Character representation in computer systems is the main purpose of character encod- ings, such as Unicode. The representation of Chinese characters in computer systems is a long-standing issue. It is currently still not possible to easily represent, for instance to input, some Chinese characters in computers. In this research, we especially consider the issue of the Chinese characters that are not covered by the conventional encodings. In this paper, in continuation of our previous works on a universal character encoding for such characters, we describe a non-ambiguous hash function for any Chinese character. Unlike conventional approaches, this function is solely based on the character strokes, thus elim- inating any sort of ambiguity. Given its sparsity and low collision rate, the proposed hash function can then be applied to fingerprinting, which can in turn be applied, for instance, to information retrieval. Simplicity and unambiguity are keys to our proposal. This work is then formally evaluated and compared to previous works so as to show its applicability, contribution and to measure its limits.


It has been shown in a previous paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A15, 1689 (1998)] that the expected value and the variance of the fluctuating regular transmittance through a dispersion of slender cylinders can be used to measure properties such as the size and concentration of the dispersed particles. The theory is valid, however, only for very low concentrations or very short path lengths. In practical applications, such as on-line applications, it is often desirable to work at higher concentration×path-length products p to avoid complicated sensor constructions. An extension of the previous theory toward higher values of p is presented. It is based on the assumption of the independence of the regular transmittance of parallel layers of the dispersion. The extended theory shows that information about the dispersion found in the expected value and variance at very low values of p can also be obtained for higher values of p with a few simple expressions. Therefore applications possible in the case of low p values are also possible for higher p values. Two experimental examples have been included to facilitate the discussion of the theory presented.


This paper introduces a computer-based model for predicting the severity of injuries in road traffic accidents. Using accident data from surveys at hospitals in Thailand, standard data mining techniques were applied to train and test a multilayer perceptron neural network. The resulting neural network specification was loaded into an interactive environment called EDEN that enables further exploration of the computer-based model. Although the model can be used for the classification of accident data in terms of injury severity (in a similar way to other data mining tools), the EDEN tool enables deeper exploration of the underlying factors that might affect injury severity in road traffic accidents. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the computerbased model and to demonstrate the potential of EDEN as an interactive tool for knowledge discovery.


AFOCEL commenced a breeding programme for Eucalyptus in 1972 after several
tentative species introductions had been undertaken by the Administration Porestiere Francaise.
Introductions of Eucalyptus into France had been stopped previously because of the
exceptionally cold winter of 1956. Interest in eucalypt plantations for pulpwood production
increased following the success of trials established near Toulouse, in the south of France
(Marquestuat et al. 1978.Marien and Cauvin 1984) and was encouraged by more than a
century of growth of eucalypts as ornamentals near the Mediterranean coast. The good growth
rates and survival of species such as Eucalyptusdatrympleana. E. viminalis,E. macarthuriiand
E. nitens as well as the slower growing, but more frost resistant species such as E. gunnii
resulted in the development of an intensive eucalypt breeding programme (Cauvin 1984;
Cauvin et at. 1987) and approximately 400 hectares of industrial plantings of clonal selections
had been established prior to the devastating frost of 1985 (Figure 1).

Up until the winter of 1985,considered as extreme as that of 1956.AFOCEL had
proposed a group of clones for the industrial plantations which principally comprised E. gunnii
x dalrympleana hybrids. These clones represented what, at the time, was considered an
acceptable compromise between vigour and frost resistance given the low probability of
another extreme winter. However, since the frost of 1985 which killed even the more frost
resistant species such as E. gunnii to ground level (potts and Potts 1986). industrial plantings
were stopped and AFOCEL has since concentratedon selection of eucalypt clones for extreme
frost resistance. AFOCEL is selecting close to the natural limits of the frost resistance of the
genus and the challenge is to develop plants which are resistant to relatively infrequent,
unpredictable extreme frost temperatures; yet suitably productive to remain economically
competitive with more traditional species.


This catalogue provides a comprehensive record of the 284 entities of organisms (insect, mite and pathogen species, or biotypes thereof) that have featured in biological control of invasive alien plants (weeds) in South Africa, since 1913. Fourteen of these entities are native species, or foreign species that have, by some unknown means, entered the country, while the remainder were intentionally imported specifically for biological control. The majority (237 of 284, i.e. 83 %) are phytophagous insects, the balance being made up of five species of mites (Acari) and 42 entities of plant-pathogens. The catalogue comprises the names of each of the target weeds, their origin, and an assessment of the degree of control that has been achieved with biological control, together with names and details (feeding guild, date released where applicable, current status and extent of damage inflicted) for each of the agents. Key references are provided. Of the 270 entities that were introduced into quarantine and tested for host specificity: 106 (39 %) were eventually released as biological control agents; 16 % are still under investigation; approximately 24 % were rejected by researchers because of doubts about their safety or efficacy; and 21 % have been shelved pending possible further study. Two of the pathogen species were developed as mycoherbicides. Seventy-five (71 %) of the 106 agents that were released in South Africa have become established on 48 invasive alien plant species, in 14 plant families. According to a rating system that has been widely adopted since 1999, and slightly amended in this account, approximately 21 % of the weed species on which biological control agents are established have been completely controlled, and another 38 % are under a substantial degree of control.


Starting from the assumption that in professional interactions argumentation is one specific discursive activity through which participants advocate their positions on recommended actions, the paper analyses argumentation strategies in an international company in Romania, where English is used as the language of communication. Considering arguing as basically a form of contextualized speech behaviour, the theoretical frameworks used in this paper are pragma-dialectics and discourse analysis, investigating how speakers fit their contributions to accommodate various purposes and also how they defend their standpoint so that the other party is convinced of its acceptability. The data consist of telephone conferences via internet connections (Virtual Networking Communication sessions) which enable participants to communicate both verbally and via computer-human interface. Given the specific nature of the data, interactions in a technologically shaped context, the paper also addresses the question of enablements and constraints of technology in the way in which participants support or justify their actions.


In 1917, when the American Society of Independent Artists refused to exhibit a porcelain urinal that Marcel Duchamp had submitted to them as a sculpture, a friend of Duchamp's wrote : "There are those who anxiously ask: 'Is he serious or is he joking?' Perhaps he is both!" Duchamp's behavior - making a provocative and radically innovative artistic gesture, then declining to explain his motives in the face of accusations that this was a hoax - became a model that subsequently inspired a series of iconoclastic young conceptual innovators. These include many of the most important artists of the twentieth century, and their line of descent runs from Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, and Piero Manzoni to Gilbert & George, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. The ambiguity of these artists' actions has triggered heated and persistent debates over the sincerity of their work, which have increased the effectiveness of the work's attacks on existing artistic conventions at the same time that they have advanced the artists' reputations and careers. The model of the conceptual artist as trickster is a novel feature of the innovative conceptual art of the past century, and it has produced a type of conceptual art that is more personal than nearly all other forms of art: we can never look at their work without thinking not only of their ideas - what is the artistic significance of a manufactured object purchased at a hardware store, or a silkscreen of a photograph taken from a magazine - but also of their attitudes - was Fountain or Fat Chair really intended to be taken seriously?


It is known that the most low distributed feedback (DFB) lasing threshold in chiral photinic media (for the definitnes we shall speak below about chiral liquid crystals (CLC)) was observed at the localized mode frequencies (for example at edge mode (EM) frequency). The DFB lasing threshold at the localized mode frequencies in CLCs is rather complicatedly dependent on the CLC and the used in experiments cell parameters. Similar complicated relations exist in the anomalously strong (at the localized mode frequencies) absorption effect revealing themselves, in particular, in the luminescence spectra. Below the results of a theoretical studying of the dependence of the DFB lasing efficiency and the luminescence spectra for CLCs on the relationships of the parameters under discussion are reported. Obtained results explain the experimentally observed non-monotonic dependence of the DFB lasing threshold on the pumping intensity. Options of the experimental observation of the predicted effects are discussed.


Among the maritime states of India, Gujarat, with its 11 maritime
districts, namely Kutch, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli. Bhavanagar,
Ahamedabad, Kheda, Bharuch, Surat and Valsad, has the longest coastline
and, the continental edge in this part of the Arabian sea being farther
from shore than in any other part of the country, has the widest shelf
area. The coastline of about 1640 km consists of 173 landing centres.
The shelf area covers about 1,64,000 sq.km, of which 64,800 sq.km falls
in the depth range 0-60 m, which can be exploited by traditional as well
as mechanised craft. The state also has excellent estuarine potentials.
Despite the State's thus having an excellent scope for the marine fisheries
development, it ranks only the fourth place in regard to the contribution
to the all-India marine fish production, the annual average landings being
2.21 lakh tonnes. And, with regard to the involvement of the costal rural
population in the marine fishery activities, Gujarat ranks lowest. The state
has a marine fishermen population of only 1.52 lakhs, of which hardly
37000 are engaged in actual fishing and allied occupations.


In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the ECB has experienced an unprecedented deterioration in the level of trust. This raises the question as to what factors determine trust in central banking. We use a unique cross-country dataset which includes a rich set of socioeconomic characteristics and supplement it with variables meant to reflect a country's macroeconomic condition. We find that besides individual socio-economic characteristics, macroeconomic conditions play a crucial role in the trust-building process. Our results suggest that agents are boundedly rational in the trust-building process and that current ECB market operations may even be beneficial for trust in the ECB in the long-run.


