It is well known that the dominant paradigm underlying the free movement jurisprudence of the Court of Justice has progressively shifted from the 'market citizen' to the EU citizen: in order to invoke free movement and equal treatment rights an economic nexus is no longer needed, allowing, for example, students to claim equal treatment with host Member State nationals as regards access to education and the receipt of study grants. Normatively, however, this raises important questions. The classic logic whereby these free movement and equal treatment rights were provided to Member State nationals as a quid pro quo for their contribution to and participation in a project of European integration-the establishment of the common market-is undermined. A new 'aim' or 'rationale' is thus needed, capable of explaining and informing the citizenship jurisprudence of the Court. The purpose of this article is to construct a conceptual framework for the Court's EU citizenship jurisprudence by relying on a cosmopolitan vision of citizenship as set out by Immanuel Kant in his seminal work Zum ewigen Frieden. It is submitted in this article that Kant's cosmopolitan right of hospitality, meant to guarantee interaction between the peoples of the world with a view to developing a shared universal conscience characterised by a desire for peace and prosperity, in essence informs the EU citizenship jurisprudence of the Court.


Cities around the world are increasingly using events as a tool to generate a wide range of effects including image enhancement, income generation, and social cohesion. However, the use of events as an urban policy tool is hamperes by the fact that events themselves also have their own objectives,such as making a profit or advancing the agenda of national and international organizations. In some cases, the objectives of the events and the city man coincide, but in other cases, they may not. Therefore,for cities there is a growing challenge in coordinating their events program in order to maximize the benefits for the city as a whole, while also supporting individual events progran in order to maximize the benefits for the city as a whole, while also supporting individual events. Many cities have already developed specific events policies and support mechanisms, but these tend to treat events as individual occurrences, rather tah as an integral part of the urban ecology. Richards and Palmer have argued that the "eventful city" needs to take strategic, holistic view of its events portfolio in order to move from being a city full of events to developing "eventfulness". This article considers how some cities are developing more holistic aprproaches to event policy and eventfulness. In reviewing the events policies of cities worldwide, it identifies three emerging policy models: event-centric policy, sector-centric policy, and network-centric policy. the article futher considers the implications of these different models for events and events policies in cities.


Abstract Emotions seem to arise ultimately from hard-wired neural circuits in the visceral-limbic brain that facilitate diverse and adaptive behavioral and physiological responses to major classes of environmental challenges. Presumably these circuits developed early in mammalian brain evolution, and the underlying control mechanisms remain similar in humans and "lower" mammals. This would suggest that theoretically guided studies of the animal brain can reveal how primitive emotions are organized in the human brain. Conversely, granted this cross-species heritage, it is arguable that human introspective access to emotional states may provide direct information concerning operations of emotive circuits and thus be a primary source of hypotheses for animal brain research. In this article the possibility that emotions are elaborated by transhypothalamic executive (command) circuits that concurrently activate related behavior patterns is assessed. Current neurobehavioral evidence indicates that there are at least four executive circuits of this type – those which elaborate central states of expectancy, rage, fear, and panic. The manner in which learning and psychiatric disorders may arise from activities of such circuits is also discussed.


Consumer financial protection and the integrity of the Australian financial system are critical to the Australian economy in many ways, including the provision of an effective banking system, and the security of Australia's significant superannuation savings. This is especially the case in an environment where financial products have become more complex and difficult for consumers to understand. In recent years there have been several scandals in Australia's financial sector that have undermined confidence in the financial system, and exposed regulatory failure. The authors argue that there needs to be a more effective oversight of the key regulators in the Australian financial system to maintain confidence in the system, and prevent capture of the regulators by the financial services industry. The authors contend that the recommendation of the Financial System Inquiry for the establishment of an Assessment Board to provide continuous oversight of the financial regulators is an effective solution to the poor regulatory outcomes encountered in Australia in recent years. The consequences of not having such oversight are likely to be more financial scandals, and further instability in the financial system. These deficiencies must be addressed as a matter of urgency.


Sequential pattern mining and temporal association rule mining techniques are established techniques to mine insights into the data collected by smart home environments and ambient living systems. Local process models are a recent technique that uses constructs from the field of business process modeling to represent frequent patterns that go beyond sequential patterns and can additionally express rich ordering relations that include concurrent execution, choices, and repetition. To gain insight into the behavior within smart home environments using local process models, it is vital to focus on patterns where the activities that are described by the pattern are truly related. We show on real-life smart home data that existing techniques for mining local process models fail to do so, and address this problem by proposing novel techniques for constraint-based local process model mining, focusing on event gap constraints and time gap constraints. We observe that in order to get an accurate support count of a local process model, it is sufficient to only consider specific parts of the datasets instead of the full dataset, which allows to speed up the counting of the support of a pattern. We provide a novel algorithm to extract those relevant parts of the data for support counting. We evaluate our approach on a collection of real-life smart home data sets. We show that more insightful local process models can be mined when applying such constraints, and show the novel algorithm allows to mine them efficiently.


Ecological characteristics of 32 nonmarine ostracod taxa collected from 89 aquatic habitats of Erzincan (Turkey) during the summer of 2006 were evaluated. All of the species are new reports for the area, while Cypria sywulae Meisch, 2000 is a new record for the Turkish ostracod fauna. The first 2 axes of canonical correspondence analysis explain 74.1% of the variance between 15 species and 5 environmental variables. The influence of water temperature on species distribution was significantly higher (P = 0.02) than that of the other ecological factors. The most frequently occurring species were clustered into 3 main groups based on their ecological characteristics using unweighted pair group mean averages. Among the species, cosmopolitans showed a tendency to display wide ranges of tolerance values. Cypridopsis vidua (O. F. Muller, 1776) was the only species showing a significant (P = 0.03) negative correlation to habitat type (lentic versus lotic). Our results support the idea that once ecological characteristics of individual species are known, it is possible to use such knowledge in reconstructing past ecological conditions. However, application of this idea may not be limited to local/alpha species diversity. Indeed, our results suggest that studying gamma/regional diversity (Erzincan and environs) allows extending conclusions over a larger geographical scale and wider range of ecosystems.


Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process, which enables the generation of complex geometries such as lattice structures, using metallic powder. Lattice structures are being used increasingly in medical technology to adapt the stiffness of individualized implants which can lead to faster bone healing. Lattice structures are also used to adjust the contact surface between the bone and implant to adapt the osseointegrative behavior. The goal of this work is to create lattice structures with local adaption of the stiffness (modulus of elasticity) for individual vertebral body replacement implants and their automated design based on patient data. To form the lattice structure a diamond cell type is used, which is common in medical technology. For the later adaptation of the bone stiffness, the stiffness of the lattice structure with different strut diameters are determined. The calculation of the stiffness is done by numerical simulations using Finite Element Methods (FEM). The simulations are validated with tensile and compression tests. Finally, the automated design of the implants is carried out with an in-house generated tool to adjust the strut diameters based on the bone density from patient data. Parts of this work have been funded by the German ministry of education and research (BMBF) under grant number 13GW0116.


This book is an attempt to give an overview of how language interacts with its environment, or better, how actual linguistic structure is formed, changed and influenced by different aspects of the human environment. The focus is mainly on effects of the extra-linguistic environment on the actual grammatical structure of languages; we will leave influences on other linguistic subsystems such as phonology, the lexicon, and discourse structure to the efforts of other researchers.The underlying assumption of this entire volume is that linguistic structure is not only shaped by how speakers interact with each other and with the world they live in, but also by external forces that are outside the control of individual speakers or speech communities. One might call it natural selection in grammar, were it not for the fact that it is not entirely clear whether biological and linguistic change operate along the same real-world principles, or whether any correspondences are much more superficial.


Interspecific gene flow is pervasive throughout the tree of life. Although detecting gene flow between populations has been facilitated by new analytical approaches, determining the timing and geography of hybridization has remained difficult, particularly for historical gene flow. A geographically explicit phylogenetic approach is needed to determine the ancestral population overlap. In this study, we performed population genetic analyses, species delimitation, simulations, and a recently developed approach of species tree diffusion to infer the phylogeographic history, timing and geographic extent of gene flow in lizards of the Sceloporus spinosus group. The two species in this group, S. spinosus and S. horridus, are distributed in eastern and western portions of Mexico, respectively, but populations of these species are sympatric in the southern Mexican highlands. We generated data consisting of three mitochondrial genes and eight nuclear loci for 148 and 68 individuals, respectively. We delimited six lineages in this group, but found strong evidence of mito-nuclear discordance in sympatric populations of S. spinosus and S. horridus owing to mitochondrial introgression. We used coalescent simulations to differentiate ancestral gene flow from secondary contact, but found mixed support for these two models. Bayesian phylogeography indicated more than 60% range overlap between ancestral S. spinosus and S. horridus populations since the time of their divergence. Isolation-migration analyses, however, revealed near-zero levels of gene flow between these ancestral populations. Interpreting results from both simulations and empirical data indicate that despite a long history of sympatry among these two species, gene flow in this group has only recently occurred.


