The evolution of Arctic coasts over the coming decades will be governed by changes in the natural environment caused by the effects of climate warming. Rising temperatures are altering the arctic coastline by reducing sea ice and permafrost thawing, and larger changes are projected to occur as this trend continues. This is an important topic to pursue given the direct impacts to human communities and infrastructure already being felt along Arctic coasts. About half of the Russian Arctic coast is composed of ice-rich permafrost deposits. The mean annual coastal retreat rate is 1-5 m per year, but at single sites can exceed 25 m for some years. In general, the exact processes which affect thermal-erosion coasts and the intensity of these processes are determined by a combination of and interaction between thermal and wave-energy factors. Thermal energy is transmitted to the frozen coast via radiative and sensible heat fluxes from the air and water. Correspondingly, higher air and water temperatures, together with longer durations of ice-free seas and positive air temperatures, affect the stability of frozen coasts. The wave-energy factor acts via the direct mechanical impact of sea waves on the shore. In arctic seas the wind-induces waves are predominate. The effectiveness of this factor is determined by storm-driven sea surge intensity as well as by the length of the stormiest period. Conversely, surge intensity substantially depends on the fetch, which is intrinsically linked to sea-ice extent. The minimum area of sea ice extent in the northern hemisphere during the last 30 years has changed from 6 to 3.5 million square kilometers. In September, 2007, sea ice area achieved its historical minimum for the period of satellite observation (since 1978). Less extensive sea ice creates more open water and longer fetches, allowing stronger wave generation by winds and increasing wave-induced erosion along arctic shores. Therefore, the acceleration of erosion and thermo-abrasion of the coast can be caused by the increase of the air and water temperatures and by the wind-wave activity increases. Coastal dynamics have been observed at key sites in the western and eastern sectors of Russian Arctic. We have calculated annual wave energy variations for the last 30 years. Hindcast analysis has revealed that warming events have not always lead to an increase in wave energy or to acceleration of coastal erosion. For example, in the Arctic regions that we studied, in half of the cases warm periods were characterized on one hand by reduced ice cover and growth of open water area, and, on the other hand, by decreased wind-wave activity. As a result no acceleration in coastal retreat was observed. Furthermore, in the western sector of the Russian Arctic the wave fetch was limited by the presence of islands, while in the eastern one by wave acceleration limit. Thus, expectations of catastrophic acceleration of coastal erosion in Arctic are probably exaggerated.


The Australian phytogeographic region is defined as including the Australian mainland and Tasmania. This region may be subdivided into the Tropical Zone in the north and east, the Temperate Zone in the south and east, and the Eremaean Zone in the arid centre. Delineation of these zones is closely linked with present day climates but their floristic constituents also reflect selection resulting from past climatic and geographic conditions. The following areas are of special phytogeographic interest: South-West Province of Western Australia, Tasmania, Sorth-East Queensland, and the MacPherson–Macleay Overlap where the Tropical and Temperate Zones coincide. Three interzone areas have been defined where special circumstances prevent the drawing of zonal boundaries. In Parts A and B floristic analyses covering the distribution of Australian phanerogamic genera are provided for the Australian Region and for the special areas listed above. The analyses deal with family representation, endemism, and the estimated number of species present. The flora of the South-West Province reveals the highest proportion of endemism though there is a close relationship with the flora of the eastern part of the Temperate Zone. The existing west-east affinities and discontinuities are discussed in relation to climatic changes. The Province is not regarded as the "cradle" of the autochthonous elements of the Australian flora though it is apparently an asylum for many relict forms. Affinities with the flora of South Africa are not higher than those for other areas of the Australian Region. the Temperate Zone. The existing west-east affinities and discontinuities are discussed in relation to climatic changes. The Province is not regarded as the "cradle" of the autochthonous elements of the Australian flora though it is apparently an asylum for many relict forms. Affinities with the flora of South Africa are not higher than those for other areas of the Australian Region. The flora of Tasmania is not highly endemic at the generic level but it is of special interest because of certain affinities with the flora of Malaysia and with genera otherwise found along the Malaysia–New Zealand arc or genera also in South America. In some cases the genera are unknown on the mainland, in others they are known from Australian Tertiary deposits. The Tasmanian flora is considered to include (1) relicts from early Tertiary floras, (2) survivors from the cold climate regimes of the Pleistocene, and (3) Australian elements which have mingled with the flora during periods of land continuity. The North-East Queensland area is defined as including the high rainfall habitats of the eastern parts of Cape York Peninsula. An outstanding number of families, genera, and species are restricted to this area so far as the Australian Region is concerned. Many genera are limited to a single representative which may also occur in Malaysia. It is suggested that a proportion of these may be recent arrivals while others, known as fossils from southern deposits, have a more restricted distribution than in the past. The close affinity with the flora of New Guinea is obvious but there are certain affinities with the floras of New Caledonia and New Zealand which may be independent of those of other parts of the Australian Region. Consideration is given to the problems of migration of temperate elements between the northern and southern hemispheres and the passage of such elements through the tropical belt. The MacPherson–Macleay Overlap is defined as that area of eastern Australia where the Tropical and Temperate Zones overlap. It includes part of south-east Queensland and part of north-east New South Wales. Within this area tropical elements predominate in the wetter habitats of the eastern slopes of the ranges and temperate elements in the drier or cooler and more open sites. Many of the tropical elements are to be found in discontinuous areas to the south of the Overlap but there is no similar pattern of temperate communities to the north. The Overlap is of special interest in the discussion of discontinuous distributions in eastern Australia and the significance of these. The development of the Australian flora is discussed in Part C. Its present composition is regarded as primarily due to climatic selection both within the region and from the biotypes available as a result of migration. Migration by communities rather than by chance dispersal of individuals is considered a prime factor. Though the data concerning Tertiary floras are not extensive certain significant facts emerge. First there is a stronger affinity with the flora of South America and this must be contrasted with the marked lack of data suggesting a similarly increased relationship with southern Africa. The relationship between fossil and modern representatives of such genera as Podocarpus, Dacrydium, and Nothofagus suggests that there has been a northward migration or a withdrawal to warmer latitudes since the Tertiary. All the main elements of the present day flora are represented In the Tertiary assemblages. If current views on the "Malaysian" or "tropical" nature of some affinities and the "Antarctic" nature of others be accepted then there is no indication that the major migration into the Australian Region came from one particular direction. Possible climatic regimes and changes are discussed. It is suggested that the occurrence of cold pluvial conditions in southern Australia implies a contraction of the arid centre rather than a northward shift of the dry tropical belt. Under such circumstances northern Australia could still have enjoyed a warm wet climate. This opinion is supported by certain distribution patterns and by the pedological data concerning laterite formation. Apart from the Australian, Malaysian, and Antarctic elements in the Australian flora there are also temperate elements with northern hemisphere affinities. Some of these are found in temperate communities in both hemispheres but others are endemic to and characteristic of the Eremaean Zone. The Eremaean flora may have originated from a coastal sand dune and littoral type. It is suggested that it developed from elements that migrated to the Australian Region as early as the Cretaceous when there may have been a coastal continuity with the Tethys Sea. It is further postulated that these plants remained in coastal habitats but moved inland, possibly along southern estuarine coasts, and became isolated under arid conditions during the Pleistocene or Recent Times. The evidence is that eastern Australia has been a very important migration route for a very long period, being linked with the northern hemisphere through Malaysia. Northward migration of Australian elements has apparently been less successful than southward migration of Malaysian elements. It is considered that the ecological barrier formed by dense tropical communities must have inhibited northward movement of the light-requiring Australian types. The significance of such a barrier would be dependent on the climatic conditions during periods of land continuity between Australia and Malaysia and between Australia and New Guinea. Relationships between the Australian Region and Kew Zealand are either linked with those between Australia and South America, i.e. related to some unknown southern route, or they concern genera with distribution patterns involving New Guinea or New Guinea and New Caledonia. The opinion that Australia and New Zealand belong together in a biogeographic region is unacceptable unless such a, region includes a portion of the island arc in the north-east. The long-standing floristic relationship between Australia and Malaysia, a relationship which from geological evidence apparently extends back as far as the Cretaceous at least, coupled with the affinities among both fossil and modern plants with the flora of South America but not with southern Africa, militates against unqualified acceptance of any of the hypotheses, such as that of continental drift, which have been proposed to explain biological affinities between the major land masses. Plant distribution patterns are facts which can be demonstrated and at this stage of our knowledge further critical analysis is more important than the correlation between available facts and proposed explanations.


Abstract Recent molecular analyses of transcriptome data from 94 species across 92 genera of North American Plecoptera identified the genus Kathroperla Banks, 1920 as sister group to Chloroperlidae + Perlodidae. Given that the genus Kathroperla has historically been included as a member of the family Chloroperlidae, this discovery indicated further investigation of the genus and the subfamily Paraperlinae was needed. Both transcriptome and genome sequencing datasets were generated from 32 species of the infraorder Systellognatha, including all described species of the Paraperlinae, to test the phylogenetic placement of these taxa. From these datasets, a large phylogenomic data matrix of 800 orthologous genes was produced, and multiple analyses were conducted, including both concatenated and coalescent analyses. Morphological comparisons were made among all Paraperlinae using light microscopy. All molecular results support a monophyletic Kathroperla, which is supported as sister taxon to the remaining Perloidea by five of six molecular analyses. Postocular head length is determined to be a distinct morphological character of this genus. Combined molecular and morphological evidence support the designation of Kathroperlidae, fam. n., as the seventeenth family of extant Plecoptera.


