Abstract. We present an improved tagging method, which describes the combined effect of emissions of various species from individual emission categories, e.g. the impact of both, nitrogen oxides and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions on ozone. This method is applied to two simplified chemistry schemes, which represent the main characteristics of atmospheric ozone chemistry. Analytical solutions are presented for this tagging approach. In the past, besides tagging approaches, sensitivity methods were used, which estimate the contributions from individual sources based on differences in two simulations, a base case and a simulation with a perturbation in the respective emission category. We apply both methods to our simplified chemical systems and demonstrate that potentially large errors (factor of 2) occur with the sensitivity method, which depend on the degree of linearity of the chemical system. This error depends on two factors, the ability to linearise the chemical system around a base case, and second the completeness of the contributions, which means that all contributions should principally add up to 100%. For some chemical regimes the first error can be minimised by employing only small perturbations of the respective emission, e.g. 5%. The second factor depends on the chemical regime and cannot be minimized by a specific experimental set-up. It is inherent to the sensitivity method. Since a complete tagging algorithm for global chemistry models is difficult to achieve, we present two error metrics, which can be applied for sensitivity methods in order to estimate the potential error of this approach for a specific application.


This study investigated the effects of cognitive strategy instruction on the problem-solving skills of 24 Algebra 2 students. The students used a metacognitive approach to solve word problems in linear systems, matrices and quadratic equations. Various data collection instruments, including pre and postassessments, survey, interviews and observations, were used to determine the effects on students' cognitive achievement, long-term memory, motivation and attitude along with the motivation and attitude of the teacher. The study found an increase in students' achievement and longterm memory with the treatment. The study also yielded mixed results for the attitude and motivation of both the students and teacher.


Value is a topic that has attracted a considerable interest in Mediterranean archaeology over the last few years. Despite the ubiquity of situations of interaction and cultural contact in the ancient Mediterranean, the confrontation and re-negotiation of notions of value in such contexts has been seldom the focus of scholars. This paper will examine this aspect in the context of encounters occurring as a result of long-range interaction in the 2nd millennium BC. At this time, the middle sea connected people from societies that were profoundly different, such as the states of the eastern Mediterranean and the (often small) communities in the central portion of the sea. Through a diachronic contextual analysis of one of the most important indicators for inter-societal interaction in the region, i.e. Aegean type pottery, as well as of other categories of evidence, I will investigate the relationship between value, power, and encounter, suggesting some potential transformations occurring to broad ideas of value at the interface between the eastern and central Mediterranean.


Garrett-Peltier estimates the employment impacts of a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in the state of Minnesota. She develops three scenarios by which the demand for transportation fuels in the state could change by 2021, and further to 2035. Under each scenario, she estimates the number of jobs that could be created in construction and manufacturing as the transportation fuel infrastructure expands, as well as the number of jobs that could be created in harvesting, transportation, and production as the supply of alternative fuels expands. She finds that a LCFS would significantly increase the demand for alternative fuels such as corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, and bio-diesel, as well as increasing the demand for electric vehicle charging stations and alternative fuel blending pumps. Over the next ten years, enactment of a LCFS could result in the creation of over 7,500 jobs building alternative energy capacity and infrastructure. In addition, over 1,200 jobs could be created in harvesting, transporting, and processing transportation fuels. When she extends the analysis to 2035, the author finds that a LCFS could create over 32,500 job-years in manufacturing, installing, and building renewable energy infrastructure and capacity, and an additional 12,000 jobs could be created in the ongoing production of this level of alternative transportation energy. Finally, in addition to the substantial net employment benefits, employment in the state's oil refining sector decreases slightly under a LCFS, but losses are more than offset by the significant employment gains in ethanol.


We address the problem of recovering reliable sizes for a collection of models defined using scales with unknown correspondence to physical units. Our algorithmic approach provides absolute size estimates for 3D models by combining category-based size priors and size observations from 3D scenes. Our approach handles un-observed 3D models without any user intervention. It also scales to large public 3D model databases and is appropriate for handling the open-world problem of rapidly expanding collections of 3D models. We use two datasets from online 3D model repositories to evaluate against both human judgments of size and ground truth physical sizes of 3D models, and find that an algorithmic approach can predict sizes more accurately than people.


Learning computational models for visual attention (saliency estimation) is an effort to inch machines/robots closer to human visual cognitive abilities. Data-driven efforts have dominated the landscape since the introduction of deep neural network architectures. In deep learning research, the choices in architecture design are often empirical and frequently lead to more complex models than necessary. The complexity, in turn, hinders the application requirements. In this paper, we identify four key components of saliency models, i.e., input features, multi-level integration, readout architecture, and loss functions. We review the existing state of the art models on these four components and propose novel and simpler alternatives. As a result, we propose two novel end-to-end architectures called SimpleNet and MDNSal, which are neater, minimal, more interpretable and achieve state of the art performance on public saliency benchmarks. SimpleNet is an optimized encoder-decoder architecture and brings notable performance gains on the SALICON dataset (the largest saliency benchmark). MDNSal is a parametric model that directly predicts parameters of a GMM distribution and is aimed to bring more interpretability to the prediction maps. The proposed saliency models can be inferred at 25fps, making them suitable for real-time applications. Code and pre-trained models are available at https://github.com/samyak0210/saliency.


For over 50 years, school leadership preparation and development has been a priority in the United States; however, since the turn of the century, school systems, universities, and professional associations around the world have become more interested in developing programs to prepare aspiring school leaders and support newly appointed and experienced principals. This increased global attention to leadership development has arisen because public or government school leaders are being held accountable for improving student learning outcomes for an increasingly diverse set of learners. Because school leadership studies have been dominated by American researchers, global program providers tend to rely on Western perspectives, concepts, and theories, which may not accurately reflect local and national cultural norms and values. As such, calls for expanding research studies in non-Western societies are increasing.
 Despite relying on Western-based leadership concepts, leadership preparation programs outside the United States differ substantially. Cultural norms and values, infrastructure support, and social and economic conditions influence the availability and types of programs afforded to aspiring and practicing school leaders. As a result, there is a continuum of leadership development systems that range from: (a) mandatory, highly regulated, and well-resourced comprehensive programs for preservice qualification, induction for newly appointed principals, and in-service for practicing school leaders to (b) non-mandatory, minimally regulated, and moderately resourced programs to determine eligibility for positions and induction to the role to (c) non-mandatory, poorly regulated, and under-resourced programs, which are offered infrequently, require long distance travel, and participants costs are not covered.


This paper uses ideas from artiicial intelligence to show how default notions can be deened over Scott domains. We combine these ideas with ideas arising in domain theory to shed some light on the properties of nonmonotonicity in a general model-theoretic setting. We consider in particular a notion of default nonmonotonic entailment between prime open sets in the Scott topology of a domain. We investigate in what ways this notion obeys the so-called laws of cautious monotony and cautious cut, proposed by Gabbay, Kraus, Lehmann, and Magidor. Our notion of nonmonotonic entailment does not necessarily satisfy cautious monotony, but does satisfy cautious cut. In fact, we show that any reasonable notion of nonmonotonic entailment on prime opens over a Scott domain, satisfying in particular the law of cautious cut, can be concretely represented using our notion of default entailment. We also give a variety of suucient conditions for defaults to induce cumulative entail-ments, those satisfying cautious monotony. In particular, we show that defaults with unique extensions are a representation of cumulative nonmonotonic entailment. Furthermore, a simple characterization is given for those default sets which determine unique extensions in coherent domains. Finally, a characterization is given for Scott domains in which default entailment must be cumulative. This is the class of daisy domains; it is shown to be cartesian closed, a purely domain-theoretic result.


This article introduces the notion of dysfunctional consumer participation. It advances a theoretical model of service recovery for contexts in which the smooth functioning of a service has been disrupted by consumers' dysfunctional contributions, founded on justice theory and cognitive appraisal theory. The model presents perceived justice as the core element of the evaluation of service recovery encounters. Stressful appraisal evokes emotions in consumers and influences the cooperative or resistant nature of consumer participation in service recovery processes directly and indirectly via its impact on consumers' emotions. Dysfunctional consumer participation is represented as an interactional process in which resistant consumer participation in service recovery provokes an adaptive response from service providers. Outcomes of the service recovery process for consumers and organisations are outlined. The contribution of this work lies in the domain of transformative consumer research, and our proposed framework enables managers with commercial (e.g., customer retention, sales) and social responsibilities (e.g., staff stress, consumer welfare) to analyse situations in which consumers' actions have disrupted the smooth functioning of services and consider strategies to restore workable relationships with them.


Get incredible iPad information in a whole new Dummies format!The iPad combines the best of your favorite gadgets into one awesome ultraportable touch device. And, this unique Dummies guide is your one-of-a-kind resource for making the most of all your iPad or iPad 2 has to offer. Packed with full-color graphics, informative articles, and easy-to-follow step lists, Exploring iPad 2 For Dummies is thelatest, must-have iPad accessory.Learn to navigate the multitouch interface, surf the web, view maps, and even get driving directions, all with a simple touchListen to your favorite tunes, watch videos, unwind with a great book, video chat with FaceTime, and find apps to indulge all your interestsShoot HD video and photos, add awesome effects, and share it all onlineDiscover cool iPad accessories, customize your device, and get tips for keeping your iPad happyYou'll have the magic touch and uncover all the amazing things your iPad can do with help from Exploring iPad 2 For Dummies.


