Retinoid receptors are ligand activated transcription factors that regulate gene transcription through a complex network of interactions with members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. Although ligand is required for trans-activation, addition of ligand to mammalian cells in vitro complicates the study of individual activated retinoid receptors. In order to circumvent this problem we have constructed a series of retinoid receptors which do not require ligand for trans-activation. This was accomplished by fusing the acidic activation domain of the herpes simplex viral protein VP16 to the carboxyl terminus of individual retinoid receptors. All of the chimeric receptors were found to exhibit constitutive trans-activation activity in CV-1 and P19 cells when cotransfected with a reporter that contained a trimerized retinoic acid receptor-beta 2 (RAR beta 2) retinoic acid response element. Further analysis conducted on reporters containing either the RAR beta 2 promoter or the rat cellular retinol binding protein II (rCRBPII) promoter showed that promoter specificity was well conserved between the chimeric receptors in the absence of exogenous retinoid and their ligand-induced native counterparts. Moreover, on the RAR beta 2 promoter reporter construct, the chimeric retinoid receptors displayed both cell type and inter- and intrafamily differences in trans-activation, whereas, trans-activation of the rCRBPII in the absence of exogenous ligand in CV-1 and P19 cells was found to be stimulated only by chimeric retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXR alpha). In P19 cells trans-activation of the rCRBPII promoter by RXR alpha v in the absence of exogenous ligand was inhibited by RAR alpha and the constitutive forms of RAR alpha, RAR beta, RAR gamma, RXR beta, and to a lesser extent RXR gamma.


The education system has changed a lot since the introduction of IT in teaching, often called E-learning, and the use of it still continues to grow in popularity. Flipped classroom, which is E-learning mixed with classroom education, is one famous and effective teaching approach that has started to gain popularity in higher education. This has become interesting for Chalmers University of Technology, as they want to increase the use of E-learning, especially the use of the Flipped classroom approach among the teachers and organisations at campus. One way they do this, is to establish a production help and support group for E-learning, which should educate and understand the needs of the teachers who will use E-learning in teaching. This is also interesting for Chalmers Professional Education, an organisation connected to Chalmers which provides education for professionals. They want to understand what teachers at Chalmers think about E-learning and how they work with the technology, to better improve their own organisation.
Against the background of those conditions at Chalmers, the aim of this thesis is to understand the teachers perceptions and needs when using E-learning in campus education, but also to identify the support needs that they require.
The thesis was conducted as a case study, where interviews with teachers and observations of meetings about Flipped classroom and E-learning techniques were the main sources of data. The results show that the teachers have different experiences and thoughts about using E-learning in their teaching. They can see benefits as well as challenges, but in general are their attitudes towards the use of E-learning in education positive. Teachers see the many new opportunities that exists with E-learning, foremost the opportunity to collect continuous student data and more time for active learning in the classroom. The critical problem is the extra time required to produce and administer E-learning activities, which teachers wish Chalmers organisation could help them with.


A need to gain more confidence in computer model predictions of coming climate change has resulted in greater analysis of the quality of orbital Earth radiation budget (ERB) measurements being used today to constrain, validate, and hence improve such simulations. These studies conclude from time series analysis that for around a quarter of a century, no existing satellite ERB climate data record is of a sufficient standard to partition changes to the Earth from those of un-tracked and changing artificial instrumentation effects. This led to the creation of the Moon and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (MERBE), which instead takes existing decades old climate data to a higher calibration standard using thousands of scans of Earth's Moon. The Terra and Aqua satellite ERB climate records have been completely regenerated using signal-processing improvements, combined with a substantial increase in precision from more comprehensive in-flight spectral characterization techniques. This study now builds on previous Optical Society of America work by describing new Moon measurements derived using accurate analytical mapping of telescope spatial response. That then allows a factor of three reduction in measurement noise along with an order of magnitude increase in the number of retrieved independent lunar results. Given decadal length device longevity and the use of solar and thermal lunar radiance models to normalize the improved ERB results to the International System of Units traceable radiance scale of the "MERBE Watt," the same established environmental time series analysis techniques are applied to MERBE data. They evaluate it to perhaps be of sufficient quality to immediately begin narrowing the largest of climate prediction uncertainties. It also shows that if such Terra/Aqua ERB devices can operate into the 2020s, it could become possible to halve these same uncertainties decades sooner than would be possible with existing or even planned new observing systems.


Objective

This article presents the findings of a project which established an empirical basis for evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP). More specifically, the paper explores what library and information professionals experienced as evidence in the context of their professional practice.

 Methods

The project consisted of two sub-studies. The public library sub-study was conducted using ethnography. Over a 5-month period, a member of the research team travelled to a regional public library on 15 occasions, staying between 3 and 4 days on each visit. The researcher observed, interacted, and became involved in the day-to-day activities of this library. These activities were recorded in a journal and added to the researcher's insights and thoughts. Additionally, 13 face-to-face interviews with staff in positions ranging from the operational to the executive were conducted. The academic sub-study was conducted using Constructivist Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted either in person or via Skype, with 13 librarians from Australian universities. Interviewees were in a diverse array of roles, from liaison librarian to manager and library director. Results

The project found that the Australian academic librarians and the public librarians who participated in the project experienced six elements as evidence: observation, feedback, professional colleagues, research literature, statistics, and intuition. Each of these will be described and highlighted with examples from each of the two studies.

 Conclusions

The findings of this study revealed many similarities in the way that library professionals from both studies experienced evidence. Evidence was not hierarchical, with evidence from many sources being valued equally. In contextualizing evidence and applying to the local environment, library professionals were able to draw upon more than one source of evidence and apply their professional knowledge and experiences. In this way evidence was more nuanced.


Although the Supreme Court repeatedly cautioned that youthfulness adversely affects juveniles' ability to exercise Miranda rights or make voluntary statements, it endorsed the adult waiver standard-knowing, intelligent, and voluntary-to gauge juveniles' Miranda waivers. By contrast, developmental psychologists question whether young people understand or possess the competence necessary to exercise Miranda rights. This article analyzes quantitative and qualitative data of interrogations of three hundred and seven (307) sixteen- and seventeen-year old youths charged with felony offenses. It reports how police secure Miranda waivers, the tactics they use to elicit information, and the evidence youths provide. The findings bear on three policy issues- procedural safeguards for youths, time limits for interrogations, and mandatory recording of interrogations.The Supreme Court has decided more cases about interrogating youths than any other aspect of juvenile justice (Haley v. Ohio 1948; Gallegos v. Colorado 1962; In re Gault 1967; Fare v. Michael C. 1979; Yarborough v. Alvarado 2004; J.D.B. v. North Carolina 2011). Although the Court repeatedly cautioned that youthfulness adversely affects juveniles' ability to exercise Miranda rights or make voluntary statements, it has not required special procedures to protect young suspects. Rather, it endorsed the adult standard-knowing, intelligent, and voluntary-to gauge juveniles' Miranda waivers (Fare v. Michael C. 1979).By contrast, developmental psychologists question whether young people understand Miranda or possess the competence necessary to exercise rights. Younger and mid-adolescent youths may not understand Miranda's words or the rights it conveys, may not be as competent as adults are to exercise rights, and may require additional protections (Grisso 1980; Grisso et al. 2003). However, most youths sixteen years of age and older appear to understand Miranda on par with adults, although they lack mature judgment and remain susceptible to influence by adult authority (Grisso 1980, 1981). Youth's vulnerabilities increase their likelihood to confess falsely (Kassin et al. 2010).This article empirically analyzes what happens when police interrogate older youths charged with felony offenses. Part I analyzes the legal framework of juvenile interrogation and research on adolescents' competence to exercise rights. Part II examines interrogation tactics and empirical research on interrogation practices. Part III describes the study's data and methodology. Part IV presents quantitative and qualitative data about routine interrogation of 307 delinquents sixteen years of age or older whom prosecutors charged with felonies. It reviews how police secure Miranda waivers, how they question youths, and how juveniles respond. Part V considers policy implications of the study.Interrogating Juveniles: Legal Expectations and Developmental PsychologyHaley v. Ohio (1948) and Gallegos v. Colorado (1962) held that youthfulness, lengthy questioning, and absence of counsel or parents rendered juveniles' statements involuntary. In re Gault (1967) granted delinquents the privilege against self-incrimination, among other procedural rights, and reiterated concern about youths' vulnerability during questioning. In re Winship (1970) and Breed v. Jones (1975) fostered a further procedural convergence between juvenile and criminal courts (Feld 1999). Fare v. Michael C. (1979) held that the totality of the circumstances test used to evaluate adults' Miranda waivers governed juveniles' waivers. Fare held that Miranda provided an objective basis to evaluate waivers, denied that developmental differences necessitated special procedures, and required children to assert rights clearly. J.D.B. v. North Carolina (2011) ruled that age was an objective factor and concluded that officers could evaluate how a youth's age would affect feelings of custodial restraint.Most states use the same Miranda framework for juveniles and adults and require only an understanding of rights and not collateral consequences (Feld 2006a, 2006b). …


A variety of life cycle models for software development are generally available. Many of the variations were composed to overcome problems in the classic waterfall model. However, it is generally difficult to compare and contrast the methods and very little literature is available to guide developers and managers in making choices. Moreover, in order to make informed decisions, developers require access to real data that compares the different models and the results associated with the adoption of each model. An experiment in which 15 software teams developed comparable software products, using four different development approaches (V-model, incremental model, evolutionary model, and extreme programming), is described. Extensive measurements were taken to assess the time, quality, size, and development efficiency of each product. The experimental data collected and the conclusions related to the choice of method, its impact on the project and the quality of the results, are presented.