Spinning off non-core functions into separate businesses has become increasingly prevalent as organisations restructure and specialise in core areas. A spin-off arrangement is often used as an alternative to outsourcing functions to an independent service provider. Although spin-offs have been increasing in prominence, there are few studies in the literature that provide detailed insights into development and implementation. This paper focuses on a privatised utility company that spun off a number of functions into a separate commercial business. As well as developing a new client base, the spin-off continued to provide services to the utility company. Although this arrangement was regarded as extremely successful, the development and implementation of the spin-off arrangement faced a number of difficulties. This paper considers the arrangement right from idea generation through to full development and eventual disposal. The development of the spin-off was considered along with the implications for the subsidiaries in the utility company. The paper provides a number of important lessons for organisations pursuing this type of outsourcing configuration.


More than 50 of the 162 Member Countries of the OIE, the World Organisation for Animal Health, have obtained recognition from the OIE for freedom from foot and mouth disease (FMD) without vaccination. The virus continues to circulate in two-thirds of the remaining countries, thus dividing the globe into two zones. This has significant effects on international trade patterns in susceptible animals and animal products. Consequently, countries that do not have FMD-free status continue to suffer a severe handicap in terms of access to international markets. This situation was highlighted by the sudden and largely unexpected resurgence of FMD in Europe, South America and Asia at the beginning of the 21st Century.


A relation from vector scattering theory has been used to predict the angular distribution of scattered light from optical surfaces as a function of the wavelength, optical constants of the material, and spectral density function. For calculations of one-dimensional (two-dimensional) scattering, the spectral density function of the surface roughness is obtained from the Fourier transform (Hankel transform) of the autocovariance function, which in turn is determined from surface-profile data. Measured statistics presented for various types of optical surfaces indicate that there are three basic components of surface structure: long-range waviness, short-range random roughness, and periodicity; one or more of which may be present on a given surface. Averaged and unaveraged surface-profile data for the same surface are shown to be consistent. Experimental data are presented that yield an exponential autocovariance function, and give a reasonably good fit to a Poisson distribution of zero crossings. Finally, angular scattering values calculated using measured surface statistics with vector scattering theory are compared to scattering values measured on the same surface. The shapes of the measured and calculated curves are similar, but the magnitudes are not. However, the rms surface roughnesses calculated from total integrated scattering measurements are in excellent agreement with values measured directly on these same surfaces.


This article traces the development of overseas Filipinos' occupation in Japan from musician to "entertainer." As it establishes the not so well-known fact that music has been the occupation of most Filipinos in Japan way back in the late nineteenth century, it elucidates the factors that brought about the phenomenon. Demand-supply and push-pull factors explain a great deal, but not all. Immigration laws of Japan do not provide a key to the phenomenon, but, as this article argues, they provide a large window toward understanding it. American influence on the Philippines and Japan is another factor that has impacted on the job configuration of Filipino workers in Japan. The United States introduced jazz into the Philippines and Japan. The Filipino musicians who entered Japan before World War II were trained by Americans in the Philippines. They were hired and brought to Japan by American recruiters and were appreciated by the Westernized Japanese. Again, in the 1950s and 1960s, Filipino musicians entered Japan—usually accompanied by their American recruiters—and entertained the Japanese who had embraced a second Americanization.


The purpose of this inter-university project was to explore pre-service teachers' perceptions ofcollaboration and use of online technology. Twenty-two undergraduate music education majors fromtwo separate universities participated in an eleven-week collaborative project to develop, teach, andself-assess general music lesson plans via a variety of student-selected online technologies. Todetermine the participants' perceptions, the researchers administered the quantitative TechnologyIntegration Confidence Scale and periodic qualitative questionnaires consisting of open-endedquestions. Participants showed positive quantitative gains in understanding technology operationsand concepts, planning and designing learning environments, applying technology, assessment, andunderstanding ethical and legal issues in the classroom. From the qualitative data, the researchersfound four emergent themes relating to communication and pedagogical knowledge: (1) versatilityand potential of collaborating through technology, (2) barriers and challenges to effectivecommunication, (3) importance of collaborative communication, and (4) increased personaleffectiveness through reflective growth. Participants reported that working through collaborativeassignments increased their self-confidence and reflective thinking skills, as well as helping themrecognize the value of communication in terms of curriculum and instructional effectiveness. Thesefindings highlight the importance of identifying strategies to instruct, motivate, and evaluate pre-servicemusic teachers as they develop 21st century skills and music teaching competencies. Toconclude, the co-authors discuss implications of technology-based collaborations beyond musiceducation for the teaching profession in general.


Abstract Eco-efficiency as an important indicator for sustainability assessment can describe an integrated manner of economic growth, resource conservation and environmental protection. However, the current research could not correctly assess eco-efficiency and mostly utilize qualitative methods. This paper presents a new method called slacks-based Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess eco-efficiency based on directly and systematically dealing with the slacks of reducing resource consumption and minimizing environmental impacts, together with adding production value. Two DEA models are respectively, defined using inter-temporal and window benchmark techniques, so as to compare eco-efficiency results in temporal and spatial dimensions and then identify production benchmarks and gaps. Efficiency change and technological change, which are two driving forces for eco-efficiency change, are also investigated through a production-theoretical decomposition analysis. Data from the Australian construction industry from 1990 to 2013 are employed to specify the two DEA models. The research results illustrate that the construction industries in the Australian regions showed significant increases in eco-efficiency during the research period, but the gaps among them were increased due to the severe underperformance of technological change. This research primarily provides a innovative pathway for accurate eco-efficiency assessment and quantitative identification of reducing resource consumption, minimizing environmental impacts and adding production value. The developed research framework is generic and can assist worldwide construction projects, organizations and industries to measure, compare and assess eco-efficiency systematically.


Understanding how terrestrial ecosystems function requires a combined aboveground–belowground approach, because of the importance of feedbacks that occur between herbivores, producers, and the decomposer subsystem. In this paper, we identify several mechanisms by which herbivores can indirectly affect decomposer organisms and soil processes through altering the quantity and quality of resources entering the soil. We show that these mechanisms are broadly similar in nature for both foliar and root herbivory, regardless of whether they operate in the short term as a result of physiological responses of individual plants to herbivore attack or long-term following alteration of plant community structure by herbivores and subsequent changes in the quality of litter inputs to soil. We propose that a variety of possible mechanisms is responsible for the idiosyncratic nature of herbivore effects on soil biota and ecosystem function; positive, negative, or neutral effects of herbivory are possible depending upon the balance of these different mechanisms. However, we predict that positive effects of herbivory on soil biota and soil processes are most common in ecosystems of high soil fertility and high consumption rates, whereas negative effects are most common in unproductive ecosystems with low consumption rates. The significance of multiple-species herbivore communities is also emphasized, and we propose that if resource use complementarity among herbivore species or functional groups leads to greater total consumption of phytomass, and thus greater net herbivory, then both positive and negative consequences of increasing herbivore diversity for belowground properties and processes are theoretically possible. Research priorities are highlighted and include a need for comparative studies of herbivore impacts on above- and belowground processes across ecosystems of varying productivity, as well as a need for experimental testing of the influence of antiherbivore defense compounds on complex multitrophic interactions in the rhizosphere and the significance of multiple herbivore species communities on these plant–soil interactions.


Non alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) is a common cause of liver disease worldwide with prevalence ranging from 10-30%. It encompasses a spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in some patients. The diagnosis of hepatic steatosis can be made reliably by imaging. Differentiating simple steatosis from NASH usually requires liver biopsy although various non-invasive methods are under evaluation. Similarly, liver biopsy is the gold standard for staging of fibrosis but NAFLD fibrosis score and transient elastography are now validated for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Liver biopsy should be reserved for patients at high risk of having NASH or advanced fibrosis, those needing evaluation of competing diagnoses or those enrolled in therapeutic trials. Treatment can be directed against various pathophysiological aspects of NAFLD and includes management of obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress, suppression of inflammation and modulation of gut bacteria. Lifestyle modification with diet, exercise and weight loss is the cornerstone of therapy. Pharmacological treatment of NAFLD is still evolving with vitamin E and pioglitazone being the only approved drugs as of now. Bariatric surgery can lead to improvement in NASH in morbidly obese patients. Optimal therapy of NAFLD includes a multidisciplinary approach involving management of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Management of NASH related cirrhosis and HCC is like that of other etiologies. Indications and outcomes of liver transplantation in patients with NASH are same as for other etiologies of liver disease.


Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaCh) are colocalized with isoforms of the membrane-skeletal protein ankyrinG at axon initial segments, nodes of Ranvier, and postsynaptic folds of the mammalian neuromuscular junction. The role of ankyrinG in directing NaCh localization to axon initial segments was evaluated by region-specific knockout of ankyrinG in the mouse cerebellum. Mutant mice exhibited a progressive ataxia beginning around postnatal day P16 and subsequent loss of Purkinje neurons. In mutant mouse cerebella, NaCh were absent from axon initial segments of granule cell neurons, and Purkinje cells showed deficiencies in their ability to initiate action potentials and support rapid, repetitive firing. Neurofascin, a member of the L1CAM family of ankyrin-binding cell adhesion molecules, also exhibited impaired localization to initial segments of Purkinje cell neurons. These results demonstrate that ankyrinG is essential for clustering NaCh and neurofascin at axon initial segments and is required for physiological levels of sodium channel activity.


This department welcomes brief communications reporting new demonstrations, laboratory equipment, techniques, or materials of interest to teachers of physics. Notes on new applications of older apparatus, measurements supplementing data supplied by manufacturers, information which, while not new, is not generally known, procurement information, and news about apparatus under development may be suitable for publication in this section. Neither the American Journal of Physics nor the Editors assume responsibility for the correctness of the information presented. Manuscripts should be submitted using the web-based system that can be accessed via the American Journal of Physics home page, http://ajp.dickinson.edu and will be forwarded to the ADN editor for consideration.


According to Freud, civilization is meant to protect humans from the forces of nature, to protect human frailty; but then, paradoxically, it falls short of such protection by its lack of concomitant regulation (1991). In fact, civilized service to society, delivered via organizations, creates strife and anxiety. While civilization is a structure created to protect people from nature and to support a frail humanity, its rules and power structures yield aggression, spawning the need for people to control each other (Freud & Strachey, 1991). Such control and the power structures that arise within organizations can be considered the root of workplace bullying, aggression, and incivility in our putatively civilized structures of work. Consequently, global researchers strive to make sense of incivility within civilization, a structure that generates aggravation although it was originally developed to provide protection. Northern Europeans have led research efforts to analyze the psychological impact of workplace bullying for employees, observing the protection of human frailty as described by Freud. While researchers in the United States over the last twenty years have also paid considerable attention to workplace bullying, within the legal lexicon of the United States many consider workplace bullying as a status-free harassment, and other researchers consider bullying as but another form of harassment. The American approach aligns with Freud's assertion that civilization  ̶ with its "sum of achievement and regulations"  ̶ still yields unhappiness among mankind. Thus, there are different approaches to considering workplace bullying. Methodologically, this article utilizes a content analysis of sixty articles to present some differences in how two civilizations analyze workplace bullying. The content analysis reveals that European researchers are more likely to discuss workplace bullying as a health and wellness issue, while United States researchers tend to focus on organizational policies and legal issues. While this content analysis presents a difference in approaches, it is not intended to establish that a mutually exclusive approach to workplace bullying exists between these two cultures.


We compare observed clustering of quasars and galaxies as a function of redshift, mass, luminosity, and color/morphology, to constrain models of quasar fueling and the co-evolution of spheroids and supermassive black holes (BHs). High-redshift quasars are shown to be drawn from the progenitors of local early-type galaxies, with the characteristic quasar luminosity L* reflecting a characteristic mass of "active" BH/host populations at each epoch. Evolving observed high-z quasar clustering to z = 0 predicts a trend of clustering in "quasar remnants" as a function of stellar mass identical to that observed for early types. However, quasar clustering does not simply reflect observed early (or late) type populations; at each redshift, quasars cluster as an "intermediate" population. Comparing with the age of elliptical stellar populations as a function of mass reveals that this "intermediate" population represents those ellipticals undergoing or terminating their final significant star formation activity at the given epoch. Assuming that quasar triggering is associated with the formation/termination epoch of ellipticals predicts quasar clustering at all observed redshifts without any model dependence or assumptions about quasar light curves, lifetimes, or accretion rates. This is not true for disks or quasar halos; i.e., quasars do not generically trace star formation or halo assembly. Quasar clustering at all redshifts is consistent with ~4 × 1012 h-1 M☉, similar to group scales. This supports scenarios in which major mergers dominate the bright, high-redshift quasar populations. We show how improved clustering measurements can be used to constrain lower luminosity AGN fueling and whether or not accretion/star formation can "shut down" at z > 3.


Fulk's Comparative Grammar offers an overview of and bibliographical guide to the study of the phonology and the inflectional morphology of the earliest Germanic languages, with particular attention to Gothic, Old Norse / Icelandic, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Saxon, and Old High German, along with some attention to the more sparsely attested languages. The sounds and inflections of the oldest Germanic languages are compared, with a view to reconstructing the forms they took in Proto-Germanic and comparing those reconstructed forms with what is known of the Indo-European protolanguage. Students will find the book an informative introduction and a bibliographically instructive point of departure for intensive research in the numerous issues that remain profoundly contested in early Germanic language history.


This thesis explores possibilities that arise from regarding theodicy as the activity of descriptive understanding of Christian belief and practice as found in the classical theistic framework. First, any theodicy as an activity is analysed in terms of the role of philosophy, the place of epistemology, the basis of theology, and the taking of an apologetic stance. It is then argued that traditional approaches to theodicy suffer from methodological weaknesses which derive from formulating theodicy in terms of unbelief, and from strictly theoretical analysis. The superiority of philosophical description is argued as better suited to understanding religious belief as held in the community of believers, with especial reference to relationships that hold between language and reality. A critical exploration follows of the approach to theodicy of a proponent of philosophical description, D.Z. Phillips, and consideration is given to the status of evaluations made by believers. In the light of this critique, two attempts are made to describe the shape of Christian theodicy using the interperson model of theological language. The first attempt, based on a description of actual interpersonal relationships, is found eventually to be open to serious objections. A second attempt is then made, based not only on interpersonal language, but using a distinction between "surface" and "depth" in religious language, and by arguing for the presence of an epistemological "direction" in religious belief. On this basis, a Theodicy of Dependence is developed as best describing the shape of Christian belief held in a world which is frequently hostile.


Introduction Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. SLE is treated with immunosuppressants with suboptimal efficacy and high risk of serious side effects. Patients with SLE have increased risk of mortality, organ damage and debilitating treatment-resistant fatigue. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction (AD) is present in approximately half of the patients and may promote autoimmunity by weakening the vagally mediated anti-inflammatory reflex. Recent studies suggest that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has few side effects and beneficial effects on fatigue, pain, disease activity and organ function. This study investigates whether adjuvant tVNS improves measures of fatigue (primary end point), AD, clinical disease activity, inflammation, pain, organ function and quality of life. Hence, this study will contribute to the understanding of AD as a potentially important precursor of fatigue, disease activity, progression and complications in SLE, and how tVNS mechanistically may attenuate this. As adjuvant tVNS use may reduce the need for traditional immunosuppressive therapy, this trial may prompt a shift in the treatment of SLE and potentially other autoimmune disorders. Methods and analysis Eighty-four patients with SLE with fatigue and AD will be randomised 1:1 to active or sham tVNS in this double-blinded parallel-group study. In period 1 (1 week), participants will receive a 4 min tVNS 4 times daily and report on fatigue daily. After a 2-week pause, period 2 (8 weeks) will entail tVNS twice daily and participants will report on fatigue, pain and disease activity weekly. Secondary end points will be assessed before and after each period and after 1 week in period 2. Ethics and dissemination The study is approved by the Danish Medical Research Ethical Committees (case no: 2120231) and results will be published in international peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT05315739.


A significant portion of the world's forests that are eligible for Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, known as REDD , payments are community managed forests. However, there is little knowledge about preferences of households living in community managed forests for REDD contracts, or the opportunity costs of accepting REDD contracts for these communities. This paper uses a choice experiment survey of rural communities in Nepal to understand respondents' preferences toward the institutional structure of REDD contracts. The sample is split across communities with community managed forests groups and those without community managed forest groups to see how prior involvement in community managed forest groups affects preferences. The results show that respondents care about how the payments are divided between households and communities, the severity of restrictions on firewood use, the restrictions on grazing, and the fairness of access to community managed forest resources as well as the level of payments. The preferences for REDD contracts are in general similar between community managed and non-community managed forest resource respondents, but there are differences, in particular with regard to how beliefs influence the likelihood of accepting the contracts. Finally, the paper finds that the opportunity cost of REDD payments, although cheaper than many other carbon dioxide abatement options, is higher than previously suggested in the literature.