Even though platelets are the smallest cells in circulating blood, they play an integral role in blood clotting where they are activated, adhere to the vessel wall, and contribute to hemostasis. But over the years it was discovered that those anucleate cells have more extended functions. They organize their cellular vitality similar to nucleated cells and have an active protein metabolism performing protein de novo synthesis as well as protein degradation. One of the main degradation systems in cells is the proteasome. Besides protein quality control, the proteasome is involved in important cellular processes like cell survival, transcription, development, selective elimination of abnormal proteins and antigen processing.
A dysregulation of this multicatalytic protein complex leads to various disease developments. Proteasome inhibitors, for instance, have been studied for treating cancer. Platelets like nucleated cells contain a proteasome. However, the impact of the proteasome on platelet functions remains poorly investigated until today. A better knowledge of signaling pathways in platelets aids in understanding how alterations in proteasome functions affect platelet-mediated processes and diseases.

This study confirms the existence of a functional proteasome in human platelets and illustrates an important role in platelet biology, as well as sepsis.
With this study the role of the proteasome in anucleate platelets is demonstrated in more detail and a signaling pathway regulating its activity was observed. Here, the proteasome in platelets is linked to platelet aggregation. First, proteasome inhibitors epoxomicin and bortezomib reduce ADP- and collagen-induced aggregation. Furthermore, the 26S chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome is enhanced when platelets are incubated with the platelet agonist collagen. Additionally, cytoskeletal proteins Filamin A and Talin-1, which are crucial for platelet activation, were identified as proteasome substrates and increased cleavage of these proteins occurs with proteasome activation.
To investigate possible mechanisms of regulating the proteasome, the signaling pathway related to NFκB was analyzed under platelet agonist treatment. The NFκB pathway, that mediates aggregation, is initiated when platelets are treated with collagen and the inhibitory protein of NFκB, IκBα, is degraded in collagen-stimulated platelets. More interestingly, NFκB inhibitors prevent collagen-stimulated enhancement of the proteasome activity. In return the connection of the proteasome and the NFκB pathway is further demonstrated as NFκB inhibitors restrict cleavage of the proteasome substrate Talin-1. These results propose a novel pathway that involves the proteasome and that is in return connected with non-genomic functions of NFκB in regulating platelet aggregation.
In a second part this work shows for the first time that mitochondrial membrane depolarization in platelets correlates with the disease course and disease severity in patients with sepsis. Additionally, during these studies increased proteasome activity was observed in sepsis patients compared to control patients and pathogenic bacteria intensified the 26S trypsin-like activity of human platelets. Therefore, molecular markers of platelet vitality may be valuable parameters to help evaluating the clinical outcome of sepsis patients.
In summary, the study confirms the existence of a functional proteasome in human platelets, contributes to our understanding how the proteasome affects platelet functions such as aggregation and how this may be regulated on a molecular basis. Furthermore, it allows for new insights in the disease course of sepsis and identifies new molecular markers for assessing the disease severity and clinical outcome of sepsis patients.


Iodine deficiency affects most of the world's land mass, and consequently puts a large part of the population at risk. The most damaging effects are increased neonatal mortality and retarded brain development, but others are important, including goiter, hypothyroidism, and socioeconomic deprivation. Several good means are available for correcting iodine deficiency, the best being iodized salt; iodized vegetable oil, iodized water, and iodine tablets have an occasional place as well. Major components of successful IDD control include an effective national program, usually in the Ministry of Health, a national advisory commission that represents all sectors involved with iodine deficiency and its correction, a vigorous education and communication program, and regular and reliable monitoring both of people and of iodized salt. Currently 2.2 billion of the world's population are considered at risk for iodine deficiency and its consequences. Overall, about 70% of households consume iodized salt. Only about 20% of the affected countries have adequate monitoring of people, by urinary iodine concentration, or of iodized salt. The major needs now are promoting adequate iodine nutrition in the countries that are still deficient and sustaining achievements of those that are now sufficient. While progress in the last decade has been outstanding, much remains to be done. By maintaining the current momentum, we can reach the virtual elimination of iodine deficiency worldwide, as pledged by the World Summit of Children in 1990.


When the EEVC proposed the full-scale side impact test procedure, it recommended that consideration should be given to an interior headform test in addition. This was to evaluate areas of contact not assessed by the dummy. EEVC Working Group 13 has been researching the parameters of a possible European headform test procedure in four phases. Earlier stages of the research have been presented at previous ESV conferences. The conclusions from these have suggested that the US free motion headform should be used in any European test procedure and that it should be a free flight test, not guided. This research has now culminated in proposals for a European test procedure. This paper presents the proposed EEVC side impact interior headform test procedure, giving the rationale for the test and the first results from the validation phase of the test protocol. (A)


ABSTRACT Under Belgian law, offenders deemed to lack criminal responsibility because of insanity receive mandated treatment under the internment law. Population profiles of these forensic patients ('internees') are, however, very scarce. In this study, we analysed the demographic, clinical and judicial profile of a large sample of Belgian internees admitted to a secure setting. In addition, differences between internees admitted to a medium versus a high security setting were investigated. Belgian internees were characterised by a large number of personality disorders and a low number of first offenders. Comparative analyses showed substantial differences between the high and medium security settings, with a marked proportion of the forensic patients in high security having committed a sexual offence. Contrary to expectations, more predictors for length of stay were found in the medium security subsample, while admission periods were significantly longer in the high security subsample.


The last two decades have seen a significant evolution in the approaches used to close gold heap leach pad facilities in an environmentally responsible manner. With the promulgation of new cyanide regulations in the State of Nevada, USA in 1989, the mining industry was faced with the need to develop new methods to safely close cyanide heap leach pads in a manner that eliminated long-term risks associated with cyanide and other chemical constituents that could be discharged from the heap leach pads following closure.
Initially, rinsing of the heaps was thought to be the only approach to reduce concentrations of cyanide, and this was reflected in the new regulations as a requirement to rinse heaps, unless other methods could be demonstrated to adequately stabilise the spent ore and solutions. However, the regulations were unclear as to when closure of the heap began and if circulation of process solutions, after cyanide addition ceased, constituted rinsing.
Many closure plans developed during the early years immediately following promulgation of the new regulations assumed that rinsing would be done with fresh water in quantities of up to three times the total pore volume of the heap based solely on the results of a study published in 1996 (Cellan et al.). If implemented, this would result in the consumption of significant quantities of clean water in a region where water resources are limited, and the benefits of freshwater rinsing were not always apparent. Rinsing heaps during closure also generated large quantities of additional "process" solutions that required management through other methods, such as forced evaporation, or chemical or biological treatment.
By the late 1990s, the mining industry had closed enough heap leach pads to allow review of ideas and to use this to make changes in the regulations and approaches employed by the industry. A better definition of when heap closure begins was needed. The currently accepted criterion for closure was after economic gold recovery ceases. Continued research on this led to the demonstration for closed heaps that additional rinsing after the residual gold recovery period is often not needed to reduce cyanide risks from the heap drainage because the more toxic forms of cyanide volatilise and other deleterious elements become mobile as solutions are recirculated through the heap (Bowell et al., 2009).
To address the shortcomings of heap rinsing as the primary method of chemical stabilisation of spent ore, a number of approaches were tried, and many of the early approaches were abandoned in favour of more practical and economic methods which were equally effective. This paper documents the history of heap leach closure approaches since the late 1980s and discusses the evolution of understanding and consequently the methods proposed to stabilise spent heap ore during closure. Data from several closed heaps are presented as illustrations of the progression of approaches to heap rinsing. Current trends in the existing best practice and their probable impact on the focus of future of heap closure methods are also discussed.


The Road to Brown is a film that deals with the transformative judicial ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. Many regard this case as the most important holding ever made by a United States court. The Road to Brown offers law professors a superb vehicle for bringing to the classroom the attention to persons, sense of history, and focus on litigation strategy that a great decision demands.

The Road to Brown provides a rich socio-legal-historical perspective on the events that culminated in the 1945 Supreme Court ruling barring racial segregation in public elementary schools. The program blends together photographs, news footage, artistic renderings, and music of the times, recollections of participants in the litigation struggle, and present-day commentary by judges, historians, and others. The result is a visual presentation that conveys more than information. It reaches the viewer on an affective level, offering to renew the spirit as well as inform the mind.

The film does much to accurately locate a great case within its historical context, chart its litigation strategy, and vividly present its human dimensions. Law professors who cover Brown should use the film in class or require students to view it as an out-of-class assignment. The Road to Brown offers great potential for effectively teaching transformative jurisprudence.


