Background : to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and cost/utility when using predictors of response in a real-life cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with rituximab and followed for one year. A recently reported pharmacogenetic predictor of response was included. Methods : this was a retrospective study in patients with established RA. The goal of this study was to understand the possible economic usefulness of the predictors of response in RA treated with rituximab. Information on QoL was collected at baseline, at month +6 and +12. Cost/QoL gained were also derived. Rheumatoid factor, number of TNF blockers previously failed (positive predictors) and the -174 CC interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter genotype (negative predictor) were considered as predictive factors of response to rituximab. Results : 66 patients (54 females, 12 males) with RA were treated with rituximab at standard regimen. Retreatment with rituximab was given at clinical relapse. Rituximab was generally used after failure of anti-TNFalpha agents (81.8%). 96 courses of rituximab were administered during 12 months. Cost/QoL gained was € 56 589.50 at month +12. Patients carrying predictors (≥2 out of 3) (28/66 patients) showed a cost/QoL gained of € 44 279.10 at month +12. Thirty-four courses of rituximab were administered in this group (1.21±0.42). Patients without predictors (≤1 out of 3) (38/66 patients) showed a cost/QoL gained of € 66 769.23 at month +12. 62 courses of rituximab were administered in this group (1.63±0.59). The number of courses of rituximab during one year significantly differed between the two groups (p=0.003). Conclusion : predictors of response to rituximab selected those patients who need a lesser amount of rituximab during the first year after treatment. Cost/utility of rituximab in established RA may be optimized by using predictors of response, possibly including pharmacogenetic markers.


A central goal of the federal legal system for food is to ensure the integrity of representations made by sellers of food about their products. To achieve transparency, the law of food deploys three different kinds of regulatory strategies: prohibitions against fraud, compelled disclosures, and constraints on discretionary disclosures. Collectively, these constraints create an enormous legal structure governing representations about the food we eat. Nevertheless, the transparency achieved by law is only partial, and indeed sometimes serves only to conceal a lie. Resource limits at federal agencies charged with regulating food hollow out enforcement programs aimed at false or misleading representations. Regulatory fragmentation ensures that agencies with very different cultures and missions preside, confusingly, over the transparency of the food system. Lopsided participation by food producers before the agencies works distortions in rules on mandatory disclosures. In these ways, the existing legal system for food fails to deliver the transparency it seems to promise. Moreover, the existing legal system does not even try to achieve the level of food-related awareness that many in the contemporary food movement would desire, awareness that would entail knowledge about the environmental, animal welfare, and human labor consequences of our food supply. I propose three ideas for improving understanding of our food supply: allowance of citizen suits under federal food laws, frank acknowledgment by federal agencies that they cannot adequately enforce these laws, and a good deal more skepticism on the part of consumers toward the reliability and credibility of representations made to them about their food.


ing and Indexing The Journal is indexed by: Biofuels Abstracts (CABI); Biotechnology Citation Index (Thomson ISI); CAB Abstracts® (CABI); CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service (ACS); Current


Robert Pfaller has argued that glamour has declined in the public space of Western societies in response to calls for more authenticity voiced in the cultural revolution of 1968. Among the urban middle class in post-Soviet Russia, in contrast, glamour continues to serve as an ideological representation of power. Helped by glamour ideology, status rituals banned from official discourse throughout the Soviet era have gone from "collective repressed" to cultural imperative. Based on interviews with three generations of women in Yekaterinburg and in and near Moscow, the article analyzes glamour as a micro-mechanism of power (Foucault). For women socialized under Stalin, elegance under conditions of scarcity was a matter of inventiveness. For the Khrushchev generation, glamour is related to normative notions of taste, status, and femininity. For young urban professionals today, dress is a tool for achieving professional and private goals.


Isotopic methods offer great potential for partitioning trace gas fluxes such as soil respiration into their different source contributions. Traditional partitioning methods face challenges due to variability introduced by different measurement methods, fractionation effects, and end‐member uncertainty. To address these challenges, we describe a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) approach for isotopic partitioning of soil respiration that directly accommodates such variability. We apply our HB method to data from an experiment conducted in a shortgrass steppe ecosystem, where decomposition was previously shown to be stimulated by elevated CO2. Our approach simultaneously fits Keeling plot (KP) models to observations of soil or soil‐respired δ13C and [CO2] obtained via chambers and gas wells, corrects the KP intercepts for apparent fractionation (Δ) due to isotope‐specific diffusion rates and/or method artifacts, estimates method‐ and treatment‐specific values for Δ, propagates end‐member uncertainty, and calculates proportional contributions from two distinct respiration sources ("old" and "new" carbon). The chamber KP intercepts were estimated with greater confidence than the well intercepts and compared to the theoretical value of 4.4‰, our results suggest that Δ varies between 2 and 5.2‰ depending on method (chambers versus wells) and CO2 treatment. Because elevated CO2 plots were fumigated with 13C‐depleted CO2, the source contributions were tightly constrained, and new C accounted for 64% (range = 55–73%) of soil respiration. The contributions were less constrained for the ambient CO2 treatments, but new C accounted for significantly less (47%, range = 15–82%) of soil respiration. Our new HB partitioning approach contrasts our original analysis (higher contribution of old C under elevated CO2) because it uses additional data sources, accounts for end‐member bias, and estimates apparent fractionation effects.


CHARACTERIZATION, FUNCTIONALIZATION AND APPLICATIONS OF ALKYL MONOLAYERS ON SILICON SURFACES Guilin Jiang Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Doctor of Philosophy Investigations were performed on the stability, mechanism of formation and an application of alkyl monolayers chemomechanically prepared on silicon surfaces. A new method of surface modification, laser-activation modification of surfaces (LAMS), and multivariate analyses of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) images of LAMS spots were also reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and other data show that alkyl monolayers prepared by scribing silicon under 1-iodoalkanes and 1-alkenes were stable over extended periods of time to air, water, a boiling acid and Al Kα X-rays. The stability is attributed to direct Si-C bonding in the monolayers. The observation that the oxygen signals gradually increased and the iodine signals gradually decreased, with both finally reaching plateaus is attributed to the oxidation of exposed silicon by scribing, and the hydrolysis of Si-I bonds, respectively. In alkyl monolayers prepared with 1-alcohols, the carbon signals decreased about 50% after two 1-h immersions in a boiling acid, suggesting unstable Si-O bonding. In the analogous experiment of grinding silicon with alkyl halides, the expected free-radical combination and disproportionation byproducts were observed. This observation provides evidence for the mechanism previously proposed for alkyl monolayer formation on silicon by chemomechanically scribing. Miniaturized sample supports for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) were made on hydrophobic silicon or glass surfaces by scribing. With these sample supports, improved MALDI-MS signal intensities and reproducibilities were achieved for a test peptide, as expected. A new and promising method for surface modification, LAMS, was developed. XPS and ToF-SIMS analyses show that both silicon and germanium were effectively modified by LAMS with even quite inert compounds. This technique was also used to make miniaturized MALDI-MS sample supports. Compared to scribing, LAMS is faster and can be more precisely controlled. Multivariate analyses, automated expert spectral image analysis (AXSIA) and principal component analysis (PCA), were used in interpreting ToF-SIMS images of silicon surfaces modified with 1-alkenes by LAMS. Both analyses show that modified and unmodified areas are chemically different.


Co-channel speech, which occurs in monaural audio recordings of two or more overlapping talkers, poses a great challenge for automatic speech applications. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance, in particular, has been shown to degrade significantly in the presence of a competing talker. In this paper, assuming a known target talker scenario, we present two different masking strategies based on speaker verification to alleviate the impact of the competing talker (a.k.a. masker) interference on ASR performance. In the first approach, frame-level speaker verification likelihoods are used as reliability measures that control the degree to which each frame contributes to the Viterbi search, while in the second approach time-frequency (T-F) level speaker verification scores form soft masks for speech separation. Effectiveness of the two strategies, both individually and in combination, are evaluated in the context of ASR tasks with speech mixtures at various signal-to-interference ratios (SIR), ranging from 6 dB to -9 dB. Experimental results indicate efficacy of the proposed speaker verification based solutions in mitigating the impact of the competing talker interference on ASR performance. Combination of the two masking techniques yields reductions as large as 43% in word error rate.


Background: Menstrual cycle abnormalities have been considered a common occurrence during puberty. Numerous earlier studies have analyzed the various patterns seen in the epidemiological data regarding menstrual cycle of adolescent girls. But there is dearth of data from Rohilkhand region of central UP state. Aims: To find out the abnormal menstrual patterns among adolescent girls in Bareilly city. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study conducted by presenting a pre-designed and pre-tested self administered questionnaire, containing questions pertaining to menstrual practices and knowledge to 994 adolescent girls of urban schools in Bareilly city. Results: Mean age of menarche was 13.11±0.95 years. 6.07% girls in the study reported cycles of abnormal lengths. This subset also had significantly higher prevalence of irregularity. Presence of irregular menses beyond 3 gynaecological years diminished the possibility of their regularization in near future. Among the girls with excessive dysmenorrhea, nearly 1/3rd had associated menstrual disturbances also. Conclusion: Incidence of irregular menstrual cycle was 20.75% and it was significantly more in oligomennorheic cycles. Among normal menstrual cycles also, presence of IMC was significantly more in adolescents having mild oligomennorhea. 6.07% of girls reported abnormal cycle lengths. 77.70% reported dysmennorhea. Chances of menstrual cycles getting regularized after 5 years of menarchy are minimal. Adequate knowledge regarding abnormal variations in the menstrual cycle pattern during adolescence may permit implementation of strategies for preventing potential reproductive and other health morbidities in adulthood.


