Video moment localization aims at localizing the video segments which are most related to the given free-form natural language query. The weakly supervised setting, where only video level description is available during training, is getting more and more attention due to its lower annotation cost. Prior weakly supervised methods mainly use sliding windows to generate temporal proposals, which are independent of video content and low quality, and train the model to distinguish matched video-query pairs and unmatched ones collected from different videos, while neglecting what the model needs is to distinguish the unaligned segments within the video. In this work, we propose a novel weakly supervised solution by introducing Contrastive Negative sample Mining (CNM). Specifically, we use a learnable Gaussian mask to generate positive samples, highlighting the video frames most related to the query, and consider other frames of the video and the whole video as easy and hard negative samples respectively. We then train our network with the Intra-Video Contrastive loss to make our positive and negative samples more discriminative. Our method has two advantages: (1) Our proposal generation process with a learnable Gaussian mask is more efficient and makes our positive sample higher quality. (2) The more difficult intra-video negative samples enable our model to distinguish highly confusing scenes. Experiments on two datasets show the effectiveness of our method. Code can be found at https://github.com/minghangz/cnm.


1 Marker gene sequencing of microbial communities has generated big datasets 2 of microbial relative abundances varying across environmental conditions, sam3 ple sites and treatments. These data often come with putative phylogenies, 4 providing unique opportunities to investigate how shared evolutionary history 5 a ects microbial abundance patterns. Here, we present a method to identify the 6 phylogenetic factors driving patterns in microbial community composition. We 7 use the method, phylofactorization , to re-analyze datasets from human body 8 and soil microbial communities, demonstrating how phylofactorization can be 9 a dimensionality-reducing tool, an ordination-visualization tool, and also mass10 produce inferences on the edges in the phylogeny in which meaningful di erences 11 arose. 12


Nowadays, online stores are trying to differentiate themselves based on atmospherics, and there are many studies on visual and acoustic elements. However, little attention has been given to background music. On the other hand, literature of consumer behavior, psychology and education has shown that background music influences individuals' affective responses and cognitive processing. To extend background music effect to online shopping context, this paper presents an on-going project which investigates how e-store background music-induced arousal would affect online consumer search behavior. Drawing insights from social psychology theories (Yerkes-Dodson Law, Distraction-Conflict Theory, and Optimum Stimulation Level Theory), it predicts that music-induced arousal interacts with search task complexity, to influence search performance and search experience. A laboratory experiment is designed to test the research model and hypotheses. This study has the potential to enhance current knowledge about background music effect and provide e-stores owners with guidelines on incorporating new atmospheric elements.


Due to the rising importance and popularity of the concept of sustainable development, a huge number of various methodologies and concepts for measuring sustainability have evolved in the last few decades.  However, there are still challenges and issues that should be solved, suggesting the need for new approaches and sustainability metrics to be developed and proposed. The main goal of this paper is the present possibilities of application of I-distance methodology to measurement of the sustainable development as it could address some of the actual challenges related to subjective nature of usually applied normalization, weighting and aggregation methods.The proposed I-distance methodology was applied on a set of European countries. A twofold approach provided a deeper insight into not only domain dynamics, but also into total score dynamic. It can support policy makers to identify key indicators and focus the policy areas where appropriate policy measures would have the most significant influence on the overall positioning of the country.


Markov clustering is becoming a key algorithm with in bioinformatics for determining clusters in networks. For instance, clustering protein interaction networks is helping find genes implicated in diseases such as cancer. However, with fast sequencing and other technologies generating vast amounts of data on biological networks, performance and scalability issues are becoming a critical limiting factorin applications. Meanwhile, Graphics Processing (GPU)computing, which uses a massively parallel computing environment in the GPU card, is becoming a very powerful, efficient and low cost option to achieve substantial performance gains over CPU approaches. This paper introduces a very fast Markov clustering algorithm (MCL) based on massive parallel computing in GPU. We use the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) to allow the GPU to perform parallel sparse matrix-matrix computations and parallel sparse Markov matrix normalizations, which are at the heart of the clustering algorithm. The key to optimizing our CUDA Markov Clustering (CUDAMCL) was utilizing ELLACK-R sparse data format to allow the effective and fine-grain massively parallel processing to cope with the sparse nature of interaction networks datasets in bioinformatics applications. CUDA also allows us to use on-chip memory on the GPU efficiently, to lower the latency time thus circumventing a major issue in other parallel computing environments, such as Message Passing Interface (MPI). Here we describe the GPU algorithm and its application to several real world problems as well as to artificial datasets. We find that the principle factor causing variation in performance of the GPU approach is the relative sparseness of networks. Comparing GPU computation times against a modern quad-core CPU on the published(relatively sparse) standard BIOGRID protein interaction networks with 5156 and 23175 nodes, speed factors of 4times and 9 were obtained, respectively. On the Human Protein Reference Database, the speed of clustering of19599 proteins was improved by a factor of 7 by the GPU algorithm. However, on artificially generated densely connected networks with 1600 to 4800 nodes, speedups by a factor in the range 40 to 120 times were readily obtained. As the results show, in all cases the GPU implementation is significantly faster than the original MCL running on CPU. Such approaches are allowing large-scale parallel computation on off-the-shelf desktop machines that were previously only possible on super-computing architectures, and have the potential to significantly change the way bioinformaticians and biologists compute and interact with their data.


Advances in technology are providing assistive and supportive interventions for people with dementia across all aspects of their lives. These interventions are mainly addressed at meeting the safety, security and social needs of people with dementia. The psychological needs of people with dementia for conversation and other forms of positive social interactions are also being tackled through developments such as the CIRCA project.


Developing user-friendly learning platform tailored to illustrating the integrative nature of specific subjects can be very effective in enhancing the involvement of students in the classroom. The focus of this paper is twofold; first, highlighting a specific project from a teaching perspective for the design and implementation of a multipurpose experimental test facility for plug-in electric vehicle, renewable energy and energy storage management in the smart grid context. Second, proposing the application of this project as an interactive tool to assist in demonstrating the system behaviour, when teaching the new emerging subjects in power engineering courses particularly, Smart Grid. Indeed, the scope of the test facility with the developed simulation tool is specially structured and oriented to education, training and research studies, where problem-based learning can be easily implemented. The electrical test hardware in this design can be operated independently as a multipurpose experimental setup for plug-in electric vehicle. In addition, it can also be interconnected with a small size wind or photovoltaic system to facilitate a complete hybrid integrated platform for testing and model verification. A variety of illustrative examples are presented to show the features of the test facility with its operation and how the components of this facility were selected. Additionally, several test scenarios are depicted using the developed simulation tool, which cover the assessment of grid integration with its components in the event of unforeseen circumstances. A recommendation that can be drawn from this paper is to motivate academics who are actively involved in conducting research on smart grid, to make use of their hardware or software designs in the process of teaching and learning so that undergraduate students can get the opportunity of observation and experimentation. In this sense, suggestions for future work are proposed.


Because of its simplicity, the shock response spectrum has become widely used as a means of describing the shock responses and fragilities of structures and equipment. This paper focuses on the drawbacks of using the shock response spectrum for defining equipment shock tolerance. A cantilever beam with a tip mass was used to model a hypothetical piece of equipment subjected to strong ground motion such as that caused by an explosion. The exact solution from a detailed modal analysis shows that multiple modes of response were excited. Contributions from higher modes can be more predominant than that from the fundamental mode. Assuming the total response of equipment is predominantly in the first mode can lead to significant error. Current shock spectrum procedures for equipment fragility assessment are inadequate, not only because of the physical limitations of shake table tests, but also because of the lack of a reliable analytical model.


Student engagement in classroom activities promotes deeper learning and higher academic achievement, while noncompliant-disruptive behavior can lead to negative indicators. Acknowledging the need to support students whose conduct falls into the latter category, schools have implemented proactive behavioral systems in various educational contexts. Within one particular approach, School Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBS), teachers and staff members employ specific strategies that promote positive student-adult relationships. The current study made use of one manifestation of the Check In, Check Out (CICO) system by providing a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) that included goals related to maintaining eye contact and using desk materials appropriately. Four students with demonstrated behavioral needs participated in an AB single case design study where the research focused on increasing time spent in Appropriately Engaged Behavior (AEB) through the process of providing teacher feedback on a DBRC and embedding a student self-monitoring task. Results demonstrated an increase in AEB across all participants, but did not indicate a functional relationship to the intervention itself based on analysis of Percentage of Non-Overlapping Data (PND). While inconclusive, such positive increases suggest that use of both specific teacher feedback on behavior and self-regulatory practices may be beneficial in increasing AEB in general education middle-school age students.


Objective: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly exhibit comorbid symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity and anxiety. Several studies are being conducted worldwide on cannabidiol use in ASD; however, these studies are still ongoing, and data on the effects of its use is very limited. In this study we aimed to report the experience of parents who administer, under supervision, oral cannabinoids to their children with ASD. Methods: After obtaining a license from the Israeli Ministry of Health, parents of children with ASD were instructed by a nurse practitioner how to administer oral drops of cannabidiol oil. Information on comorbid symptoms and safety was prospectively recorded biweekly during follow-up interviews. An independent group of specialists analyzed these data for changes in ASD symptoms and drug safety. Results: 53 children at a median age of 11 (4–22) year received cannabidiol for a median duration of 66 days (30–588). Self-injury and rage attacks (n = 34) improved in 67.6% and worsened in 8.8%. Hyperactivity symptoms (n = 38) improved in 68.4%, did not change in 28.9% and worsened in 2.6%. Sleep problems (n = 21) improved in 71.4% and worsened in 4.7%. Anxiety (n = 17) improved in 47.1% and worsened in 23.5%. Adverse effects, mostly somnolence and change in appetite were mild. Conclusion: Parents' reports suggest that cannabidiol may improve ASD comorbidity symptoms; however, the long-term effects should be evaluated in large scale studies.


