This paper provides a summary of selected reports and papers ('grey literature') published by key higher education sector organisations, 'think tanks' and other relevant bodies between February and August 2018.  These include: Advance HE; Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS); Chartered Management Institute (CMI); Department for Education (DfE); Equality Challenge Unit (ECU); Fair Education Alliance; Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE); Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI); Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); Institute for Fiscal Studies; Jisc; Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE); Learning and Work Institute; MillionPlus; National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE); National Education Opportunities Network; National Union of Students (NUS); Office for Students (OfS); Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA); Office for National Statistics (ONS); PA Consulting; Public First; Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA); The Student Engagement Partnership (TSEP); Student Minds; The Sutton Trust; UK Data Services; Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); Universities UK (UUK); Universities UK International (UUKi); and UPP Foundation. The themes in this paper include: review of post-18 education; formation of the OfS; vice-chancellors' outlook on HE; the civic university; student satisfaction; applications and teaching excellence; contextual information in admissions; widening participation; part-time and mature learners; social mobility; supporting progression; non-continuation trends; feedback from assessment; HE analytics; financial concerns of students and perceptions of value-for-money; the student academic experience; student complaints; postgraduate experiences; supporting undergraduate research; mental health; student participation in sport; ethnicity and diversity; sexual misconduct; student drug use; Prevent duty; student poverty; student and employment outcomes; earnings after graduation; internationalisation; the HE workforce; and the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme.


We present a study on the the applicability of hyperspectral images to evaluate color filter array (CFA) design and the performance of demosaicking algorithms. The aim is to simulate a typical digital still camera processing pipe-line and to compare two different scenarios: evaluate the performance of demosaicking algorithms applied to raw camera RGB values before color rendering to sRGB, and evaluate the performance of demosaicking algorithms applied on the final sRGB color rendered image. The second scenario is the most frequently used one in literature because CFA design and algorithms are usually tested on a set of existing images that are already rendered, such as the Kodak Photo CD set containing the well-known lighthouse image. We simulate the camera processing pipe-line with measured spectral sensitivity functions of a real camera. Modeling a Bayer CFA, we select three linear demosaicking techniques in order to perform the tests. The evaluation is done using CMSE, CPSNR, s-CIELAB and MSSIM metrics to compare demosaicking results. We find that the performance, and especially the difference between demosaicking algorithms, is indeed significant depending if the mosaicking/demosaicking is applied to camera raw values as opposed to already rendered sRGB images. We argue that evaluating the former gives a better indication how a CFA/demosaicking combination will work in practice, and that it is in the interest of the community to create a hyperspectral image dataset dedicated to that effect.


The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of active vibration control in automotive gearboxes mounting brackets to reduce tonal disturbances. A combination of piezoelectric accelerometers and an internally preloaded piezo stack actuator is used to counteract their unbalanced caused vibrations. Initially, a numerical modal analysis was carried out to identify the normal modes in the frequency range of interest. The piezo stack was simulated by a ROD element and its effect numerically characterized. The upper and lower faces of the stack were mechanically coupled with the bracket structure, whereas the active control strategy involved the relative displacement of two opposite points of the bracket. To this aim, dedicated interfaces were designed to integrate the stack into the mounting bracket. In order to control the vibrations in correspondence of the second bending mode (1599.4Hz), the primary disturbance, simulated by a shaker, was modelled in the frequency domain using a white noise signal. A narrow window of 20Hz was initially selected as the control system domain. Then, this frequency range has been made gradually wider around the resonance peak, in order to optimize the control effect, and then extended up to 80 Hz when undesired effects occurred. Primary and secondary control plants were firstly numerically fitted from the measured responses and excitations using system identification techniques, and then used for the active controller design and simulations. Key-Words: active vibration control, automotive, gearbox, piezoceramic actuators


Where data are insufficient for calculation of extremes using probability theory, design criteria may be reasonable defined by combining available data, knowledge of physical processes and parallels with other regions. An environmental model is developed from available data to serve as a basis for assumptions during the selection process. The outlined procedure is acceptable for preliminary design. For final design, criteria need to be verified through collecting additional data and continuing detailed analytical work. Although there is a great lack of data for the Navarin Basin, one can confidently state that a maximum upper limit to ice conditions in the Bering Sea will be equal to those of the Beaufort Sea, an area of which we have more knowledge. A platform designed to Beaufort Sea criteria would likely be prohibitively expensive. Our objective is to define more realistic extremes while retaining sufficient conservatism to reflect the lack of direct experience in the area. 16 refs.


Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology, which offers a solution for high bandwidth, high data rate, low cost, low power consumption, position location capability.The Rake receiver used for spread spectrum is considered a very promising candidate for UWB reception, due to its capability of collecting multipath components. Ultra Wide Band signals occupy such a large bandwidth; they operate as an overlay system with other existing narrowband (NB) radio systems overlapping with their bands. In order to ensure a robust communication link, the issue of coexistence and interference of UWB systems with current indoor wireless systems must be considered. Bit error rate (BER) performance study for UWB channel models are analyzed using proposed receiver models. Suppression of Narrowband interference in WLAN has been studied intensively to remove Inter Symbol Interference (ISI).For all simulated channels, TR receiver shows a performance degradation of 3 to 4 dB compared to ATR and DTR receiver due to the usage of noisy unmodulated reference template.


OBJECTIVES
To compare the fluoroquinolones gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin with ciprofloxacin for post-exposure prophylaxis of systemic anthrax in a BALB/c mouse model.

METHODS
Treated mice and controls were inoculated subcutaneously with 5 x 10(4) spores/mouse of Bacillus anthracis Ames strain and observed for 37 days after challenge. Treated mice were given 100 mg/kg of antibiotic orally twice daily for 14 days, starting at various times post-challenge.

RESULTS
Treatment starting 6 h post-challenge resulted in survival rates of 90%, 15% and 40% for gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Treatment commencing 24 h post-challenge resulted in survival rates of 65%, 10% and 5%, respectively. Treatment starting more than 24 h after exposure had little effect on survival.

CONCLUSIONS
Gatifloxacin appeared to be more effective than moxifloxacin or ciprofloxacin, at similar doses, for early post-exposure treatment of murine systemic anthrax. However, these results might be due to differences in potency or pharmacokinetic properties.


HinduJavanese architecture originated in Java and Bali as a result of the expansion of Hinduism and Buddhism from India during the first centuries AD. Monarchs and the nobility accepted these religions enthusiastically and commissioned many temples for Hindu gods, Buddha and their own ancestors. Most sanctuaries were constructed in Central Java during the 8th and 9th centuries and in Eastern Java from the 10th to 15th century. After the Islamization of Java Hindus and Buddhists fled to Bali and their temples in Java fell to ruins. During the 20th century several of the temples have been restored or splendidly rebuilt. Eight Hindu temples on the Dieng plateau and the temple complex near Prambanan and the Buddhist sanctuary Borobudur, all situated in Central Java, as well as a few temples in Eastern Java are discussed. Finally, the differences in architecture between Central and Eastern Java are summarised.


The top-down effects of predators on ecosystem structure and dynamics have been studied increasingly. However, the nature and consequence of trophic interactions between upper-trophic-level predators have received considerably less attention. This is especially the case in marine systems due to the inherent challenges of studying highly mobile marine species. Here we describe the first documentation of asymmetrical intraguild predation by a pinniped predator on a mid-sized predatory shark. The report is based on direct observations in South African waters, in which free-swimming blue sharks Prionace glauca were captured and partially consumed by Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus. These observations are important not just for understanding the interactions between these two species but more broadly for their implications in understanding the trophic ecology of pinnipeds, many populations of which have increased while numerous shark populations have declined.


Abstract. The sedimentary architecture at continental margins reflects the interplay between the rate of change of accommodation creation (δA) and the rate of change of sediment supply (δS). Stratigraphic interpretation increasingly focuses on understanding the link between deposition patterns and changes in δA∕δS, with an attempt to reconstruct the contributing factors. Here, we use the landscape modelling code pyBadlands to (1) investigate the development of stratigraphic sequences in a source-to-sink context; (2) assess the respective performance of two well-established stratigraphic interpretation techniques: the trajectory analysis method and the accommodation succession method; and (3) propose quantitative stratigraphic interpretations based on those two techniques. In contrast to most stratigraphic forward models (SFMs), pyBadlands provides self-consistent sediment supply to basin margins as it simulates erosion, sediment transport and deposition in a source-to-sink context. We present a generic case of landscape evolution that takes into account periodic sea level variations and passive margin thermal subsidence over 30 million years, under uniform rainfall. A set of post-processing tools are provided to analyse the predicted stratigraphic architecture. We first reconstruct the temporal evolution of the depositional cycles and identify key stratigraphic surfaces based on observations of stratal geometries and facies relationships, which we use for comparison to stratigraphic interpretations. We then apply both the trajectory analysis and the accommodation succession methods to manually map key stratigraphic surfaces and define sequence units on the final model output. Finally, we calculate shoreline and shelf-edge trajectories, the temporal evolution of changes in relative sea level (proxy for δA) and sedimentation rate (proxy for δS) at the shoreline, and automatically produce stratigraphic interpretations. Our results suggest that the analysis of the presented model is more robust with the accommodation succession method than with the trajectory analysis method. Stratigraphic analysis based on manually extracted shoreline and shelf-edge trajectory requires calibrations of time-dependent processes such as thermal subsidence or additional constraints from stratal terminations to obtain reliable interpretations. The 3-D stratigraphic analysis of the presented model reveals small lateral variations of sequence formations. Our work provides an efficient and flexible quantitative sequence stratigraphic framework to evaluate the main drivers (climate, sea level and tectonics) controlling sedimentary architectures and investigate their respective roles in sedimentary basin development.


