Bacillus thermocatenulatus lipase (BTL2) is a thermostable enzyme with a known three dimensional structure (PDB ID: 2W22). The N- and C- termini of protein backbone in this structure seated very close to each other (<5 A), unlike to other lipase structures having their termini located fairly apart from each other. For other proteins that possess circular backbone, the close proximity of the protein termini has been shown to contribute to thermal stability. From this perspective, the protein termini and particularly its impacts on lipase stability are investigated in this thesis. During these investigations, three BTL2 variants are used and explicitly these are N7G, N7Q and R5C-A6C-N5C-S386C-L387C-R388C. The closest contact of the backbone termini is a hydrogen bond formed by the side chain of 7th asparagine and the main chain of L387. In the first two mutations N7G and N7Q, the impact of this hydrogen bond is investigated, while in the third mutation three consecutive residues from the N-terminus (5-6-7) and from the C-terminus (386-387-388) are substituted with cysteines aiming to induce a disulfide bond in the third mutant. Along with the native BTL2, three mutants are obtained in high purity via application of various molecular biology and protein engineering routines including site-directed mutagenesis, ligation-independent cloning, heterologous protein expression and affinity purification methods. The native BTL2 and the mutants are subsequently characterized in enzyme activity assays to determine their thermoactivity, thermostability and substrate selectivity profiles. Furthermore the far-UV circular dichorism (CD) spectra are collected for all lipases to analyze their secondary structure and melting temperatures. The results indicated that all three mutations did not have any significant effects on thermal stability, thermoactivity and substrate selectivity of native BTL2 suggesting that the modification of the hydrogen bond at the lipase termini is not related to the integrity and thermal stability of the catalytic domain. Different from the hydrogen bond mutants, the third mutant showed significant decrease in the thermoactivity and thermal stability of the native BTL2. This particular finding suggested that the cysteine substitutions at the termini caused destabilization of the active site and overall structure of the lipase. Considering the possible implications of the modification of the protein backbone such as generation of protein analogues with optimal stabilities, this thesis aimed to analyze the impacts of the modifications of the termini on the lipase characteristics. Overall, it has been concluded that such modifications of the termini would be useful in generation of lipase variants with optimal features without affecting the core domains.


Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), are a set of more than 30 health disorders associated with both the temporomandibular joints and the muscles and tissues of the jaw. TMDs have a range of causes and often co-occur with a number of overlapping medical conditions, including headaches, fibromyalgia, back pain and irritable bowel syndrome. TMDs can be transient or long-lasting and may be associated with problems that range from an occasional click of the jaw to severe chronic pain involving the entire orofacial region. Everyday activities, including eating and talking, are often difficult for people with TMDs, and many of them suffer with severe chronic pain due to this condition. Common social activities that most people take for granted, such as smiling, laughing, and kissing, can become unbearable. This dysfunction and pain, and its associated suffering, take a terrible toll on affected individuals, their families, and their friends. Individuals with TMDs often feel stigmatized and invalidated in their experiences by their family, friends, and, often, the health care community. Misjudgments and a failure to understand the nature and depths of TMDs can have severe consequences — more pain and more suffering — for individuals, their families and our society. Temporomandibular Disorders: Priorities for Research and Care calls on a number of stakeholders — across medicine, dentistry, and other fields — to improve the health and well-being of individuals with a TMD. This report addresses the current state of knowledge regarding TMD research, education and training, safety and efficacy of clinical treatments of TMDs, and burden and costs associated with TMDs. The recommendations of Temporomandibular Disorders focus on the actions that many organizations and agencies should take to improve TMD research and care and improve the overall health and well-being of individuals with a TMD.


Reductive cleavage of alkenes is rarely reported in synthetic chemistry. Here we report a unique H2Smediated reductive cleavage of C]C bonds under mild conditions, which is a successful new strategy for the design of probes for effective sensing of H2S with turn-on dual-color fluorescence. A short series of phenothiazine ethylidene malononitrile derivatives were shown to react with H2S, via reductive cleavage of C]C bonds with intramolecular cyclization reactions to form thiophene rings. Enlightened by this new reaction mechanism, four effective probes with turn-off to turn-on fluorescence switches were successfully applied for sensing H2S, an important gaseous signalling molecule in living systems, among which PTZ-P4 exhibited two fluorescent colors after reductive cleavage. The dual-color probe was applied for imaging endogenous H2S and showed distinct differences in brightness in living C. elegans for wild type N2, glp-1 (e2144) mutants (higher levels of endogenous H2S), and cth-1 (ok3319) mutants (lower levels of endogenous H2S). The discovery of H2S-mediated reductive cleavage of C]C bonds is expected to be valuable for chemical synthesis, theoretical studies, and the design of new fluorescent H2S probes.


Introduction and Aims: Past research indicates heavy episodic drinking (HED), trait aggression, male honour and conformity to masculine norms are risk factors for male barroom aggression (MBA) perpetration. However, little is known about the impact of these variables on experiences of MBA victimization. Further, data derived previously, particularly in relation to perpetration have come from relatively low-risk samples comprising university students, limiting the generalizability of findings to other, at-risk male groups. Thus, the present study assessed the impact of the aforementioned variables as well as personality constructs of impulsivity and narcissism on both the perpetration of and victimization from MBA among a high-risk sample sourced from male members of the Australian construction industry. Method: A purposive sample of Australian male construction workers aged 18 to 69 years (n = 476, Mage = 25.90, SDage = 9.44) completed individual interviews at their current place of employment or while training at various trade schools in Geelong and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Items related to past month HED, past year experiences of verbal and physical MBA (perpetration and victimization), trait aggression's four factors (physical, verbal, anger, hostility), impulsivity, narcissism, male honour and conformity to masculine norms. Results: Participants reported high levels of verbal (24.2%) and physical (21%) MBA perpetration and verbal (33.6%) and physical (31.1%) MBA victimization. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses identified HED as the strongest predictor of aggression involvement, while trait physical aggression, trait anger, narcissism and conformity to norms endorsing violence and a need to win were significantly and positively associated with MBA perpetration. Conclusions: The present study reinforces the key relationships between heavy drinking and aspects of personality and MBA, while also highlighting narcissism as a risk factor for barroom aggression perpetration. Indeed, personality profiles and HED appear to exert stronger influences on MBA perpetration than socially constructed masculinity factors, most of which were unrelated to aggression involvement in bars, clubs or pubs.


Demographic change is a key consequence of the development of modern societies. The prolongation of life expectancy, shifts of mortality into later life and long-term low fertility rates cause essential changes in population structures - with an increase in the number and proportion of older people as a key feature. The changes in mortality patterns can be seen as a success of modern society. But demographic shifts imply new risks and challenges as well as opportunities for modern societies, as they affect individual life courses as well as societies as a whole. The present low birth rates also predict low birth numbers in the future, since the number of potential mothers decreases. At the same time, life expectancies are not expected to decrease. As a consequence, the relation between old and young people will change in Germany in the next decades. In 2050, just about half of the population will be of working age and more than 30 percent will be 65 years old or older. The number of the 20 to under 65-year-olds will decrease from 50 million to a figure between 35 and 39 million in the next 40 years (Federal Statistical Office, 2006). Furthermore, the working age population will undergo an ageing process, implying that in 2050, nearly 40 percent of the working-age population will be between 50 and 64 years old (Federal Statistical Office, 2006). In order to understand the labour market and the fiscal implications of these population trends, it is very illustrative to analyse the proportion of older individuals in relation to the working population, the so-called old-age dependency ratio. According to the Federal Statistical Office (2006) the old-age dependency ratio will grow from 32 percent in 2005 to 60 or 64 percent by 2050. This projection indicates that in 40 years, for every three persons of working-age in Germany there will be two persons receiving a pension. If we consider the age cut at 67, the results are not much more optimistic, indicating that increasing the legal retirement age alone is not a solution for the sustainability of the public pension systems and for the decrease in the labour force. The proportion of people of very old age is also growing. While the 80 population was nearly 4 million in 2005, it will grow to 10 million by 2050 (Federal Statistical Office, 2006). This trend has inter alia, important consequences for health care provision. In this demographic context, interdisciplinary research of ageing and later life gains in relevance. Thus, research on ageing becomes an increasingly crucial task for major surveys like the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). As part of the "research infrastructure" they are called upon to invest in its potentials and attractiveness for research on ageing and later life.


Objective: Active tuberculosis (TB) is a disease arising from infection by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex which induces a state of chronic inflammation. The inflammatory response is mediated by the release of cytokines which have the potential to initiate disturbance of the fibrinolytic system. The aim of this study is to assess the role of cytokines in fibrinolysis in a condition of chronic inflammation such as active tuberculosis. Methods: Case-control study design was employed. One hundred and twenty (120) TB patients and 120 apparently healthy subjects aged 15-60 years and gender-matched were recruited for this study. Active tuberculosis was diagnosed by the presence of acid fast bacilli in sputum smear microscopy, X-ray or clinical assessment. Fibrinogen concentration (FIB) was measured by Clauss technique while fibrin degradation product (FDP), interferon gamma (IFN-?) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) using standard kits. Data obtained were analysed using Student?s T-test and one-way ANOVA on statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 software. Pearson?s correlation was used to express relationship and significance was set at P ? 0.05. Results: Results obtained showed significantly higher (P<0.05) fibrinogen concentration, fibrin degradation product, interferon gamma as well as interleukin 10 levels of active TB patients versus control subjects indicating the presence of infection-induced inflammatory response which mediates acute phase reaction as well as increase fibrinolytic activity. Significant positive correlations (P<0.05) were observed between fibrinogen concentration and fibrin degradation product as well as between fibrinogen concentration and interleukin 10 level. Fibrinogen concentration, fibrin degradation product and interleukin 10 levels decreased significantly with progress in anti-tuberculosis therapy hence they could serve as useful indices in monitoring the response of tuberculosis patients to treatment. Conclusion: It is concluded that the cytokines interferon-? and interleukin 10 contribute significantly to increase fibrinolytic activity as seen in active tuberculosis with haemorrhage as possible sequel.


