Automated Dial Reading (ADR) using image processing is a challenging task that has to deal with the dynamics of real time environment. Literature contains limited research work for ADR that is based on background subtraction, object tracking, and pattern recognition. These methods suffer from dynamic environment such as: varying light intensity, poor resolution, and vibrations in capturing device. A valuable contribution to the existing dial reading approaches is made in this paper by deploying convolution method which plays a significant role in needle/hand recognition within a dial. Proposed dial reading approach is successfully used and tested reading analogue aircraft instruments facilitated by the Flight Guardian1 (FG) project for automated reading of the cockpit devices in dynamic environments. Performance is evaluated by statistical analysis of the experimental results that proved the robustness of the proposed method.


There has been an explosion of recent interest concerning information theory in optoelectronic (OE) systems. This interest has been motivated in part by (1) the accelerating deployment of OE components into digital systems, (2) the blurring of the analog–digital interface within many OE applications, and (3) the increasing sophistication and complexity of computational tools. These trends are being driven by revolutionary improvements in both OE devices and electronic processors together with increasing demand for high-speed and high-capacity solutions. This feature addresses the application of information- and communication-theoretic concepts, algorithms, and techniques to important problems in OE system analysis and design.


Quantifying Social Learning Processes In the laboratory, paired demonstrator-observer designs are used primarily to investigate whether animals are capable of specific forms of social learning (Galef 1988). Laboratory experimental have also been used to investigate the diffusion dynamics of learned behaviour through populations in controlled conditions (Lefebvre & Palameta 1988; Whiten et al. 2005). The results of such experiments do not tell us much about social learning in the wild and often lack ecolo gical validity in terms of the behaviour being learned. They have the potential, however, to provide quantitative data that can be used in the parameters for mathematical models of social learning. For instance, Kendal et al. (2007) presented captive groups of callitrichid monkeys with novel extractive foraging tasks. By measuring the proximity of each monkey to the task and noting any food extractions, they quantified the effects of two social learning processes, 'stimulus enhancement' and 'observational learning', and two asocial processes, 'intrinsic movement to the task' and 'asocial learning of the task' on the adoption of a novel foraging behavior. The values of these processes from the observed data were fed into a set of models for the spread of a novel behaviour. Model selection was used to discern that the model best-fit to the monkey diffusion data only required asocial processes. Nonetheless, quantification of the processes provided statistical evidence for a small positive effect of stimulus enhancement, where a demonstrator manipulating the task attracts an observer to move to the task, but not for observational learning at the task. Derived parameter values can also be used in competing models to predict the shapes of diffusion curves. Theoretical models predict that the diffusion of cultural traits will typically exhibit a sigmoidal ('S' shaped) pattern over time (Boyd & Richerson 1985; Cavalli-Sforza & Feldman 1981), while asocial learning has been expected to result in a linear, non-acceleratory, or at least non-sigmoidal increase in frequency (Lefebvre 1995). In the absence of parameter values to feed into diffusion models, the observed shape of a diffusion curve is unlikely to be reliable, as more recent models predict that under certain conditions asocial learning can generate acceleratory curves while social learning can generate deceleratory curves (Laland & Kendal 2003; Reader 2004). Many competing sets of assumptions can generate very similar diffusion curves using different parameter values. Thus, if parameter values can be estimated, it may be possible to select between competing hypotheses. Population-Level Homogeneity of Behaviour While social learning experiments in the laboratory may provide estimates of the limitations of social learning behaviour, an understanding of social learning will be incomplete without analysis of natural populations. Field translocation experiments have been performed to identify traditions in the wild. For instance, Helfman and Shultz (1984) translocated French grunts Haemulon flavolineatum between


Palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of secondary C(sp3) organometallic reagents has been a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis, due to the problems associated with undesired isomerisation or the formation of reduction products. Based on our recently developed catalytic C–C bond formation with organolithium reagents, herein we present a Pd-catalysed cross-coupling of secondary alkyllithium reagents with aryl and alkenyl bromides. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and on short timescales with high selectivity and yields. This methodology is also applicable to hindered aryl bromides, which are a major challenge in the field of metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions.


A new suprageneric classification of the Foraminifera is here presented based on fundamentally new concepts of their evolution and classification. The predominant significance is given to the shell morphology as the most conservative feature, while the wall composition and shell wall ultrastructure are considered as having important but nevertheless subordinate meaning. Foraminifera are regarded as a phylum that includes five classes: Astrorhizata Saidova 1981, Spirillinata Mikhalevich 1992, Miliolata Saidova 1981, Nodosariata Mikhalevich 1992 and Rotaliata Mikhalevich 1980. Each of the five classes unite forms that can be characterized by a complex of common features of their shell morphology reflecting the building plan of the organism (number of chambers, their form, the predominant mode of coiling, position and character of the aperture and its inner structures, the presence or absence of additional apertures, the presence or absence of integrative systems and their peculiarities, and some other features – all of them having evolutionary significance). Each of these classes represents independent and well-outlined phyletic lines. Some characters of the cell structure and nuclear apparatus are also used as taxonomic features of some higher-ranking taxa where the accumulated data permit. Isomorphic agglutinated forms differing from their calacareous analogues in their shell wall composition are separated as subclasses within the appropriate classes: the subclasses Ammodiscana Mikhalevich 1980, Miliamminana Mikhalevich 1980, Hormosinana Mikhalevich 1992, Textulariana Mikhalevich 1980 within the Spirillinata, Miliolata, Nodosariata and Rotaliata correspondingly (the latter also includes two calcareous subclasses – the Rotaliana Mikhalevich 1980 and Globigerinana Mikhalevich 1980).Within the class Astrorhizata, subclasses with organic (Lagynana Mikhalevich 1980) and agglutinated (Astrorhizana Saidova 1981) shell walls are included. In total, the phylum Foraminifera embraces 73 orders, 27 suborders, 98 superfamilies, 499 families and 368 subfamilies among which 2 orders (Cymbaloporida, Cassigerinellida), one suborder Duostominina, two families (Cymbaloporettidae, Haynesinidae), and two subfamilies (Cushmanellinae and Tristixinae) are described as new. The composition of the classes and subclasses is also partially revised. The largest changes were made within the classes Spirillinata, Miliolata and Nodosariata: thus the Fusulinids were included into the Miliolata, the Chapmaninids - into the Spirillinata, the Stilostomellids, Pleurostomellids and Paleozoic Nodosariids – into the Nodosariata. The former suborder Textulariina (= Textulariacea Ehrenberg 1838 sensu lata Loeblich and Tappan 1987) was shown to be heterogenous and its representatives are split out into several subclasses of the different classes according to their shell morphology. The composition of the subclasses is here given up to the family level; most of the subclasses need further revision at the family and generic level. Under the new approach the morphologically similar agglutinated and calcareous shells within each class could be regarded as closely related rather than convergent forms. The rise and development of the classes took place independently and in parallel in each of the phylogenetic lines examined.


The paper investigates creativity as an attitude on demand from the researcher in a special situation in the research process. The situation occurs when the collected data does not coinside with the antecipated result. Hans Joas understanding of creative action is abolished for the adaptation of the Aristotelian concept of practical wisdom (phronesis) as the foundation for the attitude. The data has to be analysed with the unique and particular in focus in order for new connections and relations to be revealed. An attitude concentrated on revealing the particular in the data is necessary. From there a new attitude takes over that focuses the general on behalf of the particular. The research process is exposed in a parallell text on Scuba diving.


Individual raw datastreams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real-time. Raw and processed data are then sent approximately daily to the ARM Data Archive, where they are made available to the research community. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of processed data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual datastream, site, and month for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998.


The gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. The cytotoxin-associated gene A antigen (CagA) is translocated into gastric epithelial cells, where it undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation and triggers cell scattering and morphological changes, and it has been implicated in H. pylori's pathogenic effects. The mechanism by which CagA affects cell behavior and morphology, however, remainsunclear. Mimuro et al. determined that CagA interacted with the adaptor protein Grb2 (growth factor receptor-binding protein 2) in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells independently of having undergone tyrosine phosphorylation, which leads to activation of the mitogen-associated protein kinase pathway and to cell scattering and proliferation. Using CagA mutants expressed in H. pylori that lacked endogenous CagA, the authors determined that substituting phenylalanine for tyrosine in the phosphorylated region of CagA (PY region) did not interfere with CagA-evoked scattering in infected cells, whereas deletion of the PY region abolished cell scattering. Western analysis using fusion proteins containing Grb2 domains indicated that both phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated CagA bound to Grb2, as did the phenylalanine-substituted CagA mutant, but not the mutant lacking the PY region. A dominant-negative Grb2 mutant that interfered with Ras activation by Grb2 inhibited H. pylori-induced cell scattering. Consistent with Ras pathway implication in the response, a sustained late phase of mitogen-activated and extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) activation in response to H. pylori infection depended on CagA expression. Analysis of the effects of various CagA constructs stably transfected into MDCK cells implicated the PY region in CagA-induced MEK phosphorylation, as well as scattering and proliferation. H. Mimuro, T. Suzuki, J. Tanaka, M. Asahi, R. Haas, C. Sasakawa, Grb2 is a key mediator of Helicobacter pylori CagA protein activities. Mol. Cell 10, 745-755 (2002). [Online Journal]


