CIOs are warned that this wave is building up like a tsunami and will change the information technology landscape as we know it today, similar to the introduction of the computer accessory called 'mouse' in the late 80s. The mouse allowed us to click objects on the screen and windows were born. No more dull black terminal screens with a flashing cursor waiting for our next keystroke. This wave created a brand new style of IT.


Climate change is projected to redistribute fisheries resources, resulting in tropical regions suffering decreases in seafood production. While sustainably managing marine ecosystems contributes to building climate resilience, these solutions require transformation of ocean governance. Recent studies and international initiatives suggest that conserving high seas biodiversity and fish stocks will have ecological and economic benefits; however, implications for seafood security under climate change have not been examined. Here, we apply global-scale mechanistic species distribution models to 30 major straddling fish stocks to show that transforming high seas fisheries governance could increase resilience to climate change impacts. By closing the high seas to fishing or cooperatively managing its fisheries, we project that catches in exclusive economic zones (EEZs) would likely increase by around 10% by 2050 relative to 2000 under climate change (representative concentration pathway 4.5 and 8.5), compensating for the expected losses (around −6%) from 'business-as-usual'. Specifically, high seas closure increases the resilience of fish stocks, as indicated by a mean species abundance index, by 30% in EEZs. We suggest that improving high seas fisheries governance would increase the resilience of coastal countries to climate change.


CASE DESCRIPTION The primary subject matter for this case involves strategic management, sustainability, international law, and business ethics. Firm positioning as an environmental leader represents a growing strategic trend. Incorporating sustainable business policies is a practice that many stakeholders are demanding. With these concepts in mind, this case is most appropriate for discussion and analysis in undergraduate management, business law, or ethics courses where the topics of leadership, management, ethics, and sustainability are covered. This case is also appropriate for discussion in any courses where the instructor is ready to discuss ethics in international business and society. This case is designed to be taught in approximately one or two class sessions. CASE SYNOPSIS This case describes the hypothetical management decisions Matt Lelander, a fictional marketing and purchasing manager of a British home improvement store, must make. The principle dilemma revolves around the choice of whether to continue purchasing lumber from the Latvian state owned lumber company. It has come to the attention of the purchasing manager, Matt Lelander that the rate of consumption of Latvian forests appears to be unsustainable. However, Matt realizes that the Latvian state lumber company is certified as a sustainable provider of lumber by the internationally recognized Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Mr. Lelander is acutely aware that his customers value purchasing lumber from sustainably harvested sources and that they rely on FSC certification when making their purchases. Further, Mr Lelander is presented some legally challenging issues with regards to contract performance and bribery. The case provides detailed background information on the Latvian state owned lumber company, FSC, the current situation of Latvian forests, applicable laws, ethical frameworks, and competitive market considerations. At the end of the narrative the reader is asked to formulate ethically and strategically sound recommendations. INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES The case provides detailed background information on Latvia, the Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) and an ethical discussion revolving around corporate social responsibility. Students are asked to formulate ethically, strategically, and legally sound decisions for the purchasing and marketing manager. Some external research will be required by the students to fully and completely answer the proposed questions and to finish the required report. LEARNING AND TEACHING OBJECTIVES: This case has several learning objectives: 1. Identify and evaluate any potential ethical or legal lapses in Mr. Lelander's decisions. 2. Explore the various potential responses available for a manager presented with these allegations. 3. Contemplate what provisions an organizational code of conduct and corporate governance plan should contain for this organization. 4. Discuss what procedures and policies an organization could or should implement to avoid these types of issues. 5. To lay a foundation for ethics discussions by introducing ethical theories and their applications. 6. To develop an appreciation for the complexity of ethical decision making through identification of affected stakeholder and examination of those perspectives. 7. To gain an enhanced understanding of the process of making and enforcing policies in business. 8. To practice strategic management and marketing decision making. CLASS USE The overall discussion of this exercise usually takes about two or two class periods in a class of 35-40 students. This discussion can be structured in three parts; brainstorming and listing all the ethical and legal issues, narrowing the list, and constructing a feasible proposal to all questions which should be presented in front of the class. An alternative approach is to discuss and narrow all the potential legal and ethical issues and then assign the students (as groups or individuals) the task of preparing and turning in a well written report (usually by the next class period), just as our fictional Mr. …


The deference thesis is that Congress and the judiciary should defer to the executive's policy judgments during national emergencies. A recent criticism of the deference theory draws on the analogy of the emergency room medical protocol to argue that emergencies call for rule-bound constraint of the executive rather than deference to it. However, this criticism rests on a misunderstanding of the tradeoff between rules and standards. Some scholars who have despaired of congressional or judicial constraint of the executive, but believe that some sort of constraint is desirable, have suggested that the executive's own legal adviser, the Office of Legal Counsel, could provide such a constraint. In fact, OLC cannot plausibly be considered a constraint on the executive; its function is the opposite – to expand rather than to contract executive power.


In this article, we are investigating a series of organo-dyes, including methylene blue, fluorescein, rhodamine 6G, Nile red and eosin Y, to perform a visible light-mediated controlled/"living" radical polymerization of methacrylates. We demonstrate that eosin Y and fluorescein were efficient catalysts to activate a photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) mechanism. The concentration of eosin Y was varied from 10 to 100 ppm with respect to monomers. This polymerization technique yielded well-defined (co)polymers with a good control of the molecular weights ranging from 10 000 to 100 000 g mol−1 and low polydispersities (PDI < 1.30). A variety of functional monomers, including N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate, pentafluorophenyl methacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, oligoethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA), and methacrylic acid, were successfully polymerized. Finally, the addition of a tertiary amine, such as triethylamine, afforded the polymerization in the presence of air via a reductive quenching cycle. Different diblock polymethacrylate copolymers, i.e. PMMA-b-POEGMA and PMMA-b-PMMA, were prepared to demonstrate the high end group fidelity.


A 2 year old boy presenting with tachypnea and dyspnea was diagnosed with anomalous supply of the left lower lobe on CT Scan. Chest CT was suggestive of an Arterio-venous malformation at the lower left lobe and a patent bronchus supply. The operative findings were of a large anomalous vessel originating from the descending thoracic aorta and supplying the lower left lobe of the lung, in addition to the left pulmonary artery branch with multiple large collateral veins converging on the inferior pulmonary vein. The post-operative period was uneventful. Systemic supply of a lung lobe in the absence of sequestration is a rare congenital malformation on the lung sequestration spectrum. Isolated tachypnea is an unusual presentation of this condition, with hemoptysis being the most common symptom.


We use dynamic panel data models to generate density forecasts for daily Covid-19 infections for a panel of countries/regions. At the core of our model is a specification that assumes that the growth rate of active infections can be represented by autoregressive fluctuations around a downward sloping deterministic trend function with a break. Our fully Bayesian approach allows us to flexibly estimate the cross-sectional distribution of heterogeneous coefficients and then implicitly use this distribution as prior to construct Bayes forecasts for the individual time series. According to our model, there is a lot of uncertainty about the evolution of infection rates, due to parameter uncertainty and the realization of future shocks. We find that over a one-week horizon the empirical coverage frequency of our interval forecasts is close to the nominal credible level. Weekly forecasts from our model are published at https://laurayuliu.com/covid19-panel-forecast/.


In line with recent work on belief change in fragments of propositional logic, we study belief update in the Horn fragment. We start from the standard KM postulates used to axiomatize belief update operators; these postulates lend themselves to semantic characterizations in terms of partial (resp. total) preorders on possible worlds. Since the Horn fragment is not closed under disjunction, the standard postulates have to be adapted for the Horn fragment. Moreover, a restriction on the preorders (i.e., Horn compliance) and additional postulates are needed to obtain sensible characterizations for the Horn fragment, and this leads to our main contribution: a representation result which shows that the class of update operators captured by Horn compliant partial (resp. total) preorders over possible worlds is precisely that given by the adapted and augmented Horn update postulates. With these results at hand, we provide concrete Horn update operators and are able to shed light on Horn revision operators based on partial preorders.


Empirical research shows that blind persons who have the ability and opportunity to access geographic map information tactually, benefit in their mobility. Unfortunately, tangible maps are not found in large numbers. Economics is the leading explanation: tangible maps are expensive to build, duplicate and distribute. SAM, short for Spatial Auditory Map, is a prototype created to address the unavailability of tangible maps. SAM presents geographic information to a blind person encoded in sound. A blind person receives maps electronically and accesses them using a small inexpensive digitalizing tablet connected to a PC. The interface provides location-dependent sound as a stylus is manipulated by the user, plus a schematic visual representation for users with residual vision. The assessment of SAM on a group of blind participants suggests that blind users can learn unknown environments as complex as the ones represented by tactile maps in the same amount of reading time. This research opens new avenues in visualization techniques, promotes alternative communication methods, and proposes a human-computer interaction framework for conveying map information to a blind person.