In this paper, we present a learning-based method to the keyframe-based video stylization that allows an artist to propagate the style from a few selected keyframes to the rest of the sequence. Its key advantage is that the resulting stylization is semantically meaningful, i.e., specific parts of moving objects are stylized according to the artist's intention. In contrast to previous style transfer techniques, our approach does not require any lengthy pre-training process nor a large training dataset. We demonstrate how to train an appearance translation network from scratch using only a few stylized exemplars while implicitly preserving temporal consistency. This leads to a video stylization framework that supports real-time inference, parallel processing, and random access to an arbitrary output frame. It can also merge the content from multiple keyframes without the need to perform an explicit blending operation. We demonstrate its practical utility in various interactive scenarios, where the user paints over a selected keyframe and sees her style transferred to an existing recorded sequence or a live video stream.


Most of the magma erupted at mid-ocean ridges is stored in a mid-crustal melt lens that lies at the boundary between sheeted dikes and gabbros. Nevertheless, images of the magma pathways linking this melt lens to the overlying eruption site have remained elusive. Here, we have used seismic methods to image the thickest magma reservoir observed beneath any spreading center to date, which is principally attributed to the juxtaposition of the Juan de Fuca Ridge with the Cobb hotspot (northwestern USA). Our results reveal a complex melt body, which is ∼14 km long, 3 km wide, and up to 1 km thick, beneath the summit caldera. The estimated volume of the reservoir is 18–30 km3, more than two orders of magnitude greater than the erupted magma volumes of either the A.D. 1998 or 2011 eruption. Our images show a network of sub-horizontal to shallow-dipping (<30°) features that we interpret as pathways facilitating melt transport from the magma reservoir to the eruption sites.


The Ghanaian society is highly patriarchal and one of the immediate outcomes is that assignment of roles and responsibilities are typically based on gender lines. This paper is about gender representation in social studies textbooks in Ghana for Junior High School (JHS) students. In this article we argue that this inherent division of responsibilities based on gender navigates into history textbook narratives and influences the roles that are assigned to male and female characters. We further argue that male characters are assigned more superior roles than female characters in Ghanaian history textbooks, albeit subtly. The article uses the Ghanaian social studies textbook for JHS which documents historical accounts of Ghanaian men and women in precolonial, colonial and postcolonial periods. Both content and thematic analyses were used to present evidence for the findings. The contents of the selected textbooks sections were organised into two types of narratives to establish how gender is represented and whether one gender is systematically undermined in the texts. This helped to summarise the content into themes. Firstly, we assessed the representation of male and female characters in the texts to ascertain the extent to which females and males are represented in the narratives. Secondly, we assessed the language used in the textbooks to show if the language and specific key words used favoured particular gender groups. In this article we conclude that linking men to more prestigious occupations and heroic undertakings of the past and silencing of women in such positions, is subtle but predominant in the treatment of history in Ghanaian JHS social studies textbooks. Consequently, we recommend the development of a gender-sensitive policy to mainstream gender neutrality in curriculum development and textbooks contents.


Background Plaque rupture is the principal cause of acute coronary ischaemia, and unstable carotid plaques are associated with a high risk of ischaemic stroke. Carotid plaque ulceration also predicts acute coronary events, suggesting that systemic factors may determine plaque instability. One potentially important factor is pulse pressure. There is indirect evidence that cyclical haemodynamic forces affect plaque stability, and pulse pressure is a strong predictor of coronary events. Objective To study the association between pulse pressure and plaque ulceration. Design and methods We studied angiograms from 3007 patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis in the European Carotid Surgery Trial. Presence of ulceration was related to the different components of blood pressure [pulse pressure, systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)], and adjustment was made for age, sex, diabetes, smoking, and the degree of vessel stenosis. Results Pulse pressure was the strongest independent predictor of ulceration of the symptomatic carotid plaque [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the upper compared with the lower quintile 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 to 3.44; P = 0.004]. This relationship was weaker for SBP (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.62; P = 0.02), and non-significant for MAP (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.48, P = 0.13) and DBP (OR 1.67, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.87, P = 0.50). Conclusions Pulse pressure is independently associated with carotid plaque ulceration, supporting the hypothesis that pulsatile haemodynamic forces are an important cause of plaque rupture.


Ice thickness data collected between 1993 and 1999 using a coherent ice-penetrating radar system developed at the University of Kansas have been combined with data collected by the Technical University of Denmark in the 1970s to produce a new ice thickness grid for Greenland. Crossover analysis was used to assess the relative accuracy of the two data sets and they were weighted accordingly and interpolated onto a regular 5-km spacing grid using a kriging interpolation procedure. A high-resolution land-ice mask was used to help constrain the interpolation of the ice thickness data near the ice sheet margins where, in the past, the relative errors have been largest. The ice thickness grid was combined with a new digital elevation model of the ice sheet and surrounding rock outcrops to produce a new bed elevation data set for the whole of Greenland. The ice thickness grid was compared with the currently available data set. Differences in the center of the ice sheet, where the ice is thickest, were of the order of a few percent. Near the margins, however, large differences, of as much as a factor of 10, were found. The total volume of ice contained in the ice sheet was reestimated and found to have a value of 2.93 x 10 6 km 3 . The ice thickness grid was used to calculate the spatial pattern of gravitational driving stress over the ice sheet. Anomalous patterns of stress were found in areas that appeared to be associated with areas of rapid flow.


The aim of this study is to determine the specific patterns of functioning of adolescent family with behavioral disorders. A large representative sample of adolescents studied differences in family relationships, encouraging proper family development, and maintaining and changing the family system among adolescents with externalized problems, adolescent with internalized problems and typically developed adolescents. The research was conducted in fifteen primary schools in the area of Tuzla Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample consists of 587 students of the seventh and eighth grade, 12-15 years of age, both sexes. The most important research findings are: statistically significant predictors of externalized problems are expression (β = 0.18, t = 3.69, p <0.01) and conflicts (β = 0.11, t = -2.47, p <0.05); statistically significant predictors of internalized problems are cohesiveness (β = -0.11, t = -2.03, p <0.05), expression (β = -0.15, t = -2.91, p <0.05), intellectual orientation (β = -0.15, t = -1.97, p <0.05) and organization (β = -0.15, t = -2.79, p <0.01). The general conclusion of this study is that there is a correlation between externalized problem of adolescents and the characteristics of their family environment. Adolescent families with externalized behavioral problems are characterized by inadequate family structure, reduced expression, more frequent conflicts, poor orientation towards achievement, poor intellectual orientation, lack of individual family members, and poor family organization.


The neuropil surrounding sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) receives an abundant catecholaminergic innervation originating from the brain stem. The effect of catecholamines (CA) released at this spinal level on the activity of SPNs is still controversial as is the extent to which this particular CA transmission is affected by central antihypertensive drugs, such as clonidine and alpha-methyldopa. The present study was initiated, therefore, to determine the effects of iontophoretic applications of CAs and clonidine on the discharges of identified SPNs and to determine the type of receptor mediating the action of these compounds. Extracellular recordings were made with five- or six-barrel electrodes in 20 pigeons anesthetized with urethane, artificially ventilated, and immobilized. Data were obtained on 83 SPNs localized in the three first thoracic segments and identified on the basis of constancy of antidromic activation latency and collision. All of the cells sampled were inhibited by the application of low iontophoretic currents of clonidine and by a series of CAs, including alpha-methylnorepinephrine, epinephrine, and phenylephrine. For each compound, the amount of charge necessary to decrease the level of cell firing to 50% of control was calculated. Using this value as an index of drug potency, the following rank order could be determined: clonidine greater than alpha-methylnorepinephrine greater than epinephrine greater than norepinephrine greater than phenylephrine. The inhibitory effects of both clonidine and norepinephrine were antagonized by iontophoretic applications of the alpha antagonists, yohimbine, piperoxan, and phentolamine. In contrast, the beta antagonist, sotalol, and the alpha 1 antagonist, prazosin, were found ineffective when similarly applied. It is concluded that CAs and clonidine are inhibitory to the maintained activity of SPNs and that an alpha2-adrenergic receptor may be involved in the action of these compounds.


The pattern of evaporative sources and the direction of the large-scale circulation over the Indian Ocean during the boreal summer raises the question of whether atmospheric conditions in Australia could influence conditions over the Indian subcontinent, despite the long passage of air over the Indian Ocean. The authors propose that such an influence is sometimes possible when there is unusually low temperature over inland Australia during the austral winter, through the mechanism where such a temperature extreme enhances evaporation rate over the eastern tropical Indian Ocean and hence enhances rainfall over two regions in western India after 13–19 days. Results from trajectory calculations indicate that such an influence is mechanistically feasible, with air of Australian origin contributing 0.5–1.5 % of the climatological net precipitation for monsoon seasonal rainfall over western India. Statistics performed on reanalysis, satellite and in situ data are consistent with such a mechanism. Since extreme winter temperature in Australia is often associated with cold-air outbreaks, the described mechanism may be an example of how southern hemispheric midlatitude weather can influence northern hemispheric monsoon rainfall. Further study is recommended through modelling and comparison with various known causes of atmospheric variability to confirm the existence of such a mechanism and determine the extent of its influence during specific low temperature episodes.


