The history of the concept of religion in Western tradition has intrigued scholars for years. This important collection of eighteen essays brings further light to the ongoing debate. Three of the invited participants, W.C. Smith, M. Despland and E. Feil, has each previously written impressive books treating this subject; the last two acknowledged the impact and continuing influence of Smith s work, "The Meaning and End of Religion." An introduction and a recapitulation of Smith s contribution as a scholar set the stage for a retrospective look at the published literature. Contributors then examine the transformation of words (the classical "religio" to the modern "religion"), particularities of religion in nineteenth-century France, Troeltsch s concept of religion, the study of religion from an Asian point of view and the categorization of World Religions. The concluding essays elaborate contemporary anthropological, cross-disciplinary, semiological, deconstructive and psychoanalytical methodological approaches to the concept and study of religion. Exploring critically different aspects of the concept and study of religion, these provocative essays typically reflect the methodological pluralism currently existing in the field of Religious Studies. Of interest to scholars and students alike, this collection also contains a complete bibliography of W.C. Smith s publications. "


The effects of the exchange rate and the income and money supply of the United States and its major trading partners on the U.S. agricultural trade balance are examined using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Results suggest that the exchange rate is the key determinant of the short- and long-run behavior of the trade balance. It is also found that the income and money supply in both the United States and the trading partners have significant impacts on the U.S. agricultural trade in both the short- and long-run.


Common Crawl is a considerably large, heterogeneous multilingual corpus comprised of crawled documents from the internet, surpassing 20TB of data and distributed as a set of more than 50 thousand plain text files where each contains many documents written in a wide variety of languages. Even though each document has a metadata block associated to it, this data lacks any information about the language in which each document is written, making it extremely difficult to use Common Crawl for monolingual applications. We propose a general, highly parallel, multithreaded pipeline to clean and classify Common Crawl by language; we specifically design it so that it runs efficiently on medium to low resource infrastructures where I/O speeds are the main constraint. We develop the pipeline so that it can be easily reapplied to any kind of heterogeneous corpus and so that it can be parameterised to a wide range of infrastructures. We also distribute a 6.3TB version of Common Crawl, filtered, classified by language, shuffled at line level in order to avoid copyright issues, and ready to be used for NLP applications.


At the state level, the power to pardon or commute a criminal sentence — that is, to grant clemency — is vested in either the Governor, an executive clemency board, or some combination thereof. Until very recently, clemency grants were a consistent feature of our criminal justice system. In the last four decades, though, state clemency grants have declined significantly; in some states, clemency seems to have disappeared altogether. In this Article, I contend that executive clemency should be revived at the state level in response to ongoing systemic criminal justice failings. Part I of this Article describes clemency at the state level today. Despite judicial and scholarly support for the role of clemency in our criminal justice system, state clemency practice fails to live up to its theoretical justifications. Part II of this Article makes the case for a policy of vigorous clemency on both theoretical and practical grounds. Not only was clemency designed, at least in part, to serve an error-correcting function, but also, today, there are several reasons why state executive actors may be able to use their clemency power robustly without suffering politically. In Part III, I address questions of implementation. If state executive actors are to pursue commutations of sentences or pardons, which inmates should be the subject of such pursuits? How can those executive actors best be insulated from political pressure? In sum, this Article argues that revitalizing state clemency is a valuable and viable component of broader criminal justice reform.


In a randomised controlled trial, the internet-based ResilienceOnline (ROL) program was evaluated among lubricant sales managers at BP Australia. This program is designed to enhance resilience by teaching seven skills to help improve ability to cope with challenges and setbacks and maximise potential achievements. Sales managers were allocated to complete the ROL program (n = 26) or to be in a waitlist-control condition (n = 27) and were compared on pre- and post-intervention measures of happiness, quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress and work performance. Sales managers found the resilience training very enjoyable and believed it would improve their work performance and life skills. However, a high proportion of sales managers did not complete the ROL program and it was not found to significantly reduce distress or improve quality of life or work performance.


Retinoids have multiple biological effects, including inhibition of proliferation of certain cancer cells. The retinoids often act through heterodimers of two nuclear receptors, retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and the retinoid X receptors (RXRs). Normally, the expression of RARβ is enhanced through transcriptional activation in response to retinoids. However, many cancer cell lines lose this response to retinoids, even though the RAR and RXR proteins are expressed. Lin et al. now show that such retinoid-insensitive cells may be missing another nuclear receptor, the orphan receptor called COUP-TF. In cancer cell lines lacking COUP-TF, retinoid-induced expression of RARβ could be restored by expression of COUP-TF. This also restored growth inhibitory and apoptotic effects of retinoic acid in these cells. COUP-TF appears to act by enhancing interaction of RARα with the transcriptional coactivator CBP, and this effect appeared to require DNA binding by COUP-TF. This mechanism of action of COUP-TF is distinct from its effects on other genes, where COUP-TF's DNA-binding activity is not required and where it has its own transactivation activity through recruitment of a different coactivator. Lin B, Chen G.-q., Xiao D., Kolluri S.K., Cao X., Su H., Zhang X.-k. (2000) Orphan receptor COUP-TF is required for induction of retinoic acid receptor beta, growth inhibition, and apoptosis by retinoic acid in cancer cells. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20: 957-970. [Abstract] [Full Text]


In the course of the last thirty years, feminist theories of gender have shifted from quasi-Marxist, labor-centered conceptions to putatively "post-Marxist"culture- and identity-based conceptions. Reflecting a broader political move from redistribution to recognition, this shift has been double-edged. On the one hand, it has broadened feminist politics to encompass legitimate issues of representation, identity, and difference. Yet, in the context of an ascendant neoliberalism, feminist struggles for recognition may be serving to less to enrich struggles for redistribution than to displace the latter. I aim to resist that trend. In this essay, I propose an analysis of gender that is broad enough to house the full range of feminist concerns, those central to the old socialist-feminism as well as those rooted in the cultural turn. I also propose a correspondingly broad conception of justice, capable of encompassing both distribution and recognition, and a non-identitarian account of recognition, capable of synergizing with redistribution. I conclude by examining some practical problems that arise when we try to envision institutional reforms that could redress gender maldistribution and gender misrecognition simultaneously.


C1 inhibitor is a potent anti-inflammatory protein as it is the major inhibitor of proteases of the contact and the complement systems. C1-inhibitor administration is an effective therapy in the treatment of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) who are genetically deficient in C1 inhibitor. Owing to its ability to modulate the contact and complement systems and the convincing safety profile, plasma-derived C1 inhibitor is an attractive therapeutic protein to treat inflammatory diseases other than HAE. In the present review we give an overview of the biology of C1 inhibitor and its use in HAE. Furthermore, we discuss C1 inhibitor as an experimental therapy in diseases such as sepsis and myocardial infarction.


This report aims at combining the research results of the previous Work Packages (1–7) of the MEDRESET project with a view to evaluating the effectiveness and potential of EU policies. It does so through an analysis of the EU's framing of the Mediterranean and how it is perceived by its Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEM) partners, how the key stakeholders depict the region as such, and how these conceptions and perceptions of the Mediterranean are reflected in their interaction in substantive issue areas, on the geopolitical and sectoral level. The major argument of this report is that the EU's depoliticizing, technocratic and securitized approach towards the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean erodes the Union's credibility, detracts from its effectiveness and seriously limits its potential in terms of providing bottom-up policies geared towards promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, prioritizing development, favouring youth employment and gender equality, and creating an open, inclusive and integrated Mediterranean region. The findings of the WPs 2–7 proved that the arguments put forward by WP1 were accurate and the research conducted through interviews with key stakeholders and bottom-up actors in the region and in Europe demonstrated that they also regard the EU's approach towards the region as highly Eurocentric, interest-driven, top-down and thus unequal/asymmetric, as well as depoliticizing, technocratic and highly securitized.


The so-called 'deep determinants' of economic growth and development (namely, geography, institutions, and integration) have been found to be decisive for the break out of stagnation and for explaining cross-country income differences by many empirical studies. However, so far, very little has been done to examine to which extent they are also crucial at more subtle stages of economic development. Our paper aims to close this gap by focusing on the phenomenon of the middle-income trap (MIT) which has reached increasing attention in the last 15 years. In particular, we test whether the results of the empirical studies conducted by Acemoglu et al. (2001), Rodrik et al. (2004), and Easterly and Levine (2016) also remain valid when analyzing the MIT. We are the first to analyze the relationship between the deep determinants and the MIT, especially regarding the causal effect of institutional quality on the probability of experiencing a growth slowdown at the middle-income range. Our analysis reveals that while, in general, the deep determinants also seem to play an important role for the middle-income transition (and the question of whether a country falls into an MIT), some differences compared to the results of the standard literature become apparent.