Although the ventilatory and heart rate responses to hypoxia are known to vary widely among subjects, it is not known how exercise or hypercapnia influence the intersubject variability of these responses. If the intersubject variability increases under such conditions, the inherent response of individuals will have more impact on ventilation and heart rate under a variety of hypoxic conditions during exercise or with hypercapnia than at rest or with normocapnia. Seventeen healthy male volunteers underwent tests to measure ventilatory response to isocapnic progressive hypoxia three times respectively: at rest; during CO2 inhalation (end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (PET,CO2) raised by 5 torr from the baseline level); and during mild exercise with a cycle ergometer (12.5 W) in a supine position. The mean (SEM) value of hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) (delta minute ventilation (V'E)/delta arterial oxygen saturation (Sa,O2) was significantly increased both in the exercise and hypercapnic runs compared with that in the control run (0.45 +/- 0.12, 0.34 +/- 0.08, respectively, vs 0.12 +/- 0.02 L.min-1/% fall), although the respiratory pattern was different under the two loaded conditions. The intersubject variation in HVR was also significantly increased during the two loaded conditions compared with the control, although a significant correlation remained between the control value and that obtained during either loaded condition (r = 0.66 and r = 0.60, respectively). The heart rate (HR) response evaluated by the slope factor (delta HR/delta Sa,O2) was not significantly different either in the mean value or in the intersubject variability among the three experimental conditions. In conclusion, exercise or CO2 inhalation not only increase the slope value of HVR but also amplify the intersubject variability of the response. In contrast, the HR response to hypoxia evaluated as a slope factor does not change with exercise or CO2 inhalation.


This paper analyses the potential impacts of introducing unemployment insurance (UI) in middle income countries using the case of Malaysia, which today does not have such a system. The analysis is based on a job search model with unemployment and three employment sectors: formal and informal wage employment, and self employment. The parameters of the model are estimated to replicate the structure of the labor market in Malaysia in 2009 and the distribution of earnings for informal, formal and self employed workers. The results suggest that unemployment insurance would have only a modest negative effect on unemployment if benefits are not overly generous. The main effect would be a reallocation of labor from wage into self employment while increasing average wages in the formal and informal sectors.


In meeting goals for higher energy density and efficiency for micro-turbomachinery, there is a trend towards higher operating speeds. Gas-lubricated foil bearings historically have provided a key enabling technology for this class of machinery due to their low power loss, high-speed capability in very low to very high temperatures, and process compatibility. Foil bearings have demonstrated very good performance in many rigid rotor applications. To meet future needs, however, micro-turbomachinery will be required to operate above a bending critical speed where shaft flexibility plays a dominant role. Some successes with foil bearing rotors operating in this region have been achieved, indicating that foil bearings can be built with the required dynamic characteristics. However, these efforts have been primarily experimentally driven, and published results indicate attention to such issues as bearing internal friction, rotor balance, rate of rotor speed change, and bearing location are crucial to success. This work presents an analytical examination of these issues. Using a modal solution for the bending critical mode of a simple, symmetric rotor, various relationships between foil bearing parameters and machine design elements are explored.© 2006 ASME


Changes in soil C as a result of changes in management are relatively slow, and several years of experimentation are needed before differences in management practices can be detected using traditional statistical procedures such as randomized complete block design (RCBD). Using spatial analyses (SA) that take into account spatial variability between plots has a potential for faster and more efficient detection of soil C differences. We hypothesize that for variables with strong spatial continuity, such as total soil C, accurate spatial variability assessment can be obtained even in relatively small experiments. Thus, SA can significantly improve the statistical efficiency of even these experiments. The objective of this study is to test this hypothesis by comparing performances of RCBD analysis and SA for simulated small-sized experiments where soil C is the response variable. Total soil C data collected from 11 field sites at the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) experiment in Michigan were used as an input for simulated experiments. Performance of SA depended on the strength of spatial correlation in soil C and was found to be related to topographical diversity of the experimental sites. In the sites with more diverse topography and stronger spatial correlation of soil C the SA produced lower standard errors for treatment means than those of the RCBD analysis (8 out of 11 sites). In two sites with the flattest topography and weak spatial correlation, SA did not have advantages over RCBD.


TRIP steel typically contains four different phases, ferrite, bainite, austenite and martensite. During deformation the metastable retained austenite tends to transform to stable martensite. The accompanying transformation strain has a beneficial effect on the ductility of the steel during forming. By changing the alloy composition, the rolling procedure and the thermal processing of the steel, a wide range of different morphologies and microstructures can be obtained. Interesting parameters are the amount of retained austenite, the carbon content of the austenite, the stability of the austenite as well as its hardness. A constitutive model is developed for TRIP steel which contains four different phases. The transformation of the metastable austenite to martensite is taken into account. The phase transformation depends on the stress in the austenite. Due to the differences in hardness of the phases the austenite stress is not equal to the overall stress. An estimate of the local stress in the austenite is obtained by homogenization of the response of the phases using a self-consistent mean-field homogenization method. Overall stress-strain results as well as stress-strain results for individual phases are compared to measurements found in literature for some TRIP steels. The model is then used to explore the influence of some possible variations in microstructural composition on the mechanical response of the steel.


Various hormones, chemicals, and teratogenic agents exhibit gender-related effects in utero as well as postnatally. Among such gender-specific teratogens are endocrine disruptors, especially phthalates that affect male gonads, diabetes-induced oxidative stress with more deleterious effects on male offspring, procar-bazine-induced cleft palate affecting more male fetal rats compared to females, and VPA-induced autism-like behavior that affects differently males than females. Hence, there are many needs for the accurate determination of genetic gender. In newborn animals, the morphological methods that exist for sex determination (i.e., anogenital distance) are generally inaccurate. Hence, an accurate and simple method for the prenatal and early postnatal assessment of the genetic sex, prior to reliable evaluation from the external genitalia, is of utmost importance. Indeed, several methods have been developed for accurate assessment of genetic sex, which are discussed in this chapter. Findings from studies in our laboratory have shown that the method described by McFarlan et al. for the assessment of genetic sex in adult mice by PCR of Sly/Xlr genes can be reliably used for the genetic sex determination of any tissue, including embryos and fetuses, with an accuracy of about 100%.


The use of external labour such as temporary agency workers in the general workforce has increased in recent decades, but comparatively little is known about their impact within the aged care workforce. This article analyses quantitative data from a census of aged care facilities and a large-scale survey of their workforce regarding the use and impact of temporary agency workers on internal workers. It demonstrates that employing temporary agency workers helps address labour shortages generally and skill shortages in particular. However, it has a negative impact on the job satisfaction of internal personal care workers – a predictor of an increase in intention to leave. In contrast, there was little impact on internal nurse satisfaction. The use of temporary agency workers could therefore create a paradox: increasing personal care worker numbers in the short term, but negatively impacting on their retention in the long term. Given the need for an expanded and sustainable aged care workforce, this finding has important implications for organisations, policy and unions.


Multicompartment block copolymer nanoparticles (MCBNs) constructed with a thermo-responsive and base-sensitive poly(N-acryloylsarcosine methyl ester)-block-polystyrene (PNASME-b-PS) and a pH-responsive poly(4-vinylpyridine)-block-polystyrene (P4VP-b-PS) are synthesized by dispersion RAFT polymerization employing two macro-RAFT agents. These MCBNs contain a hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) core and dispersed microdomains formed either by the pH-responsive poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and/or the thermo-responsive and base-sensitive poly(N-acryloylsarcosine methyl ester) (PNASME). By changing the polymerization degree of the PS block, the molar ratio of two diblock copolymers, temperature, pH, and tuning the interaction between the acidic poly(N-acryloylsarcosine) block obtained from hydrolysis of PNASME and the alkaline P4VP block, convenient tuning of the size and morphology of the MCBNs is achieved, and well-defined block copolymer nanoparticles including several MCBNs with different microdomains, core–corona particles and shell-bonded core–shell nanoparticles have been prepared.


Summary

1. Grey seals Halichoerus grypus Fab. are large, numerous marine top predators. Fears concerning competition with fisheries have prompted calls for control measures. However, little is known about the areas where grey seals forage or the distances they may travel.

2. The movements of 14 grey seals caught at the Farnes in north-east England (12) and Abertay in eastern Scotland (2) between August 1991 and July 1993 were investigated using Argos Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDLs). A total of 1461 seal days of location and behavioural data (mean 104·3 days per seal) covered all months of the year except February and March.

3. The seal movements were on two geographical scales: long and distant travel (up to 2100 km away); and local, repeated trips from the Farnes, Abertay and other haul-out sites to discrete offshore areas.

4. Long distance travel included visits to Orkney, Shetland, the Faroes, and far offshore into the Eastern Atlantic and the North Sea. During travel the seals moved at speeds of between 75 and 100 km day–1 (0·87 and 1·16 m s–1). Most of the time, long distance travel was directed to known haul-out sites. The large distances travelled indicate that grey seals that haul out at the Farnes are not ecologically isolated from those at Orkney, Shetland and the Faroes.

5. In 88% of trips to sea, individual seals returned to the same haul-out site from which they departed. The durations of these trips were short (mean 2·33 days) and their destinations at sea were often localized areas characterized by a gravel/sand seabed sediment. This is the preferred burrowing habitat of sandeels, an important part of grey seal diet. This, and the fact that dives in these areas were primarily to the seabed, leads us to conclude that these were foraging areas. The limited extents of return-trips from a haul-out site (mean 39·8 km) suggest that the direct impact of seal predation may be greater on fisheries within this coastal zone, especially those near seal haul-out sites, rather than on fisheries further offshore.

