developed wells which is perforated in LF sand in overbalanced condition using 4-1/2" (High Shot Density) HSD guns with 0.83" entrance hole diameter at 12 shoots per foot.
 During initial testing with test PCP, the pump tripped due to high torque because of sand production (up to 60%). Five runs were performed to clean out the wellbore and repeated test PCP runs failed due to high sand production.
 Coordination between FDHO (Field Development Heavy Oil) and Discovery Promotion Team was conducted to perform quick sand analysis to LF sands from offset sand distribution since subject well has no available sieve analysis. Based on the outcome of sieve analysis, decision was made to utilize one of the available SAS (Stand Alone Screen) designed for LF sand in another field to control sand production. It was agreed by both teams to install SAS in the subject well to mitigate the sand problem and minimize cost due to NPT (Non-Productive Time) of the rig. SAS was installed and the potential zone in UN-X could be tested successfully with tubing PCP. No sand problem was observed during testing and after testing while clean out operation there was no sand.

 Well test showed an average liquid rate of 124 BFPD with 37% WC (predominantly completion brine). The well was put on production on November 2016 and producing till date without any sand problem.

 This paper will include discussion on the approach used to select a sand control method for cold and heavy oil production. The results of sieve analysis was in the middle between sand screen and gravel pack but based on the team experience in sand control and the nature of heavy oil and its relatively low oil production rate, the decision was made to install SAS and that was proved to be prudent decision.


In Orientalism, Edward Said's seminal critique of Western discourse on the Arab and Islamic world, Said begins with an epigram from Karl Marx: 'They cannot represent themselves; they must be represented' (Said, 1979, p. xiii, quoting Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte). Said then argues that Marx's statement captures a basic reality about Western representations of 'Oriental' societies, which is that they often rest on a pattern of cultural hegemony. The dominance of European colonial powers, primarily Great Britain and France, over their subjugated populations is what allowed the latter to be depicted in a way that reinforced 'the idea of European [superiority] in comparison with. . .non-European peoples and cultures' (p. 7). For example, in Gustave Flaubert's popular novels, 'Flaubert's encounter with an Egyptian courtesan produced a. . .model of the Oriental woman. . .[who] never spoke of herself. . .[and] never represented her emotions, presence or history. He spoke for and represented her. . .telling his readers in what way she was typically Oriental' (p. 6, emphasis original). Moreover, Flaubert's superiority in relation to her 'was not an isolated instance. It fairly stands for the pattern of relative strength between East and West, and the discourse about the Orient that it enabled' (p. 6).


The location of farm households along the spatial gradient affects resource availability and farmers' livelihoods. Many socioeconomic variables have strong spatial affinity that would otherwise be overlooked by data aggregation at household levels. The Geographic Information System (GIS) displays and analyzes socioeconomic data that could aid many social researchers in understanding socioeconomic reality influenced by geographical positions. This paper aims to integrate socioeconomic data into a GIS environment. It examines spatial tendencies of farm-family resources in the mid-hills of Nepal using spatial and random sampling techniques. Farmers living in relatively flat lands and nearby urban centers have small families, higher level of education, farm and family income. In addition, they have small agricultural holdings and engage in commercial farming. Meanwhile, the opposite applies to farmers living in the hills. These spatial differences are related mainly to road, market, and other infrastructure that are crucial for agricultural development and livelihood enhancement. Strong spatial trend in socioeconomic aspects and farm-family resource availability infer the need to focus development activities spatially.


In a distribution system, bus load estimation is complicated because system load is usually monitored at only a few points. As a rule receiving nodes are not equipped with stationary measuring instruments so measurements of loads are performed sporadically. In general, the only information commonly available regarding loads, other than major distribution substations and equipment installations, is billing cycle customer kWh consumption. In order to model system uncertainty, inexactness, and the random nature of customers' demand, a fuzzy system approach is proposed. The paper presents possibilities of application of fuzzy set theory to electrical load estimation and the effect of different factors on the result of calculations. Unreliable and inaccurate input data have been modeled by means of fuzzy numbers. A regression model expressing the correlation between a substation peak load and a set of customer features (explanatory variables), existing in the substation population, is determined. Simulation studies have been performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme and an effect of different parameters on its accuracy on the basis of actual data obtained at distribution system substations.


Identifying global and regional food consumption patterns, which vary in different countries, races, social classes, and cultures will be beneficial in training individuals, promoting food literacy, and nutrition policy making. In order to compare Iranian and global food consumption patterns, a number of relevant key terms were selected and the existing quality literature databases (both in English and in Persian) were queried for manuscripts related to the subject. The articles were published until the current time (2014). Manual searches were also performed on regional and national projects in Iran. Finally, out of 65 studies on various food patterns, 39 were recruited. Our findings indicated that per capita calorie consumption in Iran is higher than the recommended daily values. In fact, per capita intakes of bread and rice, oil, and sugar were respectively 5%, 20%, and 38% higher than the rates in the standard food basket. In addition, consumption of milk and dairy products, eggs, and fruits and vegetables was 25%, 20%, and 25% lower than the recommended values, respectively. Changes in global food consumption patterns suggested a nutrition transition leading to serious undesirable effects on people's health. Therefore, nutrition policy making and planning is needed to focus on controlling the nutrition transition while bearing sociocultural aspects of food consumption in mind.


Nitrogen (N) fertiliser is one of the most important agronomic inputs and yet the application recommendations for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) still remain imprecise. This increases costs both to the wheat grower and to the environment. An understanding of the canopy nitrogen requirement (CNR) is required before any improvements in fertiliser recommendations can be made. The CNR is defined here as the minimum amount of N required to produce and maintain a canopy and be efficient in light capture and conversion. This thesis aimed to provide a physiological explanation for this requirement in winter wheat, based on canopy structure and radiation geometry, to test the hypothesis that CNR can be predicted from canopy architecture.

Variation in CNR was predicted from canopy architecture using data from the literature and a series of principles developed here. The prediction for the photosynthetic N requirement of the laminae and leaf sheath was based on the light distribution, modelled by a form of Beer's Law, and maximising N use efficiency (NUE). The structural N in the true stem was predicted from stem dry weight, stem area and the assumption that 0.3% of stem dry weight is structural N. Field experiments in 1997/8 and 1998/9 were designed to test these predictions by creating a wide range of canopy architectures through three seed rates (20, 320 and 640 seeds m-2) and two varieties (Soissons and Spark). In the 1998/9 experiment there was also a low fertiliser N treatment to reduce the amount of luxury N uptake.

The CNR of any particular treatment was stable with canopy development and increased canopy size through depth and was an average of 2.2 g m-2; lower than the original proposed CNR of 3.0 g m-2. The CNR of the low seed rate canopy was also greater than the conventional seed rate and Soissons unexpectedly had a greater CNR than Spark.