: The biomass dynamics of primary producers have important implications for the structure and function of ecosystems. Along the wave-swept coastline of central California, USA, biomass removal by wave action is a key driver in the primary productivity of giant kelp forests, yet the mechanisms of regrowth within giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera are not well understood. To examine the physiological consequences of biomass loss on Macrocystis , a manipulative experiment was used to simulate biomass removal by wave action. Growth rates were measured as the number of new fronds produced through time, and the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of juvenile fronds were used as a proxy for carbon and nitrogen translocation in support of growth. The experimental removal of biomass significantly constrained the growth of new fronds and, under extreme levels, led to mortality. The growth rate and isotopic composition of juvenile fronds on sporophytes with a portion of canopy biomass intact recovered to pre-disturbance values within 4 mo. In con-trast, a reduction in growth rates as well as a permanent depletion in δ 13 C and δ 15 N values was observed when the canopy was completely removed and the magnitude scaled with biomass loss. These results suggest that the translocation of carbon and nitrogen to juvenile fronds from near-surface biomass is a critical process affecting growth in giant kelp. The spatial variability and physiological consequences of biomass loss among individuals may therefore play an important role in the biomass dynamics of giant kelp forests across multiple temporal and spatial scales.


edited by Jonathan N. Barron and Eric Murphy Selinger. Hanover: University Press of New England (Brandeis University Press), 2000. 416 pp. $60.00. In the Introduction to Jewish American Poetry: Poems, Commentary, and Reflections, the editors, Jonathan N. Barron and Eric Murphy Selinger, proclaim that their "main goal is to announce the existence of a major contribution to American poetry: the various and increasingly self-conscious Jewish American poetic tradition." This tradition can be traced at least as far back as Emma Lazarus, a New York City-born poet of both Sephardic and Ashkenazic ancestry, whose sonnet, "The New Colossus," is the very first poem in this collection. Barron and Selinger open wide the portals of their volume with "the mighty woman with a torch, Mother of Exiles," who welcomed all to the shores of America, the "New Jerusalem." Rather than present poems and essays representative of a single ideological or critical perspective, Barron and Selinger make a point of inclusiveness. The volume is organized into two parts. The first part consists of poems and commentary on their poems by 26 different Jewish-American poets. Of their selections, the editors note, "no attempt was made to be definitive or canonical about contemporary Jewish American poetry. Instead, our main goal was to get a representative selection of the various kinds of American poetry currently being written." To a large extent, the editors succeed in this goal. The volume is characterized not only by a diversity of poetic voices, but also by a diversity of poetic forms. The second part of the volume, "Reflections," written by contemporary critics of Jewish American poetry, also reflects the editors' commitment to variety. Among the poets, one finds here practitioners of experimental or avant-garde language poetry like Charles Bernstein, Bob Perelman, and Ammiel Altalay. One also finds more traditional poets like Anthony Hecht writing in such conventional forms as the sestina in his poem "The Book of Yolek." The majority of the poets here, however, are practitioners of the dominant mode of American poetry of the last hundred years: free verse. These include such well-known poets as Gerald Stem, Maxine Kumin, Philip Levine, Marge Piercy, Alicia Ostriker, and a host of other poets just now coming into prominence, including Hilda Raz, Jacqueline Osherow, and Michael Castro. The volume also makes room for the ethnopoet Jerome Rothenberg and for the feminist liturgical poet Marcia Falk. Essentially, than, one will find here a "house of worship" for just about any reader, depending on their cultural and aesthetic orientation. Nevertheless, it is problematic that there are not included any Jewish American poets living in Israel (Shirley Kaufman, for example) in the collection and very little mention of Israel in the poetry. This is a crucial omission because of the unique historical situation of the poets represented in the volume, living and writing during the time of the historical revival of Jewish nationhood. It is especially interesting to see how the poets responded to the challenge put before them by the editors, to select a poem for the collection and to provide "a commentary about its relationship to the poet's own sense of his or her `Jewishness.'" How "Jewishness" is defined has long been contested among modern and post-modern writers, and in this volume we see just how unstable the term can be. For some of the poets here, like Anthony Hecht, for example, "Jewishhess" is tied to history and his own experience of liberating a Nazi concentration camp. For others, like Alan Shapiro and Marge Piercy, "Jewishness" is connected to family, and in particular to aging parents and grandparents, figures who in the poets' imagination invoke biblical stories. For many of the women writers, "Jewishness" is a term to be redefined and re-imagined, either through the creation of a more responsive liturgy or a reinterpretation of traditional biblical figures and stories. …


Life has not been easy for twelve-year-old Cora: her father died six years ago, she's charged with the after-school care of her ten-year-old sister, Adare, who has mental challenges resulting from oxygen deprivation at birth, and she and her mother and sister are living in a homeless shelter. When their room at the homeless shelter is broken into, their mother takes them to the swanky apartment of her friend Willa. Cora's mother wants to move on to a new social services placement, but Cora loves the stability and comforts of the apartment. Meanwhile, Cora struggles to keep her father's memory alive, negotiate a new friendship, keep Adare safe, and define for herself what she means by home. Despite the trim page count, the pace of this atmospheric debut novel lags, giving over too much narrative space to Cora's adultish ruminations about trees in honor of her father, who was a professional gardener. As a result, not much happens in terms of plot until Adare goes missing for a few hours when Cora claims a little alone time. The issue of Mom's leaning too much on Cora is not fully resolved, however, and the sympathy generated for the family's homelessness and Adare's neurodiversity may well be overshadowed by righteous anger at their mother's choices. Cora's empathy for her sister, on the other hand, does grow throughout the novel, offering middle-graders food for thought on how to see through the eyes of those whose communication skills prevent them from expressing their needs. KC


Previous research has shown a visual asymmetry in shaded stimuli where the perceived contrast depended on the polarity of their dark and light areas (Chacón, 2004). In particular, circles filled out with a top-dark luminance ramp were perceived with higher contrast than top-light ones although both types of stimuli had the same physical contrast. Here, using shaded stimuli, we conducted four experiments in order to find out if the perceived contrast depends on: (a) the contrast level, (b) the type of shading (continuous vs. discrete) and its degree of perceived three-dimensionality, (c) the orientation of the shading, and (d) the sign of the perceived contrast alterations. In all experiments the observers' tasks were to equate the perceived contrast of two sets of elements (usually shaded with opposite luminance polarity), in order to determine the subjective equality point. Results showed that (a) there is a strong difference in perceived contrast between circles filled out with luminance ramp top-dark and top-light that is similar for different contrast levels; (b) we also found asymmetries in contrast perception with different shaded stimuli, and this asymmetry was not related with the perceived three-dimensionality but with the type of shading, being greater for continuous-shading stimuli; (c) differences in perceived contrast varied with stimulus orientation, showing the maximum difference on vertical axis with a left bias consistent with the bias found in previous studies that used visual-search tasks; and (d) asymmetries are consistent with an attenuation in perceived contrast that is selective for top-light vertically-shaded stimul


Corporate law theory and practice considers shareholder relations with companies and the implications of ownership separated from control. Yet through the TARP bailout and the government's resultant shareholding, ownership and control at many companies has merged, leaving corporate theory and practice for the financial and automotive sectors in chaos. The government's $700 billion bailout is a unique historical event; not merely because of its size, but because of a resulting ripple through corporate scholarship and practice. This article builds on the author's four testimonies before Congress during the financial crisis and implementation of the TARP bailout and his consultation for the Inspector General for TARP. It updates the six central theories of corporate law to reveal that none function adequately when considered with a controlling government shareholder that enjoys sovereign immunity from corporate and securities law. From agency theory and nexus-of-contracts thought to the shareholder/director primacy debate, even to notions of progressive corporate law, existing theory breaks down when a government shareholder is present. The article also develops an economic model of incentives facing political decisionmakers in exercise of their shareholder power. After considering corporate theory, the article offers predictions for how Treasury's stock ownership reshapes the practice of corporate law. In short, TARP will result in a tectonic shift for current understanding about insider trading, securities class actions, share voting, and state corporate law fiduciary duties. The article closes with three recommendations. First, that Treasury take frozen options, an invention explained in the text, rather than equity. Second, that Congress pass legislation establishing a fiduciary duty for Treasury to maximize the value of its investment, a suggestion that has resulted in Sens. Warner and Corker introducing implementing legislation based on the author's suggestion. Third, that Treasury adopt a sales plan for closing out its TARP holdings.