Abstract.
 A late Holocene but prehistoric carabid beetle fauna from the lowland Makauwahi Cave, Kauai, is characterised. Seven extinct species – Blackburnia burneyi, B. cryptipes, B. godzilla, B. menehune, B. mothra, B. ovata and B. rugosa, spp. nov. (tribe Platynini) – represent the first Hawaiian insect species to be newly described from subfossil specimens. Four extant Blackburnia spp. – B. aterrima (Sharp), B. bryophila Liebherr, B. pavida (Sharp), and B. posticata (Sharp) – and three extant species of tribe Bembidiini – Bembidion ignicola Blackburn, B. pacificum Sharp and Tachys oahuensis Blackburn – are also represented. All subfossil fragments are disarticulated, with physical dimensions and cladistic analysis used to associate the major somites – head, prothorax and elytra – for description of the new species. The seven new Makauwahi Cave species support recognition of a lowland area of endemism adjoining Haupu, a low-stature 700 m elevation ridgeline in southern Kauai. Four of the extinct Blackburnia are adelphotaxa to extant species currently found at higher elevations in Kauai. Addition of these lowland specialists to the phylogenetic hypothesis undercuts applicability of the taxon cycle for interpreting evolutionary history of these taxa. Two of the extinct species are Kauai representatives in clades that subsequently colonised younger Hawaiian Islands, enhancing support for the progressive biogeographic colonisation of the archipelago by this lineage. And three of the extinct Blackburnia species comprised larger beetles than those of any extant Kauai Blackburnia, consistent with the evolution of island gigantism in the lowland habitats of Kauai.


In this work we propose a method for learning wavelet filters directly from data. We accomplish this by framing the discrete wavelet transform as a modified convolutional neural network. We introduce an autoencoder wavelet transform network that is trained using gradient descent. We show that the model is capable of learning structured wavelet filters from synthetic and real data. The learned wavelets are shown to be similar to traditional wavelets that are derived using Fourier methods. Our method is simple to implement and easily incorporated into neural network architectures. A major advantage to our model is that we can learn from raw audio data.


Abstract. This paper summarises the validation of GOME total ozone retrieved using the Weighting Function Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (WFDOAS) algorithm Version 1.0. This algorithm has been described in detail in a companion paper by Coldewey-Egbers et al. (2005). Compared to the operational GDP (GOME Data Processor) V3, several improvements to the total ozone retrieval have been introduced that account for the varying ozone dependent contribution to rotational Raman scattering, includes a new cloud scheme, and uses the GOME measured effective albedo in the retrieval. In this paper the WFDOAS results have been compared with selected ground-based measurements from the WOUDC (World Ozone and UV Radiation Data Centre) that collects total ozone measurements from a global network of stations covering all seasons. From the global validation excellent agreement between WFDOAS and ground data was observed. The agreement lies within ±1%, and very little seasonal variations in the differences are found. In the polar regions and at high solar zenith angles, however, a positive bias varying between 5 and 8% is found near the polar night period. As a function of solar zenith angle as well as of the retrieved total ozone, the WFDOAS differences to ground polar data, however, show a much weaker dependence as compared to the operational GOME Data Processor Version 3 of GOME that represents a significant improvement. Very few stations carry out simultaneous measurements by Brewer and Dobson spectrometers over an extended period (three years or more). Simultaneous Brewer and Dobson measurements from Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic (50.2N, 15.8E) and Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (47.8N, 11.0E) covering the period 1996-1999 have been compared with our GOME results. Agreement with Brewers are generally better than with the simultaneous Dobson measurements and this may be explained by the neglect of stratospheric (ozone) temperature correction in the standard ozone retrieval from the ground.


The article aims to find out if there are any differences or similarities in how the education system and monitoring indicators of social justice in education are organized in different welfare state regimes. Countries representing three welfare state regimes delineated by Easping-Andersen are chosen for deeper analyses: Sweden as exemplified by a social-democratic regime, Germany—the best example of a conservative-corporatist regime, and Scotland (one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom)—a liberal regime. An overview of the Swedish, Scottish and German experiences have revealed common features, but also major differences in how the education system is organized, and what kind of social justice indicators are prioritised and collected. At present, EU countries are faced with similar challenges in the education system as a response to the increasing impacts of globalization and Europeanization. Emphasis in the EU is put on life-long learning due to the increase in information and communication technologies in human lives. Yet the aging of the European population has also forced the consideration of adult education as an effective tool to help the elderly remain longer in the labour market. The increasing scopes of migration in the globalized world have placed issues of immigrants' inclusion, their social status and rights on the priority agenda in all highly industrialized countries. These are mirrored in the collection and monitoring of the indicators of social justice in the countries under investigation. Nevertheless, differences still persist. In Sweden, a long-term social-democratic tradition has ensured that major territorial differences, as well as class differences, in access to the education system have been almost eliminated. The highest education is easily accessible to anyone who wishes to study. The emphasis is put on equal opportunities, full employment and gender equality. Recently, the integration of pupils with special needs and of immigrant background has become a priority in the Swedish policy on education. In Sweden, various data on social justice in education has been collected, but the intensity is paced on the indicators of educational achievement, social mobility and employability, and their distribution by sex, place of birth, language spoken at home, disability and age. Scotland, as an example of a liberal welfare state, puts special emphasis on improving the social status of the most vulnerable groups in society. The liberal welfare state tends to intervene only when people cannot take care for themselves. Attention is paid to social inclusion, safety in schools and various equality indicators (students' educational attainment indicators and their distribution by sex, age, disability, racial/ethnic and religious affiliation). Much attention is also paid to the accumulation of indicators on students with special needs. The system of data collection and monitoring in Germany is distinguished by its density of quantitative (number of schools, pupils/students, teachers, universities and so on) and educational attainment indicators, which are contrasted among Germany's 16 federations. The conservative-corporatist welfare state seeks to preserve differences in the social status. Therefore, the main aim is to guarantee the diversity of schooling and its availability. Emphasis is put on a vocational education and training, and, recently, on life-long learning. In the German education system it is easy to move from higher to lower types of schooling, but not vice versa. Such a system is particularly unfavourable to children of an immigrant background because of their poor German language skills. They are not only unable to move on to a higher secondary school, but often fail to finish school. Therefore, the attention recently has focused on immigrants' inclusion and integration issues. Accordingly, the indicators of educational achievement and performance are compared on a basis of nationality. To summarize, the findings of this article indicate that a distinct welfare state regime implies the difference in support for the education system, which produces varied effects on monitoring indicators of social justice in education.


In this article, I address the issue of head movement in current linguistic theory. I propose a new view of the nature of heads and head movement that reveals that head movement is totally compliant with the standardly suggested properties of grammar. To do so, I suggest that head movement is not a single syntactic operation, but a combination of two operations: a syntactic one (movement) and a morphological one (m-merger). I then provide independent motivation for m-merger, arguing that it can be attested in environments where no head movement took place


The article examines the impact of economic and environmental factors on the implementation of tourism and recreation infrastructure development projects. An approach to analysis of socioeconomic and environmental factors has been proposed, considering preferences of different stakeholders and a multiplicity of project performance indicators. Official statistical data and expert estimates have been used to represent the experience of tourism and recreation infrastructure development projects in the regions of the Russian Federation. A methodology for analyzing the importance of socioeconomic and environmental factors, the preferences of project participants, for evaluating the effectiveness of tourism and recreation infrastructure development projects, aimed at achieving agreed objectives in the long term has been formulated. Based on the research findings, it can be argued that the proposed approach aimed at identifying the largest possible number of project participants, formalizing their preferences and using multi-criteria analysis of options reduces the likelihood of making incorrect management decisions that would lead to negative socioeconomic and environmental effects in the long term and improves the quality of tourism and recreation infrastructure development project planning.


At the heart of the extensive literature on corporate law federalism is the belief that federalism engenders regulatory competition and federalization eliminates it. Federalism, a mode of governance where states act as providers of corporate law, is said to drive states to compete for charters. By contrast, federalization, which occurs when the federal government promulgates law, preempts state-level competition. Consequently, scholars who believe that regulatory competition promotes the provision of "good" laws have long railed against federal securities statutes like Sarbanes-Oxley that nationalize elements of traditional (state) corporate law. Meanwhile, other scholars have lauded preemptive securities regulation arguing that federal intervention prevents the dismantling of regulatory standards and a race to the bottom. This Article argues that both sides of the debate mistake the impact of federalization on the market for corporate law. Drawing on recent legal and empirical scholarship, this Article shows that as a descriptive matter the domestic market for corporate law is in some regards animated less by competition than what is an increasingly international market for securities law. States do not generally compete vigorously to attract charters due to Delaware's longstanding domination of the market and other supply-side disincentives. On the other hand, national securities regulators face intense pressure to provide cost-effective rules to draw foreign issuers to their home markets. These observations suggest that where federal regulators preempt, they are engaged in what can be considered a "doubled race." First, they must monitor for market failure and ensure that Delaware, the dominant supplier of corporate charters, provides sound corporate law. And second, they must themselves cope with the onslaught of competition from other national regulators seeking to attract securities transactions. As a result, preemption is a weaker counterweight to any competition arising among states than many scholars have anticipated.


Ian Steedman is recognised internationally as one of the leading economic theorists of his time and has made major contributions to the development of economic theory and economic thought, as substantiated by his work on Marx, Sraffa, Marshall, Jevons and Wicksteed. His contributions to economic theory include his work on time, international trade, capital theory and growth and distribution. This collection reflects the wide ranging interests of Ian Steedman and is a tribute to his outstanding contributions. This edited collection brings together twenty two new essays by distinguished economists from around the world. The papers cover a wide range of topics including; international trade - an area in which Steedman has made significant contributions; Sraffa, the history of economic thought and theoretical papers - including Faustian Agents and market failure in waste production. The essays in this book will be an invaluable source for economists interested in economic theory or in the evolution of economic thought. It will also be of interest to postgraduate and research students in economic theory and the history of economic thought. John Vint is Professor of Economics at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. J. Stanley Metcalfe is Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester, UK. Heinz D. Kurz is Professor of Economics at the University of Graz, Austria. Neri Salvadori is Professor of Economics at the University of Pisa, Italy. Paul Samuelson is Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.


