The capability of the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to replicate in cells of different species depends on the presence or absence of interacting or restricting cellular factors. The restriction factors are part of the host's defense mechanism against pathogens. The family of human APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases forms part of the intrinsic immunity and protects placental mammals from viral pathogens. A3 proteins have one or two copies of a cytidine deaminase motif and can restrict retroviral replication by deamination of their genomes during reverse transcription. HIV counteracts this inhibition by the Vif-protein, which induces the destruction of A3s and thereby prevents its incorporation into virions. Although one member of this human protein family, APOBEC3C (A3C), is highly expressed in many human tissues and in CD4+ T cells, A3C does not restrict vif-deficient HIV (HIV Δvif) but is active against SIV Δvif. This study aimed to characterize i) the different mechanisms of resistance of HIV and SIV against A3C, ii) the restriction mechanism of A3C against SIV, and iii) residues crucial for the antiviral activity of A3C based on a structural model. With the help of a three- dimensional protein model of A3C, amino acids residues were predicted and finally experimentally identified that are involved in protein dimerization and that mediate the incorporation of A3C into virions. The result showed that dimerization of A3C is essential for antiviral activity against SIV. Beside dimerization, the antiviral activity is regulated by encapsidation into viral particles. Encapsidation of A3C depends on the substrate binding-pocket distal from the zinc-coordinating enzymatic centre. This binding pocket mediates the RNA-dependent incorporation of the protein into budding viral particles. It was found that A3C restricts SIV Δvif without cytidine deamination of viral ssDNA. Therefore, alternative mechanisms were investigated. In this study the experiments showed clearly that A3C does neither deaminates viral RNA nor has a significant inhibitory effect on the reverse transcription of SIV. Thus, it is likely that A3C has a so far unknown restriction mechanism against SIV Δvif. Results of this study also show that the resistance of HIV against A3C can be overcome. An A3C mediated inhibition of HIV was achieved by fusing the Viral Protein R (Vpr) of HIV-1 either to the C- or N- terminus of A3C. Interestingly both, A3C and Vpr.3C were incorporated into viral particles and found to be localized in the same viral compartment, the viral core. These data indicate that HIV encodes a factor additional to vif to counteract the A3C activity. In search for such a viral factor, the viral integrase was identified as a candidate inhibitor of A3C. Additional experiments are required for a better understanding of the interaction of A3C with HIV. However, the results here implicate that enhancing the antiviral activity of the ubiquitously expressed A3C would likely repress HIV-1 replication in patients and thus should be considered as a novel approach for treatment.


What is the tempo and mode of evolution – how fast and in what pattern do traits evolve – is a major question of evolutionary biology. Here we studied patterns of evolutionary change in visual and acoustic signals in Old World orioles. Since producing multiple signals may be costly, we also tested whether there was an evolutionary trade-off between the elaboration of those two types of signals. We studied 30 Oriolus taxa using comparative methods and a recent molecular phylogeny. Morphology and plumage hue evolved comparatively slowly, whereas song evolved rapidly. Among individual feather patches, the evolutionary rate of color was slowest in primaries, which are critical for flapping flight, and fastest in patches exposed to observers (mantle and breast). Thus, primaries seem to be under functional constraint while the evolution of visually exposed patches is perhaps shaped by sexual selection. Song evolution was comparatively fast, but also attracted to a single optimum. This may be due to selection for signal efficacy, because all orioles inhabit similar forested habitats. Only color diversity was best fit by a speciational model: the biggest changes in coloration were concentrated at speciation events, thus perhaps linked to the evolution of species recognition. Our analysis did not reveal any evolutionary trade-off between acoustic and visual signals, suggesting that the elaboration of visual and acoustic signals in the Old World orioles evolved independently. Our study shows that patterns of evolutionary change may be surprisingly complex even within a single clade of birds and thus further studies are needed to identify general patterns of signal macroevolution.

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This paper deals with the growth responses of Shorea materialis seedlings to various light
conditions under shade chambers of21 %, 33% a1}-d 55% Relative Light Intensities (RLI), compared
to open conditions (100% RLI). The best growth was observed between 30 - 55% RLI in terms of
optimum increases in height, stem diameter, leaf area and overall dry matter. The weight ratio of
shoot to root in the open is lower than that in the shade conditions.


The Uganda legal regime relies on the discretion of the courts in dealing with improperly obtained evidence. While various theories explain the need to exclude evidence, understanding their rationales sheds light on evaluating why the courts deal with this kind of evidence in the way they do. This article offers an assessment of selected decisions handed down by Uganda's Supreme Court between 1995 and 2015 with regard to evidence improperly obtained through confessions. It seeks to establish the underlying theoretical considerations of the decisions, how the courts address aspects of procedural and substantive justice, and whether there is a consistent developed jurisprudence. This analysis, therefore, supports the need for reform.


The automation of forest cleaning presupposes principles for choosing those trees that ought to be taken away and those that shall be left standing. In this paper, which is a report on a work in progress, the question is raised whether those principles can be structured as a combination of a normative system and a utility function. Of special interest is the possibility that the agent system can evaluate the efficiency of the normative system and the utility function and, furthermore, suggest improvements of them. Earlier works on norms and norm-regulation of agent systems that the author has been involved in are used to elucidate the problem area discussed in the paper.


Dominant genera of bacteria were isolated from three river waters during anthracene and pentachlorophenol biotransformation studies. The genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, Chromobacterium, Alcaligenes, Azomonos, Bacillus, and Flavobacterium were capable of biotransforming one or both of these compounds. These isolates were subjected to further biotransformation tests, including river water and a basal salt medium with and without additional glucose. The results of these experiments were evaluated statistically. It was concluded that only a limited number of the bacteria identified were able to transform these chemicals in river water. The addition of glucose to the growth medium significantly affected the biotransformation of these chemicals. It was also determined that the size of the initial bacterial population is not a factor in determining whether biotransformation of anthracene or pentachlorophenol can occur.


The subject of this work is a unifying treatment of estimating the Direction of Arrival (DOA), detecting speech activity and suppressing noise in the case of a moving speaker by using a linear microphone array. The approach is based on the generalized likelihood ratio test applied to the framework of far-field, wideband moving sources (W-GLRT). It is shown that under certain distributional assumptions the W-GLRT provides a framework for the evaluation of DOA measurements against spurious DOAs, probabilistic speech activity detection as well as speech enhancement. As regards speech enhancement, we demonstrate the direct connection of W-GLRT with enhancement based on subspace methods. In addition, through the concept of directive a priori SNR we demonstrate its indirect connection with Minimum Mean Square Error spectral (MMSE_SA) and log-spectral gain modification (MMSE_LSA). The efficiency of the approach is illustrated on a moving speaker when either additive white Gaussian or babble noise is present in the acoustical field at very low SNRs.


BACKGROUND: Genetic control of serum angiotensin I converting enzyme (SACE) levels has been suggested. A study was undertaken to elucidate the role of this polymorphism in sarcoidosis. METHODS: Three hundred and forty one unrelated healthy controls and 103 consecutive patients with sarcoidosis participated in the study. SACE levels and an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene were studied in each subject and new reference intervals for SACE activity for each genotype were determined. The difference in genotype and allele frequencies between controls and patients was analysed and odds ratios were calculated to estimate the relative risk. RESULTS: A significant association was seen between ACE gene polymorphism and SACE levels in both patients and controls. The new reference intervals for each genotype discriminated abnormal SACE levels in patients more accurately, especially those with genotype II. In women the frequencies of allele I were 0.68 (allele D 0.32) in controls and 0.58 (allele D 0.42) in patients, and the difference between the two female groups was significant (p < 0.05). Thus, an excess of genotype ID or DD was observed in female patients (odds ratio 2.18; 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 4.01; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ACE gene polymorphism is associated with SACE levels in both patients with sarcoidosis and controls. ACE gene polymorphism should be further evaluated as a candidate marker for an increased risk of sarcoidosis.


Climate change is strongly impacting Arctic marine ecosystems, and the Arctic coastal communities whose identities, traditions and livelihoods are closely interconnected with the marine environment. The Ecosystem Approach (EA) is a promising approach for understanding and managing the occurring shifts in the Arctic marine ecosystems. Based on our analysis, we find that assessments conducted by international and regional instruments and institutions, most notably the Arctic Council, as well as the wealth of Indigenous knowledge present in the region, provide valuable starting points for the implementation of EA in the Arctic. Yet, mechanisms for translating knowledge into joint coordinated and integrated action in accordance with EA are currently lacking. Our analysis suggests that incremental steps can be taken now to promote the implementation of EA, while working to establish a more comprehensive governance framework. In our view, bottom-up initiatives may provide the most promising avenue for promoting the application of EA in the region under the current geopolitical circumstances. Support by civil society, Indigenous and conservation organizations, as well as global momentum will be necessary to coordinate, finance and elevate community-driven initiatives. Other opportunities we identify for advancing EA is to engage with sectoral management bodies and to advance EA through climate change adaptation measures.