The results confirmed that the green area, light extinction coefficient (k) and incident light could explain the light flux and its distribution through the canopy. However, in the low seed rate and early growth, Beer's Law appeared not to hold because full ground cover was not achieved. Leaf N requirement decreased linearly with increased canopy size through depth and most canopies distributed N to maximise NUE. The results suggested that of the 50% of total N in the stem, 35% was photosynthetic N in the leaf sheath, 25% was structural in the true stem and the remaining 40% was transport, metabolic, storage and luxury N. The photosynthetic N requirement was overestimated in the prediction indicating that the leaf sheath had a lower N requirement than the lamina. Direct measurements of structural N requirement in the stem could not be made but there was supporting evidence for the relationship with canopy architecture.

It is suggested that these principles could be used by growers to predict the CNR from canopy characteristics and by breeders to identify traits that could improve yield. Further detailed analysis of photosynthetic requirements and function of N in the stem would allow the development of a more quantitative prediction scheme, which would be the next step to greater precision in fertiliser recommendations.


This article has two objectives. The first is to present an account of valency nouns in Latin. Lyons' typology (1977) envisaging three orders of entities is useful for predicting the number and type of complements used with various nouns. Expansions of all the categories are distinguished: concrete entities, relational nouns, agent nouns, verbal nouns, and nouns expressing qualities. Furthermore, Latin shows interesting phenomena closely related to noun valency, namely nominalization of verbal notions in Early Latin and the construction of the dominant participle. The second objective is to examine argument marking at the noun phrase level. The genitive is the "adnominal" case par excellence ; other cases (the dative, accusative, and ablative) as well as prepositional phrases are atypical noun complements in Latin, and furthermore they are often restricted to specific categories of nouns.


Exposure to a particular sensory stimulation for a prolonged period of time often results in changes in the associated perception of subsequent stimulation. Such changes can take the form of decreases in sensitivity and/or aftereffects. Aftereffects often result in a rebound in the perception of the associated stimulus property when presented with a novel stimulus. The current study sought to determine if such perceptual aftereffects could be experienced following tactile stimulation at a particular frequency. To this end, participants' perception of a 5 Hz standard frequency stimulus was evaluated using an adaptive staircase psychophysical paradigm. Participants' perception of the standard stimulus frequency was tested a second time following the adaptation to another stimulus frequency that was either lower (i.e., 2 Hz), the same (i.e., 5 Hz), or higher (i.e., 8 Hz) than the standard stimulus (i.e., 3 groups). Following adaptation, participants who received the 5 Hz or 8 Hz stimulation reported significantly lower estimates of the standard stimulus frequency relative to the 2 Hz group. Thus, the current work provides preliminary evidence that directional after-effects can be induced when the adapting stimulus is of equal or greater frequency relative to the test stimulus, but no such influence is observed when the adapting stimulus is less than the standard stimulus.


In 1969 Brent Berlin and Paul Kay suggested that Hungarian may constitute an exception to their theory of universal BCCs by possessing 12 BCTs, including two basic reds. Recently some researchers have proposed that this is also true for Czech. These two genetically distant Central European languages were tested in large empirical-cognitive field studies in 2002, 2003 and 2007. The data collected show that both languages possess exactly 11 BCTs, including one basic term for red. However, it seems that the other term for red is culturally salient on a non-basic level. The puzzle of two salient terms for red could be best understood by drawing attention to the contextual impact on meaning, which is handled by examining syntagmatic and paradigmatic collocations. The case of the two colour terms may represent a unique areal phenomenon.


In the post-9/11 environment of media and conflict, the spread of the ideas and practices of 'radicalisation' and terrorism appear to have been enabled through advances in 'user-generated' online Internet content (so-called 'Web 2.0'). This research adopts an innovative 'new media ecology' approach to illuminate how such views and acts are 'legitimated' and contested through (1) content analysis of the images, sounds and words (in articles, discussions, and videos) used by those who claim to hold radical views and who wish to legitimise or promote terrorist acts; (2) how the acts themselves and explanations for them on the web are 'picked up' and represented in mainstream television news media, through journalistic and editorial uses of words, phrases, graphics, images, videos and so on; and (3) how understandings and misunderstandings of this term 'radicalisation' are shaped via news reporting and representations, tested through interviews and focus group analysis with news publics in the UK and through international comparisons. What is 'new', if anything, about these 'radicalising' discourses, what forms of knowledge are used to legitimate jihadist 'political' acts of violence and terror, and what is the role of the medias 'new' and traditional in amplifying or containing these claims and acts?


Abstract. A convective parameterization is described and evaluated that may be used in high resolution non-hydrostatic mesoscale models as well as in modeling system with unstructured varying grid resolutions and for convection aware simulations. This scheme is based on a stochastic approach originally implemented by Grell and Devenyi (2002). Two approaches are tested on resolutions ranging from 20 km to 5 km. One approach is based on spreading subsidence to neighboring grid points, the other one on a recently introduced method by Arakawa et al. (2011). Results from model intercomparisons, as well as verification with observations indicate that both the spreading of the subsidence and Arakawa's approach work well for the highest resolution runs. Because of its simplicity and its capability for an automatic smooth transition as the resolution is increased, Arakawa's approach may be preferred. Additionally, interactions with aerosols have been implemented through a cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) dependent autoconversion of cloud water to rain as well as an aerosol dependent evaporation of cloud drops. Initial tests with this newly implemented aerosol approach show plausible results with a decrease in predicted precipitation in some areas, caused by the changed autoconversion mechanism. This change also causes a significant increase of cloud water and ice detrainment near the cloud tops. Some areas also experience an increase of precipitation, most likely caused by strengthened downdrafts.


Abstract. The radiative forcing of dust emitted from the Southwest United States (US) deserts and its impact on monsoon circulation and precipitation over the North America monsoon (NAM) region are simulated using a coupled meteorology and aerosol/chemistry model (WRF-Chem) for 15 years (1995–2009). During the monsoon season, dust has a cooling effect (−0.90 W m −2 ) at the surface, a warming effect (0.40 W m −2 ) in the atmosphere, and a negative top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) forcing (−0.50 W m −2 ) over the deserts on 24-h average. Most of the dust emitted from the deserts concentrates below 800 hPa and accumulates over the western slope of the Rocky Mountains and Mexican Plateau. The absorption of shortwave radiation by dust heats the lower atmosphere by up to 0.5 K day −1 over the western slope of the Mountains. Model sensitivity simulations with and without dust for 15 summers (June-July-August) show that dust heating of the lower atmosphere over the deserts strengthens the low-level southerly moisture fluxes on both sides of the Sierra Madre Occidental. It also results in an eastward migration of NAM-driven moisture convergence over the western slope of the Mountains. These monsoonal circulation changes lead to a statistically significant increase of precipitation by up to ~40 % over the eastern slope of the Mountains (Arizona-New~Mexico-Texas regions). This study highlights the interaction between dust and the NAM system and motivates further investigation of possible dust feedback on monsoon precipitation under climate change and the mega-drought conditions projected for the future.