AlkB and its human homologue AlkBH2 are Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent oxygenases that repair alkylated DNA bases occurring as a consequence of reactions with mutagenic agents. We used molecular dynamics (MD) and combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods to investigate how structural dynamics influences the selectivity and mechanisms of the AlkB- and AlkBH2-catalyzed demethylation of 3-methylcytosine (m3C) in single (ssDNA) and double (dsDNA) stranded DNA. Dynamics studies reveal the importance of the flexibility in both the protein and DNA components in determining the preferences of AlkB for ssDNA and of AlkBH2 for dsDNA. Correlated motions, including of a hydrophobic β-hairpin, are involved in substrate binding in AlkBH2–dsDNA. The calculations reveal that 2OG rearrangement prior to binding of dioxygen to the active site Fe is preferred over a ferryl rearrangement to form a catalytically productive Fe(IV)=O intermediate. Hydrogen atom transfer proceeds via a σ-channel in AlkBH2–dsDNA and AlkB–dsDNA; in AlkB–ssDNA, there is a competition between σ- and π-channels, implying that the nature of the complexed DNA has potential to alter molecular orbital interactions during the substrate oxidation. Our results reveal the importance of the overall protein–DNA complex in determining selectivity and how the nature of the substrate impacts the mechanism.


Summary and Conclusions
From these studies it is apparent that the question of histoplasmin sensitivity and its relationship to pulmonary calcification is one which may be of great importance in one locality and of no importance in another; and also that some factors of climate and physical geography must be of great significance in the epidemiology of histoplasmin sensitivity.
Our studies show that there is a wide variation in the prevalence of sensitivity from one area to another within the State of Tennessee and in neighboring states (7). Indeed, the extensive studies reported by Palmer (27) and by Prior and Allen (29) showed that there was in other states a similar variability.
Furthermore, the wide variation in sensitivity observed in our studies in students from different states shows that the variation is in relation to a fairly definite geographic focus and is suggestive of an infectious agent existing commonly in an area where climatic factors favor its propagation. Indeed, throughout these studies wherever histoplasmin sensitivity is high, pulmonary calcification is also high. A similar relationship has been recognized in the problem of coccidioidomycosis, an infection in which sharply delimited foci of propagation and infection have been demonstrated.
The examination of the geographic pattern of histoplasmin sensitivity is of interest because it gives some indication of the relative presence or absence of the infection in a given area.
Our own experience and that of others in different parts of the world with histoplasmin for a skin testing material is herein summarized. The use of the test as an epidemiologic index of infection with H. capsulatum is suggested. It is evident that these studies point out the need for skin testing with tuberculin as well as other fungous antigens in areas where pulmonary calcification is prevalent in nonreactors to tuberculin or where healed or healing pulmonary esions do not reveal tubercle bacilli or other causative organisms.


Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) are a group of autoimmune disorders including Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) and renal-limited vasculitis (RLV). This paper reviews updated information on the pathogenesis of AAV. Additional clinical evidence for a pathogenic role of ANCA comes from the observation that patients with severe acute renal failure treated with plasma exchange had a lower risk for progression to end-stage renal disease than patients who received intravenous methylprednisolone therapy, both in addition to standard treatment. Recent data also suggest that antibodies to complementary proteinase-3 (cPR3), probably cross-reacting with plasminogen, may induce PR3-ANCA. Furthermore, a new ANCA, directed against human lysosome membrane protein-2 (LAMP-2), concurrent with PR3-ANCA or MPO-ANCA, was described as a sensitive and specific marker for renal AAV. In vitro, ANCA can further activate primed neutrophils to release reactive oxygen species and lytic enzymes, and, in conjunction with neutrophils, damage and lyse endothelial cells. In vivo, transfer of splenocytes from myeloperoxidase-deficient mice immunized with mouse myeloperoxidase into wild-type mice resulted in pauci-immune systemic vasculitis. A similar experiment in PR3-deficient mice did not cause significant vasculitic lesions. In the anti-MPO induced vasculitis mouse model, a critical role of complement activation was suggested. The anti- LAMP-2 antibody can also induce pauci-immune necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis in rats. Rats developed both cross-reactive antibodies to LAMP-2 and crescentic glomerulonephritis when immunized with FimH, an adhesin from Gram-negative bacteria which has strong homology with human LAMP-2. Together, clinical, in vitro and in vivo data support a pathogenic role for ANCA in AAV, although this role is more evident for myeloperoxidase-ANCA than for PR3-ANCA. The role of anti- LAMP-2 requires further studies.


This Ph.D. by Publication comprises my short story collection, Any Other Mouth, along with a reflective and critical exegesis, which examines what I have termed the hybrid memoir. The term describes memoiristic texts that contain significant transgressions from the conventional memoir genre. As well as discussing the definition and its implications, this exegesis demonstrates that Any Other Mouth represents an original contribution to knowledge in the way that it engages and experiments with the hybrid memoir form.

In Part One, I define the term hybrid memoir, and explain why my definition differs to that of author/academic Natalia Rachel Singer, who in 2004 was the first person to suggest a definition for the term. With reference to Chris N. van der Merwe and Hein Viljoen (2007) and Vanessa Guignery (Eds. Guignery, Pesso-Miquel, & Specq, 2011), I discuss hybridity as a literary concept, and state that texts that occupy 'liminal' spaces can be transformative. By way of contrast, I clarify what is meant by a conventional (non-hybrid) memoir, using a definition by Thomas G. Couser (2011). I mention the problems encountered in producing the hybrid memoir definition, but argue that in spite of such complexities, I believe the term to be a useful tool for thinking about certain texts.

In Part Two, I discuss the rising popularity of hybrid memoirs, using David Shield's (2011) Reality Hunger: A Manifesto as a starting point. I note the limitations of Shield's work, but propose that it nonetheless provides a key resource in my discussion. I describe some of the significant transgressions from the conventional memoir genre that take place in Any Other Mouth, and also Dave Eggers's (2007) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and David Vann's (2009) Legend of a Suicide. I explain that these works provide
helpful comparisons to my own book, due to their hybrid forms and their explorations of filial bereavement. In relation to all three texts, I examine how the hybrid memoir provides authors with new opportunities for self-expression. Building on research carried out by Leigh Gilmore (2001), Elise Miller (2011), and Katarzyna Malecka (2015), I look at how trauma caused by filial bereavement can manifest in the hybrid memoir at a structural and linguistic level. I explore how hybrid memoirs can enable bereaved authors to effectively portray their emotions, and posit that the writing process can help transform grief.

The exegesis concludes by using Patricia Leavy's (2014) text Method Meets Art to establish why I view my creative work as a practice-based methodology, and I discuss how my creative practice continues to engage with my research. After emphasising how important writing Any Other Mouth has been for me, I explain the limitations of my research, and identify areas where further research could be undertaken by others in the field.


Quadrupedal gait in humans, also known as Unertan syndrome, is a rare phenotype associated with dysarthric speech, mental retardation, and varying degrees of cerebrocerebellar hypoplasia. Four large consanguineous kindreds from Turkey manifest this phenotype. In two families (A and D), shared homozygosity among affected relatives mapped the trait to a 1.3-Mb region of chromosome 9p24. This genomic region includes the VLDLR gene, which encodes the very low-density lipoprotein receptor, a component of the reelin signaling pathway involved in neuroblast migration in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Sequence analysis of VLDLR revealed nonsense mutation R257X in family A and single-nucleotide deletion c2339delT in family D. Both these mutations are predicted to lead to truncated proteins lacking transmembrane and signaling domains. In two other families (B and C), the phenotype is not linked to chromosome 9p. Our data indicate that mutations in VLDLR impair cerebrocerebellar function, conferring in these families a dramatic influence on gait, and that hereditary disorders associated with quadrupedal gait in humans are genetically heterogeneous.


Today´s information society is constantly increasing the quantity of digital information that organisations have access to and depend on. Despite this dependency, few descriptions exist of the benefits which this digital information can provide the organisation with. Examples of what the organisation can use the information for include business intelligence or in a business process. The absence of such benefit descriptions results in missed opportunities in organisational management and a failure to cultivate the artefact. In terms of a practical operational work role, this means that the artefact just exists and that there are no decisions, communication and discussions connected to it. Earlier research about benefits in the Information Systems field is focused on describing the process of finding benefit factors from different IT investments and how these investments can be measured financially. The result of this was that it was only the measurable benefits that were taken into consideration. Later benefit management research has shown interest in the intangible benefit factors as well and added this as an activity in the evaluation process. Today´s view is that the benefit consists both of tangible and intangible benefit factors. This thesis emphasises benefit factors found by means of qualitative research in organisations producing Technical Information (TI). TI isinformation connected to goods and services and is a part of a product. The intangible benefit factors found which are connected to TI are semantic interoperability and knowledge. Semantic interoperability is beneficial both for the organisation and the individuals – in the first case exemplified by a uniform working process and in the second as efficiency in the internal communication. Knowledge also provides benefit both to the organisation and the individuals – the organisation can operate without depending on certain individuals and information gives the individuals mobility in their profession.The next part in the thesis discusses information management´simpact on benefit factors. In the case of an autocratic approach, it is the organisation that benefits most, whereas a decentralised management style provides the individual co-workers with a greater number of benefit factors. This proves that information management is an important and decisive ingredient, and that it affects benefit factors.One step in the direction of converting the intangible benefit factors into tangible ones is to visualise them. In this work the theoreticallens provided by a boundary object has been used. This lens adds a qualitative view on cross-boundary information and has efficiency approaches. These approaches are the syntactical, semantic andpragmatic. Via interpretations from the thesis´s two empirical cases, those approaches are "measured" by interpretations and visualised by the three leaves of a clover. This gives the opportunity to describewhat information efficiency, in this case connected to a positiveexpectation, can contribute to the organisation or the individuals. By this procedure, different cases or time aspects can be compared,thereby providing a basis for decision-making, communication and discussion. Future research in this area can be made in different directions – one is to investigate whether the intangible benefit factors can be turned into measurable ones. In this way, the internal organisation can be provided with better knowledge of the digital information's impact. Another research direction is to investigate how the passage of time affects the benefit factors that digital information gives the organisation.