Spectropolarimetric observations have been used to map stellar magnetic fields, many of which display strong bands of azimuthal fields that are toroidal. A number of explanations have been proposed to explain how such fields might be generated though none are definitive. In this paper, we examine the toroidal fields of a sample of 55 stars with magnetic maps, with masses in the range 0.1-1.5M(circle dot). We find that the energy contained in toroidal fields has a power-law dependence on the energy contained in poloidal fields. However the power index is not constant across our sample, with stars less and more massive than 0.5M(circle dot) having power indices of 0.72 +/- 0.08 and 1.25 +/- 0.06, respectively. There is some evidence that these two power laws correspond to stars in the saturated and unsaturated regimes of the rotation-activity relation. Additionally, our sample shows that strong toroidal fields must be generated axisymmetrically. The latitudes at which these bands appear depend on the stellar rotation period with fast rotators displaying higher latitude bands than slow rotators. The results in this paper present new constraints for future dynamo studies.


Abstract Rape jokes are a contentious topic on the internet; arguments over whether "rape is funny" unfold in a diverse range of forums, but they generally take the same predictable form. In this article, I analyze the text of a variety of disputes on American websites over the funniness of rape jokes. I show not only that both sides of these arguments are premised on the same underlying assumptions about the ways that humor and language function, but more importantly that these shared assumptions make it possible for rape humor (and humor more generally) to carry social and political valence—and that in order to understand the significance of the debate over rape jokes, we need to understand the identity work that people are doing when they tell rape jokes, laugh at them, or frown and shake their heads. (Humor, language ideologies, rape, joking)*


Slow and fast light enables key functionality in various rf applications and all-optical networks. Semiconductor-based schemes offer electrical control of velocity at very high bandwidths in an extremely compact device. Furthermore, they operate at room temperature and can be easily integrated into various optical systems. Ultrafast nonlinear processes in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) have been used to achieve tunable slow and fast light in the terahertz bandwidth. For a 700 fs pulse, we show an electrically and optically controllable advance of 1.9 ps corresponding to an advance-bandwidth product (ABP) of 2.5. Furthermore, by leveraging self-phase modulation in these devices, we extend the performance to an ABP of 3.7. We develop comprehensive theory using a density matrix approach to explain the experimental results. Our results show that an ultrashort pulse propagating through the SOA experiences nonlinear index change due to spectral-hole burning and wave mixing between different spectral components. We derive analytical expressions for the nonlinear index induced by these ultrafast processes and numerically solve the propagation of an ultrashort pulse through the SOA. Our theoretical predictions agree very well with our experimental results. Finally, we show fast light for two ultrashort pulses separated by 7.2 ps, which demonstrates the feasibility of this scheme at high bit rates.


It has been well known for many years that the transit time model used in the SPICE Gummel-Poon model (SGPM) is not adequate for reliable design of circuits operating either at high current densities (including quasi-saturation), which is often the case in high-speed integrated circuits, or at low voltages, which is important for low-power applications. In addition, extraction of the SGPM's transit time model parameters is often very difficult and time consuming. Although various proposals for modeling the transit time were published in the past, most of them are not suited for compact transistor models required in circuit simulation from a numerical, parameter extraction and lateral scaling point of view. In this paper, a set of minority charge and transit time equations is derived which are physics-based and laterally scaleable as well as suitable for incorporation into compact models. Experimental results of the new model are presented in terms of transit time and transit frequency versus bias (I/sub C/, V/sub CE/), geometry, and temperature, showing excellent agreement for different types of silicon homojunction bipolar transistors.


This chapter documents the development of a university-level Blackfoot language course in which many of the students are linguistic inheritors (Rampton 1990) of Blackfoot. In attempting to integrate "the study of the culture of language into documentary linguistics" (Hill 2006: 113), we observe how varied language ideological patterns among speakers and learners of different linguistic repertoires came to be organized for the purposes of formal language instruction. Analysis of classroom discourse reveals conflicting language ideologies between variationism (Kroskrity 2009b) and standard (Hill 2008). We propose a model of "Language Ideological Variation and Emergence" (LIVE) to clarify how participant affiliations to competing language ideologies can emerge and shift as different language ideologies come into contact during discourse.


The evolution of the cancer cell into a metastatic entity is the major cause of death in patients with cancer. Activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) endows invasive and metastatic properties upon cancer cells that favor successful colonization of distal target organs. The observation that in many cancers distant metastases resemble the epithelial phenotype of primary tumors has led to speculation that the disseminated tumor cells recruited to the target organs undergo mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). However, the MET cascade has not been recapitulated in vivo, and the cellular and molecular regulators that promote MET remain unknown. In a recent report, using a model of spontaneous breast cancer, we have shown that bone marrow-derived myeloid progenitor cells in the premetastatic lung secrete the proteoglycan versican, which induces MET of metastatic tumor cells and accelerates metastases. This review summarizes recent progress in MET research, outlines a unique paracrine cross-talk between the microenvironment and the cancer cells, which promotes tumor outgrowth in the metastatic organ, and discusses opportunities for novel antimetastatic approaches for cancer therapy.


Some studies report the failure of a tibial insert of knee prostheses due to the subsurface cracking and delamination wear [1]. The present study starts by analysing retrieved total knee prosthesis revealing the loss of a functionality of the prosthesis due to the fact that a larger part of the polyethylene tibial insert was dislocated. Some qualitatively remarks on the depreciative phenomenon are done based on optical and microscopic analysis of the affected areas of the polyethylene component. The failure mechanism was postulated as a combination of the high level of loading during normal activities and a non-conforming contact mechanism between the metallic femoral condyles and the tibial insert. The question that arises is: Could be this phenomenon evaluated quantitatively a priori, e.g. could be the failure due to delamination wear predicted? In order to do that some finite element simulations were performed to dynamically determinate the area of the contact and the contact pressure for three different activities – normal walking, stair ascending and stairs descending – that could be considered as defining the level of the activity of the patient. The finite element model uses a modern contact mechanism, including friction, between the metallic femoral condyles (considered rigid) and the tibial polyethylene insert. The results reveal the disadvantages induced by the nonconformity of the contact, it means the fact that the loads are transferred by relatively small areas of higher stresses. A special summation technique was adopted in order to consider the cumulative effect of all activities, based on the frequency of each activity and on the magnitude of the determined damage function. The computed surface of cumulative maximum damage traversing the layers of the polyethylene insert could be identified as the cracking surface in the retrieved prosthesis. The conclusion is that a partial answer to the question enunciated before could be achieved by the method presented here, that is able to determinate the path of the subsequent failure of the polyethylene inserts even that for an accurate and complete answer some extensions of the simulations needed to be done.


The aim of this work was to trace an epidemiological and clinical profile of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases diagnosed as lip and tongue SCC from June 2001 to 2018 at a pathology anatomy service located in Northeastern Brazil. Age, sex, duration, location, growth type, staining, metastasis, etiologic agents and lesion size data were obtained from patient clinical files and histopathological reports. A total of 124 cases were recorded, with tongue SCC being the most prevalent. The common characteristics of both assessed SCCs included higher frequency in men, mean age of 60 years old, evidence mostly of exophytic lesions and maximum size of 4 cm, predominantly diagnosed after a maximum of 1 year of appearance. Regarding divergent findings, lip SCC occurred mostly in the lower portion of the lip, presenting a predominantly leukoplastic color, with regular smoking habits and sunlight identified as the main etiological agents, and no strong relation to metastasis. On the other hand, tongue SCC mostly exhibiting predominantly erythroleukoplastic staining, with a greater relationship to alcoholassociated smoking and regular smoking habits. The highest percentage of patients with metastasis presented tongue SCC. Although lip and tongue SCC display a male preference, an increasing amount of female involvement has been noted over the years, due to the adoption of deleterious habits such as smoking and alcoholism. Tongue SCC presented a greater relationship with metastasis and clinical leukoeritroplastic evidence. This greater aggressiveness could be related to the unfavorable location of these lesions in relation to lip SCC, sometimes making it difficult to identify in their early development stages.


In particular cases, such as acceleration, it is required to design a receiver structure that is capable of accomplishing time varying Doppler compensation. In this paper, two approaches are taken into consideration in order to estimate the symbol timing offset parameter. The first method employed to achieve an estimate of this particular parameter is based upon centroid localization and this prediction is reinforced by a second technique which utilises linear prediction, based on the assumption that the speed changes linearly during the OFDM symbol time. Subsequently, the two estimations of the symbol timing offset parameter are smoothed in order to obtain a fine tuned approximation of the Doppler scale. Additionally, the effects of weighting coefficients on smoothing the Doppler scale and on the performance of the receiver are also investigated. The proposed receiver is investigated, incorporating an improvement that includes fine tuning of the coarse timing synchronization in order to accommodate the time-varying Doppler. Based on this fine-tuned timing synchronization, an extension to the improved receiver is presented to assess the performance of two point correlations. The proposed algorithms' performances were investigated using real data obtained from an experiment that took place in the North Sea in 2009.