The chemical composition, the emission spectral bandwidth, and photoluminescence quantum yield of a semiconductor quantum dot (QD) play an important role in the assessment of the performance of the applications related to the quantum dots. Quantum dots based on environmentally friendly compositions with high optical performance have been in demand for high-end technological applications. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a detailed synthesis approach for environmentally friendly and highly efficient InPZnS alloy/ZnS shell quantum dots. Following a systematic study of the ratio and type of the precursors involved, we achieved alloyed core–shell InPZnS/ZnS QDs with tunable emission across the visible spectrum, having a record quantum efficiency up to 78% along with a full width at half-maximum as narrow as 45 nm. The effect of the systematic shell growth has been further investigated using time-resolved photoluminescence characterizations along with the observation of the suppression of the nonradiat...


AIM
To share a single center experience with 27 atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) cases, and to determine the effect of gross total tumor resection and other clinical characteristics on the overall survival rate of AT/RT.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We included 27 patients-with a histopathologically confirmed primary intracranial childhood AT/ RT-who were operated in our clinic between January 2000 and December 2017. Age, sex, tumor location, disseminated disease, the presence of hydrocephalus, symptom duration till diagnosis, the extent of resection, and adjuvant radiotherapy were evaluated for their influence on overall survival.

RESULTS
Median age at diagnosis for 27 patients was 19.1 months (7.2 months-5 years). Gross total resection was possible in 13 (48.72%) patients. Except for three patients who died of perioperative complications, all patients received chemotherapy and 11 received radiotherapy. In univariate analysis, male sex, older age at diagnosis (≥24 months), gross total resection, and radiotherapy were associated with overall longer survival; however, radiotherapy remained the only significant parameter in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION
AT/RT is a rare and dreadful brain tumor that has low survival rates despite contemporary treatment. Radiotherapy seems to prolong survival; however, large-scale studies are needed to establish prognostic factors.


The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri and Iowa State University, is conducting research to address effects of climate change on sturgeon populations (Scaphirhynchus spp.) in the Missouri River. The CERC is conducting laboratory, field, and modeling research to identify causative factors for the responses of fish populations to natural and human-induced environmental changes and using this information to understand sensitivity of sturgeon populations to potential climate change in the Missouri River drainage basin. Sturgeon response information is being used to parameterize models predicting future population trends. These models will provide a set of tools for natural resource managers to assess management strategies in the context of global climate change. This research complements and builds on the ongoing Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Program (CSRP) at the CERC. The CSRP is designed to provide information critical to restoration of the Missouri River ecosystem and the endangered pallid sturgeon (S. albus). Current research is being funded by USGS through the National Climate Change Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) and the Science Support Partnership (SSP) Program that is held by the USGS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The national mission of the NCCWSC is to improve the capacity of fish and wildlife agencies to respond to climate change and to address high-priority climate change effects on fish and wildlife. Within the national context, the NCCWSC research on the Missouri River focuses on temporal and spatial downscaling and associated uncertainty in modeling climate change effects on sturgeon species in the Missouri River. The SSP research focuses on improving survival and population estimates for pallid sturgeon population models.


Brain inflammation contributes to ischaemic and reperfusion injury, and thus worsens outcome after stroke. This thesis aimed to identify and investigate some of the inflammatory mechanisms that occur after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion, to further enhance our understanding of them, and to potentially target them for future ischaemic stroke therapies. This study primarily used C57Bl6/J mice, as well as genetically modified mice. The model of focal cerebral ischaemia utilised was the intraluminal filament-induced middle cerebral artery occlusion. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to examine mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, in the brain, and immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to localise proteins and cells in the brain. T lymphocytes were isolated from the blood and spleen using Dynal negative isolation kits, and T lymphocyte-generated superoxide was measured using L-012-enhanced chemiluminescence. Chapters 3 and 4 provided the first evidence that the larger infarct volume in males versus females following cerebral ischaemia is reperfusion-dependent and may be due to greater neuro-inflammation and brain infiltration of Nox2-expressing CD3+ T lymphocytes in male mice. Moreover, this gender difference was found to be dependent on Nox2 expression. The study also demonstrated for the first time that Nox2-expressing circulating CD3+ T lymphocytes produce ~15-fold more superoxide after stroke, compared to CD3+ T lymphocytes from control mice. These findings raise the possibility that therapies to reduce CD3+ T lymphocyte infiltration and/or the production of superoxide from these cells in ischaemic stroke patients who receive recombinant t-PA, might be useful for reducing reperfusion injury. Chapter 5 confirmed and extended the above findings and demonstrated for the first time that circulating Nox2-containing CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes generate substantially higher levels of superoxide after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion compared with similar T lymphocyte subsets from control mice. Chapter 6 demonstrated that the mRNA expression of various chemokines and chemokine receptors, including the potent neutrophil chemoattractants, CXCR2, CXCL1 and CXCL2, are increased in the brain after ischaemia-reperfusion. Administration of the CXCR2 antagonist, SB 225002, reduced the expression of these chemokines in the brain, as well as the infiltration of neutrophils, but did not improve outcome at 72 h after ischaemia-reperfusion. These findings suggest that the infiltration of neutrophils do not contribute to ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Chapter 7 examined for the first time the role of the endogenous calcineurin inhibitor, Down syndrome candidate region 1 (DSCR1), on outcome following cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion. We found that the over-expression of DSCR1 improves neurological outcome, and reduces infarct and oedema volume. This protection was most likely through the inhibition of calcineurin in neurons and also potentially in T lymphocytes, and the subsequent reduction in pro-inflammatory mediators. Interestingly, we also found preliminary evidence that the deficiency of DSCR1 improves neurological outcome and reduces infarct and oedema volume. DSCR1-deficiency thus may also reduce calcineurin activity, however the precise mechanisms underlying this are still unclear. Overall, this thesis presents important findings on the role of inflammation in ischaemic injury following cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion, and supports the concept that strategies targeting inflammation in combination with recombinant t-PA may be a successful stroke therapy.


Summary 1. Postfire salvage logging is the most commonly applied forestry practice in burned forests worldwide, mainly for economic reasons. However, it strongly affects bird communities and is generally considered to be detrimental for bird conservation. In Europe, many open-habitat species are currently declining owing to land use changes. Wildfires, which are common disturbances in the Mediterranean Basin, can create suitable habitat for these species but the effect of postfire salvage logging on bird communities is unknown. 2. We surveyed breeding birds in two burned secondary pine forests from the western Mediterranean Basin and analysed the effect of salvage logging and vegetation regeneration as determinants of individual species and community parameters. We used a pseudoexperimental before-after-control-impact approach to study the changes in the bird community during the first three springs after fire. 3. Most bird species were affected by salvage logging (measured by snag density), a relationship that was positive for forest birds and negative for open-habitat species. Species linked to shrub and edge habitats were positively affected by vegetation regrowth. Bird communities in logged areas held more species of conservation concern than those in unlogged areas. Species richness and overall density tended to decrease from the first to the second year after fire and to increase from the second to the third. 4. Salvage logging benefits a number of open-habitat species, although its effect on bird conservation depends strongly on the specific threats that birds face in each region or ecosystem. 5. Synthesis and applications. In the Mediterranean Basin, some postfire salvage logging of pine forests can be compatible with bird conservation. We recommend that managers retain some standing dead trees during logging operations and that logged forest is interspersed with unlogged stands. This will provide suitable habitat for the widest range of species.


It has been proposed several times in the past that one can obtain an equivalent, but in many aspects simpler description of fermions by first reformulating their first-order (Dirac) Lagrangian in terms of two-component spinors, and then integrating out the spinors of one chirality (e.g.primed or dotted). The resulting new Lagrangian is second-order in derivatives, and contains two-component spinors of only one chirality. The new second-order formulation simplifies the fermion Feynman rules of the theory considerably, e.g. the propagator becomes a multiple of an identity matrix in the field space. The aim of this thesis is to work out the details of this formulation for theories such as Quantum Electrodynamics, and the Standard Model of elementary particles. After having developed the tools necessary to establish the second-order formalism as an equivalent approach to spinor field theories, we proceed with some important consistency checks that the new formulation is required to pass, namely the presence or absence of anomalies in their perturbative and non-perturbative description, and the unitarity of the S-Matrix derived from their Lagrangian. Another aspect which is studied is unification, where we seek novel gauge-groups that can be used to embed all of the Standard Model content: forces and fermionic representations. Finally, we will explore the possibility to unify gravity and the Standard Model when the former is seen as a diffeomorphism invariant gauge-theory.


The newly developed iterative extended boundary condition method (IEBCM) is extended to calculate the scattering by low-loss or lossless elongated dielectric objects. Specifically the iterative procedure is modified so as to utilize an initial assumption of the surface fields obtained from the Mie solution of a spherical object of the same dielectric properties. The solution for the elongated object is obtained by iteratively utilizing the regular EBCM technique to solve for objects of intermediate geometries between the substitute sphere and the object of interest. The other feature of the IEBCM which is related to subdividing the internal volume of the object into several overlapping subregions in each of which a separate field expansion is used is also utilized in the present extension. Results illustrating the adequacy of the IEBCM procedure to calculate the scattering by spheroids of an aspect ratio of more than 7:1 are presented.