In March of 1827 the nation's first black newspaper appeared in New York City--to counter attacks on blacks by the city's other papers. From this signal event, The African American Newspaper traces the evolution of the black newspaper--and its ultimate decline--for more than 160 years until the end of the twentieth century. The book chronicles the growth of the black press into a powerful and effective national voice for African Americans during the period from 1910 to 1950--a period that proved critical to the formation and gathering strength of the civil rights movement that emerged so forcefully in the following decades. In particular, author Patrick S. Washburn explores how the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender led the way as the two most influential black newspapers in U.S. history, effectively setting the stage for the civil rights movement's successes. Washburn also examines the numerous reasons for the enormous decline of black newspapers in influence and circulation in the decades immediately following World War II. His book documents as never before how the press's singular accomplishments provide a unique record of all areas of black history and a significant and shaping affect on the black experience in America.


Spatial data is a vital national resource necessary for a country's efficient and sustainable economic, social and environmental development, and so must be properly developed and managed. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), there is lack of knowledge and no clear framework describing the optimal way for stakeholders, users, providers or administrators, to collaborate effectively in establishing a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Moreover, the complex, multi-layer and multi-jurisdiction system of government leads to competing interests and mandates in coordinating spatial activity.

Previous studies on NSDI in KSA focused on technical infrastructure strategy. However, there is a need to study institutional/organisational issues affecting collaboration in NSDI for KSA. This research presented in this thesis leads to recommendations for a best practice, collaboration initiative for Saudi NSDI, and contributes to advancing the goals and implementation of NSDI in KSA.

A mixed (triangulated) quantitative and qualitative case study research design was adopted to assist in achieving the research aims, utilising a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed and elicited concepts to recommend the Saudi NSDI collaboration initiative.

A literature review was conducted in areas relevant to Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and collaboration. The diverse definitions for SDI, its main components, and hierarchical nature were explored. Definitions for collaboration, motivational factors, and potential risks and costs were also reviewed. While a conventional NSDI is characterised by a top down approach, new technologies connected to social developments have led to a rapid, parallel development of commercial-, and consumer-led SDI, or dynamic 'GeoWeb', representing the potential next generation, Web 2.0 form, of NSDI.

Institutional and technical factors are key elements in the success of NSDI collaboration initiatives, which include organisational commitment, policies, and technological resources. The national initiatives for the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada are reviewed and compared, along five key themes: objectives and vision, coordination, datasets, standards, and access. This highlighted the evolving nature of NSDI, given the rapid pace of developments in technology-driven applications and tools, and that coordination and agreement among all stakeholders requires accurate and reliable datasets, widely accepted metadata and standards, and interoperable technology, and must include all government levels and jurisdictions, with greater private sector integration.

The current situation in KSA regarding the main SDI stakeholders, and their historical development, including legislation and policies and the barriers to sharing spatial data existing, facilitates background to understanding the issues involved in developing a Saudi NSDI. This is reinforced by primary data collected through a quantitative questionnaire survey of all 26 spatial data bodies in KSA, and qualitative semi-structured interviews of 72 key persons. The data includes themes, like types of spatial organisation and sphere of operations, data types and themes, standards and technical issues, and inter-organisational relationships and collaboration. The results revealed a lack of collaboration due to negative organisational cultures, and technical obstacles relating to a need for unified spatial data and metadata standards and specifications. In particular, there was an absence of appropriate legislation to deal with the two previous points, as well as providing protection for intellectual property; such legislation would outline a system within which collaboration would take place.

The historical development and current status of key, independent SDI initiatives in KSA, i.e. MOMRA, Riyadh, and Saudi National SDI, are presented using data from secondary and primary sources. Each initiative represents city, ministry, and national level SDI initiative for collaboration.

Finally, this research concludes by providing recommendations for best practice in collaboration among the various stakeholders forming a potential Saudi NSDI. It also outlines suggestions for future work.


Despite the omnipresence of hydrofoil-assisted monohulls and the inherent development phases to refine their design, very little scientific data has reached the public domain. Moreover, following the trend set by the racing yachts, the pleasure craft industry is now looking at the implementation of foils onto yachts and superyachts, with several vessels already built. This poster presents a hydrodynamic comparison of three contemporary options, namely a Dynamic Stability System, a Dali-Moustache and a Chistera foil, that have been towing tank tested on a 1:10 scale model of a 50ft hull.


Context. Stellar collision rates in globular clusters (GCs) do not appear to correlate with horizontal branch (HB) morphology, sug- gesting that dynamics does not play a role in the second-parameter problem. However, core densities and collision rates derived from surface-brightness may be significantly underestimated as the surface-brightness profile of GCs is not necessarily a good indicator of the dynamical state of GC cores. Core-collapse may go unnoticed if high central densities of dark remnants are present. Aims. We test whether GC HB morphology data supports a dynamical contribution to the so-called second-parameter effect. Methods. To remove first-parameter dependence we fitted the maximum effective temperature along the HB as a function of metal- licity in a sample of 54 Milky Way GCs. We plotted the residuals to the fit as a function of second-parameter candidates, namely dynamical age and total luminosity. We considered dynamical age (i.e. the ratio between age and half-light relaxation time) among possible second-parameters. We used a set of direct N-body simulations, including ones with dark remnants to illustrate how core density peaks, due to core collapse, in a dynamical-age range similar to that in which blue HBs are overabundant with respect to the metallicity expectation, especially for low-concentration initial conditions. Results. GC total luminosity shows nonlinear behavior compatible with the self-enrichment picture. However, the data are amenable to a different interpretation based on a dynamical origin of the second-parameter effect. Enhanced mass-stripping in the late red-giant- branch phase due to stellar interactions in collapsing cores is a viable candidate mechanism. In this picture, GCs with HBs bluer than expected based on metallicity are those undergoing core-collapse.


We give a simple proof of the Alon–Roichman theorem, which asserts that the Cayley graph obtained by selecting $c_\varepsilon \log |G|$ elements, independently and uniformly at random, from a finite group $G$ has expected second eigenvalue no more than $\varepsilon$; here $c_\varepsilon$ is a constant that depends only on $\varepsilon$. In particular, such a graph is an expander with constant probability. Our new proof has three advantages over the original proof: (i.) it is extremely simple, relying only on the decomposition of the group algebra and tail bounds for operator-valued random variables, (ii.) it shows that the $\log |G|$ term may be replaced with $\log D$, where $D \leq |G|$ is the sum of the dimensions of the irreducible representations of $G$, and (iii.) it establishes the result above with a smaller constant $c_\varepsilon$.


Normalization of U.S.-China Relations: An International History, edited by William C. Kirby, Robert S. Ross and Gong Li. Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center, 2006. xxii + 376 pp. US$49.50 (hardcover). US President Nixon's 1972 visit to China both surprised the world and brought about a substantial geopolitical realignment in Cold War relations. It changed US bilateral relations with China and also made possible China's reform which has depended so heavily on US trade, investment and technology. Given that the process of moving to the 1972 Shanghai Communique was achieved in three years, why did the subsequent move to normalization, effective on 1 January 1979, take much longer? The answer becomes clearer from this excellent book, demonstrating as it does the many complexities involved. Contributions in its nine chapters (including the editors' introduction) reflect the varying perspectives of three American and four Chinese scholars and one scholar each from Taiwan, Russia and Britain. These contributions illustrate the centrality of the Taiwan issue but also how other factors, above all the fear of rising Soviet power, influenced both the US and China. A growing literature and improved access to archival material have permitted new insights. The modus vivendi reflected in the 1972 communique was based largely on a coincidence of strategic interests linked to the Soviet Union, but it also involved significant secret concessions by Kissinger and Nixon on the Taiwan issue. Given the firm Chinese position on Taiwan, and the commitments and interests of the US, arguments about how much was, and needed to be, conceded constitutes an interesting element of the discussion in several contributions. Arguments are made that the later concessions in President Carter were more than were necessary. Others argue that Carter's hands were largely tied over Taiwan by the concessions made in discussions and negotiations leading to the Shanghai Communique. These are countered by arguments that, without the Kissinger/Nixon concessions, the 1972 breakthrough with China would not have been possible and were necessary later to achieve normalization. Willingness to make concessions, however, also depended on other factors that impinged on the decision-making processes, in particular on responses to Soviet actions and statements. The stagnation in US-China relations in this period largely reflected the attitudes of both countries towards the Soviet Union. While China saw an increasing Soviet threat, and Nixon remained keen to improve relations with China as a counter to Soviet influence, he also wanted to improve US-Soviet relations, visiting Moscow for the second time as president in 1974. This, as with subsequent efforts by Ford and then Carter to pursue detente with Moscow, was viewed unfavorably by China. They came to see it as double dealing and as encouraging the Soviets to intensify their pressure on China. Not until 1977, when US efforts at detente had stalled and China again became the priority for the US, did movement forward occur. Despite seemingly firm positions on both sides over Taiwan, eventually the US, in particular, made concessions. …


This contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium "Fuzzy Studies" reports on the rise of the "popular assemblies" movement that swept the streets of Madrid in the wake of the May 15, 2011, occupation of Puerta del Sol. Assemblies have since taken installation in public spaces as infrastructural with significant methodological implications. Their incorporation into the cityscape has demanded of participants an inventive deployment of techniques and tactics drawn from archival practices and practices of hospitality, as well as the development of varieties of urban hardware. The "fuzz" or mess of the assembly—the difficulties that participants have at putting together, let alone understanding, the assembly as an urban form—offers a valuable perspective on present-day discussions concerning the city as an object of political claims and rights.