For a proper cone K ⊂ Rn and its dual cone K the complementary slackness condition xT s = 0 defines an n-dimensional manifold C(K) in the space { (x, s) | x ∈ K, s ∈ K^* }. When K is a symmetric cone, this manifold can be described by a set of n bilinear equalities. When K is a symmetric cone, this fact translates to a set of n linearly independent bilinear identities (optimality conditions) satisfied by every (x, s) ∈ C(K). This proves to be very useful when
optimizing over such cones, therefore it is natural to look for similar optimality conditions for non-symmetric cones. In this paper we define the bilinearity rank of a cone, which is the number of linearly independent bilinear identities valid for the cone, and describe a linear algebraic technique to bound this quantity. We examine several well-known cones, in particular
the cone of positive polynomials P2n+1 and its dual, the closure of the moment cone M2n+1, and compute their bilinearity ranks. We show that there are exactly four linearly independent bilinear identities which hold for all (x,s) ∈ C(P2n+1), regardless of the dimension of the cones. For nonnegative polynomials over an interval or half-line there are only two linearly independent bilinear identities. These results are extended to trigonometric and exponential
polynomials.


Although information technology (IT) tools for new product development (NPD) are widely available, prior studies have found the usage of IT to be limited to large-sized firms (cf. Barczak and Sultan, 2006), but increasing (Cooper, 2007). Extant research indicates that several factors influence IT usage, including the existence of a champion and NPD process formalization (Barczak, Sultan, and Hultink, 2007; Barczak, Hultink, and Sultan, 2008). In addition, the antecedents to IT usage have been found to vary among countries (Barczak, Hultink, and Sultan, 2008); that is, they are context-specific.

This study extends prior research by exploring the factors that facilitate and/or inhibit IT usage for NPD in Japanese firms. Japan was chosen for this study because it has been argued that, in order to develop generalized NPD theories applicable across different nations or cultures, further understanding is needed about countries other than North American and Western European countries (Song and Parry, 1996; Song, Kawakami, and Stringfellow, 2010). Additionally, the culture of Japan is known for being very different from North America and other Western countries, particularly in terms of Japan's relative emphasis on the collective as opposed to the individual; high in uncertainty avoidance as opposed to low uncertainty avoidance; and long-term orientation rather than short-term orientation (Hofstede, 2005; Kawakami, Maclachlan, and Stringfellow, forthcoming).

The lack of research in Japan on IT and NPD implied the need for an exploratory, grounded theory approach to this study. Using a multiple case study method, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 marketing, R&D, and IT managers and executives in 19 firms in a variety of industries.

Based on the analysis of the interview data and the follow-up surveys, the authors propose that ten factors in five categories, namely, strategic factors, market environment factors, development process factors, organizational factors, and technology-human interaction factors, are likely to influence IT usage for NPD in Japanese companies. Specifically, product innovativeness, extent of global engagement, formalized IT ROI measure, standardization of NPD activities, physical proximity, resistance to change, CIO as an executive sponsor, sensory requirements, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness are expected to influence IT usage.

From a theoretical perspective, this study extends prior research on IT usage by expanding the cultural context beyond North America and Western Europe by focusing on an Asian country, namely Japan. It also adds to the limited research that integrates national culture and NPD and enables the development of a conceptual model that could be tested empirically.


This study focuses on learning about fish biodiversity via mobile devices in a situated learning scenario. Mobile devices do not only facilitate relating the presented information to the real world in a direct way; they also allow the provision of dynamic representations on demand. This study asks whether mobile devices are suited to support knowledge acquisition in a situated learning scenario and whether providing dynamic content is an additional benefit of mobile devices in combination with a real-world experience. The study was conducted during a regular university course at the Mediterranean Sea. Students had to acquire knowledge on 18 Mediterranean fish species by using either static (n = 16) or dynamic learning materials (n = 17). An initial classroom activity was followed by a real-world experience with mobile devices (snorkelling activity). Learning outcomes were measured before and after snorkelling. A 2×2 mixed ANOVA revealed that students performed better after than before the mobile learning experience, whereas no main effect for learning material could be found. However, an interaction between both factors indicated that the knowledge gain in the dynamic group exceeded the knowledge gain in the static group. These results indicate that mobile devices are helpful to unfold the potential of dynamic visualisations for learning biodiversity in a situated learning scenario. Keywords: dynamic visualisations; mobile learning; situated learning; biodiversity DOI: 10.1080/09687760903247666


This package introduces a new float type called photo which works similar to the float types table and figure. Various options exist for placing photos, captions, and a "photographer" line. In twocolumn documents, a possibility exists to generate double-column floats automatically if the photo does not fit into one column. Photos do not have to be placed as floats, they can also be placed as boxes, with captions and photographer line still being available.


The coastal people of Nusantara has a different character from the rural. These coastal people are more open, warm and adaptable to a new thing. Pekalongan people residing in the North Coast of Java have unique and specific characteristics of other coastal people in the archipelago. This character is seen in the results of batik that they produce from time to time. This research uses ethnographic method through literature study, observation and interview with some experts and batik actors originating from Pekalongan and surrounding areas. This diachronic visual assessment shows how harmonious cultural acculturation takes place between local culture and foreign culture as well as external cultures themselves, through the visualization of batik.


In this paper we look at the implementation of the Core Root of Trust for Measurement (CRTM) from a Dell Latitude E6400 laptop. We describe how the implementation of the CRTM on this system doesn't meet the requirements set forth by either the Trusted Platform Module(TPM)PC client specification or NIST 800-155 guidance. We show how novel tick malware, a 51 byte patch to the CRTM, can replay a forged measurement to the TPM, falsely indicating that the BIOS is pristine. This attack is broadly applicable, because all CRTMs we have seen to date are rooted in mutable firmware. We also show how flea malware can survive attempts to reflash infected firmware with a clean image. To fix the untrustworthy CRTM we ported an open source "TPM-timing-based attestation" implementation from running in the Windows kernel, to running in an OEM's BIOS and SMRAM. This created a new, stronger CRTM that detects tick, flea, and other malware embedded in the BIOS. We call our system "BIOS Chronomancy", and we show that it works in a real vendor BIOS, with all the associated complexity, rather than in a simplified research environment.


We calculate the degree to which absorption can be enhanced by light trapping
in a material whose thickness is on the order of a wavelength of light. The
calculation makes use of an extension of the radiance theorem in the wave
domain and represents the ultimate upper limit as determined by the laws of
thermodynamics. It is a general upper limit, based solely on considerations
of the modal structure of the device and independent of the technique used
to couple light into the material. We assume only that the coupling mechanism
is isotropic. An important parameter in our result is the density of guided
modes within the planar structure, which we calculate. We find that even for
structures supporting only a small number of guided modes, significant enhancements
in absorption are possible.


Our theoretical modelings and experimental observations illustrate that the equilibrium-state luminescence of electron-trapping materials (ETMs) can be controlled to produce either excitatory or inhibitory responses to the same optical stimulus. Because of this property, ETMs have a unique potential in optical realization of neurobiologically based parallel computations. As a classic example, we have controlled the equilibrium-state luminescence of a thin film of this stimulable storage phosphor to make it behave similarly to the receptive fields of sensory neurons in the mammalian visual system, which are responsible for early visual processing.


Trace element deposition from desert dust has important impacts on ocean primary productivity, the quantification of which could be useful in determining the magnitude and sign of the biogeochemical feedback on radiative forcing. However, the impact of elemental deposition to remote ocean regions is not well understood and is not currently included in global climate models. In this study, emission inventories for eight elements primarily of soil origin, Mg, P, Ca, Mn, Fe, K, Al, and Si are determined based on a global mineral data set and a soil data set. The resulting elemental fractions are used to drive the desert dust model in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) in order to simulate the elemental concentrations of atmospheric dust. Spatial variability of mineral dust elemental fractions is evident on a global scale, particularly for Ca. Simulations of global variations in the Ca / Al ratio, which typically range from around 0.1 to 5.0 in soils, are consistent with observations, suggesting that this ratio is a good signature for dust source regions. The simulated variable fractions of chemical elements are sufficiently different; estimates of deposition should include elemental variations, especially for Ca, Al and Fe. The model results have been evaluated with observations of elemental aerosol concentrations from desert regions and dust events in non-dust regions, providing insights into uncertainties in the modeling approach. The ratios between modeled and observed elemental fractions range from 0.7 to 1.6, except for Mg and Mn (3.4 and 3.5, respectively). Using the soil database improves the correspondence of the spatial heterogeneity in the modeling of several elements (Ca, Al and Fe) compared to observations. Total and soluble dust element fluxes to different ocean basins and ice sheet regions have been estimated, based on the model results. The annual inputs of soluble Mg, P, Ca, Mn, Fe and K associated with dust using the mineral data set are 0.30 Tg, 16.89 Gg, 1.32 Tg, 22.84 Gg, 0.068 Tg, and 0.15 Tg to global oceans and ice sheets.