Broadly put, the thesis is an investigation of the possibility of articulating a coherent thesis of truth relativism within first, a host correspondence theory of truth and second, a host coherence theory of truth. The type of relativism addressed in the thesis is what is sometimes called 'framework relativism', that where truth is relativised to a framework of belief, conceptual scheme or something of that sort. A further restraint is that it is a global relativistic thesis which is sought, one that is relativistic about all truths. The thesis does not set itself the task of defending relativism but just that of seeking a coherent articulation of it.
The work is in two sections. In the first, the host theory is the correspondence theory of truth. The result of that section's analysis is that, although what Chris Swoyer calls 'strong truth relativism' is not able to be given coherent articulation, what he calls 'weak truth relativism' is. The conception of weak correspondence relative truth that is explicated here is a three place relation of proposition, world (without "joints at which to carve") and categorial repertoire (of a type suggested by Jack Meiland). A global thesis in its terms proves coherently articulable and does not suffer from problems of self-inclusion.
In the second section, the host theory is the coherence theory. Promising looking host though it seems, neither propositional nor doxastic web versions of the coherence theory prove to be able to permit either weak or strong global truth relativistic theses to be coherently articulated. The most promising looking coherence relativist candidate of those examined is a strong doxastic thesis developed by James Young. Like other coherence relativisms examined, Young's succumbs to the reflexitivity demands of a global thesis. Strong coherence theses also prove to have difficulty in having the same proposition true relative to one propositional/doxastic web and false relative to
another. Weak variants have difficulty explicating the "appropriate alternativeness" of the categorial repertoire in terms of which some target proposition is to be ineffable.
The results of investigation are contrary to conventional wisdom concerning relativism in that it proves to be the correspondence theory, not the coherence theory, within which it is easier to articulate global (though only weak) framework truth relativism.
iv
I wish to acknowledge the advice given to me by my supervisors, Dr. Edgar Sleinis and Prof. Bill Joske, and the helpful correspondence and conversations concerning various parts of the work that I have had with Jack Meiland, Jim Young, Steve Rappaport, Steve Edwards, Jack Smart, Howard Sankey, Henry Krips, Brian Ellis, Kathy Bohsted, Frank White and Harvey Siegel.
I also wish to acknowledge the emotional support and forbearance of my spouse Chrissy and my daughters Jenny and Kathleen.


The orientational photorefractive effect was observed in an organic-inorganic nanocomposite of nematic liquid crystal hybridized with montmorillonite clay. Both the self-diffraction and beam-coupling effects were evaluated in a two-wave-mixing experiment in conjunction with an externally applied dc field. The experimental results indicate that photoinduced generation was enhanced by the addition of smectite clay with adequate concentration. Physically, the drifting ion charges were trapped by clay layers and separated by interlayer cations, creating an internal, spatially modulated space-charge field, which led to nematic molecular orientation and, then, refractive-index modulation via the electro-optical response. The diffraction efficiency as well as the beam-coupling ratio of the phase gratings recorded in the cells of the nematic liquid crystal hybridized with montmorillonite clay was found to be two to three times higher than that in the pristine nematic cell.


INTRODUCTION
To assess two different dosing strategies of unfractionated heparin (UFH) during elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

AIMS
The optimal dose of heparin during elective PCI in patients with stable angina is unknown. Existing guidelines are based on limited data. We interrogated data from the PCI database. Patients with stable angina undergoing planned transradial PCI for uncomplicated single lesions were included. The main endpoint was troponin I release. We compared a fixed heparin dose (3000 U) UFH to a weight-adjusted dose.

RESULTS
Of 698 patients 244 (35.0%) received fixed dose (3000 U) and 454 (65.0%) 70 U/kg weight-adjusted UFH. There was no significant difference in median troponin between the fixed dose and the weight-adjusted groups; 0.17 ng/mL versus 0.14; P= 0.21. The proportion of troponin positive patients was similar in both groups (61.9% in the fixed dose group vs. 58.1%; P= 0.37). There were no deaths or major ischemic events during hospitalization. There was no bleeding requiring transfusion or delaying hospital discharge.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this retrospective observational study of elective transradial PCI demonstrated that a reduced, fixed dose of periprocedural heparin was associated with similar postprocedural troponin levels when compared to a standard weight-adjusted regime. Our study further questions the optimal dose of heparin required during elective PCI and suggests a need for further trials.


The views young people have towards democratic values shape their views in later life. However, the values that are fundamental to democracy, such as majority rule and minority rights, are often competing. This study aims to provide insight into the ways adolescents view democratic issues in which democratic values are competing. To do so, three democratic issues with varying conditions were designed, and discussed during interviews with students in vocational education. The results show that most adolescents consider both democratic values that underlie an issue. Furthermore, as the conditions in which the issues take place were altered during the interviews, adolescents explicitly evaluated different perspectives and starting shifting between both values. The findings of this study show that adolescents' views on democratic issues are layered, and include considering multiple democratic values and taking account of the conditions in which these are situated.


Drawing on understandings of classrooms as communities of practice and using analytic methods including conversation analysis, this paper describes the path of English language learning taken by an adult immigrant to the U.S. ('Li') who had no previous experience with formal education. Although standardized assessment measures indicated that Li did not make progress in her language acquisition during the 18 months of data collection, analysis of intensive video recordings of teacher-student and student-student interactions show how Li moves from peripheral to fuller participation as a member of the community of classroom participants and the community of English language users. Findings suggest that 'participation' rather than 'acquisition' is a more appropriate metaphor for understanding language learning in this situation.


International law is the law of States. They are the principal actors in international law, and it is primarily upon their consent that the international legal system is built. This is the customary starting point, upon which additional complexities are added: the role of international organizations ('IOs'), multinational corporations or other non-state actors, and the importance of transnational networks of regulators.
This contribution seeks to identify the role of another set of actors involved in international law-making – international legal counsel – those individuals involved in providing legal advice and litigating at international tribunals. In particular, the focus will be on the most traditional of international law's judicial institutions: the International Court of Justice ('ICJ'). The argument is the following: beyond the orthodox accounts of law-making as dominated by States or IOs and guided by international tribunals such as the ICJ, there exists a cooperative process of law-making exercised by international legal counsel, technical assistants, and diplomats in concert with judges and secretariats of international tribunals. Together, they form a social space in which their competition is based on (implicitly) agreed rules, most of which are non-legal in nature. Such a process is to the benefit of a number of actors involved, though States are not necessarily principal among these.


A quality differentiation strategy for agrifood products based on geographical origin and production method has become a viable alternative for certain firms in the internationalized food markets, if it could be considered as a rural development instrument. This method of adding value to their products nevertheless requires them to take into account not only objective factors, which tend to be related to product characteristics, but also subjective factors that are more closely linked to consumers' assessment of their differentiating features and the factors that influence that assessment. The study confirms using various structural equation models the key impact of consumers' attitudes towards these products (image) on final purchase behaviour. The experiment was conducted both inside and outside the production region of two selected food items and in all markets it will be necessary to act upon both attitudinal components, that is, product image in its various dimensions and consumer attitude toward the region of origin, in order to develop these markets, where, currently, product characteristics are found to have the stronger influence.


In spite of transitions to the culture of childbirth in late 20 th century developed nations, the past decade has seen a rise of a new movement advocating for unassisted childbirth – that is, childbirth managed entirely by the labouring woman and in the absence of medical doctors, midwives or other professionally-trained caregivers. Unassisted childbirth advocates have generated an intense debate regarding who should define and control the childbirth experience, presenting a profound critique of the medical management of childbirth. This thesis examines risk discourses on unassisted childbirth as articulated by three key stakeholder groups: physician organizations, the midwifery community and unassisted childbirth advocates. Through a discursive analysis of public and professional written media on unassisted childbirth published between 1994 and 2012, I argue that for all three of the stakeholders, childbirth is typically framed in terms of a language of risk and safety; however, the conceptualizations of what constitutes risk and safety varies considerably among the three groups. Physicians argue that childbirth itself is an inherently risky process in need of medical supervision and management, while unassisted childbirth advocates argue that the real risks arise from the devalorization of birthing women's knowledge of their bodies and in relying on medical experts to manage birth. Midwives appear to have a more complex framing of risk in childbirth, often mediating between dominant biomedical notions of risk and their own focus on birth as healthy and normal. This thesis adds to the literatures on the sociology of risk and childbirth by highlighting risk as an area of contestation, as experts and lay people interpret and make judgements about expertise, health, safety, autonomy and medical control in relation to childbirth. In addition, the findings demonstrate the continuing tensions and debates in the early 21 st century around the quality of the birth experience, the medical management of childbirth and women's decision-making in regards to reproduction.


This presentation comes from the Real Estate: Valuation Techniques and Portfolio Management conference held in Chicago, Illinois, on October 25, 1988.