The inhibition of enzymes within the steroidal cascade has been shown to lead to a reduction in tumour mass as a result of a reduction. in the levels of steroids present both within the plasma and within tumour cells. For example, 'in postmenopausal women, the use of enzyme inhibitors has led to the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Enzymes such as aromatase, 17s-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [types 1 (17s-HS01) and 3 (17s-HS03)] and estrone sulfatase (ES) are some of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of steroids and have therefore become biochemical targets in the design and synthesis of novel drugs against this disease. Inhibitors of ES have thus far been investigated involving the use of the sulfamate moiety as the inhibiting moiety. Within the current study, the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of a number of compounds (both steroidal and non-steroidal) with varying structural features has been undertaken, in particular, the synthesis of sulfonate (as opposed to sulfamate) derivatives has been investigated.
The results show that the sulfonate (methane sulfonate and trifluoromethanesulfonate) derivatives of 4-hydroxyphenyl ketone-based compounds were found to possess weak inhibitory activity against ES (from rat liver microsornes at a final inhibitor concentration of 100i.JM) in comparison to the two standard compounds used within the study, namely EMATE and COUMATE. For example, within the methanesulfonate derivatives of 4-hydroxyphenyl ketone based compounds, the most potent compounds were: methanesulfonic acid 4-nonyl-phenyl ester (304) (which was found to possess -36% inhibitory activity against ES); methanesulfonic acid 4-decyl-phenyl ester (305) (which was found to possess -38% inhibitory activity against ES); methanesulfonic acid 4-cyclobutane carbonyl phenyl ester (307) (which was found to possess -38% inhibitory activity against ES) and methanesulfonic acid 4- cyclopentane carbonyl phenyl ester (308) (which was found to possess -38% inhibitory activity against ES). The trifluoromethanesulfonate derivatives of 4-hydroxyphenyl ketones were found to be extremely weak inhibitors of ES and were weak inhibitors in comparison to both standard compounds as well as the methanesulfonate derivatives of the 4-hydroxyphenyl ketone-based compound, indeed, the most potent compound was trifluromethanesulfonic acid 4-cyclobutane carbonyl phenyl ester (321) which was found to possess -29% inhibitory activity against ES. Within the estrone (E1)- and estradiol (E2)- based compounds, a number of different sulfonate derivatives were evaluated (but not synthesised) within this study, and a small number of these compounds was found to possess good inhibitory activity (at [1]=100i.JM), however, in general, these compounds were also weak inhibitors in comparison to EMATE and COUMATE. Some of the more potent inhibitors within this range of compounds include: methanesulfonic acid E1 (369) (which was found to possess -47% inhibitory activity against ES); triffuoro-methanesulfonic acid E1 (370) (which was found to possess -58% inhibitory activity against ES) and; di-methanesulfonic acid E2 (371) (which was found to possess -41% inhibitory activity against ES). Within the range of E1- and E2-based compounds, it was observed that the inhibitory activity decreased with increasing size of the substituent on the sulfonate moiety, the introduction of a biphenyl ring on the sulfonate moiety resulted in a marked decrease in inhibitory activity. A range of thiosemicarbazone-based inhibitors were also evaluated and were shown to possess moderate inhibitory activity, however, they were weak inhibitors in comparison to the two standard compounds used. For example, compound 401 was found to possess -73% inhibitory activity against ES, whilst compound 381 was found to possess -70% inhibitory activity against ES - a major problem with these compounds is that they were found to rapidly degrade when dissolved in solution (such as ethanol or OMSO). In conclusion, the compounds synthesised proved to have weak levels of inhibitory activity, however, they have provided some insight into the design of novel inhibitors of ES.


Making and Doing Deals is a book that your students will learn from long after they graduate. It is also a book that should be fun for you to teach from. It's a book that students will enjoy, and, therefore, a book that they will read . Since the First Edition, students have been reading Making and Doing Deals because the cases, problems, and text not only help them learn what they need to know as first-year law students, but also address the real-world problems and situations they will encounter after their final exam.


Busana et al. (doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00871.2020) published 5 patients with COVID-19 in whom the fraction of non-aerated lung tissue had been quantified by computed tomography. They assumed that shunt flow fraction was proportional to the non-aerated lung fraction, and, by randomly generating 106 different bimodal distributions for the ventilation-perfusion (V˙/Q˙) ratios in the lung, specified as sets of paired values {V˙i,Q˙i}, sought to identify as solutions those that generated the observed arterial partial pressures of CO2 and O2 (PaCO2 and PaO2). Our study sought to develop a direct method of calculation to replace the approach of randomly generating different distributions, and so provide more accurate solutions that were within the measurement error of the blood-gas data. For the one patient in whom Busana et al. did not find solutions, we demonstrated that the assumed shunt flow fraction led to a non-shunt blood flow that was too low to support the required gas exchange. For the other four patients, we found precise solutions (prediction error < 1x10-3 mmHg for both PaCO2 and PaO2), with distributions qualitatively similar to those of Busana et al. These distributions were extremely wide and unlikely to be physically realisable, because they predict the maintenance of very large concentration gradients in regions of the lung where convection is slow. We consider that these wide distributions arise because the assumed value for shunt flow is too low in these patients, and we discuss possible reasons why the assumption relating to shunt flow fraction may break down in COVID-19 pneumonia.


A closed-form analytical solution is developed for analyzing laminated composite beam with asymmetric Z cross-section. The explicit expressions for evaluating sectional properties such as centroid, shear center, equivalent bending/torsional stiffness and warping stiffness are formulated based upon modified lamination theory and taken into consideration of the structural deformation characteristics of beam with narrow section. The ply stresses of flanges and web laminates are computed for composite Z-stiffener under axial, bending, and torsional loads. The present results give excellent agreement with the results from ANSYS™. A parametric study of their centroid and shear center with various layup sequences was performed by using the developed solution. It is found that the sectional properties are not only dependent of structural configuration but also the laminate property. Moreover, these properties are only dependent of structural configuration if the entire Z-stiffener is made of the same family laminates regardless their ply orientation and stacking sequence. It is concluded that the present approach is a viable and efficient method for designing composite Z-stiffener.


SINGERS BENEFIT NOT ONLY FROM sounding good, but also from looking good. Plastic surgery is common among the general population and among many performers. While cosmetic surgery may be thought of as reserved for the aged, it is becoming more common for younger patients to undergo various procedures. Singing teachers should be familiar with available surgical options and the potential effects on performance. The desire to look and stay young has been a wish of many throughout history. Lifestyle and genetics play an important role in the way in which one ages, but despite our best efforts, the aging process continues. As the Baby Boomer generation and general population age, the desire for both surgical and nonsurgical intervention has never been greater. Despite recent economic downturns, the demand for aesthetic rejuvenation of the face continues to increase with some trend towards "minimally invasive" or nonsurgical correction of cosmetic concerns. Patients have pushed for less down time and quicker recoveries as their busy lifestyles cannot accommodate weeks off from work, and as science and medicine have progressed, surgeons have been able to meet these goals better. While the armamentarium of facial plastic surgeons has increased with developments in nonsurgical interventions, surgery remains the primary means of long term correction of aesthetic imperfection. Plastic surgery, derived from the Greek word plasticos, meaning to mold, refers to the correction and repair of tissues in the body. It is a broad discipline that combines both cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries to enhance one's form and function. Reconstructive surgeries are interventions to address situations in which the patient's function is insufficient for normal use, or his or her form is altered significantly from trauma or disease causing disfigurement. Cosmetic surgery is the branch of plastic surgery that deals with problems that are elective and aesthetic in nature. These procedures not only help to address what a person sees when he or she looks in the mirror, but they can also provide a needed psychological "lift" for the patient. A person's appearance is judged, consciously and subconsciously, by everyone with whom he or she interacts. In the entertainment and performance industry, this is particularly important. Close public scrutiny heightens a performer's inherent need to look his or her best. Such visibility fosters consideration for cosmetic surgery to enhance a performer's appearance to maintain or even further his or her career. When the need, desire, and ability to enhance one's appearance intersect, consultation with a plastic surgeon should be considered. It is helpful for performers to understand general issues of facial plastic surgery, as well as special issues that may affect performance. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS The patient should make an initial assessment prior to consultation with a plastic surgeon. "What is it that I want to change?" and "Why do I want to change this aspect of my appearance?" It behooves the patient to consider the second question as much as the first, for it helps to underscore the importance of the psychological aspect of aesthetic surgery. Improper motivations or expectations can result in a very unhappy patient despite wonderful aesthetic results. The more a patient can communicate his or her concerns, the more productive the consultation process will be. A facial plastic surgeon should be more than just an expert in the pathophysiology of the aging face; the surgeon has to be capable of taking the entire patient into consideration, which includes other medical conditions and the psychological concerns that are inherent in cosmetic surgery. In the discussion, it is imperative that the surgeon conveys what is achievable through surgery. Sometimes, a patient comes with a preconceived notion of what he or she wants to look like; but it is not always possible, or advisable, to achieve this. …


Carrying out scientific and reasonable evaluation on college talents combination is the premise for evaluating whether the match of each individual talent in an organization is proper. The paper will represent the purposes and significances of talents combination, put forward the evaluation index system for constructing college talents combination, finally establish an evaluation model by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Taking the staff of the Office of Academic Affairs of T University as the example, this paper analyzes its successful talents combination.