Co-doped Sb2Te3 nanoplates are fabricated using a facile and green solvothermal method. The as-synthesized nanoplates show uniform hexagonal morphology with a distribution of 1–2 μm in diameters and ∼50 nm in thickness. The detailed structural and compositional characterization indicates that Co uniformly distributes in Sb2Te3 and leads to a lattice shrink of 1.22% along the a axis and 0.9% along the c axis. A Superconducting Quantum Interference Device magnetometer is used to determine the temperature dependent magnetization in zero-field cooled and field cooled processes. The paramagnetic state in our Co-doped Sb2Te3 nanoplates is found from 5 K to 300 K.


The design research community acknowledges that usability and user experience are largely influenced by user characteristics, goals and contexts of use. For industrially manufactured products, these use situations are often dynamic and diverse. However, little guidance can be found in literature on the incorporation of dynamic and diverse use situations (DDUS) into the design process. This paper explores this issue by means of an analysis of user centred design literature and an empirical study of design for DDUS in design practice. We retrospectively studied three projects in which a product with DDUS was designed. Based on this study, we identified different effective strategies executed by design practitioners to analyse DDUS. We also observed difficulties in designing for DDUS. These difficulties include the identification of relevant aspects within this broad spectrum of use situations and sharing knowledge of product use between team members. We conclude that there is a need for guidance in the creation of flexible frames of reference of product use that evolve with solutions in the design process, particularly for design projects that cannot rely on the reuse of such a frame of reference from similar previous projects.


Nanoparticles of a BaSO4:Eu phosphor with a particle size of around 40 nm have been irradiated by 48 MeV 7Li3+, 75 MeV C6+ and 90 MeV O7+ ion beams at the fluence range of 1 ∼ l09–1 ∼ 1013 ions/cm2. The thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves of the irradiated samples were recorded and studied. The microcrystalline form of this sample is included in the study with the aim of reporting a comparative measurement. The TL results of this material in its nano- and microforms exposed to the gamma rays of 60Co are also included and investigated in more detail. It is observed that the glow curves of the nanomaterial exposed to these ions are similar to that exposed to gamma rays, with a dosimetric peak at 462 K beside a smaller one at 503 K, while those of the microcrystalline sample exposed to both ion beams and gamma rays have their prominent peak at 503 K beside a smaller one at 462 K. The observed TL sensitivity of the nanocrystalline material is less than that of the microcrystalline sample at low fluences/doses, while it is more at higher fluences/doses. This nanophosphor exhibits a linear/sublinear TL response to energetic ions and gamma radiation over a very wide range of exposures, which is much wider compared to that of its microcrystalline counterpart. This makes the nanostructural form of BaSO4:Eu useful to estimate the high doses of different ionising radiations that are in use for radiotherapy or food/seed irradiation.


Is enforcement necessary to law? Joshua Kleinfeld's claim in his article Enforcement and the Concept of Law that the existence of law despite the lack of perfect enforcement proves that enforcement is not strictly necessary involves circular reasoning. Likewise, the theory he proposes as an explanation for enforcement not being strictly necessary to law, namely that law belongs to a class of social objects with a normative constitution, leads to circular reasoning. In light of these problems, this paper argues that law may have different definitions none of which can be in-and-of-itself more correct than any other, which would mean that the validity of any claim about law could only be relative to its definition.


Umicore
Electra
is
a
vehicle
designed,
built
and
operated
by
the
Universite
de
Liege
to
race
in
the
Shell
Eco‐Marathon.
Students
have
been
designing
this
car
for
several
years
improving
its
components
and
its
operation.
Topology
optimization
is
a
design
methodology
that
is
fastly
growing
in
industrial
applications
thanks
to
the
evolution
of
computers
and
to
the
applying
character
of
the
tool.
Additive
manufacturing
is
a
novel
manufacturing
technique
that
is
also
developing
and
being
used
more
and
more
in
research
and
industry.
These
two
technologies
are
strongly
connected
providing
new
procedures
to
design
and
manufacture
elements.
The
aim
of
this
thesis
is
to
use
these
two
novel
technologies
to
design
a
new
support
for
the
electric
motors
and
the
supporting
plate
for
the
Umicore
Electra
car.
This
work
is
done
in
order
to
solve
a
bending
flexibility
problem
that
has
been
detected
in
the
car.
The
current
solution
to
this
problem
is
based
on
adding
extra
elements
that
compromise
the
weight
of
the
car
and
its
aerodynamics.
Therefore,
the
objective
of
the
project
is
on
the
one
hand
to
design
new
components
to
make
the
structure
stiffer,
and
on
the
other
hand
to
optimize
the
weight
of
these
components.
To
achieve
this
purpose,
finite
element
techniques
and
topology
optimization
are
used.
The
first
thing
that
has
been
done
is
the
definition
of
the
load
case
that
the
components
have
to
withstand.
Afterwards,
this
load
cases
are
used
to
carry
out
the
topology
optimization
in
order
to
design
the
new
components
concepts.
Based
on
topology
optimization
results,
CAD
models
of
the
components
have
been
proposed
while
detailed
finite
elements
analyses
have
been
used
to
check
their
structural
integrity
under
operating
conditions.


PART OF THE NEW JONES & BARTLETT LEARNING INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY & ASSURANCE SERIES Security Policies and Implementation Issues, Second Edition offers a comprehensive, end-to-end view of information security policies and frameworks from the raw organizational mechanics of building to the psychology of implementation. Written by an industry expert, it presents an effective balance between technical knowledge and soft skills, and introduces many different concepts of information security in clear simple terms such as governance, regulator mandates, business drivers, legal considerations, and much more. With step-by-step examples and real-world exercises, this book is a must-have resource for students, security officers, auditors, and risk leaders looking to fully understand the process of implementing successful sets of security policies and frameworks. Instructor Materials for Security Policies and Implementation Issues include: PowerPoint Lecture Slides Instructor's Guide Sample Course Syllabus Quiz & Exam Questions Case Scenarios/Handouts About the Series This book is part of the Information Systems Security and Assurance Series from Jones and Bartlett Learning. Designed for courses and curriculums in IT Security, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, and Information Systems Security, this series features a comprehensive, consistent treatment of the most current thinking and trends in this critical subject area. These titles deliver fundamental information-security principles packed with real-world applications and examples. Authored by Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSPs), they deliver comprehensive information on all aspects of information security. Reviewed word for word by leading technical experts in the field, these books are not just current, but forward-thinkingputting you in the position to solve the cybersecurity challenges not just of today, but of tomorrow, as well.


The paper discusses two progressive accent shifts which happened in Slavic during the post-migrational period before the end of the first millennium AD. Both shifts cross-cut the preceding pattern in Slavic, yet the first of these was relatively general and the second was highly restricted. In addition, the first of these shifts, referred to as Dybo's law, occurred as part of a sequence of changes, whereas the second was an isolated phenomenon. The paper shows that both shifts can be explained in terms of emerging weight properties within trochaic feet, yet against the background of a different ranking of tone and quantity. Keywords: Dybo's law; Stang's law; Slovene progressive shift; resolved trochee; prosodic hierarchy


Three fundamental and interconnected issues should be carefully considered before making any decisions on altering the federal safety net or the structure of the U.S. banking system. The first is whether or not bank depositors and other creditors can exercise timely and meaningful restraint on excessive risk-taking by bank managements. The second is whether the government should handle the orderly resolution of large bank failures in such a way that uninsured depositors and other bank creditors are protected. The third fundamental issue is the degree to which banking should continue to be insulated from other financial and nonfinancial activities. ; Drawing upon thirty-five years of experience in bank supervision and discount window administration, the author reviews these issues. He concludes that since market discipline cannot be effective in deterring excessive credit risks in banks, the authorities must continue to give all depositors of large banks at least the implicit assurance that their funds will be protected. He believes that bank involvement in investment banking and other financial activities should continue to be limited, and that nonbank entry into banking should continue to be restricted, in order to avoid broadening the federal safety net.


An adequate analysis of the originality of the video is of a great importance in video processing field. This paper presents a method for feature matching between two video streams. One of the video streams is subjected for severe compression, noise and rotation. These two copies represent the same movie but only one of the versions is original. Examples of reliable recognition of an original scene that is subjected for compression and noise are presented. The algorithm is invariant to image scale and rotation, providing robust matching across a substantial range of video signals. This paper shows an approach to using descriptive features for randomly chosen unstructured frames from video stream. By involving color information as a feature together with intensity profile for frame blocks we increase the robustness of the identification process. The median of low frequencies is measured, followed by an average of spectral information from the same frame to identify clusters belonging to a scene in a film. Finally, a comparison of mean squares of the difference is done to verify the originality of the film.


ABSTRACT In this paper, I conceptualise ethical consumption applications (ECAs) as market innovations inflected in processes of configuring market actors and market (re)framings. The introduction of ECAs through the work of civil society is not only about changing frames of market exchange, but also work in the register of making 'good consumers' and consumers as 'agents of change' and moralising markets. Thus, a more accurate concept for these devices is suggested: 'quasi' market devices. The main aim of this paper is to analyse how consumers attached to and resisted use of ECAs designed to assist in product choices and shape responsible everyday practices. Based on qualitative fieldwork in Sweden, the article applies a methodology grounded in Science and Technology-inspired market studies in combination with Consumer Culture Theory's (CCT) interest in identity work and sense-making associated with technology consumption. Although available at the time of the empirical data collection period of the study, all three apps were off the market during the analytic work of this paper; a major argument for focusing on barriers to acceptance of the apps and trying to conceptualise how such non-acceptance can be understood.