Strong coupling among external voltage, electrochemical potentials, concentrations of electronic and ionic species, and strains is a ubiquitous feature of solid statemixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIECs), the materials of choice in devices ranging from electroresistive and memristive elements to ion batteries and fuel cells. Here, we analyze in detail the electromechanical coupling mechanisms and derive generalized bias-concentration-strain equations for MIECs including contributions of concentration-driven chemical expansion, deformation potential, and flexoelectric effect. This analysis is extended toward the bias-induced strains in the uniform and scanning-probe-microscopy-like geometries. Notably, the contribution of the electron-phonon and flexoelectric coupling to the local surface displacement of the mixed ionic-electronic conductor caused by the electric field scanning probe microscope tip has not been considered previously. The developed thermodynamic approach allows evolving the theoretical description of mechanical phenomena induced by the electric fields (electromechanical response) in solid state ionics toward analytical theory and phase-field modeling of the MIECs in different geometries and under varying electrical, chemical, and mechanical boundary conditions.


Abstract. In this paper, we introduced a recently developed image-based model alignment technique for 3D reconstruction of large-scale indoor corridors. The proposed participatory model alignment technique enables crowd source single image-based modeling since it allows various participants to incorporate their images taken from different cameras for large-scale indoor mapping. This technique is robust against changes of camera orientation and prevents miss-association of a newly generated 3D model to the previously integrated models. To investigate the possibility of aligning two individual 3D models, their respective corridor topological graphs must match, and they need to geometrically transform into the same object space. Here 3D affine transformation is applied, and the transformation parameters are estimated through corresponding vertices of both 3D models. Having integrated two models in the same 3D space, they will be back projected into the image space for evaluation using Direct Linear Transformation. Note that the proposed method performs layout model matching in image space and considers information including layout topology and geometry as well as image information to address model alignment. The advantages of using layout information in the proposed alignment technique are twofold. First, a metric constraint is imposed to insure topological model consistency and balance 3D models scale issues. Second, it will reduce alignment ambiguity related to indoor corridor scenes, where the scene is enriched with multiple structural elements including various corridors junctions. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, we have performed the experiments on a data set collected from Ross building corridors at York University. This dataset includes single images captured by a handheld wide-angle camera. The obtained results present the ability of the proposed method in alignment of single image-based 3D models while producing limited geometric errors.


Abstract Abrupt lateral changes in thrust geometry occur in many fold-and-thrust belts along so-called transverse zones, commonly related to pre-existing basement faults. However, the causative structures are usually concealed. We analyse here the Traligill Transverse Zone in the Assynt Culmination of the Caledonian Moine Thrust Belt, NW Scotland. This transverse zone trends sub-parallel to the WNW transport direction and is associated with en echelon faults cutting thrusts, discontinuity of thrust architecture and oblique fold-and-thrust structures. Thick thrust sheets north of the Transverse Zone contain thick basement slices; thrust sheets to the south are thin and involve a thin-bedded sequence. The Traligill Transverse Zone developed above the Loch Assynt Fault, a basement cross-fault, and reactivated Proterozoic ductile shearzone. Piercing point analysis shows that the cross-fault was active both before and after thrusting. Thrusting thus affected strata that were already disrupted by steep faults. The amplitude of the disturbance in fold-and-thrust architecture along the Traligill Transverse Zone is much greater than the vertical displacement along the fault; this is attributed to localized transpressional thrust-stacking. Other basement cross-faults and their relationship with lateral variations within the Moine Thrust Belt and in other thrust belts are discussed.


Uncontrolled spreading of waste materials leads to health problems and environmental damage. To prevent these problems a waste management infrastructure has been set to collect and dispose of the waste, based on a hierarchy of three principles: waste prevention, recycling/reuse, and final disposal. Final disposal is the least desirable as it causes massive emissions, to the atmosphere, water bodies and the subsoil. The emission of methane to the atmosphere is an important source of greenhouse gasses. Organic waste therefore gets a lot of attention in waste management, which for Europe can be illustrated by the issue of the Landfill Directive (99/31/EC) and the Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278/EEC) Proper treatment of organic waste may however turn this burden into an asset. In particular, biological treatment may help in developing more effective resource management and sustainable development. The following advantages may be listed: - The greenhouse effect is tackled as methane emissions from landfilling are prevented - Soil quality can be restored or enhanced by the use of compost in agriculture - Compost may replace peat in horticulture and home gardening, reducing greenhouse emissions and wetland exploitation - Anaerobic digestion has the additional benefit of producing biogas that may be used as a fuel - Pesticide use can be reduced by proper use of the disease suppressive properties of compost As a result of this linkage of the field of waste management to the societal production system at large, there is a need of involvement of many different disciplines, not only natural sciences but also economical, policital and management sciences, product specialists, etc. Although most people involved will agree with such a statement, in practice we still see a lot of fragmentation. As an example there is still insufficient exchange between agronomist working with compost and technologist working with the composting process. Resource Recovery and Reuse in Organic Solid Waste Management disseminates at advanced scientific level the potential of environmental biotechnology for the recovery and reuse of products from solid waste. Several options to recover energy out of organic solid waste from domestic, agricultural and industrial origin are presented and discussed and existing economically feasible treatment systems that produce energy out of solid waste and recover useful by-products in the form of fertiliser or soil conditioner are demonstrated. The potential of environmental biotechnology is highlighted from different perspectives: societal, technological and practical.


Stumpwood attracts renewed interest due to increased use of forest biomass for bioenergy. In Nordic countries stumps are generally uprooted with crawler excavators, which have strong cranes (ca. 400 kNm gross lift torque), but are not designed for moving in forest terrain. Their use is based on practical experience with available and tested machine types rather than thorough examinations of requirements, partly due to limited knowledge of force requirements for uprooting of stumps. Therefore, in this work mean and maximum forces required to vertically uproot stumps of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and birch (Betula spp.) were quantified together with the effects of various soil types and uprooting methods. The used excavator's crane-mounted uprooting device enabled comparisons between usage of solely crane force, and a method in which preparatory loosening forces were applied prior to crane force. Uprooting stumps in single pieces proved difficult; 61% split unintentionally. Force requirements were similar across tree species, increasing curve-linearly with stump diameter, and stumps uprooted in a single piece required more force than split stumps. Preparatory loosening reduced crane force requirements and, surprisingly, less force was required to uproot stumps from a mesic, till soil than from a moist, finer-textured soil. No stump required more than 60 kN crane force and functions for maximum force requirements indicate that powerful harvesters and forwarders (gross crane lifting capacity of 273 and 155 kNm, respectively) should be able to uproot all stumps with ≤ 61 cm and ≤ 32 cm diameter, respectively, in one piece. Larger stumps could be managed if it is acceptable that stumps are split before uprooting.


The present paper is an attempt to analyze the conversation sections of English Result Series from the pragmatic dimension of language functions and speech acts. For this purpose, all conversations from all four levels (elementary, intermediate, pre-intermediate, and upper-intermediate) of the books were selected and two pragmatic models of Halliday (1975) and Searle (1976) were applied to analyze them. The results showed that the conversations in these textbooks are not pragmatically efficient with regard to language functions and speech acts. Finally, some implications for teachers, material developers, and textbook designers were proposed.


In this paper we modeled the effects that dominant people might induce on the nonverbal behavior (speech energy and body motion) of the other meeting participants using Granger causality technique. Our initial hypothesis that more dominant people have generalized higher influence was not validated when using the DOME-AMI corpus as data source. However, from the correlational analysis some interesting patterns emerged: contradicting our initial hypothesis dominant individuals are not accounting for the majority of the causal flow in a social interaction. Moreover, they seem to have more intense causal effects as their causal density was significantly higher. Finally dominant individuals tend to respond to the causal effects more often with complementarity than with mimicry.


Summary The rates of urine flow and the plasma fluoride concentrations were measured in anesthetized rats receiving continuous infusions of graded levels of fluoride in isotonic solutions. Infusion of 500 nmoles of fluoride/min produced the maximum diuresis, three times the mean control urine flow rate, and a plasma fluoride concentration of 272 μM. The 100 nmoles/min fluoride infusion rate produced an 80% increase in urine flow rate with a plasma fluoride concentration of 56 μM. These findings are consistent with estimates made for man and with the suggestion that the nephrotoxicity following methoxyflurane anesthesia is at least in part due to metabolism of methoxyflurane to inorganic fluoride.


