Background/Context Spurred on by the mass migration of African Americans from the South and blacks from the Caribbean, Harlem by the 1920s was defined by its association with New Negro culture and was widely known as the "mecca" of black life. The New Negro movement, as the period was called by contemporaries, has become a focus of scholars interested in black radical politics. Still, there has yet to be a focused study of the underlying educational experiences that helped create the New Negro movement and the mass political awakening that accompanied it. Focus of Study This paper takes as its focus Hubert Harrison, an Afro-Caribbean immigrant who arrived in New York City at the dawn of the New Negro movement and became a leading public intellectual and educator of the movement. In particular, it focuses on Harrison's participation and influence in several dimensions of the network of informal education that emerged as a part of Harlem life in the first part of the 20th century: street oratory, educational forums, and the black press. After a brief overview of Harrison and his political development, I examine each educational practice, discussing both Harrison's contribution and the wider culture of radical education he helped to create. I argue that at the foundation of the New Negro movement—and the burgeoning political consciousness among inhabitants of the uptown neighborhood in New York—was a system of education unlike anything that could be found inside a classroom. It was dynamic, democratic, and for many black residents moving into Harlem, inspirational. Research Design This paper uses archival materials from Hubert Harrison's papers at Columbia University. Those include newspaper clippings, diary entries, and pamphlets for talks and courses, among other material. It also draws upon newspapers and reports from the period as well as secondary literature on the topic. Conclusions/Recommendations While education scholars have often grappled with the limits of school as a mechanism for changing society, the history of Harrison and informal education in Harlem reveals the importance of political education outside the classroom in creating and sustaining social movements. For Harrison and the Harlemites of the 1920s, street oratory, educational forums, and a radical black press served as essential mechanisms for broadening what historian Robin D. G. Kelley has called the "black radical imagination." Yet the educative experience of blacks arriving in Harlem is not so different from the experience of others who have participated in social movements in the 20th and 21st centuries. The challenge for scholars is not to identify and study political movements that can be linked to various forms of schooling, but to identify the educative dimensions of social uprising that take place beyond the walls of the classroom.


Inland fisheries are important sources of ecosystem services contributing to human diet, health, well-being and economies. The evaluation of the importance and value of inland fisheries is one of the biggest challenges for its development. To develop the inland fisheries data collection, we reviewed the current status of data collection in European countries and provided five detailed country examples. The level and methods of inland fisheries data collection in Europe were highly variable. Some countries did not collect any data on recreational fishing, or it was collected only from specific areas, or only the number of licenses sold was recorded. Data collection from catches of diadromous species was most common and harmonized among countries and in particular, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were recorded. When data from other fish species were also nationally collected, the methods used included postal or telephone recall surveys using a sample of citizens of the country. More detailed surveys were used to assist national surveys, or were used independently, in specific sites of importance using various methods, like postal surveys targeted to fishing license holders, online reporting of catches, or catch reports and logbooks. Many countries provided fishing license buyers with catch return forms or logbooks to be filled at fishing occasions and/or returned in the end of the fishing season. Commercial inland fisheries did not exist, or were very limited, in many European countries. In countries where commercial fishing was important, in most cases the fishers were registered and obliged to report their catches. The reliability of self-reporting of commercial catches was questioned in some cases. There was a trend towards webbased online reporting of inland fisheries data, which some countries were already using. The specific country examples give detailed description of data collection, focusing on: 1) country-wide postal survey (Finland) and 2) web-based survey and development of citizen science approach (Denmark). Example 3) from Ireland focuses on recreational salmonid fishing and conservation limits. There are two examples based on logbook returns: 4) one strict system, which is considered to work well (Czech Republic) and 5) one less controlled system, currently not producing reliable results, and under development (Croatia). Case studies were provided in each country example. Finally, the authors discuss the important aspects of inland fisheries data collection and review the methods to provide recommendations.


Deep learning has enabled algorithms to generate realistic images. However, accurately predicting long video sequences requires understanding longterm dependencies and remains an open challenge. While existing video prediction models succeed at generating sharp images, they tend to fail at accurately predicting far into the future. We introduce the Clockwork VAE (CW-VAE), a video prediction model that leverages a hierarchy of latent sequences, where higher levels tick at slower intervals. We demonstrate the benefits of both hierarchical latents and temporal abstraction on 4 diverse video prediction datasets with sequences of up to 1000 frames, where CWVAE outperforms top video prediction models. Additionally, we propose a Minecraft benchmark for long-term video prediction. We conduct several experiments to gain insights into CW-VAE and confirm that slower levels learn to represent objects that change more slowly in the video, and faster levels learn to represent faster objects.


Summary

1
The seed-to-seedling transition may be a critical stage in determining the dynamics of plant populations. Insects which kill seeds either before or after dispersal can influence the population dynamics of individual plant species, and ultimately, plant diversity and assemblage composition.

2
We discuss the potential for insect seed predators to maintain diversity in plant assemblages and to structure their composition, with a particular focus on diverse tropical forest habitats. We suggest that our ability to understand the functional effects of insect seed predators is hampered by a shortage of unbiased information on (i) their responses to the density of prey seeds at different spatial scales, and (ii) their host plant specificity.

3
Density-dependence and its implications may be best assessed using manipulative field experiments. Such approaches can reveal how insect seed predators respond behaviourally and demographically to the density of individual host species and multiple host species across a range of spatial scales.

4
Host specificity and its implications may be best addressed through quantitative food web approaches previously applied largely to host–parasitoid interactions. Food webs will allow ecologists to assess the likely importance of indirect interactions such as apparent competition and apparent mutualism in structuring plant assemblages, and the functional consequences of adding or removing individual resource or consumer species.

5
Fully quantifying the wider effects of seed predators will require studies that better integrate seed stage-specific demographic information, and which quantify the long-term effects of variations in seed predation rates for plant recruitment.

6
Synthesis and applications. Compared to other functionally important insect groups such as pollinators, seed predators have received relatively little attention in the context of the functioning and sustainability of agro-ecosystems and the consequences of global environmental change for ecological communities. A fuller understanding of the ecology of insect seed predator–plant interactions will be valuable to conservation and management in a range of natural and agricultural systems. For example, seed predator community ecology is relevant to predicting the consequences of deliberately or unintentionally introducing novel resource or consumer species; the process of habitat recovery following local disturbances; and managing the effects of pest or beneficial seed predators in agricultural crops. Furthermore, patterns of insect seed predation on a larger scale are likely to be highly sensitive to global environmental change drivers such as climate change and systematic habitat modification and fragmentation, with implications for the structure and organization of ecological communities more widely.


In this thesis, stable and efficient hybrid methods which combine high order finite difference methods and unstructured finite volume methods for time-dependent initial boundary value problems have been developed. The hybrid methods make it possible to combine the efficiency of the finite difference method and the flexibility of the finite volume method. We carry out a detailed analysis of the stability of the hybrid methods, and in particular the stability of interface treatments between structured and unstructured blocks. Both the methods employ so called summation-by-parts operators and impose boundary and interface conditions weakly, which lead to an energy estimate and stability. We have constructed and analyzed first-, second- and fourth-order Laplacian based artificial dissipation operators for finite volume methods on unstructured grids. The first-order artificial dissipation can handle shock waves, and the fourth-order artificial dissipation eliminates non-physical numerical oscillations efficiently. A stable hybrid method for hyperbolic problems has been developed. It is shown that the stability at the interface can be obtained by modifying the dual grid of the unstructured finite volume method close to the interface. The hybrid method is applied to the Euler equation by the coupling of two stand-alone CFD codes. Since the coupling is administered by a third separate coupling code, the hybrid method allows for individual development of the stand-alone codes. It is shown that the hybrid method is an accurate, efficient and practically useful computational tool that can handle complex geometries and wave propagation phenomena. Stable and accurate interface treatments for the linear advection–diffusion equation have been studied. Accurate high-order calculation are achieved in multiple blocks with interfaces. Three stable interface procedures — the Baumann–Oden method, the "borrowing" method and the local discontinuous Galerkin method, have been investigated. The analysis shows that only minor differences separate the different interface handling procedures. A conservative stable and efficient hybrid method for a parabolic model problem has been developed. The hybrid method has been applied to the full Navier–Stokes equations. The numerical experiments support the theoretical conclusions and show that the interface coupling is stable and converges at the correct order for the Navier–Stokes equations.


In this paper, we present computational methods for reconstructing a free view of a partially occluded object using integral imaging. To obtain unobstructed images with high resolution, low focus error, and large depth of focus, synthetic aperture integral imaging utilizing a digital camera has been adopted. Two novel algorithms are proposed: 1) an algorithm for reconstructing volumetric perspective images and 2) an algorithm for scaling reconstructed images at arbitrary distances


Calcium-phosphate materials have been increasingly employed in orthopedic and dental applications in recent years and are now being developed for use in noninvasive surgery or as carriers for drug delivery systems. We developed an injectable bone substitute (IBS) for percutaneous orthopedic surgery which uses a biphasic calcium-phosphate (BCP) mixture composed of hydroxyapatite (60%) and /Hricalcium phosphate ( 40% ), together with a polymer (hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose, HPMC) as a carrier. The best BCP/polymer ratio was determined to achieve the highest mineral phase in the composite and provide the rheological properties required for injectable material. The in vivo biocompatibility and biofunctionality of ms were tested in rabbits using implants in subcutaneous, intramuscular and cartilage sites and defects created in trabecular bone of the femur epiphysis. The defects were filled with IBS, and histological studies were performed after 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks on decalcified and non-decalcified sections. Image analysis and backscattered electron analyses were performed by scanning electron microscopy. This study demonstrated that HPMC is a non-toxic material which can be associated with calcium-phosphates to produce an IBS and create a matrix for deep cell colonization conducive to bone ingrowth.