This research discusses about criminal law policy in determining direction of the criminal offense prevention policy protected animals now in Indonesia and in the foreseeable future. The study was based on the results of research in normative jurisdiction to find a norms and principle in formulating the protection of animals. The research concludes the protection of animals are still in effective, such as the lack of accountability for corporate regulation and the absence of a regulation on sanctions difference between animals from the nature and captive breeding. therefore, there needs to reformulation of the Law of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem, and the inclusion of regulation of protected animals in the Draft Criminal Code as a new juridical basis to provide the protection both in concretely and abstractly.


Stars form in the densest, coldest, most quiescent regions of molecular clouds. Molecules provide the only probes that can reveal the dynamics, physics, chemistry, and evolution of these regions, but our understanding of the molecular inventory of sources and how this is related to their physical state and evolution is rudimentary and incomplete. The Spectral Legacy Survey (SLS) is one of seven surveys recently approved by the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) Board of Directors. Beginning in 2007, the SLS will produce a spectral imaging survey of the content and distribution of all the molecules detected in the 345 GHz atmospheric window (between 332 and 373 GHz) toward a sample of five sources. Our intended targets are a low‐mass core (NGC 1333 IRAS 4), three high‐mass cores spanning a range of star‐forming environments and evolutionary states (W49, AFGL 2591, and IRAS 20126), and a photodissociation region (the Orion Bar). The SLS will use the unique spectral imaging capabilities of HARP‐B/ACSIS (Heterodyne Array Receiver Programme B/Auto‐Correlation Spectrometer and Imaging System) to study the molecular inventory and the physical structure of these objects, which span different evolutionary stages and physical environments and to probe their evolution during the star formation process. As its name suggests, the SLS will provide a lasting data legacy from the JCMT that is intended to benefit the entire astronomical community. As such, the entire data set (including calibrated spectral data cubes, maps of molecular emission, line identifications, and calculations of the gas temperature and column density) will be publicly available.


Oxidative stress (OS)-induced senescence of the amniochorion has been associated with parturition at term. We investigated whether telomere fragments shed into the amniotic fluid (AF) correlated with labor status and tested if exogenous telomere fragments (T-oligos) could induce human and murine amnion cell senescence. In a cross-sectional clinical study, AF telomere fragment concentrations quantitated by a validated real-time PCR assay were higher in women in labor at term compared to those not in labor. In vitro treatment of primary human amnion epithelial cells with 40 μM T-oligos ([TTAGGG]2) that mimic telomere fragments, activated p38MAPK, produced senescence-associated (SA) β-gal staining and increased interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 production compared to cells treated with complementary DNA sequences (Cont-oligos, [AATCCC]2). T-oligos injected into the uteri of pregnant CD1 mice on day 14 of gestation, led to increased p38MAPK, SA-β-gal (SA β-gal) staining in murine amniotic sacs and higher AF IL-8 levels on day 18, compared to saline treated controls. In summary, term labor AF samples had higher telomere fragments than term not in labor AF. In vitro and in situ telomere fragments increased human and murine amnion p38MAPK, senescence and inflammatory cytokines. We propose that telomere fragments released from senescent fetal cells are indicative of fetal cell aging. Based on our data, these telomere fragments cause oxidative stress associated damages to the term amniotic sac and force them to release other DAMPS, which, in turn, provide a sterile immune response that may be one of the many inflammatory signals required to initiate parturition at term.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate left ventricular (LV) function reserve in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with and without cardiac troponin gene mutations before transition to the dilated phase. Methods: LV ejection fraction (EF) was continuously evaluated in 52 patients with non-obstructive HCM during supine ergometer exercise using radionuclide ventricular function monitoring with a cadmium telluride detector (VEST). On the basis of genetic analysis, patients were divided into two groups: 10 with cardiac troponin gene mutations (group A) and 42 without these gene mutations (group B). Results: Exercise duration, peak exercise load, and heart rate during exercise did not differ between the two groups. The differences from baseline to peak exercise of the LV end-diastolic volume decreased similarly in the two groups. In contrast, the difference of the LV end-systolic volume in group A increased significantly compared with group B (17.7% (SD 12.7%) vs 3.4% (SD 13.2%); p = 0.0031). Consequently, the difference of LVEF in group A decreased significantly in contrast with group B (–14.1% (SD 11.1%) vs –1.2% (SD 11.7%); p = 0.0025). Additionally, the changes in LVEF and stroke volume decreased significantly more in group A than in group B (–22.2% (SD 18.6%) vs –1.1% (SD 17.8%); p = 0.0017 and –12.9% (SD 21.7%) vs 12.3% (SD 24.4%); p = 0.0042, respectively). Conclusions: These results suggest that HCM patients with cardiac troponin gene mutations may display exercise-induced LV systolic dysfunction more frequently than HCM patients without this abnormality.


Quiet (or sub-Poissonian) oscillators generate a number of dissipation events whose variance is less than the mean. It was shown in 1984 by Golubev and Sokolov that lasers driven by regular pumps are quiet in that sense. The purpose of this paper is to show that, as long as the laser-detector system is strictly stationary, quantization of the optical field is not required to explain such phenomena. The theory presented here is semi-classical, yet exact. Previous theories considering excited-state atoms regularly-injected in resonators, on the other hand, do require in principle light quantization. Specifically, we consider a laser involving a single electron permanently interacting with the field and driven by a constant-potential battery, and point out a similarity with reflex klystrons. The detected noise is found to be only 7/8 of the shot-noise level. It is therefore sub-Poissonian. Our calculations are related to resonance-fluorescence treatments but with different physical interpretations.


The United States federal government's attempts to curb Internet gambling are beginning to resemble a game of whack-amole. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (the "UIGEA" or "Act") represents its most recent attack on Internet gambling. This iBrief first looks at U.S. attempts to limit Internet gambling and how those efforts have affected gambling law and business. It then discusses how the UIGEA works and highlights some of its major limitations. This iBrief argues that the UIGEA will not only fail to rein in online gambling, but that the U.S. federal government is treading an improvident course towards prohibition and will undermine U.S. policy concerns. Finally, this piece concludes by recommending that the U.S. abandon its current course and regulate online gambling.


Rich-poor interactions complicate the search for a stable Environmental Kuznets Curve (an "inverted U" relationship between income per-capita and environmental degradation). We show that aid from richer to poorer countries to support investments in environment, in either of two forms, alters the income-environment relationships that otherwise exist, lowering levels of degradation in the poorer countries conditional upon their incomes. Yet even with environmental aid, in our model, environmental quality eventually falls as economic growth continues, although ongoing innovation could change that conclusion. In light of this result, we show that subsidies to clean goods, one form of technological-transfer aid programme, dominate income transfers as environmental aid policy by the rich. Given that aid matters, we then show that when rich countries degrade the environment, a perverse effect exists: when an aid-giving country becomes richer, it gives less said to the poor country. This is stronger when that degradation is durable, that is, when consumption and degradation by the rich country in the past has durable effects upon the environment.


Important recent scholarship shows that the Habeas Corpus Suspension Clause is aimed mainly at substantive legislation that authorizes confinement by the executive that otherwise would be unlawful. Thus a grant of detention authority that leaves the judicial habeas corpus remedy intact can constitute a suspension subject to the clause. This article emphasizes that at the time of the framing the central example of a suspension of the writ was a grant of extremely broad discretion to the executive to confine people the executive believed to be dangerous. It maintains that broad executive discretion to confine is a necessary condition for a grant of detention authority to qualify as a suspension. Therefore legislative authorization of executive detention for reasons of national security is not a suspension as long as the executive's discretion is substantially bounded; for example, the confinement of enemy aliens during war does not require suspension of the writ. That is true whether the persons to be detained are citizens or aliens. Congressional grants of legally determinate national security detention authority are thus not limited to cases of rebellion and invasion by the Suspension Clause, because they are not suspensions, and may be applied to citizens and aliens alike.


Born on a farm in the village of Cormier Cove in New-Brunswick, the young Romeo LeBlanc did not expect that one day, thanks to his loving family and some unexpected help from his sisters, he would have the chance to go to high school and university, become a history teacher, and then a journalist, finally a politician, climbing up the ladder to the highest position! Nevertheless, Romeo LeBlanc stayed modest and kept his great sense of humour all his life. Discover a boy from Acadie and his Journey to Rideau Hall, the official home of the Governor General in Ottawa.