In this dissertation, we employed the ecologically valid predator stress model to assess the effects of stress on brain and behavior. A five minute unprotected exposure of a rat to a cat induces long-lasting changes in anxiety-like behaviors in the rat (Adamec & Shallow, 1993; Adamec et al., 2001; Cohen et al., 2004). Using this model, we addressed four main questions. First, are the various manifestations of the anxiogenic effects of predator stress N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent? Second, are the neuroplastic changes that occur after predator stress NMDA receptor-dependent? Third, do neuroplastic changes occur after exposure to other, milder stressors, such as the elevated plus maze (EPM)? Finally, is the neuroplastic response to a mild stressor enhanced in animals that have been previously stressed? -- In Chapter 2, we assessed the effects of a NMDA receptor antagonist [(3-(2-carboxypiperazin4-yl)propyl-l-phosphonic acid) - CPP] on anxiety-like behavior produced by predator stress. An affect test battery including hole board, elevated plus maze (EPM), light/dark box, social interaction, social avoidance, and response to acoustic startle was employed to assess the behavioral response to stress. Doses of 1-10 mg/kg of CPP administered ip 30 min prior to predator stress blocked most anxiety-like behaviors measured eight and nine days after stress. CPP blocked the predator stress-induced reduction in open arm exploration and risk assessment in the EPM, blocked the predator stress-induced decrease in entries into the lighted arm of the light/dark box, and blocked the predator stress-induced delay in habituation of the acoustic startle response. Behaviors in which the effects of predator stress were not blocked by CPP included reduction in unprotected head dips in the EPM and reduced social interaction. In addition, predator stress was without effect on social avoidance as measured with the Haller test. Taken together, these findings add to a body of evidence showing that a syndrome of behavioral changes follows predator stress. Components of this syndrome of behavioral changes likely depend on changes in separable neural substrates initiated by NMDA receptors as well as by other neurochemical means. -- Since phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) is regulated by NMDA receptors and pCREB-like immunoreactivity (lir) is increased after predator stress, we examined the effects of CPP on predator stress-induced changes in pCREB-lir in Chapter 3. pCREB-lir was assessed using immunocytochemistry in brain areas implicated in fearful and anxious behavior including the amygdala, periaqueductal gray (PAG), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and dorsal medial hypothalamus (DMH). Results showed that CPP blocked the predator stress-induced increase in pCREB-lir in the right lateral column of the PAG, blocked the predator stress-induced increase in pCREB-lir in several amygdala nuclei, and reversed the predator stress-induced suppression of pCREB-lir in the BNST. Importantly, at least in the amygdala and PAG, the pattern of pCREB-lir was hemisphere- and anterior-posterior (AP) plane-dependent. Our results suggest that several amygdala nuclei, the PAG, and the BNST, where predator stress changes pCREB-lir in a NMDA receptor-dependent manner, are candidate areas of neuroplastic change contributing to lasting changes in anxiety-like behavior. However, like predator stress-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior, not all stress-induced changes in pCREB-lir were NMDA receptor-dependent. -- In Chapter 4, we examined pCREB changes in response to other stressors, such as the EPM, in brain areas implicated in fear and anxiety. In addition, we investigated the effects of prior traumatic stress on pCREB-lir in animals exposed to the EPM. In particular, pCREB-lir was examined after exposure to the EPM in rats that had been exposed to a cat seven days earlier and naive (handled) controls. Brain areas investigated for both experiments included the amygdala, PAG, and BNST, which are all areas that show NMDA receptor-dependent pCREB-lir changes after predator stress. Results showed that there were no pCREB-lir differences between naive control rats and rats exposed to the EPM only. However, exposure to the EPM in predator stressed rats elevated pCREB-lir in the right lateral column of the PAG and bilaterally in the dorsal column of the PAG. Findings suggest mechanisms associated with neuroplasticity may be further engaged by relatively mild stresses in animals with a history of severe stress exposure. -- Taken together, these results suggest that most changes in anxiety-like behavior following predator stress are NMDA receptor-dependent. In addition, changes in pCREB-lir in several amygdala nuclei, the right lateral column of the PAG and the BNST may mediate the predator stress-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore, mechanisms associated with neuroplasticity may be further activated by relatively mild stresses in animals with a history of severe stress exposure.


Grid programming environments need to be both portable and efficient to exploit the computational power of dynamically available resources. In previous work, we have presented the divide-and-conquer based Satin model for parallel computing on clustered wide-area systems. In this paper, we present the Satin implementation on top of our new Ibis platform which combines Java's write once, run everywhere with efficient communication between JVMs. We evaluate Satin/Ibis on the testbed of the EU-funded GridLab project, showing that Satin's load-balancing algorithm automatically adapts both to heterogeneous processor speeds and varying network performance, resulting in efficient utilization of the computing resources. Our results show that when the wide-area links suffer from congestion, Satin's load-balancing algorithm can still achieve around 80% efficiency, while an algorithm that is not grid aware drops to 26% or less.


The third volume in the "House Now" series, this title showcases trends in domestic design as represented by extraordinary houses from around the world. Featuring projects from Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America, this books presents a meditation on the meaning of domestic space as privacy and individuality become more scarce and ever more valued. The 30 individual residences featured are illustrated with colour photographs, accompanied by floor plans and detailed explanations.


Chronic migraine (CM) is a clinically and epidemiologically important disease that generates considerable impairment to those affected by it, since there is evidence of higher incidence of depression, anxiety, and chronic pain in patients with this condition. It is characterized by the occurrence of headache for at least 8 migraine days in a month and at least 15 headache days in the same month. Despite the similarity in CM presented in adults, when in adolescents it has some particularities. Thus, the aim of this chapter was to conduct a literature review, using the databases: PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS, in addition to text books, explaining the definition, epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention of CM in adolescent population.


Composite phase change materials consisting of a high-latent-heat phase change material (PCM) embedded in a high-thermal-conductivity matrix are desirable for thermally buffering pulsed heat loads via rapid absorption and release of thermal energy at a constant temperature. This paper reports a composite PCM thermal buffer consisting of a Field's metal PCM having high volumetric latent heat (315 MJ/m3) embedded in a copper (Cu) matrix having high intrinsic thermal conductivity [384 W/(m·K)]. We demonstrate thermal buffer samples fabricated with Cu volume fractions from 0.05 to 0.2 and sample thicknesses ranging between 1 mm and 4 mm. Experiments coupled with finite element method simulations were used to determine the figures of merit (FOMs), cooling capacity ηeff, energy density Eeff, effective thermal conductivity keff, and the buffering time constant τ. The cooling capacity was measured to be as high as ηeff = 72 ± 4 kJ/(m2·K1/2·s1/2) for the 1.45 mm thick thermal buffer sample having a Cu volume fraction of 0.13, significantly higher than theoretical values for aluminum–paraffin composites [45 kJ/(m2·K1/2·s1/2)] or pure paraffin wax [8 kJ/(m2·K1/2·s1/2)]. Our work develops design guidelines for high-FOM thermal buffer devices for pulsed heat load thermal management.


This paper investigates the relationship between workplace flexibility practices (WFPs) and corporate performance using data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004. Disaggregating WFPs into numerical, functional and cost aspects enables the analysis of their relationships to an objective measure of corporate performance, namely workplace financial turnover. Furthermore separate analyses are presented for different types of workplace: differentiated by workforce size; ownership; age; wage level; and unionization. Results show that different types of workplaces need to pay attention to the mix of WFPs they adopt. We find that certain cost WFPs (profit‐related pay, merit pay and payment‐by‐results) have strong positive relationships with corporate performance. However, training delivers mixed corporate performance results, while the extent of job autonomy and the proportion of part‐time employees in a workplace have an inverse association with corporate performance. Given the limited existing research examining disaggregated measures of WFPs and objectively measured corporate performance, this paper offers useful insights for firms, policy makers and the overall economy.


This article explores the role of customers in informing competition authorities and courts about the likely effects of proposed mergers. It discusses when, and about what, customers are most likely to be valuable sources of information. It also discusses the potential limitations of customer testimony. Customer views can certainly be informative. However, they are best employed as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, economic analysis that employs more objective evidence. Although the welfare of consumers appears increasingly to have been accepted by competition authorities as the appropriate goal for merger policy, customers will not necessarily have available the information required to predict the economic consequences of a proposed merger. And even when they do, customers may be reluctant reliably and accurately to provide that information, or to express their true opinions, to investigators and before courts. Worse yet, customers may themselves stand to benefit from mergers that are anticompetitive, or may be harmed by mergers that are welfare-enhancing. Appreciating both the strengths and the limitations of customer input is critical to the cause of sound merger enforcement, not only in the U.S., but overseas as well. A growing number of countries, many of whom have less experience or expertise than do competition authorities in the U.S., have begun to adopt merger control policies themselves, and are in the process of developing and implementing investigative best practices. They, at least as much as we, can benefit from better understanding the advantages, as well as the potential pitfalls, of using the views of customers to help ensure the welfare of consumers.


We present two contributions to human movement analysis: (a) a ballistic dynamical model for recognizing movements, and (b) a model for coupling edge continuity with contour matching.
We describe a Bayesian approach for visual analysis of ballistic hand movements, namely reaches and strikes. These movements are most commonly used for interacting with objects and the environment. One of the key challenges to recognizing them is the variability of the target-location of the hand - people can reach above their heads, for something on the floor, etc. Our approach recognizes them independent of the movement's target-location and direction by modelling the ballistic dynamics. A video sequence is automatically segmented into ballistic subsequences without tracking the hands. The segments are then classified into strike and reach movements based on low-level motion features. Each ballistic segment is further analyzed to compute qualitative labels for the movement's target-location and direction. Tests are presented with a set of reach and strike movement sequences.
We present an approach for whole-body pose contour matching. Contour matching in natural images in the absence of foreground-background segmentation is difficult. Usually an asymmetric approach is adopted, where a contour is said to match well if it aligns with a subset of the image's gradients. This leads to problems as the contour can match with a portion of an object's outline and ignore the remainder. We present a model for using edge-continuity to address this issue. Pairs of edge elements in the image are linked with affinities if they are likely to belong to the same object. A contour that matches with a set of image gradients is constrained to also match with other gradients having high affinities with the chosen ones. A Markov Random Field framework is employed to couple edge continuity and contour matching into a joint optimization process. The approach is illustrated with applications to pose estimation and human detection.