Economic studies on trade liberalization typically highlight positive expected effects. This paper discusses those issues which are frequently neglected, but are nevertheless important for policy-makers. These are macroeconomic adjustment costs and social costs of regulatory change. Our discussion uses the most relevant studies on the economic effects of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as reference points. We provide a rough estimate of macroeconomic adjustment costs of TTIP in the order of €33–60 billion over a 10-year transition period. Our analysis of regulatory change concludes that assessments have been biased and that the social costs of regulatory change due to TTIP might be substantial. Given the prominence of regulatory issues on the trade agenda, we call for full ex-ante regulatory impact assessment of future trade agreements.


The Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau are uplifted by the ongoing northward underthrusting of the Indian continental lithosphere below Tibet resulting in lithospheric stacking. The layered structure of the Tibetan upper mantle is imaged by seismic methods, most detailed with the receiver function method. Tibet is considered as a place where the development of a future craton is currently under way. Here we study the upper mantle from Germany to northern Sweden with seismic S receiver functions and compare the structure below Scandinavia with that below Tibet. Below Proterozoic Scandinavia, we found two low‐velocity zones on top of each other, separated by a high‐velocity zone. The top of the upper low‐velocity zone at about 100 km depth extends from Germany to Archaean northern Sweden. It agrees with the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB) below Germany and Denmark. Below Sweden it is known as the 8°discontinuity, or as a mid‐lithospheric discontinuity (MLD), similar to observations in North America. Seismic tomography places the LAB near 200 km in Scandinavia, which is close to the top of our deeper low‐velocity zone. We also observed the bottom of the asthenosphere (the Lehmann discontinuity) deepening from 180 km in Germany to 260 km below Sweden. Remnants of old subduction in the upper about 100 km below Scandinavia and Finland are known from controlled source seismic experiments and local earthquake studies. Recent tomographic studies indicate delamination of the lithosphere below southern Scandinavia and northern Germany. We are suggesting that the large‐scale layered structure in the Scandinavian upper mantle may be caused by processes similar to the ongoing lithospheric stacking in Tibet.


This paper estimates the effects of three federal tax acts—the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (H.R. 1836), the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (H.R. 2), and the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 (H.R. 1308)—on charitable giving, and offers four extensions relative to previous work. First, we use new data—the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study, the philanthropy module in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics—that permit the estimation of the effect of switches in itemization status on giving. This is important because switches permit a direct answer to the question: How much of an increase in charitable giving is caused by tax deductibility? Second, the new data permit the estimation of tax effects on charitable giving to secular charities as well as to religious organizations. This is important because the main policy question in the literature on taxes and giving is to evaluate "treasury efficiency"—whether the Treasury can cause more money to flow to charitable organizations by allowing deductibility of giving than by eliminating deductibility and sending the increased tax revenue directly to charitable organizations. By using secular giving, we can focus on the type of giving most relevant to this policy question. Third, the new data allow for improved methodological approaches over past studies. Fourth, we argue that the 2001, 2003, and 2004 federal tax acts were timed such that they provide a set of tax changes suitable for identifying permanent effects of taxes on giving. The estimates based on the analysis of families who switch itemization status suggest that secular giving is price elastic, implying that treasury efficiency holds. In contrast, estimates which impose the restrictions facing other datasets suggest a statistically insignificant price elasticity. Identifying Tax Effects on Charitable Giving


Objectives
Concerns about inadvertent chronic excessive vitamin A (VA) intakes due to overly frequent supplementation, fortification and voluntarily fortified products have been raised. Although chronic excessive VA intake can create liver abnormalities, clinically detectable signs of VA toxicity are rare, indicating the need for early biomarkers of tissue damage induced by excessive VA intake.

Methods
To identify early markers of VA toxicity, we induced chronic hypervitaminosis A in pigs (64 pigs, 8 per group) dosed with an oral supplement of retinyl propionate (0 up to 10,000 µg/KgBW) for 17 weeks. To assess the regulatory role of vitamin A in liver metabolism, a microarray analysis was performed to identify genetic regulation in liver tissue. Gene expression data were confirmed using qRT-PCR, and differentially expressed transcripts and pathways were identified using Genespring and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Additionally, two untargeted UPLC-MS assays (HILIC and C18 reversed phase) were applied to analyse plasma metabolites followed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results
Metabolomics analysis indicated that between 228 to 949 plasma metabolites were statistically significant between VA treated and control animals. The majority of metabolic changes observed in plasma were lipids, with ceramides, glycerophospholipids, lysoglycerophospholipids, sterol lipids and triacylglycerides enriched in both low and high VA dosed animals. Gene expression analysis confirmed significant changes in lipid metabolism, with pathways in metabolism of terpenoids and membrane lipids significantly increased by 2.4 fold.

Conclusions
The combined analysis of gene expression with untargeted metabolomics data confirm that changes in liver function and lipid metabolism offers an opportunity to develop a biomarker panel to diagnose pre-symptomatic hypervitaminosis A in humans.

Funding Sources
Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.


Plants and their pathogen co-evolved simultaneously and therefore survive either through symbiotic or parasitic interaction. With the human civilization and increasing population, food security and food safety are of major concern. For achieving that, plants are being modified to attain maximum yield and minimum loss. Therefore, in reaction pest and pathogens also mutate themselves to evolve new tools and weapons for feeding and infection. In this race, plants have to defend for attaining yield and reproduction. Plants are blessed with many structure which minimize entry of pathogens specially cell wall, spines and thorns. Furthermore, biochemical defense in plants is highly sophisticated with many antimicrobial compounds, which trigger whole plant system to defend. Many genes incorporated in crop plants also lead to enhance biochemical defense through elicitors- receptors interaction. On the other hand, pathogens utilized toxins, enzymes, growth regulators and polysaccharides to suppress the host defense system and breakdown the resistance barriers. So its continuous race between host and pathogen but through details study and understanding of such interaction, better management strategies can be deployed.


Internal Laryngocele and Zenker's Diverticulum Masquerading as a Laryngeal Fracture and Esophageal Perforation and Rupture
We present an interesting case of concomitant laryngocele and Zenker's diverticulum found incidentally after sustained blunt anterior neck trauma. Our service was consulted to evaluate free air on a CT scan in the paralaryngeal space and also the paraesophageal area of the cervical esophagus. The trauma surgery service had concern for laryngeal fracture and esophageal rupture. The patient's lack of complaint except for a very stiff neck and failure to reveal abnormal findings on a complete head and neck exam, in addition to detecting no abnormal findings on flexible laryngoscopy, alluded that this air seen on the initial CT scan was not due to the injury. The formal CT scan of the larynx and trachea in addition to esophagram led us to a diagnosis of simultaneous laryngocele and Zenker's diverticulum. This is a very unusual coincidental diagnosis; however it still raises the importance for maintaining a high level of suspicion and due diligence in assessing the upper aerodigestive tract in blunt anterior neck trauma.


This thesis argues that in the plural cultural context of the twenty-first century the value of Shakespeare resides in his identity as a free and flexible resource. This adaptable Shakespeare is valuable to theatres because they are dialectical spaces. Free-resource Shakespeare is able to contain a range of different cultural values and theatres provide a space for producers and consumers of culture to negotiate between them. It has been established that tensions of cultural value, for example innovation/tradition or commercial/non-commercial govern the production, dissemination and critique of culture. Building on this idea, this work shows that when tensions are dealt with as negotiations rather than confrontations, new cultural value is generated. It identifies Shakespeare as a site for the debate of value tensions and contends that he can be simultaneously commercial and non-commercial, traditional and innovative. Cultural value is thus created because Shakespeare is reinvigorated and redefined through a process which negotiates between tensions. In publicly-funded theatre this process manifests itself in an ambiguous relationship to the market, myriad adaptations and a move towards event-theatre. The cultural value of Shakespeare in publicly-funded theatre mirrors the continual redefinition of the Shakespearean object and, rather than being a concrete 'thing', is better defined as a constant process.


