An argument that the material arrangements of information -- how it is represented and interpreted -- matter significantly for our experience of information and information systems. Virtual entities that populate our digital experience, like e-books, virtual worlds, and online stores, are backed by the large-scale physical infrastructures of server farms, fiber optic cables, power plants, and microwave links. But another domain of material constraints also shapes digital living: the digital representations sketched on whiteboards, encoded into software, stored in databases, loaded into computer memory, and transmitted on networks. These digital representations encode aspects of our everyday world and make them available for digital processing. The limits and capacities of those representations carry significant consequences for digital society. In The Stuff of Bits, Paul Dourish examines the specific materialities that certain digital objects exhibit. He presents four case studies:emulation, the creation of a "virtual" computer inside another; digital spreadsheets and their role in organizational practice; relational databases and the issue of "the databaseable"; and the evolution of digital networking and the representational entailments of network protocols. These case studies demonstrate how a materialist account can offer an entry point to broader concerns -- questions of power, policy, and polity in the realm of the digital.


The biostratigraphical distribution of deep-sea (>1000m) Palaeocene to Recent benthonic Ostracoda, based on nannofossil NP and NN zones is presented. By excluding very rare species and those represented by juveniles, 184 species are used in constructing range tables from a total fauna for the interval of 230 species. The vertical distribution of these specimens clearly allows of the recognition of all the major stratigraphical units within the Cainozoic and is also sufficiently precise to distinguish most of the nannofossil zones. The principal criteria employed are the first and last appearances of taxa. While eminently possible to create a series of ostracod zones, it is argued that they are best employed in the recognition of particular levels within the existing nannofossil scheme. The interpretation of the range tables is complicated in places by large numbers of Lazarus taxa and also by the fact that many of the 'originations' actually record the arrival of immigrants from the Indo-Pacific. Graphs of both simple and cumulative species diversity, and of origination and extinction rates, are used to demonstrate major faunal events such as the first arrival in the area, during the Middle Eocene, of cosmopolitan deep-sea species, or the very marked, but stepped, Palaeogene-Neogene faunal turnover. The distribution patterns of the Ostracoda record such global changes as the formation of the psychrosphere and the inception of a marked thermocline but they do not, as other authors have suggested, indicate a dramatic faunal turnover at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. The more vigorous circulation patterns of the Oligocene, related to the opening of the Drake Passage, are reflected in enhanced ostracod diversity at that time. Elevated late Oligocene extinction rates may be correlated with cooling consequent upon the growth of polar ice. Similarly, Lower Miocene low levels of diversity may be associated with the closure of the Iberian Portal and the effective isolation of the Tethys. The deep-sea ostracods do not, for the most part, record such events as the mid-Pliocene warming nor Quaternary climatic fluctuations.


The spread of infectious diseases is a significant and ongoing problem in human populations. In hospitals, the cost of patients acquiring infections causes many downstream effects, including longer lengths of stay for patients, higher costs, and unexpected fatalities. Outbreaks in community populations cause more significant problems because they stress the medical facilities that need to accommodate large numbers of infected patients, and they can lead to the closing of schools and businesses. In addition, epidemics often require logistical considerations such as where to locate clinics or how to optimize the distribution of vaccinations and food supplies.
Traditionally, mathematical modeling is used to explore transmission dynamics and evaluate potential infection control measures. This methodology, although simple to implement and computationally efficient, has several shortcomings that prevent it from adequately representing some of the most critical aspects of disease transmission. Specifically, mathematical modeling can only represent groups of individuals in a homogenous manner and cannot model how transmission is affected by the behavior of individuals and the structure of their interactions.
Agent-based modeling and social network analysis are two increasingly popular methods that are well-suited to modeling the spread of infectious diseases. Together, they can be used to model individuals with unique characteristics, behavior, and levels of interaction with other individuals. These advantages enable a more realistic representation of transmission dynamics and a much greater ability to provide insight to questions of interest for infection control practitioners.
This dissertation presents several agent-based models and network models of the transmission of infectious diseases at scales ranging from hospitals to networks of medical facilities and community populations. By employing these methods, we can explore how the behavior of individual healthcare workers and the structure of a network of patients or healthcare facilities can affect the rate and extent of hospital-acquired infections. After the transmission dynamics are properly characterized, we can then attempt to differentiate between different types of transmission and assess the effectiveness of infection control measures.


As Congress opened its 104th session in early January, 1995, both the House of Representatives and the Senate were under Republican party control for the first time in over 40 years. Marked by media fanfare usually reserved for presidential inaugurations, those first few days of the legislative session focused the nation's attention primarily on the House of Representatives, the new Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and the implementation of the Republican campaign manifesto known as the Contract with America. As a symbolic indication of the new Republican workmanlike spirit, Gingrich delivered on a campaign promise and presided over the longest first day in the history of American Government. On the other side of the Capitol building, however, the revolutionary spirit was much more tempered. For most of the first two days, the meticulous U.S. Senate debated an amendment by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa that would have greatly reduced the power of the much embattled procedural rule known as the Senate filibuster. With the glow of the national media on Gingrich and the House, the upper chamber's laggard deliberations went largely unnoticed. The contrast between the two bodies was similarly evident throughout the celebrated first 100 days of the 104th Congress as the House of Representatives quickly, if not hastily, passed nine of the ten Contract with America items only to see those same measures pile up on the other side of the building, backlogged in the Senate docket. In both historical design and contemporary practice, there is no monolithic Congress; the House of Representatives and the Senate are two very different institutions. The Senate's unique position within the bicameral legislature is typified most clearly by Senate rule XXII, the so-called filibuster rule, which allows for free and unlimited debate in the Senate. The filibuster has a long and storied history; from the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I to Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart's dramatic romanticization of the filibuster in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to the contentious civil rights debates of the 1960's, the American public has witnessed the practice of filibustering in the Senate with both scorn and adoration. This essay attempts to examine the history of the filibuster with a particular eye toward the ways in which the discourse surrounding the attempts to eliminate the filibuster exemplify certain fundamental contradictions in American political mythology. The debates make it apparent that popular democracy and the American form of republican government are often as contradictory as they are collaborative. More succinctly, yet likely more blasphemous to American sentiment, the relationship between Democracy and The Constitution of the United States is tenuous at best. The debate over the filibuster provides an especially lucid contemporary example of how these conflicting mythologies, which have been part of American politics since one could properly claim an American politics, are reconciled over time and within very different rhetorical contexts. Because the debate over the filibuster closely resembles the original debate over the Senate's role in American government and because the intent of the Founding Fathers is appropriated by both sides of the contemporary debate, it is necessary to examine briefly the history of the United States Senate. Turning back to the Constitutional Convention of 1789 allows us to understand better the genealogy of American political mythology and the constitution of the two competing, if not contradictory, conceptions of American government that are at the heart of filibuster debates. After examining the relevance of Senate history to the current debates, I turn to the discourse in the debates over the filibuster to determine how what I call the political mythologies of Democracy and The Constitution, which are most often in a state of dormant contestation, come to the fore. …


In human and wildlife populations, the natural microbiota plays an important role in health maintenance and the prevention of emerging infectious diseases. In amphibians, infectious diseases have been closely associated with population decline and extinction worldwide. Skin symbiont communities have been suggested as one of the factors driving the different susceptibilities of amphibians to diseases. The activity of the skin microbiota of amphibians against fungal pathogens, such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, has been examined extensively, whereas its protective role towards the cutaneous infectious diseases caused by Amphibiocystidium parasites has not yet been elucidated in detail. In the present study, we investigated, for the first time, the cutaneous microbiota of the Italian stream frog (Rana italica) and characterized the microbial assemblages of frogs uninfected and infected by Amphibiocystidium using the Illumina next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. A total of 629 different OTUs belonging to 16 different phyla were detected. Bacterial populations shared by all individuals represented only one fifth of all OTUs and were dominated by a small number of OTUs. Statistical analyses based on Bray-Curtis distances showed that uninfected and infected specimens had distinct cutaneous bacterial community structures. Phylotypes belonging to the genera Janthinobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium were more abundant, and sometimes almost exclusively present, in uninfected than in infected specimens. These bacterial populations, known to exhibit antifungal activity in amphibians, may also play a role in protection against cutaneous infectious diseases caused by Amphibiocystidium parasites.


Understanding the genetic determinants of phenotypic variation is crucial for a predictive evolutionary theory. Although Fisher's fundamental theorem provides a simple quantitative framework for evolutionary processes, the underlying assumptions regarding the heritability and variability of traits and population structure can diverge from real systems drastically. Therefore, the genetic architecture of traits associated with fitness should be explored to verify the theory's relevance to evolutionary changes and its universality, but this isn't practiced much in natural systems. Pacific salmon provide an excellent model system to examine genetic architecture and variance structure in and among populations. Here, I analyzed trait inheritance in salmon, and characterized the underlying adaptive significance under different ecological scenarios. Using transcriptional traits, I examined the relationship between plasticity and genetic differentiation shaping salmon populations. I employed common garden rearing and factorial mating designs to evaluate the genetic architecture of traits under physiological stress (i.e. saltwater, temperature and immune) to explore phenotypic variance under different environments. In Chapter 2, I showed osmoregulation gene transcription diverged after anadromous steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were introduced to a landlocked lake, and non-additive inheritance of traits was common among diverging populations. In Chapter 3, the variation in innate immune response gene transcription was shown to be mediated by non-additive effects in farmed Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and the effect was elevated after the immune stimulation with Vibrio vaccine. In Chapter 4, significant maternal components in traits closely related to fitness confounded the differences observed among populations. Finally, in Chapter 5, I characterized the among-population variance structure associated with individual response to immune stimulation using a multigene microarray approach. Overall, my research suggests that transcription and phenotypic plasticity is different among salmon populations, can rapidly evolve, and that non-additive genetic effects in transcriptional and phenotypic variation is common in salmon. In general these results are important to question applicability of fundamental theorem for salmon populations, hence conservational strategies based on evolutionary concerns. Furthermore, it presents a framework of population differentiation in salmon based on modifications to physiological response. These two combined would help us to unravel how salmon populations are structured in space and time.