1. Introduction This essay offers an analysis of Bad Moon Rising (henceforth BMR) (2), the second in a series of novels by contemporary British author Sheila Quigley. As the characters prepare for an annual festival, a number of young women are found strangled and Quigley's detective Lorraine Hunt realises a serial killer is loose on her "patch" (90). At the same time, a young girl is kidnapped. While crime fiction generally and serial killer fiction in particular currently enjoy both popular and critical attention, BMR seems to have attracted very little academic discussion to date. No single book or book chapter on Quigley, the novel or the series could be located for review; journal searches (e.g., The Journal of Popular Culture; Crime, Media, Culture; Clues: A Journal of Detection) came up similarly empty; and trawls through the larger indexing databases in language, literature and the humanities (e.g., the MLA and JSTOR) produced little of interest to serious textual scrutiny. Media coverage, for example, swings between glowing tributes in the local papers (Sunderland Echo's "The Mistress of Murder"), or contemptuous dismissals in the broadsheets, such as this one-line snub in The Observer: "Bad Moon Rising has a serial killer loose in Houghton-le-Spring. (Well, why not?)" (Gutteridge). While various reasons might be given for why BMR has thus far failed to provoke academic debate, one likely contributing factor may be the issue of genre. To the extent that BMR has been noticed, it seems to have been taken for what it first appears to be, a piece of crime fiction, and as crime fiction, it does indeed fail to impress on several counts. As many have noted (Giaimo; Knight Form; Messent; Santaularia; Scaggs; Plain), literary crime fiction typically offers a social critique of some kind, often through the figure of a detective who is marginalised in some way, and thus in a position "to observe society and its institutions from a distance" (Santaularia 58). Only with difficulty, however, could such a reading apply to Detective Inspector Lorraine Hunt. As an attractive, white, middle class, heterosexual woman reasonably happy in her job, she is not marginalised by race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, body issues, or severe trauma, either personal or professional. (3) Instead, her interior monologue reveals far more mundane concerns, such as a crush on one colleague (337) and a personality clash with another (8). It is similarly difficult to assign weight to BMR's killer, a man named Trevor, since he is little more than a cardboard cut-out. A fastidious child warped by a cruel mother, he becomes an obsessive serial strangler of young women as an adult, and is thus positioned as the abused child/outcast figure driven by fanaticism, according to Eva Erdman's matrix of killer types, the classic victim of "early abuse by a Bitch mother" according to Jane Caputi (103). In addition, he exhibits behaviours that readers of the genre are likely to find familiar (Gregoriou): he begins by killing cats, he collects trophies from his victims, and when he is not killing he mostly keeps himself to himself. Even his murders are relatively "mundane," as serial killer narratives go. While there is no wish here to trivialize violent crime or its representation in fiction, Trevor's killings, when put beside the likes of Hannibal Lecter's cannibalism in The Silence of the Lambs, seem pedestrian in comparison. With a relatively uninteresting detective and a cliched killer of unmemorable crimes, it is not difficult to see why BMR has until now been largely dismissed. I would like to suggest here, however, that BMR, while admittedly weak as crime fiction, emerges as a significant piece of regional fiction, and that as regional fiction it makes two important but thus far unnoticed contributions. Firstly, it uses dialect representation and point of view operations to challenge a particularly malicious resurgence of antipathy towards the urban poor current in the UK today, and secondly, it takes forward the canon of Northeastern regional writing in several important ways. …


The Gene Ontology Consortium built the Gene Ontology database (GO) to address the need for a common standard in naming genes and gene products. Using different names for the same concepts and different concepts with the same name makes it effectively impossible for humans and computers alike to analyze biological processes across different organisms. The consortium addresses this need by defining terms for categorizing genes and gene products. A convention in GO is that each gene or gene product is annotated to the most specific GO term in the GO database. It is, however, also useful for researchers to be able to group genesor gene products into broad biological categories that give a higher-level view of their function when analyzing results of an experiment. A GO Slim is a subset of the GO ontology that provides such a higher-level view of functions. Existing GO Slim generation tools have two important limitations: programming language dependence, and an inability to dynamically generate a GO Slim while analyzing. We have extended the relational database engine to dynamically generate a GO Slim overcoming this limitations. Using this extension, we have developed a tool (Dynamic GOSlim) that dynamically generates a GO Slim and uses the generated GO Slim to categorize genes or gene products. This tool is being used in an ongoing proteomics project aimed at identifying possible oral cancer biomarkers in saliva.


Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) can operate successfully only if selection and training of personnel are carried out in a systematic, theoretically sound way. Given the increasing responsibility of operators, a scientific analysis to develop requirements and specifications for training and selection is necessary. Despite the increasing deployment of ITS in industrialized countries, no systematic, empirically supported requirements analysis—including ability level, as well as task level—has yet been done for traffic operators in traffic management centers (TMCs), tunnel operation centers (TOCs), and urban traffic control centers (UTCs). A general requirement profile was established—including knowledge, skills, and abilities—for operators in all three different center types. Differences for traffic operations in TMCs, TOCs, and UTCs were highlighted. Moreover, consequences were drawn for selection processes for potential operations employees and, an overview was provided of tasks needing to be taught specifically. The methods and results shown are particularly helpful for researchers and practitioners in the operational field of ITS.


Abstract : At this writing, the strategic balance may have shifted in the ongoing war in the former Yugoslavia, and the region could be on the verge of a settlement. But, the "window of opportunity" may be fleeting, and the failures and frustrations of the past four years temper any optimism that conflict in the former Yugoslavia will end quickly or completely. If this opening passes without an end to the fighting, the United States may have to reassess its fundamental policy objectives-and the ways and means to achieve them-if peace is to be effected in the Balkans. The intent of this report, therefore, is to analyze and assess existing policies, to identify any conflicts or contradictions that may stymie U.S. efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution of the crisis, and to offer potential solutions. The report does not offer an ambitious criticism of policy or an "expert's" solution to an intractable problem. Its more modest goal is to examine current policy within a context that fits Bosnia into the larger pattern of U.S. interests and policy. In this manner, the report offers a broader framework for the strategic decisions that may face the United States in the not so distant future.


ABSTRACT The newly discovered p73 gene encodes a nuclear protein that has high homology with p53. Furthermore, ectopic expression of p73 in p53+/+ and p53−/− cancer cells recapitulates some of the biological activities of p53 such as growth arrest, apoptosis, and differentiation. p73−/−-deficient mice exhibit severe defects in proper development of the central nervous system and pheromone sensory pathway. They also suffer from inflammation and infections. Here we studied the transcriptional regulation of p73 at the crossroad between proliferation and differentiation. p73 mRNA is undetectable in proliferating C2C12 cells and is expressed at very low levels in undifferentiated P19 and HL60 cells. Conversely, it is upregulated during muscle and neuronal differentiation as well as in response to tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-induced monocytic differentiation of HL60 cells. We identified a 1-kb regulatory fragment located within the first intron of p73, which is positioned immediately upstream to the ATG codon of the second exon. This fragment exerts silencer activity on p73 as well as on heterologous promoters. The p73 intronic fragment contains six consensus binding sites for transcriptional repressor ZEB, which binds these sites in vitro and in vivo. Ectopic expression of dominant-negative ZEB (ZEB-DB) restores p73 expression in proliferating C2C12 and P19 cells. Thus, transcriptional repression of p73 expression by ZEB binding may contribute to the modulation of p73 expression during differentiation.


Abstract The sulfur-iodine and hybrid-sulfur thermochemical cycles that can utilize high-temperature heat from advanced nuclear reactors have shown promise economically for large-scale production of hydrogen from water. Both of these cycles employ a step to decompose sulfuric acid to sulfur trioxide by heating it above 723 K followed by the catalytic decomposition to sulfur dioxide at a temperature >1073 K depending on the catalyst used. Successful commercial implementation of these technologies is dependent on the development of suitable materials for use in these highly corrosive environments. In this study, a laboratory-scale superheater/decomposer was constructed and used to study the corrosion resistance of natural diamond, synthetic diamond films treated with boron and titanium, silicon carbide, quartz, aluminum nitride, INCONEL, and platinum to sulfuric acid and SO3. However, it appeared that some of these materials catalyzed SO3 to SO2 and O radicals, which also attacked these materials, increasing their corrosion rates. Natural diamonds, synthetic diamond films (treated with boron and titanium), aluminum nitride, and INCONEL have unacceptable corrosion rates above 873 K. Both the boron- and titanium-treated diamond samples completely disintegrated at temperatures >973 K. The high corrosion rates may have resulted from carbons in diamond having a higher preference for oxygen free radicals that were formed during the decomposition process. Oxygen free radical concentrations increased as a function of the increasing temperature. The present study showed that silicon carbide had the best corrosion resistance over the range of conditions at which the superheater would operate. Quartz was also corrosion resistant but became brittle after 30 h of exposure to this harsh environment. Platinum, used as a catalyst to reduce the decomposition temperatures, exhibited almost no corrosion when exposed to decomposition products. However, platinum did corrode when exposed to liquid sulfuric acid at high temperatures.


Excerpt] Educational and political leaders are calling for improvements in the signalling and certification of academic and occupational skills to the labor market. The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), for example, has recommended a national system for assessing individual accomplishments and work readiness that would be "designed so that, when teachers teach and students study, both are engaged in authentic practice of valued competencies." For educational reformers, better signalling is not an end in itself but a means of inducing students, parents, teachers and school boards to place greater priority on learning and of reforming the content and character of secondary education.


Examples of nonlinear filtering problems arise in biology, mathematical finance, signal processing, image processing, target tracking and many engineering applications. Commonly used numerical simulation methods are the Bayesian filter which is derived from the Bayesian formula and the Zakai filter which is related to a system of stochastic partial differential equation known as "the Zakai equation". This dissertation mainly focuses on developing and analysing novel, efficient numerical algorithms for solving nonlinear filtering problems. We first introduce a novel numerical algorithm which lies in the general framework on the Bayesian filter. The algorithm is constructed based on samples of the current state obtained by solving the state equation implicitly. We call this algorithm the "implicit filter method". Rigorous analysis has been done to prove the convergence of the algorithm. Through numerical experiments we show that our algorithm is more accurate than the Kalman filter and more stable than the particle filter. In the second effort of this work, we propose a hybrid numerical algorithm for the Zakai filter to solve nonlinear filtering problems efficiently. The algorithm combines the splittingup finite difference scheme and hierarchical sparse grid method to solve moderately high dimensional nonlinear filtering problems. When applying hierarchical sparse grid method to approximate bell-shaped solutions in most applications of nonlinear filtering problem, we introduce a logarithmic approximation to reduce the approximation errors. Some space adaptive methods are also introduced to make the algorithm more efficient. Numerical experiments are carried out to demonstrate the performance and efficiency of our algorithm.