Erich Kahler sees cultural history as a subtle process in which reality plays upon consciousness and consciousness itself is forever transforming reality. He traces the ebb and flow of this relationship by studying changes in narrative form from its beginnings in the Gilgamesh Cycle to the end of the eighteenth century. The general direction is toward a growing inwardness, he finds; what takes place is an expansion of consciousness as man constantly draws outer space, the contents of a more and more complex world, into what Rilke called Weltinnenraum, "inner space." Originally published in 1973. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Interview with Leroy Ellis Cox. The interview includes Cox's personal experiences about childhood and early adulthood in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, World War-II-era Army Air Corps training in armaments and electronics, stateside service in the 303rd Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, aviation cadet training, serving as a B-25 instructor pilot, and as a DC-3 tow pilot for the glider program.


A 12 yr old female neutered Carthusian crossbreed cat was presented due to progressive neurological signs. Clinical signs included dehydration, stupor, and anisocoria. Laboratory examination revealed severe hypernatremia, azotemia, hyperglobulinemia, and an erythrocytosis. Clinical signs and hypernatremia suggested an intracranial process. Imaging studies revealed a loss of structure in the cerebrum, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland. Due to a poor prognosis, the cat was euthanatized. Histopathological examination revealed a subacute granulomatous and necrotizing panencephalitis with Toxoplasma-typical protozoa. The Toxoplasma-induced dysfunction of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland led to diabetes insipidus, which was, in combination with insufficient water intake, the most likely cause for the hypernatremia.


Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965), starring Catherine Deneuve as a repressed and tormented manicurist, is a gripping, visually inventive descent into paranoia and self-destructive alienation. Emblematic of recurrent Polanski motifs, evinced in his student short films, in his striking debut feature, Knife in the Water (1962), and in subsequent features like Death and the Maiden (1994), Repulsion is a tour de force examination of crippling anxiety and the sinister potency of inanimate objects. Repulsion amplifies the realm of psychological horror by evoking the seething impact of increasing delusion, literal and figurative seclusion, and the consequences of one woman's foreboding sensitivity to the unsettling world that surrounds her. This Devil's Advocate considers Repulsion within the context of familiar horror tropes and the prevailing qualities of Polanski's broader oeuvre. Drawing on the research of Sigmund Freud, Julia Kristeva, Barbara Creed and others, concerning issues of abjection, the 'monstrous-feminine', and the psychology of horror spectatorship, this text focuses on central themes of isolation, sexuality and setting. Bookended by introductory biographical details and concluding with a roundup of the film's reception, Repulsion is situated within the horror genre at large as well as its various off-shoots, such as the rape/revenge subgenre. There is also an analysis of the film's technical qualities, from its sound design to its brilliantly low-key special effects, all of which define the film as Polanski's most audaciously stylish realisation of dread and unease.


Recently, invariant risk minimization (IRM) was proposed as a promising solution to address out-of-distribution (OOD) generalization. However, it is unclear when IRM should be preferred over the widely-employed empirical risk minimization (ERM) framework. In this work, we analyze both these frameworks from the perspective of sample complexity, thus taking a firm step towards answering this important question. We find that depending on the type of data generation mechanism, the two approaches might have very different finite sample and asymptotic behavior. For example, in the covariate shift setting we see that the two approaches not only arrive at the same asymptotic solution, but also have similar finite sample behavior with no clear winner. For other distribution shifts such as those involving confounders or anti-causal variables, however, the two approaches arrive at different asymptotic solutions where IRM is guaranteed to be close to the desired OOD solutions in the finite sample regime, while ERM is biased even asymptotically. We further investigate how different factors -- the number of environments, complexity of the model, and IRM penalty weight -- impact the sample complexity of IRM in relation to its distance from the OOD solutions


This paper describes some recent results of our collaborative work on developing a speech recognition system for the automatic transcription or media archives from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The material includes a wide diversity of shows with their associated metadata. The latter are highly diverse in terms of completeness, reliability and accuracy. First, we investigate how to improve lightly supervised acoustic training, when timestamp information is inaccurate and when speech deviates significantly from the transcription, and how to perform evaluations when no reference transcripts are available. An automatic timestamp correction method as well as a word and segment level combination approaches between the lightly supervised transcripts and the original programme scripts are presented which yield improved metadata. Experimental results show that systems trained using the improved metadata consistently outperform those trained with only the original lightly supervised decoding hypotheses. Secondly, we show that the recognition task may benefit from systems trained on a combination of in-domain and out-of-domain data. Working with tandem HMMs, we describe Multi-level Adaptive Networks, a novel technique for incorporating information from out-of domain posterior features using deep neural network. We show that it provides a substantial reduction in WER over other systems including a PLP-based baseline, in-domain tandem features, and the best out-of-domain tandem features. Index Terms: lightly supervised training, cross-domain adaptation, tandem, speech recognition, confidence scores, media archives


The chapter discusses the current fixed/limited thinking about space that is evidenced in the scenographic frame of film and theatre in term of gender and human aspirations to imagine other possibilities. It argues that artistic representations must change so that the public can accept alternative future space exploration. It links artistic representations as potentially assisting the public perception of scientific advancement.

About this book:
As space ventures have become more numerous, leading scientists and theorists have offered ways of building a living habitat in a hostile environment, taking an 'ecosystems' view of space colonization. The contributors to this volume take a radical multi-disciplinary view of the challenge of human space colonization through the ongoing project Persephone. This book fundamentally challenges prevalent ideas about sustainability and proposes a new approach to resource austerity and conservation and providing truly sustainable approaches that are life-promoting. Readers will learn the details of the plans for Persephone – a real project that is part of the company Icarus Interstellar's plans for the design and engineering of a living interior on a worldship to be constructed in Earth's orbit within 100 years. Although the timeframe itself is only an estimate, since it is contingent on many significant developments, including funding and technological advances, the industry consensus is that within 100 years we will see manned space exploration beyond our solar system. This notion is shared by organizations such as the Initiative for Interstellar Studies and the DARPA-funded 100-year starship project. This book specifically develops the principles for the construction of a living habitat within a worldship – a multi-generational starship that contains its own world that supports colonists as it travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than light. Far from being a sterile industrial setup, such as the ISS, or even being a bucolic suburbia as proposed by Gerard O'Neill in the 1970s, this worldship will provide the pre-conditions for sustaining life beyond Earth's environment, which may also lead to the evolution of non-terrestrial ecologies. Drawing on the principles of ecopoiesis and insights offered by the Biosphere 2 experiment that demonstrated what we have to learn about ecosystem construction, this book proposes first designing the soils of such a space. It should then be possible to set up the conditions that a first generation of colonists may experience in leaving our solar system to find new worlds to settle - perhaps in spreading life throughout the universe. Although the book takes a unique view of ecology and sustainability within the setting of a traveling starship it is equally concerned with the human experience on artificial worlds. Chapters come from a range of multi disciplinary thinkers who shed light on the brave new future ahead from different angles.


Dietary patterns may play an important role in protecting the brain from the cellular and cognitive dysfunction associated with the aging process and neurodegenerative diseases. Tree nuts are showing promise as possible dietary interventions for age-related brain dysfunction. Tree nuts are an important source of essential nutrients, like vitamin E, folate, and fiber. Tree nuts also contain a variety of components, such as phytochemicals like flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids, as well as monounsaturated and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids that have the potential to combat age-related brain dysfunction. Evidence is accumulating that suggests that tree nuts and their bioactive constituents have the potential to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, as indicated by decreased lipid peroxidation in vivo and reduced production of the free radical nitric oxide and the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha in vitro. Also, tree nut consumption might have the ability to mitigate some of the cognitive decline associated with aging. Here we review the current knowledge of how the consumption of nuts may improve brain health, specifically focusing on walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and pecans.


BACKGROUND
In the current study, we report outcomes 2.4 years from baseline in a random subsample of overweight and obese children who attended MEND 7-13 programs delivered in UK community settings under service level conditions.

METHODS
The study employed an uncontrolled pre-follow-up design. A total of 165 children were measured. Outcomes included anthropometry, parental perception of emotional distress, body esteem, and self-esteem.

RESULTS
Overall, there were significant improvements in all outcomes apart from BMI z-score. In boys, BMI z-score, waist circumference z-score, and psychometrics all improved. In girls, there were no statistically significant differences at 2.4 years, except for body esteem.

CONCLUSIONS
In real-world settings, the MEND intervention, when delivered by nonspecialists, may result in modest, yet positive, long-term outcomes. Subsequent research should focus on improving the outcome effect size, providing effective behavior change maintenance strategies, and further investigating the reasons behind the observed gender differences.