To the Editor: Partial artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria, characterized by delayed parasite clearance after treatment with artesunate or artemisinin-based combination therapy, was first detected in western Cambodia and has now spread to or emerged de novo in 5 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) (1). However, most reported cases of malaria have been in Africa, and detecting artemisinin and multidrug resistance in Africa will have consequences for policy and containment plans (2). Thus, vigilant monitoring is pivotal, and it is therefore with great interest that we read the case report on a patient in Vietnam with severe P. falciparum malaria, acquired in Angola in 2013, that was not responsive to artesunate or several other antimalarial combinations (3). We believe that there are several issues that challenge the conclusion that artemisinin resistance has reached Angola: 1) the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the infecting strain in this patient were very different from artemisinin-resistant strains in the GMS; 2) pharmacokinetic issues cannot be ruled out; and 3) perhaps of most relevance, the study documents severely delayed clearance of multiple strains in this polyclonal P. falciparum infection, suggesting splenic hypofunction as an important contributor. The parasite clearance half-life calculated with the World Health Organization (WHO) online slope analyzer from the log linear segment of the clearance curve after start of artesunate therapy was 102.5 hours, which is ≈10 times longer than observed in the most artemisinin-resistant parasites in Cambodia. Postpublication genotyping of the infecting strain provided by the authors to WHO showed a wild-type Kelch (K13) gene, which is a recently discovered molecular marker for artemisinin resistance strongly correlated to the resistant phenotype in the GMS (1). No pharmacokinetic assessment was made, and subtherapeutic artesunate and dihydroartemisinin (as well as clindamycin, piperaquine, quinine, and doxycycline) blood concentrations cannot be excluded. The intravenous artesunate regimen used differed from the WHO guideline of 2.4 mg/kg on admission, after 12 h, then daily. Pharmacokinetic modeling of the split doses used in the described case indicate that this dosing schedule results in <20% artesunate and dihydroartemisinin blood concentrations. In addition, quality issues in the artesunate batch might have played a major role. Batch no. 511002 used for this patient (not 511004 as mentioned in the article) was manufactured by Pharbaco (Hanoi, Vietnam) in April 2011 and had a shelf-life of 3 years; it was quality controlled and passed the quantitative testing by high pressure liquid chromatography in January 2014 (National Institute of Drug Quality Control, Vietnam). However, according to information shared with WHO, a test for clarity after reconstitution was not performed, whereas other samples from the same batch had failed this specific test, which led the Drug Administration of Vietnam to withdraw this batch from the market. The patient was subsequently treated with nasogastricadministered dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine and quinine plus doxycycline. Reduced intestinal absorption in this severely ill patient, related to reduced splanchnic blood flow, could have resulted in reduced bioavailability (4). Host factors can affect parasite clearance. In this case, the parasitological response to artesunate and clindamycin, dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine, quinine, and doxycycline were all unusually slow. Functional asplenia results in very slow parasite clearance after artesunate treatment, resembling the clearance characteristics in the described case (5). This interpretation is supported by finding genotypes representing >2 clones of parasites persisting >1 week after treatment with multiple antimalarial drugs. It seems very unlikely that this patient harbored multiple highly artemisinin-resistant parasite strains. Dead circulating intraerythrocytic parasites in patients who have hyposplenia can be recognized morphologically, but the article does not provide details on this. Circulation of multidrug resistant malarial strains in sub-Saharan Africa can have disastrous consequences, and it is critical to detect its arrival at an early stage. The case report by Van Hong et al. implies the unlikely event of independent emergence of multidrug resistant strains in a traveler from Vietnam in Angola, without evidence of local declining artemisinin-based combination therapy efficacy. WHO and partners are investigating the phenotype and genotype of parasite strains from the same geographic area in Angola to address the concerns raised above. We believe that this single case report is insufficient to raise the alarm.


The 2010 Pilot Source Study, commissioned to research the success of pilots in initial training for Part 121 operations, analyzed the training performance of 2,156 new-hire pilots in the years 2005-2009. Six regional airlines provided data that was mined from human resource and pilot training files. Five university researchers independently analyzed the data and integrated their results. The study expressed success in terms of fewer extra training events and fewer non-completions in regional airline training. Statistically, the best performing pilots were those who had flight instructor certificates, graduated from collegiate accredited flight programs, received advanced (post-Private) pilot training in college, graduated with collegiate aviation degrees (any aviation discipline), and had between 500 and 1,000 preemployment flight hours. Pilot source characteristics that had no significance in regional airline pilot training success were: having a non-aviation college degree and having prior corporate pilot or airline pilot experience.


This book aims to address the recent advances and controversies on the subject of hiatus hernia and antireflux surgery. The field of antireflux surgery is undergoing a lot of changes, and traditional concepts are being challenged. The readers are provided with an evidence based approach to assist surgeons' decisions in developing a preoperative investigative algorithm prior to offering a surgical solution for either primary or recurrent hiatal hernia surgery based on supporting evidence. The chapters will further investigate the latest trends in minimally invasive hiatal hernia and antireflux surgery, both for primary and recurrent hernias.


Anna Wickham (1883-1947) was one of the most important female poets writing in English during the first half of the twentieth century. A pioneer of Modernist poetry, she was also a fierce feminist, social activist, and friend of many significant writers, including D.H. Lawrence, George Bernard Shaw, Dylan Thomas, Katherine Mansfield, Natalie Clifford Barney, Kate O'Brien, and Lawrence Durrell. She produced a daring and influential body of work while living an often tragic life, which ended with her suicide. Wickham's unconventional life provided her with a unique worldview; she drew heavily on her own experiences in her poetry while interrogating conceptions of gender roles, marriage, motherhood, sexuality, and class. While Wickham's poetry earned her a major reputation during her lifetime, and her most famous poems continue to be anthologized, most of her published work is out of print and the majority of her poems have never been published. New and Selected Poems of Anna Wickham is the first collection of Wickham's poetry to be published in over three decades. This collection republishes one hundred of Wickham's poems selected from the collections published during her lifetime, as well as poems from Selected Poems (1971) and The Writings of Anna Wickham (1984). In addition to bringing many of Wickham's greatest poems back into print, this collection publishes one hundred and fifty of her remarkable poems for the first time, significantly expanding her body of published work and demonstrating her significant poetic achievement. *** "The publication of Anna Wickham's 'New and Selected Poems' is a landmark event for poets and readers and will allow us to properly celebrate this vocational, passionate and important voice for the first time." -Carol Ann Duffy (Series: UWAP Poetry) [Subject: Poetry]... Download ebook, read file pdf New and Selected Poems of Anna Wickham


A biosynthetic pathway split between young and old individual ferns controls hormonal signaling that regulates sex determination. An optimized ratio of male and females in a sexually reproducing population helps to generate the genetic diversity useful to a species in a changing world. Tanaka et al. studied a fern in which the sex ratio is adjusted not by individual identity, but by signaling between individual plants (see the Perspective by Sun). Early-maturing individual ferns express some of the biosynthetic genes needed to make a precursor of the plant hormone gibberellin, which they secrete into the environment. Younger ferns, which express the enzymes needed to finalize synthesis of gibberellin, take up the signal and in response develop the organs that produce male gametes. J. Tanaka, K. Yano, K. Aya, K. Hirano, S. Takehara, E. Koketsu, R. L. Ordonio, S.-H. Park, M. Nakajima, M. Ueguchi-Tanaka, M. Matsuoka, Antheridiogen determines sex in ferns via a spatiotemporally split gibberellin synthesis pathway. Science 346, 469–473 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text] T.-p. Sun, Sex and the single fern. Science 346, 423–424 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text]


How should we communicate evaluation work in design science research (DSR)? A case study based on our industry collaboration research project encountered this challenge after finding limited guidance on a structure to effectively communicate DSR evaluation work. We propose a logic model as a consistent reporting structure to communicate DSR evaluation by presenting a unified view of inputs, outputs, and immediate and long-term outcomes. The case study is based on an IT service organisation where a novel research artefact to conduct IT service process assessments was implemented. We present this case study as a real-life exemplar for an experimental design involving the use of a logic model to communicate DSR evaluation work. This case study provides a source of qualitative evaluation data to explore and subsequently analyse how the application of a simple logic model might provide the much needed structure to communicate critical evaluation activities in a DSR project.


Since its first volume in 1960, Advances in Computers has presented detailed coverage of innovations in computer hardware, software, theory, design, and applications. It has also provided contributors with a medium in which they can explore their subjects in greater depth and breadth than journal articles usually allow. As a result, many articles have become standard references that continue to be of sugnificant, lasting value in this rapidly expanding field.In-depth surveys and tutorials on new computer technologyWell-known authors and researchers in the fieldExtensive bibliographies with most chaptersMany of the volumes are devoted to single themes or subfields of computer science


Secure computation of scalar product is of considerable importance due to its central role in many practical computation scenarios with privacy and security requirements. This paper includes new results about the secure two-party scalar product. Specifically, a perfectly secure and universally composable two-party split scalar product (SSP) protocol is proposed in the preprocessing model. In addition to full security, the proposed SSP protocol enjoys the advantage of optimal efficiency. To show the optimality of this SSP protocol, information theoretic lower bounds on the amount of communicated data in a secure two-party computation in the preprocessing model are derived. These bounds are not limited to SSP functionality but apply to a large class of two-party functionalities. A part of this paper is devoted to applications of the proposed SSP protocol in secure cloud computing. Specifically, based on this protocol, a cloud-assisted privacy-preserving profile-matching scheme and a secure remote health monitoring scheme are proposed. Both of the solutions are highly efficient and significantly improve the previous work.


