Multiple researchers have proposed cyclic query plans for evaluating iterative queries over streams or rapidly changing input. The Declarative Networking community uses cyclic plans to evaluate Datalog programs that track reachability and other graph traversals on networks. Cyclic query plans can also evaluate pattern-matching and other queries based on event sequences.

An issue with cyclic queries over dynamic inputs is knowing when the query result has progressed to a certain point in the input, since the number of iterations is data dependent. One option is a "strictly staged" computation, where the query plan quiesces between inputs. This option introduces significant latency, and may also "underload" inter-operator buffers. An alternative is to settle for soft guarantees, such as "eventual consistency". Such imprecision can make it difficult, for example, to know when to purge state from stateful operators.

We propose a third option in which cyclic queries run continuously, but detect progress "on the fly" by means of a Flying Fixed-Point (FFP) operator. FFP sits on the cyclic loop and circulates speculative predictions on forward progress, which it then validates. FFP is always able to track progress for a class of queries we term strongly convergent. A key advantage of FFP is that it works with existing algebra operators, thereby inheriting their capabilities, such as windowing and dealing with out-of-order input. Also, for stream systems that explicitly model input-event lifetimes, we know exactly which values are in the query result at each point in time.

A key implementation decision is the method for speculating. Using the high-water mark of data events minimizes the number of speculative punctuations. Probing operators on the cyclic loop to determine their external progress circulates many more speculative messages, but tracks actual output progress more closely. We show how a hybrid approach limits predictions while coming close the progress-tracking ability of Probing.


Prior work shows western US forest wildfire activity increased abruptly in the mid-1980s. Large forest wildfires and areas burned in them have continued to increase over recent decades, with most of the increase in lightning-ignited fires. Northern US Rockies forests dominated early increases in wildfire activity, and still contributed 50% of the increase in large fires over the last decade. However, the percentage growth in wildfire activity in Pacific northwestern and southwestern US forests has rapidly increased over the last two decades. Wildfire numbers and burned area are also increasing in non-forest vegetation types. Wildfire activity appears strongly associated with warming and earlier spring snowmelt. Analysis of the drivers of forest wildfire sensitivity to changes in the timing of spring demonstrates that forests at elevations where the historical mean snow-free season ranged between two and four months, with relatively high cumulative warm-season actual evapotranspiration, have been most affected. Increases in large wildfires associated with earlier spring snowmelt scale exponentially with changes in moisture deficit, and moisture deficit changes can explain most of the spatial variability in forest wildfire regime response to the timing of spring. This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'.


The Zeeman effects of Au i and Au ii have been investigated in the region of λλ 2400 A to 6500 A for a magnetic field strength of about 38 000 gauss. The work of Symons and Daley has been confirmed and somewhat extended for Au i. Unfortunately, most of the Au ii patterns were triplets and hence of little value. Some doubt is cast on existing classification of Au ii by the persistent appearance of the lines λλ 5354, 5380, and 5427 which come out as strong, well-resolved patterns on the plates, so that g and J values could be found. These lines are members of a multiplet, the transitions occurring between levels J=0, 1, 2 and the level J=1, g=1.78.


This thesis presents a collection of essays on the intersection of finance, labour, and political economy. In Chapter 2, I exploit the 2003 reduction in the legislative cap for the H-1B visa program to show that a firm's ability to hire skilled workers affects corporate investment. U.S. firms use the H-1B program to recruit foreign skilled (college-educated) workers, and I find that the reduction in the cap caused a significant decrease in investment for firms that were more reliant on H-1B workers as a source of skilled labour. The effect persists for several years, and is more pronounced for firms hiring workers in "industrial" occupations compared with firms hiring workers in "knowledge" occupations. The remaining essays examine how political incentives affect the policies of U.S. public-sector defined benefit pension plans. In Chapter 3, I present novel empirical evidence that "pension deficits"—the difference between liability accrual rates and asset accumulation rates—are systematically higher in gubernatorial election years. This electoral cycle pattern is explained by systematic dips in governmental contributions, and plans that exhibit larger electoral cycles tend to experience deteriorating funding levels and lower economic growth. Falsification tests, including analysis of private-sector DB pension plans and unexpected Governor transitions, indicate that non-political factors are unlikely to explain the documented electoral cycles. In Chapter 4, I present a theoretical model detailing how electoral incentives induce incumbent politicians to borrow from public pension plans in a short-sighted manner at the expense of taxpayers. Using a career concerns model framework, I show this conflict is rooted in (1) moral hazard stemming from protections that insulate employees from the costs of unfunded pension liabilities, and (2) information asymmetry stemming from the opacity of public pension plans. The model generates predictions consistent with empirical findings from Chapter 3. Specifically, electoral cycles in pension deficits are more pronounced for states that place the burden of funding unfunded pension liabilities on taxpayers, and for states with less transparent public pension systems. Furthermore, pension deficits are larger during elections that are more closely contested and during gubernatorial terms in which the incumbent remains eligible to run for reelection.


A microemulsion method for preparing colloidal copper nanoparticles in microemulsion is reported. The obtained copper carbonate CuCO3⋅Cu(OH)2 nanoparticle and copper oxide CuO nanoparticle were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy(AFM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Xray fluorescent(XRF) analysis, the purity of material and average particle size about 10 nanometer.. A microemulsion is thermodynamically stable ,optically isotropic derision of two immiscible liquids consisting of nano-size (CuSO4.5H2O) domains of one or both liquids in the other (white oil),stabilized by an interfacial film of the surface-active molecules. The materials mixed to have new immiscible solution , add chemical materials to reduce surface tension and to reduced interfacial atomic bonds to very low level , the very fine dispersed spherical micelles in microemulsion are thermodynamically stable due to a combination of very low interfacial tension very small nanoparticles diameter of (2-5) nm. Addition another of chemical material as react agent or reduced agent and precipitate agent to product final material CuCO3⋅Cu(OH)2.Synthesis of monodispersed CuCO3⋅Cu(OH)2 nanoparticles with refractive index similar to glass plates by using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique by method .Yielding homogeneous ,low defect thin films of high transparency ,that can be used as color filters for liquid crystal displays .


It is argued that competitive co-evolution is a viable methodology for developing truly autonomous and intelligent machines capable of setting their own goals in order to face new and continuously changing challenges. The paper starts giving an introduction to the dynamics of competitive co-evolutionary systems and reviews their relevance from a computational perspective. The method is then applied to two mobile robots, a predator and a prey, which quickly and autonomously develop efficient chase and evasion strategies. The results are then explained and put in a longterm framework resorting to a visualization of the Red Queen effect on the fitness landscape. Finally, comparative data on different selection criteria are used to indicate that co-evolution does not optimize "intuitive" objective criteria.


Fluid flow governs heat and mass transport in subseafloor hydrothermal systems and exerts control on the nature and distribution of deep microbial ecosystems in oceanic crust. We have integrated geophysical, petrographical, and geochemical data from key DSDP and ODP drill holes to assess fluid circulation pathways, fluid flow rates, and fluid-rock interaction in the oceanic lithosphere. Fluid ingress into the deep lithosphere is controlled by the development of faults and ductile shear zones, magmatic injection into the shallow crust, and downward propagation of a front of brittle fracturing into hot rock. Seawater circulation in the ridge flanks is governed by the crustal permeability structure, the availability of heat, and the existence of open pathways between the crustal aquifer and the overlying ocean. Rocks from drill holes representing basaltic crust of various ages and geological settings exhibit a uniform first-order sequence of alteration stages. An early stage of oxidative alteration and open seawater circulation is followed by restricted fluid circulation under varying conditions. Zones of high degrees of alteration often correspond to zones of high permeability, indicating that rock alteration and mineral precipitation do not completely seal the large-scale, most-permeable fluid pathways. On the scale of tens to hundreds of meters, fluid flow is controlled by the distribution of permeable lithologies: breccias, fractured pillow basalts and faults act as aquifers, while massive flows of considerable areal extent may act as fluid flow barriers. Flow boundaries, pillow margins and large cooling cracks are the main fluid conduits at the meter-scale, while at the smallest scale, micro-cracks and grain boundaries control fluid flow. Hence, fluid flow is highly channelized and only a small fraction of basement communicates with the oceans. Fluid-rock interactions away from these main fluid conduits are dominantly diffusion-controlled, making the largest fraction of basement less desirable for microorganisms that rely on supply of nutrients by circulating fluids.


We present a design system for linkage-based characters, combining form and function in an aesthetically-pleasing manner. Linkage-based character design exhibits a mix of discrete and continuous problems, making for a highly unintuitive design space that is difficult to navigate without assistance. Our system significantly simplifies this task by allowing users to interactively browse different topology options, thus guiding the discrete set of choices that need to be made. A subsequent continuous optimization step improves motion quality and, crucially, safeguards against singularities. We demonstrate the flexibility of our method on a diverse set of character designs, and then realize our designs by physically fabricating prototypes.


The 'Troubled Families' policy and intervention agenda is based on a deficit approach that tends to ignore the role of structural disadvantage in the lives of the families it targets. In an effort to support this rhetoric, both quantitative and qualitative data have been used, and misused, to create a representation of these families, which emphasizes risk and individual blame and minimizes societal factors. This current paper presents findings from an in-depth qualitative study using a biographical narrative approach to explore parents' experiences of multiple adversities at different times over the life-course. Key themes relating to the pattern and nature of adversities experienced by participants provide a more nuanced understanding of the lives of families experiencing multiple and complex problems, highlighting how multiple interpretations are often possible within the context of professional intervention. The findings support the increasing call to move away from procedurally driven, risk averse child protection practice towards more relationally based practice, which addresses not only the needs of all family members but recognizes parents as individuals in their own right.


