Commentary on : Vik I, Bollestad M, Grude N, et al . Ibuprofen versus pivmecillinam for uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women—a double-blind, randomized non-inferiority trial. PLoS Med . 2018;15:e1002569.

Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common condition, and many affected women are treated with antibiotics. However, since complications are rare, the main treatment goal is to reduce symptoms.1 Several trials indicate that many patients recover with symptomatic treatment or delayed prescription,2 3 and reducing avoidable antibiotic prescriptions gains in importance to decrease resistance development.4 5 Against this background, Vik et al conducted this randomised controlled trial to assess non-inferiority of symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated UTI.6 Nearly simultaneously, similar trials assessed fosfomycin versus ibuprofen7 respectively norfloxacin versus diclofenac8 in treatment of uncomplicated UTI.

To assess whether …


From 1996 to 2003, four 12-month population-based surveys were performed in FoodNet sites to determine the burden of diarrhoeal disease in the population. Acute diarrhoeal illness (ADI) was defined as [ges ]3 loose stools in 24 hours with impairment of daily activities or duration of diarrhoea >1 day. A total of 52840 interviews were completed. The overall weighted prevalence of ADI in the previous month was 5·1% (95% CI±0·3%), corresponding to 0·6 episodes of ADI per person per year. The average monthly prevalence of ADI was similar in each of the four survey cycles (range 4·5–5·2%). Rates of ADI were highest in those age <5 years. Of those with ADI, 33·8% (95% CI±2·7%) reported vomiting, 19·5% (95% CI±2·1%) visited a medical provider, and 7·8% (95% CI±1·4%) took antibiotics. Rates of ADI were remarkably consistent over time, and demonstrate the substantial burden placed on the health-care system.


The U.S. punishment system is in turmoil. We have a historically unprecedented number of offenders in prison, and our prisoners are serving longer sentences than in any other country. States are surreptitiously experimenting with formulas for lethal injection cocktails, and some prisoners are suffering from botched executions. Despite this tumult, the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution does place limits on the punishments that may be imposed and how they may be implemented. The difficulty, though, is that the Supreme Court's Eighth Amendment jurisprudence is a bit of a mess. The Court has been consistent in stating that a focus on offender dignity is at the core of the Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments, but there has been virtually no analysis of what this dignity requirement means. This Article takes the first foray into this unexplored landscape and finds that the Constitution demands that the individuality of offenders be considered in imposing and carrying out sentences. While this appears to be a simple concept, it raises significant concerns about several modern-day sentencing practices. Punishments rooted in pure utilitarianism, by neglecting the importance of the individual offender, run afoul of this dignity demand. This sheds doubt on the propriety of some judges' assertions that defendants' freestanding innocence claims cannot stand because policy considerations like finality are of paramount importance; an individual offender cannot be ignored purely for the sake of societal goals. For the same reason, the importance of individual dignity should lead us to question statutes supporting only utilitarian aims of punishment. While this raises questions about the constitutionality of pure deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation, these purposes of punishment may be reconceptualized to account for the individual offender. For example, rehabilitation could be reformulated to consider not only the offender's effects on society when he is returned to the community but also whether the offender's character has been reformed. Finally, the importance of Eighth Amendment dignity raises questions about the constitutionality of mandatorily imposed punishments, which overlook the importance of individualization in sentencing. If we take seriously the dignity core of the Eighth Amendment, then many of these practices must be reconsidered.


INTRODUCTION The Kalu Ganga (Black River) reservoir development is a national irrigation development project in Sri Lanka. The development will impact communities and local environments for the project site is located in a very sensitive area in terms of its culture and physical environment. Because of the lack of communication and the effect of the top-down decision process on local communities, the project has been halted. Traditionally, GIS technology captures one official version, promoting an agency and "expert" data-driven representation (Harris et al. 1996). However, the recent development of critical approaches to GIS and social issues has raised a number of important concerns among scholars (Mark 1993, Harvey and Chrisman 1998, Harris and Weiner 1996, 1998), and exploring the potential role of PPGIS applications in social and environmental research is an important component of this research. PPGIS is a familiar initiative in many disciplines for participatory decision making with regard to national planning and development proposals. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is a vital element in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which helps minimize impacts on local communities caused by development projects and proposed mitigation measures. Since the official recognition in the National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 of the potential negative impacts of large-scale project developments on the environment, a formal EIA process has been developed and adopted in most countries. Both concepts require professional involvement with participatory approaches and innovative methods to identify societal concerns over development proposals. Currently, PPGIS application in SIA is not fully integrated, and developing these innovative approaches is vital in incorporating the voice of the local community inhabitants who will be greatly impacted by changes to their environment and lifestyles. This paper presents challenges encountered in the process of conducting SIA in the Kalu Ganga reservoir project (1) in the Matale District in Sri Lanka. Development projects and programs in Sri Lanka have adopted SIA as part of the decision-making procedure in recent years. Although this assessment tool is widely applied in large-scale development proposals, Sri Lankan SIA studies have historically been based on expert opinions and technical applications and have been limited with regards to public participation. In the past, Sri Lanka's use of SIA has excluded intuitive and participatory analysis, relying solely on experts' application to mitigate impacts. According to IAIA (2003), "public participation is defined as the involvement of individuals and groups that are positively or negatively affected by, or that are interested in, a proposed project, program and policy that is subject to a decision-making process." As Burdge (2002) stated, SIA brings more public participation, and helps communities, government and private-sector organizations to comprehend and anticipate the possible social consequences on human populations and communities of proposed development projects. Accordingly, if performed properly, SIA has great potential to help all stakeholders plan for social change resulting from a proposed action (IAIA 2003). Although public opinions are collected using a variety of field research methods (such as questionnaire surveys, key-informants interviews, focus-groups interviews, etc.), it has been revealed that, for the most part, in the Sri Lankan experience local voices have been undermined. This exclusionary practice is especially true in the final decision-making process. Top-down technical solutions that protect government and agency interests without factoring in local concerns have been imposed on impacted communities. Despite criticism by the scientific community and liberal media, hierarchical and expert-driven planning dominates the decision-making process with little more than a nod to community participation. …


As dialog systems become more capable, users tend to talk more spontaneously and less formally. Spontaneous speech includes features which convey information about the user's state. In particular, filled pauses, such as um and uh, can indicate that the user is having trouble, wants more time, wants to hold the floor, or is uncertain. In this paper we present a first study of the acoustic characteristics of filled pauses in tutorial dialogs. We show that in this domain, as in other domains, filled pauses typically have flat pitch and fairly constant energy. We present a simple algorithm based on these features which detects filled pauses with 80% coverage and 67% accuracy. Analysis of the prediction failures shows that some are due to filled pauses of unusual types and related phenomena: filled pauses marking a change of state, cases where uncertainty is marked by lengthening a vowel in a word, and filled pauses which seque directly into a word. also with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur This research was sponsored in part by National Science Foundation Grant No. 0415150.


The major ingredient of Cinnamomum, which is cinnamic aldehyde, has a variety of uses, such as aromatic compound, beverage, chewing gum, toothpaste, and incense as a component of cosmetics, and halitosis remover. Cinnamic aldehyde is also known to have a remedial effect. In this study, Cinnamomum is used to look for antibacterial activity on oral bacteria. A disk diffusion method is used as the current antimicrobial susceptibility test. Accordingly, this study used the disk diffusion method, wherein antibiotics are used to block the growth of bacteria in order to measure the antibacterial activity. As a result of measuring the antibacterial activity of Cinnamomum extract, Gingivalis and bacteria both appeared to have antibacterial activities. The antibacterial effects of Cinnamomum extract were proven by the disk diffusion method. Therefore, it can be suggested that using Cinnamomum verum as a natural remedy is effective on several oral diseases, including dental caries, and can be used as a substitute for other existing chemicals.


The precedence effect describes the ability of the auditory system to suppress the later-arriving components of sound in a reverberant environment, maintaining the perceived arrival azimuth of a sound in the direction of the actual source, even though later reverberant components may arrive from other directions. It is also widely believed that precedence-like processing can also improve speech intelligibility, as well as the accuracy of speech recognition systems, in reverberant environments. While the mechanisms underlying the precedence effect have traditionally been assumed to be binaural in nature, it is also possible that the suppression of later components may take place monaurally, and that the suppression of the later-arriving components of the spatial image may be a consequence of this more peripheral processing. This paper compares the potential contributions of onset enhancement (and consequent steadystate suppression) of the envelopes of subband components of speech at both the monaural and binaural levels. Experimental results indicate that substantial improvement in recognition accuracy can be obtained in reverberant environments if the feature extraction includes both onset enhancement and binaural interaction. Recognition accuracy appears to be relatively unaffected by the stage in the suppression processing at which the binaural interaction takes place.


