The role of antitrust in curtailing excessive prices has long been a contentious area. Consequently, the charging of excessive prices has been subjected to diverse levels of enforcement across the world. U.S. antitrust law, for example, does not encompass the charging of high prices as such, and was held not to "condemn the resultant of those very forces which it is its prime object to foster: finis opus coronat." By contrast, competition laws in other jurisdictions provide for the condemnation of excessive or unfair pricing. Such is the case under EU competition law, the competition provisions in the European Member States, and in other jurisdictions across the world. But even among those competition regimes which do intervene against the charging of excessive prices as such, one may identify different levels of enthusiasm for doing so. In Europe, for example, recent years have witnessed a restrained approach by the European Commission but a more proactive approach by some of the competition authorities of the Member States. Varying levels of intervention reflect a controversy as to the merit of prohibiting excessive pricing. Three main grounds are often used to justify non- or limited intervention: (1) intervention is not necessary, as high prices would be competed away by new entry, attracted by the excessive price; (2) there are practical difficulties in speculating what a price would have been had there been competition and in determining the excessiveness of the prices actually charged; and (3) enforcement which targets excessive prices may chill innovation and investment. To illustrate the difficulties of assessment and to question some of the justifications that are used to rationalize non-intervention, this article reviews the recent litigation in South Africa related to alleged excessive pricing by Mittal Steel. We use the decisions of the South African Competition Tribunal and the South African Competition Appeal Court as a case study to highlight both the complexity of, and possible merit in, antitrust intervention against excessive pricing.Our analysis focuses on the three grounds for non-intervention. First, with respect to the self-correcting nature of excessive prices, we illustrate how excessive prices, in and of themselves, do not attract new entry when potential entrants are either informed or uninformed about their post-entry profits. Referring to our previous work on this subject, we question the South African Competition Tribunal's holding in the Mittal case with respect to the prerequisite conditions for intervention against excessive pricing. Second, we consider how the difficulties of assessing what is an excessive price affected the outcome in the Mittal litigation. Without underestimating these difficulties, we consider how they may be alleviated in certain cases through reasonable methods for inferring what may constitute an excessive price. Third, while acknowledging the possible validity of concerns about chilling ex ante investment, we outline instances in which these concerns should not serve to support nonintervention. It should be stressed that this article does not advocate across-the-board intervention. It does, however, question the validity of a categorical "hands-off" approach, which deems excessive prices to be outside the realm of competition law. We consider separately the weight that should be assigned to each ground for non-intervention. Subsequently, we argue in favor of a case-by-case approach which explores the factual matrix of each case and considers the benefits, costs, and net effects of intervention.


Ambient formaldehyde concentrations are reported from the North Atlantic Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (NAMBLEX) campaign at Mace Head on the west coast of Eire during August 2002. The results from two techniques, using direct determination via gas chromatography and the Hantzsch technique, show similar trends but a significant off set in concentrations. For westerly air flows characteristic of the marine boundary layer, formaldehyde concentrations from the gas chromatographic and Hantzsch technique ranged from 0.78–1.15 ppb and 0.13–0.43 ppb, respectively. Possible reasons for the discrepancy have been investigated and are discussed, however, no satisfactory explanation has yet been found. In a subsequent laboratory intercomparison the two techniques were in good agreement. The observed concentrations have been compared with previous formaldehyde measurements in the North Atlantic marine boundary layer and with other measurements from the NAMBLEX campaign. The measurements from the Hantzsch technique and the GC results lie at the lower and upper ends respectively of previous measurements. In contrast to some previous measurements, both techniques show distinct diurnal profiles with day maxima and with an amplitude of approximately 0.15 ppb. Strong correlations were observed with ethanal concentrations measured during NAMBLEX and the ratio of ethanal to formaldehyde determined by the gas chromatographic technique is in good agreement with previous measurements. Some simple box modelling has been undertaken to investigate possible sources of formaldehyde. Such models are not able to predict absolute formaldehyde concentrations as they do not include transport processes, but the results show that oxygenated VOCs such as ethanal and methanol are very significant sources of formaldehyde in the air masses reaching Mace Head.


MOTIVATION
Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Imaging Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) in 'omics' data acquisition generates detailed information about the spatial distribution of molecules in a given biological sample. Various data processing methods have been developed for exploring the resultant high volume data. However, most of these methods process data in the spectral domain and do not make the most of the important spatial information available through this technology. Therefore, we propose a novel streamlined data analysis pipeline specifically developed for MALDI-IMS data utilizing significant spatial information for identifying hidden significant molecular distribution patterns in these complex datasets.

METHODS
The proposed unsupervised algorithm uses Sliding Window Normalization (SWN) and a new spatial distribution based peak picking method developed based on Gray level Co-Occurrence (GCO) matrices followed by clustering of biomolecules. We also use gist descriptors and an improved version of GCO matrices to extract features from molecular images and minimum medoid distance to automatically estimate the number of possible groups.

RESULTS
We evaluated our algorithm using a new MALDI-IMS metabolomics dataset of a plant (Eucalypt) leaf. The algorithm revealed hidden significant molecular distribution patterns in the dataset, which the current Component Analysis and Segmentation Map based approaches failed to extract. We further demonstrate the performance of our peak picking method over other traditional approaches by using a publicly available MALDI-IMS proteomics dataset of a rat brain. Although SWN did not show any significant improvement as compared with using no normalization, the visual assessment showed an improvement as compared to using the median normalization.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION
The source code and sample data are freely available at http://exims.sourceforge.net/.

CONTACT
email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


In this thesis we address the analytic and numerical aspects of isospectral flows. Such flows occur in mathematical physics and numerical linear algebra. Their main structural feature is to retain the eigenvalues in the solution space. We explore the solution of Isospectral flows and their stochastic counterpart using explicit generalisation of Magnus expansion. In the first part of the thesis we expand the solution of Bloch–Iserles equations, the matrix ordinary differential system of the form X ′ = [N,X2], t ≥ 0, X(0) = X0 ∈ Sym(n), N ∈ so(n), where Sym(n) denotes the space of real n× n symmetric matrices and so(n) denotes the Lie algebra of real n× n skew-symmetric matrices. This system is endowed with Poisson structure and is integrable. Various important properties of the flow are discussed. The flow is solved using explicit Magnus expansion and the terms of expansion are represented as binary rooted trees deducing an explicit formalism to construct the trees recursively. Unlike classical numerical methods, e.g. Runge–Kutta and multistep methods, Magnus expansion respects the isospectrality of the system, and the shorthand of binary rooted trees reduces the computational cost of the exponentially growing terms. The desired structure of the solution (also with large time steps) has been displayed. Having seen the promising results in the first part of the thesis, the technique has been extended to the generalised double bracket flow X ′ = [[N,X] + M,X], t ≥ 0, X(0) = X0 ∈ Sym(n), where N ∈ diag(n) and M ∈ so(n), which is also a form of an Isospectral flow. In the second part of the thesis we define the generalised double bracket flow and discuss its dynamics. It is noted that N = 0 reduces it to an integrable flow, while for M = 0 it results in a gradient flow. We analyse the flow for various non-zero values of N and M by assigning different weights and observe Hopf bifurcation in the system. The discretisation is done using Magnus series and the expansion terms have been portrayed using binary rooted trees. Although this matrix system appears more complex and leads to the tri-colour leaves; it has been possible to formulate the explicit recursive rule. The desired structure of the solution is obtained that leaves the eigenvalues invariant in the solution space.


Due to increased susceptibility to soft errors in recent semiconductor technologies, techniques for detecting and recovering from errors are required. Roll-back Recovery with Checkpointing (RRC) is one well known technique that copes with soft errors by taking and storing checkpoints during execution of a job. Employing this technique, increases the average execution time (AET), i.e. the expected time for a job to complete, and thus impacts performance. To minimize the AET, the checkpointing frequency is to be optimized. However, it has been shown that optimal checkpointing frequency depends highly on error probability. Since error probability cannot be known in advance and can change during time, the optimal checkpointing frequency cannot be known at design time. In this paper we present techniques that are adjusting the checkpointing frequency on-line (during operation) with the goal to reduce the AET of a job. A set of experiments have been performed to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed techniques. The results have shown that these techniques adjust the checkpointing frequency so well that the resulting AET is close to the theoretical optimum.


Although advances in remote sensing have enhanced mapping and monitoring of irrigated areas, producing accurate cropping information through satellite image classification remains elusive due to the complexity of landscapes, changes in reflectance of different land-covers, the remote sensing data selected, and image processing methods used, among others. This study extracted agricultural fields in the former homelands of Venda and Gazankulu in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Landsat 8 imageries for 2015 were used, applying the maximum likelihood supervised classifier to delineate the agricultural fields. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) applied on Landsat imageries on the mapped fields during the dry season (July to August) was used to identify irrigated areas, because years of satellite data analysis suggest that healthy crop conditions during dry seasons are only possible with irrigation. Ground truth points totaling 137 were collected during fieldwork for pre-processing and accuracy assessment. An accuracy of 96% was achieved on the mapped agricultural fields, yet the irrigated area map produced an initial accuracy of only 71%. This study explains and improves the 29% error margin from the irrigated areas. Accuracy was enhanced through post-classification correction (PCC) using 74 post-classification points randomly selected from the 2015 irrigated area map. High resolution aerial photographs of the 74 sample fields were acquired by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to give a clearer picture of the irrigated fields. The analysis shows that mapped irrigated fields that presented anomalies included abandoned croplands that had green invasive alien species or abandoned fruit plantations that had high NDVI values. The PCC analysis improved irrigated area mapping accuracy from 71% to 95%.


Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is the most important food legume, however there is an increasing decline in performance and production due to pest attack especially from the aphids. Pest infestation is even higher during the dry season hence causing a serious damage to the crop. Therefore there is an urgent need to come up with methods like integrated pest management in order to control the pest, which destroys the crop by sucking the nutrients, excrete honey dew which attract saprophytic fungi and is also known to transmit a number of viruses to the bean plant. The aim of this study was to: determine efficacy of integrated management on bean aphid infestation and to determine the efficacy of integrated management on bean performance. This was done with an overall aim of increasing the yields of beans. Data collection was done using a 4x2x2 factorial experiment comprising of Bean variety cv. Nyayo ,two rates of seed dressing chemical (with and without) using (Gaucho) Imidacloprid, two rates of botanical pesticide (Tephrosia vogelii) extract at 0 and 20w/v %) applied as a foliar spray and four rates of inorganic fertilizer Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) –zero rate (no fertilizer), Low rate (TSP at, 50 kg product/ha), medium rate, 75 kg/ha and high 100 kg product/ha). The four factors were combined in a completely factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design replicated three times constituting 16 treatment combination giving 48 experimental plots which were planted in five row field plots measuring 2m by 2.25 m. The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. Each experimental plot measured 2.0 M x 2.0 M with inter row and intra row spacing of 45 cm and 20 cm respectively. Clean bean variety seed sourced from local market was used in this study to reflect local farmer's source of planting material. Data collected on all the parameters was subjected to analysis of variance procedure using general linear model of the statistical analysis system (SAS) package (SAS Institute, 1996). However, data on aphid count and number of plants infested by bean aphids were first subjected to a transformation of square root of x+ 1 in order to reduce heterogeneity of the data before being analalysed. Mean separation was done according to Fisher's protected LSD significant difference Test at 5% level of significance. The Pearson's correlation test was performed on the means of the parameters investigated to compare on their relationships. Results showed that the aphid population builds up and damage in bean crop was significantly reduced when combined application of treatments of seed treatment using Imidacloprid at 700 ml/100kg seed was done on bean seed before planting and planting with 100 kg/ha of tsp fertilizer, then followed with a Biopesticide foliar spray of T. vogelii at 20%w/v from 30 days after emergence (30DAE) thereafter spraying on a weekly basis better than any other treatment applied. The application of T.vogelii at 20%w/v alone on weekly basis significantly reduced bean aphid infestation better than control and application of seed dress alone. Use of seed dressing alone was only temporary measure during seedling stages and should be supported with other control measure one month after crop emergence as it does not provide complete control of bean aphid infestation for the whole season during bean growth. The integration of TSP fertilizer, seed dresser, and application of foliar spray of Tephrosia leaf extract at 20%w/v greatly reduced Aphis fabae infestation and population build in bean crop below damaging levels and resulted in improved bean grain yield, Application of TSP fertilizer rates alone did not seem to have effect on bean aphid infestation on bean crop as population build up was observed under all the rates applied. It's therefore recommended to use integrated control in order to increase performance and production of beans.


Background Some patients meeting behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) diagnostic criteria progress slowly and plateau at mild symptom severity. Such patients have mild neuropsychological and functional impairments, lack characteristic bvFTD brain atrophy and have thus been referred to as bvFTD 'phenocopies' or slowly progressive (bvFTD-SP). The few patients with bvFTD-SP that have been studied at autopsy have demonstrated no evidence of FTD pathology, suggesting that bvFTD-SP is neuropathologically distinct from other forms of FTD. Here, two patients with bvFTD-SP with chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) hexanucleotide expansions are described. Methods 384 patients with an FTD clinical spectrum and Alzheimer's disease diagnoses were screened for C9ORF72 expansion. Two bvFTD-SP mutation carriers were identified. Neuropsychological and functional data, as well as brain atrophy patterns, assessed using voxel based morphometry (VBM), were compared with 44 patients with sporadic bvFTD and 85 healthy controls. Results Both patients were aged 48 years at baseline and met possible bvFTD criteria. In the first patient, VBM revealed thalamic and posterior insula atrophy. Over 7 years, his neuropsychological performance and brain atrophy remained stable. In the second patient, VBM revealed cortical atrophy with subtle frontal and insular volume loss. Over 2 years, her neuropsychological and functional scores as well as brain atrophy remained stable. Conclusions C9ORF72 mutations can present with a bvFTD-SP phenotype. Some bvFTD-SP patients may have neurodegenerative pathology, and C9ORF72 mutations should be considered in patients with bvFTD-SP and a family history of dementia or motor neuron disease.


This paper attempts to classify the oceanographic conditions of the fishing
grids in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia using surface chlorophyll-a content
and sea surface temperature (SST) data from satellite. The variation of SST and
chlorophyll-a content in the South China Sea is greatly affected by the
monsoon system. Analysis results showed that both SST and chlorophyll-a
variations of the fishing grids are closely related to their geographical locations.
The classification using chlorophyll-a on the fishing grids give a clearer
variation compared to SST. Hierarchical cluster analysis gave a better means of
understanding the variations of these oceanographic conditions and the
relationship among the fishing grids. However, to understand how these
variations of oceanographic condition affect the marine fisheries catch in
Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), further studies should be conducted
using longer time scale data.


There is strong evidence that house prices and consumption are synchronised. There is, however, disagreement over the causes of this link. This study examines if there is a wealth effect of house prices on consumption. Using a household‐level panel data set with information about house ownership, income, wealth and demographics for a large sample of the Danish population in the period 1987–96, we model the dependence of the growth rate of total household expenditure with unanticipated innovations to house prices. Controlling for factors related to competing explanations, we find little evidence of a housing wealth effect.


This paper shows that optimal policy and consistent policy outcomes require the use of control-theory and game-theory solution techniques. While optimal policy and consistent policy often produce different outcomes even in a one-period model, we analyze consistent policy and its outcome in a simple model, finding that the cause of the inconsistency with optimal policy traces to inconsistent targets in the social loss function. As a result, the social loss function cannot serve as a direct loss function for the central bank. Accordingly, we employ implementation theory to design a central bank loss function (mechanism design) with consistent targets, while the social loss function serves as a social welfare criterion. That is, with the correct mechanism design for the central bank loss function, optimal policy and consistent policy become identical. In other words, optimal policy proves implementable (consistent).


This research explored whether airline passengers wanted more rights to know about the safety and economic conditions of their flights, as well as the right to be reimbursed if they decided not to flight because of perceived risks. Overall, passengers agreed somehow on having more safety rights, but not so regarding financial rights. Surprisingly, they also wanted to have the right to be informed about their destinations (hotels, attractions, etc), something that is foreign to the purpose and duties of air transport.


Your First-Step into the World of Wireless Networks No experience required! Gain an understanding of wireless networking basics with this reader friendly guide The first book anyone should read about wireless networks with step-by-step instruction Learn from an author experienced in and known for writing to a generalist wireless audience with a clear, simple-to-understand styleAs a basic introduction to wireless networking, Wireless Networks First-Step assumes that readers have no previous wireless experience. The book provides an overview of wireless networking, along with details of applicable standards and technologies. Newcomers to wireless technologies will find practical information along with an abundance of examples. Case studies throughout the chapters provide real-world implementation examples, presented in a non-technical fashion. Implementation details are discussed only to the extent that readers can identify what type of wireless network may be appropriate for their needs.Wireless Networks First-Step, written by Jim Geier, begins with a basic introduction to wireless networks and an explanation of radio wave communications. It then reviews different types of wireless networks including WPANs (wireless personal area networks), WLANs (wireless local area networks), wireless MANs (metropolitan area networks), and WWANs (wireless wide area networks). The final section covers security threats to wireless networks, and solutions to combat these threats.


The 'Europe Agreements' nominally provide the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) with free access to European Union markets, but the Union has retained significant protection for certain 'sensitive' products. There are substantial benefits to the Union of a free trade regime with the CEECs: opening new export markets in the East, promoting the economic transformation of the CEECs, and strengthening their commitment to the liberal market economy and political democracy of the Union. Resistance to fully open policies reflects the concerns in some EU member states that free trade with the rest of the continent will economically damage their domestic industries. Others fear not just this direct competition in domestic markets but also the effect of increased competition in third markets and the possibility of investment diversion from their own countries to the CEECs. This volume explores those concerns from three approaches: cross-sectional studies of the likely long-run comparative advantage of the CEECs; the impact of opening up to the East on individual countries (France, Spain, and Greece); and the specific 'sensitive' sectors of steel and textiles. This book breaks new ground in analysing the actual impact of the changes in Central and Eastern Europe on trade and investment flows in Europe.