Background and Objective: Employment is one of the important social determinants of health. The aim of this study was determining the relationship between job satisfaction and Health-Related Quality of Life (QOL) in Gilan-e-Gharb teachers in 2013. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on teachers of Gilan-e-Gharb City (n:375) in 2013. They were selected by Multi-stage cluster sampling method. The Minnesota Job satisfaction and SF-36 questionnaires and demographic checklist were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using independent t test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation tests and multiple linear regression. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 40.71±5.26 years, 48.1% (n= 169) of them were female. Pearson's correlation test showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between job satisfaction and dimensions of QOL including: Vitality (p= 0.024 r= 0.120), Mental Health (p= 0.005 r= 0.148), Social Functioning (p= 0.011 r= 0.136), Role-Emotional (p= 0.032 r= 0.114) and General health (p= 0.002 r= 0.169). Among variables entered in the regression model, the variables of educational level, employment status, exercise status and intrinsic subscale of job satisfaction, explained 12.6% of overall health-related QOL changes (R= 0.355). Conclusion: In this study, the relationship between job satisfaction and QOL in teachers was supported. Considering the great importance of teaching and the special responcibility of the teachers designing and implementation of purposeful programs by the Ministry of Education in order to make positive effects on job satisfaction and promotion of QOL in teachers seems essential. Key words: Health-related Quality of Life, Job satisfaction, Teachers Funding: This research was funded by deputy of Research and Technology of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Conflict of interest: None Declared. Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences approved the study. How to cite this article: Ghasemi SR, Rjabi Gilan N, ReshadatS, AhmadianM. The Relationship between Job Satisfaction with Health-related Quality of Life in Gilan-e-Gharb Teachers, 2013. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2014 13(2): 13-26. [Farsi]


Although information visualization (infovis) technologies have proven indispensable tools for making sense of complex data, wide-spread deployment has yet to take hold, as successful infovis applications are often difficult to author and require domain-specific customization. To address these issues, we have created prefuse, a software framework for creating dynamic visualizations of both structured and unstructured data. prefuse provides theoretically-motivated abstractions for the design of a wide range of visualization applications, enabling programmers to string together desired components quickly to create and customize working visualizations. To evaluate prefuse we have built both existing and novel visualizations testing the toolkit's flexibility and performance, and have run usability studies and usage surveys finding that programmers find the toolkit usable and effective.


We perform two-dimensional plane-strain finite-difference calculations of dynamic rupture along an interface separating different elastic media. The calculations extend earlier results of Andrews and Ben-Zion (1997) who found a self-sustaining narrow slip pulse associated with dynamic reduction of normal stress along a material interface governed by constant friction, in agreement with Weertman (1980). The pulse propagates in a wrinklelike mode having remarkable dynamic properties that may be relevant to many geophysical phenomena. Here we examine the range of values of elastic parameters, friction coefficient, and strength heterogeneities allowing for the existence of the wrinklelike pulse. Rupture is initiated in the simulations by imposed slip in a limited space-time domain. Outside the region of the imposed slip, the pulse becomes narrower and higher with propagation distance along the interface. The strength of the wrinklelike pulse increases with S-wave velocity contrast up to a maximum at about 35% contrast. Beyond such a velocity contrast, there is no solution for a generalized Rayleigh wave along a material interface, and the strength of the pulse decreases. However, the wrinklelike pulse can still propagate in a self-sustaining manner for larger velocity contrasts. For a fixed S-wave velocity contrast, the strength has little dependence on density contrast or Poisson's ratio, but the pulse strength increases rapidly with increasing coefficient of friction. Stress and strength heterogeneities with small correlation length have little effect on the pulse, while long wavelength heterogeneities reduce the strength of the pulse. The high mechanical efficiency of the wrinklelike pulse suggests that earthquake ruptures may favor such mode of failure when possible.


Telomeres are essential in maintaining chromosome integrity and in controlling cellular replication. Attrition of telomere length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with age is well documented from cross-sectional studies. But the actual in vivo changes in telomere lengths and its relationship with the contributing factors within the individuals with age have not been fully addressed. In the present paper, we report a longitudinal analysis of telomere length in the PBMCs, lymphocytes and monocytes of 216 human subjects aged from 20-90 years assessed at 0-, 5- and 12-year follow-up. For the 5- and 12-year follow-up, telomere length in the PBMCs decreased in 34% and 46%, exhibited no detectable change in 56% and 47% and increased in 10% and 7% of the subjects respectively. The rate of telomere change was distinct for T-cells, B-cells and monocytes for any given subject. Telomerase activity declined with age in the resting T-cells and B-cells and the activated T-cells. Finally, a significant portion of telomere attrition in T-cells with age was explained by a decline in the telomerase activity, decreased naïve cells and the change in physiological conditions such as elevated blood glucose and interleukin (IL)-6 levels. These findings show that changes in the telomere length of the PBMCs with age in vivo occur at different rates in different individuals and cell types and reveal that changes in the telomere length in the T-cells with age is influenced by the telomerase activity, naïve T-cell percentage and changes in health conditions.


Abstract. The purpose of this application, under Article 75.8 of the Code, is to conserve the specific name Testudo gigantea Schweigger, 1812 in its customary usage for the giant land tortoise (family testudinidae) found on Aldabra Atoll in the western Indian Ocean. Taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion in the 19th and early 20th centuries led to competing and contradictory proposals between 1982 and 2006 to supplant T. gigantea Schweigger, 1812, first with T. elephantina Duméril & Bibron, 1835 and then with T. dussumieri Gray, 1831. As a corollary, Aldabrachelys Loveridge & Williams, 1957, the genus-group name erected for the Aldabra tortoise, was supposedly reduced to a junior synonym of either the extinct Mascarene genus/subgenus Cylindraspis Fitzinger, 1835, or the South American genus/subgenus Chelonoidis Fitzinger, 1835, and replaced as the name of the Aldabra tortoise by the generic name Dipsochelys Bour, 1982. To stabilise the accustomed name of this species as Geochelone (Aldabrachelys) gigantea, a neotype of T. gigantea Schweigger, 1812 was designated in 2006. A subsequent claim of the rediscovery of the long-lost holotype now again threatens this usage and stable nomenclature by (1) rendering T. gigantea a junior subjective synonym of T. denticulata Linnaeus, 1766, (2) resurrecting the former nomen oblitum Testudo dussumieri Gray, 1831 for the Aldabra tortoise, and (3) setting aside the neotype of T. gigantea; this action also again threatens the established use of Aldabrachelys. The supposed holotype rediscovery is not unequivocally proven, and for the sake of nomenclatural universality and stability, it is proposed that the neotype designation of 2006 be affirmed and that T. dussumieri Gray, 1831 be suppressed.


The orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, has been one of the main targeted species in deep-sea fisheries worldwide. It occurs at depths of 450 – 1800 m and is abundant off the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, Namibia, Chile, and in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Like many other deep-sea fishes, orange roughy is vulnerable to over exploitation because they grow slow reaching maturity at about 30 years and live for more than 100 years. Their fecundity is low, which means they have low productivity. The individuals form predictable and dense spawning aggregations close to seamounts, plateaus and canyons. The trawl fishery for orange roughy started in seamounts around New Zealand in the late 1970s and progressively expanded off the coast of other countries and to the high seas (out of any Economic Exclusive Zone). Most stocks have been fished down to or below 30% pre-exploitation levels; as a consequence, fisheries have been closed or catches largely reduced. Currently, the only large scale fisheries operate off New Zealand. For effective fisheries management it is essential to define real biological units or "stocks". There has been considerable research into the levels of population differentiation of orange roughy using a range of techniques at different geographic scales to attempt to differentiated stocks. However, there is no consensus about the level of connectivity among populations. In the present study, I investigated the levels of population differentiation in orange roughy using two types of neutral molecular markers at a global and fine-scales. Both markers revealed high levels of genetic diversity which is likely related with historically large population sizes. The analyses of 546 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences revealed a lack of global genetic differentiation among samples from New Zealand, Australia, Namibia, and Chile. However, low but significant differentiation was found between the Southern hemisphere sites and two Northeast Atlantic sites. Mismatch distribution and Bayesian analyses indicated the occurrence of expansion events in orange roughy during the Pleistocene period. A data set of nine microsatellite DNA loci genotyped from 812 individuals, showed a predominant lack of significant genetic differentiation across the Tasman Sea and at a fine-scale around New Zealand. At a global scale, differentiation was low but significant across the Southern hemisphere; and the highest values of differentiation were detected between the Southern hemisphere sites and the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. The predominant lack of differentiation at the regional and fine-scale and the low differentiation within the Southern hemisphere is probably the result of stepping-stone dispersal of long-lived adults that are able to spawn many times in their life. Most orange roughy studies have been oriented to fisheries aspects, but other kind of studies as the genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships among Hoplostethus species are lacking. Using available COI sequences, I conducted a phylogenetic study including H. atlanticus, H. crassispinus, H. gigas, H. japonicus H. latus, and H. mediterraneus. As expected, the inter species divergence was much higher than the intra species divergence. Phylogenetics analyses showed that H. latus, H. crassispinus, H. japonicus, and H. mediterraneus form a separate clade from H. atlanticus and H. gigas. The position of H. gigas was not well defined with the nucleotide data. However, at the amino acid level, non-synonymous substitutions differentiated H. atlanticus from all the other species. This was correlated with morphological characteristics presented elsewhere. A candidate gene approach was attemped using the rhodopsin gene; however, there was almost no variation among partial sequences of individuals from distant sites. Instead, this gene was used to investigate the molecular basis for visual adaptations in orange roughy to the bathypelagic light environment. It is known that certain amino acid replacements in the rhodopsin gene of vertebrates shift the λmax value of the pigment to perceive different light conditions. To compare and identify critical amino acid sites that are known to be involved in spectral tuning, I obtained partial rhodopsin sequences of other 18 marine teleost habiting at different depths (1 – 1,175 m) and, thus, different light environments. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to determine whether particular rhodopsin gene sequences correlate with the depths occupied by the species. I identified four critical amino acid replacements that have been involved in the spectral tuning of rod pigments. Orange roughy presented the same amino acid combination at two critical sites already reported for the deep-sea congener silver roughy, which was not found in any of the other species. This likely reflects an adaptation to the light available (i.e. bioluminescence) in the bathypelagic environment. The phylogeny was weakly related to the maximum depth of the species, probably because there are selectively neutral (i.e. inherited by ancestry) and non-neutral changes (i.e. influenced by natural selection) among the rhodopsin sequences of the species being considered.