Real-time video enhancement is generally achieved using costly specialized hardware that have specific functions and outputs. Commercial off-the-shelf hardware, such as desktop computers with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), are also commonly used as cost effective solutions for real-time video processing. In the past, the limitations in computer hardware meant that real-time video enhancement was mainly done on desktop GPUs with minimal use of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). These algorithms were simple and easily parallelizable in nature, which enabled them to achieve real-time performance. However, complex enhancement algorithms also require the sequential processing of data and this cannot be easily achieved in real-time on a GPU. In this paper, the current advances in mobile CPU and GPU hardware are used to implement video enhancement algorithms in a new way on a mobile computer. Both the CPU and GPU are used effectively to achieve realtime performance for complex image enhancement algorithms that require both sequential and parallel processing operations. Results are presented for histogram equalization, local adaptive histogram equalization, contrast enhancement using tone mapping and exposure fusion of multiple 8-bit grey scale videos of size up to 1600×1200 pixels.


Noncovalent conformational locks have been widely employed to construct highly planar and rigid conjugated systems for organic electronics. In this paper, two conjugated polymers (PDTffBT–TVT and PDTffBT–TVTOEt) were synthesized through the Stille coupling of 4,7-di(thien-2-yl)-5,6-difluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (DTffBT) with (E)-2-(2-(thiophen-2-yl)vinyl)thiophene (TVT) and (E)-1,2-diethoxy-1,2-di(thiophen-2-yl)ethane (TVTOEt), respectively, to investigate the effect of incorporation of the S⋯O noncovalent conformational locks on the performance of the polymer based bulk heterojunction solar cells. The physicochemical properties and photovoltaic characteristics of the conjugated polymers were fully investigated with different characterization techniques, which demonstrated that incorporation of the noncovalent conformational locks improved the rigidity of the backbone, leading to enhanced charge transport mobilities, and thus higher Jsc and FF. As a result, the efficiencies of the solar cells were significantly improved from 2.59% (PDTffBT–TVT) to 6.16% (PDTffBT–TVTOEt).


Many businesses fail to raise external equity finance because they are not "investment ready." One of the key aspects of being investment ready is the ability to effectively present their opportunity to investors. This paper examines the role of impression management skills on investor decisions by means of a case study of a presentation by an entrepreneur who was seeking funding for a software venture. The real-time reactions of business angels who watched the presentation on video were captured. Presentation-related issues dominated their reactions. Most investors were critical of the style, content and structure of the presentation. The failure of the entrepreneur to "sell" the opportunity raised doubts in the minds of investors about the ability of the company to sell their product. The implication is that entrepreneurs to develop their impression management skills so that potential investors draw the preferred conclusions. Policy-makers should consider developing initiatives to help entrepreneurs overcome these deficiencies.


We develop an equilibrium model of debt maturity choice of firms, in the presence of fixed issuance costs in primary debt markets, and an illiquid over-the-counter secondary debt market with search frictions. Liquidity in this market is related to the ratio of buyers to sellers, which is determined in equilibrium via the free entry of buyers. Short maturities improve the bargaining position of debt holders who sell in the secondary market and hence reduce the interest rate that firms need to offer on debt. Long maturities reduce re-issuance costs. The optimally chosen maturity trades off both considerations. Firms individually do not internalize that choosing a longer maturity increases the expected gains from trade in the secondary market, which attracts more buyers, and hence also facilitates the sale of debt issued by other firms. As a result, the laissez-faire equilibrium exhibits inefficiently short maturity choices.


We consider the problem of partial identification, the estimation of bounds on the treatment effects from observational data. Although studied using discrete treatment variables or in specific causal graphs (e.g., instrumental variables), partial identification has been recently explored using tools from deep generative modeling. We propose a new method for partial identification of average treatment effects(ATEs) in general causal graphs using implicit generative models comprising continuous and discrete random variables. Since ATE with continuous treatment is generally non-regular, we leverage the partial derivatives of response functions to define a regular approximation of ATE, a quantity we call uniform average treatment derivative (UATD). We prove that our algorithm converges to tight bounds on ATE in linear structural causal models (SCMs). For nonlinear SCMs, we empirically show that using UATD leads to tighter and more stable bounds than methods that directly optimize the ATE.


This book offers a vivid and human glimpse into Europe's borderlands as they emerged from Soviet rule - back in print after nearly 20 years. "In this superb book, in which one senses the spirit of Franz Kafka and Bruno Schulz, the dramatic world of the Eastern borderlands comes to life." (Ryszard Kapuscinski). As Europe's borderlands emerged from Soviet rule, Anne Applebaum travelled from the Baltic to the Black Sea, through Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and the Carpathian mountains. Rich in vivid characters and stories of tragedy and survival, Between East and West illuminates the soul of a place, and the secret history of its people. "A beautifully written and thought-provoking account of a journey along Europe's forgotten edge." (Timothy Garton Ash). "A vivid and penetrating assessment of the lands between the Baltic and the Black Sea in all their drama and desolation...a wise and useful book." (Robert Conquest). "Combines the excitement of a well-written and adventurous travelogue with sophisticated reportage." (Norman Davies). "You will be totally absorbed." (Norman Stone). Anne Applebaum is a historian and journalist, a regular columnist for the Washington Post and Slate, and the author of several books, including Gulag: a history, which won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction, and Iron Curtain, which in 2013 won the Duke of Westminster Medal for Military Literature and the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature. She is the Director of Political Studies at the Legatum Institute in London, and she divides her time between Britain and Poland, where her husband, Radek Sikorski, serves as Foreign Minister.


The primary purpose of the study is to open a new possibility in the planning process of the Technology Centers using Appreciative Inquiry in designing the future directions through the creation of the Development Plan. The discoveries articulated through themes drawn from the use of AI approach as planning process are valuable to support the various applications of AI in organization development. This study uses purposive sampling in identifying the participants who represented the stakeholders of the Technology Centers. The focus group (15-25 members), involved in all the phases of the study, are considered co-researchers in the development of the plan and the generation of the propositions. The study utilizes qualitative methods, namely: - Appreciative Inquiry Approach in discovering and highlighting the strengths and positive experiences of the Technology Centers that are the basis for crafting the organization development plan; and - Grounded Theory Process in generating propositions based on the insights gained from the AI Process. The study employs research tools useful in generating qualitative information, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, field notes, workshops, available organizational data, and feedback data. The creation of the Development Plan's objectives, plans, strategies formulated aligns the actual organization with the strengths, vision and provocative propositions and builds the AI learning competencies into the culture embodied in the Development Plan for the Technology Centers. Thirteen (13) Grounded Propositions were generated from the insights of the participants from the use of Appreciative Inquiry in the planning process.


The omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA; 18:3n-6) has raised recent interest as novel anti-cancer agent as it possesses effective tumoricidal properties while not inducing damage to normal cells or creating harmful systemic side effects. The taxane docetaxel (Taxotere) is currently one of the most active microtubule-interfering agents for breast cancer. Despite this encouraging therapeutical potential, the clinical use of taxanes involves problems related to the solubility, toxicity and development of drug resistance, which may be partially dependent on the expression of HER-2/neu oncogene. Current trends in the treatment of human tumors are for drug combinations that result in improved responses as well as the ability to use less toxic concentrations of the drugs. Here, we examined the cytotoxic effects of GLA in combination with docetaxel against estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) and estrogen-independent (MDA-MB-231 and SK-Br3) human breast carcinoma cell lines. The cells were exposed simultaneously to GLA and docetaxel or sequentially to GLA followed by docetaxel for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT assay, and the nature of the interactions between GLA and docetaxel (antagonism, additivity, and synergism) was analyzed by median effect and isobologram analyses. Interaction assessment showed that concurrent exposure to GLA plus docetaxel for 24 h resulted in synergism for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas an additive effect was observed in SK-Br3 cells. When exposure to GLA (24 and 48 h) was followed sequentially by docetaxel (24 h) a synergistic effect was observed in MDA-MB-231 and SK-Br3 cells, whereas an additive effect was found in MCF-7 cells. GLA-mediated increase in docetaxel cytotoxicity was only marginally abolished by Vitamin E, a lipid peroxidation inhibitor. Moreover, simultaneous exposure to GLA and docetaxel in the presence of the anti-oxidant Vitamin E also resulted in synergism, suggesting a limited influence of the oxidative status of GLA in achieving potentiation of docetaxel-induced cytotoxicity. Further experiments showed that GLA markedly decreased the expression of p185HER-2/neu oncoprotein in MCF-7 breast cancer cells (</=85%), and RT-PCR analysis revealed that HER-2/neu mRNA was selectively decreased in a concentration-dependent manner following GLA treatment. Therefore, our results show that the fatty acid GLA enhances the cytotoxicity of docetaxel in human breast cancer cells by mechanisms other than lipoperoxidation, and that GLA-induced transcriptional repression of HER-2/neu oncogene might be one component of the mechanisms of this interaction.