Excerpt] Because it is impossible in one book to examine all German institutions of negotiation, this book focuses on one important set of relations at the heart of social market regulation: the "social partnership" between labor and management. "Social partnership," a term widely used throughout the European Union but little known in the United States, refers to the nexus—and central political and economic importance—of bargaining relationships between strongly organized employers (in employer associations) and employees (in unions and works councils) that range from comprehensive collective bargaining and plant-level codetermination to vocational training and federal, state, and local economic policy discussions. To some extent, I use "social partnership" in this book to represent other, parallel processes of regularized negotiation throughout the German political economy. From the perspective of economic citizenship and democratic participation, however, social partnership itself is the most critical of social market mechanisms of negotiation and inclusion. And what is most remarkable, social partnership has not only coexisted with but proactively facilitated the strong export-oriented economic performance of the Federal Republic of Germany ever since its founding in 1949.


Various constituents of the olive tree (Olea europaea) have been traditionally used in the treatment of infection, inflammation, prevention of chronic diseases, cardiovascular disorders and cancer. The anticancer potential of dry olive leaf extract (DOLE) represents the net effect of multilevel interactions between different biologically active compounds from the extract, cancer cells and conventional therapy. In this context, it was of primary interest to evaluate the influence of DOLE on progression of the highly malignant, immuno‐ and chemoresistant type of skin cancer—melanoma. DOLE significantly inhibited proliferation and subsequently restricted clonogenicity of the B16 mouse melanoma cell line in vitro. Moreover, late phase tumor treatment with DOLE significantly reduced tumor volume in a syngeneic strain of mice. DOLE‐treated B16 cells were blocked in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, underwent early apoptosis and died by late necrosis. At the molecular level, the dying process started as caspase dependent, but finalized as caspase independent. In concordance, overexpression of antiapoptotic members of the Bcl‐2 family, Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐XL, and diminished expression of their natural antagonists, Bim and p53, were observed. Despite molecular suppression of the proapoptotic process, DOLE successfully promoted cell death mainly through disruption of cell membrane integrity and late caspase‐independent fragmentation of genetic material. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that DOLE possesses strong antimelanoma potential. When DOLE was applied in combination with different chemotherapeutics, various outcomes, including synergy and antagonism, were observed. This requires caution in the use of the extract as a supplementary antitumor therapeutic.


The intrinsic weak birefringence in all-normal dispersion highly nonlinear fiber, particularly ultra-high-numerical-aperture fiber, generates supercontinuum with long term polarization instabilities, even for seed pulses launched along the perceived slow axis of the fiber. Highly co/anti-correlated fluctuations in energy between regions of power spectral density mask the extent of the spectral noise in total integrated power measurements. The instability exhibits a seed pulse power threshold above which the output polarization state of the supercontinuum seeds from noise. Eliminating this instability through the utilization of nonlinear fiber with a large designed birefringence, encourages the exploration of compression schemes and seed sources. Here, we include an analysis of the difficulties for seeding supercontinuum with the highly attractive ANDi-type lasers. Lastly, we introduce an intuitive approach for understanding supercontinuum development and evolution. By modifying the traditional characteristic dispersion and nonlinear lengths to track pulse properties within the nonlinear fiber, we find simple, descriptive handles for supercontinuum evolution.


This study sets a bank-run equilibrium analysis in a dynamic and incomplete information environment where agents can reconsider attempts to run on the bank over time. The typical static bank-run model is extended in this paper to capture the learning dynamics of agents through time, giving bank-run analysis a more realistic feature. Apart from employing a self-fulfilling framework in this model, where agents' actions are strategic complements, we allow agents to update over time their beliefs on the strength of the fundamentals that is not commonly known. In particular, we extend the bank-run model analyzed by Goldstein and Pauzner (Journal of Finance 2005) and build it on a dynamic global games framework studied by Angeletos et al . (Econometrica 2007). We present here how a simple recursive setup can generate a unique monotone perfect Bayesian Nash equilibrium and show how the probability of bank-run is a¤ected through time by the inflow of information and the knowledge of previous state outcome. Finally, it is also shown that when an unobservable shock is introduced, multiplicity of equilibria can result in this dynamic learning process. JEL Classification:  C73, D82, G10


When a diffuse surface is illuminated by a coherent monochromatic source such as a laser, the illuminated area appears speckled. Exposing photographic film directly to the backscattered radiation confirms the independent existence of the speckles. The autocorrelation function of the speckle pattern so recorded is shown to be proportional to the diffraction pattern corresponding to the illumination function plus a constant. The power spectral density of the pattern is shown to be the convolution of the illumination function against itself displaced by an amount proportional to the space frequency of interest. The cases of single beam and double beam uniform circular illumination are treated explicitly and experimental verification is offered.


This study utilized mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of parent development and home-based summer reading on summer reading regression (as measured by oral reading fluency) at three Title I elementary schools in North Carolina. Title I parents and students participated in a parent development and communicated throughout the summer. Quantitative and qualitative methods (QUANqual) were used to collect and analyze data in order to answer four research questions related to the parent development seminar and reading routines. Quantitative data were collected using a pretest/posttest, reading logs, contact logs, and questionnaires. Qualitative data were collected from the questionnaire responses, parent contact logs, and reading logs. Based on the results of this study, the researcher identified three keys to reducing summer regression: the reader, routine, and relationship.


Whilst the desperation of key international Zionist leaders, such as Chaim Weizmann, to field a fighting force against the Nazis consisting entirely of Palestinian Jews is evident in their correspondence, it is difficult to ascertain just how significant the practical contribution of the Jewish Brigade was to the Zionist project. The political effect of activities such as facilitating illegal immigration and, post-war, quietly training Jewish underground forces in Palestine cannot by their very nature be evaluated. Yet perhaps the Brigade's most important contribution to the embryonic state of Israel was the huge leap in political and cultural strength that boasting such a force represented.


Earth Politics focuses on the lives of four indigenous activist-intellectuals in Bolivia, key leaders in the Alcaldes Mayores Particulares (AMP), a movement established to claim rights for indigenous education and reclaim indigenous lands from hacienda owners. The AMP leaders invented a discourse of decolonization, rooted in part in native religion, and used it to counter structures of internal colonialism, including the existing racial systems. Waskar Ari calls their social movement, practices, and discourse earth politics, both because the AMP emphasized the idea of the earth and the place of Indians on it, and because of the political meaning that the AMP gave to the worship of the Aymara gods. Depicting the social worlds and life work of the activists, Ari traverses Bolivia's political and social landscape from the 1920s into the early 1970s. He reveals the AMP 's extensive geographic reach, genuine grassroots quality, and vibrant regional diversity. Ari had access to the private archives of indigenous families, and he collected oral histories, speaking with men and women who knew the AMP leaders. The resulting examination of Bolivian indigenous activism is one of unparalleled nuance and depth.


Foreword: International Perspectives on Age-Friendly Cities John R. Beard and Lisa Warth. Acknowledgments. Introduction: International Perspectives on Age-Friendly Cities Kelly G. Fitzgerald and Francis G. Caro Part I: Case Studies: Cross-Cutting Themes. Europe. 1. Developing Age-Friendly Cities: Case Studies from Brussels and Manchester and Implications for Policy and Practice Tine Buffel, Paul McGarry, Chris Phillipson, Liesbeth De Donder, Sarah Dury, Nico De Witte, An-Sofie Smetcoren and Dominique Verte 2. Ireland's Age Friendly Cities and Counties: The Development of a National Program Sinead Shannon and Hugh O'Connor. Asia. 3. From Age-Friendly Research to Age-Friendly City and Age-Friendly Regional Network: Case of Tuymazy and Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation Gulnara A. Minnigaleeva 4. Successful Aging in High-Density City State: A Review of Singapore's Aging Policies and Urban Initiatives Keng Hua Chong, Zheng Jia, Debbie Loo and Mihye Cho. Canada. 5. Lessons Learned from a Canadian, Province-Wide Age-Friendly Initiative: The Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative Verena H. Menec, Sheila Novek, Dawn Veselyuk and Jennifer McArthur 6. Age-Friendly City in Quebec (Canada), or "Alone It Goes Faster, Together It Goes Further" Suzanne Garon, Mario Paris, Andreanne Laliberte, Anne Veil and Marie Beaulieu. United States 7. Portland, Oregon: A Case Study of Efforts to Become More Age Friendly Alan DeLaTorre and Margaret B. Neal 8. The Environment of Environmental Change: The Impact of City Realities on the Success of Age-Friendly Programs Allen Glicksman and Lauren Ring Part II: Special Topics 9. Commentary: Changing Practice and Policy to Move to Scale: A Framework for Age-Friendly Communities across the United States M. Scott Ball and Kathryn Lawler 10. Transforming the Way We Live Together: A Model to Move Communities from Policy to Implementation Laura Keyes, Deborah R. Phillips, Evelina Sterling, Tyrone Manegdeg, Maureen Kelly, Grace Trimble and Cheryl Mayerik 11. Making the Right Moves: Promoting Smart Growth and Active Aging in Communities Kathleen E Sykes and Kristen N. Robinson 12. Does the Village Model Help to Foster Age-Friendly Communities? Andrew E. Scharlach, Joan K. Davitt, Amanda J. Lehning, Emily A. Greenfield and Carrie L. Graham 13. Multigenerational Planning: Integrating the Needs of Elders and Children Mildred E. Warner and George C. Homsy 14. Age-Friendly Community Policy Innovation: Complete Streets Implementation in Louisiana, United States Billy Fields and Jason Tudor 15. Age-Friendly Cities and the WHO Checklist: Lessons from a Portuguese Survey Alexandra Lopes, Teresa Pinto and Rute Lemos. Appendix to Chapter 15: Age-Friendly Cities and the WHO Checklist: Lessons from a Portuguese Survey Alexandra Lopes, Teresa Pinto and Rute Lemos