Forest ecosystems within Brazil host one of the highest levels of mammalian diversity on Earth, much of which within legally required forest set-asides in private landholdings. The Legal Reserves (RLs) and Permanent Protected Areas (APPs) of the Brazilian Forest Code provide an important strategy to maintain this diversity. Yet a proposed amendment to Brazil's 1965 forestry code would reduce protection of Brazil's forests, including the Amazon and the Atlantic forest, and bring irreversible detrimental effects to mammal diversity. Mammals are key components of forest ecosystem, providing important environmental services as pollinators, seed dispersers and ecosystem engineers. The local extinction of some species will negatively affect forest ecosystem service provisioning throughout the country. Another important effect of forest conversion within private properties, should the proposed changes happen, will be the emergence of new diseases, bringing serious public health problems in Brazil.


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Vibro-replacement stone columns are widely used in geotechnical practice to improve the bearing capacity and settlement characteristics of weak natural soils and man-made fills, accelerate consolidation in fine soils and reduce soil liquefaction potential. The vibroreplacement technique is becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of soft cohesive (and often organic) soil deposits in which creep settlements can make up a significant proportion of the total settlement. The majority of field trials, numerical studies, and laboratory tests carried out to date have focused on estimating the improvement to bearing capacity or the reduction in settlement (almost exclusively primary settlement), with very little consideration given to the potential of stone columns to arrest long-term creep settlements. This research addresses this gap in knowledge by using two-dimensional finite element analysis techniques to assess the effectiveness of using vibro-replacement stone columns to treat creep-prone soils. The majority of the numerical modelling work described in this thesis is based on axisymmetric unit cell models, implemented using PLAXIS 2D, using the Soft Soil Creep (SSC) model to represent the host soil. The SSC model is a three-dimensional isotropic elasto-viscoplastic model suitable for normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays, silts, and peat. The granular column material has been modelled using the elasto-plastic Hardening Soil (HS) model. The soil profile adopted is that of the Bothkennar geotechnical test bed in Scotland, consisting of an overconsolidated crust overlying two layers of soft lightly overconsolidated Carse clay. Simplified single-layer profiles based on the Bothkennar parameters were used for preliminary numerical modelling purposes, before the full profile was considered. An examination of the evolution of settlement improvement factor (defined as the ratio of the settlement of untreated to treated ground) with time, using PLAXIS 2D, indicates that the inclusion of creep leads to a lower 'total' settlement improvement factor than would be obtained for primary consolidation settlement alone. Parametric studies have indicated, as expected, that this effect is more pronounced in situations where creep settlements account for a greater proportion of the total settlement. Abstract ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The numerical output has also been used to derive separate 'primary' and 'creep' settlement improvement factors. The 'primary' settlement improvement factors, which were found to be in relatively good agreement with a selection of pre-existing analytical formulations (which pertain to primary settlement only), tend to be much larger than the 'creep' settlement improvement factors. Nevertheless, the latter factors are greater than unity, suggesting that columns help reduce creep settlements. Consideration of the variations of radial, vertical, and hoop stresses and strains with time and depth predicted by PLAXIS 2D has highlighted how creep influences the behaviour of the composite system, in particular the stress transfer process from soil to column. As the soil creeps, vertical stress is transferred from soil to column; the amount of stress transferred increases with depth. It is demonstrated in the thesis that the lower 'total' settlement improvement factors (owing to the presence of creep) occur because the columns, which have already yielded, are forced to carry additional vertical stress, inducing additional shear-plane formation. In addition, both the radial and hoop stresses in the soil are lower in treated ground than in untreated ground; these radial and hoop stresses are lower in a soil that creeps. The radial stress reduction means that the lateral support imparted onto the column by the soil is lower; this will also contribute to lower 'total' settlement improvement factors but is not as influential as the additional yielding caused by the vertical stress transfer process. The hoop stress reductions for the 'with creep' case are caused by the additional plastic deformation but do not contribute to the lower 'total' settlement improvement factors. The impact of creep on the stress transfer process for floating columns is similar to that for end-bearing columns; the soil is unloaded and the magnitude of this stress transfer (unloading) increases with depth. Given that this geotechnical problem is being investigated numerically for the first time, it is appropriate that the emphasis of the work is on obtaining practical estimates of the likely behaviour of stone columns in creep-prone soils rather than on the subtleties of complex higher-order models. Nevertheless, selected analyses, repeated using the advanced CreepSCLAY1S model (which incorporates anisotropy, bonding, and destructuration and is not yet commercially available with PLAXIS), have yielded very similar findings to those obtained using the SSC model. However, settlement improvement factors ('primary' and 'total') are lower when destructuration is considered because column presence triggers bond degradation. Abstract ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The majority of existing analytical settlement design methods pertain to primary settlement only, and in the absence of further guidance, designers will tend to apply the same improvement factor to creep settlements as they have estimated for primary settlements. To overcome this, a simplified empirical design procedure that accounts for the influence of creep has been developed based on a parametric study carried out using the SSC model with a view to identifying appropriate variables which influence the aforementioned improvement factors. The parameters have been altered in a specific range so that they are representative of those typically encountered for soft (creep-prone) clays in practice. It is suggested that the method is used in conjunction with an existing primary settlement design method that captures all key features of primary settlement behaviour. Finally, a novel procedure which uses Cylindrical Cavity Expansion (CCE) theory in conjunction with the conventional 'wished-in-place' installation technique to account for column installation has also been used for a selection of analyses. A two-step process was implemented: (i) CCE theory has been used to work out post-installation lateral earth pressure coefficients caused by the lateral expansion of the vibrating poker when columns are installed in soft clay, and (ii) the new earth pressure coefficients have been incorporated in a standard axisymmetric unit cell model to establish their influence on settlement improvement factors for an infinite column grid. This two-step approach can be used as an improvement upon the conventional 'wished-in-place' column installation technique, with larger settlement improvement factors predicted when installation (increased earth pressure coefficients) is taken into account. For stage (i), a comparison of the SSC model output with and without creep has been used to give an indication of the possible effect of column construction on lateral earth pressure coefficients surrounding columns in creep-prone soils. The stage (ii) output has indicated that the conclusions heretofore are unaffected if installation is or is not considered; incorporating creep leads to lower settlement improvement factors. Table of


In general, the development of prediction methods is a quite challenging field. However, as difficult the development is, as useful those methods can be in a large variety of use cases. Whether the weather of tomorrow or the destination of a moving individual is to be predicted, in both cases many different aspects have to be considered, because as well as the weather's behaviour the one of individuals, especially human beings, is influenced by many factors. For instance, movements of human beings are either planned, arbitrary or influenced by their environment or social aspects. In most cases a combination of those factors is involved. In this paper, motivated by the context of a decentralized surveillance scenario, we present an approach for predicting movements on the basis of a prediction model generated from the knowledge, which is implicated in spatio-temporal trajectories. This model is based on extracted interesting places and considers several aspects, which contain gained information about the movement behaviour in a given scenario.


Lead isotope analysis, using high-precision thermal ionization mass spectrometry, of herbage samples collected annually since the 1860s has revealed a steady reduction in the 206Pb/207Pb ratio from about 1.170 in 1880 to about 1.098 in the period 1980−1985. The value of 1.170 is very close to that (1.171) found previously in Scottish lake sediments for anthropogenic lead deposited prior to the introduction of leaded petrol. Analysis of the data suggests two dominant components in the lead deposited from the atmosphere over the period of 130 years studied. Prior to the turn of the century, lead of industrial or coal origin had a typical 206Pb/207Pb ratio of 1.170 following which a nonradiogenic component with a lower 206Pb/207Pb ratio (1.09 or less) made an increasingly more significant contribution. The decline in ratio commenced well before the introduction of tetraethyllead in petrol, indicating either changes in the source of lead-containing ores or coal or changes in the relative contributions of different sources. The generally smooth change in the isotopic character of the deposited lead suggests a slow change in the relative proportions of the dominant sources. The trend appears however to have been reversed following the declining use of lead additives in petrol. The deposition, in particular that with the low ratios associated in Britain with petrol additives, has had relatively little effect on the bulk soil. The 206Pb/207Pb ratio in bulk soil samples (to 23 cm) from the site, which had been undisturbed for at least 200 years, decreased from 1.187 in 1876 to 1.180 in 1984 but at no time reached the ratio found in the deposition on herbage. Analysis of sections taken down a soil core showed a steady increase in the 206Pb/207Pb ratio from 1.159 at the surface to 1.181 at 15 cm depth. Recent deposition with low 206Pb/207Pb ratios had a significant but not dominant contribution to the lead in the surface soil, which also contained a substantial proportion of older deposition with higher ratios. The ratios in the sections did not reach however that measured in bulk soil samples collected in 1876, indicating that lower ratio lead had reached a depth of at least 16 cm in the soil. Up to 50% or more of the lead at a depth of 16 cm could be anthropogenic in origin.