This thesis develops a large area collision detection system utilizing the piezoelectric effect of polyvinylidene fluoride film. Complex high speed autonomous articulations associated with modern large-scale high degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arms have a high possibility of collision when integrated into human cooperative environments for human-aid, task automation, and biomedical interfacing. The proposed system provides high dynamic range for sensation and robust adaptability to achieve collision detection on complex surfaces in order to augment robotic systems with collision perception. The design allows for increased cohabitation of human and high DOF robotic arms in cooperative environments requiring advanced and robust collision detection systems capable of retrofitting onto deployed and operating robotic arms in the commercial world. Sensor testing is accomplished using multiple collision stimuli to mimic real world performance as well as impact force modeling utilizing high speed cameras. The experimentation results show a wide dynamic sensing range for collision force, from 5 N to 300 N and consistent sensor response for planar and non-planar applications. The thesis will show and support the sensor capability of wide range of collision detection while maintaining adaptability of sensor design to multiple scenarios. The approach differs from current work which primarily focuses on small-range low levels of tactician perception, small area sensor requiring complex construction, and associated electronics and processing complexity for common approaches. The pseudo-membrane design eliminates the construction complexity and limited application scope while achieving high and low levels of collision detection utilizing simple electronics and processing method. The captured experimentation results highlight the consistency of response for multiple applications, standard deviation of results less than 1 GPA, and the large range of collision detection capability from 5 N to 300 N.


Regeneration is the process of renewal or repair of damaged cells and tissue. In skeletal muscle, regeneration is accomplished by satellite cells, which are rare,
mononucleate, mitotically quiescent myogenic precursor cells normally present in undamaged muscle tissue. When stimulated by injury, overuse, or disease, satellite cells
will become activated to proliferate and form a pool of replacement myoblasts which will differentiate to replace necrotic muscle fibers. These cells may also have the quality of self-renewal associated with stem cells. Due mainly to technical difficulties caused by their rarity, difficulty of isolation, and lack of identifying markers, satellite cells have not been as well studied as other myogenic cells. Here I present work in which I establish a
reliable means of isolating and culturing mouse satellite cells resident on single explanted myofibers; a molecular marker for satellite cells which also yields information about their mechanism of activation, and a method of multiplex single-cell RT-PCR which allows
simultaneous detection of six genes from a single satellite cell. Using these techniques, I have determined the temporal coexpression pattern of the four myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) in single activated satellite cells over the first four days of a regeneration
response in vitro. I have also assayed satellite cell cDNA pools for expression of genes important in regulating myogenesis, cell cycling, and cell fate decisions in other
myogenic lineages. Finally, I have performed these analyses on MyoD-null satellite cells, which are differentiation-deficient in vivo , and present possible mechanisms for this based on gene expression; this analysis also suggested a potential marker for activated satellite cells which will return to the reserve satellite cell population and may act as myogenic stem cells.


This thesis is a result of a research project that examines the Information Systems
strategy of the National Health Service (NHS). The researcher followed the process
of implementing a Primary Service Provision (PSP). PSP is an initiative by the NHS
Information Authority (NHSIA) to develop and establish a National Programme for
Information Technology (NPfIT)—a means of providing a useable electronic health
record nationally to the UK.
Five case studies are presented in the thesis, containing:
1. Two primary care facilities;
2. Three secondary care facilities;
These cases were developed as a result of studying the internal processes, decision
and support paths applied individually in the NHS.
The research approach adopts qualitative and interpretative analysis that includes
longitudinal case studies. This multiple case study approach has an embedded design
incorporating the components of work business processes as subunits to enhance
insight. Data was collected predominantly from interviews supported by archive
material, documents, and direct observation. Overlapping cross case, and within case
analysis was undertaken, using Activity Records, Strategic Choice Analysis, and
concepts supported by various researchers in the past (Avgerou & Cornford, 1993;
Davenport, 1993; Eisenhardt, 1989; Galliers, 1991). While it might be possible for
similar processes to result in different solution when adopted in another research
context, in these seven cases quite different approaches were taken. The Thesis concludes that while the core processes were the same across the cases, the following
issues combined together to lead to quite different approaches in each case:
1. The detail of the IS strategic processes;
2. The variation in the contexts;
3. The logic of the decision process as they evolved; and
4. The view of the actors involved.
The researcher is of a strong belief that as time progresses and experience is gained
and the situation with NPfIT evolves, the various actors would change their views
towards IS strategy. This could result in changes in the overall NHS IS business
model and healthcare delivery process support. This assumption, however, could be
affected by the appearance of very little transfer of knowledge—across different parts
of the NHS—regarding past experience with IS implementation.
The author argues that NPfIT mainly serves to diffuse information and
communication technologies in the NHS. As a result the NPfIT is changing the way
by which the NHS competes and meets the needs of it patients, the business model
and the value-creating processes. New opportunities are also taking place introducing
new healthcare delivery processes and modifying the existing processes.


This work shows how the Supreme Court, elected government, and private citzens together shape what the Constitution means. Central to this study is the question of how the Court and elected government influence each other. In addition to the abortion debate, conflicts over federalism, race religion and separartion of powers are examined. The author contends that these constitutional disputes can be as constructive as they are inevitable. The long fight over abortion, for example has resulted in a highly workable - if imperfect - compromise, with elected government becoming more pro-choice and the Court becoming more pro-life. The Constitution is made more vital by such ongoing interchanges among the Court, elected government and the people. Without an ongoing dynamic that allows each side to win some of the time, Devin's concludes, the Constitution would be less enduring.


My research uses a behavioral ecology approach to understand Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) declines and to inform nest-site restoration efforts in urban and suburban landscapes. The objectives of this study were to determine if nighthawks are choosing to nest non-randomly with respect to the distribution of types of vegetation and substrates within a tallgrass prairie landscape on Konza Prairie in Kansas, and to establish the thermal properties of nest sites for biologically informed restoration efforts. These two objectives were designed to identify nest-site characteristics that could be used to design suitable nesting substrates in urban and suburban landscapes. In the summer of 2007, I investigated nest site selection. Common Nighthawks typically lay clutches of one to two eggs either directly on the ground or in a shallow scrape. Most nests that have been documented were on patches of rock, gravel, or bare ground, but I wanted to determine whether this was due to differences in detectability between open gravel patches and areas with more vegetation cover. In early May, prior to the breeding season, we identified 10 target watersheds on Konza Prairie Biological Field Station. I then surveyed 120 randomly-placed vegetation plots in those areas. The circular plots were 4 m in diameter and I recorded percent cover of 5 cover class types within each plot (forbs, grass, shrub, dead vegetation, and rock/gravel/bare ground). During the breeding season from mid-May to late July, I systematically searched for nests within the targeted watersheds. I found 27 nests in these areas. As soon as possible (zero to three days) after finding each nest, I surveyed the area directly around the location of the eggs or chicks, recording percent cover in the same manner as the vegetation plots (4m diameter circle with percent cover of 5 cover classes). Post-breeding season, in early to mid-August, I re-surveyed the same 120 vegetation plots. At the same time, I also re-sampled the vegetation at all the nest sites. When I compared the summer re-survey of the nest plots to the summer re-survey of the random vegetation plots using a Mann-Whitney "U" test, I found that the birds were selecting areas with bare ground and rock at a significantly greater frequency than they occur in the surrounding landscape. I also observed that they were avoiding shrubs. Overall, 96% of 27 nests occurred on bare ground and rock. In 2008, I used a trained dog to find nests; 100% of the nests discovered by the dog were on bare ground and rock (n=9), a percentage similar to the percent in my 2007 sample. To investigate the thermal properties of nest sites, from July 9 July 29 of 2008, I placed iButton thermal data loggers at nests. The iButtons recorded the temperature, time, and date every five minutes. At each nest, I placed one iButton directly on the nesting substrate away from the eggs or chicks (on rock/bare ground), and I placed an additional iButton in the next nearest cover class (grass or forbs). At each nest, the iButtons were approximately .5m apart. I recorded the temperature at 6 nests for1660 hours at each. I found that within a single month, the nesting substrate can experience temperatures that range from 14.5°C to 60°C. When I compared the vegetation versus the nest site I found that the average daily temperature and the high daily temperatures were significantly cooler in the vegetation during the day. Based on behavioral observations, these cooler areas serve as refuges for the young nighthawks during the day. Based on these observations of nest-site characteristics I recommend that natural areas be managed to increase rock and gravel patches and that urban restoration efforts test patches that maximize the amount of shade available during the day.


There is an urgent demand for a new human-scale tele-operating system to carry out three-dimensional high-speed micromanipulations for medical and biotechnological applications. In this paper, we propose a new human-scale tele-operating system consisting of three parts: the object, the operating system, and the observation system. The operating system is composed of two parts: the operating robot (the 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) precision parallel micro-mechanism) and the positioning system (the complex macro/microsystem). We designed a precision parallel micro-mechanism as the operating robot with 6 DOF, a movement range of 20 μm, and a resolution of less than 20 nm. The positioning system also comprises two parts: a macromovement stage driven by servomotors and a micro-mechanism stage driven by Piezo actuators. We experimentally evaluated the precision parallel micro-mechanism and complex macro/micro-mechanism. Using our complex macro/micro-mechanism, we evaluated the complex macro/micrc-control in one direction, the micro-mechanism complex control with 2 DOF, and the force feedback system. The experimental results indicate that the proposed human-scale tele-operating system can be used to manipulate micro-objects at high speed and with high precision.