The study investigated the potential applications and the limitations of non-standard techniques of visual field investigation utilizing automated perimetry. Normal subjects exhibited a greater sensitivity to kinetic stimuli than to static stimuli of identical size. The magnitude of physiological SKD was found to be largely independent of age, stimulus size, meridian and eccentricity. The absence of a dependency on stimulus size indicated that successive lateral spatial summation could not totally account for the underlying mechanism of physiological SKD. The visual field indices MD and LV exhibited a progressive deterioration during the time course of a conventional central visual field examination both for normal subjects and for ocular hypertensive patients. The fatigue effect was more pronounced in the latter stages and for the second eye tested. The confidence limits for the definition of abnormality should reflect the greater effect of fatigue on the second eye. A 330 cdm-2 yellow background was employed for blue-on-yellow perimetry. Instrument measurement range was preserved by positioning a concave mirror behind the stimulus bulb to increase the light output by 60% . The mean magnitude of SWS pathway isolation was approximately 1.4 log units relative to a 460nm stimulus filter. The absorption spectra of the ocular media exhibited an exponential increase with increase in age, whilst that of the macular pigment showed no systematic trend. The magnitude of ocular media absorption was demonstrated to reduce with increase in wavelength. Ocular media absorption was significantly greater in diabetic patients than in normal subjects. Five diabetic patients with either normal or borderline achromatic sensitivity exhibited an abnormal blue-on-yellow sensitivity; two of these patients showed no signs of retinopathy. A greater vulnerability of the SWS pathway to the diabetic disease process was hypothesized.


The article presents results of a study made in the context of introducing bilingual instruction in Swedish and Arabic. Classroom interaction was videotaped in grades one to four at two urban schools. Based on the video material, an inventory was made of how Arabic was used by the bilingual teachers, and how it related to the corresponding Swedish content. Simplified language use, code-switching and relations between use of Arabic and Swedish were analysed with respect to potential impact on learning affordances. Results indicate that, despite the introduction of bilingual instruction, Swedish still appeared as the dominant school language. Subject matter was frequently introduced in Swedish and then translated into Arabic. Considering that the schoolchildren were bilingual, many of the translations became repetitive rather than explanatory. Arabic syntax in teacher presentations was simplified. Frequent code-switching within utterances further contributed to simplifying both syntax and content. In other instances, however, open questions and relating written forms to their own expressions developed the pupils' skills in Arabic. Involving the pupils' personal experience increased engagement and motivation.


Traditional lidar simulations render surface models to generate simulated range data. For objects with welldefined surfaces, this approach works well, and traditional 3D scene reconstruction algorithms can be employed to automatically generate the surface models. This approach breaks down, though, for many trees, tall grasses, and other objects with fine-scale geometry: surface models do not easily represent the geometry, and automated reconstruction from real data is difficult. In this paper, we introduce a new stochastic volumetric model that better captures the complexities of real lidar data of vegetation and is far better suited for automatic modeling of scenes from field collected lidar data. We also introduce several methods for automatic modeling and for simulating lidar data utilizing the new model. To measure the performance of the stochastic simulation we use histogram comparison metrics to quantify the differences between data produced by the real and simulated lidar. We evaluate our approach on a range of real world datasets and show improved fidelity for simulating geo-specific outdoor, vegetation scenes.


Models of political consulting in Poland, 1989–2009, in a comparative perspective  Alongside the breakdown of authoritarian regimes and the restitution of democratic order in Poland and other Central East European countries, the first open election campaigns accompanied by political consultants emerged. Since the beginning of the transition, the role of consultants as well as consultants themselves have been going through constant changes bound up with modernizing the political scene and system and ways of leading political campaigns. The present article seeks to interrogate the categories of political consulting models we have been facing in Poland and refers them to worldwide tendencies. This study analyses the ways in which political consultants have arisen, their institutional adherence, methods of action, roles in the political communication process, as well as changeovers and development tendencies to this extent. The article provides a comparative analysis of three campaign models defined by Farrell, Kolodny and Medvic and the types of political consultants reviewed by the scope literature. This study concludes with a prognosis of the development of political consulting tendencies in Poland in a worldwide context.


Most studies that have considered depressed mood in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have failed to analyze the relative contribution of psychological, social and disease state variables. Using multivariate statistical analyses we identified the role played by demographic, disease related, disability and social variables. Together these variables accounted for 44% of the variation in depressed mood. Demographic factors, disability measures, disease duration, social isolation and economic deprivation all made significant contributions to the explanation of depressed mood. The results of our study underline the importance of examining a wide range of factors in order to consider their relative influence on psychological state.


Gallium nitride – zinc oxide (GaN-ZnO) solid solutions have been realized as potential photocatalysts for overall water splitting due to a narrowing of the band-gap into the visible region of the solar spectrum. Although there has been much experimental and theoretical work on this novel class of semiconductors many questions about the nature of their electronic and chemical properties remain unanswered. In particular the mechanism of band-gap reduction in these materials is not clearly understood. It is also unclear what the local chemical environment of gallium, zinc, nitrogen, and oxygen is in both the surface and bulk of these solid solutions. These materials have unusual optical emission properties exhibiting broad visible emission bands that are substantially red-shifted from observed band-gap energies. Since crystallinity, electronic structure, defects, and local chemical environments (both bulk and surface) all affect photocatalytic efficiency further understanding of the aforementioned properties of these materials is necessary.
The focus of this thesis is on the analysis of GaN-ZnO nanostructures by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), including the near edge region, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and the extended region, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) to further the understanding of the local chemical environment (both bulk and surface) and structure of these materials using tunable X-rays from a synchrotron light source. X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) has also been used to study the optical emission and near-band-gap (NBG) properties of these materials.
From XANES it has been shown that there is local chemical disorder of gallium nitride and zinc oxide phases upon solid solution formation, but, there is also strong short-range order which is evident in the EXAFS. XEOL studies have revealed that optical luminescence observed from these materials is of complex origins including zinc-related acceptor levels in the bulk and defects in the complex surface oxide. Preliminary results from time-resolved XEOL experiments have provided evidence of two NBG emission components related to GaN and ZnO phases in the material respectively. These results suggest that band-gap reduction observed in these materials is due to repulsion between conduction band onsets at phase interfaces within a disordered solid solution.


The stewardship of cultural and natural resources have been goals in our society for generations and have manifested themselves in movements for historic preservation and the sustainable use of our planet's resources. In the United States the sustainable movement took shape during the 1960's and 70's in response to damage done by corporations of the time and to a growing energy crisis. Only recently have the concepts of sustainability been embraced en mass by our society yet, few understand how they intertwine with the conservation of historic resources. Historic preservation, at first, set out to preserve structures that were monuments of our nation's development but, preservation has grown to incorporate societal and cultural values, as well as entire landscapes. In addition to these values preservationists have, over the last ten years, begun stressing environmental sustainability. This incorporation is seen in all governmental levels from federal to certified local governments through numerous publications and projects. Recommendations however, are necessarily broad and provide little stylistic context. My thesis examined recommendations being made from local, city, state, and national governing bodies and public sources, and then deciphered how these could best be applied to common residential styles found in National Register Historic Districts within the state. These districts were the focus for this study because many do not have local design guidelines to provide reference for the homeowners. Information from the nominations, along with sustainable recommendations, was then fused to create an illustrated historic homeowner's guide to good stewardship of both cultural and environmental resources for the most common residential styles within the state.


Modern Lithuanian is characterized by variation in the coding of core and peripheral arguments, as these can, in specific circumstances, be marked with either the genitive or the instrumental case (=gen-ins alternation). This alternation occurs in some contexts that can be generalized fairly well, such as the non-Actor and non-Undergoer argument of ditransitives, or anticausatives derived from three-place causatives and corresponding object-oriented resultatives (often from the same stems). There are also some lexically restricted contexts in which the gen-ins alternation can be observed. This topic has so far barely been noticed, let alone been described, so that in our exploratory study we are eager to figure out the types of context which are susceptive to this alternation, and to pinpoint the factors which favour either gen or ins. We distinguish contexts for which either gen or ins is excluded from contexts in which both cases really compete, yielding either slightly different interpretations or coming close to synonymy. The comparison of mutually exclusive and "competitive" contexts allows for approximate conclusions about the different motivations standing behind either of these two morphological cases on the background of the alignment-system in contemporary Lithuanian.The analysis is based on a variety of the Causal Chain Model (Croft) in combination with a decompositional approach relying on the Actor-Undergoer-Hierarchy of Role & Reference Grammar (whose limits are critically assessed in passing), and it leads to a network of factors for which a partial hierarchy is established which becomes important whenever factors conflict.


Data are often labeled by many different experts with each expert only labeling a small fraction of the data and each data point being labeled by several experts. This reduces the workload on individual experts and also gives a better estimate of the unobserved ground truth. When experts disagree, the standard approaches are to treat the majority opinion as the correct label or to model the correct label as a distribution. These approaches, however, do not make any use of potentially valuable information about which expert produced which label. To make use of this extra information, we propose modeling the experts individually and then learning averaging weights for combining them, possibly in sample-specific ways. This allows us to give more weight to more reliable experts and take advantage of the unique strengths of individual experts at classifying certain types of data. Here we show that our approach leads to improvements in computer-aided diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. We also show that our method performs better than competing algorithms by Welinder and Perona (2010); Mnih and Hinton (2012). Our work offers an innovative approach for dealing with the myriad real-world settings that use expert opinions to define labels for training.