The intensity of the Hg 2573-A radiation from Hg + Ar discharges was measured as an independent function of mercury pressure (0.2-50 mTorr), ac current (50-2100 mA) and tube radius (0.79 cm and 1.27 cm) at a constant Ar pressure of ~4 Torr. For various constant mercury pressures, the Hg 2537-A intensity initially rises linearly with increasing current, but then tends to bend over and approach an asymptotic limit. The nonlinear, asymptotic behavior is due to electron deexcitation of the Hg 6(3)P(1) state at the higher currents in the presence of Hg 2537-A self-absorption. The Hg 2537-A intensity was also measured as a function of mercury pressure at various constant currents. The intensity rises to a peak (which defines an optimum Hg pressure) and then decreases with further increase in mercury pressure due to the combination of self-absorption and electron deexcitation. For high ac currents, the optimum Hg pressure is independent of current but varies inversely with the tube diameter. All this behavior is relevant to the problem of obtaining high efficiency from fluorescent lamps at high powers.


Updated information of mechanisms for T-DNA transfer to plant cells by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is provided, focused on the role played by the different components of the virulence system. The general assessments for the establishment of efficient transformation protocols are discussed with an emphasis in the application of this methodology to monocotyledonous plants. Based on our own experience, we present the establishment of sugarcane transformation by A. tumefaciens as a model of application of this methodology to an important culture plant species, previously considered recalcitrant and inaccessible for this type of genetic manipulation.


This issue of Education and Treatment of Children marks the 28th annual volume of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders Monograph Series on Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth. The eight articles published here represent a peer-reviewed selection of papers originally presented at the 28th Annual Teacher Educators for Children with Behavior Disorders National Conference held in Tempe, Arizona in November of 2004. This monograph series has been devoted over the years to providing in-depth information on the education and treatment of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Consulting editors and field reviewers from both Education and Treatment of Children and Behavioral Disorders were responsible for reviewing and selecting these articles for publication. Collectively, these articles address a number of issues and challenges, suggest a number of programmatic education and treatment strategies, and propose directions for future research and practice for students with EBD. This issue begins with Frank Gresham's paper based on his keynote address at the 2004 TECBD conference. Gresham proposes an alternative approach to emotional disabilities (ED) identification based on a student's response or lack of response to an evidence-based intervention. The response to intervention (RTI) approach provides a functional alternative to the federal definition of emotional disturbance, which Gresham suggests is nebulous, often illogical, and self-contradictory. He defines and describes RTI and provides methods and procedures for quantifying whether or not a student shows an adequate or inadequate response to an evidence-based intervention implemented with integrity. The remaining articles in this special issue of ETC represent a cross-section of important research and practice issues in the education and treatment of children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Joao Lopes addresses three issues related to the effectiveness of interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders in Portugal: (1) the comorbidity of emotional, behavioral, and learning disorders, (2) the influence of academic underachievement on the development of EBD; and (3) the failure school personnel to intervene early with students with EBD. The next two articles deal with youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system. Heather Baltodano, Pamela Harris, and Robert Rutherford examined the relationship of age, ethnicity and disability on the academic achievement of males in a large juvenile correctional facility. They found significant differences between mean scores on academic achievement measures such as the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement--Third Addition (WJIII) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) across various ethnic groups and between those youth identified as special education and those not identified. David E. Houchins, Kristine Jolivette, Suana Wessendorf, Megan McGlynn, and C. Michael Nelson provide data for implementing school-wide positive behavioral support (PBS) in juvenile justice settings. Through focus groups, these authors provide a rationale for adopting and adapting successful public school proactive strategies for defining, teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviors for youth in correctional facilities. The individuals in the administrators, teachers, and clinical staff focus groups identified ecological congruence issues of how PBS is and can be unique in a juvenile justice setting. …


Do we need a multilateral agreement for policies towards international investments similar to the trade agreements that exist? Foreign direct investments (FDI) play an important role in the international economy, and in many cases FDI are at least as important as trade for international transactions between countries. FDI may have significant effects for the overall welfare of a country as well as for the income distribution within the country; hence, countries typically have incentives to use active policies towards FDI, similar to the incentives for trade policies. Nevertheless, when it comes to international policy regulation and coordination, trade and FDI are treated in a very asymmetric way, with extensive multilateral agreements for trade policies, but nothing similar for FDI. This report focuses on policies towards FDI and discusses the need for a multilateral agreement to regulate the use of such policies. There are good reasons to call for international coordination of FDI policies; the question is, however, whether a new multilateral investment agreement is the best solution, or if the need for international coordination could be better taken care of within existing agreements. After a brief review of the effects of FDI for host and home countries, and the incentives to use active policies towards such investments, the report discusses the pros and cons of a new multilateral investment agreement. In the final section of the report, the status for such an agreement after the Ministerial Declaration from Doha is sketched.


This paper proposes a method for Bayesian estimation of probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) when training labels are noisy. Label errors can be expected during e.g. large or distributed data collections, or for crowd-sourced data labeling. By interpreting true labels as latent random variables, the observed labels are modeled as outputs of a discrete memoryless channel, and the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate of the PLDA model is derived via Variational Bayes. The proposed framework can be used for PLDA estimation, PLDA domain adaptation, or to infer the reliability of a PLDA training list. Although presented as a general method, the paper discusses specific applications for speaker verification. When applied to the Speakers in the Wild (SITW) Task, the proposed method achieves graceful performance degradation when label errors are introduced into the training or domain adaptation lists. When applied to the NIST 2018 Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE18) Task, which includes adaptation data with noisy speaker labels, the proposed technique provides performance improvements relative to unsupervised domain adaptation.


Abrupt and short-lived "impact winter" conditions have commonly been implicated as the main mechanism leading to the mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (ca. 66 Ma), marking the end of the reign of the non-avian dinosaurs. However, so far only limited evidence has been available for such a climatic perturbation. Here we perform high-resolution TEX86 organic paleothermometry on three shallow cores from the New Jersey paleoshelf, (northeastern USA) to assess the impact-provoked climatic perturbations immediately following the K-Pg impact and to place these short-term events in the context of long-term climate evolution. We provide evidence of impact-provoked, severe climatic cooling immediately following the K-Pg impact. This so-called "impact winter" occurred superimposed on a long-term cooling trend that followed a warm phase in the latest Cretaceous.


Multi-scale and Complex Metallic Structure Networks for Novel Solar Energy Harvesting-Conversion Applications Yi Tian The global consumption of fossil fuels continues to increase due to the rapid growth of energy demand, as a consequence of expanding population and human activities. Fast climate change is another inescapable issue caused by humans that need to be addressed. The development of solar energy conversion technologies is widely considered as one of the most promising solutions to sustainably maintain a modern lifestyle of the society and create a carbon-neutral social development operation mode. The solar energy is carried and delivered in the form of electromagnetic fields. Therefore, the efficiency of photon collection is the primary factor to create any solar energy conversion systems. Through the inspiration from nature, the functionalized disorder, with a specific design and engineering, can introduce unusual light-matter interaction behaviors, and thus offer a potential capability to achieve perfect light harvesting. In my thesis, we develop complex Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) metamaterials that can be used either as light capturing networks or the photoactive media by turning the energy damping ratio between radiative and non-radiative channels. We successfully integrate it into thin-film photovoltaic modules with showing an excellent performance enhancement led by broadband light localization effect. Thanks to universal of such complex ENZ metamaterials, with combining a thin layer of dielectric, we further develop efficient hot-carriers driven plasmonic photo-catalysts for artificial green chemical fuel synthesis. The detailed theoretic analysis is presented in this work.


Discussion of Logos in Heraclitus idea will be seen is represented with ontological sight of this Greek philosopher. Therefore, to clarify the concept of logos from his perspective and facing it to address it with questions about the epistemology of Cross Symbol's role which is _the main purpose of this study, first, the term Logos in Heraclitus' ideas is investigated. Heraclitus believed Logos as a worldwide principle and rule which surrounded the world. It is a unique matter but common for everyone and appears as a light in the middle of fire. In Iranian's Mythology Asha Vahishta like Logos symbolize global system, Act of God and morality in the world which introduce fire as its representative on earth. This fire has an old relationship with Corss Symbol Pattern. Accordingly, in this study, some ideas have been taken into considerations which review the external and internal coordinatescharacteristics of Logos with Asha vahishta, being in line with their alignment with the Cross Symbol. Thus, to determine the epistemological relationship between these two transcendental concepts and symbol and to answer thisthe main question that if it is possible to consider the Cross Symbol as tangible symbol for Logos,concerning the possibility of regarding cross as the visual symbol of Logos, first, Heraclitus parts about Logos and the mystery of the universe which is hidden in it, along with its possible impact of ancient Iranians' thoughts are studied we reviewed Heraclitus' fragments about Logos and its hidden mystery of the universe as well as its possible impact on the ancient Iranians thoughts. Finally public analogy of Heraclitus ideas about fire which is visible sign of Logos, with ancient Iranians' thought about fire that was strengthen by Asha Vahishta will be mentioned here as the result and findings of this survey.. It is done toTherefore, determine the transcendental relationship between Logos in Heraclitus's ideas and Cross Symbol's role among Iranians is determined. Descriptive-Analytical method of research has been chosen and resources have been collected in the library.