Abstract Graptolites are some of the most commonly preserved Silurian planktonic organisms. The interpretation of graptolite functional morphology is rendered problematic by their lack of close modern analogues or homologues. Physical modelling of graptolites has explained some aspects of their hydrodynamic behaviour, such as their orientation relative to currents and their rate of response to new directions of water flow. However, this technique is slow and laborious and the accuracy of the physical models limits the level of detail that can usefully be studied. Computational fluid dynamics (CDF) are routinely used in engineering applications in order to overcome these limitations. CFD models of graptolites have been generated and the results tested against the known outcomes of physical models. Three-dimensional virtual models of graptolites, generated to true scale, are exposed to computed fluid flow from a variety of orientations. Cross-checks with physical modelling show that these iterative computational solutions produce verifiable results. Virtual graptolites can be modified at will and exposed to a range of current velocities. Results suggest that major improvements in our understanding of graptolite functional morphology will result from further use of this novel technique.


A protocol based on systematic experimental measurements to characterize the electro-optic behavior of chiral smectic liquid-crystal (LC) materials with V/W-shaped responses is presented. An experimental smectic LC material has been checked by use of this protocol. It has been found that results derived from this procedure permit a reasonable evaluation of the electro-optic performance of these LC materials as well as their capability to be used in high-end display applications.


The trophic dynamic Links of migratory juvenile brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus were investigated along the South Texas coast from the Aransas Pass to Corpus Christi and Nueces Bay and to the nursery ground in the Nueces Delta. Shrimps and their potential food sources were measured for delta(13)C and delta(15)N ratios between December 1995 and July 1996. During this period, shrimp length increased from 10 to 11 mm, when the animals entered Corpus Christi Bay as larvae, to 80-90 mm, when they returned to Mexico Gulf as sub-adults. Brown shrimp exhibited spatial and temporal delta(13)C variation (from -25.2 to 12.5 parts per thousand), indicating a high diversity of food sources throughout their migration. From delta(13)C values, the main sources used as food sources by juvenile brown shrimp in the Rincon Bayou marsh were Spartina alterniflora and S. spartinae detritus and benthic diatoms. delta(13)C and delta(15)N values showed that organic matter inputs carried by the river inflow can also contribute significantly to the feeding of migratory brown shrimp. In these marsh habitats, shrimp isotopic ratios changed rapidly, suggesting high tissue turnover rates. The study showed that coastal marshes after restoration through the introduction of freshwater inflow may provide feeding habitats favorable for growth and development of juvenile brown shrimp.


Abstract. The errors inherent in the fitting and integration of the pseudo-Gaussian ion peaks in Aerodyne high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometers (HR-AMSs) have not been previously addressed as a source of imprecision for these or similar instruments. This manuscript evaluates the significance of this imprecision and proposes a method for their estimation in routine data analysis. In the first part of this work, it is shown that peak-integration errors are expected to scale linearly with peak height for the constrained-peak-shape fits performed in the HR-AMS. An empirical analysis is undertaken to investigate the most complex source of peak-integration imprecision: the imprecision in fitted peak height, σh. It is shown that the major contributors to σh are the imprecision and bias inherent in the m/z calibration, both of which may arise due to statistical and physical non-idealities of the instrument. A quantitative estimation of these m/z-calibration imprecisions and biases show that they may vary from ion to ion, even for ions of similar m/z. In the second part of this work, the empirical analysis is used to constrain a Monte Carlo approach for the estimation of σh and thus the peak-integration imprecision. The estimated σh for selected well-separated peaks (for which m/z-calibration imprecision and bias could be quantitatively estimated) scaled linearly with peak height as expected (i.e. as n1). In combination with the imprecision in peak-width quantification (which may be easily and directly estimated during quantification), peak-fitting imprecisions therefore dominate counting imprecisions (which scale as n0.5) at high signals. The previous HR-AMS uncertainty model therefore underestimates the overall fitting imprecision even for well-resolved peaks. We illustrate the importance of this conclusion by performing positive matrix factorization on a synthetic HR-AMS data set both with and without its inclusion. In the third part of this work, the Monte Carlo approach is extended to the case of an arbitrary number of overlapping peaks. Here, a modification to the empirically constrained approach was needed, because the ion-specific m/z-calibration bias and imprecision can generally only be estimated for well-resolved peaks. The modification is to simply overestimate the m/z-calibration imprecision in all cases. This overestimation results in only a slight overestimate of σh, while significantly reducing the sensitivity of σh to the unknown, ion-specific m/z-calibration biases. Thus, with only the measured data and an approximate estimate of the order of magnitude of m/z-calibration biases as input, conservative and unbiased estimates of peak-integration imprecisions may be obtained for each peak in any ensemble of overlapping peaks.


Social trust is a crucial issue to many aspects of modern society. Policy makers continually aspire to winning it and corporations frequently run the risk of losing it. The 'trust deficit' raises vital questions and problems to which until recently there have been few answers or solutions. Experts from both sides of the Atlantic explore the importance for trust of various influences, from individual perceptions to organizational systems, and consider the conditions involved in building or undermining trust. Several authors examine practical hazard management issues, including medical vaccination programmes and popular participation in pollution control and waste management as strategies for enhancing social trust. This book provides insightful analysis for researchers and students of environmental and social sciences and is essential reading for those engaged in risk management in both the public and private sectors.


Globalization and commodity exports have a long history in affecting land use changes and land rights on the tropical forest frontier. This paper reviews a century of social and environmental discourse around land issues for four commodities grown in the humid tropics—rubber, cocoa, oil palm and bananas. States have exercised sovereign rights over land and forest resources and the outcomes for deforestation and land rights of existing users have been quite varied depending on local institutional contexts and political economy. In the current period of globalization, as land use changes associated with tropical commodities have accelerated, land issues are now at center stage in the global discourse. However, efforts to protect forests and the rights of local communities and indigenous groups continue to be ad hoc and codification of minimum standards and their implementation remains a work in progress. Given a widespread failure of state directed policies and institutions to curb deforestation and protect land rights, the private sector, with the exception of the rubber industry, is emphasizing voluntary standards to certify sustainability of their products. This is an important step but expectations that they will effectively address concerns about the impact of tropical commodities expansion might be too high, given their voluntary nature, demand constraints, and the challenge of including smallholders. It is also doubtful that private standards can more than partially compensate for long standing weaknesses in land governance and institutions on the forest frontier.


The pressure drop and heat transfer due to the flow of de-ionized water at high
mass fluxes in microtubes of ~ 254 ;m and ~ 685 ;m inner diameters is investigated in the laminar, transition and the turbulent flow regimes. The flow is hydrodynamically fully developed and thermally developing. The experimental friction factors and heat transfer coefficients are respectively predicted to within ±20 % and ±30 % by existing open literature correlations. Higher single phase heat transfer coefficients were obtained with increasing mass fluxes, which is motivating to operate at high mass fluxes and under
thermally developing flow conditions. The transition to turbulent flow and friction factors for both laminar and turbulent conditions were found to be in agreement with existing theory. A reasonable agreement was present between experimental results and theoretical predictions recommended for convective heat transfer in thermally developing flows.


There have been 314 post-conviction DNA exonerations, and about 70% of these wrongful convictions were due to witness misidentification. Many factors affect the accuracy of a witness's testimony, including the concept of "verbal overshadowing," in which the verbal reporting of a visual memory interferes with the subsequent recognition of the visual stimuli. The present study seeks to replicate Jonathan Schooler's original findings with regard to this phenomenon (Schooler & Engstler-Schooler, 1990). The first experiment is focused on verbalizing a visual memory that is particularly hard to put into words: the memory of a face. The hypothesis for both the original study as well as the replication is that the verbal recoding will overshadow the visual memory. Data from 122 participants was used in a replication of Schooler's experiment on verbal overshadowing. First, the participants watched a video of a robbery. Participants in the Description condition then described the robber, and participants in the Control condition listed countries and capitals. After completing a filler task, all participants were asked to pick the robber out of a lineup consisting of the perpetrator and seven distractors and rate their confidence on their decision. The results showed a similar trend as the original study: the participants in the Description condition identified the robber incorrectly more often than the Control condition. For the second analysis, 104 participants completed both the replication study and a social phobia scale (Mattick & Clarke, 1998). Within a normal population, people with higher anxiety are expected to perform less well on facial recognition tasks, and those with lower anxiety are expected to perform better. Results from the second portion of the study showed that participants considered to be lower in social anxiety in the control condition identified the robber correctly much more often than did those in the description condition, demonstrating a verbal overshadowing effect. Participants higher in social anxiety were all around worse at identifying the robber in both the description and control conditions. These results show that social anxiety can be a moderator of verbal overshadowing. Within the control condition alone, participants with higher social anxiety were significantly less accurate at identifying the robber than participants with lower anxiety.


Enforcement is a crucial final step in any policy process, including environmental policies. Ideally policy formulation is subsequently implemented and enforced. Enforcement is needed to make sure that the envisioned effects are realized in the end. The questions we put forward in this paper are what the meaning of enforcement is; how enforcement can be put on the political and administrative agenda; what difficulties are to be countered when strengthening enforcement at the local level. We build upon two studies. One is an evaluation of a national action program on enforcement. The other one is a study on a municipal strategy on enforcement. Strengthening enforcement practices is however an uphill battle. It needs to be implemented within current organizational and political structures and it needs constant attention. In the end, a combination of structural and cultural measures will most likely be most effective.