6. An average of 43% of all the seals' time was spent within 10 km of a haul-out site, although localized foraging areas were identified considerably further offshore. Proximity to a haul-out may provide safety from predation. Alternatively, these periods may be used for rest or social interaction, or we may be underestimating foraging activity near haul-out sites.

7. We suggest that the movement patterns observed in this study may persist through time and across the grey seals which haul-out at the Farnes. We also suggest that a study such as this could be combined with diet studies and haul-out censuses to map foraging intensity. Such information is an essential component of seal–fishery interaction models, upon which management decisions should be based.


The aim of this study is to document Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in infants living in urban and non- urban areas as well as individual and environmental factors, and to search for any distinguishing features and correlations. A significant difference was observed in trans epidermal water loss in children residing in a region located outside a large city or urban area, and a significant difference was observed also in cuticle water content measured at the same time. It was clear that infants living in an administrative district outside of an urban area retained more water in their cuticles than infants residing in a large city, and transpired more water through the epidermis. It was suggested that TEWL in preschool children may differ according to age and gender, and is influenced by outdoor humidity, outdoor temperature, surface temperature, and cuticle water content.


This study investigates how children's experiences as Haitian refugees influence the development of atypical childhood fears. Eighteen child refugees were interviewed about their personal primary fear objects and their interpretation of fear in a series of drawing and picture observation exercises. Five of these eighteen children were Haitian refugees. Each of the refugee children had one adult representative who was interviewed about the child, the family's demographic information, and the child's previous traumatic experiences in his/her native country. The refugee children and their adult representatives' responses to the interview questions were coded and analyzed according to themes. Results suggest that Haitian refugee children have a higher rate of moderately life-threatening and lifethreatening previous traumatic experiences. Results also indicate that the majority of Haitian refugee children reported amphibians as their primary fear objects, suggesting that the geographic location and characteristics of Haiti contribute to the development of Haitian children's primary fear objects. While animal and imaginary/cultural creatures may be the most prominently identified and interpreted Haitian fear, Haitian refugee children may interpret more lifethreatening fears when prompted by the image of a child under a tree.


Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) has developed into one of the most important carbon governance mechanisms that the international community has at its disposal in the fight against climate change. Deforestation and degradation, particularly in the tropics, constitute one of the major drivers of climate change, the avoidance of which is often portrayed as one of the most effective and efficient options for mitigation. Whether the potential of REDD+ can really be used depends, however, not only on technical issues but even more on how the evolving mechanism is governed on various levels, ranging from the local to the international. The following article analyses some key aspects of REDD+ governance focusing on finance, legal issues, institutional considerations, and potential additional benefits. WIREs Clim Change 2012, 3:107–113. doi: 10.1002/wcc.155


Ego-motion estimation and environment mapping are two recurring problems in the field of robotics. In this work we propose a simple on-line method for tracking the pose of a depth camera in six degrees of freedom and simultaneously maintaining an updated 3D map, represented as a truncated signed distance function. The distance function representation implicitly encodes surfaces in 3D-space and is used directly to define a cost function for accurate registration of new data. The proposed algorithm is highly parallel and achieves good accuracy compared to state of the art methods. It is suitable for reconstructing single household items, workspace environments and small rooms at near real-time rates, making it practical for use on modern CPU hardware.


Triangular map is a recent construct in probability theory that allows one to transform any source probability density function to any target density function. Based on triangular maps, we propose a general framework for high-dimensional density estimation, by specifying one-dimensional transformations (equivalently conditional densities) and appropriate conditioner networks. This framework (a) reveals the commonalities and differences of existing autoregressive and flow based methods, (b) allows a unified understanding of the limitations and representation power of these recent approaches and, (c) motivates us to uncover a new Sum-of-Squares (SOS) flow that is interpretable, universal, and easy to train. We perform several synthetic experiments on various density geometries to demonstrate the benefits (and short-comings) of such transformations. SOS flows achieve competitive results in simulations and several real-world datasets.


Abstract This article argues for a number of hitherto unrecognized continuities——stylistic, aesthetic, and ideological——between Beethoven9s marginalized ""political music"" from the period of the Congress of Vienna and his canonical symphonic works. It rereads his œœuvre against the background of the popularity and ubiquity of the ""Handelian sublime"" in early-nineteenth-century Viennese public life——that is, the aesthetics and social practice of grand choral singing, associated primarily with some of Handel9s oratorios, but also with the late choral works of Haydn. Presenting new archival research into Vienna9s politicized choral culture, the article argues that contemporary theorizing about the power of the musical sublime became the theoretical wing of music9s changing social status, as it was mobilized by the state during the Napoleonic Wars more than ever before. These new, Handelian contexts for Beethoven9s music lead to three conclusions. First, the choral aesthetic background to Beethoven9s symphonies has been largely overlooked. With reference to original performance contexts as well as the topical character of Beethoven9s symphonies, the article argues that the symphonies are often best understood as orchestral transmutations of the grand Handelian chorus. Against this background, the appearance of an actual chorus in the Ninth might be reconceived as a moment when the genre9s aesthetic debt is most apparent, rather than a shocking generic transgression. Second, the distinction, commonly elaborated by Beethoven scholars, between the mere bombast of Beethoven9s political compositions and the ""authentic,"" Kantian sublime of human freedom supposedly articulated in his symphonies cannot easily be sustained. Third, the cultural entanglement of choral and symphonic music in Beethoven9s Vienna reveals something not only of the political origins but also of the continuing political potency of Beethoven9s symphonies. With reference to Althusserian theories of power and subjectivity, the article speculates that the compelling sense of listener subjectivity created by Beethoven9s most vaunted symphonic compositions (noted by Scott Burnham) comes about in part through the music9s and the listener9s transformation of external, choral reflections of political power into internal, symphonic ones——a transformation that leaves its mark on the topical character of the symphonies, which, especially in their most intense moments of subjective engagement, are replete with official topics and gestures: marches, hymns, and fugues. This might explain why the music has so often been heard as simultaneously browbeating and uplifting, authoritarian and liberating.


Design methods based on a statistical approach to the prediction of dynamic effects of wind on frameworks of tall building are steadily gaining acceptance. Similar concepts can be applied to wind loads on cladding, although there are important differences such as exposure, size, and dynamic properties of the elements considered. Wind pressures and suctions at several points on a tall building recorded during strong winds are used to study the problem of predicting peak gust loads on windows and cladding elements. The statistical approach to the prediction of peak gusts, based on random process theory, is investigated. Measured peak pressures are compared to values calculated by a simple wind gust factor method and by a more detailed gust effect factor method. It is concluded that the gust effect factor method is preferable because it promotes a better understanding of peak pressures, but further field data and experimentation are needed before entirely satisfactory design estimates can be made.


Climate envelope models are widely used to describe potential future distribution of species under different climate change scenarios. It is broadly recognized that there are both strengths and limitations to using climate envelope models and that outcomes are sensitive to initial assumptions, inputs, and modeling methods Selection of predictor variables, a central step in modeling, is one of the areas where different techniques can yield varying results. Selection of climate variables to use as predictors is often done using statistical approaches that develop correlations between occurrences and climate data. These approaches have received criticism in that they rely on the statistical properties of the data rather than directly incorporating biological information about species responses to temperature and precipitation. We evaluated and compared models and prediction maps for 15 threatened or endangered species in Florida based on two variable selection techniques: expert opinion and a statistical method. We compared model performance between these two approaches for contemporary predictions, and the spatial correlation, spatial overlap and area predicted for contemporary and future climate predictions. In general, experts identified more variables as being important than the statistical method and there was low overlap in the variable sets (<40%) between the two methods Despite these differences in variable sets (expert versus statistical), models had high performance metrics (>0.9 for area under the curve (AUC) and >0.7 for true skill statistic (TSS). Spatial overlap, which compares the spatial configuration between maps constructed using the different variable selection techniques, was only moderate overall (about 60%), with a great deal of variability across species. Difference in spatial overlap was even greater under future climate projections, indicating additional divergence of model outputs from different variable selection techniques. Our work is in agreement with other studies which have found that for broad-scale species distribution modeling, using statistical methods of variable selection is a useful first step, especially when there is a need to model a large number of species or expert knowledge of the species is limited. Expert input can then be used to refine models that seem unrealistic or for species that experts believe are particularly sensitive to change. It also emphasizes the importance of using multiple models to reduce uncertainty and improve map outputs for conservation planning. Where outputs overlap or show the same direction of change there is greater certainty in the predictions. Areas of disagreement can be used for learning by asking why the models do not agree, and may highlight areas where additional on-the-ground data collection could improve the models. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: Laura email@example.com (L.A. Brandt), email@example.com S.S. Romañach). 1 Current address: U.S. Geological Survey, 3321 College Avenue, Ft Lauderdale, FL 3314 USA 2 Current address: John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118 USA. ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.11.016 304-3800/Published by Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier B.V.