Hot wire anemometer measurements have been made in the vaneless diffuser of a 1 metre diameter low speed backswept centrifugal compressor using a phase lock loop technique. Radial, tangential and axial velocity measurements have been made on eight measurement planes through the diffuser. The flow field at the diffuser entry clearly shows the impeller jet-wake flow pattern and the blade wakes. The passage wake is located on the shroud side of the diffuser and mixes out slowly as the flow moves through the diffuser. The blade wakes, on the other hand, distort and mix out rapidly in the diffuser. Contours of turbulent kinetic energy are also presented on each of the measurement stations, from which the regions of turbulent mixing can be deduced.Copyright © 1993 by ASME


For over 50 years, California has been pumping water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for extensive urban and agricultural uses around the state. Today, the Delta is ailing and in urgent need of a new management strategy. This report concludes that building a peripheral canal to carry water around the Delta is the most promising way to balance two critical policy goals: reviving a threatened ecosystem and ensuring a reliable, high-quality water supply for California.


A split-block waveguide circuit that rotates polarization by 90 has been designed with WR-3 input and output waveguides, which are rectangular waveguides used for a nominal frequency range of 220 to 325 GHz. Heretofore, twisted rectangular waveguides equipped with flanges at the input and output have been the standard means of rotating the polarizations of guided microwave signals. However, the fabrication and assembly of such components become difficult at high frequency due to decreasing wavelength, such that twisted rectangular waveguides become impractical at frequencies above a few hundred gigahertz. Conventional twisted rectangular waveguides are also not amenable to integration into highly miniaturized subassemblies of advanced millimeter- and submillimeter-wave detector arrays now undergoing development. In contrast, the present polarization- rotating waveguide can readily be incorporated into complex integrated waveguide circuits such as miniaturized detector arrays fabricated by either conventional end milling of metal blocks or by deep reactive ion etching of silicon blocks. Moreover, the present split-block design can be scaled up in frequency to at least 5 THz. The main step in fabricating a splitblock polarization-rotating waveguide of the present design is to cut channels having special asymmetrically shaped steps into mating upper and lower blocks (see Figure 1). The dimensions of the steps are chosen to be consistent with the WR-3 waveguide cross section, which is 0.864 by 0.432 mm. The channels are characterized by varying widths with constant depths of 0.432, 0.324, and 0.216 mm and by relatively large corner radii to facilitate fabrication. The steps effect both a geometric transition and the corresponding impedance-matched electromagnetic-polarization transition between (1) a WR-3 rectangular waveguide oriented with the electric field vector normal to the block mating surfaces and (2) a corresponding WR-3 waveguide oriented with its electric field vector parallel to the mating surfaces of the blocks. A prototype has been built and tested. Figure 2 presents test results indicative of good performance over nearly the entire WR-3 waveguide frequency band.


Description: The aim of the pilot programme was to 1) provide adolescent girls who had been previously expelled from secondary school due to pregnancies, access to alternative learning opportunities and empower them through income generating and life skills; 2) develop and test self-learning modules and empowerment toolkits for learners and facilitators; and 3) assess and document good practices and achievements to inform strategies addressing the issues related to adolescent girls. The programme was developed as a strategy to sensitise the Ministry and other stakeholders on the need to allow girls who are forced out of school to be readmitted in school and on the need to ensure rights-based approached to education, i.e. those who are marginalised and excluded in education should be the common priority education sector duty bearers. The underlying rationale for including new pre-vocational modules in the course was the assumption that this category of students who are also young mothers, will need additional support to fund their education once they return, including skills for immediate income generation but also life skills to be able to handle their new challenging role of being a mother.


The popularity of wireless local area networks (WLANs) has led to
widespread deployments across different establishments. It has also
translated into an increasing scale of the WLANs. Large-scale
deployments made of large numbers of wireless termination points
(WTPs) and covering substantial areas are increasingly common. The
Wireless LAN Control Protocol (WiCoP) described in this document
allows for the control and provisioning of large-scale WLANs. It
enables central management of these networks and realizes the
objectives set forth for the Control And Provisioning of Wireless
Access Points (CAPWAP). This document defines a Historic Document for
the Internet community.


The establishment of Village-based Midwife Program (VBMP) is anticipated to improve access to, equity and coverage of, PHC especially for mother and child living even in the remote areas. However, problems on its performance had been reported, while the root of the problems was limitedly studied. This study was then focused on the MOA (management-organization-administration) of VBMP which was related to the VMs" capacity in delivering PHC. This is reporting the results of formative research prior to the development of a comprehensive VBMP plan in Area Development Program (ADP) of Wahana Visi Indonesia at Nias District. Supportive objectives such as assessing the potential determinants of VMs" performance in delivering VBMP, community acceptance, participation, and utilization of VBMP at rural Nias were also carried out. The study was conducted in 3 sub-districts namely Hiliduho, Botomuzoi and Hiliserangkai from August 2011 to March 2012. Following two conceptual models: Health System Model at meso and micro levels (Kielmann, 2008) and Organizational Behavior Model (Wibowo, 2009), data were gathered using mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods from various sources. The utilization of VBMP was considerably low (66%) relative to its acceptance (96%) by mothers. This was attributed to some factors, but mainly its accessibility because most of the VMs did not reside in the village (71%). The fact that no such responsive monitoring system to detect and immediately correct the program fallacies might indicate the poor comprehension on the pre-designed VBMP master plan as well as the inexistence of its detail operational plan at the district level and below. In such affected the clarity on management responsibilities of each institution and its individual stakeholders within it. With no predesigned management system to ensure the proper implementation and evaluation of the program, what had been performed so far was still relied mainly on personal initiative rather than resultant of a well established system. This was reflected on the patchiness, loss of continuity, inefficiency, and unsustainable approaches in running the program.


There are several platforms and networks used by researchers interested in the study of religious freedom. Some of the contributions in this issue emanate from the International Consultation on Religious Freedom Research, held in Istanbul on 16-18 March 2013. They have all undergone the usual peer review process for IJRF - including the opinion pieces. They only represent a fraction of the many papers presented at the consultation. A separate consultation compendium is still being contemplated. The articles fall in roughly three groups: the opinion pieces, research that focuses on various regions and countries and an equal contingent of research on diverse topics relating to religious freedom and persecution.


We treat rising inequality as an equilibrium outcome in which human capital investment fails to keep pace with rising demand for skills. Investment affects skill supply and prices on three margins: the type of human capital in which to invest, how much to acquire, and the intensity of use. The latter two represent the intensive margins of human capital acquisition and utilization. These choices are substitutes for the creation of new skilled workers, yet they are complementary with each other, magnifying inequality. When skill-biased technical change drives economic growth, greater inequality reduces growth.


One of promising candidates as dopants for forming ultra-shallow and high conductive source/drain in future silicon devices has been proposed to be dimer or trimer co-dopants containing pairs or trios of different impurity elements. Making choice of a combination of the impurity elements with a small ionization energy is essential for the appropriate dimers and trimers. In this work we calculated total energies of silicon with substitutional or ineterstitial impurity elements and derived formation energies for the substitutional and interstitial impurity elements for the atomic number 1 to 83 with the exception of inert gas and lanthanum series elements. We present here the periodic table with the formation energies of the substitutional and interstitial impurity elements for determining the most stable site of the impurity elements in Si lattice. We can use this table as a database for calculating ionization energies of the impurity element.


In this paper, we present a novel technique to calibrate multiple casually aligned projectors on fiducial-free piecewise smooth vertically extruded surfaces using a single camera. Such surfaces include cylindrical displays and CAVEs, common in immersive virtual reality systems. We impose two priors to the display surface. We assume the surface is a piecewise smooth vertically extruded surface for which the aspect ratio of the rectangle formed by the four corners of the surface is known and the boundary is visible and segmentable. Using these priors, we can estimate the display's 3D geometry and camera extrinsic parameters using a nonlinear optimization technique from a single image without any explicit display to camera correspondences. Using the estimated camera and display properties, the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of each projector are recovered using a single projected pattern seen by the camera. This in turn is used to register the images on the display from any arbitrary viewpoint making it appropriate for virtual reality systems. The fast convergence and robustness of this method is achieved via a novel dimension reduction technique for camera parameter estimation and a novel deterministic technique for projector property estimation. This simplicity, efficiency, and robustness of our method enable several coveted features for nonplanar projection-based displays. First, it allows fast recalibration in the face of projector, display or camera movements and even change in display shape. Second, this opens up, for the first time, the possibility of allowing multiple projectors to overlap on the corners of the CAVE-a popular immersive VR display system. Finally, this opens up the possibility of easily deploying multiprojector displays on aesthetic novel shapes for edutainment and digital signage applications


The 2016 presidential election was met immediately around the country with calls to action for lawyers to provide legal representation and resources to vulnerable populations that would inevitably be affected by the incoming presidential administration. Lawyers showed up en masse, for example, at airports to offer services to travelers and families impacted by the executive order banning individuals from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the country. Those lawyers were not alone. Calls also went out around the clinical community to use clinicians' positions and resources in ways that further our work on behalf of communities which suddenly found themselves potential targets of a new administration. Many transactional clinicians saw the outcry as an "all hands on deck" alarm and asked themselves how they could help.
Transactional clinics, compared with other law school clinics, face unique challenges in responding to threats facing client populations. Our colleagues in other clinics offer students the opportunity to work on advocacy projects, community education initiatives, impact litigation, or other work designed to achieve outcomes beyond individual client representation. Many transactional clinics, however, are structured entirely around representing individual entrepreneurs, businesses, and charities in a range of legal issues. This focus is the result of two phenomena. First, a disproportionate number of law students plan to pursue a transactional practice after graduation compared to the number of transactional experiences available in law school. Second, all clinical experiences are time-limited, and students generally have relatively little transactional law experience to draw on, limiting the amount of work that a transactional clinic can take on during the course of a semester. Representing individual businesses or nonprofits seemingly restricts the impact of students' work — they can only represent one or two clients per semester. Many businesses and nonprofits remain unserved.
Every clinic faces trade-offs between directly representing individual clients and taking on projects with broader policy and advocacy goals. For transactional clinics, that trade-off is between giving students hard to obtain transactional experience through representing individual entrepreneurs and organizations and allowing students to assist a wider group through other initiatives. Balancing these trade-offs is particularly important for clinicians interested in leveraging student resources to make their clinics agents of change in a community.
This commentary explores different options for accomplishing these broader goals, trade-offs that these options pose, and how clinicians navigate those challenges. The following summarizes ideas and challenges, and suggests ways to balance trade-offs and further integrate change-making into clinic design. In the wake of the 2016 election, transactional clinicians will undoubtedly increasingly design clinic work around impact. This commentary aims to help those clinicians in that effort.


