The weed management systems applied in coffee plantations can promote changes in soil structure that compromise the capacity of the soil to infiltrate, distribute, transmit and retain water, in function of pore-size distribution. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of applying different techniques of weed management on the pore system and water retention capacity in a Latosol (Oxisol) in the inter-rows of a coffee plantation. The area of study is located at the Epamig Experimental Farm (Latitude 20o55'00" S and Longitude 47o07'10" W) in Sao Sebastiao do Paraiso, southern Minas Gerais. The weed managements evaluated were: without hoe (SCAP), manual hoe (CAPM), post-emergence herbicide (HPOS); mower (ROCA), rotary tiller (ENRT), coffee tandem disk harrow (GRAD) and pre-emergence herbicide (HPRE). Undisturbed soil samples were collected randomly in the inter-rows of the coffee plants under different weed managements at 0-3, 10-13 and 25-28 cm depths, totaling 315 samples. In a native forest (MATA) adjacent to the LVdf in the study area, 15 additional samples were collected per depth, as reference for the attributes. Soil water retention curve, pore size distribution (macroporosity: pores with effective diameter greater than 50 mm and microporosity: pores with effective diameter smaller than 50 mm) and volumetric total porosity (VTP) were also assessed. The main alteration in soil structure was observed in soil water retention curve and pore size distribution at 0-3 cm depth. The extreme behaviors for all the physical-hydric attributes assessed were for the LVdf under MATA and the soil under coffee with GRAD and HPRE. The other management systems presented intermediate behavior for all the attributes. The use of the soil with coffee plants decreases volumetric total porosity and macroporosity at 0-3 and 10-13 cm depths, compared to native forest. There was no effect of the different weed management systems on volumetric total porosity, macro-porosity and micro-porosity at 25-28 cm depth of LVdf in relation to the soil under native forest.


The protein product of proto-oncogene bcl-2 is thought to be involved in inhibition of apoptosis and is hormonally regulated in a variety of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The association of bcl-2 persistence and hormone receptor status was investigated by immunocytochemistry from paraffin-embedded tissue in a series of 82 women with endometrial carcinoma and 20 women with benign endometrium. In benign endometrium, bcl-2 immunoreactivity was strongly present in glands of proliferative and hyperplastic endometrium, while a weak signal was detected in secretory endometrium. Bcl-2 expression tends to decrease in staining intensity with progression from benign endometrium, including proliferative and hyperplastic endometrium, to endometrioid carcinoma and to mucinous, clear cell and serous carcinomas of the endometrium. Bcl-2 persistence was observed in the majority (65%) of endometrial carcinomas. We demonstrated a significant correlation of bcl-2 immunoreactivity with estrogen receptor (P = 0.000005) and progesterone receptor status (P = 0.00032). The bcl-2 persistence was found to be significantly higher in FIGO G1 and G2 tumors than in G3 tumors (P = 0.00035), while no significant difference was detected in tumors of different stages. We conclude that bcl-2 persistence is highly correlated with the presence of hormone receptors and may be hormone-dependent or related to hormonal regulation in endometrial carcinomas. Persistent expression of bcl-2 in normal and hyperplastic endometrium and endometrial carcinoma suggests that failure to inactivate bcl-2 expression early in the development of endometrial carcinoma may provide an opportunity for accumulating genetic mutations and evolution from a precursor lesion to invasive carcinoma.


Control of structure and function, at the nanometer scale, remains a formidable challenge in the arena of self-assembled soft materials. Here, we report on the design of a small molecule-based two-component assembly system in which the assembly partners can recognize each other through host–guest interactions. One component is hydrophobic and carries a donor–acceptor type of electronic structure. This is realized by employing a bucky-bowl corannulene derivative. The other component is hydrophilic and hollow. This is achieved by using γ-cyclodextrin, the largest and least studied member of the cyclic oligosaccharide family. In a chemically polar aqueous environment, the two partners come together to form an amphiphilic structure that assembles further into nanosized, quasicrystalline, dot-like, non-toxic, all-organic structures showing two-photon activity and bright green luminescence in water upon excitation at 800 nm. The devised synthesis is achieved by a simple mixing process carried out under continuous-flow conditions. Therefore, in a scalable manner, a constant supply of the assembly components results in continuous fabrication of the nanostructures. Non-linear optical activity and biocompatibility aspects suggest utility of the prepared new class of soft organic nano-dots as contrast agents or labeling tags for visualizing biological specimens. This aspect is examined and demonstrated through two-photon fluorescence imaging of cancer cell lines.


We in Google's various networking teams would like to increase our collaborations with academic researchers related to data-driven networking research. There are some significant constraints on our ability to directly share data, which are not always widely-understood in the academic community; this document provides a brief summary. We describe some models which can work - primarily, interns and visiting scientists working temporarily as employees, which simplifies the handling of some confidentiality and privacy issues. We describe some specific areas where we would welcome proposals to work within those models.


Defect-tolerant semiconductors have the ability to retain the electronic properties of their pristine form even in the presence of defects. Currently, the presence of antibonding states at the valence band edges induced by a lone pair of $6{s}^{2}$ or $5{s}^{2}$ electrons is used as a descriptor to predict defect-tolerant semiconductors. Based on this descriptor, bismuth triiodide ($\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$) has been proposed as a defect-tolerant semiconductor with promise for photovoltaic applications. However, clear demonstration of the defect tolerance of $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$ including a comprehensive study of the type of defects and their effect on the electronic structure has not been reported so far. Here, we present an atomic-scale landscape of point defects and intergrowths in $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$ using a combination of density-functional-theory calculations and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope imaging. We show that $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$ is not a defect-tolerant semiconductor as intrinsic point defects have low formation energy and show transition levels that are deep within the band gap and can act as nonradiative recombination centers. We show that Bi-rich growth conditions lead to higher carrier concentration over I-rich conditions. We also show the presence of intergrowths that are made up of a bilayer of bismuth atoms sandwiched within $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$ sheets with a missing layer of iodine atoms. These intergrowths result in metallic behavior within the semiconducting matrix of $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$. We propose that atomic-scale control of the intergrowths can be beneficial to avoid carrier trapping and to enhance photon absorbance. Overall, this work highlights the need to go beyond heuristic descriptors based on band-edge characteristics to predict defect-tolerant semiconductors.


Abstract Developing cultural economists' concerns with the assembly of agency in financial markets, agency in sub-prime mortgage lending in the United States is shown to have been made up through calculative devices of risk. Credit reporting and scoring provided for the targeting, sorting, pricing and governing of customers in terms of risk. The securitization of mortgages into risk-structured financial instruments made possible extended lending. Interest-only adjustable rate mortgage products called up mortgagors who, as leveraged investors, embraced risk in a rising property market. The current sub-prime mortgage crisis is understood in critical terms as a moment when the contradictions of these risk devices and their incapacity to capture the uncertain future have come to the surface, and agency in sub-prime lending has been disassembled. Cultural economy is thus shown to make a distinctive contribution to the politicization of sub-prime that stresses the ambiguous politics of calculation.


The new Super-Kamiokande-Gadolinium (SK-Gd) project is an upgrade of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. In the SK-Gd project, 0.2\% Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3$ is loaded into the 50 kton water tank of the SK. One of the main purposes of the project is to discover Supernova Relic Neutrinos. Neutrino measurements and proton decay searches will also be performed in the SK-Gd. In order to measure solar neutrinos with a low energy threshold of $\sim$3.5 MeV in the SK-Gd, the main radioactive contaminations, $^{238}$U and $^{232}$Th, in Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O, should be minimized before loading. Our maximum levels for U and Th are 5 mBq (U)/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O) and 0.05 mBq (Th)/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O).
In order to measure such low concentrations of U and Th in Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O, we developed the solid-phase extraction technique. Using this method, about 90\% or more U and Th could be efficiently extracted while Gd was reduced by a factor of about $10^{4}$. This allowed these radioactivity contaminations to be measured precisely as 0.04 mBq/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O) for U and 0.01 mBq/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O) for Th. We measured three pure Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O samples using this method and estimated that the purest one contained $<0.04$ mBq (U)/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O) and 0.06 $\pm$ 0.01 mBq (Th)/kg (Gd$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3{\cdot}$8H$_2$O) by ICP-MS.


We describe an all-electrical plasmon detection based on the near field coupling between plasmons and percolating electrons. It is the technique to electrically detect the local field enhancement from randomly distributed Cu nanoparticles coupled to a plasmon resonance. In addition, we revealed that plasmon-sensitivity is maximized at the percolation threshold, the minimum Cu particle surface coverage which can make the percolation path through the particles. Our detectors have a simple structure for easy fabrication and a high level of sensitivity to plasmon resonance.


Background: Community trends of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in diverse populations may differ by race and sex. Methods: The ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) sampled heart failure-related hospitalizations (≥55 years of age) in 4 US communities from 2005 to 2014 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. ADHF hospitalizations were validated by standardized physician review and computer algorithm, yielding 40 173 events after accounting for sampling design (unweighted n=8746). Results: Of the ADHF hospitalizations, 50% had reduced ejection fraction, and 39% had preserved EF (HFpEF). HF with reduced ejection fraction was more common in black men and white men, whereas HFpEF was most common in white women. Average age-adjusted rates of ADHF were highest in blacks (38.1 per 1000 black men, 30.5 per 1000 black women), with rates differing by HF type and sex. ADHF rates increased over the 10 years (average annual percentage change: black women +4.3%, black men +3.7%, white women +1.9%, white men +2.6%), mostly reflecting more acute HFpEF. Age-adjusted 28-day and 1-year case fatality proportions were ≈10% and 30%, respectively, similar across race-sex groups and HF types. Only blacks showed decreased 1-year mortality over time (average annual percentage change: black women –5.4%, black men –4.6%), with rates differing by HF type (average annual percentage change: black women HFpEF –7.1%, black men HF with reduced ejection fraction –4.7%). Conclusions: Between 2005 and 2014, trends in ADHF hospitalizations increased in 4 US communities, primarily driven by acute HFpEF. Survival at 1 year was poor regardless of EF but improved over time for black women and black men.