How do offshoring and immigration affect the employment of native workers? What kinds of jobs suffer, or benefit, most from the competition created by offshore and immigrant workers? In contrast to the existing literature that has mostly looked at the effects of offshoring and immigration separately, we argue that one can gain useful insights by jointly investigating the interactions among native, immigrant and offshore workers. We develop our argument in three steps. First, we present some new facts on 58 U.S. manufacturing industries from 2000 to 2007. Second, we build on Grossman and Rossi-Hansberg (2008) to design a model of task assignment among heterogeneous native, immigrant and offshore workers that fits those facts. Third, we use the model to draw systematic predictions about the effects of immigration and offshoring on native workers and we test these predictions on the data. We find that, within the manufacturing sector, immigrants do not compete much with natives, as these two groups of workers are relatively specialized in tasks at opposite ends of the skill intensity spectrum. Offshore workers, on the other hand, seem to be specialized in tasks of intermediate skill intensity. We also find that offshoring has no effect on native employment in the aggregate, while the effect of immigration on native employment is positive. This hints at the presence of a "productivity effect" whereby offshoring and immigration improve industry efficiency, thereby creating new jobs.


Science and Football V presents the edited papers from the Fifth World Congress on Science and Football that took place in Portugal in April 2003. The collection represents the latest scientific research into the variety of sports known as football such as association football; rugby codes (Union and League); national codes (American, Australian and Gaelic). A recurring theme for this series of conferences has been a commitment to bridge the gaps between theory and practice in the service of the promotion of high quality applied football science. The book is clearly structured into nine parts and focuses on the following key issues: * introductory keynote address * biomechanics and mechanics * fitness test profiling of footballers * performance and match analysis * football medicine * football training * paediatric exercise science * physiology and nutrition * behavioural and social sciences. This collection provides valuable information for coaches, players, trainers, managers, medical and support staff, and scientific workers concerned with the range of football codes.


Prices of academic journals have climbed enormously in the past two decades. This article explains the substantial barriers to entry that established journals enjoy. It points out that the Big Deal bundling that the large commercial publishers have adopted in the past few years creates a substantial additional strategic barrier to entry. We consider whether these bundling offers violate the antitrust laws and conclude that they may.


A rapid expansion of postgraduate courses in pharmacy practice has raised the issue of quality. An understanding of how pharmacists approach their learning is one factor that influences learning outcomes. It would, therefore, be of value to identify pharmacists' approaches to learning. This paper describes the approaches to learning on a postgraduate diploma/MSc course in pharmacy practice. The Approaches to Study Inventory was administered to a total of 103 pharmacists over a period of three years. Overall, the pharmacists demonstrated a high meaning orientation and low reproducing orientation, indicating a high quality of learning. This was supported by a consistently low negative attitude score. The surface approach increased significantly in 1993 and 1994 compared with 1992. This is difficult to interpret but may have been due to increased workload. The use of this instrument in combination with other methods of evaluation has allowed a good database to be built up for designing the future of the pharmacy practice course.


Numerical ventilation (NV) is a well-known problem that occurs when the volume of fluid method is used to model vessels with a bow that creates an acute entrance angle with the free surface, as is typical for both planing hulls and yachts. Numerical ventilation may be considered one of the main sources of error in numerical simulations of planning hulls and as such warrants an in-depth analysis. This paper sets out to bring together the available work, as well as performing its own investigation into the problem to develop a better understanding of numerical ventilation and present alternate solutions. Additionally, the success and impact of different approaches are presented in an attempt to help other researchers avoid and correct for numerical ventilation. Interface smearing caused by the simulation being unable to track the free surface is identified as the main source of numerical ventilation. This originates from the interface between the volume mesh and the prism layer mesh. This study investigates this interface, presenting a novel solution to prism layer meshing that was found to minimize numerical ventilation. Through the implementation of a modified high-resolution interface capture (HRIC) scheme and the correct mesh refinements, it is possible to minimize the impact of numerical ventilation to a level that will not affect the results of a simulation and is acceptable for engineering applications.


Human motion recognition has been extensively increased in recent years due to its importance in a wide range of applications, such as human-computer interaction, intelligent surveillance, augmented reality, content-based video compression and retrieval, etc. However, it is still regarded as a challenging task especially in realistic scenarios. It can be seen as a general machine learning problem which requires an effective human motion representation and an efficient learning method. In this work, we introduce a descriptor based on Laban Movement Analysis technique, a formal and universal language for human movement, to capture both quantitative and qualitative aspects of movement. We use Discrete Hidden Markov Model (DHMM) for training and classification motions. We improve the classification algorithm by proposing two DHMMs for each motion class to process the motion sequence in two different directions, forward and backward. Such modification allows avoiding the misclassification that can happen when recognizing similar motions. Two experiments are conducted. In the first one, we evaluate our method on a public dataset, the Microsoft Research Cambridge-12 Kinect gesture data set (MSRC-12) which is a widely used dataset for evaluating action/gesture recognition methods. In the second experiment, we build a dataset composed of 10 gestures (Introduce yourself, waving, Dance, move, turn left, turn right, stop, sit down, increase velocity, decrease velocity) performed by 20 persons. The evaluation of the system includes testing the efficiency of our descriptor vector based on LMA with basic DHMM method and comparing the recognition results of the modified DHMM with the original one. Experiment results demonstrate that our method outperforms most of existing methods that used the MSRC-12 dataset, and a near perfect classification rate in our dataset. Keywords—Human Motion Recognition, Motion representation, Laban Movement Analysis, Discrete Hidden Markov Model.


Methylation in DNA and chemical modification in histone proteins are the two most studied epigenetic mechanisms in plants. There exist low-throughput and high-throughput DNA methylation detection techniques in epigenetic research. In this study, touch-down polymerase chain reactions methylation sensitive-random amplified polymorphic DNA (TD-MSRAPD) technique was used to investigate cytosine methylation differences among three cotton varieties; Texas Marker 1 (TM-1), Pima 3-79 (3-79) and Maydos Yerlisi (MY), belonging to Gossypium hirsutum L., G. barbadense L., and G. herbaceum L., respectively. Genomic DNA samples extracted from the mature seeds of these varieties were treated with MspI, a relative methylation-insensitive restriction enzyme and HpaII, a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme before touch-down polymerase chain reactions. Among 16 oligonucleotide primers used, three primers (AT03, W15, and C08) resulted in methylation polymorphisms among three varieties. TD-MS-RAPD-PCR method was cost-effective, required a simple method and basic instrumentation, and could easily be performed in our laboratory with basic setup using a regular DNA thermal cycler and DNA gel electrophoresis system, however, the level of methylation polymorphisms detected with this method were very low in cotton. We concluded that the low level of polymorphisms among the three cotton species were probably due to low occurrences of CCGG sites within the cotton genome. We also noted that TDMS- RAPD-PCR method could be used in primary scanning studies in epigenetic research.


Absract All perilunate fracture-dislocations combine bone avulsions, ligament disruption and fractures in different forms. The most frequent pattern is the dorsal transscaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation. The reported risk of missed initial diagnosis in perilunate dislocations is as high as 20%. Concerning pathomechanics of the perilunate fracture-dislocation, it should be noted that most dorsal injuries usually result from a fall on the outstretched hand or motor vehicle accidents although other mechanisms are also mentioned. We describe here a case of dorsal trans-scaphoid trans-capitate perilunate fracture-dislocation together with posterior olecranon fracture-dislocation of the left upper extremity. To the best of the authors' knowledge, such a case with this concomitant elbow fracture-dislocation has not been previously reported in the literature.


This research deals with the modern and popular hybridization of chaotic dynamics and evolutionary computation. Unlike many research studies on the combination of chaos and metaheuristics, this paper focuses on the deeper insight into the population dynamics, specifically influence of chaotic sequences on the population diversity. The optimization algorithm performance was recorded as well. Experiments are focused on the extensive investigation of the different randomization schemes for the selection of individuals in a simple parameter adaptive Differential Evolution (DE) strategy: jDE algorithm. The jDE was driven by the nine different two-dimensional discrete chaotic systems, as the chaotic pseudo-random number generators. The population diversity and jDE convergence are recorded on the two-dimensional settings (10D and 30D) and 15 test functions from the CEC 2015 benchmark.


In this paper, we analyze the impact of transportation infrastructure quantity and quality on regional economic production. We exploit an extensive panel dataset on the German county level (N=401), expressing the capital value and condition of highways between 2007 and 2016, to estimate a spatially extended translog production function. The spatial specification uses SLX and SDEM models, with various linear and nonlinear variants estimated using FGLS and GMM estimators accounting for endogeneity. We find, in line with existing research, a positive impact of the quantity of transport infrastructure both locally and supra-regionally. We furthermore provide evidence for the claim that insufficient maintenance and low infrastructure conditions significantly slow economic growth through a negative correlation between GDP and the quality grade of highways. A more detailed analysis, distinguishing different types of highways and constructions, confirms these findings and underlines the importance of the Bundesstrasen network as compared to the Autobahn system. The estimated impact of the quality of bridges is rather ambiguous and requires further research to achieve a better understanding.


Orthodox approaches to the dynamics of ecosystems and socio-cultural systems assume a one-way transition from an initial to a final state. Recent critiques, however, suggest more than two possible states, each a stage in a never-ending sequence of transitions. In the orthodox view, ecosystems and socio-cultural systems are simple (predictable, equilibrium-seeking, linear); in the critical view, they are complex (unpredictable, far from equilibrium, non-linear).