Santorini is the site of the famous Minoan eruption of the late Bronze Age and Vesuvius is the type locality for Plinian eruptions. Hazards from the eruption most likely to occur in the near future at these volcanoes are discussed. Downwind zones of Santorini can be affected by minor ash fallout and gas emission from a Vulcanian eruption of Nea Kameni, the most active post-caldera vent. More dangerous would be a sub-Plinian eruption from Columbus, a submarine volcano located 8 km NE of Santorini, whose eruption in 1649-1650 A.D. caused several casualties in Santorini, mostly by wind transported poisoning gas. Vesuvius last erupted in 1944 and its eruptive history includes periods of long quiescence, lasting centuries or tens of centuries, interrupted by violent Plinian or sub-Plinian eruptions. A sub-Plinian eruption is the reference event in the Civil Protection emergency plan. The scenario includes a Red Zone exposed to the risk of being invaded by pyroclastic flows and that should be entirely evacuated before the eruption onset, together with some nearby areas where there is a high risk of roofs collapse by overloading of fallout tephra (nearly 700,000 persons in total). The Red Zone is encircled by the Yellow Zone exposed to pyroclastic fallout and related risk maps are here commented. Another serious risk is associated with earthquakes of the pre-eruptive unrest phase. Because of the high seismic vulnerability of the buildings within the Red Zone, many of them might collapse before the evacuation order of the Red Zone be issued. Finally, the scientific difficulty of forecasting the time evolution of the eruption precursory phenomena is discussed together with the related civil protection implications.


The objective of this phase II trial was to assess the therapeutic activity and toxicity of doxorubicin plus ifosfamide in previously untreated patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Treatment was doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 followed by a 24 h infusion of ifosfamide 5 g/m2 plus mesna 2.5 g/m2 repeated every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Of 203 patients entered, 175 were evaluable for response. The response rate was 35% (95% CI 28-42%), with 9% of the patients achieving a complete remission and 26% a partial remission. The median time to progression was 29 weeks for all evaluable patients, and 67, 40 and 28 weeks for complete and partial responders and patients with stable disease, respectively. The median duration of survival was 58 weeks. Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity, resulting in leukopenia (WHO grade 3 and 4) in 73% of evaluable treatment courses. Other side-effects were rare and usually well manageable.


The complex historical reality of the Adriatic region, an area located even today on the borderline between East and West, is reflected in the works of religious painting and in the painters' geographical movements. The art of Orthodox regions was mainly influenced by Venice, but also by the rest of Italy, and, as a result, a unique art emerged in the Ionian Islands, which remained under Venetian control until the end of the eighteenth century. In the course of the eighteenth century, political and economic conditions contributed to the growth of the Orthodox communities in Italy. Their members were interested in the art of the country where they lived and prospered, but they simultaneously wished to preserve the "pittura romeica" in the decorations of churches and in the icons used for their personal worship. From Naples to the cosmopolitan Trieste, Orthodox painters, coming mainly from the Ionian Islands, produced artworks which were adapted to the new surroundings, thereby making the Adriatic region once again a privileged area for cultural exchanges.


Advanced three-dimensional cell culture techniques have been adopted in many laboratories to better model in vivo tissue by recapitulating multi-cellular architecture and the presence of extracellular matrix features. We describe here a 3D cell culture platform in a small molecule screening workflow that uses traditional biomarker and intracellular kinase end point assay readouts. By combining the high throughput bioprinter Rastrum with the high throughput screening assay AlphaLISA, we demonstrate the utility of the workflow in 3D synthetic hydrogel cultures with breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) and fibroblast cells. To establish and validate the workflow, we treated the breast cancer cultures with doxorubicin, while fibroblast cultures were stimulated with the pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide. 3D and 2D MDA-MB-231 cultures were equally susceptible to doxorubicin treatment, while showing opposite ERK phosphorylation changes. Doxorubicin readily entered embedded MCF-7 spheroids and markedly reduced intracellular GSK3β phosphorylation. Furthermore, quantifying extracellular interleukin 6 levels showed a very similar activation profile for fibroblasts in 2D and 3D cultures, with 3D fibroblast networks being more resistant against the immune challenge. Through these validation experiments we demonstrate the full compatibility of the bioprinted 3D cell cultures with several widely-used 2D culture assays. The efficiency of the workflow, minimal culture handling, and applicability of traditional screening assays, demonstrates that advanced encapsulated 3D cell cultures can be used in 2D cell culture screening workflows, while providing a more holistic view on cell biology to increase the predictability to in vivo drug response.


An international experiment to estimate the importance of genotype-environment interactions on vitality and performance of honey bees and on colony losses was run between July 2009 and March 2012. Altogether 621 bee colonies, involving 16 different genetic origins of European honey bees, were tested in 21 locations spread in 11 countries. The genetic strains belonged to the subspecies A. m. carnica, A. m. ligustica, A. m. macedonica, A. m. mellifera, A. m. siciliana. At each location, the local strain of bees was tested together with at least two "foreign" origins, with a minimum starting number of 10 colonies per origin. The common test protocol for all the colonies took into account colony survival, bee population in spring, summer and autumn, honey production, pollen collection, swarming, gentleness, hygienic behaviour, Varroa destructor infestation, Nosema spp. infection and viruses. Data collection was performed according to uniform methods. No chemical treatments against Varroa or other diseases were applied during the experiment. This article describes the details of the experiment set-up and the work protocol.


Three Potential Endings is a video installation that requires the following equipment: one 16:9 HD video projector, one Blu-Ray disc player, one stereo amplifier, two speakers.The work is projected onto one wall of a self-enclosed space. The projected image should fill the wall from corner to corner, leaving no gap between the bottom of the image and the floor. The work may be presented in a conventional gallery space or in a suitable non-gallery context. The work was originally shown at Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich in January 2009 and was shown in a vacant retail unit as part of Darklight Film Festival, Dublin in October, 2009.Three Potential Endings was shot on location in Dublin during the summer of 2008. The work presents a male figure besieged with the possibility of failure and uncertainty and was conceived as a response to the shifting architectural landscape of contemporary Dublin. It does not provide any explanation or rationale but rather places the man in direct confrontation with the architectural spaces where he finds himself. The three sequences are simultaneously fragmented and connected by a fourth sequence that shows the man pacing around a small, confined space. It is unclear whether he is lost in thought and deep in concentration or whether he is confused and oblivious to his surroundings. Three Potential Endings extends the artist's concerns with exploring the dynamics of specific urban spaces through the medium of video. Works, such as Re-Run, 2002, Non-Specific Threat, 2004, Closure, 2005 and Passage, 2006, are characterised by the use of the isolated human figure engaging in a simple but direct interaction with a given space. Like these works, Three Potential Endings also engages with conventional narrative structures as a means of locating the work within existing cinematic histories while expanding the possibilities for video installation within the gallery or non-gallery contexts.


Through an examination of Aztec death iconography in pre- and post-Conquest codices of the central valley of Mexico ( Borgia, Mendoza, Florentine, and Telleriano-Remensis ), this paper will explore how attitudes towards the Aztec afterlife were linked to questions of hierarchical structure, ritual performance and the preservation of Aztec cosmovision. Particular attention will be paid to the representation of mummy bundles, sacrificial debt-payment and god-impersonator ( ixiptla ) sacrificial rituals. The scholarship of Alfredo Lopez-Austin on Aztec world preservation through sacrifice will serve as a framework in this analysis of Aztec iconography on death. The transformation of pre-Hispanic traditions of representing death will be traced from these pre- to post-Conquest Mexican codices, in light of processes of guided syncretism as defined by Hugo G. Nutini and Diana Taylor's work on the performative role that codices play in re-activating the past. These practices will help to reflect on the creation of the modern-day Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos.


Background: Thromboembolism (TE) in pediatric population is rare but may be a fatal situation. There is a lack of clinical guidelines to help decision making for the use of prophylactic measures in pediatrics. This study was designed to evaluate current guidelines and risk factors for the prevention of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) in children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, prospective, and observational study was done between October 2014 and April 2017 in Mofid Children Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All children between 40 days to 8 years old admitted to the pediatric critical care unit (PICU) were evaluated for DVT/PE risk factors such as Glasgow coma score (GCS)< 9,complete bed rest, and central venous access catheter (CV line). Results: For 3 years, 1080 children aged from 40 days to 8 years who hospitalized in PICU were studied. The mean duration of ICU stay was 6 ± 1.1 days. Three hundred and forty (31.5 %) patients had at least 4 risk factors for DVT/PE. Thirty nine (11%) patients with 4 or more risk factors had diagnosed DVT/PE. Among 39 patients with thromboembolic events, 11 (1%) children died. Congenital heart disease was the independent risk factor for DVT and PE. DVT was the most common type of thrombosis (69%). Conclusion: This study suggested that TE is multi-factorial in children and anticoagulation therapy can be considered in hospitalized children with at least 4 risk factors. It seems that it is necessary to develop new strategies for thromboprophylaxis in PICU.