In the years since 9/11 counter-terrorism law and policy has proliferated across the world. This book sets out a comprehensive survey of how the law has been deployed in all aspects of counter-terrorism. The handbook provides an authoritative and critical analysis of how laws are, and ought to be, invoked in domestic jurisdictions against terrorism. With a comparative approach the focus is on those jurisdictions which have produced legal innovations with a sizeable impact, primarily the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the European Union.

The never before published contributions to the book are written by experts in the field of terrorism law and policy, allowing for discussion of a wide range of regulatory responses and strategies of governance. The book is divided into four parts: the boundaries and strategies of national counter-terrorism laws; the pursuit of terrorists through national criminal process and executive measures; protective security; and preventive measures. The chapters engage with areas of traditional interest to lawyers such as policing and special powers, criminal offences and the courts, and prison regimes but also tackle emerging subjects including preventing radicalisation and protective/preparative security. In this way the handbook reflects the elements of counter-terrorism laws which are more transformative of mass movements and transactions alongside prosecutions or orders aimed at particular individuals.


The fundamental mechanisms responsible for the interplay and synergy between the absorption dynamics of extraordinary-mode electron cyclotron waves at two different harmonic resonances (the 2nd and 3rd) are investigated in the TCV tokamak. An enhanced 3rd harmonic absorption in the presence of suprathermal electrons generated by 2nd harmonic heating is predicted by Fokker–Planck simulations, subject to complex alignment requirements in both physical space and momentum space. The experimental signature for the 2nd/3rd harmonic synergy is sought through the suprathermal bremsstrahlung emission in the hard x-ray range of photon energy. Using a synthetic diagnostic, the emission variation due to synergy is calculated as a function of the injected power and of the radial transport of suprathermal electrons. It is concluded that in the present experimental setup a synergy signature has not been unambiguously detected. The detectability of the synergy is then discussed with respect to variations and uncertainties in the plasma density and effective charge in view of future optimized experiments.


Beleaguered by mutual recrimination between rich and poor countries, squeezed by the zero-sum arithmetic of a shrinking global carbon budget, and overtaken by shifts in economic and hence bargaining power between these countries, international cooperation on climate change has floundered. Given these three factors - which Arvind Subramanian and Aaditya Mattoo call the "narrative," "adding up," and "new world" problems - the wonder is not the current impasse; it is, rather, the belief that progress might be possible at all. In this book, the authors argue that any chance of progress must address each of these problems in a radically different way. First, the old narrative of recrimination must cede to a narrative based on recognition of common interests. Second, leaders must shift the focus away from emissions cuts to technology generation. Third, the old "cash-for-cuts" approach must be abandoned for one that requires contributions from all countries calibrated in magnitude and form to their current level of development and future prospects.


Phone touchscreens, and other similar hardware components such as orientation sensors, wireless charging controllers, and NFC readers, are often produced by third-party manufacturers and not by the phone vendors themselves. Third-party driver source code to support these components is integrated into the vendor's source code. In contrast to 'pluggable' drivers, such as USB or network drivers, the component driver's source code implicitly assumes that the component hardware is authentic and trustworthy. As a result of this trust, very few integrity checks are performed on the communications between the component and the device's main processor.
In this paper, we call this trust into question, considering the fact that touchscreens are often shattered and then replaced with aftermarket components of questionable origin. We analyze the operation of a commonly used touchscreen controller. We construct two standalone attacks, based on malicious touchscreen hardware, that function as building blocks toward a full attack: a series of touch injection attacks that allow the touchscreen to impersonate the user and exfiltrate data, and a buffer overflow attack that lets the attacker execute privileged operations. Combining the two building blocks, we present and evaluate a series of end-to-end attacks that can severely compromise a stock Android phone with standard firmware. Our results make the case for a hardware-based physical countermeasure.


In this paper, a system model for indoor optical systems using direct modulated multiple transmitters and a single receiver, having the special feature of wavelet de-noising technique, is proposed. Wavelet techniques are used to isolate features of the received signal that are less prone to corruption by noise and ISI. This is expected to improve the overall performance of the system. The proposed model was simulated using MATLAB 6.5/sup /spl reg//. In our simulation, the artificial, ambient and all other noise sources are modeled as additive white Gaussian noise. The simulation results show that the wavelet techniques offer a 5-6 dB improvement in the SNR compared to a simple thresholding scheme. We have also investigated the effect of a different wavelet basis in the proposed model. We have found that the biorthogonal 3.1 is the best one.


U-Pb zircon ages from volcanic rocks interbedded in two Upper Carboniferous basins of the Variscan Massif Central (France) document the presence of an unexpected late Visean sedimentary sequence. Zircons extracted from a fireclay at the base of the sedimentary pile in the Bosmoreau basin provide an age of 332 ± 4 Ma, identical to the 333 ± 2 Ma age obtained from a rhyolitic lava sampled in the Decazeville basin. In addition, both volcanic rocks contain inherited or xenocrystic zircons, reflecting the ages of the basement and/or source components. The Bosmoreau fireclay contains a limited amount of xenocrystic zircons having ages of ca. 390–400 Ma, whereas inheritance is much more abundant in the Decazeville rhyolite, which includes a Mesoproterozoic source component (>1.0 Ga). The ca. 330 Ma ages demonstrate that these two basins with mainly Stephanian sedimentary infill were actually initiated during the late Visean and are the first known upper crustal evidence of the Visean-Westphalian extensional event, recognized previously only in midcrustal plutonic bodies. Moreover, the location of these basins in the hanging-wall blocks of two major fault systems (i.e., the Argentat and Sillon Houiller faults) suggests a genetic link between fault motion and basin opening as early as the late Visean. These results indicate that magmatism and associated volcanism, block movement along major crustal-scale faults, erosion, and basin opening were contemporaneous and shed new light on the Visean-Westphalian synconvergent extension that was previously understood only as a deep-seated event.


While the theoretical development of DSGE models is not overly difficult to understand, practical application remains somewhat complex. The literature on this subject has some significant obscure points. This book can be thought of, firstly, as a tool to overcome initial hurdles with this type of modeling. Secondly, by showcasing concrete applications, it aims to persuade incipient researchers to work with this methodology. In principle, this is not a book on macroeconomics in itself, but on tools used in the construction of this sort of models. It strives to present this technique in a detailed manner, thereby providing a step by step course intended to walk readers through this otherwise daunting process. The book begins with a basic Real Business Cycle model. Subsequently various frictions are gradually incorporated into a standard DSGE model: imperfect competition; frictions in prices and in wages ; habit formation; non-Ricardian agents; adjustment cost in investment; costs of not using the maximum installed capacity; and finally, Government.


Stratospheric sulfate aerosol injection (SAI) and marine cloud brightening (MCB) are the two most studied solar radiation management techniques. For the first time we combine them in a climate model to investigate their complementarity in terms of both instantaneous and effective radiative forcings. The effective radiative forcing induced by SAI is significantly stronger than its instantaneous counterpart evaluated at the top of atmosphere. Radiative kernel calculations indicate that this occurs because of a significant stratospheric warming and despite a large increase in stratospheric water vapor that strengthens the greenhouse effect. There is also a large decrease in high‐level cloudiness induced by a stratification of the upper tropopause. Our model experiments also show that the radiative effects of SAI and MCB are quasi‐additive and have fairly complementary patterns in the Tropics. This results in less spatial and temporal variability in the radiative forcing for combined SAI and MCB as compared to MCB alone.


ABSTRACT: China's urbanization is significant worldwide. This process is characterized by underurbanization of population and fast urban land expansion. The driving forces behind this expansion and their rationale are not fully understood and empirically tested. This study fills this gap by analyzing panel data from 1999–2009 for all 286 prefecture-level cities in China. The findings reveal that land financing, using different measures, significantly contributed to land urbanization in China. Economically stronger cities with higher real estate investment more aggressively pushed for land urbanization. The true purpose of urbanization should be improving the living standard, not to generate revenue. It is suggested that urbanization can serve its justified goals only if fiscal and political relations between central and local governments can be adjusted. As more data become available, future studies are encouraged to further explore the subject by investigating additional factors and the latest trend of urbanization in China. Struggling land under the pressure of urbanization, Guangzhou, China (2011).


During the 1990s, the Department of Housing and Urban Development launched three rigorous research demonstrations testing alternative strategies for helping low-income families escape the isolation and distress of high-poverty, central-city communities. All three demonstrations were carefully designed to include rigorous controls and systematic data collection so that their implementation and impacts could be systematically evaluated. And all three are now generating provocative results that offer new insights for ongoing program experimentation and policy development. We draw ten broad lessons--including lessons about the potential for success, about the realities families face, about implementing complex strategies, and about obstacles to success. [View the corresponding brief ]


A mathematical analysis is presented for a simplified model of cross-flow in tubular membranes, for which a numerical treatment was recently reported. It is shown, step by step, that by using several asymptotic and analytical techniques the number of dimensionless numbers governing the problem can be reduced. Results are derived in terms of algebraic or integral equations, with accuracy comparable to those obtained from the complicated numerical solution. The analysis performed here permits an improved insight into the structure of the problem, compared to the numerical technique, and facilitates explanation of the numerically obtained results. The present approach can, in principle, be generalized for application to more complicated models of the particular process.


