Metamorphic core complexes in the D9Entrecasteaux Islands are forming as a result of active extension at the western end of the Woodlark Basin spreading center. High-grade metamorphic rocks exist in the cores of gneissic domes, including eclogites formed at minimum depths of 45-75 km (i.e., 13-21 kbar). High temperatures were maintained during uplift of basement rocks from 13-21 kbar ( T ≈ 730-900 °C) through 7-11 kbar ( T ≈ 570-730 °C) to ∼5-6 kbar ( T ≈ 730 °C). Subsequent rapid cooling (>>100 °C/m.y.) of the basement occurred between 1 and 2 Ma (on the basis of 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology). The core-zone rocks were transected by kilometre-scale, amphibolite-facies ductile shear zones active at depths of 25-35 km. Extensive intrusion of granodiorite plutons occurred, and the age of granodiorite intrusions constrains late-stage shear-zone activity to ∼2 Ma and younger. Unroofing was accomplished by faults and shear zones bounding the gneiss domes, juxtaposing them against ultramafic rocks and sedimentary deposits. Surface uplift continues today and has led to topographic elevations of up to 2.5 km.


An all-in-one reference to the major Home Area Networking, Building Automation and AMI protocols, including 802.15.4 over radio or PLC, 6LowPAN/RPL, ZigBee 1.0 and Smart Energy 2.0, Zwave, LON, BACNet, KNX, ModBus, mBus, C.12 and DLMS/COSEM, and the new ETSI M2M system level standard. In-depth coverage of Smart-grid and EV charging use cases.This book describes the Home Area Networking, Building Automation and AMI protocols and their evolution towards open protocols based on IP such as 6LowPAN and ETSI M2M. The authors discuss the approach taken by service providers to interconnect the protocols and solve the challenge of massive scalability of machine-to-machine communication for mission-critical applications, based on the next generation machine-to-machine ETSI M2M architecture. The authors demonstrate, using the example of the smartgrid use case, how the next generation utilities, by interconnecting and activating our physical environment, will be able to deliver more energy (notably for electric vehicles) with less impact on our natural resources.Key Features:Offers a comprehensive overview of major existing M2M and AMI protocols Covers the system aspects of large scale M2M and smart grid applications Focuses on system level architecture, interworking, and nationwide use casesExplores recent emerging technologies: 6LowPAN, ZigBee SE 2.0 and ETSI M2M, and for existing technologies covers recent developments related to interworkingRelates ZigBee to the issue of smartgrid, in the more general context of carrier grade M2M applications Illustrates the benefits of the smartgrid concept based on real examples, including business casesThis book will be a valuable guide for project managers working on smartgrid, M2M, telecommunications and utility projects, system engineers and developers, networking companies, and home automation companies. It will also be of use to senior academic researchers, students, and policy makers and regulators.


Growing up with foster siblings, the children of foster parents have experienced fostering from a different perspective which has continued to impact them throughout their lives. In this qualitative study, the experiences of 12 daughters of foster parents (aged 20–33 years) are explored, along with how they cope with their fostering experiences. Open-ended interviews, demographic questionnaires, object sharing, photographing the object, photo-feedback, and memo-writing were included within the data collection process. Data analysis included initial coding, focused coding, and memo-writing. Dedoose, a data management system, was used to assist in analysing the multiple data sources. Findings reveal that the daughters of foster parents are exposed to multiple foster sibling relationships due to the temporary nature of foster care. To protect their emotional well-being, these participants become apprehensive about developing relationships with new foster siblings, as well as with friends and romantic partners. Participating daughters sought emotional support from their mothers who established a strong, stable, and supportive relationship with them. Recommendations for foster parents and social workers are suggested.


Beyond convergence studies and comparison of different codes, there are essentially no controls on the accuracy in the non-linear regime of cosmological N body simulations, even in the dissipationless limit. We propose and explore here a simple test which has not been previously employed: when cosmological codes are used to simulate an isolated overdensity, they should reproduce, in physical coordinates, those obtained in open boundary conditions without expansion. In particular, the desired collisionless nature of the simulations can be probed by testing for stability in physical coordinates of virialized equilibria. We investigate and illustrate the test using a suite of simulations in an Einstein de Sitter cosmology from initial conditions which rapidly settle to virial equilibrium. We find that the criterion of stable clustering allows one to determine, for given particle number N in the "halo" and force smoothing ", a maximum red-shift range over which the collisionless limit may be represented with desired accuracy. We also compare our results to the so-called Layzer Irvine test, showing that it provides a weaker, but very useful, tool to constrain the choice of numerical parameters. Finally we outline in some detail how these methods could be employed to test the choice of the numerical parameters used in a cosmological simulation.


Abstract An approach is described for hydrological, geochemical, and ecological process modeling in assessing the migration pathways of radionuclides from a repository for radioactive waste in crystalline bedrock back to the surface environment where dose to individual humans can occur. The approach is based on the characterization residence times in geologic media of a unit pulse of 135Cs released from the repository. Performance assessment modeling of geosphere transport processes generally focuses on the properties of the host rock (crystalline bedrock in this case). Our approach includes a detailed representation of the quaternary deposits that overlie the bedrock. Although water residence times in quaternary deposits can be short, geochemical reactions, predominantly sorption, can increase solute residence times significantly. Moreover, the quaternary deposits govern the pathways to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are of utmost importance for the assessment of doses to individual humans.


With the advancement of solid-state devices for lighting, illumination is on the verge of being completely restructured. This revolution comes with numerous advantages and viable opportunities that can transform the world of wireless communications for the better. Solid-state LEDs are rapidly replacing the contemporary incandescent and fluorescent lamps. In addition to their high energy efficiency, LEDs are desirable for their low heat generation, long lifespan, and their capability to switch on and off at an extremely high rate. The ability of switching between different levels of luminous intensity at such a rate has enabled the inception of a new communication technology referred to as visible light communication (VLC). With this technology, the LED lamps are additionally being used for data transmission. This paper provides a tutorial and a survey of VLC in terms of the design, development, and evaluation techniques as well as current challenges and their envisioned solutions. The focus of this paper is mainly directed towards an indoor setup. An overview of VLC, theory of illumination, system receivers, system architecture, and ongoing developments are provided. We further provide some baseline simulation results to give a technical background on the performance of VLC systems. Moreover, we provide the potential of incorporating VLC techniques in the current and upcoming technologies such as fifth-generation (5G), beyond fifth-generation (B5G) wireless communication trends including sixth-generation (6G), and intelligent reflective surfaces (IRSs) among others.


This paper assesses the role that monetary policy plays in the decision to default using a General Equilibrium model with collateralized loans, trade in fiat money and production. Longterm nominal loans are backed by collateral, the value of which depends on monetary policy. The decision to default is endogenous and depends on the relative value of the collateral to face value of the loan. Default results in foreclosure, higher borrowing costs, inefficient investment and a decrease in total output. We show that pre-crisis contractionary monetary policy interacts with Fisherian debt-deflation dynamics and can increase the probability that a crisis occurs.


Magma degassing, characterized by changes in permeability and porosity distribution, has a crucial control on the style of eruption. During ascent, magma might develop large porosities and crystallize while it is subjected to shear. Shear, in turn, enhances complex fabrics that result from the reorganization of the different phases (crystals, gas, melt). Such fabrics have not yet been evaluated experimentally on a three-phase system. We performed torsion experiments on a synthetic crystal-rich hydrous magma at subsolidus conditions with 11 vol% porosity to establish a link between strain partitioning and porosity redistribution. Crystals induce non-Newtonian deformation, resulting in localization of the shear strain. Three-dimensional microtomography and two-dimensional scanning electron microscope imaging show gas accumulation in local microstructures caused by shear-induced crystal fabric. Our data show that strain localization is a mechanism that could enable magma degassing at very low vesicularity.


Worldwide, coastal, and deltaic communities are susceptible to flooding from the individual and combined effects of rainfall excess and astronomic tide and storm surge inundation. Such flood events are a present (and future) cause of concern as observed from recent storms such as the 2016 Louisiana flood and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. To assess flood risk across coastal landscapes, it is advantageous to first delineate flood transition zones, which we define as areas susceptible to hydrologic and coastal flooding and their collective interaction. We utilize numerical simulations combining rainfall excess and storm surge for the 2016 Louisiana flood to describe a flood transition zone for southeastern Louisiana. We show that the interaction of rainfall excess with coastal surge is nonlinear and less than the superposition of their individual components. Our analysis provides a foundation to define flooding zones across coastal landscapes throughout the world to support flood risk assessments.


Background: Article extracted from the doctoral research entitled "Experiences of the infertility phenomenon by patients suffering from Turner syndrome and variants: a clinical-qualitative study" approved by the University of Campinas. Objectives: To understand the defenses employed by women suffering from TS and different ways of dealing with the disease. Method: Qualitative research with exploratory design, non-experimental. The instrument consisted of a semidirect psychological interview, involving 13 women, undergoing semestral medical follow-up at the Center for Integral Attention to Women's Health (CAISM), and whose sampling was determined by saturation. Data was interpreted using the psychodynamic approach along with an eclectic framework of theoretical references for discussion in the spirit of interdisciplinary approach. Results: These women displayed psychosocial conflicts such as difficulties in interpersonal relationships; feelings of resignation, anger, impotence, devaluation and depression symptoms. Defenses used were: repression, denial, annulment, fantasizing, adaptation and sublimation. Discussion: Women suffering from TS and variants must deal with the disease's organic and psychic implications that cause great suffering and often hinder a saner social insertion. In this case, the study's findings can guide ambulatory psychological support concomitantly to the routine clinical protocol.


Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of the flow around a cylinder undergoing vortex-induced vibration (VIV) at Re = 3900 (defined as Re = U∞D/v, where U∞ is the inlet flow velocity, D is the diameter of the cylinder and v is the fluid kinematic viscosity) are performed using Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Detailed mesh and time-step convergence studies are carried out for the flow past a stationary cylinder to obtain the optimal mesh and time step. The validation studies are performed by comparing the present results with the previous published experimental data and numerical results to confirm feasibility of the present numerical model for predicting the wake characteristics. The numerical model is then applied to investigate the flow around a self-excited cylinder vibrating in the cross-flow direction at three different reduced velocity. The effects of the reduced velocity are analyzed based on the cross-flow vibration amplitudes, the power spectral densities of lift and drag coefficients and the wake flow coherent structures. Different vortex shedding modes are identified and categorized using the iso-surfaces of the pressure coefficient and the Q-criterion. The dominant 3D wake flow features are extracted and discussed by carrying out the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) for flow velocities on multiple two-dimensional (2D) sampling planes in the wake region. The modes on the XY planes display a traveling-wave behavior and the modes on the XZ planes shows cells of streamwise vortices, which displays the three-dimensionality of the wake flow.


We have examined the UG1 and UG2 chromitites, the Bastard Reef, and ultramafic rocks in the footwall of the Merensky Reef that are possibly correlatives to the Pseudoreef, in drill core at Impala platinum mine. The UG2 consists of a 66 cm main seam and, ca 5 m above the UG2, four subsidiary seams with a combined thickness of 30 cm. The UG1 consists of a 112 cm main seam and, in its hanging- and foot wall, 50 subsidiary seams/stringers with a combined thickness of 91 cm. The UG2 main seam contains 2111 ppb Pt, 1214 ppb Pd, 362 ppb Ru, and 98 ppb Ir, with the subsidiary seams containing broadly similar PGE levels. The UG1 main seam contains 628 ppb Pt, 265 ppb Ru, and 45 ppb Ir over 112 cm, but only 13 ppb Pd. The subsidiary seams have variable compositions broadly overlapping with the main seam. Well defined positive correlations between Pt and Pd with the IPGE suggest that in the chromitites the PGE were originally concentrated by a sulfide liquid. In both the UG2 and the UG1 chromitites the highest PGE contents occur at the top and bottom of the seams, analogous to other localities in the Bushveld Complex. Such element distribution patterns resemble those in certain dykes interpreted to result from flow differentiation, suggesting that the seams formed via injection of chromite slurries into their semi-consolidated footwall cumulates, possibly during sagging of the centre of the complex in response to emptying of staging chambers at depth. Down-dip sliding of the semi-consolidated cumulates was also responsible for the phase layering of the chromitites, as represented by the sharp top and bottom contacts of the seams, and the extremely well defined correlation between PGE and chromitites. One of the last processes during cumulate solidification involved removal of some of the sulfur from the chromitites by late magmatic and/or hydrothermal fluids. Pd and Cu have also been mobilized locally (particularly in the UG1 chromitite), but the other PGE appear to have been largely immobile.


This paper sets out to survey, from the perspective of a working historical linguist, some issues which arise when one tries to conceptualize in some rational way the relationship between the two most crucial developments in the study of sound change in the past 150 years: the Neogrammarian hypothesis regarding the regularity of sound change and the 'phoneticist' hypothesis, which grounds sound change in the facts of human speech perception and production. In asserting that these are the most significant developments in this area I am of course expressing a firm belief that there is something fundamentally correct about these approaches. If they are both accurate in some deep sense, then it is important that we understand in just which ways they can or cannot be combined into one coherent picture of the world. This paper represents some preliminary consideration of this issue.


The number of Peary caribou ( Rangifer tarandus pearyi ) on the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canadian High Arctic, is at an all-time known low. Yet some populations are still hunted, and there is no adequate monitoring program in place to determine the consequences. We evaluate information from the Peary caribou population on the south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands as a standard for an accurate and realistic assessment of what controls Peary caribou population dynamics. Between 1973 and 1997, major population crashes related to severe winter or spring weather are known to have occurred on the south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands in four caribou-years (i.e., 1 July–30 June). Population losses were 67% in 1973–74, 33% in 1994–95, 78% in 1995–96, and 83% in 1996–97. There is no evidence for direct density-dependent responses during either the favorable weather years of population growth or during any one of the years with a disastrous die-off. It appears that Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands are living in a non-equilibrium grazing system driven mainly by abiotic factors (emergent properties), particularly by exceptionally unfavorable snow or ice conditions. Changing levels of predation by the High Arctic gray wolf (Canis lupus arctos) compound the uncertainty. In this High Arctic ecosystem, non-equilibrium–governed population dynamics plus wolf predation represents an appropriate conceptual model for Peary caribou populations on the Canadian High Arctic islands. The application of our findings to decision making, together with an adequate monitoring program by the responsible agencies, would promote the biological management and ecological conservation of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands.


This paper focuses on the design and construction of an optimization charging system for Li-Po batteries by means of tracked solar panels. Thus, the implementation of a complete energy management system applied to a robotic exploration vehicle is put forward. The proposed system was tested on the VANTER robotic platform-an autonomous unmanned exploration vehicle specialized in recognition. The interest of this robotic system lies in the design concept, based on a smart host microcontroller. On this basis, our proposal makes a twofold significant contribution. On the one hand, it presents the construction of a solar tracking mechanism aimed at increasing the rover's power regardless of its mobility. On the other hand, it proposes an alternative design of power system performance based on a pack of two batteries. The aim is completing the process of charging a battery independently while the other battery provides all the energy consumed by the robotic vehicle.


The successful establishment of dipterocarp tree species especially in problematic lands is a challenge since it is still poorly understood. The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the addition of N, P, and K to Yakal-yamban (Shorea falciferoides Foxw.), a critically endangered dipterocarp tree species, grown in a soil derived from an ophiolitic rock. The seedlings were grown in pots inside a screenhouse and then subjected to the following treatments: control, NPK, NP, PK, and NK. Results revealed that NPK addition generally enhanced the growth of Yakal-yamban in the problematic soil, six (6) months after transplanting, particularly in terms of leaf area, biomass increment and allocation in the leaves. The allocation was enhanced in treatments that receive P, in addition to N, NK, or K suggesting that P was the most limiting nutrient in the problematic soil used. The study also revealed the occurrence of ectomycorrhiza in Yakal-yamban where P was not applied. The results imply that NPK addition is a potential nutrient management strategy for the seedling establishment of Yakal-yamban in problematic soils.


Efficient computer programming is becoming a central requirement in quantitative Earth science education. This applies not only to the early career stage but—due to the rapid evolution of programming paradigms—also throughout professional life. At universities, workshops, or any software training events, efficient practical programming exercises are hampered by the heterogeneity of hardware and software setups of participants. Jupyter notebooks offer an attractive solution by providing a platform‐independent concept and allowing the combination of text‐editing, program execution, and plotting. Here, we document a growing library with dozens of Jupyter notebooks for training in seismology. The library is made "live" through a server that allows accessing and running the notebooks in the browser on any system (PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone), provided there is internet access. The library seismo‐live contains notebooks on many aspects of seismology, including data processing, computational seismology, and earthquake physics, as well as reproducible papers and graphics. It is a community effort and is intended to benefit from continuous interaction with seismologists around the world.


A double-label protocol was used to estimate the extent of leakage and relocation artifacts that affect exocrine pancreatic proteins in cell fractionation experiments. Guinea pig pancreatic lobules were pulsed in vitro with a mixture of 14C-amino acids to enable the lobules to produce and process endogenously labeled exocrine proteins. At the end of the pulse (10 min) or after an appropriate chase interval, the lobules were homogenized in 0.3 M sucrose to which a complete mixture of 3H-labeled exocrine pancreatic proteins was added as an exogenous tracer. The distribution of both labels was studied in each cell fraction of interest at the level of TCA-insoluble proteins and individual exocrine proteins resolved by using a two-dimensional gel system. Based on the premises that the exogenous and endogenous label behave identically during homogenization-fractionation and that all endogenously labeled exocrine proteins found in the postmicrosomal supernate come from intracellular compartments ruptured during tissue homogenization, a series of equations was derived to quantitate leakage and adsorption and to define the ratio of endogenous label still in its primary location to total label (primary location index or PLI) for each cell fraction. Leakage was found to be uniform for all exocrine proteins, but unequal in extent from different cell compartments (condensing vacuoles is greater than zymogen granules is greater than rough endoplasmic reticulum) ; it increased with exposure to shearing forces especially in the case of zymogen granules and condensing vacuoles, and was substantially reduced from rough microsomes by adding 10 mM KCl to the homogenization media. Relocation of exogenous label by adsorption to other subcellular components was extensive (approximately 55%), uneven (free polysomes is greater than rough microsomes is greater than smooth microsomes and zymogen granules), preferential (cationic proteins are massively adsorbed to ribosomes and membranes, resulting in a complementary enrichment of the post-microsomal supernate with anionic exocrine proteins), and reversible (with successive 50-100 mM KCl washes). After correction for adsorption and leakage, the kinetics of intracellular transport derived from cell fractionation data were found to be nearly identical to those obtained from quantitative autoradiographic studies.