The current study investigated the effectiveness of a Literacy Based Intervention (LBI) on English Language Learners (ELLs) with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Specifically this report focuses on the effects of LBI on vocabulary skills (e.g. naming and defining). Nineteen ELLs (ages 74 to 104 months) participated in the intervention study, which lasted eight weeks and consisted of 50-minute sessions, three times a week. The LBI focused on rich vocabulary instruction of words that were from storybook readings. Vocabulary naming and definition probes were used to assess vocabulary progress. Results revealed that vocabulary increases did not occur until the second half of the intervention (e.g. week six or seven). LBI shows promise to be successful for increasing vocabulary skills in ELLs with SLI.


The implementation of MiFID has led to a fragmentation of liquidity in European equity trading. We analyze the long-term effects of MiFID on liquidity with a new sample of Swiss stocks and do not find evidence for a worsening of market quality. In contrast, spread and depth measures indicate a general increase in market quality. Given the non-existence of a consolidated tape in Europe, we examine whether trade-throughs prevent the emergence of a virtually consolidated market. We find evidence that trade-throughs originate from informed traders with a priority of execution speed over price and conclude that the occurrence of trade-throughs does not indicate an inferior market quality.


Abstract The aim of the present paper is to illustrate as a case study, the linguistic and stylistic peculiarities characterizing the third book of the Dēnkard, one of the most authoritative texts in Zoroastrian Pahlavi literature (9th-10th CE). The analysis will consider these features as part of a coherent system, styled to serve the dialectic strategies pursued by the Zoroastrian high priests in response to the pressures their own community was facing in the early Islamic period. In order to provide a more comprehensive overview on DkIII language distinctiveness, the research will underline the outward/inward dynamics, addressing both the relation of this theological dialectic with the surrounding socio-cultural environment and the leadingrole claims of a group within a politically subordinated community


Change • September/October 2011 T he forces of globalization are finally hitting American postsecondary education. For nearly three decades, since the 1983 publication of A Nation At Risk launched a sustained focus on our mediocre, if not failing, K-12 system, American postsecondary education has avoided the accountability spotlight. Our postsecondary policy debates have focused mostly on input problems such as access, the cost of the federal student-loan program, the value of the Pell grant, and diversity. Issues such as graduation rates, the quality of learning, and cost-effectiveness were rarely addressed: Everyone simply assumed that America had the best postsecondary education system in the world. This is not the case anymore. At a time when postsecondary education attainment is seen as increasingly vital to the economy's future growth and productivity and the nation's global competitiveness, America no longer leads the world in the percentage of our population with college degrees. We have gone from first to ninth among developed nations in the 33-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The problem is not so much that we are falling behind as that other nations are catching up and pulling ahead. We also know that only about half of the full-time students who begin college complete it within six years. In community colleges, fewer than one-fifth finish their program in two years. Among minority students, the dropout rate is substantially higher: Only a quarter of those who begin finish. The cost in wasted resources, lost time, and shattered dreams is staggering.


Alfred B. Stormalong is a giant man who is the captain of a giant sailing ship. One day while Stormy and his crew are catching fish in the Atlantic, something in the ocean pulls on the ship's anchor and won't let go. What will Stormy do?


This article explores duality as the fundamental structuring principle of Voyages et aventures du capitaine Hatteras. Arguing that duality consistently emerges within the apparent absolutes that dominate the text, thereby relativizing or polarizing them, the article examines this process at the level of the hero and the story, as well as discursive regime. The article focuses on ways that Verne mobilizes the metaphor of the internal fire in relation to both Hatteras, hero of the absolute, and Dr. Clawbonny, hero of knowledge. Its analysis concludes at the Polar volcano, finding that Hatteras's duality at once constitutes and destabilizes the text.


The increasing popularity of social networks has initiated a fertile research area in information extraction and data mining. Although such analysis can facilitate better understanding of sociological, behavioral, and other interesting phenomena, there is growing concern about personal privacy being breached, thereby req uiring effective anonymization techniques. If we consider the social graph to be a weighted graph, then the problem of anonymization can be of various types: node identity anonymization , structural anonymization , or edge weight anonymization . In this paper, we consider edge weight anonymization. Our approach builds a linear programming (LP) model which preserves properties of the graph that are expressible as linear functions of the edge weights. Such properties form the foundations of many important graph-theoretic algorithms such asingle source shortest paths tree, all-pairs shortest paths,k-nearest neighbors, minimum cost spanning tree, etc. Off-the-shelf LP solvers can then be used to find solutions to the resulting model where the computed solution forms the weights of the anonymized graph. As a proof of concept, we choose the shortest paths problemand its extensions, prove the correctness of the constructed models, analyze their complexity, and experimentally evaluate the proposed techniques using real social network data sets. Our experiments demonstrate that not only does the proposed technique anonymize the weights, but it also improves the k-anonymityof the graphs while scrambling the relative ordering of the edge-weights, thereby providing robust and effective anonymization of the sensitive edge-weights.


PCSK9 is a secreted protein that degrades low density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) in liver by binding to the epidermal growth factor-like repeat A (EGF-A) domain of the LDLR. It is not known whether PCSK9 causes degradation of LDLRs within the secretory pathway or following secretion and reuptake via endocytosis. Here we show that a mutation in the LDLR EGF-A domain associated with familial hypercholesterolemia, H306Y, results in increased sensitivity to exogenous PCSK9-mediated cellular degradation because of enhanced PCSK9 binding affinity. The crystal structure of the PCSK9-EGF-A(H306Y) complex shows that Tyr-306 forms a hydrogen bond with Asp-374 in PCSK9 at neutral pH, which strengthens the interaction with PCSK9. To block secreted PCSK9 activity, LDLR (H306Y) subfragments were added to the medium of HepG2 cells stably overexpressing wild-type PCSK9 or gain-of-function PCSK9 mutants associated with hypercholesterolemia (D374Y or S127R). These subfragments blocked secreted PCSK9 binding to cell surface LDLRs and resulted in the recovery of LDLR levels to those of control cells. We conclude that PCSK9 acts primarily as a secreted factor to cause LDLR degradation. These studies support the concept that pharmacological inhibition of the PCSK9-LDLR interaction extracellularly will increase hepatic LDLR expression and lower plasma low density lipoprotein levels.


The Yakan weaving practices were integral to the personal and cultural life of the tribe. This study sought to describe how the teaching and learning happen in the Yakan weaving practices as well as determine the significance of weaving in the economic, social and environmental aspects of the Yakans' way of life. Anchored on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) of Albert Bandura, learning occurs through the observation and imitation of the innate person (learner) of the modeled behavior (weaving) in a learning environment (Socio-cultural norms in the Yakan community.) The study utilized a qualitative and descriptive design. Pertinent data were obtained through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII) and Fieldwork Observation Checklist (FOC). The respondents of the FGD were the weavers of the two Yakan communities in the cities of Zamboanga and Lamitan. The communities also served as the subject of the FOC. Three experts on Yakan textile and culture were probed in the KII. Purposive Sampling Technique was used to select the respondents of the FGD and the Snowball method to identify the informants for the KII. Results show that the Yakan weaving practices are transferred from one generation to another by the mothers to their daughters. The pedagogy could either be structured, through demonstration and modeling by the teacher or informal through observation and imitation of the learner. Moreover, the interplay of culture is evident in the Yakan weaving through the economic and social practices as well as the adaptation in the environmental changes of the tribe. Lastly, there is a need to enhance the teaching and learning of weaving to accommodate more learners and to strike a balance between the preservation of the tribe's culture and the profitability of the weaving textile business.


Counterfactual Regret Minimization (CFR) is a leading algorithm for finding a Nash equilibrium in large zero-sum imperfect-information games. CFR is an iterative algorithm that repeatedly traverses the game tree, updating regrets at each information set. We introduce an improvement to CFR that prunes any path of play in the tree, and its descendants, that has negative regret. It revisits that sequence at the earliest subsequent CFR iteration where the regret could have become positive, had that path been explored on every iteration. The new algorithm maintains CFR's convergence guarantees while making iterations significantly faster—even if previously known pruning techniques are used in the comparison. This improvement carries over to CFR+, a recent variant of CFR. Experiments show an order of magnitude speed improvement, and the relative speed improvement increases with the size of the game.


Crowd counting has been studied for decades and a lot of works have achieved good performance, especially the DNNs-based density map estimation methods. Most existing crowd counting works focus on single-view counting, while few works have studied multi-view counting for large and wide scenes, where multiple cameras are used. Recently, an end-to-end multi-view crowd counting method called multi-view multi-scale (MVMS) has been proposed, which fuses multiple camera views using a CNN to predict a 2D scene-level density map on the ground-plane. Unlike MVMS, we propose to solve the multi-view crowd counting task through 3D feature fusion with 3D scene-level density maps, instead of the 2D ground-plane ones. Compared to 2D fusion, the 3D fusion extracts more information of the people along z-dimension (height), which helps to solve the scale variations across multiple views. The 3D density maps still preserve the 2D density maps property that the sum is the count, while also providing 3D information about the crowd density. We also explore the projection consistency among the 3D prediction and the ground-truth in the 2D views to further enhance the counting performance. The proposed method is tested on 3 multi-view counting datasets and achieves better or comparable counting performance to the state-of-the-art.