Although food takes up such a large portion of daily life, its critical interrogation is a field of study that demands greater exploration, particularly given the current cultural moment that is beginning to recognize that ignoring our relationship to food has significant and deleterious effects on our health, economy, and environment. Even though there is some acknowledgment of the power of food to send messages, it is the narrative qualities--captured in discourse and behavior--that contributes to its meaning making, thus persuasive, properties. The stories we associate with food and food ways become food narratives, as they are converted through discourse and behavior into what Roland Barthes calls cultural myth. Informed by cultural and critical theories, food narratives as they are connected to narrative, performative language, and ideology become part of the rhetorical situation. Based on Kenneth Burke's conceptualization of rhetoric as an imbricated equation that includes meaning making, persuasion, identification, and consubstantiation, I argue that food narratives function as a rhetorical force used by "human agents to persuade other human agents into action" (Rhetoric 41) and that this persuasion occurs ideologically without public awareness. Finally, this lack of awareness results in non-reflective engagement with food and food ways that can become an opening for consumer manipulation. Opportunities for the rhetorical manipulation of food narratives occur in many cultural contexts, but specifically, this study examines the following areas: cooking shows that maintain and perpetuate food narratives that result in non-reflective engagement with the practice of cooking; fast food narratives that result in a manipulation of consumers to buy product; and finally, food narratives of politics that result in a manipulation of voters as they disengage with the processes of the election. Each of these contexts illustrates how food narratives are operating as a rhetorical device, ideologically persuading Americans to buy and think in ways that serve political and economic agendas other than their own.


Abstract. Vertical profiles of the optical (extinction and backscatter coefficients, lidar ratio and Angstrom exponent), microphysical (mean effective radius, mean refractive index, mean number concentration) and geometrical properties as well as the mass concentration of volcanic particles from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption were retrieved at selected heights over Athens, Greece, using multi-wavelength Raman lidar measurements performed during the period 21–24 April 2010. Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) particulate columnar measurements along with inversion schemes were initialized together with lidar observations to deliver the aforementioned products. The well-known FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model) model used for volcanic dispersion simulations is initiated as well in order to estimate the horizontal and vertical distribution of volcanic particles. Compared with the lidar measurements within the planetary boundary layer over Athens, FLEXPART proved to be a useful tool for determining the state of mixing of ash with other, locally emitted aerosol types. The major findings presented in our work concern the identification of volcanic particles layers in the form of filaments after 7-day transport from the volcanic source (approximately 4000 km away from our site) from the surface and up to 10 km according to the lidar measurements. Mean hourly averaged lidar signals indicated that the layer thickness of volcanic particles ranged between 1.5 and 2.2 km. The corresponding aerosol optical depth was found to vary from 0.01 to 0.18 at 355 nm and from 0.02 up to 0.17 at 532 nm. Furthermore, the corresponding lidar ratios (S) ranged between 60 and 80 sr at 355 nm and 44 and 88 sr at 532 nm. The mean effective radius of the volcanic particles estimated by applying inversion scheme to the lidar data found to vary within the range 0.13–0.38 μm and the refractive index ranged from 1.39+0.009i to 1.48+0.006i. This high variability is most probably attributed to the mixing of aged volcanic particles with other aerosol types of local origin. Finally, the LIRIC (LIdar/Radiometer Inversion Code) lidar/sunphotometric combined inversion algorithm has been applied in order to retrieve particle concentrations. These have been compared with FLEXPART simulations of the vertical distribution of ash showing good agreement concerning not only the geometrical properties of the volcanic particles layers but also the particles mass concentration.


The use of geobrowsers has increased considerably over the last few years. Thematic mapping has a long history in cartography, but the new geobrowsers (like Google Maps and Earth) tend not to focus on this aspect of geographical information representation. This paper examines how Keyhole Markup Language (KML) can be used for thematic mapping. KML is not targeted towards thematic mapping, but it is possible to use KML elements in ways that were probably not intended. Current possibilities for making proportional symbol maps, chart maps, choropleth maps and animated maps with KML will be presented. These experiments show that KML and geobrowsers offer great potential for thematic mapping, but that there are significant issues that need to be resolved.


This paper critically reviews the limited literature on the practice of Shariah audit and expounds on its meaning and scope and explores issues on contemporary practice in Islamic banks. The study focusses on Saudi Arabia as it is the largest global player in the Islamic finance industry. The authors construct a measure for Shariah audit comparison using guidelines issued by regulators of Malaysian Islamic banks - a country with the most developed governance framework for Islamic financial institutions. Using these guidelines, we critically review comparatively the current role of internal audit and Shariah Boards (SBs) of Saudi Islamic banks in ensuring religious compliance. The study identifies a lack of consistency in the Shariah audit framework to mitigate ambiguity and risk between banks internal audit function and their respective SBs. A discernable gap exists in banks operating Islamic windows which are found to be more susceptible to religious non-compliance risk compared to their fully-fledged counterparts. Our review finds that the Shariah audit function amongst Islamic banks in Saudi still remains vague without any guidelines issued. Islamic banks in Saudi Arabia are required to develop their own internal policies to be applied by SBs and internal auditors. The paper further highlights that Saudi authorities, regulators and practitioners should ensure uniformity in Shariah audit practice for its Islamic banking industry by moving from a self-serving regulatory model and to urgently consider implementing robust Shariah audit practice and governance framework.


BACKGROUND
Over the last decade, annual incidence rates for thyroid cancer have been among the highest of all cancers in the Western world. However, the genomic mechanisms impacting thyroid carcinogenesis remain elusive.

METHODS
We employed an established mouse model of follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) with a homozygous proline to valine mutation (Thrb(PV/PV)) in the thyroid receptor β1 (TRβ1) and applied quantitative three-dimensional (3D) telomere analysis to determine 3D telomeric profiles in Thrb(PV)(/PV), Thrb(PV/)(+), and Thrb(+/+) mouse thyrocytes before and after histological presentation of FTC.

RESULTS
Using quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) and TeloView™ image analysis, we found altered telomeric signatures specifically in mutant mouse thyrocytes. As early as 1 month of age, Thrb(PV/PV) mouse thyrocytes showed more telomeres than normal and heterozygous age-matched counterparts. Importantly, at the very early age of 1 month, 3D telomeric profiles of Thrb(PV/PV) thyrocyte nuclei reveal genetic heterogeneity with several nuclei populations exhibiting different telomere numbers, suggestive of various degrees of aneuploidy within the same animal. This was detected exclusively in Thrb(PV/PV) mice well before the presentation of histological signs of thyroid carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS
We identified quantitative 3D telomere analysis as a novel tool for early detection and monitoring of thyrocyte chromosomal (in)stability. This technique has the potential to identify human patients at risk for developing thyroid carcinoma.


Creation of the national innovation system and development of innovative strategies and programs have become the key tasks for the Republic of Kazakhstan in the context of establishment of the knowledge-based economy. With the purpose of defining the state and priority areas of development of the innovative infrastructure of the republic, it was analyzed based on the data collected through a questionnaire survey, study of the scientific literature and policy documents, as well as analysis of statistical data. The situational SWOT analysis was the methodical research tool. It was found during the study that the existing Kazakhstan innovative infrastructure was in imperfect state. Its operation was prevailed by economic factors, while the factors contributing to enhancing its effectiveness were noted as prevailing in its external environment. Its weaknesses have a high influence among the internal factors. 7 strategic recommendations on overcoming the existing weaknesses at the expense of the environment capabilities were offered in order to minimize the effects of weaknesses and threats of the innovation system of Kazakhstan. The findings of the study can be used to determine the state and priority areas of development of innovative infrastructure – in particular, in the development of the state policy in the field of science, innovation and technology.


The United States Military Academy ran a short course entitled, "Teaching Teachers to Teach Engineering" from July 28 through August 2, 1996. This short course was made possible by a generous grant from the National Science Foundation. The objectives of the short course included increasing the teaching ability of participants through a series of hands-on teaching experiences. This paper documents the experience of the six co-authors during the team events that occurred in the classroom. It is not the intention of this paper to describe the short-course or the assessment of that event. Jerry Samples was the team mentor/facilitator with similar experience during ten years of new instructor workshops at the United States Military Academy. Brad Snowden assisted based on his recent completion of a similar program. Anu Maria, Peter Silsbee, and Valerie Young were program participants with limited teaching experience and no formal teacher training. Joe Newkirk had 10 years teaching experience, also with no formal teacher training. Joe brought a different perspective to the team. The goal: enhance participant teacher skills while developing self-confidence in all phases of teaching. The method: teach a series of classes to the group, each class being followed by an assessment period. The participants were exposed to several teaching styles via separate demonstration classes. The team was tasked with teaching classes to each other using methods presented in the demonstration classes. Participants took turns roleplaying as teacher and students during these classes. Team members assessed their own teaching after each class and were then assessed by the full team. The result: discussed in the individual self-assessment of the participants. Mentor's overview: Being thrown into a room with total strangers and asked to teach classes from your specialty in a contrived classroom environment is a difficult task. There are the questions of ego, realism, peer review, video self-assessment, and the objectivity of the mentor that cause some concern. The response of this group was exceptional and the amount of learning that took place was phenomenal. Peer review was courteous, yet on target. Self-assessment was more critical, yet instructive. The participants worked well together, learned how to assess themselves and others in a manner conducive to learning. They also found that teaching technique has a profound impact on student learning. Some found little things that caused immense improvements P ge 229.1 to occur in just three days. Of course, there was the underlying concern of the ability to transfer what was learned to the home institution. This paper addresses the group dynamics, the learning, and the impressions of the participants exposed to this hyper-critical environment. The results are meant to help others understand that teacher training through peer review and mentoring is possible and with great benefit. Finally, the participants will discuss what they carried away from the short course.