This paper analyzes the risk characteristics for various hedge fund strategies specializing in fixed income instruments. Because fixed income hedge fund strategies have exceptionally high autocorrelations in reported returns and this is taken as evidence of return smoothing, we first develop a method to completely eliminate any order of autocorrelation process across a wide array of time series processes. Once this is complete, we determine the underlying risk factors to the "true" hedge fund returns and examine the incremental benefit attained from using nonlinear payoffs relative to the more traditional linear factors. For a great many of the hedge fund indices we find the strongest risk factor to be equivalent to a short put position on high-yield debt. In general, we find a moderate benefit to using the nonlinear risk factors in terms of the ability to explain reported returns. However, in some cases this fit is not stable even over the in-sample period. Finally, we examine the benefit to using various factor structures for estimating the value-at-risk of the hedge funds. We find, in general, that using nonlinear factors slightly increases the estimated downside risk levels of the hedge funds due to their option-like payoff structures.


Abstract An oral fluency evaluation for Tourism English (TE) is proposed by contrasting linguistic production with corpus data. Electronic written and oral text collections (corpora) are designed and exploited so that an evaluative approach may be devised and carried out. The aim is to identify any significant oral performance changes arising between learners who have managed such electronic resources and learners who have not. Introduction In tertiary education, two main branches of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) seem to be converging. These are EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and EPP (English for Professional Purposes). As Dudley-Evans and St. John explain (1998, 174), one of the reasons for this convergence is the rapid change taking place in university studies, especially technical ones, where "carrier content dates rapidly'. Nelson (2003) particularly refers to the case of Business English, a type of specialized communication in itself that brings a "special jargon" to the class. According to Nelson, the use of a special type of discourse is also perceived as a significant feature of oral business communication. In the English for Tourism classroom, the situation of oral skills demanding specialized knowledge is also evident. As examined in previous work (Curado 2003a; Curado 2003b), such a content specialization may range from giving a businesslike report to speaking about different promotional topics (e.g., planning excursions, monument description, etc). Focusing on these oral skills leads to having to adopt strict evaluative guidelines that assess student knowledge. In my teaching context, the use of specific corpora (homogeneous text collections) can work as significant reference for oral language evaluation. In particular, I have focused on two types of specialized corpora: Spoken business reports and product reviews found on the internet, and academic discussions about socio-economic topics taken from MICASE (2002). This method proposed takes word frequency as a key reference for language command assessment (Bley-Vroman 2002). My findings in this paper are discussed in the light of feasible language acquisition. Corpora used in the evaluation My TE (Tourism English) course is chiefly based on both business and promotional language. The textual material would thus be restricted in terms of text type choice and specialized language use: Texts on Business technology for the Tourism sector, and a student discussion group on Economics issues. Building such a restricted corpus is crucial, as Thompson (2002, 15) and Hunston (2002, 4) assert, in the ESP learning setting. For the evaluation of oral performance in TE, the two corpora mentioned should be built from already existing material, consisting of transcripts of recorded speeches. Some web resources (e.g., Global Edge 2002) are favored by learners in the area of technology, especially in its relationship with the workplace. This first oral corpus is made up of 25,265 words, taking, overall, two hours and 15 minutes to deliver. These texts do not, however, entirely constitute spontaneous speech, since some documents are read out loud like a conference paper. The second corpus does feature spontaneous speech in the form of study group discussions on socio-economic issues, and classroom discussion units about Economics. This corpus contains 22,526 words, and is two hours and five minutes long. Evaluation procedure Two oral tasks are assigned to spur effective communication for the business setting in Tourism-related jobs; thus, the evaluation focuses on content and language production at the business place. The first task is an oral report (monologue), where I seek to assess knowledge of typical corpus language. Three main levels of word use are considered: 1., Lexical constructions that are highly frequent in business-related corpora, but not specific of a single domain or subject in business (semi-technical); 2. …


The aim of the current case study was to examine the integration of a social skills learning programme for young people aged 13-18 identified with ADHD and learning difficulties within the framework of a junior and high school in Israel designed for young people identified with ADHD. At the start of this inquiry, the stance of the Israeli Ministry of Education mainly leaned on the medicalised model. During the process of conducting this study, the researcher developed a gradual shift from the medicalised to the social constructivist model as an alternative which considers young people from a holistic view.
The study explored three perspectives on the integration of the social skills learning groups within the school: those of the educational staff, the therapeutic staff who facilitated the social skills learning groups and those of the group participants. It also explored how each group perceived the intervention in terms of supporting social skills among young people identified with ADHD. Two groups of students took part. One group comprised seven students from the 7th grade who were in their first year of the intervention and another group comprised seven students from the 9th grade who were in their third year of the four-year programme.
The study was conducted using a qualitative methodology from an insider perspective, the researcher being a therapist and facilitator of one of the social skills learning groups. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with staff members, the researcher's reflective diary and a student questionnaire.
The study found that the educational staff's perspective on the social skills learning groups involved a gradual process from difficulty accepting the groups to believing that they played an important role in school provision. A parallel process took place among the therapeutic staff who questioned the groups' definition as a class or as group therapy, which required the therapists to examine their professional identity. This process of self-examination of staff members' professional identity and examination of the other staff members' professional roles influenced the integration of the groups in the school.
Overall, the study suggested that interventions focusing on assisting the development of social skills can play an important role in school provision for young people identified with ADHD when they are included as part of the school curriculum. However, in order to successfully embed a therapeutic intervention within a school framework, the study suggested that teachers and therapists should cooperate both professionally and personally to build a new common language toward a common goal.


Summary Background Recent review of the available evidence on interventions for motor recovery after stroke, showed that improvements in recovery of arm function were seen for constraint-induced movement therapy, electromyographic biofeedback, mental practice with motor imagery, and robotics. Similar improvement in transfer ability or balance were seen with repetitive task training, biofeedback, and training with a moving platform. Walking speed was improved by physical fitness training, high-intensity physiotherapy and repetitive task training. However, most of these trials were small and had design limitations. Material/Methods In this article, randomized control trials (RCT's) published in 2009 of rehabilitation therapies for acute (≤2 weeks), sub-acute (2 to 12 weeks) and chronic (≥12 weeks) stroke was reviewed. A Medline search was performed to identify all RCT's in stroke rehabilitation in the year 2009. The search strategy that was used for PubMed is presented in the Appendix 1. The objective was to examine the effectiveness of these treatment modalities in stroke rehabilitation. Results This generated 35 RCT's under 5 categories which were found and analyzed. The methodological quality was assessed by using the PEDro scale for external and internal validity. Conclusions These trials were primarily efficacy studies. Most of these studies enrolled small numbers of patient which precluded their clinical applicability (limited external validity). However, the constraint induced movement therapy (CIT), regularly used in chronic stroke patients did not improve affected arm-hand function when used in acute stroke patients at ≤4 weeks. Intensive CIT did not lead to motor improvement in arm-hand function. Robotic arm treatment helped decrease motor impairment and improved function in chronic stroke patients only. Therapist provided exercise programs (when self-administered by patients during their off-therapy time in a rehabilitation setting) did improve arm-hand function. Tai Chi exercises helped improve balance and weight bearing. Exercise programs for community dwelling stroke patient helped maintain and even improve their functional state.


Abstract : SAE Standard Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) 4761, Guidelines and Methods for Conducting the Safety Assessment Process on Civil Airborne Systems and Equipment, provides general guidance on evaluating the safety aspects of a design and identifies processes, methods, and tools to support the evaluation. The Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) Error Model Annex defines features to enable specification of risk mitigation methods in an architecture and assessments of system properties such as safety and reliability. This report describes how the AADL Error Model Annex supports the safety assessment processes and techniques presented in SAE Standard ARP4761. It provides a mapping between constructs of the AADL Error Model Annex and the assessment techniques identified in ARP4761 and presents examples of using the Error Model Annex with those techniques. The processes and techniques of the ARP4761 standard that this report addresses are the Functional Hazard Assessment, Preliminary System Safety Assessment, System Safety Assessment, Fault Tree Analysis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, Markov Analysis, and Dependence Diagrams, also referred to as Reliability Block Diagrams.


This work investigates a system composed of multiple distributed servers and users, where each user is equiped with a local cache, and aims to retrieve a scalar linear function of the files of a library from the servers. The files are stored at the servers such that any $I$ colluding servers can not obtain any information about the files, while any $I+L$ servers can together recover all files. In addition, the system are designed to satisfy: (a) Each user's demand must be satisfied upon receiving the signals from any $I+L$ servers; (b) The content of the library must be kept secure from a wiretapper who obtains all the signals from the servers; (c) Any subset of users together with all the servers can not obtain any information about the demands of the remaining users. A coded scheme is derived to satisfy the above constraints by incoporating the idea of secret sharing and key superposition into the framework of Placement Delivery Array (PDA), originally proposed to characterize the single-server coded caching system without any security or privacy constraints, where the memory size at each user, the storage size at each server and the total communication load over all servers are characterized by the PDA parameters. It is shown that the PDAs describing the original Maddah-Ali and Niesen's coded caching scheme result in an achievable memory-storage-communication region, such that the storage size and the communication load are optimal to within a constant multiplicative gap, except for the small memory regime when the number of files is smaller than the number of users.