This work proposes a method for detecting inundation between semi‐diurnal low and high water conditions in the northern Gulf of Mexico using high‐resolution satellite imagery. Radarsat 1, Landsat imagery and aerial photography from the Apalachicola region in Florida were used to demonstrate and validate the algorithm. A change detection approach was implemented through the analysis of red, green and blue (RGB) false colour composites image to emphasise differences in high and low tide inundation patterns. To alleviate the effect of inherent speckle in the SAR images, we also applied ancillary optical data. The flood‐prone area for the site was delineated a priori through the determination of lower and higher water contour lines with Landsat images combined with a high‐resolution digital elevation model. This masking technique improved the performance of the proposed algorithm with respect to detection techniques using the entire Radarsat scene. The resulting inundation maps agreed well with historical aerial photography as the probability of detection reached 83%. The combination of SAR data and optical images, when coupled with a high‐resolution digital elevation model, was shown to be useful for inundation mapping and have a great potential for evaluating wetting/drying algorithms of inland and coastal hydrodynamic models. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


ABSTRACT Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of preschoolers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an understudied domain, and translational research assisting practitioners in the real-life identification of PTSD symptoms is critical. The current study examined therapists' behavioural notes of 56 children participating in a 10-session intervention following exposure to intimate partner violence. The notes were analysed to identify themes in children's expression of re-experiencing symptoms and examine the overlap of these symptoms with emotional and behavioural dysregulation. The majority of re-experiencing in the therapeutic context was verbally expressed (e.g. storytelling), but physical re-enactments had the most overlap with in-session emotional and behavioural dysregulation. Session content that addressed who is to blame for the violence, characteristics about families, and conflict resolution techniques elicited particularly high levels of re-experiencing symptoms. The findings indicate that re-experiencing symptoms are both evident and recognisable in the therapeutic context, and practitioners should be careful not to misdiagnose children with behaviour disorders when dysregulation is explained by the presence of re-experiencing symptoms. Potential safety mechanisms that can be put in place to support young children during "high triggering" sessions are also considered.


Adoption Reunions: A New Side to Intergenerational Family Relationships* James Gladstone** and Anne Westhues Personal interviews were conducted with 67 adult adoptees who had reunions with birth relatives. A qualitative analysis showed that seven types of post-reunion relationships developed, including those that were "close, " "close but not too close," "distant," "tense, " "ambivalent, " "searching, " and "no contact. " Factors associated with the development of particular relationships are identified. These include structural factors, interactive factors, motivating factors, and values and outlook of birth relatives. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. Very little is known about the outcome of adoption reunions. Increased understanding, however, is especially important at this time when disclosure of adoption information that was once confidential is now being permitted in most Western jurisdictions. Recent literature on adoption disclosure has focused on implications associated with unsealing adoption records. The psychological benefits of releasing information to adoptees are generally weighed against the responsibility that adoption agencies have towards birth parents and towards adoptive parents in terms of maintaining privacy (Anderson, 1977; Garber, 1985; Klibanoff, 1977; Sachdev, 1984). Attention has also been directed to factors associated with adoptees' searches. Numerous reasons, for example, have been cited as to why adoptees initiate a search for a birth relative. These include curiosity, looking for a sense of belonging, seeking medical information, developing a sense of personal identity, wanting more information about whom one looks like, and having an interest in what happened to a birth relative (Day, 1979; Kowal & Schilling, 1985; Picton, 1982; Sachdev, 1984; 1992; Simpson, Timm, & McCubbin, 1981; Sobol & Cardiff, 1983; Sorosky, Baran, & Pannor, 1974; Triseliotis, 1973; Westhues & Gladstone, 1990). Researchers have also found that adoptees searching for their birth parents are usually female and relatively young (Day, 1979; Kowal & Schilling, 1985; Sachdev, 1984; Sorosky, Baran, & Pannor, 1978; Triseliotis, 1973; Westhues & Gladstone, 1989). Adoptees involved in a search are likely to report that they learned about their adoption relatively recently, that learning about their adoption was a traumatic experience, that they had little information about their biological background (Day, 1979; Kowal & Schilling, 1985; Picton, 1982) or that information about their adoption was not personally satisfying (Sobol & Cardiff, 1983). Several studies have found a relationship between searches for birth relatives and negative assessments of adoptive family relationships (Aumend & Barett, 1983; Day, 1979; Sobol & Cardiff, 1983; Sorosky, Baran, & Pannor, 1974; Triseliotis, 1973), though this might not hold in all cases, as Simpson, Timm, & McCubbin (1981) reported the opposite. Studies also show that searches for birth parents are often precipitated by developmental milestones, such as marriage, pregnancy, or the death of an adoptive parent (Day, 1979; Gonyo & Watson, 1988; Kowal & Schilling, 1985; Picton, 1982; Sobol & Cardiff, 1983; Triseliotis, 1973). Some studies have investigated the outcomes of reunions. In Triseliotis' (1973) study, most of the adoptees who had reunions with birth relatives were disappointed in terms of their mutual expectations but were pleased that the reunions had taken place. Sorosky, Baran, and Pannor (1974), Stoneman, Thompson, and Webber (1980), Depp (1982), Picton (1982), and Slaytor (1986) concluded that outcomes were positive for most adoptees, birth family members, and adoptive parents in their studies. Lifton (1988) states that every reunion is a successful experience for adoptees if only because it provides adoptees with a greater sense of personal control over their lives. …


Study Design. Retrospective analysis. Objective. To define thoracic compensation and investigate its association with postoperative reciprocal thoracic kyphosis and proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) Summary of Background Data. Adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients recruit compensatory mechanisms like pelvic retroversion and knee flexion. However, thoracic hypokyphosis is a less recognized compensatory mechanism. Methods. Patients enrolled in a multicenter ASD registry undergoing fusions to the pelvis with upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) between T9 and L1 were included. Patients were divided into those with postoperative reciprocal thoracic kyphosis (reciprocal kyphosis [RK]: change in unfused thoracic kyphosis [TK] ≥15°) with and without PJK and those who maintained thoracic alignment (MT). Thoracic compensation was defined as expected thoracic kyphosis (eTK) minus preoperative TK. Results. For RK (n = 117), the mean change in unfused TK was 21.7° versus 6.1° for MT (n = 102) and the mean PJK angle change was 17.6° versus 5.7° for MT (all P < 0.001). RK and MT were similar in age, body mass index (BMI), sex, and comorbidities. RK had larger preoperative PI–LL mismatch (30.7 vs. 23.6, P = 0.008) and less preoperative TK (22.3 vs. 30.6, P < 0.001), otherwise sagittal vertical axis (SVA), pelvic tilt (PT), and T1 pelvic angle (TPA) were similar. RK patients had more preoperative thoracic compensation (29.9 vs. 20.0, P < 0.001), more PI–LL correction (29.8 vs. 17.3, P < 0.001), and higher rates of PJK (66% vs. 19%, P < 0.001). There were no differences in preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) except reciprocal kyphosis (RK) had worse Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire (SRS) appearance (2.2 vs. 2.5, P = 0.005). Using a logistic regression model, the only predictor for postoperative reciprocal thoracic kyphosis was more preoperative thoracic compensation. Postoperatively the RK and MT groups were well aligned. Both younger and older (>65 yr) RK patients had greater thoracic compensation than MT counterparts. The eTK was not significantly different from the postoperative TK for the RK group without PJK (P = 0.566). Conclusion. The presence of thoracic compensation in adult spinal deformity is the primary determinant of postoperative reciprocal thoracic kyphosis and these patients have higher rates of proximal junctional kyphosis. Level of Evidence: 3


Abstract Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) paradigm has been growing in less than a decade from a life-long learning approach to a state-of-the-art method of offering a large plethora of courses and even specializations. Not only higher education, but also private companies started to manifest a growing interest into all the possibilities this technology is offering. This phenomenon received extra-consideration when renowned universities like Stanford, Harvard, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Rice University started offering such courses. Embedded Systems field, on the other side, is one domain that continuously needs attention from educators. The concepts should be presented in a very friendly and approachable way, while in the same time preserving a practical, applicative vision. This paper presents a modality of integrating MOOCs into embedded systems higher education. The obtained results show that students prefer such a mix to the classical classroom methods of teaching. Learn more at the following link: https://www.edusoft.ro/brain/index.php/brain/article/view/713


Abstract Three questions are considered in the context of the possible effects of seed-associated mycoflora, typified by Fusarium moniliforme, during hydrated storage of recalcitrant propagules of the tropical species, Avicennia marina. These pertain to storage lifespan, whether seed susceptibility to fungal attack changes and the possibility of discriminating ultrastructurally between inherent deteriorative changes and those that are fungallyinduced. The data indicate unequivocally that if fungal activity is curtailed, then the hydrated storage lifespan of A. marina seeds can be considerably extended. When inoculated immediately with F. moniliforme, newly harvested seeds were extremely susceptible to the adverse effects of the fungus, while seeds that had been wet-stored for 4 d showed a considerably heightened resilience to the effects of the fungus when inoculated at that stage. The enhanced resilience, although declining, persisted in seeds stored hydrated for up to 10 d prior to inoculation, being lost after 12 d. After 14 d of hydrated storage, seeds became more susceptible to the effects of the fungus than those in the newly harvested condition. The resilience of seeds that had been stored in the short-term was associated with ultrastructural changes indicative of enhanced metabolic activity associated with the onset of germination. However, with the sustained stress imposed by wet-storage conditions, the seeds became increasingly badly affected by the fungus. While it was not possible to discriminate with certainty among deteriorative subcellular events ascribable to inherent deterioration or the effects of the fungus, it is concluded that a comparison of the timing of the onset of degeneration may well be diagnostic of its cause.