Between 1877 and 1930 - years rife with tensions over citizenship, suffrage, immigration, and "the Negro problem" - African American activists promoted an array of strategies for progress and power built around "racial destiny," the idea that black Americans formed a collective whose future existence would be determined by the actions of its members. In Righteous Propagation, Michele Mitchell examines the reproductive implications of racial destiny, demonstrating how it forcefully linked particular visions of gender, conduct, and sexuality to collective well-being. Mitchell argues that while African Americans did not agree on specific ways to bolster their collective prospects, ideas about racial destiny and progress generally shifted from outward-looking remedies such as emigration to inward-focused debates about intraracial relationships, thereby politicizing the most private aspects of black life and spurring race activists to calcify gender roles, monitor intraracial sexual practices, and promote moral purity. Examining the ideas of well-known elite reformers such as Mary Church Terrell and W. E. B. DuBois, as well as unknown members of the working and aspiring classes, such as James Dubose and Josie Briggs Hall, Mitchell reinterprets black protest and politics and recasts the way we think about black sexuality and progress after Reconstruction.


Protein kinase C (PKC) is considered to be the major receptor for tumour promoting phorbol esters such as 12-0- tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). These agents evoke a plethora of biological effects on cells in culture. The growth of A549 human lung carcinoma cells maintained in medium fortified with 10% foetal calf serum (FCS) is arrested for 6 days by TPA and other biologically active phorbol esters. In the work described in this thesis, the hypothesis was tested that modulation of PKC activity is closely related to events pivotal for cytostasis to occur. The effect of several phorbol esters, of newly synthesized analogues of diacylglycerols (DAG) and of bryostatins (bryos) on cell growth and ability to modulate activity of PKC has been investigated.Determination of the subcellular distribution of PKC following treatment of cells with TPA and partial enzyme purification by non-denaturing poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed translocation of enzyme activity from cytosoUc to paniculate fraction. Chronic exposure of cells to TPA resulted in a time and concentration dependent degradation of enzyme activity. Synthetic DAG and DAG analogues, unable to arrest the growth of cells at non-toxic concentrations, were neither able to affect subcellular PKC distribution nor compete effectively for phorbol ester binding sites at physiologically relevant concentrations. Bryos 1,2,4 and 5, natural products, possessing antineoplastic activity in mice, elicited transient arrest of A549 cell growth in vitro. They successfully competed for phorbol ester receptors in A549 cells with exquisite affinity and induced a shift in sub-cellular PKC distribution, though not to the same extent as PTA. Enzyme down-regulation resulted from prolonged exposure of cells to nanomolar concentrations of bryos. In vivo studies demonstrated that neither PDBu nor bryo 1 was able to inhibit A549 xenograft growth in athymic mice. The growth of A549 cell populations cultured under conditions of serum-deprivation was inhibited only transiently by biologically active phorbol esters. Fortification of serum-free medium with EGF or fetuin was able to partially restore sensitivity to maintained growth arrest by PTA. PKC translocation to the paniculate cellular fraction and subsequent enzyme down-regulation, induced by TPA, occurred in a manner similar to that observed in serum-supplemented cells. However, total PKC activity and cytosolic phorbol ester binding potential were greatly reduced in the serum-deprived cell population. Western blot analysis using monospecific monoclonal antibodies revealed the presence of PKC-a in both A549 cell populations, with significantly reduced protein levels in serum- deprived cells. PKC-/9 was not detected in either cell population.


This digital image was scanned from a 35mm slide and uploaded to DLynx in the Visual Resources Center during summer 2015.


Problem statement: Peat covers 1.6 million ha (13%) of the 12.4 million ha land area of Sarawak and some of peat swamp forests have been logged. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of logging operation on peat swamp forest in this area. Approach: The study used a remote sensing technique to assess vegetation cover in a peat swamp forest areas in Sarawak as result of logging practice and land clearing activities for oil palm plantation. Vegetation Index was used to assess impact of timber harvesting system and land clearing activities on remaining peat swamp forest in two sites which were logged previously and the possible relationship of change in hydrology. Results: The timber harvesting system was a combination of rail system for log transportation and excavator crawler for log skidding. Drainage work was probably carried out prior to logging activities which was followed up by land preparation for the establishment of the oil palm plantations. There was a general decrease in the level of greenness from 2002-2007. Between the two sites, the level of greenness was relatively lower in the West Site. The high green level of both sites was reduced remarkably in 2007 especially for the West Site and this corresponded to increase in the percentage of medium green level. The changed in the level of greenness in the remnant peat swamp forest could suggest that soil and other conditions such as vegetation structure and floristic composition are unfavorable for the expected rate of forest regeneration. Conclusion: The remnant logged peat swamp forest of the area declined due to a poor state of growth as shown by the dramatically decrease in the level of greenness. The peat swamp forest types strongly related to the hydrological conditions and the associated flow of nutrients and mineral elements. The surrounding hydrology was presumed to have influence the physical and chemical characteristics of the peat.


These proceedings are a representative sample of the presentations given by professional practitioners and academic scholars at the 2019 International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference (ICRCC) held March 11-13, 2019. The ICRCC is an annual event that takes place the second week in March in beautiful sunny Orlando, Florida. The conference hosts are faculty and staff from the Nicholson School of Communication. The goal of the ICRCC is to bring together prominent professional practitioners and academic scholars that work directly with crisis and risk communication on a daily basis. We define crisis and risk broadly to include, for example, natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis), political crises, food safety issues, biosecurity, health pandemics, and so on.


Natural selection generated a natural sense of justice. This natural sense of justice created a set of natural rights; rights humans accorded to each other in virtue of being members of the same tribe. Sharing the responsibility for natural rights between all members of the same tribe allowed humans to take advantage of all opportunities for cooperation. Human rights are the present day political emanation of natural rights. Theoretically, human rights are accorded by all humans to all humans in virtue of being humans; however, the idea that the corresponding responsibility is now shared among all humans is not broadly accepted. The natural sense of justice creates an ambiguity: on the one hand humans consider the nation they belong to as the social system that should guarantee their human rights (and likewise they do not consider themselves as having responsibility for the human rights of inhabitants of other nations); on the other hand, as cooperation between nations intensifies, expectations of global mutual responsibility increase as well. As the West does not feel responsible for the human rights of humans in the rest of the world, not even for their most basic survival needs, the West is perceived as unworthy of cooperation. If human rights are understood as conditions for the well-functioning communities, lifting the responsibility for the human rights of all humans to the global level can be understood as a condition to take full advantage of all opportunities globalization presents, or as a condition to adequately address all challenges globalization presents. However, this would have to happen without disregarding the particular feelings of mutual responsibility nations embody; we need a sliding scale of responsibility. The first step would be an acknowledgement that all humans are responsible for meeting the very basis survival needs of all humans, which could be achieved through a Framework Convention on Global Health and a Global Health Fund.


Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been emphasized due to their threats in fertility, intelligence, and survival. For the last decade, many researchers have investigated EDC-health outcome. However, EDC responses in human were not clearly clarified through experimental and epidemiological data. Therefore, considering particular status of EDC endpoints, we suggest that one of the best ways to prevent unknown health risks from EDCs is to perform exposure monitoring or to do surveillance for EDC release into the environment. For this purpose, this review considers exposure status of EDCs, and EDC-related health risks, focusing on the mainly highlighted EDCs, such as dioxins/PCBs, DDT/DDE, bisphenol A, phthalates, alkylphenols, and phytoestrogens. We also reviewed tobacco, a mixed source of EDC-related endocrine disorders.


Relationship factors such as a psychotherapy group's cohesion and interpersonal climate have been touted as being analogous to the therapist-client alliance in individual psychotherapy, and as such should predict treatment outcome. However, predicting and explaining contributors to outcome in group psychotherapy remains unclear. This series of studies examined therapist-client alliance, group cohesion and climate, self-other differentiation processes (using a repertory grid method) and mastery of Core Conflictual Relationship Themes (CCRT) in brief dynamic group therapy for depression. These studies also integrated qualitative-phenomenological and clinical-quantitative research methodologies to examine in detail significant helpful and hindering psychotherapy events. It was found that therapeutic alliance is not analogous with group cohesion, but is associated with group member's engagement in therapeutic tasks. Perceived levels of conflict and group developmental processes helped explain the dimensions of cohesion. How group members defined themselves in relation to others meaningfully changed over therapy. Changes in perceived conflict in the group, and an individual's mastery of their CCRT patterns predicted outcome. In particular, through the experience of telling their stories, clients were able to change their responses to conflicts both within the group and in their wider interpersonal circle.


