The Amazon's ability to draw tourists is thought to be strongly associated with the opportunity to have sight of and interact with iconic wild animals. Tourism leaders are calling for the private and public sectors to develop wildlife focused ecotourism in this region. However, specific information regarding current practice and their impact on wildlife is lacking. Although wildlife ecotourism here remains in its relative infancy, our study demonstrates that a wide variety of wildlife-focused activities are already being promoted and provided to tourists who visit the city of Manaus in Brazil. Issues of potential wildlife conservation and animal welfare concern include wildlife-baiting, swim-with free-ranging pink river dolphin activity, the use of captive wild animals as photo props and the sale of wildlife body parts as souvenirs. We found that tour guides actively promoted these activities on 77% of excursions attended, which involved a range of different wild animals, representing at least 10 different species from three different taxonomic classes. From a legal perspective, despite the potential risks imposed to wildlife and tourist well-being, there are still no specific laws regulating feeding, touching and swimming with pink river dolphins in Brazil. However, the illegality of advertising and providing direct physical contact wildlife 'photo prop' tourism is demonstrated by enforcement action taken by wildlife authorities during our study. We suggest that tourist focused human behavior change initiatives should become a critical component of a wider holistic approach to effectively balance wildlife protection goals and any expansion of wildlife ecotourism in the Amazon.


Authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have historically excluded Islamist parties from the political process, making it difficult to assess assumptions about how they would behave in power, let alone about their potential to stimulate and steward a democratic transition. Until Tunisia's Ennahda party won elections in 2011, no Islamist party in (or beyond) the MENA region had managed to lead an elected government, with a single exception: Turkey's Justice and Development party (AKP). While scholars have tended to focus on the regional impact of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the original Arab Islamist movement, in many ways the Ennahda-AKP comparison is tighter, and therefore more illuminating, than the Ennahda-Muslim Brotherhood comparison. Comparing the AKP and Ennahda, therefore, can help scholars identify how different Islamist parties' impact on democratization may diverge.


Vascular anomalies represent a spectrum of disorders from a simple "birthmark" to life- threatening entities. Incorrect nomenclature and misdiagnoses are commonly experienced by patients with these anomalies. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for appropriate evaluation and management, often requiring multidisciplinary specialists. Classification schemes provide a consistent terminology and serve as a guide for pathologists, clinicians, and researchers. One of the goals of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) is to achieve a uniform classification. The last classification (1997) stratified vascular lesions into vascular malformations and proliferative vascular lesions (tumors). However, additional disease entities have since been identified that are complex and less easily classified by generic headings, such as capillary malformation, venous malformation, lymphatic malformation, etc. We hereby present the updated official ISSVA classification of vascular anomalies. The general biological scheme of the classification is retained. The section on tumors has been expanded and lists the main recognized vascular tumors, classified as benign, locally aggressive or borderline, and malignant. A list of well-defined diseases is included under each generic heading in the "Simple Vascular Malformations" section. A short definition is added for eponyms. Two new sections were created: one dealing with the malformations of individually named vessels (previously referred to as "truncular" malformations); the second groups lesions of uncertain or debated nature (tumor versus malformation). The known genetic defects underlying vascular anomalies are included in an appendix. This classification is meant to be a framework, acknowledging that it will require modification as new scientific information becomes available.


Most cells within an organism function while they are in a non-dividing state. Cells enter the division cycle to initiate tissue growth or to repair damaged tissue. In the last phase of this cycle, M-phase, cytoplasmic division (cytokinesis) is accomplished after, in case of dividing human cells, 23 pairs of duplicated chromosomes are separated during nuclear division (mitosis). Faithful chromosome segregation is essential as gains and losses of chromosomes are a hallmark of cancer. To ensure fidelity of chromosome segregation microtubules coming from opposite spindle poles have to attach to kinetochores (microtubule binding interfaces of the chromosomes) in a bipolar fashion in order to pull apart the chromosome duplicates to opposite poles of the cell. The Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC), consisting of Aurora B kinase, Borealin, Survivin and INCENP, plays a pivotal role in the protection of genome stability as it coordinates equal segregation of the duplicated chromosomes with cytokinesis. In mitosis the CPC members Borealin and Survivin direct the complex to the inner centromere (the region where the duplicated chromosomes connect). Borealin associates with histone H2A phosphorylated on threonine 120 by Bub1 via a Shugoshin intermediate, while Survivin interacts with histone H3 phosphorylated at threonine 3 by Haspin. When cells enter mitosis, spindle microtubules are captured by kinetochores and the activity of Aurora B is critical to specifically detach those kinetochore-microtubule attachments that are not bi-polar (error correction), and when left uncorrected could give rise to chromosome mis-segregations in anaphase. The resulting unattached kinetochores activate the mitotic checkpoint, a surveillance mechanism that prevents the segregation of the duplicated chromosomes until all chromosomes have acquired bi-polar attachments. While the role of Aurora B in error correction was undisputed, its direct contribution to mitotic checkpoint signaling remained controversial. Our data show that besides generating unattached kinetochores as a result of error correction, Aurora B promotes rapid establishment of the mitotic checkpoint via kinetochore recruitment of the checkpoint kinase Mps1. Moreover, we found that impaired kinetochore recruitment of Mps1 underlies the mitotic checkpoint defects observed in cells expressing an INCENP mutant lacking its coiled coil domain. Our data further suggest that INCENP links Aurora B to the centromere recruitment subunits Survivin and Borealin, with the coiled coil domain supporting Aurora B in reaching its distant kinetochore substrates. The inner centromere localization of the CPC is essential for its proper functioning and we identified the pathways that direct this localization in space and time. Besides Aurora B being important for Mps1 kinetochore recruitment, we show that Mps1 in turn stimulates the Bub1-H2Aph-Sgo1 recruitment axis for centromere accumulation of Aurora B. Moreover, Aurora B activity enhances its own recruitment by phosphorylation of Haspin, thereby promoting its activity towards histone H3-T3, the other CPC centromere recruitment mark. We suggest that when cells enter mitosis, the feedback loops between Aurora B and Mps1 respectively Aurora B and Haspin direct timely inner centromere accumulation of the CPC to ensure effective establishment of the error correction and the mitotic checkpoint machineries, required for accurate nuclear division.


The rationale underpinning UK Higher Education (UKHE) has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Government policy has dictated that 50% of 18 to 30 year olds should be in higher education by the year 2010. Students enter higher education almost solely for the exchange value of the qualification and the expectation of enhanced career prospects in business and industry. This paper argues that UK higher education is not responding to the drivers for change demanded by the key stakeholders and as a result, advances in business and industry are compromised by the inadequacies of graduates. The current HE system has evolved steadily into its current form. However the last two decades have seen radical changes in the demands of stakeholders. These changes were identified by Sporn at the European level as: 'three major challenges: expansion, diversification, and massification'. Higher Education systems have not been sufficiently reactive to these step changes. The paper sets out a current view of HE based on evidence collected through participant observation and data from key stakeholders. It highlights deficiencies in HE which impact adversely on business and industry and which have been created by inherited structures. Some of these proposed deficiencies have been identified such as the funding of HE, the tension between research and teaching, the separation of vocational and non vocational disciplines, the radical advances in ICT, the demands of the key stakeholders and the inability to foster creativity and innovation in the curriculum. The author offers a discussion framework will be constructed to initiate a discourse on how best HE can meet the needs of business and industry more effectively over the next twenty years.


For students to attain deep understanding of scientific practices, they will need to have opportunities to participate in sustained engagement in doing science. Such opportunities begin with elementary teachers implementing coherent and well-sequenced inquiry-based investigations in their classrooms. This study explored how preservice teachers (N = 30) planned inquiry-based investigations for elementary students. The preservice teachers spent the first 5 weeks of their methods course participating in astronomy investigations and then pair-taught astronomy investigations once a week for 5 weeks to elementary students in afterschool programs. We analyzed lesson plans, teaching reflections, and pre/post astronomy content assessments. One-third of the pairs developed coherent science inquiry investigations across all of their lessons. Their reflections suggest that preservice teachers who developed coherent inquiry investigations held normative ideas about scientific inquiry and were more likely to reflect on sense-making practices than preservice teachers who did not plan for coherent science inquiry investigations in their lessons. Preservice teachers' postinstruction astronomy content knowledge was positively correlated with an increased number of lessons spent on coherent science inquiry investigations. Based on our findings, we recommend engaging preservice teachers in coherent science inquiry investigations in a single domain followed by opportunities to plan and teach elementary children in that domain.


Recent findings suggest that children with autism may be impaired in the perception of biological motion from moving point-light displays. Some children with autism also have abnormally high motion coherence thresholds. In the current study we tested a group of children with autism and a group of typically developing children aged 5 to 12 years of age on several motion perception tasks, in order to establish the specificity of the biological motion deficit in relation to other visual discrimination skills. The first task required the recognition of biological from scrambled motion. Three quasi-psychophysical tasks then established individual thresholds for the detection of biological motion in dynamic noise, of motion coherence and of form-from-motion. Lastly, individual thresholds for a task of static perception--contour integration (Gabor displays)--were also obtained. Compared to controls, children with autism were particularly impaired in processing biological motion in relation to any developmental measure (chronological or mental age). In contrast, there was some developmental overlap in ability to process other types of visual motion between typically developing children and the children with autism, and evidence of developmental change in both groups. Finally, Gabor display thresholds appeared to develop typically in children with autism.