We perform lens modelling and source reconstruction of Submillimeter Array (SMA) data for a sample of 12 strongly lensed galaxies selected at 500μm in the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS). A previous analysis of the same dataset used a single Sersic profile to model the light distribution of each background galaxy. Here we model the source brightness distribution with an adaptive pixel scale scheme, extended to work in the Fourier visibility space of interferometry. We also present new SMA observations for seven other candidate lensed galaxies from the H-ATLAS sample. Our derived lens model parameters are in general consistent with previous findings. However, our estimated magnification factors, ranging from 3 to 10, are lower. The discrepancies are observed in particular where the reconstructed source hints at the presence of multiple knots of emission. We define an effective radius of the reconstructed sources based on the area in the source plane where emission is detected above 5σ. We also fit the reconstructed source surface brightness with an elliptical Gaussian model. We derive a median value reff ∼ 1.77 kpc and a median Gaussian full width at half maximum ∼1.47 kpc. After correction for magnification, our sources have intrinsic star formation rates SFR ∼ 900 − 3500 M⊙yr−1, resulting in a median star formation rate surface density ΣSFR ∼ 132 M⊙yr−1 kpc−2 (or ∼218 M⊙yr−1 kpc−2 for the Gaussian fit). This is consistent with what observed for other star forming galaxies at similar redshifts, and is significantly below the Eddington limit for a radiation pressure regulated starburst.


Multi-pinhole (MPH) collimators are known to provide better trade-off between sensitivity and resolution for preclinical, as well as for smaller regions in clinical SPECT imaging compared to conventional collimators. In addition to this geometric advantage, MPH plates typically offer better stopping power for penetration than the conventional collimators, which is especially relevant for I-123 imaging. The I-123 emits a series of high-energy (>300 keV, ~2.5% abundance) gamma photons in addition to the primary emission (159 keV, 83% abundance). Despite their low abundance, high-energy photons penetrate through a low-energy parallel-hole (LEHR) collimator much more readily than the 159 keV photons, resulting in large downscatter in the photopeak window. In this work, we investigate the primary, scatter, and penetration characteristics of a single pinhole collimator that is commonly used for I-123 thyroid imaging and our two MPH collimators designed for I-123 DaTscan imaging for Parkinson's Disease, in comparison to three different parallel-hole collimators through a series of experiments and Monte Carlo simulations. The simulations of a point source and a digital human phantom with DaTscan activity distribution showed that our MPH collimators provide superior count performance in terms of high primary counts, low penetration, and low scatter counts compared to the parallel-hole and single pinhole collimators. For example, total scatter, multiple scatter, and collimator penetration events for the LEHR were 2.5, 7.6 and 14 times more than that of MPH within the 15% photopeak window. The total scatter fraction for LEHR was 56% where the largest contribution came from the high-energy scatter from the back compartments (31%). For the same energy window, the total scatter for MPH was 21% with only 1% scatter from the back compartments. We therefore anticipate that using MPH collimators, higher quality reconstructions can be obtained in a substantially shorter acquisition time for I-123 DaTscan and thyroid imaging.


This volume presents a collection of papers presented at the 15th International Symposium of Robotic Research (ISRR). ISRR is the biennial meeting of the International Foundation of Robotic Research (IFRR) and its 15th edition took place in Flagstaff, Arizona on December 9 to December 12, 2011. As for the previous symposia, ISRR 2011 followed up on the successful concept of a mixture of invited contributions and open submissions. Therefore approximately half of the 37 contributions were invited contributions from outstanding researchers selected by the IFRR officers and the program committee, and the other half were chosen among the open submissions after peer review. This selection process resulted in a truly excellent technical program which featured some of the very best of robotic research. The program was organized around oral presentation in a single-track format and included for the first time a small number of interactive presentations. The symposium contributions contained in this volume report on a variety of new robotics research results covering a broad spectrum including perception, manipulation, grasping, vehicles and design, navigation, control and integration, estimation and SLAM.


Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a chronic pathology, inducing long term deficits that remains understudied in preclinical studies. In this context, exploration, anxiety-like behavior, cognitive flexibility and motor coordination were assessed until 5 and 10 months after an experimental TBI in the adult mouse, using two cohorts. In order to differentiate age, surgery, and remote gray and white matter lesions, three groups, unoperated, sham-operated, and TBI, were studied. TBI induced delayed motor coordination deficits at the pole test, 4.5 months after injury, that could be explained by gray and white matter damages in ipsilateral nigrostriatal structures (striatum, internal capsule) that were spreading to new structures between cohorts, at 5 versus 10 months after the injury. Furthermore, TBI induced an enhanced exploratory behavior during stressful situations (active phase during actimetry test, object exploration in an open field), risk-taking behaviors in the elevated plus maze 5 months after injury, and a cognitive inflexibility in the Barnes maze that persists until 9 months after the injury. These behavioral modifications could be related to the white and gray matter lesions observed in ipsi- and contra-lateral limbic structures (amygdala, hilus/CA4, hypothalamus, external capsule, corpus callosum, cingular cortex) that were spreading to new structures between cohorts, at 5 months versus 10 months after the injury. The present study corroborates clinical findings on TBI, and provides a relevant rodent chronic model which could help validating pharmacological strategies against the chronic consequences of TBI.


This thesis examines Ghana's failed attempt to develop in an interpretative model of a political economy of decline. The definition of political economy in this thesis stresses the factors influencing decision-making, particularly,
the conflicts and power of the interest groups controlling the state. The thesis argues that at the eve of decolonization, there were identified weaknesses which imposed a limitation on the pace of economic development.
The most important of these weaknesses was the low and stagnant productivity of the predominant peasant agriculture. By imposing an excessive predatory taxation on the cocoa industry to finance accelerated development, under these conditions, the cocoa sector, whose savings could have supported a moderate pace of development, was destroyed without achieving development. A major
economic decline has occurred in Ghana in which the collapse of the cocoa industry has played a significant part. The process of decline has been dominated by political economy conflicts both within interest groups in the
urban sector, created by the aborted modernization, and between urban and rural interests.
Cocoa supply functions have been generated for different periods over the entire history of the industry, to determine the nature of the decline of that principal economic sector. Short-run and long-run price elasticities in the
period before 1955 were found to be negligible. Supply elasticities have increased in recent periods, and have been estimated as follows for the period since 1944: Short-run price: 0.18; Long-run price: 0.42; Short-run capacity
base: 0.88; Long-run capacity base: 1.685. The loss of production due to short-run, long-run and very long-run direct and indirect producer price distortions from the equilibrium border price, have been estimated, at the peak, as 40%, 51.5% and 62.6% respectively. The current attempts at economic recovery have concentrated on monetary and fiscal policies and on the export sector. Significant successes have been achieved since 1983, but these are still below performance in 1976. The
thesis concludes that the economic recovery programme faces major challenges from two sources. The fundamental problems of the food production sector have so far been ignored. The conflicts in the political economy also remain a
major threat to the productive sectors.


Above forest canopies, eddy covariance (EC) measurements of mass (CO2, H2O vapor) and energy exchange, assumed to represent ecosystem fluxes, are commonly made at one point in the roughness sublayer (RSL). A spatial variability experiment, in which EC measurements were made from six towers within the RSL in a uniform pine plantation, quantified large and dynamic spatial variation in fluxes. The spatial coefficient of variation (CV) of the scalar fluxes decreased with increasing integration time, stabilizing at a minimum that was independent of further lengthening the averaging period (hereafter a 'stable minimum'). For all three fluxes, the stable minimum (CV=9–11%) was reached at averaging times (τp) of 6–7 h during daytime, but higher stable minima (CV=46–158%) were reached at longer τp (>12 h) during nighttime. To the extent that decreasing CV of EC fluxes reflects reduction in micrometeorological sampling errors, half of the observed variability at τp=30 min is attributed to sampling errors. The remaining half (indicated by the stable minimum CV) is attributed to underlying variability in ecosystem structural properties, as determined by leaf area index, and perhaps associated ecosystem activity attributes. We further assessed the spatial variability estimates in the context of uncertainty in annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE). First, we adjusted annual NEE values obtained at our long‐term observation tower to account for the difference between this tower and the mean of all towers from this experiment; this increased NEE by up to 55 g C m−2 yr−1. Second, we combined uncertainty from gap filling and instrument error with uncertainty because of spatial variability, producing an estimate of variability in annual NEE ranging from 79 to 127 g C m−2 yr−1. This analysis demonstrated that even in such a uniform pine plantation, in some years spatial variability can contribute ∼50% of the uncertainty in annual NEE estimates.


Mt. Baker Base Camp and Research Facility: An American Typology Standard for the European Mountain Hut Marisol Sanchez Foreman Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Christopher Meek, AIA Associate Professor Department of Architecture Supervisory Committee Member: Judith Swain Part-Time Lecturer Department of Architecture This thesis explores a design strategy to adapt the European system of mountain huts to the US in a way that is sensitive to American culture and their attitudes towards nature. Using the well-developed mountain hut network in the European Alps as a framework, this thesis focuses on bringing that typology to the US with minimal environmental impact. The Mt. Baker Base Camp and Avalanche Research Facility develops a net-zero building typology that will serve as a model for various high alpine base camps across the US. The year-round function will be primarily research, and based on the location, it would serve to advance avalanche research, snow research, weather data, seismic, and volcano research. During the hiking and mountaineering seasons, the base camp will provide lodging to a select number of people, but will be open to the public as a dining hall and further serve as an emergency shelter in the event of extreme weather conditions.


With their financial difficulties, some traditional media firms have called for greater leniency under the federal antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, in recent hearings inquired as to whether antitrust immunity is necessary for newspapers' collaboration and under what circumstances, if any, antitrust immunity for certain joint conduct could be justified. Our essay explores why relaxing the federal antitrust laws for traditional media will not help consumers or the marketplace of ideas. We discuss the past problems with antitrust immunity generally and for the media industries specifically. We address the failures of the Newspaper Preservation Act, how deregulation that followed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 failed to promote competition in the radio industry, and why further liberalizing the FCC's cross-ownership rules to permit greater media consolidation will not promote competition in the marketplace of ideas. We conclude that, because our democracy's health depends on competition among traditional media, the cost of allowing already dominant firms to acquire the assets of their remaining competitors outweighs the benefits of looser antitrust laws.