Accelerated carbonation using alkaline solid wastes has been considered an effective approach to mineralizing flue gas CO2 from industries or power plants. Despite its recent progress, mechanistic understanding and modelling at interface levels are still needed to control the reactivity and equilibrium of the reaction system. This review focuses on several phenomenological models for accelerated carbonation that look at the solid-fluid interface. We first illustrate the principles of kinetic and mass transfer driven reactions for CO2-mineral-water systems. Then, we provide an overview into the reaction mechanisms and modelling for CO2 mineralization including leaching-precipitation model, shrinking core model and surface coverage model. Advanced models considering multiple mechanisms, such as two-layer diffusion model, are also discussed. Finally, the perspectives and prospects are provided to shine a light on future directions, including incorporation of structural and physical properties in phenomenological models, identification of dynamic speciation by in-situ high-resolution equipment, and integration of heat transfer in reaction modelling for system optimization.


The Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana has experienced perhaps the greatest effects of increased oil and gas development in the United States, with major implications for local governments. Though development of the Bakken began in the early 2000s, large-scale drilling and population growth dramatically affected the region from roughly 2008 through today. This case study examines the local government fiscal benefits and challenges experienced by Dunn County and Watford City, which lie near the heart of the producing region. For both local governments, the initial growth phase presented major fiscal challenges due to rapidly expanding service demands and insufficient revenue. In the following years, these challenges eased as demand for services slowed due to declining industry activity and state tax policies redirected more funds to localities. Looking forward, both local governments describe their fiscal health as stronger because of the Bakken boom, though higher debt loads and an economy heavily dependent on the volatile oil and gas industry each pose challenges for future fiscal stability.


We report on fs-laser micromachining of active waveguides in a new erbium-doped phospho-tellurite glass by means of a compact cavity-dumped Yb-based writing system. The spectroscopic properties of the glass were investigated, and the fs-laser written waveguides were characterized in terms of passive as well as active performance. In particular, internal gain was demonstrated in the whole C+L band of optical communications (1530- 1610 nm).


Since it was launched in 2003, Brazil's Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) strategy has allowed 28 million people to break free from the cycle of hunger. These impressive figures suggest that public policy can have a significant impact in the fight against hunger. This report looks at some of the conditions contributing to the success of the strategy, including political will combined with a plan that is coherent, consistent, multidimensional and participatory. The United Nations launched the Zero Hunger challenge in 2012, and countries and regions around the world are looking at the lessons from Brazil's experience. In West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has initiated a process for achieving Zero Hunger in West Africa. An editorial by the West Africa GROW campaign and a preface by Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2008–2014) are included in the French report and as separate documents in English. The editorial reflects on the practicalities and challenges in terms of social mobilization and the region's capacities to carry such an ambitious initiative. How can the necessary political will be ensured in a region of diverse states?


Acoels are small, ubiquitous, but understudied, marine worms with a very simple body plan. Their internal phylogeny is still in parts unresolved, and the position of their proposed phylum Xenacoelomorpha (Xenoturbella+Acoela) is still debated. Here we describe mitochondrial genome sequences from two acoel species: Paratomella rubra and Isodiametra pulchra. The 14,954 nucleotide-long P. rubra sequence is typical for metazoans in size and gene content. The larger I. pulchra mitochondrial genome contains both ribosomal genes, 21 tRNAs, but only 11 protein-coding genes. We find evidence suggesting a duplicated sequence in the I. pulchra mitochondrial genome. Mitochondrial sequences for both P. rubra and I. pulchra have a unique genome organisation in comparison to other published metazoan mitochondrial genomes. We found a large degree of protein-coding gene and tRNA overlap in P. rubra, with little non-coding sequence making the genome compact. Conversely, the I. pulchra mitochondrial genome has many long non-coding sequences between genes, likely driving the genome size expansion. Phylogenetic trees inferred from concatenated alignments of mitochondrial genes grouped the fast-evolving Acoela and Tunicata, almost certainly due to the systematic error of long branch attraction: a reconstruction artefact that is probably compounded by the fast substitution rate of mitochondrial genes in this taxon.


This article examines trends in entrepreneurship among minority ethnic groups in Britain. It begins with an analysis of how self-employment rates for different ethnic groups have evolved since the early 1990s. We find that rates of self-employment have fallen for Indians and the Chinese and argue that this is due to increased opportunities in paid employment, partly brought about by demographic change. However, entrepreneurs from these groups still work the longest hours. In contrast, self-employment rates have risen for Black Caribbean males in recent years and remain high for Pakistani males. We also document how the proportion of the self-employed with employees has varied over time and discuss trends in the extent to which the self-employment of different ethnic groups is concentrated within particular sectors.


A variety of hazardous organic compounds are present in leachate from landfill sites that accept medical and industrial chemical waste. Most of these compounds find their way into nearby streams, rivers and dams, posing a threat to the ecosystem. In the present work two hazardous organic compounds, namely, m-xylene and 2-chloroethanol were chosen to react with ozone gas at different experimental conditions. The ozone initiated oxidation of m-xylene and 2-chloroethanol in solvent free conditions were investigated as a function of time. Gas chromatographic analysis of ozonated m-xylene, showed an increase in the conversion of substrate from about 1 % after 3 hours to about 14 % after 24 hours. Some of the ozonation products identified were formic acid, acetic acid, 3-methylbenzylalcohol, 3-methylbenzaldehyde and 3-methylbenzoic acid. The presence of acetic acid, ethyl acetate or acetone during ozonation significantly improved the percent conversion of m-xylene relative to similar products obtained under solvent free conditions. The presence of activated charcoal during ozonation of m-xylene showed marginal improvement in percent conversion compared to solvent free ozonation. The oxidation of 2-chloroethanol was followed by monitoring the consumption of the halogenated organic substrate which showed an increase in conversion from about 2 % after 3 hours to about 46 % after 12 hours. Ozonated products contained a mixture of acetaldehyde and acetic acid. It was also found that the ozonation of 2-chloroethanol yielded quantitative amounts of chloride ions. The percent conversion of 2-chloroethanol in the presence of acetic acid and ethyl acetate were higher than those under solvent free conditions. The use of activated charcoal during ozonolysis of 2-chloroethanol showed a significant increase in percent conversion of the substrate. Since 2-chloroethanol has a higher solubility in water than m-xylene the effects of solution pH, activated charcoal and hydrogen peroxide on ozone initiated reactions were studied. Solutions of 2-chloroethanol maintained at pH level 4 and 7 showed marginal changes in percent conversion compared to ozonation alone, however percent conversion improved significantly when the pH of the solution was increased to 10. The ozonation of 2-chloroethanol in the presence of 5 % hydrogen peroxide in water at pH levels 4 and 7 showed marginal changes in percent conversion compared to ozonation alone, however, percent conversion and product yields improved significantly, when the pH of the solution was increased to 10. Increasing the strength of the hydrogen peroxide in the reaction mixture from 5 % to 10 % had very little effect in the percent conversion of 2-chloroethanol and product formation. Based on the experimental findings the overall reaction mechanism for the reaction of both m-xylene and 2-chloroethanol with ozone is described.


Many consumer brands have customer relationship agents that directly engage opinionated consumers on social streams, such as Twitter. To help agents find opinionated consumers, social stream monitoring tools provide keyword-based filters, which are often too coarse-grained to be effective. In this work, we introduce CrowdE, a Twitter-based filtering system that helps agents find opinionated customers through brand-specific intelligent filters. To minimize per-brand effort in creating these brand-specific filters, the system used a common crowd-enabled process that creates the filters through machine learning over crowd-labeled tweets. We validated the quality of the crowd labels and the performance of the filter algorithms built from the labels. A user evaluation further showed that CrowdE's intelligent filters improved task performance and were generally preferred by users in comparison to keyword-based filters in current social stream monitoring tools.


This international encyclopedia documents and surveys, for the first time, the entire complex of translation as well as the operations and phenomena associated with it. Structured along systematic, historical and geographic lines, it offers a comprehensive and critical account of the current state of knowledge and of international research. The Encyclopedia (1) offers an overview of the different types and branches of translation studies; (2) covers translation phenomena - including the entire range of interlingual, intralingual, and intersemiotic transfer and transformation - in their social, material, linguistic, intellectual, and cultural diversity from diachronic, synchronic, and systematic perspectives, (3) documents and elucidates the most important results of the study of translation to the present day, as well as the current debates, taking into account theoretical assumptions and methodological implications; (4) identifies, where possible, lacunae in existing research, listing priorities and desiderata for further research. The languages of publication are German, English, and French.