While the System Dynamics modeling process can yield invaluable high level insights, it gives rise to a tremendous amount of detail complexity. In the course of their work, modelers must track successive model versions, the motivation for and assumptions underlying particular "what if" scenarios, and the implicit relationships between scenarios, model versions and various external artifacts such as spreadsheets, symbolic mathematics calculations, and external documentation. Failure to adequately manage such complexity can reduce the transparency, reliability, and credibility of the modeling process. While adherence to good modeling practices can aid this process, it often falls prey to corner-cutting or human error. This paper describes software that helps manage such complexity, by permitting modelers to easily access and succinctly compare historic versions of a model, by making explicit linkages between scenarios, the model versions and assumptions underlying them, and the motivations for and external files associated with model artifacts.


BACKGROUND
Major psychiatric disorders such as major depression and schizophrenia interfere with patients' life activities and ability to function. These disorders correlate with a higher prevalence of medical and psychiatric comorbidities.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the admission rate of patients with major psychiatric disorders between the intensive care unit and other departments in a tertiary care center.

METHODS
In a retrospective study of records of 238 721 patients, data were collected from admission files and the intensive care unit computer system. The study group was 245 patients with psychiatric disorders admitted to the intensive care unit. Control groups were 9226 psychiatric patients in other hospital departments and 3032 nonpsychiatric patients in the intensive care unit.

RESULTS
A major psychiatric disorder was diagnosed twice as often in the 3277 patients admitted to the intensive care unit as in patients admitted to other departments (7.5% vs 3.8%, P < .001). The study group had fewer male patients than did the nonpsychiatric intensive care unit group (52% vs 66%, P < .001); the age distribution was similar. Patients with a psychiatric disorder required longer stays than other intensive care unit patients. However, their mortality rate was significantly lower (8.57% vs 17.1%, P = .001). A direct correlation between the admission and a psychiatric condition was found in one-third of admissions in the study group.

CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric patients' admission rate to the intensive care unit was significantly higher than their admission rate to other departments. Their intensive care unit stays were also longer, which may increase resource use.


Throughout the world the number of companies that promote their strategy of social responsibility is increasing daily as a response to growing social and economic pressures, as well as the influence of the Green movement and their concern for the environment, but also as a result of the awareness of the impact their activities have on the society. The key characteristic of today's global economy is the apparent un-sustainability of some of fundamental concepts – economic success, as well as the very concept of success, is starting to acquire new dimension, since it suddenly comprises responsibility, ethics and sustainability; absurdity of the concept of constant growth, as well as in-exhaustible natural resources (energy, water...) directly determine the future of economy, but also the demographic map of the world. This calls for immediate adjustments. That is why Corporate Social Responsibility constantly gains new depth and new meaning and gets accepted by not only large corporations but middle and small enterprises, as their competitive advantage since it represents not only desirable but necessary form of behaviour in all economic activities. In a way, global economy today mirrors the decision on what human race plans to do to itself and to the environment in the decades to come. Therefore, the decision of organizations, large, middle or small, to contribute with their behaviour to a better society, cleaner environment and better perspective for the next generation is not only a wise economic decision but the only sustainable one.


Life on earth is entrained to a 24 h solar cycle that synchronizes circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior; light is the most potent entraining cue. In mammals, light is detected by (1) rods and cones, which mediate visual function, and (2) intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which primarily project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus to regulate circadian rhythms. Recent evidence, however, demonstrates that ipRGCs also project to limbic brain regions, suggesting that, through this pathway, light may have a role in cognition and mood. Therefore, it follows that unnatural exposure to light may have negative consequences for mood or behavior. Modern environmental lighting conditions have led to excessive exposure to light at night (LAN), and particularly to blue wavelength lights. We hypothesized that nocturnal light exposure (i.e., dim LAN) would induce depressive responses and alter neuronal structure in hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). If this effect is mediated by ipRGCs, which have reduced sensitivity to red wavelength light, then we predicted that red LAN would have limited effects on brain and behavior compared with shorter wavelengths. Additionally, red LAN would not induce c-Fos activation in the SCN. Our results demonstrate that exposure to LAN influences behavior and neuronal plasticity and that this effect is likely mediated by ipRGCs. Modern sources of LAN that contain blue wavelengths may be particularly disruptive to the circadian system, potentially contributing to altered mood regulation.


This small volume gives the reader a fascinating review of a 30-year study in the prevention and surgical correction of scar formation. The embryology and histology of the skin are discussed, and an all-too-brief section is devoted to wound healing. Two of the ten chapters are contributed by Helen K. Berry. The first is a short summary of collagen production and degradation, and the second is a discussion of the chemical composition of scar and the chemical changes that occur during the dissolution and softening of scar. The methods used to analyze the changes are thoroughly discussed. The individual chapters are brief but all are illustrated with drawings, graphs, and a profusion of photographs. The author reemphasizes the placement of incisions in normal crease lines. If they are placed in lines of tension, hypertrophic scars will result no matter how long the period of immobilization. This is based on the


Advocates and activists for human rights are currently facing a paradox: the coexistence of profound challenges in familiar territory (civil liberties) alongside expansion into new areas. Rights-based approaches (RBAs) are a part of this latter expansionary stream. This article argues that four kinds of potential value-added can be claimed. First, value-added can be sought through direct, indirect, and strategic uses of the law. Second, value can also be added by re-centring the state and (re)asking the question about its appropriate role in development (delivery, oversight), and strategising engagement with the state. Third, in relation to accountability, RBAs add value by calling the state to account; building capacities of rights holders and duty bearers; and encouraging a new kind of ownership of human rights among NGOs. Fourth, the article explores claims that RBAs re-politicise development, redefining it as rights-based rather than based on benevolence; reclaiming or re-politicising the key (process) terms of development; addressing the root, structural causes of poverty and conflict, rather than the symptoms; and speaking truth to power. Not all of these contributions are unique to RBAs, however, and on all counts it remains to be seen if RBAs will deliver on their promise.


This Article was written for a Government Speech Symposium hosted by the Case Western Reserve Law Review. Invited to reflect on the Establishment Clause ramifications of the expanding "government speech" defense to Free Speech Clause claims, I used two frames. The first is Justice Souter's parting speech on this subject. He suggested that the government may have a successful, even "sound" argument that the government speech doctrine allows it to discriminate among religious groups when expressing its own views. Justice Souter thus left us with a puzzle, given both his own history of championing religious neutrality, and the Court's statement in Pleasant Grove v. Summum that the Establishment Clause is one known limit on government speech. This Article parses his potential meaning using a series of hypotheticals to illustrate the anticipated, post-Summum clash of doctrines. Second, Salazar v. Buono, a convoluted Establishment Clause case, included an under-analyzed act of religiously themed government speech: Congress's 2002 designation of the challenged Mojave Cross as a "National Memorial" commemorating World War I. One unique contribution of this Symposium Article is new research on: (i) the overlooked, pre-existing WWI national memorials; (ii) the surprisingly ad hoc general process for creating new National Memorials; and (iii) the strange circumstances of the Mojave Cross designation. This surprising backstory also provides a good platform from which to explore Justice Souter's conundrum. Examining the hypothetical where an equally historic WWI memorial is rejected as a National Memorial helps test the impact, if any, of Summum's expanded government speech model. This Article concludes that its Establishment Clause effect is incremental and, in a somewhat circular fashion, also reprises forum limitations.


This work investigates coag-flocculation optimization treatment of alum-brewery effluent system via response surface methodology (RSM). To minimize suspended and dissolved particles (SDP), experiments were carried out using nephelometric jar test and 23-factorial design with three star-points, six-center-points and two replications. A central composite design, which is the standard design of RSM, was used to evaluate the effects and interactions of three major factors (coagulation pH, coagulant dosage, settling time) on the treatment efficiency. Multivariable quadratic model developed for the response studied indicates the optimum conditions to be 9, 500mg/l and 20minutes for coagulation pH, coagulant dosage and settling time, respectively. At optimum, the SDP was reduced from 10831.490mg/l to 801.451mg/l, representing 92.601% removal efficiency. RSM has demonstrated to be appropriate approach for the optimization of the coag-flocculation process by statistical evaluation.


Neuroengineering is an emerging discipline in the field of medical and biological engineering with the aim of understanding, modulating, enhancing, or repairing neuronal systems, which are obviously the most complex systems of the human body. During the last decade or so, neuroengineering has been growing rapidly and expanded its applications from interpreting and processing neuronal signals to interfacing the neural systems with external devices to restore lost functions. Despite its short history, neuroengineering has now become one of the most important topics in the current biomedical engineering research. As in other interdisciplinary fields, computational methods have played key roles in the development of neuroengineering.

Considering the aforementioned trends, it seems natural that neuroengineering is selected as the theme of this special issue. This special issue includes eleven high-quality, peer-reviewed articles that might provide researchers in the field of neuroscience, engineering, psychology, and computational sciences with the current state-of-the-art knowledge of this emerging interdisciplinary research field.

The paper "Trial-by-trial adaptation of movements during mental practice under force field" by M. N. Anwar and S. H. Khan studied how motor imagery influences trial-to-trial learning in a robot based adaptation task. The results showed that reaching movements performed with motor imagery have relatively a more focused generalization pattern and a higher learning rate in training direction.