INTRODUCTION The turmoil in the global financial markets, the volatility of the foreign exchange rates and the intensified global competition in the product and the resource market have complicated the decision making process and have increased the level of uncertainty regarding the outcome. The rising value of the U.S. dollar (1980-1985), the decline in its value (1985-1988) and the instability since 1988 have had a profound impact on domestic and foreign sales of U.S. MNCs on their profit levels and on their profit margins. At the same time international developments--Europe 92, the Gulf War, the breakup of the USSR and the emergence of the new democracies in Eastern Europe--are providing U.S. multinationals with renewed opportunities for overseas markets. Changes in information technologies have increased the speed and the accuracy of information while the surge of financial innovations are providing the decision makers with new hedging techniques to deal with the uncertainty regarding financial flows. This type of an environment requires Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) who are knowledgeable and who could react to perceived opportunities as well as threats. This paper reports the findings of a survey of CFOs of multinational corporations and compares their responses to the hypothesis brought forward from other researchers. The purpose of the survey was to: (a) determine whether or not the CFOs had a clear understanding of economic exposure, transactions exposure and translation exposure; (b) determine whether the corporations surveyed managed all three types of exposure and which methods they used; (c) determine whether the CFOs had a clear definition of the three different types of foreign exchange exposure. FOREIGN EXCHANGE EXPOSURE Eitman and Stonehill (1986) and Shapiro (1991) define the three types of foreign exchange exposure as: Translation exposure,... accounting based changes in consolidated financial statements caused by exchange rate changes. Transactions exposure occurs when exchange rates change between the time that an obligation is incurred and the time it is settled, thus affecting actual cash flows. Economic exposure reflects the change in the present value of the firm's expected future cash flows as a result of an unexpected change in exchange rates. The increased volatility in the earnings of MNCs in the late seventies and the translation losses which entered the income statements forced CFOs to adjust their corporate strategy (Selling and Sorter, 1983). It is reasonable to assume that the CFOs would pursue strategies that restrict or eliminate the probability of translation losses especially if their performance is judged by the stability and the growth of quarterly earnings. Stanley and Block (1978) indicate that 52% of CFOs hedged against translation exposure during this time, even though the strategy contradicted proper economic exposure coverage. For example, cash flow losses could be created from hedging by altering the structure of the balance sheet, using the forward markets, or using the money markets. In fact, Stanley and Block report that 23.2% of their respondents answered that management of translation exposure resulted in an increase in economic exposure. This implies that funds we misallocated for noneconomic or nonproductive purposes as firms were engaged in costly efforts to hedge foreign activities. In Stanley and Block's paper economic exposure included both the concepts of transactions exposure and economic exposure. This can, in fact, be appropriate. Both of these foreign exchange exposures deal with cash flows and their variability as a result of changing exchange rates. Transactions exposure results in short run variations in cash flows whereas economic exposure creates changes in the firm's long run cash flows. According to Stanley and Block, among MNCs the concept of economic exposure is not sufficiently understood. …


Whether cultured in vitro or part of a complex tissue in vivo, a cell's phenotype and function are significantly influenced by dynamic interactions with its microenvironment. To explicitly examine how a cell's spatiotemporal activity impacts its behavior, we developed and validated a strategy termed SPACECAT—Spatially PhotoActivatable Color Encoded Cell Address Tags—to annotate, track, and isolate specific cells in a non-destructive, viability-preserving manner. In SPACECAT, a biological sample is immersed in a photocaged fluorescent molecule, and cells within a location of interest are labeled for further study by uncaging that molecule with user-patterned near-UV light. SPACECAT offers high spatial precision and temporal stability across diverse cell and tissue types, and is compatible with common downstream assays, including flow cytometry and single-cell RNA-Seq. Illustratively, we leveraged this approach in patient-derived intestinal organoids, a spatially complex system less amenable to genetic manipulations, to select for crypt-like regions enriched in stem-like and actively mitotic cells. Moreover, we demonstrate its applicability and utility on ex vivo tissue sections from four healthy organs and an autochthonous lung tumor model, uncovering spatially-biased gene expression patterns among immune cell subsets and identifying rare myeloid phenotypes enriched around tumor/healthy border regions. In sum, our method provides a minimally invasive and broadly applicable approach to link cellular spatiotemporal features and/or behavioral phenotypes with diverse downstream assays, enabling fundamental insights into the connections between tissue microenvironments and biological (dys)function.


Combining ability for grain yield and its components in barley was studied in a set of four females (Testers 6 rowed), six males (lines 2 rowed) and their resultant F1's with standard check k-603. Twenty two crosses, excluding BCU -4925 x K-603 and BCU-4922 x Karan-16, showed significant positive economic heterosis for grain yield per plant. Analysis for variance for combining ability analysis revealed that the variance due to General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combing Ability (SCA) were highly significant for most of the traits studied. The estimated value of σ2A was higher than its σ2D for plant height and thousand seed weight which indicated the predominance of additive gene action as the ratio of σ2A/σ2D was more than unity, while rest of the traits showed preponderance of non-additive gene action. The value of average degree of dominance for plant height and thousand seed weight indicated partial dominance while rest of the traits viz., chlorophyll content, spike length, awn length, number of effective tillers, number of grains per spike, harvest index and grain yield per plant showed over-dominance. Two male parents (BCU-4925 and BCU-4927) and one male parent (Lakhan) had significant and positive effect for grain yield per plant. Five crosses were found to be good specific combiners for grain yield with maximum SCA effect in cross BCU-4922 x Lakhan.


In a number of areas, for example, sensor networks and systems of systems, complex networks are being used as part of applications that have to be dependable and safe. A common feature of these networks is they operate in a de-centralised manner and are formed in an ad-hoc manner and are often based on individual nodes that were not originally developed specifically for the situation that they are to be used. In addition, the nodes and their environment will have different behaviours over time, and there will be little knowledge during development of how they will interact. A key challenge is therefore how to understand what behaviour is normal from that which is abnormal so that the abnormal behaviour can be detected, and be prevented from affecting other parts of the system where appropriate recovery can then be performed. In this paper we review the state of the art in bio-inspired approaches, discuss how they can be used for error detection as part of providing a safe dependable sensor network, and then provide and evaluate an efficient and effective approach to error detection.


Therapeutic angiogenesis is a promising strategy to treat pathologies characterized by insufficient blood supply to tissue, such as coronary and peripheral artery diseases, but also to promote the engraftment and survival of tissue-engineered constructs after transplantation into the host. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the master regulator of both physiological and pathological vascular growth. However, initial clinical trials of VEGF gene delivery failed to establish clinical benefit. Retrospective analyses identified several issues that compromised the efficacy of those trials, particularly the difficulty to deliver a sufficient VEGF dose into the target tissue at safe vector doses. VEGF is absolutely required to induce new blood vessel formation: however growth of normal blood vessels is a complex multi-step process that requires the temporal and spatial co-ordination of different cell types. In fact, blood vessel maturation and subsequent stabilization depends on the coordinated cross-talk of multiple signaling pathways between the endothelium and pericytes recruited by the platelet-derived-growth-factor-BB (PDGF-BB). By cell-based gene delivery, we previously found that, to effectively exploitOs VEGF therapeutic potential, it is key to achieve sustained expression for at least 4 weeks at homogenous microenvironmental concentration, as VEGF binds tightly to the extracellular matrix (ECM). On the other hand, coordinated co-expression of PDGF-BB and VEGF by a single bicistronic construct completely normalized aberrant angiogenesis induced by heterogeneous VEGF levels. The delivery of recombinant growth factors (GFs) presents several desirable features for clinical translation of these biological concepts compared to gene-therapy, such as defined duration of treatment, homogenous dose distribution and the absence of genetic modifications. The controlled release of factors from biopolymers is an attractive approach to protect them from rapid clearance while ensuring homogenous and sustained release. Pro-angiogenic factors such as VEGF and PDGF-BB have heparin-binding domains that localize them in the extracellular matrix after secretion and their restricted spatial organization within the microenvironment is crucial to induce physiological angiogenesis. Therefore, we previously developed a protein engineering approach that enzymatically links recombinant GFs to fibrin, a biopolymer physiologically degraded by cell-associated proteases. Engineered factors are produced as fusion proteins with the Factor XIIIa substrate sequence ?2-PI1-8 at the N-terminal, to allow covalent binding by factor XIIIa during the fibrin cross-linking reaction and subsequent release by enzymatic cleavage. Thus, in this work we aimed to establish an optimized platform to induce stable and functional angiogenesis in relevant target tissues using recombinant proteins engineered to covalently bind the fibrin gel. We first optimized a fibrin platform to ensure controlled and dose-dependent delivery of ?2-PI1-8-VEGF over at least 4 weeks, capable of inducing normal and stable angiogenesis into the healthy skeletal mouse muscle tissue over a 500-fold range of ?2-PI1-8-VEGF concentrations. Remarkably, newly induced vessels did not regress for at least 3 months, whereas the injected gels were almost completely degraded by 4 weeks, demonstrating that they achieved independence from exogenous VEGF signaling for their survival and suggesting that they could likely persist indefinitely. This is particularly relevant for the therapeutic potential of this approach, since until now one of the main limits has been the insufficient duration of GF release to achieve stable and persistent effects. The treatment with ?2-PI1-8-VEGF was able to promote functional improvement into a wound-healing ischemia model. Further studies should take advantage of the exquisite dose control afforded by this system to identify the therapeutic window of fibrin-bound ?2-PI1-8-VEGF for the treatment of limb and cardiac ischemia. In the second part, we determined that balanced co-delivery of ?2-PI1-8-PDGF-BB and ?2-PI1-8-VEGF from fibrin hydrogels had the potential to normalize aberrant angiogenesis, providing a tool to expand the range of ?2-PI1-8-VEGF concentrations within which normal and stable angiogenesis can be reliably induced. Further, taking advantage of the robust flexibility of this platform, we could determine, with two different ?2-PI1-8-VEGF concentrations, that complete normalization of induced angiogenesis was ensured by a ratio ?2-PI1-8-PDGF-BB: ?2-PI1-8-VEGF as low as 1:20. Further investigations will be needed in order to rigorously determine the minimum duration of growth factor co-delivery necessary to achieve vessel stabilization and indefinite persistence, to define a complete set of parameters (dose, ratio and duration) for therapeutic applications.