Drawing intuition from a (physical) hydraulic system, we present a novel framework, constructively showing the existence of a strong Nash equilibrium in resource selection games with nonatomic players, the coincidence of strong equilibria and Nash equilibria in such games, and the invariance of the cost of each given resource across all Nash equilibria. Our proofs allow for explicit calculation of Nash equilibrium and for explicit and direct calculation of the resulting (invariant) costs of resources, and do not hinge on any fixed-point theorem, on the Minimax theorem or any equivalent result, on the existence of a potential, or on linear programming. A generalization of resource selection games, called resource selection games with I.D.-dependent weighting, is defined, and the results are extended to this family, showing that while resource costs are no longer invariant across Nash equilibria in games of this family, they are nonetheless invariant across all strong Nash equilibria, drawing a novel fundamental connection between group deviation and I.D.-congestion. A natural application of the resulting machinery to a large class of constraint-satisfaction problems is also described.


Abstract The World Health Organization recently stated that alcohol consumption is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide and that intakes are increasing, especially in developing countries. Alcohol-related effects are major threats to global public health. There is growing recognition of an association between alcohol abuse and a host of health and social problems in many parts of the world. In South Africa, a developing country with a rapidly growing economy, available evidence shows that alcohol is a leading risk factor for mortality and morbidity, and hence a significant contributor to the burden of disease. The observed pattern of binge drinking of about a third of South African drinkers is of concern. In addition to physical dependence on alcohol, other psychological, genetic and social factors may contribute to the development of alcohol-related diseases. To develop a relevant, integrated and coherent strategy to address alcohol use, misuse and abuse in South Africa, we need a much better understanding of the metabolism of alcohol, and how the metabolic products and changes associated with alcohol abuse ultimately lead to biological health hazards. This review offers a broad understanding of the metabolism of alcohol and the biological health hazards associated with its abuse. Levels of foetal alcohol syndrome in South Africa are the highest ever recorded, and hence this review will separately address teratogenic effects associated with abuse.


2-Chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) is a simultant for the chemical warfare agent bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide (also known as HD or mustard), and both molecules undergo hydrolysis and subsequent condensation in aqueous solution to form stable sulfonium ions. The sulfonium ions derived from CEES are directly detected on quartzic surfaces using static SIMS instrumentation, which employs a molecular ReO 4 - (250 D) primary ion and pulsed secondary ion extraction. Pulsed extraction mitigates surface charging, and the ReO 4 - primary particle is efficient at sputtering molecular surface species into the gas phase. CEES eliminates Cl - to form an ethyl thiiranium intermediate, which is susceptible to nucleophilic attack by water and methanol to form 2-hydroxyethyl ethyl sulfide and 2-methoxyethyl ethyl sulfide. These two products and unhydrolyzed CEES also function as nucleophiles that condense with the ethyl thiiranium intermediate, resulting in the formation of sulfonium ion aggregates that are observable using SIMS. The previously unreported methoxy-substituted sulfonium ion suggests that a variety of derivatives are possible if different nucleophiles are present in the vicinity of the ethyl thiiranium intermediate. This work demonstrates that the sulfonium ion aggregates are stable on mineral surfaces and also demonstrates the potential value of SIMS for the detection of unanticipated ionic species in monitoring applications where mustard and its degradation products are suspected.


Refuting the argument to choose between "the politics of recognition" and the "politics of redistribution," Justice Interruptus integrates the best aspects of both. ********************************************************* ** What does it mean to think critically about politics at a time when inequality is increasing worldwide, when struggles for the recognition of difference are eclipsing struggles for social equality, and when we lack any credible vision of an alternative to the present order? Philosopher Nancy Fraser claims that the key is to overcome the false oppositions of "postsocialist" commonsense. Refuting the view that we must choose between "the politics of recognition" and the "politics of redistribution," Fraser argues for an integrative approach that encompasses the best aspects of both.


In Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! expert and enthusiast Ian Bradley explores the world of Gilbert and Sullivan over the last four and a half decades, looking at the way this "phenomenon" is passed from generation to generation. Taking as his starting point the expiry of copyright on the opera libretti at the end of 1961 and using fascinating hitherto unpublished archive material, Bradley reveals the extraordinary story of the last years of the old D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, the guardian of Savoy tradition for over a hundred years, and the troubled history of its successor. He explores the rich vein of parodies, spoofs, and spin-offs of the songs, as well as their influence on twentieth century lyricists and composers. He analyzes professional productions across the world, looks at the unique place of G&S in schools, colleges, and universities, and lovingly explores the culture of amateur performance. He also uncovers the largely male world of the obsessive fans, those collecting memorabilia, the myriad magazines, journals, websites, and festivals devoted to G&S, and the arcane interests of some of the faithful "inner brotherhood."


Although atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) are currently the most commonly used treatments for schizophrenia, some of them stimulate a substantial weight gain--largely associated with increased food intake--that can lead to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Noting that activation of hypothalamic adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is associated with increased food intake, Kim et al. explored the effects of AAPDs on AMPK phosphorylation (and thereby activation). Clozapine and olanzapine, two AAPDs that elicit weight gain, stimulated phosphorylation of AMPK in mouse hypothalamic slices, as did quetiapine, whereas antipsychotic drugs with less effect on appetite did not. Furthermore, clozapine stimulated the phosphorylation and catalytic activity of hypothalamic AMPK in intact mice. After confirming reports that the potency of AAPDs in blocking the histamine H1 receptor (H1R) correlated with their tendency to stimulate weight gain (determined from the clinical literature), the authors showed that clozapine blocked the ability of histamine to decrease phosphorylation of AMPK in hypothalamic slices. Moreover, clozapine failed to stimulate AMPK phosphorylation in mice lacking the H1R. Thus, the authors conclude that the orexigenic effects of AAPDs likely involve blockade of the H1R and an associated activation of hypothalamic AMPK. In a thoughtful commentary, Meltzer notes that the first modern antipsychotic, chlorpromazine, was initially developed in a search for antihistamines. S. F. Kim, A. S. Huang, A. M. Snowman, C. Teuscher, S. H. Snyder, Antipsychotic drug-induced weight gain mediated by histamine H1 receptor-linked activation of hypothalamic AMP-kinase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 3456-3459 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text] H. Y. Meltzer, Illuminating the molecular basis for some antipsychotic drug-induced metabolic burden. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 3019-3020 (2007). [Full Text]


Marine CO2 seeps allow the study of the long-term effects of elevated pCO2 (ocean acidification) on marine invertebrate biomineralization. We investigated the effects of ocean acidification on shell composition and structure in four ecologically important species of Mediterranean gastropods (two limpets, a top-shell snail, and a whelk). Individuals were sampled from three sites near a volcanic CO2 seep off Vulcano Island, Italy. The three sites represented ambient (8.15 pH), moderate (8.03 pH) and low (7.73 pH) seawater mean pH. Shell mineralogy, microstructure, and mechanical strength were examined in all four species. We found that the calcite/ aragonite ratio could vary and increased significantly with reduced pH in shells of one of the two limpet species. Moreover, each of the four gastropods displayed reductions in either inner shell toughness or elasticity at the Low pH site. These results suggest that near-future ocean acidification could alter shell biomineralization and structure in these common gastropods.


Purpose: The electricity demand in Turkey has been increasing for a while. Hydropower is one of the major electricity generation types to compensate this electricity demand in Turkey. Private investors (domestic and foreign) in the hydropower electricity generation sector have been looking for the most appropriate and satisfactory new private hydropower investment (PHPI) options and opportunities in Turkey. This study aims to present a qualitative multi-attribute decision making (MADM) model, that is easy, straightforward, and fast for the selection of the most satisfactory reasonable PHPI options during the very early investment stages (data and information poorness on projects). Design/methodology/approach: The data and information of the PHPI options was gathered from the official records on the official websites. A wide and deep literature review was conducted for the MADM models and for the hydropower industry. The attributes of the model were identified, selected, clustered and evaluated by the expert decision maker (EDM) opinion and by help of an open source search results clustering engine (Carrot 2 ) (helpful for also comprehension). The PHPI options were clustered according to their installed capacities main property to analyze the options in the most appropriate, decidable, informative, understandable and meaningful way. A simple clustering algorithm for the PHPI options was executed in the current study. A template model for the selection of the most satisfactory PHPI options was built in the DEXi (Decision EXpert for Education) and the DEXiTree software. Findings: The basic attributes for the selection of the PHPI options were presented and afterwards the aggregate attributes were defined by the bottom-up structuring for the early investment stages. The attributes were also analyzed by help of Carrot 2 . The most satisfactory PHPI options in Turkey in the big options data set were selected for each PHPI options cluster by the EDM evaluations in the DEXi. Originality/value: The recommended DEXi PHPI selection model by the search results clustering engine within a country wise case offered the possibility of easy, meaningful and satisfying continental or worldwide applications for the private investors and the international financial institutions such as the African Development Bank, or the World Bank was the main contribution.


This dissertation presents the theory and the conducted activity that lead to the construction of a high voltage
high frequency arbitrary waveform voltage generator. The
generator has been specifically designed to supply power to a wide range of plasma actuators. The system has been completely designed, manufactured and tested at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering of the University of Bologna. The generator structure is based on the single phase cascaded H-bridge multilevel topology and is comprised of 24 elementary units that are series connected in order to form the typical staircase output voltage waveform of a multilevel converter. The total number of voltage levels that can be produced by the generator is 49. Each level is 600 V making the output peak-to-peak voltage equal to 28.8 kV. The large number
of levels provides high resolution with respect to the output voltage having thus the possibility to generate arbitrary waveforms. Maximum frequency of operation is 20 kHz. A study of the relevant literature shows that this is the first time that a cascaded multilevel converter of such
dimensions has been constructed. Isolation and control
challenges had to be solved for the realization of the system. The biggest problem of the current technology in
power supplies for plasma actuators is load matching. Resonant converters are the most used power supplies and are seriously affected by this problem. The manufactured generator completely solves this issue providing consistent voltage output independently of the connected load. This fact is very important when executing tests and during the comparison of the results because all measures should be comparable and not dependent from matching issues.
The use of the multilevel converter for power supplying a plasma actuator is a real technological breakthrough
that has provided and will continue to provide very significant experimental results.