This paper describes an agent system to demonstrate the practically of the INCA (Intelligent Community Support for the Elderly) architecture. This architecture is intended to integrate a number of autonomous systems; home monitoring, community alarms, care management systems and emergency systems command and control systems using agent technology to build effective coordinated care systems. A range of different autonomous bodies provides such care, many of which have their own management information systems already in place. Since these systems do not only contain information relevant to community care, but also all the other activities of the agent, that it would be unwilling to make available to other parties, the actual management of community care has remained primarily outside the role of current systems.
The current demonstrator has been built using ZEUS agent-building toolkit (Nwana et al (1999)) as the basis for the development of a 'bench-top' demonstrator to show that the INCA architecture is both scalable to realistic activity levels and integrates fully and effectively with existing computer systems in the various agencies involved, without loss of autonomy and security.


Measurement error in observational datasets can lead to systematic bias in inferences based on these datasets. As studies based on observational data are increasingly used to inform decisions with real-world impact, it is critical that we develop a robust set of techniques for analyzing and adjusting for these biases. In this paper we present a method for estimating the distribution of an outcome given a binary exposure that is subject to underreporting. Our method is based on a missing data view of the measurement error problem, where the true exposure is treated as a latent variable that is marginalized out of a joint model. We prove three different conditions under which the outcome distribution can still be identified from data containing only error-prone observations of the exposure. We demonstrate this method on synthetic data and analyze its sensitivity to near violations of the identifiability conditions. Finally, we use this method to estimate the effects of maternal smoking and opioid use during pregnancy on childhood obesity, two import problems from public health. Using the proposed method, we estimate these effects using only subject-reported drug use data and substantially refine the range of estimates generated by a sensitivity analysis-based approach. Further, the estimates produced by our method are consistent with existing literature on both the effects of maternal smoking and the rate at which subjects underreport smoking.


Pseudoheteronyx, a genus of flightless scarab beetles, is recorded from Tasmania for the first time on the basis of P. littoralis sp.n., collected from sand dunes on the coast of Bass Strait, where it is active in late winter and early spring. This represents a southerly extension for the genus of more than 300 km and a novel ecological niche for the genus. It is the smallest and most setose member of the genus and most closely related to P. creber from alpine herbfields on Mount Kosciusko, N.S.W. This brings to nine the number of scarabaeid genera known from coastal dunes in Tasmania.


Abstract Slip on the Pitas Point thrust produces uplift and folding of the Ventura Avenue anticlinal (VAA) trend in the western Transverse Ranges of southern California. Rapid convergence has resulted in 2.7 km of uplift on the VAA over the past 200–300 ka, with as much as 320 m in the past 45–50 ka, indicating a long‐term uplift rate of 6–7  mm/yr. Four Holocene emergent marine terraces are present between Carpinteria and Ventura, with the fourth terrace uplifted a minimum of 38 m. The most recent emergence event uplifted a Chumash Indian village at Pitas Point by 5–6 m about 950 yrs ago. The first terrace, which formed when the sea level was 0.5–1 m lower than at present, is nearly continuously preserved from east of Pitas Point toward the fold crest of the VAA, where its elevation increases, reaching an altitude of 7–8 m; this implies a large amount of slip on the causative fault at depth. Radiocarbon dates on marine shells and culturally derived charcoal indicate terrace emergence events occurred at about 0.95, 2.09, 4.4, and 6.7 ka.


The scope of the Ancient Asia is vast from the Stone Age to modern times, including archaeology, history, anthropology, art, architecture, numismatics, iconography, ethnography and also various scientific archaeological disciplines, and theoretical and methodological issues. The present issue carries seven research articles, varied on topic ranging from pure archaeology to scientific discipline. The first paper is by Sachin Tiwary entitled "Ethnic roots of cultural tradition illustrated in Kaimur Rock Art". This paper is based on the ethno rock art investigation made in the Kaimur region of Bihar, India. In this paper the author has attempted to link between ancient rock art living pattern and the art and culture of modern local group especially the tribe and semi tribes residing in the hill, foot hill and the plain. The second research paper is by Fereshteh Sarhaddi on "Pictographs and Petroglyphs of Saravan (Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran)". This paper has examined the rock art of Saravan as a rich cultural heritage and has discussed on the systematic and scientific study and protection of the Rock Art. The third paper is by Sudeshna Guha and on "Photographs and Archaeological Knowledge". The paper explores some of the ways in which photographs and their archives enable in understanding archaeological knowledge. The fourth research paper is by Yousef Fallahian on "Investigation of Burial Patterns in Iron Agr Gilan, Iran". This paper throws light on the Iron Age Culture of Gilan, with special reference to the study of burial practices and patterns. The fifth paper is by Satish S Naik, Vasant Shinde, Amrita Sarkar and Megan Merry McCormick entitled "Plant Micro Remains from Early Historic Vessel, Gilund, Rajasthan". This paper highlights the archaeo-botanical remains retrieved from an Early Historic vessel from Gilund. The sixth paper is by Vinay Kumar Rao on "The Terracotta Plaques of Pagan: Indian Influence on Burmese Innovations". This paper deals with the art and architecture performed in terracotta plaques of Pagan and its Buddhist religious monumental architecture that shows deep influence from eastern India but at the same time is not a mere repetition of its Indian neighbourhood and is evident with many local experiments and innovations. The final paper is by Bratati Sen on "Structural Remains at the Early Medieval Fort at Raibania, Orissa". The paper deals with the preliminary study of the structural remains at the early mediaeval fort at Raibania in the district of Balasore in Orissa. The author has attempted to establish the role of Raibania under the authority of the Gangas as very significant from the point of view of its strategic location in preventing external attacks and also operating as an army shelter. This issue also has a book Review by Shahida Ansari on Prehistoric Settlement Pattern of Bengal Delta by M. M. Hoque. We would like to thank all the authors for their valuable contribution. We have received a number of letters appreciating the qualities of our previous issues of the journal. However, we would also like to receive critical comments and suggestion from our readers so that we can develop and grow on those lines. Please send in your suggestions to email@example.com and sosaaindia@ gmail.com. Prof. Vasant Shinde Editor


The direct torque control (DTC) technique of permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) receives increasing attention due to its advantages in eliminating the current controllers and quicker dynamic response, compared with other motor control algorithms. However, high torque and stator flux ripples remain in the system when using DTC technologies. This means large stator voltage and current harmonic contents exist in the PM motors. Since the variation of motor electromagnetic torque is related to the voltages that are applied to the motor, by analyzing the relationships between stator flux, torque, and voltages, a PMSM torque predictive control scheme is proposed in this paper. In each digital signal processor cycle, the optimized voltage is utilized to reduce torque ripple, and the voltage vector angle is determined by the output of torque and flux hysteresis controllers. The proposed scheme is simulated and experimentally verified. Both simulation and experimental results have shown that low torque ripple and reduced stator current harmonics are achieved by using the proposed scheme.


Abstract Data from self-paced reading (SPR) tasks are routinely checked for statistical outliers (Marsden, Thompson, & Plonsky, 2018). Such data points can be handled in a variety of ways (e.g., trimming, data transformation), each of which may influence study results in a different manner. This two-phase study sought, first, to systematically review outlier handling techniques found in studies that involve SPR and, second, to re-analyze raw data from SPR tasks to understand the impact of those techniques. Toward these ends, in Phase I, a sample of 104 studies that employed SPR tasks was collected and coded for different outlier treatments. As found in Marsden et al. (2018), wide variability was observed across the sample in terms of selection of time and standard deviation (SD)-based boundaries for determining what constitutes a legitimate reading time (RT). In Phase II, the raw data from the SPR studies in Phase I were requested from the authors. Nineteen usable datasets were obtained and re-analyzed using data transformations, SD boundaries, trimming, and winsorizing, in order to test their relative effectiveness for normalizing SPR reaction time data. The results suggested that, in the vast majority of cases, logarithmic transformation circumvented the need for SD boundaries, which blindly eliminate or alter potentially legitimate data. The results also indicated that choice of SD boundary had little influence on the data and revealed no meaningful difference between trimming and winsorizing, implying that blindly removing data from SPR analyses might be unnecessary. Suggestions are provided for future research involving SPR data and the handling of outliers in second language (L2) research more generally.


This paper presents a framework for evaluating mechanisms that involve the public in environmental decision-making. These include traditional participatory mechanisms--such as public hearings, notice and comment procedures, and advisory committees--as well as those considered more innovative--such as regulatory negotiations, mediations, and citizen juries. The framework is based on a set of "social goals," defined as those goals which are valued outcomes of a participatory process, but which transcend the immediate interests of any party in that process. The goals are: educating the public, incorporating public values and knowledge into decision-making, building trust, reducing conflict, and assuring cost-effective decision-making. The paper begins with a discussion of the need for an evaluative framework which 1) identifies the strengths and weaknesses of a number of different participatory mechanisms, 2) is "objective" in the sense of not taking the perspective of any one party to a decision, and 3) measures tangible outcomes. Section One presents the social goals framework as an approach for meeting these objectives. It illustrates how the framework can be applied to one case study in environmental decision-making: the performance of the Restoration Advisory Board at the Fort Ord military base in California. In Section Two, we contrast the social goals framework with two alternative approaches to evaluation, one based on participatory processes and one based on stakeholder interests. We find that, while useful for answering some questions about public involvement, these two approaches fail to meet all three objectives and may miss important information about the success of a particular participatory effort. In Section Three we take a closer look at participatory mechanisms and discusses how each is likely to perform against the various social goals.