During the early 1960s, many residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant saw the neighborhood's filthy streets as a sign of their community's low status in New York City. The trash that accumulated on sidewalks and in streets crowded public space with its bulk and its stench. Children had to play around hulky abandoned cars. Pedestrians on their way home from work dodged rats and vermin that darted from the asphalt to alleyways where bags of uncollected household garbage sat festering, sometimes for days at a time. Over the years, residents periodically complained to elected officials and appointees to the city's Sanitation Department, but the problem only worsened. Bedford-Stuyvesant inhabitants even organized periodic neighborhood clean-ups through local block associations. (2) Their efforts brought temporary relief to certain areas, but failed to remedy completely the overall problem. At its root, the abundance of garbage was linked to the scarcity of resources in this overcrowded residential area. Bedford-Stuyvesant required increased garbage collection and the city was failing to provide it. That this was a neighborhood with one of the fasting growing Black populations in the entire city added a racial insult to an already odoriferous injury. As historians Harold Connolly, Clarence Taylor, Craig Wilder and others have meticulously shown, Bedford-Stuyvesant was a community shaped by two different histories: the hope and optimism of its working class families, of which Blacks were at one point one group among many; and the racial ideologies and policies that slowly made the community an overcrowded, economically stagnant and racially segregated black neighborhood. Over the course of the nineteenth century, transportation developments in the form of rail lines and trolley cars that crisscrossed Brooklyn's north-central thoroughfares transformed the area from a sleepy farmland hamlet to a bedroom community for working- and middle-class families. Irish, German, Scottish, Dutch, and a sizable community of people of African descent, who labored in King County's downtown business and commercial districts that centered on the waterfront, made their home in the towns of Bedford and Stuyvesant Heights. During the antebellum period, black people established two independent communities in Bedford--Carrville, founded in 1832, and Weeksville founded in 1838. Bedford's population continued to soar after the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883, and the nation's first elevated railroad stations stretched across Brooklyn in 1885. By 1920, Bedford and Stuyvesant Heights combined and became known as Bedford-Stuyvesant and throughout the 1940s the neighborhood was racially integrated (49 percent white and 51 percent black) and one of the few communities in New York City where African Americans and West Indians could purchase their own homes. (3) All of that changed during 1950s and 60s. Economic and political policies that went into affect during the New Deal played on racial fears and prejudices and caused middle and working class whites to abandon the community. Discriminatory policies that "redlined" the neighborhood, which were sanctioned by banks and real estate agencies under the banner of New Deal home owners' development programs in the 1930s, made it impossible for Bedford-Stuyvesant residents to finance home improvement projects. Realtors practiced "blockbusting" tactics, which reaped for them handsome profits but also contributed to the deterioration of the neighborhood's housing. Real estate agents played on racial fears and plummeting real estate prices to convince white homeowners to sell their property. The area's brownstone and limestone houses, became carved-up into three, sometimes four apartments. On top of that, bigots refused to rent apartments or sell homes to black families in other parts of Brooklyn, which would have relieved overcrowding in the neighborhood and placed less strain on its housing stock. …


Extension educators are increasingly using social media for outreach and information delivery. But are the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels of the world reaching across cultures to non-English speakers, recently resettled refugees or immigrants, migrant workers, or other underserved Extension audiences? After producing and screening over a dozen educational videos dubbed into various languages, we have found videos to be empowering educational tools for engaging nontraditional audiences, especially when screened offline in public workshops. This article outlines techniques for using videos to specifically target historically underserved audiences and non-English speakers by integrating culturally important themes and language voice-overs.


There is extensive evidence which indicates that people learn positively about themselves. We build on this finding to develop a model of team formation. We show that under complete information learning positively about oneself prevents efficient team formation. Agents becoming overconfident tend to ask for an excessive share of the group outcome. Positive learning generates divergence in workers' beliefs and hampers efficient team formation. Interestingly, in a context of incomplete information regarding the partner's ability, extensive learning biases may reduce the divergence in agents' beliefs and facilitate efficient team formation as a result. We apply our model to coauthorship and organizational issues.


We present Matriona, a module system for Squeak, a Smalltalk dialect. It supports class nesting and parameterization and is based on a hierarchical name lookup mechanism. Matriona solves a range of modularity issues in Squeak. Instead of a flat class organization, it provides a hierarchical namespace, that avoids name clashes and allows for shorter local names. Furthermore, it provides a way to share behavior among classes and modules using mixins and class hierarchy inheritance (a form of inheritance that subclasses an entire class family), respectively. Finally, it allows modules to be externally configurable, which is a form of dependency management decoupling a module from the actual implementation of its dependencies. Matriona is implemented on top of Squeak by introducing a new keyword for run-time name lookups through a reflective mechanism, without modifying the underlying virtual machine. We evaluate Matriona with a series of small applications and will demonstrate how its features can benefit modularity when porting a simple application written in plain Squeak to Matriona.


As microalgae have the ability to simultaneously remove nutrients from wastewater streams while producing valuable biomass, microalgae-based wastewater treatment is a win-win strategy. Although recent advances have been made in this field in lab conditions, the transition to outdoor conditions on an industrial scale must be further investigated. In this work an outdoor pilot-scale membrane photobioreactor plant was operated for tertiary sewage treatment. The effects of different parameters on microalgae performance were studied including: temperature, light irradiance (solar and artificial irradiance), hydraulic retention time (HRT), biomass retention time (BRT), air sparging system and influent nutrient concentration. In addition the competition between microalgae and ammonium oxidising bacteria for ammonium was also evaluated. Maximum nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates of 12.5 ± 4.2 mgN·L-1·d-1 and 1.5 ± 0.4 mgP·L-1·d-1, respectively, were achieved at a BRT of 4.5 days and HRT of 2.5 days, while a maximum biomass productivity of 78 ± 13 mgVSS·L-1·d-1 (VSS: volatile suspended solids) was reached. While the results obtained so far are promising, they need to be improved to make the transition to industrial scale operations feasible.


It is now a decade since the transfer of Plynlimon data processing was fully implemented at Wallingford, following the closure of the Dolydd catchment office. The core hydrometric network comprises 8 streamflow gauges, providing 15-minute discharges, and 4 automatic weather stations (AWS) recording hourly data. These data are held on a secure Oracle database containing measurements back to 1968. Recent hydrological publications have included the impacts of felling on stream regimes (Robinson and Dupeyrat, 2005) and changes in the long-term water balance (Marc and Robinson, 2007) which revealed for the first time the non-stationarity in water use of a relatively even-aged UK plantation forest.
As well as dealing with processing and quality controlling the streams of flow and weather data the transfer of responsibilities to Wallingford included cataloguing a large amount of paper records, maps and documents. Where possible legacy metadata concerning the flow and weather data are captured from notebooks and diaries and have been put into electronic form. Beginning in 2000 more systematic detailed electronic metadata records have been maintained, and this information is held on a secure network drive accessible by Bangor and Wallingford staff. This metadata includes records of specific instrument changes as well as broad data issues such as extended periods of several weeks of missing data (as notably occurred due to access restrictions during the 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease).
With the centralisation of work at Wallingford the opportunity was also taken to digitise many of the catchment information maps. These include the original 1:5000 maps commissioned from Huntings Surveys of the topography and stream networks, as well as specific surveys including vegetation, soils and forest extent. The field instrument locations were determined using GPS. A summary and description of this spatial data archive has been published (Brandt et al, 2004), and some of the spatial data sets free of third part licence restraints are now available for download via the CEH Information Gateway (http://gateway.ceh.ac.uk/).


The paper builds on studies on Hungarian spoken outside Hungary (Fenyvesi (ed.) 2005), which show a change from synthetic to analytic expression in Hungarian in contact. It argues that a parameter of morphological complexity is helpful to account for most morphological changes. With one exception the changes follow the strategy of replicating use patterns (Heine & Kuteva 2005). Other changes arise by implication of a different typological system adopted by the new varieties of Hungarian (De Groot 2005a). A detailed comparison between Hungarian inside and outside Hungary in terms of linguistic complexity (Dahl 2004) confirm to the idea that languages in contact become linguistically more complex. The paper furthermore discusses the interaction between typology, language change by contact, and complexity.


The purpose of this paper is to outline potential reasons why the 2013 election vote into the Baseball Hall of Game failed to elect a new player. The paper compares various voting rules, and analyzes specific statistics of players. Natalie Weinberg University of Pennsylvania firstname.lastname@example.com 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame


The Permian Phosphoria Formation, a petroleum source rock and world-class phosphate deposit, was deposited in an epicratonic successor basin on the western margin of North America. We calculate the seawater circulation in the basin during deposition of the lower ore zone in the Meade Peak Member from the accumulation rates of carbonate fluorapatite and trace elements. The model gives the exchange rate of water between the Phosphoria sea and the open ocean to the west in terms of an upwelling rate (84 m yr -1 ) and residence time (4.2 yr) of seawater in the basin. These hydrographic properties supported a mean rate of primary productivity of 0.87 g m -2 d -1 of carbon in the uppermost few tens of meters of the water column (the photic zone) and denitrifying redox conditions in the bottom water (below approximately 150 m depth). High rain rates, onto the sea floor, of the organic matter that hosted the phosphate and several trace elements contributed to the accumulation of phosphorite, chert, and black shales and mudstones. Evaporation in the Goose Egg basin to the east of the Phosphoria basin ensured the import of surface seawater from the Phosphoria sea. Budgets of water, salt, phosphate, and oxygen, plus the minor accumulation of the biomarker gammacerane, show that exchange of water between the two basins was limited, possibly by the shallow carbonate platform that separated the two basins.