In an article entitled "Is BAD a semantic primitive?" (1996), John Myhill suggested that the concept 'bad' should be removed from the list of semantic primitives put forward by Anna Wierzbicka and Cliff Goddard. Myhill argued (1) that 'bad' is semantically decomposable, (2) that there is no word in Biblical Hebrew that corresponds to the English word bad and, thus, no linguistic form that represents the primitive BAD in this language, and (3) that 'bad' is dispensable in the semantic analysis and can be replaced with other components without any loss or change of meaning. Discussing and illustrating some fundamental questions in the search for universal semantic primitives, the present author reconsiders these findings and finds a different answer to John Myhill's question.


A formulation consisting of polymeric micelles loaded with the irinotecan metabolite SN-38 with potential antineoplastic activity. SN-38-loaded polymeric micelles NK012 is an SN-38-releasing nanodevice constructed by covalently attaching SN-38 to the block copolymer PEG-PGlu, followed by self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in an aqueous milieu. SN-38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin), a biological active metabolite of the prodrug irinotecan (CPT-11), binds to and inhibits topoisomerase I by stabilizing the cleavable complex between topoisomerase I and DNA, resulting in DNA breaks, inhibition of DNA replication, and apoptosis. SN-38 has been reported to exhibit up to 1,000-fold more cytotoxic activity against various cancer cells in vitro than irinotecan. This formulation increases the water-solubility of SN-38 and allows the delivery of higher doses of SN-38 than those achievable with SN-38 alone.


Extracted from text ... BOOK REVIEWS
OLIVER TAMBO: BEYOND THE ENGELI
MOUNTAINS
Luli Callinicos
Claremont: David Philip, 2004, 672 pp.,
photos, notes, appendix, index.
ISBN: 0-86486-642-9 (hardback);
ISBN: 0-86486-666-9 (paperback)
Oliver Tambo was one of the most significant
leaders in the history of the African National
Congress (ANC). A founder member of the ANC
Youth League, he was one of the architects of the
Congress Alliance, ANC Secretary-General from
1954, and Deputy President-General from 1959.
During the late 1950s he was responsible for
revising the ANC's constitution and he led the
ANC's response to the breakaway of the
Africanists and the emergence of ..


In this paper, we present network-on-chip (NoC) design and contrast it to traditional network design, highlighting core differences between NoCs and traditional networks. As an initial case study, we examine network congestion in bufferless NoCs. We show that congestion manifests itself differently in a NoC than in a traditional network, and with application-level awareness in the network to make proper throttling decisions we improve system performance by up to 28%. It is our hope that the unique and interesting challenges of on-chip network design can be met by novel and effective solutions from the networking community.


Social networking sites often are used to maintain close social ties, but increasingly they are used for information and news dissemination, specif ically about major events and crises. In 2012, a historic drought struck the Midwest, destroying or damaging portions of major f ield crops in major agricultural production states. By the end of August 2012, 90% of Nebraska was declared in extreme or exceptional drought, leading to bans on irrigation, damaged crops, and record-low yields as well as damaging the state's leading economic sector. This case study used social media monitoring and analysis to explore online Twitter conversations related to this historic drought in Nebraska during a one-year period. Researchers determined Twitter conversations increased in quantity as drought conditions worsened, and agricultural issues, environmental impact, extreme weather, effects on the public, and proposals of solutions to address drought were dominant themes among conversations. Twitter served as a news outlet for information and updates about drought conditions, and it contained information from local, national and international sources. The researchers suggest an opportunity exists for educational institutions and organizations to serve as leaders on social media and in social networks to disseminate timely and relevant information related to important public issues, while also monitoring and participating in surrounding discussions. Specif ically, attention should be paid by public institutions to building brand equity through the use of concept marketing, audience engagement, use of big data, and thinking personally — strategies that have served private corporations well in monitoring issues of importance to their audiences.


Interest in online rating data has increased in recent years in which ordinal ratings of products or local businesses are provided by users of a website, such as Yelp! or Amazon. One source of heterogeneity in ratings is that users apply different standards when supplying their ratings; even if two users benefit from a product the same amount, they may translate their benefit into ratings in different ways. In this article we propose an ordinal data model, which we refer to as a multi-rubric model, which treats the criteria used to convert a latent utility into a rating as userspecific random effects, with the distribution of these random effects being modeled nonparametrically. We demonstrate that this approach is capable of accounting for this type of variability in addition to usual sources of heterogeneity due to item quality, user biases, interactions between items and users, and the spatial structure of the users and items. We apply the model developed here to publicly available data from the website Yelp! and demonstrate that it produces interpretable clusterings of users according to their rating behavior, in addition to providing better predictions of ratings and better summaries of overall item quality.


Fascism in our time is emerging not as a single party or movement within a particular nation-state but rather as a dispersed phenomenon that reverberates across the continent nested within the political contradictions of the European Union. Rather than focusing on a specific group to determine whether it is or is not "fascist," we must look at how diverse parties and movements are linked together in cross-border coalitions revealing the political ecology of contemporary fascism and the intricate division of labor that sustains it. Underwriting contemporary fascism is an "illiberal" anthropology that can colonize every expression of identity and attachment. From the motifs and metaphors of diverse folkloric traditions to the countless genres of popular culture, fascism assimilates new meanings and affective predispositions.


Immunity (leniency) policies are widely regarded as having revolutionised anti-cartel law enforcement. However, the generally unquestioning and universalist approach taken to such policies by competition authorities has as much the hallmarks of religion as it does revolution. Drawing on experience with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Immunity Policy for Cartel Conduct as a case study, this paper suggests that there is value in a more searching approach to immunity policy. It explores the insights available from a critical analysis of the role, operation and effectiveness of an immunity policy in the context of a specific jurisdiction. The analysis examines the extent to which the policy does and should adhere to the strict orthodoxy associated with immunity policy design and administration; the extent to which it is effective in facilitating detection, prosecution and deterrence of cartel conduct and the challenges involved in effectiveness-testing; the policy's interaction with other aspects of the overall system for enforcement and compliance and the degree to which the policy is consistent with the competition authority's constitutional values.


This tourism strategy provides an overview of the DMA tourism product, an analysis of the strategic influences affecting the region and recommendations to achieve our vision 2010, of making the DMA a "must-see" destination in Africa. It provides a cohesive framework for the development of tourism in the region, bringing together key players including local tourism agencies, the city council, hotels, visitor attractions, retailers and transport providers. The regions strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were evaluated and this led to identification of the key issues that will affect the future success of tourism in the DMA. The impact of tourism is much wider than the purely economic. Tourism initiatives also support local businesses, culture and craft. The need to maintain attractive, high quality visitor destinations has meant that tourism contributes to the protection and upkeep of the regions built and natural environments. There are a number of key issues and challenges that face the tourism sector of the DMA. These were addressed with recommendations in order to achieve our Vision 2010: • Market segmentation • Image-and branding • Developing market intelligence • Communication and information technology • Partnership and co-ordination • Competing through quality • Business support • Development of "Must-Sees" • Major sporting events • Monitoring and Evaluation An aggressive competitive strategy to outsmart our competitors and make the DMA a "must-see" destination in Africa has been clearly outlined. There is a need for strategic leadership to bring all the relevant parties together to drive the strategy to success. The DMA is on the threshold of becoming one of the major tourism destinations in the world and it is up to every resident in our region to make this dream come true.


This article discusses the precedence-constrained class sequencing problem (PCCS). In scheduling terms, this problem models a one-machine problem with precedence constraints and setups where the goal is to minimize the number of setups. From a practical perspective, the PCCS problem can be used to address a wide range of applications such as, for example, decision problems in systems where multipurpose processors need retooling to switch from one operation to another. Previous research has shown that the PCCS problem is difficult to solve from both a theoretical and computational perspective, and only little research has been conducted on computational methods. This article bridges this gap by proposing a branch-and-bound solution approach for the PCCS problem. Specialized reasoning, bounding, and heuristic procedures successfully exploit the problem's structure. Thus, the branch-and-bound approach solves large instances to optimality. The computational experiments further shed new light on what makes a PCCS instance difficult.


The vast amount of information on the World Wide Web is created and published by many different types of providers. Unlike books and journals, most of this information is not subject to editing or peer review by experts. This lack of quality control and the explosion of web sites make the task of finding quality information on the web especially critical. Meanwhile new facilities for producing web pages such as Blogs make this issue more significant because Blogs have simple content management tools enabling non-experts to build easily updatable web diaries or online journals. On the other hand despite a decade of active research in information quality (IQ) there is no framework for measuring information quality on the Blogs yet. This paper attempts to evaluate selected IQ criteria in the Weblog. The evaluation is conducted by developing an experimental Weblog content management system which measures the selected IQ criteria. The quantitative criteria were calculated automatically and the qualitative criteria were obtained by voting in the system. The results of data analysis collected by system log files revealed high correlations between the criteria.


For certain types of sensor-target configurations, a point target model or approach is not suitable and the physical extent of the target is accounted for during processing. An extended target track-before-detect (TBD) algorithm is presented and the performance is compared to an algorithm based on the point target assumption. Simulations illustrate the gain in performance obtained by using the extended target model where a particle filter is used for the TBD implementation.