We present a biologically-inspired system for real-time, feed-forward object recognition in cluttered scenes. Our system utilizes a vocabulary of very sparse features that are shared between and within different object models. To detect objects in a novel scene, these features are located in the image, and each detected feature votes for all objects that are consistent with its presence. Due to the sharing of features between object models our approach is more scalable to large object databases than traditional methods. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we train our system to recognize any of 50 objects in everyday cluttered scenes with substantial occlusion. Without further optimization we also demonstrate near-perfect recognition on a standard 3-D recognition problem. Our system has an interpretation as a sparsely connected feed-forward neural network, making it a viable model for fast, feed-forward object recognition in the primate visual system.


Since the realization in 2011 that most aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules exhibit mechano-responsive luminescence (MRL), research regarding the MRL of AIE molecules has drawn much attention, and this area has been expanding tremendously. As one of the most extensively studied AIE cores, tetraphenylethylene (TPE) has been widely used to construct MRL molecules. This review will focus on recent advances in MRL of TPE derivatives with AIE properties, including a brief history of mechano-responsive AIE-active materials, mechanistic studies on MRL, mechano-responsive luminogens based on TPE, mechano-responsive luminogens containing multiple AIE-active units, mechano-memory chromism and mechanoluminescence of TPE derivatives. Moreover, this review will give a perspective on the possible opportunities and future challenges that exist in this research area.


Some observers argue that increased real integration has led to greater co-movement of prices internationally. We examine the evidence for cross-border price spillovers among economies participating in the pan-Asian cross-border production networks. Starting with country-level data, we find that both producer price and consumer price inflation rates move more closely together between those Asian economies that trade more with one another, ie that share a higher degree of trade intensity. Next, using a novel dataset based on the World Input-Output Database (WIOD), we examine the importance of the supply chain for crossborder price spillovers at the sectoral level. We document the increasing importance of imported intermediate inputs for economies in the Asia-Pacific region and examine the impact on domestic producer prices of changes in costs of imported intermediate inputs. Our results suggest that real integration through the supply chain matters for domestic price dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region.


Objective This study evaluated knowledge, opinions and compliance related to Uganda's comprehensive smoke-free law among hospitality venues in Kampala Uganda. Design This multi-method study presents cross-sectional findings of the extent of compliance in the early phase of Uganda's comprehensive smoke-free law (2 months postimplementation; pre-enforcement). Setting Bars, pubs and restaurants in Kampala Uganda. Procedure and participants A two-stage stratified cluster sampling procedure was used to select hospitality sites stratified by all five divisions in Kampala. A total of 222 establishments were selected for the study. One hospitality representative from each of the visited sites agreed to take part in a face-to-face administered questionnaire. A subsample of hospitality venues were randomly selected for tobacco air quality testing (n=108). Data were collected between June and August 2016. Outcome measures Knowledge and opinions of the smoke-free law among hospitality venue staff and owners. The level of compliance with the smoke-free law in hospitality venues through: (1) systematic objective observations (eg, active smoking, the presence of designated smoking areas, 'no smoking' signage) and (2) air quality by measuring the levels of tobacco particulate matter (PM2.5) in both indoor and outdoor venues. Results Active smoking was observed in 18% of venues, 31% had visible 'no smoking' signage and 47% had visible cigarette remains. Among interviewed respondents, 57% agreed that they had not been adequately informed about the smoke-free law; however, 90% were supportive of the ban. Nearly all respondents (97%) agreed that the law will protect workers' health, but 32% believed that the law would cause financial losses at their establishment. Indoor PM2.5 levels were hazardous (267.6 µg/m3) in venues that allowed smoking and moderate (29.6 µg/m3) in smoke-free establishments. Conclusions In the early phase of Uganda's smoke-free law, the level of compliance in hospitality venues settings in Kampala was suboptimal. Civil society and the media have strong potential to inform and educate the hospitality industry and smokers of the benefits and requirements of the smoke-free law.


A phase I study was conducted to assess the metabolism and excretion of [14C]dabrafenib (GSK2118436; N-{3-[5-(2-amino-4-pyrimidinyl)-2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3-thiazol-4-yl]-2-fluorophenyl}-2,6-difluorobenzene sulfonamide, methanesulfonate salt), a BRAF inhibitor, in four patients with BRAF V600 mutation–positive tumors after a single oral dose of 95 mg (80 µCi). Assessments included the following: 1) plasma concentrations of dabrafenib and metabolites using validated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry methods, 2) plasma and blood radioactivity, 3) urinary and fecal radioactivity, and 4) metabolite profiling. Results showed the mean total recovery of radioactivity was 93.8%, with the majority recovered in feces (71.1% of administered dose). Urinary excretion accounted for 22.7% of the dose, with no detection of parent drug in urine. Dabrafenib is metabolized primarily via oxidation of the t-butyl group to form hydroxy-dabrafenib. Hydroxy-dabrafenib undergoes further oxidation to carboxy-dabrafenib, which subsequently converts to desmethyl-dabrafenib via a pH-dependent decarboxylation. The half-lives for carboxy- and desmethyl-dabrafenib were longer than for parent and hydroxy-dabrafenib (18–20 vs. 5–6 hours). Based on area under the plasma concentration-time curve, dabrafenib, hydroxy-, carboxy-, and desmethyl-dabrafenib accounted for 11%, 8%, 54%, and 3% of the plasma radioactivity, respectively. These results demonstrate that the major route of elimination of dabrafenib is via oxidative metabolism (48% of the dose) and biliary excretion. Based on our understanding of the decarboxylation of carboxy-dabrafenib, a low pH-driven, nonenzymatic mechanism involving participation of the aryl nitrogen is proposed to allow prediction of metabolic oxidation and decarboxylation of drugs containing an aryl nitrogen positioned α to an alkyl (ethyl or t-butyl) side chain.


This paper presents a model and a tool that allows Web users to define, execute, and manage lifecycles for any artifact available on the Web. In the paper we show the need for lifecycle management of Web artifacts, and we show in particular why it is important that non-programmers are also able to do this. We then discuss why current models do not allow this, and we present a model and a system implementation that achieves lifecycle management for any URI-identifiable and accessible object. The most challenging parts of the work lie in the definition of a simple but universal model and system (and in particular in allowing universality and simplicity to coexist) and in the ability to hide from the lifecycle modeler the complexity intrinsic in having to access and manage a variety of resources, which differ in nature, in the operations that are allowed on them, and in the protocols and data formats required to access them.


This paper presents a new programmable radio frequency (RF) system for a System-onChip (SoC) transceiver. A 5-GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) is integrated with an on-chip programmable RF circuits using 0.18 �m SiGe technology. Proposed system is very useful for concurrent RF ICs in a complete RF system environment. The programmable circuit helps it to provide DC output voltages, hence, making the RF system chain automatic. The programmable RF system automatically adjusts performance of an LNA with the processor in the SoC when it goes out of the normal range of operation. It also compensates abnormal operation due to the unusual PVT (Process, Voltage and Thermal) variations in RF circuits.


We revisit one of the most fundamental problems in multimedia that is receiving enormous attention from researchers without making much progress in solving it: the problem of bridging the semantic gap. Research in this area has focused on developing increasingly rigorous techniques using the content. Researchers consider that Content is King and ignore everything else. In this paper, first we will discuss how this infatuation with content continues to be the biggest hurdle in the success of, ironically, content based approaches for multimedia search. Lately, many commercial systems have ignored content in favor of context and demonstrated better success. Given that the mobile phones are the major platform for the next generation of computing, context becomes easily available and more relevant. We show that it is not Content Versus Context; rather it is Content and Context that is required to bridge the semantic gap. In this paper, first we will discuss reasons for our approach and then present approaches that appropriately combine context with content to help bridge the semantic gap and solve important problems in multimedia computing.


Introduction HTLV-I Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a progressive Myelopathy that mainly involves the corticospinal tract. Despite pronounced involvement of the lower limbs, patients also have abnormalities in their upper limbs. So, we studied somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) of the median nerve in HAM/TSP patients to determine the extent of the involvement of the pathway of the central nervous system, especially the cervical spinal cord. Methods In this cross sectional study, 48 patients with HAM/TSP who were referred to Qaem Hospital in Mashhad from October 2010 to October 2011 were evaluated for various indices, including SSEPs of the median nerve for N9, N11, N13, and N20 waveforms and also N11–13 and N13–20 Inter Peak Latency (IPL), severity of disease (based on Osama criteria), disease duration (less or more than 2 years), age, and gender. SPSS software was used for data analysis. The t-test was used for quantitative data, and the chi-squared test was used for the qualitative variables. Results Thirty-four patients (70.2%) were females. The mean age was 45.6 ± 14.2 years. About SSEPs indices of the median nerve, N9 and N11 were normal in all patients, but N13 (50%), N20 (16.7%), IPL11–13 (58.3%), and IPL13–20 (22.9%) were abnormal. No significant relationships were found between age, gender, disease duration, and SSEPs indices (p > 0.05), but IPL11–13 and IPL13–20 had significant relationships with disease disability (p = 0.017 and p = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion Despite the lack of obvious complaints of upper limbs, SSEPs indices of the median nerve from the cervical spinal cord to the cortex were abnormal, which indicated extension of the lesion from the thoracic spinal cord up to the cervical spinal cord and thalamocortical pathways. Also, abnormalities in the cervical spinal cord had a direct correlation with the severity of disability in patients with HAM/TSP.