The paper "Evaluation of EEG features in decoding individual finger movements from one hand" by R. Xiao and L. Ding investigates the existence of a broadband feature in EEG to discriminate individual fingers from one hand, with the significantly higher average decoding accuracy than guess level by the spectral principal component analysis (PCA).

The paper "Coercively adjusted auto regression model for forecasting in epilepsy EEG" by S.-H. Kim et al. proposes a coercively adjusted auto regression (CA-AR) method to forecast future values from a multivariate epilepsy EEG time series with higher accuracy and improved computational efficiency.

The paper "A mixed L2 norm regularized HRF estimation method for rapid event-related fMRI experiments" by Y. Lei et al. presents a new regularization framework to identify trial-specific BOLD responses in extremely rapid event-related fMRI experiments, where BOLD responses are heavily overlapped from adjacent trials. It is demonstrated that the technique significantly improves the classification accuracy in decoding brain tasks in a rapid four-category object classification experiment.

The paper "Development of the complex general linear model in the Fourier domain: application to fMRI multiple input-output evoked responses on single subjects" by D. E. Rio et al. describes a statistical time series analysis in the Fourier domain based on a linear time invariant model to process multivariate data from fMRI experiments, particularly for single subjects.

The paper "Continuous- and discrete-time stimulus sequences for high stimulus rate paradigm in evoked potential studies" by T. Wang et al. suggests using continuous-time stimulus sequences for the high stimulus rate paradigm to obtain auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) from electroencephalography (EEG). Both the analytic results and simulation experiments revealed the advantages of using the continuous-time sequences over traditional discrete-time sequences in terms of the reliability of reconstructed AEPs.

The review paper "A review on the computational methods for emotional state estimation from the human EEG" by M.-K. Kim et al. summarizes the state-of-the-art computational methods used to extract features for emotional states from EEG signals and to classify those features into one of many emotional states. The readers of the journal would find this review helpful for understanding how mathematical methods are employed for affective computing based on EEG.

The paper "Information analysis on neural tuning in dorsal premotor cortex for reaching and grasping" by Y. Cao et al. investigates the contribution of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in reaching and grasping experiments with monkeys. It is identified that, within PMd, there are neurons that only engage in reaching, neurons that only engage in grasping, and neurons that engage in both. This phenomenon is further validated in a decoding experiment using different sets/subsets of neurons in PMd.

The paper "Modiolus-hugging intracochlear electrode array with shape memory alloy" by K. S. Min et al. presents a novel intracochlear electrode which can deliver a more efficient electrical stimulation in human cochlea to aid people with a severe hearing loss. They propose to use a shape-memory-alloy embedded electrode to reduce the distance between the electrode and the target cells.

The paper "Corticomuscular coherence analysis on hand movement distinction for active rehabilitation" by X. Lou et al. evaluated corticomuscular coherence (CMC) between EEG and EMG signals recorded during voluntary hand opening tasks and found that the CMC values can detect voluntary hand opening with high accuracy. Their results suggest that CMC analysis can be a promising tool for active hand rehabilitation of patients with stroke.

The paper "A sound processor for cochlear implant using a simple dual path nonlinear model of basilar membrane" by K. H. Kim et al. proposed a new active nonlinear model of the frequency response of the basilar membrane in biological cochlea called the simple dual path nonlinear (SDPN) model and a novel sound processing strategy for cochlear implants (CIs) based upon this model.


Spatial filtering is the fundamental characteristic of microphone array based signal acquisition, which plays an important role in applications such as speech enhancement and distant speech recognition. In the array processing literature, this property is formulated upon beam-pattern steering and it is characterized for narrowband signals. This paper proposes to characterize the microphone array broadband beam-pattern based on the average output of a steered beamformer for a broadband spectrum. Relying on this characterization, we derive the directivity beam-pattern of delay-and-sum and superdirective beamformers for a linear as well as a circular microphone array. We further investigate how the broadband beam-pattern is linked to speech recognition feature extraction; hence, it can be used to evaluate distant speech recognition performance. The proposed theory is demonstrated with experiments on real data recordings.


The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel steroidal inhibitors of 17 β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 which converts estrone into the highly potent estrogen, estradiol, is described. This isozyme has been implicated as a new drug target against hormone-dependent tumours which are stimulated by increased levels of estradiol. Initial targets were planned, around modifications of the steroidal estrone / estradiol core, utilising Mannich, Friedel-Crafts and amide coupling chemistry. When the biological activity of these compounds was evaluated in a cell-based 17β-HSD1 assay, significant inhibitory action was observed. The most potent compound was (13S)-3-hydroxy-13-methyl 2-(morpholinomethyl)-7,8,9,11,12,13,15,16-octahydro 6H-cyclopenta[a]-phenan-thren-17(14H)-one 128 with an IC50 of 723 nM, 128 was also shown to be selective for 17βSHD1 over 17β-HSD2 and does not display any cytotoxicity at 50 μM over a 96 hour period in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative cells. A C16 extended linked and reverse amide series were synthesised, for which design was based upon STX1040 1 the most potent inhibitor in the literature. The most biologically active compound was N-(((13S,16R,17S)-2-ethyl 3,17-dihydroxy-13-methyl-7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-decahydro 6H-cyclopenta[a]-phenan-thren-16-yl)methyl)-2-(pyridin-3-yl)acetamide 186 with a percentage inhibition of 81% at 10 μM. Similar biological activities were observed for the rest of this series, however these values are approximately 20% lower than those observed for STX1040 1. Quantities of H6-17β-HSD1 were successfully synthesised and purified for use in development of a novel MTS/PES recombinant protein assay, to assess the inhibitory potential of the novel steroidal compounds described and their modes of binding with the active site of 17β-HSD1. For these experiments it can be tentatively concluded that STX1040 1 acts a mixed site inhibitor for both the E2 and co-factor binding sites and the 2-substituted Mannich compound 127 acts as a competitive inhibitor for the E2 binding site and a non-competitive inhibitor for the co-factor binding site, however further experimentation is required to confirm these preliminary results.


Optical systems including holographic optical elements and Fresnel gratings can be designed with ordinary lens optimization computer codes. Holographic elements are represented as lenses with very large indices of refraction and very small curvatures. As the index approaches infinity, the model becomes exact. General design parameters and image quality of holograms on both planar and spherical surfaces are discussed.


In this study, the application of adaptive Bloom filters to binary iris biometric feature vectors, that is, iris-codes, is proposed. Bloom filters, which have been established as a powerful tool in various fields of computer science, are applied in order to transform iris-codes to a rotation-invariant feature representation. Properties of the proposed Bloom filter-based transform concurrently enable (i) biometric template protection, (ii) compression of biometric data and (iii) acceleration of biometric identification, whereas at the same time no significant degradation of biometric performance is observed. According to these fields of application, detailed investigations are presented. Experiments are conducted on the CASIA-v3 iris database for different feature extraction algorithms. Confirming the soundness of the proposed approach, the application of adaptive Bloom filters achieves rotation-invariant cancellable templates maintaining biometric performance, a compression of templates down to 20-40% of original size and a reduction of bit-comparisons to less than 5% leading to a substantial speed-up of the biometric system in identification mode.


Euhedral muscovites from the granites of the Leinster batholith, Ireland, have zone textures that clearly demonstrate their magmatic origin. These textures include corrosion, synneusis, development of transient faces, zone thickening, face widening, and rational and irrational growth in response to inclusions. Inclusions of biotite, zircon, and sillimanite are zonally controlled, whereas those of quartz, apatite, and monazite are not. Muscovite nucleation over a wide span of magmatic evolution from a strongly peraluminous melt under conditions of enhanced muscovite stability is implied. These micas provide and validate criteria that distinguish primary from hydrothermal muscovites. The observations here significantly alter previous models for the evolution of the Leinster granites and provide a potentially powerful means of discriminating primary from hydrothermal muscovites in other two-mica granites.


A number of international, high-level science and policy meetings have been influential in the ongoing global climate change negotiations. One of these landmark meetings was Greenhouse 2009, where those involved in research, policy and communication of various aspects of climate change provided the latest assessments of the science and likely impacts on Australia and the world. Managing Climate Change provides an important snapshot of the issues presented at the Greenhouse 2009 conference.

The book gives a summary of the state of climate change science, approaches to handling the impacts and adaptation measures we are likely to face, and how to communicate the issue in order to generate better decision making and behavioural change towards sustainability. It features the latest Australian research and includes chapters on emerging fields such as the need to include behavioural and social patterns to address climate change, as well as adaptation measures for agriculture, energy use and infrastructure that may be required.

The announcements, ideas and discussions at the Greenhouse 2009 conference continue to make an important contribution to addressing and tackling climate change.