Takings jurisprudence has long been and remains, in the opinion of many, a constitutional quagmire, with little in the way of predictable results or coherent principles. [FN1] The Supreme Court itself has acknowledged the largely ad hoc nature of its takings analysis, emphasizing the fact-sensitive nature of takings decisions and its reluctance to articulate precise formulae in this area. [FN2] Moreover, although articulating a variety of standards and tests, such as "investment-backed expectations" [FN3] and "economic viability," [FN4] the Court has not clearly stated their relation to each other or their precise meanings. [FN5] This has led a number of commentators to lament these unclear standards, labeling this area of law an unworkable "muddle," [FN6] a "jumble of *2 confusing holdings," [FN7] an "enduring legal dilemma," [FN8] and a state of "doctrinal and conceptual disarray." [FN9]What is sometimes lost in the lament, [FN10] however, is the degree to which the Court has established, with some clarity, three distinct types of takings concerns and three analytical approaches in resolving them. Thus, despite continued ambiguity on some details, the "big picture" of takings jurisprudence is shaping up rather nicely and in a way that is quite sensible. This has been particularly true in the last several decades, where in a number of decisions the Court has fleshed out the broad outlines of differing levels of takings review. Although these decisions are often seen as reflecting a growing protection of property rights, [FN11] they in fact establish several distinct levels of protection depending upon the type of takings issue posed. As a practical matter, these distinct approaches provide heightened protection for landowners when autonomy and fairness concerns are present, but provide substantial latitude for government to regulate property for environmental and other purposes.


There are a number of socio-econoniicissues that are generally understood in the area of electronic publishing. Primary among these is an apparent reluctance within the academic community to accept a replacement to paper-based journals. This sits incongruously with the fact that the WWW was born at CERN primarily as a vehicle for the effective dissemination of scientific research papers. This paper focuses on research, problems and issues encountered at South Bank University in attempting to establish aBusiness Information Technology (BIT) Journal on the Internet (BlToday). It is hoped that this undertaking, which requires challenging the current academic culture on research and publication, would meet the requirements of academic staff and publicise the current and innovative academic area of BIT outside of the University. However, there are different levels of acceptance and understanding about communicating by electronic publication. This paper will thus review and highlight the main problems andissues that have been encountered in this effort to establish an electronic journal in a relatively new academic discipline. The culture of electronic publishing is opposed by a number of 'forces of resistance' (asthey may be termed in the electronic publishing environment). These forces of resistance act like barriers to entry in the electronic journal field. This paper will suggest from experience the nature and origin of these resistant forces. Two obvious resistant forces being the establishment of standardisation on publication and the difficulties on enforcing copyright upon electronic journals. However, these issues are only policy constraints and pale in significance next to the issues of initial cultural establishment of an electronic journal, which manifests itself in the form of an academic culture gap. The socio- economic forces of change in the academic world, such as diminishing budget allocation for paper based journals held in academic libraries, strongly suggests that electronic journals will become the standard and not the exception in the future. Those institutionsthat, early in this evolution, break the barriers of entry to the electronic journal field, stand to benefit in terms of establishing standards and an academic presence. Academic Institutions are still in a period of experimentation. Most people are still trying to get to grips with the basics of the \VWW and the evolutionary nature of electronic publishing mediums which offer the prospect of hyperlinks, to point to additional reference material within other academic domains, or even other electronicjournals (at no additional cost). This paper, firstly, addresses the issues that surround "barriers to entry" in the electronic journals field. Secondly, the paper outlines the forces of resistance to an acceptance of electronic journal mediums and the nature and reason of such resistance. Thirdly, the paper will suggest possible solutions, and areas of further work, needed to overcome the primary forces of resistance.


Corporate governance systems are developed to manage business affairs with the
aim of enhancing shareholder wealth and corporate accountability. However, despite
the many efforts made, corporate governance flaws ( i.e corporate scandals) keep
emerging, making this phenomenon a major governance issue. Various opinions
have been articulated in response to this and ethics have been strongly recommended
as a factor to solve the corporate governance issue. Motivated by the above, this
research examines the possibility of integrating ethics into corporate governance
practices. The research develops conceptual foundation around the dimension of
social contract theory. Associated with the subjective nature of the research, the
research employed social constructionist ontology, and the process involved a
qualitative approach (i.e enquiry). Interpretive analysis techniques are employed to
support the qualitative approach. The qualitative approach provides rich description
in exploring the subjects' minds i.e. prominent corporate governance experts, and
corporations which are known for their good corporate governance reputation.
Based on the interpretive analysis conducted, the research findings answered the
research questions. Social constructed views of respondents indicate understanding
of corporate governance as a social process requiring pluralistic governance in
which, support from the social dimension i.e ethics, is crucial. Support from ethics
includes practice of several key ethics contents (such as organizational ethics
structure, ethical management, ethical leadership and ethical culture). Emergence of
the key ethics contents articulates the process of ethics integration into corporate
governance practices. However, the respondents perceived that integration of ethics
is still in its infancy. This is due to the influence of combinations of forces. Positive
forces such as financial pressure, business pressure and external pressure influence
integration of ethics. Negative forces such as internal governance matters, power,
political influence, economic desire and lack of knowledge deter the corporations
from considering integrating ethics into their corporate governance practices.
This research provides several contributions; introducing moral aspects from
governance by behavioural theory is used to understand governance phenomena,
application of non positivist methodological aspects in accounting research, so that
issues are answered through the social constructionist ontology and contribute to
literature by providing a model of the ethics process for enhancing governance
practices. Overall, this research offer a new perspective on the corporate governance
concept, as it represents a pluralism in governance approach. Due to several
limitation faced in undertaking this research, it is suggested that future research
examines in - depth case studies. Additional empirical work such as investigating
relationship between the variables is also recommended.


Jitter significantly limits the maximum achievable data rates (MADR) over high-speed source-synchronous I/O links. In this paper, we present a simple model that comprehends transmitter and receiver jitter in a source-synchronous I/O link. We show that the channel can have a significant impact on transmit jitter at high data rates, resulting in 1.1X-3.8X jitter amplification for typical cases. We quantify the performance degradation of transmit/receive equalization and multilevel modulation schemes, due to jitter in high-speed I/O links. We present two design techniques to mitigate the effect of jitter on performance-transmission of a slower source-synchronous clock, and jitter equalization. Both techniques can improve MADR by 13% when signaling over a 20" FR4 channel.


Solving relaxed problems is a commonly used technique in heuristic search to derive heuristic estimates. In heuristic planning, this is usually done by expanding a planning (reachability) graph on the current search state where the delete lists of operators are removed from their definition. Usually, this technique is used to obtain plan length estimates. However, in cost-based planning the goal is to find plans minimizing some criteria. This requires the redefinition of the heuristic estimation to account for operators costs. This paper introduces a new approach to compute cost-based heuristics using planning graphs in order to overcome some problems of the existing heuristics, together with a common way of characterizing heuristics based on planning graphs. We explore the heuristics behaviour in combination to two search algorithms. Results show that in some domains the new heuristics are adequate to obtain good quality plans without imposing significant overheads in running time.


Fashion designers are presented with a range of different principles for pattern cutting and the interest in this area has grown rapidly over the past few years, both due to the publication of a number of works dealing with the subject in different ways and the fact that a growing number of designers emphasise cutting in their practices. Although a range of principles and concepts for pattern cutting are presented from different perspectives, the main body of these systems, traditional as well as contemporary, are predominately based on a quantified approximation of the body. As a consequence, the connection of existing models for pattern construction to the dynamic expression of the body or the biomechanic function of the body is problematic. This work explores and proposes an alternative model for pattern cutting that, unlike the existing models, takes as its point of origin the actual, variable body. As such, the research conducted here is basic research, aiming to identify fundamental principles in order to create alternative expression and functions. Instead of a static matrix of a non-moving body, the proposed model for cutting garments is based on a qualitative approximation of the body, visualised through balance lines and key biomechanic points. Based on some key principles found in the works by Genevieve Sevin-Doering, the proposed model for cutting is developed through concrete experiments by cutting and draping fabrics on live models. The result of a proposed model is an alternative principle for dressmaking that challenges the fundamental relationship between dress, pattern making and the body, opening up for new expressions in dress and functional possibilities for wearing.


Sediments from various subenvironments of alpine valley glaciers can be distinguished by their grain-size distributions. Glacio-aquatic deposits exhibit narrower grain-size spectra and better grain-size sorting than sediments of pure glacial origin. The various types of moraine sediments can be recognized by varying contents of fine-grained matrix (less than 0.063 mm in diameter). Glacially affected quartz grains show conchoidal, step- and block-fracture patterns of varying shapes and sizes, but it is difficult to discern whether these microtextures are of genomorphic or phenomorphic origin. Frequently a single grain exhibits sharply acute as well as notched and rounded edges, reflecting the uneven distribution of forces during subglacial transport. Likewise, feldspar grains show both abraded and rough (shatter-cleaved) surfaces.


Welcome! Here are some ideas to relieve stress and help you relax during final exams, provided by the Drexel University Libraries.


The degree to which the late colonial era affected Europe has been long underappreciated, and only recently have European countries started to acknowledge not having come to terms with decolonisation. In Belgium, the past two decades have witnessed a growing awareness of the controversial episodes in the country's colonial past. This volume examines the long-term effects and legacies of the colonial era on Belgium after 1960, the year the Congo gained its independence, and calls into question memories of the colonial past by focusing on the meaning and place of colonial monuments in public space. The book foregrounds the enduring presence of "empire" in everyday Belgian life in the form of permanent colonial markers in bronze and stone, lieux de mémoire of the country's history of overseas expansion. By means of photographs and explanations of major pro-colonial memorials, as well as several obscure ones, the book reveals the surprising degree to which Belgium became infused with a colonialist spirit during the colonial era. Another key component of the analysis is an account of the varied ways in which both Dutch- and French-speaking Belgians approached the colonial past after 1960, treating memorials variously as objects of veneration, with indifference, or as symbols to be attacked or torn down. The book provides a thought-provoking reflection on culture, colonialism, and the remainders of empire in Belgium after 1960.