A simple observation about the nature of reading initiated this project. The observation was that in reading we are able to use ink on paper as an equivalence of the real world event it details. Attempts to account for this by examining reading as it progresses did not give rise to clarification of this phenomenon, but solely to reading itself. Encounters with the text always resulting in 'ending-up-just-reading'. This is identifiable as a central characteristic of the material and the reader's attitude towards it. As this difficulty with the nature of the undertaking threatened to stop any theoretical progress, various methodologies, including Ethnomethodology, were applied to the material in order to produce a way forward. However, these theoretical approaches did not solve the phenomenon of reading but merely multiplied its problematic features. Their terms displacing the focus of attention away from reading, to the internal expression of the approach itself. Elsewhere within the project a more reflexive approach was adopted. Examining the roles of reader, theorist and author that were variously adopted. The recognition that the author in detailing experiences as a reader of texts succeeds only in creating another text. There is an examination of levels of access available to the project reader and the constraints this places on any reading that can be made. Otherwise expressed, it is the reading of one text through the confines of another, we are always trapped within the medium. From this recognition that 'viewing from within' is an intrinsic, inescapable feature of reading, a solution to 'ending-up-just reading' offers itself. Aspects of reading are made obvious by getting the reader to activate them, as they read of them. The solution is an ethnographical account of the reading of a newspaper story, an interpretive account. Its success may be gauged by the familiarity of its description and its expression of shared reading experiences and common reading practices.


2014 University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award Winner---Perhaps some of the most complex disorders that have been observed in humans are those that concern emotion and processes of the human brain. The pathway between stimulus and response in cases of depression and anxiety is one that can take many directions depending on the patient in question; for this reason, psychiatry has provided interesting modes by which pathology can be studied outside of a one-to-one causal relationship. Given the expected lifespan of the average individual and the decades through which different disorders can emerge and withdraw given changes in environment or situation, determining the cause of such pathologies as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or even Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be daunting for any physician. How does one trace a pattern of feeling or behavior back to a causal event that may have occurred years before symptoms even emerged? In an age where Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) continues to gain relevance in light of a world at war, such questions must be asked. The lives of patients and their families depend on the ability of scientists to uncover pathways that can be manipulated to produce some treatment option or cure. After Dr. James Greenblatt was sought out by the parents of a young girl named Mary who had been diagnosed with a mixture of psychiatric disorders, including OCD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and treated with a range of psychotropic drugs that had remained largely unhelpful, his mode of thinking was able to change her quality of life (James 2013). He turned to her stomach as a possible root of the problem. One may not expect a trip to the psychiatrist to include a survey of questions aimed at ascertaining his or her digestive health; however, Dr. Greenblatt employed this strategy and, because of his conclusion that the symptoms that were manifesting in the emotive regions of Mary's brain might actually originate from an imbalance in her gut microflora composition, was able to prescribe a twice-daily dosage of probiotic that alleviated Mary's symptoms altogether. His assumption stemmed from an elevated level of metabolite HPHP A in her urine, a byproduct of the metabolic pathways of Clostridium species. Dr. Greenblatt's reasoning further developed from his ideas concerning the connection between the human gut and brain, an interface that had once been deemed a one-way street. By reversing this line of thinking and implementing a treatment plan that assumed a gut-to-brain avenue of communication, Dr. Greenblatt was able to treat Mary's symptoms, thereby continuing a thought that the gut microbiome plays more of a role in the human body than previously thought. While Dr. Greenblatt's treatment of Mary's condition constitutes an isolated case where an assumed role by the human gut microbiome existed, many clinical studies have also contributed to the belief behind this linkage.


Introducing a black hole's e ective temperature, we obtained an Honorable Mention in the 2012 Gravity Research Foundation Essay Competition interpreting black hole's quasi-normal modes naturally in terms of quantum levels. This permitted us to show that quantities which are fundamental to realize the underlying quantum gravity theory, like Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, its sub-leading corrections and the number of microstates, are function of the black hole's excited state, i.e. of the black hole's quantum level, which is symbolized by the quantum overtone number n that denotes the countable sequence of quasi-normal modes. Here, we improve the analysis by nding a fundamental equation that directly connects the probability of emission of an Hawking quantum with the two emission levels which are involved in the transition. That equation permits us to interpret the correspondence between Hawking radiation and black hole quasi-normal modes in terms of a time dependent Schroedinger system. In such a system, the quasi-normal modes energies, which are also the total energies emitted by the black hole in correspondence of the various quantum levels, represent the eigenvalues of the unperturbed Hamiltonian of the system and the Hawking quanta represent the energy transitions among the eigenvalues, which correspond to a perturbed Hamiltonian ∝ δ(t). In this way, we explicitly write down a time dependent Schroedinger equation for the system composed by Hawking radiation and black hole quasi-normal modes. The states of the correspondent Schroedinger wave-function can be written in terms of a unitary evolution matrix instead of a density matrix. Thus, they result to be pure states instead of mixed ones. Hence, we conclude with the non-trivial consequence that information comes out in black hole's evaporation. This issue is also a con rmation of the assumption by 't Hooft that Schroedinger equations can be used universally for all dynamics in the universe, further endorsing the conclusion that black hole evaporation must be information preserving.


Southeast Asia has the world's largest Muslim population - Indonesia alone is home to more Muslims than the entire Middle East - yet nowhere in the region has a theocratic government emerged. Instead, Southeast Asian Islam is characterised by heterodox local traditions. Muslim societies today are torn between radical Islamist reformers calling for Shari'ah law and secular governments using law to contain and co-opt it. The result is a tension between state laws and institutions and Islamic alternatives. These three volumes provide an up-to-date, expert account of this complex contest across contemporary Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei in a comprehensive form not attempted for decades, including coverage on a range of areas including legal doctrine, substantive laws, judicial decision-making, the administration of religion, intellectual debate and state policy developments.


Regulation and supervision of banks has acquired a great interest over the last two
decades in order to control banks' risks after many shocks affected banks' soundness.
On an international level, the standards of Banking Supervision Committee of Basel have
become the international standards for all banks in developed and developing countries.
Basel standards were designed basically for conventional banks. Nevertheless, as Islamic
banks are based on profit-loss-sharing (PLS) arrangements, some of these standards are
not applicable to Islamic banks. The objective of this study is to investigate the
foundations for regulation and supervision of Islamic banks. To achieve this objective,
the study has adopted two methodologies. The first methodology is based on longitudinal
data for banks in Jordan for the period 1990-2000. This methodology covers the
effectiveness of capital regulation that aims to control banks' risk; also, credit risk,
liquidity ratio, and loan-loss- provisions are tested. Regression of OLS, fixed and random
effect were used. The second methodology is based on a questionnaire approach.
Questionnaires are designed to answer seven questions relating to the general objectives
of regulation and supervision of Islamic banks, the objectives of deposit protection,
licensing conditions, credit risk, liquidity risk, factors determining the capital adequacy
ratios and the information disclosures. Data is gathered from the Central Bank of Jordan,
Islamic banks, conventional banks and external auditors in Jordan. Descriptive and
variance analyses are used to analyze this data.
It is declared that the characteristics of the PLS and their risks are different from
those of conventional banks, therefore, Islamic banks are in need of special capital
adequacy ratios, internal control systems, risk and liquidity management policies, and
information disclosure standards appropriate for their characteristics.


Erosion by turbidity currents changes the morphology of the sea floor. The relief of the scoured surface may affect the dynamics of the flow and thereby the pattern of deposition; this could, in turn, affect flow and deposition patterns in subsequent events. This study investigates shallow, centimetre to decimetre scale erosion beneath turbidite sheet sandstones of the Oligocene Macigno Formation of North‐west Italy, where erosion and deposition are variably coupled at the bed scale in a net‐aggradational setting. The research focus was on: (i) the recognition of scour edges and erosive surfaces; (ii) quantification of spatial differences in the amount of erosion; and (iii) an investigation of how this differential erosion can be compensated by the deposits directly overlying the erosional surfaces. Where they can be observed, scour edges commonly have sills of the overlying sandstone intruding beneath blocks and wings of the substrate that is being eroded. A consequence of this de‐laminating scouring style is that erosional surfaces are bedding parallel when followed away from the scour edges, giving the appearance of normal conformable bed bases. Despite their cryptic nature, such bedding‐parallel scour surfaces can be recognized by comparing serial detailed sedimentary logs (here, 16 bed‐parallel scour surfaces were identified in a succession comprising 95 beds). Different styles of compensation by the overlying turbidite beds are defined based on differential sedimentation inside and outside of the scour relief. It is found that differential erosion is on average under‐compensated by differential sedimentation. In some cases, the overlying deposits anti‐compensate, being thinner at the location where more erosion has occurred. Unequal spatial distribution of differential erosion in the study area combines with sedimentary under‐compensation to result in a trend of accumulating section thickness differences over multiple beds. In one ca 25 m thick package, the maximum cumulative change in lateral gradient during some 20 events reached 0·17°, before being reset by a single event. This process can be interpreted either as a lobe compensation effect, or as a scour enhancement effect, depending on the orientation of the palaeohorizontal datum. If allowed to proceed, the latter process could force the system past a channellization threshold, prompting a change from sheet to channelled architecture. This type of shallow substrate scouring and differential deposition is likely to be an important process in the build‐up of sheet turbidite sandstone units and could play a major role in autocyclic adjustment of local sea‐floor gradients.