[Publisher Description]:
The contributions in this volume suggest that 'the ethics project in legal education' is increasingly an international one. Even though the strength of commitment by both the profession and the legal academy to 'ethics learning' within law schools varies, two fundamental questions confront all who work in this area. First, what is it that we want our students to learn (or, perhaps, in what manner do we want our students to develop) from the teaching of 'legal ethics'? Second, how can we create a learning environment that will encourage the nature and quality of learning we think is important?

All the contributors to this volume take a strong stand on the importance of ethical legal practice and the role of law schools in developing students' capacities in this area. They share a belief in the essential need to encourage law students to engage with the moral dimensions of legal practice. The questions that these scholars grapple with are therefore not of the 'should we be teaching this?' variety, but 'how might we best to go about doing this, so that our efforts within law schools really make some difference?' Each of the chapters in this volume adds uniquely to our understanding of these matters.


The centrosymmetry of amorphous silica can be broken through the technique of thermal poling, whereby the application of an electric field at elevated temperatures introduces an effective second-order nonlinearity. Quasi-phase-matching is realised through periodic ultra-violet erasure of the uniformly induced nonlinearity. A truly all-fibre laser system operating in the visible was envisioned to replace the crystalline frequency doublers currently employed. Despite the lower second-order-nonlinearity in poled silica fibres, the longer interaction length for comparable acceptance bandwidths, the higher damage threshold and straightforward integration makes them a very attractive substitute. In this thesis, the routes taken to induce the maximum possible nonlinearity and the optimisation of the quasi-phase-matching technique to achieve the highest possible normalised conversion efficiency are reported. Periodic ultra-violet erasure for quasi-phase-matching allows scalability to longer interaction lengths in comparison to the photolithography technique previously employed. Further circular twin-hole fibres can be used instead of D-shaped fibres. A greater than 16 times improvement in the normalised conversion efficiency over previous results was obtained through the enhancement of key parameters of interaction length, stability and reproducibility. An average conversion efficiency of ~15% was demonstrated in a ~32cm long periodically poled fibre using a fibre laser source with just ~200W of peak power. The functionalities of all-fibre frequency converters have been extended to include broadband wavelength tunability of 45nm and chirped period poling for precise control of the acceptance bandwidth.


The Abitibi greenstone belt is a volcanic-plutonic dominated subprovince of the Archean Superior structural province. In the southern volcanic zone (SVZ) of the Abitibi greenstone belt, there are numerous, well preserved, komatiite-tholeiite sequences in fault-bounded tectonostratigraphic terranes, or "assemblages". Volcanism commenced at 2750 Ma and terminated at $\sim$2700 Ma. New analyses of relatively fresh komatiites by ICP-MS from the classical Pyke Hill locality for spinifex textured komatiites, confirmed the Nb, LREE-depleted, Al-undepleted characteristics of the komatiites. The new analyses show positive Zr and Hf anomalies such that the Zr/Hf ($\sim$30) ratios are less than the chondritic ratio of 36. The anomalies may be explained by a two stage melting model. Komatiite-tholeiite sequences in Tisdale Township, $\sim$80 km west of Pyke Hill include domains of carbonate-dominated alteration. Two compositional varieties of komatiite are present. Type 1 has flat REE patterns, and is Al-undepleted. Type 2 is LREE and HREE depleted, yielding concave up REE patterns, and is Al-depleted. Type 2 is more magnesian than type 1. Type 1 was derived from an undepleted, but type 2 from a depleted mantle source. Two different mantle sources are required for the komatiites, both different from the mantle source for Pyke Hill komatiites. Proximal to faults, komatiite-tholeiite sequences are intensely deformed and altered, and locally contain large gold deposits. Komatiites are of the Nb, LREE-depleted, Al-undepleted type, as at Pyke Hill, and also have positive Zr and Hf anomalies. Some komatiites show evidence of crustal contamination in the conjunction of La/Nb $>$ 1, LREE enrichment, and negative P and Ti anomalies. Hence in the western Abitibi SVZ, distinct volcanic sequences were derived from separate mantle sources, and erupted variously through oceanic or continental crust, and were subsequently thrust together. Least altered komatiites in Whitney Township have smooth mantle normalized diagrams for Au and PGE. Komatiites have primary gold contents of 2-4 ppb – not gold rich relative to average crust. Altered komatiites have smooth PGE patterns but positive gold anomalies. Intensely altered komatiites in Whitney Township show unusual REE patterns, with relatively stable LREE and MREE, but HREE patterns that are smoothly depleted or concave down. The megaplume model for greenstone belts is not supported. Komatiites must have come from multiple plumes sampling different mantle sources, and coexisting basalts either from the same source as komatiites in some volcanic sequences, or from different mantle sources in other sequences. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


Aims: The aim of this study is to (1) compare and contrast cervical subtype classification methods within an asymptomatic population, and (2) identify inter-methodological consistencies and describe examples of inconsistencies that have the potential to affect subtype classification and clinical decision-making. Methods: A total of 150 asymptomatic 18–30-year-old participants met the strict inclusion criteria. An erect neutral lateral radiograph was obtained using standard procedures. The Centroid, modified Takeshima/Herbst methods and the relative rotation angles in cases of nonagreement were used to determine subtype classifications. Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) was used to assess the level of agreement between the two methods. Results: Nonlordotic classifications represented 66% of the cohort. Subtype classification identified the cohort as, lordosis (51), straight (37), global kyphosis (30), sigmoidal (13), and reverse sigmoidal (RS) (19). Cohen's kappa coefficient indicated that there was only a moderate level of agreement between methods (κ = 0.531). Methodological agreement tended to be higher within the lordotic and global kyphotic subtypes whereas, straight, sigmoidal, and RS subtypes demonstrated less agreement. Conclusion: This is the first study of its type to compare and contrast cervical classification methods. Subtypes displaying predominantly extended or flexed segments demonstrated higher levels of agreement. Our findings highlight the need for establishing a standardized multi-method approach to classify sagittal cervical subtypes.


Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease with worldwide distribution. Its symptoms may mimic a number of other infections such as dengue, malaria, hepatitis and typhoid fever, particularly in tropical countries where these diseases are endemic. Similarly, dengue is an important infectious disease that poses as a public health emergency due to its rapid epidemic spread across the world. Here, we report a fatal case of dengue fever in a patient who was also serologically positive for leptospirosis. Co-infection of both dengue and leptospirosis can lead to an illness with overlapping symptoms and therefore present a clinical diagnostic dilemma to the treating physician. Hence, a high index of suspicion among clinicians is required, especially in high endemic areas. The optimal usage of antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests is essential to aid the clinicians to make timely and accurate diagnosis as well as to start appropriate treatment regimes.


ABSTRACT Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) envelope (Env) glycoproteins induce fusion, leading to rampant syncytium formation in a broad range of cell lines. Here, we identified murine, hamster, canine, and porcine cell lines that are resistant to HTLV-1 Env-induced syncytium formation. This resistance was not due to the absence of functional receptors for HTLV Env, as these cells were susceptible to infection with HTLV Env-pseudotyped virions. As murine leukemia virus (MLV) Env and HTLV Env present close structural homologies (F. J. Kim, I. Seiliez, C. Denesvre, D. Lavillette, F. L. Cosset, and M. Sitbon, J. Biol. Chem. 275:23417-23420, 2000), and because activation of syncytium formation by MLV Env generally requires cleavage of the R peptide in the cytoplasmic domain of the Env transmembrane (TM) component, we assessed whether truncation of the cytoplasmic domain of HTLV Env would alleviate this resistance. Indeed, in all resistant cell lines, truncation of the last 8 amino acids of the HTLV Env cytoplasmic domain (HdC8) was sufficient to overcome resistance to HTLV Env-induced syncytium formation. Furthermore, HdC8-mediated cell-to-cell infection titers varied according to the target cell lines and could be significantly higher than that observed with HTLV Env on HeLa cells. These data indicate that a determinant located within the 8 carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic amino acids of TM plays a distinct role in HTLV Env-mediated cell-to-cell infection and syncytium formation.


Ab initio electronic structure theory has achieved considerable reliability concerning predictions of physical and chemical properties and phenomena. It provides understanding of matter at the atomic and electronic scale with an unprecedented level of details and accuracy. In the present contribution, the electronic structure theory and state-of-the-art ab initio calculation methods in solids are briefly reviewed and the application of the calculated total energy differences between various phases (lattice stabilities) is illustrated on construction of phase diagrams by the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) method in systems containing phases with complex structures, as e.g. Laves phases or sigma phase. Particular examples include description of the Laves phases in the Cr-Nb, Cr-Ta and Cr-Zr systems, sigma-phase in the Fe-Cr system and prediction of the phase composition of ternary Fe-Cr-Mo system and super-austenitic steels. It is shown that the utilization of ab initio results introduces a solid basis of the energetics of systems with complex phases, allows to avoid unreliable estimates and extrapolations of Gibbs energies and brings more physics into the CALPHAD method.