The electronic properties and structural stability of Copper Aluminum Oxide and Zinc Oxide, anionic su bstituted zinc oxide and cationic substituted zincoxide were studied in the form of two dimensionalstructure us ing Gaussian 09 program package with a B3LYP/LANL2DZ basis set. The HOMO-LUMO, chemical hardness of different structures are calculated and reported. The effects of pure ZnO, Mn substituted ZnO and F substituted ZnO on Cu 2 O investigated along with HOMO-LUMO gap. The HOMO- LUMO band alignment between Cu 2 O and ZnO, ZnO:Mn and ZnO:F was demonstrated and to understand how V OC increases with anionic and cationic substitution of ZnO on Cu 2 O. The result shows that the ZnO:F conduction band moves closer to the vacuum level, which exhibit that the decreases of the conduction band offset be tween ZnO:F and Cu2O and hence an enhancement of th eoretical V OC . The cationic substitution of ZnO was observed th at the escalation of the open circuit voltage (V OC ).With the improved V OC relatively high solar power conversion efficiency


The process of hydrogen desorption from amorphous silicon (ɑ-Si) nanoparticles grown by plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) has been analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy, with the aim of quantifying the energy exchanged. Two exothermic peaks centered at 330 and 410 °C have been detected with energies per H atom of about 50 meV. This value has been compared with the results of theoretical calculations and is found to agree with the dissociation energy of Si-H groups of about 3.25 eV per H atom, provided that the formation energy per dangling bond in ɑ-Si is about 1.15 eV. It is shown that this result is valid for ɑ-Si:H films, too


The synthesis of [N,N'-bis(acetic)-N,N' bis(acetanilide)]ethylenediamine (EDDADA) and its characterisation by 1H and 13C NMR, IR and elemental analysis are reported. The interaction of this ligand with metal cations (Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Hg2+ and Pb2+) in butan-1-ol was investigated spectrophotometrically and the stoichiometry (1:1) of the complexes was derived. Potentiometric titration curves of eddada with hydrochloric acid in water at 298.15 K show two inflection points corresponding to the protonation of the amino nitrogens of the ligand. The derived dissociation constants (expressed as pKa values) are much lower than corresponding data for EDTA. These results are in agreement with the dramatic decrease previously observed for EDTA derivatives containing acid carbonyl groups attached to the nitrogen donor atoms through a methylene spacer. Stability constants of eddada and metal cations (Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+ and Pb2+) in water at 298.15 K were determined potentiometrically. These data were used to calculate the selectivity increase of mercury relative to other cations in water. Based on stability constant data, six metal-ion complexes were isolated and characterized by microanalysis and infrared spectroscopy. Thermodynamic data for the complexation of eddada with metal cations in N,N-dimethylformamide at 298.15 K show poor selective properties of this ligand for metal cations in this solvent. In fact, the similar Gibbs energies calculated are the result of an enthalpy-entropy compensation effect. Extraction experiments in the water-butan-1-ol solvent system show that eddada extracts selectively metal cations from the aqueous solution to the organic phase. The most efficient behavior for metal-ion extraction by this ligand occurs at approximately pH 4. Attempts to introduce eddada into a polymeric framework were successful. It is concluded that the new polymeric material behaves not only as an extracting agent, but also as an ion exchanger. This is confirmed by the presence of sodium ions in the aqueous solution at equilibrium. The polymeric material is easily recycled. Suggestions for further work in this area are given.


Since the early eighties, computer technology has become increasingly relevant to lexicography. Computer science will probably not be the only technological discipline which may have implications for future computerized lexicography. Some developments in the fields of lan guage technology, information technology and knowledge engineering, may support lexico graphical practice and enhance the quality of the resulting dictionary. The present paper discusses how the analysis and interpretation of electronic corpus data by the lexicographer may be improved by automatic linguistic analYSiS, by better access to the corpus, and by a more flexible communication with the computer system. As a frame of reference, first an indication of the state of the art in computerized leXicography will be given, by a concise discussion of three projects at the Institute for Dutch Lexicology INL considered in an international context: the conversion of the Woordenboek der Nederlalldsche Taal WNT (Dictionary of the Dutch Language Based on Historical Principles) to electronic form, the compilation of the Vroegmiddelllederlands Woordellboek (Dictionary of Early Middle Dutch) in a computerized lexicographer's workbench, and the INL Taalbank (INL Language Database). Although the topic of this paper is technology, focus is on functional rather than technical aspects of compu terized lexicography.


Competitive and Quick responsive behavior with high product mix and low volume of Global apparel market and increasing production cost compelled Mass Production apparel manufacturer shifted to Mass-Customization as well as to focus cost effective production strategies. The study focused on the apparel production system of apparel manufacturers to investigate the regular progressive bundling system (PBS) and a hybrid production system. In the proposed system bundling system was integrated with modular production system (MPS) and named as bundle modular production system (BMPS). A suitable package based on MTM was employed to standardize an existing production line in order to explore the existing and proposed system in the context of time study, work study, layout and costing. The study showed the favorable results for the proposed system in case of time study, work study and layout. The study also revealed that the hybrid system able to reduce 26.88% and 13.77% in fixed cost for line installation and variable cost per product respectively for a casual woven shirt. Practice of this system will reduce the production cost and lead time and hence able the companies to cope up the volatile market behavior with a reduced production cost.


We present a procedure based on the combined use of analytical and numerical tools, useful for understanding the relative interplay between the various components of a free electron laser (FEL) self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) device. We take as reference case the Sorgente Pulsata Auto-amplificata di Radiazione Coerente (SPARC) experiment to analyze how electron beam transverse matching conditions affect the lasing conditions itself and discuss the possibility of implementing new configurations. In particular we show that the procedure can be extended to account for the effect of an on line inserted cavity, with the role of inducing a transverse longitudinal correlation allowing a transfer of the longitudinal and transverse emittance. We discuss the associated benefit on the FEL operation, with particular reference to the nonlinear harmonic generation. The possibility of completing the tool with regards to the beam degradation effects due to CSR is briefly accounted for.


An abstract of the dissertation of Karen Lynn Morgaine for the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work and Social Research presented October 24, 2007 Title: "Creative interpretation and fluidity in a rights framework": The intersection of domestic violence and human rights in the United States This study explores the manner in which leaders working in the domestic violence field in the US have or have not adopted a human rights framework and what impact this has had on domestic violence policy and intervention. Participants included leaders from national domestic violence and human rights organizations. These organizations are instrumental in developing policy and in framing the issues of domestic violence and human rights, many of which also work with specific racial and ethnic populations. Some of the primary research questions included: If the human rights discourse is being put to practical use within the US, how does it meet the needs of women of color, immigrants, and other women who have been marginalized? Does bringing the issue of domestic violence into a human rights framework reinscribe hegemonic feminism in ways that are either ineffectual or oppressive and colonizing to women of color, immigrants and/or women in marginalized groups in the US and if so, in what ways? Additional research objectives include assessing whether there is active resistance to adopting a human rights framework and benefits and challenges to using the framework. This research uses the critique and experiences of women of color as a focal point. Through the use of critical ethnography and autoethnography, this study examines the manner in which the power to frame and define social problems unfolds. Findings suggest a limited dialogue to date between national domestic violence and human rights organizations with a range of thoughts regarding potential benefits and barriers to reframing domestic violence as a human rights violation. Barriers include lack of resonance/U.S. exceptionalism, power of the State to direct funding and focus, and reluctance to shift status quo based in part in white privilege. Benefits of crossorganizational dialogue include expanding focus, building coalitions, and engaging diverse communities in addressing domestic violence issues. Intersectional issues related to gender, race/ethnicity, immigration, and sovereignty are also explored. This research suggests that social workers need to continue to critically assess the application of human rights to social justice issues and the role that privilege plays in social movements and social policy formation.


The incentives and policies spearheaded by the U.S. government have created abundant opportunities for renewable fuel production and commercialization. Bio-butanol is a very promising renewable fuel for the future transportation market. Many efforts have been made to improve its production process, but seldom has bio-butanol research discussed the integration and optimization of a cellulosic bio-butanol supply chain network. This study focused on the development of a physical supply chain network and the optimization of a green supply chain network for cellulosic bio-butanol. To develop the physical supply chain network, the production process, material flow, physical supply chain participants, and supply chain logistics activities of cellulosic bio-butanol were identified by conducting an onsite visit and survey of current bio-fuel stakeholders. To optimize the green supply chain network for cellulosic bio-butanol, the life cycle analysis was integrated into a multi-objective linear programming model. With the objectives of maximizing the economic profits and minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions, the proposed model can optimize the location and size of a bio-butanol production plant. The mathematical model was applied to a case study in the state of Missouri, and solved the tradeoff between the feedstock and market availabilities of sorghum stem bio-butanol. The results of this research can be used to support the decision making process at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels of cellulosic bio-butanol commercialization and cellulosic bio-butanol supply chain optimization. The results of this research can also be used as an introductory guideline for beginners who are interested in cellulosic bio-butanol commercialization and supply chain design. Green Design of a Cellulosic Bio-butanol Supply Chain Network with Life Cycle Assessment


Abstract Based on three case studies on citizens' initiatives in their local governance contexts, we analyse the process of subjectification as a performative effect of the dialectical relationship between governmental organizations and citizens' initiatives. We argue that discourses produced by governmental organizations on what it entails to be an active citizen have a performative effect on citizens' initiatives, which adapt themselves, anticipate on what is expected from them and act strategically towards these discourses. As a consequence, some people become 'good' citizens meeting the expectations of the governmental discourse. The process of subjectification shows that this not a unilateral act, but mutually activated by both governmental organizations and citizens' initiatives.


As part of the biodiversity surveys conducted by the Department of Biodiversity at the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), we can report the presence of Scaurus puncticollis Solier, 1838 in Qatar, and confirm the first record for the tribe Scaurini Billberg, 1820 in the country. We found two living specimens and remains of a third one distributed over the year (February, April and October) in three different locations of the Al Rayyan Municipality in Qatar. These findings reveal that the fauna of darkling beetles of Qatar is, despite previous efforts, still underestimated. To document and report the actual Biodiversity Heritage of Qatar, new exhaustive field biodiversity surveys should be conducted to complete the catalogue of Tenebrionoidae for the State of Qatar.