Ultrasonic guided waves are routinely incorporated by industries for pipeline testing. Both guided wave energy tuning upon excitation and signal interpretation upon reception are important for discontinuity detection in pipes. Active phased array systems for long-range pipe inspection are available. Choosing active phased array or synthetic focusing is often necessary for improved testing speed, as well as overall penetration power. In this paper, two synthetic focusing techniques were utilized for discontinuity detection in a pipe. One synthetic focusing technique used time delays, while the other technique utilized a mode extraction and back-propagation scheme. Synthetic focusing techniques use either axisymmetric loading or partial loadings to generate guided waves and receive the waves by individual segments. Synthetic focusing is achieved by data analysis of the received signals, so it is faster to carry out a total focal scan for a pipeline by employing a synthetic focusing technique than by using the active focusing technique. This study shows that the time delay synthetic focusing technique yielded more accurate results for discontinuity detection and localization in a 101.6 mm steel pipe with four channels, while the back-propagation technique gave better discontinuity imaging results of a 203.2 mm steel pipe with eight channels. Both methods are useful.


The implementation of effective and appropriate protection actions is frequently hindered by lack of thorough knowledge on species ecology especially in the case of endemic, vulnerable and elusive species.
Using a recently updated and unpublished dataset describing the spatial distribution of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) in its northern range (French Pyrenees), an Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) was conducted to provide a quantitative estimate of local habitat use by this endangered semi-aquatic mammal. A comparative approach was used to investigate potential differences in habitat use among the three main hydrological regions of the French Pyrenees.
The Pyrenean desman was identified as a marginal and specialist species concerning the selection of its local habitat in the French Pyrenees. Key habitat variables corresponded mainly to river-bed characteristics (i.e. high heterogeneity of shelters and river substrates, fast flowing water facies, low amounts of fine sediment) and river-bank characteristics (i.e. high proportion of rocks, low proportion of earth). A difference in habitat selection between the three hydrological regions of the French Pyrenees was also highlighted. A decrease in marginality and specialization from west to east as well as differences in habitat variables driving the ecological niche of the Pyrenean desman and its range suggested a spatial structure in desman populations regarding local ecological factors.
These results stress the importance of effective and sustainable river management for the habitat quality of this endangered species and also demonstrate the importance of taking into account the variability in habitat preferences that can exist between geographically distinct populations. This finding has important implications for conservation planning that should thus be conducted at the population level instead of the traditional species level in order to target the specific needs of each hydrological region.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


ABSTRACT The authors present a programmed experiment to automatically generate art in the style of Kandinsky during his Bauhaus years. The program the authors developed analyzes the artist's paintings based on his art theories and the authors' own understanding and observations of his artworks. The authors describe the generation process in detail and share and discuss sample generated images styled according to four of Kandinsky's paintings. By pseudorandomizing various parameters, the program is able to make each styled image it generates unique. The authors' approach is highly scalable, limited only by the memory space set in the programming language Processing, which is used for the generation. Potential impacts of the authors' approach are also discussed.


Cooperative diversity systems have been recently proposed as a solution to provide spatial diversity for terminals where multiple antennas are not feasible to be implemented. As in MIMO systems, space-time codes can be used to efficiently exploit the increase in capacity provided in cooperative diversity systems. In this paper we propose a two-layer linear dispersion (LD) code for cooperative diversity systems and derive a simulation-based optimization algorithm to optimize the LD code and power allocation in terms of block error rate. The proposed code design paradigm can obtain optimal codes under arbitrary fading statistics. The effect that distances between source, relays, and destination terminals have on the energy allocation between the broadcast and cooperative intervals is also studied.


The end-Cretaceous mass extinction (66 Ma) has long been associated with the Chicxulub impact on the Yucatan Peninsula. However, consensus on the age of this impact has remained controversial because of differing interpretations on the stratigraphic position of Chicxulub impact spherules relative to the mass extinction horizon. One side argues that the impact occurred precisely at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, thus coinciding with the mass extinction; the other side argues that the impact predated the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, based on the discovery of primary impact spherules deposits in NE Mexico and Texas near the base of planktic foraminiferal zone CF1, dated at 170 k.y. before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. A recent study of the most pristine Chicxulub impact spherules discovered on Gorgonilla Island, Colombia, suggested that they represent a primary impact deposit with an absolute age indistinguishable from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Here, we report on the Gorgonilla section with the main objective of evaluating the nature of deposition and age of the spherule-rich layer relative to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.The Gorgonilla section consists of light gray-yellow calcareous siliceous mudstones (pelagic deposits) alternating with dark olive-brown litharenites (turbidites). A 3-cm-thick dark olive-green spherule-rich layer overlies an erosional surface separating Maastrichtian and Danian sediments. This layer consists of a clast-supported, normally graded litharenite, with abundant Chicxulub impact glass spherules, lithics (mostly volcanic), and Maastrichtian as well as Danian microfossils, which transitions to a calcareous mudstone as particle size decreases. Mineralogical analysis shows that this layer is dominated by phyllosilicates, similar to the litharenites (turbidites) that characterize the section. Based on these results, the spherule-rich layer is interpreted as a reworked early Danian deposit associated with turbiditic currents. A major hiatus (>250 k.y.) spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and the earliest Danian is recorded at the base of the spherule-rich layer, based on planktic foraminiferal and radiolarian biostratigraphy and carbon stable isotopes. Erosion across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary has been recorded worldwide and is generally attributed to rapid climate changes, enhanced bottom-water circulation during global cooling, sea-level fluctuations, and/or intensified tectonic activity. Chicxulub impact spherules are commonly reworked and redeposited into younger sediments overlying a Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary hiatus of variable extent in the Caribbean, Central America, and North Atlantic, while primary deposits are rare and only known from NE Mexico and Texas. Because of their reworked nature, Gorgonilla spherules provide no stratigraphic evidence from which the timing of the impact can be inferred.


Educational technologists will want to consider how the use of wireless technology can
enhance education and, in particular, what staff development is required to help make
effective use of the new opportunities that wireless technology has to offer. More
specifically representing wireless technology is wireless LAN that is a method of
linking computers together without using cables. Until recently computers could only be
effectively networked using wires. However, this can now be done using radio signals
or infrared light.
This journal report discusses what a wireless LAN is and the issues that are involved in
determining whether a wireless LAN is appropriate for any institution. It describes how
to go about implementing a wireless LAN and looks at the educational opportunities
which the uses of wireless LANs open up for colleges and universities.
The educational benefits of wireless LANs are most likely to accrue in courses that
require all students to have a laptop. This so-called 'ubiquitous computing' with
wireless connectivity opens up new educational possibilities which are beginning to be
explored.
Evidence suggests that this technology enhances collaborative work and is bringing new
teaching methods into the classroom. In almost all situations wireless LANs will be
used in conjunction with wired LANs to maximize the benefits for the college or
university/school. Wireless LAN use will continue to grow and become more important
over the next five years, by which time it will be as unthinkable for a college or
university/school not to have a wireless LAN as it is for a college or university/school
not to have a LAN now. They will continue to supplement wired LANs, which will
always have an important role to play, both providing the backbone within campuses.


Urban infrastructure relations are composed of the necessary transmission channels and facilities for a healthy and sustainable urban environment in terms of space and society in a settlement. The existence of a healthy and sustainable urban environment could only occur by reducing the problems of infrastructure relations to a minimum level, by abolishing these problems and taking precautions for the possible ones, and by analyzing these problems correctly. Correctly interpreting and classifying the data about infrastructure problems and taking them into consideration in the decision making process are as important as the data gathering process. The EU has determined four important strategic aims for "sustainable urban development". One of these aims is the physical conditions, and infrastructure. In order to achieve these aims, a relation between urban infrastructures, urban planning decisions, and the construction of the superstructure must be established. The term "infrastructure systems" is commonly used for stating sewage projects, drinking water, electricity, natural gas, telephone, and telecommunication projects like cable TV. Infrastructure, symbolizing the development level of a country, is a topic that directly affects the health standards, the life standards, and the environment quality of people. Therefore, it is impossible to overlook infrastructure in creating a composed urbanization. In this paper, the urban infrastructure factor in Turkey will be elaborated in the context of urban growth, and particularly the planning process, in terms of the planning levels that are defined by law. The problems will be determined and will be opened to discussion.


Let $F$ be a germ of analytic transformation of $(\bold C^p,0)$. We say that $F$ is semi-attractive at the origin, if $F'_{(0)}$ has one eigenvalue equal to 1 and if the other ones are of modulus strictly less than 1. The main result is: either there exists a curve of fixed points, or $F-\operatorname{Id}$ has multiplicity $k$ and there exists a domain of attraction with $k-1$ petals. We study also the case where $F$ is a global isomorphism of $\bold C^2$ and $F-\operatorname{Id}$ has multiplicity $k$ at the origin. This work has been inspired by two papers: one of P. Fatou (1924) and the other one of T. Ueda (1986).


Stress and anxiety have been implicated as contributors to many chronic diseases and to decreased quality of life, even with pharmacologic treatment. Efforts are underway to find non-pharmacologic therapies to relieve stress and anxiety, and yoga is one option for which results are promising. The focus of this review is on the results of human trials assessing the role of yoga in improving the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety. A significant decrease in stress and/or anxiety symptoms when a yoga regimen was implemented; however, many of the studies were also hindered by limitations, such as small study populations, lack of randomization, and lack of a control group. Biochemical and physiological markers of stress and anxiety, but yielded inconsistent support of yoga for relief of stress and anxiety. Evaluation of the current primary literature is suggestive of benefits of yoga in relieving stress and anxiety, but further investigation into this relationship using large, well-defined populations, adequate controls, randomization and long duration should be explored before recommending yoga as a treatment option.