The Supreme Court has set forth in detail the standards that govern convicted prisoners' Eighth Amendment claims concerning their conditions of confinement, but has left undefined the standards for comparable claims by pretrial detainees. The law in the lower courts is unclear and inconsistent, but shows a trend toward assimilating pretrial detainees' claims to those of convicted prisoners. Based on a review of Supreme Court caselaw concerning related questions, this Article argues that, for claims arising after a judicial determination of probable cause, the tests prevailing in the lower courts should be replaced by a substantive Due Process framework that requires a plaintiff to show, at most, either punitive intent or objective deliberate indifference on the part of the defendant. For claims arising after a warrantless arrest and before a judicial determination of probable cause, the Fourth Amendment's objective reasonableness standard should govern; moreover, the Article notes a strong argument that this objective reasonableness standard should govern prior to arraignment, even when the arrest took place upon a warrant.


The mechanisms involved in the antagonistic action of biocontrol agents are intensively studied and several types were identified. A special attention was accorded to Bacillus strains that exhibit broad host spectrum against fungal pathogens. By studying in vitro interaction between some Bacillus biocontrol strains and some plant pathogenic fungal strains belonging to Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum species, a precipitation line was observed at the inhibition area level. This outcome was detected in co-cultivation of the biocontrol bacteria with the mentioned fungal species described as specific lectins producers, but not when strains of Alternaria, Fusarium or Pythium were used. The present study included in vitro co-cultivation of the biocontrol strains with B. cinerea on PDA medium supplemented with different carbon sources, sugars that are known to be interacting with different kind of carbohydrate-binding proteins. Significant differences in bacterial growth limitation were observed when the precipitation line was more evident and a reduced inhibition of the fungal growth was registered. Based on the fact that carbohydrate-binding proteins, also referred as lectin or agglutinins, have functions in defense responses to pathogen invaders, two hypotheses may be issued: there could be a chain reaction by which the biocontrol bacteria induces a defense mechanism in some fungi, and the lectin or lectin-like producing fungi reacts in self-defense and bind the nutrients so that the antagonistic bacteria are limited in growth and that certain substrates, enriched with particular carbohydrates, facilitate the activation of some defense mechanism in fungi against some antagonistic bacteria", as a possible consequence of the low bacterial glycoproteins specificity for those carbohydrates, compared with the lectins or lectin-like compounds of some fungi that can precipitate the carbohydrate nutrients as defense mechanism against antagonistic bacteria, similar to the nutritional competition.


The purpose of this research was the establishment of the law of efflux from a vessel under pressure through a suddenly opened orifice of comparatively large dimensions. In order to simplify the approach to the problem, it was decided to investigate the efflux of an incompressible fluid, e.g. water. The methods of approach were based on analogies with electric circuit theory, and accordingly an apparatus was built in which the equivalent of a.c. experiments with resonant circuits could be performed. An orifice in the apparatus represented the inertia in the resonant system . Acoustic theory gives the inertance of such an orifice for infinitesimal amplitudes. In the experiments described, this inertance was measured at a wide range of finite amplitudes, by observations of phase shift between power input and displacement at the orifice. By this means it was possible to determine the exact resonance frequencies of the hydraulic system in spite of its high damping. By this means, the effective mass or inertance of the fluid flowing through the orifice was deduced. In the course of these experiments some interesting flow phenomena, to the author's knowledge not previously recorded, were observed and photographed. There appear to be three distinct modes of flow, as compared with the two commonly observed in the steady state. The contraction coefficient of the flow through the orifice was found to be unity for small amplitudes and to approach the steady state value for large amplitudes. The differential equation of the efflux through a suddenly opened orifice is stated and its solution given. A numerical example is worked out with the constants derived from measurements and the results are shown by graphs. They were checked by visual observation though a recording of the efflux experiment was not found possible. It can be seen that a suction effect must follow a discharge. Further that this suction and the following oscillations are practically independent of the pressure in the vessel before the discharge, provided this pressure is above a certain value. These findings are of interest in connexion with the exhaust phenomena in internal combustion engines, in particular those working on the two-stroke cycle.


ABSTRACT The plasmids of the members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group of organisms are essential in defining the phenotypic traits associated with pathogenesis and ecology. For example, Bacillus anthracis contains two plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2, encoding toxin production and encapsulation, respectively, that define this species pathogenic potential, whereas the presence of a Bt toxin-encoding plasmid defines Bacillus thuringiensis isolates. In this study the plasmids from B. cereus isolates that produce emetic toxin or are linked to periodontal disease were sequenced and analyzed. Two periodontal isolates examined contained almost identical ∼272-kb plasmids, named pPER272. The emetic toxin-producing isolate contained one ∼270-kb plasmid, named pCER270, encoding the cereulide biosynthesis gene cluster. Comparative sequence analyses of these B. cereus plasmids revealed a high degree of sequence similarity to the B. anthracis pXO1 plasmid, especially in a putative replication region. These plasmids form a newly defined group of pXO1-like plasmids. However, these novel plasmids do not contain the pXO1 pathogenicity island, which in each instance is replaced by plasmid specific DNA. Plasmids pCER270 and pPER272 share regions that are not found in any other pXO1-like plasmids. Evolutionary studies suggest that these plasmids are more closely related to each other than to other identified B. cereus plasmids. Screening of a population of B. cereus group isolates revealed that pXO1-like plasmids are more often found in association with clinical isolates. This study demonstrates that the pXO1-like plasmids may define pathogenic B. cereus isolates in the same way that pXO1 and pXO2 define the B. anthracis species.


Industrial biotechnology promises to help improve food security in Africa by providing alternative farm inputs for crop and livestock production, improving the processing of animal and plant products (and remains) and providing an additional market for farmers. Such innovations could diversify rural economies, create jobs and promote the development of environmentally and economically sustainable agro-industries. However, some of the challenges, such as limited international markets for agricultural products, high tariffs on semi-processed and processed exports, the weak local scientific base, lack of investment and diplomacy skills among others, threaten to limit the impact of biotechnology in Africa. This paper explores a number of these issues from an African perspective and seeks to highlight the options Africa could adopt to realise the benefits.


This paper presents different methods to describe voltage and current distortion in the frequency range 2 to 150 kHz. The time-frequency domain was shown to give additional information next to the time- and frequency-domain representations. Measurements of different devices and at different locations showed remnants of the switching frequency of the power electronics as well as lower frequency oscillations around the current zero crossing to be present in voltage and current. The voltage distortion is shown to vary a lot during the day and between locations.


ExoMars is a cooperative programme between ESA and ROSCOSMOS, with NASA contributions. ExoMars includes two missions, one in 2016 and one in 2018, and is considered a necessary preparatory step for the future realisation of an international Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission during the second half of the next decade. The 2016 mission includes two elements: an orbiting satellite (Trace Gas Orbiter, TGO) devoted to the study of atmospheric trace gases and subsurface water, with the goal to acquire information on possible on-going geological or biological processes; and an Entry, Descent, and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) to achieve a successful soft landing on Mars. The TGO will also provide data communication services for surface missions landing on Mars, nominally until end 2022. The mission will be launched in January 2016, using a Proton rocket, and will arrive to Mars in October 2016. The 2018 mission will deliver a 300-kg-class rover and an instrumented landed platform to the surface of Mars. The mission will pursue one of the outstanding questions of our time by attempting to establish whether life ever existed, or is still present on Mars today. The platform will carry out scientific environmental measurements at the landing site.The mission is scheduled to launch in May 2018 and arrive to Mars in January 2019. This presentation will describe the status and the challenges of the ExoMars project.


The first part of this study examines the academic and official (CRTC) discourse regarding the regulation of radio broadcasting in Canada from the 1920s to the present. It examines the limits of earlier historical frames through which radio broadcasting policy has been explored. It introduces Foucault's model of study and frame of analysis termed governmentality. The second part is an ethnographic examination of specific policy, programming and operations of campus-community radio station CKUT-FM (Montreal), and, as a related object, the policies and interventions of the National Campus-Community Radio Association (NCRA). It provides a critique of campus-community radio itself, and of the complex term, community. The third part is a detailed exploration of governmentality. This term refers to the process of thinking about, and practising government. One of its main components is the study of power relations. Conclusions are formulated in terms of future research and policy intervention in the area of FM radio regulation.


In situ measurements of dissolved manganese and total dissolved iron were conducted in hydrothermal plumes over the Juan de Fuca Ridge using a submersible chemical analyzer (Scanner). The Scanner was deployed as part of a CTD/transmissometer/rosette instrument package on both tow-yos and vertical casts during the VENTS Leg I cruise in 1989. Dissolved manganese and total dissolved iron concentrations, along with temperature and light attenuation anomalies, were determined over the ridge crest every 5 s. Discrete samples for laboratory analyses of dissolved iron II, total dissolved iron II+III and manganese were also collected. Metal to heat ratios (Me:Q) measured in situ were extremely variable in one steady state plume, while an event plume had constant Me:Q. Uniform values of Mn:Q in the event plume demonstrate that Mn behaves conservatively in the near-field plume. Variability in the Mn: Q ratios in a steady state plume indicated the presence of at least two hydrothermal sources with distinct Me:Q values. A simple mixing model shows that the contribution of Mn from high Me:Q sources, with a composition characteristic of black smoker vents, varies between 1% and 99% within the core of the steady state plume with an average value of 55%. On average, over 50% of the excess heat within the plume originates from low Me:Q ratio sources, with a composition characteristic of low-temperature, diffuse flow vent fluids. Less than 4% of the volume of hydrothermal fluids in the plume originates from black smokers. The Fe II concentrations were used to provide an estimate of plume age on a transect across the ridge axis. Plume ages were about 2.5 days on axis and >12 days off axis. These plume ages were modeled to provide estimates of plume transport and horizontal diffusion and show excellent agreement with ages determined using 222Rn.