After "the Burst of the Bubble," Japan entered a long period of stagnation in 1990s, which observers call "the Lost Decade." This "Lost Decade" ended with "the Financial Crisis," after which the Koizumi Cabinet aggressively pursued a policy designed to reduce the amount of "bad loans" held by banks. Some observers now argue that other governments should learn from Japan's successful experience in their own fight against "the sub-prime loan" problem. What actually occurred in Japan during the Lost Decade and after, however, is neither well-known nor well-understood. This is particularly true of "the Financial Crisis" period. Observers have focused on the bad loans, which could cause some big banks to fail, and assumed that their failure would cause grave turmoil in the financial markets. During "the Financial Crisis" the government did pour large amounts of public funds into bank rescues, arguing that a "credit crunch" would otherwise seriously hurt the economy. And although the government took time to enforce the policy, the Japanese economy soon began to recover. Thus, "the Financial Crisis" period has become a turning point both for Japan's policy toward bank regulation and for related policy debates. Using firm-level quarterly financial data, this paper investigates the details of what actually occurred in firm financing behavior during 1994-2000. We focus particularly on how seriously, when, in what way, and where a "credit crunch" affected firm behavior. What would happen to the conventional wisdom about the Lost Decade if the troubles in the financial institutions and the related policies during the period had no serious effect on the real economy? Yet nowhere do we find a clear indication of any serious "credit crunch." In particular, we find no indication of such a phenomena from the 4th quarter of 1997 to the 1st quarter of 1999. We use quarterly financial data on about 6,000 non-financial firms with over 600 million yen in paid-in capital from Hojin Kigyo Tokei Kiho (Corporate Enterprise Quarterly Statistics) of the Ministry of Finance. We conclude with questions to various sides of the conventional view, including the purported success of Japanese policy toward the Financial Crisis and bank bad-loan reduction, the debate on the causes and consequences of the Lost Decade, and the postwar policy discipline consistently applied to financial regulation.


Problem in diagnosing of stress is an important issue. The variations in beat-to-beat alteration in the heart rate (HR) can provide an identification of stress. HR can be determined from the Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. However, accurate detection of HR and inter-beat interval (IBI) values from the ECG waveform is important. This report presents a way of measuring the ECG signal together with the ECG component analysis such as QRS peak detection and HR calculation to use it in a computer-based stress diagnosis system.


The purpose of this survey study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers on the usage of computers in elementary schools of two countries (Turkey and TRNC). The data for this study was collected through a survey from the teachers in Erzurum and Lefkoşa (Nicosia). A total of 250 elementary school teachers from the schools of two cities participated in the research. The survey results indicated that teachers in both countries had a positive attitude toward the use of computers in schools. They commonly thought that computers may develop student motivation, skills, interest and achievement if they were used effectively. They also think that the future will be based on the knowledge of information technology. Turkish Cypriot teachers use computers mostly for correspondences, preparing exam questions and course materials. On the other hand Turkish teachers mainly used computers for preparing course materials, exam questions, calculating student grades and lesson plans. As Turkish teachers used computers more, Turkish Cypriot teachers used computers longer than Turkish teachers. Both groups of teachers generally considered that inservice training use of computers were not effective.


STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to examine the risk of increasing overweight for death from stroke. DESIGN--This was a prospective cohort study, in which the main outcome measure was the mortality ratio for stroke with increasing body mass index. SETTING--Civil service departments, Whitehall, London. SUBJECTS--Participants were 17,753 men aged 40 to 64 years. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--208 stroke deaths were recorded. Men aged 40 to 54 in the most overweight quintile of body mass index had a mortality ratio of 2.01 (95% confidence interval 0.9 to 4.7) compared to the thinnest quintile. The mortality ratio was 1.19 (95% CI 0.7 to 2.0) in men aged 55 to 64. The increase in risk was more apparent in non-smokers: age adjusted mortality ratio 2.58 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.7). When smoking status and overweight were considered in combination a gradient of the age adjusted mortality ratio was observed, from 1.0 in thinner/non-smokers up to 3.15 in fatter/current smokers. On the assumption that smoking and obesity cause strokes, an estimated 60% of strokes could be prevented if these two easily identifiable risk factors could be avoided. CONCLUSIONS--The risks of overweight for death from stroke were more apparent in younger subjects and non-smokers. A substantial proportion of stroke deaths occurring under the age of 80 years would probably be prevented if cigarette smoking and overweight could be avoided.


Previously, we determined the N-terminal amino acid sequences of a number of putative peribacteroid membrane proteins from soybean. Here, we report the cloning of a gene, GmN6L, that encodes one of these proteins. The protein encoded by GmN6L is similar in sequence to MtN6, an early nodulin expressed in Medicago truncatula roots in response to infection by Sinorhizobium meliloti. The GmN6L gene was strongly expressed in mature nodules but not in other plant organs. GmN6L protein was first detected 2 weeks after inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and was limited to the infected zone of nodules. GmN6L protein was found in symbiosomes isolated from mature soybean nodules, both as a soluble protein and as a peripheral membrane protein bound to the peribacteroid membrane. These data indicate that GmN6L is a late nodulin, which is not involved in the infection process. Homology between GmN6L and FluG, a protein involved in signaling in Aspergillus nidulans, suggests that GmN6L may play a role in communication between the host and microsymbionts during symbiotic nitrogen fixation.


Excerpt] Linda Chavez-Thompson is the executive vice-president of the AFL-CIO and the highest ranking elected woman officer in the labor federation's I IO-year history. She rose from the organizing ranks of The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to achieve a distinguished career as a national labor leader and representative of public-sector employees. A second generation Mexican-American, her work life began at age ten laboring with her parents, ten-hour days at thirty cents an hour: in the cotton fields of West Texas. Before assuming one of the three highest leadership positions within the AFL-CIO, she directed AFSCME's efforts in a seven-state region which included Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, and guided the union through a period of growth and expansion. Her voice and accomplishment have been recognized through numerous distinctions ranging from an honorary degree from Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts, to appointments by President Clinton to the President's Initiative on Race and as vice-chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. She serves on several national boards and executive committees, including The United Way, the Council on Competitiveness, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, The National Conference for Community and Justice, and the Institute for Women's Policy Research. She is vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, former national vice-president of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and cochair of the Coalition to Defend America's Working Families. She speaks from her heart, her experience and her common sense—and she always speaks her mind.


The present study sought to explore the relationship between EFL teachers' job satisfaction, emotional intelligence (EQ), and stress coping strategies. To this end, 188 EFL teachers were selected from private institutes and high schools of Mashhad. The participants were asked to complete three questionnaires: Teaching Satisfaction Scale (TSS), Teacher's EQ Scale (WLEIS), and Stress Coping Strategy Scale (CISS). WLEIS contained four factors: self-emotion appraisal (SEA), others' emotion appraisal (OEA), use of emotion (UOE), and regulation of emotion (ROE). The CISS focuses on three major dimensions of coping in response to a stressful situation: Task-oriented, Emotion-oriented, and Avoidance-oriented coping. Task-oriented coping refers to responses directed at either problem resolution or cognitively reframing the meaning of the stressful situation. Emotion-oriented coping refers to responses directed toward oneself rather than the problem at hand. An individual using this coping style may respond to a difficult situation by becoming emotionally distressed or engaging in fantasy activities. Avoidance-oriented coping refers to responses designed to avoid dealing with the stressful situation, such as distracting oneself with other situations (e.g., shopping) or through interacting with other persons. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that among the coping strategies, task is predicted positively and significantly by job satisfaction and job satisfaction had no role in adopting emotion and avoidance coping strategies. EQ had a positive influence on the adaptation of task strategy, a negative impact on emotion strategy, and no role in avoidance strategy. EQ also predicted job satisfaction positively and significantly. It implies, teachers who had higher levels of EQ were more satisfied with their profession. It was also found that job satisfaction has the highest correlation with UOE followed by SEA. Task had the highest correlation with ROE followed by UOE.


The thesis is an anthropological study of the Lohorung Rai tribe of East Nepal, based on twenty months of fieldwork. Its major theme is their conceptual system and in particular their religious and psychological concepts. The intention throughout has been to look at concepts, both verbal and non-verbal, in the light of my own developing knowledge of the Lohorung conceptual framework. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. The introductory chapter provides a background description, including an account of first impressions and fieldwork experiences, as well as the theoretical perspective of the thesis, a delineation of Lohorung households, and the significance of the domestic group. Since the superhuman beings permeate Lohorung everyday life, and provide them with a theory of causation, chapter two describes Lohorung relations with the superhuman world. For the Lohorung it is only by ritual action that they can retain the original order of their society which is constantly in need of renewal. Chapter three, therefore, looks at the Lohorung charter for living, the pe-lam or mundum, a body of oral literature that includes the mythico-historical stories and ritual texts that can bring back order and reinvigorate both their society and individuals, One of the most important rituals for achieving this renewal is nuagi. This ritual is described in detail in chapter four. Chapter four also investigates the religious and psychological significance of the house, the main ritual unit in Lohorung culture and begins to throw light on the complex concept-of saya, that is essential to an understanding of Lohorung ideas about the nature of Kan and personhood. In chapter five the most important concepts relating to the Lohorung understanding of personhood, namely aiwa, saya and lawa, are examined in terms of their significance in the cycle of life. This chaz5ter underlines one of the main conclusions of the thesis: that an understanding of Lohorung religious and psychological concepts are essential to a wider appreciation of Lohorung society, such as their types of marriage and indigenous political system. Lohorung understanding of emotions and inner states are described in the final ethnographic chapter, chapter six, The final chapter examines the implications of the Lohorung knowledge gained in the previous chapters in terms of Lohorung ethnopsychology and concludes that Lohorung psychology may be characterised as being one that stresses both conformity and self- expression.