Article history Submitted: 16 December, 2020 Revised: 22 December, 2020 Accepted: 24 December, 2020 Abstract Performance of family-owned businesses has been widely addressed in the context of developed countries. However, limited studies have been conducted in emerging economies. The purposes of this paper were to analyses the significant challenges facing the family businesses in Saudi Arabian marketplace and to look at corporate governance as one of the solutions to reform their issues and ensure their continuous for the following generations. To achieve this end, the research based on a critical analysis method that starts by discussing the definition of family-owned companies, then analysing their characteristics. A succession planning issue, management problems, protection of shareholders' rights, and transparency requirements would be addressed. The key findings were that limited studies have been conducted in the context of emerging market economies although family ownership in emerging countries is common. Hence, any current evidence provides an insight into family businesses in the emerging economies, and Saudi Arabia is valuable.


The global burden of chronic kidney diseases remains an ongoing medical challenge.
Therapies that can halt or reverse advanced renal injury are not yet available. Increasing
numbers of patients progress to the end-stage renal failure and require renal replacement
therapy, the latter being associated with significant mortality, a lower quality of life, and high
costs for national health systems. Thus, new treatment strategies that slow down, halt or even
revert progressive renal damage are requested.
Chemokines and their receptors are involved in the pathogenesis of renal diseases. They
mediate leukocytes and macrophages recruitment and activation during initiation as well as
progression of renal inflammation. Infiltrating leukocytes are the major source for
proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines and are therefore critical for mediating fibroblast
proliferation, differentiation into myofibroblasts, matrix production, and tubular atrophy.
Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate renal
leukocyte recruitment suggest chemokines and chemokine receptors as novel targets for
specific pharmacological intervention.
The aim of the present thesis was to investigate the role of chemokine receptor CCR1 for the
progression of chronic kidney diseases, e.g. Alport disease and diabetic nephropathy. Two
different animal models were used: Col4A3-deficient mice and type 2 diabetic db/db mice
with advanced diabetic nephropathy. We blocked CCR1 in Col4A3-deficient mice with
BX417, a small molecule CCR1 antagonist, and BL5923, a novel orally available antagonist
with a high specificity for human and murine CCR1 in uninephrectomized type 2 diabetic
db/db mice, respectively.
Treatment with BX471 (25mg/kg) from weeks 6 to 10 of life improved survival of COL4A3-
deficient mice, characterized by glomerulosclerosis and subsequent progressive
tubulointerstitial injury, leading to fatal end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Improvement was
associated with less interstitial macrophages, apoptotic tubular epithelial cells, tubular
atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and less globally sclerotic glomeruli. BX471 reduced total renal
Ccl5 mRNA expression by reducing the number of interstitial CCL5-positive cells in
inflammatory cell infiltrates. Intravital microscopy of the cremaster muscle in male mice
identified that BX471 or lack of CCR1 impaired leukocyte adhesion to activated vascular
endothelium and transendothelial leukocyte migration, whereas leukocyte rolling and
interstitial migration were not affected. Furthermore, in activated murine macrophages,
BX471 completely blocked CCL3-induced CCL5 production.
When CCR1 was blocked with BL5923 (60mg/kg, b.i.d), the interstitial recruitment of ex
vivo labeled macrophages was markedly decreased in uninephrectomized male db/db mice
with type 2 diabetes. Similarly, BL5923 orally administered from month 5 to 6 of life
reduced the numbers of interstitial macrophages in uninephrectomized db/db mice. This was
associated with reduced numbers of Ki-67 proliferating tubular epithelial and interstitial
cells, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis in uninephrectomized db/db mice. Glomerular
pathology and proteinuria were not affected by the CCR1 antagonist. BL5923 reduced renal
mRNA expression of Ccl2, Ccr1, Ccr2, Ccr5, Tgf-β1, and collagen I-α1 when compared to
untreated uninephrectomized male db/db mice of the same age.
Thus, we identified a previously unrecognized role for CCR1-dependent recruitment of
interstitial macrophages for the progression of chronic kidney disease in Alport disease and
diabetic nephropathy. These data identify CCR1 as a potential therapeutic target for Alport
disease and late stage diabetic nephropathy or other progressive nephropathies associated
with interstitial macrophage infiltrates.


The Muskox intrusion was emplaced into a rift in the northwestern Canadian Shield at about 1270 Ma. This rifting event was associated with extensive flood basalt magmatism (Coppermine River basalt) and is attributed to the development of a mantle plume centered some 400 km north of the intrusion. Nickel-copper sulfides occur at the margins of the intrusion. The geologic setting of these sulfides is similar to that of a number of Ni-Cu sulfide deposits, such as those found in the Noril'sk-Talnakh area, the Duluth Complex, the Insizwa Complex, and the Cape Smith belt. Some of the marginal sulfides at Muskox are similar in composition to the Cu-PGE-rich Noril'sk-Talnakh sulfides and contain 16 percent Cu and up to 200ppm Pt + Pd + Au. However, most of the Muskox marginal sulfides were found to contain 3 to 10 percent Ni + Cu and intermediate levels of platinum-group elements (PGE) (1-10 ppm) similar to the Minnimax deposit of the Duluth Complex. The PGE content of the sulfides increases from the margins to the interior of the intrusion. This increase could be due to an increase in the ratio of silicate to sulfide liquid (R factor) during the crystallization of the intrusion. The high percentage of delta 34 S per mil of the sulfides indicates that the S in the sulfides was derived from the country rocks. Therefore, the amount of sulfide liquid that formed could have been controlled by the availability of S, which in turn was controlled by the distance from the contact with the country rock. Disseminated sulfides occur in association with a chromite-rich orthopyroxenite in the layered series of the Muskox intrusion. These sulfides have a strata-bound character similar to classic PGE reefs, such as the Merensky reef of the Bushveld intrusion. The sulfides from the Muskox reef unit contain only 1 to 10 ppm PGE, an order of magnitude less than sulfides from classic PGE reefs. The lower PGE content of the Muskox reef sulfides is attributed to a lower R factor; approximately 1,000 at Muskox versus greater than 10,000 for classical reefs. The sulfide-bearing rocks have higher Cu/Ni, Pd/Ir, Pd/Pt, and Rh/Ir ratios than sulfide-poor rocks. This is because the sulfides are enriched in Cu, Pd, and Rh to a greater degree than in Ni, Pt, and Ir. The difference in the degree of enrichment for these metals could be the result of Ni, Pt, and Ir having lower partition coefficients in sulfide liquid than Cu, Pd, and Rh; contamination of the Muskox magma with a partial melt of country rock; or a combination of these factors.


This research aimed to find strategic methods in community engagement related to regional sustainable development, specifically within the context of regions in Europe and North America that are applying for the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development was presented as a planning framework that can fill gaps in the current Biosphere Reserve planning process. A tool for assessing community engagement based on the five Process Characteristics of transparency, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, and involvement was created and used to explore community engagement practices in six UNESCO Biosphere Reserve regions in Sweden and Canada. The assessment of methods used in those six regions yielded a list of nine methods which stood out in contributing to community engagement.


By definition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emerges early in life. Core clinical symptoms generally appear after a child's first birthday, and most children receive a diagnosis by the age of 4 years. This relatively narrow window of birth to age of onset affords the opportunity to chart the neurodevelopmental processes that give rise to ASD. Although much remains unknown, magnetic resonance brain imaging studies centered around the emergence of the disorder have yielded important clues about its pathogenesis. Prominent findings include evidence of increased cortical gray and white matter volumes, increased amygdala volumes, aberrant structural and functional connectivity, and atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories. Findings to date suggest a disrupted pattern of early brain development during an interval typically characterized by dramatic experience-dependent neurobehavioral development. Developmentally informed neuroimaging studies of ASD have the potential to improve our knowledge pertaining to etiology and early intervention.


In capital intensive industries, firms face complicated multi-stage financing, investment, and production decisions under the watchful eye of existing and potential industry rivals. We consider a two-stage simplification of this environment. In the first stage, an incumbent firm benefits from two first-mover advantages by precommiting to a debt financing policy and a capacity investment policy. In the second stage, the incumbent and a single-stage rival simultaneously choose production levels and realize stochastic profits. We characterize the incumbent's first-stage debt and capacity choices as factors in the production of an intermediate good we call "output deterrence." In our two-factor deterrence model, we show that the incumbent chooses a unique capacity policy and a threshold debt policy to achieve the optimal level of deterrence coinciding with full Stackelberg leadership. When we remove the incumbent's first-mover advantage in capacity, the full Stackelberg level of deterrence is still achievable, albeit with a higher level of debt than the threshold. In contrast, when we remove the incumbent's first-mover advantage in debt, the Stackelberg level of deterrence may no longer be achievable and the incumbent may suffer a dead-weight loss. Evidence on the telecommunications industry shows that firms have increased their leverage in a manner consistent with deterring potential rivals following the 1996 deregulation.


Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that negatively affects spermatogenesis, a process where Sertoli cells play a central role. Thus, in the present study we sought to ascertain whether BPA could modulate the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in exposed mouse primary Sertoli cells. Under our experimental conditions, BPA turned out to be cytotoxic to Sertoli cells with an half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ~6.0 µM. Exposure to a non-cytotoxic dose of BPA (i.e., 0.5 μM for 48 h) increased the expression levels of specific components of the eCB system, namely: type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor and diacylglycerol lipase-α (DAGL-α), at mRNA level, type-2 cannabinoid (CB2) receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors, and DAGL-β, at protein level. Interestingly, BPA also increased the production of inhibin B, but not that of transferrin, and blockade of either CB2 receptor or TRPV1 receptor further enhanced the BPA effect. Altogether, our study provides unprecedented evidence that BPA deranges the eCB system of Sertoli cells towards CB2- and TRPV1-dependent signal transduction, both receptors being engaged in modulating BPA effects on inhibin B production. These findings add CB2 and TRPV1 receptors, and hence the eCB signaling, to the other molecular targets of BPA already known in mammalian cells.


Multiproduct firms dominate production, and their product turnover contributes substantially to aggregate growth. Firms continually adapt their product mix, but what determines which products firms expand into? Theories of the firm propose that mulitproduct firms choose to make products which need the same know-how or inputs that can't be bought 'off the shelf'. We empirically examine this rationale by testing for firm-level capabilities that are shared across products and manifested through input-output (IO) linkages. We show that a firm's idiosyncratic horizontal and vertical similarity to a product's IO structure predicts product adoption. Using product-specific policy changes for a firm's inputs and outputs, we show that input linkages are the most important, suggesting that firms' product capabilities depend more on economies of scope rather than product market complementarities.


The Republic of Finland's situation during the second half of the 20th century was unique. The nation which had been on the losing side in the Second World War became strongly dependent on the victor state, the Soviet Union. The situation which resulted from this gained the name 'Finlandisation' outside of Finland; on the one hand it meant the abandonment of sovereignity in foreign policies in return for the right to preserve the nation's domestic political base. On the other, it essentially meant becoming a satellite of the USSR. In the USSR, Finlandisation was called 'good neighbour politics'. This article treats the topic of a phenomenon which accompanied Finlandisation – the neo-Stalinist politics of a smaller part of the Finnish Communist Party (the party split after the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968). These Finnish minority communists were called 'Taistoists' after their leader Taisto Sinisalo. In Estonia, the Taistoists are usually mentioned when discussing the relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union, but even the general concept – taistolaisuus, Taistoism – lacks an Estonian equivalent. Because of this, the expression neo-Stalinists, which they themselves accepted, is henceforth used as a synonym. This group was particularly active in the 1970s; they currently lack an organisation of their own. The chief aim of the neo-Stalinists was to make Finland a socialist state. The neo-Stalinists were particularly active at universities, in the press and at theatres. The main emphasis was placed on the 'peace-loving' politics of the Soviet Union and monitoring to ensure that that anything of an anti-Soviet nature wasn't published in Finnish public media. They presented a suggestion for legislative change according to which criticism of the Soviet Union would have become a criminal offense.It was mainly due to their influence that a situation arose in Finnish mainstream media where a large part of the events in recent history were hushed down if they couldn't be interpreted in accordance with the Soviet spirit (the Winter War, the fate of the Baltic countries, etc.). The Taistoist movement fell apart at the end of the 1980s, and the majority of its adherents abandoned politics. The current Finnish attitude towards them is two-fold: they are either idealised or their importance is diminished. More often than not, it is emphasised that the neo-Stalinists were a marginal phenomenon which fed off the Finnish domestic and foreign politics of the time, where maintaining good relations with the Soviet Union was of ultimate importance. These issues rose to the surface once again in 2008 and 2009, with the publication of Finnish–Estonian author Sofi Oksanen's novel Purge . Different people purporting interpretations of important issues in Estonian history– the deportations and the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries– appeared in the Finnish media. Knowledge about the Stalinist ideological current that at one time existed in Finland can be an aid in gaining understanding about this approach (ignorance of the history of the Soviet Union and Estonia, etc.). As a narrow and fierce ideological current, Finnish historians have compared neo-Stalinism to the ideology of the extreme right-wing Academic Karelia Society of the 1920s and 1930s, which comprised a component of uncompromising hatred of things Russian (ryssanviha). The main proponents of both ideologies were academics, university students and other intellectuals. The great task of the AKS had been the building of a defence line against the Soviet Union. The neo-Stalinists found their ideal and support in the Soviet Union, who would help build their ideal society in Finland. Both were utterly in error; Finnish society rejected both one-sided hatred of everything Russian as well as blind admiration of the Soviet Union.


Liwa Botanical Garden is located in West Lampung Regency and is one of the conservation of ornamental plants that presents the rich flora of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. One of the flagship collections of this botanical garden is a natural orchid. Until now, disease infections are still a major obstacle in efforts to preserve and develop the potential of natural orchids. Based on previous research, it is known that several individual orchid collections from Liwa Botanical Garden show symptoms of bacterial infection. This pathogen will infect orchids and cause soft rot disease. This research was conducted to determine the identification of diseases and efforts to protect natural orchids against bacterial infections in the Liwa Botanical Garden through a collection of samples that showed symptoms of infection, analysis of disease symptoms, and analysis of disease resistance levels. The results showed that the response of the natural orchids of Liwa Botanical Garden to bacterial infections was to show symptoms of soft rot disease, i.e Bulbophyllum sp., Dendrobium crumenatum, Dendrobium montanum, Pholidota sp., and Vanilla sp. The type of orchid that shows the most symptoms of bacterial infection is Vanilla sp. 11 samples, and Pholidota sp. and Dendrobium crumenatum with 3 samples each. The type of orchid that shows the most symptoms is Flickingeria sp. a total of 8 samples. The natural type of the Liwa Botanical Garden which is most susceptible to bacterial infections is Pholidota sp. and Vanilla sp. with disease intensity of 10% and 7.7%. The results of this activity are expected to be basic information in efforts to protect plants against diseases to support the application of conservation of natural orchids in Liwa Botanical Garden.


From typical metrology parameters for common wireless and microwave components to the implementation of measurement benches, this introduction to metrology contains all the key information on the subject. Using it, readers will be able to: Interpret and measure most of the parameters described in a microwave component's datasheet Understand the practical limitations and theoretical principles of instrument operation Combine several instruments into measurement benches for measuring microwave and wireless quantities. Several practical examples are included, demonstrating how to measure intermodulation distortion, error vector magnitude, S-parameters and large signal waveforms. Each chapter then ends with a set of exercises, allowing readers to test their understanding of the material covered and making the book equally suited for course use and for self-study.


Characterization and degradation of fatty acid methyl esters and biodiesel in artificial seawater under UV exposure using Raman Spectroscopy Julie E. Blanchfield Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Research Associate Professor Qiuming Yu Department of Chemical Engineering As global concerns over the environmental impact of petroleum fuels increase, alternatives such as biofuels are becoming more prevalent. Most of the world's commodities are shipped over the oceans by large cargo vessels and the carriage of potentially hazardous cargo has safety and environmental risks. The carriage of biofuels is becoming more commonplace and an environmental discharge of such fuels is a potential given international allowances for cargo tank cleaning. The fate of biodiesel in the marine environment is a newer focus of research as the industry expands. This research characterizes the vibrational modes of the building blocks of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)) and a commercial biodiesel sample through Raman spectroscopy. The concentration sensitivity of the Raman spectroscope in concentrations of ultrapure and artificial seawater was found to be low; concentrations of 20% oil in water were necessary for good spectral resolution. Commercial biodiesel in artificial seawater was exposed under a UV lamp for 23 days to evaluate the degradation mechanisms. Isomerization was evidenced by the decline of the cis configurational vibration modes of the =CH bends. Photooxidation was apparent as the samples' double bonds broke down over time. It was shown from comparison with a lab-made FAME mix that the antioxidants in commercial biodiesel slowed this process considerably. Hydrolysis occurred breaking down the biodiesel's FAMEs into their relative free fatty acid and methanol. Methanol evaporated significantly from the sample; its presence was not measured directly through Raman spectroscopy but through a literature review and evaluation of vapor pressures, it was shown that methanol formed. The toxicity of methanol is a concern to marine organisms; however if most of the methanol formed through this degradation evaporates and exists the marine environment through natural physical oceanographic and transport processes, it is unlikely that biodiesel residue into the ocean will cause measurable harm to aquatic organisms.