OBJECT
Patient-reported quality-of-life (QOL) end points are becoming increasingly important health care metrics. To date, no nasal morbidity instrument specifically designed for patients undergoing endonasal skull base surgery has been developed. In this study, the authors describe the development and validation of a site-specific nasal morbidity instrument to assess patient-reported rhinological outcomes following endonasal skull base surgery.

METHODS
Eligible patients included those with planned endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for sellar pathology identified in outpatient neurosurgical clinics of 3 skull base centers from October 2011 to July 2012. An initial 23-question pool was developed by subject matter experts, review of the literature, and from the results of a previous validation study to assess for common rhinological complaints. Symptoms were ranked by patients from "No Problem" to "Severe Problem" on a 6-point Likert scale. Exploratory factor analysis, change scores, and importance rank were calculated to define the final instrument consisting of 12 items (The Anterior Skull Base Nasal Inventory-12, or ASK Nasal-12). Psychometric validation of the final instrument was performed using standard statistical techniques.

RESULTS
One hundred four patients enrolled in the study. All patients completed the preoperative survey and 100 patients (96%) completed the survey 2-4 weeks after surgery. Internal consistency of the final instrument was 0.88. Concurrent validity measures demonstrated a strong correlation between overall nasal functioning and total scores (p < 0.001). Test-retest reliability measures demonstrated a significant intraclass correlation between responses (p < 0.001). Effect size as calculated by standardized response mean suggested a large effect (0.84). Discriminant validity calculations demonstrated that the instrument was able to discriminate between preoperative and postoperative patients (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
This prospective study demonstrates that the ASK Nasal-12 is a validated, site-specific, unidimensional rhinological outcomes tool sensitive to clinical change. It can be used in conjunction with multidimensional QOL instruments to assess patient-reported nasal perceptions in endonasal skull base surgery. This instrument is being used as a primary outcome measure in an ongoing multicenter nasal morbidity study. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01504399 (ClinicalTrials.gov).


Background and Objective: Disasters are scarce events; nevertheless, to prepare organizations for events and return to normal condition the accurate planning and education is essential. This study aimed to assess disaster planning in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in Khuzestan Province in 2012. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-cross sectional study, statistical population involved the top managers of the crisis management unit, emergency medicine services (EMS) and relief and rescuing center of the West Country in the Khuzestan Province. Because of the limited number of the statistical population, a census method was used. The data were collected using a checklist developed by reviewing literature and through observation and interview. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage and mean percentage and using by SPSS v.18. Results: The results indicated that generally the status of planning of humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in the response phase was good. Emergency Medicine Services (EMS) and center of relief and rescuing were ranked respectively in the moderate and good situations. The dimensions of human resource and the control were respectively in the best and the worst condition. Conclusions: According to findings, disaster planning in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in the response phase requires more attention in aspect of control. Generally, at the occurrence of disasters stage, particularly in supervision and control, paying attention to HSCM is necessary. So, we stress on the necessary reform of the program to ensure the proper supply of resources and cover the needs.


Ethephon ((2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid) is a plant growth regulator that releases ethylene on application and can abort flowers, stimulate branching, and inhibit stem elongation. Although ethephon is used as a foliar spray during the commercial production of many ornamental crops, its effectiveness as a drench has not been widely investigated. We performed experiments to quantify the effects of an ethephon drench on growth and flowering of a range of bedding plant and Narcissus cultivars and to assess the effect of lime on ethylene release from a peat substrate. A substrate drench of 0, 100, 250, or 500 mg·L L1 ethephon was applied to 12 potted Narcissus cultivars at one location, and up to 200 mg·L L1 was applied to 24 cultivars of bedding plants at three locations. Compared with untreated controls, ethephon generally reduced plant height atflowering and the effect increased with increased concentration. For example, Narcissus treated with a 250 mg·L L1 ethephon drench had stems that were 20% to 40% shorter at the end of flowering than control plants. However, ethephon drenches generally caused a 2- to 3-day flowering delay, and two cultivars had a phytotoxic response. Among the bedding plants studied, a 100-mg·L L1 ethephon drench suppressed plant height at flowering by greater than 30% in Catharanthus, Celosia, Dianthus, and Verbena, but by only 10% to 15% in Lobelia, Lycopersicon, and Tagetes. The drenches also delayed flowering in 10 of the 16 crops measured and decreased dry mass accumulation in all of the crops measured. Ethephon release from peat substrate became maximal '120 h after application and was dramatically increased by incorporation of dolomitic lime up to a rate of 9.5 kg lime per m 3 of peat. Collectively, these studies show that ethephon substrate drenches inhibit stem elongation in a broad range offloriculture crops, but can also delay flowering and reduce biomass accumulation.


Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) embedded on thiourea modified chitosan (TMC) are prepared in spherical and cubical shapes by intercalating palladium(II) acetate in TMC, a natural bio-polymer, and a subsequent reduction using ellagic acid (EA) as a natural and green reducing source in water. The formation of palladium nanoparticles in water is monitored by UV-Vis, spectroscopy and the PdNPs/TMC solid matrix are characterized by FT-IR, powder XRD and HR-TEM. The amount of palladium entrapped on TMC is measured by ICP-OES analysis, and it is found to be 0.00103 mol%. The synthesised PdNPs/TMC reported for the first time, were employed as heterogeneous catalysts for Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodide/bromide with various substituted aryl boronic acids in water and showed high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions. Easy separation, the absence of an inert atmosphere and good to excellent yields are the other significant outcomes of this protocol. In addition, the reactions also work well with various heterocyclic boronic acids. Also the catalyst can be easily recovered and reused for at least five runs without loss in its activity.


Precise measurement of the optical Hall effect in InN using magneto-optical generalized ellipsometry at IR and THz wavelengths, allows us to decouple the surface accumulation and bulk electron densities in InN films by non-contact optical means and further to precisely measure the effective mass and mobilities for polarizations parallel and perpendicular to the optical axis. Studies of InN films with different thicknesses, free electron densities and surface orientations enable an intricate picture of InN free electron properties to emerge. Striking findings on the scaling factors of the bulk electron densities with film thickness further supported by transmission electron microscopy point to an additional thickness dependent doping mechanism unrelated to dislocations. Surface electron accumulation is observed to occur not only at polar but also at non-polar and semi-polar wurtzite InN, and zinc blende InN surfaces. The persistent surface electron density shows a complex behavior with bulk density and surface orientation. This behavior might be exploited for tuning the surface charge in InN.


Abstract Aim This is the third version of the guideline of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Task Force for the Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety, Obsessive–Compulsive and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (published in 2002, revised in 2008). Method A consensus panel of 33 international experts representing 22 countries developed recommendations based on efficacy and acceptability of available treatments. In total, 1007 RCTs for the treatment of these disorders in adults, adolescents, and children with medications, psychotherapy and other non-pharmacological interventions were evaluated, applying the same rigorous methods that are standard for the assessment of medications. Result This paper, Part I, contains recommendations for the treatment of panic disorder/agoraphobia (PDA), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), specific phobias, mixed anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, separation anxiety and selective mutism. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are first-line medications. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the first-line psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. The expert panel also made recommendations for patients not responding to standard treatments and recommendations against interventions with insufficient evidence. Conclusion It is the goal of this initiative to provide treatment guidance for these disorders that has validity throughout the world.


Abstract: This study analyzed the perceptions of four stakeholder groups (forest landowners, private forest consultants, forest management researchers or educators, and federal or state agency foresters), regarding their management practices and preferred geographic growing conditions of loblolly pine in Virginia by combining AHP (analytical hierarchy process) and regression modeling. By ranking the importance of different geographical conditions for managing loblolly pine, we aimed to identify ways to support loblolly growth as a potential feedstock for biofuel generation. We achieved this through collecting survey responses from 43 stakeholders during the 2019 Virginia Forestry Summit. The results showed that the landowner, researcher/educator, and federal/state agency stakeholder groups all indicated that proximity to a mill was the most important criteria, whereas the consultant stakeholder group indicated that proximity to a road was the most important criteria. All the stakeholder groups indicated that distance from protected land was the least important criteria, followed by proximity to a water body and flat land. The regression model revealed that acres of land managed and loblolly rotation age were correlated to the weight given to the distance to a mill criterion, where increased acreage and increased rotation age were associated with an increased prioritization of proximity to a mill. Distance from protected land, the lowest-ranking criteria, was shown to have an association with the level of experience with loblolly, where more experience was associated with a lower prioritization of proximity from protected land. A contingency analysis of the self-identified level of experience with loblolly in each stakeholder group revealed that federal/state agency foresters had the most experience, followed by consultants, landowners, and researchers/educators. The research supports the importance of understanding the variation of perceptions between and within stakeholder groups in order to develop the necessary infrastructural and policy support for the sustainable development of bioenergy.