Licensees of commercial nuclear power plants in the US are expected to submit license renewal applications for the period of operation of 60 to 80 years which has also been referred to as long term operation (LTO). The greatest challenges to LTO are associated with degradation of passive components as active components are routinely maintained and repaired or placed through maintenance programs. Some passive component degradation concerns include stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of metal components, radiation induced embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), degradation of buried piping, degradation of concrete containment structures, and degradation of cables. Proactive management of passive component aging employs three important elements including online monitoring of degradation, early detection of degradation at precursor stages, and application of prognostics for the prediction of remaining useful life (RUL). This document assesses several nondestructive examination (NDE) measurement technologies for integration into proactive aging management programs. The assessment is performed by discussing the three elements of proactive aging management identified above, considering the current state of the industry with respect to adopting these key elements, and analyzing measurement technologies for monitoring large cracks in metal components, monitoring early degradation at precursor stages, monitoring the degradation of concrete containment structures,more » and monitoring the degradation of cables. Specific and general needs have been identified through this assessment. General needs identified include the need for environmentally rugged sensors are needed that can operate reliably in an operating reactor environment, the need to identify parameters from precursor monitoring technologies that are unambiguously correlated with the level of pre-macro defect damage, and a methodology for identifying regions where precursor damage is most likely to initiate.« less


Can a devout Jew be a devout Jew and drop the belief in the rebuilding of the Temple? Can a devout Muslim be a devout Muslim and drop the belief in the sacredness of the Rock? Can one right (the right of return) be given up for another (the right to live in peace)? Can one claim Palestinian identity and still retain Israeli citizenship? And what is a Palestinian state worth? For over sixty years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been subjected to many solutions and offered many answers by diverse parties. Yet, answers are only as good as the questions that beget them. It is with this simple, but powerful idea, the idea of asking the basic questions anew, that the renowned Palestinian philosopher and activist Sari Nusseibeh begins his book. "What Is a Palestinian State Worth?" poses questions about the history, meaning, future, and resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict. Deeply informed by political philosophy and based on decades of personal involvement with politics and social activism, Nusseibeh's moderate voice - global in its outlook, yet truly grounded in his native city of Jerusalem - points us toward a future which, as George Lamming once put it, is colonized by our acts in this moment, but which must always remain open.


Fruit and vegetable derived polyphenols have been linked with many health benefits. In light of this, many consumers are seeking to increase their intake of polyphenols, with many turning to dietary supplements that contain concentrated doses of purified polyphenols. However, the safety of this consumption modality is not known, nor are the dose-dependent metabolic changes that may be present, especially when considering colonically generated phenolic metabolites. Using blueberry polyphenols as a model, we explored these phenomena in a rat model. Animals were dosed with blueberry polyphenols at levels up to 20 times what would be consumed in 1-2 servings of whole blueberries in an adult human. In the first study, animals were acutely dosed with blueberry polyphenols and urine and plasma pharmacokinetics measured. In the second study, animals were repeatedly dosed for 90d, with urinary metabolites monitored throughout the study and a complete necropsy performed following standard guidelines. In both studies, metabolite excretion patterns were similar: cinnamic acids accounted for a majority of the observed metabolites, followed by hippuric acids and then phenylpropionic acids (PPA). A dose-dependent shift in metabolite production was observed; as the dose increased, the relative amounts of PPA increased while hippuric acids decreased. No adverse or toxic effects were found, and, though there were several statistically significant differences in toxicological endpoints, all measured parameters remained in the normal range for these animals and thus were not deemed biologically significant. These results indicate that high doses of blueberry polyphenols, as may be present in dietary supplements, are safe for consumption. These results also demonstrate dose-dependent shifts in metabolism that may impact gut function and affect the health benefits derived from blueberry polyphenols.


Intensive studies about non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in past decade show that ncRNAs are involved in many biological processes including development, differentiation and metabolism. ncRNAs are classified into small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). Small ncRNAs including siRNAs, piRNAs and miRNAs play roles in transcriptional gene silencing. Although the definition is crude, lncRNAs are defined as transcribed RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides (1,2). After the first recognition of lncRNA as having a transcriptional function in mouse by Okazaki et al ., there have been increasing numbers of articles regarding the roles and function of lncRNA in chromatin modification, transcriptional regulation post-transcriptional regulation, and human diseases (2-4). However much is still unknown regarding the functions of lncRNA in human diseases including cancer.


Financial incentives are commonly used to promote voluntary adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs), but little is known about farmer preferences among alternative incentives. Using experimental procurement auctions, we evaluate how different conservation incentives affect farmer willingness to adopt BMPs that reduce phosphorus (P) runoff, a major driver of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. We rank incentives (e.g., payment, BMP insurance, tax credit, and certification price premium) by the cost per pound of P runoff reduction. Payments and tax credits that target high impact areas of the watershed are more cost-effective than untargeted price premiums for product certification. Farmers demand higher payments for contracts offering BMP insurance (i.e., protection against yield loss from BMP use) due to uncertainty about how the program will be implemented and the reliability of indemnities, as well as anticipated transaction costs associated with the program. Understanding farmer preferences for different types of conservation incentives is critical to design agri-environmental programs that engage more farmers and cost-effectively enhance ecosystem services.


In its opening remarks, The Economist declares emphatically that "Paying for a taxi ride using your mobile phone is easier in Nairobi than it is in New York" (Economist, 2015). There is no denying that Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) and its subset, Mobile Communication for Development (M4D) have contributed to developments in many societies. This is particularly more dominant and prevalent in developing countries than in the developed nations. This literature review reviews reasons why ICT4D/M4D is viewed as more suitable for developing nations than for developed countries despite their technological advancements and higher mobile technology penetration. The conclusion from this review suggests that, absolute poverty and the desire to emancipate communities in developing countries is the driving force for innovation in ICT4D/M4D.


The aims of this study were (1) to assess portal hemodynamics during intraportal hepatocyte transplantation (HTX) in dogs, (2) to evaluate a new method for the detection of transplanted hepatocytes using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, and (3) to determine the metabolic effects of HTX on an inborn error of the purine metabolism in dalmatian dogs. HTX was performed by intraportal infusion of freshly isolated allogeneic beagle hepatocytes. Portal flow and pressure were monitored continuously during HTX. For the detection experiments, beagles received hepatocytes that had been exposed to BrdU during regeneration of the donor liver, induced by partial hepatectomy. For metabolic studies, dalmatian dogs were used as recipients. Repetitive HTX was performed. As judged by the portal hemodynamics, the number of hepatocytes that could be infused safely varied from 5 x 1O(8) to 8 x 1O(8) in beagles, to 1 x 10(9) in dalmatians. Transaminase levels showed a 5- to 6-fold increase (P=0.05) after HTX, but normalized within 3 weeks. BrdU-positive cells were identified in the recipient livers 2 weeks after HTX and 5-10% of the total amount of transplanted hepatocytes was retrieved. A significant (P=0.05) decrease in serum uric acid was demonstrated after repeated HTX in dalmatians. In conclusion, (1) intraportal HTX is feasible, but portal hypertension limits the maximum amount of hepatocytes that can be infused in one HTX; (2) BrdU labeling is an attractive method for the detection of transplanted hepatocytes in the recipient liver; and (3) after two consecutive hepatocyte transplantations, a temporary correction of the purine metabolism was accomplished in the dalmatian dog.


Aim of study: Uneven-aged (UEA) management systems can achieve multiple-use objectives, however, use of UEA techniques to manage longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) forests are still open to question, because of the species' intolerance of competition. It was our aim to examine the influence of different levels (9.2, 13.8 and 18.4 m 2 ha -1 ) of residual basal area (RBA) on longleaf pine seedling survival and growth following three growing seasons. Area of study: This study was conducted at the Escambia Experimental Forest, located on the Southern Coastal Plain of Alabama, in the southeastern United States. Material and Methods: Selection silviculture was implemented with the Proportional-Basal Area (Pro-B) method. Prescribed burning was conducted before seed dispersal and in the second year after germination. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured under the canopy in the study plots. Survival and growth of longleaf pine seedlings were observed for three growing seasons. Main results: An inverse relationship was found between the number of germinants and RBA, but the mortality of germinants and planted seedlings was not affected by RBA. At age three, an inverse relationship was observed between root-collar diameter (RCD) growth of the germinants and RBA, but RCD growth of planted seedlings was not affected by RBA. Most of the study plots contained more than the projected number of seedlings needed to sustain the target diameter structure. Research highlights: Long-term continuous monitoring of seedling development and recruitment into canopy is required to determine the efficacy of UEA management. However, current data suggest that UEA methods may be a viable alternative to the use of even-aged (EA) methods in longleaf ecosystems.


ABSTRACT Cooperative learning is an evidence-based teaching strategy. In cooperative learning, teachers structure students' interactions and prepare them for cooperation so that students work together in small groups supporting each other's' learning processes. This study investigated whether the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of cooperative learning is reflected in teachers' professional competencies and their teaching practices. We surveyed 1,495 language teachers in Poland, measuring their knowledge and beliefs about cooperative learning and their use of cooperative learning in class. Although teachers were well informed about the principles of cooperative learning, they only knew a few methods to implement cooperative learning in class. Teachers agreed that cooperative learning is effective for students' academic and social learning and can provide students with individualised support for their learning processes. Despite these positive beliefs, teachers used cooperative learning infrequently. When they used cooperative learning, teachers organised and supported students' interactions in accordance with the principles of cooperative learning. Teachers reported that they would like to learn more about cooperative learning and use it more often in class. They were especially interested in support such as lesson examples and teaching materials. We discuss the implications of these results for teacher education.