The influence of pre-metallisation surface preparation on the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of metal-nGaN interfaces has been investigated by X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS), current-voltage measurement (I-V) and cross section Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). XPS analysis showed that the three GaN substrate treatments investigated, ex-situ HF etch, in-situ anneal in Ultra-High-Vacuum (UHV), and in-situ Ga reflux cleaning in UHV result in surfaces increasingly free of contaminants. Additionally, the three treatments are found to induce increasingly larger upward band bending. Ag-nGaN contacts formed after Ga reflux cleaning exhibit a Schottky barrier height of 0.80 eV and an ideality factor of 1.56, as determined by I-V.XPS and TEM characterisation of Au-nGaN formed after the three pre-metallisation surface treatments show that HF etching and UHV annealing produce abrupt, well-defined interfaces. Conversely, GaN substrate cleaning in a Ga flux results in Au/GaN intermixing. I-V characterisation of Au-nGaN contacts yield a Schottky barrier height of 1.25 eV with very low ideality factor and very good contact uniformity for the pre-metallisation UHV anneal while the Ga reflux cleaning result in a much lower barrier (0.85 eV), with poor ideality and uniformity. I-V and XPS results suggest a high density of acceptor states at the surface, which is further enhanced by UHV annealing. The mechanisms of Ga-nGaN, Ag-nGaN and Au-nGaN Schottky barrier formation are discussed in the context of the Metal-Induced Gap States model (MIGS) Unified Defect Model (UDM) and Cowley-Sze model.


Calcium oxalate patinas have been studied on historical monuments for years. In some cases they are associated with calcium phosphate, the presence of which has received contrasted attention and may have been overlooked with the characterisation techniques used. This study addresses the state of the art, the most suitable characterisation techniques for identifying calcium phosphate – the most effective and reliable being SEM-EDS of thin sections – and the shortcomings of other methods such as XRD, FT-IR or optical microscopy. It also describes examples of the presence of calcium phosphate analysed in patinas on Spanish monuments. Calcium phosphates were found to appear in these patinas in different ways and shapes: in small aggregates, in a layer mixed with other patina components, as a uniform layer, or constituting a layer with filaments, or forming a porous layer with a sponge-like texture. These findings add new data for the debate about the origin of calcium oxalate patina. Moreover, a comparison of these with other findings is the basis for a proposal of a new denomination for such patinas.


We present the design of the first Visible Light Sensing (VLS) system that consumes only tens of μWs of power to sense and communicate. Unlike most existing VLS systems, we require no modification to the existing light infrastructure since we use unmodulated light as a sensing medium. We achieve this by designing a novel mechanism that uses solar cells to achieve a sub-μW power consumption for sensing. Further, we devise an ultra-low power transmission mechanism that backscatters sensor readings and avoids the processing and computational overhead of existing sensor systems. Our initial results show the ability to detect and transmit hand gestures or presence of people up to distances of 330m at a peak power of μWs. Further, we demonstrate that our system can operate in diverse light conditions (100 lx to 80 klx) where existing VLS designs fail due to saturation of the transimpedance amplifier (TIA).


State courts are free to exercise final authority as arbiters of state law and adopt state standards that protect individual rights more than federal law. While state courts have responded to such urgings with expansive rulings, they have not always been careful about spelling out in their decisions whether they were relying on state law, federal law, or both. This judicial imprecision creates a jurisdictional dilemma for the Supreme Court when it is asked to review the state court decision. If the state's decision rests on independent and adequate state grounds, the Court will apply judicial restraint and decline review. The genesis of the Supreme Court's "independent and adequate state ground" rule is generally considered to lie in Murdock v. City of Memphis. The Court held that presence of a federal question in a state court decision did not empower the Supreme Court to decide state issues; if there was a state ground that sufficiently supported the judgement. Deciding whether a state court decision was based on a sufficiently broad non-federal ground generally involves two separate determinations: whether the state decision was grounded on independent state law, and if so, whether that law was adequate to support the judgement. The Supreme Court noted in Henry v. Mississippi the state procedural ground will not be considered adequate unless it serves a legitimate state interest.One of the principle reasons for the Court's independent and adequate state ground rule is respect for state courts. However, potential tensions between federal and state court arise. It is also clear that a workable and practical balance is needed. That balance emerges from Michigan v. Long. The Court's new option for handling ambiguous state decisions which might rest on an independent and adequate state ground is a reasonable rule.


Semantic parsers map natural language utterances to meaning representations. The lack of a single standard for meaning representations led to the creation of a plethora of semantic parsing datasets. To unify different datasets and train a single model for them, we investigate the use of Multi-Task Learning (MTL) architectures. We experiment with five datasets (Geoquery, NLMaps, TOP, Overnight, AMR). We find that an MTL architecture that shares the entire network across datasets yields competitive or better parsing accuracies than the single-task baselines, while reducing the total number of parameters by 68%. We further provide evidence that MTL has also better compositional generalization than single-task models. We also present a comparison of task sampling methods and propose a competitive alternative to widespread proportional sampling strategies.


Preferential feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar generated electricity increases the demand for solar photovoltaic systems. They can thus induce price to increase, creating the potential for PV systems producers to collect rents. This paper analyses the interactions between feed-in tariffs, silicon prices and module prices, using weekly price data and FIT values in Germany, Italy, Spain, and France from January 2005 to May 2012. Relying methodologically on the Granger causality tests applied to vector autoregressive models, we show that since the end of the period of silicon shortage in 2009, module price variations cause changes in FITs, and not the reverse. This is good news as it suggests that the regulators have been able to prevent FITs to inflate module prices.


An IOC consensus group has recently introduced a new umbrella term, that is, 'Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport' (RED-S) to describe the physiological and pathophysiological effects of energy deficiency in male and female athletes.1 The authors assert that "new terminology is required to more accurately describe the clinical syndrome originally known as the Female Athlete Triad" that is a "more comprehensive, broader term for the overall syndrome, which includes what has so far been called the 'Female Athlete Triad'."1 This new terminology (RED-S) is insufficiently supported by scientific research to warrant adoption at this time. The Female Athlete Triad has more than 30 years of published evidence to support its existence in the scientific literature with strong evidence for its clinical sequelae and should remain a focus of scientific inquiry and translation.2–6 Moreover, several major concerns and errors with the IOC consensus statement should give researchers and practitioners great pause before adopting the IOC's new terminology, its theoretical construct and its proposed recommendations for screening and return to play.

As stated by the IOC authors, the science of energy deficiency in the male athlete and in other groups is still in its 'infancy'.1 In contrast, research on the Triad has been published since the early 1990s4 and, in fact, even earlier. Reports of menstrual and other problems in athletes were becoming prevalent in the literature as early as the 1960s, but particularly in the 1970s and 1980s.7–10 The first symposium related to the topic at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting was organised by Barbara Drinkwater in 1981 and was entitled 'Menstrual Irregularities in Female Athletes'. The term 'Female Athlete Triad' was introduced at a workshop in 1992.4 The first position stand from the ACSM was published in 1997,2 and …


Percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are commonly
performed procedures with a relatively low complication rate. The
reported complication rate is around 1%. Typical events are secondary
to cement migration with resultant compromise of neighboring
neurologic structures or embolic events. Additionally, the procedure
can result in vertebral body fractures, rib fractures and pneumothorax.
We present a case of a hemothorax secondary to a kyphoplasty.