String theory made understandable. Barton Zwiebach is once again faithful to his goal of making string theory accessible to undergraduates. He presents the main concepts of string theory in a concrete and physical way to develop intuition before formalism, often through simplified and illustrative examples. Complete and thorough in its coverage, this new edition now includes AdS/CFT correspondence and introduces superstrings. It is perfectly suited to introductory courses in string theory for students with a background in mathematics and physics. New sections cover strings on orbifolds, cosmic strings, moduli stabilization, and the string theory landscape. Now with almost 300 problems and exercises, with password-protected solutions for instructors at www.cambridge.org/zwiebach.


Christianity and Classical Culture: The Metamorphosis of Natural Theology in the Christian Encounter with Hellenism. By Jaroslav Pelikan. [Gifford Lectures at Aberdeen, 1992-1993.] (New Haven: Yale University Press. 1993. Pp. xvi, 368. $42.50 cloth; $17.00 paperback.) This book seeks an understanding of the natural theology and classical background of the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa). The author adds a fourth person to this traid in the person of Macrina, whose role as an interlocutor in Nyssa's writings is taken as proof of actual input by this exceptionally well-educated woman (p. 108). The title belies the fact that the book's primary focus is on these figs. Pelikan is preoccupied with the Cappadocians' use of apophatic method in theology (p. 92), that is, the analyses of the idea of God through his negative attributes. In linguistic terms, this meant negation by use of the alpha privative in Greek words like "formless," "unpalpable," "invisible," inasmuch as "all language about the divine is inadequate" (p. 44). Put another way, it is a system of first determining terminologically what God is not: everything from his impassibility to the view that He is "One who is truly above all names" (p. 213). This is the reverse of kat aphasis or "affirmation of divine attributes," a characteristic, for example, of Greek myth. But apophasis is in essence a negative epistemology that controls metaphor and analogy, and eliminates myth with its corollary, the need for allegorical interpretation. Pelikan's analysis takes the "Hellenism" of the Cappadocians as its starting point. For him this cultural category is bound up primarily with the Greek philosophical tradition, although the Greek Hellenismos was in the fourth century generally conceded to have a broader scope, embracing everything from pagan temple ritual to the pre-philosophical content of the paddies (the primary texts of Greek education in grammar and rhetoric like the Homeric poems, the tragedians, historians, etc.). It is unlikely that the Cappadocians' anthropology (as opposed to theology) can have failed to have been shaped by this (so for example Pelikan's discussion of the term arete "excellence"). But the reader should be aware that the discussion stresses the philosophical background of the three men and Macrina. The body of the work is not, thankfully, a neat essay with an a priori thesis and all loose ends tied together. Rather it is an empirical analysis based on a thorough reading of the Cappadocian corpus with extensive quotations. As such the book makes few concessions to the reader. A synthetic reading of these texts has long been a desideratum, and so Pelikan's handling of the subject is most useful to scholars seeking a new understanding of the origins of the Christian Sophistic and the acculturation of the new religion to the Greek paddies. …


Due to the increasing competition from developing countries, companies are struggling to reduce their manufacturing costs. In the field of tool manufacturing, manufacturers are under pressure to produce new products as quickly as possible at minimum cost with high accuracy. Laminated tooling, where parts are manufactured layer by layer, is a promising technology to reduce production costs. Laminated tooling is based on taking sheets of metal and stacking them to produce the final product after cutting each layer profile using laser cutting or other techniques. It is also a powerful tool to make complex tools with conformal cooling channels. In conventional injection moulds and casting dies the cooling channels are drilled in straight paths whereas the cavity has a complex profile. In these cases the cooling system may not be sufficiently effective resulting in a longer cooling time and loss of productivity. Furthermore, conventional cooling channels are limited to circular cross sections, while conformal cooling channels could follow any curved path with variable and non circular cross sections. One of the issues in laminated tooling is the surface jaggedness. The surface jaggedness depends on the layers' thicknesses and surface geometry. If the sheets are thin, the surface quality is improved, but the cost of layer profile cutting is increased. On the other hand, increasing the layers' thicknesses reduces the lamination process cost, but it increases the post processing cost. One solution is having variable thicknesses for the layers and optimally finding the set of layer thicknesses to achieve the minimum surface jaggedness and the number of layers at the same time. In practice, the choice of layers thicknesses depends on the availability of commercial sheet metals. One solution to reduce the number of layers without compromising the surface jaggedness is to use a non-uniform lamination technique in which the layers' thicknesses are changed according to the surface geometry. Another factor in the final surface quality is the lamination direction which can be used to reduce the number of laminations. Optimization by considering lamination direction can be done assuming one or multiple directions. In this thesis, an optimization method to minimize the surface jaggedness and the number of layers in laminated tooling is presented. In this optimization, the layers' thicknesses are selected from a set of available sheet metals. Also, the lamination direction as one of the optimization parameters is studied. A modified version of genetic algorithm is created for the optimization purpose in this research. The proposed method is presented as an optimization package which


Despite the promise of high energy density in lithium sulfur (Li–S) batteries, this technology suffers from poor long-term stability due to the dissolution of polysulfides upon battery cycling. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are shown to be effective cathode materials for Li–S batteries, but the nature of sulfur–host interactions in these porous materials is not well-understood. Herein, we provide a detailed analysis on material and chemical properties that have direct influence on sulfur adsorption and battery performance. Favorable binding sites in CuBTC, a MOF proven promising for sulfur adsorption, are identified and characterized by a combination of theoretical, thermogravimetric, spectroscopic, and electrochemical experiments. By manipulating MOF particle size, we further demonstrate that a high density of Cu-rich surface defects drastically improves both maximum discharge capacity and polysulfide retention. Battery cycling data illustrates the significance of these surface Cu sites for the uptake of dissolved polysulfides, which mitigates irreversible capacity loss. In the wider scope of materials development, our findings suggest the use of carefully engineered surface defects in inorganic nanomaterials may enhance sulfur capture in Li–S batteries. This study thus advances chemical understanding towards rational design of porous materials with great implications for energy storage, sulfur removal, chemical sensing, and environmental remediation.


Reviewing the anthology in The Guardian, in January 2007, Adrian Searle says: 'Mikey Cuddihy's stories have the same
uncomfortable atmosphere as her paintings. She is a natural and inventive writer'. Her research focused on the differences and similarities between writing and painting and her short, autobiographical, reflective narratives that have accompanied her installations and paintings have led to fictional works in their own right.

Cuddihy's three interlocking stories in this output employ a descriptive narrative, focusing on objects, clothing and contrasting environments, her fictional attention to the rich tapestry of the everyday mirroring the exploration of colour, texture and ornament in her visual work. Her story telling, whether in terms of atmosphere, setting or presentation of a psychological state, mirrors her
art. This anthology, the result of a collaboration between the Arts Council of England and Serpents Tail (an independent publishing company), brought together a 'unique collection of fiction by 17 of Britain's leading contemporary British artists, among them Jake Chapman, Balraj Khana, Ian Breakwell and Edward Allington, in a publication funded by the Arts Council and the Elephant
Trust. Entitled 'The Alpine Fantasy of Victor B and Other Stories', ('a haunting exploration of the impulses that drive today's artists')
it was launched at Tate Britain in December 2006, with readings by Cuddihy and others. The anthology is available at the Tate Gallery Bookshop. In May 2007, the artist was invited to take part in WAIF (Women's Art International Festival) in Cumbria, along with Ali Smith, Kate Pullinger and other more established writers, where she read her short stories and took part in a panel discussion.

Reviews included Mark Lawson on Radio 4, November 2006; Vogue, December 2006; Adrian Searle, 'Watch-Words', The
Guardian, 6 January 2007; and Garageland, issue 4, 2007.


The problem of incomplete labels is frequently encountered in many application domains where the training labels are obtained via crowd-sourcing. The label incompleteness significantly increases the difficulty of acquiring accurate multi-label prediction models. In this paper, we propose a novel semi-supervised multi-label method that integrates low-rank label matrix recovery into the manifold regularized vector-valued prediction framework to address multi-label learning with incomplete labels. The proposed method is formulated as a convex but non-smooth joint optimization problem over the latent label matrix and the prediction model parameters. We then develop a fast proximal gradient descent with continuation algorithm to solve it for a global optimal solution. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated on multiple multi-label datasets, comparing to related methods that handle incomplete labels.