Five specimens of normal mammary tissue and 53 primary breast carcinoma lesions were tested for expression of HLA antigens and components of the antigen-processing machinery by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) 1, TAP2, and HLA class I antigens in breast carcinoma lesions was significantly associated with tumor grading. Like normal mammary tissue, the 16 low-grade (G1) breast carcinoma lesions showed strong staining for TAP1, TAP2, and HLA class I antigens. In contrast, only 12 (32%) of 37 high-grade (G2 and G3) breast carcinoma lesions displayed the normal staining pattern. In 14 (38%) of 37 high-grade lesions, HLA class I antigen down-regulation was observed without loss of low molecular mass polypeptide and/or TAP staining. Congruent down-regulation of HLA class I antigen and TAP1 or TAP2 was found in 8 (22%) of 37 high-grade lesions. Complete loss of HLA class I antigens, TAP1, and TAP2 was observed in 3 (8%) of 37 high-grade lesions. No lesion was negative for TAP1 and/or TAP2 staining while positive for HLA class I antigen staining. These data demonstrate an association of HLA class I antigen and TAP down-regulation with tumor progression in breast carcinoma. This association suggests that loss of HLA and/or TAP may represent an escape from the host's immune pressure or may reflect the accumulation of abnormalities associated with neoplastic progression. This accumulation of defects in antigen processing and presentation may in turn be responsible for reduced recognition of malignant cells by putative clinically relevant tumor-specific T cells.


This research focuses on prehistoric metallurgy and the key role it played for the human communities of the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula (the present-day area of the Autonomous Region of Catalonia and the Principality of Andorra). The study covers the period from the first use of gold and copper during the Late Neolithic to the structured production of the Bronze Age. The role played by metallurgy in each prehistoric community and its relationship with the other elements involved in social life is explained. Questions such as the origin of this technology, its social value in relation to the other productions or the importance traditionally given to it in the development and consolidation of social asymmetries are dealt with in depth in the context of each archaeological group.


an unprecedented reform. One of the most exciting and potentially profitable recent developments is increasing usage of artificial intelligence techniques. The intention of this paper is to give an overview of using neural network (NN) techniques in power systems. According to the growth rate of NNs application in some power system subjects, this paper introduce a brief overview in fault diagnosis, security assessment, load forecasting, economic dispatch and harmonic analyzing. Advantages and disadvantages of using NNs in above mentioned subjects and the main challenges in these fields have been explained, too.


Background: The differences in the utilization of healthcare services and resultant charges for symptoms like back pain has necessitated payers of healthcare services in the United States (US) to make efficient decisions relative to resource utilization. Studies involving both public and private payers of healthcare services in the United States have shown that payer source makes a difference in utilization of resources and patient outcomes. With the current focus on efficient and effective treatment, further research is needed on the relationship between payer source and patient outcomes. Purpose: To examine the association between payer source and number of visits, duration of treatment, and discharge functional status (FS) for patients with lumbar dysfunction who received physical therapy (PT) services. Methods: This retrospective study used secondary analyses of the Focus On Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc. (Knoxville, TN, USA) database that contained FS measures, number of visits, and treatment duration. Data were analyzed from 16,977 patients who received PT for lumbar dysfunction. Patient self-report surveys were used to estimate risk-adjusted FS at discharge. Therapists reported number of treatment visits and calendar days of treatment duration. Results: Patients receiving benefits from indemnity insurance and managed care plans (private funding) reported the highest risk-adjusted discharge FS measures. Patients receiving benefits from Medicaid (public funding) reported the lowest discharge FS measures and least number of visits. Patients receiving benefits from Workers' Compensation and patients involved in litigation had the longest treatment duration and highest number of visits. Conclusion: Results suggest that patients receiving benefits from different payers of healthcare services may differ in utilization of resources and outcomes. Further study is needed across a variety of diagnoses and payer sources to investigate the effect of payer source on utilization of physical therapy services and patient outcomes.


The Proposition Bank project takes a practical approach to semantic representation, adding a layer of predicate-argument information, or semantic role labels, to the syntactic structures of the Penn Treebank. The resulting resource can be thought of as shallow, in that it does not represent coreference, quantification, and many other higher-order phenomena, but also broad, in that it covers every instance of every verb in the corpus and allows representative statistics to be calculated. We discuss the criteria used to define the sets of semantic roles used in the annotation process and to analyze the frequency of syntactic/semantic alternations in the corpus. We describe an automatic system for semantic role tagging trained on the corpus and discuss the effect on its performance of various types of information, including a comparison of full syntactic parsing with a flat representation and the contribution of the empty trace categories of the treebank.


Table II summarizes in tabular form the major features of the fetal endocrine milieu discussed in the foregoing pages. The mammalian fetus develops in an environment where respiration, alimentation, and excretory functions are provided by the placenta. Fetal tissue metabolism is oriented largely to anabolism; body temperature is modulated by maternal metabolism, and fetal tissue thermogenesis is maintained at a basal level. Tissue and organ growth appear to be regulated by growth factors which probably function by autocrine or paracrine mechanisms during most of gestation (72, 146-148). In this milieu conventional endocrine control systems are largely redundant, and other transient systems more appropriate to the intrauterine environment have evolved. We have developed some insights into these systems, but much more information is necessary before we can truly understand this fascinating environment.


This article, inter alia , attempts to highlight some major concepts and theories on property and the rationales and elements of property rights. It also briefly deals with the distinction between property rights on the stock of resources and its flows, and indicates the downsides of open access in the efficient utilization and sustainability of common-pool resources. Where de jure public property becomes de facto open access, certain common-pool resources in the rural areas of Ethiopia (such as forests) are exposed to encroachment, unlawful logging and overgrazing. The article attempts to show that it is usually impossible to effectively exclude persons from the use and overconsumption of commonpool resources in Ethiopia in the absence of well-defined and effectively implemented public property regime, or unless the property rights of indigenous communities and collectives such as peasant associations are duly recognized and clearly defined so that the right holders can have vested interest in the preservation, protection and development of these resources.

 Key words: Property rights, rural open-access, common property, public property, common-pool resources, Ethiopia.


Mutations of the perforin (PRF1) and MUNC13-4 genes distinguish 2 forms of familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL2 and FHL3, respectively), but the clinical and biologic correlates of these genotypes remain in question. We studied the presenting features and cytotoxic T lymphocyte/natural killer (CTL/NK) cell functions of 35 patients for their relationship to distinct FHL subtypes. FHL2 (n = 11) had an earlier onset than either FHL3 (n = 8) or the non-FHL2/FHL3 subtype lacking a PRF1 or MUNC13-4 mutation (n = 16). Deficient NK cell activity persisted after chemotherapy in all cases of FHL2, whereas some patients with FHL3 or the non-FHL2/FHL3 subtype showed partial recovery of this activity during remission. Alloantigen-specific CTL-mediated cytotoxicity was deficient in FHL2 patients with PRF1 nonsense mutations, was very low in FHL3 patients, but was only moderately reduced in FHL2 patients with PRF1 missense mutations. These findings correlated well with Western blot analyses showing an absence of perforin in FHL2 cases with PRF1 nonsense mutations and of MUNC13-4 in FHL3 cases, whereas in FHL2 cases with PRF1 missense mutations, mature perforin was present in low amounts. These results suggest an association between the type of genetic mutation in FHL cases and the magnitude of CTL cytolytic activity and age at onset.


Title of dissertation: RESPECTING RELATIONS: MEMORY ACCESS AND ANTECEDENT RETRIEVAL IN INCREMENTAL SENTENCE PROCESSING Dave W. Kush, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013 Dissertation directed by: Professor Colin Phillips Department of Linguistics This dissertation uses the processing of anaphoric relations to probe how linguistic information is encoded in and retrieved from memory during real-time sentence comprehension. More specifically, the dissertation attempts to resolve a tension between the demands of a linguistic processor implemented in a general-purpose cognitive architecture and the demands of abstract grammatical constraints that govern language use. The source of the tension is the role that abstract configurational relations (such as c-command, Reinhart 1983) play in constraining computations. Anaphoric dependencies are governed by formal grammatical constraints stated in terms of relations. For example, Binding Principle A (Chomsky 1981) requires that antecedents for local anaphors (like the English reciprocal each other) bear the c-command relation to those anaphors. In incremental sentence processing, antecedents of anaphors must be retrieved from memory. Recent research has motivated a model of processing that exploits a cue-based, associative retrieval process in content-addressable memory (e.g. Lewis, Vasishth & Van Dyke 2006) in which relations such as c-command are difficult to use as cues for retrieval. As such, the c-command constraints of formal grammars are predicted to be poorly implemented by the retrieval mechanism. I examine retrieval's sensitivity to three constraints on anaphoric dependencies: Principle A (via Hindi local reciprocal licensing), the Scope Constraint on bound-variable pronoun licensing (often stated as a c-command constraint, though see Barker 2012), and Crossover constraints on pronominal binding (Postal 1971, Wasow 1972). The data suggest that retrieval exhibits fidelity to the constraints: structurally inaccessible NPs that match an anaphoric element in morphological features do not interfere with the retrieval of an antecedent in most cases considered. In spite of this alignment, I argue that retrieval's apparent sensitivity to c-command constraints need not motivate a memory access procedure that makes direct reference to c-command relations. Instead, proxy features and general parsing operations conspire to mimic the extension of a system that respects c-command constraints. These strategies provide a robust approximation of grammatical performance while remaining within the confines of a independentlymotivated general-purpose cognitive architecture. RESPECTING RELATIONS: MEMORY ACCESS AND ANTECEDENT RETRIEVAL IN INCREMENTAL SENTENCE PROCESSING