The aim of this paper is to test these two hypotheses by examining the responses of the human inhabitants of mountain regions to the changing environments in which they live. The conceptual framework is based in Cultural Theory, which posits a complex plurality of states, defined in terms of four 'myths of nature', each embodying a different set of assumptions about stability and change in nature. They can be described as Nature Benign (cf. individualism, neo-classical economics); Nature Ephemeral (cf. egalitarianism, the precautionary principle, Georgescu-Roegen's entropy principle, Schumacher's dictum 'small is beautiful'); Nature Perverse/Tolerant (cf. hierarchies, statutory regulation, sustainable development); and Nature Capricious (cf. fatalism: 'why bother').

This conceptual framework is applied to 'typical' Himalayan villages, the institutional systems in a 'typical' Swiss Alpine village, and the past seven centuries in the Swiss community of Davos. It is concluded that a simple model of unidirectional change does not explain the variety of institutional responses to either the biophysical or the socio-economic surprises which such mountain communities experience; a requisite variety of diverse institutional responses to surprise is always necessary.


This book is a collection of solutions to problems and answers to questions you are likely to encounter when writing real-world applications in Common Lisp. Written by an author who has used Common Lisp in many successful commercial projects over more than a decade, this book covers areas as diverse as web programming, databases, graphical user interfaces, integration with other programming languages, multi-threading, and mobile devices as well as debugging techniques and optimization, to name just a few. It is also the first Common Lisp book to tackle such advanced topics as environment access, logical pathnames, Gray streams, delivery of executables, pretty printing, setf expansions, or changing the syntax of Common Lisp. The book is organized around specific problems or questions each followed by ready-to-use example solutions and clear explanations of the concepts involved, plus pointers to alternatives and more information. Each recipe can be read independently of the others and thus the book will earn a special place on your bookshelf as a reference work you always want to have within reach. Common Lisp Recipes is aimed at programmers who are already familiar with Common Lisp to a certain extent but do not yet have the experience you typically only get from years of hacking in a specific computer language. It is written in a style that mixes hands-on no-frills pragmatism with precise information and prudent mentorship. If you feel attracted to Common Lisp's mix of breathtaking features and down-to-earth utilitarianism, you'll also like this book.


Digital transformation efforts in manufacturing companies bear the potential to reduce product costs and increase the flexibility of production systems. The semantic integration of data and information along the value chain enables the automated interpretation of interrelations between its different aspects such as product design, production process and manufacturing resources. These interrelations can be used to automatically generate semantic process descriptions and execute corresponding robot motions. An initial one-time effort to model the required knowledge of a particular application domain can make the manufacturing of high-variant products in small batches or even lot size one production more efficient.This paper introduces a knowledge-based digital engineering concept to automate engineering and production activities without human involvement. The concept was integrated and evaluated in a physical robot workcell where automotive fuse boxes are autonomously fitted with different fuse configurations.


This paper presents findings from research conducted in two primary schools in South Australia with New Arrivals Programs (NAPs). The paper draws upon two forms of data: questionnaires administered to teachers and ethnographic observations of children at play in the schoolyard. These data are used to examine two aspects of education for refugees and other migrants: (1) the assumption that English language acquisition is central to the "integration" of refugees and other newly arrived migrants (and both that integration is of key importance and that the work of integration must primarily be undertaken by refugees and other migrants, not the broader community); and (2) the impact of power differentials between NAP and non- NAP students in the use of playground spaces. We argue that the education provided to refugee and newly arrived migrant students in NAPs needs to move beyond treating English language acquisition as a requirement to "fit in," and we call for schools with high populations of refugee and migrant students to consider how spatial relations in their schools may be negatively impacting these student populations. Finally, the paper calls for an approach to education that is situated in global contexts of colonization and power relations, and in which the terms for inclusion of NAP students are mutually negotiated, rather than predetermined.


Invasive blood pressure measurement (IBP) using peripheral arteries is a commonly used technique in equine anaesthesia, although the accuracy has not been demonstrated. Non-invasive blood pressure monitoring (NIBP) may be indicated for field anesthesia, short procedures and foal anaesthesia. In the present report, the agreement of various IBP and NIBP measuring sites compared to carotid artery pressure was tested in anaesthetised experimental ponies. Six ponies were anaesthetised in lateral recumbency with sevoflurane and received either saline or dexmedetomidine boli followed by constant rate infusion (CRI). Invasive blood pressure measurements were obtained simultaneously from the carotid, facial and metatarsal arteries. NIBP measurements over both median arteries, metatarsal and middle coccygeal arteries were performed in random order. All blood pressure readings obtained were compared to carotid pressure by Bland-Altman analysis. Non-invasive blood pressure measurements had larger bias and poorer limits of agreement compared to IBP measurements. NIBP measurement from the coccygeal artery had the best repeatability and best limits of agreement of all NIBP positions and was not affected by the use of dexmedetomidine. The facial artery had smaller limits of agreement with dexmedetomidine treatment. There was no difference between the facial and metatarsal arteries during dexmedetomidine treatment in MAP and DAP. Systolic arterial pressures from the metatarsal artery showed larger bias and larger limits of agreement compared to facial artery. In conclusion, NIBP measurement from the tail artery is a reliable alternative to direct arterial blood pressure measurement. Both the metatarsal and facial arteries have acceptable agreement with carotid artery pressure so the choice can be based on the logistics of the procedure.


This paper proposes a framework for how empowerment can be conceptually understood and operationally explored. It makes recommendations for forthcoming areas of work within the POVNET Work Programme on empowering poor women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth. In responding to our terms of reference the authors have sought to introduce ideas and evidence from latest publications on this theme, combined with findings from our own research.


Donna M. Houston An Internship experience served in the Camden City Public Schools, Camden, N.J. 1998-99 University Mentor: Dr. Theodore B. Johnson Master of Arts in School Business Administration The purpose of this study was to determine whether the implementation of a computerized food service system would improve the present financial and management conditions of the district's food service department, by eliminating costly mistakes that repeatedly requires the district to repay monies to the government. During the initial stage of the project, food service directors from various school districts in New Jersey, were instructed to complete a survey to determine the effectiveness of using a computerized system. Data gathered from these districts indicated that the use of computers in school food service departments, can greatly enhance the management and operation of the department and ultimately provide the consumer (students) with excellent service and food while simultaneously satisfying state and federal guidelines. Thirty-three high school students responded to a questionnaire regarding their lunch time experiences associated with lunch tickets and the lunch lines. It was their opinion that the school cafeteria would be used more often if the embarrassing ticket system were eliminated. Since the ticket system that is currently used identifies the student as one who receives a free or reduced cost meal, students are reluctant to use the cafeteria services. A computerized system would eliminate this demeaning practice. Next, to ascertain the feasibility of computer usage in the schools' food service department, food service managers and high school students were surveyed. The food service manager survey was designed to make an assessment of their attitudes towards a plan to computerized the food service system. The responses of the the food service managers who were surveyed indicated that the majority felt that computer technology usage would significantly aid in enhancing their job performance and also improve their general attitude in the workplace. Upon completion of the study, the intern made following recommendations: (1) that the administration of the food service department make provisions to begin the implementation process of piloting a computerized food service department at one of the district's high schools during the 1999-2000 school year; and (2) extend the computerized program to all middle and high school food service programs during the following school term.


Early detection is imperative for successful control or eradication of invasive species, but many organisms are difficult to detect at the low abundances characteristic of recently introduced populations. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a promising invasive species surveillance tool for freshwaters, owing to its high sensitivity to detect aquatic species even when scarce. We report here a new eDNA assay for the globally invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774), with field validation in large lakes of western North America. We identified a candidate primer pair for the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene for C. fluminea. We tested it for specificity via qPCR assay against genomic DNA of the target species C. fluminea, and synthetic DNA gBlocks for other non-target species within and outside of the genus Corbicula. Our best identified primer amplifies a 208-bp fragment for C. fluminea and several closely related species within the genus, but was specific for these non-native Asian clams relative to native mollusks of western North America. We further evaluated this assay in application to eDNA water samples for the detection of C. fluminea from four lakes in California and Nevada, United States, where the species is known to occur (including Lake Tahoe) relative to seven lakes where it has never been observed. Our assay successfully detected C. fluminea in all four lakes with historic records for this species, and did not detect C. fluminea from the seven lakes without known populations. Further, the distribution of eDNA detections within Lake Tahoe generally matched the known, restricted distribution of C. fluminea in this large lake. We conclude from this successful field validation that our eDNA assay for C. fluminea will be useful for researchers and managers seeking to detect new introductions and potentially monitor population trends of this major freshwater invader and other closely related members of its genus.


ABSTRACT Kinetoplastid RNA editing is a posttranscriptional insertion and deletion of U residues in mitochondrial transcripts that involves RNA ligase. A complex of seven different polypeptides purified fromTrypanosoma brucei mitochondria that catalyzes accurate RNA editing contains RNA ligases of ∼57 kDa (band IV) and ∼50 kDa (band V). From a partial amino acid sequence, cDNA and genomic clones of band IV were isolated, making it the first cloned component of the minimal RNA editing complex. It is indeed an RNA ligase, for when expressed inEscherichia coli, the protein autoadenylylates and catalyzes RNA joining. Overexpression studies revealed that T. brucei can regulate of total band IV protein at the level of translation or protein stability, even upon massively increased mRNA levels. The protein's mitochondrial targeting was confirmed by its location, size when expressed in T. brucei and E. coli, and N-terminal sequence. Importantly, genetic knockout studies demonstrated that the gene for band IV is essential in procyclic trypanosomes. The band IV and band V RNA ligases of the RNA editing complex therefore serve different functions. We also identified the gene for band V RNA ligase, a protein much more homologous to band IV than to other known ligases.