Study Design. Questionnaires administered to practicing orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons from various regions of the United States and abroad. Objectives. To determine similarities and differences in the treatment of spinal trauma. Summary of Background Data. Spinal trauma is generally referred to subspecialists of orthopedic or neurosurgical training. Prior studies have suggested that there is significant variability in the management of such injuries. Methods. Questionnaires based on eight clinical scenarios of commonly encountered cervical, thoracic, and lumbar injuries were administered to 35 experienced spinal surgeons. Surgeons completed profile information and answered approximately one dozen questions for each case. Data were analyzed with SPSS software to determine the levels of agreement and characteristics ofrespondents that might account for a lack of agreement on particular aspects of management. Results. Of the 35 surgeons completing the questionnaire, 63% were orthopedists, 37% were neurosurgeons, and 80% had been in practice for more than 5 years. Considerable agreement was found in the majority of clinical decisions, including whether or not to operate and the timing of surgery. Of the differences noted, neurosurgeons were more likely to obtain a MRI, and orthopedists were more likely to use autograft as a sole graft material. Physicians from abroad were, in general, more likely to operate and to use an anterior approach during surgery than physicians from the northeastern United States. Conclusions. More commonalities were identified in the management of spinal trauma than previously reported. When found, variability in opinion was related to professional and regional differences. Spine 2004;29:685–696


Biological tissue can show promising features in the terahertz region of the electro-magnetic spectrum but face the problem that the signal to noise ratio can be poor due to the low energy output from the measurement instrument coupled with the high absorbance of water in biological tissue. Wavelet denoising and reconstruction are known to be suitable digital signal processing filters for reflected terahertz energy when appropriate thresholds, scales and mother-wavelets are chosen. In this article, we therefore describe a Wavelet transform-based method for denoising reflections of THz energy from ex-vivo human skin with an embedded microneedle. The wavelet reconstruction was then successfully used to identify the microneedle from the reflected waveform. This technique is potentially useful to enhance in-depth analysis and visualisation of underlying skin layers, lesions and penetration depth for targeted drug delivery.


they are vital to our social and economic future. But they are in a tight spot. The huge public investment that sustained much of the sector is in jeopardy and the current way of working is not sustainable. Some are predicting the end of the university as we have known it. The Edgeless University argues that this can be a moment of rebirth for universities. Technology is changing universities as they become just one source among many for ideas, knowledge and innovation. But online tools and open access also offer the means for their survival. Their expertise and value is needed more than ever to validate and support learning and research. Through their institutional capital, universities can use technology to offer more flexible provision and open more equal routes to higher education and learning. We need the learning and research that higher education provides. But this will take strategic leadership from within, new connections with a growing world of informal learning and a commitment to openness and collaboration. By exploiting this role, universities can harness technology as a solution and an indispensable tool for shaping their vital role in the future.


Elders throughout the world turn to religious organizations and rely on religious beliefs to cope with both the routine challenges of daily life and the hardships brought on by severe adversity. Hundreds of studies have documented a positive association between health or well-being and religious participation. Yet few have examined religious experiences of the elderly themselves. In-depth consideration of these experiences might shed light on the contribution of religion to individual lives. This study examines religious experiences of women living in poverty in the United States. Results underscore the deep-seated religious commitment of this group. The dominant theme, mentioned more often than any other, was gratitude. Respondents view the Lord as the source of all that is good, and are grateful for life, good fortune, help in times of hardship, and material goods. This view of an all-powerful God contrasts with some respondents' views of themselves as weak or irrelevant. Finally, one-third of respondents who mentioned church attendance reported that ill health or functional limitations restricted their ability to go to church regularly. So, while religion may be good for one's health, good health may facilitate participation in church-related activities.


Tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was measured in 60 patients with psoriasis and in 20 healthy individuals. According to clinical forms of psoriasis, patients were further divided into three groups: psoriasis with solitary lesions (n=20), psoriasis with multiple disseminated lesions (n=20) and erythrodermic psoriasis (n=20). The tissue ACE activity was determined before and after therapy, by the spectrophotometric method using hippuryl-l-histidyl-l-leucine as a substrate. The enzyme activity is expressed in units: 1 U corresponds to 1 nmol of hippuric acid released by hydrolysis of hippuryl-l-histidyl-l-leucine per minute and 50 mg of the tissue. Before therapy, tissue ACE activity was significantly increased in patients with psoriasis (4,14+/-0,34; X+/-SEM) in comparison to healthy individuals (1,86+/-0,16). The greatest increase in tissue ACE activity was observed in patients with erythrodermic psoriasis (4,72+/-0,65), followed by those with multiple disseminated lesions (4,24+/-0,63) and solitary psoriatic lesions (3,47+/-0,48). After therapy, serum ACE activity was significantly decreased in all clinical forms of the disease. Determination of tissue ACE activity might be a good non-specific parameter for assessment therapeutic effects.


We present angular momentum transport (torque) measurements in two recent experimental studies of the turbulent flow between independently rotating cylinders. In addition to these studies, we reanalyze prior torque measurements to expand the range of control parameters for the experimental Taylor-Couette flows. We find that the torque may be described as a product of functions that depend only on the Reynolds number, which describes the turbulent driving intensity, and the rotation number, which characterizes the effects of global rotation. For a given Reynolds number, the global angular momentum transport for Keplerian-like flow profiles is approximately 14% of the maximum achievable transport rate. We estimate that this level of transport would produce an accretion rate of M/M0~10-3 in astrophysical disks. We argue that this level of transport from hydrodynamics alone could be significant. We also discuss the possible role of finite-size effects in triggering or sustaining turbulence in our laboratory experiments


Biotechnology ventures highly depend on venture capital during early stages. Therefore, insights into investment priorities of venture capitalists can be valuable for bioentrepreneurs. This study presents a systematic prioritization analysis of venture capitalists' investment priorities in terms of biotechnologies and therapeutic areas, as well as associated investment barriers. By means of 21 qualitative interviews and 81 quantitative questionnaires with venture capitalists, the paper shows that venture capitalists seem to be considering cell- & gene therapy technologies as future disrupters in terms of innovation and economic development. The analysis further reveals several niches of technology - therapeutic area combinations with high venture capital attractiveness, namely: protein technologies, cell therapy & gene therapy technologies for oncology, cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases. It also reveals high-prioritized investment barriers specific to these technologies and therapeutic areas, which mainly concern the complexity of the science underlying the respective technology or pathology, efficacy issues in trials, regulations, competition, and finance. Overcoming high-prioritized barriers for specific niches of technology-therapeutic area combinations could significantly increase venture capital attractiveness.


Fifty years ago, Jesse Dukeminier, Jr. and Clyde Stapleton published a case study of the practice of law before the Lexington-Fayette Urban County (LFUC) Board of Adjustment. This Article presents a new empirical study of the LFUC Board of Adjustment. Specifically, the study covers the eighteen month period from the Board's July 2007 meeting through its December 2008 meeting. This Article discusses how the practice has changed and improved in the years since the Dukeminier-Stapleton study and the problems and difficulties that still remain.The Article begins by describing the current procedure before the LFUC Board of Adjustment and how it has changed since the Dukeminier-Stapleton study. It then addresses the three basic types of appeals the Board considers: (1) variances, (2) conditional use permits, and (3) administrative appeals from the zoning administrator. With respect to each type of appeal, the Article first describes the governing law and how it has changed since the Dukeminier-Stapleton study. It then provides an empirical study of the Board's voting behavior. The Article concludes with an overview of the ways in which the law and practice have changed since the Dukeminier-Stapleton study and the problems that remain.


This paper presents a theoretical and experimental evaluation of the subcarrier-multiplexing label and payload alignment in an optical label-swapping router; optical packets, which are composed of label and payload, are transmitted from the edge router to the core router, where the labels are processed, and the new labels are reassembled to the payload in a synchronized operation. True delays of the signals in the core router are precisely evaluated, and synchronization aspects are studied in detail. For the first time, to our knowledge, the experimental verification allows the evaluation of the delay-tolerance range in the process of coding the baseband label onto the optical packet without affecting the normal operation of the router. Key issues found in the core-router implementation are thoroughly described throughout this paper.


Outperforming cell-penetrating peptides, cell-penetrating poly(disulfide)s are attracting increasing attention. Recently we have shown that cell-penetrating poly(disulfide)s can be grown directly on substrates of free choice before delivery and depolymerized right afterwards. These unique characteristics are compatible with the general, non-toxic, traceless yet covalent delivery of substrates in an unmodified form. The objective of this study was to elaborate on substrate-initiated co-polymerization. The original propagators contain a strained disulfide for ring-opening disulfide-exchange polymerization and a guanidinium cation to assure cell-penetrating activity. Here, we report individually optimized conditions to polymerize these original propagators together with several other propagators. The nature of these new propagators significantly affected polymerization efficiency and conditions as well as size, polydispersity and transport activity of the final co-polymers. According to gel permeation chromatography, the length of co-polymers increases with hydrophobicity, bulk and valency of the co-propagators, whereas ion pairing with boronates gives shorter co-polymers and branching increases polydispersity. The activity of co-polymers increases with length, π-acidity, superhydrophobicity and boronate counterions. Hydrophobicity, π-basicity, bulk and branching appear less important for activity in fluorogenic vesicles. The here reported design, synthesis and evaluation of substrate-initiated co-polymers will be essential to find the best cell-penetrating poly(disulfide)s.