A collaborative, interdisciplinary research project,
Open Source Estrogen combines biohacking and speculative design to
demonstrate the entrenched ways in which estrogen is a biomolecule
with institutional biopower. It is a form of biotechnical civil
disobedience, seeking to subvert dominant biopolitical agents of
hormonal management, knowledge production, and anthropogenic
toxicity. The project begins with a speculative question: what if
it was possible to make estrogen in the kitchen? From this seed
arises more fundamental questions about who is producing hormones,
whose bodies are affected, and how environmental hormones exist
already as a state of toxicity. While issues of body and gender
sovereignty are deeply at stake, endocrine disruptors termed
'xenoestrogens' pervade our environments due to petrochemical
agro-industrial and pharmaceutical forces. These xeno-molecules
change the morphology of our bodies and bodies of non-human
species, evidencing a malleability inherent to nature but alien to
our prescribed notions of (eco)heteronormalcy. In response to the
"molecular queering" performed by estrogen, facilitated by dominant
hegemonic forces, the project initiates a public dialogue through
DIY/DIWO (do-it-yourself/do-it-with-others) biohacking and artistic
intervention. Using speculative design, iterative workshopping, and
kitchen performance, Open Source Estrogen employs these tactics to
create new subjectivities for living in an increasingly queer
world. From capitalist xeno-forces arise xeno-solidarities, capable
of collectively hacking the systems of hormonal
colonization.


In discussions around food systems and the climate, livestock is often painted as the villain. While some livestock production in some places contributes significantly to climate change, this is not universally the case. This article focuses on pastoral production systems – extensive, often mobile systems using marginal rangelands across around half of the world's surface, involving many millions of people. By examining the assumptions behind standard calculations of greenhouse gas emissions, a systematic bias against pastoralism is revealed. Many policy and campaign stances fail to discriminate between different material conditions of production, lumping all livestock systems together. Injustices arise through the framing of debates and policy knowledge; through procedures that exclude certain people and perspectives; and through the distributional consequences of policies. In all cases, extensive livestock keepers lose out. In reflecting on the implications for European pastoralism, an alternative approach is explored where pastoralists' knowledge, practices and organisations take centre‑stage.


Exuvial losses in relation to late premoult matter and energy, and in relation to growth achieved during each instar, were studied in laboratory-reared larvae and early juveniles of the decapod H. araneus (L.). Changes of composition during development were measured in the complete body and in the exuvia from hatching through the second crab stage. Rates of exuvial loss increased during development in all parameters measured. They were generally highest in inorganic carbon and lowest in N. six to 7% of late premolte energy was lost by moulting zoeae, i.e. 9 to 13% of the energy produced during these stages. The megalopa lost 13%, and juveniles 19 to 20% of their LPRM energy ( similar to 29 to 41% of growth). During complete larval development of H. araneus a total of 18% of produced energy was lost at ecdysis. The same amount had been reported in the literature for larval development of 3 other decapod species.


Jalal al-Din Mirza's Nameh-e Khosravan is among the earliest examples of modem Iranian historiography in the Qajar period. A prince of some erudition, Jalal al-Din Mirza (1826-1872) was among the founders of the Faramush-khane, a short-lived league of Qajar reformists (under the celebrated Malkum Khan) which was banned by Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848-1896) for advocating liberal reforms. An outcast of the Qajar court, Jalal al-Din's freethinking first encouraged him to study French language and European literature and therefrom to the study of ancient Iranian history especially after exposure to such writing in "pure Persian" as Dasatir and the literature of the neo-Zoroastrian movement of Azar Kayvan. His Nameh-e Khosravan (the book of the Khosraws: i.e. the book of the kings) in four volumes was an attempt to render a simple pictorial textbook from the beginning of Iranian history to the present for the use of the general public and especially for children (and possibly students of the Dar al-Fonun).
In the first volume, the author vacillates between myth and history by employing a range of Persian legendary histories, Shahnama and some standard Persian accounts. His passionate urge for the ancient past inspired Jalal al-Din to emphasize a narrative of historical continuity and thus treat such occurrences as the rise of Islam and the Arab invasion as destructive aberrations. In volumes two and three, published just before his immature death, the author covers the Islamic period up to the end of the Zand period (I785). Here again he treats the Turkish and Mongol hegemonies as chief causes of Iran's decline and decrepitude, a romantic perspective no doubt influenced by European currents of his time. His critical view of the Qajar period, in some ways the climax of his account, remained untold in part because of his fear of Qajar reprisal (later completed by another author). His anti-establishment perspective also brought Jalal al-Din in contact with Mirza Fath 'Ali Khan Akhundzadeh, whose correspondence remains a valuable source for our knowledge of the prince.
Though dry and prosaic in the rendering of a dynastic history, Nameh-e Khusravan is significant not only for constructing a national narrative based on ancient glory and present decay, but because of its novel language and presentation. Jalal al-Din's successful use of pure Persian style, which consciously avoided the use of Arabic and Turldsh words, and his clear printed pictorial text, anticipated the historiography of the post-Constitutional and the early Pahlavi periods.


Background: Etoposide is an important chemotherapeutic agent that is used to treat a wide
spectrum of human cancers. The efficacy of this drug is often limited due to severe sideeffects
such as mucositis, anorexia, myelosupperssion, alopecia. At present there are no
anti-mucositic agents without side effects. To combat these side effects of cancer treatment,
innovative and specific nutritional interventions are needed. The experimental procedure
included an oral treatment with combination of Spondias pinnata and whey preparation
(100 mg/kg b.w).on etoposide induced mucositis. Methods: Study was conducted at Central
Research Laboratory, Kasturba Medical College. Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation
and duodenum collected for estimation of biochemical parameters. Estimation was carried
out for assessing the levels of TAO, GSH, LPO, NO and activity of MPO. Correlation analysis
was performed by one-way Anova using graph pad prism to find the relation between control
and test. Result: The antioxidant (TAO and GSH) were found to be significantly high in the
rats which received the combination compared to the individual Spondias pinnata and whey
treated groups. Administration Spondias pinnata and whey in combination shows significant
decrease in the TBARS, NO and MPO levels. Conclusion: Spondias pinnata and whey preparation
supplementation in combination have shown mucoprotective effects in rat model.
Hence it can be considered as anti-mucositis therapeutic agents which can be safely administered
during chemotherapy and can reverse mucositis.


In 1954, in the midst of the Cold War, school segregation was thought by many to be un-American. Brown v. Board of Education, a major international story, was thought of as a blow to Communism because the case would enable peoples of color around the world to believe that democracy was a just system of government. American legal history texts often discuss Brown and the Cold War in separate passages, as if they were unrelated to each other, however this essay argues that Brown is best understood as part of Cold War history. Cold War concerns help explain the U.S. government's role in the case, for example. The Justice Department's brief in Brown argued that school segregation undermined U.S. prestige in other countries, harming U.S. foreign relations. The Supreme Court had been grappling with Cold War concerns in its McCarthy-era cases, so these arguments were made to a receptive audience. Formal legal change in Brown aided the U.S. image abroad, whether or not actual desegregation followed. While some treatments of Brown see the case as an illustration of the inevitability of legal progress, the Cold War context helps us to see Brown's historical contingency. This history also illustrates the fact that seemingly domestic American histories have international dimensions, and it underscores the importance of internationalizing American legal history.


This study aims to assess the overall efficiency of S. europaea and A. tripolium plants in wastewater treatment in saline aquaculture systems (IMTA), while generating a valuable secondary crop. Specifically plant N uptake and/or biomass production under different N concentration and forms, salinity, irradiance, temperature and cropping regimes are investigated.
It is estimated that at a constant supply of ≥ 300 μmol NO3- l-1 S. europaea N removal of 65.3 ± 18.1 mmol N plant-1 can be achieved over one growing season. Plant growth in a non N limited hydroponic system, with or without a repeated harvest regime, showed that uncropped plants accumulated more fresh biomass than cropped (S. europaea 34 kg m-2 and 17 kg m-2, A. tripolium 21 kg m-2 and 10 kg m-2, respectively). N removal is closely related to plant biomass, and therefore the repeated harvesting can reduce N removal, however it provides a regular high value product for marketing. S. europaea showed better growth when supplied with NO3- or NH4NO3, comparing to NH4+, while A. tripolium growth was not affected by the form of N. The measured A. tripolium and S. europaea DIN uptake, as NH4+ and NO3-, when supplied separately or in an equimolar mix were in general good fits to the Michaelis-Menten model. NH4-15N uptake rates are higher than NO3-15N uptake, except in non-starved S. europaea for single N forms supplied alone. Inhibition of NO3-15N uptake by the presence of NH4+ in solution was observed in non-starved plants. S. europaea responds negatively to salinity 1 compared to 10 and 30, while A. tripolium responds negatively to salinity 30, indicating the suitability of both plant species to be used in systems with middle range salinities, but preference for S. europaea over A. tripolium at higher salinities and vice versa. DIN uptake in both plant species increased linearly with increasing irradiance, and was higher at the mid-range of temperatures tested (20-40 °C). Differences in N uptake with varying environmental conditions needs to be further investigated and taken in account when designing the treatment system. S. europaea and A. tripolium were shown to uptake organic N at comparable rates to DIN uptake, and when in solution more than 68% of organic N uptake was as intact alanine and trialanine indicating the potential of these plants to directly remove DON from the wastewater. Overall the results obtained indicate that S. europaea and A. tripolium are able to perform well in IMTA, with efficient N removal and high biomass production. The data obtained provides a sound basis for system design and scaling up.