Why do policies often seem to converge across countries at the same time? This question has been studied extensively in the diffusion literature. However, past research has not examined complex choice environments, especially where there are many alternatives. My paper aims to fill this gap in the literature. I show how Fine and Gray Competing Risks Event History Analysis can be used to tease apart the causes of policy convergence. I apply the method to an examination of the reasons why, from the mid-1990s to 2007, many countries created independent deposit insurers. I find an interaction between international recommendations and regional peers' choices, particularly in the European Union. However, convergence appears to slow under the particular conditions of a banking crisis, regardless of how well independence was promoted. Possibly due to electoral incentives democracies seem to have been more likely to create independent insurers. Ultimately, I demonstrate how competing risks analysis can help enable future research on policy choices, complementing methods previously applied in political economy.


This exploratory case study research applies a processual analysis to the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system from a knowledge management perspective to a contemporary situation within a City Council. A specific focus is given to areas neglected in previous CRM studies sub-cultures, psychological contracts, how tacit knowledge is surfaced and shared, and with what effects on implementation It investigates how the system stakeholders and the information system (IS) itself evolved through encountering barriers, sharing knowledge, finding new uses, inventing work-arounds. A rich picture emerges of sub-cultural silos of knowledge linked with psychological contracts and power-based relationships influencing and inhibiting adoption and acceptance of the CRM system.


This paper describes the use of a multiple codebook SCHMM speaker verification system, which uses a novel technique for discriminative hidden Markov modelling known as discriminative observation probabilities (DOP). DOP can easily be added to a multiple codebook HMM system and require minimal additional computation and no additional training. The DOP technique can be applied to both speech and speaker recognition. Results are presented for text-dependent experiments on isolated digits from 27 true speakers and 84 casual imposters, recorded over the public telephone network in the United Kingdom. DOP are shown to significantly improve speaker verification performance for several commonly used parameter sets.<<ETX>>


This study provides an examination of the effect of various corporate governance factors on the management of the risks inherent in business and the potential divergent impact of these factors on US firms and firms in emerging countries. In particular, the study scrutinises corporate governance and corporate risk†taking behaviour across different political and socioeconomic environments. In a cross†sectional time†series setting, two†step generalised least squares regression outcomes reveal that the impact of corporate governance on corporate risk taking demonstrates similar implications for US and emerging markets firms in several ways. Nonetheless, the findings also indicate that although some of the US governance standards are effective in the emerging markets, further strengthening of governance standards may be required. Specific governance aspects of the emerging markets, such as board and committee composition, are still lacking when compared to those of the US. Regardless of these differences, the outcomes reveal that those US governance standards adopted by the firms in the emerging markets strengthen governance structures and discourage corporate risk†taking behaviour.


A fundamental aspect of United States criminal law is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. A corollary right gives every American a Constitutional right to counsel or the right to represent herself in person if she so chooses. In international criminal law, similar fundamental rights are theoretically offered to accused persons under the statutes of the courts and under general international human rights law. However, unlike the U.S. criminal justice system, international criminal tribunals have generally failed to honor the lofty promises contained in their constitutive instruments. But it is not the principled lack of adherence to ensuring the due process rights of accused persons that has caused problems in concrete cases. Rather, their Achilles Heel has been their abject failure to create independent defense offices that would fearlessly safeguard the rights of those accused of the worst crime known to law. In this Article, I analyze the absence of organs tasked with guaranteeing the rights of the defense in international criminal law and explain why that is bad for any credible system of justice. I then explain how the organizational charts of the United Nations courts for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone omitted the defense and essentially treated them as second class citizens before the eyes of the law. This sets the stage for me to show why the creation of the first full-fledged defense organ in international criminal law by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon is a welcome advance to the maturing of international penal tribunals from primitive to more civilized institutions. I argue that, if the legal provision contained in the Lebanon Tribunal statute is matched with the independence and resources needed to help realize defendant rights, it will likely become one of its biggest legacies to international law.


The study of electroweak boson pair production provides a powerful tool to search for new phenomena beyond the Standard Model (SM). Extra neutral vector bosons Z′ decaying to charged gauge vector boson pairs W+ W- are predicted in many scenarios of new physics, including models with an extended gauge sector. The diboson production allows to place stringent constraints on the Z-Z′ mixing parameter ξ and Z′ mass, MZ′ . We present the Z′ exclusion region in the ξ - MZ′ plane for the first time by using data comprised of pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS and CMS detectors at the CERN LHC, with integrated luminosities of 36.1 and 35.9 fb-1 , respectively. The exclusion region has been significantly extended compared to that obtained from the previous analysis performed with Tevatron data, as well as with LHC data collected at 7 and 8 TeV. Also, we found that these constraints on the Z-Z′ mixing factor are more severe than those derived from the global analysis of electroweak data. Further improvement on the constraining of this mixing can be achieved from the analysis of data to be collected at higher luminosity expected in Run II.


Aims: To develop a standardised data collection tool that could be used across the UK as an evaluation and audit tool of physiotherapy services for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Objectives: To provide comprehensive information on the development of a Standardised Data Collection tool for physiotherapy practice for people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Design: The Burrswood Standardised Data Collection Tool (BSDCT) was developed and used to collect anonymised data relating to physiotherapy services for people with Multiple Sclerosis. The data is collated, analysed and presented in this report. The developed Burrswood Standardised Data Collection Tool was based on previous work (HyDAT, 2010 and Moore, et al., 2012) and followed a systematic process involving consultation with all stakeholders including people with Multiple Sclerosis, families, Carers, Specialist Nurses, Physiotherapists, Consultant Neurologists and representatives of the MS society. Data collection period: February 2010 – June 2012. Data: One hundred completed data sets were gathered that included eight physiotherapy interventions. The eight sessions include an initial assessment, six dedicated treatment sessions and a follow up assessment. Data included anonymised patient demographics, diagnosis, referral information, treatment details, outcome measures and service related information. Data analysis: The data collected using the Burrswood Standardised Data Collection Tool was entered into Excel 2010 (version 14). The descriptive data is presented in this report. Main findings: Progressive (primary and secondary) Multiple Sclerosis was the diagnosis in 67% of patients with 30% diagnosed with relapse remitting and 3% with benign Multiple Sclerosis. Burrswood Standardised Data Collection Tool 2014. Outcome measures showed an overall percentage improvement in fatigue, health related quality of life and balance and gait using MFIS, MSIS-29 and POMA respectively. The Balance and gait scale (POMA) showed aquatic physiotherapy had a 19% more positive response than land based physiotherapy. Eighty four percent of patients, who completed the course of eight sessions, expressed that they were motivated to continue with independent exercises and 73% intended to continue with exercise at Burrswood Hospital. A wide range of treatments were used with the four most common being: balance re-education/exercise, functional exercises, weight bearing exercise and active strengthening.