A new technique to generate 40-GHz carrier-suppressed return-to-zero (CSRZ) optical pulse trains using only a 10-GHz dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) is presented and experimentally demonstrated. The spectrum of the generated CSRZ pulses is calculated by simulation and compared with conventional MZM-based RZ and CSRZ pulse trains. The experimental results demonstrate that CSRZ pulse trains are obtained, and that the carrier and the unwanted 20-GHz low-frequency component are suppressed by 25 dB. The technique can also be extended to 160-GHz CSRZ pulse generation when 40-GHz devices are employed.


This research is concerned with the relationship between business strategy and the environment within traditional sectors. It has sought to learn more about the strategic environmental attitudes of SMEs compared with large companies operating under the same market conditions. The sector studied is the ceramics industry (including tableware & ornamental-ware, sanitary ware & tiles, bricks, industrial & advanced ceramics and refractories) in the UK and France. Unlike the automotive, oil, chemical, steel or metal processing sectors, this industry is one of the few industrial sectors which has rarely been considered. The information on this sector was gathered by interviewing people responsible for environmental issues. The actual programme of valid interviews represents approximately a quarter of the UK and French ceramics industry which is large enough to enable a quantitative analysis and significant and non-biased conclusions. As a whole, all companies surveyed agreed that the ceramics activity impacts on the environment, and that they are increasingly affected both by environmental legislation, and by various non-legislative pressures. Approaches to the environmental agenda differ significantly among large and small companies. Smaller companies feel particularly pressed both by the financial costs and management time required to meet complex and changing legislation. The results of this survey also suggest that the ceramics industry sees environmental issues in terms of increased costs rather than new business opportunities. This is due principally to fears of import substitution from countries with lower environmental standards. Finally, replies indicate that generally there is a low level of awareness of the current legislative framework, suggesting a need to shift from a regulatory approach to a more self-regulated approach which encourages companies to be more proactive


Purpose: Some of the most common complications associated with augmentation mammoplasty (AUM) and augmentation mastopexy (AUMX) include infections, seroma, hematoma, capsular contracture, asymmetry, hypertrophic scars, implant rupture, and deformities. Galactocele and galactorrhea can rarely be observed after AUM and in reduction mammoplasties other than the AUMX, while galactorrhea is often observed after chest wall deformity correction surgery and thoracic surgery. Patients and Methods: In our clinic, galactorrhea was developed in five out of 540 patients who underwent AUM or AUMX, and one of these patients also had galactorrhea and galactocele in the accessory breast tissue. No patients were postmenopausal, and none of them had a history of pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, or ovarian surgery. Lactation started in average 10–15 days after surgery and lasted about 4–5 weeks. The patients were followed up for 1–10 years. In one patient who was found to be pregnant, galactorrhea ceased spontaneously 2 weeks after the termination of the pregnancy by curettage. Results: This clinical study presents the cases of five patients with galactorrhea and galactocele in the accessory breast tissue, with particular focus on treatment and possible risks, and discusses whether large nipples may cause a risk for galactorrhea. This study presents the second largest series of cases with galactorrhea in literature after the study reported by Caputy and Flowers. Level of evidence: Level V.


Income disruptions can have devastating effects on a household's welfare particularly when households are financially unprepared. Furthermore, unlike unexpected events such as death or illnesses, there is no insurance that provides for a family in the event of a job loss or pay cuts. This paper empirically identifies the socio-demographic factors, financial attitude and financial knowledge that can explain the varying differences in preparedness of Malaysians for income shock. The study employs the data from the OECD (International Network in Financial Education) Pilot Study on Measuring Financial Literacy in 2010. The majority of respondents (79%) failed to meet the minimum guideline of having emergency funds equivalent to at least three months of living expenses if they lose their main source of income. Based on ordered probit analysis, education, reliable income and financial knowledge were found to contribute positively to individuals' financial preparedness for income shock. However, having prudent financial attitude did not necessarily contribute to better financial preparedness for income shock. Lastly, savings by investment were found to help individuals to be more financially prepared for income shock compared to individuals who save conservatively through traditional savings channels only.


Symbiots set out to examine values such as ease-of-use, comfort, and rationality assumed within conventions of 'good design', in order to expose issues related to energy consumption and current human- (versus eco-) centered design paradigms. Exploring re-interpretations of graphical patterns, architectural configura- tions and electrical infrastructure typical in Swedish cities, Symbiots takes the form of a photo series in the genre of contemporary hy- per-real art photography. Painting a vivid pic- ture of alternatives to current local priorities around energy consumption, the three design concepts depicted are strangely familiar, al- ternatively humorous and sinister.


Ensuring that students are fully informed about course content and policies is always a challenge, but online education at scale adds additional complications. In this paper we present observations about the place of the syllabus in education at scale, based on the actual syllabus documents from 48 courses in a Computer Science Master's degree program offered online and at scale. On the basis of these observations, we offer preliminary recommendations for factors that instructors should keep in mind when they compile a syllabus for similar courses.


With the world population estimated to be nine billion by 2050, the need to exploit plant genetic diversity in order to increase and diversify global food supply, and minimise the over-reliance for food on a few staple crops is of the utmost importance to address food security challenges. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc.), is an underutilised legume indigenous to Africa, rich in carbohydrates, with reasonable amounts of protein. It is known to be drought tolerant, able to grow on marginal lands where other major crops cannot with minimal rainfall (<700 mm) and no chemical inputs. The present study aimed to investigate and evaluate transcriptomic changes in two bambara groundnut genotypes; DipC and TN (Tiga Nicuru), derived from landraces, in response to drought stress using microarray XSpecies and next generation RNA sequencing approaches by utilising data, resources and approaches derived from major crops and model plants. Crop improvement for abiotic stress tolerance and increasing/stabilising yield have been difficult to achieve due to the complex nature of these stresses, and the genotype x environment interaction (GxE). Using bambara groundnut as an exemplar species this study also highlights how a number of recent technologies and approaches used for major crop research, can be translated for use in the research of minor crops for a better understanding of the genetics governing drought traits.
To investigate the drought tolerance of bambara groundnut, microarray XSpecies and next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was completed on leaf tissue from DipC and TN under drought and control (irrigation) conditions at different developmental stages (vegetative, reproductive and pod development). This is the first drought experiment reported in bambara groundnut employing the RNA-seq approach. Both investigation of mild (microarray XSpecies) and relatively severe (RNA-seq) drought stress for the DipC and TN genotypes, adapted to similar environmental conditions, provided initial evidence that the two genotypes used different sets of genes to achieve drought response traits (including; ABA synthesis, hormone signaling, osmotic adjustment, accumulation of antioxidants, lignin synthesis, down-regulation of photosynthesis related genes, carbohydrate metabolism, cell-wall modification and transporters). Hence, both genotypes may have adapted in different ways to enable them to grow in the semi-arid conditions, suggesting that there may be more than a single way to achieve resilience in the face of drought stress. The key enzymes involved in metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism, redox homeostasis, lipid metabolism, photosynthesis, generation of precursor metabolites/energy, and cell wall component biogenesis were affected by drought stress in both genotypes. XSpecies microarray experiment identified several differentially expressed genes (DEG) in each genotype and the four potential drought candidate genes (PAL1, Beta-fructofuranosidase, COMT, UBC-2) identified were validated utilising quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR).
In addition, both drought experiments (mild and severe) also showed that the two genotypes expressed a number of genes of what are classically considered to be 'drought-response' genes even under the control condition. These results suggest that high expression of drought-response genes even under control conditions in both genotypes may lead to greater root growth and other avoidance traits which prime the plant for future dry periods, hence preparing for drought conditions.
Morphological differences and the rapid reduction in photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration observed in both genotypes under drought stress provides a platform to link these physiological data with gene expression data. The observed physiological responses (i.e reduction in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis) under drought stress were backed up by high expression of genes related to stomatal closure via ABA signaling and down-regulation of photosynthesis-associated genes.
A selection of genes chosen from microarray XSpecies and RNA-seq experiments were further used to identify their approximate chromosomal location in bambara groundnut using a cross-species approach. A total of 4 genes (HOX, AUX_IAA, acid phosphatase and dehydrin) were found to be near or within the confidence intervals of the QTLs underlying two drought traits (stomatal density/leaf area and CID). The initial results suggest that some of the locations of genes identified in XSpecies microarray and RNA-seq experiments could underlie QTL involved in controlling drought traits in bambara groundnut.
These data provide the basis for drought trait improvement in bambara groundnut, which will facilitate functional genomics studies. Analysis of this dataset have suggested that both genotypes are primed to respond to drought stress and have adapted in different ways to achieve drought tolerance. This will help in understanding the mechanisms underlying the ability of crops to produce viable yields under drought conditions. Future work should verify whether the identified genes are associated with the trait of interest.


This thesis investigates the beneficial use of stormwater in Swedish urban environments. The focus has been on open stormwater systems for source control, as well as rainwater collection systems. To analyse the implementation of open stormwater systems, two case studies are presented: Augustenborg in Malmo and Backaslov wetland in Vaxjo. The retention and detention effects of green-roofs have been also studied by means of experimental work. Ringdansen, a residential area in Norrkoping, is used to discuss rainwater collection for urban applications.