Efficiency optimization of induction motor (IM) drives is a major subject based on these drives' extensive use in the industry. Among the different proposed methods, a model-based approach (MBA) seems to be the fast one. However, this method needs the motor parameters that must be correctly identified. On the other hand, a search-based approach (SBA) is a parameter-independent method but needs a greater convergence time. In this paper, a novel model-based loss-minimization approach is presented, which is combined with a backstepping direct torque control of the IM drive. An improved search-based method for efficiency optimization is also introduced. The proposed controller is realized in the stationary reference frame and has a fast-tracking capability of rotor flux and electromagnetic torque. Moreover, a sliding-mode rotor-flux observer is introduced, which is employed for simultaneous determination of rotor-flux space vector, rotor speed, and rotor time constant. The proposed control idea is experimentally implemented in real time using a field-programmable gate-array board synchronized with a personal computer. Simulation and experimental results are finally presented to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed.


Couple of models have been developed to calculate thermodynamic properties of NH3-CO2-H2O systems. These models are typically an equation of state for the vapor phase and an activity coefficient model for the liquid phase (Que a Chen, 2011). The activity coefficient models can be divided into three groups based on previous studies, Pitzer model, electrolyte Non Random Two Liquid (e-NRTL) model and extended UNIQUAC model. Que a Chen (2011) deem the e-NRTL model the model the most suitable for process modelling and simulations since it requires only binary interaction parameters and makes use of mole fraction concentration scale consistently for both the short range local compositions interactions and the long range Debey-Huckel expression. Darde (2011) compared the built in e-NRTL model from Aspen Plus to an upgraded version of the extended UNIQUAC model developed by Thomsen et al. (1996). His findings were that the extended UNIQUAC model is significantly more accurate than the e-NRTL model from Aspen. He does mention that if the binary interaction parameters were better fitted to experimental data for NH3-CO2-H2O mixture, the e-NRTL model might become more competitive with the extended UNIQUAC model. Since then the e-NRTL model has been modified in this way by couple of authors, included Que a Chen (2011) and Niu et al. (2013). Both of their adjusted models have then been used by other authors for process modelling, for example Zhang a Guo (2014) used the model with adjusted parameters from Niu et al. (2013) and Liu et al. (2015) used the modified model from Que a Chen (2011). In this paper the extended UNIQUAC model is compared with the e-NRTL thermodynamic model that is built into the most recent version of Aspen Plus, and two modified e-NRTL models; the one developed by Que and Chen (2011) and a new fit. This is done to confirm if the modified models can reach similar accuracy as the extended UNIQUAC model and how much more accurate they are compared to the built in model in Aspen Plus.


Introduction: Considering the incrediblly high incidence of obesity in adolescents, in this study, we have examined the association of DASH diet with 3-year body mass index change and risk of obesity in Tehranian adolescents. Materials and Method: This population based cohort study included 629 adolescents (aged 10 to 18 years) from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Dietary data were collected using a valid and reliable food-frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measures were assessed both at baseline and end of follow up. In adolescents, obesity was defined as body mass index ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex according to national reference curves. Results: Mean±SD for age and DASH score at baseline were 14.1±2.5 years and 24.1±4.2, respectively. Also, the mean±SD of body mass index gain and risk of incident obesity was 1.7±2.6 kg/m2 and 12% after 3 years follow up, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, higher DASH diet score and lower dietary intakes of sweet beverage were inversely associated with 3-year changes in body mass index (P<0.05). The odds ratio (95%CI) of developing obesity in the highest, compared with the lowest, quintile of DASH score was 0.2 (0.10.7) (P for trend=0.025). Also, the lower intake of sweet beverage was significantly associated with reducing the risk of incident obesity (OR: 0.2; 95%CI: 0.1–0.6) (P for trend=0.003). Conclusion: A DASHstyle dietary pattern is associated inversely with 3-year body mass index changes and risk of incident obesity in adolescents.


The interference patterns produced by Gaussian-shaped broad-bandwidth femtosecond pulsed laser sources are derived. The interference pattern contains both spatial and temporal properties of laser beam. Interference intensity dependent on the bandwidth of femtosecond laser are given. We demonstrate experimentally both the spatial and the temporal coherence properties of a Ti:sapphire femtosecond pulse laser, as well as its power spectrum by using a pinhole pair.


This paper discusses current European research in the area Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) impact assessment and seeks to determine the future potential of such systems particularly as it pertains to road safety. The study focuses on investigating the anticipated impact of ITS using both previously undertaken research and expert opinions. Several European studies on the impact of intelligent transport systems on road safety are presented, their findings are analyzed and the issues to be considered and be dealt with in the future are obtained. Furthermore, preliminary results from a large Delphi study on the issues regarding the impacts of system use on road safety are also presented and discussed. The results of this paper can assist in defining future needs and expectations from ITS on a European-wide level.


Despite a world-wide interest in mechatronics education, there is no clear and consistent understanding of what mechatronics is, nor how, and at what level, it should be taught. The key challenge for mechatronics course designers is seen as that of ensuring an appropriate balance between depth and breadth while providing opportunities to enable students to practise integration. The paper discusses this in relation to a number of mechatronic themes. Factors influencing the design, structure and content of a mechatronics programme are discussed and suggestions made as to the possible core content of such a programme.


Medicare Advantage plans have grown significantly over the past decade and the potential for their future growth seems unabated. Astonishingly, however, we know little about how Medicare beneficiaries access services, particularly whether those services are of high quality. This study explores access to cardiac surgeons for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and heart valve surgery in California and New York. It is one of the first studies to analyze Medicare Advantage networks and interactions between provider networks and provider quality. Results of the study show that for large metropolitan areas, access is rather similar for traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Limitations, however, exist for the latter. Important concerns emerge for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries outside of metropolitan areas where healthcare market challenges appear to be exacerbated by carrier restrictions. Results indicate no evidence that carriers selectively contract to improve quality. There is, however, significant diversity with regard to network breadth; and, this breadth does not stay static across distances. These results hold important implications for the future of the Medicare program, network adequacy regulations, and how consumers make choices about their insurance coverage.


Paradoxosomatid millipedes are an important component of the rich troglobitic fauna of the semi-arid tropical Cape Range, Western Australia. They are found in at least 55 of the 282 caves known from Cape Range covering >500 km². The millipedes occur in dense populations only in areas of high relative humidity and organic carbon content. They appear to be opportunistic and are able to grow and breed rapidly on the intermittently available patches of organic matter washed into the caves by unpredictable rainfall. A new genus of paradoxosomatid millipedes (Stygiochiropus, gen. nov.), comprising three species (S. communis, sp. nov., S. sympatricus, sp. nov., and S. isolatus, sp. nov.) is described from the caves. A key is provided for males, but females cannot be identified. The only widespread species (S. communis) separates into three provinces between which there are many fixed allelic differences, as determined by allozyme electrophoresis. Although these genetic provinces are separated by deep gorges that cut through the cavernous limestone into the underlying non-cavernous strata, the millipede populations cannot be separated using morphological criteria. The affinities of the millipedes are unknown, but they are part of a rich community of troglobites (>26 species) of which many species have affinities with the northern wet tropical forest fauna, rather than with the current semi-arid fauna.


Abstract What are the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on human rights in the next three decades? Precise answers to this question are made difficult by the rapid rate of innovation in AI research and by the effects of human practices on the adaption of new technologies. Precise answers are also challenged by imprecise usages of the term "AI." There are several types of research that all fall under this general term. We begin by clarifying what we mean by AI. Most of our attention is then focused on the implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI), which entail that an algorithm or group of algorithms will achieve something like superintelligence. While acknowledging that the feasibility of superintelligence is contested, we consider the moral and ethical implications of such a potential development. What do machines owe humans and what do humans owe superintelligent machines?


INTRODUCTION
This study reports on the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and risk factors among diabetic patients, who underwent fundus photography screening in a primary care setting of Borneo Islands, East Malaysia. We aimed to explore the preliminary data to help in the planning of more effective preventive strategies of DR at the primary health care setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study on 738 known diabetic patients aged 19-82 years was conducted in 2004. Eye examination consists of visual acuity testing followed by fundus photography for DR assessment. The fundus pictures were reviewed by a family physician and an ophthalmologist. Fundus photographs were graded as having no DR, NPDR, PDR and maculopathy. The data of other parameters was retrieved from patient's record. Bi-variate and multivariate analysis was used to elucidate the factors associated with DR.

RESULTS
Any DR was detected in 23.7% (95% CI=21 to 27%) of the patients and 3.2% had proliferative DR. The risk factors associated with any DR was duration of DM (OR =2.5, CI=1.6 to 3.9 for duration of five to 10 years when compared to <5 years) and lower BMI (OR=1.8, CI=1.1 to 3.0). Moderate visual loss was associated with DR (OR=2.1, CI=1.2 to 3.7).

CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms associations of DR with diabetic duration, body mass index and visual loss. Our data provide preliminary findings to help to improve the screening and preventive strategies of DR at the primary health care setting.