We use density and microstructure data to characterize the properties and physical setting of optical thin layers observed over the New Jersey shelf in the summer of 2006. Layers were differentiated into two types by their vertical position in the water column, fluorescence intensity, and possibly community composition or cell condition as indicated by the measured differences in the ratio of fluorescence to optical backscatter. Both layer types were associated with gradients in stratification; but, the turbulent mixing environment for the two layer types differed significantly. Shallow layers were located within the pycnocline near the maximum stratification and were exposed to strong turbulence within the surface mixed layer. Consequently, turbulent mixing of buoyancy may have been a key factor in maintaining shallow layers. In contrast, relatively weak density gradients and mixing indicate that turbulent processes may have been less critical for deep layers, which were located at the base of the pycnocline. More generally, both shallow and deep layers were geographically located in regions of low median and high mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation, i.e., regions of rare yet intense mixing events. This work highlights the need to understand the detailed statistics of mixing at time and vertical scales relevant to thin layers, and more specifically, the need to discern the time history of mixing of the fluid that composes layers.


ABSTRACT Biodiesel has emerged as a promising alternative fuel to replace dwindling fossil-based resources, particularly in view of its added environmental merit of reducing additional air pollution. Its specific attraction stems from the similarity of its physical properties to fossil fuel-derived diesel. Although the production of biodiesel is a relatively straightforward process, reaction progress monitoring and product analysis require costly specialist equipment, such as gas chromatography and mass spectrome-try. In this study, we investigate the use of pH in monitoring the progress of carbonate-catalyzed transesterification reactions. Specifically, we focus on potassium and sodium carbonates and sunflower oil. Our results are consistent with the results obtained by other studies using different methods of monitoring. To test the generality of the method, pH measurements were also used to monitor the progress of the potassium carbonate transesterification reaction in the presence of added water, glycerol and gamma-valerolactone (GVL). The obtained results are as expected, with a limited amount of water increasing the trans-esterification rate; glycerol slowing the reaction slightly in accord with Le Chatellier's principles; and GVL increasing the rate due to co-solvent effects. Atomic-level insights into the adsorption mechanism of methanol and water on the (001) surfaces of Na2CO3 and K2CO3 catalysts are provided by first-principles DFT calculations, which explain the increase in transesterification reaction rate upon the addition of water. Keywords: Transesterification, pH monitoring, biodiesel , Density Functional Theory ( DFT), co-solvent.


Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) have gained significant interest in electrochemical energy devices with a unique set of benefits. However, none of the commercial AEMs behave ideally under alkaline operation conditions and developing appropriate membranes is one of the major hurdles to the durability and performance of anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Here we demonstrate a simple and efficient strategy of using nanofibrous materials, activated by radiation and functionalized with ionic groups to fabricate highly durable and conductive membranes with polycationic side chains. Two series of AEMs were prepared by radiation induced emulsion grafting of vinylbenzyl chloride onto syndiotactic polypropylene and nylon-66 nanofibrous sheets followed by crosslinking and introducing quaternary ammonium groups. A strong correlation was found between the choice of nanofibrous substrate as well as crosslinking degrees with water uptake, ion conductivity and stability of the membranes. A well-developed phase separated morphology was confirmed and the membranes with ion exchange capacities of 1.6–2.1 mmol g−1 showed high ionic conductivity, low methanol permeability and excellent alkaline stability. A hydroxide ion conductivity as high as 132 mS cm−1 was achieved at 80 °C and it was exceptionally retained at up to 90% after evaluation by accelerated degradation testing in 1 M NaOH at 80 °C for 672 h. A Pt-catalyzed fuel cell using these nanofibrous composite membranes showed a peak power density of above 120 mW cm−2 at 80 °C under 90% relative humidity. This strategy and observed properties pave the way for highly conductive and durable ion conducting membranes with tunable characteristics.


This study is an exploratory investigation of Greek primary and secondary school teachers' attitudes towards educational equality and the relationship of these attitudes with their classroom behaviour. Three aspects were investigated: (a) the relationships between teachers' attitudes towards educational equality, (b) teachers' classroom behaviour (teachers and pupils interactions) and (c) the associations between teachers' attitudes and their classroom behaviour.
The research method employed was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods were employed at the early stage of the research to enrtch validity of the attitude statements and observation categories. Quantitative methods were employed at the main study to enable the generalisation of the findings and the reliability of the data collection tools. A combination of questionnaires and observations was used to investigate teachers' attitudes and their classroom behaviour. The research was carried out in Greater Athens, Greece, on a representative sample of two hundred and sixty schoolteachers.
Main findings indicated that: (a) teachers' attitudes towards educational equality combined the liberal egalitarian, strict egalitarian and fair inegalitarian models of educational equality and (b) in classroom practice teachers applied the liberal egalitarian model of educational equality.
Teachers' attitudes preference for combining the educational equality models confirms the assumptions that attitudes contain conflicting and contradictory elements; and that teachers try to resolve tensions created when meeting different pupils' needs. The Greek educational equality model is an example of a western state, which combines the models of educational equality in its legislation. In Greek school reality though, the dominant educational equality model is the liberal one. This finding is revealed in teachers' classroom practice. It is argued that the increasing application of the market approach of differentiation to Greek education is the most significant reason for explaining the dominance of the liberal egalitarian model in classroom practice.
An alternative model of school education, which focuses on the social aspect of schooling, is presented. Policy implications include reflection on teaching and teachers' training. Stimulations for further thinking and research include: apply the research in different national contexts; investigate how significant factor teachers' training is for affecting teachers' attitudes towards educational equality; investigate the extent of spatial differentiation to education; investigate the condition of educational equality after the inflow of immigrants; and investigate the extent to which the perceived quality of schooling is push migration factor and to what extent is pull migration factor


The protection of indigenous peoples in isolation and initial contact (PIACI) is one of the most complex issues in the human rights and environmental agenda. The implementation of frameworks to protect PIACI involves addressing conflicts by the advance of public and private initiatives
 and interests in their territories. This paper focuses on PIACI Roundtable, a multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) established in Peru's Loreto region to contribute to protecting these groups. The MSF sought to address the long-standing delays in the creation of five Indigenous Reserves for PIACI
 in Loreto's forests. The paper argues that MSFs may be fruitful spaces to raise awareness of the rights of vulnerable peoples and coordinate the implementation of supporting actions, but only when participants hold a shared respect for those recognised rights. If not, MSFs may become spaces
 where powerful actors relegate recognised rights to a perspective among others.


Objective: Cold urticaria is an uncommon type of physical urticaria. We aimed to characterize the features of patients with cold urticaria, and to investigate the effect of increasing stimulation time on the diagnostic value of the ice cube test. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine patients diagnosed with cold urticaria in the past three years were retrospectively included. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The ice cube test was performed in all patients. During the standard ice cube test procedure the stimulation time was five minutes, and if the result was negative it was gradually increased to ten and twenty minutes. To investigate the effect of increasing the stimulation time to twenty minutes on the diagnostic value, the test was performed in twenty patients with chronic urticaria in whom cold was not a triggering factor. Results: Twenty-nine patients (F/M: 20/9, median (min-max) age:37 (17-57)) with cold urticaria were included. No secondary causes were identified. The rate of atopy was 48.0%. Three patients (10.3%) had localised cold urticaria. The frequency of systemic reactions and anaphylaxis was 48.0% and 10.3%, respectively. Twelve patients (41.4%) also had other types of urticaria, most commonly chronic spontaneous urticaria, and symptomatic dermographism. The sensitivity of the ice cube test was 58.6% when the stimulation time was five minutes and 69.0% when the stimulation time was gradually increased to twenty minutes. None of the controls showed positivity on the ice cube test with a stimulation time of twenty minutes. Conclusion: Increasing the stimulation time during the ice cube test, when necessary, increases the sensitivity of the test and does not cause false positivity in patients with chronic urticaria in whom cold was not a triggering factor. Considering the high risk of systemic reactions and coexistence of other types of urticaria, cold as a triggering factor should be questioned in all patients with urticaria.


Renal tubular secretion in chronic kidney disease: description, determinants, and outcomes Astrid Suchy-Dicey Chair of the supervisory committee: Noel S Weiss, Professor Epidemiology Background The presence and severity of chronic kidney disease are currently assessed by glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion. Other kidney functions, such as proximal tubular secretion, are not typically quantified. Tubular secretion is capable of clearing metabolites from the blood more efficiently than filtration, suggesting important clinical consequences of secretion dysfunction. Measuring tubular secretion as an independent marker of kidney function may provide insight into kidney disease etiology and prediction of adverse outcomes. Methods We developed and validated mass spectrometry assays to measure hippurate and cinnamoylglycine, which are primarily cleared by renal tubular secretion. We estimated secretion function in a prospective cohort study of 298 CKD patients using timed urinary clearance of these molecules. We examined associations between renal secretion and estimated filtration (average of creatinine and urea clearance), related clinical characteristics, and mortality. Results Tubular secretion correlated with glomerular filtration, but considerable residual variability remained. Tubular secretion was significantly greater among men. For a given level of filtration function, diminished hippurate clearance was associated with increased risk of death (hazard ratio comparing low to high secretion groups: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-4.7). Diminished cinnamoylglycine clearance, for a given level of filtration, was associated with increased risk of starting dialysis (hazard ratio comparing low to high secretion groups: 4.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-14.4). Conclusion Proximal tubular secretion function comprises a measurement of kidney function that modestly correlates with filtration function and may be associated with mortality and starting dialysis. ii Table of