Copy number variants (CNVs) have recently been recognized as a common form of genomic variation in humans. Hundreds of CNVs can be detected in any individual genome using genomic microarrays or whole genome sequencing technology, but their phenotypic consequences are still poorly understood. Rare CNVs have been reported as a frequent cause of neurological disorders such as mental retardation (MR), schizophrenia and autism, prompting widespread implementation of CNV screening in diagnostics. In previous studies we have shown that, in contrast to benign CNVs, MR-associated CNVs are significantly enriched in genes whose mouse orthologues, when disrupted, result in a nervous system phenotype. In this study we developed and validated a novel computational method for differentiating between benign and MR-associated CNVs using structural and functional genomic features to annotate each CNV. In total 13 genomic features were included in the final version of a Naïve Bayesian Tree classifier, with LINE density and mouse knock-out phenotypes contributing most to the classifier's accuracy. After demonstrating that our method (called GECCO) perfectly classifies CNVs causing known MR-associated syndromes, we show that it achieves high accuracy (94%) and negative predictive value (99%) on a blinded test set of more than 1,200 CNVs from a large cohort of individuals with MR. These results indicate that this classification method will be of value for objectively prioritizing CNVs in clinical research and diagnostics.


Snowmelt runoff is one of the most important discharge events in the southern mountainous taiga of eastern Siberia. The present study was conducted in order to understand the interannual variations in snowmelt infiltration into the frozen ground and in snowmelt runoff generation during the snowmelt period in the southern mountainous taiga in eastern Siberia. Analysis of the obtained data revealed the following: (1) snowmelt infiltration into the top 20 cm of frozen ground is important for evaluating snowmelt runoff generation because frozen ground absorbed from 22.9% (WY1983) to 61.5% (WY1981) of the maximum snow water equivalent. The difference in snowmelt infiltration for the two years appears to have been caused by the difference in snowmelt runoff generation; (2) the snowmelt runoff ratio increased with (i) increase in the fall soil moisture just before the soil surface froze and (ii) increase in the maximum snow water equivalent. The above results imply that the parameters governing snowmelt infiltration in the boreal taiga region in eastern Siberia are fall soil moisture and the maximum snow water equivalent, as is the case in the simple model presented by Gray et al.


Neuroblastoma is the most common solid extracranial tumour in children. The neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line is a third successive subclone established from a metastatic bone tumour biopsy. It can be induced to differentiate (regress) into a neuronal phenotype when treated with any of several molecules including retinoic acid (RA). This characteristic has been exploited in several studies that use the SH-SY5Y cell line as a neuronal model. These studies have had far- reaching implications in shaping our understanding of certain key aspects of neurotoxicity and neurodevelopment yet their genuine relevance becomes evident when approached from an oncological point of view, as they provide information about the process underlying tumour regression which in turn can lead to the development of better therapies for the clinical management of this malignancy.
It has been shown both in vitro and in vivo that several tumours constitutively catabolize the essential amino acid tryptophan (Trp) promoting cancer- associated inflammation, immune response suppression, immune escape and tumour outgrowth. The main degradation pathway of Trp is the kynurenine pathway: it involves its transformation into several bioactive compounds such as kynurenic acid (KA) and quinolinic acid (QA). QA has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases where it is believed to induce excitotoxic neuronal death through the activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a type of ionotropic glutamate receptor, as well as by causing oxidative stress and energy metabolism disruption. Conversely, KA acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist and exerts neuroprotection.
Similarly, glutamate signaling and its dysregulation has been implicated in the development and progression of cancer. Furthermore, several glutamate receptor antagonists, including kynurenic acid, have been shown to inhibit the proliferation and migration of neoplastic cells. Conversely, it has recently been reported that QA increases the proliferation of SK-N-SH cells and protects gliomas against oxidative stress by acting as a precursor of NAD+.
In view of all that has been mentioned thus far, the SH-SY5Y cell line was used as a model to investigate the effect of certain Trp metabolites such as QA, KAand 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) on cellular morphology, viability and neurite extension. An important part of this study was to determine whether the available methods could reliably be employed to investigate these parameters in the SH-SY5Y cell line. It was confirmed that the acquired SH-SY5Y cell line retains its ability to differentiate and to die, and that both processes can be accurately quantified. Additionally, the optimal culturing conditions for the SH- SY5Y cell line were determined.
Treatment with RA (10 μM) was used as a positive control of differentiated SH- SY5Y cells. Overall, the morphology adopted by cells after QA (50 μM) treatment was similar to the one that follows RA-induced differentiation. It was demonstrated that QA caused an increase in the neurite/soma ratio in SH-SY5Y cells, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis as evidenced by an increase in the total cellular content of β3-tubulin. These results were also confirmed by a neurite outgrowth assay that selectively quantified the neuritic mass present in cultures. However, unlike RA, QA did not decrease the levels of the neuronal proliferation marker doublecortin; the term neuritogenesis is therefore more appropriately used to refer to the series of morphological and molecular changes induced by QA in SH-SY5Y cells.
The morphological changes induced by QA were not reproduced by application of NMDA, nor were they inhibited by blockade of the NMDA receptor with MK-801. Furthermore, SH-SY5Y cells were not susceptible to NMDA excitotoxic death. In view of this, the expression of GluN1 protein was determined by Western blot. GluN1 could not be detected in either undifferentiated or differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, confirming that QA-induced neuritogenesis occurs through a mechanism independent of NMDAR activation. The results herein contained suggest that the SH-SY5Y cell line does not have functional NMDARs, nonetheless it is recognized that a more exhaustive study would be necessary to fully establish which glutamate receptor subtypes are found in the SH-SY5Y cell line.
The effect of QA on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also investigated. QA caused an increase in the intracellular levels of ROS as evidenced by an increase in the fluorescence of oxidised ethidium. Additionally QA-treatment caused an increase in the expression of NRF2, a transcriptionfactor that responds to oxidative stress and which has been implicated in ROS- induced differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells.
In contrast, superoxide dismutase (SOD; 300 U/ml) significantly reduced the levels of ROS induced by QA treatment, which in turn caused an increase in cell proliferation and a reduction in the number of neurites. Similarly, diphenylene iodonium (DPI; an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase) also inhibited QA-induced neuritogenesis. These results suggest that the action mechanism of QA is mainly via the production of ROS, most likely superoxide (O2•-) through NADPH-oxidase.
Interestingly, nicotinamide (1 nM-1mM; another precursor of NAD+) caused a dose dependent increase in the number of neurites and in the expression of β3- tubulin, which suggests that the action mechanism of QA may be mediated by metabolites of the nicotinate and Nam pathway, including NAD+ either before or after the induction of ROS.
Cells were treated with 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) in order to ascertain whether other pro-oxidant molecules could induce neuritogenesis as well. Single and repeated application of 3-HAA (100 μM) induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, when 3-HAA was delivered in combination with SOD, there was a shift in the IC50 values indicating that toxicity was potentiated by SOD. Catalase (CAT; 100 U/ml) afforded complete protection from the exacerbated damage induced by the single co-application of 3-HAA + SOD. However, when repeated treatments were performed, CAT no longer afforded any protection. Interestingly, the serum concentration in the medium did not affect the IC50 of 3-HAA but it did modulate the response to CAT, indicating that the specific ROS produced after 3-HAA treatment depend on the medium in which 3-HAA is delivered. At sublethal doses, 3-HAA interfered with the expression of NeuN (neuronal marker) through a mechanism that involves high production of ROS. The ability of some kynurenines to induce differentiation and cell death in SH- SY5Y cells may open new and exciting avenues of research. If these results can be confirmed in vivo they could impact the way in which certain neuroblastomas are treated.


On for This second issue of Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, devoted to 'The virtual physiological human', highlights the challenges involved in organ-level modelling of biological systems. Organ modelling requires the linking of representations of structure and function (e.g. geometry effects on blood flow at heart valves; Votta et al. 2008) across multiple spatio-temporal scales (e.g. from mitochondrial ion channel openings to whole organ function; Plank et al. 2008). This is based on multiphysics approaches (e.g. to model pulmonary ventilation–perfusion matching and gas exchange; Burrowes et al. 2008), as well as the application of a wide range of computational tools and strategies (such as cellular automata and agent-based models: Evans et al. (2008); particle dynamics simulation of blood clot formation: Filipovic et al. (2008); or finite-element representations of tissue mechanical properties: Lloyd et al. 2008). A common thread of all papers is that they acknowledge the fundamental need for 'dry' models to be firmly based on, and validated against, 'wet' experimental data (Cristofolini et al. 2008). Another shared theme is the resolve to increasingly allow patient-specific modelling, with the aim of aiding, in the long run, the development of a truly personalized approach to medicine (Doorly et al. 2008). Biological behaviour modelled in this issue ranges from normally functioning musculoskeletal (Cristofolini et al. 2008), gastrointestinal (Liao et al. 2008), respiratory (Burrowes et al. 2008; Doorly et al. 2008), cardiac (Campbell et al. 2008; Plank et al. 2008) and vascular systems (Filipovic et al. 2008), to the simulation of disease development, such as in cancer (Lloyd et al. 2008), and the design of therapeutic interventions, such as optimized stent–vessel interactions (Evans et al. 2008), or the prediction of clinical outcomes (Votta et al. 2008). The editors hope that both the breadth and the depth of communications in this double-issue focused theme of Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A (Clapworthy et al. 2008) will serve as a valuable source of information and catalyse further research and development, helping to build a framework for computational biomedicine.