The LHCb warm magnet[1] has been designed to provide an integrated field of 4 Tm for tracks coming from the primary vertex. To insure good momentum resolution of a few per mil, an accurate description of the magnetic field map is needed. This is achieved by combining the information from a TOSCA-based simulation and data from measurements. The paper presents the fit method applied to both the simulation and data to achieve the requirements. It also explains how the corresponding software tool is integrated in the LHCb Gaudi software and shows the relation with the environment in which it is used.


Radically faster synthesis Zeolite synthesis normally proceeds under basic conditions that allow the oxide bridges between aluminum and silicon atoms to break and reform. Feng et al. show that the formation of hydroxyl radicals, either by irradiation with ultraviolet light or with the Fenton reagent, can speed up the formation of the crystallized zeolite by about a factor of 2. Science, this issue p. 1188 Hydroxyl radicals generated with ultraviolet light or Fenton reagents can approximately double the rate of zeolite synthesis. In the hydrothermal crystallization of zeolites from basic media, hydroxide ions (OH–) catalyze the depolymerization of the aluminosilicate gel by breaking the Si,Al–O–Si,Al bonds and catalyze the polymerization of the aluminosilicate anions around the hydrated cation species by remaking the Si,Al–O–Si,Al bonds. We report that hydroxyl free radicals (•OH) are involved in the zeolite crystallization under hydrothermal conditions. The crystallization processes of zeolites—such as Na–A, Na–X, NaZ–21, and silicalite-1—can be accelerated with hydroxyl free radicals generated by ultraviolet irradiation or Fenton's reagent.


Background: Educational attainment and health are mutually reinforcing outcomes. Good health supports children in the achievement of academic milestones, such as grade-level reading, and is associated with higher socio-economic status, longer life expectancy, and lower lifelong chronic disease. Improving health outcomes and increasing the potential for high educational attainment is necessary for reducing disparities, improving population health, and reducing morbidity. Early childhood and associated settings present opportunities to address lifelong health. Methods: To guide the development of programs to reach large numbers of children, we reviewed the literature associated with interventions during early childhood to promote healthy food consumption patterns and language development—"food and language nutrition." Results: Identified in the systematic review were 12 articles. A recurrent theme was the social-ecological model, widely used in the studies identified through the literature review. Conclusions: The findings suggest a theoretical framework and key considerations that could guide the development of integrated interventions to improve food and language nutrition. With these findings, the authors propose a conceptual model and outline a public health program to address food and language nutrition together in early care settings in the state of Georgia, with the potential for application in other geographic areas.


ABSTRACT Economic views held by the general public tend to differ significantly from those of economic experts. Would these differences fade away if people were exposed to some economic instruction? In this article, the authors identify college students' preconceptions about economic issues at the beginning of the semester, verify their persistence throughout the semester, and test whether their beliefs are correlated to course performance. The authors conduct a survey at the beginning and end of the semester on a sample of first-year students taking an economic principles course. They find evidence of preconception persistence and reasoning inconsistencies, pointing to some cognitive biases as a plausible cause. Most students do not integrate the newly learned tools into their thinking process, even if they perform well in tests.


Broadband records from ocean-bottom seismometers deployed in the Okinawa trough and the Huatung basin were analyzed to provide seafloor noise characteristics and the detection thresholds for teleseismic body and surface waves. Ambient noise levels on the horizontal components are 10-40 dB higher than on the vertical component, with the sensor seated on the surface of the sediment. On the vertical components, infragravity waves are 10-30 dB more energetic at the shallower Okinawa trough sites (≤2000 m depth) than at the deeper Huatung basin site (~4700 m). From 0.03 to 0.2 Hz, the Huatung basin noise levels are comparable to that of the broadband stations in Taiwan on a quiet day. The microseism peaks (~0.2-0.5 Hz) of OBSs reach or exceed the high noise model of continental stations. At regional distances M(subscript w) 6.5 is required for recording prominent Rayleigh waves if the source radiation is unfavorable, but 6.2 is sufficient for a favorable focal mechanism. Several tens to over one hundred high-fidelity P, P(subscript diff) and PKP waveforms have been recorded per year by OBSs at high corner frequency of 0.1 Hz with a minimum M(subscript w) 5.3-6.0. The number of recording drops to less than 5 per year at 1 Hz with M(subscript w)≥6.4 and distances less than 90°.


"I'm a proponent of cities going bankrupt. Bridgeport will show the way. It's the only way out." (1) --Richard M. Daley, Former Mayor of Chicago INTRODUCTION On July 18, 2013, after decades of steady economic decline, the City of Detroit, Michigan filed for bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Michigan under Chapter 9 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. (2) For years, Detroit has served as a cautionary tale for single-industry-dominated cities. Detroit is both the most populous U.S. city to declare bankruptcy and the most indebted municipality to ever file for relief. (3) Its exact debts have not yet been determined, but early estimates put the number somewhere between eighteen and twenty billion dollars. (4) The case presents complex legal and political problems, but one group of creditors has received the bulk of media attention in the city's bankruptcy: pensioners. Pension commitments to both current and future retirees represent a sizeable portion of the city's overall debts, and estimates by Detroit's state-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr and his team place the amount of underfunded pension obligations at $3.5 billion. (5) Because ERISA pension pre-funding requirements do not apply to governmental pension plans, (6) many public pension systems are paid directly out of the municipality's yearly budget instead of being pre-funded by employee earnings. (7) Many cities across the country face similarly burgeoning underfunded pension debt, (8) and some states (including Michigan) have passed statutory or constitutional protection for pension benefits once they have been earned or have vested. (9) A recent estimate from a 2010 study conducted by Northwestern University economists pegs the total deficit in public pension plans in the United States at $574 billion. (10) This means that pensioners and municipal administrators across the country will be watching Detroit's bankruptcy closely, since any legal precedent set by the case will have enormous influence on the future of municipal bankruptcy law and the retirement outcomes of many Americans. This Note will seek to address the constitutional and statutory issues raised in the early stages of Detroit's bankruptcy. Part I will briefly address how Detroit reached the point where municipal bankruptcy became legally possible and politically attractive. It will examine population trends in the city, changes in the character of Detroit's major industries, and the deterioration of city services. Part II will provide background information about the history of municipal bankruptcy in America and the constitutional challenges that it has faced. It will attempt to give a base from which to examine the major issues raised by Detroit's case and how they might fit into the history of municipal bankruptcy and America's system of federalism. Specifically, it will address the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Bekins (11) and some of the cases that have followed. Part III will dive into the issues raised by objectors to Detroit's filing. While the objectors have raised at least thirteen distinct objections to the filing, this Note will concentrate on three. First, an effort will be made to demonstrate that contrary to some of the objections raised in the Detroit case, Chapter 9 is facially constitutional. Next, it will examine Michigan's authorization of Detroit's bankruptcy petition in accordance with [section] 109(c) of the Bankruptcy Code. (12) It will argue that Public Act 436, (13) the Michigan law that authorizes municipal bankruptcy and sets out the procedures that must be followed to file under Chapter 9, is constitutional and that the filing in this case complied with both federal and state law. It will also argue that Chapter 9 is constitutional as applied to Detroit, and that the protections present in Chapter 9 do more than enough to overcome any potential Tenth Amendment issue in Detroit's filing. …


The formation and evolution of metallic-silver nanoparticles capped with silver oxide, in the surface of Ag-doped waveguides produced by ion-exchange, were characterized. The samples were exposed to air atmosphere for periods lasting until 35 days and their aging process was investigated by optical and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) measurements. The results evidence migration of the Ag+ cations from inside the glass to the surface at room temperature, followed by aggregation of the silver nanoparticles (NPs) and oxidation, creating a nanometric-thick layer over the waveguide surface. This layer was employed for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal and for the fabrication of holographic diffraction gratings (HDG), which are presented as application examples of this material as a new plasmonic template.


As an occasional participant in the meetings that led to this issue of Dædalus, I have been invited to sketch the historical, religious, and academic context that these deliberations on religion and ecology presuppose. I can summarize that context in two countervailing points: virtually all of our religious and cultural traditions have contributed to the gravity of the ecological threats we face; at the same time, both our religious traditions and our universities can marshal substantial resources for addressing those threats more effectively than has been the case so far. The challenge is to move from point one to point two.


The development of the recreational use of forests demands a greater understanding of the profile, preferences and opinions of visitors to these forests. A questionnaire survey was h o ld in Cansiglio forest in northern Italy, which has become a very famous recreational area where many people come to spend their leisure time. The objective of this paper is to ascertain specifics about forest visitors, their preferences of fo rest structure and shape, and their other opinions, e.g. about regional problems with red deer. Results showed, among other, that almost ¼ of respondents were bikers, the rest were hikers, and the majority was from nearby cities and villages. Most of respo ndents go to forests from six to eleven times per year, more than ½ of them are satisfied with this frequency of forest visits. Knowing which type of forest visitors gene r- ally look for and what kind of activities they want to enjoy there is very important information and useful for management in research areas.