Contributions of radical and non-radical processes were determined in the formation of radiolysis products of n-heptane, noctane, n-nonane and n-decane in a large range of temperatures. Calculations are based on the combination and the dismutation of radicals, both reactions having nearly the same importance. Hydrogen abstraction reactions become important above --25 deg . Intermediate molecular weight products and dimers are formed by statistical combination of the various radicals resulting from C-C and C- H scission. At low temperature, low molecular weight products are formed by both radical and ncn-radical processes, the second one being more important (3/4 for alkanes and 2/3 for olefins). The yield of radicals increases with the chain length of the irradiated n-alkane and amounts to 4.5 for n-heptane and 6.8 for n-decane at -25 deg . This increase is due only to radicals from C--H scission, while the yield of radicals from C--C scission remains constant. Scission of CH/sub 2/-CH/sub 2/ bonds is favored for bonds inside the molecule, but this effect diminlshes with chain length and n- alkanes heavier than decane. Methyl C -H scission is 2.7 times less probable than methylene C-H scission. The radiolysis of mixtures of protonated and deuterated n-alkanes is shownmore » to be able to give information concerning basic processes in radiation chemistry. (auth)« less


We propose an experimental scheme of generating entangled states between two spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using Rydberg excitations. Due to the strong interaction between Rydberg atoms, the Rydberg excitation creates an interaction between two closely located BECs. The method is suitable particularly for atom chip and permanent magnetic trap systems, which can create many BECs with an arbitrary two-dimensional geometry. We show two schemes of entangled state generation, based on stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) methods. The first method produces a symmetric state with total S-x spin zero between ground and excited states of the atoms using a single STIRAP pair, while the second produces a NOON state between hyperfine ground states using two STIRAP pairs. We show that despite the additional complexity of the BECs, it is possible to identify the initial and final adiabatic states exactly. We verify our theoretical predictions using numerical simulations on small boson number systems.


The paper investigates the economic effects of major product market reforms in some of the historically most protected non-manufacturing industries. It relies on a unique mapping between new annual data on reform shocks and sector-level outcomes for five network industries (electricity and gas, land transport, air transport, postal services, and telecommunications) in twenty-six countries spanning over three decades. The use of a threedimensional panel and careful instrumentation of reform shocks using external instruments enables us to control for economy-wide macroeconomic shocks and address possible sources of omitted variable bias more broadly. Using a local projection method, we find that major reductions in barriers to entry yield large increases in output and labor productivity over a five-year horizon, concomitant with a relative price decline. By contrast, there is only a weak positive effect on sectoral employment, and investment is essentially unaffected, suggesting that output gains from reform primarily reflect higher total factor productivity. It takes some time for these gains to materialize: effects become statistically significant two to three years after the reform, as prices start dropping, and productivity and output increase significantly. However, there is no evidence of any negative short-term cost from reform, including under weak macroeconomic conditions. These findings provide a clear case for intensifying product market reform efforts in advanced economies at the current juncture of weak growth.


The third edition of Theory of Simple Liquids is an updated, advanced, but self-contained introduction to the principles of liquid-state theory. It presents the modern, molecular theory of the structural, thermodynamic interfacial and dynamical properties of the liquid phase of materials constituted of atoms, small molecules or ions. This book leans on concepts and methods form classical Statistical Mechanics in which theoretical predictions are systematically compared with experimental data and results from numerical simulations.

 The overall layout of the book is similar to that of the previous two editions however, there are considerable changes in emphasis and several key additions including:

 •up-to-date presentation of modern theories of liquid-vapour coexistence and criticality
 •areas of considerable present and future interest such as super-cooled liquids and the glass transition
 •the area of liquid metals, which has grown into a mature subject area, now presented as part of the chapter ionic liquids

 •Provides cutting-edge research in the principles of liquid-state theory
 •Includes frequent comparisons of theoretical predictions with experimental and simulation data
 •Suitable for researchers and post-graduates in the field of condensed matter science (Physics, Chemistry, Material Science), biophysics as well as those in the oil industry


Build a game in one crazy weekend and survive to tell the tale! Enthusiastic and light-hearted, glimpse the excitement and frantic creativity of game jams. Motivating, encouraging and infectious, it is sure to help you reach the finish line. Follow this handbook from brainstorming an idea, over bitter obstacles and on to the sweet finish line: a complete, playable, fun game. Each stage of game jams is described with task lists and anecdotes relating common experiences, the trials and the tribulations of past game jam champions and losers. Packed with interviews, tips, tricks and wise words from Ludum Dare and Global Game Jam organisers among other well-known game jammers. In Detail Game jams are fun. They are a creative, exciting, social experience. The goal of a game jam is to design a video game, either alone or in teams, as fast as is humanly possible; usually in a single weekend. The Game Jam Survival Guide, written to help you have more fun and achieve greater results at your next game jam by building a successful game without burning out, leads readers through each 12-hour phase of a 48-hour weekend game jam. Weekend warriors: dominate your next game jam! If you follow the system shared in this book, you will be able to build an amazing game that you're proud of and will entertain players, all in just one crazy 48-hour game jam weekend and survive to tell the tale!. Embrace the best practices and techniques of past game jam winners and avoid common pitfalls along the way to the finish line. You too can survive a 48-hour game development marathon with your mind intact and an amazing game to show off to friends and family! With The Game Jam Survival Guide you will learn the secret techniques that master game jammers use to create winning entries. It starts by showing you great ways to brainstorm and design a game based on a theme. It then moves on to highlight the best tools and techniques to finish a game in a weekend of coding. Anecdotes and advice from past winners and losers combined with humorous words of encouragement are sure to help you on your way. The author presents a list of game jams around the world, online communities worth checking out, fantastic game engines, and art resources. Finally, learn how to monetize your game by gaining sponsorship from big gaming websites. It's the fun way to make your own video game in one weekend! What you will learn from this book Preparing for the jam: conquer the theme, pick design aids, prototype quickly, choose the right tools for the job, and cut the right corners. Bombastic brainstorming: power up your idea generator and run with a theme, gain more votes and please the masses. Building a game jam entry: pick your weapons, follow your plan, cut the bells-n-whistles, scramble over "the wall", submit a game on time, and with a little luck, attain fame and fortune. Why Mike "PoV" Kasprzak (Ludum Dare administrator) thinks game jams are a good introduction to the realities of the game industry. The reasons why Dr. Mike Reddy (organizer of the Global Game Jam) thinks designing on paper is essential. The best ways to find creative inspiration and develop an idea to fit a theme according to Eric McQuiggan (founding member of The Dirty Rectangles) and Chevy Ray Johnston (author of the FlashPunk engine). What Foaad Khosmood (director of the Global Game Jam) suggests you do to ensure you finish before the deadline. The worst way to prepare according to Pekka "pekuja" Kujansuu and the best way according to Phil Hassey (Ludum Dare administrators) What one piece of advice Jason P. Kaplan (founder of the Game Prototype Challenge) would give to newcomers. Approach The Game Jam Survival Guide is an insider view of game jams packed full of expert advice; leading with tips and tricks on how to build a great game with just 48 hours; but clearly defining what should be avoided at all costs during Game Jam mayhem. The reader is led through each half-day phase; from the beginning of your quest in hours 1-12 to breaking through "the wall" on day two and finally reaching the finishing line in hours 37-48. Who this book is written for Although the book is intended for beginners and experts alike, the reader will already know how to program (in any language). He or she will love games and want to learn how to best make their own game in a wild and crazy 48-hour period.


Elementary teachers (N=42) from a district implementing inclusive practice were surveyed to determine: a) if the frequency of curricular modifications made differ by type of student disability, b) if there is a difference in the frequency of curricular modifications made for special and typical students, and c) if a relationship exists between modifications made for special needs students and for typical students. Results indicate the frequency of teachers' curricular modifications does not differ by type of disability; that they make significantly more frequent modifications for special needs students; and that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of modifications made for special and for typical students. That is, teachers who are making modifications for special needs students are also making modifications for typical students. This research is unique because few inclusion studies explore the actual classroom practices of teachers in inclusive settings. Implications for future research and practice are given.


The Characterization and Feasibility of a Low-Duty-Cycle Diaphragmless Shock Tube. (August 2012) David Christopher Taylor, B.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Rodney D. W. Bowersox The feasibility and characterization of a novel diaphragmless shock tube was examined at the National Aerothermochemistry Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The goal was to design a facility that reliably produces shock waves through air in a repeatable manner sufficient for statistical analysis. The device is modular, automated, and compact. The proposed diaphragmless shock tube uses a shock wave generating mechanism that consists of a rotating door and locking cam-shaft system. The facility produced the desired driver gas pressures repeatedly to within 0.31% at low-duty-cycle of 6 seconds. The driven gas pressure profiles within the test-section suggest that shock waves may be forming within test section for a driver gas pressure of 200 psig and above, which corresponds to shock wave Mach numbers of 1.7 to 2.0. The measured wave speeds were within 3.1% of that predicted by ideal shock tube theory; however, the induced driven gas pressures within the constant pressure region were approximately half that expedited from ideal shock tube theory.


Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) provides a life-prolonging or potentially curative treatment option for patients with hematologic malignancies. Given the high transplant-related morbidity, these treatment strategies were initially restricted to younger patients, but are increasingly being used in older adults. The incidence of most hematologic malignancies increases with age; with the aging of the population, the number of potential older candidates for HCT increases. Autologous HCT (auto-HCT) in older patients may confer a slightly increased risk of specific toxicities (such as cardiac toxicities and mucositis) and have modestly lower effectiveness (in the case of lymphoma). However, auto-HCT remains a feasible, safe, and effective therapy for selected older adults with multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Similarly, allogeneic transplant (allo-HCT) is a potential therapeutic option for selected older adults, although fewer data exist on allo-HCT in older patients. Based on currently available data, age alone is not the best predictor of toxicity and outcomes; rather, the comorbidities and functional status of the older patient are likely better predictors of toxicity than chronologic age in both the autologous and allogeneic setting. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in older adults being considered for either an auto-HCT or allo-HCT may identify additional problems or geriatric syndromes, which may not be detected during the standard pretransplant evaluation. Further research is needed to establish the utility of CGA in predicting toxicity and to evaluate the quality of survival in older adults undergoing HCT.


A physical model of the short wind wave spectrum in the wavelength range from a few millimeters to few meters is proposed. The spectrum shape results from the solution of the energy spectral density balance equation. Special attention is paid to the description of the capillary range of the short wave spectrum. It is assumed that in this range the spectrum shape is determined mainly by the mechanism of generation of parasitic capillaries. This is described as the cascade energy transfer from the gravity to the capillary waves. Thus the capillary wave spectrum results through the balance between generation of capillaries and their viscous dissipation. The short gravity wave spectrum results through the balance between wind input and dissipation due to wave breaking. A parameterization of wind input is obtained in part 1 of the present paper. To describe the dissipation due to wave breaking, the approach developed by Phillips [1985] is used. The spectral rate of energy dissipation is presented in the form of a power dependence of the ratio of the saturation spectrum to some threshold level. It is further shown that the threshold level depends on the drift current shift in the water viscous sublayer, which affects the energy losses by wave breaking. To obtain a short wave spectrum which is valid in the whole wavenumber domain, the capillary and the short gravity wave spectra are patched in the vicinity of the wavenumber corresponding to the minimum phase velocity. This short wave spectrum is incorporated into the wind over waves coupled model developed in part 1 of the present paper. The measured statistical properties of the sea surface related to the short waves, such as the spectral shape of omnidirectional and up-wind spectra, their wind speed dependence and angular spreading, and the wind speed dependence of integral mean square slope and skewness parameters, are well reproduced by the model. Also the model well reproduces the measured wind speed dependence of the drag coefficient and of the coupling parameter.


Over the last two decades, Latin American countries have undergone profound transformations, including transitions from military to civilian rule, radical liberal economic restructuring, and accelerated urbanization and urban sprawl. Yet the impact of these changes on civil society, and particularly on the organizational structures of the urban poor, has yet to be fully, assessed. On one hand, most large Latin American cities have experienced increased poverty and inequality in the 1990s, accompanied by the declining influence of the most organized and militant forms of popular organization. On the other hand, some poor communities have seen increased social mobility and organizational development. Furthermore, new forms of informal popular organization have emerged with more young people in leadership positions. These trends generate a number of questions for sociologists, civil leaders, and policymakers: Why have some poor communities flourished in this changing context while others remain in misery? Why have some communities, known for their long-standing traditions of popular participation and collective action, found their bases weakened in recent years? And why have others without such traditions made considerable advances in civic organization? Investigating social networks and community organization in two low-income neighborhoods in Lima, Peru, provides insight into these questions. The first neighborhood is Barrios Altos, an inner-city settlement dating back to colonial times. For years, social scientists have viewed this community in the historical center of the capital as one of Latin America's typical slums of despair, populated by the poor of Lima and characterized by social disorganization and a tendency toward individualism. The second case is Independencia, a community established through the 1960s invasion of rich estates on Lima's northern outskirts by the urban poor. Initially comprised of makeshift shanties, Independencia has frequently been seen as one of Latin America's newer shantytowns of hope, founded by migrants of peasant origin with ancient traditions of collective self-help and social solidarity. During the 1970s and 1980s, Independencia was the site of considerable social and political experimentation, and most analysts expected it to fare better than Barios Altos in terms of both social mobility and political development. However, the 1990s saw a dramatic reversal of this trend, with the organizational bases of Independencia seriously weakened and neighborhood organizations in Barrios Altos growing for the first time. In order to understand these developments, it is important to examine changes in the political regime and institutional design of the state and their impact on the ability of the urban poor to organize and take collective action. History in Transition In the last two decades Peru underwent a transition from a reformist military regime to an unstable civilian one. It also shifted from a populist government in the 1980s to the neoliberal, authoritarian government of Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s. During these years, the role of the state in society was expanded, reduced, and then expanded again, while governments experimented with different programs aimed at serving the urban poor. The military government (1968-1979) had a reformist agenda that encouraged popular mobilization while at the same time seeking to control the people through corporatist structures. During this period, the state gained new centrality in virtually all spheres of social life, and this new position initially was accompanied by a high capacity for state spending to satisfy demand for public goods. At the same time, the military banned all political parties, leaving few opportunities for independent social and political participation. Virtually all local community demands and struggles could have become direct political confrontations with the state since the success or failure of popular organizations was measured by their capacity to obtain state resources. …


BACKGROUND
External fixation is widely used for trauma and reconstruction of the lower extremity. External fixator devices spanning the ankle or portions of the foot often utilize pins placed across the metatarsal bases. While this forefoot fixation is occasionally necessary to achieve reduction and alignment, it is also useful to prevent an equinus contracture. We undertook an anatomical study to evaluate the safety of pins placed across the bases of the first and second metatarsals, spanning the first intermetarsal space.

METHODS
Under fluoroscopy, a single 4.0-mm Schanz pin was advanced percutaneously from medial to lateral across the bases of the first and second metatarsals in ten cadaver feet. This was accomplished in a fashion identical to the application of typical forefoot external fixation as described in the literature. Specimens were then dissected. Injury to the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis artery, when present, was recorded. When injury was not present, the distance from the pin to the deep plantar branch was recorded.

RESULTS
In five of the ten feet, the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis artery was lacerated by the transmetatarsal pin. In four feet, the pin contacted the artery but did not visibly damage it. In the remaining foot, the pin was noted to be only 4 mm from the artery. Any pin with a starting point within 18 mm of the first metatarsocuneiform joint placed the artery at risk.

CONCLUSIONS
Placement of external fixation pins through the proximal bases of the first and second metatarsals, within 2 cm of the first tarsometatarsal joint, consistently places the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis artery at risk. Given the clinical importance of this artery, transmetatarsal pinning in this fashion is not advised. Other methods of obtaining forefoot or midfoot external fixation are recommended in order to avoid vascular injury.


The National Special Needs Education Policy Framework in Kenya stipulates that there shall be elimination of disparities and enhancement of equity and equality for all learners, especially inclusion of learners with special needs in the education system. The problem is that there still exist inequalities and disparities in accessing quality education among learners with special needs. The study was guided by the following objectives: To describe personnel-related constraints facing implementation of inclusive education, identify constraints facing availability of resources in inclusive settings, find out curriculum-related constraints in regard to learners with SNE and find out constraints related to the physical environment. Vygotsky's SocioCultural Theory informed this study. A case study design of two selected inclusive secondary schools in Kericho County was used. The case study used a purposive sample of two public secondary schools; respondents included the two Principals, teachers, resource teachers, and Educational Assessment Resource Centre officers. Interviews were conducted with administrators, teachers and educational assessment resource team. Two methods of data analysis were used: Domain and thematic analysis. Domain analysis involved analysis of language of participants in the cultural context of their respective inclusive schools. Major findings include: general curriculum teachers have no basic knowledge in handling learners with special needs; the two schools experience shortage of trained SNE teachers because those already trained fear laborious work and are unavailable to provide their services to learners with special needs and teachers have no basic knowledge in handling this category of learners. The study concluded that inclusive education is constraint by shortage of personnel, inadequacy of specialized material resources to be used in the teaching of learners with special needs, and the learning environment is still far from being accessible to students with SNE. The researcher recommends that for the learning environment to be conducive, schools must take initiative to improve on physical facilities to be sensitive to learners with SNE. In addition, policy makers should create awareness and do sensitization to remove socio-cultural attitudes and systems that condemn special needs selectively and create barriers on avenues for accommodation and inclusion.