Rabbits in groups of eight were fed for nine weeks with diets containing linseed, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (LS), linseed plus hazelnut skins, with antioxidant function (LS+HS), or palm oil, rich in saturated fatty acids (PO). The aim of this work was to compare the effects of aforementioned diets on serum biochemical parameters related to nutritional and inflammatory status, immune function and oxidative balance [triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lysozyme, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant power, respectively]. At the end of the study redox imbalance (with a significant increase in oxidative stress and decrease in antioxidant defenses) was greatest in rabbits fed the LS diet (without additional antioxidant protection) compared to the other two groups (P<0.05). Also the blood value of lysozyme, an immune parameter linked to inflammatory phenomena, was greater in the LS compared to the other two groups (P <0.05). ALT remained unchanged in all three groups, while a significant increase in AST, triglycerides, and cholesterol was noted in the group fed the PO diet as compared to the other two groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, the most favorable and healthy values were found in rabbits fed with diets containing linseed and supplemented with hazelnut skins (LS+HS group).


Abstract Integrated structural and sequence stratigraphic analysis, such as that described in this Memoir (specifically Chapters 3 and 4), represents a powerful tool for analysing a petroleum system by identifying hydrocarbon plays and constraining the regional distribution of the key elements of a play. A play is a combination of reservoir, source and seal facies which, together with a trap, may lead to hydrocarbon accumulations at a specific stratigraphic level. The geographic area over which a play is thought to extend is known as the play fairway and is usually determined by the depositional and erosional limits of the reservoir. This need not always be the case, however; play fairways based on the regional extent of a hydrocarbon source rock system or particular structural style are equally valid. Play fairway analysis is essentially an assessment of exploration risk at a basin scale. In the past the petroleum industry has applied the concept of risk mainly at a prospect-specific level. On a larger scale, applying risk analysis to the play fairway level in frontier basins permits channelling of exploration effort into the most prospective parts of a basin. Furthermore, by combining the risks for individual plays within a basin, different basins can be ranked, allowing exploration to be focussed towards particular basins. In more mature areas, the technique can highlight new plays in under-explored parts of the basin or, equally, provide an indication that the basin has very little remaining prospectivity and that it may be time to withdraw. Figure 43 Illustrates an Idealised model of the main potential


Background: The role of food allergy in atopic dermatitis (AD) is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of food allergens in children with AD. Method: Fifty one atopic dermatitis children aged 6 months to 5 years entered our study. The severity of AD was determined by scoring index of AD (SCORAD). Skin prick test (SPT) was done using 15 allergens including the white of the egg, yolk, peanut, kiwi, strawberry, cow's milk, walnut, fish, banana, wheat, orange, tomato, cereals, apple and cocoa. Results: Thirty four patients (66.7%) had a positive reaction to one or more allergens and in 17 patients (33.3%), the SPT was negative to all allergens. Eleven patients (21.6%) had a positive SPT to one food allergen, 9 patients (17.6%) to two allergens, 9 patients (17.6%) to three allergens, 3 patients (5.9%) to four allergens, 1 patient (2%) to seven allergens and 1 patient (%2) to ten allergens. The most common food allergen among 15 allergens was white egg in 19 patients (37.3%). Yolk was the second most common allergen in 11 patients (21.6%). The relationship between the severity of the SPT with AD severity was observed only for cow's milk, which showed a reverse relationship (R=-0.337). Conclusion: White egg was the most common allergen in all ages and both sexes. Food allergens may play a role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. (Iran J Dermatol 2010;13: 33-36)


We use Hungarian Customs data on product-level imports and exports of manufacturing firms to document that the import price of a particular product varies substantially across buying firms. Importantly, we can relate the level of import prices to firm characteristics such as size, foreign ownership and market power. We develop a theory of 'pricing to firm' (PTF), where markups depend on the technology and competitive environment of the buyer. The predictions of the model are confirmed by the data: import prices are higher for firms with greater market power, and for intermediate inputs with a high share in material costs. We take account of the endogeneity of the buyer's market power with respect to higher import prices. We show that even if unobserved cost heterogeneity within product categories is substantial, it is uncorrelated with our variables of interest. The magnitude of PTF is big: the standard deviation of price predicted by PTF is 21.5%.


In this paper, the problem of driving a collection of mobile robots to a given target destination is studied. In particular, we are interested in achieving this transfer in an orderly manner so as to ensure that the agents remain in the convex polytope spanned by the leader-agents, while the remaining agents, only employ local interaction rules. To this aim we exploit the theory of partial difference equations and propose hybrid control schemes based on stop-go rules for the leader-agents. Non-Zenoness, liveness and convergence of the resulting system are also analyzed.


Abstract Changes in the rheological properties of hair shampoo samples differing in the content of Dead Sea (DS) salt were studied. The rheological properties were tested during a 28-day storage period at three different storage temperatures (cold, room temperature and accelerated conditions). Steady rheological tests were performed and the conductivities of the shampoo samples were determined. The parameters of the power law model; the consistency coefficient and the flow behavior index were used to quantify the effect of storage time and temperature on the rheological behavior of hair shampoo in the presence of DS salt. The consistency coefficient of the salt free shampoo samples stored at 8°C and at room temperature decreased with storage time, and the rheological behavior changed from shear thinning to Newtonian. On the other hand, the samples stored at 45°C exhibited a shear thinning behavior, which did not change with storage time. Shampoo samples with 1.5 wt% DS salt content, showed the maximum viscosity and the rheological behavior of the samples did not change with the storage time. An exception were the samples stored at 45°C, which behaved like the salt free samples stored at room temperature. The conductivity of hair shampoo increased linearly with storage time and salt concentration. A discontinuity at a salt concentration of 1.5% was observed. However, the conductivity of hair shampoo increased with increasing the storage temperature.


Human beings can achieve a high level of motor performance that is still unmatched in robotic systems. These capabilities can be ascribed to two main enabling factors: (i) the physical proprieties of human musculoskeletal system, and (ii) the effectiveness of the control operated by the central nervous system. Regarding point (i), the introduction of compliant elements in the robotic structure can be regarded as an attempt to bridge the gap between the animal body and the robot one. Soft articulated robots aim at replicating the musculoskeletal characteristics of vertebrates. Yet, substantial advancements are still needed under a control point of view, to fully exploit the new possibilities provided by soft robotic bodies. This paper introduces a control framework that ensures natural movements in articulated soft robots, implementing specific functionalities of the human central nervous system, i.e., learning by repetition, after-effect on known and unknown trajectories, anticipatory behavior, its reactive re-planning, and state covariation in precise task execution. The control architecture we propose has a hierarchical structure composed of two levels. The low level deals with dynamic inversion and focuses on trajectory tracking problems. The high level manages the degree of freedom redundancy, and it allows to control the system through a reduced set of variables. The building blocks of this novel control architecture are well-rooted in the control theory, which can furnish an established vocabulary to describe the functional mechanisms underlying the motor control system. The proposed control architecture is validated through simulations and experiments on a bio-mimetic articulated soft robot.


Many tools for computer-assisted composition contain built-in music-theoretical assumptions that may constrain the output to particular styles. In contrast, this article presents a new musical representation that contains almost no built-in knowledge, but that allows even musically untrained users to generate polyphonic textures that are derived from the user's own initial compositions. This representation, called functional scaffolding for musical composition (FSMC), exploits a simple yet powerful property of multipart compositions: The pattern of notes and rhythms in different instrumental parts of the same song are functionally related. That is, in principle, one part can be expressed as a function of another. Music in FSMC is represented accordingly as a functional relationship between an existing human composition, or scaffold, and a generated set of one or more additional musical voices. A human user without any musical expertise can then explore how the generated voice (or voices) should relate to the scaffold through an interactive evolutionary process akin to animal breeding. By inheriting from the intrinsic style and texture of the piece provided by the user, this approach can generate additional voices for potentially any style of music without the need for extensive musical expertise.


ABSTRACT The popular imagination and the intellectual study of Babylon generally exclude any notion or understanding of the people who live most closely to it. Inscribed in 2019 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, little is known about the ways in which Babylon, located in Iraq's Babil province, is viewed by the Iraqi people, most notably by the residents of al Hillah, the provincial capital. Institutional legacies and political structures brought about by the quest to capture and appropriate Babylon by US-European Empires, the rule of dictatorships and more recently the US Occupation as well as the outcomes of post-2003 sectarian-promoted politics, have constituted heritage trajectories that have been dispossessive and exclusionary of people from negotiating sustainable connections to Iraq's ancient history. In this context, this paper examines Iraqi perspectives of those living and working in close proximity to Babylon and the ways in which connections to the historical site are negotiated in everyday life.