Computer users are asked to generate, keep secret, and recall an increasing number of passwords for uses including host accounts, email servers, e-commerce sites, and online financial services. Unfortunately, the password entropy that users can comfortably memorize seems insufficient to store unique, secure passwords for all these accounts, and it is likely to remain constant as the number of passwords (and the adversary's computational power) increases into the future. In this paper, we propose a technique that uses a strengthened cryptographic hash function to compute secure passwords for arbitrarily many accounts while requiring the user to memorize only a single short password. This mechanism functions entirely on the client; no server-side changes are needed. Unlike previous approaches, our design is both highly resistant to brute force attacks and nearly stateless, allowing users to retrieve their passwords from any location so long as they can execute our program and remember a short secret. This combination of security and convenience will, we believe, entice users to adopt our scheme. We discuss the construction of our algorithm in detail, compare its strengths and weaknesses to those of related approaches, and present Password Multiplier, an implementation in the form of an extension to the Mozilla Firefox web browser.


Up to a quarter of all prostate cancer (PCa) patients suffer from clinically significant depression but treatments are inconsistent and short-lived in their efficacy. One possible reason could be that "male depression" is not adequately diagnosed by the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) used in many clinical settings. In response to this limitation, the Gotland Scale of Male Depression (GSMD) was developed to identify the extra symptoms of MDD in men. Although the factor structure of the GSMD has been reported in non-PCa samples, it has not been determined for this group of men. Two samples of PCa patients were recruited, 191 from Australia and 138 from the United Kingdom and all patients received the GSMD individually, plus a background questionnaire. Two-factor solutions were identified for each of the two samples. The Australian sample was characterized by changes in emotional and somatic function, followed by depressed mood. The U.K. sample exhibited the same two-factor solution but in reverse order of weighting. Targeted treatments for depression in PCa patients may benefit from identification of the loadings that individual patients have on these two GSMD factors so that specific clinical profiles and treatment needs may be based on this information about their depression.


1. Over 2 billion people are currently at risk of infection with dengue fever. Use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) in controlling the vector, Aedes aegypti, has been recommended but remains a matter of some debate. 2. Density-dependent, time-delay mathematical models are developed to establish the conditions under which a SIT programme can actually increase both isolated and connected mosquito populations. This potential problem is caused by an increased survival of wild-type juvenile stages as a result of the reduction in the density-regulated larval population. 3. The non-spatial model demonstrates that releases that are insufficient to collapse the local population may result in an increase in the mosquito population. The range of release ratios over which this increase occurs is broadened if the sterile males have either reduced mating competitiveness or incomplete sterility. 4. The release of insects carrying a dominant lethal gene (RIDL) that is tailored to act at the late larval stage is a recently proposed modification of the SIT. Simulations suggest that pest suppression is more effective with these 'RIDL males' than with conventional sterile males. As with the SIT, collapse of the simulated pest population is more restricted by the inclusion of residual fertility of the released males than it is by a reduced mating competitiveness. 5. When migration between simulated populations can occur, the release of sterile males can have significantly detrimental effects to areas neighbouring the control zone. Increased connectivity between the target zone and surrounding populations can act to increase the non-target pest populations further. This undesirable effect was not evident in simulations based on the use of RIDL. 6. Synthesis and applications. As the sterile insert technique, and related genetic advances, are increasingly considered as tools for pest management, it is important to consider their wider ecological implications, in particular with respect to areas neighbouring a targeted control. Although results presented here focus on the primary vector of dengue fever, they are clearly applicable to the management of any spatially distributed insect pest with over-compensatory population dynamics.


This paper explores the experiences of two doctoral students who embraced Web 2.0 tools in their digital scholarship practices. The paper gives an insider perspective of the challenges and potential of working with online tools, such as blogs, and participating in online communities, such as Twitter's #phdchat. We explore by drawing on our personal experiences as to how this participation was affected by our hybridised identity as both members of staff at a UK university and as PhD students. We argue that social media tools provide access to a community of doctoral students and knowledgeable others that reduce isolation and provide challenge and support along the challenging journey of undertaking a doctoral study. Whilst the tools involved exposure and risk in relation to managing our hybridised identities, our experience of their use was one we would recommend to others. Keywords:  doctoral students; liminality; blogging; Web 2.0; Twitter (Published: 26 May 2014) Citation : Research in Learning Technology 2014,  22 : 23791 -  http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.23791


Abstract Calibration is a necessary step in the workflow for prediction of fault seal because there is no direct way to detect the hydraulic behaviour of a fault at the scale of a hydrocarbon trap. Over the last 20 years two general approaches have been developed: Measurement of hydraulic properties of fault-zone samples (lab calibration), then mapping these results onto the appropriate parts of trap-bounding faults. Design of simple algorithms which attempt to capture a salient feature of the fault zone (e.g. CSP, SSF, SGR), then looking at known trap-bounding faults to find a relationship between the algorithm and the presence or capacity of a seal (sub-surface calibration). Seal capacity is typically described by Hg–air threshold pressure in the lab or static pressure differences in the subsurface (e.g. hydrocarbon buoyancy pressure). In addition to likely interpretation and geometry errors in approaches (i) and (ii), further uncertainty is introduced when converting the calibrated seal strength to potential hydrocarbon column height, because of the variability of subsurface hydrocarbon fluids (interfacial tension). Despite these potential problems, the different methodologies typically agree reasonably well in their predictions for fault-seal capacity. However, this agreement may be largely coincidental and is likely to be a response to the heterogeneity of fault-zone structure (especially at intermediate 'compositions' or SGR).


American mariners made more than 175 voyages to the Northwest Coast during the half-century after the ships Columbia and Washington pioneered the route from Boston in 1787. Although obtaining sea otter pelts for the China trade was the original purpose of the voyages, the art and culture of Northwest Coast Indians so intrigued and fascinated American sailors that the collecting of ethnographic artifacts became an important secondary trade. The Indians traded masks, hats, paddles, pipes, fishhooks, spoons, clothing, and canoe models from their canoes to the decks of Yankee vessels. In this act of exchange, the artifacts moved from one world to another--first to shipboard, and later to the cabinets of curiosities of learned societies in Massachusetts, where many of them found homes. The objects were the first examples of Northwest Coast Indian material culture to enter American museums, and they influenced perceptions of Northwest Coast Indian people and their complex cultures. By carefully researching the records of ten institutions and the shipboard journals of more than a dozen mariners, Mary Malloy has brought details about these early collections together for the first time. From utilitarian objects to artistic masterpieces, these souvenirs tell a story of commerce and cultural exchange that reached across the continent during the period when Americans were first beginning to look westward.


Cytokines are small, short-lived proteins secreted by many different cell types. As sig - naling molecules, cytokines provide communication between cells and play a crucial role in modulating innate and adaptive immune response. The family of cytokines includes interferons, interleukins, chemokines, mesenchymal growth factors, tumor necrosis factor family and adipokines. Interferons (IFNs) are a multigene family of inducible cytokines with antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory func tion. Recombinant DNA technology can be useful in the production of human IFNs. This process includes fermentation, purification, and formation of the final product. Interleukins are classified in families based on sequence homology, receptor-binding properties, biological function, and cellular sources. TNF and IL-1 are considered to be key mediators of inflammatory response, while IL-6 plays a key role in the transi - tion from acute to chronic inflammation. The inhibition of TNF includes administra tion of anti-TNF antibody and TNF receptor (TNFR). The reduction of IL-1 level can be achieved by the administration of anti-IL-1 antibody or IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and the reduction of IL-6 level in the treatment of chronic inflammatory dis - eases can be achieved by the administration of anti-IL-6 antibody and anti-IL-6 receptor antibody. Recombinant cytokines and cytokine antagonists (antibodies and receptors) can be used in treating many different diseases.


There are a record number of startups valued at $1 billion or more, but there are signs that these so-called unicorns (or "mature startups") are faltering. Employees who are compensated with stock options may bear the brunt of these disappointments due to senior rights of managers and financial investors. Private placement regulations are surprisingly lax when it comes to protecting employees as compared to other types of investors. While securities laws once followed other fields in considering employees to be vulnerable, the SEC has gradually relaxed regulation of equity grants to employees.This essay considers a fundamental question: are startup employees capable investors? The analysis reveals a counter-intuitive possibility: startup employees may be relatively capable investors in a company's early stages (when the risk of investment is sometimes perceived as highest) but poorly equipped to navigate the risks of a mature startup.


This paper presents the results of an empirical study exploring the expatriate performance management systems of 16 Australian multinational firms operating in China. The results show that highly internationalized firms tend to be better at deploying the 'hard' components of performance management (goal-setting and performance appraisals), and yet most firms, and in particular highly internationalized ones, are poor at managing 'soft' control mechanisms like training and mentoring. The results give some support for the notion that expatriate performance management takes on increased importance as a firm's international operations become more dispersed; however, it also suggests a lack of appreciation of the value of soft control mechanisms in achieving this. The study contributes to international human resource management literature by identifying the relationship between the degree of internationalization of firms and the nature of expatriate performance management.