Abstract
Explosive volcanism is commonly related to a process known as fragmentation of magma containing bubbles rich in gas phases. This process is activated by the brittle failure of the melt as its strength is overcame by viscous stresses related to bubble growth and ascending magma flow. Individual volcanoes often produce alternating effusive and explosive eruptions which cyclical dynamics remain unclear and are a subject of ongoing debate.
The Somma-Vesuvius, famous for its explosive Pompeii eruption in AD 79, generated a wide variety of eruptive events during the past 33 Ky, ranging from mild effusive (inter-Plinian) eruptions to highly disruptive (Plinian) phenomena. Over the last 3 decades, a large number of samples have been collected from the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex. As a result of this research effort, a large database of chemical analyses of various volcanic products from lavas to pumices and tephra is currently available. This allowed for detailed studies of magma compositions aimed at reconstructing magma differentiation processes and identifying parental and primary magma compositions. Currently there is no general consensus on whether the primary magma precursors to both eruption styles were of a similar composition.
At the same time, the compositions of mineral phases in Somma-Vesuvius volcanic products have received significantly less attention. Phenocrysts phases such as olivine and clinopyroxene occur early on the liquid line of descent and dominate fractional crystallization in the primitive magmas. At the later stages of crystallisation they are joined and/or replaced by feldspars, feldspathoids, biotite and oxides. This project aims at characterising minor and trace elements in both olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts from representative lava, scoriae and pumice samples from the main Plinian eruptions and a range of inter-Plinian events over the last 33 Ky. The main aim of this work is to present new constraints on the factors leading to the different Somma-Vesuvius eruptive styles.
In order to achieve this goal, 14 pumice samples from Plinian pyroclastic deposits as well as 3 scoriae and 8 lava samples from effusive flows were collected, and a representative number of olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts were selected under an optical microscope from each sample and analysed with an electronic microprobe and by a LA-ICP mass-spectrometry, resulting in a large database containing 2127 EMP and 1259 LA-ICP-MS analyses.
The mineral compositions obtained were examined considering the following two factors: 1) eruptive style; and 2) age of the samples. Magmas from Plinian and inter-Plinian eruptions were compared using the results of this study in conjunction with published data on lava chemistry and the compositions of melt and fluid inclusions in phenocrysts. Further, the mineral compositions have been compared with those from other volcanoes of the Roman Comagmatic Province (RCP) and also from other tectonic settings such as Oceanic Islands, Volcanic Rifts, Mid-ocean Ridges and Supra-subduction Zones, in order to assess the extent of compositional variation among Somma-Vesuvius olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts.
The above approach led to the following main conclusions:
I) olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts crystallized simultaneously over a large temperature range from the earliest stages of melt evolution;
II) both olivines and clinopyroxenes display clear bimodal distribution in terms of the proportions between the Mg-rich and Fe-rich end members (Mg# = Mg/(Mg+Fe)): the primitive group has compositions Mg#92-82, whereas the evolved group has compositions Mg#82-72;
III) both Plinian and inter-Plinian clinopyroxenes and olivines populations exhibit a narrow trend of major, minor and trace elements contents as a function of their Mg#, when compared with mineral compositions from other tectonic settings, including the RCP, indicating a narrow range of melt compositions within the Somma-Vesuvius plumbing system for a given stage of differentiation regardless of the eruption style;
IV) clinopyroxene and olivine phenocrysts compositions in inter-Plinian eruption products display a narrower range compared to the Plinian eruptions;
V) as the result of a narrow compositional range of phenocrysts in inter-Plinian eruptions, there is a larger difference in phenocryst composition populations between individual inter-Plinian eruptions than between Plinian eruptions;
VI) The more evolved (Mg#82-72) Plinian and inter-Plinian clinopyroxene phenocrysts in rocks younger than 2.8 Ka show clear Ca enrichment (23.5-24.5 wt % CaO) in respect to the older rocks. Some of the more primitive olivine phenocrysts (Fo#92-82) from the inter-Plinian eruptions younger than AD 472 (CaO 0.30-0.45 wt %) are also more enriched in Ca than older olivine phenocrysts;
VII) Overall, the compositions of clinopyroxenes from the inter-Plinian eruptions display REE contents which are within the range of the Plinian clinopyroxenes.
The above results suggest:
I) a prevalently magmatic origin of olivine phenocrysts whose presence was previously mainly ascribed to magma reaction with the carbonate basement of the Campania Plain;
II) Persisting multiple sites of crystallisation where magmas of variable extent of fractionation reside at any given time regardless of the type of eruptive activity;
III) Chemically similar sources of parental magmas feeding the Somma-Vesuvius system, which does not appear to have changed over the last 33 Ky; and
IV) A common composition of parental magmas for the Plinian and inter-Plinian eruptions of the Somma-Vesuvius.
Therefore, this study suggests that the magma residence times and the magma supply rate are the likely main factors controlling eruption style at Somma-Vesuvius. Further insights into these processes may be derived from the study of melt and fluid inclusions within the Somma-Vesuvius olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts, which is envisaged as a continuation to this project.


In this paper we study how the use of collateral is evolving under the influence of regulatory reform and changing market structure. We start with a critical review of the recent empirical literature on the supply and demand of collateral which has focussed on the issue of 'collateral scarcity'. We argue that while limited data availability does not allow a comprehensive view of the market for collateral, it is unlikely that there is an overall shortage of collateral. However, it is quite possible that there may be bottlenecks within the system which mean that available collateral is immobilized in one part of the system and unattainable by credit-worthy borrowers. We then describe how these problems sometimes can be overcome by improved information systems and collateral transformation. We discuss how collateral management techniques differ between banks and derivatives markets infrastructures including, in particular, CCPs. In order to assess the impact of alternative institutional arrangements on collateral demand, we introduce a theoretical model of an OTC derivatives market consisting of investors and banks arrayed in several regions or market segments. We simulate this model under alternative forms meant to capture the implications of moving to mandatory CCP clearing and mandatory initial margin requirements for non-cleared OTC derivatives.


With the expansion of Internet usage, E -banking has become one of the most revolutionized components of today's economic growth. E-banking is a powerful value-added tool to attract new customers and retain the existing ones. With the proliferation of internet and computer usage, the electronic delivery of e-banking service has become ideal for banks to meet customer's expectations (Poon, 2008). Besides, it helps in eliminating costly paper handling and teller interactions in the increasingly competitive banking environment. The development of e-banking has become a priority for core advantage. The potential competitive advantage of e-banking lies in the areas of cost reduction and satisfaction of consumer needs. There are an increasing number of the various types of new financial distribution channels due to the innovation of extensive technology and advancement in the telecommunications sector. Banks attempt to gain competitive advantage in today's dynamic environment, which must therefore meld technology into building relationship and marketing activities (Moriarty et al., 1983).


In order to prepare nanoparticles, corn cobs were treated with sodium hydroxide in the range 0-6 mole/litre (0-24% of sodium hydroxide on oven dry basis) at 165 oC for 1.5 h at a liquor to solid ratio of 4.5:1. The sample obtained at the optimised condition (4.5 mole/litre) was washed with deionised water, disintegrated, and filtered through 80 mesh screens. Powder thus obtained was delignified by acidified sodium chlorite and dried in a vacuum oven to constant weight. Dried powder was further separated by 270 mesh screens. An average particle size approximately equal to 22 nm was observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Its crystallinity was determined by XRD analysis. The aggregated particle size was observed in the micron range by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).


I will examine a number of current theoretical systems and issues in logic of science. Then I will suggest why it is that Q can serve those systems that have a substantially different logic of science. My analysis will be confined to psychology, for that is the field I know best; but perhaps some of my remarks will have some relevance to other fields as well.
I will begin with a scheme that I found useful in a textbook writing project (Smith 2001). This divides theoretical systems into groups. A system's placement in a group depends on where the locus of causality is placed in the system. If the organism causes its own behavior, the system is organocentric; if the environment causes behavior, it is envirocentric. If the social order is the center of behavior, it is sociocentric. If the system considers organism- environment relationships to constitute causality, I call it noncentric.
Both organocentrism and envirocentrism assume linear causality: A causes B. Noncentrism, in contrast, views causality not as a force or determiner or producer of action but merely as a descriptive term for interdependent events, which replace linear causality: that is, it is not that A causes B but rather that A, B, C, and other components are interactional and reciprocal. The four centrisms comprise different assumptions about causality and exhaust the possibilities (unless one adds mysticism or magic), and these could be reduced to three, for sociocentrism is a type of envirocentrism.


This article provides an overview of recent literature illustrating a troubling disconnect between (a) the importance of teaching and information literacy instruction for the future of libraries and (b) the apparent lack of education training many librarians receive during library school. We argue that it is essential for the future success of academic libraries that library schools pay greater attention to instructional pedagogy for training library leaders of the future. We then outline several practical strategies drawn from our own experience that library school students and currently practicing professionals can adopt to expand their understanding of instructional pedagogy as a way to improve their practice as teaching librarians.