Redenomination of naira has constituted the themes and subject matters of many workshops, conferences and seminars. It has also made top headlines on pages of national dailies and periodicals and has also become subjects of debate in the academia. The consideration ranges from the objectives of naira redenomination to its benefits. Hence, the study examined the benefits of naira redenomination in Nigeria. It employed descriptive statistics with experimental research design and administered questionnaires to 120 randomly selected among lecturers and postgraduate students of departments of management science, economic and political science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. From the findings, it was discovered that there are many benefits of naira redenomination to Nigerian economy including efficient pricing, efficient payment system, easy conversion to other currencies, reduction cost of printing, distribution and processing of currency, portability of the currency units, reduction in transaction in efficiency, promotion of macro-economic stability etc. The findings concluded that the federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria should revisit the policy, enlighten the general public about the benefits of naira redenomination and complement redenomination with infrastructural development in both rural and urban areas of the country.


The variable structure roll autopilot is designed with reaching law approach. Aiming at solving the chattering problem caused by sign function, the saturation function is introduced. In order to improve the system, a new reaching law is proposed on the basis of the conventional exponential reaching law. Furthermore, to prove the efficiency of the variable structure control autopilot, a classical autopilot is also designed. Simulation results indicate the efficiency of variable structure control autopilot, and the new reaching law improves the system more..


The relation between emotion and rationality is assessed by reviewing empirical findings from multiple disciplines. Two types of emotional phenomena are examined—incidental emotional states and integral emotional responses—and three conceptions of rationality are considered—logical, material, and ecological. Emotional states influence reasoning processes, are often misattributed to focal objects, distort beliefs in an assimilative fashion, disrupt self-control when intensely negative, but do not necessarily increase risk-taking. Integral emotional responses are often used as proxies for values, and valuations based on these responses exhibit distinct properties: efficiency, consistency, polarization, myopia, scale- insensitivity, and reference-dependence. Emotions seem to promote social and moral behavior. Conjectures about the design features of the affective system that give rise to seeming sources of rationality or irrationality are proposed. It is concluded that any categorical statement about the overall rationality or irrationality of emotion would be misleading.


The variability of surface water carbon dioxide concentration, or partial pressure (pCO2), was studied in 11 lakes of greatly varying size (2.4 ha up to 8 million ha) in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Six of these lakes were chosen to be as similar as possible in all respects except surface area (the Northwest Ontario Lake Size Series [NOLSS], which range from 88 to 35,000 ha). Spatial and temporal variability of pCO2 within a single lake was no greater in the larger lakes than in the smaller lakes. Interannual variability was significant and synchronous, which indicates that weather patterns were important and affected the different lakes within the region in a similar manner. However, annual pCO2 averages were not related to annual differences in planktonic photosynthetic activity, measured by 14CO2 fixation. In the six NOLSS lakes, there was not a significant relationship of average pCO2 with lake size. For all 11 lakes, however, there was a significant negative correlation of pCO2 with lake size, which was likely due to several characteristics of the very small and very large lakes that covaried with size. The larger lakes were deeper and had longer water residence times and lower DOC, which suggests lower CO2 production from allochthonous organic carbon inputs. Also, the ratio of epilimnetic sediment area/epilimnetic volume (Ae/Ve) was smaller in the larger lakes, which likely resulted in lower rates of recycling of fixed carbon to CO2 during summer stratification.


The conversion of biogas to electricity presents an attractive niche application for fuel cells. Thus attempts have been made to use biogas as a fuel for high temperature fuel cell systems such as SOFC. Biogas can be converted to hydrogen-rich fuel in a reforming process. For hydrocarbon-based fuel, three types of fuel conversion can be considered in reforming reactions: an external reforming system, an indirect internal reforming system and a direct internal reforming system. High-temperature SOFC eliminates the need for an expensive external reforming system. The possibility of using internal reforming is one of the characteristics of high temperature fuel cells like SOFC. However, for high-temperature operation, thermal management of the SOFC system becomes an important issue. To properly carry out thermal management, both detailed modeling and numerical analyses of the phenomena occurring inside the SOFC system is required. In the present work, the process of reforming biogas on a Ni/YSZ and a Ni/SDC catalyst has been numerically and experimentally investigated. Measurements including different thermal boundary conditions, steam-to-carbon ratios and several different fuel compositions were taken. A numerical model containing methane/steam reforming reaction, dry reforming reaction and shift reaction has been proposed to predict the gas mixture composition at the outlet of the reformer. The results of the numerical computation were compared with experimental data and good agreement has been found. The results indicate the importance of combined, numerical and experimental studies in the design of SOFC reformers. The combined approach used leads to the successful prediction of the outlet gas composition for different modelling conditions.


ISIS has learned that Iran is now using the second cascade at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) at Natanz to recycle the tails from the first cascade that produces 19.75 percent enriched uranium from 3.5 percent low enriched uranium (LEU). The purpose is not to increase the output of 19.75 percent material but to maximize the use of the 3.5 percent low enriched uranium (LEU). ISIS previously reported that Iran had stated its intention to recycle tails at the PFEP during the production of 19.75 percent uranium. The two percent enriched tails from the first cascade is fed into the feed point of the second cascade and emerges as about 10 percent enriched uranium. This material is then fed into an upper stage of the first cascade, while the 3.5 percent uranium is fed in at the main feed point of this cascade. With two feed points, the total amount of 19.75 percent product is not increased, but the enrichment effort embodied in the 2 percent material is more fully utilized. The assay of the tails in the second cascade is 0.7 percent enriched uranium, or natural uranium. This material can then be reused in cascades at the main Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz that make 3.5 percent uranium. Recycling in the second cascade allows Iran to cut down on wasting separative work units (swu) in the enrichment process and ultimately requires less 3.5 percent LEU to produce a given quantity of 19.75 percent material. Iran is not short on a supply of 3.5 percent material to make research reactor fuel and will not be anytime soon. Thus, it hardly has to worry about using its tails efficiently. If Iran enriches to weapon-grade uranium, however, it is expected to use the same type of procedure to reduce the amount of separative work left in the tails as it stepwise increases the enrichment level of the uranium, reducing the amount of feed material it needs at each step. Iran likely received the same plans that the Khan network gave Libya detailing how to organize and run cascades to produce weapon-grade uranium from natural uranium in four steps, including recycling the tails produced in the top three steps (the first step goes from natural uranium to 3.5 percent LEU and produces about 0.4 percent tails). Thus, Iran's current actions, while superficially justified on civil grounds, mainly make sense in the …


This study examined how participants responded to incidents of athlete-perpetrated intimate partner violence in two separate contexts: one featuring an athlete from a league that is at peak popularity among sports audiences (National Football League; NFL) and one featuring an athlete from an up-and-coming league that currently has a lower standing in professional sports (Ultimate Fighting Championship League; UFC). The authors used the social ecological model to qualitatively analyze participant perceptions about athlete-perpetrated intimate partner violence composite news packages. For the purpose of this study specifically, they centered on 1,124 responses to one of the open-ended qualitative questions asked in a larger quantitative experiment. The authors found that the participants most frequently attributed the perpetrator's behavior to either individual or relationship-level reasons and that there were differences in the level attributed for participants of different races and ethnicities. They also determined that the participants were more likely to ascribe the violence to the suspect's job (i.e., athlete) if they were a UFC fighter than an NFL player. Theoretical extensions of the social ecological model and practical implications for journalists, the media, and fans are offered.


On 16th October 2012, kobi cuttle fish, Sepia
kobiensis were caught by trawl gears operated along
the Karaikal coast ( lat 100 49' 11.01" N; long: 790 43'
79.52"E) of south India at a depth of around
100-200 m . The specimens were identified as Sepia
kobiensis Hoyle, 1885 based on the identification
characters as described in Jereb and Roper 2005
(Fig. 1 and 2). This species has not been reported
earlier and therefore considered as a new record to
the inshore waters of Bay of Bengal along Karaikal
coast. It is a demersal cuttlefish inhabiting up to
160 m depth and has been found to occur in Mumbai
waters along the west coast of India.The occurrence
of the species in the fishery along Mumbai coast is
highly seasonal


In 2006 Regent University launched a Master of Arts in Strategic Foresight, and in 2007 added a foresight major to its Doctor of Strategic Leadership. In doing so, Regent joined a small group of academic programs worldwide that offer graduate professional degrees based on futures studies. To encourage further improvement and adoption of future focused degrees and majors at the graduate level, this paper discusses this program from three facets: (a) what Regent received from the futures community, (b) what Regent added to the paradigm of strategic foresight, and (c) how Regent presently assesses student learning and program outcomes.


Abstract One fundamental and challenging problem in coding theory is to optimize the parameters [n, k, d] of a linear code over the finite field Fq and construct codes with best possible parameters. There are tables and databases of best-known linear codes over the finite fields of size up to 9 together with upper bounds on the minimum distances. Motivated by recent works on codes over F11, we present a table of best-known linear codes over F11 together with upper bounds on minimum distances. Our table covers the range n ≤ 150 for the length, and 3 ≤ k ≤ 7 for the dimension. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a table is presented in the literature. For the construction of the best-known codes, we employed an iterative heuristic search algorithm to search for new linear codes in the class of quasi-twisted (QT) codes. The search yielded many new codes with better parameters than previously known codes. In many cases, optimal codes are obtained. In addition to presenting a comprehensive table of best-known codes over F11 of dimensions up to 7 with upper bounds on the minimum distances, we also present separate tables for the optimal codes and new QT codes over F11. We hope that this work will be a useful source for further study on codes over F11.