Measuring capacity is a task that sounds simple, but in reality can be
quite complex. In addition, the lack of a unified nomenclature on this
subject makes it increasingly difficult to properly build, test, and
use techniques and tools built around these constructs. This document
provides definitions for the terms 'Capacity' and 'Available
Capacity' related to IP traffic traveling between a source and
destination in an IP network. By doing so, we hope to provide a common
framework for the discussion and analysis of a diverse set of current
and future estimation techniques.


Media exposure is considered to have a prominent influence on body dissatisfaction. Researchers tend to measure thin-ideal media exposure when examining the relationship with body dissatisfaction yet often generalize their conclusions to media as a whole. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between thin-ideal media and general media and body dissatisfaction while accounting for relationships with thin-ideal internalization and social comparison. A sample of 216 undergraduate female students completed a set of online self-report surveys. It was hypothesized that thin-ideal media exposure would directly relate to body dissatisfaction, and this relationship would be mediated by thin-ideal internalization and social comparison. General media exposure was not hypothesized to contribute significantly to the model. Consistent with the hypothesis, thin-ideal media exposure predicted body dissatisfaction, and the relationship was mediated by thin-ideal internalization and social comparison; however, this was not the case after controlling for BMI. BMI and thin-ideal internalization were the only significant predictors of body dissatisfaction after the inclusion of all other assessed variables. General media exposure did not significantly correlate with or predict body dissatisfaction. These findings suggest that other risk factors should be investigated to understand their influence on body dissatisfaction better.


Soybean is a very important legume; it has the highest protein content, and it is a very important source of vegetable oil. Soybean is droughtsusceptible, and drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that has been increasing over the past decades as a result of the global climatic changes. To evaluate the influence of drought stress, three soybean genotypes were grown under rainfed conditions, and compared to irrigated controls. The obtained results showed that the chlorophyll content, leaf area index and plant height decreased under drought stress conditions, which led to noticeable and sometimes significant yield reduction. Our results suggest more specific studies on the physiological changes of the local soybean genotypes under drought stress to better select the adopted ones.


This contribution summarizes results of the project Covert Translation , where we investigated the influence of Anglophone communicative conventions on German via translation. Our hypothesis was that the prestige of English as a lingua franca and the growing number of translations from English into German leads to a decline in "cultural filtering", i.e. a diminishing tendency of translators to adapt conventional Anglophone norms to German norms. In this way, English-German translations may introduce linguistic variation to certain target language registers, with Anglophone usage norms also spreading to non-translated German texts. We will here review a number of project studies using a corpus consisting of (1.) English popular scientific texts, (2.) their translations into German, and (3.) comparable non-translated German texts. These studies show that English-German translations are characterized by a considerable degree of source language 'shining-through', which has, however, only in one case led to Anglophone communicative norms spreading to non-translated German texts. We conclude that, for the popular science genre, translation-induced influence of English on German is a marginal phenomenon.


Although widely ratified, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has proven challenging for governments to implement. This article focusses on the right to legal capacity, which is protected by Article 12. According to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee), Article 12 requires governments to abolish all forms of substitute decision-making and provide, instead, mechanisms of supported decision-making for those who need assistance implementing decisions that reflect their own will and preferences. Rather than try to meet that standard, it appears that many governments are choosing not to engage in the process of reforming laws governing adult guardianship, compulsory treatment, and detention on the ground of disability. Hong Kong provides an excellent example of such a jurisdiction. Although bound by the CRPD since 2008, the government has not implemented Article 12 and largely ignored the issue in its 2018 report to the CRPD Committee. Meanwhile, the problems in Hong Kong's legal framework have become critical. This is partly because the political unrest of 2019 and the crackdown by Beijing in 2020-21 have contributed to a mental health crisis in the territory. Fortunately, the CRPD Committee has requested more detailed information on the right to legal capacity for its upcoming review of Hong Kong. It is, therefore, an ideal time to consider what Hong Kong and other jurisdictions can do to better meet their obligations. This article recognises that the right to legal capacity is a contentious area of law and policy and that it is unrealistic to expect governments to immediately abolish all forms of substitute decision-making. We therefore propose an alternative theoretical framework for interpreting Article 12, one that we hope will promote law reform. Although our approach differs from that taken by the CRPD Committee, it is consistent with the holistic approach to rights that is the hallmark of the CRPD and with the doctrines of interpretation for human rights treaties.


Measurements of NO concentrations at sub-ppm levels in vehicle exhaust are needed for emissions certification of future ultra-low emission vehicles. We demonstrate a wavelength-modulation, laser-based, NO detection system suitable for this purpose. A quantum cascade distributed feedback laser (QC-DFB) operating continuous wave (cw) at ∼100 K is frequency modulated at f = 10 kHz and locked to the center of a transition at ∼1921 cm−1 in the fundamental band of NO. The demodulated signal at 2f of the beam passing through the sample cell directly measures the NO concentration. The cell is a multipass Herriott-type with a 100-m path length. Doppler broadening, pressure broadening, and unresolved Λ doubling combine to yield a pressure for optimum sensitivity of 100 torr and a modulation amplitude of ∼600 MHz. A flowing gas system is used to avoid problems with adsorption and desorption of NO from the cell walls. The reduced pressure eliminates interference from other gas species. Detection of NO concentrations in the few parts-per-billion (ppb) range is demonstrated in diluted exhaust-gas bag samples collected in the vehicle certification process.


This thesis records the research into aspects of the late-17th century Sheffield cutlery trades. The key research resources are the 1672 Ladyday Hearth Tax returns for the parishes of Sheffield, Ecclesfield and Handsworth in the Scarsdale Hundred and the records of apprentices and freedoms of the Cutlers' Company in Hall=shire. These documents, which provide correlating evidence for the numbers and distribution of cutlers and other cutlery craftsmen, have been combined with data from probate inventories, parish records, leases and rentals. This particular Hearth Tax return is important because it had separate listings of the smithy hearths, because of local opposition to the tax. Although work has been done into the size of the late-17th century Sheffield cutlery industry, it has not previously been possible to show the occupations of the taxpayers. By correlating these two contemporary sets of records, the cutlery craftsmen have been identified and located, revealing that numbers of craftsmen did not own a smithy hearth and that some craft groups generally had multiple hearths. These factors, men with multiple smithy hearths and men without one, all indicate a manufacturing organisation more complex than the simple system of a master involved in all processes, assisted by his journeyman and apprentice. This research has refined earlier descriptions by locating the craftsmen more accurately and linking their distribution with geographical features, such as the available waterpower, or with the social influence of an existing community dominated by core families. The research presents data, which shows that by 1672, the trades were fragmenting, and many men were probably specialising in one or more manufacturing process. The reconstruction of the communities, based on the Hearth Tax returns, has shown that expansion during the 18th century was often based on the characteristics developed in the previous century and that 19th and 20th century work practices had their roots in the 17th century.


BACKGROUND
In 2000, the American Diabetes Association issued recommendations for type 2 diabetes mellitus screening among children. They recommended testing children > or =10 years of age who have a body mass index (BMI) of >85th percentile for age and at least 2 other risk factors (family history of type 2 diabetes, high-risk race/ethnicity, or evidence of insulin resistance, such as acanthosis nigricans).

OBJECTIVE
To describe the application of a type 2 diabetes mellitus screening protocol in an urban pediatric clinic. Design/Methods. Medical records for patients 10 to 18 years of age who were examined in health maintenance visits during a 13-month period were reviewed; 997 subjects were included in the analyses. Data collected included demographic features, medical history, family history, physical examination findings, dietary and physical activity counseling, and results of laboratory tests. BMI percentiles for age were determined from national references.

RESULTS
Subjects were 50% male (median age: 13.2 years), 96% Hispanic, and 48% (n = 477) had a >85th percentile BMI (including 26% with a > or=95th percentile BMI). Of the 477 subjects, 100% were in high-risk racial/ethnic groups, 29% had a family history of diabetes, and 20% demonstrated evidence of insulin resistance; 194 (41%) met the criteria for screening. Of those who met the criteria, 38% (n = 73) had screening ordered and 65 of those subjects (89%) completed screening. Acanthosis nigricans was more common among subjects for whom screening was ordered (69%), compared with subjects who were not screened (3%). Three screened subjects exhibited impaired glucose tolerance; none had overt diabetes. Subjects for whom screening was ordered were more likely to have received counseling than were subjects not recognized as qualifying for screening (84% vs 52%).

CONCLUSIONS
At this high-risk clinical site, the American Diabetes Association type 2 diabetes screening protocol was inconsistently applied. Acanthosis nigricans was a driving factor in identification and screening. Recognition of the need for screening was associated with a higher rate of documentation of nutritional counseling. Additional evaluation of the effectiveness of screening protocols in the early identification of diabetes and the effects of screening protocols on long-term morbidity is needed.