This study formed part of a broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances farmers' adaptation to climate change variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and model to assess the dissemination of this information and its use by farmers. The predominantly qualitative study employed a post-positivist paradigm and some elements of a quantitative approach for the data collection and analysis. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The study population comprised farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) project manager. The qualitative data was subjected to content analysis, whereas the quantitative data was analysed to generate mostly descriptive statistics. Thekey findings showed that researchers, extension officers and village leaders disseminate information on climate change and variability to farmers, and that radio and mobile phones were the most relied upon sources in disseminatingthis information. Despite the benefits, however, the results showed that farmers felt there were several barriers to dissemination and use. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and variability on farming, the study recommends the repackaging of current and accurate information on climate change and variability, farmer education and training, and collaboration between researchers, meteorology experts, extension officers and farmers. Moreover, a clear policy framework for disseminating information related to climate change and variability is required.


This paper presents a method for spatiotemporal segmentation of long image sequences of scenes which include multiple independently moving objects, based on the minimum description length (MDL) principle. First, a family of motion models is constructed, each of which corresponds to a physically meaningful motion such as translation with constant velocity or a combination of translation and rotation. Then, the motion description length is formulated. When an object changes the type of the motion or a new part of an object appears, the corresponding temporal or spatial segmentation is carried out. Ambiguous segmentation of two consecutive images can be resolved by minimizing the motion description length in a long sequence of images. Experiments on several real image sequences show the validity of our method.


The evolution of social structures and reproductive behaviours leading to actual spawning in the Mediterranean dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, was studied in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve on the Spanish coast (NW Mediterranean) from February 1995 to October 1996. Density, size, sex, colour patterns, relation the bottom, swimming activity and site occupation were monitored by visual census surveys at monthly and daily scales. The main observed socio-behavioural trends were in part comparable with some patterns reported in tropical groupers, although differences exist, which might in part be related to the temperate conditions of the northern Mediterranean sea. The density of dusky groupers in the area was low in winter, and maximal in summer, from late June to late August (up to 8-fold increase); numbers rised in spring, before the beginning of reproductive activities which led to spawning by mid August, and dropped rapidly afterwards. During this long reproductive period (about 2 months), dominant males (recognized by their highly specific colour pattern) established territories in which they displayed aggressively towards neighbouring males and numerous smaller females (the species is proterogynous); the observed sex-ratio was approximately 1:7 (sexually active males versus adult females). Territoriality of males is the base of the social structuration of the reproductive population; in addition, behaviours typical of the pre-spawning period include repeated evening gathering of females in open water, and the appearance of specific colours patterns. This overall socio-behavioural pattern changed in the evenings when spawning was observed (16th - 21st of August), the males patrolling a reduced territory in which females would come to mate; spawning behaviour itself was described in Zabala et al. (1997).The complex socio-behavioural structure leading to reproduction in the Dusky Grouper should be considered in fishery management, since it could hardly develop under strong human pressure. In this respect, the contribution of Marine protected areas is determinant for the reproductive success of this species in the NW Mediterranean basin.


Objective: The role of dietary factors in the etiopathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) has been a matter of discussion and it is widely accepted that most urticaria cases triggered by food are caused by pseudoallergic reactions. In this prospective study, our aim was to investigate the effect of a pseudoallergen-free diet (PAFD) on disease activity, the need for antihistamine use, and the quality of life in patients with CSU. Materials and Methods: The study included adult patients who were on follow up for CSU for a duration of at least 6 months and had symptoms every day or every other day. The patients were given a food diary, which also included assessment of daily disease activity. The daily Urticaria Activity Score (UAS), the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire score at baseline and at the 4th week, and frequency of antihistamine use were obtained. According to the change in UAS (∆UAS), the patients' response to PAFD was classified as strong (∆UAS≥8), partial (8>∆UAS≥4), or no response (∆UAS<4). Results: Twenty-three patients, 19 females (82.6%) and 4 males (17.4%), completed the study, the mean age was 43±4.6 years. According to ∆UAS, 6 patients (26.1%) had strong response, 6 (26.1%) had partial response, and 11 (47.8%) were unresponsive to PAFD. The mean ∆UAS value of the patients who responded to PAFD was 8.1 (min:4, max:15). At the end of the study, 9 (39.1%) patients had a significant improvement in their quality of life. There were 6 (26%) patients who both responded to PAFD and had improved quality of life scores. The frequency of antihistamine use decreased in 10 (43.5%) patients. Conclusion: PAFD may help decrease disease activity in CSU. We observed that the frequency of antihistamine use could be reduced and the patient's quality of life could be improved by adding PFAD to antihistamine therapy.


Abstract
Kuru, a subacute, progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system of man, has an infectious etiology and is experimentally transmissible to other primates. Thus far, 91 chimpanzees have been inoculated with specimens from 37 human kuru victims (44 animals) or from other chimpanzees and spider monkeys with experimental kuru (47 animals). Among these, the disease has already developed in 35 chimpanzees: in 15 on primary passage, in 10 on second passage, in eight on third passage, and in two on fourth passage. Brain tissue from 11 human victims has induced disease in 15 animals, after incubation periods ranging from 14 to 38 months. The kuru virus remains viable in human brain tissue stored at -70°C for more than 5 years. The virus is serially transmissible in chimpanzees by intracerebral and peripheral routes of inoculation and can be recovered from visceral tissues as well as brain tissues. Serial passage is associated with a reduced incubation period, and the virus is detectable in the brains of chimpanzees before the onset of clinical disease. The virus has also been transmitted from a chimpanzee to spider monkeys after an incubation period of 2 years. In suspensions of both human and chimpanzee brain tissue the virus passes through a 220 µm millipore filter. By the intracerebral route chimpanzee brain tissue has an infectivity titer equal to or greater than 10-7.5 per ml. The virus is not completely inactivated after exposure to a temperature of 85°C for 30 minutes, and it remains viable after lyophylization and storage at a temperature of -20°C. Virus infectiousness for chimpanzees by the intracerebral route of inoculation was not neutralized at a dilution of 10-3 when mixed with pooled, undiluted serum from human kuru victims or pooled, undiluted serum from neighboring normal Anga (Kukukuku) people of the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea. Experiments are under way to investigate the possibility of infection after oral inoculation of chimpanzees with human and chimpanzee kuru-infected tissues.


Previous research has established a link between insecure attachment and depression in adolescence. However, little is known about the mechanisms that may mediate this relation or the contexts in which this association occurs. One objective of this study was to examine whether adolescents who were more anxious or avoidant in their attachment orientation were more sensitive to interpersonal versus achievement-related stress, made negative attributions and used a ruminative coping strategy in response to stress, and as such, reported more depressive symptoms. Given that the nature of close relationships changes during adolescence, the second objective was to investigate (1) the relative importance of working models of specific attachment figures (i.e., mother, father, best friend, and romantic partner) in the prediction of depression; and (2) the existence of target-specific pathways to depression following relational stress. It was expected that the paths to depression would differ depending on the type of stress and attachment figure under consideration. A total of 134 adolescents ( n = 88 girls; M age = 16.95 years; SD = .74) completed attachment questionnaires, a depression inventory, and a computer task consisting of hypothetical interpersonal and achievement-related vignettes and questions. Tests of the first objective revealed that adolescents' appraisals of the stressfulness of interpersonal and achievement-related situations varied as a function of attachment orientation. Adolescents high on anxiety interpreted all stresses in terms of interpersonal rejection. Adolescents high on avoidance interpreted achievement problems as a reflection of shortcomings of the self, but perceived interpersonal stresses similarly to their anxious counterparts. Insecure attachment relationships with romantic partner and mother, for girls, were uniquely predictive of depression. Adolescents' tendency to make negative attributions in response to stresses fully explained the relation between attachment to these persons and depression. Adolescents were found to ruminate when confronted with stresses involving romantic partner, which was also associated with depression. Results support cognitive models of depression and underscore the role of negative attributions in depression. Furthermore, the pathways to depression were found to be complex and to depend on the types of stress, who is involved in the stress, and the quality of the attachment relationship.


The ability of 11 models in simulating the aerosol vertical distribution from regional to global scales, as part of the second phase of the AeroCom model intercomparison initiative (AeroCom II), is assessed and compared to results of the first phase. The evaluation is performed using a global monthly gridded data set of aerosol extinction profiles built for this purpose from the CALIOP (Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) Layer Product 3.01. Results over 12 subcontinental regions show that five models improved, whereas three degraded in reproducing the interregional variability in Zα0–6 km, the mean extinction height diagnostic, as computed from the CALIOP aerosol profiles over the 0–6 km altitude range for each studied region and season. While the models' performance remains highly variable, the simulation of the timing of the Zα0–6 km peak season has also improved for all but two models from AeroCom Phase I to Phase II. The biases in Zα0–6 km are smaller in all regions except Central Atlantic, East Asia, and North and South Africa. Most of the models now underestimate Zα0–6 km over land, notably in the dust and biomass burning regions in Asia and Africa. At global scale, the AeroCom II models better reproduce the Zα0–6 km latitudinal variability over ocean than over land. Hypotheses for the performance and evolution of the individual models and for the intermodel diversity are discussed. We also provide an analysis of the CALIOP limitations and uncertainties contributing to the differences between the simulations and observations.