Recent studies show that vitamin A levels decrease during measles and that vitamin A therapy can improve measles outcome in children in the developing world. Vitamin A levels of children with measles have not been studied in developed countries. We therefore measured vitamin A levels in 89 children with measles younger than 2 years and in a reference group in New York City, NY. Vitamin A levels in children with measles ranged from 0.42 to 3.0 mumol/L; 20 (22%) were low. Children with low levels were more likely to have fever at a temperature of 40 degrees C or higher (68% vs 44%), to have fever for 7 days or more (54% vs 23%), and to be hospitalized (55% vs 30%). Children with low vitamin A levels had lower measles-specific antibody levels. No child in the reference group had a low vitamin A level. Our data show that many children younger than 2 years in New York City have low vitamin A levels when ill with measles, and that such children seem to have lower measles-specific antibody levels and increased morbidity. Clinicians may wish to consider vitamin A therapy for children younger than 2 years with severe measles. Additional studies of vitamin A in measles and other infectious diseases, and in vaccine efficacy trials, should be done.


Abstract Background Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the standard diagnostic method of thyroid nodules. However, a fraction of the cytology assessments generates indeterminate results. Our group developed a method based on the relative quantification of three transcripts to aid the diagnosis of thyroid lesions. In this study, we aimed to validate the performance and applicability of this diagnostic test in FNAB. Methods Seventy-five prospectively collected FNAB were evaluated for CLDN10, HMGA2 and LAMB3 gene expression (EIF2B1 as reference gene) by RT-qPCR, using the leftover cells inside the needles. A mathematical model previously established was applied and the scores were compared with the Bethesda categories and the final postoperative report. Results We demonstrated the feasibility of the molecular test, even with very small yields of RNA. The three genes tested showed higher expression in the conclusive malignant cases (15 Bethesda VI) in relation to the conclusive benign nodules (35 Bethesda II). The application of the diagnostic algorithm allowed the distinction of these samples with 93% sensitivity (14/15) and 100% specificity (35/35). Among the patient with indeterminate nodules (Bethesda III-V), the test was able to correctly discriminate malignant from benign nodules with 71% sensitivity (5/7 tumors) and 100% specificity (4/4 benign lesions). Fourteen indeterminate cases are being followed-up and were not submitted to surgery to date. Furthermore, we observed that larger tumors (>1 cm), presenting lymph node metastasis and extrathyroidal extension were associated with higher algorithm scores (total of 22 malignant cases). Conclusions A thyroid diagnostic method based on the analysis of only four genes by RT-qPCR (3 targets and 1 reference) revealed high accuracy and applicability even in very limited FNAB material, presenting also a potential prognostic role. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding FAPESP. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of different outcomes used in surgical excision of bladder and urethral mesh erosions. METHODS: A systematic review was compiled after searching electronic databases (PUBMED and MEDLINE) for clinical studies involving combined outcomes for mesh erosion in humans. Databases were searched from the time of inception through May 2016 for articles reporting surgical techniques to remove eroded mesh. Key terms searched were: "mesh erosion in bladder", "management of bladder mesh erosions", "bladder mesh erosions", "management of mesh erosions", "mesh erosion into the bladder", "mesh erosions of the bladder", "management of mesh erosions in the bladder", "mesh erosions", "bladder erosions due to mesh", "urethral erosion", and "transurethral resection of bladder erosion". RESULTS: A total of 754 articles were found, 654 articles were excluded due to ineligibility criteria. A total of 100 articles were included in our systematic review, with total of 177 patients analyzed. Of the patients who underwent mesh removal 18 were abdominal, 40 were transvaginal, 119 were cystoscopic mesh removal. For these techniques the percentage of patients who felt their symptoms were resolved compared to those unresolved were abdominal (78% vs. 22%); transvaginal (63% vs. 37%) and cystoscopic bladder (55% vs. 44%) and cystoscopic urethra (39% vs. 22%). Mesh removal was successful 85% in abdominal, 100% in transvaginal, 83% in endoscopy/cystoscopy and 85% in cystoscopy bladder. CONCLUSIONS: The abdominal and transvaginal approach to mesh removal appeared to have greater success at removing mesh then the cystoscopic approaches. For mesh eroded into the urethra, a transvaginal approach had better resolution of symptoms and less intervention. For mesh eroded into the bladder, abdominal and cystoscopic approaches for bladder mesh erosion had similar symptom resolution but abdominal approach required less retreatment. Source of Funding: N/A


We present the first detection of mass-dependent galactic spin alignments with local cosmic filaments with >2σ confidence using IFS kinematics. The 3D network of cosmic filaments is reconstructed on Mpc scales across GAlaxy and Mass Assembly fields using the cosmic web extractor DisPerSe. We assign field galaxies from the SAMI survey to their nearest filament segment in 3D and estimate the degree of alignment between SAMI galaxies' kinematic spin axis and their nearest filament in projection. Low-mass galaxies align their spin with their nearest filament while higher mass counterparts are more likely to display an orthogonal orientation. The stellar transition mass from the first trend to the second is bracketed between $10^{10.4}$ and $10^{10.9}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$, with hints of an increase with filament scale. Consistent signals are found in the Horizon-AGN cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. This supports a scenario of early angular momentum build-up in vorticity rich quadrants around filaments at low stellar mass followed by progressive flip of spins orthogonal to the cosmic filaments through mergers at high stellar mass. Conversely, we show that dark matter only simulations post-processed with a semi-analytical model treatment of galaxy formation struggles to reproduce this alignment signal. This suggests that gas physics is key in enhancing the galaxy-filament alignment.


B Edwards

Dr B Edwards, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK; email@example.com

How do nurses who perform triage in emergency departments (EDs) initially assess patients?

Qualitative study using the grounded theory approach.

2 EDs in the UK.

Self-selected sample of 14 nurses who regularly did triage in the ED and had 3–20 years of experience in emergency care. Triage encounters involving patients who were confused, acutely ill, or distressed were excluded.

Data were collected through 38 video recordings of triage encounters over 9 months. Nurses watched tapes of their own encounters; tapes were stopped after each of their comments or questions and they were asked to describe their thoughts at that time. Their thoughts were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the constant comparative method.