The appliance trap seal plays a vital role in safeguarding occupied space from ingress of foul sewer gases driven by the barrage of pressure transients generated within the system during normal appliance discharge. The health risks related to depleted trap seals can be severe. In 2003, the rapid spread of the SARS virus at the Amoy Gardens housing complex in Hong Kong was attributed to depleted bathroom floor-drain traps. This paper presents a technique whereby depleted trap seals can be located remotely by monitoring the system response to an applied single pressure pulse. A Method of Characteristic based numerical model allows the system pressure response to be predicted while laboratory and site test results are shown to validate this proposed technique. Practical application: Appliance trap seal depletion poses a serious health risk by providing a route for cross-contamination and infection spread. Implementing a routine and regular maintenance regime would help to ensure that the water level within the trap seal remains above the critical level. However, current methods rely on visual inspections which are highly impractical in large complex buildings. A technique allowing the status of all connected trap seals to be quickly determined would be an invaluable tool for facility managers by improving operational efficiency and by indicating persistent failures, thus, highlighting areas requiring modification to ensure performance compliance.


In the context of the transition to international financial reporting standards (hereinafter - IFRS), issues of bringing Russian financial statements closer to an international format are of relevance. In order to develop Russian reporting adapted to the new requirements of the format, the authors have conducted polls of the accounting services of large, medium and small business organizations about the desirability of including the indicators from the minimum list of international reporting articles in their reports. Based on the methods used by the Institute of Statistics in the study of Russian financial statements methods of selective observation, questioning, methods of processing the data obtained, namely, calculating the proportion of reporting indicators using the A. Salai and V. Ryabtsev index, the authors justify the inclusion in the Russian financial reporting a series of indicators proposed by IFRS. The results of the study can be used in the transformation of statements, as well as in the construction of consolidated financial statements generated in Russia in accordance with the requirements of IFRS.


Clearly, the UK government's privatization program has been a large-scale exercise in new capital issues. There are 3 main considerations that may have influenced the form of the asset sales: 1. extent of ownership, 2. costs of sale, and 3. disruption to markets. Little evidence exists that the first 2 objectives are being met; costs have been high, primarily as a result of the underpricing of assets, and large personal shareholdings have been maintained only for very short periods of time. There appears to be a simple way to avoid high costs by staggering the sales, which would also reduce disruptions to the equity markets. Furthermore, there is no clear statement as to why huge corporations have to be brought to market in a single sale. Analysis shows that accounting conventions give misleading impressions of the effects of asset sales on the private and public sectors.


T2V (Text-To-Vision) is the technology which enables to generate TV-program-like CG animation by computer from a given script. In this time, we have developed a system development kit (SDK) which makes it possible for developers to create various interactive applications in the Unity with utilizing the T2V technology. We first explain the SDK and its usage. Secondly, we introduce two applications made using SDK: 1) Automatic generation of talk show from a bulletin board in the Internet, 2) Interactive quiz application with multi-story structure.


We develop and evaluate a new method for estimating various performance metrics of multi-hop wireless networks, including MANETs. The estimates depend implicitly on network design parameters, and therefore the method can form the basis for designing such networks so as to achieve predictable performance bounds. Explicit simulation models for large wireless networks are too complex and can not be used for analysis and design of wireless networks in realistic settings. We introduce a simple approximate (throughput) loss model that couples the physical, MAC and routing layers. The model provides quantitative statistical relations between the loss parameters used to characterize multiuser interference and physical path conditions on the one hand and traffic rates between origin-destination pairs on the other. We use a fixed point approach together with recently proposed models for the MAC layer to find a consistent solution satisfying all equations in the set. The result is an implicit model of performance metrics, such as throughput, packet loss, delay, parameterized by design variables, such as path routing probabilities, power levels, noise levels. We next apply Automatic Differentiation (AD) to these implicit performance models, and develop a methodology for design and parameter selection/tuning of wireless protocols.


The blade tip vortex of a full-scale MBB Bo 105 Helicopter is investigated experimentally under simulated hover flight conditions in ground effect by means of stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry. Based on the three-component velocity field of azimuthal vortex ages of y=1°, 3°, 5°, 10°, 20° and 30° vortex core radii, peak velocities, and vorticities are quantified and compared to model-scale experimental results available in literature and Vatistas' low-order model for concentrated vortices. The vortex velocity profiles are found to be in satisfactory agreement with the model whereas the experimentally limited spatial resolution of the velocity fields results in a slight overestimation of the core radii and an underestimation of peak velocities as compared to model-scale investigations. Finally, an attempt has been made to cross-validate full-scale blade tip vortex parameters derived from Background Oriented Schlieren measurements using natural formation backgrounds.


Abstract A growing body of international research demonstrates that supportive teacher–student relationships have multiple positive educational effects. In Scandinavia, the concept of relational competence is increasingly used to define the teacher's ability to develop 'good' relationships. The overall purpose of this article is to contribute to the field by adopting an interactionist perspective. Drawing chiefly on T. Shibutani, but also on G.H. Mead and T. Scheff, the article aims to: (i) examine how the teacher–student relationship is constructed through nonverbal communication and (ii) discuss the implications regarding teachers' relational competence in situated teaching. A detailed transcript of a classroom episode is interpreted and analysed using Shibutani's concepts. The analysis reveals two parallel relational matrices, one 'conventional' and the other 'interpersonal'. In the concluding section, it is argued that the relationship between the two matrices plays an important role in understanding teachers' relational competence: the relationally competent teacher takes responsibility for his/her own actions, both as an educator in a conventional system and as a fellow being in an interpersonal system. Expressed differently, relational incompetence means overemphasizing one system at the expense of the other.


The neuroimaging literature has shown consistent decreases in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity in the hippocampus of healthy older adults engaged in a navigation task. However, navigation in a virtual maze relies on spatial or response strategies known to depend on the hippocampus and caudate nucleus, respectively. Therefore, since the proportion of people using spatial strategies decreases with normal aging, we hypothesized that it was responsible for the observed decreases in fMRI activity in the hippocampus reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aging on the hippocampus and caudate nucleus during navigation while taking into account individual navigational strategies. Young (N = 23) and older adults (N = 29) were tested using fMRI on the Concurrent Spatial Discrimination Learning Task, a radial task that dissociates between spatial and response strategies (in Stage 2) after participants reached criteria (in Stage 1). Success on Stage 2 requires that participants have encoded the spatial relationship between the target object and environmental landmarks, that is, the spatial strategy. While older adults required more trials, all participants reached criterion. fMRI results showed that, as a group, young adults had significant activity in the hippocampus as opposed to older adults who instead had significant activity in the caudate nucleus. Importantly, individual differences showed that the older participants who used a spatial strategy to solve the task had significant activity in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that the aging process involves a shift from using the hippocampus toward the caudate nucleus during navigation but that activity in the hippocampus is sustained in a subset of healthy older adults engaged in spatial strategies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This book presents a thorough description of morphosyntactic knowledge developed by learners of French in four different learning situations — first language (L1) acquisition, second (L2) language acquisition, bilingualism, and acquisition by children with Specific Language Impairment — within the theoretical framework of generative grammar. This approach allows for multiple comparisons across acquisition contexts, which provides the reader with invaluable insights into the nature of the acquisition process. The book is divided into four parts each dealing with a major morphosyntactic domain of acquisition: the verbal domain, the pronominal domain, the nominal domain, and the CP domain. Each part contains four chapters, the first one presenting an overview of the basic facts and analyses of the relevant properties of French, and the next three focusing on the different acquisition contexts. This book will be useful to anyone interested in the acquisition of French and in language development in general. It is also meant to stimulate cross-linguistic research from a theoretical perspective.


After 40 plus weeks of laborious (pun intended) and miraculous work, a baby is born into the world. It is a longawaited joyous day. For months, friends and family help prepare for the new addition. The nursery is arranged, clothes laundered, stuffed animals lined in a row, all ready for this little person to arrive. But after delivery, it is ironically the babies themselves who are not so ready for this new beginning.


The main purpose of this research is to assess the potential of Haiq Estifanos Communal Monastery to become tourist destination and to identify the major hindering factors of tourism development in the site. To attain this objective, the researcher employed qualitative research method. To assess the potential and challenges of the monastery for tourism development, primary and secondary data were collected. To collect primary data, face to face personal interview and participant observation was conducted. In order to analyze the contents of documentary materials such as books, magazines, newspapers and the contents of interviews and personal observation, the researcher has employed interpretive and descriptive analysis. The research identified that the monastery has plethora tangible and intangible heritages that have a great heritage tourism potential of the country. Within the churchyard, there are different historic buildings including the remarkable museum. The museum is unique in its collection; more than 140 scriptures dating back to the 13th century are preserved and displayed for visitors. In addition to the invaluable parchment manuscripts, the museum comprises different heritages, colorful and age-old articles that have religious, historic and aesthetic values. Besides these heritages, the location of the monastery in the peninsula augmented its potential for tourism development. However, factors such as, lack of trained manpower in the field of museum study and heritage management, absence of promotion, lack of awareness among the community, inaccessibility of the museum for women and absence of tourist facility in the nearby area are the major barriers that hindered the site to contribute for tourism development.

 Key words: Tourism potential, challenges, Haiq Estifanos Communal Monastery.