Helping students achieve advanced critical thinking and writing skills in large undergraduate classes is a challenge faced by many university faculty members. We addressed this challenge in a three-year project using team course design, built around a cognitive apprenticeship model, to enhance undergraduates' writing, critical thinking, and research skills in courses ranging in size from 70 to over 400 students. Faculty members partnered with specialists from the university library, writing center, and teaching center, and with graduate student fellows who received supplemental training in those units. Together they designed progressive learning activities and written assignments based on meaningful, situated critical thinking scenarios. Instruction teams also developed rubrics for tracking students' progress on each step, and they used this information to inform the next wave of course enhancements and generate continual and iterative improvement. Assessments developed by the instruction teams showed that students in the team-designed courses improved in their critical thinking and writing skills from the beginning to the end of the semester. Furthermore, an evaluation of student work from the team-designed courses using the AAC&U Value rubrics showed that these students displayed more advanced critical thinking and writing skills than students in roughly comparable but conventionally designed courses. Our results demonstrate that team design involving specialists and graduate students can be a feasible and worthwhile strategy for engaging faculty members in developing advanced instructional and assessment designs that enhance high-end learning in a large university setting.


Fibrosis is the final common pathway in the pathophysiology of most forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As treatment of renal fibrosis still remains largely supportive, a refined understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of kidney fibrosis and the development of novel compounds are urgently needed. Whether arginases play a role in the development of fibrosis in CKD is unclear. We hypothesized that endothelial arginase-2 (Arg2) promotes the development of kidney fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Arg2 expression and arginase activity significantly increased following renal fibrosis. Pharmacologic blockade or genetic deficiency of Arg2 conferred kidney protection following renal fibrosis, as reflected by a reduction in kidney interstitial fibrosis and fibrotic markers. Selective deletion of Arg2 in endothelial cells (Tie2Cre/Arg2fl/fl) reduced the level of fibrosis after UUO. In contrast, selective deletion of Arg2 specifically in proximal tubular cells (Ggt1Cre/Arg2fl/fl) failed to reduce renal fibrosis after UUO. Furthermore, arginase inhibition restored kidney nitric oxide (NO) levels, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function following UUO. These findings indicate that endothelial Arg2 plays a major role in renal fibrosis via its action on NO and mitochondrial function. Blocking Arg2 activity or expression could be a novel therapeutic approach for prevention of CKD.


Business processes involve dynamic compositions of interleaved tasks. Therefore, ensuring reliable transactional processing of Web services is crucial for the success of Web service-based B2B and B2C applications. But the inherent autonomy and heterogeneity of Web services render the applicability of conventional ACID transaction models for Web services far from being straightforward. Current Web service transaction models relax the isolation property and rely on compensation mechanisms to ensure atomicity of business transactions in the presence of service failures. However, ensuring consistency in the open and dynamic environment of Web services, where interleaving business transactions enter and exit the system independently, remains an open issue. In this paper, we address this problem and propose an architecture that supports concurrency control on the Web services level. An extension to the standard framework for Web service transactions is proposed to enable detecting and handling transactional dependencies between concurrent business transactions. We also present an optimistic protocol for concurrency control that can be deployed in a fully distributed fashion within the proposed architecture. We also empirically evaluate the performance of the proposed solutions in terms of throughput and response time.


Summary Here we describe discoal, a coalescent simulator able to generate population samples that include selective sweeps in a feature-rich, flexible manner. discoal can perform simulations conditioning on the fixation of an allele due to drift or either hard or soft selective sweeps—even those occurring a large genetic distance away from the simulated locus. discoal can simulate sweeps with recurrent mutation to the adaptive allele, recombination, and gene conversion, under nonequilibrium demographic histories and without specifying an allele frequency trajectory in advance. Availability and Implementation Availability and implementation: discoal is implemented in the C programming language. Source code is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/kernlab/discoal_multipop) under a GNU General Public License. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information Supplementary Figures and Text are appended below


Abstract. We investigate the physical processes associated with volcanic tremor and explosions. A volcano is a complex system where a fluid source interacts with the solid edifice so generating seismic waves in a regime of low turbulence. Although the complex behavior escapes a simple universal description, the phases of activity generate stable (self-sustained) oscillations that can be described as a non-linear dynamical system of low dimensionality. So, the system requires to be investigated with non-linear methods able to individuate, decompose, and extract the main characteristics of the phenomenon. Independent Component Analysis (ICA), an entropy-based technique is a good candidate for this purpose. Here, we review the results of ICA applied to seismic signals acquired in some volcanic areas. We emphasize analogies and differences among the self-oscillations individuated in three cases: Stromboli (Italy), Erebus (Antarctica) and Volcan de Colima (Mexico). The waveforms of the extracted independent components are specific for each volcano, whereas the similarity can be ascribed to a very general common source mechanism involving the interaction between gas/magma flow and solid structures (the volcanic edifice). Indeed, chocking phenomena or inhomogeneities in the volcanic cavity can play the same role in generating self-oscillations as the languid and the reed do in musical instruments. The understanding of these background oscillations is relevant not only for explaining the volcanic source process and to make a forecast into the future, but sheds light on the physics of complex systems developing low turbulence.


A compelling history of the contradictory, often militaristic, role of Zen Buddhism, this book meticulously documents the close and previously unknown support of a supposedly peaceful religion for Japanese militarism throughout World War II. Drawing on the writings and speeches of leading Zen masters and scholars, Brian Victoria shows that Zen served as a powerful foundation for the fanatical and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time, the author recounts the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up through recent apologies by several Zen sects for their support of the war and the way support for militarism was transformed into corporate Zen in postwar Japan. The second edition includes a substantive new chapter on the roots of Zen militarism and an epilogue that explores the potentially volatile mix of religion and war. With the increasing interest in Buddhism in the West, this book is as timely as it is certain to be controversial.


A study is made of three dynamic load balancing policies in distributed systems with service interruptions, namely, sender initiated, receiver initiated, and a combination of the two, in different cases: performing and not performing load-balancing functions while the computers are in the middle of interruptions. The policies are analyzed by using decomposition approximation and matrix-geometric solution techniques. Simulations are used to validate the analytical results. The policies are compared to each other and to no load balancing. Sensitivities of the performance to the characteristics of interruptions and design parameters are studied. It is concluded that load balancing has a significant advantage in improving performance. Performing load-balancing functions while the computers are in the middle of interruptions also provides considerable performance improvement.<<ETX>>


The gene parC encodes the A subunit of topoisomerase IV of Escherichia coli. Mutations in the parC region analogous to those in the quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA were investigated in 27 clinical isolates of E. coli for which ciprofloxacin MICs were 0.0007 to 128 micrograms/ml. Of 15 isolates for which ciprofloxacin MICs were > or = 1 microgram/ml, 8 showed a change in the serine residue at position 80 (Ser-80), 4 showed a change in Glu-84, and 3 showed changes in both amino acids. No mutations were detected in 12 clinical isolates for which ciprofloxacin MICs were < or = 0.25 micrograms/ml. These findings suggest that ParC from E. coli may be another target for quinolones and that mutations at residues Ser-80 and Glu-84 may contribute to decreased fluoroquinolone susceptibility.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of multiage classroom environments on student's social behaviors. The sample consisted of 22 students who were randomly selected from a multiage classroom. Of the 22 students, 11 of the students were male and 11 were female. The data collection instruments used for this study consisted of two surveys created by the researcher. The first survey focused on how the students perceived the classroom environment. The second survey focused on students social skills. Observations and interviews were also used in order to substantiate both of the surveys given to the students. Results revealed that classroom environments can have an impact on student's social behavior, and that social behaviors are extremely important during the early elementary years. Students can be positively impacted by learning with students of different ages around them, and learning in an environment that best fits them. Results suggest that learning can be accomplished in many different ways and that teachers need to be open to differentiating instruction for all of their many diverse students.


Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus are notorious food poisoning bacteria of great effect on human health. This study determined the phytochemical constituents of ethanolic, vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) filtrates of Allium sativum (garlic), Psidium guajava (guava), Zingiber officinale (ginger) and their antibacterial activities on E. coli 0157:H7 and S. aureus. In a laboratory-based controlled experiment, the antibacterial and inhibitory activities of the VLC filtrates in doses of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.08g/mL were investigated on E. coli 0157:H7 and S. aureus using the agar well diffusion method and compared with a standard antibiotic. The indices of the zone of inhibition on the agar plates were subjected to analysis of variance (p = 0.01). Phytochemical analysis revealed a high concentration of glycosides, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, and the absence of flavonoids in A. sativum. P. guajava root contained a high concentration of glycosides, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids. Z. officinale possessed a high concentration of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, and terpenoids. Statistically, 0.02 g/mL of Z. officinale (12.0 mm) showed a significant result to 0.04g/mL of A. sativum (14mm) at p = 0.0049 and a higher inhibition index to 0.08g/mL of P. guajava. Inhibition by 0.02g/mL of P. guajava (8.8mm) was advanced than 0.04g/mL of A. sativum (6.3 mm) on S. aureus. Recommendable inhibition of 29.3 mm and 24.0 mm on E. coli 0157:H7 and S. aureus, respectively, were expressed by 0.08 g/mL Z. officinale, which was significant to the standard 0.04 g/mL of Neomycin (Positive control) at p = 0.0067. This study indicated a reliable antibacterial activity by Z. officinale than A. sativum and P. guajava, which might have been due to the high concentration of alkaloids and flavonoids. Nevertheless, A. sativum, P. guajava, and Z. officinale are normally used as fruit and food additives in the human diet, thus can be combined to prevent food poisoning by E. coli 0157:H7 and S. aureus and their exotoxins.
Keywords:    Allium sativum, Antibacterial activity, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Psidium guajava, Staphylococcus aureus, Zingiber officinale