The main intervening condition during triage was nurses' appraisal of client credibility . (1) Initial visualising and client credibility . Assessment began before the triage encounter, as soon as nurses saw patients, and was intuitive and subjective: "You do sort of make a mental, quick assessment of the patient as they …


Foreword by Israel Gat The Agile Software Development SeriesCockburn HighsmithSeries Editors Creating Innovative Products Software Development/Agile Best practices for managing projects in agile environmentsnow updated with new techniques for larger projects Today, the pace of project management moves faster. Project management needs to become more flexible and far more responsive to customers. Using Agile Project Management (APM), project managers can achieve all these goals without compromising value, quality, or business discipline. In Agile Project Management, Second Edition, renowned agile pioneer Jim Highsmith thoroughly updates his classic guide to APM, extending and refining it to support even the largest projects and organizations. Writing for project leaders, managers, and executives at all levels, Highsmith integrates the best project management, product management, and software development practices into an overall framework designed to support unprecedented speed and mobility. The many topics added in this new edition include incorporating agile values, scaling agile projects, release planning, portfolio governance, and enhancing organizational agility. Project and business leaders will especially appreciate Highsmiths new coverage of promoting agility through performance measurements based on value, quality, and constraints. This editions coverage includes: Understanding the agile revolutions impact on product development Recognizing when agile methods will work in project management, and when they wont Setting realistic business objectives for Agile Project Management Promoting agile values and principles across the organization Utilizing a proven Agile Enterprise Framework that encompasses governance, project and iteration management, and technical practices Optimizing all five stages of the agile project: Envision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt, and Close Organizational and product-related processes for scaling agile to the largest projects and teams Agile project governance solutions for executives and management The Agile Triangle: measuring performance in ways that encourage agility instead of discouraging it The changing role of the agile project leader Jim Highsmith is a founding member of the AgileAlliance, co-author of the Agile Manifesto, and director of the Agile Project Management Advisory Service for the Cutter Consortium. He consults with development organizations throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Japan, India, and New Zealand on accelerating development in todays increasingly complex, uncertain environments. Highsmith is author of Adaptive Software Development, winner of the 2000 Jolt Award, and (with Alistair Cockburn) co-editor of The Agile Software Development Series. He has more than 25 years experience as an IT manager, product manager, project manager, consultant, and software developer.


An electric power supplier in the deregulated environment needs to allocate its generation capacities to participate in contract and spot markets. Different trading portfolios will provide suppliers with different future revenue streams of various distributions. The classical mean–variance (MV) method is inappropriate to deal with the trading portfolios whose return distribution is non-normal. In order to consider the non-normal characteristics in electricity trading, this study proposes a new model based on expected utility theory (EUT) and employs a hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) – Monte-Carlo simulation technique as solution approach. In the real market data-based numerical studies, the performances of the proposed method and the standard MV method are compared. It was found that the proposed method is able to obtain better portfolios than MV method when non-normal asset exists for trading. The simulation results also reveal the accumulation effect along trading period, which will improve the normality of the supplier trading portfolios. The authors believe the proposed method is a useful complement for the MV method and conditional value at risk (CVaR)-based methods in the supplier trading portfolio decision and evaluation.


A time and motion study was conducted to determine the productivity and cost of an in-woods chipping operation when processing whole mall-diameter trees for biomass. The study removed biomass from two overstocked stands and compared the cost of this treatment to existing alternatives. The treatment stands consisted of a 30-year-old longleaf pine stand and a 37-year-old loblolly pine stand. In the longleaf pine stand, 71% of the trees removed were less than 5 in. dbh. In the loblolly pine stand, approximately 81% of the stems removed were less than 5 in. dbh. The harvesting system consisted of conventional ground-based harvesting equipment and a three-knife chipper that processed the biomass into fuel chips. The average production time to fill a chip von was 24.61 minutes. The chip moisture content averaged 94.1 1% (dry basis). Using machine rates and federal labor wage rates, the in-woods cost of producing fuel chips was $9.1 8/green ton (gt). The cost of the biomass chipping operation ($1 5.1 8/91), including transportation, compared favorably to existing alternative treatments of cut-and-pile or mulching.


Continuous long-term sound sources are recorded at hydroacoustic station H03S, a threeelement hydrophone array south of Robinson Crusoe Island between 2014 April 23 and 2017 August 20. The origin of the signal between 3 and 20 Hz is investigated by using cross-correlation, array processing using plane wave beamforming and spectral analysis. Onebit normalization is successfully applied as a cross-correlation pre-processing step in order to suppress undesired earthquake events in the data. Traveltimes retrieved from averaged cross-correlations do not yield a coherent array direction of arrival. Averaged envelopes of the cross-correlations, however, indicate a coherent signal approaching H03S from a south. southwest direction. Beamforming indicates two dominant backazimuth directions: 172°-224° (Antarctica) and 242° (Monowai Volcanic Seamount). This continuous source field creates possibilities to investigate the applicability of acoustic thermometry at hydrophones H03 S1. S2. Cross-correlation and array processing indicate significant directional variation in local propagation, most likely related to the steep slope in the bathymetry near H03S. In addition, it is demonstrated that the ambient noise field is not sufficiently equipartitioned. It is shown that this causes a large error in the estimated temperature, primarily due to the short receiver spacing. These large errors have not been addressed in previous studies on deep-ocean acoustic thermometry. Hence, it is shown that acoustic thermometry does not perform well on small arrays such as H03S. The power spectral density yields a strong broadband signal in January. March, most likely related to iceberg noise. A narrow banded signal around 17 Hz between April and September corresponds to whale calls. The best-beam sound pressure levels towards Antarctica are compared to ERA5 climatologies for sea ice cover and normalized stress into the ocean, supporting the hypothesis of iceberg noise.


Importance Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries commonly occur in baseball players. Strategies for injury prevention have long been accepted without clinical data informing which risk factors lead to serious injury. Objective The objective of this study was to systematically review the impact of various pitching-related risk factors for UCL injury in baseball players from all levels of play. Evidence review The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed were systematically searched until 4 March 2018, and pertinent data were abstracted by two independent reviewers. Search terms included 'ulnar collateral ligament', 'medial ulnar collateral ligament', 'Tommy John', 'risk' and 'association'. Inclusion criteria were English-language studies, level of evidence I–IV and studies reporting risk factors for UCL injury of the elbow in baseball players. Study quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomised studies (MINORS) criteria. The results are presented in a narrative summary. Findings Pitching practices (workload and pitch characteristics) were reported in 9/15 studies. Specifically, three of four studies (n=1810) reported increased pitch workload as a risk factor for native UCL injury (p<0.001 to 0.02). The most common pitch characteristic reported was pitch velocity with four of five studies showing increased velocity being significantly associated with native UCL injury (p<0.01 to 0.02). Biomechanical risk factors reported were increased humeral retrotorsion (two studies; n=324), poor lower extremity and trunk balance (one study; n=42) and loss of total arc of shoulder motion (two studies; n=118), all significantly associated with UCL injury (p<0.0001 to 0.05). One of three studies assessing pitch workload as a risk factor for re-rupture of UCL reconstruction found a significant association (p<0.01). Conclusions and relevance Pitching practices, reflected by increased pitch workload and velocity, were most commonly associated with UCL injury; however, the definition of workload (number of pitches per game, inning or season) was inconsistently reported. Biomechanical risk factors were less commonly reported and lack sufficient evidence to recommend preventative strategies. More quality data is needed to refine the current recommendations for injury prevention in baseball players. Level of evidence III.