The goal of this research is to analyze developments in employment and employment characteristics during the current crisis in Croatia. The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) The primary (aggregate) mode of adjustment to the crisis was a decline in employment. There are, however, considerable differences in adjustment patterns across economic activities. (2) During the crisis, jobs were lost in the, more dynamic, private sector, while the number of jobs in the public sector (entities in state ownership) slightly increased. (3) Economic activities with comparatively larger shares of women in employment have experienced fewer employment cuts and the aggregate employment share of women rose during the crisis, especially in activities with a larger share of public sector workers.(4) There has been a declining share of younger workers during the crisis, justifying policy actions to facilitate their employment. (5) Employees with comparatively lower educational attainment face severe challenges in the labor market, which is a longer term trend, not specific to the crisis period. There are indications that this group of employees enjoys a higher level of protection in the public sector. (6) Analysis also shows a rising significance of more flexible forms of employment: increasing shares of fixed term employees (during the last two observed years), and of part time workers. (7) Working hours do not exhibit any strong trends specific to the crisis, except for the diminishing number of overtime hours per worker.


In order  to study the effect of drought stress on some growth indices of oil sunflower cultivars, a study was conducted in Isfahan. The experiment was conducted as split plots in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications in Isfahan (51° 48' E, 32° 40' N).Main plots were drought stress in four levels (80, 100, 120, and 140 mm evaporation from evaporation pan class A and cultivars were sub plots (Sirena, Record, Euroflore). Total dry weight, leaf area index, net assimilation rate and crop growth rate were measured. Results showed that total dry matter, leaf area index, net assimilation rate and crop growth rate were decreased by drought increasing from 80 to 140mm.  The least evaporation (80mm) had the highest amount of mentioned traits. Among cultivars, Record had higher total dry weight because of having growth period and then higher LAI, stem dry weight, leaf dry weight and capitulum dry weight but it had lower NAR and CGR because of higher LAI and shading of upper leaves, then it is recommended to use Record cultivar.


Transfer of fatty acids across biological membranes is a largely uncharacterized process. In unicellular organisms, like Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae vectorial acylation by acyl-activating enzymes is discussed as mechanism for fatty acid transport. In the present work, studies on the only acyl-acyl-carrier protein synthetase SynAas of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with regard to fatty acid transport were performed. Cells deficient in SynAas were highly resistant to externally provided α-linolenic acid. Upon treatment with external α-linolenic acid the wild type showed continuous accumulation of α-linolenic acid in cellular lipids and as free fatty acid in the cell. Long-term incubation with α-linolenic acid for 10 hours led to structural changes in the integrity of thylakoid membranes and a dramatic increase in electron transport rate (ETR) in wild type cells. After 24 hours of incubation the accumulation resulted in bleaching and dying of the wild type cells, whereas the loss of function mutant ∆synaas was completely unaffected by this treatment. Furthermore, Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild type cells displayed sensitivity against α-linolenic acid, whereas the "loss of function" mutant in the fatty acid importer FAT1p showed resistance upon α-linolenic acid incubation. Heterologous expression of SynAas in yeast wild type and ∆fat1 mutant cells resulted in an increased sensitivity against exogenous α-linolenic acid, which implies elevated levels of uptake of toxic α-linolenic acid through SynAas. In addition, liposome assays provided direct evidence for the ability of purified SynAas protein to mediate [14C]-α-linolenic acid retrieval from preloaded liposome membranes. Taken together, the data show that the acyl-activating enzyme SynAas is necessary and sufficient to mediate transfer of fatty acids across a biological membrane. These facts were used to derive a model for α-linolenic acid uptake and metabolism in Synechocystis. In addition, the ABC- Transporter SynAbc could be identified as putative fatty acid exporter. The SynAbc "loss-of-function" mutant ∆synabc exhibited increased sensitivity upon α-linolenic acid treatment and massive accumulation of exogenously applied fatty acid, compared to wild type. The ∆synaas mutant secreted free fatty acids into the media. A simultaneous defect in the SynAbc gene completely prevented accumulation of fatty acids in the media, which gives rise to the assumption that SynAbc facilitates fatty acid export in Synechocystis.


Nd-Sr data indicate that two isotopically distinct terrains supplied sediment to the Upper Carboniferous basins of Britain. One terrain was relatively depleted in radiogenic Nd, and included large areas of old continental crust; the other was less depleted in radiogenic Nd and is thought to have included a significant amount of first generation juvenile material that was added to the older crust during the early Palaeozoic continental collisions. The isotopic signatures reflect the average composition of the crust from which the Carboniferous sediments were originally derived. In multicyclic, multiorogenic settings such as NW Europe, understanding the geographic distribution patterns of the sediment can only be accurately ascertained by employing a combination of provenance characterizing techniques (isotopes/palaeocurrents/heavy minerals). Here, combined results indicate that the first terrain lay in Laurentia, whereas the other was a large region bordering the north side of Gondwana, and including Avalonia and Armorica.


Acetone and methanol have been measured hourly at a rural mountain site in California for a full year, providing a unique data set for analyzing the factors controlling their seasonal cycles. Their mixing ratios showed clear maxima in summer and late spring respectively, and were mostly correlated with atmospheric temperature with highest values during heat waves. Lowest values occurred during winter coincident with the periods of lowest temperature (0.15 ppb for acetone and 0.4 ppb for methanol). The acetone to methanol ratio changed seasonally with a minimum in spring and maxima in late summer and fall, likely reflecting higher springtime methanol emissions. The ratio was highest during fall and winter, probably a result of secondary acetone production from diffuse anthropogenic sources. Large decreases of both gases were observed when frontal passages brought free tropospheric air of Pacific origin to the site as indicated by back trajectory analysis. Neither wet nor dry deposition could explain these periodic decreases. Our results confirm previous assessments showing large acetone and methanol abundances over rural areas indicative of large biogenic sources. Their high degree of correlation at all times suggests a strong link between their biogenic emission sources and only a small influence of anthropogenic sources, at least at this site. The free tropospheric background mixing ratios concur with published measurements from aircraft over the Pacific, and are consistent with a substantial, diffuse source from hydrocarbon oxidation.


Despite competing in highly turbulent and competitive industry, evidence suggests that construction firms have not put sufficient emphasis on strategic planning. Further, the practice of strategic planning in construction is dominated by informal nd sporadic approaches/processes, which rely heavily on the subjective judgement of top management and tacit knowledge of individuals involved. Literature indicates that the identification of possible risks and opportunities is the most critical in this process, but little guidance is available with regards to the most effective approaches in dealing with the inherent characteristics of strategic planning. A review of underlying aspects (including decision theory, cognitive and behavioural psychology) is presented with a view of developing a framework for improving this process in a construction firm. The framework attempts to engage stakeholders and capture both explicit and tacit knowledge in the strategic thinking for organisational learning. The framework is viewed as a better alternative to the top-down approach of strategic decision making in the construction industry. Benefits from adopting such anapproach and future direction of research in this area are then discussed. Copyright ASCE 2009.


Organic aerosol (OA) is a ubiquitous component of atmospheric particulate that influences both human health and global climate. A large fraction of OA is secondary in nature (SOA), being produced by oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Despite the integral role of SOA in atmospheric processes, there remains a limited scientific understanding of the chemical and physical changes induced in SOA as it ages in the atmosphere. This thesis describes work done to increase the knowledge of processes and properties of atmospherically relevant SOA. In the work presented in this thesis, I have worked on improving an existing innovative, soft ionization aerosol mass spectrometer and utilized it to establish chemical mechanisms for oxidation of atmospherically relevant organic precursors (i.e., Green Leaf Volatiles). I discovered that SOA formation from cis-3-hexen-1-ol is dominated by oligomer and higher molecular weight products, whereas the acetate functionality in cis-3hexenylacetate inhibited oligomer formation, resulting in SOA that is dominated by low molecular weight products. One of the most important factors contributing to uncertainties in our estimations of SOA mass in the atmosphere, remains our basic assumption that atmospheric SOA is liquid-like, which we have found to be untrue. Hence, I developed a methodology to estimate the phase state of SOA and identified new parameters that can have significant influence on the phase state of atmospheric aerosol. This simplified method eliminates the need for a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and directly measures Bounce Factor (BF) of polydisperse SOA using only one multi-stage cascade Electrostatic Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI). The novel method allows for the real time determination of SOA phase state, permitting studies of the relationship between SOA phase, oxidative formation and chemical aging in the atmosphere. I demonstrated that SOA mass loading (CSOA) influences the phase state significantly. Results show that under nominally identical conditions, the maximum BF decreases by approximately 30% at higher CSOA and suggests that extrapolation of experiments not conducted at atmospherically relevant SOA levels to simulate the chemical properties may not yield results that are relevant to our natural environment. My work has provided a better understanding of the mechanisms of aerosol formation at atmospheric concentrations, which is necessary to understand its physical properties. This improved understanding is fundamental to accurately model aerosol formation in the atmosphere, and subsequently evaluate their large-scale effect on human health and environment.