Carbon fibers are state-of-the-art materials with properties that include being light weight, high strength, and chemically stable, and are applied in various fields including aeronautical science and space science. Investigation of applications of carbon fibers to biomaterials was started 30 or more years ago, and various products have been developed. Because the latest technological progress has realized nano-level control of carbon fibers, applications to biomaterials have also progressed to the age of nano-size. Carbon fibers with diameters in the nano-scale (carbon nanofibers) dramatically improve the functions of conventional biomaterials and make the development of new composite materials possible. Carbon nanofibers also open possibilities for new applications in regenerative medicine and cancer treatment. The first three-dimensional constructions with carbon nanofibers have been realized, and it has been found that the materials could be used as excellent scaffolding for bone tissue regeneration. In this critical review, we summarize the history of carbon fiber application to the biomaterials and describe future perspectives in the new age of nano-level control of carbon fibers (122 references).


RNA-sequencing has revolutionized transcriptomics and the way we measure gene expression (Wang et al., 2009). As of today, short-read RNA sequencing is more widely used, and due to its low price and high throughput, is the preferred tool for the quantitative analysis of gene expression. However, the annotation of transcript isoforms is rather difficult using only short-read sequencing data, because the reads are shorter than most transcripts (Steijger et al., 2013). Long-read sequencing, on the other hand, can provide full contig information about transcripts, including exon-connectivity, and its merits in transcriptome profiling are being increasingly acknowledged (Sharon et al., 2013; Abdel-Ghany et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2016; Kuo et al., 2017). Due to the relatively low throughput of current long-read sequencing technologies, they can only characterize smaller transcriptomes in high-depth (Weirather et al., 2017). The Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous betaherpesvirus, which can cause mononucleosis-like symptoms in adults (Cohen and Corey, 1985), and severe life-threatening infections in newborns (Wen et al., 2002). Latent HCMV infection has recently been implicated to affect cancer formation (Dziurzynski et al., 2012; Jin et al., 2014). Examining the transcriptome of the virus can go a long way in helping understand its molecular biology. Short-read RNA sequencing studies have discovered splice junctions and non-coding transcripts (Gatherer et al., 2011) and have shown that the most abundant HCMV transcripts are similarly expressed in different cell types (Cheng et al., 2017). Our long-read RNA sequencing experiments using the Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) RSII platform revealed a great number of transcript isoforms, polycistronic RNAs and transcriptional overlaps (Balázs et al., 2017a).


The knowledge of control engineering for mechanical engineers seems to become more important with the continuous development of automated technologies. To cultivate this knowledge, many experimental devices have been proposed and used. Devices with direct current (DC) motors are widely used because the DC motors can be controlled with sufficient accuracy based on the classical linear control theory. Mobile robots are used as educational platforms attracting the attention of students in various problem-based learning subjects. However, they have been hardly used to teach linear control theory because of the nonlinearity. This paper shows an experimental curriculum to learn control theory using a mobile robot instead of a motor. Although the model of the mobile robot is nonlinear, a strict linearization method makes it possible to adjust the control gains using the linear control theory. By applying the method, the characteristics of linear control systems are explicitly observed in the traveling paths of the mobile robot, so an experimental curriculum to learn the basic linear control theory can be realized using an inexpensive mobile robot. The proposed experimental curriculum was carried out in a class of a mechanical engineering course, and its results are discussed in this paper.


Proposals for different types of elements of a fiscal union have flourished in recent years, both from
academic and policy circles. Since a fiscal union could take a constellation of different forms, this
paper first provides an analytical framework pinpointing the five key elements of a fiscal union. It
takes stock of the existing features of EMU that embed some form of fiscal union, and then critically
analyses the main arguments for and against further fiscal integration. Finally, it surveys the key
proposals for a fiscal capacity and different types of Eurobonds.


Performance appraisal schemes are being introduced across our nation and the education profession, like other government sectors, has been forced to follow suit. The response has been the introduction of performance appraisal schemes for teachers from pre-school through to tertiary sections of the education system. I am concerned that this response has been too reactive. The pervasive, 'economically' dominated thinking of governments has influenced the teacher appraisal schemes to the extent that often their educative and business oriented goals are irreconcilable. To begin this article I locate the current push for accountability in the teaching profession as a reflection of governments' needs to account for tax payers' money. I then identify two implicit facets of the accountability task: rectifying incompetence and ensuring and displaying continuing competence within the teaching force. From here I argue that these tasks are in themselves multifaceted and that they should be treated separately within a multifaceted approach. Next I go on to offer an example of one such multifaceted approach to providing accountability within the teaching force. Finally I call for further deliberation and for the maintenance of educational principles in accountability procedures within. the teaching profession.


The pK(a) of an acyclic aliphatic heptaol ((HOCH(2)CH(2)CH(OH)CH(2))(3)COH) was measured in DMSO, and its gas-phase acidity is reported as well. This tertiary alcohol was found to be 10(21) times more acidic than tert-butyl alcohol in DMSO and an order of magnitude more acidic than acetic acid (i.e., pK(a) = 11.4 vs 12.3). This can be attributed to a 21.9 kcal mol(-1) stabilization of the charged oxygen center in the conjugate base by three hydrogen bonds and another 6.3 kcal mol(-1) stabilization resulting from an additional three hydrogen bonds between the uncharged primary and secondary hydroxyl groups. Charge delocalization by both the first and second solvation shells may be used to facilitate enzymatic reactions. Acidity constants of a series of polyols were also computed, and the combination of hydrogen-bonding and electron-withdrawing substituents was found to afford acids that are predicted to be extremely acidic in DMSO (i.e., pK(a) < 0). These hydrogen bond enhanced acids represent an attractive class of Brønsted acid catalysts.


In order to further increase the efficiency of electrified vehicle drives, various predictive energy management strategies (driving strategies) have been developed. Therefore, a generic prediction approach is worked out in this paper, which enables a robust prediction of all traction torque-relevant variables for such strategies. It is intended to be useful for various types of electrification; however, the focus of this work is to the application in hybrid electric vehicles. In contrast to other approaches, no additional information (e.g., telemetry data) is required and thus a reliable prediction is guaranteed at all times. In particular, approaches from the fields of stochastics and artificial intelligence have proven to be effective for such purposes. Within the scope of this work, both so-called Markov Chains and Neural Networks are applied to predict real driving profiles within a required time horizon. Therefore, at first, a detailed analysis of the driver-specific ride characteristics is performed to ensure that real-world operation is represented appropriately. Next, the two models are implemented and the calibration is further discussed. The subsequent direct comparison of the two approaches is performed based on the described methodology, which includes both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Hereby, the quality of the predictions is evaluated using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) calculations as well as analyses in time domain. Based on the presented results, an appropriate approach is finally recommended.


Propelled by fear of violence and flight from stigma, impelled by desire for connection and belonging, the movements of people whose sexualities or genders defy and offend norms cover a complex spatial, social, and psychological terrain. This paper presents partial findings of a critical qualitative inquiry conducted in partnership with Rainbow Refugee Committee, a community organization that supports and advocates with Queer, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (LGBTQ) and HIV-positive refugee claimants/ migrants. This inquiry into how queer refugees engage in settlement comprised participation in Rainbow Refugee Committee and narrative interviews with LGBTQ refugee claimants and refugees, as well as interviews with service providers, community organizers, and lawyers. This paper explores how pre-settlement experiences conditioned possibilities for safety and belonging through refugee protection. While seeking refugee protection, queer refugees are evaluated against expected narratives of refugee flight and of LGBT identity. This paper reflects on the unconventionality of queer refugees' accounts in relation to these expectations. Queer refugees settling in Canada recounted surviving persecution by dis/avowing their desires, distancing/ taking on available identities, avoiding/seeking out others, and conforming/escaping. They pursued mixed, often precarious, migration trajectories constrained by tightening migration controls and the relative obscurity of refugee protection for sexual or gender-based persecution. In their hearings, they struggled with and against Western cultural narratives of sexual and gender identities, coming out, and gender dysphoria. Interview excerpts highlight relational agencies in claimants' engagements with the refugee system.


Cooled exhaust gas recirculation is emerging as a promising technology to address the increasing demand for fuel economy without compromising performance in turbocharged spark injection engines. The objectives of this study are to quantify the increase in knock resistance and to decrease the enrichment and emission at high load. For this purpose four stroke turbo charged Spark Ignition engine (EF7-TC) including its different systems such as inlet and exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe and engine geometry are modeled using GT Power Software. As predicted, using cooled EGR at high load enabled operation at lambda near to one with the same serial engine performances, which offers substantial advantages Such As BSFC reduction (up to 14%), and emission reduction (CO, NOx).


Modern software is plagued by elusive corner-case bugs (e.g., security bugs). Because there are no scalable, automated ways of finding them, such bugs can remain hidden until software is deployed in production. This thesis proposes approaches to solve this problem. First, we present black-box and white-box fault injection mechanisms, which allow developers to test the behavior of their own code in the presence of failures in external components, e.g., in libraries, in the kernel, or in remote nodes of a distributed system. We describe how to make black-box fault injection more efficient, by prioritizing tests based on their estimated impact. For white-box testing, we proposed and implemented a technique to find Trojan messages in distributed systems, i.e., messages that are accepted as valid by receiver nodes, yet cannot be sent by any correct sender node. We show that Trojan messages can lead to subtle semantic bugs. We used fault injection techniques to find new bugs in systems such as the MySQL database, the Apache HTTP server, the FSP file service protocol suite, and the PBFT Byzantine-fault-tolerant replication library. Testing can find bugs and build confidence in the correctness of a system. However, exhaustive testing is often unfeasible, and therefore testing may not discover all bugs before a system is deployed. In the second part of this thesis, we describe how to automatically harden production systems, reducing the impact of any corner-case bugs missed by testing. We present a framework that reduces the overhead cost of instrumentation tools such as memory error detectors. Lowering the cost enables system developers to use such tools in production to harden their systems, reducing the impact of any remaining corner-case bugs. We used our framework to generate a version of the Linux kernel hardened with Address Sanitizer. Our hardened kernel has most of the benefit of full instrumentation: it detects the same vulnerabilities as full instrumentation (7 out of 11 privilege escalation exploits from 2013-2014 can be detected using instrumentation tools). Yet, it obtains these benefits at only a quarter of the overhead.