Metadynamics is an algorithm for accelerating rare events and reconstructing the associated free energy surface. It works by biasing the evolution of the system by a history‐dependent potential that is adaptively constructed in the space of a suitably chosen set of collective variables. Since its first appearance, the method has been successfully applied in several domains of science. Its widespread adoption is not only due to its efficiency, flexibility, and availability but also to its continuous evolution and its combination with complementary enhanced sampling algorithms. Here, we focus on the progress made in the development of more general and powerful collective variables and on the very recent and exciting evolutions of the method. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Natural organic matter (NOM) occurs throughout the hydrologic cycle, varying in both amount and character. In this paper, a description of NOM in surface and drinking water, in groundwater and in seawater is presented. Water samples representing these environments were collected and characterized using multiple NOM characterization techniques, including fluorescence excitation emission matrices (F-EEM) and size exclusion liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD). The results show that the raw surface water as well as the treated water comprises mainly (>70%) of humic substances. The biopolymers, which are more readily biodegradable, contribute up to 2% of the NOM in the raw water but this is completely removed after treatment. For sea water samples, humic substances represent about 50% of the dissolved organic carbon concentration (DOC), while the fraction with size bigger than 20 kDa (biopolymers) represents about 7%. During soil passage, there was preferential removal of non-humic substances (i.e., biopolymers) from wastewater effluent-impacted surface water while the specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), which reflects the aromatic characteristics of organics in a sample, showed an increasing trend along the depth of the soil column. This is a consequence of the removal of non-humic substances (biopolymers) which results in an increase in aromaticity.


The end of the Cold War and the apparent stability of the contemporary international system, in which the probability of a major war is at its lowest for centuries, have spurred a lively debate on the causes of peace. One of the most popular explanations is based on the classic liberal statement that economic interdependence reduces political conflict. Globalisation, narrowly defined as the increase in the quantity and quality of international economic exchanges experienced in the last few years, would then be one of the main reasons for international political stability. Even at the regional level, therefore, the increase in economic intercourse should bring, as a welcome political externality, the amelioration of international conflict. This view posits, for instance, that the emergence of a «zone of peace» within Western Europe has been brought about by the creation of a common market which has created a powerful incentive to avoid political conflict. Or that in other areas, such as Latin America, the recent increase in regional stability would rest on the launch of Mercosur and the greater interdependence that it has brought about. The hypothesis is that Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) facilitate economic interdependence, which in turn facilitate political stability. In this paper we apply this hypothesis to the African case where a significant number of RTAs has been created in the last decades. Expectations of increased political stability have not, however, been confirmed. This does not necessarily undermine the general proposition of a positive correlation between interdependence and peace, but it does suggest that the relationship between the two elements may be more complicated than often acknowledged. On the one hand, African RTAs may simply not have produced the necessary level of trade and investment for a significant modification of political preferences. On the other hand, interdependence may be a necessary condition for peace, but it may also be insufficient, as its full impact on political preferences may require specific domestic institutions.


Although there is consensus among different actors regarding the seriousness and significance of re-trafficking as a problem, there has been very little research conducted into its incidence, cause or consequence. This research paper, funded by United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (G/TIP), aims to address this gap through an exploratory analysis of known re-trafficking cases in the Human Trafficking Database of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It is a rare look at the issue of re-trafficking, drawing upon a regional sample of 79 known cases of re-trafficking in the database.

The report examines a number of factors a means to better understand and tackle the issue of re-trafficking. These include the individual characteristics of (re-)trafficking victims, their experiences during and post-exit from trafficking, issues on return to their country of origin, and assistance and reintegration needs.

The report findings reveal that many existing reintegration programmes for victims of trafficking are not effectively tackling the economic realities faced by victims post-rescue. Assistance options should be better tailored to address the complex needs of trafficked persons if re-trafficking is to be avoided. The report offers a number of recommendations, concluding that it is only by finding sustainable ways to challenge the wider economic inequalities, both global and local can counter-trafficking efforts be truly effective.


The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), MIF and the Latin American Federation of Banks (FELABAN) conducted an initial survey in December 2004 of 111 Latin American financial institutions, the purpose of which was to identify the propensity of Latin American and Caribbean banks to finance small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2006, the study's second survey was conducted to research the SME funding situation. The present report presents the results of the study's third survey conducted in 2008.


This paper illustrates a typical pathway towards increasing electronic interaction with external business partners. Based on the case study of ETA SA, a Swiss manufacturer of watch movements and components, it explores current issues in portal-based B2B integration. In order to allow for tighter process integration with distinct customers, ETA conceives a multi-channel architecture which provides electronic services to customers using either direct or portal-based electronic channels. Since a multi-channel approach typically is associated with major integration challenges, the paper outlines and discusses the vision of service-oriented architecture for interorganizational integration.


Abstract The reactions of foraminiferal and calcareous nannoplankton assemblages to global warming and cooling events in the time intervals of ca. 27 to 19 Ma and 13.5 to 15 Ma (Oligocene and Miocene) were studied in subtropical epicontinental seas influenced by local tectonic and palaeogeographic events (the Central Paratethys). Regardless of these local events, global climatic processes significantly influenced the palaeoenvironment within the marine basin. Warm intervals are characterized by a stable, humid climate and a high-nutrient regime, due primarily to increased continental input of phytodetritus and also locally due to seasonal upwelling. Coarse clastics deposited in a hyposaline environment characterize the marginal part of the basin. Aridification events causing decreased riverine input and consequent nutrient decreases, characterized cold intervals. Apparent seasonality, as well as catastrophic climatic events, induced stress conditions and the expansion of opportunistic taxa. Carbonate production and hypersaline facies characterize the marginal part of the basins. Hypersaline surface water triggered downwelling circulation and mixing of water masses. Decreased abundance or extinction of K-specialists during each cold interval accelerated their speciation in the subsequent warm interval. Local tectonic events led to discordances between local and global sea-level changes (tectonically triggered uplift or subsidence) or to local salt formation (in the rain shadows of newly-created mountains).


Object recognition system using computer vision that is implemented on Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) is discussed. This system will make it easier to identify and shoot targeted object automatically. Algorithm was created to recognize real time multiple objects using two methods i.e. Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) combined with K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) for verification. The algorithm is designed to improve object detection to be more robust and to minimize the processing time required. Objects are registered on the system consisting of the armored personnel carrier, tanks, bus, sedan, big foot, and police jeep. In addition, object selection can use mouse to shoot another object that has not been registered on the system. Kinect™ is used to capture RGB images and to find the coordinates x, y, and z of the object. The programming language used is C with visual studio IDE 2010 and opencv libraries. Object recognition program is divided into three parts: 1) reading image from kinect™ and simulation results, 2) object recognition process, and 3) transfer of the object data to the ballistic computer. Communication between programs is performed using shared memory. The detected object data is sent to the ballistic computer via Local Area Network (LAN) using winsock for ballistic calculation, and then the motor control system moves the direction of the weapon model to the desired object. The experimental results show that the SIFT method is more suitable because more accurate and faster than SURF with the average processing time to detect one object is 430.2 ms, two object is 618.4 ms, three objects is 682.4 ms, and four objects is 756.2 ms. Object recognition program is able to recognize multi-objects and the data of the identified object can be processed by the ballistic computer in realtime.


[1] The solar minimum of 2009 was characterized by a prolonged increase toward the maximum cosmic ray intensity, which was higher than it was during the maxima of 22 and 44 years ago. In the previous two so-called qA <0 (solar dipole moment facing South) magnetic cycles, these increases were more sharply peaked than in 2009. The observations of the Sanae, Hermanus, Potchefstroom, and Tsumeb neutron monitors are used to investigate this behavior in terms of propagation conditions due to solar activity, the heliospheric magnetic field, and the profile of the wavy current sheet in the field. This 2009 cosmic ray maximum can only be understood after an investigation of the long-term cosmic ray record. This study is augmented by observations of eight other neutron monitors. During 2009, solar activity parameters were significantly different from previous solar minima: The sun was much quieter, and the the heliospheric magnetic field was more than 20% weaker than during other recent minima. Both of these parameters imply a higher cosmic ray diffusion coefficient, which provides a natural explanation for both the higher galactic cosmic ray intensities that were observed and the absence of such an effect for anomalous cosmic rays.


The paucity of precise information on the burden of malaria among pregnant women has hampered effective lobbying for the inclusion of preventative strategies against malaria in Safe Motherhood Initiatives. This article reviews the evidence on the coincidental risks of malaria and anemia in Africa and attempts to estimate the probable burden of malaria-related severe anemia in this susceptible group. Twenty-six studies on hemoglobin levels in all-parity pregnant women throughout this region could be matched with a malaria parasite ratio in children < 15 yr old (a measure of the intensity of transmission). In areas with no malaria, the mean hemoglobin levels were markedly higher than those found in areas with stable malaria transmission, though changes with increasing intensity of transmission were unclear. Eighteen studies from areas with stable malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa suggested that the median prevalence of severe anemia in all-parity pregnant women is approximately 8.2%. Assuming that 26% of these cases are due to malaria, it is suggested that as many as 400,000 pregnant women may have developed severe anemia as a result of infection with malaria in sub-Saharan Africa in 1995.