Techniques for distributed relational database systems have been well researched and developed. This is unsurprising given that the relational database model itself has been in development since the early 1970s. In recent years, XML has emerged as an excellent simple format for structuring and exchanging data, and the problem of using relational databases or specially designed "native" XML databases for managing XML data has also been gradually addressed. However, although some research has gone into providing techniques for different parts of the distributed XML database problem, very little research has gone into trying to put these techniques together in order to create a distributed XML database platform. This project investigates the design issues that need to be addressed for the implementation of such a distributed XML database platform. It surveys the state-ofthe-art of XML-based technologies that can be adopted and mechanisms that can be used. The dissertation proposes a layered architecture with a data access infrastructure at the bottom layer able to integrate different types of databases supporting XML. Acting on the top of the access infrastructure, three main functional components are proposed: a distributed transaction manager, a distributed query processor, and a distributed schema manager. Additionally, support for distributed transactions has been designed and implemented. The project includes an initial implementation of the system. The evaluation of the implementation shows that an XML-based multidatabase system is conceivable. However, it emerged that some techniques required for achieving an efficient XML distributed database have to be enhanced.


OBJECTIVE
This secondary analysis investigated the impact of 12 sessions of Seeking Safety (SS) on reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of dually diagnosed women with physical disabilities versus nondisabled (ND) women. SS is an evidence-based and widely implemented manualized therapy for PTSD and/or substance use disorder. It is a present-focused model that promotes coping skills and psychoeducation.

DESIGN
As part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (NIDA CTN), 353 participants with current PTSD and substance use disorder (SUD) were randomly assigned to partial-dose SS or Women's Health Education (WHE) group therapy conducted in community-based substance abuse treatment programs. The women were categorized as participants with disabilities (PWD; n = 20) or ND (n = 333) based on the question, "Do you receive a pension for a physical disability?" PTSD was assessed on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) at baseline and follow-ups after treatment (1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months).

RESULTS
PWD experienced sustained reductions in PTSD symptoms when treated with SS but not WHE. Indeed, PTSD symptoms of PWD in WHE returned to baseline levels of severity by 12-month follow-up. This pattern of results was not observed among ND women, who sustained improvements on PTSD in both treatment conditions.

IMPLICATIONS
These results suggest strong potential for using SS to treat PTSD among women with physical disabilities, and speak to the genuine need to address trauma and PTSD more directly with PWD. Our results are also consistent with other findings from the NIDA CTN trial, in which virtually all significant results evidenced SS outperforming WHE.


There are a large number of research vessels and fishing vessels equipped with echosounders plying the world ocean, making continual observations of the ocean interior. Developing data collation programmes (e.g. Integrated Marine Observing System) and automated, repeatable analyses techniques enable the upper c. 1,200 meters of the world ocean to be sampled routinely, and for their characteristic deep scattering layers (DSLs) to be compared. Deep scattering layers are comprised of zooplankton (e.g. euphausiids) and fish, particularly myctophids or lantern fish, and comprise the majority of sub-surface biomass. Here we present, by the analysis of a global acoustic dataset, a mesopelagic biogeography of the sea. This was accomplished by (i) the collation and processing of a global active acoustic dataset, (ii) the development of a standardised and automated method of sound scattering layer (SSL) extraction and description, (iii) the derivation of the environmental drivers of DSL depth and biomass, (iv) the definition of a mesopelagic biogeography based on the drivers of DSL metrics and (v) the prediction, using output from the NEMO-MEDUSA-2.0 coupled model, of how the metrics and biogeography may change by 2100. Key findings include, the development of the Sound Scattering Layer Extraction Method (SSLEM) the inference that primary production, water temperature and wind stress are key drivers in DSL depth and biomass and that mesopelagic fish biomass may increase by 2100. Such an increase is a result of increased trophic efficiency from the shallowing of DSLs and rising water temperatures, suggesting, that as the climate warms the ocean is becoming more efficient. The biophysical relationships and biogeography derived here, serve to improve our understanding of mesopelagic mid-trophic level dynamics in open-ocean ecosystems. This will aid both fisheries and conservation management, which now adopt more holistic approaches when monitoring and evaluating ecosystem health and stability.


The properties of an extremely thermophilic bacterium isolated from water at a Japanese hot spring and previously named Flavobacterium thermophilum are described. The cells are gram-negative, nonsporulating, aerobic rods containing yellow pigment. The optimum temperature for growth is between 65 and 72 C, the maximum being 85 C and the minimum being 47 C. The guanine plus cytosine content of the deoxyribonucleic acid of the thermophile is 69 mol %. This microorganism is sensitive to various antibiotics including those which are known to be rather ineffective against gram-negative bacteria. Spheroplast-like bodies are formed upon treating intact cells with egg-white lysozyme at 60 C. The spheres are osmotically more stable than mesophile protoplasts, and their rupture under hypotonic conditions is not complete unless 0.5% Brij 58 is added to the suspension. Bulk protein extracted from this thermophile is much more stable to heat than mesophile proteins, and only about 10% of the total protein is denatured by heating at 110 C for 5 min. Nevertheless, the amino acid composition of the bulk protein is similar to that of mesophile proteins. As the properties of this organism are similar to those of Thermus aquaticus (Brock and Freeze) and inasmuch as Flavobacterium is a poorly defined genus, this thermophilic microorganism is transferred to the genus Thermus as T. thermophilus (Yoshida and Oshima) comb. nov. The type strain is HB8 (=ATCC 27634).


Background: The ethical principles of yoga enunciated in yama and niyama are not well known and are not usually presented to students of yoga. Aim: The goal of this study was to evaluate the benefits of yama and niyama in psychospiritual well-being in young adults. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 participants were randomly assigned to the yama-niyama group and control group. Yama-niyama group underwent three months intervention and one-month follow-up assessment. Control group attended regular classes during intervention time. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention of Vedic Personality Inventory questionnaire and cakra alignment measures. Results: The outcome measures in the yama-niyama group showed a signifi'cant difference in sattva (P<0.001), rajas (P<0.001), tamas (P<0.001) and cakrās (P<0.001) after intervention compared to the control group. In the follow-up, sattva (P=0.018) and rajas (P=0.018) showed a significant difference compared to the control group. Further, in yama-niyama group showed a significant increase in sattva (P<0.001) and cakrās were significantly better aligned (P<0.001), whereas rajas (P<0.001) and tamas (P<0.001) showed a significant decrease after intervention. In the follow-up, sattva (P<0.001) showed a significant increase and cakrās were significantly better aligned (P<0.001), whereas rajas (P<0.001) and tamas (P<0.001) showed a significant decrease. Conclusion: The findings show that young adults may advance in psychospiritual growth with proper introduction to yama and niyama in their practices. The study also fills a gap in yoga research which often neglects this foundation of psychospiritual practices in yoga.


The populations of the Middle East have experienced particularly rapid socio‐economic change over the past 40 years, due largely to the consolidation of the nation‐state after the break‐up of the Ottoman Empire at the close of WWI. The basic social, political and cultural rights of the pastoral populations (the Bedouin) of this region have been largely ignored, however, in part due to their remoteness and inaccessibility, but also because of the very fact of their mobility and physical marginality. With a few exceptions ‐ such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia ‐ cultural differences between the mobile Bedouin and the settled urban and agrarian populations have translated over time into development of discriminated minorities. The Bedouin way of life has come to be regarded as backward and primitive; in some places their very authenticity as part of the nation‐state has been questioned as they fail to 'Modernise' at the same pace as surrounding populations. Thus in Lebanon the majority of Bedouin are 'stateless' without papers and live beyond the 'boundaries' of government services. Their mobile way of life is largely a thing of the past, but their sense of tribal belonging remains strong. Their desire for nationality papers reflects a wish to end their marginalisation and statelessness and be able to access government services.


Inspired by recent measurements on individual metallic nanospheres that cannot be explained with traditional classical electrodynamics, we theoretically investigate the effects of nonlocal response by metallic nanospheres in three distinct settings: atomic spontaneous emission, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and light scattering. These constitute two near-field and one far-field measurements, with zero-, one-, and two-dimensional excitation sources, respectively. We search for the clearest signatures of hydrodynamic pressure waves in nanospheres. We employ a linearized hydrodynamic model, and Mie-Lorenz theory is applied for each case. Nonlocal response shows its mark in all three configurations, but for the two near-field measurements, we predict especially pronounced nonlocal effects that are not exhibited in far-field measurements. Associated with every multipole order is not only a single blueshifted surface plasmon but also an infinite series of bulk plasmons that have no counterpart in a local-response approximation. We show that these increasingly blueshifted multipole plasmons become spectrally more prominent at shorter probe-to-surface separations and for decreasing nanosphere radii. For selected metals, we predict hydrodynamic multipolar plasmons to be measurable on single nanospheres.


This research analyzes the problem of the low levels of the development of the Mathematics Activity, reached by Chilean students at the end of the primary school. The article focuses on the case of School Arithmetic. Using the Anthropological Theory of Didactics (Chevallard, 1999) and the Theory of Didactic Situations (Brousseau, 1994), the investigation began with the analysis of nuclear mathematical contents and learning of the current official primary school programs in the area of arithmetic. Next, we observed and analyzed the teaching-learning processes developed in thematic units of arithmetic in primary schools of the Metropolitan Region. We finished with the analysis of the institutional conditions and restrictions on the mathematic activities imposed by the schools. This paper approaches the curricular, factual and institutional dimensions. It allows us to postulate what might be considered to be a didactic phenomenon by its degree of generality and its direct entailment with a specific strategy of education of mathematics (Brousseau, 1983). The phenomenon is that, in many cases, in spite of its good intentions, the school inhibits the mathematical potentialities that the children have.