The characteristics of dark hollow beams passing through a two-Cassegrain-telescopes system in turbulent atmosphere in a slant path have been investigated. The distribution of the average intensity at the receiver telescope and the efficiency of power coupling with respect to propagation distance with different parameters are derived and numerically calculated. These studies illuminate that the power of the dark hollow beams is concentrated on a narrow annular aperture at the source plane and its power coupling with a transmitter Cassegrain telescope can remain quite high. For short distance between the two Cassegrain telescopes, the normalized average intensity distribution at receiver plane holds shape similar to that at the source plane, and the two Cassegrain telescopes keep high efficiency of the power coupling. But with the increment in the propagation distance, the power of the dark hollow beams gradually converges to the central and the spot spreads. The central obscuration of the receiver telescope blocks more of the power; meanwhile more of the power moves out beyond the edge of the receiving aperture. Therefore, the efficiency of the power coupling decreases with the increment in the propagation distance. In addition, the relations between the efficiency of power coupling and wavelength of laser beams are also numerically calculated and discussed.


New challenges follow with the decarbonisation of the energy system. In particular, the challenge of balancing energy production and consumption has become salient due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Some suggest solutions at a system level (e.g. using excess electricity to produce hydrogen for transport use), whereas others emphasise the role of individual consumers. The latter approach is dominant within the smart grid vision. In this paper, we explore implications of smart grid technologies in households for the everyday practices related to electricity consumption. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with Danish households with photovoltaics (PVs) installed in combination with electric vehicles, heat pumps or household batteries (for local storage of electricity). The main research questions are: How does the installation of local electricity production (microgeneration) influence the everyday practices? What kind of influence does the combination of PVs with other "smart" energy technologies have on everyday practices and electricity consumption patterns? A specific focus is on the time patterns of households' energy consumption. The analysis is based on a practice theoretical approach. It shows a surprisingly high commitment to time shifting electricity consumption, especially dishwashing and laundering. Different explanations are identified, including the characteristics related to PVs and to producing one's "own" electricity, but also the type of account settlement scheme (hourly versus annual net metering) and the trial context play a role. Also, the study finds a broader interest in increasing the level of self-sufficiency through combining PVs with home batteries. Finally, the paper discusses a distinct (male) gendering in relation to who is most actively engaged in energy monitoring and management, and it identifies possible system implications of the findings.


Objective: This case study reports the improvement in quality of life experienced by a patient undergoing cervical specific care as an alternative to medication or surgery for the management of Trigeminal neuralgia. Clinical Features: A 57 year old female presented with right sided trigeminal neuralgia (TN) of two years duration. TN pain was helped by medication and exacerbated by exposure to cold. Secondary complaints included high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, diminished hearing in left ear, cervicalgia, bilateral shoulder pain, right shin numbness and allergies. Prescriptions include Gabapentin 900 mg 3xs/day (2700 total with 3600 being maximum prescribed), triamterene 37.5 mg 1x/day, synthroid 75 mg 1x/day and nasacort as needed. History included being knocked unconscious in a fall when ten years old, significant fall while skiing thirteen years prior and recent fall onto the sidewalk. Orthopedic and neurological examination demonstrated the right leg one inch short relative to the left leg, one inch bilateral cervical syndrome and positive modified Prill tests for atlas (C1), axis (C2) and C5. Cervical x-ray analysis determined listings of axis entire segment right and a posterior C5. Diminished disc space and minor degenerative arthritis noted at C5/6 consistent with cervical trauma (whiplash). Intervention and Outcomes: One week after specific adjustments to C5 and axis, TN pain diminished dramatically in frequency and intensity. After discussing the improvement with her neurologist, she started cutting back on her Gabapentin dosage. After eight weekly visits, the patient was completely off the medication and pain free. Additionally, she reduced her high blood pressure medication by fifty percent. After two years of monthly maintenance care, she is still pain free without medication, even after major dental work. Conclusion: This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of cervical specific care as an alternative to medication or surgery for the control of pain associated with TN.


This thesis focuses on the definition of a task for the determination, tracking and execution of a grasp on an unknown object. In particular, it is considered the case in which the object is ideally planar and the grasp has to be executed with a two-fingered, parallel-jaw gripper using vision as the source of sensor data. For the specification of this task, an architecture is defined that is based on three basic components -virtual sensors, filters, and actuators-, which can be connected to define a control loop. Each step in this task is analyzed separately, considering several options in some cases.
Some of the main contributions of this thesis include: (1) the use of a modular approach to the specification of a control task that provides a basic framework for supporting the concept of behavior; (2) the analysis of several strategies for obtaining a compact representation of the contour of an object; (3) the development of a method for the evaluation and search of a grasp on a planar object for a two-fingered gripper; (4) the specification of different representations of a grasp and the analysis of their use for tracking the grasp between different views of an object; (5) the specification of algorithms for the tracking of a grasp along the views of an object obtained from a sequence of single images and a sequence of stereo images; (6) the definition of parametrized models of the target position of the grasp points and of the feasibility of this target grasp, and of an off-line procedure for the computation of some of the reference values required by this model; and (7) the definition and analysis of a visual servoing control scheme to guide the gripper of a robot arm towards an unknown object using the grasp points computed for that object as control features.


Studies in mobile telephony have shown their relevance for Africandevelopment but little is known about the usage patterns andconsumption motivations of different groups in Nigeria. The study examinedthe phenomenon among University staff and students in Ota, with a view to describing the consumption motivations and patterns of mobile phone use. Survey, focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs)were used to generate data that explained the study problem. While the quantitative approach highlighted the usage patterns, qualitative methodsdescribed the factors that motivate mobile consumption. Findings show that mobile phones are mostly used for oral communication and social networking by adults and youths, respectively. Usage is predicated on the need for information, accessibility, connectivity, interactivity, networking, entertainment and cost efficiency whileconsumption is motivated by economic incentives, social benefits and convenience of use. Because mobilesnavigate sociocultural, economic and spatial boundaries, they providea ready platform for the dissemination of development messages in Nigeria.andpoint to the need for more attention in explaining the behavioural aspects of mobile technology in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa.


This study was aimed to test Staphylococcus aureus in frozen chicken meat as an indicator of quality and poultry slaughter house hygiene. Thirty two samples of frozen chicken meats transported through Merak port were taken from Cilegon 2 nd Class Agricultural Quarantine Installation. Those samples came from DKI Jakarta (11 samples), Bekasi (6 samples), Bogor (4 samples) and Serang (11 samples). Number of S. aureus in frozen chicken meat was conducted with plate count method using baird parker agar (BPA) media. The result showed that the average number of S. aureus in Serang was the highest (5.4x102±6.73x102 cfu/g). In the other hand, Bekasi had the lowest average number of S. aureus (0.60x102±0.38x 102 cfu/g ). From the four areas, there were samples which over the maximum limit of S.aureus as permitted in SNI 01-7388-2009 (1x102 cfu/g ) with an avarege proportion about 35.42%.


Widespread bat fatalities at industrial wind turbines are a conservation issue with the potential to inhibit efficient use of an abundant source of energy. Bat fatalities can be reduced by altering turbine operations, but such curtailment decreases turbine efficiency. If additional ways of reducing bat fatalities at wind turbines were available such tradeoffs might not be needed. Based on the facts that bats perceive distant objects primarily through vision and can see in very dim lighting conditions, and the possibility that bats might interact with turbines after approach- ing them as they would trees, we propose a novel method of reducing bat activity at wind turbines: illumination of the structure with dim light. As a first step toward assessing this approach, we illu- minated trees with dim flickering ultraviolet (UV) light in areas frequented by Hawaiian hoary bats Lasiurus cinereus semotus, an endangered subspecies affected by wind turbines. We used a repeated-measures design to quantify bat activity near trees with acoustic detectors and thermal video cameras in the presence and absence of UV illumination, while concurrently monitoring insect numbers. Results indicate that dim UV reduces bat activity despite an increase in insect numbers. Experimental treatment did not completely inhibit bat activity near trees, nor did all measures of bat activity show statistically significant differences due to high variance in bat activ- ity among sites. However, the observed decreases in bat activity with dim UV illumination justify further testing of this method as a means to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines.


Motivated by the recent interest in 3D beamforming to enhance system performance, we present an information-theoretic channel model for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, that can support the elevation dimension. The principle of maximum entropy is used to determine the distribution of the channel matrix consistent with the prior angular information. We provide an explicit expression for the cumulative density function (CDF) of the mutual information in the large number of transmit antennas and paths regime. The derived Gaussian approximation is quite accurate even for realistic system dimensions. The simulation results study the achievable performance through the meticulous selection of the transmit antenna downtilt angles. The results are directly applicable to the analysis of 5G 3D massive MIMO systems.


The EU's primary problem of legitimacy arises not from its democratic deficit or failure to deliver certain outputs, as held by conventional wisdom, but rather from its power to enact laws through Qualified Majority Voting against a Member State's will and self-perceived national interest. With the waning into desuetude of the Luxembourg Compromise, under which states in the European Communities maintained a de facto veto in cases of vital national interests, QMV has thus given the EU an autonomous source of power by eliminating continual national control over EU decision-making. Just as constitutional courts need to reconcile countermajoritarian judicial review with democratic principles, the EU demands a new form of justification to reconcile national democratic principles with supranational QMV decision-making. Since empirical legitimacy is based on serving common interests of effective actors, the EU can legitimate QMV through the protection of fundamental rights of European citizens across its Member States, even against national democratic will. Thus, contemporary sources of EU legitimacy are based on European citizenship and national democracy. These principles are embedded in the EU's primary constitutive process of establishment through treaties, from the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 to the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.In his last speech before leaving the US Supreme Court, Justice David Souter emphasized the importance of courts in liberal democracies: "There has to be a safe place, and we have to be it." Similarly, as a model of liberal international democracy - an order wherein primary political decision-makers are elected by the people they govern (democratic element) and human rights (liberal element) are, as a last resort, protected by international institutions (international element) - the EU can, and should, be that safe place across its Member States by protecting the fundamental rights of all European citizens, even against national democratic will, and maximizing values of human dignity.