Body coupled communication (BCC) is a hot topic in personal networking domain. Many works arepublished suggesting different architectures for BCC since its inception in 1995 by Zimmerman. The number ofelectronic gadgets used by a single person increases as time pass by. Its a tedious job to transfer data betweenthen from a user point of view. Many of these gadgets can share their resources and save power and money.The existing wired or wireless networks does not meet the requirements for this network like scalable data rate,security etc. So here comes the novel idea of using human body as communication medium. The aim of thisthesis is to realize a hardware for BCC based on wide band signaling as part of a big project.The human body consists of 70% of water. This property makes the human body a fairly good conductor.By exploiting this basic property makes the BCC possible. A capacitance is formed if we place a metal platenear to the human body with the skin as a dielectric. This capacitance forms the interface between the humanbody and the analog front-end of the BCC transceiver. Any other metal structures near to the human body canattenuate the signal.A first-order communication link is established in software by the human body model and the transceiver inthe loop along with noise and interference. This communication link is used to verify the human body modeland the base band model done as part of the same big project. Based on the results a hardware prototype isimplemented. Measurements are taken in different scenarios using the hardware setup. The trade-off betweendesign parameters are discussed based on the results. At the end, it suggests a road map to take the projectfurther.


Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of various glyphosate plus fungicide coapplications on weed control, spray penetration, phytotoxicity, and yield in glyphosate-resistant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] during 2004 and 2005. Glyphosate was applied alone or in combination with the fungicides chlorothalonil [tetrachloroisophthalonitrile], metconazole [5-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-2,2-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,24-triazol-1-ylmethyl) cyclopentanol], myclobutanil [2-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl methyl) hexanenitrile], propiconazole (1-[[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]methyl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole), pyraclostrobin (carbamic acid, [2,[[[1-(4-chlorophenyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]oxy]methyl]phenyl]methoxy-, methyl ester), tebuconazole [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-3-(1,2,4,j-triazol-1-ylmethyl)pentan-3-ol]-tetrafluoroetho, tet-raconazole [(1-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)propylj]-1H-1,2,4-triazole)], azoxystrobin (methyl (E)-2-{2-[6-(2-cyanophenoxy) pyrimidin-4-yloxy]phenyl}-3-methoxyacrylate) plus propiconazole, propiconazole plus trifloxystrobin [methyl (E)-methoxyimino-{(EE)-alpha-[1-alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-m-tolyl) ethy lideneaminooxy]-o-tolyl}acetate], and pyraclostrobin plus boscalid at two application timings recommended for optimum weed control. Across all locations and years, similar levels of visual weed control and weed density at harvest were recorded with all glyphosate plus fungicide combinations compared with glyphosate alone. Little soybean plant injury or leaf area index reduction was observed with any glyphosate and fungicide coapplication when compared with glyphosate alone. Only coapplications of either glyphosate and pyraclostrobin or azoxystrobin plus propiconazole increased yields when compared with glyphosate alone. Greater spray penetration was achieved with early compared with late applications. No more than 10% spray card coverage was achieved at any canopy height with late applications. Although the optimum timing of fungicide application(s) will largely be dependent on the time of disease infection, these results suggest that the timing of fungicide application for control of Asian soybean rust (ASR) will rarely coincide with the optimum timing of herbicides like glyphosate for weed control in soybean.


This presentation describes the development and implementation of a postgraduate 'Computer Education' Unit that utilises Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) via a graphical World Wide Web interface. The Unit was designed to be used by science and mathematics teachers from different places in Australia.

Various categories of Computer Mediated Communication, including specific characteristics of distance education CMC and on-line classroom communication paradigms, such as activity room, were used to achieve purposeful interactions amongst the students involved in the Unit and between the students and the lecturer. These interactions focused on the major content areas of the unit which included examining theories of teaching and learning with computers, and evaluating educational software using the 'perspectives paradigm model' (Squires and McDougall, 1995). Students also presented their action research activities on a project page which provided extra resources for the other participants.

My personal aim in conducting this unit on the Web was to create a community of learners where the common goal is learning with computers. I was enthusiastic about the opportunity to facilitate conversations with the students and expected students to be engaged in discussions, collaboration and reflections which is best suited to Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). My research agenda was to investigate the opportunities that learning via the Web provide for distance education students (ie teachers) who will conduct action research in their own classrooms and introduce it to the other learners in the group via the Web. This created opportunities to discuss problems associated with the use of computers in the classroom and provide the other students with additional on-line resources. I anticipated that the regular feedback provided by the individual in the group, together with the instructor feedback, would provide a great contribution to the participants which is one of the primary advantages of this unit.

This on-line teaching and learning experience was new to the me, the lecturer, and for all of the postgraduate students who participated in the Unit. As a university researcher and lecturer, the use of internet for communication with colleagues and students was a familiar tool for me, however, talking "in public" through the 'net' was a new and somehow threatening experience for me. Subsequently, it became more dynamic because I responded to students' comments regularly, and slowly the students became more involved and engaged in the discussions. This unique experience for me and for the students created a new situation, sometimes caused tension because of uncertainty, and sometimes was pleasurable as a result of a feeling of achievement and discovery learning. In this paper, I describe my personal experience as I progressed during the semester and the advantages and disadvantages of teaching this unit through the World Wide Web. I discuss students' perceptions of the Unit as well as my own perception.

Evaluation of the Unit was conducted formatively in the unit in the Activity Room discussion and summatively via a questionnaire at the end of the semester. This on-line distance education Unit is currently available through the Science and Mathematics Education Centre and the Teaching Learning Group.


Terahertz (THz) absorbers with surface relief structures (SRSs) were designed and fabricated on a flexible polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) substrate by using a stamping method. The silicon mold used for the stamping process was prepared by using a crystallographic wet etching method with 45% KOH solution at 80°C. The flexible THz absorber, consisting of micropyramids with a base width of 240 μm, demonstrated nearly perfect absorbance higher than 99% owing to the dramatically reduced surface reflectance of the SRS. The reflectance of the PDMS with the SRS was less than 1%, which is only 1/100th of that measured from a bare PDMS at frequency higher than 1 THz.


The authors have developed a methodology for control of nonlinear systems in the presence of long delays, with large and rapid variation in the actuation or sensing path, or in the presence of long delays affecting the internal state of a system. In addition to control synthesis, they introduce tools to quantify the performance and the robustness properties of the designs provided in the book. The book is based on the concept of predictor feedback and infinite-dimensional backstepping transformation for linear systems and the authors guide the reader from the basic ideas of the concept - with constant delays only on the input - all the way through to nonlinear systems with state-dependent delays on the input as well as on system states. Several examples are presented that help the reader digest some of the intricacies in the methodology. Readers will find the book useful because the authors provide elegant and systematic treatments of long-standing problems in delay systems, such as systems with state-dependent delays that arise in many applications. In addition, the authors give all control designs by explicit formulae, making the book especially useful for engineers who have faced delay-related challenges and are concerned with actual implementations and they accompany all control designs with Lyapunov-based analysis for establishing stability and performance guarantees. Audience: This book is intended for researchers working on control of delay systems, including engineers, mathematicians, and students. Contents: Chapter 1: Introduction; Part I: Chapter 2: Linear Systems with Input and State Delays; Chapter 3: Linear Systems with Distributed Delays; Chapter 4: Application: Automotive Catalysts; Chapter 5: Nonlinear Systems with Input Delay; Part II: Chapter 6: Linear Systems with Time-Varying Input Delay; Chapter 7: Robustness of Linear Constant-Delay Predictor Feedback to Time-Varying Delay Perturbations; Chapter 8: Nonlinear Systems with Time-Varying Input Delay; Chapter 9: Nonlinear Systems with Simultaneous Time-Varying Delays on the Input and the State; Part III: Chapter 10: Predictor Feedback Design When the Delay Is a Function of the State; Chapter 11: Stability Analysis for Forward-Complete Systems with Input Delay; Chapter 12: Stability Analysis for Locally Stabilizable Systems with Input Delay; Chapter 13: Nonlinear Systems with State Delay; Chapter 14: Robustness of Nonlinear Constant-Delay Predictors to Time- and State-Dependent Delay Perturbations; Chapter 15: State-Dependent Delays That Depend on Delayed States; Appendix A: Basic Inequalities; Appendix B: Input-to-Output Stability; Appendix C: Lyapunov Stability, Forward-Completeness, and Input-to-State Stability; Appendix D: Parameter Projection


The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction (Suzuki reaction) is a highly efficient method of Carbon-Carbon bond formation, making it widely used in the synthesis of biaryl intermediates of pharmaceuticals. The coupling is conventionally performed at elevated temperatures and in organic solvents leading to adverse economic and environmental impacts. Previous studies in our group suggest that water soluble dendrimers, able to complex palladium, are viable Suzuki catalysts able to afford quantitative yields of the target compounds in water at close to ambient temperatures. They are, however, not ideal for catalyzing the reaction between hydrophobic reagents due to lack of contact with water-insoluble substrates. The goals of this study are to design and test water-soluble dendritic-palladium complexes containing a hydrophobic core, able to solubilize and selectively bind hydrophobic substances, in an attempt to improve the spatial arrangement of the catalyst and reagents in water. The structure of these novel "green" catalysts consists of calix[n]arene (n= 4,6,8) as the central core with water soluble poly(esterether) dendrons attached at the upper rim of the cycle (see figure below). The progress in the synthesis of these unique macromolecules by Williamson ether synthesis and Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition is reported. Our ability to reproducibly form the depicted compound with chemical and structural purity is confirmed by diverse analyses (NMR, MALDI-TOF, DLS, ICP and TEM). Upon completion, this work aims to achieve unprecedented yields for the Suzuki reaction in water and produce the first Suzuki catalyst to mimic enzymatic character by selectively incorporating reagents.