In most natural environments, the large majority of mammals harbour parasitic helminths that often live as adults within the intestine for prolonged periods (1–2 years) . Although these organisms have been eradicated to a large extent within westernized human populations, those living within rural areas of developing countries continue to suffer from high infection rates. Indeed, recent estimates indicate that approximately 2·5 billion people worldwide, mainly children, currently suffer from infection with intestinal helminths (also known as geohelminths and soil‐transmitted helminths) . Paradoxically, the eradication of helminths is thought to contribute to the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases and allergy observed in developed countries. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of host–helminth interactions at the mucosal surface that result in parasite expulsion or permit the establishment of chronic infections with luminal dwelling adult worms. We will also provide insight into the adaptive immune mechanisms that provide immune protection against re‐infection with helminth larvae, a process that is likely to be key to the future development of successful vaccination strategies. Lastly, the contribution of helminths to immune modulation and particularly to the treatment of allergy and inflammatory bowel disease will be discussed.


A Financial Times' Book of the Year, 2015 An Economist Best Book of the Year, 2015 A Bloomberg Best Book of the Year, 2015 The finance sector of Western economies is too large and attracts too many of the smartest college graduates. Financialization over the past three decades has created a structure that lacks resilience and supports absurd volumes of trading. The finance sector devotes too little attention to the search for new investment opportunities and the stewardship of existing ones, and far too much to secondary-market dealing in existing assets. Regulation has contributed more to the problems than the solutions. Why? What is finance for? John Kay, with wide practical and academic experience in the world of finance, understands the operation of the financial sector better than most. He believes in good banks and effective asset managers, but good banks and effective asset managers are not what he sees. In a dazzling and revelatory tour of the financial world as it has emerged from the wreckage of the 2008 crisis, Kay does not flinch in his criticism: we do need some of the things that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs do, but we do not need Citigroup and Goldman to do them. And many of the things done by Citigroup and Goldman do not need to be done at all. The finance sector needs to be reminded of its primary purpose: to manage other people's money for the benefit of businesses and households. It is an aberration when the some of the finest mathematical and scientific minds are tasked with devising algorithms for the sole purpose of exploiting the weakness of other algorithms for computerized trading in securities. To travel further down that road leads to ruin.


Objective: Biomedical data processing generally requires the secure stepwise transfer of sensitive personal information across multiple parties. Mediating such operations using distributed secure digital ledgers, i.e., blockchains, is investigated in this article. Materials and Methods: The bitmark property rights blockchain was used to simulate the process of assessing individuals for enrollment to specific clinical trials. In the scenario presented, a sponsor publishes a recruitment call for a clinical trial and patients signal their willingness to participate in the trial through blockchain transactions. The blockchain creates and maintains digital references of the medical data assets of prospective study participants as well as digital property certificates for assigning access rights to corresponding medical data assets. Trial matching services review the patient blockchain records and recommend study participants that are likely to meet the enrollment criteria of recruiting clinical trials. Digital certificates assign transient access rights to the data assets of the prospective study participants. These certificates are transferred to pertinent matching services and sponsors, allowing these organizations to examine the candidacy of each prospective study participant. Results: The trial matching simulation demonstrates that property rights blockchains can implement complicated multiparty interactions, such as those associated with medical data exchange, without supplemental peer-to-peer communications. Conclusions: Blockchain-based data marketplaces of the type described, when coupled with data-controlled virtual infrastructure environments (i.e., Medical Data Trusts), provide a viable model for managing the transfer, provenance, and processing of individual health information.


In an age when Western feminism is continuously undergoing redefinition, the struggles of women in Muslim countries are often overlooked. This volume illustrates how women in Islamic societies have become more actively involved not only in learning their rights under the sharia (Islamic law) but in rereading this law to improve their status and gain increased equality and freedom. Surveying Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and Arab societies in general, the essays in feminism and Islam focus on such subjects as crimes of honor and the construction of gender in Arab societies; law and the desire for social control; women ad entrepreneurship; family legislation; and the political strategies of feminists in the Islam world.


Abstract A deviation in the operational condition of a mixer settler and a centrifugal contactor causes an entrainment or an overflow, which affects the concentration profile. Although there has been no quantitative study about the effect of such abnormal flows on the concentration profile, the occurrence of such abnormal flows has been severely restricted for a PUREX flow sheet. However, the restriction of abnormal flows can be relaxed when the effect of such flows is limited within the allowable range such that the concentration of the product does not deviate from its specification. This relaxation could serve to benefit a continuous operation under a certain degree of deviation from the operational condition and a smaller design load of a solvent extractor. From this viewpoint, the relationship between the magnitude of abnormal flows and the effect of them on the process was studied quantitatively using a specially developed code in a wide range of PUREX flow sheet conditions, and the possibility of this relaxation was investigated. The results showed that the effect of the abnormal flow on the concentration in the organic outflow or aqueous raffinate was dominated by the leakage fraction under normal conditions regardless of each specific flow sheet condition. The common correlations were found between the leakage fraction of uranium and plutonium under the occurrence of abnormal flows and that under no abnormal flow for the stripping and extracting conditions, respectively. Comparing the given correlations and the usual specification of the leakage fraction of uranium and plutonium suggested that the restriction of the abnormal flows could be relaxed for a usual PUREX flow sheet.


Green tea catechins (GTCs) are secondary plant metabolites that have been associated with health benefits in human trials. As such, they have the potential to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; however, results are not consistent. This systematic review of the published data assessed the putative effect of GTCs supplementation on anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical measures associated with CVD risk. It was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines exploring four major electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus). Studies were included if they were published in peer-reviewed journals in English from 1990 until October 2015, and were human double-blind randomized and placebo-controlled trials (RCTs). From 122,428 articles initially identified, after two levels of screening, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The review revealed consistent and significant (p ≤ 0.05) reductions in body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and plasma lipids; however, this effect would have been less if between-group effects had been considered. The current evidence base also has considerable methodological limitations due to suboptimal statistical methods used in data analyses. Future research efforts must aim to rectify this paucity of evidence with well-designed and well-reported prospective studies.


We facilitate the creation of 3D-looking shaded production drawings from concept sketches. The key to our approach is a class of commonly used construction curves known as cross-sections, that function as an aid to both sketch creation and viewer understanding of the depicted 3D shape. In particular, intersections of these curves, or cross-hairs, convey valuable 3D information, that viewers compose into a mental model of the overall sketch. We use the artist-drawn cross-sections to automatically infer the 3D normals across the sketch, enabling 3D-like rendering. The technical contribution of our work is twofold. First, we distill artistic guidelines for drawing cross-sections and insights from perception literature to introduce an explicit mathematical formulation of the relationships between cross-section curves and the geometry they aim to convey. We then use these relationships to develop an algorithm for estimating a normal field from cross-section curve networks and other curves present in concept sketches. We validate our formulation and algorithm through a user study and a ground truth normal comparison. As demonstrated by the examples throughout the paper, these contributions enable us to shade a wide range of concept sketches with a variety of rendering styles.


In this paper, we report the deposition of the pure ZnO and Co with 4% and 8% concentration doped ZnO thin films on glass substrates by using the chemical spray pyrolysis technique and subsequently the effect of Co on the structural and optical properties of the deposited ZnO thin films were characterized. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement shows that all the deposited films have preferential orientation along the c-axis with a strong (002) peak observed at 2i± H" 34o. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that the surface morphology of the films is strongly depends on the concentration of Co. Spectrophotometry measurements reveal that transmission values of the of 4% and 8% Co are higher than that for pure ZnO and the absorbance increases with increasing Co doping concentration, the optical energy band gap of the deposited pure ZnO thin films was equal to 3.37 eVwhile itwas found to be 3.12 and 3.108 eVfor the doped ZnO with Co.