This paper examines the effect of Wal-Mart's entry into Mexico on Mexican manufacturers of consumer goods. Guided by firm interviews that suggested substantial heterogeneity across firms in how they responded to Wal-Mart's entry, we develop a dynamic industry model in which firms decide whether to sell their products through Walmex (short for Wal-Mart de Mexico), or use traditional retailers. Walmex provides access to a larger market, but it puts continuous pressure on its suppliers to improve their product's appeal, and it forces them to accept relatively low prices relative to product appeal. Simulations of the model show that the arrival of Walmex separates potential suppliers into two groups. Those with relatively high-appeal products choose Walmex as their retailer, whereas those with lower appeal products do not. For the industry as a whole, the model predicts that the associated market share reallocations, adjustments in innovative effort, and exit patterns increase productivity and the rate of innovation. These predictions accord well with the results from our firm interviews. The model's predictions are also supported by establishment-level panel data that characterize Mexican producers' domestic sales, investments, and productivity gains in regions with differing levels of Walmex presence during the years 1994 to 2002.


The light competition in dense plant stands may be disadvantageous in transplant production because competition stimulates stem elongation and can reduce photosynthate allocation to leaves; this, in turn, may reduce the early growth rate after transplanting. In this study, we focused on how the proportion of far-red (FR) light affected light competition among cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings and investigated the effects of the plant density × FR interaction on photosynthate allocation and subsequent early growth after transplanting. Seedlings at the cotyledon stage were planted into plug trays at densities ranging from 109 to 1736 plants/m2; then they were grown for 4 days under light-emitting diode (LED) light containing FR light (FR+) at approximately the same red-to-FR ratio as in sunlight (1.2) or under light containing no FR (FR−). The higher density significantly stimulated stem elongation under both FR+ and FR−, but the effect was small under FR−; this indicates that light competition in the dense stands was inhibited by reducing FR light. The higher plant density significantly increased photosynthate allocation to the stem and decreased allocation to the leaves under both FR+ and FR−; however, again, the effect was smaller under FR−. After transplanting the seedlings to pots, early growth decreased in the seedlings that allocated less photosynthate to their leaves. Our results indicate that light with reduced FR can mitigate the disadvantageous photosynthate allocation of transplants and the reduction of early growth after transplanting that are likely to occur as a result of light competition at high plant density.


About the book: What are the key elements of mass higher education? How does mass higher education affect students and staff? What are the policy, pedagogic and management issues that need to be addressed?
More is now expected of higher education provision. It has to meet demands for expansion, excellence, diversity and equity in access and assessment, teaching and research, as well as entrepreneurial engagement with the world outside. Thirty years ago, Martin Trow wrote of higher education systems moving from elite provision through a mass system to universal levels of access. The UK is now approaching such universal levels; Scotland has already reached them. It is nearly fifteen years since Trow's mass threshold was reached. Despite being on the brink of universal provision, there is still no clear picture of what a mass system should look like.
This collection looks forward to the next decade of higher education, and identifies strategic issues that need to be tackled at institutional and management levels. It considers how far the higher education system has adapted to respond to the requirements of a mass and universal system, rather than struggling to maintain an elite system with mass participation.


Cidofovir [(S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine, HPMPC] is an acyclic nucleoside analog approved since 1996 for clinical use in the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients. Cidofovir (CDV) has broad-spectrum activity against DNA viruses, including herpes-, adeno-, polyoma-, papilloma- and poxviruses. Among poxviruses, cidofovir has shown in vitro activity against orthopox [vaccinia, variola (smallpox), cowpox, monkeypox, camelpox, ectromelia], molluscipox [molluscum contagiosum] and parapox [orf] viruses. The anti-poxvirus activity of cidofovir in vivo has been shown in different models of infection when the compound was administered either intraperitoneal, intranasal (aerosolized) or topically. In humans, cidofovir has been successfully used for the treatment of recalcitrant molluscum contagiosum virus and orf virus in immunocompromised patients. CDV remains a reference compound against poxviruses and holds potential for the therapy and short-term prophylaxis of not only orthopox- but also parapox- and molluscipoxvirus infections.


Purpose - In recent years, performance measurement and management (PMM) has received much attention from researchers and practitioners. Despite the growing use of PMM systems, companies experience difficulty in implementing such systems, with consequent risk of partial benefits or total goal failure. The literature on PMM is quite vast, but only few of the models address the problem in its entirety, while many other works focus on specific issues related to PMM. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the state of the art of PMM models and propose an integrated framework as a base for performance measurement and management design. Design/methodology/approach - The evolution of the literature on PMM models and frameworks is highlighted starting from the development of the last twenty years. Further, the characteristics raised in the literature are merged so as to identify the milestones of an integrated performance measurement and management system. Based on it, an integrated framework is proposed as a base for a cohesive PMM design. Findings - The framework integrates five systems: a performance system, a cost system, a capability evaluation system, a benchmarking system and a planning system. Research limitations/implications - Though the proposed framework is a starting point for performance measurement and management design, it provides important guidelines for successful implementations of PMM initiatives inside companies. Practical implications - The paper elaborates on the findings in the literature through a review and explores how the framework proposed might be implemented and improved. Originality/value - The framework is based on the belief that PMM study requires an intensive and deep comprehension of the business in focus, which begins with a complete analysis of all the key activities in the company and their related drivers. Accordingly, the framework proposed starts with a defining "which" information should be analyzed, "how" they should be processed and "how" they should be integrated for generating valuable information to facilitate managers' decision-making processes.


In the 30 years since the first appearance of Martin Lambie Nairn's ident, Round and Back, Channel 4 has established a reputation for screening idents that are both innovative and pleasingly familiar. While many texts have acknowledged the significance of these artefacts, there has, as yet, been no sufficient exploration into the precise behaviours that make these idents so distinct. This article explores the construction of the Channel 4 logo from independently moving parts, and the alignment of static parts prompted by tracked navigation, showing how these behaviours are made possible by the modularity of the Channel 4 logo. These behaviours are likened to anamorphosis, in which a privileged viewing zone reveals to viewers an alignment of forms, and a fleeting moment in which separate pictorial objects collaborate in the presentation of a more significant numerical configuration.


The wind turbine blade is a key component of wind turbine generator system, and helps capture wind energy effectively. The way of RTM resin transfer molding is generally used at home and abroad for blade manufacturing process. In order to ensure the quality of product, computer simulation analysis and experimental verification should be conducted before producing. Moldflow was used to simulate the process of wind turbine blade RTM. Based on that, variation diagrams about filling time, temperature, buckling deformation, pressure and so on are obtained. The results of analysis and comparison of with and without cooling, as well as optimize the defects existed indicate that cavitations concentrate in roots and edge of the blade, gas exhaust mold easily, there is no need to open up air vent additional; In filling stage, mold clamping force gradually increase slowly, in packing stage, mold clamping force sharply increase to reach peak, the mold clamping force disappears after packing; filling time with cooling process is longer than that without cooling process. It provides an important reference for wind turbine blade design and manufacture.


The outlays of the U.S. Social Security system are projected to rise dramatically over the next several decades as the baby boomers retire. While benefits today cost about 11 percent of taxable payroll, they are expected to rise to over 15 percent by the time the last boomers retire in 2026. In order to partially pre-fund these outlays, Congress raised payroll taxes in 1983 beyond the level needed to pay benefits. The large annual Social Security surpluses resulting from the tax increase — $150 Billion in 2003 alone — are saved in a trust fund to be used in the coming decades when benefit outlays exceed payroll tax receipts. This policy change was intended to spread the cost of financing baby boomers' retirements over multiple generations. Without this reform, large tax increases on future workers would be needed to pay the full benefits promised to retirees. However, trust funds only help future generations of workers if they raise total government savings, so that future workers have more resources to meet benefit obligations and other spending needs. If the trust fund surplus is offset by increased spending or reduced taxes in the rest of the government, the extra resources will not be there. When the government operates under a unified budget that includes all revenues and outflows, offsetting spending increases or tax cuts may be more likely, as public debate may focus on the unified surplus or deficit rather than the surplus or deficit in the rest of the government excluding the trust fund. In Has the Unified Budget Undermined the Federal Government Trust Funds? (NBER Working Paper 10953), Sita Nataraj and John Shoven explore this issue. The authors point out that although public attention has largely focused on the Social Security trust fund, the federal government also maintains trust funds for Medicare, unemployment insurance, civil service and military retirement, and transportation. The authors examine the relationship between the surplus in these trust funds and the surplus in the rest of the government (federal funds) using annual data from 1949-2003. In their analysis, the authors account for the effect of other factors that may affect these surpluses, such as the business cycle, the interest rate, and the share of wages that fall below the Social Security payroll tax cap. The authors find a strong negative relationship between the surpluses: an additional dollar of surplus in the trust funds is associated with a $1.50 decrease in the federal funds surplus. This finding is not significantly different from a $1.00 decrease, which would suggest a dollar-for-dollar offset of trust fund surplus with spending increases or tax cuts; the authors are able to reject the hypothesis that the full dollar of trust fund surplus is saved by the government. To examine the theory that a unified budget makes offsetting spending increases or tax cuts more likely, the authors examine the relationship between the surpluses before and after the adoption of the unified budget in 1970. They find no effect of trust fund surpluses on federal funds surpluses before 1970 and a strong negative effect after 1970. The authors note "this confirms our argument that the adoption of the unified surplus is the factor that hinders the government's ability to save in the trust funds." The authors also examine the theory that an increase in the trust fund surplus can raise national saving by raising personal saving. The reasoning is that payroll taxes disproportionately affect low-income individuals and income taxes disproportionately affect high-income individuals, who are more likely to save. Thus if trust fund surpluses are used to fund income tax cuts, personal saving may rise. The authors find that a $1.00 increase in the trust fund surplus may increase personal savings by about 50 cents, although this effect is not always statistically significant. The authors conclude that the total debt of the government would have been $3 Trillion lower if the goal of government had been to balance the Issue No. 10, WINTER 2004/05