The spectral characteristics of arcs operated in several kilotorr of mercury vapor with lower pressures of various metal iodides can be explained on the basis of local thermal equilibrium among all components of the plasma except for the radiation itself. The fraction of atoms excited to an electronic state depends only on the excitation energy of the state and the plasma temperature. Conversely, the plasma temperature depends strongly on excitation energy for those transitions responsible for the principal radiative output. Plasma temperature, excitation energies, and number of radiating atoms can be related quantitatively and can lead to calculated plasma temperatures in satisfactory agreement with experimental determinations of temperature.


A 16-year-old male patient who was on oral iron treatment for iron deficiency anemia for the last one year was seen at the Haematology clinic with complaints of weakness, pallor, and jaundice. A complete blood count revealed Hb of 4.2 mmol/L, Hct of 0.14, and MCV of 76 fl. A blood smear showed 50% neutrophils, 40% lymphocytes, and 10% monocytes with anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, polichromasia in erythrocytes and normoblasts. Reticulocyte count was under 1%. There was a slight erythroid hyperplasia in the bone marrow aspiration. Biochemical examinations showed total bilirubin of 3.9 mg/dL, indirect bilirubin of 3.4 mg/dL, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of 6085 U/L (220-450). In re-evaluating the history of the patient, he was seen to be complaining of dark discoloration of morning urine. Perl's reaction was found to be positive for hemosiderin in the urine sediment. Because Ham's test was positive, the levels of CD55, 58, and 59 proteins on erythrocyte membranes were found to be lower. The patient was started 32 mg of methylprednisolone and his anaemia was improved by the 14th day of treatment. When evaluating iron deficiency anemia resistant to iron supplementation, PNH should be kept in mind.


The 'nexus' between water, energy and food (WEF) has gained increasing attention globally in research, business and policy spheres. We review the premise of recent initiatives framed around the nexus, examine the challenge of achieving the type of disciplinary boundary crossing promoted by the nexus agenda and consider how to operationalise what has to date been a largely paper exercise. The WEF nexus has been promoted through international meetings and calls for new research agendas. It is clear from the literature that many aims of nexus approaches pre-date the recent nexus agenda; these have encountered significant barriers to progress, including challenges to cross-disciplinary collaboration, complexity, political economy (often perceived to be under-represented in nexus research) and incompatibility of current institutional structures. Indeed, the ambitious aims of the nexus—the desire to capture multiple interdependencies across three major sectors, across disciplines and across scales—could become its downfall. However, greater recognition of interdependencies across state and non-state actors, more sophisticated modelling systems to assess and quantify WEF linkages and the sheer scale of WEF resource use globally, could create enough momentum to overcome historical barriers and establish nexus approaches as part of a wider repertoire of responses to global environmental change.


Going for a run is a great way to get exercise and feel rejuvenated, but it can also get repetitive and boring. By contrast, digital games can be very engaging and addictive but traditionally force players to be physically inactive. This project is a mobile phone application that transforms a run into an immersive game by presenting a series of story-based running tasks to motivate the player. Requiring that the game be played while running constrains the design in terms of both input and output, and this system demonstrates ways to manage those constraints while still providing a compelling experience. A six person evaluation validates the concept and offers useful design feedback. Thesis Supervisor: Christopher Schmandt Title: Principal Research Scientist MIT Media Lab Thesis reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Cells use a large number of clearly defined signalling pathways to regulate their activity. In this module, attention is focused on the On mechanisms responsible for transmitting information into the cell. These signalling pathways fall into two main groups depending on how they are activated. Most of them are activated by external stimuli and function to transfer information from the cell surface to internal effector systems. However, some of the signalling systems respond to information generated from within the cell, usually in the form of metabolic messengers. For all of these signalling pathways, information is conveyed either through protein–protein interactions or it is transmitted by diffusible elements usually referred to as second messengers. Cells often employ a number of these signalling pathways, and cross-talk between them is an important feature. In this section, attention is focused on the properties of the major intracellular signalling pathways operating in cells to regulate their cellular activity. During the processes of development, specific cell types select out those signalling systems that are suitable to control their particular functions. One of the aims of this website is to understand how these unique cell-specific signalsomes function to regulate different mammalian cell types.


The purpose of this study was to observe novel nest characteristics of Dorylus molestus (Siafu), as well as their defensive behavior in response to varied disturbance methods. The number of defensive soldiers at a specific section of a column was counted before and after each agitation. Varied agitation methods were used on columns without larvae presence to test how soldiers responded to different disturbance types. Disturbances on columns with larvae presence were compared to those on columns without larvae. Nest distribution, behavior, composition, and size were observed objectively. Mechanical disturbance was found to incite the greatest increase in defensive soldier presence. Columns with larvae presence had a greater increase in soldier presence than columns without larvae present. Nests were largest in areas with the greatest protection and cover, and were found most commonly in areas of fragmentation. The ants possess complicated modes of communication through chemical reception, and are able to relay specific reactions to each other in response to varied types of agitation. Also, this species possesses a key role in the balance of the ecosystem, specifically with prey populations. The importance of Siafu behaviors in conjunction with the rapidly changing ecology of the region could have serious implications for agricultural practices and prey population dynamics.


Abstract. This study raises the issue of visualizing landscape and cultural changes from the beginning of the nineteenth century to this day. Statistical maps are very helpful in spatial visualizations, however, the process of designing them may be very complex. Contemporary cartographic materials are very easy in terms of processing, unfortunately, the materials from the nineteenth century need more transformation in order to be useful for statistical analysis.The data source included the Prussian non-cartometric Urmesstischblätter topographic map from the beginning of the nineteenth century, Messtischblätter, the Prussian topographic map from the end of the nineteenth century, and current topographic map of two industrial regions in Europe, the Upper Silesia Industrial District in Poland and the Ruhr Area in Germany.The main aim of this research was to develop and design a set of statistical maps that would depict cultural and landscape changes in two industrial centers, the first one being in Poland and the other one in Germany, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to this day. The authors would also like to demonstrate and describe the geomatic process that led to statistical visualizations.Various methods were employed in this study to create spatial visualizations: the rectification of the cartographic material, vectorization, and generalization of the selected environment and cultural features, computation of areal and linear differences, and finally, the design of spatial statistical visualization for both regions.The results were presented in the form of the set of regular square fishnet choropleth maps (grid cell maps) of the Upper Silesia Industrial District in Poland and the Ruhr Area in Germany (two examples on Figure 1 and Figure 2). Thanks to them, the changes in the landscape and cultural space could be visualized and the comparative analysis could be carried out in order to find similarities and differences in the development of geography of those two regions. The research was funded by the German-Polish Science Foundation.


This paper collects and analyzes available information on administrative costs associated with public and private retirement systems. We explore expenses of the US social security system and compare these with data from national systems in other countries. We find that administration costs of publicly-run social security systems vary a great deal across countries and institutional settings. A key factor influencing public old-age program costs is the system's scale: plans with more assets and more participants are less expensive. We also investigate expenses reported by US pension plans and mutual funds, programs seen by many as alternative mechanisms for managing retirement saving. Based on an analysis of costs associated with retirement savings plans managed by financial institutions, we conclude that privately managed old-age retirement programs would be somewhat more costly to operate than current publicly-managed programs, depending on the program's specific design. Nevertheless these costs would be accompanied by new services for participants.


"Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology" presents a timely collection of pioneering work in the study of these diverse and fascinating ecosystems. Modeled on the highly successful "Foundations of Ecology, " this book consists of facsimiles of papers chosen by world experts in tropical biology as the "classics" in the field. The papers are organized into sections on related topics, each introduced with a discussion of their role in triggering subsequent research. Topics covered include ecological and evolutionary perspectives on the origins of tropical diversity; plant-animal interactions; patterns of species diversity and distribution of arthropods, vertebrates, and plants; forest dynamics and ecosystem ecology; conservation biology; and tropical forest management. "Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology" makes essential works in the development of tropical biology available in a convenient form to both senior scholars interested in the roots of their discipline and to students encountering the field for the first time, as well as to everyone concerned with tropical conservation.