This thesis question examines whether Jeremy Bentham's concept of a criminal code having 'no blank spaces', thereby minimising the role of the common law and judicial interpretation, is first, desirable and secondly, achievable. Desirability and achievability are clearly interwoven. The disparity between the theory that a code should be internally self-consistent and self-sufficient with the practice that 'inevitable ambiguities of language make this impossible' is a central theme. The thesis seeks to test whether the latter statement can be overcome. An alternative way of considering the central question is to examine whether Bentham's vision of the legislature clearly stating its intentions sufficient for the ordinary citizen to fully comprehend his or her criminal liability is beyond the capacity of any criminal code architect in the 21st century. A criminal code should be as comprehensive as practicable in its description of rules of conduct. Second, it must communicate those rules effectively to the general public. Australian Criminal Codes will be evaluated against these two criteria. The Model Criminal Code which became Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code (Cth) is the most 'Benthamite' Criminal Code in Australia, and has been taken up by both the Australian Capital Territory in 2002 and the Northern Territory in 2006. As such the Model Criminal Code can be compared to the 'Griffith' Codes of Queensland (1899), Western Australia (1902) and Tasmania (1924). The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is presented as the best example of a Benthamite Code in the 19th century. Building on Macauley's work on the IPC, it is argued that the development in criminal law theory since Bentham's death in 1832, most notably the U.S. Model Penal Code in 1962 and the Model Criminal Code in Australia in 1992, leave open the possibility that Bentham's vision is more achievable today than in Bentham's own era.


Ever growing population of Mumbai has put additional pressure on existing infrastructure in terms of huge demand for portable water as well as treatment of city's waste water. Study aimed at review of city's wastewater in order to understand the reality of treatment quality of wastewater, it's reusability in terms of offsetting growing water demands of domestic, industrial and agricultural fields in and around the city. Literature review and case study method was used in order to get primary as well as secondary data for achieving data regarding overall functioning and water balance of the city. Because of lot of irregularities, current wastewater management systems are asking for paradigm shift from current centralized wastewater treatment systems to decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Conventional treatment systems treat wastewater as a 'waste' yet there is some reuse potential. Concept of collecting water and wastewater separately for better treatment, increased reuse potential, savings upon energy and better nutrient recovery can be used in order to move towards more ecologically and economically sound waste water management systems. To demonstrate this idea documentary and discourse analysis is used. The paper starts by providing general overview about water scarcity and security in India and then proceeds to provide comparative analysis between centralized and decentralized treatment systems used in the city in order to identify it's water reuse potential. Second, legislative and policy framework used in the city for wastewater treatment and management which is then followed by outline of the current situation and reflections on system dynamics in City. Third, the paper ends with a discussion on practical implications, policy options and conclusion. The presented study gives conceptual model based on Net Zero concept which can be helpful in making of sustainable future cities.


The aim of this essay is to explore various death scenes as they appear in variety of Charles Dickens" novels, how he portrays emotions, and how he sets the mood in those delicate moments. Furthermore, I explore what various critics have had to say about these scenes, and finally I look at how successful, or not, those scenes have been adapted into film and television. I begin the essay by talking about how the children in Dickens" world are affected by their upcoming death, focusing on Jenny"s baby son in Bleak House, little Paul Dombey in Dombey and Son, and little Nell Trent in The Old Curiosity Shop. They are all children who die as a result of illness. Possibly, Nell suffers more than the other two, but death does not come quickly to any of them. In the case of Jenny"s baby boy, we mainly understand the sorrow of his departure through his mother, whereas with Paul Dombey and Little Nell, they both face their journeys with maturity beyond their years. Next I talk about one of the most brutal murders in Dickens" novels; focusing on Nancy"s death in Oliver Twist, where Sikes allows his anger get the better of him and brutally murders Nancy without knowing all of the facts. Lastly, I compare two men waiting for death in prison, focusing on the executions of Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, and Fagin in Oliver Twist, where Sydney dies at peace having followed his will and achieved his redemption, but Fagin gradually becomes insane due to the fear of dying. Additionally, by exploring how these powerful scenes have been adapted to screen, you get the chance to become more involved with the characters and look at these scenes from a different perspective.


Determination of consistent initial conditions is an important aspect of the solution of differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). Specification of inconsistent initial conditions, even if they are only slightly inconsistent, often leads to a failure in the initialization problem. In this paper, we present a successive linear programming (SLP) approach for the solution of the DAE derivative array equations for the initialization problem. The SLP formulation handles roundoff errors and inconsistent user specifications, among other things, and allows for reliable convergence strategies that incorporate variable bounds and trust region concepts. A new consistent set of initial conditions is obtained by minimizing the deviation of the variable values from the specified ones. For problems with discontinuities caused by a step change in the input functions, a new criterion is presented for identifying the subset of variables which are continuous across the discontinuity. The SLP formulation is then applied to determine a consistent set of initial conditions for further solution of the problem in the domain after the discontinuity. Numerous example problems are solved to illustrate these concepts.


Drinking water plays an essential role in farm animals through marinating unlimited biological functions within animal body. From nutritional perspective, mineral content of drinking water is not counted when formulating dairy cattle diets. No information on the contribution of drinking water to the mineral nutrition of dairy cattle has been reported in Karak governorate. This work aimed to investigate minerals contribution of wells water in Karak governorate in the relation to nutritional requirements in dairy cattle. Furthermore, this work will give insight to possible approach in reducing soil salinity through reducing macro-mineral supplementation to dairy cattle when its manure used for fertilization in Karak ecosystem. Nine samples of wells water (three replicates) were obtained from Karak governorate and were analyzed for their cation (Sodium (Na), Potassium (K) and Calcium (Ca)) and anions (Chlorine (Cl)) concentrations. In this study, both Ca and K content were not enough to make a significant contribution to dairy cattle nutrition at different production stages. The highest contribution of different water sources to daily Ca and K requirements by dairy cattle were 4.50 and 4.52%, respectively. However, the lowest contribution of water to daily Ca and K requirements by dairy cattle were 4.10 and 0.03%, respectively. On the other hand, both Na and Cl content were relatively sufficient to make a significant contribution to dairy cattle nutrition at different production stages. The highest contribution of water to daily Na and Cl requirements were 33.56 and 43.78%, respectively. However, the lowest contribution of water to daily Na and Cl requirements were 3.67 and 7.48%, respectively. It can be concluded from this study that some water drinking sources in Karak governorate can provide a significant contribution in dairy cattle nutrition at different production stages and can minimize feed formulation cost when mineral content in drinking water is counted in feed formulation. Furthermore, counting wells water contribution of minerals in formulated dairy diets can minimize minerals excretion in manure and could be an approach to reduce soil salinity in Karak ecosystem when their manures are used as fertilizers.
Keywords: Drinking water, minerals, soil, salinity, fertilizers
References:
Aseltine, M. (1992). Maintenance of high-quality water assures good dairy health. Feedstuffs, 64(40), 14-15.
Attia-Ismail, S.A., Ahlam, R., Asker, A.R.T. (2008). Effect of salinity level in drinking water on feed intake, nutrient utilization, water intake and turnover and rumen function in sheep and goats. Egyptian J of Sheep and Goat Sciences (Special Issue), 2nd Inter. Sci. Conf. on SR Production 3(1), 77-92.
Azeez, J.O., Van Averbeke, W. (2012). Dynamics of Soil pH and Electrical Conductivity with the Application of Three Animal Manures. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 43(6), 865-874.
Beede, D.K., Lyons, T.P., Jacques, K. (1994). Water quality and nutrition for dairy cattle. In Biotechnology in the feed industry. Nottingham University Press, Loughborough, UK, pp: 183-198.
Campana, M., Alves, A.C., Oliveira, P.P., Bernardi, A.C., Santos, V.E.A, Herling, R., Morais, J.P.G., Junior, W.B. (2015) Ammonia volatilization from exposed soil and Tanzania grass pasture fertilized with urea and Zeolite mixture. Comm Soil Sci Plant Anal 46, 1024-1033.
Beede, D.K. (2006). Evaluation of Water Quality and Nutrition for Dairy Cattle. Proc High Plains Dairy Conference, pp: 129-153.
Dahlborn, K., Akerlind, M., Gustafson, G. (1998). Water intake by dairy cows selected for high or low milk-fat percentage when fed two forage to concentrate ratios with hay or silage. Swedish J Agric Res 28, 167-176.
Elrod, C.C. (2014). Implications of Groundwater Minerals in Dairy Cattle Nutrition. High Plains Dairy Conference, pp: 13-22.
Ensley, S.M. (2000). Relationships of drinking water quality to production and reproduction in dairy herds. Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Holter, J.B., Urban, W.E. (1992). Water partitioning and intake in dry and lactating Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 75, 1472-1479.
Manera, D.B., Voltolini, T.V., Menezes, D.R., de Araujo, G.G.L. (2016). Chemical composition of drilled wells water for ruminants. J Agri Sci, 8, 127-137.
Martha, J., Corsi, G.B.M., Trivelin, P.C.O., Alves, M. (2004). Nitrogen recovery and loss in a fertilized elephant grass pasture. Grass and Forage Sci, 59, 80-90.
Mufwanzala, N., Dikinya, O. (2010). Impact of poultry manure and its associated salinity on the growth and yield of spinach (Spinacea oleracea) and carrot (Daucus carota). Int J Agric Biol, 12, 489-494.
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Autonomous vehicle software is typically structured as a modular pipeline of individual components (e.g., perception, prediction, and planning) to help separate concerns into interpretable sub-tasks. Even when end-to-end training is possible, each module has its own set of objectives used for safety assurance, sample efficiency, regularization, or interpretability. However, intermediate objectives do not always align with overall system performance. For example, optimizing the likelihood of a trajectory prediction module might focus more on easy-to-predict agents than safety-critical or rare behaviors (e.g., jaywalking). In this paper, we present control-aware prediction objectives (CAPOs), to evaluate the down-stream effect of predictions on control without requiring the planner be differentiable. We propose two types of importance weights that weight the predictive likelihood: one using an attention model between agents, and another based on control variation when exchanging predicted trajectories for ground truth trajectories. Experimentally, we show our objectives improve overall system performance in suburban driving scenarios using the CARLA simulator.