Deltaic laterite is the most suitable and most widely used soil material for road embankment in the Niger Delta. Usually, its natural characteristics fall short of the minimum requirements for such applications hence it has to be stabilised to improve its properties. In this study, samples of deltaic lateritic soils were subjected to mechanical (with or without controlled sand addition), cement and cement-sand (composite) stabilisation methods to improve strength for improved engineering applications. Mechanical stabilisation was found to satisfy subgrade requirements while the addition of sand produced sub-base material quality at best depending on compacted maximum dry density (MDD), which itself is dependent on the optimum sand content (OSC). The OSC was also shown to affect the optimum moisture content (OMC) and the soaked California bearing ratio (CBR) of stabilised specimens. Combination of the test results produced a graphical model to predict the influence of mechanical stabilisation on the soil materials using the percentage fines (that is, passing through a 75 mm sieve) obtainable from wet sieving. Cement stabilisation of the soil (by indigenous highway standard) produced base-course quality materials with cement content in excess of 12 %, which is economically unviable. However, the addition of controlled proportions of sharp sand (also abundant in the Niger Delta) to the soilcement mixtures produced base-course quality materials with 6 % cement (less than half of that obtained through only cement stabilisation) and about 40 % sand content. A model was also presented to predict the other constituents of sand-cement stabilisation using the percentage fines obtainable from wet sieving.


A survey was conducted among 51 emergency department nurses in both Michigan and Ohio from 2008 to 2009. A comparative design was used to analyze the surveyed data. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare the knowledge level of emergency department nurses with regards to disaster nursing, emergency preparedness, and correlating related nursing laws in their respective states of licensure. Results showed that there is no significant correlation between knowledge level of emergency and disaster preparedness and related laws to the state in which a nurse is licensed, but nurses in Michigan reported having more instruction in their nursing curriculum about this topic. Overall, the participants in both states expressed minimal knowledge about emergency and disaster preparedness and related laws; this is not up to current standards of expected practice. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis


BACKGROUND
Routine adjuvant administration of trastuzumab (T) has been implemented in most centers, but its economic impact has not yet been well examined.

METHODS
A Markov model was constructed based on clinical data of the Herceptin Adjuvant (HERA) and the Finland Herceptin (FinHer) trials. Costs from the perspective of a Swiss health care provider were calculated based on resource use.

RESULTS
On the basis of HERA data, our model yielded an overall survival rate of 71.8% for the T group versus 62.8% for the control group [risk ratio (RR) = 0.87) after 10 years and 62.9% versus 52.7% (RR = 0.84) after 15 years. Cost-effectiveness resulted in 40505 Euros (EUR) per life years gained (LYG) after 10 years and 19673 EUR per LYG after 15 years. For the FinHer regimen, overall survival after 10 and 15 years resulted in 81.8% versus 66.1% (RR = 0.81) and 73.6% versus 57.0% (RR = 0.77). Costs of 8497 EUR per patient could be saved after 10 years and 9256 EUR after 15 years compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION
In a long-term perspective, adjuvant T based on the HERA regimen can be considered cost-effective. The regimen used in the FinHer trial is even cost saving, but estimations are based on a single small trial.


Erosional remnants of Paleoproterozoic red bed successions such as the Olifantshoek, Soutpansberg, Waterberg and Palapye Groups cover an extensive area of the Kaapvaal Craton. Depositional ages of these successions have been ill-defined and their lateral correlation a subject of controversial debate. We report precise zircon SHRIMP U-Pb ages of 2054 ± 4 and 2051 ± 8 Ma for quartz porphyry lavas stratigraphically near the base of the Waterberg Group from the Lower Swaershoek and correlative Rust de Winter Formations. The Entabeni Granite, erosively overlain by the Soutpansberg Group, yields a precise zircon SHRIMP age of 2021 ± 5 Ma. These ages indicate that at least part of the Waterberg Group is older than the Soutpansberg Group. In addition, the lower part of the Waterberg Group was deposited immediately after intrusion of the Bushveld Complex and may be tectonically related to the complex.


The main objective of this project was to evaluate the effects of using aggregate produced from crushed concrete pavement as a replacement for natural (virgin) coarse aggregate in pavement mixtures. A total of ten different concrete mixtures containing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) were designed to meet the requirements of Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) specifications. These included three different RCA replacement levels (30%, 50% and 100% by weight of the natural coarse aggregate) and two different cementitious systems (plain system – Type I portland cement only and fly ash system – 80% of Type I portland cement and 20% of ASTM C 618 Class C fly ash). The scope of the project included the evaluation and comparison of several properties of RCA and natural aggregates, evaluation and analysis of the effects of RCA on concrete properties, and modification of aggregate gradations and mixture composition in an attempt to improve the properties of RCA concrete. All ten mixtures were first produced in the laboratory (trial batches) and were subsequently reproduced in the commercial ready-mixed concrete plant. Each mixture produced in the ready-mixed plant was used to prepare several types of specimens for laboratory testing. The tests performed on fresh concrete included determination of slump and entrained air content. The mechanical properties of the hardened concrete were assessed by conducting compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio tests. Concrete durability was assessed using a wide array of measurements, including: rapid chloride permeability (RCP), rapid chloride migration (RCM), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), surface resistivity, free shrinkage, water absorption test, freeze-thaw resistance and scaling resistance. The test results indicated that the properties of plain (no fly ash) concrete mixtures with 30% RCA as coarse aggregate were very comparable to (in some cases even better than) those of the control concrete (0% RCA). Although mixtures with 50% RCA showed a reduction in durability and mechanical properties of up to 36%, the test results still met INDOT's specifications requirements. The mechanical properties of plain concretes made with 100% RCA were measurably lower (16%-25%) than those of the control concrete. It should be pointed out, however, that these properties were still above the minimums required by INDOT's specifications except for one mixture in which the w/c was increased to 0.47 to achieve workability. The use of fly ash improved the strength and durability of RCA concrete, especially at later ages. In particular, the properties of concrete with 50% RCA coarse aggregate were similar to the properties of control concrete. Similarly, the mechanical and durability properties of the mixture with 100% RCA coarse aggregate and 20% fly ash were better than those of a similar mixture prepared without fly ash. Even though, when compared to the fly ash concrete with 100% virgin aggregate the mechanical and durability properties of the 100% RCA concrete were up to 19% and 35% lower, it still met minimum requirements imposed by INDOT's specifications.


Wireless transmissions have dramatically improved panel placement and interconnection flexibility. In this paper we present a wireless panel architecture where the panel functionality partitioning can be optimized through the use of a 60 GHz high speed wireless link to deliver full fidelity, uncompressed and lossless video at consumer price points. SiBEAM's fully‐integrated all‐CMOS WirelessHD® chipsets enable this architecture via robust transmissions at data rates up to 4 Gbps.


Monoclonal antibodies can be used as targeting therapies for several diseases. One major concern when using these therapies is anti-drug antibodies which may hamper the drugs efficiency. Gyrolab is an automated platform which can be used to develop bridging immunoassays where the anti-drug antibodies affinity towards the monoclonal antibody is utilized. Anti-drug antibody immunoassay development on Gyrolab is limited mainly by three factors which may inappropriately affect signal intensity levels. In this project different variants of bridging immunoassays based on drug Fab fragments have been developed for monoclonal antibody Infliximab, with the purpose to illustrate the effects of these three factors.Findings indicate that an assay based completely on drug Fab fragments is more sensitive compared to an assay based on intact drug since less affected by unspecific interactions between drug reagents and complex formations. Surprisingly findings also indicate that an assay based completely on drug Fab fragments is affected by human anti-hinge antibodies which decrease assay sensitivity. The most optimal assay variant is based on the combination between intact capture drug and Fab fragment as detection. This variant is insensitive to false positive reactions caused by Rheumatoid factor and human anti-hinge antibodies, less prone to form unspecific interactions between drug reagents and complex formations in the presence of anti-drug antibodies. The optimal assay variant also demonstrates best drug tolerance in combination with acid dissociation.


Pacific Spaceflight's first proof-of concept pressure garment, the Mark I (model Gagarin), was worn by a test subject in a pressure chamber to test stable maintenance of blood oxygenation, body temperature and suit pressure. While breathing normal air at a simulated altitude of 4,000m (c.13,000ft) the test subject's blood oxygenation was 90%, a figure expected for an altitude of 2,590m (8,500ft). The test subject's blood oxygenation climbed back to normal (96%-95%) as the hypobaric chamber was repressurized to sea level figures. The garment successfully maintained the test subject in the first half of the Blood Oxygenation Disassociation Range of 'Minimal Sensory Impairment' rather than in the first quarter of the range of 'Minimal Mental Impairment' (expected had the pressure garment not functioned). Additionally, the test subject experienced no temperature discomfort, indicating that the cooling system functioned sufficiently, and experienced no perception of C02 poisoning. Medical staff observing the test observed no elevated heart rate, flushed appearance or other symptoms of hypercapnia (C02 poisoning) during the 35minute test.


Normally, secure communication between client-server applications is established using secure channel technologies such as Transport Layer Security (TLS). TLS is a cryptographic protocol which ensures secure transmission of data and authenticity of communication at each endpoint platform. However, the protocol does not provide any trustworthiness assurance of the involved endpoint. So, they are not able to handle the security risks due to potential malicious software or any third parties who may penetrate the platform. Furthermore, there is no mechanism for a computing platform to address the trustworthiness of platform integrity such as free from any malware or spyware. Remote attestation is an authentication technique proposed by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) which enables the verification of the trusted environment of platforms and assuring the information is accurate. To incorporate this method in web services framework in order to guarantee the trustworthiness and security of web-based applications, a new framework called TrustWeb is proposed. The Trust-Web framework integrates the remote attestation into TLS protocol to provide integrity information of the involved endpoint platforms. The framework improves TLS protocol with mutual attestation (MA) mechanism, named TLS+MA which can help to address the weaknesses of transferring sensitive computations, and a practical way to solve the remote trust issue at the client-server environment. In this thesis, we study the foundations of the credibility of the TLS+MA protocol and TrustWeb approach before we describe the work of designing and building a framework prototype in which attestation mechanism is integrated into the Mozilla Firefox browser and Apache web server. We analyse the security of our protocol using Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA)to show that it meets the security goals. Analysis on TLS+MA protocol shows that it is resistant against replay and collusion attacks. For performance analysis, we also compared the TLS+MA with previous protocol. The results show that our protocol only incurs 11.2% of performance overhead in secure connection, which lower than the previous protocol. Despite that, our protocol is 50% more efficient.