Context. Observations of massive stars in open clusters younger than ∼8 Myr have shown that a majority of them are in binary systems, most of which will interact during their life. While these can be used as a proxy of the initial multiplicity properties, studying populations of massive stars older than ∼20 Myr allows us to probe the outcome of these interactions after a significant number of systems have experienced mass and angular momentum transfer and may even have merged.
Aims. Using multi-epoch integral-field spectroscopy, we aim to investigate the multiplicity properties of the massive-star population in the dense core of the ∼40 Myr old cluster NGC 330 in the Small Magellanic Cloud in order to search for possible imprints of stellar evolution on the multiplicity properties.
Methods. We obtained six epochs of VLT/MUSE observations operated in wide-field mode with the extended wavelength setup and supported by adaptive optics. We extracted spectra and measured radial velocities for stars brighter than mF814W = 19. We identified single-lined spectroscopic binaries through significant RV variability with a peak-to-peak amplitude larger than 20 km s−1. We also identified double-lined spectroscopic binaries, and quantified the observational biases for binary detection. In particular, we took into account that binary systems with similar line strengths are difficult to detect in our data set.
Results. The observed spectroscopic binary fraction among stars brighter than mF814W = 19 (approximately 5.5 M⊙ on the main sequence) is fSBobs = 13.2 ± 2.0%. Considering period and mass ratio ranges from log(P) = 0.15−3.5 (about 1.4 to 3160 d), q = 0.1−1.0, and a representative set of orbital parameter distributions, we find a bias-corrected close binary fraction of fcl = 34−7+8%. This fraction seems to decline for the fainter stars, which indicates either that the close binary fraction drops in the B-type domain, or that the period distribution becomes more heavily weighted toward longer orbital periods. We further find that both fractions vary strongly in different regions of the color-magnitude diagram, which corresponds to different evolutionary stages. This probably reveals the imprint of the binary history of different groups of stars. In particular, we find that the observed spectroscopic binary fraction of Be stars (fSBobs = 2 ± 2%) is significantly lower than that of B-type stars (fSBobs = 9 ± 2%).
Conclusions. We provide the first homogeneous radial velocity study of a large sample of B-type stars at a low metallicity ([Fe/H] ≲ −1.0). The overall bias-corrected close binary fraction (log(P) < 3.5 d) of the B-star population in NGC 330 is lower than the fraction reported for younger Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud clusters in previous works. More data are needed, however, to establish whether the observed differences are caused by an age or a metallicity effect.


A fourteenth century caixa de nuvia (a bride's case). This article studies a bride's case, or chest described in the records of a trial that took place in the late fourteenth century, preserved in the Archives of Crown of Aragon. The case was claimed by Eulalia, a commoner from the region of Barcelona. We study the circumstances of the claim, and then consider the descriptions of the items and the relations between the items and the owner. We stress the structures and the functionality of the chest itself and the meticulous description of contents , mainly second hand household wear and engagement presents. We highlight the relationship between women, especially between the mother and the daughter, and the relationship between these women and their possessions.


An increasing number of robots for outdoor applications rely on complex three‐dimensional (3D) environmental models. In many cases, 3D maps are used for vital tasks, such as path planning and collision detection in challenging semistructured environments. Thus, acquiring accurate three‐dimensional maps is an important research topic of high priority for autonomously navigating robots. This article proposes an evaluation method that is designed to compare the consistency with which different representations model the environment. In particular, the article examines several popular (probabilistic) spatial representations that are capable of predicting the occupancy of any point in space, given prior 3D range measurements. This work proposes to reformulate the obtained environmental models as probabilistic binary classifiers, thus allowing for the use of standard evaluation and comparison procedures. To avoid introducing localization errors, this article concentrates on evaluating models constructed from measurements acquired at fixed sensor poses. Using a cross‐validation approach, the consistency of different representations, i.e., the likelihood of correctly predicting unseen measurements in the sensor field of view, can be evaluated. Simulated and real‐world data sets are used to benchmark the precision of four spatial models—occupancy grid, triangle mesh, and two variations of the three‐dimensional normal distributions transform (3D‐NDT)—over various environments and sensor noise levels. Overall, the consistency of representation of the 3D‐NDT is found to be the highest among the tested models, with a similar performance over varying input data. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In recent years, new waves of ethnic violence in the Arakan (Rakhine) state of Burma (Myanmar) have resulted in increased internal displacement and the continued exodus of the Rohingya people to neighbouring countries. At the heart of this problem is the fact that Burma (which the Rohingyas claim as their ancestral land) and Bangladesh (where many Rohingyas are unwelcome and/or undocumented refugees) continue to deny the Rohingyas their political identity, each insisting that the displaced Rohingyas are the responsibility of the other. This study examines the history of the region to explore how political identities are shaped (generally) and how Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, living along the borders, identify themselves in the midst of political sovereignty claims and a social space that exists across artificially drawn borders (specifically). This article argues that the true political identity of the displaced Rohingya refugees can be located in their social memory and their life-politics in the borderlands. In this social memory, the Rohingyas' beliefs in ethnicity, identity, and belongingness play an important role in shaping their current identity. Their production of cultural artefacts while in exile suggests a non-conventional resistance, and the close proximity of the refugees to their homeland creates a completely different psychology of attachment and alienation, which needs further attention in refugee studies. Such an understanding of life-politics along the border may challenge our current understanding of borderland conflicts within the framework of state-imposed boundaries. The boundaries of identity may go beyond traditional notions of national borders and the identity of the state.


This study is an empirical examination of political corruption in the American states. Using the number of public officials who are convicted of crimes involving corruption as the dependent variable, four explanations of corruption are examined--historical/cultural, political, structural, and bureaucratic. We find that corruption is associated with historical/cultural forces, political forces (especially turnout and party competition), and bureaucratic forces (government size and policies that increase bribe opportunities). Structural factors (e.g., campaign finance reporting requirements, centralization, direct democracy) are unrelated to the incidence of corruption. Finally, the study shows some evidence that prosecution of corrupt public officials was subject to partisan and racial targeting during the Reagan administration and racial targeting during the Carter administration.


Digital technologies radically transform today's organizations as they permeate both innovation processes and outcomes. While the potential of digital innovations is tremendous, many companies hardly realize the extensive benefits of digital technologies so far. Furthermore, the theoretical understanding of digital innovations is limited since scholars started to challenge the assumptions made in traditional innovation research due to digital technologies' affordances. Therefore, this thesis seeks to improve the knowledge about digital innovations by analyzing their discovery and diffusion. The discovery of innovations relates to the development of ideas, which can result in new products, processes, or business models. It is essential to investigate companies' innovation discovery as they often struggle to create innovative ideas and existing theory rarely incorporates the increasing diversity of employees involved in these processes. Papers A and B of this thesis address these issues by examining how Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) facilitate employees' innovation discovery. According to Communication Visibility Theory (CVT), the consideration of ESNs is crucial in this regard as they make employees' everyday communication permanently visible, which provides a basis for acquiring new knowledge. Paper A validates and extends the newly developed CVT. By incorporating individuals employed in diverse contexts, it empirically supports the theory's external validity. Therefore, different companies can draw on ESNs to foster their innovation discovery, which is made possible through improvements in employees' meta-knowledge. Besides, the paper reveals that meta-knowledge is not merely formed in the long-run, as indicated by previous research, but in the short-run as well. Interestingly, it also shows that managers can gain more meta-knowledge using ESNs compared to non-managers, which is in contrast with prior literature's findings. Paper B investigates when employees disclose information in ESNs, which is essential to attain high communication visibility and, in this way, to facilitate the discovery of innovations. To that end, the paper transfers theory on Online Social Networks (OSNs) to the ESN context. It finds that employees' trusting and risk beliefs are associated with their information disclosure. Additionally, the paper reveals that a company's group and development culture influence these beliefs, with error aversion culture transmitting the effect of development culture. Innovation diffusion relates to the distribution of a novel product, process, or business model across a group of target users. It is important to better understand the diffusion of digital innovations as companies often lack knowledge about why new offerings are rejected, which limits their chances of counteracting the underlying issues. Furthermore, digital technologies impact the innovation diffusion by blurring industry boundaries and facilitating competition. Papers C and D of this thesis investigate the diffusion of digital innovations in the context of data-driven business models. This context is especially affected by new competition arising across previous boundaries and, thus, necessary to analyze as diverse organizations have high incentives to utilize their data in new ways. Paper C analyzes which dimensions substantially differentiate between distinct data-driven business models. For this purpose, it leverages practitioners' perceptions of business models obtained from a start-up database. Based on three identified dimensions, the paper creates a taxonomy that classifies the business models into eight ideal-typical categories. The number of business models present in each category provides insights into their diffusion. By offering basic knowledge about the nature of data-driven business models, the paper can be used as a foundation for future research that seeks to dig deeper into this new field and for companies that aim at developing data-driven business models. Paper D investigates how individuals evaluate data-driven services that are offered by highly diverse companies. Based on a qualitative study, the paper shows that individuals' perception of fit between a service and its provider is crucial for their evaluations. It also reveals the dimensions that influence this perception. Additionally, it explores the consequences that come with a perception of fit. Using these results, the paper offers a new perspective on individuals' service evaluations, which is vital to the diffusion of the services as well as the associated business models and helps organizations in developing and promoting data-driven services.