Objective The safe lower limit of haematocrit or haemoglobin that should trigger a red blood cell (RBC) transfusion has not been defined. The objective of this study was to examine the physiological effects of anaemia and compare the acute responses to transfusion in preterm infants who were transfused at higher or lower haematocrit thresholds. Methods The authors studied 41 preterm infants with birth weights 500–1300 g, who were enrolled in a clinical trial comparing high ('liberal') and low ('restrictive') haematocrit thresholds for transfusion. Measurements were performed before and after a packed RBC transfusion of 15 ml/kg, which was administered because the infant's haematocrit had fallen below the threshold defined by study protocol. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, RBC count, reticulocyte count, lactic acid and erythropoietin were measured before and after transfusion using standard methods. Cardiac output was measured by echocardiography. Oxygen consumption was determined using indirect calorimetry. Systemic oxygen transport and fractional oxygen extraction were calculated. Results Systemic oxygen transport rose in both groups following transfusion. Lactic acid was lower after transfusion in both groups. Oxygen consumption did not change significantly in either group. Cardiac output and fractional oxygen extraction fell after transfusion in the low haematocrit group only. Conclusions These study's results demonstrate no acute physiological benefit of transfusion in the high haematocrit group. The fall in cardiac output with transfusion in the low haematocrit group shows that these infants had increased their cardiac output to maintain adequate tissue oxygen delivery in response to anaemia and, therefore, may have benefitted from transfusion.


The Dimroth rearrangement in ring-fused 1,2,4-triazoles has been reviewed in detail in Part I and the synthesis of all known triazolo-triazines is described in Part II. Experimental investigations concerned the establishinent of the skeletal arrangement of a variety of triazolotriazines formed by several synthetic routes. Interaction of 3-amino-5-hydrazino-12,4-triazole and benzilafforded 2-amino-6, 7-diphenyl-1, 2,4-triazolo[ 5, 1-c-]-1,2,4-triazine,whereas cyclization of 5,6-diphenyl-3-hydrazino-1,2,4-triazine withcyanogen bromide resulted in the isomeric 3-amino-6,7-diphenyl,-1,2,4-triazolo [4, 3-b]-1,2,4-triazine: both amines were deaminated with amyl nitrite in boiling tetrahydrofuran without rearrangement of the heterocyclic skeleton. 6,7-Diphenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[5,1-cJ-1,2.4-triazine, synthesized from 3-hydrazino-1,2,4-triazole and benzil, formed a covalent hydrate which could be detected spectroscopically in solution, and a covalemt methanolate and ethanolate which could be isolated. A new route to 3-amino-5-hydrazino-pyrazole is described and cyclization to 7-amino-3,4-diphenyl-pyrazolo[ 5,1-.c]-1,2,4-triazine was achieved with benzil. The diazonium nitrate of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole coupled with ethyl cyanoacetate to yield a mixture of two geometrical isomers of ethyl 2-(2H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylhydrazono) cyanoacetate.Recrystallization of the crude coupling mixture from aqueous ethanol gave a single hydra-zone which cyclized predominantly to ethyl 7-amino-1,2,4-triazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazine-6-carboxylate in acid conditions and 6-cyano-1,2,4-triazolo[ 5,1-c]-1,2,4~triazin-7(4H)-one under basic conditions. The nature of the cyclizing medium also controlled the cyclization of .the (pyrazol-ylhydrazono) cyanoacetate hut the corresponding (tetrazol- ylhydrazono) cyanoacetate gave only ethyl 7-aminotetrazolo[ 5,1-cJ-1,2,4- -triazine-6-carboxylate. 2-( 2H-1,2,4-Triazol-3-:ylhydrazono) malonitrile cyclized unambiguously to 7-amino-6-cyano-1,2,4-triazolo-[ 5,1-c]-1,2,4- triazine. Drastic hydrolysis of ethyl 2-(2H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yllhydrazono)-cyanoacetate, ethyl 7-amino-1, 2,4-triazolo[ 5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazine-6-carboxylate, 6-cyano-1,2,4-triazolo[ 5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazin-7{ 4H)-one and 7-amino-6- cyano-1,2,4-triazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazine gave a hydrate of 1,2,4-triazo1o[5,1-c ]-1,2,4-triazin-7(4H)-one. Mass spectral fragmentations of 7-aminoazolo-[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazinesconfirm that the azole ring is more stable than the 1,2,4-triazine ring on electron impact.


Abstract. A new homogenous earthquake catalogue covering Bulgaria and the surrounding Balkan area has been created with intention of performing a consistent seismic hazard assessment across the region. In keeping with modern requirements of cataloguing seismicity, this catalogue has been made homogenous as far as possible with regards to magnitude, which has been provided on any of four different reported scales for each event; mb, Ms, Mw and ML. A key historical catalogue for the region has been used to represent the early instrumental period of earthquake recording (1900 to 1963), whilst data have been obtained from the International Seismological Centre (ISC), National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) and National Observatory of Athens (NOA) to cover the instrumental period of earthquake recording (1964 to 2004). ISC data have also been used to develop a new mb→Ms magnitude conversion equation for the catalogued region. Application of this new magnitude conversion relation, in combination with other selected magnitude scale correlations, ensures reported magnitudes can be systematically rendered onto homogenized Ms and Mw scales for all earthquakes. This catalogue contains 3681 events with homogenized magnitudes ≥4.0 Mw, for the time interval 1900 to 2004 (inclusive), located in the region bounded by 39°–45° N, 19°–29° E, at focal depths of 0.0 km to 401.0 km and in a magnitude range 4.0≤Mw≤7.2. Selected large magnitude (M≥6.0 Ms) earthquakes have had their reported magnitudes reassessed – and adjusted if necessary – in light of work by other authors. Applied statistical approaches aimed at determining the lower threshold to magnitude completeness suggest this catalogue is complete down to a homogenized surface-wave magnitude of 4.6 Ms.