This study examines the patterns of payout policies worldwide. Utilizing data from a sample of more than 17,000 companies, from 33 different countries, we show that there is a significant worldwide decline in the propensity to pay dividends. Most of the decline is due to the payout policies of smaller and less profitable firms with comparatively more investment opportunities. We find that larger firms, firms with higher profitability, and firms with low growth opportunities have a greater propensity to pay dividends. The proportion of dividend payers varies substantially across industries as well. However, the proportion of firms paying dividends has declined over time, even after firms' characteristics are controlled for. Moreover, aggregate dividends are highly concentrated, in that they are paid only by a small group of firms. Our findings indicate that there has been a significant decline in the average dividend payout ratios over the years. The decline in the mean dividend payout ratios as well as the proportion of payers is much more pronounced in civil law countries. This version: 18/06/2009 JEL Classification: G32-G35


Abstract Recent research as well as local, state, and national mandates promote an increased role of technology in teaching and learning. In response to this call, K–12 institutions and colleges of education are faced with preparing current and future teachers to teach with technology. The current models of inservice and preservice teacher preparation with technology, although sometimes effective in developing technology skills, often fail to address numerous other issues related to integrating technology into the curriculum. One solution to these issues is for schools and universities to collaborate and improve teacher preparation simultaneously. This paper discusses issues with current technology and teacher preparation models, reasons for school-university collaborations, various models of school-university collaborations, and the positive results of these collaborations. This paper also provides a much needed categorization system that enables teacher educators to explore matters related to various types of school-university collaborations as well as acts as a catalyst for conversation and a tool for developing collaboration models that work in a local context.


Described models are used random forecasting period of flow line with different length. The length is shorter than 1 year. Forecasting period of flow line is transformed to line of managing discharges with same length as forecast.


Incremental selection within a population, defined as a limited fitness change following a mutation, is an important aspect of many evolutionary processes and can significantly affect a large number of mutations through the genome. Strongly advantageous or deleterious mutations are detected through the fixation of mutations in the population, using the synonymous to non-synonymous mutations ratio in sequences. There are currently to precise methods to estimate incremental selection occurring over limited periods. We here provide for the first time such a detailed method and show its precision and its applicability to the genomic analysis of selection. A special case of evolution is rapid, short term micro-evolution, where organism are under constant adaptation, occurring for example in viruses infecting a new host, B cells mutating during a germinal center reactions or mitochondria evolving within a given host. The proposed method is a novel mixed lineage tree/sequence based method to detect within population selection as defined by the effect of mutations on the average number of offspring. Specifically, we propose to measure the log of the ratio between the number of leaves in lineage trees branches following synonymous and non-synonymous mutations. This method does not suffer from the need of a baseline model and is practically not affected by sampling biases. In order to show the wide applicability of this method, we apply it to multiple cases of micro-evolution, and show that it can detect genes and intergenic regions using the selection rate and detect selection pressures in viral proteins and in the immune response to pathogens.


Raspberry Pi Assembly Language RASPBIAN Beginners is your hands-on guide to learning to program ARM machine code on your Raspberry Pi. With nothing other than the Raspbian Operating System installed on your Raspberry Pi, this book shows you how to access all the tools that you'll need to create your own machine code programs using assembly language. (A version of this book is available specifically for RISC OS - search Amazon for 'Assembly Language Beginners'.) Ideal for the novice, this book starts from first principles and leads you comfortably on your way to become an accomplished programmer. Providing lucid descriptions, award winning author Bruce Smith keeps things simple and includes plenty of program examples you can try for yourself. Ideas and concepts are introduced in the order required so you should never be left wondering. Just some of the many features include: Practical approach with example programs GCC assembler and linker ARM registers and arrangements Addressing modes Use of operating system Syscalls Debugging with GDB Using libc function calls Programming the GPIO Examples are provided that are written using the GCC Compiler running under the Raspbian Operating System on the Raspberry Pi, all of which can be downloaded from the book support website at brucesmith.info. Amazon 5-Star Reviews for Bruce Smith: 'This book is an excellent introduction to coding in ARM assembler on the Raspberry Pi.' 'This book is well-written , easy to follow and organized. ' 'Great introduction to ARM assembler.'


This paper presents ModelNet, a scalable Internet emulation environment that enables researchers to deploy unmodified software prototypes in a configurable Internet-like environment and subject them to faults and varying network conditions. Edge nodes running user-specified OS and application software are configured to route their packets through a set of ModelNet core nodes, which cooperate to subject the traffic to the bandwidth, congestion constraints, latency, and loss profile of a target network topology.This paper describes and evaluates the ModelNet architecture and its implementation, including novel techniques to balance emulation accuracy against scalability. The current ModelNet prototype is able to accurately subject thousands of instances of a distrbuted application to Internet-like conditions with gigabits of bisection bandwidth. Experiments with several large-scale distributed services demonstrate the generality and effectiveness of the infrastructure.


for dissemination) One of the key aspects in the development of LarKC is how to evaluate the performance of the platform and its constituent components in order to guarantee that the execution of a pipeline will match the user's needs and provide the desired solutions (answers) to the user's queries. Therefore, in this deliverable, the first in a series three documents concerned with the definition of a Framework for Measuring and Evaluating Heuristic Problem Solving, we make the first steps towards defining such framework by considering the theoretical foundations and principles of evaluation and measurement theory, discussing several important aspects related to the process of evaluating LarKC and its platform and, reporting on several dimensions and methods by which the components of the platform and the platform itself can be evaluated. Our primary interest in the context of this deliverable is a formative evaluation framework that is designed by the members of the LarKC project and aims to identify project strengths and weaknesses, focus managerial and research efforts, and measure progress towards achieving the project goals. Such a framework can also serve as the foundation for a subsequent summative evaluation.


We consider the dimer Hubbard model within Dynamical Mean Field Theory to study the interplay and competition between Mott and Peierls physics. We describe the various metal-insulator transition lines of the phase diagram and the break down of the different solutions that occur along them. We focus on the specific issue of the debated Mott-Peierls insulator crossover and describe the systematic evolution of the electronic structure across the phase diagram. We found that at low intra-dimer hopping the emerging local magnetic moments can unbind above a characteristic singlet temperature $T^*$. Upon increasing the inter-dimer hopping subtle changes occur in the electronic structure. Notably, we find Hubbard bands of a mix character with coherent and incoherent excitations. We argue that this state is relevant for VO$_2$ and its signatures may be observed in spectroscopic studies, and possibly through pump-probe experiments.


Abstract. Sea salt aerosol can significantly affect the air quality. Sea salt can cause enhanced concentrations of particulate matter and change particle chemical composition, in particular in coastal areas, and therefore should be accounted for in air quality modelling. We have used an EMEP Unified model to calculate sea salt concentrations and depositions over Europe, focusing on studying the effects of uncertainties in sea salt production and lifetime on calculation results. Model calculations of sea salt have been compared with EMEP observations of sodium concentrations in air and precipitation for a four year period, from 2004 to 2007, including size (fine/coarse) resolved EMEP intensive measurements in 2006 and 2007. In the presented calculations, sodium air concentrations are between 8% and 46% overestimated, whereas concentrations in precipitation are systematically underestimated by 65–70% for years 2004–2007. A series of model tests have been performed to investigate the reasons for this underestimation, but further studies are needed. The model is found to reproduce the spatial distribution of Na + in air and precipitation over Europe fairly well, and to capture most of sea salt episodes. The paper presents the main findings from a series of tests in which we compare several different sea spray source functions and also look at the effects of meteorological input and the efficiency of removal processes on calculated sea salt concentrations. Finally, sea salt calculations with the EMEP model have been compared with results from the SILAM model and observations for 2007. While the models produce quite close results for Na + at the majority of 26 measurement sites, discrepancies in terms of bias and temporal correlation are also found. Those differences are believed to occur due to differences in the representation of source function and size distribution of sea salt aerosol, different meteorology used for model runs and the different models' resolution. This study contributes to getting a better insight on uncertainties associated with sea salt calculations and thus facilitates further improvement of aerosol modelling on both regional and global scales.


This thesis is a review of the literatures on work-life balance study. It attempts to systematically review the key concepts, theories, constructs, methodologies and major findings of work-life balance study. Different theories are compared in their conceptualization, analytical power and contribution to work-life balance study. Cultural factors are discussed in the definition of key words and design of research. The current situation of work-life balance studies about China is discussed and the perception of work and family and their relations are examined in Chinese cultural context. Findings suggest that there is a lack of consistency in the definition of key concepts. Different theories differ in their explanatory power. It is also suggested by the literature that the factors that influence work-life balance issue are cultural specific and cultural factors should be taken into consideration in research design and data analysis.