We describe the use of sulpho rhodamine G (SG) and rhodamine WT (WT) as oceanographic tracers in tidally active waters of the southeastern North Sea. Ten kilograms of SG and 5 kg of WT dissolved in 1,000 liters of sea water were released to produce an initial tracer patch ~10 X ~0.5 km. Tracer dispersal was monitored for 11 d by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis of samples collected close to the patch center. The patch center was initially identified during surveys for sulfur hexafluoride released simultaneously, and its position was subsequently confirmed by use of a two‐dimensional tracer dispersion model. Temporal changes in the SG/WT ratio were undetectable, so photolytic tracer losses were not directly quantified. A simple photolysis model was used to correct to conservative behavior for WT. Results are compared with the dispersal of spores of Bacillus globigii var. niger released simultaneously. Photolytic tracer pairs are ideally suited to tracer experiments in unconstrained water


OBJECTIVE
This population-based epidemiologic study aimed to analyze the prevalence and trends of atypical antipsychotic (AAP) use and identify factors associated with AAP prescribing among children and adolescents in Korea.

METHODS
Using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-Pediatric Patients Sample data between 2010 and 2014, we assessed the prevalence of and secular trends in AAP use; utilization of individual AAP drug based on the type of healthcare services, healthcare institutions, and health security programs; and factors associated with AAP use.

RESULTS
The average annual prevalence of AAP use was 417 per 100,000 children and adolescents, which increased by 40% from 2010 to 2014. The major AAP drug of choice has shifted from risperidone (72.70% and 49.29% in 2010 and 2014, respectively) to aripiprazole (11.31% and 34.64% in 2010 and 2014, respectively). Quetiapine was mainly prescribed for inpatients. Therefore, hospitals have 2-3 times higher proportion of quetiapine use than clinics. A prominent difference exists in the prescribing rates and AAP drug of choice based on income level. Patients enrolled in the Medical Aid (MA) program had a higher AAP prescription rate than those enrolled in the National Health Insurance (NHI) program (adjusted odds ratio: 7.78). Moreover, MA recipients were more frequently prescribed with cheaper alternatives, such as risperidone, compared with NHI recipients.

CONCLUSION
AAP has been increasingly used among the pediatric population in Korea. Future studies are needed to identify the causes of this increase and establish evidence on appropriate AAP use. In addition, relevant policies should be developed to ensure that low-income mentally ill children could take advantage of the best available therapy.


In this thesis I defend an account of analyticity against some well known objections. I defend a view of analyticity whereby an analytic truth is true by definition, and that logical connectives may be defined by their inference rules. First I answer objections that the very idea of truth-by-definition is metaphysically flawed (things are true because of the world, not definition, it seems). More importantly, I respond to objections that no theory of definitions by inference rules (i.e. implicit definitions) can be given that does not allow spurious definitions (e.g. the `definition' of Prior's connective tonk). I shall argue that demanding normalisation (a.k.a. harmony) of definitional inference rules is a natural and well motivated solution to these objections. I conclude that a coherent account of implicit definition can be given as the basis of an account of analyticity. I then produce some logical results showing that we can give natural deduction rules for complex and interesting logical systems that satisfy a normal form theorem. In particular, I present a deduction system for classical logic that is harmonious (i.e. deductions in it normalise), and show how to extend and enhance it to include strict conditionals and empty reference. Also I discuss two areas where our reasoning and classical logic appear not to match: general conditional reasoning, and reasoning from contradictions. I present a general theory of conditionals (along the lines of Lewis' closest-possible-world account) and I suggest that the logic of conditionals is not entirely analytic. Also, I discuss issues surrounding the ex falso rule and conclude that everything really does follow from a contradiction. Finally I suggest a positive theory of when and how the implicit definitions are made that define our logical language.Mathematical Logic


For much of the twentieth century UK public policy has been based on a strong centralist, rationalist and managerialist framework. This orientation was significantly amplified by New Labour in the 1990s and 2000s, leading to the development of 'evidence-based policy making' (EBPM) and the 'audit culture' – a trend that looks set to continue under the current government. Substantial criticisms have been raised against the targeting/audit strategies of the audit culture and other forms of EBPM, particularly in complex policy areas. This article accepts these criticisms and argues that in order to move beyond these problems one must not only look at the basic foundation of policy strategies, but also develop practical alternatives to those strategies. To that end, the article examines one of the most basic and common tools of the targeting/audit culture, the aggregate linear X-Y graph, and shows that when it has been applied to UK education policy, it leads to: (1) an extrapolation tendency; (2) a fluctuating 'crisis–success' policy response process; and (3) an intensifying targeting/auditing trend. To move beyond these problems, one needs a visual metaphor which combines an ability to see the direction of policy travel with an aspect of continual openness that undermines the extrapolation tendency, crisis–success policy response and targeting/auditing trend. Using a general complexity approach, and building on the work of Geyer and Rihani, this article will attempt to show that a 'complexity cascade' tool can be used to overcome these weaknesses and avoid their negative effects in both education and health policy in the UK.


This collection of essays by 12 members of the MIT staff, provides an inside report on the scope and expectations of current research in one of the world's major AI centers. The chapters on artificial intelligence, expert systems, vision, robotics, and natural language provide both a broad overview of current areas of activity and an assessment of the field at a time of great public interest and rapid technological progress.Contents: Artificial Intelligence (Patrick H. Winston and Karen Prendergast). KnowledgeBased Systems (Randall Davis). Expert-System Tools and Techniques (Peter Szolovits). Medical Diagnosis: Evolution of Systems Building Expertise (Ramesh S. Patil). Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering (Charles Rich and Richard C. Waters). Intelligent Natural Language Processing (Robert C. Berwick). Automatic Speech Recognition and Understanding (Victor W. Zue). Robot Programming and Artificial Intelligence (Tomas Lozano-Perez). Robot Hands and Tactile Sensing (John M. Hollerbach). Intelligent Vision (Michael Brady). Making Robots See (W. Eric L. Grimson). Autonomous Mobile Robots (Rodney A. Brooks).W. Eric L. Grimson, author of "From Images to Surfaces: A Computational Study of the Human Early Vision System" (MIT Press 1981), and Ramesh S. Patil are both Assistant Professors in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. "AI in the 1980s and Beyond" is included in the Artificial Intelligence Series, edited by Patrick H. Winston and Michael Brady.


Several isolates of bacteria with diesel-degrading capability have been isolated and characterized from Antarctica. Three strains; isolates J2(p), J7(p) and G(k) were isolated and selected for further investigations. Microbiological analysis such as gram staining and molecular phylogenetics were used to identify the bacteria. Bacterial growth optimization was studied based on carbon source, nitrogen source, pH and temperature. Biodegradation of diesel oil was monitored by quantitative gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The log phase for isolate J2(p) and G(k) were shown in between day four and day six while the log phase for isolate J7(p) was found in between day six until day eighth. Isolate J2(p), J7(p) and G(k) were identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Rhodococcus sp., respectively using substrate utilization patterns (Biolog). Isolate J2(p) and G(k) showed optimum growth at 3% diesel concentration whilst isolate J7(p) was optimum at 2.5% diesel. Isolate J2(p) exhibits an optimum concentration of ammonium sulphate at 2% whilst isolate J7(p) and G(k) exhibit an optimum concentration of ammonium sulphate at 1%.
The optimum pH for growth of all isolates J2(p), J7(p) and G(k) were pH 7.13, 7.15 and 7.23, respectively. All the isolates showed that 10°C was the optimum temperature for bacterial growth. The biodegradation of diesel oil by isolate J2(p) increased in efficiency from the second to the sixth day of incubation, increasing from 1.4 to 18.8% and remain constant until the eighth day. The biodegradation efficiency decreased from 18.8 to 6.3% after the eighth day. The Biodegradation efficiency (BE) of isolate J2(p) was negligible until day 2 where a linear increase in BE to 19% on the sixth day occurs. For isolate J7(p), the biodegradation efficiency was between the second and eighth day of incubation, which increasing from 0.8 to 18.7%. Then it decreased from 18.7 to 9.4% between the eighth day and tenth day of incubation. The biodegradation efficiency of isolate G(k) increase from 0.9 to 17.4% from the second to the sixth day of incubation before decreasing to day ten from 17.4 to 9.9%. Isolate J2(p) was chosen for the screening of enzyme assays. Activity was detected in isolate J2(p). The enzymes activity was distributed in cell-free extracts, soluble fraction and particulate fraction with respective activities for each fraction for n - alkane oxidizing enzyme at 0.04, 0.19 and 0.23 μmol/min-1, DCPIP-dependent dehydrogenase at 0.002, 0.006 and 0.02 μmol/min-1 and aldehyde reductase activity at 0.02, 0.09 and 0.24 μmol/min-1.


We investigate the impact of obstetrician supervision, as opposed to midwife supervision, on the short-term health of low-risk newborns. We exploit a unique policy rule in the Netherlands that creates a large discontinuity in the probability of a low-risk birth being attended by an obstetrician at gestational week 37. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we consistently find no health benefits from obstetrician supervision, despite increased rates of neonatal intensive care unit admissions among births supervised by obstetricians. These results indicate potential cost savings from increased use of midwifery care for low-risk deliveries.