Describes how evolutionary algorithms (EAs) can be used to identify, model, and minimize day-to-day problems that arise for researchers in optimization and mobile networking Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), vehicular networks (VANETs), sensor networks (SNs), and hybrid networks—each of these require a designer's keen sense and knowledge of evolutionary algorithms in order to help with the common issues that plague professionals involved in optimization and mobile networking. This book introduces readers to both mobile ad hoc networks and evolutionary algorithms, presenting basic concepts as well as detailed descriptions of each. It demonstrates how metaheuristics and evolutionary algorithms (EAs) can be used to help provide low-cost operations in the optimization process—allowing designers to put some "intelligence" or sophistication into the design. It also offers efficient and accurate information on dissemination algorithms topology management, and mobility models to address challenges in the field. Evolutionary Algorithms for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks : Instructs on how to identify, model, and optimize solutions to problems that arise in daily research Presents complete and up-to-date surveys on topics like network and mobility simulators Provides sample problems along with solutions/descriptions used to solve each, with performance comparisons Covers current, relevant issues in mobile networks, like energy use, broadcasting performance, device mobility, and more Evolutionary Algorithms for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks is an ideal book for researchers and students involved in mobile networks, optimization, advanced search techniques, and multi-objective optimization.


This article advocates that President Obama should act unilaterally to change how the Department of Defense (DoD) implements Don't Ask Don't Tell. It is a controversial position and not one generally supported even by those seeking to repeal the law. Given President Clinton's experience attempting to lift the ban on gays and lesbians openly serving in the armed forces, proponents of repeal are hesitant to suggest that President Obama act without first building consensus within the military and Congress. It is widely perceived that President Clinton's efforts to initiate change backfired, leading to the DoD's discriminatory policy being codified and slowing his legislative agenda. Conventional wisdom holds that to avoid the mistakes of the Clinton Administration, President Obama must not push Congress or the military too quickly. President Obama should not wait for Congress to act. He has both the constitutional and statutory authority to implement change immediately. In Part II, I discuss the historical context of Don't Ask Don't, specifically focusing on the lessons of the Clinton era and President Clinton's successful use of executive power to affect gay and lesbian service members. In Part III, I explain why President Obama must act pending congressional action, describing the status of repeal efforts in Congress and exploring potential barriers to success. I also explore the recent circuit court decisions on Don't Ask Don't Tell which interestingly set the stage for President Obama's first executive decision on the issue - whether to seek certiorari in Witt v. Air Force. Finally, Part IV provides examples of five amendments to the current DoD directives implementing the statute that would improve the lives of the estimated 65,000 gay and lesbian members serving under the shadow of the statute.


Fentanyl HCl is of particular interest in forensic cases but there is a notable gap in literature regarding its analysis. This study utilized a multi‐method approach to characterize fentanyl HCl powder, both fresh and following a forced degradation process. Using sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and direct injection gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), five compounds were identified in fresh fentanyl HCl powder. The identified compounds were: N‐phenylpropanamide, 1‐phenethyl‐4‐propionyloxypiperidine (1‐P‐4‐POP), 4‐anilino‐N‐phenethylpiperidine (4‐ANPP), acetylfentanyl, and fentanyl; all identified compounds but acetylfentanyl and fentanyl decreased in quantity as the sample was degraded. Fresh headspace samples analyzed with solid phase microextraction (SPME)‐GC–MS identified four compounds in common with the powder analyses: N‐phenylpropanamide,1‐P‐4‐POP, 4‐ANPP, and fentanyl. Acetylfentanyl was not present in the headspace samples, although two additional compounds were: N‐phenylacetamide and N‐phenethyl‐4‐piperidinone (NPP). Where direct analysis of degraded fentanyl HCl showed decreased quantities of the identified compounds, headspace samples of the degraded fentanyl HCl resulted in higher quantities, implying that the degradation process drove those compounds to volatilize. Notably, fentanyl was identified in the headspace, implying that this could be an appropriate target for standoff detection. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DCS) confirmed that the forced degradation process had little permanent effect on the powder.


Marked interindividual variability in expression of CYP3A4 influences the disposition of many endo- and xenobiotics, including the metabolism of steroids, environmental toxins and therapeutically useful drugs. The present study was designed to determine the genetic basis of CYP3A4 variability. We analysed DNA from 82 individuals with known CYP3A4 phenotype including 53 Caucasians and 21 African-American liver donors, seven individuals who were outliers in CYP3A4 metabolism and five individuals in a family of a poor nifedipine metabolizer. In addition, we analysed DNA from the eight person DNA Polymorphism Discovery Resource subset (Coriell Institute) and 89 individuals representing nine ethnic groups. Five non-synonymous mutations in the coding region of CYP3A4 were observed. CYP3A4*14 (T44C) in exon 1 resulted in an L15P change; CYP3A4*15 (G14387A) in exon 6 resulted in a R162Q substitution; CYP3A4*10 (G14422C) in exon 6 resulted in a D174H substitution; CYP3A4*16 (C15721G) in exon 7 resulted in a T185S amino acid substitution; and CYP3A4*12 (C22002T) in exon 11 resulted in a L373F change in the CYP3A4 protein. An additional six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5'-UTR, 13 SNPs in the introns and three SNPs in the 3'-UTR were observed. Extensive population differences were observed in the frequencies of various CYP3A4 alleles. None of the 28 CYP3A4 SNPs identified in CYP3A4 phenotyped persons (most individuals being heterozygous for any CYP3A4 variant) was associated with low hepatic CYP3A4 protein expression or low CYP3A4 activity in vivo.


Per-rectal portal scintigraphy using tech-netium-99m pertechnetate (99mTcO4-) was performed in 8 normal dogs before and after surgical creation of a portacaval shunt. Shunt fractions were calculated by computer assisted analysis of dynamic images (IMG) and compared to shunt fractions determined by mesenteric venous injection of radioactive microspheres (MIC). The mean pre-operative shunt fraction was 1.59% using IMG and 3.00% using MCI. The mean postoperative shunt fraction was 64.56% using IMG and 69.56% using MIC. There was excellent correlation between both methods (r2 0.94). Per-rectal portal scintigraphy is an easily performed, inexpensive method to diagnose and quantify portosystemic shunts in dogs.


Spectroscopic probes were utilized to study the interaction of GdnHCl with three model systems: poly-L-lysine (PLL), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and cytochrome c. Probing the chemically denatured states of proteins by FTIR is a novel technique, which has only recently been reported. To aid in the interpretation of the FTIR results, fluorescence and CD were employed. The use of deuterated solvents, i.e. Gdn-d 5 -DCl and D 2 O, simplified data processing and is recommended for FTIR studies of protein chemical denaturation. PLL, a random coil, was used to model the interaction between Gdn-d 5 -DCl and random structures. Spectroscopic evidence strongly suggested that Gdnd 5 -DCl associates with PLL, particularly with its lysyl side chains. The analysis of HRP indicated that it was not a suitable model due to complex time-dependent spectral changes. The study of cytochrome c in Gdn-d 5 -DCl revealed that the denaturant preferentially interacted with random structures. The denatured states of horse and tuna c were characterized and subtle differences between the two species were reported. Curvefitting of the FTIR amide I ' mode (1600-1700 cm -1 ) revealed that tuna c contained more residual structure in Gdn-d 5 -DCl than horse c. It was successfully demonstrated that FTIR is a powerful tool for probing the chemically denatured states of model protein systems, with potential applications for other biomolecules.


Background. The effectiveness of password usage in data security remains an area of high scrutiny. Literature findings do not inspire confidence in the use of passwords. Human factors such as the acceptance of and compliance with minimum standards of data security are considered significant determinants of effective data-security practices. However, human and technical factors alone do not provide solutions if they exclude the context in which the technology is applied. Objectives . To reflect on the outcome of a dissertation which argues that the minimum standards of effective password use prescribed by the information security sector are not suitable to the emergency-driven medical environment, and that their application as required by law raises new and unforeseen ethical dilemmas. Method . A close-ended questionnaire, the Picture Archiving and Communication System Confidentiality Scale (PAC-CS) was used to collect quantitative data from 115 health professionals employed in both a private radiology and a hospital setting. The PACS-CS sought to explore the extent of compliance with accepted minimum standards of effective password usage. Results . The percentage compliance with minimum standards was calculated. A significant statistical difference ( p <0.05) between the expected and observed data-security practices was recorded. Conclusion . The study interrogates the suitability of adherence to minimum standards of effective password usage in an emergency-driven medical environment and calls for much-needed debate in this area.


UNLABELLED
Despite recent advances in general supportive care, the mortality rate of patients with severe liver insufficiency remains high. Recently a new artificial liver support system MARS has been used for selective removal of albumin-bound toxins.

AIM
To assess the safety and efficacy of MARS treatment in patients with acute on chronic liver disease (n = 5) or liver failure after extended hepatic resection (n = 1).