ABSTRACT

The focus of this thesis is on an exploration of reciprocal processes of learning experienced by
previously 'hard to reach' young adult learners, engaged on a Prince's Trust course at one college
of further education. The research addresses the question: What learning processes influence the
transformative learning experiences of 'hard to reach' young adult learners? The theoretical
framework is comprised of four learning perspectives: transformative learning (Mezirow 2000),
reflective thinking (Dewey 1933), critical thinking (Glaser 1941, Brookfield 1987) and
self-efficacy (Bandura 1986). An understanding was sought of how these may, or may not have
reciprocity, at the micro and experiential levels of learning. An interpretivist stance was
adopted, using semi-structured interviews to collect experiential information. Participants were
interviewed at their first point of engagement on a 12 week course and again in the final week. A
constant comparative analysis produced emergent propositions that were then considered for
indications of reciprocity in learning processes. The findings suggested that 'hard to reach' young
adult learners within the context of this study were in a process of change even prior to
engagement with the course, but that this change was not fully consistent with Mezirow's
categorisation of transformative learning. Processes of reciprocity were evident for reflective
thinking, critical thinking and self-efficacy. However, the nature of the processes was too complex
to attribute to transformative learning, and the theory itself was not substantial enough to
account for the learning that had taken place.
An emergent design enabled a flexible response so that a later interviewing of course tutors was
conducted, in order to access and triangulate their experiences with the findings from the
students. The conclusions of this thesis are that the movement into engaging in learning does not
rest on reflecting on discontent alone but necessarily involves the invoking of memories of
previous experiences of self-efficacy. Changes in students could not be equated with transformative
learning, but there were indications of reciprocal processes of reflective thinking, critical
thinking and self-efficacy. Learning was supported by an attitude of respect and valuing of the
students by the tutors, suggesting that the context for learning itself had changed in terms of
tutor/adult learner relationships being on a more equal footing, so that a more fulfilling
experience of personal potential was gained. This thesis adds to the learning knowledge base
through providing a focus on the importance of the particular quality of the tutor/student learning
relationship that is necessary for previously 'hard to reach' young adult learners to engage in
and sustain learning, and the complexity of the pre- engagement in learning process. It also
indicates a gathering or clustering of memories of previous experiences of self-efficacy as being a
motivating factor that stimulates an impetus for enquiry into learning.


Evaluation of the interregional transportation network is necessary to examine the efficient utilization and service supply planning of public transportation, with the consideration of multiple contradictory societal demands, including the improvement of transportation convenience and reduction of environmental load. Whenever one societal demand on a network is satisfied, another should not be forgotten. This study develops a method for evaluating interregional transportation networks, which considers multimode route alternatives by setting two evaluation criteria: consumer surplus and CO₂ emissions. The proposed method can provide the tendency of one criterion when the other is optimized. For example, when maximizing consumer surplus, the optimized network was found to have many links with increased frequency of service. Moreover, the increase in CO₂ emissions can be obtained quantitatively in connection with the maximization of consumer surplus.


For decades, successive federal governments insisted that the federal fiduciary responsibility to "Registered Indians" ended at reserve boundaries, while not recognizing any responsibilities for Non-Status Indians, Metis, and Inuit. The recent growth of urban Aboriginal populations has changed this situation dramatically. Many federal programs for urban Aboriginal people are not delivered in a "status-blind" fashion, while other services are still entangled in or complicated by the provisions of the Indian Act. This paper explores the policy history underlying the current situation while identifying four issues for further discussion: (1) political self-determination in the cities; (2) problems arising from the cities' junior position in the Canadian federation; (3) the challenge of dealing with the diversity of circumstances and preferences of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal urban dwellers; and (4) the legacy of differential programs based upon differentiations among sections of the Aboriginal population that no longer have constitutional salience. Long-term solutions, such as replacing the Indian Act, creating a "cities charter" and creating addenda to treaties or section 35 are discussed.


Student loans, unlike other debts, are not dischargeable in bankruptcy unless the debtor starts a special proceeding and proves that repayment would cause "undue hardship." This requirement probably accounts for the fact that only a tiny fraction of bankrupt debtors succeed in discharging their student loans. This Article is the first to make the case that student-loan nondischargeability interferes with achieving the programs' goals and to propose solutions that courts and the Department of Education ("Department") can employ under current law.

The Article draws on the legislative history of the student-loan programs to establish that they serve at least four distinct purposes: providing equality of access to higher education, educating the population for the benefit of the country, enabling students' free choice of career, and providing a benefit to students.

The Article then looks to the empirical literature and to fundamental precepts of bankruptcy law to show that nondischargeability can thwart the purposes of the student-loan programs through four different effects: deterring students from starting or completing higher education, distorting career choice, discouraging borrowers from economic and social participation, and rendering student loans harmful to borrowers.

The Article offers suggestions for tempering each of these effects. To avoid deterrence of education, the fact that bankruptcy relief often is available if requested should be made more salient. To combat distortion of career choice, bankruptcy courts should stop ruling that debtors should abandon jobs for which their education has prepared and find others that pay more. To remedy borrower discouragement, courts and the Department should take account of the likelihood that borrowers will be discouraged in deciding whether to grant or consent to discharge. The debt-income ratio is a promising proxy for likelihood of discouragement. Finally, courts and the Department should consider whether student loans harmed the borrower.


Our thesis had for objective to answer to these two main questions: How non-profit organizations, organizers of innovation contest, communicate to their target audience in Sweden, UK and France?Including the sub-questions:- What are the communication tools using by these NPOs?- What is the financial budget for the communication of these NPOs?How non-profit organizations have to bring incentive while taking into consideration the profitability of the eco-innovation and the policies measures?Including the sub-questions:- What are the differences of policy measures between UK, France and Sweden?- How important is the policy measures for the NPOs and SMEs?- Which kind of incentives is used by the NPOs?- What are the opportunities and profitability of the eco-innovation?A closely collaboration was established with Innovatum AB and the managers of the Green innovation Contest. We have been working on our theoretical framework in order to link it with our empirical findings. We found that the environment of the eco-innovation is wide, and it is important to take into account several variables to understand how to manage the eco-innovation. Organizers (people in charge) of innovation contest need to understand all the issues described in this thesis. Indeed, to communicate on the eco-innovation and to motivate their target, they need to know what is the profitability of this approach,to know the changes all around to be more flexible and to take advantage of the potential of the policies measure as the public support, or the knowledge providers. Finally the communication of these contests needs to provide information about eco-innovation environment in a manner to bring the incentive. For the contest itself, the contests needs to be prepared to touch reach the maximum of participant of the target and communicate on the reward as an incentive. The reward needs to reach both the winner of the contest and participants who do not win, and try to provide feedback to keep innovators' willingness


Abstract In machine learning and its risk-sensitive applications (e.g. medicine, engineering, business), the reliability estimates for individual predictions provide more information about the individual prediction error (the difference between the true label and regression prediction) than the average accuracy of predictive model (e.g. relative mean squared error). Furthermore, they enable the users to distinguish between more and less reliable predictions. The empirical evaluations of the existing individual reliability estimates revealed that the successful estimates' performance depends on the used regression model and on the particular problem domain. In the current paper, we focus on that problem as such and propose and empirically evaluate two approaches for automatic selection of the most appropriate estimate for a given domain and regression model: the internal cross-validation approach and the meta-learning approach. The testing results of both approaches demonstrated an advantage in the performance of dynamically chosen reliability estimates to the performance of the individual reliability estimates. The best results were achieved using the internal cross-validation procedure, where reliability estimates significantly positively correlated with the prediction error in 73% of experiments. In addition, the preliminary testing of the proposed methodology on a medical domain demonstrated the potential for its usage in practice.


The article gives a space-structural characteristic of rook (Corvus frugilegus) nesting places in the territory of Botievo wind farm (Zaporizhzhia region). The distribution of the rook colonies around the territory, the structure of the colonies, the dependence of the location of the nests on the height, diameter, condition and species composition of tree and shrub plantings are analyzed and studied. The types and methods of the localization of nests in the trees and their quantitative characteristics are highlighted. The consortium relations of the rook and the risks associated with living near existing wind turbines are described. In 2015 some eight colonies were found: 2 medium (51-100 nests) and 6 large (101-500 nests) ones. All the colonies were located in the forest belts, mainly represented by locust trees Gleditsia triacanthos (7 colonies) and in the mixed forest consisting of the mulberry Morus sp. , maple Acer , black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, and locust trees (1 colony). The area occupied by colonies had a four-fold difference between 977-3994 m 2 , while the number of the rook nests fluctuated in a seven-fold range - 52-343 nests. Analysis of different indicators describing the structure of the rook colonies revealed certain dependence between the breeding area and the number of the occupied trees (r = 0.97); the breeding area and the number of nests (r = 0.60); the number of nests in the colony and the closeness of the trees in the forest belts (r = 0.91); the number of nests and the number of the occupied trees (r = 0.74), the height of the tree and the nest on it (r = 0.64). The characteristic of the location of nests in different rows of the forest belt revealed the shift of the density of the occupation of trees in large colonies to one of the outer rows, where there were 26.0-27.5 percent of all the nests. Typology and localization of rook nests in the trees has 11 options of the location. The type of the location of nests near the trunk of the tree dominated (57.4 percent of trees and 64.5 percent of all nests). It is shown that rooks demonstrate the plasticity of the nesting behaviour to the changing environmental conditions. Keywords: Rook (Corvus frugilegus), Zaporizhia region, wind farm, nesting area, colony structure, spatial distribution, colony.


Measurements of vadose zone water pressure using custom‐made tensiometers provided insight into the dynamics of rainfall‐induced infiltration events in a 22‐m‐thick sandy formation. The tensiometers, based on vadose zone sampling ports, were assembled in a vadose zone monitoring system that allowed in situ, real‐time measurements of the temporal variation in vadose zone water content and pore water pressure. Results revealed the critical relationship between temporal variations in vadose zone water content and water pressure, as well as the dynamic connectivity of the vadose zone gas phase to the atmosphere. As expected, variation in the sediment water contents, induced by infiltration events across the vadose zone, resulted in corresponding variations in pore water pressure; however, the measured responses of sediment water pressure to wetting events were delayed compared with the measured variations in water content. The delay in the pressure response to a wetting process varied with location as well as between wetting events. Most of the time, the vadose zone gas phase was well connected to the atmosphere; however, this connectivity was limited during rain events and, therefore, compensation of the measured water pressure variation for the measured atmospheric pressure fluctuation is not straightforward. Connectivity of the vadose zone gas phase to the atmosphere was reestablished simultaneously across the entire vadose zone following redistribution of the percolating water in the upper part of the cross‐section.