Mortgage-Backed Securities and the Effect on Financial Firm Value Krisandra A Guidry One of the most important financial innovations in the past few years has been mortgage securitization. This dissertation examines several motives for the issuance of mortgage-backed securities and how the issuance of mortgage-backed securities affects the value of a financial intermediary. Several studies suggest that there is some benefit to mortgage-backed security offerings. Possible reasons for securitization include diversification, funding, avoidance of regulatory taxes, creation of value, and portfolio reshuffling. Much of the empirical literature on the issuance of mortgage-backed securities has focused on depository intermediary risk. However, the effect of mortgage-backed securities on firm value is unclear. The principal hypothesis tested in this dissertation is that the issuances of mortgage-backed securities have positive impacts on the market value of a depository financial intermediary. The abnormal returns represent a potential wealth transfer between the federal deposit insurer and shareholders. The wealth transfer may occur if the assets which remain on the intermediary's books are those most likely to cause insolvency. It is postulated that there may be an asymmetry in information between the intermediary and the insurer in order to achieve the wealth transfer. CHAPTER


Traditional epidemiologic approaches allow us to compare counterfactual outcomes under 2 exposure distributions, usually 100% exposed and 100% unexposed. However, to estimate the population health effect of a proposed intervention, one may wish to compare factual outcomes under the observed exposure distribution to counterfactual outcomes under the exposure distribution produced by an intervention. Here, we used inverse probability weights to compare the 5-year mortality risk under observed antiretroviral therapy treatment plans to the 5-year mortality risk that would had been observed under an intervention in which all patients initiated therapy immediately upon entry into care among patients positive for human immunodeficiency virus in the US Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems multisite cohort study between 1998 and 2013. Therapy-naïve patients (n = 14,700) were followed from entry into care until death, loss to follow-up, or censoring at 5 years or on December 31, 2013. The 5-year cumulative incidence of mortality was 11.65% under observed treatment plans and 10.10% under the intervention, yielding a risk difference of -1.57% (95% confidence interval: -3.08, -0.06). Comparing outcomes under the intervention with outcomes under observed treatment plans provides meaningful information about the potential consequences of new US guidelines to treat all patients with human immunodeficiency virus regardless of CD4 cell count under actual clinical conditions.


A growing number of papers have studied positive and normative implications of financial frictions in DSGE models. We contribute to this literature by studying the welfare-based monetary policy in a two-country model characterized by financial frictions, alongside a number of key features, like capital accumulation, non-traded goods and foreign-currency debt denomination. We compare the cooperative Ramsey monetary policy with standard policy benchmarks (e.g. PPI stability) as well as with the optimal Ramsey policy in a currency area. We show that the two-country perspective offers new insights on the trade-offs faced by the monetary authority. Our main results are the following. First, strict PPI targeting (nearly optimal in our model if credit frictions are absent) becomes excessively procyclical in response to positive productivity shocks in the presence of financial frictions. The related welfare losses are non-negligible, especially if financial imperfections interact with nontradable production. Second, (asymmetric) foreign currency debt denomination affects the optimal monetary policy and has important implications for exchange rate regimes. In particular, the larger the variance of domestic productivity shocks relative to foreign, the closer the PPI-stability policy is to the optimal policy and the farther is the currency union case. Third, we find that central banks should allow for deviations from price stability to offset the effects of balance sheet shocks. Finally, while financial frictions substantially decrease attractiveness of all price targeting regimes, they do not have a significant effect on the performance of a monetary union agreement.


A search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a vector boson with the decay H -> tau tau is presented. The data correspond to 20.3 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity from proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2012. The data agree with the background expectation, and 95% confidence-level upper limits are placed on the cross section of this process. The observed (expected) limit, expressed in terms of the signal strength mu= sigma/sigma(SM) for m(H) = 125 GeV, is mu < 5.6 (3.7). The measured value of the signal strength is mu = 2.3 +/- 1.6.


Bio-Mechatronics is the field that deals with passive and active prosthetic limb design. The passive conventional prosthesis carries constant mechanical properties so that the motion of joints motion is not similar to that of humans while the active type prosthesis more realistically represents human motion. The latter is however, more expensive than passive prosthesis and consumes more energy. Semi-active type prosthesis is less expensive but its results are very much similar to that of active type prosthesis and it is a better solution to control the human gait artificially. This research is based on the design of a prosthetic leg that can simulate a pattern similar to that of a normal person's gait. The research is divided into two parts: calculation of kinematics and design of control system. The forward and inverse kinematics is computed to analyze the position, orientation and workspace for the leg. Series damping actuator is used to control the swing phase of the leg and P- Controller is designed to control the swing and joint force on knee. This paper shows that a semi active prosthetic limb can emulate a real limb and in order to control a prosthetic leg Series Damping Actuator (SDA) can be used as a means to adapt the pattern of normal human gait and the walking pattern can be controlled accordingly.


Episodic memory-based methods can rapidly latch onto past successful strategies by a non-parametric memory and improve sample efficiency of traditional reinforcement learning. However, little effort is put into the continuous domain, where a state is never visited twice, and previous episodic methods fail to efficiently aggregate experience across trajectories. To address this problem, we propose Generalizable Episodic Memory (GEM), which effectively organizes the state-action values of episodic memory in a generalizable manner and supports implicit planning on memorized trajectories. GEM utilizes a double estimator to reduce the overestimation bias induced by value propagation in the planning process. Empirical evaluation shows that our method significantly outperforms existing trajectory-based methods on various MuJoCo continuous control tasks. To further show the general applicability, we evaluate our method on Atari games with discrete action space, which also shows a significant improvement over baseline algorithms.


The immram, or voyage tale, is an ancient Celtic story of spiritual adventure. Well established as a genre in pre-Christian times, its seafaring hero sails into the unknown west, drawn by the universal human longing for a perfect land of eternal youth, beauty, and happiness, the Island of the Blessed. His journey is hard and the outcome uncertain, but he encounters beautiful islands, wondrous animals, and supernatural personages to help him on his way. The common impulse behind these tales is the deeply human desire to attain some intangible ideal of perfection, the obverse of the all-too-familiar miseries of mortal life.1 When the Gospel and a culture of literacy came to Ireland in the early fifth century the genre easily assumed a Christian perspective, since the Christian life has always been seen as a journey from this imperfect world to a heavenly commonwealth "beyond the sunset" where God will wipe away every tear. This essay proposes to explore the role of the voyage tale as an image of the spiritual journey, as presented in its classic early Irish formulation and consciously recapitulated for a twentieth-century audience by two major contemporary Christian writers, C. S. Lewis and Frederick Buechner. As this is an essay in spirituality, the point is not to say something new about Lewis or Buechner, much less to reconstruct a historical voyage. Rather, we will consider what the three texts, the late eighth-century Voyage of St. Brendan, Lewis's Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Buechner's Brendan, have to say about the life of the spirit, and in particular to see how their Celtic perspective enlarges our understanding, VOYAGE OF ST. BRENDAN The Voyage of St. Brendan was one of the most widely read pieces of medieval literature. We do not know where or by whom the tale was first set out in writing, and in all probability it had circulated decades earlier as an oral narrative.2 Current scholarship favors a date around A.D. 800 for the final Latin version of the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis, probably compiled in an Irish monastery. The unknown author, presumably a monk, was obviously an excellent classical scholar and thoroughly acquainted with Irish geography, history, and folklore. He drew from earlier manuscript accounts and an extensive oral tradition to produce a well-integrated narrative.3 Brendan's tale has much of the direct and simple appeal we find in the Gospels, with "the journeyings, miraculous meals, fears and wonders that happen around the Sea of Galilee ... transferred to the Atlantic."4 The Voyage gained great popularity in the following centuries; over 120 manuscript copies have turned up in locations ranging from Scandinavia to Spain.5 The historical St. Brendan (actually one of seventeen so named) was born sometime around 490 near Tralee, on the west coast of Ireland, but is more widely known as St. Brendan of Clonfert for the monastery he established in East Galway around 560. He was educated by Bishop Erc of Kerry, and in time became a famous abbot and monastic founder. He died at the age of 93 sometime around 580; the Annals of Ulster put his death at 577 or 583. He probably made his celebrated journey sometime between 515 and 525, when he would have been roughly between the ages of 25 and 40.6 Adomnan reports that he visited St. Columba on Iona sometime after 563; he also founded a monastery at Llancarvon in Wales. A half dozen or more landmarks along the Irish west coast bear his name, and he may well have journeyed to Brittany, the Orkneys, the Shetlands, and perhaps even Iceland in the course of his voyages. Over time the story of his life collected numerous additional elements, epic feats, and adventures, real or fabulous, drawn from accounts current among the seafaring peoples of the West. In fact, his story comes down to us in two traditions: a more hagiographic but fragmentary vernacular Irish Life of St. Brendan composed sometime in the seventh or eighth centuries, which was translated into a longer Latin version that drew on other sources for Brendan's later years, and the present Voyage of St. …


This work aims to investigate the influence of heat treatment of photosensitive AgInS2 sprayed thin films on the mechanical and structural properties.AgInS2 ternary material has several important properties (Bandgap, electric resistivity, transmission–reflection spectra...) that guide itÂ's to choice as an absorber in solar cells domain[1,2]. Hardness measurements have been carried out to determine the Vickers hardness of these films. The results revealed that annealing treatment enhances drastically the mechanical resistance to frontal penetrating solicitation (Hv hardness) may be due to the partial crystallization and phase transformations modified the microstructure of the based glassy material. The maximum gain was measured for samples treated at 400°C, having a hardness of 8.31GPa. However, when the annealing temperature was upper than 450°C the hardness is decreased may due to bulk defaults in the structure of the films which it is confirmed by XRD and AFM investigations.