Liudmila Klimanova, University of Iowa Svetlana Dembovskaya, Loyola University Chicago As the integration of Internet-based social networking tools becomes increasingly popular in foreign language classrooms, the use of modern communication technologies is particularly critical in the context of less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), where student exposure to the target language and its speakers is usually minimal. This paper describes communicative exchanges between native speakers and non-native speakers (NS-NNS) in a telecollaborative project that spanned two semesters and brought a rich and authentic social networking community, VKontakte, into college-level Russian classes in the United States. The analysis of the students' online activities, phenomenological interviews, and interactions with Russian keypals grounded in the principles of identity construction through interaction (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005) and Discourse Analysis Framework (Gee, 2005) shed light on the students' emerging online second language (L2) identities along the continuum from L2 learners to L2 users. Along with global and local categories of L2 identity enactment in virtual social spaces, we bring into focus the notions of digital wisdom (Prensky, 2009) and investment (Norton, 2000), while exploring the ways in which learners of LCTLs, such as Russian, draw on Internet mediation in order to compensate for the lack of contact with the L2 and to extend social connections beyond the confines of a language classroom.


This article examines the Court's practice of enforcing the nondelegation doctrine through the canon of constitutional avoidance rather than through Marbury-style judicial review. Traditionally, the Court has said that Congress may not delegate its Article I authority to administrative agencies. Nonetheless, under the prevailing "intelligible principle" test, the Court has almost never invalidated an Act of Congress on the ground that it delegates excessive discretion to an agency. Instead, the Court developed a practice of construing statutes to avoid what the Court regards as a grant of discretion broad enough to raise a serious nondelegation concern. Using the Court's decision in FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. as the primary example, this article questions the Court's strategy of using the canon of constitutional avoidance to enforce the nondelegation doctrine. As many critics of the canon of constitutional avoidance have noted, that canon makes a difference only if it enables the Court to opt for something other than the best or most natural reading of a statute. In Brown & Williamson, which asked whether the FDA had statutory jurisdiction to regulate tobacco, the Court artificially narrowed the broad language of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, in part, to avoid the inference that Congress had delegated power to regulate the tobacco industry without saying so explicitly. In reaching that conclusion, the Court used a number of specific interpretive techniques that it had, in other recent cases, deemed unreliable bases for identifying statutory meaning. This article argues that even if the Court embraces the canon of constitutional avoidance in other contexts, that approach seems a particularly inapt way to enforce the nondelegation doctrine. The entire point of the nondelegation doctrine is to ensure that Congress is responsible for basic statutory policy decisions. If, in the name of enforcing that doctrine, the Court effectively rewrites the statute, then it is not ensuring that Congress is responsible for the policy articulated in the (rewritten) statute. Indeed, building on work by Jerry Mashaw, this article suggests that using the canon of avoidance rather than judicial review to enforce the nondelegation doctrine may, if anything, be more corrosive of congressional prerogatives. If the Court invalidates a statute in the exercise of judicial review, then Congress must go back to the drawing board and bargain over how to enact its policy validly. If, however, the Court rewrites a statute, then the Court's preferred policy point may become entrenched if it is closer to the preferences of the House, the Senate, or the President than to any alternative on which all three could agree.


In this synthesis paper addressing hydrologic scaling and similarity, we posit that roadblocks in the search for universal laws of hydrology are hindered by our focus on computational simulation (the third paradigm) and assert that it is time for hydrology to embrace a fourth paradigm of data-intensive science. Advances in information-based hydrologic science, coupled with an explosion of hydrologic data and advances in parameter estimation and modeling, have laid the foundation for a data-driven framework for scrutinizing hydrological scaling and similarity hypotheses. We summarize important scaling and similarity concepts (hypotheses) that require testing; describe a mutual information framework for testing these hypotheses; describe boundary condition, state, flux, and parameter data requirements across scales to support testing these hypotheses; and discuss some challenges to overcome while pursuing the fourth hydrological paradigm. We call upon the hydrologic sciences community to develop a focused effort towards adopting the fourth paradigm and apply this to outstanding challenges in scaling and similarity.


Progress in deep reinforcement learning (RL) research is largely enabled by benchmark task environments. However, analyzing the nature of those environments is often overlooked. In particular, we still do not have agreeable ways to measure the difficulty or solvability of a task, given that each has fundamentally different actions, observations, dynamics, rewards, and can be tackled with diverse RL algorithms. In this work, we propose policy information capacity (PIC) -- the mutual information between policy parameters and episodic return -- and policy-optimal information capacity (POIC) -- between policy parameters and episodic optimality -- as two environment-agnostic, algorithm-agnostic quantitative metrics for task difficulty. Evaluating our metrics across toy environments as well as continuous control benchmark tasks from OpenAI Gym and DeepMind Control Suite, we empirically demonstrate that these information-theoretic metrics have higher correlations with normalized task solvability scores than a variety of alternatives. Lastly, we show that these metrics can also be used for fast and compute-efficient optimizations of key design parameters such as reward shaping, policy architectures, and MDP properties for better solvability by RL algorithms without ever running full RL experiments.


By means of thin film technology a reduction of size, cost, and power consumption of electronic circuits can be achieved. The required specifications are attained by proper design and combinations of innovative materials and manufacturing technologies. This thesis focuses on the development and fabrication of low-loss ceramic thin film devices for radio and microwave frequency applications. The materials, growth conditions, and physical properties of the films and device structures are discussed in detail. Moreover, special emphasis is placed on the integration of highly conductive low-loss electrode materials into parallelplate structures. The thin films were prepared by sequential magnetron sputtering from metallic and ceramic deposition targets. The devices under study include tunable ferroelectric barium strontium titanate and lead strontium titanate parallel-plate capacitors, and piezoelectric aluminum nitride thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators. Furthermore, tantalum pentoxide and tantalum nitride thin films were investigated for capacitor and resistor applications. As electrode material we used Au, Cu, Mo, and Pt. The use of highly conductive low-loss Cu electrodes was only possible after the development of a new layer transfer fabrication method for parallel-plate ceramic devices. This method, which was successfully used to fabricate tunable ferroelectric capacitors and AlN bulk acoustic wave resonators, allows for high-quality ceramic film growth on suitable substrate and seed layers and, most importantly, deposition of the bottom and top electrodes after high-temperature reactive sputtering of the ceramic material. Optimization of the ceramic growth conditions and the integration of these functional materials into low-loss parallel-plate structures resulted in state-of-the-art device performance. Key achievements include, device quality factors of more than 100 up to GHz frequency in ferroelectric parallel-plate capacitors, the tailoring of ferroelectric film properties using substrate bias during magnetron sputtering, and very efficient electro-acoustic coupling in Mo/AlN/Mo bulk acoustic wave resonators.


Background: Poly cystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common female endocrine disorders. One of the side effects of PCOS is oxidative stress.. Here we investigated antioxidants effects of Thymus vulgaris ethanoli extract on experimental PCOS induced rats by estradiol-valerat (PPA). Methods : Wistar female rat (n=70) were divided into 7 groups including C1: an equal volume of (0.9% NaCl) as placebo; C2: extract (0.6cc/rat/orally/daily); C3: induced PCO by single injection of estradiol-valerate (4mg/rat/IM), and T1: PCOS induced  rats + an equal volume of (0.9% NaCl) as placebo, T2: PCOS induced rats + extract(0.2cc/rat/orally/daily), T3: PCOS induced rats + extract (0.4cc/rat/orally/daily), T4:PCOS induced rats+extract (0.4cc/rat/orally/daily) test groups, were received extract supplement, for 60 consequence days. Animals were kept in standard conditions. In last day of study the blood samples of rats in whole groups were obtained and prepared to biochemical analysis. Results : Total antioxidant capacity level, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity were significantly increased in PCOS treated groups (P<0.03), these parameters in PCOS groups that did not receive extract significantly decreased (P<0.05) in comparison to control. Level of MDA in PCOS groups were significantly increased as compared to control and extract treated groups (P<0.01). Conclusions : Our results disclosed that administration of Thymus vulgaris ethanol extract significantly restitution tissue antioxidants level in PCOS induced rats.


The DCMI metadata schema registry has been developed as an authoritative source of DCMI metadata terms. The DCMI registry has an important role to enhance semantic interoperability of the metadata terms. From our experiences in the development of the DCMI registry, we have learned that the registry has large potential to serve as a center of various service functions related to metadata schemas such as metadata editors and search tools. This paper presents a framework of metadata schemas and discusses its application to schema registries for extending the registry functions. The metadata schema framework presented has a layered structure in order to explicitly separate semantic and syntactic features of metadata schemas. This paper presents a few functional extensions of the registry and discusses the extension based on the proposed schema framework.