Remains of fossil organisms, including plants, insects (beetles, chironomids), ostracods and gastropods, preserved in frozen deposits of a shallow paleo-lake indicate boreal climate at todays Arctic mainland coast of Oyogos Yar, Yakutia during the last interglacial about 125.000 years BP. Terrestrial beetle and plant remains prove the former existence of open forest tundra with Dahurian larch (Larix dahurica), grey alder (Alnus incana) and boreal shrubs (Duschekia fruticosa, Betula fruticosa, B. divaricata, B. nana) interspersed with patches of steppes and meadows. Consequently, the tree line was shifted northward up to todays mainland coast, and probably beyond, thus at least 270 km off its current position. Low net precipitation is shown by steppe plants and beetles. Aquatic organisms such as chironomids, ostracods, gastropods and hydrophytes indicate lake formation as result of thermokarst processes. Many of the lacustrine organisms are very warmth sensitive indicating a mean temperature of the warmest month near 13 °C, which is above the minimum requirement of tree growth and in contrast to modern values of less than 4 °C (Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory, 1980). Littoral pioneer plants and chironomids indicate intense lake level fluctuations due to high evaporation. The results suggest that modern Arctic tundra, lacking woody plants and bound to constantly wet ground under cool and moist summer conditions, did obviously not exist in Arctic Siberia in warm stages prior to the Holocene.


Introduction Contemporary organizations encounter significant challenges that affect their survival and continuity to a large extent. Among the most important of such challenges; are instability in the surrounding environment, change in workplace requirements, and achievement of optimal efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the employees in these organizations endure even further challenges in achieving an acceptable level of job satisfaction through knowledge, professional skills development, and in the pursue of their objectives at their organization (French & Bell, 1999). Therefore, the needs for organizational development (OD) at the individual and organization levels have arisen so as to overcome the barriers of these challenges, enable organizations to survive and pursue their goals more effectively. This will be achieved through a new plan that employs a drastic measure to remedy the noted deficiencies through a holistic or partial approach. Historically, the organizational development has been influenced by traditional trends such as classical and bureaucratic theories, however, recent trends have emphasized the behavioral, social and humanistic aspects including the human motives, needs and interests. At the same time, OD sheds more right on working conditions, group work, and internal and external environments that surround the organization (Paton & Mc calman, 2001). The Organizational Development (OD) has emerged in the late 1950s out of insights from behavioral science applications to solve problems that encounter the organizations. This was based on a research, conducted by Lewin, who was influenced by psychology scholars such as Maslow and Rogers. The Organizational Development concept was originated by Blake, Mounton, Bechkard and Shepard. The term appeared in literature in 1957 as an outcome of a pilot research conducted in national training laboratories in the United States and was supervised by Lewin (Tierney, 2002). Definitions of Organizational Development The literature is replete with numerous definitions of organizational development which have been evolved over the years. While no single definition of OD exists, a general agreement of the nature of this field and its major characteristics has been unified. These definitions of OD can be categorized into early and recent ones. Examples of early definitions include French and Bell, 1999 (p 24) where it stated that Bechkard defined the organizational development as a planned effort at the organization level, supported by top management to increase the effectiveness of the organization through planned interventions in the processes that take place in the organization, by implementing the knowledge generated from behavioral sciences. Whereas, Bennis defined Organizational development (OD) as a response to change and a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of the organizations all of which are directed toward making the organization better able to respond to changing environmental demands. In terms of the recent definitions, French and Bell, 1999, (p.1) described Organizational Development as a systematic process for applying behavioral science principles and practices in organizations to increase individual and organizational effectiveness. They added, OD is an organizational improvement strategy that offers an integrated framework capable of solving most of the important problems confronting the human, social and the structural sides of organizations. Cummings and Worley (1993) and Burke (1994) documented in French and Bell, 1999 book defined OD as follow: Cummings and Worley (1993) defined OD as a systematic application of behavioral science knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an organization and effectiveness. Burke (1994), on the other hand, viewed Organizational Development as a planned process of change in an organization's culture through the utilization of behavioral science technologies, research, and theory. …


Do occupations refer to the same work activities, as assumed in occupational classifications such as the International Standard Classification of Occupations from the International Labor Organisation (ILO)? Up to now, no large-scale empirical testing of this assumption has been conducted, whereas occupations are a core variable in socio-economic research. Using the task descriptions provided for all ISCO 4 digit occupations, the frequency of task implementation was tested using respondents in the multi-country, multilingual WageIndicator web survey on work and wages in 13 countries. The web survey targets individuals in the labour force. Depending on their self-selected occupation, the relevant task list was shown and respondents were asked to tick on a 5-point scale how often they performed each task. For 427 occupations (ISCO08 4 digits) in total 3,237 occupation-specific tasks were available. Between November 2013 and August 2015 33,678 respondents had completed the tasks questions for their respective occupations. The results show that task measurement is feasible because it can generate sufficient observations to allow for analysis for a range of detailed, 4-digit occupations. Moreover, given that the WageIndicator web survey also holds data on wages, the median and average hourly wages (in Euro) could be computed for each task separately, showing that the average wages of tasks performed on a daily or weekly basis ranged between 5 and 34 Euro. The data collection challenges future empirical testing of hypotheses concerning the variation in task frequencies and their related wage premiums within and across countries, across occupations' skill levels, across firm sizes, across regions and alike.


Fingerprint image enhancement is a common and critical step in fingerprint recognition systems. To enhance the images, most of the existing enhancement algorithms use filtering techniques that can be categorized into isotropic and anisotropic according to the filter kernel. Isotropic filtering can properly preserve features on the input images but can hardly improve the quality of the images. On the other hand, anisotropic filtering can effectively remove noise from the image but only when a reliable orientation is provided. In this paper, we propose a ridge orientation estimation and verification algorithm which can not only generate an orientation of ridge flows, but also verify its reliability. Experimental results show that, on average, over 51 percent of an image in the NIST-4 database has reliable orientations. Based on this algorithm, a hybrid fingerprint enhancement algorithm is developed which applies isotropic filtering on regions without reliable orientations and anisotropic filtering on regions with reliable orientations. Experimental results show the proposed algorithm can combine advantages of both isotropic and anisotropic filtering techniques and generally improve the quality of fingerprint images.


OBJECTIVE
CART is involved in the control of food intake and hormonal secretion. We aimed to evaluate the effects of CART on hormonal profile in starved rats.

METHODS
Study group included 100 male rats. Under conditions of food limitation CART (55-102) was given centrally (icv) or peripherally (iv). Non-starved animals underwent identical procedure. Vehicle (aCSF or saline)-injected rats served and as a controls. 60 minutes after CART or vehicle administration blood was collected to assess pituitary hormones (LH, FSH, PRL, GH, ACTH, TSH), corticosterone and leptin concentrations.

RESULTS
Itracerebroventricular CART injection resulted in a significant increase in PRL, GH and corticosterone concentrations in non-starved rats compared with vehicle injected animals. However, in a group of starved animals only leptin levels were decreased in comparison with fasted controls. Peripheral CART administration caused a significant increase in PRL, GH and TSH levels in non-starved rats but no changes in investigated hormone levels were observed in starved animals when compared to saline injected controls.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that CART is able to modulate hormonal profile in a non-starved rats. However, the modulatory effect depends on the CART administration method. Interestingly, CART administration, both icv and iv, does not have an impact on pituitary hormones and corticosterone levels in a course of food limitation.


Each implementation of a retransmission timeout mechanism must balance
correctness and timeliness and therefore no implementation is suits
all situations. This document provides for high-level guidance for
retransmission timeout schemes appropriate for general use in the
Internet. Within the guidelines, implementations have latitude to
define particulars that best address each situation. Terminology


It is well known that site effects often contribute to earthquake damage. The first time that site effects during an earthquake were pointed out in India was by MacMurdo (1823) for the 1819 Mw 7.8 earthquake (Figure 1). He wrote in his report, "At Anjar, half of the town, which is situated on low rocky ridges, suffered comparatively nothing; whilst the other half, upon a slope to a plain of springs and swamps, into which the town is drained, was entirely overturned."

Site effects at Anjar city were noticed again during the 1956 Mw 6.0 Anjar earthquake and also during the 2001 Mw 7.6 earthquake (Figure 1). At the time of the 1956 event, Tandon (1959) noted, "At Anjar, it has already been mentioned earlier that both in 1819 and also in the present earthquake, the eastern portions of the town built on soft ground suffered extensive damage while the western portions built on trap rock foundations escaped with only minor damage."