LEGAL ISSUES IN SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES: A RESOURCE FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL ATTORNEYS, AND SCHOOL NURSES. SCHWAB, N. C., & GELFMAN, M. H. B. (EDs.). (2001). NORTH BRANCH, MN: SUNRISE RIVER PRESS. The book's primary purpose is to give professionals in the area of school health a resource tool and it accomplishes that purpose. The editors acknowledge three groups of school professionals that could benefit from reading this text-nurses, administrators and attorneys. The text is well written and is laid out in a systematic manner that enhances reading and comprehension with discussion of foundational issues and practice issues. The practice issues cover many required topics. The text includes various items essential to every school health program, e.g. Good Samaritan Laws, consent to treat, and documentation. Additionally, the text includes several topics that the general practitioner may not have been exposed to in a long time, if ever, depending upon the profession. Several of the book's components are currently considered hot topics for the professional, e.g. special education practices and resuscitation efforts. These topics require that the professional have an operational knowledge in order to be prepared for the school workplace environment. The authors utilizes the most current literature to support their comments. Individual chapter authors innovatively presented the material and included several items of particular interest; job descriptions, staffing needs, and performance appraisal or evaluation criteria. The information provided would be critical to the ongoing success of a school health program and would, in essence, help provide for continued support of the program especially in a budget-deficit environment. The text is divided into five separate sections. The first section covers foundational issues. This section includes a historical review of school health services and helps provide the crucial support for the continued need for school health programs. Additionally, this section contains the basic components of law and includes both civil and criminal aspects as well as other pertinent legal issues. Of particular importance the discussion of negligence in the school setting and the ethical dilemmas that the school and the healthcare practitioner can be faced with when providing services. The second section relates to specific practice issues. The authors include state mandated policies and guidelines. Additionally, standards of practice and clinical performance issues are discussed. Information in this section also includes guidelines for medication administration, field trips, environmental safety and preventive screening. Furthermore, the authors provide a significant section on adolescent issues and the rights of minors, including emancipation, pregnancy, sexual harassment and violence. The third section covers confidentiality and records. The authors covered general principles, laws and rules of confidentiality. One area that could be of critical importance is the topic of HIV and other communicable diseases and the "duty to warn." This section also includes documentation standards and specifics of record keeping issues especially with regard to the electronic record, e-mail and facsimile information. The fourth section contains information about discrimination and special education. This section includes special interest topics related to access and eligibility requirements as well as general information about the ADA and compliance issues. …


We recently reported that mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by increased mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), was present in a translational swine model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Cyclophilin D is a key component of the MPT pore, therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a novel cyclosporine (CsA) dosing scheme as a therapeutic alternative for HFpEF. Computed tomography (CT), two‐dimensional speckle tracking two‐dimensional speckle tracking (2DST), and invasive hemodynamics were used to evaluate cardiac function. CT imaging showed 14 weeks of CsA treatment caused eccentric myocardial remodeling (contrasting concentric remodeling in untreated HF animals) and elevated systemic pressures. 2DST detected left ventricular (LV) mechanics associated with systolic and diastolic dysfunction prior to the onset of significantly increased LV end diastolic pressure including: (1) decreased systolic apical rotation rate, longitudinal displacement, and longitudinal/radial/circumferential strain; (2) decreased early diastolic untwisting and longitudinal strain rate; and (3) increased late diastolic radial/circumferential mitral strain rate. LV mechanics associated with systolic and diastolic impairment was enhanced to a greater extent than seen in untreated HF animals following CsA treatment. In conclusion, CsA treatment accelerated the development of heart failure, including dilatory LV remodeling and impaired systolic and diastolic mechanics. Although our findings do not support CsA as a viable therapy for HFpEF, 2DST was effective in differentiating between progressive gradations of developing HF and detecting diastolic impairment prior to the development of overt diastolic dysfunction.


This article examines the unexpected outcomes in a puzzling new empirical case—the success of a coalition of small-scale beekeepers, indigenous peasant social movements, and NGOs in thwarting a multinational biotechnology firm's efforts to commercialize genetically modified (GM) soy in Mexico. Sparked by news of pending EU rules for honey imports "contaminated" with GM pollen grains, beekeepers and their allies leveraged a transnational regulatory focusing event to downscale the forums for contestation of Mexican transgenic policy to subnational levels—where actors vested in regionally valuable honey production became pitted against actors promoting the national commercialization of GM soy across Mexico. The coalition's success not only depended on an effective political and legal strategy, as might be expected, but hinged crucially on the unique characteristics of the traded commodities themselves—honey and soy. The case reveals the complex socioecological, market, and regulatory dynamics at play in the cultivation of crops and commodities for consumption and sale into local and global markets. Going beyond the actors and interests involved, the case shows how the physical characteristics of commodities act as constraints to the set of possible institutional alternatives to effectively redress policy problems. Regulations contrived with focal commodities in mind—like soy—can have significant spillover effects to more peripheral commodities, like honey, and the interactions and interdependencies shared among commodities in natural and human systems may in fact foster new windows of opportunity for producers to pursue policy change and innovation at multiple levels of governance.


Folate, a water-soluble B vitamin, and its synthetic form folic acid (FA) used in fortification and supplements, are critical to human health due to their role in one-carbon transfer reactions required for biological methylation and nucleotide biosynthesis. As such, folate deficiency has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes such as megaloblastic anaemia, neural tube defects, coronary heart disease and cancer among others. Corollary to this, FA supplementation has garnered a considerable amount of interest as an ideal functional food component for disease prevention. Although the benefits of FA supplementation in treatment of megaloblastic anaemia and in prevention of neural tube defects are well established, the effects of FA supplementation on other disease outcomes remain largely equivocal. In addition, an emerging body of evidence has raised concern regarding potentially serious adverse health effects of excessive FA intake, which warrant further studies.

Key Concepts:

Folate, a water-soluble B vitamin, and its synthetic form folic acid used in fortification and supplements, are critical to one-carbon transfer reactions required for DNA synthesis and biological methylation reactions.

Dietary folate intake is the main source of folate for humans; inadequate dietary intake, impaired absorption or metabolism of folate, and increased folate demand and utilisation may result in deficiency.

Folate deficiency has been associated with various adverse health effects including megaloblastic anaemia, neural tube defects and other congenital disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive decline, coronary heart disease, stroke and development of some cancers.

Folic acid supplementation is effective in treatment of folate-deficiency associated megaloblastic anaemia and in prevention of neural tube defects.

The primary objective of periconceptional folic acid supplementation and mandatory folic acid fortification of the food supply, typically wheat, implemented in North American in 1998, is to prevent neural tube defects. It appears that folic acid fortification has led to up to 50% reduction in the rates of neural tube defects in North America.

Folate requirements are increased throughout pregnancy due to rapid growth of the uterus, placenta and foetus, and during lactation as to maintain an adequate folate supply in breast milk for infants.

Folate appears to play a dual modulatory role in colorectal carcinogenesis depending on the dose and the stage of cell transformation at the time of folate exposure. Animal studies conducted in colorectal cancer models have shown that folic acid supplementation prevents the development of cancer in normal tissues but promotes the progression of established (pre)neoplastic lesions. Animal studies have also suggested that supraphysiological supplemental doses of folic acid supplementation may promote, rather than prevent cancer development. However, folic acid intervention trials in humans have produced inconsistent results.

Although folate deficiency and raised plasma homocysteine levels have been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in observational studies; clinical trials have reported largely null effects of folic acid supplementation on the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Folate status may play an important role in regulation of epigenetic determinants of gene expression such as DNA methylation relating to its critical role in the provision of S-adenosylmethionine, the primary methyl donor in most biological methylation reactions.

Excessive folic acid intake from fortified foods and supplements has been linked to certain adverse health effects including masking of vitamin B12 deficiency and tumour-progression.

Keywords:

folate;
folic acid;
homocysteine;
unmetabolised folic acid;
folic acid supplementation;
megaloblastic anaemia;
neural tube defects;
pregnancy;
carcinogenesis;
epigenetics


This thesis has a three-fold aim. The first one regards the design and implementation of a multiphysics framework for high-performance scientific and engineering computing. The other two aims are built on top of the first one, and they regard the development and implementation of two software components for the simulation of Fluid Flow and Radiative Heat Transfer respectively. The thesis is organized in three parts, one for each aim. The first aim is devoted to the development and implementation of a software platform on top of which it is possible to develop software application aimed to any specific kind of simulation.
The keylines of this platform are: effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility and usability. Following these keylines simultaneously is a challenging task, it can be accomplished only by developing novel strategies for making the following three aspects sinergically work together: numerical methods, physical modeling, computer science. In the first part of the thesis we shall discuss our efforts in this direction. The second aim is devoted to the development and implementation of a Fluid Flow solver able
to deal with Euler and Laminar Navier-Stokes equations. It is able to perform 3D parallel computation on mixed unstructured meshes. Therefore an application on top of the multiphysics framework has been developed and implemented which is able to address the problem of simulating flow fields using the finite volume method. The third aim is devoted to another application, that is, the computation of Radiative Heat Transfer. This aim was accomplished by developing some novel metodologies, such as the development and parallel implementation of a particular Monte Carlo approach for computing radiative heat transfer, and a novel particle tracking algorithm for tracking particle-like entities accross mixed 2D or 3D unstructured meshes in parallel computation.