The development of magnetic technologies employing microfabricated magnetic structures for the production of integrated electronic components is a driving topic in the electronic industry. Despite the large amount of work reported in the literature towards the production of magnetic devices that can be integrated into conventional silicon technology, the published research has only achieved moderate success. The research presented in this thesis was conducted with the aim to progress towards the production of a magnetic MEMS relay based on electrodeposited NiFe that combines magnetic and electrostatic actuation and that can be integrated in a standard IC processing chain. This work includes a comprehensive design study for the proposed MEMS device and presents the development of the manufacturing processes required for its fabrication. As the theoretical performance of the device is found to be crucially reliant on the mechanical and magnetic properties of the microformed structures, a series of novel test methodologies has been devised and implemented with the aim of acquiring knowledge on the behaviour of the NiFe films. Novel mechanical test routines employing microfabricated test structures are presented and applied to build a systematic and robust system for the characterisation of the electrodeposited films. The quantitative mapping of residual stress at the wafer level using microfabricated test structures has been demonstrated for the first time and applied to optimise processes and tools. A complete fabrication process flow for manufacturing the designed magnetic MEMS switch has been proposed and the fabrication of the actuated section of the switch has been demonstrated, comprising all the functional electric and magnetic components. The fabricated magnetic devices have been tested to monitor their response to an external magnetic force and prove their viability for use in MEMS actuators. Additional work was finally conducted towards the development of a reliable and robust process aimed at increasing the device yield and thus facilitating the eventual commercialisation of magnetic MEMS switches.


Neural networks are very powerful learning systems, but they do not readily generalize from one task to the other. This is partly due to the fact that they do not learn in a compositional way, that is, by discovering skills that are shared by different tasks, and recombining them to solve new problems. In this paper, we explore the compositional generalization capabilities of recurrent neural networks (RNNs). We first propose the lookup table composition domain as a simple setup to test compositional behaviour and show that it is theoretically possible for a standard RNN to learn to behave compositionally in this domain when trained with standard gradient descent and provided with additional supervision. We then remove this additional supervision and perform a search over a large number of model initializations to investigate the proportion of RNNs that can still converge to a compositional solution. We discover that a small but non-negligible proportion of RNNs do reach partial compositional solutions even without special architectural constraints. This suggests that a combination of gradient descent and evolutionary strategies directly favouring the minority models that developed more compositional approaches might suffice to lead standard RNNs towards compositional solutions.


Abstract Bactocell® is the trade name for a feed additive based on viable cells of a strain of Pediococcus acidilactici. Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on Bactocell® in the context of the renewal of the authorisation for shrimps, salmonids and fish other than salmonids. In addition, the applicant requested the extension of use for all crustaceans. The applicant has provided evidence that the additive currently in the market complies with the existing conditions of authorisation. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that Bactocell® Aqua 10 Md/100 Md is safe under the current conditions of authorisation for the target species (all fish, shrimps and all crustaceans), consumers of products from animals fed the additive and the environment. Bactocell® Aqua 10 Md/100 Md is non‐irritant to skin and eyes and is not a dermal sensitiser, but should be considered a potential respiratory sensitiser. Exposure of users by inhalation is very likely. There is no need for assessing the efficacy of Bactocell® in the context of the renewal of the authorisation. The Panel concludes that the additive at the minimum inclusion level of 1 × 109 CFU/kg feed has the potential to be efficacious in salmonids and in the new species proposed, i.e. all crustaceans.


Recent research on dairy sector restructuring in Poland has been concentrated mainly on analysis conducted from the macro-level perspective, thus, although providing valuable insights, have come up with at most partial answer to the problem of the farm-level impact of supply chain restructuring More specifically, none of them has quantitatively analysed determinants of market channel choices of dairy farmers in Poland. They have not explored either the impact of market channel choice on farms' financial situation. The main objective of the present research is to fill this gap. Furthermore, since there have been growing concerns related to potential negative impact that supply chain modernisation may have on small farmers' access to the market, and thus on rural poverty, the analysis attempts to address the issue of smaller producers' marginalisation.


There is little empirical evidence on the benefits of deploying a project management office (PMO) and/or conducting project reviews. Drawing on the information processing view of organizations, goal setting and social cognitive theory, this study investigates the effects of those two organizational mechanisms on the project performance of organizations in the construction and information systems (IS) industries. The results show that the effects on project performance of deploying PMOs and conducting project reviews are contingent on task uncertainty. Construction organizations improve their project performance by conducting project reviews to provide performance feedback to the project teams, enabling them to make timely adjustments to their project management strategies. In contrast, IS services organizations improve their project performance by deploying PMOs to facilitate cross-project learning.


Background: The mechanisms underlying the relationship between particulate matter (PM) air pollution and cardiac disease are not fully understood. Objectives: We examined the effects and time course of exposure to fine PM [aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5)] on cardiac arrhythmia in 105 middle-age community-dwelling healthy nonsmokers in central Pennsylvania. Methods: The 24-hr beat-to-beat electrocardiography data were obtained using a high-resolution Holter system. After visually identifying and removing artifacts, we summarized the total number of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and premature atrial contractions (PACs) for each 30-min segment. A personal PM2.5 nephelometer was used to measure individual-level real-time PM2.5 exposures for 24 hr. We averaged these data to obtain 30-min average time–specific PM2.5 exposures. Distributed lag models under the framework of negative binomial regression and generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the rate ratio between 10-μg/m3 increases in average PM2.5 over 30-min intervals and ectopy counts. Results: The mean ± SD age of participants was 56 ± 8 years, with 40% male and 73% non-Hispanic white. The 30-min mean ± SD for PM2.5 exposure was 13 ± 22 μg/m3, and PAC and PVC counts were 0.92 ± 4.94 and 1.22 ± 7.18. Increases of 10 μg/m3 in average PM2.5 concentrations during the same 30 min or the previous 30 min were associated with 8% and 3% increases in average PVC counts, respectively. PM2.5 was not significantly associated with PAC count. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure within approximately 60 min was associated with increased PVC counts in healthy individuals.


Runtime verification (RV) is an effective and automated method for specification based offline testing as well as online monitoring of complex real-world systems. Firstly, a software framework for RV needs to exhibit certain design features to support usability, modifiability and efficiency. While usability and modifiability are important for providing support for expressive logical formalisms, efficiency is required to reduce the extra overhead at run time. Secondly, most existing techniques assume the existence of a complete execution trace for RV. However, real-world systems often produce incomplete execution traces due to reasons such as network issues, logging failures, etc. A few verification techniques have recently emerged for performing verification of incomplete execution traces. While some of these techniques sacrifice soundness, others are too restrictive in their tolerance for incompleteness. For addressing the first problem, we introduce RitHM, a comprehensive framework, which enables development and integration of efficient verification techniques. RitHM's design takes into account various state-of-the-art techniques that are developed to optimize RV w.r.t. the efficiency of monitors and expressivity of logical formalisms. RitHM's design supports modifiability by allowing a reuse of efficient monitoring algorithms in the form of plugins, which can utilize heterogeneous back-ends. RitHM also supports extensions of logical formalisms through logic plugins. It also facilitates the interoperability between implementations of monitoring algorithms, and this feature allows utilizing different efficient algorithms for monitoring different sub-parts of a specification. We evaluate RitHM's architecture and architectures of a few more tools using architecture trade-off analysis (ATAM) method. We also report empirical results, where RitHM is used for monitoring real-world systems. The results underscore the importance of various design features of RitHM. For addressing the second problem, we identify a fragment of LTL specifications, which can be soundly monitored in the presence of transient loss events in an execution trace. We present an offline algorithm, which identifies whether an LTL formula is monitorable in a presence of a transient loss of events and constructs a loss-tolerant monitor depending upon the monitorability of the formula. Our experimental results demonstrate that our method increases the applicability of RV for monitoring various real-world applications, which produce lossy traces. The extra overhead caused by our constructed monitors is minimal as demonstrated by application of our method on commonly used patterns of LTL formulas.


Abstract. Based on a large data set of polar NOAA-type satellite observations we studied the latitude-MLT shape of the 80keV proton isotropy boundary (IB) as a function of the solar wind parameters and magnetic activity. Using "snapshots" of isotropy boundaries near-simultaneously crossed at four points we found that its equatorward expansion, as well as its dawn-dusk shift, depends mostly on the AE -index and on the corrected D st *, whereas the amplitude of the IB daily variation is mostly controlled by the solar wind dynamic pressure. Applying a nonlinear, multi-parametric, least-square regression procedure, the empirical relationship describing the IB latitude as a function of MLT and AE , Pd, D st * parameters was obtained. Comparing it with the predictions from the Tsyganenko-2001 model we found a good agreement during the quiet time but some important differences during the disturbed periods. Interpretation of these results in terms of the properties of the magnetospheric configuration is briefly discussed.


Abstract. Bivalve calcification, particularly of the early larval stages, is highly sensitive to the change in ocean carbonate chemistry resulting from atmospheric CO2 uptake. Earlier studies suggested that declining seawater [CO32−] and thereby lowered carbonate saturation affect shell production. However, disturbances of physiological processes such as acid-base regulation by adverse seawater pCO2 and pH can affect calcification in a secondary fashion. In order to determine the exact carbonate system component by which growth and calcification are affected it is necessary to utilize more complex carbonate chemistry manipulations. As single factors, pCO2 had no effects and [HCO3-] and pH had only limited effects on shell growth, while lowered [CO32−] strongly impacted calcification. Dissolved inorganic carbon (CT) limiting conditions led to strong reductions in calcification, despite high [CO32−], indicating that [HCO3-] rather than [CO32−] is the inorganic carbon source utilized for calcification by mytilid mussels. However, as the ratio [HCO3-] / [H+] is linearly correlated with [CO32−] it is not possible to differentiate between these under natural seawater conditions. An equivalent of about 80 μmol kg−1 [CO32−] is required to saturate inorganic carbon supply for calcification in bivalves. Below this threshold biomineralization rates rapidly decline. A comparison of literature data available for larvae and juvenile mussels and oysters originating from habitats differing substantially with respect to prevailing carbonate chemistry conditions revealed similar response curves. This suggests that the mechanisms which determine sensitivity of calcification in this group are highly conserved. The higher sensitivity of larval calcification seems to primarily result from the much higher relative calcification rates in early life stages. In order to reveal and understand the mechanisms that limit or facilitate adaptation to future ocean acidification, it is necessary to better understand the physiological processes and their underlying genetics that govern inorganic carbon assimilation for calcification.