Expression of chemokines CXCL10 and CCL2 is elevated within inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system (CNS) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, particularly in astrocytes. These chemokines play a critical role in the recruitment of inflammatory cells into the CNS during inflammation. However, the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients also shows high levels of CXCL10 at the time of relapse but by contrast CCL2 is decreased. In the present study, the mechanisms controlling the synthesis and release of these two chemokines in MS were assessed in vitro using primary human brain astrocytes isolated from MS and non-MS individuals. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1beta , tumour necrosis factor and interferon-gamma) increased the expression of both CCL2 and CXCL10 by astrocytes at the mRNA and protein level, as determined by real time PCR and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), respectively. CCL2 binding to astrocytes was then determined to evaluate any autocrine action on astrocytes in a single astrocyte preparation. CCL2 bound constitutively and following cytokine treatment. CCL2-binding was not the result of the interaction with its receptor since astrocytes did not express CCR2 on this astrocyte culture. CCR2-independent binding of CCL2 was confirmed by the absence of intracellular signalling, evidenced by the lack of calcium influx as well as of Erk and Akt phosphorylation, in CCL2-treated astrocytes. Even though astrocytes expressed CXCR3, similar negative results on calcium influx and downstream signalling pathways were observed for CXCL10. D6 chemokine decoy receptor expression was then assessed in vitro and in situ to further investigate the mechanism(s) of chemokine binding to astrocytes. Cultured astrocytes constitutively expressed the D6 decoy receptor at the mRNA and protein level, but levels were unchanged following cytokine treatment. D6 was expressed in situ in MS normal appearing white matter and in control brain tissue, at both the mRNA and protein level. D6 expression was detected on neurons and microglia but not astrocytes using imunohistochemical methods. Incubation of frozen brain sections with biotinylated CCL2 resulted in partial co-localisation with D6 staining.Altogether, these results suggest a role for astrocytes in regulating inflammation through synthesis and secretion of CCL2 and CXCL10. Subsequently, CCL2 binding to astrocytes, either by binding to D6 decoy receptor or by alternative mechanisms, may establish a chemokine gradient in the CNS, and direct the migration of leukocytes.


The snowball earth hypothesis is a unified theory accounting for the global distribution of Cryogenian (roughly 720 to 635 Ma) glacial and glacial marine deposits, their global synchroneity demonstrated by chemostratigraphy, and their close association with thick carbonate strata and sedimentary iron deposits (banded iron formation) in certain areas. It postulates that on two separate occasions, around 710 and 640 Ma, the ocean froze over from pole to pole for long periods ( i.e., millions of years). The postulate has been widely criticized as being incompatible with the glacial sedimentary record indicating the former existence of fast-moving wet-base ice and open proglacial waters.

The younger Cryogenian glaciation in northern Namibia presents an excellent opportunity to investigate the sedimentary record. The area was then a vast shallow-water carbonate platform situated in the tropics or subtropics. The platform had a sharply-defined southern edge, beyond which a stratigraphically tapered foreslope wedge descended into deep waters of the northern Damara extended terrain. The platform and foreslope were undergoing broad regional subsidence with no local structural deformation at the time of the younger glaciation. The Fransfontein Ridge (a present physiographic feature) is a simple homocline exposing a continuous 60-km-long section of the foreslope wedge. The western two-thirds of the ridge parallels the paleoslope contours 6 to10 km south of the foreslope-platform break, where the seafloor would have been 550 to 800 m below the top of the platform based on modern analogs. The eastern third of the ridge angles up the foreslope to the platform edge.

The Ghaub Formation is a sharply-bounded wedge of glacial marine strata that blankets the lower foreslope and tapers up-slope to a pinch-out 6±1 km south of the platform edge. It comprises a stack of marine till tongues (massive and poorly-stratified diamictites including debris flows, grounding-line proximal 'rain-out' and ice-contact diamictite) with subordinate stratified proglacial sediments variably rich in ice-rafted debris. The sediment is almost exclusively derived from the then top 60 m of the underlying carbonate (limestone and dolostone) platform and foreslope. Although most sediment transport indicators in the proglacial and subglacial strata are southerly-directed ( i.e., down-slope), rare starved ripple trains indicate traction currents flowing westward parallel to the paleoslope contours. These contour currents may imply open waters on the Damara seaway south of the platform.

The Ghaub Formation rests on a continuous erosion surface that carves out of the underlying strata a broad steep-walled trough, 0.1 km deep and ~18 km wide, assuming its axis is oriented roughly transverse to paleoslope contours. The glacial deposits average 80 m in thickness outside the trough, are attenuated on the sides of the trough, and form a steep moraine-like ridge in the trough axis. The ridge rises 600 m above the floor of the trough and is only 7.5 km wide at its base. It is composed of massive carbonate diamictite lacking proglacial strata. The ridge is interpreted as a transverse medial moraine formed near the mouth of a relatively narrow paleo-ice stream that eroded the trough. Ice streams are corridors of fast-flowing wet-base ice within an ice sheet and are thought to be responsible for up to 90% of the total ice drainage from the present Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Climate modeling suggests that annual mean surface temperatures on tropical continents with frozen oceans in the Cryogenian would have been similar to present Antarctica. Therefore, the existence of Cryogenian ice streams is not surprising and suggests that fast-flowing wet-base ice is not incompatible with a frozen ocean.

Directly below the trough is a 20 km-wide by 500 m-thick carbonate grainstone prism representing a complex of submarine channels and levees, showing that the area of the trough was a major submarine drainage system long before the glaciation began. It was localized by a tectonic subsidence anomaly going back to the time of the older glaciation, when the platform was undergoing active crustal stretching.

The moraine ridge was a prominent topographic feature at the end of the younger glaciation. The post-glacial cap dolostone was attenuated by winnowing on its flanks, but spectacular crystal fans of sea-floor aragonite (pseudomorphosed) are developed exclusively over the moraine in limestone directly above the cap dolostone.

The basal part of the Ghaub Formation outside the ice-stream trough contains a mappable 'drift' of terrigenous siltstone. The most likely source of this detritus is a regionally extensive sheet of fine-grained terrigenous sediment that is erosionally cut-out by the ice-stream trough. Accordingly, the entire Ghaub Formation outside and inside the trough must be younger than the cutting of the trough. If the trough was cut by an ice stream at a glacial maximum (or maxima), then the Ghaub Formation is entirely recessional. Sedimentary features ( e.g., ice-rafted debris, contour current indicators) within the Ghaub Formation do not represent conditions at the glacial maximum and do not constrain the extent of ocean ice cover at that time. If Cryogenian glacial deposits are recessional in other areas, issues still in dispute such as the maximum extent of marine ice cover will only be resolved with new geochemical data, for example iridium concentrations (cosmogenic dust proxy), boron isotopes (seawater pH proxy), and osmium isotopes (weathering proxy).


This monograph is the first publication devoted to the entirety of Lance Wyman's life and career. Through a detailed examination of his commitment to the social applications of graphic design, the book positions Wyman as an unrivalled figure in graphic design history. Wyman has yet to enjoy the status afforded to comparable figures in American graphic design such as Paul Rand, who primarily produced work for elite business clients such as IBM. But by focusing on Wyman's commitment to designing for a mass audience 'out in the street', the book demonstrates how his work has made an invaluable – and under recognised – contribution towards shaping the development of a social agendas in graphic design practice internationally since the 1960s.

The book grew out of an extended interview with Wyman, and an extended period of time spent in his personal archive. Much of what was found had not been previously published, including extensive private journals that Wyman used to log his creative processes.

The book begins with an examination, through text and image, of his early life in post-war America; it chronicles his studies in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in New York, and the beginnings of his career as a graphic designer with his work for General Motors in the 1950s. The central part of the book deals with Wyman's hugely influential work for the Mexico 68 Olympics, and offers a critical investigation into his deep and highly informed relationship with Mexican art and culture. It foregrounds his revolutionary blend of modernist design principles with pre-Hispanic folk art, and the 20th century Mexican vernacular.

The books offers a further survey of Wyman's pioneering approaches to wayfinding, and the many urban redevelopment projects he has worked on during his long career. It also assesses his standing as a pivotal figure in the creation of icons and symbolic information systems, and shows how his work, in the second half of the 20th century, influenced the designers of mobile and online information systems, most notably Apple's icon based interface.

By acting as both writer/editor and publisher, it has been possible, for the first time, to construct a biographical survey of Wyman, the individual, and Wyman the creative practitioner. And furthermore, to place him at the centre of the graphic design discourse, and to see him as a potent and transformative force in non-verbal communication.


My thesis explores the link between habitat selection decisions made at the individual level and the resulting population-level distributions, using a combination of field, laboratory, and theoretical studies in mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Settlement decisions in MPB depend on complex interactions among the size and nutritional quality of the host tree, its defensive capabilities, beetle attack densities, and beetles' energy reserves. Limited somatic energy reserves and time available for dispersal and habitat search impose restrictions on individuals' settlement decisions, and can have substantial effects on the resulting population distributions. I characterized the variation in individual somatic condition and timing of emergence in a field population of beetles and tested the effect of somatic condition on beetles' habitat settlement decisions. I derived, from first principles, a dynamic state variable model of inter-stand dispersal and tree selection by individual beetles. The model and experimental results showed that considerable individual variation exists and that settlement decisions are modulated both by the beetle's lipid reserves and tree nutritional quality. This model provided the foundation for a spatial dynamic game model of beetle attack on multiple host tree species. I examined how the predicted evolutionarily stable strategies differ for beetles utilizing different pine species, and examined the resulting population distributions on these different tree species. Finally, using beetle dispersal estimates obtained from the dynamic game model, I explored the spread of an engineered genetic control element through MPB populations and describe how such control may be effective to suppress beetle outbreaks. I discuss the utility of considering individual variation together with stateand condition-dependent behaviours in assessing population-level phenomena.