The aim of the Augustenborg study was to determine the effect of disconnecting impervious areas from a combined sewer system in favour of a new open stormwater system. The open system, which consists of a combination of structural best management practices (BMPs), was assessed by comparing synthetic hydrographs for the ½, 2, 5 and 10-year design storms assuming wet and dry initial conditions. It was found that the BMPs are able to lower the total runoff from the area and successfully attenuate storm peak flows for all the recurrence intervals considered. Backaslov wetland in Vaxjo, is shown as an example of a multi-purpose urban stormwater facility. The wetland system has been the focus of studies into water quality and hydraulic processes, as well as surveys of plant and bird populations. Apart from stormwater management, the system benefits include urban renewal, habitat creation and the provision of an outdoor laboratory.

In order to estimate the response of green-roofs to individual rain events, precipitation and runoff data from controlled experiments (with dry and wet initial conditions) on a sedum album green-roof were analysed by means of linear programming. The results indicated that slope does not influenced retention volumes. Under dry initial conditions, stormwater can be retained and detained, whereas under wet initial conditions only detention is possible. To further investigate the detention effect, a comparison between the response of an impervious roof and a green roof was carried out. Green-roofs can be implemented in combination with other BMPs to successfully detain stormwater.

The Ringdansen study showed that rainwater collection systems are efficient elements in Swedish urban environments. They contribute to water saving by supplying water for domestic use where potable water is not essential. Rainwater collection systems are also shown to be important elements of stormwater management systems.


Almost one-quarter of the world's languages are (or were) spoken in the Pacific, making it linguistically the most complex region in the world. Although numerous technical books on groups of Pacific or Australian languages have been published, and descriptions of individual languages are available, until now there has been no single book that attempts a wide regional coverage for a general audience. Pacific Languages introduces readers to the grammatical features of Oceanic, Papuan, and Australian languages as well as to the semantic structures of these languages. For readers without a formal linguistic background, a brief introduction to descriptive linguistics is provided.

In addition to describing the structure of Pacific languages, this volume places them in their historical and geographical context, discusses the linguistic evidence for the settlement of the Pacific, and speculates on the reason for the region's many languages. It devotes considerable attention to the effects of contact between speakers of different languages and to the development of pidgin and creole languages in the Pacific. Throughout, technical language is kept to a minimum without oversimplifying the concepts or the issues involved. A glossary of technical terms, maps, and diagrams help identify a language geographically or genetically; reading lists and a language index guide the researcher interested in a particular language or group to other sources of information.

Here at last is a clear and straightforward overview of Pacific languages for linguists and anyone interested in the history of sociology of the Pacific.


A full and revealing biography of one of the century's greatest English writers and an icon to a generation. Dame Iris Murdoch has played a major role in English life and letter for nearly half a century. As A.S.Byatt notes, she is 'absolutely central to our culture'. As a novelist, as a thinker, and as a private individual, her life has significance for our age. There is a recognisable Murdoch world, and the adjective 'Murdochian' has entered the language to describe situations where a small group of people interract intricately and strangely. Her story is as emotionally fascinating as that of Virginia Woolf, but far less well known; hers has been an adventurous, highly eventful life, a life of phenomenal emotional and intellectual pressures, and her books portray a real world which is if anything toned down as well as mythicised. For Iris's formative years, astonishingly, movingly and intimately documented by Conradi's meticulous research, were spent among the leading European and British intellectuals who fought and endured World War II, and her life like her books, was full of the most extraordinary passions and profound relationships with some of the most inspiring and influential thinkers, artists, writers and poets of that turbulent time and after. Peter Conradi was very close to both Iris Murdoch and John Bayley, Iris's husband, whose memoir of their life together has itself been the subject of an enormous amount of attention and acclaim. This will be an extraordinarily full biography, for there are vast resources in diaries and papers and friends' recollections, and while it is a superlative biography it is also a superb history of a generation who have profoundly influenced our world today.


This article tells the back story of the Simple English Propers Project of Adam Bartlett--the project that will produce a complete set of propers in English for use in every parish. This is a case study in how a huge variety of influences feed into the emergence of new things in the world of art and liturgy, how a symbiosis of people and events can elicit the emergence of an answer to a need that no one entirely knew existed until it became apparent through a circuitous route. My excitement about this project is no secret. I think it could result in providing that missing link in current resources for Catholic liturgy: musical settings of the liturgical text that choirs can sing every week. It can become a collection that can truly transform the sound and feel of Catholic liturgy in this country, both in the near term and in the long term. Bartlett has a praise-music background, playing upbeat popular music in parishes only a few years ago. About the time that the CMAA started putting chant editions online, Bartlett found himself drawn to the chant tradition: its solemnity, integrity, and authenticity. He sought out the mentorship of Fr. Columba Kelly, a chant expert who struggled mightily in the 1960s to provide English settings of chant for use in the postconciliar period. Fr. Kelly's work never went mainstream due to many circumstances of time and place (the champions of English found his work too stodgy and the partisans of chant regarded it as too progressive). But he never dropped his enthusiasm for the idea, and this has been passed to Bartlett through careful teaching and instruction. Bartlett opened SacredMusicProject.org to make Fr. Kelly's settings available and provide a forum for development of several projects to promote the chant in a variety of forms. Just a year ago, the two of us argued incessantly and sometimes very hotly in private emails about methodology in chant, its rhythmic structure, its production, and much more I won't go into here, but those who know about the old "words vs. music" controversies will be able to imagine the details. At some point this past summer, we both came to a mutual realization: what we were arguing about didn't matter nearly as much as the larger goal of reestablishing the Gregorian ideal. We set the arguing aside, and in August 2010, we started brainstorming about what kinds of editions of English chant could actually work in a regular parish as a means of transitioning musicians and parishes out of one paradigm into another that is much closer to the ideal. Later that very month, I attended the Atlanta Archdiocesan Liturgical Music program. My first session went perfectly. It was attended by people who had a preexisting affection for chant, who had CDs at home, who might know a passing Gregorian melody, who had a sense that something was wrong and uninspiring about the mainstream model, and who were ready for answers. It was an extremely receptive crowd. I explained my understanding of the musical structure of the Roman Rite (people's parts, schola parts, celebrant's parts; propers, ordinary chants, and dialogues). I gave a sweeping history of church music to explain how we found ourselves in the current predicament. I spoke of ways to get from here to there, and otherwise inspired optimism about the future. I then passed out the Parish Book of Chant, a book designed to use traditional Mass ordinaries and Latin hymns to revive interest in the fullness of the Gregorian repertoire. We sang and sang and it was wonderful. There was a question and answer session that was full of energy and excitement. It was like magic. My presentation ended ninety minutes later, and I received a standing ovation. My second presentation began, and I began with more confidence than ever, giving the same presentation with more flourish. I continued on and on with the history, the structure of the ritual, the nature of liturgical chant, and more. …


Atmospheric transported dust is a major source of iron, manganese and other nutrients to the ocean. During atmospheric transport, dust containing iron and
manganese undergoes cloud processes that can increase the reactivity and solubility of iron and manganese species when they enter into seawater.
Saharan sieved soils were artificially atmospherically weathered with different low pH treatments, using simple dilute acids and also cycling through a typical cloud
pH range. Formation of nano-particulate iron (ferrihydrite) occurred, and was identified using high-resolution microscopy, together with a measured increase in the fraction of amorphous iron species that were leachable from the processed soil. Both treated and untreated soils were then mixed with filtered stored North Atlantic seawater in the laboratory and also with freshly collected seawater from the NE Atlantic whilst at sea.
Initial release of iron from artificially treated Niger soil reached 6 nM and from artificially treated Niger Mali soil reached 3.5-10 nM (depending on the different
experimental variables). This was significantly greater than from un-weathered particles ~1-1.5 nM at the soil concentrations used (10 mg).
For Mn all the dissolvable metal was removed during the cloud pH cycling and was not retained on the particles due to slower oxidation and scavenging than with the Fe. However, significantly more manganese ~ 60 nM from acid treated Mali soil and ~30 nM from acid treated Niger soil was released into seawater compared to the manganese released from the untreated soil (30 nM and 22 nM for Mali and Niger soil respectively). Low pH soil treatment led to increased release of Mn in the cloud water that stayed in solution for at least 5 days. This cloud-released Mn will therefore enter the ocean surface in a soluble form.
These data show the major impact of atmospheric processing on dissolution of Fe and particularly Mn from Saharan sieved soils that are transported through the troposphere to the surface ocean.


This reputable author team draw on their extensive experience in legal practice in the Property Law Handbook, designed specifically for use on the Legal Practice Course, and covering both commercial and residential conveyancing transactions. Through the use of realistic case studies, fully supported by online documentation, the text equips students with not only a thorough grounding in the subject, but actively encourages students to develop the essential practical skills they will use throughout their legal careers. Written in a lively and highly accessible manner, diagrams, flowcharts and examples are used throughout to clearly explain complex legal processes. Located at the end of each chapter, summaries of key points provide a useful checklist of essential points of which students should be aware following their reading. Professional conduct issues are highlighted throughout so students are aware of the pitfalls which may await them in practice, while self-test and revision style questions provide students with an ideal opportunity to test their knowledge and identify gaps in their learning where further study is required. Each chapter ends with a list of wider reading and web links which direct students to relevant further information encouraging further exploration of the subject.