A strain of Leptospira kirschneri (serogroup Grippotyphosa) was cultured from urine of a mare post‐abortion in Brazil and characterized by serogrouping, multiple‐locus variable‐number tandem repeat analysis, PGFE, and sequencing of genes rrs and secY. Strains of L. kirschneri have apparently never been recovered from horses in tropical area, only in Europe and USA. Knowledge of local epidemiology is important to interpret genetic profiles of leptospires circulating in an area.


Norway. The new system fulfils several criteria for a defined contribution scheme. Earnings from all years in work count in the accumulation of entitlements, and an actuarial rule converting the final balance into an annuity is introduced. But the pension system will still be a part of the general public finances and therefore financed pay-as-you-go. And before taking adjustments for increasing life expectancy into account, the level of old age pension benefits is calibrated to the former defined benefit system. The paper shows that given these restrictions it is of minor importance if the new pension system is described as defined benefit versus defined contribution. One modification follows from the treatment of inheritance of entitlements from persons who die before the lower age limit of retirement. The discussion is illustrated empirically by using Statistics Norway's dynamic microsimulation model MOSART.


Fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks are expected to achieve 1000 times higher capacity compared with fourthgeneration wireless networks. Thus, improving the spectrum efficiency (SE) is a crucial problem, which must be considered. Cognitive radio (CR) is considered an effective approach to alleviate the spectrum scarcity problem. In this paper, based on the location information of the primary transmitter (PT) and the CR network, we estimate the distance between the PT and the secondary transmitter (ST) and then propose a joint spectrum sensing and power allocation (JSS-PA) scheme to improve the SE of the CR network. In the JSS-PA scheme, we focus on jointly optimizing the sensing parameters and the transmit power of the secondary user (SU) such that the SE is maximized, whereas the primary user (PU) outage constraint is satisfied.When cooperative spectrum sensing is employed to detect the PU's status, we analyze two cooperative strategies, i.e., soft information fusion (SIF) and hard information fusion (HIF). Under the SIF strategy, the optimization of sensing and power (S-OSP) algorithm is proposed to maximize the SE. Under the HIF strategy, the optimization of thresholds (H-OT) algorithm is proposed, and then, the optimization of sensing and power (H-OSP) algorithm is proposed to find the optimal duration of local sensing, the optimal transmit power of the SU, and the optimal final decision threshold. Finally, we present the simulation results to evaluate the performance of the proposed JSS-PA scheme and discuss the effects of the optimal parameters on different schemes under SIF and HIF strategies.


Mouse models are powerful in vivo systems that play an important role in biomedical research. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of immunodeficient mice for a wide variety of applications, including immunology, infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer. Mice with compromised immune systems are invaluable tools that not only provide critical insight into genes essential for immune function, but when combined with the transplantation of human cells or tissues, they also have enormous potential to provide scientists with relevant models of human disease.


High sulfur content of coal is generally attributed to marine inundation during or shortly following peat formation. When a large peat deposit on the Caribbean coast of Panama subsided during a 1991 earthquake, sulfate-rich seawater inundated the margin of the deposit, providing the opportunity to evaluate the role of short-term marine flooding on sulfur abundance and chemistry. Salinity and pH measurements across the new marine margin indicate that penetration of saline waters into the peat is restricted to <2 m both vertically and horizontally. A comparison of forms of sulfur in the newly flooded peat vs. adjacent, subaerial peat reveals that total sulfur content is not increased by flooding, but that the distribution of sulfur forms differs markedly after marine inundation: inorganic forms, particularly mineral sulfate, make up a higher proportion of the total; the organic sulfate fraction becomes highly variable; and the carbon-bonded sulfur content remains seemingly unaffected. Heightened bacterial activity is seen as a likely mediator in this redistribution of sulfur forms. Our results indicate that a high sulfur content in coals and peats cannot form by short-term periodic flooding events such as storms but must reflect long-term infiltration of marine or brackish waters measured on time scales of hundreds to thousands of years.


Images become an important and prevalent way to express users' activities, opinions and emotions. In a social network, individual emotions may be influenced by others, in particular by close friends. We focus on understanding how users embed emotions into the images they uploaded to the social websites and how social influence plays a role in changing users' emotions. We first verify the existence of emotion influence in the image networks, and then propose a probabilistic factor graph based emotion influence model to answer the questions of "who influences whom". Employing a real network from Flickr as experimental data, we study the effectiveness of factors in the proposed model with in-depth data analysis. Our experiments also show that our model, by incorporating the emotion influence, can significantly improve the accuracy (+5%) for predicting emotions from images. Finally, a case study is used as the anecdotal evidence to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.


Structural performances of two historic high-rise buildings, constructed in the early 1920s and located in seismic zone 3 in downtown Sacramento, CA were investigated. The objectives of this evaluation were to determine whether these structures met the current seismic criteria and to propose strategies to upgrade such performance to an acceptable level. Both structures, have fourteen main floors, are 200 ft tall, have an approximate floor area of 90,000-ft 2 . Performance-based procedures based on the Life Safety (LS) provisions of FEMA 356 for the Deign Basis earthquake (DBE). Detailed threedimensional mathematical models of the structures were prepared. Both structures performed better than expected when subject to seismic loading. A voluntary seismic upgrade using fluid viscous dampers (FVDs) and steel struts was utilized for one structure, whereas, for the second structure, structural modifications were undertaken to address some of the occupancy needs.


The present work proposes tests for reduced rank in multivariate regression coefficient matrices, under rather general conditions. A heuristic approach is to first estimate the regressions via standard methods, then compare the coefficient matrix rows (or columns) to assess their redundancy. A formal version of this approach utilizes the distance between an unrestricted coefficient matrix estimate and an estimate restricted by reduced rank. Two distance minimization problems emerge, based on equivalent formulations of the null hypothesis. For each method we derive estimators and tests, and their asymptotic distributions. We examine test performance in simulation, and give some numerical examples.


ABSTRACT A holistic investigation of the modern carbonate ramp slope of central west Florida has been completed via analysis of approximately 1,500 km of air-gun seismic reflection profiles tied to two drillcores and bottom samples recovered at 92 stations. Our primary goal has been to characterize modern depositional processes and products; to compare and contrast results with modern rimmed-platform slopes; and to develop a model for application to the rock record. The "modern" depositional environment of the west Florida ramp slope was initiated 12-15 Ma when depositional style changed from seaward-prograding clinoforms to a pelagic, slope-front-fill system bound along the shelf margin by contour-parallel flow of the Loop Current. A seaward-thickening wedge (0-250 m) of late Miocene to Recent pelagic carbonate ooze has been deposited across antecedent mid-Miocene topography. In general, the sea floor dips 1-2° seaward from water depths of about 200-2,000 m, and slopes are relatively smooth. However, contemporary submarine geomorphology is controlled, in part, by earlier slope failures. The primary control of modern sedimentation along the west Florida slope is Loop Current flow, which acts as a dynamic oceanographic boundary between outer shelf and upper slope, winnows bottom sediments, catalyzes early submarine cementation, and stimulates pelagic production of calcium carbonate. The axis of Loop Current circulation has also migrated laterally in response to climatically controlled sea-level fluctuations, which has resulted in a relatively wide ( 25 km) band of winnowed sands and hardgrounds along the shelf margin. Climatic oscillations have also resulted in cyclic deposition of pelagically derived aragonite (pteropods) on the ramp slope that is out of phase with bank-derived aragonite cycles of rimmed platform slope . There are three major facies belts that parallel modern isobaths: 1) a hardground facies of intraclastic grainstones and rhodolith rudstones, as well as algal ridges, along the outer shelf at water depths of approximately 200-400 m; 2) a winnowed-sand facies of planktonic forams, intraclasts, glauconite, and reworked phosphorite grains as well as deep-water coral mounds along the shelf margin at depths of approximately 400-600 m; and 3) a bioturbated pelagic-ooze facies along the ramp slope at depths of approximately 600-2,000 m. These facies patterns, geometries, and grain types, along with a general paucity of sediment-gravity-flow deposits, readily distinguish this carbonate ramp slope from better-known rimmed-platform slopes of the Bahamas.