DESIGN/PATIENTS
Six patients, aged 34-58 years, with severe liver insufficiency (mean MELD-score 31 (range 24-35)) were treated one to 16 times with the MARS system. At baseline three patients were intubated, three were encephalopathic (HE) and three had multifactorial kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
In all the patients MARS treatment significantly reduced the serum bilirubin levels. In three patients encephalopathy improved. In two patients the extracorporeal treatment precipitated a disseminated intravascular coagulation with clinically significant bleeding. Bridging to liver transplantation was possible in one patient, the other five patients died 30 days (2-74 days) after starting MARS therapy. Our case series shows that MARS treatment in general can be safely performed in patients with severe liver disease. However, in patients with an activated clotting system severe bleeding complication can be triggered and MARS treatment should be used very cautiously in these situations. MARS seems to be a promising new treatment option for patients with acute on chronic liver failure. However, carefully conducted randomized controlled trials are necessary to define its potential place in the treatment of patients with severe liver disease.


The last ten years has seen some fairly major educational reform for English schools. The introduction of Standard Assessment Tests as part of the National Curriculum in primary schools has led to a political drive to see more parents involved in their children's school learning. This is partly born out of educational and political concerns for the 'gaps' in children's school performances of different ethnic groups. This paper examines the ways in which parents attempt to understand how well their children are achieving in mathematics in culturally diverse settings. Borrowing from Gallimore and Goldenberg's (2001) 'cultural models' and 'cultural settings', as well as critical-developmental concepts of child development, this paper explores three parental sources of information: (i) the teacher, (ii) exam test results and (iii) constructions of child development. These theoretical positions open for scrutiny new and subjective dimensions of development, which include representations, meanings and experiences. The interviews with twenty-two parents revealed that whilst all of the parents expressed a wish for their children to do well, understanding their child's achievement is like putting together 'pieces of a puzzle' - leading parents to use sometimes intangible sources. Some sources were concrete, such as examination results. Other sources were symbolic, such as the representation of child development, and were less likely to be to be shared with the school community. Either way, these sources were open to parental interpretations and influenced by parents' own experiences and cultural representations.


The influence of air saturation and temperature on continuous citric acid secretion was studied in chemostat cultures of Candida oleophila ATCC 20177 (var.). Simultaneous measurements of intra- and extracellular concentration of glucose, citric and isocitric acid confirmed the involvement of a specific active transport system in citrate secretion, favouring citric acid over isocitrate. An optimum air oxygen saturation of 20% and temperature of 30-31oC were determined for the continuous citric acid secretion. The highest values of citric acid concentration (98 g/L), citrate to isocitrate ratio (33.3:1), volumetric citric productivity (1.8 g/(L x h)), and specific citric acid productivity (0.1 g/(g x h)), were reached at 20% air saturation at a residence time of 54 hrs by the experiment's lowest biomass of 18 g/L. The highest isocitic acid volumetric productivity (55.6 mg/(L x h)) and specific productivity (0.99 mg/(g x h)) were identified at 50%, instead. The fastest citrate excretion rate of the generic product of 0.046 g/(g*h) was found at 30-31oC. A concentration ratio between extra- and intracellular concentration of citrate of up to 9 was identified. The highest extra-/intracellular ratio of citrate and lowest intracellular concentrations of glucose, citric and isocitric acid were determined at optimum air saturation as a consequence of active citrate export.


This bibliographic review aimed at analyzing the abstracts of scientifi c articles about child and adolescent's quality of life. The data were collected at Medline and Lilacs, from 2000 to 2007. The sample consisted of 271 abstracts which were analyzed in the following aspects: year of publication, the country in which the study was carried out and type of study. We concluded that although the number of publication about the theme is increasing in the world, mainly in the United States of America, England and Brazil, there isn't still a lot of research on the subject. Keywords: Quality of life; Child; Adolescent


We present the general mechanism by which logical content, arranged in multiple interacting containers, can be typeset into a set of visual substrates. The overall algorithm is iterative, with the successive iterations refining a multidimensional context that parameterises the behavior of the algorithm. Each iteration consists of three parts. First, each visual substrate is informed which parts of which logical containers are to be placed thereon. Second, in parallel, the content placed in the substrates is typeset. Third, the resulting layout in each substrate is assessed for goodness, thereby resulting in the refinement to the overall context. In the talk, we will present the theory and the practice behind this algorithm.


Abstract According to Buchanan and Congleton (1998. Politics by Principle, Not Interest: Towards Nondiscriminatory Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), the generality principle in politics blocks special interests. Consequently, the generality principle should thereby promote economic efficiency. This study tests this hypothesis on wage formation and labor markets, by investigating whether generality defined as state neutrality could explain employment performance among OECD countries during 1970–2003. We identify three types of non-neutrality concerning unemployment. These include the level or degree of government interference in the wage bargaining process over and above legislation which facilitates mutually beneficial wage agreements, the constrained bargaining range (meaning the extent to which the state favors or blocks certain outcomes of the bargaining process), and the cost shifting (which relates to state interference shifting the direct or indirect burden of costs facing the parties on the labor market). Our overall hypothesis is that non-neutrality or non-generality increases unemployment rates. The empirical results from the general conditional model suggest that government intervention and a constrained bargaining range clearly increase unemployment, while a few of the cost shifting variables have unexpected effects. The findings thus give some, but definitely not unreserved, support for the generality principle as a method to promote economic efficiency. One implication may be that the principle should be amended by other requirements if the political process shall indeed be able to promote economic efficiency.


Introduction:Adrenal insufficiency may be common in adults and children with vasopressor-resistant shock. We developed a protocolized approach to low-dose adrenocorticotropin testing and empirical low-dose glucocorticoid/mineralocorticoid supplementation in children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome and persistent hypotension following fluid resuscitation and vasopressor infusion. Hypothesis:We hypothesized that absolute and relative adrenal insufficiency was common in children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome requiring vasopressor support and that steroid administration would be associated with decreased vasopressor need. Methods:Retrospective review of pediatric patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome and vasopressor-dependent shock receiving protocol-based adrenocorticotropin testing and low-dose steroid supplementation. The incidence of absolute and relative adrenal insufficiency was determined using several definitions. Vasopressor dose requirements were evaluated before, and following, initiation of corticosteroids. Results:Seventy-eight patients met inclusion criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome and shock; 40 had septic shock. Median age was 84 months (range, 0.5–295). By adrenocorticotropin testing, 44 (56%) had absolute adrenal insufficiency, 39 (50%) had relative adrenal insufficiency, and 69 (88%) had either form of adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency incidence was significantly higher in children >2 yrs (p = .0209). Therapeutic interventions included median 80-mL/kg fluid resuscitation; 65% of patients required dopamine, 58% norepinephrine, and 49% dopamine plus norepinephrine. With steroid supplementation, median dopamine dose decreased from 10 to 4 &mgr;g/kg/min at 4 hrs (p = .0001), and median dose of norepinephrine decreased from 0.175 &mgr;g/kg/min to 0.05 &mgr;g/kg/min at 4 hrs (p = .039). Conclusions:Absolute and relative adrenal insufficiency was prevalent in this cohort of children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome and vasopressor-dependent shock and increased with age. Introduction of steroids produced a significant reduction in vasopressor duration and dosage. Use of low-dose adrenocorticotropin testing may help further delineate populations who require steroid supplementation.


Wind energy, as a clean and renewable energy, is now being widely developed to reduce carbon dioxide production and mitigate the energy crisis. The urgent needs for wind energy motivate larger generators with lower cost, lower weight, and higher reliability. A popular solution is the direct-drive generator concept, such as a permanent magnet generator and superconducting (SC) generator. When referring to weight, volume, and cost, SC generators are superior to permanent magnet generators for wind turbines with rated power of 8 MW or more according to a report from the American National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In order to find out the suitable topology for megawatt-class direct-drive wind turbine generators, various designs of SC machines in literatures are carefully reviewed; advantages and disadvantages are discussed and a few ways to benefit from their advantages are pointed out. Electromagnetic, mechanical, and thermal structures, including excitation system, SC support system, cryogenic cooling system etc., are reviewed for wind SC machines. Design challenges and possible solutions are also summarized.


Environmental aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that originated in the English-speaking world and is developing in France. It aims to take a new look at how relationships with the environment are constructed. Often addressed from a landscaping, technical or scientific angle, such relationships have remained largely unaddressed from a cultural perspective, i.e., one that includes a series of practices and values that represent a human group. In this article, I will address environmental aesthetics and how they point up tensions between fixed and static visual representations of the environment in the future and representations that can accommodate ordinary encounters, relationships in the form of narratives, "life productions," anecdotes, and constantly changing values.[1]


We developed a process model LM3-TAN to assess the combined effects of direct human influences and climate change on terrestrial and aquatic nitrogen (TAN) cycling. The model was developed by expanding NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory land model LM3V-N of coupled terrestrial carbon and nitrogen (C-N) cycling and including new N cycling processes and inputs such as a soil denitrification, point N sources to streams (i.e., sewage), and stream transport and microbial processes. Because the model integrates ecological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes, it captures key controls of the transport and fate of N in the vegetation–soil–river system in a comprehensive and consistent framework which is responsive to climatic variations and land-use changes. We applied the model at 1/8° resolution for a study of the Susquehanna River Basin. We simulated with LM3-TAN stream dissolved organic-N, ammonium-N, and nitrate-N loads throughout the river network, and we evaluated the modeled loads for 1986–2005 using data from 16 monitoring stations as well as a reported budget for the entire basin. By accounting for interannual hydrologic variability, the model was able to capture interannual variations of stream N loadings. While the model was calibrated with the stream N loads only at the last downstream Susquehanna River Basin Commission station Marietta (40°02' N, 76°32' W), it captured the N loads well at multiple locations within the basin with different climate regimes, land-use types, and associated N sources and transformations in the sub-basins. Furthermore, the calculated and previously reported N budgets agreed well at the level of the whole Susquehanna watershed. Here we illustrate how point and non-point N sources contributing to the various ecosystems are stored, lost, and exported via the river. Local analysis of six sub-basins showed combined effects of land use and climate on soil denitrification rates, with the highest rates in the Lower Susquehanna Sub-Basin (extensive agriculture; Atlantic coastal climate) and the lowest rates in the West Branch Susquehanna Sub-Basin (mostly forest; Great Lakes and Midwest climate). In the re-growing secondary forests, most of the N from non-point sources was stored in the vegetation and soil, but in the agricultural lands most N inputs were removed by soil denitrification, indicating that anthropogenic N applications could drive substantial increase of N 2 O emission, an intermediate of the denitrification process.