Parallel importing, the act of importing non-counterfeit products from other countries in which the product is sold more cheaply, has the potential to significantly benefit Australian consumers. First, the availability of the parallel imported product is likely to intensify price competition in the local market. Secondly, it may result in greater product choice as many parallel imported products would not otherwise find their way to the local marketplace. Given these benefits, it is not surprising that there have been many calls to abolish parallel import restriction provisions in Australia's various intellectual property statutes. This article does not revisit the debates on the merits or otherwise of parallel import restrictions. Instead it takes the repeal of the parallel import restrictions as a given and considers strategies manufacturers are likely to adopt in response. A conclusion is reached that many of the manufacturer responses which have the potential to undermine the benefits that the relaxation of parallel import laws would otherwise bring about would not amount to a breach of competition law. Given this finding, the article concludes by considering alternate methods of supporting parallel import activity.


The aim of study was to analyse work conditions and occupational morbidity in Latvia during a 15-year period for recommendations to employment policy programmes. The study included the analysis of the database of occupational risk factor measurements in more than 7000 enterprises and companies performed in period 1995–2010 by the Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health of Riga Stradins University. The analysis of registered occupational diseases according to the data from the Latvian State Registry of Occupational diseases run by the Centre of Occupational and Radiation Medicine of Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital for the same period was performed. Occupational diseases in Latvia are diagnosed and coded in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases. Results of measurements showed that for one third of measured occupational risk factors values exceeded recommended limits. The traditional work risk factors (chemical, physical, biological etc.) have been partly replaced by new risks (ergonomic and psychosocial factors). The results of the study indicated that the following enterprises form a major risk group of non-compliance with legislation regarding occupational health and safety: small enterprises; enterprises of private and non-governmental sectors; enterprises of different industries (construction, metal processing and wood processing). The number of firstly diagnosed occupational diseases and patients has gradually increased. The total number of firstly diagnosed and registered occupational patients per 100,000 employees was 11.2 in 1995 and 140.5 in 2009. The structure of


This study was aimed at evaluating the potential effects of a mice exposure to CCl4 single dose on liver tissue and potent preventive effects of camel milk (CM) orally treated by gavage. Additionally, CCl4 was administered by intra-peretonial injection at day 14. Administration of CCl4 caused an increase in lipid peroxidation and a decrease in superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities and GSH levels in liver. Moreover, CCl4 caused a distinguished rise of liver level markers (AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, E¤-GT), TG, TC, and LDL-Ch but a reduced levels of HDL-Ch. In contrast, no such harms or biochemical changes were found in mice treated with camel milk against typically observed changes in CCl4-treated animals. These findings strongly prove that beneficial effects of Camel Milk clearly shown through the reduction of the CCl4 induced related damages and oxidative stress.


Consumers regularly encounter cues of contagious disease in daily life—a commuter sneezes on the train, a colleague blows their nose in a meeting, or they read recent headlines about the dangerous spread of a disease. Research has overwhelmingly argued that the dominant response to these cues is disgust—an emotion that leads to a desire to reject and avoid potential contamination. We argue, however, that contagious disease cues can also elicit fear. Across four experiments and two large empirical data analyses of the presence of contagious disease on actual consumption behavior, we find that cues of contagious disease increase both fear and disgust, and these emotions together form a unique behavioral tendency with respect to consumer behavior. Relative to either emotion alone, disgust and fear increase preference for more-familiar products asymmetrically over less-familiar ones. These results contribute theoretically to research on complex emotional states and the behavioral tendencies of emotions, document a systematic and consequential impact of contagious disease cues on real consumption behavior, and have significant practical implications for marketers.


In this first Next Page column of 2017, Salma Monani, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, shares which films first ignited her passion for research in the environmental humanities – in particular, the intersections of cinema, environmental, and Indigenous studies; how her recent time as a Carson Fellow at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (Munich, Germany) reinforced this passion; suggested reads that range from science fiction and mystery to seminal works in ecocriticism; and which Netflix series she will dive into next.


Large-country development faces the challenge of meeting the dual goals of economic growth and regional development, while resolving the tension between these two objectives. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has attempted to use the allocation of construction land and fiscal transfer payments to encourage the industrial development of its underdeveloped areas. This paper shows that this attempt was accompanied by an overall economic slowdown and a decline in resource allocation efficiency, which not only undermines the international competitiveness of China's economy, but also creates an elevated risk of debt. The paper points out that the realization of China's dual goals of efficiency and regional balance will require increased labor mobility rather than a simple increase in the scale of policy driven resource relocation.


Alterations in circadian rhythm have been associated with numerous cardiovascular pathologies. In project 1, we tested the hypothesis that functional mutation of the Per2 circadian clock gene would provide cardioprotection to mice that had undergone permanent coronary ligation to induce myocardial infarction (MI). mPer2-M mice had a 43% smaller infarct size compared to wild type (WT), along with reduced leukocyte infiltration, increased capillary density, increased myocyte hypertrophy, and reduced myocyte apoptosis. This suggests that mutation of mPer2 is cardioprotective.  The heart lacks a sufficient capacity for endogenous repair after injury. We tested the hypothesis that intramyocardial administration of ephrinA1-Fc at the time of MI would promote cardiomyocyte survival, subsequently reducing infarct size and inflammatory cell infiltrate. The ephrinA1 ligand has been predominantly characterized as a pro-angiogenic factor in development and tumor progression, but is also involved in apoptosis and inflammation. The ephrinA1 ligand has not been studied in the adult myocardium or in the context of acute MI.   Intramyocardial injection of EphrinA1-Fc reduced infarct size, necrosis, chamber dilation, and left ventricular free wall thinning four days after MI. Inflammation was also substantially reduced, with reductions in neutrophil and leukocyte density. We measured reductions in serum cTnI, and cleaved PARP, and increased bag-1 protein expression, suggesting reduced cell death. Phosphorylated AKT/total AKT protein was increased, indicating improved cellular survival. Our analysis of gene expression revealed that Eph receptors A1-A4, A6, and A7 were expressed in the uninjured adult myocardium. Expression of EphA1-A3 and EphA7 was significantly increased following MI while EphA6 expression was decreased. Treatment with ephrinA1-Fc further increased EphA1 and EphA2 gene expression, and also increased EphA4 expression.   To date, only reperfusion has been shown to reduce injury and improve long-term remodeling. We have discovered two new mechanisms by which this can be effected: 1) we have observed a dramatic reduction in cardiac injury in mice lacking a functional circadian gene product mPer2; and 2) we are the first to identify a role for ephrinA1/EphA signaling in the repair process following MI, and have identified a novel, protective role for ephrinA1-Fc administration at the time of MI.


Se-enriched rice was prepared by foliar fertilization. In the present work, speciation and distribution of Se in Se-enriched rice and non-supplemented rice was evaluated by ion-paring reversed phase (IP-RP) and strong anion-exchange (SAX) chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) detection. Three extraction procedures: water extraction, acid extraction (0.1 M HCl) and enzymatic hydrolysis were studied with a combination of protease XIV and amylase with ultrasonic bath and the latter was found to be optimal for the extraction of selenospecies. The chromatograms obtained revealed that the major selenospecies found in Se-enriched rice was selenomethionine (SeMet), which was further identified by nanoelectrospray ionization, ion trap mass spectrometry (nano-ESI-ITMS). Approximately 86.9% of the total Se in the Se-enriched rice extract was SeMet, while only 26.7% of non-supplemented rice extract was due to SeMet. Moreover, nearly 60% of inorganic Se in the form of SeIV was present in the non-supplemented rice, while only 6.8% of inorganic Se as SeIV and SeVI was found in Se-enriched rice extract with minor selenocystine (SeCys2) and trace selenomethionine selenoxide (SeOMet) present. The results proved that SeMet was efficiently extracted by the enzymatic hydrolysis without oxidization. The high SeMet concentrations of Se-enriched rice indicate a high inorganic to organic conversion when Se enrichment was carried out by foliar application. Since SeMet is a readily bioavailable Se species for animals, Se-enriched rice could be considered for supplementation in Se poor geographical regions.