The present study was carried out to examine unidentified and identified specimens
of Nybelinia, Heteronybelinia, Mixonybelinia and Kotorella deposited
at the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. A total of 17 different
species including type specimens was found: Nybelinia africana Dollfus,
1960; N. erythraea Dollfus, 1960; N. goreensis Dollfus, 1960; N. lingualis
(Cuvier, 1817); Nybelinia cf. lingualis (Cuvier, 1817); N. riseri Dollfus, 1960;
N. scoliodoni (Vijayalakshmi, Vijayalakshmi & Gangadharam, 1996);
N. strongyla Dollfus, 1960; N. surmenicola Okada, 1929; N. thyrsites
Korotaeva, 1971; Heteronybelinia estigmena (Dollfus, 1960); H. eureia
(Dollfus, 1960); H. minima Palm, 1999; H. nipponica (Yamaguti, 1952);
H. robusta (Dollfus, 1960); H. yamagutii (Dollfus, 1960); Mixonybelinia
edwinlintoni (Dollfus, 1960) n.comb. ; Kotorella pronosoma (Stossich, 1901).
M. edwinlintoni is re-described. Nybelinia oodes Dollfus, 1960, H. alloiotica
(Dollfus, 1960), H. cadenati (Dollfus, 1960), and H. senegalensis (Dollfus,
1960) are considered synonymous with H. estigmena (Dollfus, 1960).
H. punctatissima (Dollfus, 1960) is considered synonymous with Nybelinia
lingualis, and specimens of H. punctatissima as described in Dollfus (1960) are
considered synonymous with H. estigmena. H. rougetcampanae (Dollfus,
1960) is considered synonymous with H. nipponica, and N. rhynchobatus
Yang, Lin, Liu & Peng 1995 synonymous with Kotorella pronosoma. Five new
localities and 12 new host records were established. The adults of
Mixonybelinia edwinlintoni n.comb. and N. strongyla are reported for the first
time. A high degree of morphological variability within the same species was
observed, with postlarvae having the potential to reach a larger size than
adults. Most of the studied species exhibit a wide host range and distribution.
List of valid species are given for the five genera within the family
Tentaculariidae: Nybelinia (24 species), Heteronybelinia (10), Mixonybelinia
(3), Kotorella (1), and Tentacularia (1).


STATNAMIC LATERAL LOADING TESTING OF FULL-SCALE 15AND 9GROUP PILES IN CLAY Rick D. Broderick Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Master of Science Studies of seismic and impact loading on foundation piles is an important and a focused interest in the engineering world today. Because of seismic and other natural events are unpredictable, uncontrollable and potentially unsafe it is a vital study to understand the behavior and relationship structures in motion have on there foundation. Statnamic Loading has become a popular method of studying this relationship in a controlled environment. Two groups of 9 and 15 driven hollow pipe piles were tested in saturated clay at the Salt Lake City Airport in July of 2002. The 9-pile group (3x3 configuration) was separated at 5.65 pile diameters and the 15-pile group (3x5 configuration) was separated at 3.92 pile diameters. The testing consisted of five target deflections. Each target deflection consisted of 15 cyclic lateral static loadings and a 16th lateral statnamic load. This study focuses on the statnamic loading. Damping ratios ranged from 23 to 50 percent for the 15-pile group and 29 to 49 percent for the 9-pile group. Both pile groups increased in damping as the deflections increased. The optimized mass in motion for the entire system was found to be roughly 21,000kg for the 15-pile group and 14,000 kg for the 9-pile group. Stiffness for the 15pile group started at 50kN/mm and ended at 21kN/mm. The 9-pile group ranged from 28kN/mm to 12kN/mm.


We show from an elementary symmetry analysis that, in dispersion-compensated systems for which a lossless model is valid, nonlinearity requires a chirp-free point at the center of symmetry (if such exists) of the map for any kind of unique periodic solution. We also present an example of a more-complex map when the periodic solution is not unique.


The impact of high-frequency spectral phase modulation on the temporal contrast of ultrafast pulses is evaluated. Expressions are derived for the low-intensity pedestal produced by optical component surface roughness within pulse stretchers and compressors. Phase noise, added across the near-field of a spectrally dispersed beam, produces space–time coupling in the far-field or focal plane. The pedestal is swept across an area in the focal plane many times the size of the diffraction-limited spot. Simulations are performed for generic stretchers and compressors that show fundamentally different forms of temporal contrast degradation at focus.


An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different diets on the follicular growth and embryo development in the female rabbits. Thirty - six adult rabbits (6-month-old) were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments namely Commercial rabbit pellet (Control); 50% Palm Kernel Cake (50%PKC) and PKC+ Ammonium Molybdate and Sodium Sulphate (PKC+MS) in an individual wire cage, and have access to water and feed ad-libitum for eight weeks prior to mating. The changes in body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. All rabbits were sacrificed at the end of the experiment at different stages (prior to mating (n=2), within 5- 6 hours post mating (n=6) and at 48 hours after mating (n=4) from each treatment). Both ovaries from rabbits sacrificed prior to or within 5 – 6 hours post mating were prepared for serial sectioning and then stained using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H & E). Slides were examined under microscope (40X magnification) to identifiy and classifiy the follicles as either healthy or atretic, measured and either classified as small ( 1.0 mm) in diameter. Both oviducts from rabbits sacrificed 48 hours post mating were flushed with PBS supplemented with 10% inactivated fetal calf serum. Embryos were recovered, fixed and stained with Hoechst 33342 and examined under Fluorescent microscope for quality evaluation. Data were analysed using General Linear Model and Chi – square. The results from this study, showed that there were significant difference (P<0.05) in terms of feed intake and live bodyweight at 8 weeks, in all the dietary treatments and also there was a significant different in copper (Cu) concentration (P<0.05) in the liver, ovary and serum with high concentration of Cu in rabbits fed 50% PKC (31.93 ± 1.20 ppm, 5.36± 0.11 ppm, 1.63 ± 0.15 ppm respectively). However, addition of 0.22 g/kg sulphur dry weight and 0.0013 g/kg molybdenum dry weight to rabbits fed with PKC as basal diet could avoid Cu accumulation in serum, liver and ovary.The number of large follicles on the ovaries from rabbits fed on PKC+MS and Control diets were significantly higher (P<0.05) than from rabbits fed on 50% PKC. The numbers of healthy large and medium follicles were significantly higher (P<0.05) in Control and PKC+MS compared to 50% PKC. In general, most follicles in the ovaries from rabbits fed on 50% PKC were atretic in small (63%; n=109), medium (67%; n=36) and large (54%; n=24) compared to Control were atretic in small (33%; n=76), medium (26%; n=50) and large (20%;n=46) and also PKC+MS were atretic in small (24%; n=126), medium (30%; n=47) and large (21%; n=47). Although, there are not statisically significant between rabbits fed with three different dietary treatments in terms of embryo development, but number of corpus lutea and embryo were decreasing in rabbit fed with 50% PKC (8.2 ± 2.36%; 3.0 ± 0.82%; 37.5 ± 0.20%) compared to rabbits fed Control (10.0 ± 1.08%; 5.0 ± 0.82%; 50.6 ± 0.13%) and PKC+MS diets (10.8 ± 1.11%; 5.8 ± 1.31%; 53.4 ± 0.19%). There was significant difference (P<0.05) in the percentage of embryos at the early morula stage in rabbits under 50%PKC diet (16.7%; 2/12) as compared to Control (40%; 8/20) and PKC+MS diets (47.8%; 11/23).This study suggests that the accumulation of Cu in liver, ovary and serum of rabbits fed on 50% PKC diet were consumed less diet, reduced body weight, healty, medium and large number of follicles and also negative effect to the development embryo. However, PKC with Ammonium Molybdate and Sodium Sulphate, improved the development of follicle and embryo more compared to control dietary treatment. Therefore, having a balanced Cu content is an important aspect in reproduction.


The great raft spider, Dolomedes plantarius, is a semi-aquatic spider species with an Eurosiberian distribution. As a result of habitat loss and degradation, in 1996 the species was classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but since then the status has never been updated. We present the frame of the existing knowledge on the distribution of this rare spider species in Italy, based on literature data and on original records gathered in recent years. Finally, we discuss the conservation value of the Italian populations, in light of their peripheral position within the species range and in light of the future reduction of the bioclimatic range of the species due to climate and land cover changes associated with anthropic disturbance


The endoskeleton of sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) is comprised of a cartilaginous core, covered by thousands of mineralized tiles, called tesserae. Characterizing the relationship between tesseral morphometrics, skeletal growth and mechanics is challenging because tesserae are small (a few hundred micrometers wide), anchored to the surrounding tissue in complex three-dimensional ways, and occur in huge numbers. We integrate material property, histology, electron microscopy and synchrotron and laboratory µCT scans of skeletal elements from an ontogenetic series of round stingray Urobatis halleri, to gain insights into the generation and maintenance of a natural tessellated system. Using a custom-made semiautomatic segmentation algorithm, we present the first quantitative and 3d description of tesserae across whole skeletal elements. The tessellation is not interlocking or regular, with tesserae showing a great range of shapes, sizes and number of neighbors. This is partly region-dependent: for example, thick, columnar tesserae are arranged in series along convex edges with small radius of curvature (RoC), whereas more brick- or disc-shaped tesserae are found in planar/flatter areas. Comparison of the tessellation across ontogeny, shows that in younger animals, the forming tesseral network is less densely packed, appearing as a covering of separate, poorly mineralized islands that grow together with age to form a complete surface. Some gaps in the tessellation are localized to specific regions in all samples, indicating they are real features, perhaps either regions of delayed mineralization or of tendon insertion. We will use the structure of elasmobranch skeletons as a road map for understanding shark and ray skeletal mechanics, but also to extract fundamental engineering principles for tiled composite materials.