Objective: Most opioid users seeking treatment in community-based substance abuse treatment programs have at least one co-occurring psychiatric disorder, and the presence of psychiatric comorbidity in this population is associated with increased psychological distress, poorer quality of life, and reduced response to substance abuse treatment. This observational study describes clinical outcomes of referring patients receiving methadone maintenance with at least one co-occurring psychiatric disorder to a community psychiatry program located on the same hospital campus. Methods: Participants (n = 156) were offered priority referrals to a community psychiatry program that included regularly scheduled psychiatrist appointments, individual and group therapy, and enhanced access to psychiatric medications for 1 year. Psychiatric distress was measured with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), which participants completed monthly. Results: While about 80% of the sample (n = 124) initiated psychiatric care, the average length of treatment was only 128.2 days (SD = 122.8), participants attended only 33% of all scheduled appointments (M = 14.9 sessions, SD = 14.1), and 84% (n = 104) did not complete a full year of care. Of those who did not complete a full year, over half (55%, n = 68) left psychiatric care while still receiving substance abuse treatment. Exploratory negative binomial regression showed that baseline cocaine and alcohol use disorder (p =.002 and.022, respectively) and current employment (p =.034) were associated with worse psychiatric treatment retention. Modest reductions in psychiatric distress over time were observed (SCL-90-R Global Severity Index change score = 2.5; paired t = 3.54, df = 121, p =.001). Conclusions: Referral of patients with co-occurring psychiatric disorders receiving methadone maintenance to a community psychiatry program is often ineffective, even after reducing common barriers to care. Service delivery models designed to improve attendance and retention, such as integrated care models, should be evaluated. This study is part of a larger clinical trial, registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov under #NCT00787735.


: The tropical zones of Latin America are sources of a great faunal richness. A significant number of mammals are associated with damage to the agricultural and livestock industries of Colombia. Some studies have indicated that rodents cause serious economic and social damage in the agricultural, livestock, and stored product sectors of the Colombian economy. Evaluations of this damage have been based on three criteria: 1) the characteristics of the damage; 2) the species of rodent involved; and 3) the loss of production at harvest. Cereals and oil-producing crops are most affected as standing crops; in the livestock area, poultry and pork production are most affected; many agricultural products, especially grains, are attacked by rodents during the post-harvest stage. The level of economic loss caused by rodents can range from about 4 % to about 50 % depending on the crop, the season, and the species of rodent involved in the damage. Social damages are characterized by the transmission of illnesses such as salmonellosis and leptospirosis via contaminated foods or grains. Six species of rodents of the families Cricetidae and Muridae are most commonly associated with these problems in Colombia.


Existing distinctions among macro and micro approaches have been jeopardising the advances of Information Systems (IS) research. Both approaches have been criticized for explaining one level while neglecting the other; thereby, the current situation necessitates the application of multilevel research for revealing the deficiencies. Instead of studying single level (macro or micro), multilevel research entails more than one level of conceptualization and analysis, simultaneously. As the notion of multilevel is borrowed from reference disciplines, there tends to be confusions and inconsistencies within the IS discipline, which hinders the adoption of multilevel research. This paper speaks for the potential value of multilevel research, by investigating the current application status of multilevel research within the IS domain. A content analysis of multilevel research articles from major IS conferences and journals is presented. Analysis results suggest that IS scholars have applied multilevel research to produce high quality work ranging from a variety of topics. However, researchers have not yet been consistently defining "multilevel", leading to idiosyncratic meanings of multilevel research, most often, in authors' own interpretations. We argue that a rigorous definition of "multilevel research" needs to be explicated for consistencies in research community.


Anyons are quasiparticles that may be realized in two dimensional systems. They come in two types, the simpler Abelian anyons and the more complex non-Abelian anyons. Both of these have been considered as a means for quantum computation, but non-Abelian anyons are usually assumed to be better suited to the task. Here we challenge this view, demonstrating that Abelian anyon models have as much
potential as some simple non-Abelian models.

First the means to perform quantum computation with Abelian anyon models is considered. These models, like many non-Abelian models, cannot realize universal quantum computation by braiding alone. Non-topological operations must be used in addition, whose complexity depends on the physical means by which the anyons are realized. Here we consider anyons based on spin lattice models, with single spin measurements playing the role of non-topological operations. The computational power achieved by various kinds of measurement is explored and the requirements
for universality are determined. The possibility to simulate non-Abelian anyons using Abelian ones is then considered. Finally, a non-Abelian quantum memory is
dissected in order to determine the means by which it provides fault-tolerant storage of information. This understanding is then employed to build equivalent quantum
memories with Abelian anyon models. The methodology provides with the means to demonstrate that Abelian models have the capability to simulate non-Abelian anyons, and to realize the same computational power and fault-tolerance as non Abelian models.

Apart from the intellectual interest in relating topological models with each other, and of understanding the properties of non-Abelian anyons in terms of the
simpler Abelian ones, these results can also be applied in the lab. The simpler structure of Abelian anyons means that their physical realization is more straightforward.
The demonstration of non-Abelian properties with Abelian models therefore allows features of non-Abelian anyons to be realized with present and near future technology.
Based on this possibility, proposals are made here for proof of principle experiments.


Areal topography segmentation plays a fundamental role in those surface metrology applications concerned with the characterisation of individual topography features. Typical scenarios include the dimensional inspection and verification of micro-structured surface features, and the identification and characterisation of localised defects and other random singularities. While morphological segmentation into hills or dales is the only partitioning operation currently endorsed by the ISO specification standards on surface texture metrology, many other approaches are possible, in particular adapted from the literature on digital image segmentation. In this work an original segmentation approach is introduced and discussed, where topography partitioning is driven by information collected through the application of texture characterisation transforms popular in digital image processing. Gabor filters, wavelets and pyramid decompositions are investigated and applied to a selected set of test cases. The behaviour, performance and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed from the viewpoint of the identification and extraction of individual surface topography features.


World economic growth this year is likely to remain as weak as in 1998, despite a gradual acceleration in the course of the year. The volume of world trade is estimated to have fallen significantly in the latter half of last year, and to date there are few signs of a rapid recovery. However, there are indications of improved investor sentiment in a number of emerging market economies, and the monetary authorities in many industrial economies have lowered shortterm interest rates significantly since last autumn. In the absence of further financial market turmoil, a modest global recovery is expected to develop this year, led by improved prospects for the Asian economies. World GDP is expected to rise by 3 per cent in 2000, after growth of 2V4 per cent this year (Table 1). The industrial economies as a group are not expected to contribute significantly to the overall rebound. The economy of the United States has remained much stronger than expected, but could experience a soft landing next year, particularly if the Federal Reserve decides to tighten monetary policy. Activity in Japan may at best stabilise next year after two years of declining GDP, with many firms continuing to have excess capacity, and domestic demand expected to remain weak. The continuing weakness of Japan will help to keep the upturn in the emerging markets within bounds. Growth should pick up in Western Europe over the next eighteen months, helped by the present relaxed monetary conditions. However, a recovery this year remains far from assured, with activity likely to be particularly weak in Germany and Italy. The present, historically low, rate of inflation in the industrial world may rise slightly, partly as a result of some recovery in world prices for primary commodities, recently in particular for oil. In the euro area, import prices will also rise as a result of the recent depreciation of the euro against the dollar. The continued strength of the dollar can be partly attributed to the very strong performance of the American economy compared with the European economy, and to the rising interest rate differentials with Europe. We expect that developments in the opposite direction will weaken the dollar again. Section VI of this report illustrates a scenario with a more substantial weakening in the aftermath of a collapse in equity prices. The Western European economy has been strongly affected by the adverse developments in the crisis regions. This has depressed industrial production significantly over the past year. The prospects for Europe are heavily dependent on the timing and extent to which these effects fade away. The American economy has been a strong engine for world economic growth up to now, but there are several imbalances that may lead to a slowdown over the next eighteen months. This could have a substantial impact on the European economy.


The study of blood ex vivo can occur in closed or open systems, with or without flow. Microfluidic devices, which constrain fluids to a small (typically submillimeter) scale, facilitate analysis of platelet function, coagulation biology, cellular biorheology, adhesion dynamics, and pharmacology and, as a result, can be an invaluable tool for clinical diagnostics. An experimental session can accommodate hundreds to thousands of unique clotting, or thrombotic, events. Using microfluidics, thrombotic events can be studied on defined surfaces of biopolymers, matrix proteins, and tissue factor, under constant flow rate or constant pressure drop conditions. Distinct shear rates can be generated on a device using a single perfusion pump. Microfluidics facilitated both the determination of intraluminal thrombus permeability and the discovery that platelet contractility can be activated by a sudden decrease in flow. Microfluidic devices are ideal for multicolor imaging of platelets, fibrin, and phosphatidylserine and provide a human blood analog to mouse injury models. Overall, microfluidic advances offer many opportunities for research, drug testing under relevant hemodynamic conditions, and clinical diagnostics.