For species listed under the US Endangered Species Act, federal agencies must des- ignate 'critical habitat', areas containing features essential to conservation and/or that may require special management considerations. In November 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed listing a small demographically isolated population of false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens in Hawai'i as endangered but has not yet proposed designating critical habitat. We assessed the population's range and heavily used habitat areas using data from 27 satellite tag deployments. Assessment of independence of individuals with temporally overlap- ping data indicated that data were from 22 'groups'. Further analyses were restricted to 1 individ- ual per group. Tag data were available for periods of between 13 and 105 d (median = 40.5 d), with 8513 locations (93.4% from JulyJanuary). Analyses of photo-identification data indicated that the population is divided into 3 large associations of individuals (social clusters), with tag data from 2 of these clusters. Ranges for these 2 clusters were similar, although one used significantly deeper waters, and their high-use areas differed. A minimum convex polygon range encompassing all locations was ~82 800 km 2 , with individuals ranging from Ni'ihau to Hawai'i Island and up to 122 km offshore. Three high-use areas were identified: (1) off the north half of Hawai'i Island, (2) north of Maui and Moloka'i and (3) southwest of Lana'i. Although this analysis provides informa- tion useful for decision-making concerning designation of critical habitat, there are likely other high-use areas that have not yet been identified due to seasonal limitations and availability of data from only 2 of the 3 main social clusters.


Mate choice is often based on the assessment of multiple traits. Depending on whether traits provide redundant or different information about male characteristics, correlation between traits is expected to arise or not. In species where size increases with age, body size can be a reliable indicator of adult survival whereas secondary sexual traits advertise other qualities like the ability to exploit local resources. However, because of correlations between morphological traits it is often difficult to determine whether females base their preference on the absolute or the relative size of secondary sexual traits. We addressed this issue in the palmate newt, Triturus helveticus. We selected the two most variable traits, body size and filament length, whose weak correlation suggested that they could signal different aspects of male condition or quality. We tested female preference for both traits in two experiments in which we controlled either for body size or filament length. Females preferred males with long filament in experiment 1 and males with small body sizes in experiment 2. The preference for an exaggerated trait like the caudal filament is not unexpected in a context of inter-sexual selection. In contrast, the preference for small males contrasts with usual findings on mate choice. However, body size might not be a reliable quality indicator because males of different cohorts can experience different conditions throughout their life. The caudal filament, grown each breeding period, likely reflects male condition. By assessing such a character, females might evaluate the performance of a potential partner in the current environment regardless of its age.


People with a physical disability are a population who for a number of reasons may be vulnerable to social isolation. Research into Internet based support sites has found that social support and an online sense of community can be developed through computer mediated communication channels. This study aims to gain an understanding of the benefits that membership in disability-specific online communities may have for people with a physical disability. An online survey was administered to a sample of users of such sites ( N = 160). Results indicated that users did receive moral support and personal advice through participating in such online communities. Further, results indicated that online social support and feeling a sense of community online were positively associated with participants' well-being in the areas of personal relations and personal growth.


This note expands research on representation of women in national legislatures. Existing models are tested on newer data in advanced industrialized democracies, and these models are then applied to a sample of democracies in developing countries. There are striking differences across the two samples. While a proportional representation electoral system, women's participation in the labor force, the cultural standing of women, and the country's level of development all have positive effects on female representation in OECD democracies, none of these variables have a statistically significant and positive effect in less developed countries. These findings strongly suggest the existence of a threshold. Only after that threshold is passed do proportional representation, labor force participation, and cultural standing exert positive influences on the representation of women.


Servo control of pneumatic actuators is difficult due to the high compressibility and non-linear flow of air. Friction as well as uncertainties in the parameters and model characterizing dynamics of the pneumatic systems further contribute to control challenges. These drawbacks cause stick-slip motion, larger tracking error and limit cycles, which degrades the control performances. Selection of a controller that satisfies requirements of the performing tasks is thus crucial in servo-pneumatic applications. This thesis focuses on the design and experimental evaluation of a model-based, nonlinear controller known as Dynamical Adaptive Backstepping-Sliding Mode Control (DAB-SMC). Originally designed for chemical process control and applied only in simulations, the DAB-SMC is adopted in this thesis and applied to the new area of servo-pneumatic control of a single-rod, double acting pneumatic cylinder and antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs). The controller is further enhanced by augmenting it with LuGre-based friction observers to compensate the adverse frictional effect presents in both actuators. Unlike other research works, the actuators are subject to a varying load that influences control operations in two different modes: motion assisting or resisting. The implementation of DAB-SMC for such servo-pneumatic control application is novel. The mass flow rates of compressed air into and out of the actuators are regulated using one of the following valve configurations: 5/3-way proportional directional valve, two 3/2-way of four 2/2-way Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)-controlled valves. Over the entire range of experiments which involve various operating conditions, the DAB-SMC is observed to track and regulate the reference input trajectories successfully and in a stable manner. Average root mean square error (RMSE) values of tracking for cylinder and PAMs when the compressed air is regulated using the 5/3-way proportional valve are 1.73mm and 0.10°, respectively. In case of regulation, the average steady-state error (SSE) values are 0.71mm and 0.04°, respectively. The DAB-SMC exhibits better control performance than the standard PID and classical SMC by at least 33%. The DAB-SMC also demonstrates robustness for up to 78% in uncertainty of load parameter. When the control valve is replaced by the PWM-controlled valves of 3/2-way and 2/2-way configurations, performance is slightly compromised.


In this essay, I try to see, and to appreciate, the wisdom in a species of climate litigation that has many detractors. This litigation asks the courts to hold the government and private parties judicially accountable for their active promotion and pursuit of climate-endangering activities, even after they knew better – even after they knew the terrible risks we faced if they continued on their preferred course. It calls upon venerable legal doctrines, deployed as modern bulwarks against the most pressing challenge of our time.

The legal theories these lawsuits pursue do not come from statutes, but instead rely on constitutional law, natural law, and the common law. This is the kind of litigation that is most likely to draw criticism not only from the governmental and industrial institutions it seeks to constrain, but from within the environmental community itself, as some worry that the litigation may produce more bad law than good. I admit that I had the same fear when the litigation commenced, and to a large extent I still do. But for purposes of this essay I'd like to put that anxiety to the side and simply be curious about, and open to, the lessons these cases might teach us.

My focus will be Juliana v. United States, known as the "children's climate lawsuit," in which a group of children and other plaintiffs ask for declaratory and injunctive relief against the agencies of the federal government that do work directly related to climate change. The plaintiffs allege that the government has knowingly promoted and permitted activities contributing substantially to the risks of climate change and has, with deliberate indifference, failed to protect them against these risks even though have known about them for decades. The plaintiffs' case was on the eve of trial when the Supreme Court issued two unusual orders, winking and nodding at the lower courts to prod them to stop the trial before it began.

I will argue that the courts should allow Juliana to proceed through the normal process of trial and appeal. I will also compare the claims in Juliana to other cases, also involving climate change and recently pending in the nation's courts, and try to persuade the reader at least to find it interesting that cases aiming to protect fossil-fuel interests proceed through the courts without anyone suggesting they do not belong there, while cases aiming to constrain these interests confront – and have come to doom based on – a battery of objections about the types of claims courts simply should not decide. I will suggest that these objections rest on an undefended and untenable assumption about the nature of the liberty the separation of powers protects.


Abstract. The heat of summer 2003 in Western and Central Europe was claimed to be unprecedented since the Middle Ages on the basis of grape harvest data (GHD) and late wood maximum density (MXD) data from trees in the Alps. This paper shows that the authors of these studies overlooked the fact that the heat and drought in Switzerland in 1540 likely exceeded the amplitude of the previous hottest summer of 2003, because the persistent temperature and precipitation anomaly in that year, described in an abundant and coherent body of documentary evidence, severely affected the reliability of GHD and tree-rings as proxy-indicators for temperature estimates. Spring–summer (AMJJ) temperature anomalies of 4.7 °C to 6.8 °C being significantly higher than in 2003 were assessed for 1540 from a new long Swiss GHD series (1444 to 2011). During the climax of the heat wave in early August the grapes desiccated on the vine, which caused many vine-growers to interrupt or postpone the harvest despite full grape maturity until after the next spell of rain. Likewise, the leaves of many trees withered and fell to the ground under extreme drought stress as would usually be expected in late autumn. It remains to be determined by further research whether and how far this result obtained from local analyses can be spatially extrapolated. Based on the temperature estimates for Switzerland it is assumed from a great number of coherent qualitative documentary evidence about the outstanding heat drought in 1540 that AMJJ temperatures were likely more extreme in neighbouring regions of Western and Central Europe than in 2003. Considering the significance of soil moisture deficits for record breaking heat waves, these results still need to be validated with estimated seasonal precipitation. It is concluded that biological proxy data may not properly reveal record breaking heat and drought events. Such assessments thus need to be complemented with the critical study of contemporary evidence from documentary sources which provide coherent and detailed data about weather extremes and related impacts on human, ecological and social systems.