A quasi-monoenergetic MeV X-ray source based on laser-driven electron acceleration and Thomson scattering is under development at the Extreme Light Laboratory at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Reported are experimental results on the generation of high- brightness, nearly monoenergetic 300-MeV energy electron beams with the high power, short-pulse DIOCLES laser system. The laser system produces > 100 TW of maximum peak power per pulse. The maximum pulse energy is 3.5 J with a temporal duration of 30 fs. Energetic electron beams are produced by focusing a laser pulse with 40-50-TW peak-power on a supersonic helium nozzle to drive a relativistic plasma wave (laser wakefield). Electron beams with energies of 320 + 2.0 MeV are accelerated over a distance of 3 mm. The beam has an angular spread of 5 mrad with a charge of 100 pC. The use of a stable and well-characterized laser system - in conjunction with high temporal contrast and adaptive optics correction on the amplified beam (to obtain ideal focal spots) - has enabled generation of very reproducible electron beams, both in terms of energy and pointing stability. It is found that electron acceleration is most efficient, beam brightness is highest and reproducibility is best in the resonant regime, where the temporal duration of the laser pulse equals the plasma period. A beamsplitter is used after compression to generate two pulses in the ratio of 80% to 20%. The higher power pulse drives the laser wakefield to produce the energetic electron beams while the lower power pulse is transported through an independent line and focused on the electron beam to generate X-rays. Experiments are currently in progress to observe and characterize the X-ray beam. Theoretical predictions indicate that 1~2 plusmn 10% - MeV X-ray photons can be produced in a well-collimated beam. The expected photon flux is 10 photons per laser shot. Characterization of such a high-flux high energy X-ray beam is in progress. Quasi-monoenergetic X-rays offer significant advantages for the detection of sensitive nuclear materials using techniques such as nuclear resonance fluorescence. A systematic effort is also in progress to further improve the characteristics of laser produced electron beams with regard to monochromaticity, divergence and stability and also permit easy tunability of the X-ray source. The design of a compact system capable of being deployed in the field will also be discussed as part of a long-term solution to the critical requirement for an efficient cargo-scanning system.


An analysis of experimental data obtained in a sounding rocket campaign is
presented. Data were obtained in the sounding rocket Rexus-V launch, as part
of a student campaign organized by ESA (European Space Agency). We took
part in the campaign with the project Vib-Bip, which consisted in an experiment
to study two-phase fluids behaviour in microgravity and hipergravity conditions.
The experimental setup contained four test cells with different liquids and gas
fractions, in order to generate bubbles with different characteristics. Two of the
cells contained water and air in different proportions, the third cell contained
silicon oil and air, and the fourth one contained ethanol and air. The test cells
contained different liquids in order to determine the influence of surface tension
and viscosity, and different proportions of liquid and gas in order to determine
the influence of volume fraction in bubble behaviour.
We obtained a high quality video from the rocket launch. The images have
been analyzed in order to determine the acceleration (gravity) dependence of
bubble position and shape. The video reflects both microgravity and
hipergravity phases. The video analysis has allowed us to determine that
bubble height inside the cavity depends directly on the acceleration rate of
change, as well as on the air volume fraction. We have also observed that
eccentricity is higher for lower accelerations. We have determined that bubble
diameters are smaller when the acceleration rate of change is zero. Moreover,
we have observed that bubble equivalent diameter decreases with surface
tension and increases with viscosity, while eccentricity and equivalent volume
increase with surface tension and decrease with viscosity.


Based on original survey data, this paper analyses and compares the role of personal traits and social capital in determining entrepreneurial intentions of students in Hong Kong and in Guangzhou (mainland China). The two cities are culturally closely related but differ strongly with respect to their formal institutions and the maturity of their business environment. Our findings suggest that the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions among students in Hong Kong very much resemble those found in Western economies, whereas the entrepreneurial mindsets of students in Guangzhou differ substantially from previous findings.


Abstract. The Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC) project, a contribution to the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), aims to provide a deeper understanding of mountain belt dynamics. Scientific investigations include a range of topics, from subduction-related tectonics to the present-day hydrological cycle. COSC investigations and drilling activities are focused in central Scandinavia, where rocks from the middle to lower crust of the orogen are exposed near the Swedish–Norwegian border. Here, rock units of particular interest occur in the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC) of the so-called Middle Allochthon and include granulite facies migmatites (locally with evidence of ultra-high pressures) and amphibolite facies gneisses and mafic rocks. This complex overlies greenschist facies metasedimentary rocks of the dolerite-intruded Sarv Nappes and underlying, lower grade Jamtlandian Nappes (Lower Allochthon). Reflection seismic profiles have been an important component in the activities to image the subsurface structure in the area. Subhorizontal reflections in the upper 1–2 km are underlain and interlayered with strong west- to northwest-dipping reflections, suggesting significant east-vergent thrusting. Two 2.5 km deep fully cored boreholes are a major component of the project, which will improve our understanding of the subsurface structure and tectonic history of the area. Borehole COSC-1 (IGSN: http://hdl.handle.net/10273/ICDP5054EEW1001 ), drilled in the summer of 2014, targeted the subduction-related Seve Nappe Complex and the contact with the underlying allochthon. The COSC-2 borehole will be located further east and will investigate the lower grade, mainly Cambro-Silurian rocks of the Lower Allochthon, the Jamtlandian decollement, and penetrate into the crystalline basement rocks to identify the source of some of the northwest-dipping reflections. A series of high-resolution seismic profiles have been acquired along a composite ca. 55 km long profile to help locate the COSC drill holes. We present here the results from this COSC-related composite seismic profile (CSP), including new interpretations based on previously unpublished data acquired between 2011 and 2014. These seismic data, along with shallow drill holes in the Caledonian thrust front and previously acquired seismic, magnetotelluric, and magnetic data, are used to identify two potential drill sites for the COSC-2 borehole.


In this paper, the possibility of developing a Heideggerian solution to the Schizophrenia Problem associated with cognitive technologies is investigated. This problem arises as a result of the computer bracketing emotion from cognition during human-computer interaction and results in human psychic self-amputation. It is argued that in order to solve the Schizophrenia Problem, it is necessary to first solve the 'hard problem' of consciousness since emotion is at least partially experiential. Heidegger's thought, particularly as interpreted by Hubert Dreyfus, appears relevant in this regard since it ostensibly provides the basis for solving the 'hard problem' via the construction of artificial systems capable of the emergent generation of conscious experience. However, it will be shown that Heidegger's commitment to a non-experiential conception of nature renders this whole approach problematic, thereby necessitating consideration of alternative, post-Heideggerian approaches to solving the Schizophrenia Problem.


Equal cost multiple path (ECMP) forwarding is the most prevalent multipath routing used in data center (DC) networks today. However, it fails to exploit increased path diversity that can be provided by traffic engineering techniques through the assignment of nonuniform link weights to optimize network resource usage. To this extent, constructing a routing algorithm that provides path diversity over nonuniform link weights (i.e., unequal cost links), simplicity in path discovery and optimality in minimizing maximum link utilization (MLU) is nontrivial. In this paper, we have implemented and evaluated the Penalizing Exponential Flow-spliTing (PEFT) algorithm in a cloud DC environment based on two dominant topologies, canonical and fat tree. In addition, we have proposed a new cloud DC topology which, with only a marginal modification of the current canonical tree DC architecture, can further reduce MLU and increase overall network capacity utilization through PEFT routing.


In less than a calendar year, initial coin offerings or "ICOs" have become the fastest growing capital market in the world. In 2016, an entity called The DAO raised $160 million by selling crypto-tokens to over 15,000 individual purchasers around the globe. This massive fund raise would give rise to an entirely new capital ecosystem. In 2017, initial coin offerings would explode, raising a collective $3.5 billion in just the first three quarters of the year. All of this was done without a single registration being filed with the SEC, and many of these initial coin offerings — including several $100 million raises — were based on little more than a white paper and few lines of sample code. Welcome to the new Digital Wild West. With the seemingly overnight success of this new funding mechanism, there is little if any legal scholarship addressing initial coin offerings and how, or if, such offerings should be regulated. This article provides a non-technical legal audience with a foundational understanding of how the blockchain works, and the role initial coin offerings play in this new economic ecosystem. The overarching thesis of the article is that our current securities law framework, a framework that dates to the days of the great depression, is ill-equipped to handle this new world of decentralized, global, pseudonymous fund raises on public blockchains. Instead, governmental regulators should be working with core development teams to build a regulatory framework that integrates investor protections directly into the computer code governing these systems. By embracing "code as law," both regulators and core development teams can protect the innovation being funded by initial coin offerings, while at the same time injecting some much needed investor protections into this new ecosystem. This article begins with an introduction to the coming decentralized world, including an overview of both public blockchain technology as well the Ethereum platform, the primary public blockchain upon which initial coin offerings are being deployed. Central to this introduction is an explanation of how the decentralization and disintermediation brought by the blockchain has the potential to dramatically reshape our economic and social systems. Next, the article explores the recent explosion of initial coin offerings, discussing how these offerings are structured, and how this new funding mechanism, if developed properly, has the promise of democratizing opportunities for economic innovation. The article then examines the SEC's early statements on initial coin offerings to illustrate the potential problems with applying a dated legal framework to this new technology. Finally, the article concludes that the traditional securities law framework is ill suited for the coming decentralized world because the SEC's enforcement power over global blockchain platforms is limited. Recognizing that external legal frameworks cannot be forced upon public blockchain platforms, the article argues for a collaborative process where governmental regulators work with core development teams to build a regulatory framework into the very fabric of these platforms, thereby providing investors protection, while at the same time embracing the concept of code as law.