Advances in genetic science are increasing the significance of genetic information within the contractual environment. While there may be an obligation upon governments to respond to this trend a number of problems may be associable with any attempt to do so that is centred on the concept of genetic discrimination as such.
An attempt to exclusively limit regulatory reform to the acquisition and use of specifically genetic information may prove ultimately indefensible: the nature of genetic information is likely to render any such reform either ineffective or unworkable in practice or prove it arbitrary in principle.
This position may be defended through a sustained look at what might conceivably be understood by the term 'genetic discrimination'. The term may, broadly speaking, be understood to refer to one of three kinds of discrimination.
Tracing the conceptual contours of genetic discrimination in a primary, secondary and tertiary sense helps to illustrate potential regulatory difficulties of both principle and practice.
If the identified practical problems are to be avoided then lines must be drawn not between the three 'kinds' of genetic discrimination described but rather through them. However, drawing a line through a particular concept of genetic discrimination (and of genetic information) involves undeniably excluding certain genetic information from the scope of the regulation.
If an unblinking focus upon the concept of genetic information per se demonstrates the limits of this concept as a focus of legislative reform then questions are raised as to the significance of 'genetic' interpretation to the raison d'etre of regulation. I conclude by proposing that, while advances in genetic science may provide the motivation, the most appropriate target of reform may not indeed be genetic information per se at all.


The Effect of Transition Word and Pre-Speaking Activities on Text Type: Moving from Intermediate to Advanced Speech Scott Donald Dohrman Center for Language Studies, BYU Master of Arts Over the past several years, much research has investigated the role of pre-task planning, including solitary, group, and teacher-led planning, on the variables of complexity, fluency, and accuracy in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. (Foster & Skehan, 1996; Gaillard, 2013; Geng & Ferguson, 2013). Additionally, other studies have investigated L2 learners' use of paragraphs and/or the role of conjunctions, i.e. transition words and expressions, in developing ideas and increasing cohesion (Mendelson, 2012; Rass, 2015). A gap remains, however, in seeing how pre-speaking and transition word activities together can promote proficiency in terms of text type, i.e. the move from word level speech and producing strings of sentences to paragraph level discourse. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining two teaching methods, namely Prelude to Conversation, or pre-speaking (Thompson, 2009), and transition word activities, to investigate the effect that these teaching methods have on increasing complexity and fluency among Intermediate-level learners of French. Complexity was measured by investigating the sub-components of total transition words, taught transition words, total clauses, words per clause, and total words. Fluency was measured by investigating the sub-components of time duration (total minutes) and words per minute. Furthermore, a case study illustrates the implications of increases in complexity and fluency for text type. Subjects were recruited from third semester French courses at Brigham Young University and were subsequently divided into three groups with each group receiving a different teaching method: Group 1 received transition word pre-activities, Group 2 received pre-speaking with a focus on content and forms needed to respond to the task, and Group 3 received a combination of both teaching methods. The study lasted four weeks with a Pre-Test in week one, followed by two weeks of treatments before completing the Post-Test in the fourth week. During the second and third weeks, each group received their respective treatments before responding to prompts that were identical for each group. Following the data collection, the speech samples were transcribed and analyzed for the sub-components of complexity and fluency. Results show, when comparing the Pre-Test to the Post-Test, that pre-speaking has a broader impact on complexity and fluency, either alone or when combined with transition word activities, impacting in particular total clauses, total words and response duration. When transition word activities were taught alone, there were greater gains in the use of taught transition words. The findings also demonstrate that even simply practicing providing oral responses regardless of treatment did help learners make overall increases that led to Post-Test responses (without scaffolding) that did not return to Pre-Test levels.


Gamification has been used in a wide variety of subject-specific education contexts. Examples of such usage in the Supply Chain Management (SCM) context include the oft-played beer distribution game, developed by MIT Sloan School of Management (Forrester, 1961), which simulates the coordination of typical problems in supply chain processes, promoting information sharing and collaboration throughout a supply chain (Sterman, 1984). Purchasing and Supply Management (PSM), a subset of this wider SCM area, focuses on the direct relationships between organisational buyers and suppliers, covering aspects such as establishing trust, identifying and selecting suitable suppliers, managing supplier performance and the overall relationship. A systematic review of the PSM gamified learning literature establishes that there has been limited research to date and that which there is tends to focus on quantitative representations of managing overall supply and demand, using wider SCM elements. This suggests that there are opportunities to gamify PSM learning, in particular focusing on the human element in PSM and developing soft skills, as strong buyer-supplier relationships can generate significant benefits to both parties. To provide a more focused PSM contribution, a second systematic literature review distils the relevant principles, techniques and processes to inform the development of two gamified PSM learning activities. Negotiation and supplier relationship management rely heavily on personal interactions and are both seen as key activities at different stages of the PSM process. The development of the two gamified learning activities is strengthened by being underpinned by a synthesis of the literature review's key findings, ensuring they are domain-meaningful abstractions of reality, contain rewards and rankings based on clear objectives and have appealing gameplay. It is hoped that this paper provides a platform for future domain specific PSM research and will be of use to educators in this field in developing their own gamified learning.


This article will consider the implications of the Yorkshire regional assessment for how we categorise, analyse and synthesise the past. It argues that we must transcend the existing frameworks, especially their chronological elements, if we are to fully engage with the evidence currently at our disposal, and do so in a way which takes account of all of its lacunae and limitations, yet details and potentials. This has implications not only for the UK, but for problems facing archaeologists across the world: how to organise, within a coherent framework, the rapidly accumulating masses of data generated by developer-led archaeology and its international equivalents in cultural resource management, and how to forge a stronger relationship between the academic and curatorial spheres of archaeological endeavour.


For sufficiently low abatement costs many countries might undertake significant emission reductions even without any international agreement on emission reductions. We consider a situation where a coalition of countries does not cooperate on emission reductions but cooperates on the development of new, climate friendly technologies that reduce the costs of abatement. The equilibrium size of such a coalition, as well as equilibrium emissions, depends on the distribution across countries of their willingness to pay for emission reductions. Increased willingness to pay for emissions reductions for any group of countries will reduce (or leave unchanged) the equilibrium coalition size. However, the effect of such an increase in aggregate willingness to pay on equilibrium emissions is ambiguous.


The Influenza A virus leads to yearly epidemics and occasional world-wide pandemics, as with the Spanish Influenza of 1918. The frequent mutation rate of the virus mandates that new vaccines be created often. Additionally, acquired resistance to antiviral drugs makes them less effective over time. Cellular targets, that have a much lower rate of mutation, provide possible targets for new therapies that can withstand viral genetic drift. The goal of this study was to identify possible cellular targets which modulate the function of the M2 viral protein, and therefore affect the replication cycle. To obtain this goal, the second-site modifier screen in Drosophila melanogaster was employed to test approximately 1,200 gene disruptions for their effects on M2 activity. To first establish the model system as a reliable testing tool, flies expressing M2 were exposed to amantadine, a known M2 blocker. It was shown that M2 functions as an ion channel in the fly, as in human hosts; and, that amantadine blocks this activity, thus supporting our use of the model system. Subsequently, the mutant stocks were screened for changes in rough eye phenotype of M2 expressing flies, followed by control verifications. Of the stocks screened 9 candidates were selected for future studies. These genes represent possible cellular targets for future antiviral therapies.


The pattern of systematic labor degradation created by the global regime of neoliberalism has brought crisis to labor movements in both the U.s. and China. As predatory capital has advanced - supported for nearly 30 years to accumulate profit in a largely unregulated environment (China) or deregulating environment (US and EU) - the formal labor movement has responded weakly. But, quite unexpectedly, it can be argued trends within Chinese society are emerging that could counter the hegemony of foot-loose capital... while, by comparison, US workers are ever more unprotected and powerless. Chinese labor law, for example, is being systematically strengthened, and wage packets and social security benefits are rising (as compared, notably, to those of western industrial economies). This article will briefly examine the nature of both the US and Chinese labor movements during defining periods of the 1950s-70s, the 80s-90s and the current decade, drawing many frequently unrecognized - parallels.


Barbara Smith and Carl Mason are healthcare administrators: Barbara was a seasoned and experienced professional, while Carl was a young healthcare administrator whose first leadership experience was serving cancer patients receiving intravenous (IV) chemotherapy at a regional medical facility. Carl experienced growth in the areas of alternative medicine, teamwork, leadership, and communications as he struggled to change the social interactions among patients by providing mentally stimulating/stress reducing activities to patients facing life-threatening diseases. This case highlights the experiences of Barbara and Carl in the areas of leadership, teamwork, and communication strategies and how healthcare administrators can utilize these strategies to improve the care of patients receiving IV chemotherapy. Carl and Barbara demonstrate how new healthcare management can engage patients, family members, and the healthcare team to improve healthcare delivery mechanisms with innovative ways of thinking about patient care.