_Sir_
We would like to thank Ziesenitz and colleagues for their additive comments to our review concerning the evidence of analgesic efficacy of dipyrone in children.
Since dipyrone was recently included in the Dutch national guideline for postoperative pain treatment, our first aim was to obtain more insight in the evidence of the analgesic efficacy when used in children: eg, if it is more potent than other analgesics prescribed for mild pain like paracetamol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For this we found no evidence. On the contrary, in good quality randomized controlled trials, the efficacy of dipyrone or paracetamol appeared similar. In lower quality RCTs, it was similar or even less effective than ketorolac.
About the safety we have given a warning but the pharmaco-epidemiologic calculations are done for the risk on agranulocytosis; results and estimations differ every time in each study.
We share the concerns by Ziesenitz regarding the risk of agranulocytosis with dipyrone; as pediatric studies largely differed in design, we were not able to provide a risk to develop this serious adverse event in children.2 In the studies mentioned by Ziesenitz, mean age of patients who developed agranulocytosis was around 60 years (11-93). Only a small proportion of patients (3.7% and 3.9%) were younger than 18 years. The greatest risk factors mentioned in both articles are: older age, female sex, triple blood line dyscrasia, and concomitant treatment with methotrexate.
We are worried that the risk of developing agranulocytosis is underestimated. First, because of the possibility of underreporting of this serious and sometimes fatal adverse drug reaction and second because the numbers are increasing because of an increase in prescriptions of dipyrone partly due to off label indications. We are aware of the increasing use of opioids in both North America and Europe with associated life-threatening respiratory events, a subject also frequently debated in the Pediatric Pain List.
Therefore, we would certainly advocate the perioperative use of adjuvant analgesics to reduce opioid prescriptions. But based on the available evidence in literature, there is certainly no place for the use of dipyrone. There are enough alternatives available, including intravenous paracetamol, though for some also with limited evidence.


Economic prosperity is the best recipe for an incumbent government to be re‐elected. However, the financial crisis was significantly more consequential for governing parties in young rather than in established democracies. This article introduces the age of democracy as a contextual explanation which moderates the degree to which citizens vote retrospectively. It shows a curvilinear effect of the age of democracy on retrospective economic voting. In a first stage after the transition to democracy, reform governments suffer from a general anti‐incumbency effect, unrelated to economic performance. In a second step, citizens in young democracies relate the legitimacy of democratic actors to their economic performance rather than to procedural rules, and connect economic outcomes closely to incumbent support. As democracies mature, actors profit from a reservoir of legitimacy, and retrospective voting declines. Empirically, these hypotheses are corroborated by data on vote change and economic performance in 59 democracies worldwide, over 25 years.


A study of the resuspension, deposition and transport of sediments and the resulting changes in bathymetry in the lower part of the Saginaw River in Michigan has been made. The numerical model used in this study consists of a two-dimensional, vertically integrated, time-dependent hydrodynamic and transport model coupled with a three-dimensional, time-dependent model of the dynamics of the sediment bed and its properties. Transport of sediment as suspended load and bed load was included in the analysis. In the numerical calculations, curvilinear coordinates were used. For verification of the model, results of numerical calculations of changes in the thickness of the sediment bed due to time-varying flow events were compared with bathyrnetric measurements taken at nine transects on the river on 28 August 1991 and 13 May 1992. From the transect measurements, from measurements of flow rates and sediment concentrations, and from the numerical modelling, a reasonably accurate description of the sediment transport and the resulting bathymetric changes has been made. The calculations and observations show that resuspension/deposition, bed load, and slumping are significant factors in changing the bathymetry. It is also shown that the largest flows are responsible for most of the sediment erosion and deposition and must therefore be understood and considered in detail. An approximate procedure for making long-term (1 to 25 year) calculations is presented and discussed. This procedure greatly reduces the required computer time but still maintains the required accuracy for the prediction of sediment and contaminant transport and fate.


ABSTRACT Background Adolescent mental illness is of increasing concern, with prevalence increasing especially in females in the United Kingdom. While service-related barriers can deter help-seeking, the role of family support and engagement in family activities, and attitudes towards seeking help from a doctor has received little attention. Studies exploring help-seeking from family and medical practitioners have done so without incorporating theories of behaviour change. This study aims to develop a model of adolescent help-seeking using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Method A cross-sectional survey of 1639 male and females aged 13–17 years in Northern Ireland. Structural Equation Modelling determined fit for TBP factors, with the addition of gender, experience of mental health issues, and engagement in family activities. Results The Structural Equation Model suggests an adequate description of the relationships between TPB variables [χ 2(639) = 8302.36, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.09; SRMR = 0.06; CFI = 0.92; IFI = 0.92], with significant variance (R 2) of up to 61% (Intentions to Seek Help from Family) and 24% (Intention to Seek Help from Medical Professionals) explained. Males (compared to females) reported a more supportive family life, fewer mental health problems, more trust in doctors, less prosocial behaviour, more confidence discussing mental health with a doctor, and greater intentions to seek family or medical professional help when having emotional/mental health problems. Conclusions When supporting adolescent's gender, engagement with family and trust in doctors should be considered, especially where they have experienced mental health issues and may be less willing to seek help.


The purpose of the paper is to provide a discussion of the various approaches for accounting for labour supply responses in microsimulation models. The paper focus attention on two methodologies for modelling labour supply: 1) The discrete choice model. 2) The random utility – random opportunities model The paper then describes approaches to utilising these models for policy simulation in terms of producing and interpreting simulation outcomes, outlining an extensive literature of policy analyses utilising these approaches. Labour supply models are not only central for analyzing behavioural labour supply responses but also for identifying optimal tax-benefit systems, given some of the challenges of the theoretical approach. Combining labour supply results with individual and social welfare functions enables the social evaluation of policy simulations. Combining welfare functions and labour supply functions, the paper discusses how to model socially optimal income taxation.


This essay explores communicating criticality as a problem in how we conceive of and speak about critical practice. This focus is distinct from "communicating critically," which we can view as a performance or intervention in accordance with a particular sense of critique or critical urgency. Pedagogically, the notion of communicating criticality is linked to the assumption that as well as informing students and others about traditions of critique, and giving them a sense of its political importance, we should seek to foster the ability to evaluate different forms and styles of critique beyond an assessment of counter-arguments. In order to achieve this, we need to think about criticality, forms of critical practice, and reflect on the nexus between communication, critical theory and performance. This essay begins with a discussion of the state of "being critical" and then goes on to develop and elaborate a concept of criticality. Criticality relates to the way a critical perspective defines or figures its own ground of intervention, or the way it sets up and constructs the problem to which it seeks to respond. Being attuned to criticality is about being aware of the way different approaches figure critical theory and practice, and what it means to be critical. In this sense the concept of criticality underpins a highly relational notion of the politics and ethics of criticism and critique.


Research has been conducted to identify the difficulties which mature students experience as undergraduate students, and to explore the career transition process of this population in the context of these difficulties. The research design involved a two-stage multi-method process which incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data. In order to measure the difficulties construct, it was necessary to develop a scale pertinent to New Zealand mature students. This was achieved through modification of an existing Hong Kong scale. A survey was designed in order to administer a range of scales. Pertinent measures were the difficulties scale, the Career Transitions Inventory which measured perception of psychological resources operating during career transition, the participation and commitment scales of the Salience Inventory, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Global measures were used to assess perception of stress and coping in the mature student role. Demographic information was also collected. The research aim was to explore the impact of a range of variables on the four outcome measures of psychological well being, self reported academic performance, stress and coping. The sample group for the qualitative stage of the research consisted of a representative sample of mature undergraduate students from across the four colleges of Massey University, at Albany. For stage two the sample group consisted of 500 mature undergraduate students randomly selected by the administration staff of Massey University, at Albany. Five major areas of difficulty were identified in the undergraduate context. These were home/family concerns, finances, future career concerns, study skills, and support issues. The home/family, finances, and study skills domains of difficulty appeared most pertinent to mature students in this population. Home/family difficulty was associated with health indices, emerging as the strongest predictor of the psychological well being and stress variables. Study skills emerged as the most valuable predictor of the performance and coping variables. Results pointed to the psychological resources of readiness and social support as being most salient for mature students. Readiness emerged as predictive of psychological well being and coping, with social support predictive of performance. This study has both theoretical implications, and implications for career counselling interventions for mature students. Psycho-educational and psychosocial strategies at both the group and individual level are suggested as appropriate interventions.


Human β-defensins (hBDs) are a family of cationic peptides able to directly kill a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses. In addition to their antimicrobial activities, defensins also contribute to the modulation of both the host innate and adaptive immunity. In this project, we demonstrate that the αCD3/28 co-stimulation of human CD4+ T cells in the presence of 10μg/ml hBD-2 or hBD-3 together causes an up-regulation in numbers of CD4+CD69+CD25+ and CD4+CD69-CD25+ T cell subsets, indicating that the treatment of hBD-2 and 3 enhances CD4+ T cell activation. Consistent with this finding, proliferation assay using CFSE suggests that hBD-2 and hBD-3 treatment in vitro induces the proliferation of CD4+ T cells following by 96hrs culture. Analysis of expression of the regulatory T cells (Tregs) specific marker, FoxP3, reveals a shift in the CD4+CD127-CD25+ Treg subset at 18hrs. However, at the later time point, we found that the percentage of FoxP3+cells decreased in the CD4+CD127-CD25+ Treg population, whereas the presence of the FoxP3+CTLA-4+ Treg subset increased. These data indicate that Treg suppressive function may be potentially defective following the co-incubation of purified T cells with either hBD-2 or hBD-3 for 42hrs in vitro due to the apparent loss of FoxP3 expression. We further characterise the role of hBD-2 and hBD-3 in driving human CD4+ T cells polarisation. Our in vitro data suggests that treatment with hBD-2 and hBD-3 can not only induces effector T cell (Teff) differentiation into RORγt+T-bet+ (Th17/Th1) cells, but can also trigger the differentiation of Treg expressing RORγt and T-bet rather than the master controller of Treg function, FoxP3. This apparent plasticity of T cell phenotype allows them to convert from Treg to Th1/17-like effector T cell phenotype following 18hrs in culture. By 42hrs in culture, treatment with hBD-2 and hBD-3 induced both Teff cell and Treg cell differentiation towards the Th17-like phenotype. Compared with the treatment with hBD-2, treatment with hBD-3 induced a more pronounced effect to increase levels of RORγt in CD4+ T cells. This elevated expression may, in turn, be responsible for the induction of higher IL-17A secretion. Consistent with this idea, it was found that treatment with hBD-3 but not hBD-2 was capable of inducing the higher level of secretion of IL-17A. Additionally, treatment with hBD-3 induced an increased expression of IL-6, which is capable of driving the differentiation of naive T cells towards IL-17-producing Th17 cells. Functionally, using the Treg suppression assay, the data suggested that hBD-2 may dampen down Treg cell ability to induce suppression of Teff cell activity. Interestingly, co-culture with hBD-2 would also appear to increase Teff cell resistance to Treg immunoregulation in vitro. Further investigation using microarray gene analysis revealed chemokine C-C motif ligand 1 (CCL1) as potential genes responding to hBD-2 treatment. The blockade of CCL1 has been reported to inhibit Treg suppressive function. Thus, this study explored the function of these antimicrobial candidates in regulating CD4+ T cell plasticity which could result in hBD-2 and hBD-3 being able to regulate its own production, but also may regulate Treg and Teff cell development and function, thus strengthening the link between innate and adaptive immunity