The first four members of the myeloid differentiation marker 88 (MyD88) family of cytosolic adaptor proteins are well known for their roles in mediating Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in the immune system. Kim et al. set out to characterize the more enigmatic fifth member of this family, MyD88-5. Northern and Western blotting demonstrated a higher abundance of MyD88-5 mRNA and protein in the brains of mice and humans than in any other organ. In human blood, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays showed that MyD88-5 mRNA was preferentially found in lymphocytes and not in myeloid cells. The authors developed a transgenic mouse that expressed a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged MyD88-5 protein. Confocal microscopic analysis of brain sections showed that GFP fluorescence was strongest in the hippocampus and cerebellum and found only in neurons, within which MyD88-5-GFP was cytoplasmic and had a punctate distribution. When expressed in COS-1 cells, MyD88-5-GFP strongly colocalized with mitochondria. In cotransfected COS-1 cells, the authors demonstrated the colocalization of MyD88-5-GFP with c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) at mitochondria, an association that was also shown in coimmunoprecipitation studies in COS-1 cells and in hippocampal lysates. JNK3 promotes apoptosis in hippocampal cells after cerebral ischemia (oxygen and nutrient deprivation), and the authors found that cell death was reduced in ischemic hippocampal slices from MyD88-5-deficient mice compared with those from wild-type mice. This study reveals the role of MyD88-5 in mediating neuronal cell death after injury and raises the interesting question of what role MyD88-5 might play in lymphocytes. Y. Kim, P. Zhou, L. Qian, J.-Z. Chuang, J. Lee, C. Li, C. Iadecola, C. Nathan, A. Ding, MyD88-5 links mitochondria, microtubules, and JNK3 in neurons and regulates neuronal survival. J. Exp. Med. 204, 2063-2074 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Official fertility estimates in Ethiopia show that fertility is high and varies regionally. However, the causes and correlates are not well understood. This thesis investigates the levels, trends and differentials of fertility in two administrative regions, Arsi and Shoa in Central Ethiopia using data from the Population, Health and Nutrition Project baseline survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 1986. It also provides the socioeconomic and demographic explanations of high fertility in these regions. The thesis examines data limitations and identifies the types and sources of error. Missing, incomplete or inconsistent dates in the birth history are imputed and the validity of the data for fertility studies is assessed. Indirect demographic techniques and period-cohort analysis of birth histories are used for estimating fertility trends, and multivariate analysis is applied for examining fertility differentials. The population is shown to have high and rising fertility. Total fertility increased from about six children per woman around 1970 to about eight children in the early 1980s. Most of this increase occurred between 1977 and 1982. Significant rural-urban, religious and ethnic differentials are also observed. Early and universal marriage, high infant and child mortality, pro-natal cultural and religious values, low levels of infertility and the absence of birth control methods are investigated as possible explanations for the fertility patterns. Change in marital fertility brought about by the decline in the duration and intensity of breastfeeding and increase in exposure to the risk of childbearing through reduced spousal separation are identified as the major causes of the recent rise, while variations in breastfeeding patterns, infant and child mortality and stability of marriage rather than differences in contraceptive use appear to explain most of the observed differentials. The study concludes by identifying methodological problems and needs for future research. The implications of the study are underscored with specific policy recommendations.


: Mothers carry the prime responsibility for childcare and feeding in low-income countries. Understanding their experiences in providing food for their children is paramount to informing efforts to improve the nutritional status of children. Such information is lacking in Sub-Saharan Africa. To understand what influences urban mothers' food acquisition and their motivations for selecting food for their children, 36 in-depth interviews were carried out with mothers having children under five years of age. Interviews were conducted in the local language, audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis which led to the identification of four major themes: mothers give-in to a child-driven diet; quick-fix versus the privilege of planning; keen awareness on food safety, nutrition, and diet diversity; and social, familial, and cultural influences. The findings indicate that child feeding practices are influenced by interlinked social and environmental factors. Hence, nutrition education campaigns should focus on targeting not only families but also their children. Attention should also be given to food safety regulations, as well as to the much-needed support of mothers who are struggling to ensure their children's survival in low-income countries.


MICROCHIP LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY AND CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS SEPARATIONS IN MULTILAYER MICRODEVICES Hernan V. Fuentes Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Doctor of Philosophy In this dissertation, several microfabricated devices are introduced to develop new applications in the area of chemical analysis. Electrochemical micropumps, chip-based liquid chromatography systems and multilayer capillary electrophoresis microdevices with crossover channels were fabricated using various substrates such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), glass, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). I have demonstrated pressure-driven pumping of liquids in microfabricated channels using electrochemical actuation. PDMS-based micropumps were integrated easily with channel-containing PMMA substrates. Flow rates on the order of ~10 μL/min were achieved using low voltages (10 V). The potential of electrolysis-based pumping in microchannels was further evaluated for pressure driven microchip liquid chromatography (LC). Two micropumps were connected with reservoirs for sample and mobile phase, situated at the ends of microchannels for sample injection and separation, respectively. Columns micromachined in glass were coated covalently with an organic stationary phase to provide a separation medium. A pressure-balanced sample injection method was developed and allowed the injection of picoliter sample volumes into the separation channel. Fast (<40 s) separation of three fluorescently tagged amino acids was performed in a 2.5-cm-long microchip column with an efficiency of 3300 theoretical plates. Improved electrode designs that eliminate the stochastic formation of bubbles on the electrode surface will enhance pumping reproducibility. Multilayer polymeric microdevices having fluidically and electrically independent crossover channels were made using phase-changing sacrificial layers (PCSLs). Highperformance electrophoretic separations of fluorescently labeled amino acids were carried out in multilayer PMMA microchips. Neither pressure nor voltage applied in a crossover channel resulted in negative effects on the separation quality in the main fluidic


This paper discusses the novel The Crocodile Fury (1992) by Beth Yahp, winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Sheaffer Pen Prize for First Fiction, 1993, and the New South Wales State Literary Awards, Ethnic Affairs Commission Award for Literature in Australia, 1993. One of the objectives in the establishing of the Victorian Premier's Awards in 1987 was to 'assist cultural groups to maintain their diverse literary and cultural heritages and present them to the wider community.' (1) The establishment of the Ethnic Affairs Commission Award for Literature was primarily to 'promote cultural diversity through the arts' as part of its larger objective of 'promoting the unity of all ethnic groups in the community as a single society while recognising different cultural identities.'(2) These awards suggest that the novel is deemed to have adeptly presented the features of a Malaysian cultural heritage and, more specifically, its Malaysian Chinese subject matter to the Australian community, as well as fulfilling its role in presenting one of many ethnic strands that make up the nation. However, I argue that there appear to be distinct echoes of occidental myths and metaphors that shape the discursive space of the novel, echoes that suggest the tinge of colonial stereotypes of Malaya. The novel is narrated from the perspective of a young girl who is a boarder at a convent in Malaya (3) and articulates the stories of a number of women whose paths intersect in and around the convent that is set on top of a mysterious hill at the edges of what is presented as a menacing Malayan jungle. Yahp has asserted in an interview that the concept of family for her is 'a very fragmented and scattered one' and 'not connected to place.' (4) In the same interview, she also states that despite The Crocodile Fury (and some of her other works of fiction) being set in South East Asia (more specifically Malay(si)a), she sees herself as an Australian writer because 'all the support networks came from there, the encouragement to begin, and continue, and the landscape has affected me greatly, not in this particular novel, but elsewhere in my work, in quite a fundamental way.' (5) These two comments are highly significant to my discussion of ambivalence in The Crocodile Fury. The first highlights the sense of a disconnectedness from ancestral heritage, a part of that being Malaysia. Yahp was born in Malaysia in 1964 and went to Sydney, Australia in 1984, at the age of twenty. The Crocodile Fury was published in 1992, eight years after she left Malaysia. This eight year break from Malaysia was in all probability one that was disconnected from the nation's evolving history and its culture. It is this sense of disconnection that I see as mostly reflected in the narrative space, a disconnection with the cultural and linguistic landscape of the Malaya which she attempts to portray. It is within these gaps in her memory that Occidental echoes appear, resonating in the setting, the various eharaeterisations that are shaped, and the myriad patterns of allegorical devices that emerge throughout the narrative: images that are shaped from external sources such as the texts that she identifies in the acknowledgment page of the novel, naming among others The Book of Chinese Beliefs, Malay Superstitions and Beliefs and Ghost Stories of Old China. Yahp's second statement above, regarding place, is significant for its expression of her sense of affinity with Australia and the Australian landscape. The novel does seem to echo a number of myths and metaphors connected to Australian literary traditions. At the tail end of my discussion, I will discuss the ways in which Yahp's novel reflects motifs common to, in particular, Australian women's writing. In this way, Malaysia becomes a shadowy presence that is articulated more for an Australian than a Malaysian audience. The Crocodile Fury could be categorised as a postcolonial novel by virtue of its being written in the era after the departure of the British colonisers from Malaya, as well as its attempt to engage certain postcolonial issues such as clashes with colonial ideology, as articulated in the rebellious thoughts of the main character and narrator, a young Chinese girl who lives in a convent run mainly by European nuns and whose life is dominated by the strong presence of her Chinese grandmother who scoffs at the European world view and imparts a largely Asian and Chinese world view to her granddaughter. …