Introduction: Childhood is period by when human being expected to shape prenatal nutritional deficiencies and foster good health. Children from developing countries including Ethiopia suffer both from sanitary gaps and under nutrition. Though literatures depict sanitary problem and nutritional deficits as problems to be focused on separately evidences examining association of the two issues are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the relationship between household sanitation practice and anthropometric status of pre-school children aged 24-59 months old in Hawassa Zuria Woreda, Southern Ethiopia. Method: A community based cross-sectional study design was employed. By using simple random sampling technique 597 child-mothers/caregiver pairs were selected and interviewed with semi-structured questionnaire. Anthropometric statuses were generated using WHOAnthro. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 245 (41%), 134 (22.4%) and 79 (13.2%), respectively. Household sanitation practices and stunting (X2=4.21 and P-value=0.04), underweight (X2=4.38 and P-value=0.04) and wasting (X2=12.95 and P-value<0.001) were found statistically significantly associated. Conclusion: Prevalence of underweight was lower than the national figure. Proportion of wasted and stunted pre-school children was higher than both the national and regional reports. Household sanitation practice and pre-school children's nutritional status (Stunting, Wasting and Underweight) were found associated. Per the finding, stakeholders and mothers/caregivers better design strategies to improve household sanitation practice. Further studies can be done focusing cause effect relationship and examining effect of strategies to improve household sanitation practices.


Abstract This paper considers a previously unexamined increase in excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel that were part of Washington State's Nickel Funding Package of 2003. We fail to reject full pass-through of the amount of the tax increase to retail prices in both products. We find no significant sensitivity of retail pass-through to station locations relative to state borders or to retail competitive conditions as measured by local station density. The expansion of hypermarkets in Washington State during the period was a confounding factor in estimating tax pass-through effects.


Before 1984, nearly 975 of teachers entered the teaching profession after graduating from a traditional university-based program. However, beginning in the mid-1980s, alternative routes leading to teacher certification began to emerge in the United States. As of 2010, nearly one-third of all new teachers graduated from an alternative preparation program. As alternative certification (AC) routes approach 30 years since establishment, programs continue to evolve and increase in enrollment. This study focused on the changes that have come about in the maturation of alternative certification programs in Texas since legislation was passed in 1985. The purpose of the study was to delineate the evolution of AC programs using a historical approach, the study used both primary and secondary resources as research tools and employed the use of eight interviews and the literature review for the collection of data. The prediction of future teacher shortages, the need for diversity in the profession the political view to privatize education, and economic recessions were all motivating factors for establishing alternative teacher programs. In the beginning, graduation from AC programs were perceived as not authentic teachers and not as prepared for teaching as graduates from traditional programs. AC programs have become a legitimate and viable option for educator preparation programs as they offer greater flexibility, staff/instructor diversity, and multiple approaches to instruction. This data suggests that AC programs in Texas have emerged as a real and sustainable option to traditional certification programs leading to certification and licensure.


Abstract. The problem of tropical cyclone formation requires among other things an improved understanding of recirculating flow regions on sub-synoptic scales in a time evolving flow with typically sparse real-time data. This recirculation problem has previously been approached assuming as a first approximation both a layer-wise two-dimensional and nearly steady flow in a co-moving frame with the parent tropical wave or disturbance. This paper provides an introduction of Lagrangian techniques for locating flow boundaries that encompass regions of recirculation in time-dependent flows that relax the steady flow approximation. Lagrangian methods detect recirculating regions from time-dependent data and offer a more complete methodology than the approximate steady framework. The Lagrangian reference frame follows particle trajectories so that flow boundaries which constrain particle transport can be viewed in a frame-independent setting. Finite-time Lagrangian scalar field methods from dynamical systems theory offer a way to compute boundaries from grids of particles seeded in and near a disturbance. The methods are applied to both a developing and non-developing disturbance observed during the recent pre-depression investigation of cloud systems in the tropics (PREDICT) experiment. The data for this analysis is derived from global forecast model output that assimilated the dropsonde observations as they were being collected by research aircraft. Since Lagrangian methods require trajectory integrations, we address some practical issues of using Lagrangian methods in the tropical cyclogenesis problem. Lagrangian diagnostics are used to evaluate the previously hypothesized import of dry air into ex-Gaston, which did not re-develop into a tropical cyclone, and the exclusion of dry air from pre-Karl, which did become a tropical cyclone and later a major hurricane.


The smart growth movement aims to combat urban and suburban sprawl by promoting livable communities based on pedestrian scale, diverse populations, and mixed land use. But, as this book documents, smart growth has largely failed to address issues of social equity and environmental justice. Smart growth sometimes results in gentrification and displacement of low- and moderate-income families in existing neighborhoods, or transportation policies that isolate low-income populations. Growing Smarter is one of the few books to view smart growth from an environmental justice perspective, examining the effect of the built environment on access to economic opportunity and quality of life in American cities and metropolitan regions. The contributors to Growing Smarter -- urban planners, sociologists, economists, educators, lawyers, health professionals, and environmentalists -- all place equity at the center of their analyses of "place, space, and race." They consider such topics as the social and environmental effects of sprawl, the relationship between sprawl and concentrated poverty, and community-based regionalism that can link cities and suburbs. They examine specific cases that illustrate opportunities for integrating environmental justice concerns into smart growth efforts, including the dynamics of sprawl in a South Carolina county, the debate over the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and transportation-related pollution in Northern Manhattan. Growing Smarter illuminates the growing racial and class divisions in metropolitan areas today -- and suggests workable strategies to address them.


Determinantal point processes (DPPs) have recently been proposed as computationally efficient probabilistic models of diverse sets for a variety of applications, including document summarization, image search, and pose estimation. Many DPP inference operations, including normalization and sampling, are tractable; however, finding the most likely configuration (MAP), which is often required in practice for decoding, is NP-hard, so we must resort to approximate inference. This optimization problem, which also arises in experimental design and sensor placement, involves finding the largest principal minor of a positive semidefinite matrix. Because the objective is log-submodular, greedy algorithms have been used in the past with some empirical success; however, these methods only give approximation guarantees in the special case of monotone objectives, which correspond to a restricted class of DPPs. In this paper we propose a new algorithm for approximating the MAP problem based on continuous techniques for submodular function maximization. Our method involves a novel continuous relaxation of the log-probability function, which, in contrast to the multilinear extension used for general submodular functions, can be evaluated and differentiated exactly and efficiently. We obtain a practical algorithm with a 1/4-approximation guarantee for a more general class of non-monotone DPPs; our algorithm also extends to MAP inference under complex polytope constraints, making it possible to combine DPPs with Markov random fields, weighted matchings, and other models. We demonstrate that our approach outperforms standard and recent methods on both synthetic and real-world data.


The nationwide Occupy movement that took off in the US in late 2011 – inspired in part by popular movements around the world – has changed the landscape of our work. It signals a vastly increased receptivity to socialist ideas, and has sparked bursts of defiant energy in unexpected places. But it has yet to channel such powerresources into an agency capable of mounting a true challenge to the powers that be – one that can survive bad moments, attract newly aroused populations, develop a lasting structure and culture, and eventually become capable of reorganizing the society. This goal is more than ambitious. But, because of the escalating environmental crisis, it has become a prerequisite to long-term species survival. We all have a general sense of the kind of changes that are needed. The Occupy movement now challenges us to define our agendas much more concretely. It does so by giving us a new sense that people are listening to us – not to provide them with ready-made answers, but to draw out the necessary conversations. The present set of short pieces is our own contribution such an exchange. It makes no claim to being fully representative, but it includes, in addition to three Occupy talks, a photo-essay on Occupy Wall Street poster-art as well as a number of essays combining description and reflection. Six of these comprise a subsection produced by a group of scholar-activists at the Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York – the campus closest to where the movement's first salvo was launched on September 17.


Earlier studies have shown that bradykinin stimulated release of catecholamines from chromaffin cells by an influx of calcium through dihydropyridine‐insensitive channels, and also that bradykinin stimulated (poly)phos‐ phoinositide hydrolysis. To investigate membrane‐bound second messengers in chromaffin cells, and to elucidate any role these may play in stimulus‐secretion coupling, we have studied the influence of bradykinin on diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid (PA). Using equilibrium labelling of primary cultures of chromaffin cells with [3H]arachidonic acid or [3H]glycerol, we found no influence of bradykinin (10 nM) on labelled diacylglycerol formation, either in the presence or absence of inhibitors of diacylglycerol lipase or kinase. However, when we used cells prelabelled with 32Pi for 2.5 h we found that bradykinin produced a substantial stimulation of label found in PA, with an EC50 value of about 1 nM. This bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA formation was only partially dependent on extracellular calcium, in contrast to the smaller response to nicotine, which was completely dependent on extracellular calcium. Short (10 min) pretreatment with tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) almost completely eliminated the bradykinin‐stimulated formation of inositol phosphates, but failed to affect bradykinin stimulation of label in PA, suggesting that PA production in response to bradykinin is not downstream of phospholipase C activation. TPA alone failed to stimulate [32P]PA substantially, whereas long‐term (24 or 48 h) treatment with TPA failed to attenuate the response to bradykinin. Diacylglycerol kinase inhibitors were also without effect on the bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA. These results suggest that bradykinin stimulates PA production by a mechanism independent of the activation of protein kinase C. A preliminary indication that G proteins may be involved was suggested by the observation that AIF4 stimulates [32P]PA accumulation whereas N‐ethylmaleimide inhibits bradykinin‐stimulated [32P]PA accumulation.