In recent years, the edible biomedicinal products called nutraceuticals have been becoming more popular among the pharmaceutical industries and the consumers. In the process of developing nutraceuticals, in silico approaches play an important role in structural elucidation, receptor-ligand interactions, drug designing etc., that critically help the laboratory experiments to avoid biological and financial risk. In this thesis, three nutraceuticals possessing antimicrobial and anticancer activities have been studied. Firstly, a tertiary structure was elucidated for a coagulant protein (MO2.1) of Moringa oleifera based on homology modeling and also studied its oligomerization that is believed to interfere with its medicinal properties. Secondly, the antimicrobial efficiency of a limonoid from neem tree called 'azadirachtin' was studied with a bacterial (Proteus mirabilis) detoxification agent, glutathione S-transferase, to propose it as a potent drug candidate for urinary tract infections. Thirdly, sequence specific binding activity was analyzed for a plant alkaloid called 'palmatine' for the purpose of developing intercalators in cancer therapy. Cumulatively, we have used in silico methods to propose the structure of an antimicrobial peptide and also to understand the interactions between protein and nucleic acids with these nutraceuticals.


Nine hundred seventy-five million people are hungry in the world today, up from 852 million in 2003-2005, and 820 million in 1996. Previous policies have failed. The world food crisis, characterized by sudden increases of prices of agricultural commodities on the international markets which peaked in June 2008, took states and the international community by surprise. The crisis had devastating human consequences, with particularly severe impacts on women and children because of inequalities within households and the specific nutritional needs of children for their physical and mental development. For many families, particularly in developing countries, the sharp increases we have witnessed made food unaffordable, leading them to cut back on expenses in education or health, to switch to less varied diets, or to have fewer meals. But the crisis reaches much further, and it is much deeper, than the question of prices alone would suggest. The crisis illustrated the unsustainability of a global food system which may be good at producing large amounts of food, but that is neither socially nor environmentally sustainable: while the incomes of small scale farmers in developing countries are below subsistence levels, often leaving them no other option but to leave their fields and seek employment in cities, the current methods of agricultural production deplete soils, produce large amounts of greenhouse gases, and use vast quantities of water, threatening food security in the long term, and making the repetition of crises such as the one we"ve seen unavoidable if we do not act decisively. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The global food crisis has shed light on the fragility of our food system. This system has proven unable to resist in the face of shocks such as a peak in the prices of oil, a sudden shift in demand, for example as a result of the diversion of food crops for the production of fuel, or speculative behavior on the commodities markets. As a result, international agencies, governments, and the private sector, have all recognized the need to invest more in agriculture. Largely due to the structural decline of prices of agricultural commodities since the second oil shock of 1979, itself the result of the OECD member states dumping cheap food on the international markets, this sector has been neglected in both public budgets and official development assistance since the 1980s, and it has failed to attract private investors. This is changing: this is one benevolent result of the crisis of 2007-2008. Yet, in this context, there is a real risk that we mistake opportunities for solutions. Producing more food shall not serve to combat hunger and malnutrition if the poor are unable to buy the food which is available on the markets. Low prices are not a solution if this perpetuates the addiction of many developing countries to cheap food, leading them to sacrifice their long-term interest in developing the capacity to feed themselves against their short-term interest in buying processed foods from abroad at prices lower than if they were produced at home. And neither low prices and larger volumes produced are an answer for the 500 million households in developing countries, comprising over 2.1 billion individuals, who depend on smallscale farming for their livelihoods. And it is within the ranks of those farmers that we find the majority of those who are hungry. Unless the right to food is placed at the very center of the efforts of the international community to address the structural causes which have led to the global food crisis, we will repeat our past mistakes. We will produce more out of fear of producing too little. But we will forget to ask the decisive questions which, because of their political nature, governments all too often do not want to hear: whose incomes will rise as a result of production increasing? Will the poorest be able to afford the food which is available on the markets? Are safety nets in place, shielding the poorest from the impacts of high prices? …


A co-operative study of the ingestion of kerosene and other petroleum distillate products was carried out among 46 participating hospitals in various cities in the United States and Canada. The basic objectives of the study were the evaluation of gastric lavage as a treatment for the ingestion of petroleum products and the development and formulation of a pattern for the co-operative exchange of information pertaining to poisoning problems. Reports were obtained on a total of 760 patients; 299 of these were submitted by seven participating hospitals that alternated the use and the omission of gastric lavage on even and odd dates of the month in accordance with protocol, and it is primarily on these alternated cases that conclusions regarding the relationship between gastric lavage and the development of complications were based. The other cases were used to examine various epidemiologic characteristics of the problem.
 Gastric lavage was not harmful to the patients, but there was no conclusive evidence that it was beneficial. The presence of pulmonary complications and of pulmonary complications associated with fever were more closely correlated to the presence of vomiting and to the ingestion of amounts greater than one ounce of petroleum distillates than to the use or omission of gastric lavage.
 Patients developed complications in the absence of both vomiting and lavage, thus allowing the inference that bloodstream absorption is a factor in the toxicity of these products to humans.
 Although the case fatality rate is relatively small (only 2 fatalities in the 760 cases) the incidence and the morbidity is substantial. On the basis of National Health Survey figures and reports to the National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers it is estimated that about 28,000 such ingestions occur annually in the United States, and in the current series of 760 patients, 62% were hospitalized.
 Kerosene was by far the commonest type of petroleum distillate product ingested, although mineral seal oil, gasoline, lighter fluid, and a variety of others were involved. Mineral seal oil is the most dangerous from the standpoint of the frequency of toxic manifestations.
 Treatments reported other than gastric lavage were oxygen, oxygen under pressure, penicillin and other antibiotics, and corticosteroids.
 In order to determine conclusively whether or not gastric lavage is useful in the treatment of petroleum distillate ingestions it is recommended that an additional co-operative study be carried out. Such a study should include in addition to the factors recorded in this study, the following items:
 1. A uniformly recommended specific technique for lavage (with perhaps one additional alternative).
 2. Sharper definition of, and closer adherence to, criteria for complications including a history of the presence of cough or gagging at the time of ingestion, and the routine use of serial x-ray.
 3. The use of electroencephalography to explore and delineate central nervous system complications.
 4. The preservation and analysis of the various types of kerosene and petroleum distillates involved and if possible, quantitative analysis of constituents of kerosene in these samples, in the blood and perhaps in the expired air of the patients ingesting the substances.


The early diagenesis of sulfur was assessed in four short sediment cores on the continental shelf off southeastern Brazil that were deposited under the influence of an upwelling tropical system. This tropical upwelling area allows a direct focus on the coupled roles of hydrodynamic- and bioturbation-driven influences on sulfate reduction, sulfide re-oxidation and corresponding stable sulfur isotope signal formation. Under the depositional conditions of Cabo Frio, the degree of reactive iron pyritization was limited by both dissolved sulfide availability and pyrite oxidation events. Textural analyses of pyrite framboids provide evidence of re-oxidation processes, reflecting dynamic redox conditions in the sediments. The isotope composition of pore-water sulfate remained close to the modern seawater value, but very light stable sulfur isotope ratios ( 34 S/ 32 S) of chromium reducible sulfur (essentially pyrite) are found that reflect intense bioturbation-induced sulfur re-cycling. The sulfur isotope signatures developing in these tropical upwelling sites are similar to those of modern euxinic systems, although they are caused by a superimposition of sulfate reduction and an intense oxidative sulfur cycle.


Glycan recognition by lectins initiates clinically relevant processes such as toxin binding or tumor spread. Thus, the development of potent inhibitors has a medical perspective. Toward this goal, we report the synthesis of both rigid and flexible bivalent lactosides on scaffolds that include secondary and tertiary terephthalamides and N,N'-diglucosylterephthalamides. Construction of these compounds involved Schmidt-Michel glycosidation, and amide coupling or Ugi reactions of relevant glycosyl amines in key steps. A glycocluster based on a rigid glycophane was also prepared from coupling of a glucuronic acid derivative and p-xylylenediamine with subsequent ring-closing metathesis. Finally, a more flexible bivalent lactoside was produced from lactosyl azide with use of the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Distances between lactose residues were analyzed computationally as were their orientations for the relatively rigid subset of compounds. Distinct spacing properties were revealed by varying the structure of the scaffold or by varying the location of the lactose residue on the scaffold. To relate these features to bioactivity a plant toxin and human adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins were used as sensors in three types of assay, i.e. measuring agglutination of erythrocytes, binding to glycans of a surface-immobilized glycoprotein, or binding to human cells. Methodologically, the common hemeagglutination assay was found to be considerably less sensitive than both solid-phase and cell assays. The bivalent compounds were less effective at interfering with glycoprotein binding to the plant toxin than to human lectins. Significantly, a constrained compound was identified that displayed selectivity in its inhibitory potency between galectin-3 and its proteolytically processed form. Conversely, compounds with a high degree of flexibility showed notable ability to protect human cells from plant toxin binding. The applied conjugation chemistry thus is compatible with the long-term aim to produce potent and selective lectin inhibitors.