We report experimental data and a second-order kinetic model for the time dependence of photo-induced changes in electrophoretic mobilities of aqueous dispersions of TiO2 semiconductor particles when irradiated with photons of energy corresponding to greater than their band gap (ca. 3.2 eV), in the absence of hole and electron scavengers. This is the first time that (laser Doppler) electrophoresis has been used to obtain kinetic information, in this case for analysing photocatalytic processes relevant to solar energy harvesting for chemical synthesis/destruction.The second-order rate constant for intra-particle electron–hole recombination, kr′ was determined as > 106 times greater than either the pseudo-first-order rate constants for charged surface site generation from holes and electrons, k′A and k′B, respectively; this indicates that recombination was a dominant process in determining the efficiency of surface charge generation in the absence of charge carrier scavengers. The rate constants for positive and negative ionic surface charge removal by electrons and holes ke and kh, respectively, were ca. 1–20 m3 mol–1 s–1, and compare very closely with the value of kr′ indicating that these processes compete with direct electron–hole recombination. The quantum yield, ϕ, for hole/electron capture by oxidizable/reducible sites on the particle surface was in the range (5.2–7.9)× 106.


Abstract Future toroidal magnetic confinement fusion plasma devices such as the Component Test Facility (CTF) require non-inductive toroidal current drive. A new method of non-inductive startup, referred to as transient coaxial helicity injection (Transient CHI), has been developed on the Helicity Injected Torus (HIT-II) experiment and the National Spherical Torus Experiment NSTX). In this method, plasma current is produced by discharging a capacitor bank between coaxial electrodes in the presence of toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields chosen such that the plasma rapidly expands into the chamber. When the injected current is rapidly decreased, magnetic reconnection occurs near the injection electrodes with the toroidal plasma current forming closed flux surfaces. In NSTX, transient CHI has demonstrated closed-flux current generation of up to 160 kA, without the use of a central solenoid. Detailed experimental measurements made on NSTX include fast time-scale visible imaging of the entire process.


This chapter addresses the question how semantically non-reportative and grammatically intransitive verbs such as be (like) and go could come to be used in English quotative constructions. It rejects analyses which evoke the notion of 'reporting verb' or, for like , of complementizer, and argues instead for an interclausal analysis in which clauses such as I'm like or he went as a whole are analysed as conceptually dependent on a complement clause. This analysis of the combinatorics involved in these constructions helps to explain their emergence as an analogical process in which 'imitation clauses' are apprehended as 'reporting clauses', and invites a reassessment of the extent to which this initial innovation and its further developments constitute a case of 'grammaticalization'.


Breakfast, the first meal of the day, is considered the most important meal throughout the day. As nutritionist Adelle Davis famously put it back in the 1960s: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper". Breakfast is most commonly skipped meal more than lunch and dinner specifically in the young adult in the university study period and those who wake up late. Lack of time is the main reason behind skipping meals, in general, lack of appetite, inability to cook, fasting/religion, and not being hungry. Many people are used to be in a hurry for job, business, children's school in the morning where a filled stomach may prevent them to walk a long way. It is obvious that the irregular omission of breakfast may be effective in energy intake reduction over the next 24 hours and in this day, exercise performance may be compromised. There is no evidence that breakfast skipping reduces overeating or prevent weight gain. Some people argue that breakfast and good health is a marketing strategy by breakfast companies.


Most modern software development projects require teams, and good teamwork largely determines a project's success. The Team Software Process (TSP), created by Watts S. Humphrey, is a set of engineering practices and team concepts that produce effective teams, thereby helping developers deliver high-quality products on time and within budget. TSP bridges Humphrey's seminal work on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), an improvement framework for the entire software organization, and his Personal Software Process (PSP), practices designed to improve the work of individual developers.Typical first-time TSP teams increase productivity by more than 50 percent while greatly increasing the quality of their delivered products. However, TSP teams only continue to improve under the guidance of a capable coach. One industrial-strength team, for example, increased its productivity by an additional 94 percent and reduced test defects by 85 percent through three consecutive TSP quarterly product release cycles. Without competent coaching, teams often do not progress much beyond the initial one-time improvement seen after the introduction of the TSP.Humphrey distinguishes between TSP coaching and TSP leadership, explaining why the skillful performance of both functions is critical. In this practical guide, he shares coaching methods that have repeatedly inspired TSP teams and steered them toward success. With the help of a coach, TSP teams undergo a brief but intense project launch in which they define their own processes, make their own plans, and negotiate their commitments with management, resulting in dramatically enhanced performance.Whether you are considering the TSP or are actively implementing it, TSPSMi¾–Coaching Development Teams provides the invaluable examples, guidelines, and suggestions you need to get started and keep developing as a team coach. It's meant to complement Humphrey's other books, TSPSMi¾–Leading a Development Team and PSPSM: A Self-Improvement Process for Software Engineers. Together, the three works offer a rich resource for improving your software development capabilities.


This book offers a new history of the farmworker in England from 1850 to the present day. It focuses on the paid worker, considering how the experiences of farm work – the work performed, wages earned and conditions of hiring – were shaped by gender, age and region. Combining data extracted from statistical sources with personal and autobiographical accounts, it places the individual farmworker back into a broader collective history. Beginning in the mid-Victorian era, when farmworkers were the most numerically significant occupational group in England, it considers the impact of economic, technological and social change on the scale and nature of farm work over the next hundred and fifty years, whilst also highlighting the continuation of some practices, including the use of casual and migrant workers to perform low-paid, seasonal work. Written in a lively and accessible manner, this book will appeal to those with an interest in rural history, gender history and modern British history.


Primary production (PP) of the Ross Sea Polynya (RSP) contributes a significant proportion of the total PP of the Southern Ocean. As a result, the photosynthetic activities of phytoplankton communities in the RSP play important roles in the overall biochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients and structuring the marine food-web. Environmental change, especially in light and iron regimes, regulates variations in PP and affects the phytoplankton community dynamics. Since individual phytoplankton species have unique nutrient requirements, the limited resources impact these algal taxa in different ways. In this study, we used metatranscriptomic analysis to examine how the algal taxa Fragilariopsis, Thalassiosira, Pseudo-nitzschia, Micromonas, and Phaeocystis antarctica differ in their acclimation to their shared environment during the bloom season in the RSP. During the austral spring and summer of 2013-2014, the phytoplankton communities in the RSP were iron limited across all sampling sites and exposed to high-light conditions at some sampling sites. However, the acclimation of individual algal taxa to these conditions was different. Niche partitioning between the diatom group and the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was detected. Phaeocystis dominated at the greater depths (80-100m) and showed relatively low abundances at the surface (average 8.9±5.8%). Pseudo-nitzschia showed optimal niche adaptation among near the surface with a largest population size (average relative abundance 32.0±18.0%) and increased genetic activity. The expression of key-genes of Pseudo-nitzschia showed potential acclimation to limited iron and cobalamin conditions. However, the expression levels of those genes were not only controlled by the related environmental parameters, but also by a set of physical and biochemical environmental factors. Our study is limited to examining the interaction between the phytoplankton communities and the environments. The potential effects of bacterial communities, viruses and predators should be included to further the understanding of individual algal species' niche adaptation in the future. This study demonstrates that, although some environmental factors control the overall bulk PP, those factors have variable effects on the individual algal taxon. We also show the need to consider a combination of environmental parameters to accurately predict shifts in phytoplankton community composition within the context of long-term climate change.


There is an increasing interest in transport in modelling the dynamics of repeated choices, especially in the context of route and departure time choice. Those models adopting microscopic simulation require an assumption about the learning behaviour of the drivers, i.e. about the mechanism which integrates the information obtained from the most recent choice into the expectations of the drivers, which in turn form the basis of the next choice. A number of models have been proposed, but the simple exponential smoothing model: Expectationi = τ Experiencei + ( 1 - τ ) Expectationi -1 has been adopted by a number of authors, some of whom have estimated the value of the smoothing parameter τ using experimental data obtained from a sample of respondents. This paper is using the results from two recent and comparable experiments, one carried out in London and one carried out in Athens, to analyze the distribution of the values of the smoothing parameter calculated at the individual level. The experiments involved the respondents making a series of choices of departure time and route, once between two competing bus routes and once between competing roads. The travel experience resulting from that choice was visualized on screen to convey as vivid an impression of the experience as possible to the respondents. As part of the experiments the respondents were asked to state their travel time expectations three times during the intervals providing data which is not available in this form from previous experiments. The results of the individual level analysis showed that the distribution of the τ-values is mostly trimodal, implying three groups of respondents, one ignoring the past, one ignoring the current experience and one integrating the two elements. The results showed also that the respondents used different τ's over time reflecting their experiences and choices. The implications of these results for the simulation of recurrent choices are twofold. First the simple model is not suitable until it can be shown that the difference between the modelling assumption of an unimodal distribution of τ and the true trimodal distribution does not affect the results. Second there is need to include models of the choice or development of τ into models to recreate the response of the travellers.