Recently, EERI 2002 reported for the 2001 Bhuj earthquake:

...damage was primarily restricted to the five wards (3, 4, 5, 9, and 10) of the old Anjar town. Wards 3, 4, and 10 in old Anjar sustained near total collapse of all buildings. These wards were also damaged during the 1956 Anjar earthquake. Ward 10 is apparently reclaimed from a 300–400 years old pond. Wards 5 and 9 sustained lower level of damages in both this earthquake and the 1956 event...

as shown in Figure 2. In this article, we use high-resolution satellite imagery (GSDMA 2008) to categorize Anjar city into three types of scenarios: severely damaged, less damaged, and undamaged (Figure 3) as a result of the 2001 earthquake. The severely damaged area is clearly shown in the eastern part of old Anjar city (Figure 3 …


fissure eruption at 1728 0 S. Similar lows are observed at three other drained lava lake troughs, including one which is at least 1800 years old, residing 400 m away from the present-day axis. We attribute these lows to the presence of shallow dike swarms. The degree to which other geologic features may contribute to the lows is constrained using geologic, geophysical, and geochemical observations and forward modeling. Compositional analyses of Alvin samples at 1728 0 S do not support Fe or Ti variations as a primary source. Hypotheses requiring hydrothermal alteration and porosity variations are both inconsistent with geologic observations and near-bottom gravity data analysis from similar areas. Previous mappings between paleointensity variations and the observed magnetic field over distances of several kilometers from the axis suggest that such variations do not create the field low. The dominant source of the magnetization low is most likely the presence of a 100–200 m wide region of shallow dikes which are poorly magnetized relative to extrusives, or a region heated above magnetic blocking or Curie temperatures by intrusions during the most recent eruption (though the latter interpretation cannot explain the low at the fossil trough). In the first case, this extrusive thinning implies a change in eruptive behavior over the last 750–1500 years given the local spreading rate. For the latter case, thermal models suggest the anomaly had to have been created by a dike swarms totaling at least 45 m width during the most recent eruption(s), corresponding to � 300 years of plate spreading. Models indicate that the source of the low is centered slightly east of the axial trough. This offset suggests that the axis has been progressively migrating westward over the past millennium, consistent with other studies covering greater length and timescales. Westward migration provides an explanation for the preferential emplacement of recent lavas flows west of the axis, evident in ABE bathymetry and submersible observations. INDEX TERMS: 3035 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Midocean ridge processes; 1517 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Magnetic anomaly modeling; 8499 Volcanology: General or miscellaneous; 3045 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Seafloor morphology and bottom photography; 3005 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Geomagnetism (1550);


We report on Suzaku observations of selected regions within the southern giant lobe of the radio galaxy Centaurus A. In our analysis we focus on distinct X-ray features detected with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer within the range 0.5–10 keV, some of which are likely associated with fine structure of the lobe revealed by recent high-quality radio intensity and polarization maps. With the available photon statistics, we find that the spectral properties of the detected X-ray features are equally consistent with thermal emission from hot gas with temperatures kT > 1 keV, or with a power-law radiation continuum characterized by photon indices Γ ∼ 2.0 ± 0.5. However, the plasma parameters implied by these different models favor a synchrotron origin for the analyzed X-ray spots, indicating that a very efficient acceleration of electrons up to ≳ 10 TeV energies is taking place within the giant structure of Centaurus A, albeit only in isolated and compact regions associated with extended and highly polarized radio filaments. We also present a detailed analysis of the diffuse X-ray emission filling the whole field of view of the instrument, resulting in a tentative detection of a soft excess component best fitted by a thermal model with a temperature of kT ∼ 0.5 keV. The exact origin of the observed excess remains uncertain, although energetic considerations point to thermal gas filling the bulk of the volume of the lobe and mixed with the non-thermal plasma, rather than to the alternative scenario involving a condensation of the hot intergalactic medium around the edges of the expanding radio structure. If correct, this would be the first detection of the thermal content of the extended lobes of a radio galaxy in X-rays. The corresponding number density of the thermal gas in such a case is ng ∼ 10−4 cm−3, while its pressure appears to be in almost exact equipartition with the volume-averaged non-thermal pressure provided by the radio-emitting electrons and the lobes' magnetic field. A prominent large-scale fluctuation of the Galactic foreground emission, resulting in excess foreground X-ray emission aligned with the lobe, cannot be ruled out. Although tentative, our findings potentially imply that the structure of the extended lobes in active galaxies is likely to be highly inhomogeneous and non-uniform, with magnetic reconnection and turbulent acceleration processes continuously converting magnetic energy to internal energy of the plasma particles, leading to possibly significant spatial and temporal variations in the plasma β parameter around the volume-averaged equilibrium condition β ∼ 1.


For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you; The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the risks of building defects associated with rapid advancement of "green" construction technologies. It identifies the methods adopted by the sector for the determination of pre-construction defects that are framed within the context of, traditional; scientific; and professional design approaches. These are critically evaluated and utilised in attempts to mitigate defects arising from diffusing low carbon construction innovations. Design/methodology/approach –The paper takes the formof an evaluative literature review. Polemic in orientation, the paper critically compares two periods of time associated with rapid advancement of innovation. The first, the post-Second World War housing boom is synonymous with a legacy of substandard buildings that in many cases rapidly deteriorated, requiring refurbishment or demolition shortly after construction. The second, is today's "green" technology "shift" with its inherent uncertainty and increased risk of latent building defects and potential failure to deliver meaningful long-term performance. Central to this is an exploration of the drivers for innovation, and subsequent response, precautionary measures initiated, and the limitations of institutionalised systems to identify and mitigate defects. Similarities and differences between these historical periods frame a discussion around the theoretical approaches to defects and how these may be limited in contemporary low carbon construction. A conceptual framework is presented with the aim of enhancing the understanding for obviation of defects. Findings – Sufficient commonality exists between the periods to initiate a heightened vigilance in the identification, evaluation and ideally the obviation of defects. Design evaluation is not expressly or sufficiently defect focused. It appears that limited real change in the ability to identify defects has occurred since the post-war period and the ability to predict the performance of innovative systems and materials is therefore questionable. Attempts to appraise defects are still embedded in the three principle approaches: traditional; scientific; and professional design. Each of these systems have positive characteristics and address defect mitigation within constrains imposed by their very nature. However, they all fail to address the full spectrum of conditions and design and constructional complexities that lead to defects. The positive characteristics of each system need to be recognised and brought together in an holistic system that offers tangible advantages. Additionally, independent design professionals insufficiently emphasise the importance of defect identification and holistic evaluation of problems in design failure are influenced by their professional training and education. A silo-based mentality with fragmentation of professional responsibility debases the efficacy of defect identification, and failure to work in a meaningful, collaborative cross professional manner hinders the defect eradication process. Research limitations/implications – Whilst forming a meaningful contribution to stimulate debate, further investigation is required to tangibly establish integrated approaches to identify and obviate defects. Practical implications – The structured discussion and conclusions highlight areas of concern for industry practitioners, policy makers, regulators, industry researchers and academic researchers alike in addressing and realising a low carbon construction future. The lessons learned are not limited to a UK context and they have relevance internationally, particularly where rapid and significant growth is coupled with a need for carbon reduction and sustainable development such as the emerging economies in China, Brazil and India. Social implications – The carbon cost associated with addressing the consequences of emerging defects over time significantly jeopardises attempts to meet legally binding sustainability targets. This is a relatively new dimension and compounds the traditional economic and societal impacts of building failure. Clearly, blindly accepting this as "the cost of innovation without development" cannot be countenanced. Originality/value – Much research has been undertaken to evaluate post-construction defects. The protocols and inherent complexities associated with the determination of pre-construction defects have to date been largely neglected. This work attempts to rectify this situation.


Several IEC 61850-based protection and control schemes were recently implemented for the new electrical system at a North American oil refinery. IEC 61850 GOOSE messaging was used for several schemes including transfer tripping, breaker failure, islanding detection, remote synchronizing, automatic restoration, manual transfer, and load shedding. Site acceptance tests validated operation of the protection and control schemes. Bench testing was also performed for the load shedding scheme using a power system simulator. All of the testing focused on verifying scheme operation during normal operation and failure modes. Lessons learned during testing early on in the project influenced the design and testing of subsequent schemes. This paper describes the bench testing and site acceptance testing approaches. Example tests will be described along with test results of interest and lessons learned.


Novel 1,5-benzothiazepin-4-(5H)-one derivatives (8a-8g) have been synthesized by intramolecular cyclization of 6 using propyl phosphonic anhydride (T3P) as a cyclodehydrating agent. The anti-angiogenic and anti-oxidant properties of the new derivatives
were then evaluated. Compounds 8b, 8d, 8e, 8f and 8g exhibited very good inhibition of capillary proliferation, thus proving their anti-angiogenic properties. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant activities of these compounds were evaluated using diphenyl picryl hydrazine (DPPH), OH-, metal ion-chelating and NO (nitric oxide) assays, and the results compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a well known anti-oxidant. Compounds 8a-8g showed
excellent free-radical scavenging activities in the metal ion-chelating assay, and compounds 8f and 8g showed nitric oxide radical scavenging properties at a concentration of 20-100 μg/mL, and are thus more potent than BHT.