Document Type Thesis Date of Degree Completion Winter 2017 Degree Name Master of Science (MS) Committee Chair Steven Hackenberger Second Committee Member Jennifer Lipton Third Committee Member Katherine Kelly Abstract The form and function of talus features of the Columbia Plateau are the subject of archaeological investigations and cultural resource evaluation and protection programs. Depressions excavated in talus slopes, most often circular to oval in shape, are called talus pits. Pit features are also located in colluvium and alluvial fans, and at the base of cliff overhangs. Over 568 of these features have been documented for 48 sites within the project area of the Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs. Pits may have been used for hunting blinds, storage (food and/or equipment), burial, and/or and spirit questing. The size of pits and the frequency of pits per site, combined with historic associations with human remains, suggest that most talus pit sites are cemeteries. Pits and pit sites are found in higher than expected frequencies on the west side of the Columbia River and on northeast and southeast facing slopes. The distribution of pits by river mile for the east and west sides of the river do not correspond to changes in the elevation of the river (rapids) or the amount of talus slopes or alluvial fans. The location of house features and house sites are compared to the distribution of talus pits by average distance and by river section. There is only partial correspondence of house sites and talus site locations. The number of houses and number of talus pit features, and reported location of ethnohistoric settlements, are not well correlated. Some talus pits and house features are found in the middle stretch of the project (Vantage-Rocky Coulee). However, overall, talus features, house features, and historic settlement locations concentrate on the upper (Colockum Creek-Cabinet Rapids) and lower (Priest Rapids) ends of the project area. This distributional pattern best fits the interpretation that sites with large number of pits are cemeteries associated with separate communities. Recommended Citation Ripin, Jeremy, "Talus Features of the Middle Columbia River: Typological and Locational Analyses" (2017). All Master's Theses. 602. https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/602


This is a second edition of the definitive resource for all those wanting to use massage therapy to treat pain and injury conditions. Fully updated and revised "Orthopedic Massage" has been written for those interested in understanding and applying massage as an intervention for soft-tissue disorders. Recent research into the physiological effects of massage has strengthened the justification for its use in the treatment of soft-tissue pain and injury conditions. Orthopedic soft-tissue problems are common among the general population, whether from sports, occupational activities, or chronic pain. This text presents a comprehensive and in-depth look at the physiological nature of these conditions and the massage treatments most effective for their relief. A particular contribution this text makes is its validation for the role of massage in treating orthopedic conditions. In the field of orthopedics the successful repair of soft-tissue damage is often a crucial factor in effective rehabilitation. However, most of those who are trained in the use of massage therapy techniques have little opportunity to learn about the orthopedic issues involved. "Orthopedic Massage" aims to help the clinician understand the relationship between the soft tissues to which they apply their techniques and the overall orthopedic disorder affecting their clients. Although written chiefly for massage practitioners, the lessons it teaches are relevant to any practitioner who is concerned with the treatment of soft-tissue injuries.


Louse-borne relapsing fever, caused byBorrelia recurrentis, provides one of the best documented examples of the causative role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the pathology of severe infection in humans. We have identified the principal TNF-inducing factor of B. recurrentis as a variable major lipoprotein (Vmp). Here we report the complete gene sequence of Vmp, including its lipoprotein leader sequence. Using metabolically labeled forms of the native Vmp we confirm that the TNF inducing properties are associated with the lipid portion of the molecule. Quadrupole orthogonal time of flight mass spectrometry unequivocally locates the lipidic moiety at the NH2-terminal cysteine of the native polypeptide, and indicates the existence of three forms which are consistent with the structures C16:0, C16:0, C16:0 glyceryl cysteine; C18:1, C16:0, C16:0 glyceryl cysteine; and C18:0, C16:0, C16:0 glyceryl cysteine. These data provide the first direct evidence that the TNF inducing lipid modification of native Borrelia lipoproteins is a structural homologue of the murein lipoprotein of Escherichia coli.


Background: Hypertension (HPT) is a global public health challenge. It predisposes to cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and disability as well as contributing to high death rates. HPT is increasing tremendously in sub-Saharan Africa with HPT-related mortality risk having increased by 25% in less than 10 years in South Africa. Physical activity is a cost-effective way of reducing, controlling and preventing hypertension. The aim of the study was to establish the level of physical activity, and factors associated with physical activity, amongst patients with hypertension, in two community health centres in uMgungundlovu Health District, KwaZulu-Natal, 2018. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytic component was implemented. Data were collected utilising an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Frequency distribution tables and the chi-square test were used in the analysis of data. A p-value less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: A total of 374 questionnaires were administered of which 373 were adequately completed, yielding a response rate of 99.7%. The results showed that 39.1% were highly physical active, 32.4% were moderately physical active and 28.4% had low physical activity. Age, marital status, employment status and level of education were significantly associated with physical activity. Major barriers to physical activity included health problems and having no time to exercise. Health-related reasons were reported to be the major motivator towards physical activity. Conclusion: Over a third of the participants presented with high levels of physical activity. Health education should focus on promoting physical activity for HPT clients.


It is widely believed that insulating an administrative agency from the influence of elected officials, whatever its other benefits or justifications, reduces the agency's responsiveness to the preferences of political majorities. This Article argues, to the contrary, that a moderate degree of bureaucratic insulation from political control alleviates rather than exacerbates the countermajoritarian problems inherent in bureaucratic policymaking. An elected politician, though responsive to majoritarian preferences, will almost always deviate from the majority in one direction or the other. Therefore, even if the average policy position of a given elected official tends to track the policy views of the median voter in the electorate, the average divergence between the preferences of that official and the median voter in the electorate is generally greater than zero. Forcing the politically responsive official to share power with a partially insulated bureaucracy can reduce the variance in policy outcomes, because bureaucratic insulation creates a kind of compensatory inertia that mutes the significance of variation in the elected official's policy preferences. Up to a point, the median voter's benefit from this reduction in outcome variance outweighs the costs associated with biasing the expected outcome away from the median voter's ideal policy.


Lobe detection from CT images is a challenging segmentation problem with important respiratory health care applications, including surgical planning and regional image analysis. We present a fully automated method for segmenting the pulmonary lobes. We first build a lobar approximation by applying a watershed transform to a vesselness density filter, using seed points generated from segmentation and analysis of the bronchial tree. We then apply a fissureness filter, which combines Hessian-based detection of planar structures with suppression of locally fissure-like points on the boundaries of the pulmonary vasculature. Finally, we fit a smooth multi-level B-spline curve through the fissureness maxima and extrapolate to the lung boundaries. Our method addresses several limitations of similar work, namely it is robust to incomplete fissures and vessels crossing the lobar boundaries, and it is computationally efficient and does not require training. We provide validation using fissure landmarks manually placed on 10 lung cancer datasets by a pulmonary clinician.


This Article explores consumer collection litigation through original research from more than five hundred cases filed in the Dallas County courts. It analyzes the data within the context of the modern debt collection industry, paying special attention to the role of debt buyers and to the peculiar legal issues their involvement raises. After explaining the methodology and mechanics used to gather and analyze the data, the Article discusses the data collected, identifying and analyzing the most significant findings and placing them within a larger legal landscape. While the research confirms anecdotal reports of litigation abuse in consumer collection cases, it also reveals some surprising patterns. For example, the research indicates that consumer default was not the most common outcome and that minimal effort by consumers often considerably helped to protect their rights and favorably to conclude the litigation. The Article concludes by discussing some of the implications for the judicial system and by suggesting additional areas of research that would increase understanding of the challenges the litigation presents for parties, their lawyers, and the courts.


In this paper, the impact of alternative development strategies on growth and poverty is assessed in an economywide framework, using Egypt as a case study. The analysis is guided by the following question: By pursuing a development strategy different from the one actually pursued since the late 1970s, could Egypt's government significantly have improved the status of its poor? To address this question, a dynamic, recursive, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is used to simulate Egypt's economy for the period 1979-1997. The model is built around a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for 1979. The results indicate that pro-poor redistribution of land and human capital assets could have been a particularly effective tool had Egypt prioritized more strongly to improve the welfare of the poor and reduce inequalities. Such policies could have been implemented without any noticeable negative impact on growth or aggregate welfare. The results also suggest that, for Egypt, there was no contradiction between more rapid growth, largely a function of more rapid productivity growth, and improved welfare for the poor. The present analysis confirms the finding of earlier analyses that, compared to pro-manufacturing policies, pro-agricultural policies have a more positive impact on household welfare in general and the poor in particular. There is a significant synergy between a pro-agricultural shift in productivity growth, improved market access for agricultural exports, and reduced transactions costs in foreign trade.


1. Introduction: The Evolution of Mindfulness Science, Kirk Warren Brown, J. David Creswell, & Richard M. Ryan I. Historical and Conceptual Overview of Mindfulness 2. Buddhist Conceptualizations of Mindfulness, Rupert Gethin 3. Developing Attention and Decreasing Affective Bias: Toward a Cross Cultural Cognitive Science of Mindfulness, Jake H. Davis & Evan Thompson 4. Reconceptualizing Mindfulness: The Psychological Principles of Attending in Mindfulness Practice and Their Role in Well Being, James Carmody II. Mindfulness in the Context of Contemporary Psychological Theory 5. Mindfulness in the Context of the Attention System, Yi Yuan Tang & Michael I. Posner 6. Mindfulness in the Context of Processing Mode Theory, Edward R. Watkins 7. Being Aware and Functioning Fully: Mindfulness and Interest-Taking within Self Determination Theory, Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan, Patricia P. Schultz, & Christopher P. Niemiec 8. Mindfulness in Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Models, Thomas G. Szabo, Douglas M. Long, Matthew Villatte & Steven C. Hayes III. The Basic Science of Mindfulness 9. From Conceptualization to Operationalization of Mindfulness, Jordan T. Quaglia, Kirk Warren Brown, Emily K. Lindsay, J. David Creswell, & Robert J. Goodman 10. The Neurobiology of Mindfulness Meditation, Fadel Zeidan 11. Cognitive Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation, Marieke K. van Vugt 12. Emotional Benefits of Mindfulness, Joanna J. Arch & Lauren N. Landy 13. The Science of Presence: A Central Mediator of the Interpersonal Benefits of Mindfulness, Suzanne C. Parker, Benjamin W. Nelson, Elissa S. Epel, & Daniel J. Siegel 14. Did the Buddha Have a Self?: No Self, Self, and Mindfulness in Buddhist Thought and Western Psychologies, Richard M. Ryan & C. Scott Rigby IV. Mindfulness Interventions for Healthy Populations 15. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Healthy Stressed Adults, Shauna L. Shapiro & Hooria Jazaieri 16. Mindfulness Training for Children and Adolescents: A State-of-the-Science Review, David S. Black 17. Mindfulness Training to Enhance Positive Functioning, Kirk Warren Brown V. Mindfulness Interventions for Clinical Populations 18. Mindfulness Interventions for Emotion Dysregulation Disorders: From Self Control to Self Regulation, Thomas R. Lynch, Sophie A. Lazarus, & Jennifer S. Cheavens 19. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Depression, Julie Ann Irving, Norman A. Farb, & Zindel V. Segal 20. Mindfulness in the Treatment of Anxiety, Sarah A. Hayes Skelton & Lauren P. Wadsworth 21. A Mindfulness Based Approach to Addiction, Sarah Bowen, Cassandra Vieten, Katie Witkiewitz, & Haley Douglas 22. Mindfulness Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Selective Review, Linda E. Carlson 23. Biological Pathways Linking Mindfulness with Health, J. David Creswell