What was a Buddhist monk doing at the 2014 World Economic Forum in Davos lecturing the world's leaders on mindfulness? Why do many successful corporations have a 'chief happiness officer'? What can the chemical composition of your brain tell a potential employer about you? In the past decade, governments and corporations have become increasingly interested in measuring the way people feel: 'the Happiness index', 'Gross National Happiness', 'well-being' and positive psychology have come to dominate the way we live our lives. As a result, our emotions have become a new resource to be bought and sold.

In a fascinating investigation combining history, science and ideas, William Davies shows how well-being influences all aspects of our lives: business, finance, marketing and smart technology. This book will make you rethink everything from the way you work, the power of the 'Nudge', the ever-expanding definitions of depression, and the commercialization of your most private feelings. The Happiness Industry is a shocking and brilliantly argued warning about the new religion of the age: our emotions.


ABSTRACT Previous research examining skill mismatch in the labour market has ignored potential implications for workers outside of the work environment. We argue that the psychological strain that the discrepancy between worker's skills and job requirements wields on workers spills over into the non-work sphere, increasing work–life conflict. This study explores the consequence of skill mismatch for work–family life and various dimensions of job satisfaction. Using the 2011 British Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS), we find that both over- and underskilled workers reported lower satisfaction with achievement and autonomy, opportunity for development, and pay and security. Results also suggest that not only does skill mismatch have a negative influence on work–life conflict but that this association is completely mediated through job satisfaction. Given this better understanding of the complex ways that skill mismatch in employment shapes non-work life, implications for employees and firms are discussed.


Marine animals inhabiting polluted coastal waters nearness urbanised areas may be affected by a complex of toxic substances of domestic and industrial origin. Campania region with its main Naples city and Caserta province are italian areas with high pollutant impact (Maselli et al., 2010; Senior and Mazza, 2003; Imperato et al., 2003.
In order to assess the biological effects of this condition, mussels belonging to Mytilus galloprovincialis species were collected in 12 rearing farms distributed from northern to southeast part of Campanian coast from January 2008 to July 2010 in A and B zone, repartition for mollusks rearing (Dlg. 854/2004); at the same time, from October 2008 to December 2009, sampling of three different species of mollusks occupying different ecological niche (M. galloprovincialis, Tapes philippinarum and Patella caerulea) were conducted at Volturno River Estuary. Tissue-level biomarkers including Defensive phenomena (Haemocyte clusters, Granuloma, Perintestinal inflammation, interstitial inflammation, Brown cells), Regressive phenomena (gonadal atresia and digestive tubules atrophy), Progressive phenomena (gonadal and haemic neoplasia), were recorded and measured in term of prevalence and intensity and related to the different sites.
A total of 31 pathological parameters were recorded in the reared animals along Campanian coast, comprehended different inflammatory response, in some case related to pathogens or as apparent non-specific reaction and regressive changes represented by digestive gland epithelial thinning, often accompanied by intense haemocyte reaction. Moreover, in three areas, cases of Disseminated Neoplasia (DN) presented peculiar cellularity, monomorphism or polymorphism, were observed with a prevalence of 10%, usually few represented in the literature in M. galloprovincialis. Different kind of pathogens (Steinhausia mytilovum, Marteilia refringens, Nematopsis sp., Proctoecoes maculatus) and symbionts (Eugymnanthea inquilina, Ancystrum mytili, Rinkodid-like phyllopharingea protozoa) have been recorded, some of them observed for the first time in the area (Carella et. al., 2010; Carella et al., in press). Prevalence of recorded lesions was equally distributed, did not show a clear temporal trend, present almost in all the samples and abundant in both A and B zones. Defensive phenomena such as non-specific inflammatory responses and regressive changes are useful tools to assess environmental quality in pollution monitoring programmes (Couch, 1985; Au, 2004; Kim et al., 2007). On the basis of our observation, we have identified areas with detrimental conditions that, for current law (Dlg. 854/2004) are considered appropriate for mollusk designated to food consumption; this areas, evaluated using these pathological parameters, based on recognized international standard, wouldn't be considered anymore appropriate, because of stressful environmental condition.
On regarding on Volturno River estuary mollusk population, we have described different gonadal lesions in sampled animals. In particular, about the limpet (Patella coerulea), the majority of males collected at January 2008 showed unusual gonadal disorders, such as early change of sex, pathological hermaphroditism and germinoma (Carella et al., 2009). At the end of the year, limpets population of the estuary decline to finally disappear. Literature suggests these findings could be related to some gonadal alteration, in both humans (Testicular Disgenesis Syndrome -TDS), and animals (lower vertebrates and invertebrates) exposed to Endocrine Disruptor (ED) chemicals; these are heterogeneous classes of chemical pollutants acting upon the endocrine system, which adversely affect reproduction and development of aquatic organisms, causing negative changes in community structure, abundance, diversity and composition.
In order to confirm our pathogenetic hypothesis, adult limpets (Patella caerulea) at different stages of gonadal development were exposed, for 30 days, to xenoestrogen 4-Nonylphenol (1,100,200 μg/L) and estrogen 17β estradiol (1,100 μg/L). Results showed females in more advanced phases of development than corresponding controls, while males exhibited active proliferating oocytes. In one male individual, exposed to 17β estradiol 100 μg/L, a case of intersex was recorded. In order to follow male and female gonad development during experiments, a GnRH probe has been produced on the basis of GnRH aminoacidic sequence in the genome of Lottia gigantea gastropod. In summary, we have provided data on health status of animals on Campanian coast throughout an integrative study of tissue-level biomarkers with natural and experimental measures, helpful to support the present conclusions. Moreover, such data suggest the prosobranch limpet Patella coerulea could be a reliable and effective model for EDc exposure and GnRH molecule as a new possible biomarker for such substances.


ABSTRACT The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, having both germ line micronuclei and somatic macronuclei, must possess a specialized nucleocytoplasmic transport system to import proteins into the correct nucleus. To understand how Tetrahymena can target proteins to distinct nuclei, we first characterized FG repeat-containing nucleoporins and found that micro- and macronuclei utilize unique subsets of these proteins. This finding implicates these proteins in the differential permeability of the two nuclei and implies that nuclear pores with discrete specificities are assembled within a single cell. To identify the import machineries that interact with these different pores, we characterized the large families of karyopherin homologs encoded within the genome. Localization studies of 13 putative importin (imp) α- and 11 imp β-like proteins revealed that imp α-like proteins are nucleus specific—nine localized to the germ line micronucleus—but that most imp β-like proteins localized to both types of nuclei. These data suggest that micronucleus-specific proteins are transported by specific imp α adapters. The different imp α proteins exhibit substantial sequence divergence and do not appear to be simply redundant in function. Disruption of the IMA10 gene encoding an imp α-like protein that accumulates in dividing micronuclei results in nuclear division defects and lethality. Thus, nucleus-specific protein import and nuclear function in Tetrahymena are regulated by diverse, specialized karyopherins.


The importance of knowledge-based economy (KBE) in the XXI century is evident. In the article the reflection of knowledge on economy is analyzed. The main point is targeted to the analysis of characteristics of knowledge expression in economy and to the construction of structure of KBE expression. This allows understanding the mechanism of functioning of knowledge economy. The authors highlight the possibility to assess the penetration level of KBE which could manifest itself trough the existence of products of knowledge expression which could be created in acquisition, creation, usage and development of them. The latter phenomenon is interpreted as knowledge expression characteristics: economic and social context, human resources, ICT, innovative business and innovation policy. The reason for this analysis was based on the idea that in spite of the knowledge economy existence in all developed World countries a definitive, universal list of indicators for mapping and measuring the KBE does not yet exists. Knowledge Expression Assessment Models are presented in the article.


A formalism is presented for determining the amount of symmetry of optical interconnects in terms of their required number of degrees of freedom. The formalism is based on matrix representation of optical interconnects and shows that the relevant property of the interconnect matrix is its rank. On the basis of this formalism, an optical arrangement is proposed for the implementation of general interconnects. This arrangement exploits the symmetry of the interconnects to increase the space–bandwidth-product capabilities, up to the limit imposed by information theory. Some examples that illustrate the effectiveness of our approach are also given.