This ar ticle addresses the dilemmas associated with continuing to interpret women's experience through the lens of a progress narrative that emerged to represent the aspirations of women during the peak of the women's movement. The central theme of this narrative is that gender will no longer act as a social constraint once women are recognized as workers as well as mothers. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Karl Mannheim and empirical data from in-depth inter views under taken as par t of a generational study of Australian women, the ar ticle argues that the progress narrative no longer inspires young women, who take gender equity for granted. Although motherhood continues to shape their working arrangements, the discourses they use to make sense of the tensions involved are embedded in a new Zeitgeist which prioritizes `choice', not `equity'. The implications of this shift for the `work-life balance' social policy agenda are then considered.


This volume explores encounters between Pacific peoples and foreigners during the longue duree of European exploration, colonisation and settlement from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. This volume, the result of ongoing collaborations between Australian and French anthropologists, historians and linguists, explores encounters between Pacific peoples and foreigners during the longue duree of European exploration, colonisation and settlement from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. It deploys the concept of 'encounter' rather than the more common idea of 'first contact' for several reasons. Encounters with Europeans occurred in the context of extensive prior encounters and exchanges between Pacific peoples, manifest in the distribution of languages and objects and in patterns of human settlement and movement. The concept of encounter highlights the mutuality in such meetings of bodies and minds, whereby preconceptions from both sides were brought into confrontation, dialogue, mutual influence and ultimately mutual transformation. It stresses not so much prior visions of 'strangers' or 'others' but the contingencies in events of encounter and how senses other than vision were crucial in shaping reciprocal appraisals. But a stress on mutual meanings and interdependent agencies in such cross-cultural encounters should not occlude the tumultuous misunderstandings, political contests and extreme violence which also characterised Indigenous-European interactions over this period.


This paper highlights some of the theoretical and practical implications for monetary policy and exchange rates that derive specifically from the presence of a global general equilibrium factor embedded in neutral real policy rates in open economies. Using a standard two country DSGE model, we derive a structural decomposition in which the nominal exchange rate is a function of the expected present value of future neutral real interest rate differentials plus a business cycle factor and a PPP factor. Country specific "r*" shocks in general require optimal monetary policy to pass these through to the policy rate, but such shocks will also have exchange rate implications, with an expected decline in the path of the real neutral policy rate reflected in a depreciation of the nominal exchange rate. We document a novel empirical regularity between the equilibrium error in the VECM representation of the empirical Holston Laubach Williams (2017) four country r* model and the value of the nominal trade weighted dollar. In fact, the correlation between the dollar and the 12 quarter lag of the HLW equilibrium error is estimated to be 0.7. Global shocks to r* under optimal policy require no exchange rate adjustment because passing though r* shocks to policy rates 'does all the work' of maintaining global equilibrium. We also study a richer model with international spill overs so that in theory there can be gains to international policy cooperation. In this richer model we obtain a similar decomposition for the nominal exchange rate, but with the added feature that r* in each country is a function global productivity and business cycle factors even if these factors are themselves independent across countries. We argue that in practice, there could well be significant costs to central bank communication and credibility under a regime formal policy cooperation, but that gains to policy coordination could be substantial given that r*'s are unobserved but are correlated across countries.


Title: Nerve growth factor is expressed by postmitotic avian retinal horizontal cells and supports their survival during development in an autocrine mode of action. SUMMARY Cell death in the developing retina is regulated, but so far little is known about what factors regulate the cell death. Several neurotrophic factors and receptors, including the neurotrophins and Trk receptors, are expressed during the critical time. We have studied the developing avian retina with respect to the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in these processes. Our starting point for the work was that NGF and its receptor TrkA are expressed in a partially overlapping pattern in the inner nuclear layer of the developing retina. Our results show that TrkA and NGF-expressing cells are postmitotic. The first NGF-expressing cells were found on the vitreal side of the central region of E5.5–E6 retina. This pattern changed and NGF-expressing cells identified as horizontal cells were later confined to the external inner nuclear layer. We show that these horizontal cells co-express TrkA and NGF, unlike a subpopulation of amacrine cells that only expresses TrkA. In contrast to the horizontal cells, which survive, the majority of the TrkA-expressing amacrine cells die during a period of cell death in the inner nuclear layer. Intraocular injections of NGF protein rescued the dying amacrine cells and injection of antisense oligonucleotides for NGF that block its synthesis, caused death among the TrkA-expressing horizontal cells, which normally would survive. Our results suggest that NGF supports the survival of TrkA expressing avian horizontal cells in an autocrine mode of action in the retina of E10-E12 chicks. The cells co-express TrkA and NGF and the role for NGF is to maintain the TrkA-expressing horizontal cells. The TrkA-expressing amacrine cells are not supported by NGF and subsequently die. In addition to the effect on survival, our results suggest that NGF plays a role in horizontal cell plasticity.


Many of the challenges in international development are complex in nature. They involve many actors in uncertain contexts and with unclear solutions. Our work has proposed an approach to addressing such challenges, called Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA). This paper is the most recent in a series intended to show how one can do PDIA, building on the first paper, "Doing Problem Driven Work." The current paper addresses a key part of the approach one moves to once a problem has been identified, performing real-time experimental iterations. This is intended as a practical paper that builds on experience and embeds exercises for readers who are actually involved in this kind of work.


This article examines the relation between the University of Pretoria and the City of Tshwane, outlining seven different kinds of relation as they have taken shape historically. The first type relation between the University and the City presented here, establishes correspondences in public architecture at the height of apartheid modernity, between structures marking and shaping political convergences. The second type of relation is premised on the walling in and fencing off of the University from the City; the Metro musings exhibition inaugurating the 'Capital Cities' project looks across the divides thus cemented, from within the confines of the University. The third type of relation is that of 'Community Engagement' culminating in the annual Mandela Day activities, impelled by ideas on the Developmental State featuring in the National Development Plan. In the fourth type of relation, corporate models of municipal governance find common cause with the corporate management styles of the University, expressed in corporate partnerships combining a 'University of Excellence' with 'the African City of Excellence'. The strategies envisaged for social intervention emerging from this 'partnership' form a sixth type of relation between the University and the City. In the process of pitting property and law against poverty and lawlessness, new civic challenges are emerging for transformative constitutionalism and for the University. In both arenas, this article concludes, what is at stake is a seventh type of relation between the University and the City – outside of the 'legal'-'illegal' distinction. For the University, in particular, this would entail a productive idea of 'dissensus'.


This study examines over 300 letters of recommendation for medical faculty at a large American medical school in the mid-1990s, using methods from corpus and discourse analysis, with the theoretical perspective of gender schema from cognitive psychology. Letters written for female applicants were found to differ systematically from those written for male applicants in the extremes of length, in the percentages lacking in basic features, in the percentages with doubt raisers (an extended category of negative language, often associated with apparent commendation), and in frequency of mention of status terms. Further, the most common semantically grouped possessive phrases referring to female and male applicants (`her teaching,' `his research') reinforce gender schema that tend to portray women as teachers and students, and men as researchers and professionals.


Background: The identification of asymmetrical inter-limb ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) has the potential to influence the course of treatment during the rehabilitation process, with limitations in ankle DF ROM potentially increas-ing injury risk. However, reliability for methods to identify ankle DF ROM asymmetries remain under described in the literature. Purpose: To determine the reliability of the trigonometric calculation method for measuring ankle DF ROM during the weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT) for both a single limb and the symmetry values. The secondary purpose was to establish values of ankle DF ROM asymmetry and identify the influence of leg dominance on ankle DF ROM. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Ankle DF ROM was measured bilaterally in 50 healthy and recreationally active participants (28 men, 22 women, age = 22 ± 4 years, height = 172.8 ± 10.8 cm, body mass 71.5 ± 15.1 kg), using the trigonometric measurement method during the WBLT. Each ankle was measured twice in a single testing session to establish within-session reliability. Results: Values are presented for asymmetries in DF ROM. No differences were identified between the dominant and non-dominant limb ( p = 0.862). Within-session reliability for measuring a single limb was classified as 'good' (ICC = 0.98) with a minimal detectable change value of 1.7°. For measuring ankle DF ROM asymmetry, reliability was established as 'good' (ICC = 0.85) and a minimal detectable change value of 2.1° was determined. Conclusions: Although symmetry in ankle DF ROM may not be assumed, the magnitude of asymmetry may be less than previously reported in a population of recreationally active individuals. Discrepancies between previous research and the findings of the present study may have been impacted by differences in measurement methods. Furthermore, clinicians should be aware that the error associated with measures of asymmetry for ankle DF ROM during the WBLT is greater than that of a single limb.