AbstractThe research was conducted to investigate the role of Pictures as the teaching media in improving the Second Graders' English vocabulary at SD Pangudi Luhur, Jakarta in Academic Year 2016/2017. To achieve the objective, the data were collected through the tests, questionnaires and observer's sheet. The respondents consisted of 25 students. The result showed that pictures as teaching media could improve the students' vocabulary, proved by the increase of the mean score of the pre-test and post-test 1 and 2: 61.32; 70.48; and 81.08. The findings were also strengthened by the respondents' positive attitudes towards the media used collected through questionnaires.Keywords: vocabulary, pictures, classroom action research


A supervisor's behaviour may not be the only factor that determines the performance of team members (Kerr & Jermier, 1978). Taking this postulation as a basis, we formulated a model to describe how service climate moderates the effects of the leadership behaviour of supervisors. When the organization and working environment are not conducive to providing a good service to colleagues and customers, the supervisor's leadership behaviour makes an important difference. However, when the service climate is good, a supervisor's leadership behaviour makes no substantial difference. This hypothesis was supported in an examination of the service quality of 511 frontline service providers as sampled from 55 work groups in 6 service organizations. The employee service quality was low when both the service climate and the supervisor's leadership behaviour were lacking. However, when the service climate was unfavourable, effective leadership behaviour played a compensatory role in maintaining performance standards towards external customers. When the leadership was ineffective, a favourable service climate nullified the negative effect on service quality to internal customers.


The literature on the manner in which gender influences the participation and performance of girls and boys in science and science education indicates that the disparity between the genders, in favour of boys, persists. This has negatively affected the participation rates of women in tertiary science education and the science workplace. Gender inequality, an outcome of socio-cultural relations, is regarded as being at the root of this disparity. Science is regarded as a male domain; a feminist analysis has viewed the position of women in science as emanating from a history of the oppression of women in male-dominated society. Through socialisation and cultural practices, society encourages the development of binaristic, gendered norms and roles: a fertile environment for the perpetuation of the gender role stereotypes portraying boys as more science-orientated than girls. Schools are regarded as prime sites for the perpetuation of gender inequalities. The sociocultural perceptions that educators and learners alike bring into science classrooms influence their thinking about gender in science and science education. The interactive social milieu of the classroom is viewed as the crucible where attitudes to, beliefs in and perceptions of the role of gender in science are shaped. In addition, the media functions as a socio-cultural agent, both in its popular form and as a source of resource material for science teaching. The masculine image of science and scientists it persistently promotes influences girls' and boys' attitudes to, beliefs in and perceptions of science and science education. The study examines gender and the perceptions of science and science education of boy and girl learners in the General Education and Training (GET) phase of education i.e. Grades 7 to 9. The research methodology comprised both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative study entailed conducting a survey of six hundred Grades 7, 8 and 9 boy and girl learners in an English medium school. A small sample of 26 learners was randomly selected from each of the Grades 7, 8 and 9 for semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews. Age, grade and gender were the selection criteria. All participant schools are situated in an educational district in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, South Africa: the majority of residents in the suburb are from the lower middle class and were classified Coloured according to the Apartheid racial classification. The educators administering the qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were also drawn from this group. The findings confirmed that gender role stereotypes persist in science and science education. Girls are drawn to affective science pursuits whereas boys are firmly rooted to stereotypical perceptions of the masculine image of science and science careers. It is apparent that girls are


Purpose: This study aimed to determine the relationship between personal savings and household investments among a cohort of primary school teachers in lira city.
Research methodology: The study used a cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative research approach. Data were collected from a sample of 103 respondents with the period between October 2020 and January 2021 using self-administered questionnaires. The Content Validity Index was used to establish validity, while the Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient was used to test reliability.
Results: Using descriptive and inferential statistics, the results suggest that civil servants' personal financial planning is high due to personal savings. Also, the level of household investment is high and the correlation reveals that the relationship between private savings and household investment is very weak and negative.
Limitations: This study focused on personal savings only, yet other constructs affect household investments.
Contribution: This study's results help civil servants in Lira city and Uganda in general since personal savings are an essential factor to household investments.
Keywords: Personal savings, Household investment, Primary teacher, Financial planning, Lira


The Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens in Clay County, North Carolina is an unusual habitat comprised of a pine savannah with endemic plant species underlain by serpentinite rock. The area is drained by a stream with a mostly open canopy. Most Desmognathus monticola (Seal Salamanders) living in the Barrens stream have bright yellow patches on their skin, although this population is genetically similar to normally-colored populations of D. monticola. My research explored whether this unusual coloration was due to: 1) trace metals from the serpentinite rock, 2) phenotypic plasticity for crypsis against the lightly colored serpentine rock on the stream bottom, or 3) excessive light exposure and decreased shade. I found that metals were unlikely to cause the yellow coloration because the metals of concern were at low concentrations in the stream water. Moreover, there were no differences in white blood cell counts or liver mass between Barrens and non-Barrens (control) populations, suggesting that there was no ongoing immunological response to or accumulation of toxic metals. The Barrens salamanders did have less epithelial pigment than control salamanders. Salamanders from both Barrens and control populations became more yellow in every crypsis lab experiment, whether exposed to light, dark, yellow, or red backgrounds. Another experiment found that the yellow coloration of salamanders was affected by salamander population source, light level they were exposed to, and calcium concentration, but luminosity (brightness) of the salamanders was not affected by any factors in that experiment. Understanding the environmental stimuli that induce this morphological change in these salamanders' integument, and if these morphological changes are unique to this population, will help to shed insight upon a unique part of North Carolina's landscape diversity.


This paper introduces the 'weighted integral method' for calculating an exact expression of the stochastic stiffness matrix of a stochastic structure. Using this method, the stochastic stiffness matrix is calculated in terms of integrals of the stochastic field describing the random material property multiplied by a deterministic function. These integrals are random variables called weighted integrals. As a consequence, the finite element mesh that would be used in a deterministic analysis can be used for any value of the correlation distance of the stochastic field involved in the problem. Two approaches are used to derive the stochastic element stiffness matrix. The first approach is based on the principle of stationary potential energy and the second on the principle of virtual work. The potential energy approach produces a stochastic stiffness matrix which is an approximation of the corresponding exact one obtained using the virtual work approach. Finally, stochastic shape functions are introduced describing the stochastic displacement field of the beam element with random material properties.


34 chapter edited book covering issues related to circular economy, design, innovation and business.

The circular economy describes a world in which reuse through repair, reconditioning and refurbishment is the prevailing social and economic model. The business opportunities are huge but developing product and service offerings and achieving competitive advantage means rethinking your business model from early creativity and design processes, through marketing and communication to pricing and supply. Designing for the Circular Economy highlights and explores 'state of the art' research and industrial practice, highlighting CE as a source of: new business opportunities; radical business change; disruptive innovation; social change; and new consumer attitudes.

The thirty-four chapters provide a comprehensive overview of issues related to product circularity from policy through to design and development. Chapters are designed to be easy to digest and include numerous examples. An important feature of the book is the case studies section that covers a diverse range of topics related to CE, business models and design and development in sectors ranging from construction to retail, clothing, technology and manufacturing.

Designing for the Circular Economy will inform and educate any companies seeking to move their business models towards these emerging models of sustainability; organizations already working in the circular economy can benchmark their current activities and draw inspiration from new applications and an understanding of the changing social and political context. This book will appeal to both academia and business with an interest in CE issues related to products, innovation and new business models.


This paper revisits the liberal studies movement, a significant feature of the English further education (FE) sector from the 1950s until perhaps the beginning of the 1980s. Its central argument is that liberal and general studies (LS/GS) and similar provision offered a vehicle where, at least in some circumstances, certain politically-motivated FE teachers were able to engage in forms of mutual, dialogic teaching and learning which can be conceptualised as critical pedagogy – or at least as close to critical pedagogy as can be achieved within the formal education system in a nation such as England.
The paper draws on interviews with former FE lecturers who taught various forms of liberal studies to vocational students in FE colleges across England during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Whilst it is recognised that LS/GS was always contested terrain, data presented in this paper provides evidence to suggest that the spirit of critical pedagogy existed amongst a certain strand within liberal studies movement, at least for a time – even if not all learners wished to be emancipated by their studies.


Using motherhood as a lens, this book chapter argues that third-wave feminism needs law and law needs third-wave feminism. Twenty years ago, young women in the United States boldly proclaimed the onset of feminism's "third wave." Third-wave feminists embraced the "fun," "sexy," and "girly," rejecting the (supposedly) strident, humorless feminism of the 1970s and 1980s, while also taking up the feminist mantle. The third-wave feminist agenda makes several claims about the law, and yet it has had little or no impact on feminist legal theory. This is because third-wave feminist writing fails to grapple with gender equality or law writ large. Far from improving on the feminism of the past, third-wave feminists retreat -- to women's detriment -- from their predecessors' theoretical and methodological commitments. Nowhere is this clearer than in third-wave writings about fertility and motherhood. Much of third-wave feminist writing has taken the form of the first-person narrative. Somewhat predictably, as third-wave feminists have aged, their subject-matters have changed. For third-wave feminists now in their thirties and forties, the personal account of one's "journey" toward motherhood seems to have become the new rite of passage. Rebecca Walker's Baby Love, Evelyn McDonnell's Mama Rama, and Peggy Orenstein's Waiting for Daisy are three representative examples of this milestone narrative. Taken together, these third-wave fertility and motherhood narratives contribute (perhaps unwittingly) to a mythology of motherhood that prior feminists sought to dismantle. These works pay lip-service to the notion that motherhood should not be the measure of a woman's worth, but they embrace motherhood as the ultimate personal fulfillment. Second-wave feminists critiqued the influence of state systems, especially law, on motherhood as a practice and status. But third-wave feminists keep most critical theory at a distance. Joining third-wave feminism and law will help develop an equality jurisprudence that acknowledges women's reproductive capacities but neutralizes the role those capacities play in women's legal subordination. This chapter appears in Gender, Sexualities and Law (Routledge 2011), edited by Jackie Jones, Anna Grear, Rachel Anne Fenton, Kim Stevenson.