CRISPR/Cas9 technology efficiently produces short insertions or deletions (indels) and can insert short exogenous sequences at Cas9 cut sites. However, targeting long inserts is still a major technical challenge. To overcome this challenge, we developed Easi-CRISPR (Efficient additions with ssDNA inserts-CRISPR), a method that uses long, in vitro-synthesized, single-stranded DNAs with 50-100 base homology arms as repair templates. We demonstrate that Easi-CRISPR can generate knock-in and floxed alleles in mice with an efficiency at many loci as high as 100%. The simple design requirements for donor DNAs and the reproducibly high-efficiency of Easi-CRISPR enables rapid development of many types of commonly used animal and cell models. peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not . http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/069963 doi: bioRxiv preprint first posted online Aug. 17, 2016;


In this paper, we provide an overview of the mathematics of the brain and present the generalization from Eigen vectors to Eigen functions. Initially we summarize some of the mathematics of derived priority scales involved in the multicriteria decision process, and give the corresponding generalization to the continuous case. Then we discuss of density and approximation and how we can generalize from discrete to continuous judgments. The solutions of the functional equation w(as)=bw(s) are given in the real and complex domain and then for quaternions (non-commutative) and octonions (non-commutative and non-associative). In the end we present the consequences and evidence for validation: a) The Laws of Nature are written in the Workings of our Brains, b) the Weber-Fechner Law of Psychophysics, and c) The Brain Works with Impulsive Firings.


In this paper, we pose the opinion that current educational institutions are unable to fulfil the requirements of the future. As change is a permanent phenomenon, we link to the statement of Peter Drucker: "The greatest risk of turbulent times is not the turbulence it is to act with yesterday's logic". This future orientation implies that it is hard to prove our findings in analysis and quantitative statistics. Our assumption is that the future of education can only be ensured by enriching traditional education with new innovative and co-creational ways of educating by intensive use of IT. In that sense, the character of this paper is a positioning paper, to sketch the base for current and future research.


As BA has grown to include a large and diverse cross-section of the home building and retrofit industries, it has become more important to develop accurate, consistent analysis techniques to measure progress towards the program's goals. The House Simulation Protocol (HSP) document provides guidance to program partners and managers so they can compare energy savings for new construction and retrofit projects. The HSP provides the program with analysis methods that are proven to be effective and reliable in investigating the energy use of advanced energy systems and of entire houses.


'I went & sat with W & walked backwards & forwards in the Orchard till dinner time - he read me his poem. I broiled Beefsteaks.' Dorothy Wordsworth's journals are a unique record of her life with her brother William, at the time when he was at the height of his poetic powers. Invaluable for the insight they give into the daily life of the poet and his friendship with Coleridge, they are also remarkable for their spontaneity and immediacy, and for the vivid descriptions of people, places, and incidents that inspired some of Wordsworth's best-loved poems. The Grasmere Journal was begun at Dove Cottage in May 1800 and kept for three years. Dorothy notes the walks and the weather, the friends, country neighbours and beggars on the roads; she sets down accounts of the garden, of Wordsworth's marriage, their concern for Coleridge, the composition of poetry. The earlier Alfoxden Journal was written during 1797-8, when the Wordsworths lived near Coleridge in Somerset .Not intended for publication, but to 'give Wm Pleasure by it', both journals have a quality recognized by Wordsworth when he wrote of Dorothy that 'she gave me eyes, she gave me ears'. This edition brings the reader closer to the hurried flow of Dorothy's writing and includes rich explanatory notes about the places and people described in the journals. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


"Best known for her innovative choreography, which revolutionized Modern dance, Trisha Brown has for many years made drawings and other works beyond the stage that integrate the performing and visual arts. Drawing has long featured prominently in her practice, shifting from a tool for schematic composition into a fully realized component of her broader investigation into the limits of her own body. Whether she is working within the frame of a sheet of paper, on the wall or on the stage, Brown delights in the play between structure and improvisation, between repetition and invention and between choice and chance. This volume, published to accompany an exhibition at the Walker Art Center, presents a broad survey of Brown's visual arts practice going back more than three decades. Featuring over 40 drawings, it includes essays by exhibition curator Peter Eleey and performing arts curator Philip Bither, as well as a specially-commissioned survey of Brown's drawing vocabulary contributed by the artist." -- Publisher's website.


Most glacier forefields of the European Alps are being progressively exposed since the glaciers reached their maximum expansion in the 1850s. Global warming and climate changes additionally promote the exposure of sediments in previously glaciated areas. In these proglacial areas, initial soils have started to develop so that they may offer a continuous chronosequence from 0 to 150-yr-old soils. The build-up of organic matter is an important factor of soil formation, and not only autochthonous but also distant sources might contribute to its accumulation in young soils and surfaces of glacier forefields. Only little is known about black carbon in soils that develop in glacier forefields, although charred organic matter could be an important component of organic carbon in Alpine soils. The aim of our study was to examine whether black carbon (BC) is present in the initial soils of a proglacial area, and to estimate its relative contribution to soil organic matter. We investigated soil samples from 35 sites distributed over the whole proglacial area of Morteratsch (Upper Engadine, Switzerland), covering a chronosequence from 0 to 150 yr. BC concentrations were determined in fine earth using the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) marker method. We found that charred organic matter occurred in the whole area, and that it was a main compound of soil organic matter in the youngest soils, where total C org concentrations were very low. The absolute concentrations of BC in fine earth were generally low but increased in soils that had been exposed for more than 40 yr. Specific initial microbial communities may profit from this additional C source during the first years of soil evolution and potentially promote soil development in its early stage.


of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Daniel Messinger. No. of pages in text. (46) Siblings of children with autism (ASD-sibs) often exhibit deficits in social reciprocity and cognitive deficits similar to those of their affected siblings. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between degree of autistic symptomatology and degree of cognitive functioning in sibling pairs seen as part of a longitudinal ASD-focused sibling study. Both cognitive functioning and autistic symptomatology were assessed using continuous measures in sibling pairs. Three sets of bivariate correlations were conducted to examine the relationships between autistic symptomatology and cognitive ability. One ANCOVA and 6 ANOVAS were also conducted to identify possible group differences between younger siblings of children with diagnoses of ASDs (ASD-sibs) and younger siblings of children without diagnoses of ASDs (COMP-sibs). When associations were examined in the entire sample, all correlations examined were significant, p <.05. However, when examined by group, no associations between younger and older siblings were significant. Negative correlations were found between ASD symptomatology and cognitive functioning within the younger sibling, and between ASD symptomatology and cognitive functioning within the older sibling. Thus, within the ASD group, level of autistic symptomatology was negatively associated with level of cognitive functioning with individuals. Results indicate that intellectual disability (i.e., impaired cognitive functioning) runs in concert with symptomatology among children with ASDs and among their younger siblings. Additionally, by three years of age, ASDsibs were receiving lower scores than COMP-siblings in the areas of receptive language, expressive language, and in visual reception. Clinically, the identification of specific limitations in ASD-sibs has important implications for intervention programs which could help to prevent or ameliorate poor outcomes.


In June 2019, Nayib Bukele, a former mayor affiliated with the former guerrilla movement FMLN, became president of El Salvador at the head of a new party allied with a splinter faction of the right-wing ARENA party. Capitalizing on the corruption scandals that tainted the two major parties, the youthful businessman rode to victory on an anti-sleaze platform. He has made Twitter his government's main communications platform, using symbolic politics to achieve high public approval ratings. But the president spurns openness and transparency in government, is hostile to the media, and openly defies the legislature and the judiciary, putting democracy at risk.