On December 21, 2000, Carol Browner received a standing ovation from several dozen clean-air advocates assembled to observe her final news conference. "Anyone who has ever driven behind a large truck or bus is familiar with the smell of diesel fuel and the clouds of thick exhaust emissions," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator during the Clinton administration noted, as she outlined a bold plan to clean up diesel trucks and buses and diesel fuel. Under the EPA plan, new trucks and buses would be up to 95 percent cleaner than today's models. Diesel buses, Browner noted, would be as clean as those fueled by natural gas. (1) The clean-diesel rule was the culmination of EPA efforts in recent years to clean up emissions from both gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, including cars, buses, trucks, and sport utility vehicles, as well as the gasoline and diesel fuel itself. These efforts will lead to significant reductions of dangerous emissions during the next several decades. Public health will be greatly improved as a result. EPA calculated that the diesel rule alone would eventually prevent more than 8,000 premature deaths a year. These tough EPA standards are a continuation of progress begun in 1970 under the Clean Air Act to reduce motor vehicle emissions and the resulting harm to public health. It is fair to say that control of motor vehicle pollution is one of the stellar accomplishments of the Clean Air Act. Even though there are many more cars on the road being driven many more miles than in 1970, emissions from motor vehicles have been reduced since passage of the 1970 Clean Air Act. Driving, expressed as vehicle miles traveled, increased 140 percent between 1970 and 1999, yet automotive emissions of the three major pollutants--carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides--all dropped significantly during that time. (2) Despite this progress, we still face significant challenges associated with emissions from gasoline and diesel engines--challenges that must be met if we are to fulfill the Clean Air Act's goal of making the air healthful for all Americans. The Price of Pollution Ever since Edwin Drake drilled the world's first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859, petroleum has been a mixed blessing. Within a year of Drake's discovery, the first internal combustion engine was built. Before long, cars replaced the horse and buggy. Trucks made shipping easier. Tractors changed the furrowed face of the old family farm. But progress came with a price: pollution. By 1970, air pollution had become a national health problem. Residents in most of our major cities were routinely breathing harmful levels of air. A great proportion of the pollutants was produced by motor vehicles. EPA statistics showed, for example, that nearly 80 percent of all carbon monoxide emissions in 1970 came from motor vehicles, as did more than 80 percent of lead emissions and more than 40 percent of smog-forming nitrogen oxides emissions. (3) 1970 was a watershed year for clean air. A grassroots environmental movement swept over the nation, we held our first Earth Day, and political momentum began to build for a tough new air pollution law. That summer, Washington, D.C., suffered the worst and longest air-pollution episode in its history. Caught up in the spirit of the times, a coalition of labor and environmental groups went so far as to call for the prohibition of the internal combustion engine. Using this backdrop as political leverage, members of the Senate Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution, led by Senator Edmund S. Muskie (D-ME), prodded a reluctant President Nixon and an equally reluctant House of Representatives to accept the landmark Clean Air Act of 1970. To back up the three fundamental principles of the 1970 law--that protection of public health was the primary goal, that deadlines were necessary so the American people could know when their health would be protected, and that industry should be required to apply the best technology available--Senator Muskie called on the automobile industry to reduce its emissions by 90 percent within five years--even though no technology had yet been demonstrated that could achieve such a dramatic cleanup. …


Murine PIRH2 (mPIRH2) was recently identified as a RING finger-containing ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligase that interacts with both p53 and the human androgen receptor. mpirh2 is a p53-responsive gene that is up-regulated by UV, and mPIRH2 protein has the capacity to polyubiquitylate p53, perhaps leading to p53 destruction. mpirh2 therefore has properties similar to those of the oncogene mdm2. Here, we have identified human PIRH2 (hPIRH2) as a TIP60-interacting protein. To investigate its regulation, we characterized hPIRH2 in parallel with hPIRH2 variants possessing mutations of conserved RING finger residues. We observed that wild-type hPIRH2 is an unstable protein with a short half-life and is a target for RING domain-dependent proteasomal degradation. Accordingly, we found that hPIRH2 was ubiquitylated in cells. The TIP60-hPIRH2 association appeared to regulate hPIRH2 stability; coexpression of TIP60 enhanced hPIRH2 protein stability and altered hPIRH2 subcellular localization. These results suggest that hPIRH2 activities can be controlled, at the post-translational level, in multiple ways.


Summary

1
Tropical rainforests are potential reservoirs of insects that could enhance crop pollination, but only a few instances of the provision of such services by tropical rainforest insects have been reported. Our field study aimed to determine the relative importance of such insects to the pollination of macadamia Macadamia integrifolia and longan Dimocarpus longan crops on the Atherton Tableland, north Queensland, Australia.

2
We quantified initial fruit set, a measure of pollination success, in treatments designed to assess the relative importance of the possible modes of pollination. The treatments were applied in orchards that varied in distance from rainforest, in order to compare the effects of the contrasting pools of available pollen vectors. We also recorded the insect species present and estimated the number of visits each made to flowers in crops near and far from rainforest.

3
For both crops there was an interaction between pollination treatment and distance from rainforest. Maximum fruit set was only achieved when pollen vectors had access to flowers and orchards were close to rainforest. Exclusion of pollinators near rainforest reduced initial fruit set to a greater extent than exclusion of pollinators far from rainforest.

4
We confirmed that pollen transfer in macadamia is by autogamous self-pollination and by pollen vectors, but our design did not distinguish among pollen vectors. The only abundant insects in macadamia orchards were honeybees Apis mellifera. There were more honeybee visits to macadamia flowers in orchards near rainforest than far from rainforest, but we detected no relationship between honeybee visits and initial macadamia fruit set in our sample of observations on a per raceme basis. More detailed studies are needed to identify the pollen vector responsible for enhanced pollination of macadamia near rainforest.

5
We established for the first time that pollen transfer in longan is by a combination of autogamous self-pollination, wind and bees. Longan flowers were visited by stingless bees and honeybees but only stingless bees had a positive relationship with initial longan fruit set and higher visitation rates near rainforest than far from rainforest. This suggests that enhanced pollination in longan near rainforest resulted primarily from a more abundant supply of stingless bees from the rainforest.

6
Synthesis and applications. By demonstrating that tropical rainforest can act as a reservoir of pollen vectors that benefit crops, our study highlights the existence of a largely unrecognized resource available to agriculture. At the same time our results make a significant contribution to the growing database of studies that underscore the importance of tropical rainforest conservation. Policy and management aimed at sustainable use of this resource would satisfy the goals both of agriculturalists, to improve crop yields, and conservationists, to conserve tropical rainforest.


An all-in-one start-up kit to author, manage, and administer ArcGIS geodatabases Overview Covers the basics of building Geodatabases, using ArcGIS, from scratch Model the Geodatabase to an optimal state using the various optimization techniques Packed with real-world examples showcasing ArcGIS Geodatabase to build mapping applications in web, desktop, and mobile In Detail ArcGIS is an industry standard for geospatial development and management. A geodatabase is the database used to store and manage the spatial data. Learning ArcGIS Geodatabases offers a comprehensive working and practical experience for readers who are interested in knowing about ArcGIS. The initial chapters guide you through authoring geodatabases and creating a geodatabase schema and datasets. Then, the book focuses extensively on modeling and optimizing geodatabases. Finally, you will be able to work comfortably with datasets, annotations, and relationship classes, making it easier to migrate from a legacy database to an ArcGIS geodatabase. What you will learn from this book Explore the benefits of geodatabases with practical illustrations Work with geodatabase datasets covering feature classes, tables, relationship classes, coverage, and annotations Model your geodatabase by creating a sturdy design that can sustain large edits and decrease maintenance Discover various tools to optimize queries and response time, which will help you to fine-tune your geodatabase Utilize Python scripting to author your geodatabase programmatically Set up and configure a full-fledged networked enterprise geodatabase using ArcSDE technology Add programming flavors to your geodatabase using Python Approach This is a solution-based book, showcasing the real power of ArcGIS Geodatabase by following a real-world, example-based approach Who this book is written for This book is aimed at geospatial developers who want to work with ArcGIS geodatabases as well as manage them. Having knowledge of building a geodatabase from scratch isn't a must; Learning ArcGIS Geodatabases is ideal for those who want to use ArcGIS geodatabase for the first time, or for those who want to migrate from their existing legacy database to a geodatabase.