Starting from the analysis of the Irish characters in Kipling's Indian stories, this book shows that the representation of the British Empire was greatly indebted to analogies and comparisons made between colonies. It contrasts two different ways of making colonial analogies: 'imperialist' and 'nationalist'. Kipling, as a young journalist, was keenly aware of the fact that Indian and Irish nationalists drew analogies between each other's colonial situation to make the case for self-government and British misrule, and his repeated emphasis on Irish participation in the Raj can be seen as a powerful 'imperialist' counter-representation to these subversive analogies. With this framework in mind, this book traces how Kipling's representation of Empire changed over time as he moved away from India and also how the hegemony of British imperialism faltered toward the end of the nineteenth century. This book makes a major contribution to post-colonialism studies in general and to the comparative study of Ireland and India in particular.


The mechanism(s) by which glucose regulates glucagon secretion both acutely and in the longer term remain unclear. Added to isolated mouse islets in the presence of 0.5 mmol/l glucose, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibited glucagon release to a similar extent (46%) as 10 mmol/l glucose (55%), and the selective GABAA receptor (GABAAR) antagonist SR95531 substantially reversed the inhibition of glucagon release by high glucose. GABAAR α4, β3, and γ2 subunit mRNAs were detected in mouse islets and clonal αTC1-9 cells, and immunocytochemistry confirmed the presence of GABAARs at the plasma membrane of primary α-cells. Glucose dose-dependently increased GABAAR expression in both islets and αTC1-9 cells such that mRNA levels at 16 mmol/l glucose were ∼3.0-fold (α4), 2.0-fold (β3), or 1.5-fold (γ2) higher than at basal glucose concentrations (2.5 or 1.0 mmol/l, respectively). These effects were mimicked by depolarizing concentrations of K+ and reversed by the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine. We conclude that 1) release of GABA from neighboring β-cells contributes substantially to the acute inhibition of glucagon secretion from mouse islets by glucose and 2) that changes in GABAAR expression, mediated by changes in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, may modulate this response in the long term.


Nutrition-related diseases are nowadays a main threat to human health and pose great challenges to medical care. A crucial step to solve the problems is to monitor the daily food intake of a person precisely and conveniently. For this purpose, we present AutoDietary, a wearable system to monitor and recognize food intakes in daily life. An embedded hardware prototype is developed to collect food intake sensor data, which is highlighted by a high-fidelity microphone worn on the subject's neck to precisely record acoustic signals during eating in a noninvasive manner. The acoustic data are preprocessed and then sent to a smartphone via Bluetooth, where food types are recognized. In particular, we use hidden Markov models to identify chewing or swallowing events, which are then processed to extract their time/frequency-domain and nonlinear features. A lightweight decision-tree-based algorithm is adopted to recognize the type of food. We also developed an application on the smartphone, which aggregates the food intake recognition results in a user-friendly way and provides suggestions on healthier eating, such as better eating habits or nutrition balance. Experiments show that the accuracy of food-type recognition by AutoDietary is 84.9%, and those to classify liquid and solid food intakes are up to 97.6% and 99.7%, respectively. To evaluate real-life user experience, we conducted a survey, which collects rating from 53 participants on wear comfort and functionalities of AutoDietary. Results show that the current design is acceptable to most of the users.


This data set contains boundaries for in-situ burning preapproval and exclusion areas in coastal Louisiana. Feature-specific contact, type, and source information are stored in relational data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set comprises a portion of the Gulf-Wide Information System (G-WIS) database for the entire coastal zone of Louisiana. The G-WIS data include three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources.


Statistical literacy is a key ability expected of citizens in information-laden societies, and is often touted as an expected outcome of schooling and as a necessary component of adults' numeracy and literacy. Yet, its meaning and building blocks have received little explicit attention. This paper proposes a conceptualization of statistical literacy and describes its key components. Statistical literacy is portrayed as the ability to interpret, critically evaluate, and communicate about statistical information and messages. It is argued that statistically literate behavior is predicated on the joint activation of five interrelated knowledge bases (literacy, statistical, mathematical, context, and critical), together with a cluster of supporting dispositions and enabling beliefs. Educational and research implications are discussed, and responsibilities facing educators, statisticians, and other stakeholders are outlined.


Pharmaceuticals are regularly released into the environment, in particular nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics. The measuredconcentrations are relatively low and have therefore been considered to be harmless.However, several pharmaceuticals, including naproxen and atenolol, are stable for upto 1 year in the environment, which increases the risk for accumulation. Evaluation ofthe effects of pharmaceuticals on induced inflammatory responses is thereforenecessary for the assessment of potential risks. Since NF-κB and MAPK are the mainpathways known to be critical regulators of inflammatory responses, intracellularsignalling and effects on these systems were examined in vitro using human cell-lines.NSAIDs were shown to significantly reduce NF-κB activity at environmentallyrelevant concentrations. Suppression of immune responses may lead to progressiveinfections since inflammatory responses are controlled by a cooperative activity ofAP-1 and NF-κB. Alterations in the activity of transcription factors and proinflammatorycytokine and chemokine levels such as TNF, IL-6 and CXCL8 areassociated with several human diseases including cystic fibrosis and AIDS. PMAexposure resulted in a rapid NF-κB activation, while extended treatment suppressedNF-κB and activated AP-1. Suppression of NF-κB activity may be due to PKCdependentBcl10 degradation, which decreased in response to PMA and correlatedwith the NF-κB activity. Regulation of cytokine expression revealed that NF-κB wasessential for IL-6 but not CXCL8 expression following specific inhibition of NF-κB,without affecting AP-1 activity. Furthermore, several reports have indicated theimportance of a functional NF-κB complex in zebrafish embryogenesis, whereblockage of NF-κB activation resulted in a deformation of the tail. Our results indicatea suppression of apoptotic pathways following activation of inflammatory mediatorsin response to HK E. coli treatment. These signals acted to direct zebrafish sexdifferentiation towards feminization. NF-κB was shown to regulate zp2 geneexpression, an indicator of oocyte development. Zebrafish sex determination was alsoshown to start early, prior to 16 days post fertilization. The results support thetransition through a juvenile ovary stage and suggests that steriodogenesis is aconsequence of sex differentiation rather than a regulatory mechanism.Control of prescription, use and disposal of pharmaceuticals is therefore importantto preserve human health, biotic processes and to avoid developmental alterations inaquatic organisms. The complexity of regulatory systems involved in inflammationsuggest that there is a need to further evaluate the signalling pathways involved inorder to provide a better understanding of cellular responses to manmade substances,but also to offer an insight into possible development of alternative treatments forhuman diseases with elevated cytokine/chemokine levels.


A real time RT-PCR assay was standardized and validated for detection of classical swine fever virus (CSFV). Tonsil tissue and lymph nodules that were positive (n=36) and negative (n= 30) to CSFV by immunofluorescence test (IF) were selected. The viral RNA extraction, the complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis and real time RTPCR were performed using commercial kits. Three sets of primers were tested for amplification of a conserved region (5'UTR) of panpestivirus and 5'UTR Chinese strain and the E2 glycoprotein region (E2 PPC) against reference strains of CSFV: Alfort/187, Brescia, and a vaccine Chinese strain as positive controls, and strains of the bovine viral diarrhea virus, border disease virus and porcine rotavirus as negative controls. The 83.3 ± 12.3% (30/36) of positive simples to CSFV by IF test was positive for virus isolation and the 96.7 ± 3.3% (29/30) of negative samples to CSFV by IF was negative for virus isolation. The results of real time RT-PCR assay were determined by the analysis of cycle threshold (Ct) and temperature of melting (Tm) values between the positive and negative controls and the positive and negative to CSFV of field samples. The primer E2 of CSFV recognized all positive and negative controls. The real time RT-PCR assay detected at least 4.28 pg of RNA of CSFV Brescia strain. The validation of the real time RT-PCR was performed comparing the results of positive and negative to CVSFV by isolation test and the results of real time RT-PCR assay. The real time RT-PCR assay had a sensitivity of 96.8 ± 6%, specificity of 82.9 ± 12% and a predictive positive and negative value of 83.3 ± 12.3% and 96.7 ± 3.3% respectively. The real time RT-PCR assay has a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CSFV.