Elements contained within calcified structures of fish, molluscs, bivalves and corals may provide a means to determine the characteristics of the environment occupied by an organism over time. In order to establish these characteristics it is first important to establish a link between one or more environmental variables and the concentration of elements within such a calcified structure. Black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (Family: Sparidae) were reared for 30 d in the laboratory under controlled conditions, during which time the rearing water was spiked with different concentrations of strontium, barium and manganese. The Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca concentration ratios in the otoliths were related to water chemistry, while that of the Mn:Ca ratio was not. Furthermore the Sr:Ca concentra- tion ratio in the rearing water was beyond levels previously examined. Mean partition coefficients (DMe) were calculated for Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca and Mn:Ca ratios, and were 0.131, 0.099 and 0.683 respec- tively. The relationship between the partition coefficients from each treatment group and the ele- mental ratio of the rearing waters was non-linear for all elements, suggesting that extrapolation of the data beyond the concentrations used is not justified. These results indicate that it is possible to recon- struct the past environmental characteristics from fish otolith chemistry, based on the concentration of elements in water. Establishing this link allows for the reconstruction of past environments that fish have occupied based on elemental chemistry.


The literature relating to the extraction of the aromatics, benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) using different commercial solvents, and to mixer-settler design and performance, has been reviewed. Liquid-liquid equilibria of the ternary systems: hexane-benzene-sulfolane, n-heptane-toluene-sulfolane, and octane-xylene-sulfolane were determined experimentally at temperatures of 30oC, 35oC, and 40oC. The work was then extended to a multicomponent system. The data were correlated by using Hand's method and were found to be in a good agreement with theoretical predictions using the UNIFAC method. A study was made of the performance of a 10-stage laboratory mixer-settler cascade for the extraction of BTX from a synthetic reformate utilizing sulfolane as a solvent. Murphree stage efficiency decreased with stage number but 99% extraction was achievable within 4 stages. The effects of temperature, phase ratio, and agitator speed were investigated. The efficiency increased with agitator speed but > 1050 rpm resulted in secondary haze formation. An optimum temperature of 30oC was selected from the phase equilibria; the optimum solvent: feed ratio was 3:1 for 4 stages. The experimental overall mass transfer coefficients were compared with those predicted from single drop correlations and were in all cases greater, by a factor of 1.5 to 3, due to the surface renewal associated with drop break-up and coalescence promoted by agitation. A similar investigation was performed using real reformate from the Kuwait Oil Company. The phase ratios were in the range 0.5 to 1 to 3.25 to 1, the agitator speed 1050 rpm, and the operating temperature 30oC. A maximum recovery of 99% aromatics was achieved in 4 stages at a phase ratio of 3.25 to 1. A backflow model was extended to simulate conditions in the mixer-settler cascade with this multicomponent system. Overall mass transfer coefficients were estimated by obtaining the best fit between experimental and predicted concentration profiles. They were up to 10% greater than those with the synthetic feed but close agreement was not possible because the distribution coefficient and phase ratio varied with stage number. Sulfolane was demonstrated to be an excellent solvent for BTX recovery and a mixer-settler cascade was concluded to be a technically viable alternative to agitated columns for this process.


A method has been developed for the manufacture of polymeric multimode waveguides using an electrostatic field-induced self assembly and pattern formation process. A spin-coated liquid optical polymer placed between two conductive plates experiences an electrostatic force from an applied electric field gradient across the plates. Surface electrohydrodynamics instability patterning is employed to fabricate optical core microstructures using a patterned master plate. The result shows a good replication of the pattern from the master plate to the optical polymer. The process protocols were defined to achieve waveguides with low sidewall roughness together with an optical coupling interface. We have demonstrated multimode waveguide arrays with a 50 μm × 50 μm cross section and 250-μm pitch on a 10 mm × 10 mm flexible substrate. The refractive index and absorption measurement of the electrostatic-induced optical film show insignificant changes when compared with the unexposed film. Using the cutback approach, the propagation loss of the waveguide is measured at -1.97 dB/cm. The whole fabrication process is found to be fast, cost-effective, and no photosensitive material is needed as in the conventional photolithography approach.


This allegory (R.,514 a 1–517 a 6) is among the most well-traversed passages in Plato's dialogues and deservedly so. Its emotional impact is undeniable, yet it confronts the reader with several problems of interpretation. There is a strong sense that it is of central importance to the crucial questions of the Platonic philosopher's education and his role in society, and it possibly holds one key to an understanding of the Republic as a whole.


This thesis describes and characterizes the in-cylinder processes of an internal combustion engine with direct-injection using high-speed laser diagnostics. The main goal is to further increase the understanding of the underlying physical and chemical processes within the cylinder, hence to increase the efficiency and reduce fuel consumption as well as exhaust gas emissions.

A single cylinder research engine was equipped with a quartz glass ring mounted between the cylinder head and liner enabling a clear view of the in-cylinder processes. Planar imaging techniques were used to record the flow field, the fuel distribution as well as the flame propagation during the compression stroke inside the cylinder. All experiments were performed at a repetition rate of 6 kHz, allowing the recording of sequential crank angles (one image per crank angle at 1000 rpm) and multiple consecutive engine cycles. Each experiment focused on a single process (flow field, spray/flow field interaction, fuel distribution, and flame kernel development) as they were decoupled. In addition, statistical tools (e.g. the kinetic energy) were used to identify cycle-to-cycle variations and their individual distinctiveness. The individual error sources of the experiments were also addressed.

The results are arranged according to their individual recording range. First, the flow field was recorded from 180° (bottom dead center) to 60° before top dead center using high-speed three-component stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. In contrast to conventional two-component particle image velocimetry, all three velocity components of the flow field were obtained within a single plane. Different parametric influences (charge motions tumble, swirl, and neutral as well as different engine speeds) were analyzed systematically by calculating the kinetic and turbulent kinetic energy. Additionally, the influence of the out-of-plane component with the different charge motions was investigated. Here, the assumption of an isotropic velocity distribution showed the directionality of the fluctuating velocities to be more uniform than expected.

The interaction of the flow field with the fuel injection was investigated by imaging the flow field using high-speed two-component particle image velocimetry and the subsequent spray injection in a single recording. Analyzing this, the influence of the flow field to the deformation of the spray was investigated statistically. Secondly, the fuel distribution within the cylinder using the direct-injection system was analyzed with laser-induced fluorescence in order to identify inhomogeneities. A calibration procedure to determine fuel distribution anomalies was developed. Additionally, the fuel deposits on top of the piston crown and their cycle dependent evaporation process super positioned by the convective and diffusion processes was also recorded.

Finally, the flame kernel development was investigated by recording the transient motion of the intermediate OH-radicals occurring in the flame front. Single cycle recordings of the flame kernel area were correlated to the simultaneously recorded pressure signal. The influence of synthetic exhaust gas recirculation on the flame kernel development was also analyzed.


Cancer is a genomic disease. Most cancers contain multiple genetics alterations that drive their unrestrained proliferation, progression and metastatic capacity. For most cancer types, it is known what these alterations are and what their frequency is. Genomics technologies have made it possible to identify these genetic alterations on an individual patient level in a short time frame. This is a major breakthrough, as it allows the clinical implementation of genomics-driven personalized or precision medicine. This means that the genomic data are used for the selection of the best treatment strategy for each patient. Another development that fuels this implementation is the growing repertoire of effective cancer therapies targeted against these drivers or driver signaling pathways. However, we know that targeted therapies are only effective in a subgroup of patients and that observed responses are often not durable. I reviewed the mechanisms of drug resistance to targeted therapies and discussed the lessons that we have learned for future developments. One of these developments is to combine multiple targeted therapies to increase effectiveness and delay or eventually overcome drug resistance. I identified a novel combination of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib with the antidiabetic drug metformin that can be used in the treatment of lung cancer. I uncovered the mechanism underlying the combinatorial effect of these drugs and found that these compounds synergistically activate the AMP-activate protein kinase (AMPK) and thereby inhibit mTOR signaling. The subsequent chapters focus on the identification of molecular subgroups of breast cancer and bladder cancer. I studied a subgroup of ERα-positive breast cancers that are classified as basal-type instead of luminal-type. I found that those cancer express relatively high levels of the dominant-negative splice variant ERΔ7. The finding that the estrogen receptor signaling in these cancers is inactive, suggests that patients with ERα-positive basal-type breast cancer may not benefit from estrogen receptor antagonists (e.g. tamoxifen). Furthermore, I found that those patients have a high risk of developing disease recurrence. I discovered that activating ERBB2 missense mutations characterize a subgroup of muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients with complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This is important, as chemotherapy is currently the only approved drug therapy for bladder cancer. ERBB2 missense mutations can be used as a genomic biomarker to select patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In addition, I describe the identification of specific DNA copy number alterations that correlate with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Together, the studies described contribute to a better selection of patients that will benefit from the anti-cancer therapy. My thesis is concluded with a general discussion on the clinical applicability of cancer genotyping for personalized medicine. This approach has completely changed the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.


Stroke survivors directly link stroke education with their ability to access appropriate treatments and reduce their risk of future strokes. However, with such a diverse population a universal mode of delivering education must be sought. This paper places the artist at the heart of educating patients and carers about their disease by developing a technical process of delivering 3D CT patient stroke data on the Virtual Reality (VR) platform Oculus Rift DK2. VR has already been proven as an efficacious rehabilitation tool for this population but its use in education has not yet been established. This work is being piloted in a new collaboration between the Art & Design Faculty at the University of New South Wales, Australia and the Stroke Rehabilitation Service at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. Importantly, this paper places the artist's at the center of the process -- from developing the concept, to prototyping and creating the final visual aesthetic. The different stages of the technical design process are also described in this paper. These provide an early framework for working with VR in a clinical context. The practicalities and pitfalls of navigating vascular datasets in immersive real-time 3D on VR are discussed at the end of this paper. Several recommendations for the future development of this process and its scalability for clinical use are made.