Solve a diverse range of problems with R, one of the most powerful tools for quantitative finance Overview Use time series analysis to model and forecast house prices Estimate the term structure of interest rates using prices of government bonds Detect systemically important financial institutions by employing financial network analysis In Detail Introduction to R for Quantitative Finance will show you how to solve real-world quantitative finance problems using the statistical computing language R. The book covers diverse topics ranging from time series analysis to financial networks. Each chapter briefly presents the theory behind specific concepts and deals with solving a diverse range of problems using R with the help of practical examples. This book will be your guide on how to use and master R in order to solve real-world quantitative finance problems. This book covers the essentials of quantitative finance, taking you through a number of clear and practical examples in R that will not only help you to understand the theory, but how to effectively deal with your own real-life problems. Starting with time series analysis, you will also learn how to optimize portfolios and how asset pricing models work. The book then covers fixed income securities and derivatives like credit risk management. The last chapters of this book will also provide you with an overview of exciting topics like extreme values and network analysis in quantitative finance. What you will learn from this book How to model and forecast house prices and improve hedge ratios using cointegration and model volatility How to understand the theory behind portfolio selection and how it can be applied to real-world data How to utilize the Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory How to understand the basics of fixed income instruments You will discover how to use discrete- and continuous-time models for pricing derivative securities How to successfully work with credit default models and how to model correlated defaults using copulas How to understand the uses of the Extreme Value Theory in insurance and fi nance, model fitting, and risk measure calculation Approach This book is a tutorial guide for new users that aims to help you understand the basics of and become accomplished with the use of R for quantitative finance. Who this book is written for If you are looking to use R to solve problems in quantitative finance, then this book is for you. A basic knowledge of financial theory is assumed, but familiarity with R is not required. With a focus on using R to solve a wide range of issues, this book provides useful content for both the R beginner and more experience users.


An indicative appraisal has been undertaken of a combined Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process to produce hydrogen (H2) from organic waste. The AD plant was based on the plant in Tilburg (The Netherlands), and was modelled from the kerbside organic waste collections through to methane production. The technical feasibility of H2 production of this combined process was assessed based on biogenic waste collected in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES); a municipal area in the South West of England (UK). The B&NES collection trials yielded data that could be used to estimate the catchment area for an AD plant on a commercial scale. A thermodynamic evaluation of the combined process included energy and exergy analysis in order to determine the efficiency of each process, as well as to identify the areas that lead to inefficiencies. The main energy losses were associated with compressor inefficiencies. In contrast, the main exergy consumption was found to be due to the fermentation in the digestion tanks. The overall technical efficiency of the plant does not compare well with other processes when compost is considered as a waste product. However, the H2 is produced comes from entirely renewable sources and has the benefit of nearzero carbon emissions in contrast to fossil fuels. Finally, the case study included an indicative economic assessment of the collection to production chain. The use of high quality source sorted waste could yield of high levels of biogas and high quality compost could be produced. Should compost were employed as a useful by-product, then the adoption of the combined process would be economically attractive.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of ultrasonography for the quantification of gastrocnemius muscle architecture in healthy young children. The variation and reliability of measurement of muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length of the medial gastrocnemius were determined, using stationary and portable ultrasound machines, in 13 boys and eight girls aged 4–10. Ultrasound images were obtained from each leg, in duplicate, with the ankle at 90°, then at maximal plantar flexion, with the two machines within the same session. The same set of 16 scans was repeated in four children 4–6 weeks later. The mean muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length differed between ankle positions and between legs. Measurements obtained using the two machines established similar values with no significant differences in absolute values and coefficients of variation (CV). For duplicate images taken during the same session for the same leg, ankle position and machine, the CV and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged, respectively, from 2·1% to 3·1% and 0·94–0·98 for muscle thickness, from 4·1% to 6·0% and 0·85–0·96 for pennation angle and from 4·5% to 6·3% and 0·87–0·96 for fibre length. Corresponding values for variables for the same child measured on two separate occasions were within the same ranges, all being similar to reliability data reported previously for adult muscle. Muscle thickness, pennation angle and fibre length of the medial gastrocnemius can therefore be quantified reliably, using either a stationary or portable ultrasound machine, in healthy young children.


We developed a high-resolution fluorescence microscope in which fluorescent materials are directly excited using a focused electron beam. Electron beam excitation enables detailed observations on the nanometer scale. Real-time live-cell observation is also possible using a thin film to separate the environment under study from the vacuum region required for electron beam propagation. In this study, we demonstrated observation of cellular components by autofluorescence excited with a focused electron beam and performed dynamic observations of intracellular granules. Since autofluorescence is associated with endogenous substances in cells, this microscope can also be used to investigate the intrinsic properties of organelles.


Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease that affects approximately 382.8 million people worldwide. Globally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has the seventh highest prevalence of diabetes, with over one-fifth of the Saudi population diagnosed with diabetes.

Poor understanding and low health awareness, in parallel with lifestyle choices are considered the main components behind the increase of diabetes and diabetes-related complications in KSA. There is also a lack of diabetes speciality centres, especially in remote areas of KAS. Moreover, diabetes management becomes more complicated during the Ramadan month because people observe fasting throughout the month. The month long fasting process complicates the disease status of Saudi diabetic patients with potential complications post the fasting period.

In this thesis, we present the design and development of a novel and intelligent mobile diabetes management system tailored for type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients in Saudi Arabia with the focus on the integration of educational and compliance issues, which we name as the SAED system. The system was validated in two preliminary pilots in the Kingdom, one pilot being specifically dsigned to evaluate the system for diabetic patient during Ramadan fasting month. The outcomes of the clinical pilot indicated the clear effectiveness of the SAED system in lowering the HbA1c levels. The system was tested for its performance through a randomized control trial on 20 diabetic patients for a period of six months in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The outcomes of the pilot study showed improvements in the HbA1c levels of patients and also significant improvements in diabetes knowledge amongst the patients. The HbA1c levels of the diabetic patients in the SAED intervention group decreased from 8.76% to 7.85%. The diabetic knowledge test outcomes of the diabetic patients in the SAED intervention group significantly improved from 46.20% to 61.10%.

Further, our study also tested the SAED system on diabetic patients during the Ramadan period. This is important because fasting is observed during the Ramadan month which can significantly affect the diabetes management and diagnosis amongst the patients. The study for the Ramadan period was conducted on another 20 patients using the similar approach described above. The results from the clinical trial indicated significant reductions in the number of hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic events during the month of Ramadan in patients who used the SAED system. The diabetes knowledge test outcomes also significantly rose from 44.60% to 64.10%.

The SAED system for diabetes management using mobile technologies in KSA has been proven to be successful in improving the diagnosis and management of diabetes amongst the patients. The SAED system offers an inexpensive, practically feasible solution for diabetes self-management in KSA. Considering the social, economic, and political conditions in KSA, the SAED system can enhance the quality of healthcare provided to patients, lead to better utilization of resources, provide timely interventions, and improve the overall quality of life of diabetic patients and their family and friends.


Background and Aim: Increasing the intensity of physical activity along with regular consumption of green tea can be effective on energy metabolism, weight, and body fat content. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a 10 week. .high intensity interval training supplemented with consuming green tea .on lipid profiles and body composition in overweight women. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 30 overweight women were purposefully and randomly chosen and divided into 3 equal groups. Training group performed training programs including 3 sessions per week at maximum intensity of 85-95% heart rate and the supplement group consumed 3 tablets of green tea (500 mg) daily for 10 weeks High intensity interval training and the supplement group both underwent intervention. Blood samples were collected before and after the intervention in fasting state. Finally,the obtained data was fed into SPSS software (V. 19) and analyzed using paired t test, covariance analysis, one way-variance analysis, and Bonferroni post- hoc tests at the significant level of P<0.05. Results: After the period of high intensity interval training and green tea supplementation triglycerides (P=0.001), LDL (P=0.02), weight (P=0.0001), body mass index (P=0.0001), and body fat percentage (P=0.0001) in all the groups and total cholesterol (P=0.01) decreased ,but HDL (P=0.01) increased in high intensity interval training plus supplements and high intensity interval training plus placebo groups. However, these two indicators did not differ significantly in the supplement group (P=0.23 and P=0.06, respectively). Furthermore, systolic (P= 0.55) and diastolic (P= 0.15) blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio (P= 0.08) did not change after intervention in all the groups. Conclusion: It was found that consumption of green tea along with performing of high intensity interval training can be effective in improving of cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women.


Using a sample of non-financial Brazilian companies from 2005 to 2007, this paper analyzes whether corporate social responsibility has an impact on firm value. Using companies' Tobin's Q as a proxy for their market value, the paper finds that firms that compose the Bovespa Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) are traded at a premium compared to the other publicly traded firms. The result is robust to the inclusion of a set of control variables and the method of estimation. In addition, after controlling for self-selectivity, the results confirm that policies that focus on corporate sustainability add value to the firm. The paper indicates that the benefits of corporate social responsibility policies surpass the possible costs implied by the adoption of such policies, leading corporate social responsibility to exert a positive impact on firm value.