Absorption of an incoherent pump in a double-clad fiber amplifier is analyzed in the paraxial wave approximation. Different inner cladding shapes are considered. A small spiral distortion of an otherwise circular inner cladding shape is shown to enhance the coupling efficiency significantly relative to other geometries.


This thesis addresses a neglected area of British national cinema history, presenting the first comprehensive study of Scotland's incursions into narrative film production before the coming of sound. It explores both the specificity of Scottish production and its place within the broader cultural, political and economic contexts of the British film industry at key periods in the 'silent' era before and after the Great War. Early film production in Scotland has been characterised as a story of isolated and short-lived enterprises whose failure was inevitable. The work problematises this view, focusing instead on the potential for success of the various production strategies employed by Scottish film-makers. It demonstrates that producers were both ambitious and resourceful in the manner in which they sought to bring their films to local, national and international screens. Previously unknown markets for these films are also identified. In 1911 the first British three-reel film, Rob Roy, made in Scotland by a Glasgow production company, reached audiences as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Scottish efforts in film production, including the development of synchronised sound systems, were not haphazard but mirrored trends in the British and worldwide film industries until the late 1920s. With the coming of sound, the costs of commercial film production represented too great a challenge for the limited resources of Scottish producers. The study encompasses a detailed exploration of efforts in feature film production; how far these productions travelled and for whom they were made; the presentation and treatment of Scottish-made films by the trade press and local newspapers and their critical reception both at home and overseas. The majority of these films are lost, but close scrutiny of contemporary publicity and archival documents including business records has enabled a detailed picture to emerge of their content, nature and production background. Scottish stories and the Scottish landscape were important to the British film industry from its earliest days, and feature films shot on Scottish locations by outside producers are also discussed. Were these the films Scots would have made, if they could?


Mitigation of climate change urges to reduce our meat consumption. This necessitates new eating practices and ways of thinking about food. In this paper we discuss how experimentative research can participate in making such changes. We introduce notions of pragmatic tinkering, speculative thinking and ethical discussion and evaluate their contribution to understanding of change in everyday practices. We investigate their prospects in relation to our experiments with sustainable school dining. In these experiments we introduced a free vegetarian choice to school meals and engaged pupils in their development. The results highlight the dynamic nature of change in everyday practices. The notion of tinkering highlights the small adjustments needed to reconcile the different goals in school dining. Our results stress that the practical adjustments easily uphold the conventional practices. Speculative thinking is needed in challenging them. In our experiments, the engagement of pupils opened places for hesitation, and eventually also to new ways of thinking about school food. The pupils also challenged our experiments. They reminded how eating is entangled to our shared cultural meanings on food, but also to our identity and understandings of gender. In future, experimentative research should build settings, which allow them becoming more multiple as well.


AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN MARY SHELLEY'S SECOND NOVEL, VALPERGA; OR the Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (1823), Shelley describes the pain experienced by the central female character, Euthanasia dei Adimari, following the dissolution of her relationship with the tide character of Castruccio. The narrator explains, "She determined to think no more of Castruccio; but every day, every moment of the day, was as a broken mirror, a multiplied reflection of his form alone." (1) In her note to this passage, Tilottama Rajan suggests that this image of the multiplied reflection of a shattered mirror may echo a passage from Percy Shelley's De fence of Poetry, in which he describes drama "'so long as it continues to express poetry,' as a 'prismatic and many-sided mirror, which collects the brightest rays of human nature ... and multiplies all that it reflects'" (459n). Owing to the relative contemporaneity of the composition of the passages, this connection is logical. Mary Shelley completed composition of her novel, after a period of over four years, by December of 1821, while Percy had completed his essay in March of that same year. Nevertheless, the brightness of Percy Shelley's imagery and the celebratory attitude he expresses in this passage and in the larger essay as a whole offer a stark contrast to the gloomy discussion found in Mary Shelley's treatment of the similar image in her novel. A clearer precursor to Mary Shelley's use of the image of the broken mirror is in the writings of Lord Byron, whose often skeptical views offer a more fitting parallel to those found in Shelley's writings. No connection has previously been made between Shelley's use of this image and Byron's, even in criticism of Shelley's novels that incorporates consideration of Byron's influence on Shelley's writing. Such discussions most often focus on the presence of Byron the man, rather than Byron the poet, and therefore diminish the focus on Shelley's skills as a writer, instead often portraying her as a deeply troubled woman seeking to relieve her personal sufferings through the incorporation of autobiographical parallels into her fiction. (2) Although such parallels do exist, the professional relationship between Mary Shelley and Lord Byron provided a more important influence on her writings. During the summer of 1816, again in 1818, and also after Percy Shelley's death in 1822, Mary Shelley acted as copyist for some of Byron's works, including The Prisoner of Chillon, Don Juan, and, most important for the present discussion, the third canto of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. (3) Consequently, Shelley's use of the broken-mirror image reveals a more complex connection to Byron than other treatments of their relationship might suggest, and it demonstrates her sophistication as a writer, even in a novel that has not received the critical praise of her other two early novels, Frankenstein and The Last Man. Valperga thus reveals her ability to deal successfully with a precursor writer in order to develop her own unique perspective, a perspective that at the same time both stands in sharp contrast to, and aligns her closely with that precursor. (4) For Byron and Shelley, the close connection between external events and personal identity was an important component of the perspective they developed. Both writers drew heavily on their own experiences for the formation of characters who "reflected" their own beliefs or attitudes. Because their less optimistic views contrasted with the more utopian views of a number of their contemporaries and predecessors, their employment of a unique version of the mirror image is particularly significant. Although writers such as Percy Shelley describe multiple reflections that occur in many-sided mirrors or prisms (for example, in Prometheus Unbound and Epipsychidion, in addition to the Defence), only Byron and Mary Shelley make use of the image of the broken mirror, and the multiplied reflections thus created, to convey the intensely negative power of excessive emotion, especially in the context of political events, but also in terms of personal experience. …


OVER THE NEXT DECADE the U.S. noninterest current account will have to shift from a deficit of 3.9 percent of GNP in 1986 to balance or even a surplus. Is there a need for policy intervention to bring about the adjustment? If so, which method will maximize welfare: exchange depreciation, tariffs, quotas, voluntary export restraints, or a mix? The first section of this paper sets out a conceptual framework for analyzing the trade deficit and explains why it must be improved. A number of arguments suggest that the deficit is no problem. One such argument is that deficits can be financed indefinitely; another is that while surpluses may ultimately be necessary, there is no need for policy intervention. My own view is that adjustment is in fact required and that, at the real exchange rate levels of early 1987, even allowing for lags, the adjustment will be insufficient unless there are major changes in the relative growth rates of demand here and abroad. Subsequent sections review the policy options for encouraging adjustment, starting with a tariff. In reviewing the macroeconomic effects of tariffs I highlight the revenue effects and note that in general the effects on interest rates, prices, and exchange rates are dependent on the monetary rule. I explore the effects under a nominal income rule and offer simulation results to show the contractionary effects of tariffs on output. After some discussion of selective tariffs, quotas, and voluntary export restraints, I conclude that further dollar depreciation and competitive interest rate reductions are the preferable policy choices.


Embedded within the concept of employability is the constant demand to become more 'employable' and to live up to an ideal 'sellable self', with no 'faults', 'weaknesses' or 'limitations'. In order to maintain employability and stay in employment, individuals may be constrained to conceal information that does not correspond to this sellable self. Examining the costs of living up to the 'semblance' of the sellable self is particularly important in relation to mental health; this is even more so in light of the paucity of critical studies in this context. This paper examines issues of mental health and employability as they are reflected upon through the experiences of people with mental health conditions. Looking at the employment experiences of these individuals offers the potential to illuminate the struggles of all, or most of us, in our endeavours to secure employment and retain employability.


ABSTRACT Contemporarily Australian Indigenous peoples are portrayed by white Australians according to deficit understandings. As well as being inaccurate, this depiction, as part of a long-term civilising process, is an expression of 'fantasy-laden thinking' [Mennell, S., & Goudsblom, J. (1998). Introduction. In S. Mennell & J. Goudsblom (Eds.), Norbert Elias on civilization, power, and knowledge: Selected writings (pp. 1–45). The University of Chicago Press]. Such reasoning, apart from being false, serves to create and reinforce stereotypes, while promoting the 'superiority' of the Western world. Sport was used by the British as part of the process of civilisation to globally promote such reality inadequate accounts of Indigenous peoples, through its use as a 'civilizing' instrument. Sport, including rugby league and Australian football (AFL), was used in Australia to teach British values and gentlemanly behaviour to show Aboriginal people their 'place'. This study explains how both sports have meaning for high school students, as an unintended outcome of their introduction to Australia's Indigenous peoples. Figurational sociology, through its concern with long-term processes, is used to examine the importance of AFL and rugby league to 12 Year 7–10 (age 12–16 approximately) participants. Data were collected using six semi-structured interviews and were interpretively analysed. Instead of experiencing a sense of being 'civilized' or enlightened through their involvement in AFL and rugby league, participants instead spoke about both sports offering: (i) personal meaning through enjoyment and identity creation; (ii) family and community connections; (iii) support networks from family members, peers and others; and (iv) opportunities to continue their culture. It would seem then that the introduction of rugby league and AFL to Australia's Indigenous peoples has resulted in the adaption of both sports for cultural and other reasons. It is possible that similar reconstruction of meaning is experienced by Indigenous groups beyond Australia who were similarly colonised by Western nations.