ABSTRACT This paper deals with the disclosure of subaltern thinking in current German-language textbooks for religious education. For the hermeneutical framing of this analysis, the approach of a postcolonial reading is particularly profitable. Obvious hierarchical relationships from clearly up and down can consequently be made visible and their presumed self-evidence unmasked. Even hidden hegemonic forms of expression can be uncovered in this way. With regard to current theology and religious education racism and misogyny, environmental degradation and sexual exploitation are attitudes that have already and almost as amatter of course been taken up critically. They are pedagogically reflected and attempted to overcome by using counter-models such as cultural diversity, equal rights, sustainability and sexual self-determination.In exciting contrast to this there are still nowadays textbooks used with remnants of exactly such formats of colonial thoughts. We argue that decolonising schoolbooks can be a useful part of decolonising the religious education curriculum. The schoolbook analysis carried out for this purpose is structured by four leading categories: Anthropological assumptions (1), religious classifications and interpretations (2), conceptions of culture and its hybridity (3) and finally the relationship to creation and environment (4). Textbooks from primary, secondary and vocational schools were examined.


Significance Expansion of polyglutamine tracts in at least nine proteins causes neurodegeneration. Although the pathology caused by each protein is different, there must be common features of the polyglutamine expansion that contribute to toxicity. We modeled polyglutamine toxicity in yeast by expressing a 103-glutamine expanded fragment of huntingtin (Htt103Q) and screened the yeast genome to identify proteins that alter this toxicity. Surprisingly, our suppressors were proteins containing glutamine- and asparagine-rich segments typical of prion proteins. When we expressed just these segments with Htt103Q, the two proteins formed large, coaggregated particles, and smaller, more toxic aggregated forms were absent. Proteins with such segments may interact with polyQ-expanded proteins and thereby modulate their toxicity. These interaction partners provide targets for therapeutic intervention. Expansions of preexisting polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts in at least nine different proteins cause devastating neurodegenerative diseases. There are many unique features to these pathologies, but there must also be unifying mechanisms underlying polyQ toxicity. Using a polyQ-expanded fragment of huntingtin exon-1 (Htt103Q), the causal protein in Huntington disease, we and others have created tractable models for investigating polyQ toxicity in yeast cells. These models recapitulate key pathological features of human diseases and provide access to an unrivalled genetic toolbox. To identify toxicity modifiers, we performed an unbiased overexpression screen of virtually every protein encoded by the yeast genome. Surprisingly, there was no overlap between our modifiers and those from a conceptually identical screen reported recently, a discrepancy we attribute to an artifact of their overexpression plasmid. The suppressors of Htt103Q toxicity recovered in our screen were strongly enriched for glutamine- and asparagine-rich prion-like proteins. Separated from the rest of the protein, the prion-like sequences of these proteins were themselves potent suppressors of polyQ-expanded huntingtin exon-1 toxicity, in both yeast and human cells. Replacing the glutamines in these sequences with asparagines abolished suppression and converted them to enhancers of toxicity. Replacing asparagines with glutamines created stronger suppressors. The suppressors (but not the enhancers) coaggregated with Htt103Q, forming large foci at the insoluble protein deposit in which proteins were highly immobile. Cells possessing foci had fewer (if any) small diffusible oligomers of Htt103Q. Until such foci were lost, cells were protected from death. We discuss the therapeutic implications of these findings.


AN ANALYSIS OF THE STAFFING PATTERNS IN CAMPUS ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENTS BY Tony R. Warner The purpose of this study was to analyze the organizational structures and staffing patterns in campus activities offices or operations within selected institutions. These institutions were selected from the membership of the National Association of Campus Activities [NACA] during the 1994-95 academic year which are also public, Master's (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges I and II institutions. Focus was placed on identifying the sizes and types of the campus activities departments at the institutions surveyed. A survey was developed and administered to a population of 355 institutions. The data from 269 (76%) responses were then carefully analyzed. Frequency analysis produced a number of revelations about dominant staffing patterns, titles, and size. Analysis indicated that there is a relationship between organizational structure and its staffing pattern in small institutions. A direct relationship was identified between the size and type of the staff and use of technology. There was no relationship between the funding base and staffing patterns or between organizational departmental structures and the size of the departmental budgets. Further, no relationships between organizational structure and funding bases or between the size and type of staff and the organizational structure. Conclusions were drawn concerning organization and staffing patterns. These included the fact that most institutions have campus activities departments with a director as the head, reporting to a vice president or dean. Activity fees are a primary source of funding in nearly all institutions. Few institutions have more than 9 professional staff and 12 clerical staff. Currently there is little faculty involvement in campus activities offices. Basic, mainstream technology is used to support the efforts of the offices. It is hoped that the study will be useful as a proactive management tool for those administrators in higher education who are structuring or restructuring administrative offices supporting the campus activities functions at institutions of higher education.


Endocentric Structuring of Projection-free Syntax puts forward a novel theory of syntax that rigidly adheres to the principle of Minimal Computation, in which a number of traditional but extraneous stipulations such as referential indices and representational labels/projections are eliminated. It specifically articulates the overarching hypothesis that every syntactic object is composed by recursive, phase-by-phase embedding of the endocentric structure {H, α}, where H is a head lexical item and α is another syntactic object (order irrelevant). The proposed mechanism achieves both theory-internal simplicity and broad empirical coverage at the same time, advancing a radically reduced conception of endocentricty/headedness while deriving a number of empirically grounded constraints on human language.


Bowel urgency (BU), the sudden or immediate need for a bowel movement, is one of the most common and disruptive symptoms experienced by patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Distinct from the separate symptom of increased stool frequency, BU has a substantial negative impact on quality of life and psychosocial functioning. Among patients with UC, BU is one of the top reasons for treatment dissatisfaction and one of the symptoms patients most want improved. Patients may not discuss BU often due to embarrassment, and healthcare providers may not address the symptom adequately due to the lack of awareness of validated tools and/or knowledge of the importance of assessing BU. The mechanism of BU in UC is multifactorial and includes inflammatory changes in the rectum that may be linked to hypersensitivity and reduced compliance of the rectum. Responsive and reliable patient-reported outcome measures of BU are needed to provide evidence of treatment benefits in clinical trials and facilitate communication in clinical practice. This review discusses the pathophysiology and clinical importance of BU in UC and its impact on the quality of life and psychosocial functioning. Patient-reported outcome measures developed to assess the severity of BU in UC are discussed alongside overviews of treatment options and clinical guidelines. Implications for the future management of UC from the perspective of BU are also explored.


BACKGROUND
Perioperative outcome data related to metabolic syndrome in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients are lacking.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of metabolic syndrome in CABG patients and whether its presence or the patient's sex affects postoperative lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital.

METHODS
A retrospective observational study in CABG patients. Risk factors from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' Adult Cardiac Surgery Database were used to categorize patients as having metabolic syndrome. Perioperative outcomes were compared between patients with and without metabolic syndrome and between sexes. Outcomes were based on the operational definitions of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

RESULTS
Among 657 patients, 333 had metabolic syndrome; 63.8% (n = 215) of women and 36.9% (n = 118) of men (P <or= .001). Mean postoperative stays were significantly longer in patients who had metabolic syndrome. Women had longer postoperative stays than did men. Mean postoperative stay for women was 2.7 (SD, 3.4) days in the intensive care unit and 8.2 (SD, 7.1) days in the hospital, compared with 2.0 (SD, 3.8) days in the intensive care unit (P = .01) and 6.6 (SD, 6.8) days in the hospital for men (P = .003). Women with metabolic syndrome also had higher rates of in-hospital death (P = .03).

CONCLUSION
Both female patients and patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing CABG surgery are at higher risk for longer postoperative stays. Women with metabolic syndrome are the CABG patients at highest risk for in-hospital death.


Solar photovoltaic electricity is more expensive by a large margin compared with conventional electricity at retail level. As a result, general public do not find the solar PV electricity an attractive option to use for generating a portion of their electricity need. To promote PV electricity utilization and to make it more attractive, Governments of some countries like Germany, Japan, USA, Australia, and etc. have introduced solar PV incentive programs. Most of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems on residential or commercial buildings in these countries are installed by individuals interested in generating part of their electricity emission-free. For some of these people the economics of the PV electricity is likely to be of secondary importance, while majority of them would like to see financial return to become interested to use PV electricity. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a study conducted on the economical aspects of solar PV to estimate the electricity price of grid-connected rooftop PV system under climate conditions and geographical location of New Zealand (at latitude of between 35° S to 47° S to, and longitude between 167° E and 180° E) to see if the use of PV electricity is attractive and affordable by residential customers. The results of this study will help to determining an appropriate feed-in tariff for solar PV electricity in New Zealand.


Good heat detection is essential for good reproductive performance in the modern dairy herd using artificial insemination. Veterinary surgeons and farmers use a variety of tools to monitor heat detection including the analysis of inter-service intervals (ISIs). The aim of this study was to explore the distribution of inter-service intervals in a large sample of UK dairy herds and establish targets for use by practitioners when interpreting ISIs. In this study service records from 167 dairy herds from across the UK were used to generate ISI profiles for each calendar year of each herd. Intervals between serves were categorised as short irregular (2-17 days), short regular (18-24 days), long irregular (25-35 days), long regular (36-48 days) or extended (>48 days). Herd years were ranked by oestrus detection efficiency, the mean of the top quartile of herd-years had 6%, 40%, 16%, 19% and 19% of intervals in each interval category respectively. There was no correlation between the percentage of serves falling in the short regular and short irregular category for a given herd-year (Spearman rho magnitude <0.01, p=0.84), suggesting little direct correlation between the sensitivity and specificity of a herd's heat detection. The results show a substantial difference to accepted targets and will be of use when interpreting herd data and target setting for UK dairy herds.