This research explores the use of personalised role playing simulations to encourage active student engagement in the learning process. Personalised role playing simulations could provide educators with an alternative teaching methodology, and students with course content tailored to their needs. The personalisation of student learning resources could be based on: level of achievement; prior experience; learning preferences; relevance of learning resources to individual students' requirements; and lecturers or students choice of direction through the units of learning provided. Some of the advantages of using personalised role playing simulations include: inexpensive to produce; easy to create; re-usable; not life threatening; engaging; and interesting. Research to date has shown that the main obstacles to developing authoring tools for creating personalised role playing simulations for use by non-technical authors are: the amount of technical assistance required; the cost of production; the substantial time commitment involved; and the complexity of design necessary to ensure the expected learning outcomes are achieved and pedagogical requirements are met. The criteria to be used to effectively evaluate authoring tools for creating personalised role playing simulations could include: user's acceptance; educators pedagogical considerations have been met; the authoring tool is robust; usability of the authoring tools satisfies the human computer interface expectations of potential authors; the simulations produced are effective; efficient production of simulations can be achieved; initial training required is substantial enough to enable educators to create simulations on their own. While research has shown that the concept of personalised role playing simulations would enhance the effectiveness of existing learning management systems by improving student engagement and understanding, the obstacles to realisation have yet to be overcome (Brusilovsky, 2004; Foss &Cristea, 2009).


Paper-based phenolic laminates are used extensively in the electrical industry. Many small components are fabricated from these materials by the process known as punching. Recently an investigation was carried out to study the effect of processing variables on the punching properties. It was concluded that further work would be justified and that this should include a critical examination of the resin properties in a more controlled and systematic manner. In this investigation an attempt has been made to assess certain features of the resin structure in terms of thermomechanical properties. The number of crosslinks in the system was controlled using resins based on phenol and para-cresol formulations. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding effects were examined using substituted resins and a synthetically derived phenol based on 1,3-di-(o-hydroxyphenyl) propane.. A resin system was developed using the Friedel Crafts reaction to examine inter-molecular hydrogen bonding at the resin-paper interface. The punching properties of certain selected resins were assessed on a qualitative basis. In addition flexural and dynamic mechanical properties were determined in a general study of the structure-property relationships of these materials. It has been shown that certain features of the resin structure significantly influenced mechanical properties. :F'urther, it was noted that there is a close relationship between punching properties, mechanical damping and flexural strain. This work includes a critical examination of the curing mechanism and views are postulated in an attempt to extend knowledge in this area of the work. Finally, it is argued that future work should be based on a synthetic approach and that dynamic mechanical testing would provide a powerful tool In developing a deeper understanding of the resin fine structure.


Despite economic growth, and a reduction in poverty, malnutrition is still rampant in South-Asia. This indicates that non-economic factors are important, and we use a nation-wide survey from Nepal to identify factors that may explain why small children are stunted. In contrast to designated studies of child nutrition we do not have information on individual food intake, but we demonstrate that analysis of large sample surveys is a good supplement to designated studies, with the main benefit being that findings are nationally representative. We find that pulses are critical for child growth, and that boys are more often malnourished, maybe because they are expected to take other food than breast milk. Furthermore we find that girls are more likely malnourished if they have many older brothers, and we find that female empowerment improves child nutrition.


PURPOSE
To investigate whether apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) derived from diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 3 T correlate with the clinical risk of prostate cancer in patients with tumors that are visible on MR images, with MR imaging/transrectal ultrasonography (US) fusion-guided biopsy as a reference.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-eight consecutive patients (median age, 60 years; median serum prostate-specific antigen value, 6.3 ng/mL) who underwent DW imaging during 3-T MR imaging with an endorectal coil were included in this retrospective institutional review board-approved study, and informed consent was obtained from each patient. Patients underwent targeted MR imaging/transrectal US fusion-guided prostate biopsy. Mean ADCs of cancerous target tumors were correlated with Gleason and D'Amico clinical risk scores. The true risk group rate and predictive value of the mean ADC for classifying a tumor by its D'Amico clinical risk score was determined by using linear discriminant and receiver operating characteristic analyses.

RESULTS
A significant negative correlation was found between mean ADCs of tumors in the peripheral zone and their Gleason scores (P = .003; Spearman ρ = -0.60) and D'Amico clinical risk scores (P < .0001; Spearman ρ = -0.69). ADC was found to distinguish tumors in the peripheral zone with intermediate to high clinical risk from those with low clinical risk with a correct classification rate of 0.73.

CONCLUSION
There is a significant negative correlation between ADCs and Gleason and D'Amico clinical risk scores. ADCs may therefore be useful in predicting the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.10100667/-/DC1.


Back-contact modules made using a conductive back-sheet foil have a number of advantages over conventional H-pattern modules including a higher power output, compatibility with very thin cells and efficient and high yield manufacturing. In this paper, we present the results of efficiency and material optimisation for cost reduction when using metal-wrap-through (MWT) cells. This includes the use of an aluminium conductive back-sheet, a thinner encapsulant for reduced conductive adhesive consumption and an increased number of vias in the cell. Experimental and modelling results show that the cell and module performance can be improved at a reduced module costs (4% lower than current cost) whilst retaining reliability.


Although nanocatalysis is a promising area, increased efficiency and greenness are actively sought. Here we report the principle of the syntheses of graphene oxide (GO)-supported metal nanocatalysts (MNPs) for a variety of transition metals including both noble metals and biometal using either exergonic or endergonic redox reactions between GO and the transition metal salts. These new nanocatalysts are highly efficient in water at ambient temperature for 4-nitrophenol reduction (the test reaction), Sonogashira coupling, azide–alkyne 1,3-cycloaddition (click reaction) and dihydrogen production upon hydrolysis of ammonia–borane and recyclable.


Using online video to promote business is widespread, but the skills required to make effective use of the medium are relatively rare. Dr Phil Moran discusses some basic ways to improve video production, ranging from advice on the technology through to the front of camera presentation. Future developments of online video are also discussed and Dr Moran asserts that the rules of story telling will still be effective.


This article attempts to list possible problems concerning Old Norse nouns and names that arise in translations and suggests some basic rules of how to handle them in the context of the Czech language. Some of the questions are universal for any Indo-European language. Some occur only in inflected languages. As the answers depend on language policy, tradition and the background of the expected reader, research on the history of rendering Old Norse nouns and names into Czech has also been undertaken.Questions are posed around transcription and translation, as well as around the forms of place-names, how names of nations and other groupings should be used, and in what cases the translation of nicknames, personal names and place-names is deemed appropriate. Regarding grammatical issues, we touch upon the problems of declension and derivation. We discuss whether nominative endings of masculine nouns should be retained and whether the word stem should be used as a basis for declension within the target language. By listing the existing problems in the areas of nouns and proper names and the advantages of each possible solution, we hope to provoke a fruitful discussion on translating also in other target languages.


Task-based Teaching in Business English is more and more widely. It can stimulate students' interest in business English, help to train the students' comprehensive language ability and help students to develop overall. This article describes the characteristics of Business English courses, the characteristics of task-based teaching, the application of task-based teaching in the Business English class, and the demands of task-based teaching on teachers.


PERERA, G. A. D. 2001. The secondary forest situation in Sri Lanka: a review. Most forests in Sri Lanka are secondary, are mostly confined to the dry and intermediate zones of the country, and arise out of swidden agriculture. The majority of secondary forests which regenerate after swidden farming in the dry parts of Sri Lanka are grown from vegetative parts, that is from remaining roots and stumps. Secondary forests provide numerous products of importance to local people. They also help to bridge seasonal gaps in livelihoods. Secondary forests of Sri Lanka are being disturbed or transformed by intensive cultivation, fire, the implementation of development projects, the establishment of plantations and by the construction of houses by the local people. Secondary forests in the dry parts of Sri Lanka could be managed as conservation areas for timber production or for multiple use. Regional climate, the ecology of secondary forests and anthropogenic pressures need to be considered when selecting suitable management options for a given site. Most of the secondary forests are heavily degraded and need to be rehabilitated. Intensification towards improved fallow systems or plantations is inhibited by poor site conditions, the threat of destruction by elephants, and insecure tenure.