Judicial supremacy is a concept frequently employed in both domestic and comparative constitutional theory but rarely carefully defined and systematically analyzed. Scholars typically either assume its meaning or quickly state how they are using the term before warming to their major theme, focusing on some other aspect of judicial supremacy: how did it emerge, what explains its acceptance by other branches of government, is it or should it be tempered in practice by courts not straying too far from the popular will, is it a good, bad, or practically necessary feature of a constitutional system? Jeremy Waldron's observation that the term has "no canonical definition" suggests that it is not always used in uniform fashion but rather in somewhat different ways in different contexts. Moreover, this range of uses helps to explain why, on only slightly closer inspection, various critics or skeptics of "judicial supremacy" around the world ― departmentalists, "hollow hopers," constitutional dialogists ― do not all seem to be making the same point, but appear to be interlocutors in a number of discrete conversations, differing in both the type and content of their arguments and the positions they are marshaled to support.This chapter attempts to provide the systematic analysis of the concept that is mostly missing and that is a prerequisite for understanding and assessing the several debates in which it plays a central role. It also aims to evaluate its usefulness as a concept in the toolbox of comparative constitutional theory. Part II identifies and disaggregates four distinct senses or conceptions of judicial supremacy in the relevant literatures, what I shall refer to as "interpretive," "attitudinal," "decisional," and "political supremacy" respectively. It also shows that corresponding to each of the meanings is a distinct opposing or skeptical position. Part III illustrates the multiple meanings by looking at recent resolutions of the same-sex marriage issue by different institutions and mechanisms ― courts, legislatures, popular referenda, courts and legislatures ― in many constitutional systems over the past decade. Part IV attempts to asses the utility of judicial supremacy as a concept in comparative constitutional theory by asking what and how much is at stake in the debates between each conception and its critics. The chapter concludes that, as delimited by the four senses identified, although not as sometimes exaggerated or conflated, it is indeed a useful, non-unitary concept. Its essential status in the field, however, likely turns on further comparative experience.


A very well-written textbook for the treatment of skull base pathology. The high-quality operative, dissection, and imaging photographs make this an excellent resource for the skull base surgeon. -- Ashutosh Kacker, MBBS, MD, The Laryngoscope Ideal for both otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons and neurosurgeons, Transnasal Endoscopic Skull Base and Brain Surgery: Tips and Pearls gathers together in one comprehensive volume invaluable advice from world-renowned authorities on state-of-the-art endoscopic technologies and techniques. Each succinct chapter begins with a summary of key takeaway points and features an easily accessible outline format. After uniquely detailed coverage of macroscopic and endoscopic anatomy, the expert authors discuss the most up-to-date surgical approaches integrated with key information on technologic advances, such as 3D reconstruction and navigation. Clearly labeled illustrations demonstrate each step of the various procedures. The book closes with practical guidance on postoperative care and guidelines for avoiding and managing the potential complications encountered in these complex surgeries. Features: * In-depth information on endoscopic surgical procedures for the paranasal sinuses, anterior skull base, and the craniocervical junction * Easy-to-reference bullet-points in each chapter distill the renowned authors' vast experience * Step-by-step surgical descriptions cover the full spectrum of skull base pathology * Stunningly detailed illustrations, including more than 500 in full-color, enhance the text throughout This landmark work will improve the accuracy and precision of every surgeon and fellow in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and neurosurgery who deals with this delicate anatomic region.


College enrollment rates among students from working class families are at an all-time high. Yet time to degree completion and overall completion rates for this group—particularly those who qualify for need-based financial aid—continue to lag behind students from more affluent families. Increasingly, higher education leaders and policy-makers have turned to performance-based financial aid programs as one way to address this disparity. By tying financial aid eligibility to minimum academic performance standards in college, it is thought that greater academic commitment can be promoted. Underlying these programs is the untested assumption that students who rely on aid need incentives because they lack academic focus and care insufficiently about academic performance. In this chapter we present evidence from a mixed-methods study of federal Pell Grant recipients which directly challenges this assumption. Further, we leverage a randomized experiment of additional need-based financial aid to show that tying aid to performance standards may unintentionally induce students to reduce enrollment intensity and thereby extend time to degree in an effort to "make the grade."


The eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina, is a terrestrial ectotherm that is vulnerable due to sustained population declines across its range in the Eastern United States. Where this species uses managed fields, conservation measures could be implemented to restrict field mowing until the local population enters into hibernation, and such mowing restrictions could be adjusted each year only if the precise timing of the entry into and emergence from hibernation could be predicted based on proximate environmental conditions. I monitored twenty turtles each winter over two years to determine movement and activity patterns at the William Floyd Estate, a management unit of Fire Island National Seashore in New York, USA. My objectives were to (1) identify environmental variables correlated with the timing of entry into and emergence from hibernation in order to inform local conservation measures relating to the timing of mowing and brush clearing activities, and (2) investigate whether physiological condition explained the broad variation in the timing of individual animals' responses to the same environmental conditions. I determined the timing of entry into and emergence from hibernation using a combination of light sensors and temperature dataloggers and sampled blood from turtles in the second year before and after hibernation in order to measure plasma biochemical profiles. Cooler air temperatures were correlated with increased probability of entry into hibernation for any given week in the fall, while warmer air temperatures increased the probability of emergence from hibernation for any given week in the spring. Physiological condition was correlated with the number of days until immergence into hibernation in the fall. These findings indicate that environmental conditions are proximate cues that trigger the timing of hibernation and emergence in turtles, and that physiological condition may mediate these triggers by limiting or forcing responses. Based on these results, managers would benefit from using environmental monitoring to adjust the timing of mowing and brush clearing activities in order to take advantage of longer hibernation times during more severe winters or to limit risk to turtles during warmer falls or earlier onset of warming temperatures in the spring.


Chronic self-promoters may thrive in job interviews where such behavior is encouraged. In Study 1, 72 participants were videotaped as they simulated the job applicant role. Accountability was manipulated by the expectation of expert versus nonexpert interviewers. As accountability increased, self-promotion tended to decrease among non-narcissists but increase among narcissists. Ingratiation showed no interaction or main effects. In Study 2, 222 raters evaluated applicant videos varying in narcissism (high vs. low) and ethnicity (European heritage vs. East Asian heritage). Chronic self-promoters (i.e., European-heritage narcissists) were given the most positive evaluations. Detailed behavior analyses indicated that the narcissism advantage was derived primarily from frequent self-praise and the European-heritage advantage from use of active ingratiation tactics. In sum, self-presentation styles that pay off in the (Western) interview context are highly selective.


SUMMARY. The antinociceptive activity of Malva sylvestris (Malvaceae) aqueous extract (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated against classical models of pain in mice, indicating promising results. It showed significant antinociceptive activity in writhing test (76.4% of inhibition) and also inhibited the neurogenic (61.8%) and inflammatory (46.6%) phases of the formalin model. When analysed against capsaicin-induced pain model, the aqueous extract was also effective with inhibition of 62.9%, but it did not cause significant activity against hot-plate model. The results suggest that the antinociception caused by aqueous extract is related to the inhibition of prostaglandins synthesis pathway cyclooxygenase and unrelated to the stimulation of the opioid receptors.


In the early 1970s construction began on a nuclear power plant at Laguna Verde in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Initially, most local citizens were largely unconcerned with the prospect of having the nuclear plant in their community. With the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, however, residents' complacency toward the power plant soon turned to opposition. Protest groups such as the Madres Veracruzanas emerged to join existing environmental groups in a fight to close down the facility. In Mothers and the Mexican Antinuclear Power Movement, Velma Garcia-Gorena traces the protest movement against the Mexican government's Laguna Verde nuclear plant, outlining the movement's formation, development, and decline. Documenting the movement's key players and turning points in superb detail, she interweaves important historical narrative with a deft examination of the events, framing her analysis in terms of social movement literature. In a departure from the more conventional New Social Movements approach to analyzing antinuclear movements, Garcia-Gorena demonstrates how, in many ways, movements of this kind are not so new and how a modified "political process" approach fits much better. With a sophisticated application of various social movements' paradigms, Garcia-Gorena incorporates perspectives such as resource mobilization, political process paradigms, and feminist theory. Timely, well written, and thoroughly researched, Mothers and the Mexican Antinuclear Power Movement fills a major gap in the literature on grassroots environmental movements in Latin America. Both rich in empirical detail and convincing in its conclusions, this study provides a broader understanding of Mexican social movements and the quest for democracy in developing countries.


Enterprise Resource Planning systems evolution initiatives often represent the single largest investment (and therefore risk) for distribution corporations yet there exist few management frameworks in the literature to help decision makers measure risk during this organization-wide change process. We have customized our original ORE framework as a multi-criteria, relative risk, condition consequence management decision framework enabling executive decision makers in distribution businesses to calculate and compare risk evolution at fixed points of the ERP change cycle. The framework emphasizes the political and process dimensions of evolution and utilizes the Analytic Hierarchy Process to enable management to make structured and balanced risk mitigation decisions. This paper describes the development of ORE into ERP-ORE and illustrates the application of the framework through a case study description of a medical supplies distributor implementing an ERP system.