Previous studies from this laboratory utilized mass spectrometry to measure myocardial oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2) tensions in isolated feline hearts subjected to periods of global ischemia and reperfusion. Myocardial carbon dioxide tension was found to increase during ischemia, and its rate of increase was found to correlate inversely with subsequent recovery of myocardial function following reflow. The present study utilized phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to assess whether the severity of intracellular acidosis or the depletion of high energy phosphate stores would show a similar correlation with recovery of function. Hyperkalemic cardioplegia employed as a myocardial preservation technqiue in combination with hypothermia was compared with hypothermia alone as the control intervention. The experimental results demonstrated that intracellular pH fell to 6.09 +/- 0.13 with hypothermia alone and to 6.31 +/- 0.09 with cardioplegia plus hypothermia. Furthermore, myocardial ATP content fell to 22% +/- 2% of control with hypothermia alone, while falling to 36% +/- 4% of control with the combined therapy. Recovery of myocardial performance was found to correlate inversely with the severity of intracellular acidosis and depletion of ATP during ischemia. In contrast, no relationship was observed between preservation of phosphoryl-creatinine levels either during ischemia or after reflow and recovery of ventricular function. These results suggest that, similar to mass spectrometry, which allows monitoring of myocardial PCO2, 31P NMR permits the on-line monitoring of intracellular pH as well as high energy phosphate compounds, and thereby provides useful metabolic indices of the severity of ischemia. Since tight coupling was found between changes in these parameters and subsequent recovery of contractile performance, further development of 31P NMR for evaluation of techniques designed to minimize the severity of ischemic damage would seem indicated.


Chronic pain affects an estimated 76.2 million people in the United States yet health care providers face significant barriers to provision of safe and effective chronic pain management. Research has identified pharmacotherapy as an important component of a multi-disciplinary care plan for chronic pain management, but complexities associated with pain pharmacotherapy are also a source of barriers to chronic pain management. Little is known about barriers to provision of chronic pain management that may be unique to rural settings such as Montana. The primary goal of this research effort was to develop a questionnaire to assess barriers faced by health care providers to the use of pharmacotherapy for chronic pain in Montana. Following a comprehensive literature review of barriers to chronic pain management, a draft questionnaire containing 24 questions was developed and submitted to an expert panel of providers with prescriptive authority in Montana. A tailored Delphi technique was used to gather input about the proposed questionnaire from the expert panel. The results confirmed the importance of assessing barriers in Montana and the presence of significant barriers to opioid pharmacotherapy for chronic pain. The responses provided key information for revision of the questionnaire, improving the questionnaire clarity and relevance to Montana. This project represents an essential first step in the development of an assessment tool for use in Montana to identifying the existence and relative impact of barriers to chronic pain management. Understanding the relative influence and impact of these barriers will help mitigate barriers that impede adequate chronic pain management and help identify support needs of health care providers in chronic pain management.


This thesis is an exploration into the function and form of storytelling. Its
initial assumption is that consciousness is a genetically transmitted mechanism
which generates a concept of self by creating a story. In this formulation, the
consciousness is called narrative-consciousness. Since the concept of self
necessarily suggests its opposite and this in turn involves awareness of existential
futility, the purpose of the story, generated by the narrative-consciousness, is seen to
be, in the first instance, the hiding of this unavoidable and potentially damaging
awareness. This thesis suggests that to achieve this goal the story must be based on
the process of self-deception.
The thesis shows that, in general, self-deception involves three significant
components in its bid to separate any two paradoxical ideas: unease, process and
hiding and that each of these maps onto a particular component in the final narrative
of the self. The narrative created by a consciousness hiding, in particular, the
awareness of existential angst is given the specific name existentially-selfdeceptive-
story, with an acronym ESDeS.
The thesis goes on to suggest that such a narrative-consciousness could
produce written stories that follow the same pattern, in which case the stories are
called existentially-self-deceptive-novels, with an acronym ESDeN.
Such a story or genre is then shown to be part of a continuum consisting of
up to three distinct ways of dealing with existential futility. The thesis labels these
Story-1, Story-2 and Story-3 respectively but reserves the name ESDeN for a subset
of Story-2.
Analyses of three of these stories, Heart of Darkness, Chance and Thinks
concludes that the genre necessarily includes genre-markers, bracketing deaths and
repetition, can also include other optional components such as the self-deceptive
process or the parent-child mechanism but that its defining characteristic is its
division between an overt plot and a covert plot which contains a collusive death of
a character identified with existential angst.
A covert plot is necessarily available but it is, by definition, not easily
discovered. Its successful hiding is made possible, primarily, by foregrounding the
overt content of the novel at the expense of the covert. In this sense, the only
necessary requirement of the overt content is it should distract and it does this best
when the reader cooperates by investing time in interpretation: that is, in order to
disguise the ultimate the reader concentrates on the proximal.
Finally, the thesis mirrors the endings of each ESDeN by drawing attention
to the fact that this collusion will not work for long: just as self-deception cannot
withstand too much contrary evidence, the covert plot will not stand too many rereadings.
Inevitably, for the true ESDeS, another point of recognition will occur
and this will necessitate the renewal or replacement of the ESDeS.


Palaeoclimatic records indicate several abrupt changes in North Atlantic climate which are assumed to be caused by disturbances of the thermohaline circulation (THC). By means of an idealized ocean box model we investigate the sensitivity of the THC with respect to a high-latitudinal salinity reduction, simulating a sudden meltwater release of glaciers or icebergs. We study the influence of various surface heat and freshwater flux parameterization schemes. By coupling an atmospheric energy balance model to the ocean model the importance of atmospheric heat and moisture transports in destabilizing the THC is demonstrated.Furthermore, the THC and its sensitivity under different climatic conditions is investigated. Due to the temperature-dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient the oceanic circulation weakens and becomes more vulnerable with decreasing global temperatures. The results indicate that during Ice Ages even relatively weak freshwater invasions might have caused considerable variations in the intensity of the THC, accompanied by severe cold snaps in high latitudes due to the weakened oceanic heat transport.Greenland ice cores and other climate records clearly indicate that various abrupt changes in the North Atlantic climate occured in the past. A well- known example is the Younger Dryas cold event, around 11,000 years BP. It is presumed that these changes are connected with freshwater invasions into the deep water formation areas of the northern North Atlantic, resulting in a weakening of the thermohaline-driven ocean circulation (THC) and consequently in a decreased oceanic poleward heat transport (Broecker, 1991). Paleoclimatic studys actually show relations between meltwater events, owing to retreating glaciers (Keigwin et al., 1991) or massive discharges of icebergs launched from Canada (Bond, 1995; Bond et al., 1992) and cold snaps in the North Atlantic region. Obviously, the sensitivity of the THC plays a key role for the climate variability and is the subject matter of the present paper.Several feedback mechanisms influence the sensitivity of the THC and either amplify (positive feedbacks) or weaken (negative feedbacks) an initial perturbation. Some of these feedback mechanisms, which are associated with heat and salt/freshwater transports in ocean and atmosphere and with outgoing longwave radiation from atmosphere to space, will be discussed in detail in this paper.


Several regions within California have significant air quality issues. Transport of pollutants emitted in one region to another region may add to the impact of local emissions. In this work, Lagrangian particle dispersion model simulations show the amounts of tracers that are transported within and among four regions, Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, and the rest of the state. The simulations cover May and June of 2010, the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change experiment period. Tracers of automobile emissions and one type of agricultural emission are used. Tracer mixing ratios are compared to airborne and ground‐based measurements. The age of tracers in each location is also presented. Vertical profiles and diurnal cycles help to clarify the transport process. As is well known, Southern California emissions are transported to the east and affect the desert areas, and Bay Area automobile emissions are an important source of pollutants in the San Joaquin Valley. A novel result is that the Southern California Bight is filled with a mixture of well‐aged carbon monoxide tracer from Southern California and the Bay Area. Air over the Bight is also affected by the agricultural emissions represented by the agricultural tracer, dominantly from the Central Valley where its sources are largest. There is no indication of transport from Southern California to the Central Valley. Emissions from the Central Valley do make their way to Southern California, as shown by the agricultural tracer, but automobile emissions from the Valley are insignificant in Southern California.


To assess potential disturbance effects on fish from seismic air-gun surveys, we described several metrics to characterize the exposures from such surveys, including the number of emissions by area and time, and metrics based on accumulated sound exposure levels (SEL). For the SEL-based metrics we used both a simple spherical–geometrical model and a model that incorporated physical sound propagation properties such as bottom topography and the vertical difference in sound speed. We applied the metrics to two experiments in Norwegian waters (the Nordkappbanken and Vesteralen experiments) where fish distributions and fisheries were affected by the air-guns, but where the disturbance was stronger in the Nordkappbanken case. The metrics based on the number of emissions by area and time showed a stronger impact in the Nordkappbanken case. For the SEL-based metrics, the simple sound propagation model failed because of artificially elevated levels close to the emissions, but for the more complex propagation mode...