We analyze an exchange economy of unsecured credit where borrowers have the option to declare bankruptcy in which case they are temporarily excluded from financial markets. Endogenous credit limits are imposed that are just tight enough to prevent default. Economies with temporary exclusion differ from their permanent exclusion counterparts in two important properties. If households are extremely patient, then the first-best allocation is an equilibrium in the latter economies but not necessarily in the former. In addition, temporary exclusion permits multiple stationary equilibria, with both complete and with incomplete consumption smoothing.


Middle Proterozoic rocks underlying the Andes in western Bolivia, western Argentina, and northern Chile and Early Proterozoic rocks of the Arequipa massif in southern Peru form the Arequipa-Antofalla craton. These rocks are discontinuously exposed beneath Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks, but abundant crystalline clasts in Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the western altiplano allow indirect samples of the craton. Near Berenguela, western Bolivia, the Oligocene and Miocene Mauri Formation contains boulders of granodiorite augen gneiss (1171±20 Ma and 1158±12 Ma; U-Pb zircon), quartzose gneiss and granofels that are inferred to have arkosic protoliths (1100 Ma source region; U-Pb zircon), quartzofeldspathic and mafic orthogneisses that have amphibolite- and granulite-facies metamorphic mineral assemblages (∼1080 Ma metamorphism; U-Pb zircon), and undeformed granitic rocks of Phanerozoic(?) age. The Middle Proterozoic crystalline rocks from Berenguela and elsewhere in western Bolivia and from the Middle Proterozoic Belen Schist in northern Chile generally have present-day low 206Pb/204Pb ( 15.57), and elevated 208Pb/204Pb (37.2 to 50.7) indicative of high time-averaged Th/U values. The Middle Proterozoic rocks in general have higher present-day 206Pb/204Pb values than those of the Early Proterozoic rocks of the Arequipa massif (206Pb/204Pb between 16.1 and 17.1) but lower than rocks of the southern Arequipa-Antofalla craton (206Pb/204Pb> 18.5), a difference inferred to reflect Grenvillian granulite metamorphism. The Pb isotopic compositions for the various Proterozoic rocks lie on common Pb isotopic growth curves, implying that Pb incorporated in rocks composing the Arequipa-Antofalla craton was extracted from a similar evolving Pb isotopic reservoir. Evidently, the craton has been a coherent terrane since the Middle Proterozoic. Moreover, the Pb isotopic compositions for the Arequipa-Antofalla craton overlap those of the Amazon craton, thereby supporting a link between these cratons and seemingly precluding part of the Arequipa-Antofalla craton from being a detached fragment of another craton such as eastern Laurentia, which has been characterized by a different U/Pb history. Pb isotopic compositions for the Arequipa-Antofalla craton are, furthermore, distinct from those of the Proterozoic basement in the Precordillera terrane, western Argentina, indicating a Pb isotopic and presumably a tectonic boundary between them. The Pb isotopic compositions for the Precordillera basement are similar to those of eastern Laurentia, and support other data indicating that these rocks are a detached fragment of North America. Finally, the distinct Pb isotopic evolution history of the Arequipa-Antofalla craton and eastern Laurentia require minor modification to tectonic models linking eastern North America-Scotland to the oroclinal bend in western South America.


Over the last two decades the concept and practice of Local Economic Development (LED) has gained wide-spread acceptance around the world as a locally-based response to the challenges posed by globalization, devolution, local-level opportunities, and economic crises. Support for local economic development is now firmly on the agenda of many national governments and key international agencies. This volume examines the debates about Local Economic Develop and examines some of the unfolding experiences of LED in the developing world. The focus is upon the region of southern Africa, and more especially upon post-apartheid South Africa. LED emerged in South Africa as one of the more significant post-apart-heid development options being pursued by empowered localities with the overt encouragement of national government. Elsewhere in the developing world, much interest surrounds the experience of LED in post-apartheid South Africa, which is seen as a laboratory for experimentation, innovation, and learning. The seventeen chapters in this book examine the range of LED interventions that have been the basis for experimentation in the last decade, including both pro-growth or pro-market interventions as well as pro-poor interventions. Key themes include debates about the most appropriate policy directions for LED, its contribution towards sustainable development, the role of social capital, cluster support, public procurement, eco-development, good governance and tourism-led LED. The book also contains a series of detailed case studies on the implementation of LED in South Africa and the wider region of southern Africa, including analyses of LED undertaken at a variety of scales from the provincial, metropolitan, and small-town level. Until now, most research on local economic development has focused on the developed world. This volume breaks new ground in applying LED policy and practices to problems specific to the developing world. It will be of interest to scholars of development studies, urban and regional planning, human geography, and urban studies.


Micro milling is a promising manufacturing process used to fabricate micro parts needed by today's technology. Premature tool wear is one of the major concerns in micro milling. Due to the effect of minimum chip thickness, feed rate plays a significant role in micro milling operations. In this study, the effect of feed rate on tool wear in micro milling operations is experimentally investigated. Tool wear tests are conducted in various feed rates with micro tools which have different coating characteristics. Tool edge geometry, cutting forces and surface roughness measurements are performed to determine tool wear. The relation between feed rate and micro tool wear mechanism is investigated considering cutting edge geometry, minimum chip thickness, ploughing effect and tool coating characteristics.


This article presents a hybrid computational method to address the datalink characteristics of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) relay. It uses the 3D far-field gain data from the antennas (UAV and ground station), separately computed or based on available measurements as inputs, and then applies the 2-Ray propagation model, taking into consideration the ground permittivity and the respective antenna heights. By doing so, different numerical approaches cover the two different physical scales. Since the installed antennas (i.e. antennas considered placed on the UAV fuselage) performances are considered, a higher reliability can be achieved with the covered procedure, at lower costs when compared to field measurements. Results for different example scenarios are presented and discussed.


There is a significant body of literature arguing that institutional quality is the key for long run economic growth and development. While the majority of these studies are based on cross-country growth regression, in our paper, we focus on the institution-economic growth nexus within a particular country, namely China. China is often regarded as an exception by having achieved miraculous growth for more than three decades despite relatively low institutional quality. However, our key findings suggest that at the provincial level, institutional quality played in fact an important role for the economic success of a province in China, "trumping" geographical factors and integration which only have an indirect effect by influencing institutional quality. We employ instrumental variable estimation techniques to address the endogeneity problems regarding the institutions-development relationship.


Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) is a popular formalism for modeling complex dynamic systems using a discrete-event abstraction. At this abstraction level, a timed sequence of pertinent "events" input to a system (or internal timeouts) cause instantaneous changes to the state of the system. Main advantages of DEVS are its rigorous formal definition and its support for modular composition. This tutorial introduces the Classic DEVS formalism in a bottom-up fashion, using a simple traffic light example. The syntax and operational semantics of atomic (i.e., non-hierarchical) models are introduced first. Coupled (i.e., hierarchical) models are introduced to structure and couple Atomic models. We continue to actual applications of DEVS, for example in performance analysis of queueing systems. All examples are presented with the tool PythonPDEVS, though this introduction is equally applicable to other DEVS tools. We conclude with further reading on DEVS theory, DEVS variants, and DEVS tools.


The Ghana National Community Water and Sanitation
Programme (NCWSP) is now in it's second phase which
has a long-term period of ten years. This second phase is
being implemented in three stages, with each stage lasting
approximately three years. The long duration of the NCWSP
II enables districts and communities to play a central role
in project implementation.
The policy of decentralization, which encourages participation
in the water and sanitation activities by all
stakeholders at the district level, is laudable considering the
history of development projects in the country. In the past,
the government provided infrastructure without community
participation. There was therefore no maintenance
culture and when facilities broke down, beneficiaries did
nothing about them – they expected the "government" to
maintain broken-down facilities be they water supply
facilities, schools or roads. With the decentralization policy,
however, all stakeholders from the community, private
sector, District Assembly (DA), the Regional Coordinating
Council and the Nation are participating in the programme.
Roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders are
clearly defined and stakeholders are to be trained accordingly.
This paper presents the key elements of the NCWSP II,
which are participatory, Comments on the issues that may
arose and makes recommendations.


This article explores an important aspect of New Zealand's Cold War historythe impact of directives from Moscow on the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) until the dissolution of the Communist International (Comintern) in 1943. Drawing on the Comintern papers relating to New Zealand, the article largely reaffirms traditional interpretations of the Comintern. Although indigenous Communist parties operated in a specific local context that resulted in tensions between Bolshevik universalism and national specificity (the central dilemma of twentieth-century international Communism), they in the end functioned as compliant tools of Soviet foreign policy and Stalinist ideology. Although CPNZ officials did not openly cooperate with Soviet intelligence, the Comintern engaged in clandestine operations with New Zealand Communists. The CPNZ invariably deferred to Moscow, altered its policies to accord with Soviet objectives, aligned its policy to suit ideological pronouncements from the Comintern, kept Moscow informed of internal developments, and sought and received financial assistance from Moscow.


The present invention relates to the recombinant manufacture of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Specifically, it relates to acyltransferase polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding said acyltransferases as well as vectors, host cells, non-human transgenic organisms containing said polynucletides. Moreover, the present invention contemplates methods for the manufacture of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as oils obtained by such methods.