This essay examines last meal requests by those facing execution. After surveying food and beverage selections, I explore how culinary choices are marked by ethnicity, region, class, and gender, as well as inflected by memories, the longing for certain sensory experiences, and the intent to make a moral, political, or philosophical statement. I also consider which last suppers and comments have inspired movies, TV shows, musical compositions, and advertising; why the public desires information about the food requested by those facing death; how the condemned's meals have become politicized, feeding arguments by both those for and those against the death penalty; what the origin of the last meal ritual is; and why the custom is perpetuated. Possessing varied meanings for different participants in the drama of execution, the ceremonial last meal is one of the most powerful symbolic elements within a larger phenomenon laden with rituals and symbols.


Although humans have long depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade, only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The Tragedy of the Commodity , sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are at the heart of this looming ecological problem. In a critique of the classic theory othe tragedy of the commons"" by ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic explanations - such as unrestrained self-interest or population growth - to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case studies - the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo, Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies, transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how the particular organization of social production contributes to ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the larger biophysical world. A path-breaking analysis of overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.


This paper was commissioned to support the research design activities of the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Consortium, generating new evidence on pathways to agricultural commercialisation, on the theme of social difference and women's empowerment. First, the paper explores methodological approaches and key concepts that underpin the analysis of social difference, as people move along different pathways to commercialisation. It analyses social difference in terms of gender, age, wealth, ethnicity and indigeneity, while placing special emphasis on APRA's focus of women's empowerment. Second, the paper draws upon three key outcome criteria - which we identify as power relations, structures and mechanisms and distribution of resources - to analyse APRA's hypotheses and research questions through a lens of social difference. Third, the paper explores avenues for inquiry at the level of household and community, sectoral changes and political-economic factors, bringing attention to the interconnections between individual, social structures and wider political-economic developments and makes recommendations for research questions in these areas.


Following his initial post on this topic in 2015, Wasim Ahmed has updated and expanded his rundown of the tools available to social scientists looking to analyse social media data. A number of new applications have been released in the intervening period, with the increasing complexity of certain research questions also having prompted some tools to increase their data retrieval functionalities. Although platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp have more active users, Twitter's unique infrastructure and the near-total availability of its data have ensured its popularity among researchers remains high.


The beta-catenin and APC genes are key components of the Wnt signaling pathway. Mutation of these genes results in increased levels of the beta-catenin protein, which is associated with enhanced cellular proliferation and the development of both colon polyps and colon cancer. Recently, a technique known as RNA interference has been successfully adapted to mammalian cells so that it is now possible to specifically decrease the expression of cellular genes after transfection of annealed small interfering 21-mer RNAs. In the current study, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against beta-catenin to determine the effects of decreasing the high constitutive levels of this protein in colon cancer cell lines with mutations in either beta-catenin or APC. Our studies demonstrate that siRNA directed against beta-catenin markedly decreased beta-catenin-dependent gene expression and inhibited cellular proliferation as reflected in the reduced growth of these colon cancer cells both in soft agar and in nude mice. These results indicate that siRNA can target specific factors whose expression is altered in malignancy and may have the potential as a therapeutic modality to treat human cancer.


Colon cancer is one of the most common malignances. In vitro and in vivo study show that retinoic acids inhibit a wide variety of cancer cells but the molecular mechanism of their anti-tumor effects are not yet fully understood. Alltrans retinoic acid (ATRA), an isomer of retinoic acid, can inhibit the proliferation of HCT-15 human colon cancer cell line. A proteomic analysis was performed using HCT-15 treated with ATRA to further elucidate the retinoic acid signaling pathway and its anti-tumor effect mechanism. MTT results showed that the growth of HCT-15 cells were significantly inhibited by ATRA. The alkaline phosphatase activity assay showed that ATRA failed to induce the differentiation of HCT-15. The DNA ladder detection showed that ATRA induced apoptosis in HCT-15. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry identified 13 differentially expressed proteins in HCT-15 cells after all-trans retinoic acid treatment. Among the identified differentially expressed proteins, there were four scaffold proteins (YWHAE, SFN, YWHAB, and YWHAZ), two ubiquitin modification related proteins (ISG-15 and UBE2N), two translational initiation factors (EIF1AX and EIF3K), two cytoskeleton related proteins (EZRI and CNN3), two proteinmodification related proteins (TXNDC17 and PIMT), and one enzyme related to phospholipid metabolism (PSP). Both EZRI and UBE2N were rendered to western-blot validation and the results were consistent with the two-dimension electrophoresis analysis. In this study, the differentially expressed proteins in HCT-15 treated by ATRA were identified, which will assist the further elucidation of the anti-tumor mechanism of retinoic acids.


: Background: Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at risk for accelerated atherosclerotic changes and cardiac abnormalities rather than non-diabetics. However, little is known about cardiovascular changes for diabetic children with normal low-density lipoprotein. Here, we assessed atherosclerotic changes and cardiac function by sonography for patients with normal low-density lipoprotein. Place and Duration: In the Department of Pediatrics and Radiology of Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi for one-year duration from March 2019 to February 2020. Methods: A prospective case control study included 38 type 1 Diabetes Mellitus children (aged 8 to 14 years) was performed with same number of matched children as controls. Blood pressure, body mass indices (BMI), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), complete lipid profile, intimal medial wall thickness measurements for carotid arteries (cIMT) and abdominal aorta (aIMT) with data of left ventricular function by echocardiography were determined for both groups. Results: We found aIMT (mean of 1.2 ± 0.4) and cIMT (mean of 0.52 ± 0.12) were significantly higher in the patient group (P less than 0.001). Although, aIMT was positively correlated to HbA1c (7.48 ± 0.76%, P less than 0.001) and negatively correlated to high density lipoprotein, no significant difference between aIMT or cIMT and age, duration of disease, BMI, and blood pressure. Moreover, no significant difference in LV systolic or diastolic function among the studied groups, however the Z score of end systolic dimensions and end diastolic dimensions were significantly changed for patient group ((P=0.012 and P=0.008 respectively). Conclusion: Subclinical atherosclerosis was detected among T1DM children with normal LDL and it was positively correlated to prolonged hyperglycemia and low level of HDL. However, subclinical cardiac function changes were minimal.


Miriam Haskell began selling beautiful costume jewelry in 1926, and her company continues to the present. The jewelry that bears her name is highly sought after and the prices keep spiraling up. Claims abound that this is a Miriam Haskell, but is it a Miriam Haskell? This important new book gives collectors the key information to make intelligent buying decisions. It provides specific details on the art, design, style, materials, construction, and signatures, all vital to the identification and dating of Haskell jewelry. It also dispels many of the myths that allow wanna-bes and fakes to flourish. Over 600 beautiful color photographs display the most extensive collection of Haskell jewelry ever brought together. The jewelry is categorized by designer, specifying notable eras. The text provides notations on innovations, style preferences, and in-depth descriptions pointing to key Haskell identifiers. Readers, from casual admirers to serious collectors and dealers, will find in this comprehensive book the essential information and breathtaking pictures they seek.


Chronic absenteeism effects 5 to 7.5 million students in the United States. Students who are chronically absent are developmentally behind, suffer academically, and have increased negative behaviors in school. This results in students receiving lower academic marks affecting their GPA, receiving more referrals, and being retained. Chronic absenteeism is defined as students who are absent from school 20 or more days, 10 percent of the year, or 3 days in a month both excused and unexcused. The purpose of the study was to review chronic absenteeism at Brockport High School and determine the correlation between students GPA, the referrals they received, and retention rate. Brockport High School reported having 140 students (e.g. 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders) chronically absent from school during the 2014-2015 school year. The findings in the results displayed that there was a correlation between chronic absenteeism and the three variables (GPA, Referrals, and Retention). The results are further discussed as well as those limitations and implications of the research. Recommendations for further studies are explored as well.


Decisions by primary caregiving parents to relocate after divorce, thereby disrupting the non-primary caregivers' right of contact with children or, where both parents have joint care, the denial of the other's parental rights and responsibilities to care, give rise to cases which deal with relocation disputes. My paper deals with the development of South African family jurisprudence in this area. Since the Children's Act does not provide any criteria for cases dealing with relocation I examine the different jurisprudential approaches/trends taken by our courts in dealing with relocation. I pave the way forward by making the argument that we need a general consistency in approach by our courts when dealing with relocation disputes. As our society becomes increasingly mobile, our courts will be faced with more frequent applications for local and international family relocations. I conclude by making the recommendation that despite the Children's Act, we still need "guidelines" or perhaps a "Relocation Act" which works in tandem with the Children's Act.


The alpha diversity of six higher taxa (family or subfamily) of dung beetles at 11 study sites in the southwestern Cape, South Africa, has been compared using indices, cluster analysis, rank species abundance plots and goodness of fit by diversity models. The six higher taxa showed several different patterns of species richness and evenness between indigenous shrubland and recently created pasture habitats. In each habitat, a trend from lower to higher species richness in both coprophagous (Oxytelinae to Aphodiidae to Scarabaeinae/Coprinae) and predatory taxa (Hydrophilidae to Histeridae to predatory Staphylinidae) was paralleled by a trend from lower to higher evenness shown by the reciprocal of the Berger-Parker dominance index. The reciprocal of this index showed a significant positive correlation to species richness. Cluster analysis of 10glO rank species abundance sequences (low variance) for the entire data set (six higher taxa x 11 habitats), which emphasized species richness, seemed to characterize similarities in diversity between species assemblages better than cluster analysis of the same data set converted to percentage abundance (higher variance) which emphasized dominance. Groups of assemblages with low species richness which mostly showed peak abundance during relatively unfavourable periods in the cool, wet, early spring (high abundance, Oxytelinae) or warm, dry summer (lower abundance, Hydrophilidae) were consistently well descriptionbed by the geometric series model. Groups of assemblages which showed higher species richness and moderate abundance and which were principally active during the more favourable mild, moist conditions of late spring, were best descriptionbed by the logseries and lognormal models. These results have been compared with others from the winter rainfall region of Europe and the summer rainfall regions of South Africa and Australia.