The cumulative results of investigations of the possibility of using the reclaimed materials after the mechanical, thermal or mechanical-thermal reclamation for making cores by means of the blowing method in the alkaline CO 2 technology, are presented in the paper. Three kinds of spent sands: with furfuryl resin, bentonite and alkaline phenolic resin, obtained from the foundry, were subjected to three kinds of reclamation: mechanical, thermal and combined mechanical-thermal, applying for this aim adequate experimental devices. The obtained reclaims were assessed with regard to the degree of the matrix liberation from the determined binding material. Reclaims of moulding sands with binders of the form of resin were assessed with regard to ignition loss values and pH reaction, while reclaims of moulding sands with bentonite with regard to the residual clay content and pH value. In all cases the results of the performed sieve analyses were estimated and the average characteristic diameter d l was determined. The reclaimed matrix was applied as a full substitute of the fresh high-silica sand in typical procedures of preparing core sands used for making shaped samples for bending strength investigations, R gu .


Spontaneous CSF-venous fistulas may be present in up to one-fourth of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. This is a recently discovered type of CSF leak, and much remains unknown about these fistulas. Spinal CSF-venous fistulas are usually seen in coexistence with a spinal meningeal diverticulum, suggesting the presence of an underlying structural dural weakness at the proximal portion of the fistula. The authors now report the presence of soft-tissue venous/venolymphatic malformations associated with spontaneous spinal CSF-venous fistulas in 2 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension, suggesting a role for distal venous pathology. In a third patient with spontaneous intracranial hypotension and a venolymphatic malformation, such a CSF-venous fistula is strongly suspected.


The increasing processing power, storage and support of multiple network interfaces are promising the mobile devices to host services and participate in service discovery network. A few efforts have been taken to facilitate provisioning mobile Web services. However they have not addressed the issue about how to host heavy-duty services on mobile devices with limited computing resources in terms of processing power and memory. In this paper, we propose a framework which partitions the workload of complex services in a distributed environment and keeps the Web service interfaces on mobile devices. The mobile device is the integration point with the support of backend nodes and other Web services. The functions which require the resources of the mobile device and interaction with the mobile user are executed locally. The framework provides support for hosting mobile Web services involving complex business processes by partitioning the tasks and delegating the heavy-duty tasks to remote servers. We have analyzed the proposed framework using a sample prototype. The experimental results have shown a significant performance improvement by deploying the proposed framework in hosting mobile Web services.


Oilseeds and oilseed products are vital commodities in international trade, and production has been rapidly expanded in recent years under the yield growth and demand characteristics linked to more income-elastic products. Of the global production for major oilseeds, which reached 395.2 million metric tons in 2009, three major producers – the United States, Brazil and China – account for almost 50 percent. This paper develops a broad trade framework to estimate the impacts of transportation costs on international oilseeds trade using gravity models. We describe export and import markets of oilseeds and derived vegetable oils. A Baier and Berstrand gravity model method (2009), using a Taylor-series expansion, reveals a theoretical relationship between incomes, trade flows and trading costs through a reduced-form gravity specification. Distance between two countries and border trade barriers have significant and substantive impacts on the trade value of oilseeds and oilseeds oils.


Reproduced here is a selection of Thomas Brown's Lectures on the Philosophy of the Human Mind, first published in Edinburgh in 1820, on Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments. The selection is representative of numerous criticisms that came forth in the decades following Smith's death in 1790. Brown says that Smith holds that our moral sentiments "are supposed to flow from sympathy." Brown, however, objects: "In the number of petty affairs which are hourly before our eyes, what sympathy is felt"? Moreover, sympathy is "one of the most irregular and seemingly capricious of principles." And even if we were to grant that sympathy were "as universal as [Smith] contends," the sentiment that is shared must exist as our own sentiment prior to any experience of sympathy, just as a source must produce a sound before that sound can be echoed in a canyon, or as an object must produce an image before that image can be reflected in a mirror. Brown thus charges Smith with circularity. There must be, apart from sympathy, he says, "an independent capacity of moral emotion" based on "moral notions of what is right and wrong." Moral sentiment, then, is not dependent on sympathy.


This document is an annotated bibliography of published, original compositions for horn, tuba and piano. There have been a consistent output of works for the trio that are varied in compositional style and difficulty. There are currently 23 available published works for the ensemble. The purpose of this document is to provide the necessary information for readers to determine if the individual compositions are appropriate for their performance or study. The compositions are organized alphabetically by the last name of the composer. Each entry contains information regarding title, movements, publication information, written range, duration, commercially available recordings and published reviews. Biographical information about the composer, a description of the musical style of the work and a summary of difficulties is included with each entry. An index of the works listed alphabetically by title and a complete discography of available recordings are included as supplemental material.


Synovitis is an important feature in arthritis and is commonly visualised using contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently, the reference standard for assessing synovitis is gadolinium enhanced MRI which requires an intravenous injection and carries significant potential risks such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Removing the necessity for using gadolinium will reduce these risks and result in greater patient acceptance of MRI investigation of synovitis.
The aims of this thesis were to investigate the use of MRI imaging sequences and include them in a novel non-contrast MRI protocol, The COSMOS protocol (contrast-obviated MRI scanning of synovitis) to identify synovitis in the knees of patients with osteoarthritis.
Potential sequences, both qualitative and quantitative, that could be included in the COSMOS protocol were identified initially through (i) a comprehensive review of the literature and (ii) review of historic images within a large research centre. The sequences were then trialled, optimised and then assessed on a large cohort of patients with knee osteoarthritis in order to determine the protocol's suitability to identify synovitis without contrast.
The results of the new COSMOS protocol show that it is feasible and practical to delineate synovitis in the knee using MRI without the use of intravenous gadolinium contrast. The characteristics of the tissues within the knee can be measured using magnetisation transfer ratio and T1 values to provide empirical differentiation of structures. The identification of a distinct range in T1 values for synovitis provided data that was exploited to produce a further inversion recovery sequence that was optimised to supress synovitis in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
While further work is required to validate the COSMOS protocol, this thesis has demonstrated that it is possible to image synovitis without intravenous gadolinium contrast agents in a cohort of patients with a clinical diagnosis of OA knee.


Drechslera species are amongst common fungal pathogens of rice, causing leaf spot diseases. Infection with Drechslera species causes quantitative and qualitative damage to small grains and rice plants. In the present study, rice rhizosphere mold and yeast fungi were isolated from El-Dakahlia and El-Qaliubiya governorates.  Results indicated that in case of mold fungi, Fusarium and Aspergillus were the most dominant isolates (520 and 410 CFU per gram, respectively) while Monodictys and Phaeodactylium represented the lowest ones (10 CFU per gram for each).  Concerning yeast fungi, Stephomoascus and Candida gave the highest CFU count per gram (90 and 60 CFU per gram respectively). Isolation of pathogens from infected rice leaves and grains from El-Dakahlia and El-Qaliubiya governorates indicated that Drechslera specifier gave the highest frequency percentages (56 % and 53.33 % respectively), while Drechslera rostrate gave 33 % and 26.66 % for both governorates respectively. Penicillium decumbens thom gave the highest antagonistic activity against Drechslera specifier (83.9 %). Biological control of Drechslera species could be successfully applied by using Penicillium decumbens thom as a bio-agent.


"Frescoes of the Veneto" presents the finest examples of Venices fresco cycles and takes the reader on an expertly guided, superbly photographed tour of the remarkable residences in which they appear. The book chronicles the changing tastes and interests of both patrons and painters over the course of the centuries, from the complex allegories depicted in some of the creations of Paolo Veronese, to the Berniniesque exuberance of Louis Dorignys Baroque masterpieces, to the fanciful images of distant worlds in the work of Andrea Urbani, to Giambattista Tiepolos powerful visual narration of literary tales. In addition to these renowned artists, the book reveals the extraordinary achievements of many lesser-known painters, among them Giambattista Zelotti, Giovanni Antonio Fasolo and Ludovico Pozzoserrato in the 16th century. Distinguished art historians Filippo Pedrocco, Massimo Favilla and Ruggero Rugolo skilfully interweave the explanation of the frescoes iconography with a lively account of the families who commissioned these monumental art works. The photographs specially commissioned for this volume make it possible to explore not only the most well known and visited palaces and villas in the Veneto, such as the Palazzo Labia and the Ca Rezzonico, but also many that are closed to the public and have never been photographed before. Complete with a thorough bibliography and a map showing the location of all the featured residences, this unprecedented, exceptionally beautiful volume will be irresistible to lovers of Italian art and architecture, and aficionados of the Veneto alike.