We perform depth-resolved imaging of rat osteogenic sarcoma tumor spheroids using a holographic coherence filter on an infrared camera. Subcellular motility, observed as dynamic speckle, is used as a metric for functional imaging to map out the morphology of the tumor and differentiate healthy tissue from the necrotic core.


Research regarding the origins of spoken language is extremely broad and considers many different topics in academia. These topics include: biology and anthropology, as well as anatomy, non-linguistic neurological foundations, potential protolanguages, and possible selective pressures that could have produced such a complex system of communication. Considering these topics can assist in imagining what language may have presented itself as throughout human ancestry, and how it could have developed into the intricate system of modern language. Anatomically, the descent of the larynx, increased thoracic innervation, disappearance of the laryngeal air sacs, and changes in neuroanatomical structures could have served as exaptations or adaptations for spoken language. Non-linguistic factors such as vocal learning and vocal imitation fostered new ways of learning to communicate. Protolanguages could have taken a gestural, musical, hybrid, or lexical form that increased the selective pressures to create today's language system. Social changes, mainly increase in group size, had the potential to provide great selective pressure for the development of more efficient communication. The combination of some of these factors eventually fostered an environment for the human vocal communication system to evolve into what it is today. Keywords: communication disorders, evolution of communication, evolution of language, evolution of speech, protolanguage THE
  ORIGINS
  OF
  SPOKEN
  LANGUAGE


[Introduction] The world is currently experiencing an economic boom. All of the major economic areas - the USA, Europe, Japan and China - are seeing strong economic growth. But beyond current favourable conditions there are signs that the world is currently undergoing a fundamental transition and that it will continue to change significantly in the coming years. Consequently, the macroeconomic environment is subject to a great deal of uncertainty in the medium and longer term. Is this the start of a new era of economic isolation? What effects will the changing demographic patterns have? What will be the extent of the impact of climate change and the resulting environ mental policy measures? What are the consequences of the digital transformation for the economy in general and for the trade of goods in particular? These questions affect large sections of our economy and our society. The shipping industry is impacted directly or at least indirectly by many of these questions surrounding the future. The unusually high level of uncertainty for the shipping sector poses a special challenge in this context, particularly as shipping has been undergoing a process of consolidation since the global financial and economic crisis and the existing excess capacities have not yet been reduced. This publication does not constitute a forecast on our part regarding the specific development of the shipping market. Instead, we aim to outline the economic framework upon which the industry must base its future decisions. We focus here on the process of digital transformation, and our analysis shows that the environment for shipping will remain very challenging in the years ahead.


India and Pakistan, nuclear neighbors and rivals, fought the last of three major wars in 1971. Far from peaceful, however, the period since then has been "one long crisis, punctuated by periods of peace." The long-disputed Kashmir issue continues to be both a cause and consequence of India-Pakistan hostility. Four Crises and a Peace Process focuses on four contained conflicts on the subcontinent: the Brasstacks Crisis of 1986-1987, the Compound Crisis of 1990, the Kargil Conflict of 1999, and the Border Confrontation of 2001-2002. Authors P.R. Chari, Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, and Brookings senior fellow Stephen P. Cohen explain the underlying causes of these crises, their consequences, the lessons that can be learned, and the American role in each. The four crises are notable because any one of them could have escalated to a large-scale conflict, or even all-out war, and three took place after India and Pakistan had gone nuclear. Looking for larger trends of peace and conflict in the region, the authors consider these incidents as cases of attempted conflict resolution, as instances of limited war by nuclear-armed nations, and as examples of intervention and engagement by the United States and China. They analyze the reactions of Indian, Pakistani, and international media and assess the two countries' decision-making processes. Four Crises and a Peace Process explains how these crises have affected regional and international policy and evaluates the prospects for lasting peace in South Asia.


OBJECTIVE--To assess the need for formal psychotherapeutic intervention in children attending a children's haemophilia clinic after some of them had been diagnosed as positive for HIV. DESIGN--Comparison of haemophiliac children with matched control groups of diabetic and healthy children. SETTING--The West of Scotland Children's Haemophilia Centre, Glasgow. PATIENTS--43 Children aged 3 to 16 years with mild, moderate, and severe clotting disorders were matched with control groups of 46 diabetic children and 42 physically healthy children. INTERVENTIONS--Parents of children aged 3-5 years were interviewed with the behaviour screening questionnaire. Children aged 6 to 16 were assessed by parental and teacher report using standardised questionnaires and self report using a computerised depression inventory. All were scored numerically according to the presence of symptoms of emotional and behavioural problems. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--The groups were compared for mean scores on each rating device and for number of children achieving scores within the pathological range. RESULTS--In the 6-16 age group five haemophiliac children, five diabetic children, and three healthy children scored in the pathological range on the parent questionnaire, as did two, three, and five respectively on the teacher questionnaire and four, four, and eight on the depression inventory. There was no significant difference across the three groups. Analysis of mean scores similarly showed no significant difference across groups. In contrast, the single measure used for younger children showed an increase in behavioural difficulties among the diabetic children. CONCLUSION--Haemophiliac children attending the West of Scotland Centre were no more disturbed than their diabetic or healthy peers despite the identification of HIV infection within the clinic and the widespread adverse publicity associated with AIDS and HIV infection.


A monoclonal antibody, RE2, raised by immunizing a rat with cell lysate of a mouse T cell clone, was found to directly kill interleukin 2- dependent T cell clones without participation of serum complement. Fab fragments of RE2 had no cytolytic activity, while the cross-linking of Fab fragments with anti-rat immunoglobulin reconstituted the cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity was temperature dependent: the antibody could kill target cells at 37 degrees C but not at 0 degrees C. Sodium azide, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and forskolin did not affect the cytolytic activity of RE2, while the treatment of target cells with cytochalasin B and D completely blocked the activity. This suggested that the cell death involves a cytoskeleton-dependent active process. Giant holes on the cell membrane were formed within 5 minutes after the treatment with RE2, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. There was no indication of DNA fragmentation nor swelling of mitochondria during the cytolysis, suggesting that the cell death is neither apoptosis nor typical necrosis. The antibody also killed T cell lymphomas and T and B cell hybridomas only when these cells were preactivated with concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide, or phorbol myristate acetate. Preactivated peripheral T and B cells were sensitive to the cytotoxicity of RE2, while resting T and B cells were insensitive. These results provide evidence for a novel pathway of cell death of activated lymphocytes by membrane excitation.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Dual-task (DT) training has become a common intervention for older adults with balance and mobility limitations. Minimal detectable change (MDC) of an outcome measure is used to distinguish true change from measurement error. Few studies reporting on reliability of DT outcomes have reported MDCs. In addition, there has been limited methodological DT research on persons with cognitive impairment (CI), who have relatively more difficulty with DTs than persons without CI. The purpose of this study was to describe test-retest reliability and MDC for dual-task cost (DTC) in older adults with and without CI and for DTs of varying difficulty.

METHODS
Fifty participants 65 years and older attended 2 test sessions within 7 to 19 days. Participants were in a high cognitive group (n = 27) with a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 26 or more, or a low cognitive group (n = 23) with a MoCA score of less than 26. During both sessions, we used a pressure-sensing walkway to collect gait data from participants. We calculated motor DTC (the percent decline in motor performance under DT relative to single-task conditions) for 4 DTs: the Timed Up and Go (TUG) while counting forward by ones (TUG1) and counting backward by threes (TUG3); and self-selected walking speed (SSWS) with the same secondary tasks (SSWS1 and SSWS3). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and MDCs were calculated for DTC for the time to complete the TUG and spatiotemporal gait variables during SSWS. A 3-way analysis of variance was used to compare differences in mean DTC between groups, tasks, and sessions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
ICCs varied across groups and tasks, ranging from 0.02 to 0.76. MDCs were larger for individuals with low cognition and for DTs involving counting backward by threes. For example, the largest MDC was 503.1% for stride width during SSWS3 for individuals with low cognition, and the smallest MDC was 5.6% for cadence during SSWS1 for individuals with high cognition. Individuals with low cognition demonstrated greater DTC than individuals with high cognition. SSWS3 and TUG3 resulted in greater DTC than SSWS1 and TUG1. There were no differences in DTC between sessions for any variable.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides MDCs for DTC that physical therapists may use to assess change in older adults who engage in DT training. Persons with low cognition who are receiving DT training must exhibit greater change in DTC before one can be confident the change is real. Also, greater change must be observed for more challenging DTs. Thus, cognitive level and task difficulty should be considered when measuring change with DT training.