Variable contrast in the image of non-uniform objects is obtained by polarizing orthogonally the deviated and undeviated bundles of light due to diffraction by the object. Advantage is taken of this orthogonality of polarization to effect variable phase difference between, and variable amplitude ratio of the deviated and undeviated bundles. These modified, interfering bundles produce the image and permit continuously variable contrast.Of many possible polanret systems two are described. In the preferred system, the phase difference between the deviated and undeviated bundles is varied throughout one wave-length by rotation of the polarizer, and the amplitude ratio is varied practically in all proportions by rotation of the analyzer. The light is plane polarized either before or after passage through the object, passes through a uniform quarter-wave plate, through the zonal polarizer, and finally through the analyzer. The zonal polarizer consists of two thin, adjoining, plane-polarizing elements oriented at right angles. One element covers the image of the condenser diaphragm as formed by the intervening lenses of the condenser and objective, the other, the remaining area of the clear aperture. The principal axes of the quarter-wave plate bisect the transmission directions of the zonal polarizer.Wide range in contrast has been obtained with experimental polanret systems with microscope objectives of long focal length.


Objectives: The prophylactic administration of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during reperfusion after lung transplantation has been shown to reduce neutrophil-induced injury in animal models. Questions regarding efficacy in the clinical setting and concerns regarding increased free radical injury remain.

Methods: Twenty bilateral sequential lung transplant recipients were randomised to receive 20ppm inhaled NO (NO group) or standard anaesthetic gas mixture (Control group) from the onset of ventilation. Broncho-alveolar lavage was performed immediately prior to implantation and after 30 minutes of reperfusion and analysed for inflammatory cytokine levels and free radical surrogates. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) scoring was performed prospectively for 72 hours post-transplant.

Results: The prophylactic administration of nitric oxide during the first 30 minutes of reperfusion had no statistically significant effect on the development of Grade II–III PGD (5/10 vs.7/10, p=0.36) or gas exchange (AUC 429±296 vs. 336±306, p=0.64) in the NO and Control groups respectively. Pulmonary neutrophil sequestration, as measured by the transpulmonary arterio-venous neutrophil difference, was not influenced by the administration of NO. Pre-implantation lavage IL8 concentration correlated non-significantly, (73.3 ng/mg urea 95% CI 13.3–1,218.3 vs. 30.1 ng/mg urea 95% CI 1.1–157.6, p=0.22) and post-reperfusion IL8 significantly, with the development of PGD (232.9 ng/mg urea 95% CI 8.1–806.5 vs. 9.3 ng/mg urea 95% CI 0.4–65.9, p=0.015) for those with-and without PGD respectively. Prophylactic NO did not significantly alter the up-regulation of IL8, myeloperoxidase, or nitrotyrosine during transplantation.

Conclusions: The findings of this study do not support the use of prophylactic inhaled nitric oxide in an attempt to prevent lung reperfusion injury.


We describe a new method (HOP) for identifying groups of particles in N-body simulations. Having assigned to every particle an estimate of its local density, we associate each particle with the densest of the Nhop particles nearest to it. Repeating this process allows us to trace a path, within the particle set itself, from each particle in the direction of increasing density. The path ends when it reaches a particle that is its own densest neighbor; all particles reaching the same such particle are identified as a group. Combined with an adaptive smoothing kernel for finding the densities, this method is spatially adaptive, coordinate-free, and numerically straightforward. One can proceed to process the output by truncating groups at a particular density contour and combining groups that share a (possibly different) density contour. While the resulting algorithm has several user-chosen parameters, we show that the results are insensitive to most of these, the exception being the outer density cutoff of the groups.


The difficult recognition of some individual knowledge-based resources contained within any technological capability and the comprehension of their contribution to its operation, are the most recognised attributes of assets, which must accomplish to create and sustain competitive advantages. Nevertheless, the strategic value of intangible resources needs to receive more empirical attention, since previous results dealing with complexity and its effects on firm success are not conclusive at all. Apart from some environmental variables, one of the reasons that can explain this situation can be related to the theoretical treatment complexity received in the literature. Because of this, our aim is to develop an in-depth empirical analysis, where both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the complexity construct are integrated. To do that, we studied the empirical evidence coming from a sample of biotechnological Spanish firms devoted to either human or animal health.


Pollen stratigraphy of a core taken from a fen at Fundo Nueva Braunau (40°17.499S, 73°04.839W), situated 2 km beyond the western border of Llanquihue-age glacial drift, spans an age range from an estimated 60 000-70 000 BP to about 14 000 14 C yr BP (marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 4-2). The location at present is in the contact zone of Valdivian Evergreen Forest and Lowland Deciduous Beech Forest. Early and late in the pollen record, as indicated by assemblages of southern beech (Nothofagus dombeyi type) and grass (Gramineae), the site was located in Subantarctic Parkland. Intervening assemblages represent expansion of Valdivian- North Patagonian Evergreen Forest (. 49 355 to about 40 000 14 C yr BP) and North Patagonian Evergreen Forest-Subantarctic Parkland (approximately 40 000 to 30 000 14 C yr BP). Climate over the time span was under the storm regime of the Southern Westerlies and apparently uninterruptedly wet. When Subantarctic Parkland expanded, cold conditions with summer temperatures estimated at 8-9° C( 7°C lower than present) resulted in episodes of glacier maxima. Climate moderated during the period of forest expansion, at which time glaciers were in a state of recession. Contrasting with the continuously wet climate of the Lake District for the period of record, climate in semi-arid-arid, subtropical Chile underwent extended intervals of precipitation. Data from both the terrestrial and marine realm implicate the Southern Westerlies as the cause of intensified storm activity at lower latitudes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The article presents an account of how action learning principles were implemented to alleviate complex problems in universities. It focuses on the registrars and administrators under the academic Registrar's department. The Marquardt model of action learning was used in combination with the constructivist theories of learning, namely community of practice, experiential learning, discovery learning, problem-based learning and situated learning. The importance of culture and knowledge sharing is also highlighted. The results indicate that action learning contributes to problem-solving. The community of practice creates a conducive environment for successful implementation of action learning, and different organizational cultures impact on the implementation of action learning.


Despite moves towards inner-urban consolidation, Australian cities continue to expand in girth. In the process, housing development transforms formerly rural land into "peri-urban" settlements. These transitional zones are often sites of contestation: they place pressure on local amenities and infrastructure, reveal limitations in transportation and food systems, and conflict with "lifestyle" values. In this paper I explore these tendencies through the lens of an art project about Australian farmer P.A. Yeomans. Between 1940 and 1980, Yeomans developed a system of organic farming "Keyline" optimised for the poor soils and low rainfall of Australian conditions. Keyline has been hugely influential, particularly on the permaculture movement, which advocates re-localisation of food production in inner-cities. But Yeomans' own farms, despite being praised as exemplars of "agricultural heritage", are themselves in the process of being wiped out by medium-density housing developments.


Mappings between disparate models are fundamental to any application that requires interoperability between heterogeneous data and applications. Generating mappings is a labor-intensive and error prone task. To build a system that helps users generate mappings, we need an explicit representation of mappings. This representation needs to have well-defined semantics to enable reasoning and comparison between mappings. This paper first presents a powerful framework for defining languages for specifying mappings and their associated semantics. We examine the use of mappings and identify the key inference problems associated with mappings. These properties can be used to determine whether a mapping is adequate in a particular context. Finally, we consider an instance of our framework for a language representing mappings between relational data. We present sound and complete algorithms for the corresponding inference problems.


P(DEGMA-co-OEGMA-b-[TMSPMA-co-VBA])@silica@magnetite polymer–nanoparticle composites have been developed as a platform for controllable drug release. The nanocomposite facilitates controllable release of therapeutic molecules through breakage of pH and heat labile Schiff base bonds that bind the molecules to the polymer. This enables dual-stimuli responsive drug release in response to the acidic microenvironment of cancerous cells and heat generated by the magnetite nanoparticles when subjected to an alternating magnetic field, thereby permitting spatial and temporal control over 'burst' release of the drugs. The nanocomposite has also been shown to be effective at improving magnetic resonance imaging contrast through enhancement of spin–spin relaxivity.


With the number of channels in the hundreds instead of in the tens Hyper spectral imagery possesses much richer spectral information than multispectral imagery. The increased dimensionality of such Hyper spectral data provides a challenge to the current technique for analyzing data. Conventional classification methods may not be useful without dimension reduction pre-processing. So dimension reduction has become a significant part of Hyper spectral image processing. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the efficacy of Haar and Daubechies wavelets for dimensionality reduction in achieving image classification. Spectral data reduction using Wavelet Decomposition could be useful because it preserves the distinction among spectral signatures. Daubechies wavelets optimally capture the polynomial trends while Haar wavelet is discontinuous and resembles a step function. The performance of these wavelets are compared in terms of classification accuracy and time complexity. This paper shows that wavelet reduction has more separate classes and yields better or comparable classification accuracy. In the context of the dimensionality reduction algorithm, it is found that the performance of classification of Daubechies wavelets is better as compared to Haar wavelet while Daubechies takes more time compare to Haar wavelet. The experimental results demonstrate the classification system consistently provides over 84% classification accuracy.