Reduced modelling techniques, based on a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method, are applied to an investigation of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with inputs. A circular cylinder in uniform flow with and without inputs is studied. Reduced dynamic models are created by POD and by extended POD (EPOD) approaches for the forced flow which is statistically non-stationary. A direct control action is applied to the flow at particular points and this investigation provides insights into the applications of the proposed approaches coupled with a full solver.


The fact that ad hoc networks are required to support mobility of individual network nodes results in problems arising when routing data. These problems include route loss, poor longevity of established routes and asymmetric communications links. Mobility of nodes also increases the control traffic overhead and affects the performance of the protocol. Mobility can, however, be exploited to improve route longevity when establishing the route. In some situations, the source of information is not available (e.g. GPS information in the underground), hence protocols relying on this information will fail to operate correctly. In such situations, alternative 'self-content' information should be available to perform the needed task of routing. Three novel schemes that make use of such information, the heading direction angle, to provide a mechanism for establishing and maintaining robust and long-lived routes are presented. The results show that these schemes reduce the overhead and increase the route longevity when compared with the AODV protocol. The schemes described can operate as a standalone mechanism or can be adopted by other routing protocols in order to improve their performance.


Collegiate Athletes' Perceptions on the Importance of Strength and Conditioning Coaches and Their Contribution to Increased Athletic Performance

This study investigated student-athletes' beliefs and attitudes toward strength and conditioning programming, the individuals who facilitate strength and conditioning practices, and the strength and conditioning coach in regards to increased sport performance. Additionally, comparisons were made between gender, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division, and time spent in the weight room. The participants were varsity athletes from two NCAA Division I and one Division II institutions that utilize strength and conditioning for sport performance. A 41-item questionnaire was distributed to participants to gauge their perceptions on strength and conditioning; responses were entered and analyzed using SPSS. Results showed positive responses in regards to athletes' overall perceptions that strength and conditioning was essential to their athletic development in their sport and was satisfied with the performance of their strength and conditioning coach.


Trade management in public areas requires the availability of homogeneous and reliable data, as well as the use of advanced tools in order to store and process the large amount of information. In this context, the implementation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a Web-GIS for outdoor markets improves the levels of efficiency, effectiveness and quality of public services. In particular, the use of a GIS is advantageous to manage the available information, plan enhancement activities aimed at modifying the market areas and their services, support environmental, socioeconomic and trade analyses.


The Tefidet trough (eastern Niger) belongs to the Tenere megasystem set of Cretaceous rifts N130°E to N170°E oriented, corresponding to the direction of the Lake Chad-Hoggar tectonic axis. The study of the relationship between the structure of the trough and alkaline fissural volcanism that developed there from the Oligocene to Plio-Quaternary shows the uniqueness of the Tefidet trough compared to the neighboring contemporary volcanic areas of Hoggar, Cameroon, and southern Air. The tectono-magmatic reactivation of the Cretaceous Tefidet trough developed in two steps:
 – a period contemporaneous with the Tuareg shield bulging (Air, Hoggar, Iforas); – a subsequent extension period generally N060°E, which has persisted since the opening of the South Atlantic (upper Jurassic to Plio-Quaternary). The fissural volcanism, due to the reactivation of Pan African and Cretaceous faults evolved concomitantly with the N060°E extension (syn-magmatic micro-fractures with basaltic filling), in several steps, from Oligocene to Plio-Quaternary. This study highlights the existence of periods of quietness and recovery of volcanic activity, for which two assumptions can be made:
 – no enough absolute datings, – apolyphased extension of the rift. The latter hypothesis seems to be supported by three periods of volcanic quietness, 28–24 m.y., 20–14 m.y. and 8–5 m.y., observed in the northern and the southern Air, Greboun and Todgha, respectively.


We aim to understand how the brain works. Specifically, we aim to answer how different brain circuits, learn, memorise or process information that result to changes in behaviour or muscle action. To answer this question, we isolate single neurons from a rat brain and study how different inputs of a single neuron translate to an output. To study the neuron's input-output transfer function, we have custom-built a unique two-photon laser microscope, which makes use of a holographic projector that transforms the incident laser into multiple foci at the sample volume. The hologram is programmable so we can position the different foci anywhere around the neuron in 3D. Each focus can be used to trigger an input or record an output. This means we can stimulate and probe the activity from multiple locations within the neuron's dendritic tree using light. For triggering inputs, a focal stimulation represents a synaptic input. For recording, a laser focus excites a fluorescence marker that changes in fluorescence whenever the neuron is active. Using this technique, we have now identified a novel function of a specific set of dendrites that can have a significant role in learning and memory. The set of dendrites we are probing are currently unexplored due to their very thin morphology. We were able to see observe unique properties that allow these dendrites to be more receptive to inputs whenever the neuron fires an output. Hence, they have a functional role in the brain's capacity to learn and memorise. Understanding the different roles of the dendrites could provide us with a better understanding of how these neurons function as tiny computers in the brain.


The combination of very low loss dielectric single crystal materials (such as sapphire) with a HTS shielding enclosure has led to the achievement of high Q resonators operated in the temperature range 40 K-70 K which show great promise for frequency standard applications. A number of problems remain to be solved. We have already reported how high frequency stability with minimum temperature control may be achieved by means of composite dielectric pucks, the components having opposite signs for their temperature coefficients of permittivity. A second requirement for a frequency standard is that it should possess a specified frequency. Here we report implementation of electronic tuning of a sapphire dielectric puck resonator by using a SrTiO/sub 3/ (STO) tuning element situated in the evanescent field region outside the sapphire puck. In addition the same structure may be used when the sapphire and STO elements act as weakly coupled resonators so that the resonant frequency becomes a very sensitive function of temperature, allowing the possibility of very high resolution thermometry.


The scene was the 1980 Winter Olympic Hockey Arena at Lake Placid, New York. Late in the third period, American team Captain Mike Eruzione hit a wrist shot past the goalie for the heavily favored Soviet hockey squad. This put the lightly regarded Americans in the lead--and sent the packed house into ecstasy, chanting, "USA! USA !" ABC sportscaster Al Michaels later recalled that when Eruzione scored, "The place was just going crazy." He remembered that in the closing minutes, he could actually feel the sound. As the clock ticked down, Michaels shouted, "Do you believe in miracles?" At the buzzer, he emphatically answered his own question, "YES!" In that moment, the game's improbable finish and Michaels' words were permanently fixed in the memories and imaginations of all who watched. The final score was: U.S. 4, Soviets 3, in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Olympics. The overall effect on the exuberant American TV audience was absolutely miraculous. (1) I know that my good friend Newton Minow (and others) tend to regard TV as something of a "wasteland"--but I would like to devote my remarks in this brief essay to some of the things that are right about television. The telecast of the Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice" is one of many examples of things that have been handled very well by television broadcasters. In particular, it illustrates the kind of "magic" that is possible when a compelling story is combined with a gifted broadcast presentation. In the field of sportscasting alone, there are innumerable sparkling moments that will be cherished as long as the games are played. These include: Don Larson's "perfect game"; the Baltimore Colts' "sudden death" victory in "the greatest game ever played"; Olympic gold-medal skating performances, from Tenley Albright to Sarah Hughes; "Grand Slam" tennis matches featuring John McEnroe versus Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert versus Martina Navratilova; Michael Jordan's "buzzer-beating" heroics (in games too numerous to mention); Tiger Woods' record-shattering performance in the 1997 Masters ... and on and on. When we move outside the field of sports to TV coverage of the great events affecting our nation and the world, we find (not surprisingly) that the effect on our minds and imaginations is even more profound. Walter Cronkite once said that his most vivid memories as a news anchor involved coverage of the John F. Kennedy assassination and the first moon landing. (2) After the Apollo 11 rocket lifted off, Cronkite remarked, "It was as if you could have stood on the dock and waved good-bye to Columbus." (3) But later, when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the surface of the moon, Cronkite was so awed that all he could bring himself to say was, "Oh, boy." He then asked for help from his equally awestruck colleague (former astronaut Wally Schirra) saying, "Wally, say something, I'm speechless." All Schirra could come up with was, "I'm just trying to hold on to my breath. This is really something." (4) But if the moon landing generated feelings of awe, the Kennedy assassination brought a profound sense of loss and grief. Theodore White later recalled dramatic scenes of the Kennedy funeral that, in his words, "will be seen and heard for generations, as long as film lasts and Americans are interested in the story of America." (5) Much more recently, on September 11, 2001, television once again demonstrated its ability to bring powerful, emotion-filled scenes into our living rooms. At 8:46 A.M. eastern time, it was reported that a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Early speculation suggested that the incident may have been an accident caused by a small private plane. Then the nation witnessed one of the most incredible sights ever broadcast on live television. While all eyes were glued to the burning North Tower, United Flight 175 came into view and smashed into the South Tower--causing a huge fireball. …