Soil moisture distribution emerges as a key link between hydrologic and ecologic processes in semiarid grassland and shrubland, as it influences evapotranspiration, respiration, and assimilation. In support, we present three years of data (2002–2004) collected from a semiarid grassland and shrubland within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge of central New Mexico; the two sites are separated by about 5 km. Instrumentation includes an eddy covariance tower and typical micrometeorological devices at both locations. Additionally, the grassland site features six soil moisture profiles and the shrubland site features four soil moisture profiles, with the maximum depth at 52.5 cm. At both sites, most rain falls during the warm season, but large storms do occur at other times of the year, e.g., spring of 2004. Soil moisture pulses at 2.5 cm follow almost all rain events, whereas only four pulses in the 3‐year record are observed at 52.5 cm in the grassland and two in the shrubland; these deeper pulses follow large precipitation events or a series of smaller events. The daily times series of evapotranspiration (ET) is similar between the grassland and shrubland, supporting the results of Kurc and Small (2004). ET variations largely reflect changes in the soil moisture at 2.5 cm. In contrast, though the daily time series of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) at both sites covary, the magnitudes of peaks in net negative ecosystem exchange (NEE−) and net positive ecosystem exchange (NEE+) are over twice the magnitude at grassland than at the shrubland. Furthermore, pulses associated with NEE− peaks last much longer than ET pulses, of the order of 1–2 months, without any particular adherence to the climatologically defined rainy season. These NEE− pulses reflect changes in deeper soil moisture, i.e., 52.5 cm at the grassland and 37.5 cm at the shrubland. Finally, evidence of soil moisture driven respiration is found throughout the NEE time series, with spikes of NEE+ following most rain events; however, longer periods of NEE+ also occur during relatively dry periods. Modeled assimilation suggests that the relationship between assimilation and soil moisture is strongest at depths at least 30 cm below the surface.


In this project a suite of tailorable teaching and learning resources were created, implemented and evaluated. These resources focused on the assessment for learning model, adopting the constructivist approach to learning. Here, the student builds their knowledge, and deepens their understanding, as they complete their assessment. The resources were designed to aid academic adoption, and student implementation, of this model of assessment. The assessment outputs created using these resources were digital videos and network concept maps. The tailorable resources provided a structured and scaffolded environment for both the academic and student to explore this learning space. Both students and academic staff, as part of an explorative case study, evaluated the resources. In terms of the resources created for video-based assessment, students were happiest at times that correlated with the use of the resource pack and commented that the resources assisted them in creating their assessment for learning product. Finally, recommendations for practice are offered and suggestions are made on how to holistically integrate this approach on an Institute-wide scale.


Introduction: Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea in the gastrointestinal and urinary systems, related with chronic bacterial infection. Piper is a basal angiosperm genus with ethnobotanical application. The aim of this study was to determine urease inhibitory activity of extracts from ten Guatemalan Piper species.
Methods: Leaves from 7 species were collected in Suchitepequez (P. amalago, P. auritum, P. hispidum, P. jacquemontianum, P. oradendron, P. retalhuleuense, and P. umbellatum), and 3 in Alta Verapaz (P. psilorhachis, P. sempervirens, and P. variabile), shade-dried and milled. Dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts were prepared by percolation and concentrated by rotavapor. The inhibitory effect was determined by enzymatic assays, qualitative by thin layer chromatography developed by phenol red; and quantitative by spectrophotometric kinetic method evaluated by microcolorimetry at 630 nm with phenol red.
Results: Seventeen extracts out of 20 demonstrated anti-urease activity by TLC, showing one discoloration band with Rf 1.4-5.8; P. psilorhachis showed 2 discolorations bands at Rf 5.3 and 5.8, and the best activity (IC50 MeOH 1.9 ± 0.08 μg/mL and DCM 2.1 ± 06 μg/mL), similar to positive control (hydrocyclohexanone IC50 1.4 ± 0.05 μg/mL). Two other species, P. umbellatum (IC50 MeOH 2.5 ± 0.06 μg/mL) and P. retalhuleunse (IC50 MeOH 4.1 ± 0.7 μg/mL, DCM 4.8 ± 0.06 μg/mL) showed a moderate activity.
Conclusion: Three species showed interesting anti-urease activity that deserves future studies by bio-guided fractionation. Literature review demonstrated that this is the first report about the urease activity of these Piper species.


This paper analyses two plays by Malaysian Indian author K.S. Maniam, examining his ideas about the necessity to rearticulate state-authored, essentialising notions of cultural and ethnic identity towards the creation of a more hybrid and inclusive identity which does not demand allegiance to a single, rigidly defined culture. Maniam's main concerns in this context will be examined through a close analysis of his plays The Cord and The Sandpit: Womensis. My analysis of these two plays will be framed by the ideas articulated in Maniam's 2001 paper "The New Diaspora". [Maniam, Malaysia, identity]


Cross-modal hashing encodes the multimedia data into a common binary hash space in which the correlations among the samples from different modalities can be effectively measured. Deep cross-modal hashing further improves the retrieval performance as the deep neural networks can generate more semantic relevant features and hash codes. In this paper, we study the unsupervised deep cross-modal hash coding and propose Deep Joint-Semantics Reconstructing Hashing (DJSRH), which has the following two main advantages. First, to learn binary codes that preserve the neighborhood structure of the original data, DJSRH constructs a novel joint-semantics affinity matrix which elaborately integrates the original neighborhood information from different modalities and accordingly is capable to capture the latent intrinsic semantic affinity for the input multi-modal instances. Second, DJSRH later trains the networks to generate binary codes that maximally reconstruct above joint-semantics relations via the proposed reconstructing framework, which is more competent for the batch-wise training as it reconstructs the specific similarity value unlike the common Laplacian constraint merely preserving the similarity order. Extensive experiments demonstrate the significant improvement by DJSRH in various cross-modal retrieval tasks.


This paper documents how saving constraints can spill over into other markets. When producers value saving devices, trustworthy buyers can offer them infrequent payments - a commitment tool - and purchase at a lower price. This affects the nature of competition in the output market. We present a model of this interlinked saving-output market for the case of the Kenyan dairy industry. Multiple data sources, experiments, and a calibration exercise support its microfoundations and predictions concerning: i) producers' demand for infrequent payments; ii) an asymmetry across buyers in the ability to credibly commit to low frequency payments; iii) a segmented market equilibrium where buyers compete by providing either liquidity or saving services to producers; iv) low supply response to price increases. We discuss additional evidence from other contexts, including labor markets, and derive policy implications concerning contract enforcement, financial access, and market structure.


Reinforcement learning algorithms have been successfully applied in robotics to learn how to solve tasks based on reward signals obtained during task execution. These reward signals are usually modeled by the programmer or provided by supervision. However, there are situations in which this reward is hard to encode, and so would require a supervised approach of reinforcement learning, where a user directly types the reward on each trial. This paper proposes to use brain activity recorded by an EEG-based BCI system as reward signals. The idea is to obtain the reward from the activity generated while observing the robot solving the task. This process does not require an explicit model of the reward signal. Moreover, it is possible to capture subjective aspects which are specific to each user. To achieve this, we designed a new protocol to use brain activity related to the correct or wrong execution of the task. We showed that it is possible to detect and classify different levels of error in single trials. We also showed that it is possible to apply reinforcement learning algorithms to learn new similar tasks using the rewards obtained from brain activity.


Museums, archives, libraries and other cultural heritage institutes maintain large collections of artefacts which are valuable knowledge sources for both experts and interested lay persons. Recently, more and more cultural heritage institutes have started to digitise their collections, for instance to make them accessible via web portals. However, while digitisation is a necessary first step towards improved information access, to fully unlock the knowledge contained in these collections, users have to be able to easily browse, search and query these collections. This requires cleaning, linking and enriching the data, a process that is often too time-consuming to be performed manually. Information technology can help with (partially) automating this task. Since data processing and enrichment typically involve the textual metadata level, natural language processing has a key role to play in this endeavour. At the same time cultural heritage domains pose significant challenges for language technology and call for the development of very robust and flexible solutions. Consequently, cultural heritage data can also serve as a good test-bed for the development of robust natural language processing tools.


The present state of the studies on adsorption from n-component gas mixtures on heterogeneous solid surfaces has been presented in this paper. Using the generalized integral equation, equations of adsorption isotherms and isosteric adsorption heats have been derived. The authors have discussed the simplified integral equation and its application to derivation of analytical equations describing adsorption equilibria.


This paper is a broad and accessible survey of the methods we have at our disposal for Monte Carlo gradient estimation in machine learning and across the statistical sciences: the problem of computing the gradient of an expectation of a function with respect to parameters defining the distribution that is integrated; the problem of sensitivity analysis. In machine learning research, this gradient problem lies at the core of many learning problems, in supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning. We will generally seek to rewrite such gradients in a form that allows for Monte Carlo estimation, allowing them to be easily and efficiently used and analysed. We explore three strategies--the pathwise, score function, and measure-valued gradient estimators--exploring their historical developments, derivation, and underlying assumptions. We describe their use in other fields, show how they are related and can be combined, and expand on their possible generalisations. Wherever Monte Carlo gradient estimators have been derived and deployed in the past, important advances have followed. A deeper and more widely-held understanding of this problem will lead to further advances, and it is these advances that we wish to support.