H. Koch (7),(8) derived formulas which describe design structure supported by the codewords of fixed weight in the extremal binary self-dual doubly even codes. His method uses the lattices (not extremal lattices) constructed from such codes and the modular forms associated with these lattices. The formulas imply the so called Assmus-Mattson theorem for binary codes as partial results plus an extra formula which is not obtainable from the original Assmus-Mattson theorem. In the present paper we develop a similar method to derive the formulas for the ternary self-dual extremal codes. The method also uses the lattice theory and the modular form theory. However in using the lattice theory the present paper differes largely from the ones by Koch.


This study evaluated cyclist and driver compliance at cycling infrastructure at signalised intersections to determine the effectiveness of the infrastructure in creating a designated space for cyclists. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted during peak travel times at six sites in Melbourne in March 2009. Three types of infrastructure were observed: 1) bicycle storage box in front of left lane, 2) bicycle storage box in front of centre lane and 3) continuous green-painted bicycle lane. Two sites were observed for each infrastructure type, one morning and one early evening. A covert fixed position video camera was used to film all road users, and the behaviour of cyclists and drivers who stopped at the intersection during the red light phase was coded. In total, 2670 cyclists and 1243 vehicles were observed. Compliance was highest at the continuous bicycle lane sites for cyclists (95.4%) and drivers (97.7%). At bicycle storage box sites, cyclists (60.4%) were more compliant than drivers (49.6%). The placement of bicycle storage boxes may contribute to lower rates of driver compliance and cyclists' perceptions of safety and subsequently cyclist compliance. Driver and cyclist education campaigns may increase compliance.


Williamson (1985) argues that individuals form firms with specific internal governance structures to mitigate certain types of opportunistic behavior that may inhibit efficient contracting between independent contractors. But once firms are established, the individuals that comprise them may still act opportunistically. This paper investigates a specific historical case: the partnership in early America. Partnerships grappled with information-based problems, such as adverse selection, moral hazard, as well as ex ante and ex post contractual opportunism, including hold-up. Asset specificity and imperfect contracts made partnerships vulnerable to hold-up, especially when one partner invested in a sunk asset that enhanced the productivity of all other partners. This was a particular problem facing existing partners when they invited a new partner into their firm. Empirical evidence from the mid-nineteenth century suggests that individuals mitigated the effects of pre- and post-contractual opportunism by forming partnerships with others of similar age, productivity, and capital. This finding brings the traditional interpretation of partnerships as mentor-prot'g' relationships into question.


We develop and experimentally test a model of bidder behavior in a simultaneous ascending auction for heterogeneous common value goods. The model follows the "straightforward" strategy developed by Milgrom (2000) while accounting for the adverse selection effect and the potential for the winner's curse. When this model is evaluated against laboratory results, we find that bidders deviate from the predicted price path as we observe extensive jump bidding and lower final prices than predicted. We observe that jump bidding generally increases prices and decreases earnings, suggesting that jump bids are based on bidder impatience rather than strategic motivations. Despite the failure of the model to predict bidder behavior, it does offer significant predictive power regarding the final allocation of goods and avoidance of the winner's curse.


Guinea-Bissau has experienced more than 40 years of failed economic policies since independence. Simultaneously, a few astute social theorists recognize that this country may in part be governed by internal logics and enduring local power structures that allow for continuity in the face of on-going political and economic ruptures. This article highlights these contours and continuities focusing on the merchant classes of contemporary Guinea-Bissau. How do both immigrant and indigenous entrepreneurs continue to eke out a living in this deleterious west African small state? How are social networks and cultural identity tied to business practices? Findings are based on 19 semi-structured interviews from 8 different locations throughout the country. Representative themes are investment in kin and kind at all levels; reliance on specific cultural and economic expertise; apprenticeships and insularity within homogeneous types of economic enterprises; and finally, long-term investment strategies aimed at profit over professional development, and livelihood and continuity over innovation. This article demonstrates that trading on the margins provides novel opportunities, particularly for locally grounded south-south investors and entrepreneurs, including increased flexibility in dealing with the state apparatus and its functionaries, informality, anonymity, growth potential, and specific micro-environmental knowledge.


With the advent of high-throughput technologies measuring high-dimensional biological data, there is a pressing need for visualization tools that reveal the structure and emergent patterns of data in an intuitive form. We present PHATE, a visualization method that captures both local and global nonlinear structure in data by an information-geometric distance between datapoints. We perform extensive comparison between PHATE and other tools on a variety of artificial and biological datasets, and find that it consistently preserves a range of patterns in data including continual progressions, branches, and clusters. We define a manifold preservation metric DEMaP to show that PHATE produces quantitatively better denoised embeddings than existing visualization methods. We show that PHATE is able to gain unique insight from a newly generated scRNA-seq dataset of human germ layer differentiation. Here, PHATE reveals a dynamic picture of the main developmental branches in unparalleled detail, including the identification of three novel subpopulations. Finally, we show that PHATE is applicable to a wide variety of datatypes including mass cytometry, single-cell RNA-sequencing, Hi-C, and gut microbiome data, where it can generate interpretable insights into the underlying systems.


Since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, most of the literature on school desegregation has focused on the experiences of African American students or school districts in which remedies were fashioned for African American students. However, little is known about the efforts of other ethnic and racial groups who have suffered similar constitutional violations and who have participated in remedies designed to relieve racial isolation and improve equal educational opportunity. Latinos in the Southwest have a long history of participating in school desegregation efforts, but what has rarely been examined is how their experience is similar to or different from that of African Americans. And yet, I argue, that as we write the history of school desegregation policy in this country, it is important to determine if remedies designed to eliminate racial isolation and improve equal educational opportunity for African American students are appropriate mechanisms for achieving greater equality for Latinos and other ethnolinguistic minorities. This article describes the transformation of desegregation policy in San Jose, California (Vasquez v. San Jose Unified School District), where Latino students constituted the plaintiff class and became the principal participants in desegregation efforts. Using the transformation of intentions model developed by Hall (1995), I show how the remedies in San Jose changed as the actors, contexts, and situations changed. I argue that as long as Latinos were marginalized from participation in the policy process, desegregation remedies were implemented that ignored the particular cultural and linguistic needs of Latino students. As Latinos became leaders in the community and participants in the policy-making process, remedies began to be designed and implemented that specifically addressed linguistic and cultural barriers to educational equity. The transformation of desegregation policy in San Jose provides an opportunity to understand how the legacy of Brown has impacted Latino students.


The present paper deals with the wave propagation in a particular two dimensional structure, obtained from a localized perturbation of a reference periodic medium. This reference medium is a ladder like domain, namely a thin periodic structure (the thickness being characterized by a small parameter $\epsilon > 0$) whose limit (as $\epsilon$ tends to 0) is a periodic graph. The localized perturbation consists in changing the geometry of the reference medium by modifying the thickness of one rung of the ladder. Considering the scalar Helmholtz equation with Neumann boundary conditions in this domain, we wonder whether such a geometrical perturbation is able to produce localized eigenmodes. To address this question, we use a standard approach of asymptotic analysis that consists of three main steps. We first find the formal limit of the eigenvalue problem as the $\epsilon$ tends to 0. In the present case, it corresponds to an eigenvalue problem for a second order differential operator defined along the periodic graph. Then, we proceed to an explicit calculation of the spectrum of the limit operator. Finally, we prove that the spectrum of the initial operator is close to the spectrum of the limit operator. In particular, we prove the existence of localized modes provided that the geometrical perturbation consists in diminishing the width of one rung of the periodic thin structure. Moreover, in that case, it is possible to create as many eigenvalues as one wants, provided that e is small enough. Numerical experiments illustrate the theoretical results.


False memories are the erroneous recollection of events that did not actually occur. False memories have been broadly investigated within the domain of long-term memory, while studies involving short-term memory are less common and provide a far less detailed 'picture' of this phenomenon. We tested participants in a short-term memory task involving lists of four semantically related words that had to be matched with a probe word. Crucially, the probe word could be one of the four words of the list, it could be semantically related to them, or it could be semantically unrelated to the list. Participants had to decide whether the probe was in the list. To this task we added articulatory suppression to impair rehearsal, concurrent material to remember, and changes to the visual appearance of the probes to assess the mechanism involved in short-term memory retrieval. The results showed that, similarly to the studies on long-term memory, false memories emerged more frequently for probes semantically related to the list and when rehearsal was impaired by concurrent material. The visual appearance of the stimuli did not play an important role. This set of results suggests that deep semantic processing, rather than only superficial visual processing, is taking place within a few seconds from the presentation of the probes.


Bone disease in myeloma patients result from the exaggerated osteoclast activity and suppression of osteoblast function in the myelomatous bone marrow and is responsible for most serious complications of myeloma. The bone anabolic effects of bortezomib with 1.3 mg/m2 and 1 mg/m2 dosages have been previously reported. In this study, we for the first time examined the effect of Bortezomib 0.7 mg/m2 dose on bone metabolic parameters in six patients with relapse MM. Even with the low dose used in the trial, we observed increase in the PTH levels in 50% of treated patients and parallel changes in osteocalcin levels, suggesting osteoblastic activation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bone anabolic effects of bortezomib associated proteasome inhibition at such small doses.