Fossil pollen records on the Tibetan Plateau have
been widely used to infer the past climate changes,
which however, demands better understandings in
the vegetation changes. Previous studies based on
fossil pollen data have reported significant changes
in vegetation on the alpine Tibetan Plateau during
the Holocene. However, since the relative
proportions of fossil pollen taxa are largely
influenced by individual pollen productivities and
the dispersal characteristics, such inferences on
vegetation have the potential to be considerably
biased.
We therefore reexamined the modern pollenvegetation
relationships for four common pollen
species on the Tibetan Plateau, using Extended R-
value (ERV) models. Using Poaceae as the reference
taxa, high PPEs were deduced for Artemisia and
Chenopodiaceae, and Low PPE for the Cyperaceae.
Applying these PPEs to four fossil pollen sequences
since the Late Glacial, the plant abundances on the
central and north-eastern Tibetan Plateau were
quantified using the "REVEALS" model. The
proportions of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae were
greatly reduced compared to their original pollen
percentages in the reconstructed vegetation, while
Cyperaceae showed a relative increase in the
vegetation reconstruction. The reconstructed
vegetation assemblages always yielded smaller
compositional species turnovers than suggested by
the pollen spectra, as revealed by Detrended
Canonical Correspondence Analyses (DCCA) of the
Holocene sections, which indicates that the strength
of the previously reported vegetation changes may
therefore have been overestimated (Wang, Y.B. and
Herzschuh, U., 2011)


Time to onset of symptom relief in hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a common primary end point in clinical studies but it has never been validated by correlation with the course of HAE symptoms. This study was designed as a retrospective validation of the primary end point for a placebo-controlled phase II/III study in patients with HAE. Ninety-eight abdominal attacks were treated with 10 or 20 U/kg of a highly purified C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate or placebo. The primary end point was the time to onset of symptom relief, as determined by the patients. Patients assessed the intensity of the symptoms of pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea over time. By Spearman rank correlation, the primary end point was compared with the time to first reduction of (1) any symptom intensity, (2) the sum of symptom intensity scores, and (3) the intensity of the last symptom present at baseline. The C1-INH, 20 U/kg, and placebo groups were compared by one-sided two-sample Wilcoxon tests. The time to first reduction in intensity of the last symptom present at baseline had the highest correlation with the primary end point (r = 0.77). The time to onset of symptom relief and the time to the first reduction in intensity of the last symptom were significantly shorter for the C1-INH, 20 U/kg, group compared with placebo (p = 0.009 and p = 0.0036, respectively). The association with the intensity of single symptoms confirmed that the time to onset of symptom relief is an appropriate end point for assessing the efficacy of C1-INH therapy.


BACKGROUND
Intraoperative frozen section procedure may be required in some operations performed for breast masses.

AIMS
We investigated the effect of frozen section procedure on the immunoprofile of breast carcinoma cells.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

METHODS
A total of 53 breast carcinoma cases evaluated with intraoperative frozen sections were included in this study. Immunohistochemically, oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and HER2 primary antibodies were evaluated in both frozen and non-frozen sections of each tumour sample.

RESULTS
No difference was found between the frozen and non-frozen sections in 33 cases in terms of staining rate and intensity of ER, PR and HER2. A decrease was found in the ER, PR and HER2 staining rate (in 10 cases, 9 cases and 6 cases, respectively). Likewise, a decrease was detected in ER, PR and HER2 staining intensity in 6 patients for each. Although there was no staining in frozen sections, immunopositivity was observed in 3 non-frozen sections for ER, in 2 for PR and in 5 for HER2. Statistically, a significant difference was found between the frozen and non-frozen sections in terms of staining rate and intensity for each of the three markers.

CONCLUSION
In this study, the frozen section procedure in breast carcinoma had a negative effect on the immunoprofile. However, considering the importance of hormone receptor status in the treatment, these results should be supported with larger series.


Linkage disequilibrium (LD) is bases of genomic selection, genomic marker imputation, marker assisted selection (MAS), quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, parentage testing and whole genome association studies. The Particular alleles at closed loci have a tendency to be co-inherited. In linked loci this pattern leads to association between alleles in population which is known as LD. Two metric parameter Dˊ and r2 were suggested for measuring the extent of LD in population. D' are more influenced by variation in allele frequencies than r2. Until recently all research on LD was carried out by microsatellite, which reported high level of Dˊ in wide extent. As progressing on large scale genomes sequencing a huge number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were detected on genome and microsatellite replaced by SNP in such researches. By using SNP, high level of LD in short distance has been reported. Many factors can affect LD such as selection, migration, genetic drift, mutation, small finite population size and recombination. So, LD is basic tools for exploring the genetic basis of quantitative traits in livestock. Likewise, comparative LD maps make a capable us to examine the degree of diversity between breeds and to discover genomic regions that have been subject to selection. Therefore, this review states concept and current approach to estimating LD and extent of LD in livestock population.


True natural language understanding requires the ability to identify and understand metaphorical utterances, which are ubiquitous in human communication of all kinds. At present, however, even the problem of identifying metaphors in arbitrary text is very much an unsolved problem, let alone analyzing their meaning. Furthermore, no current methods can be transferred to new languages without the development of extensive language-specific knowledge bases and similar semantic resources. In this paper, we present a new language-independent ensemble-based approach to identifying linguistic metaphors in natural language text. The system's architecture runs multiple corpus-based metaphor identification algorithms in parallel and combines their results. The architecture allows easy integration of new metaphor identification schemes as they are developed. This new approach achieves state-of-the-art results over multiple languages and represents a significant improvement over existing methods for this problem.


College Korean offers a comprehensive introduction to the Korean language designed for American students. Rogers, You, and Richards have used their many years of teaching to devise and test an approach that balances reading and writing with the spoken language. The result is a well-rounded textbook suited to a yearlong course in which students learn to conduct conversations about their own lives and interests, read texts written in hangul, and write simple compositions. The book systematically introduces basic Korean grammar, a contextualized vocabulary, and styles of speech that are sociolinguistically appropriate for college students. Each of its 26 lessons contains a dialogue or a reading, practice patterns, relevant grammar notes, and exercises. Approximately 150 Sino-Korean characters are also introduced, and complete glossaries and grammar indexes are provided.


In commercial refrigeration market, lots of equipment are installed and exposed to a variety of environment and use conditions. The owners of these refrigeration equipment, usually the brands of the refrigerated goods (such as ice creams and beverages), do not have the immediate information about the health of the equipment, quality of their products or sales. Usually, they have to work reactively; therefore the information comes too late to prevent cumulative losses. A technology based on Internet of Things was developed to address these usual problems for the commercial refrigeration market, the information being translated to intelligent actions that aim cost reduction and increase of sales. Such solution, once being present on a large number of equipments, can bring relevant data to improve the overall efficiency and quality of the refrigeration systems, contributing to a new reality where these systems and their components will not only be better developed but better used as well. The platform embraces all layers of a state of the art IoT application, all of them requiring robustness, expansion capability, data security and safety to the customer. These layers can be seen as the synergy of different techniques and its interfaces, going from a diversity of sensors inside a refrigeration system, through the advanced electronics, local algorithms, the connectivity with the internet and the cloud architecture with all its capabilities to implement intelligent solutions that transform raw data into value to the customers. Results from a field pilot test will be shown to exemplify real life conditions that were detected on time to avoid operational costs for the customer.


In this dissertation, I present a suite of studies investigating the neural and cognitive bases of semantic composition. First, I motivate why a theory of semantic combinatorics is a fundamental desideratum of the cognitive neuroscience of language. I then introduce a possible typology of semantic composition: one which involves contrasting feature-based composition with function-based composition. Having outlined several different ways we might operationalize such a distinction, I proceed to detail two studies using univariate and multivariate fMRI measures, each examining different dichotomies along which the feature-vs.-function distinction might cleave. I demonstrate evidence that activity in the angular gyrus indexes certain kinds of function-/relation-based semantic operations and may be involved in processing event semantics. These results provide the first targeted comparison of featureand function-based semantic composition, particularly in the brain, and delineate what proves to be a productive typology of semantic combinatorial operations. The final study investigates a different question regarding semantic composition: namely, how automatic is the interpretation of plural events, and what information does the processor use when committing to either a distributive plural event (comprising separate events) or a collective plural event (consisting of a single joint event). Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Psychology First Advisor Sharon L. Thompson-Schill Second Advisor John C. Trueswell


Abstract With the development of Internet technologies and services and the miniaturization of handheld computers, requirements to support computer mobility and nomadic users are greatly needed. Besides mobility support, in the multimedia world QoS (Quality of Services) transmission is also highly desired. In fixed networks, the resource ReSerVation Protocol establishes and maintains a reservation state to ensure a given QoS level between the sender and receiver. In wireless networks, host mobility leads to handoff between different domains of access point. As a result, the original route path is changed, and RSVP does not consider this in its original design. The authors propose a new resource reservation method for wireless networks using the concept of active networks. They design a set of RSVP agents that can be distributed to routers dynamically. The resource reservation of mobile nodes is managed and maintained by these RSVP agents. The proposed protocol allows reserved flows for mobile users to continue without disruption when performing handoff. To evaluate the performance, the authors use the network simulator-2 (ns2) to compare their methods with some related research. The simulation results show that the blocking probability and forced termination probability are decreased by using the proposed method. Furthermore, improvements are achieved without sacrificing efficiency.


In Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, the Supreme Court adopted a new standard of factual particularity a plaintiff must meet to satisfy the requirement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) that a complaint plead a "short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." In Ashcroft v. Iqbal, the Court made clear that the Twombly pleading standard extended to civil actions seeking redress for deprivation of constitutional rights in particular, and universally to all Complaints filed in federal court. Commentators have debated whether after Iqbal, victims of constitutional wrongdoing will be able to survive a 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss where the government and its officials exclusively harbor knowledge of the facts that animated the deprivation. Where constitutionality turns on the government's motive or justification for its actions, how can the plaintiff assert factual allegations sufficient to "nudge [his] claims across the line from conceivable to plausible?" A second, less-discussed aspect of Iqbal is not new at all. Rather, Iqbal is but the latest instance in a long line of cases in which the Supreme Court, acting sua sponte, legislates a doctrine freeing government and its officials from accountability for proven violations of the Constitution. The Iqbal Court held that a supervisory official who is aware of, and deliberately indifferent to, the unconstitutional conduct of subordinates is not liable for damages caused by the deprivation. Rather, plaintiff must prove the supervisor independently violated the Constitution. Notably, Attorney General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller never argued before either the district court or court of appeals that plaintiff must prove a heightened level of culpability to establish their liability for infringements of constitutional rights physically inflicted by public employees under their command. Likewise, Ashcroft and Mueller did not ask the Supreme Court to revise the law of supervisory liability by elevating the requirements of plaintiff's prima facie case. The Iqbal Court's abandonment of well-entrenched limits on judicial authority in order to unilaterally shelter the government from accountability to persons deprived of their constitutional rights is not an aberration. This article will examine the Court's penchant, without the benefit of the views of the lower courts and advocates, to excuse government entities and public officials from paying damages for injuries caused by their constitutional wrongdoing. As a result of the Court's judicial legislation, the innocent citizen is often left to bear the losses caused by the government's invasion of the most fundamental rights, those secured by the United States Constitution.


Summary.  Background: The incidence of postsurgical venous thromboembolism is thought to be low in Asian ethnic populations. Objective: We studied the incidence of deep‐vein thrombosis (DVT) in Asian patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery of the lower limbs. Patients/methods: We performed a prospective epidemiological study in 19 centers across Asia (China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand) in patients undergoing elective total hip replacement (THR), total knee replacement (TKR) or hip fracture surgery (HFS) without pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. The primary endpoint was the rate of DVT of the lower limbs documented objectively with bilateral ascending venography performed 6–10 days after surgery using a standardized technique and evaluated by a central adjudication committee unaware of local interpretation. Results: Overall, of 837 Asian patients screened for this survey, 407 (48.6%, aged 20–99 years) undergoing THR (n = 175), TKR (n = 136) or HFS (n = 96) were recruited in 19 centers. DVT was diagnosed in 121 of 295 evaluable patients [41.0%, (95% confidence interval (CI): 35.4–46.7)]. Proximal DVT was found in 30 patients [10.2% (7.0–14.2)]. Total DVT and proximal DVT rates were highest in TKR patients (58.1% and 17.1%, respectively), followed by HFS patients (42.0% and 7.2%, respectively), then THR patients (25.6% and 5.8%, respectively). DVT was more frequent in female patients aged at least 65 years. Pulmonary embolism was clinically suspected in 10 of 407 patients (2.5%) and objectively confirmed in two (0.5%). Conclusions: The rate of venographic thrombosis in the absence of thromboprophylaxis after major joint surgery in Asian patients is similar to that previously reported in patients in Western countries.


Art authentication boards are powerful; their determinations of authenticity can render artwork worthless or add millions of dollars to market value. In the past, boards that denied authenticity of artwork typically risked tort liability for disparagement, defamation, or fraud. In Simon-Whelan v. Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., however, an art collector alleged monopolization and market restraint after an authentication board denied the authenticity of his Andy Warhol painting by stamping "DENIED" on the back of it. The case is the first antitrust lawsuit against an authentication board to survive the defendant's motion to dismiss. The decision therefore suggests potential liability exposure under the Sherman Antitrust Act for art professionals who render opinions on the authenticity of artwork. This Article discusses how Simon-Whelan provides a framework for pleading antitrust claims against authentication boards and considers what standard could be appropriate for analyzing similar claims at trial. This Article also describes how antitrust law governing standards setting and product certification outside the art world could apply to art authentication and organizations setting authenticity standards.


Michele Wallace burst into public consciousness with the 1979 publication of Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman , a pioneering critique of the misogyny of the Black Power movement and the effects of racism and sexism on black women. Since then, Wallace has produced an extraordinary body of journalism and criticism engaging with popular culture and gender and racial politics. This collection brings together more than fifty of the articles she has written over the past fifteen years. Included alongside many of her best-known pieces are previously unpublished essays as well as interviews conducted with Wallace about her work. Dark Designs and Visual Culture charts the development of a singular, pathbreaking black feminist consciousness.

Beginning with a new introduction in which Wallace reflects on her life and career, this volume includes other autobiographical essays; articles focused on popular culture, the arts, and literary theory; and explorations of issues in black visual culture. Wallace discusses growing up in Harlem; how she dealt with the media attention and criticism she received for Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman , which was published when she was just twenty-seven years old; and her relationship with her family, especially her mother, the well-known artist Faith Ringgold. The many articles devoted to black visual culture range from the historical tragedy of the Hottentot Venus, an African woman displayed as a curiosity in nineteenth-century Europe, to films that sexualize the black body—such as Watermelon Woman , Gone with the Wind , and Paris Is Burning . Whether writing about the Anita Hill–Clarence Thomas hearings, rap music, the Million Man March, Toshi Reagon, multiculturalism, Marlon Riggs, or a nativity play in Bedford Stuyvesant, Wallace is a bold, incisive critic. Dark Designs and Visual Culture brings the scope of her career and thought into sharp focus.


We report on the final electroweak measurements performed with data taken at the Z resonance by the experiments operating at the electron-positron colliders SLC and LEP. The data consist of 17 million Z decays accumulated by the ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL experiments at LEP, and 600 thousand Z decays by the SLD experiment using a polarised beam at SLC. The measurements include cross-sections, forward-backward asymmetries and polarised asymmetries. The mass and width of the Z boson, mZ and ΓZ, and its couplings to fermions, for example the ρ parameter and the effective electroweak mixing angle for leptons, are precisely measured: mZ = 91.1875 ± 0.0021 GeV ΓZ = 2.4952 ± 0.0023 GeV ρl = 1.0050 ± 0.0010 sin θ eff = 0.23153 ± 0.00016 . The number of light neutrino species is determined to be 2.9840 ± 0.0082, in agreement with the three observed generations of fundamental fermions. The results are compared to the predictions of the Standard Model. At the Z-pole, electroweak radiative corrections beyond the running of the QED and QCD coupling constants are observed with a significance of five standard deviations, and in agreement with the Standard Model. Of the many Z-pole measurements, the forward-backward asymmetry in b-quark production shows the largest difference with respect to its Standard Model expectation, at the level of 2.8 standard deviations. Through radiative corrections evaluated in the framework of the Standard Model, the Z-pole data are also used to predict the mass of the top quark, mt = 173 +13 −10 GeV, and the mass of the W boson, mW = 80.363 ± 0.032 GeV. These indirect constraints are compared to the direct measurements, providing a stringent test of the Standard Model. Using in addition the direct measurements of mt and mW, the mass of the as yet unobserved Standard Model Higgs boson is predicted with a relative uncertainty of about 50% and found to be less than 285 GeV at 95% confidence level.


Rural landscapes are increasingly diverse and heterogeneous, involving a mix of small and large parcels, amenity and agricultural properties, and resident and absentee owners. Managing invasive plants in landscapes with changing ownership requires understanding the views and practices of different landowners. We surveyed landowners in two rural valleys with 26% absentee ownership and a large number of small parcels in Missoula County, Montana. Landowners indicated a high level of awareness and concern about weeds; more than 80% agreed that weeds are a problem in their valley. Seventy-eight percent of landowners managed weeds, but only 63% were effective at weed management. Absentee owners were far less likely to manage weeds on their properties and less likely to utilize herbicides, as compared with resident landowners. Landowners reported that seeds coming from adjacent properties were the most significant barrier to effective weed control. Many landowners manage weeds to be a good neighbor and believe that cooperation between neighbors is critical to weed management. Management Implications: Most rural areas have a diversity of landowners with a range of parcel sizes and management goals. Many of these landscapes are experiencing an influx of amenity migrants and absentee landowners, increasing the number of landowners responsible for weed management. Weed managers and extension agents can benefit from a better understanding of the views and practices of these landowners so that they can develop programs to meet landowner needs. Based on a survey of rural landowners in western Montana, we recommend that in landscapes with a diversity of landowners, practitioners emphasize a range of weed management approaches (from herbicides to biocontrols) and benefits (from wildlife habitat to scenic beauty). In particular, landowners who are concerned about the safety of herbicides might need information on alternative methods. Because absentee landowners are less likely to manage weeds, managers need to find ways to engage these landowners in weed management. Effectively engaging absentee landowners might require innovative communication strategies that involve neighbors, emails, and real estate agents. Further, because seeds coming in from neighboring properties are often seen as a major barrier to effective weed management, engaging a broad range of landowners, including absentee landowners, is critical. Weed managers, extension agents, and community groups can organize landowners and small groups of neighbors to share information, resources, and labor, and build social norms about appropriate weed management.