Abstract In The Choice Theory of Contracts, Hanoch Dagan and Michael Heller state that by arguing "that autonomy matters centrally to contract," Contract as Promise makes an "enduring contribution . . . but [its] specific arguments faltered because [they] missed the role of diverse contract types and because [it] grounded contractual freedom in a flawed rights-based view. . .. We can now say all rights-based arguments for contractual autonomy have failed." The authors conclude that their proposed choice theory "approach returns analysis to the mainstream of twentieth-century liberalism – a tradition concerned with enhancing self-determination that is mostly absent in contract theory today." Perhaps the signal flaw in Contract as Promise they sought to address was the homogenization of all contract types under a single paradigm. In this Article, I defend the promise principle as the appropriate paradigm for the regime of contract law. Along the way I defend the Kantian account of this subject, while acknowledging that state enforcement necessarily introduces elements — both normative and institutional — for which that paradigm fails adequately to account. Of particular interest and validity is Dagan and Heller's discussion of contract types, to which the law has always and inevitably recurred. They show how this apparent constraint on contractual freedom actually enhances freedom to contract. I discuss what I have learned from their discussion: that choice like languages, is "lumpy," so that realistically choices must be made between and framed within available types, off the rack, as it were, and not bespoke on each occasion. I do ask as well how these types come into being mutate, and can be deliberately adapted to changing circumstances.


The use of a mid-infrared transmitting fiber to carry the infrared beam of an FT-IR spectrometer outside of the optical bench is reported. In addition it is demonstrated that it is possible to analyze samples using the fiber as an internal reflection element. The fiber is covered with a protective coating which can be removed for a short region, to allow contact with the sample over a controlled length. Two examples of the use of an optical fiber for remote sampling are discussed. The first shows that a spectrum of a liquid sample (2-butanone) can be easily measured, and the second shows how a fiber can be used to monitor the progress of curing reactions in thermoset composite materials. The spectrum of a resin was recorded before the cure by embedding the optical fiber in the graphite fiber/polyimide matrix resin prepreg, and then the progress of the cure was monitored during the curing process. This type of remote sampling shows tremendous potential for opening totally new areas of usage for FT-IR spectrometry, including the studies of hazardous materials, enclosed reactions, and processes that do not allow samples to be taken inside the spectrometer.


To test the differences of resilience, stress and well-being and explore the correlations between nursing students in China and United Kingdom. Globally nursing is considered a demanding profession and increasing attention has been placed on the psychological well-being and resilience of undergraduate nursing students. Limited international comparative research of the interaction between resilience, stress and well-being has been reported. A cross-sectional correlational design was adopted with a purposive sample of 444-second year nursing students, recruited from two universities, located in the United Kingdom and China. Resilience, stress and psychological well-being were assessed via self-reported questionnaires (Connor Davidson Resilience Scale; WHO 5 well-being Index; The Perceived Stress Scale) and a demographic inventory. Findings show the average scores of resilience revealed for UK and Chinese nursing students (26.70±5.11 and 25.18±5.61), stress (20.94±3.87 and 21.54±3.64) and well-being (15.43±4.38 and 14.93±4.00) respectively. Differing levels of resilience between the two countries affected by age and intention to leave was reported. The interaction between resilience and stress influences the psychological well-being of the undergraduate nursing students in both countries. Nursing students are experiencing stress, which is affecting their psychological well-being, but resilience is a protective factor. Intervention studies are required to ensure student nurses, especially younger students, are equipped with strategies to cope with stress during their education. The high prevalence of stress among nursing student is of concern. In response, educational, government and employing hospitals should develop measures and policies to support student nurses to help reduce stress and enhance resilience.


Whether identified as "genies," "little men," or simply "les moi," a vast horde of personified mental faculties populates In Search of Lost Time, responsible for behaviors too instantaneous or too ingrained to come under conscious control. Representing automatic neural subroutines as self-interested beings allows Proust to apply the principles of biological selection to these psychological entities, imagining the mind as an ecosystem in which great personal upheavals—for instance, Marcel's loss of Albertine—figure as extinction events that wipe out large populations of narrowly specialized, slow-to-adapt "genies." Since genies are optimized for highly specific micro-environments, the same "species" of genie may form in any two individuals who share such a micro-environment, with this indifference to the boundaries of the person making it possible for a shared genie-type to define an ad hoc social category: homosexuals, snobs, members of the Guermantes set. In this essay, I unpack Search's model of the mind as a population of simple homunculi and explore its effect on Proust's understanding of interpersonal collectives, from intellectual coteries to social classes. The construct of the genie, I suggest, not only allows Proust to suture together sub-individual and supra-individual scales of analysis but also enables a model of change—both psychological and historical—that is neither simply agentic nor simply deterministic. Rather, the shifting demographics of mental homunculi constitute a quantitative, probabilistic, and nonsychronous form of change, creating new adaptive niches while permitting the partial survival of prior forms of life.


Leading-order results from asymptotic analysis for the optimal price of carbon under uncertainty are derived from a macroeconomic continuous-time DSGE model with AK growth, energy use, adjustment costs, recursive utility and costs of global warming. We consider non-climatic productivity growth uncertainty, atmospheric carbon uncertainty, climate sensitivity uncertainty and climate damage uncertainty. Explicit expressions are derived that show the leading-order dependence of the optimal carbon price on these uncertainties, the various climate betas, risk aversion, intergenerational inequality aversion and convexity of the climate damage specification. Our solution allows for skewness and mean reversion in stochastic shocks to the climate sensitivity and damage coefficients. The resulting rule for the optimal risk-adjusted carbon price incorporates precautionary, risk-insurance and risk-exposure effects to deal with future economic and climatic risks. The stochastic processes are calibrated and used to estimate and interpret the impact of each source of uncertainty on the optimal risk-adjusted carbon price.


The genus Psammodromus (Lacertidae) comprises six species. Three of the species are morphologically similar, phylogenetically closely related, and are distributed in the Iberian Peninsula (besides P. algirus): P. occidentalis (Western Iberia), P. hispanicus (Central Spain), and P. edwarsianus (Eastern Spain). Previous studies have shown these three species to have allopatric distributions in Iberia, though there are still many areas such as Andalucia where it is unclear which species of Psammodromus occurs. In this study we present nine new records of Psammodromus from key places in southern Spain. Since the three Iberian species are difficult to differentiate by morphology, specimens were genetically identified using mitochondrial DNA data and compared to all six species of the genus. Here we present an updated distribution map of Psammodromus specimens identified with molecular methods, increasing the ranges of all three species. We also propose wider regions of potential sympatry between P. occidentalis and P. hispanicus, and P. edwarsianus and P. hispanicus than previously recorded.