In the course of the increasing discussions about a reduction of the CO2 emissions magnesium has gained importance since it is the lightest metal for structural applications. Currently magnesium alloys are almost exclusively used as cast parts in the automotive industry because due to their microstructure extruded magnesium profiles exhibit a strong asymmetry in the mechanical properties under tensile and compressive loading (strength differential effect). In order to improve the mechanical properties a detailed knowledge about the influence of the different extrusion parameters on the microstructure of the extrudates is necessary. Therefore, the parameters extrusion method, billet temperature, product speed, extrusion ratio and cooling condition were varied for the extrusion of the magnesium alloys AZ31, AZ61 and AZ80. Subsequently the microstructure was analyzed and the mechanical properties determined. With an additional analysis of the deformation modes of the extruded and cold deformed products it could be discovered that an improvement of the mechanical properties can be achieved by a modification of the extrusion process. Since the strength differential effect in caused by twinning which due to the texture of the extrudates is only active under a compressive loading along the extrusion direction the modification of the extrusion process aims at a suppression of this twinning. Because on the one hand compared to that for dislocation glide the Hall-Petch-Constant for twinning is bigger a grain refinement of the extruded products could be achieved by a predeformation using ECAE similar processes. On the other hand a process has been developed where the profiles are extruded into a hydrostatic counter pressure in order to alter the texture during the extrusion. Thereby the twinning is already activated during the extrusion. Both modifications of the extrusion process result in an increase of the critical resolved shear stress for twinning during the subsequent cold deformation and thus in improved mechanical properties.


Paul Roazen has written a fascinating book, for lay and professional audiences alike. It is not without shortcomings, but that does not alter the fact that he has presented an intriguing glimpse of the social and professional life of the early group of analysts around Freud during the early part of the 20th century, with the relationship between Freud and Victor Tausk as its central focus. His primary story, in fact, is the story of Freud and Tausk. His style is brief, anecdotal, gossipy. He seems very determined to present a certain viewpoint. He traces in a condensed manner the course of Tausk's life, enlarging on his years in Vienna. Briefly put, Tausk gave up law, became a doctor in order to enter the field of psychoanalysis, and became a valuable contributing member of the Vienna psychoanalytic group. He was very involved with Lou Andreas-Salome, a


This article describes the development of a model to promote physical activity in Hispanic women that embeds a life course perspective and culture to enhance comparative effectiveness in intervention design. When working with diverse cultural groups, researchers often struggle with intervention designs and strategies to enhance cultural relevance; they do so based on the assumption that this will enhance efficacy and make interventions more sustainable. In this article, the authors discuss how the model was used in two interventions designed for younger and older Hispanic women. These interventions were guided by a life course perspective, incorporated social support, and included salient elements from the women's culture. Three considerations underpinned the development of the model: (a) infusing concepts and values of a culture and tradition into the interventions, (b) viewing participants through a life course perspective to assess how an intervention can build on developmental transitions, and (c) determining how social support operates within two groups that, although sharing history and thus some cultural practices, diverge widely in those practices. The authors propose that by incorporating elements of this model into their interventions, researchers can increase program efficacy and effectiveness.


Straight answers to every question you've ever had about how the economy works and how it affects your life
In this Collector's Edition of their celebrated How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes, Peter Schiff, economic expert and bestselling author of Crash Proof and The Real Crash, once again teams up with his brother Andrew to spin a lively economic fable that untangles many of the fallacies preventing people from really understanding what drives an economy. The 2010 original has been described as a "Flintstones" take economics that entertainingly explains the beauty of free markets. The new edition has been greatly expanded in both quantity and quality. A new introduction and two new illustrated chapters bring the story up to date, and most importantly, the book makes the jump from black and white to full and vivid color.
With the help of colorful cartoon illustrations, lively humor, and deceptively simple storytelling, the Schiff's bring the complex subjects of inflation, monetary policy, recession, and other important topics in economics down to Earth. The story starts with three guys on an island who barely survive by fishing barehanded. Then one enterprising islander invents a net, catches more fish, and changes the island's economy fundamentally. Using this story the Schiffs apply their signature take-no-prisoners logic to expose the glaring fallacies and gaping holes permeating the global economic conversation. The Collector's Edition:

Provides straight answers about how economies work, without relying on nonsensical jargon and mind-numbing doublespeak the experts use to cover up their confusion
Includes a new introduction that sets the stage for developing a deeper, more practical understanding of inflation and the abuses of the monetary system
Adds two new chapters that dissect the Federal Reserve's Quantitative easing policies and the European Debt Crisis.
Colorizes the original book's hundreds of cartoon illustrations. The improved images, executed by artist Brendan Leach from the original book, add new vigor to the presentation
Has a larger format that has been designed to fit most coffee tables.

While the story may appear simple on the surface, as told by the Schiff brothers, it will leave you with a deep understanding of How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes.


The main objective of this research is to identify the sources of suspended sediments in the River Tees. Earlier work in the Tees has focused on the extent of heavy metal concentrations in the river sediments as a result of mining m the upper catchment, but this is the first time that an attempt has been made to fingerprint the sources of suspended sediment. The idea of identifying sediment sources by fingerprinting was similar to that used by other authors, i.e. attempting to determine a distinctive chemical fingerprint for the different landuse, geology or subcatchments in the Tees. Field sediment samples were collected from potential source areas throughout the catchment and suspended sediment samples were collected from strategic points on the River Tees and its main tributaries. The samples were prepared using a sequential extraction procedure before analysis by ICP-AES. The samples were then subjected to several statistical procedures to determine which metals could classify the samples between the different source groups. Principal Components Analysis was the most successful tool for allowing interpretation of different sediment sources, identifying three possible sources for sedmient. These were the upstream bed and bank sediments, samples collected from the Leven catchment and the third source, which appeared to be the middle catchment agricultural areas. The data was subjected to a two-stage statistical analysis, as used by previous authors, but the data failed to provide a reliable fingerprint for use in a mixing model. Water samples collected along with suspended sediment showed distinct differences between the upper catchment and the lower tributaries, with samples from the lower Tees showing a degree of mixing. An attempt to use a mixing model failed, possibly owing to the small number of samples.


New tools have made it easier to create a podcast. The second edition of Podcasting For Dummies shows you how you can create and distribute your own online recordings using tools you already have. This edition also covers what you need to build a top-notch podcasting studio. Expert podcasters Tee Morris and Evo Terra are joined on this edition by a fellow podcasting guru, Chuck Tomasi, to walk you through recording, editing, posting, and promoting a podcast. Chapters cover: Choosing a topic that fits your expertise Writing an outline or script for your podcast Turning your existing computer into a desktop podcasting studio Picking the microphone, headphones, and audio editing software that best suit your needs Upgrading to pro-level podcasting equipment Conducting interviews and recording an interview subject whos not in the room with you Navigating the XML code you need to share your podcast Finding a place to host your podcast online Promoting your podcasts in the blogosphere, online discussion groups, and social networking sites Seeking out sponsors, advertising, and subscriptions to make your podcast pay Creating podcasts designed to promote a business


......................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iv NOMENCLATURE ........................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER


This manual provides a comprehensive set of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management based on CIFOR's research. This research was conducted by interdisciplinary teams of experts in large-scale natural forests managed for commercial timber production in Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire, Brazil and Cameroon, with additional sites in Germany, Austria and USA. The use of the term 'generic template' for these C&I is intended to prevent them being confused with an ideal and universally applicable set of C&I. In terms of the scope of applicability ('generic to what?'), it is envisaged that this template be used primarily for tropical natural forests managed for commercial purposes. Use of the term 'generic' also emphasises that the C&I in this set can be modified and customised to comply with local conditions. They could therefore be used both as a flexible set adaptable to all types of forest situations, and as an operational 'mother' set to be used by CIFOR's proposed CIMAT system (C&I Toolbox Series No.3). 'Generic' also implies that this C&I template can be employed by a variety of user groups, such as certification bodies, government officials, donors, forest managers, project managers and scientists.


Amyloid-β (Aβ) and metal ions are suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cu(II) and Zn(II) can interact with Aβ and facilitate peptide aggregation producing toxic oligomeric peptide species. Additionally, redox-active metal-bound Aβ is shown to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although the interaction of metal ions with Aβ and the reactivity of metal-associated Aβ (metal–Aβ) are indicated, the relationship between metal–Aβ and AD etiology is still unclear. Some naturally occurring flavonoids capable of redirecting metal–Aβ peptides into nontoxic, off-pathway Aβ aggregates have been presented as valuable tools for elucidating the role of metal–Aβ in AD. The structural moieties of the flavonoids responsible for their reactivity toward metal–Aβ are not identified, however. To determine a structure–interaction–reactivity relationship between flavonoids and metal-free Aβ or metal–Aβ, four flavonoids (morin, quercetin, galangin, and luteolin) were rationally selected based on structural variations (i.e., number and position of hydroxyl groups). These four flavonoids could noticeably modulate metal–Aβ aggregation over metal-free analogue to different extents. Moreover, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) studies reveal that the direct interactions of the flavonoids with metal-free and/or metal-bound Aβ are distinct. Overall, our studies demonstrate that alternation of the hydroxyl groups on the B and C rings of flavonoids (structure) could differentiate their metal/metal-free Aβ/metal–Aβ interactions (interaction) and subsequently direct their effects on metal-free Aβ and metal–Aβ aggregation in vitro and Aβ–/metal–Aβ-triggered toxicity in living cells (reactivity), suggesting a structure–interaction–reactivity relationship.


As at June 2013 there were an estimated 640,770 New Zealand citizens present in Australia. Summary Under various arrangements since the 1920s, there has been a free flow of people between Australia and New Zealand. Historically, migration flows across the Tasman have been large in both directions, but since the 1960s more New Zealanders than Australian have chosen to cross the Tasman to live. In 2011–12, the number of New Zealand permanent settlers who came to Australia was 44,304. This represents a 28 per cent increase from the figure for 2010‑11. As at June 2013 there were an estimated 640,770 New Zealand citizens present in Australia. Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement introduced in 1973, Australian and New Zealand citizens are able to enter each other's country to visit, live and work indefinitely, without the need to apply for prior authority. New Zealand is the only country in the world that has such an arrangement with Australia. There are no caps on the numbers of New Zealanders who may enter under the arrangement, and the only limitations on entry relate to health and character requirements.