We propose a new closed-form estimator for dynamic discrete choice models in a semiparametric setting, in which the per-period utility functions are known up to a finite number of parameters, but the distribution of utility shocks is left unspecified. Compared to other existing estimators for these models, our estimator requires no iterative nonlinear optimization, rendering issues of starting values or convergence criteria irrelevant. Using our approach, we estimate an optimal stopping model for taxicab drivers' labor supply decisions. Our results show that, once the inherent dynamic in taxicab drivers' work decisions are accounted for, it is possible to obtain "nonstandard" (i.e., negative) wage elasticities from a model in which drivers' utility functions do not have any explicitly "nonstandard" features, such as reference dependence or loss aversion.


Gyrotrons belong to the family of high-power coherent radiation sources known as Electron Cyclotron Masers (ECMs) and are based on the physical mechanism of the ECM-instability, converting electron rotational kinetic energy into coherent electromagnetic radiation. The worldwide gyrotron RD is mainly driven by the application in heating a magnetically confined fusion plasma, which requires coherent radiation sources with MW power-level in the sub-THz frequency range. In the last two decades, an application for gyrotrons emerged in the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, where a dramatic enhancement in sensitivity can be achieved via Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP), requiring a low-power ( 1-10W), sub-THz frequency (<200GHz) coherent radiation. The subject of this thesis is a gyrotron prototype developed at SPC/EPFL for the DNP-application. It is designed for continuous mode (CW)-operation on the TE7,2-mode and has a maximum radio-frequency (RF)-power of P=150W at a frequency of f=260.5GHz. The DNP-gyrotron has demonstrated to be an ideal test-bench for fundamental research on the beam-wave interaction process. The weakly overmoded gyrotron cavity is such that transverse mode competition can be neglected and the studied dynamical regimes concentrate on the 1D-longitudinal dynamics. The main topic of this work concentrates on the experimental measurements and numerical modeling of novel non-stationary regimes, characterized by a multi-frequency spectrum and a modulated RF-power. These experimental results have shown that the very fast dynamics (nanosecond time-scale) observed in non-stationary regimes is such that the usual assumption, in which the cavity electromagnetic field is not varying during the electron time of flight, is no more valid. To overcome this assumption a new model based on a Particle-In-Cell (PIC) approach has been developed and a new code TWANG-PIC has been written and successfully exploited. Also, the linear regime has been revisited from the theoretical point of view by developing a new moment-based model. Based on this model a new code TWANGLIN has been written and used for a detailed analysis of the experimentally measured threshold conditions (starting current) covering operating points from forward to backward-wave gyrotron regimes. Among a large variety of non-stationary regimes, that is described and analyzed, a novel specific nanosecond-pulsed regime was studied, in which the multi-frequency spectrum consists of frequency-equidistant, phase-locked sidebands. This novel regime may open up new applications for gyrotrons. For the first time it has also been possible to experimentally investigate, and model via numerical simulations, the dynamical properties from the linear regime up to chaotic regimes. The numerical simulations with TWANG-PIC are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental results and showed that the observed non-stationary regimes are associated to non-linear axial mode-competition. Another important task was to configure the gyrotron for the DNP-NMR spectroscopy application. Several state-of-the-art features have been included, such as a continuous frequency-tuning over 1.2GHz by varying several control parameters simultaneously, a fast (<15kHz) frequency-modulation over  100MHz and a feedback-controller for stabilizing RF-parameters. Currently the gyrotron is routinely and successfully operated on a 400MHz DNP-NMR experiment.


Accurate forecasting of daily streamflow is essential for water resource planning and management. As a typical non-stationary time series, it is difficult to avoid the effects of noise in the hydrological data. In this study, the wavelet threshold de-noising method was applied to pre-process daily flow data from a small forested basin. The key factors influencing the de-noising results, such as the mother wavelet type, decomposition level, and threshold functions, were examined and determined according to the signal to noise ratio and mean square error. Then, three mathematical techniques, including an optimized back-propagation neural network (BPNN), optimized support vector regression (SVR), and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), were used to predict the daily streamflow based on raw data and wavelet de-noising data. The performance of the three models indicated that a wavelet de-noised time series could improve the forecasting accuracy. The SVR showed a better overall performance than BPNN and ANFIS during both the training and validating periods. However, the estimation of low flow and peak flow indicated that ANFIS performed best in the prediction of low flow and that SVR was slightly superior to the others for forecasting peak flow.


Using large, computerized corpora, this study aims to provide lexico-grammatical evidence for patterns or constructions in language pertaining to domains such as "power", "dominance", "inequality" or "status". The study will specifically focus on the verbal uses of brook and countenance, lemmas that are pivotal to the domains in question and whose semantic and pragmatic meanings will be associated with discourses of inequality and supremacy, subordination and authorization. The verbal lemmas will turn out less as markers of energy transfer (as might be expected from the prototypical constructional meaning of transitive clauses in which they ordinarily occur) than as markers of perceived social implications, with a clear focus on the constructing and representational nature of their uses. In addition to offering a contribution to language-dependent "dominance", "inequality", "power", "status" research, this paper will also demonstrate the indispensable use of corpus-linguistic methods within a predominantly functional framework (drawing its main inspirations from current research in neo-Firthian linguistics, Frame Semantics and Cognitive Linguistics in particular).


In culture, and particularly in the creative professions, a profound dichotomy of hope and hopelessness has permeated discussions of project engagement and project work. At conferences, in client meetings, and over a beer or two, designers frequently and increasingly describe the rich potential to effect massive change and empower humanity in our work and in our jobs. This potential lies both in the nature of the work itself and also in the scope and scale of our influence. Designers have a large degree of control over the world around them. While this control may have a sense of delayed return—as products take months to land in the market—we can often trace both cultural and individual changes back to particular product introductions, feature changes, or even brand philosophies. Still, I see designers bemoan their ability to actually follow through on visionary promises; deliver products that work and act as intentioned; or even conceive of artifacts that will evoke a sense of desire, mystique, or intrigue. They may find themselves designing things they deem insignificant, or they may be working on significant problems but feel unable to effect enough change, or they may simply not have the appropriate skills to execute on the challenges of behavior and the larger issues of cultural change. Yet a number of individuals—a group that is small in number but significant in its contributions—have managed to deliver on projects broad and deep. They do act as renaissance individuals, and they do manage to tackle problems that are complex and whose solutions result in important contributions. In working with and observing these types of people, I see several commonalities. These designers are not focused on innovation. Their work may be described as innovative, but these individuals approach their work with a focused pragmatism that emphasizes appropriateness, not newness. They don't strive to be as unique as possible. Instead, they observe their constraints and attempt to fulfill these constraints directly. These designers have a passion for details. All design work has both concept and detailed stages of development. Often, designers gravitate toward preliminary concept work because they find it gives them more freedom to explore. Yet design that seems to resonate on a behavioral level is detailed, nuanced, and crafted. This comes through relentless iteration, refinement, and patience. These designers are constantly reflective. Design is an intellectual activity, and while few of the designers I refer to here would actually call themselves intellectuals, they exhibit the sense of thought and reflection described by Donald Schön in The Reflective Practitioner. In a situation of complexity that requires order, Schön explains designers will constantly "engage in a conversation with the situation they are shaping... and if they are good designers, they will reflect-in-action on the situation's back-talk" Above all, I see these designers expect to have a dramatically deep impact, rather than a broad one. Their expectation is to affect only the small, detailed, and critical aspects of the artifacts they design. They don't speak of "designing experiences," in some grandiose fashion, and they don't describe their work as "end-to-end design" or "system thinking" or "affecting the experience of the end-to-end customer journey." These designers are able to quickly prioritize problems, select those of most importance, and then, through a reflective, detailed, and extremely rigorous design process, create appropriate design solutions. I wonder if designers should refocus their efforts on the more mundane and detailed. Rather than emphasizing the "strategic, game changing" nature of their work, and rather than considering their role as "innovators" or those engaged in "delivering the brand promise," designers might better focus on more humble, appropriate, and refined goals. Accept—quietly and implicitly—that your work will affect millions. Focus on the nuances and details of the craft itself, and on your capacity to engage in a conversation with your work. Through this will come humble and beautiful design solutions that will live on, affect culture, and change behavior. And through this will come a sense of subdued pleasure in your creative work. —Jon Kolko


It is generally accepted that the solar wind is significantly heated beyond ∼10 AU by the turbulent decay of pickup ion generated Alfvenic fluctuations. Here, we present a detailed and general calculation of the pickup ion ionization frequencies, and we evaluate these quantities within the solar wind termination shock along the stagnation line. For this supersonic solar wind region, inside of the solar wind termination shock, our results compare well with earlier estimates of these frequencies. When, in the future, turbulence transport models are extended into the heliosheath, the methodology outlined in this paper can be used to calculate ionization frequencies in this hot and dense plasma region where the resulting calculations become more complex.


Despite being a simple and commonly-applied radio optimization technique, the impact on practical network performance from base station antenna downtilt is not well understood. Most published studies based on empirical path loss models report tilt angles and performance gains that are far higher than practical experience suggests. We motivate in this paper, based on a practical LTE scenario, that the discrepancy partly lies in the path loss model, and shows that a more detailed semi-deterministic model leads to both lower gains in terms of SINR, outage probability and downlink throughput and lower optimum tilt settings. Furthermore, we show that a simple geometrically based tilt optimization algorithm can outperform other tilt profiles, including the setting applied by the cellular operator in the specific case. In general, the network performance is not highly sensitive to the tilt settings, including the use of electrical and/or mechanical antenna downtilt, and therefore it is possible to find multiple optimum tilt profiles in a practical case. A broader implication of this study is that care must be taken when using the 3GPP model to evaluate advanced adaptive antenna techniques, especially those operating in the elevation dimension.