Abstract. In complex natural-human system modeling, often times a first step is to examine the relationships between a dependent variable and a number of independent variables at their locations. The neighborhood effect, also known as a scale effect, has seldom been considered in the analysis. Previous research has shown that scale effects affect the reliability of analysis results, and rigorous scientific studies should take an extra step to examine the scale effects for more accurate analysis and modeling. However, detecting the neighborhood effects of various variables and then incorporating them into a holistic modeling system posts a serious challenge because of the fundamental difference in properties between variables from the human component (e.g., census data) and variables from the natural component (e.g., landscape properties). Moreover, uncertainties involved in data, data scale, algorithms, and scale of analysis make the findings and the interpretations of the findings unreliable. A major issue of modeling neighborhood effects is the determination of appropriate neighborhood size, also known as the spatial context scale or the operational scale. It has been shown in the literature that neighborhood effects vary with the neighborhood size used to compute the effects. Thus, research on how to determine the neighborhood size that best captures the scale of operation of a phenomenon is very much needed so that we can have more confidence in the modeling results.This study examines the use of variogram in detecting the appropriate neighborhood size of the variables involved in land loss modeling in the Mississippi River Delta. The goal is to find out the best combination of variables and their neighborhood sizes that best explain the variation of land loss patterns in the Deltaic region. The Mississippi River Delta has been suffering substantial land loss during the past several decades. Land loss has been a subject of intense research by many researchers from multiple disciplines, aiming at mitigating the land loss process and its potential damages. However, a majority of land loss projections were derived solely from the natural processes, such as sea level rise, regional subsidence, and reduced sediment flows. Very few studies have incorporated human-induced factors such as land fragmentation, urbanization, energy industrialization, and marine transportation. Even fewer have studied the scale effects. A study that captures and quantifies both natural and human factors as well as their neighborhood effects would help uncover the complex mechanism of land loss and provide a more accurate spatiotemporal projection of land loss patterns and probability.The analysis procedures are as follows. (1) First, the study area is rasterized into 1-km by 1-km grids. (2) A set of natural and human variables related to land loss in the deltaic region are collected. (3) Variogram analysis of each variable is conducted to identify the spatial neighborhood size of each variable, and a neighborhood variable for each independent variable is created. (4) Elastic Net regression analysis is applied to test and select the significant variables that affect land loss. Regression results between the model with and the model without neighborhood variables are compared. Through this study, we should be able to derive a more accurate land loss model for detailed analysis and future projections.


This thesis examines the relationship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land from the age of Constantine the Great to the conquest of the eastern provinces by the Arabs from an archaeological viewpoint. At stake is a better understanding of how Jews adapted to changing times, particularly during the rise of Christianity in Palestine. Whereas earlier scholars have viewed the growth of the Byzantine empire as time of persecution toward the Jews, a re-evaluation of the archaeological evidence indicates that Jews prospered along with their Christian neighbors. In scope, this dissertation aims first to re-evaluate how many ancient building remains can be classified as synagogues, and how many of those can be accurately dated. For only after a solid body of archaeological research is firmly established can further progress be made toward our better understanding of the ancient world. Diversity in contemporaneous synagogue layouts, rather than a linear development throughout this period is the norm. Yet, in the sixth-century, one-third of all known synagogues in Palestine bear similar features to early Byzantine churches: basilical layouts, mosaic floors, apses, and chancel screens. Since no single fourth-century synagogue had an apse or chancel screen in its repertoire of furnishings, a reform must have taken place, which ultimately enhanced the synagogue. It has long been held that this change had originated under the influence of the growing Christian population in the Holy Land. Examining the nature of early Christian liturgical practice throws light on these changes to synagogues. For the focal point of the early Christian basilica, the altar in the sanctuary, separated from the hall by a chancel screen, was adapted by these Jewish communities. By placing the Torah Shrine in the apse of synagogues, the sacred nature of the Five Books of Moses was glorified. In focusing on the apse and niche it is suggested that rather than a positive influence toward the Jews, the deeply-rooted rivalry between Christianity and Judaism was the main implement for change. Jewish leaders built synagogues with apses and chancel screens to amplify and venerate the most important object in the hall - the Torah Scrolls - kept in the Torah Ark. Unlike earlier buildings, the Torah Shrine was set in the same position as the altar in churches, in the apse. Renovating interiors, changes to entrances, and new types of furnishings in synagogues were the physical changes to this institution which reflect the impact of Christian art on synagogues.


Abstract. Large lakes and reservoirs play important roles in modulating regional
hydrological cycles and climate; however, their representations in coupled
models remain uncertain. The existing lake module in the Weather Research and
Forecasting (WRF) system (hereafter WRF-Lake), although widely used, did not
accurately predict temperature profiles in deep lakes mainly due to its poor
lake surface property parameterizations and underestimation of heat transfer
between lake layers. We therefore revised WRF-Lake by improving its
(1) numerical discretization scheme; (2) surface property parameterization;
(3) diffusivity parameterization for deep lakes; and (4) convection scheme,
the outcome of which became WRF-rLake (i.e., revised lake model). We
evaluated the off-line WRF-rLake by comparing simulated and measured water
temperature at the Nuozhadu Reservoir, a deep reservoir in southwestern
China. WRF-rLake performs better than its predecessor by reducing the
root-mean-square error (RMSE) against observed lake surface temperatures
(LSTs) from 1.4 to 1.1 ∘C and consistently improving simulated
vertical temperature profiles. We also evaluated the sensitivity of simulated
water temperature and surface energy fluxes to various modeled lake
processes. We found (1) large changes in surface energy balance fluxes (up to
60 W m−2) associated with the improved surface property
parameterization and (2) that the simulated lake thermal structure depends
strongly on the light extinction coefficient and vertical diffusivity.
Although currently only evaluated at the Nuozhadu Reservoir, we expect that
these model parameterization and structural improvements could be general and
therefore recommend further testing at other deep lakes and reservoirs.


The research described in this paper is performed as part of the Globus Project. It introduces a new grid service called InfoGram that combines the ability of serving as information service and as a job execution service. Previously, both services were architected and implemented within the Globus Toolkit as two different services with different wire protocols. Our service demonstrates a significant simplification of the architecture while treating job submissions and information queries alike. The advantage of our service is that it provides backwards compatibility to existing grid services, while at the same time providing forwards compatibility to the emerging Web services world. Part of the work conducted within this effort is already reused by the current open grid services architecture prototype implementation.


In this chapter, we discuss the processes whereby northern varieties of English became recognised and evaluated as distinct from others. The theoretical framework for the chapter will be that of indexicality and enregisterment, the latter term defined by Agha as a set of "processes through which a linguistic repertoire becomes differentiable within a language as a socially recognisable register of forms" (2003: 231). After outlining this framework and its implications for historical sociolinguistics, we provide a diachronic account of evidence for the enregisterment of northern varieties from the fourteenth century onwards. The chapter concludes with a case study of the enregisterment of Yorkshire dialects in the nineteenth century, based on a corpus of dialect literature, literary dialect and metalinguistic comment.


A strong movement towards openness has seized science. Open data and methods, open source software, Open Access, open reviews, and open research platforms provide the legal and technical solutions to new forms of research and publishing. However, publishing reproducible research is still not common practice. Reasons include a lack of incentives and a missing standardized infrastructure for providing research material such as data sets and source code together with a scientific paper. Therefore we first study fundamentals and existing approaches. On that basis, our key contributions are the identification of core requirements of authors, readers, publishers, curators, as well as preservationists and the subsequent description of an executable research compendium (ERC). It is the main component of a publication process providing a new way to publish and access computational research. ERCs provide a new standardisable packaging mechanism which combines data, software, text, and a user interface description. We discuss the potential of ERCs and their challenges in the context of user requirements and the established publication processes. We conclude that ERCs provide a novel potential to find, explore, reuse, and archive computer-based research.


A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Mobile Telecommunications and Innovation.


It has been demonstrated in a number of robotic areas how the use of virtual fixtures improves task performance both in terms of execution time and overall precision, [1]. However, the fixtures are typically inflexible, resulting in a degraded performance in cases of unexpected obstacles or incorrect fixture models. In this paper, we propose the use of adaptive virtual fixtures that enable us to cope with the above problems. A teleoperative or human machine collaborative setting is assumed with the core idea of dividing the task, that the operator is executing, into several subtasks. The operator may remain in each of these subtasks as long as necessary and switch freely between them. Hence, rather than executing a predefined plan, the operator has the ability to avoid unforeseen obstacles and deviate from the model. In our system, the probability that the user is following a certain trajectory (subtask) is estimated and used to automatically adjusts the compliance. Thus, an on-line decision of how to fixture the movement is provided.


The article provides an overview of intra-party candidate selection methods. It explains the significance of candidate selection and presents two main elements that distinguish between candidate selection methods: the inclusiveness of the selectorate and the level of their centralization. After examining the different methods used in several established and new democracies, it outlines their political consequences and suggests a way to design an optimally balanced method. Although methods of candidate selection have received surprisingly little study by political scientists, they merit the attention of students of democracy everywhere.