This paper is concerned with decentralized output regulation of hierarchical systems subject to input and output disturbances. It is assumed that the disturbance can be represented as the output of an autonomous LTI system with unknown initial state. The primary objective is to design a decentralized controller with the property that not only does it reject the degrading effect of the disturbance on the output (for a satisfactory steady-state performance), it also results in a small LQ cost function (implying a good transient behavior). To this end, the underlying problem is treated in two phases. In the first step, a number of modified systems are defined in terms of the original system. The problem of designing a LQ centralized controller which stabilizes all the modified systems and rejects the disturbance in the original system is considered, and it is shown that this centralized controller can be efficiently found by solving a LMI problem. In the second step, a method recently presented in the literature is exploited to decentralize the designed centralized controller. It is proved that the obtained controller satisfies the pre-determined design specifications including disturbance rejection. Simulation results elucidate the efficacy of the proposed control law.


The pleiotropic biological activities of interleukin-1 (IL-1) are mediated by its type I receptor (IL-1RI). When the ligand binds, IL-1RI initiates a signaling cascade that results in the activation of the transcription regulator nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). A protein kinase designated IRAK (IL-1 receptor-associated kinase) was purified, and its complementary DNA was molecularly cloned. When human embryonic kidney cells (cell line 293) overexpressing IL-1RI or HeLa cells were exposed to IL-1, IRAK rapidly associated with the IL-1RI complex and was phosphorylated. The primary amino acid sequence of IRAK shares similarity with that of Pelle, a protein kinase that is essential for the activation of a NF-κB homolog in Drosophila.


In the age of precision cosmology the fundamental parameters of our world model are being measured to unprecedented accuracy. In particular, measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation detail the state of the universe only 400,000 years after the big bang. Unfortunately, we have no direct observational evidence about the following few hundred million years, the so called dark ages. However, we do know from the composition of the highest redshift galaxies that it is there where the earliest and first galaxies are being formed. From a physics point of view these earliest times are much easier to understand and model because the chemical composition of the early gas is simpler and the first galaxies are much smaller than the ones found nearby. The absence of strong magnetic fields, cosmic rays, dust grains and UV radiation fields clearly also helps. The first generation of structure formation is as such a problem extremely well suited for direct ab initio calculations using supercomputers. In this colloquium I will discuss the rich physics of the formation of the first objects as computed via ab initio Eulerian cosmological adaptive mesh refinement calculations. We find the first generation of stars to be massive and tomore » form in isolation with mass between 30 and 300 times the mass of the sun. Remarkably the relevant mass scales can all be understood analytically from the microscopic properties of atomic and molecular hydrogen. The UV radiation from these stars photo-evaporates their parent clouds within their lifetimes contributing significantly to cosmological reionization. Their supernovae distribute the first heavy elements over thousands of light years and enrich the intergalactic medium. As we are beginning to illuminate these earliest phases of galaxy formation many new questions arise and become addressable with our novel numerical techniques. How and where are the earliest magnetic fields made? How do the first super-massive black holes form? When and how can the first planets form in the universe? Algorithmic breakthroughs and large supercomputers enable these studies. Hence I will close with discussing how the expanding computing infrastructure at SLAC and scientific visualization at the Schwob Computing and Information Center at the Fred Kavli building allow us to find answers to the fundamental questions about the beginning of structure in the universe.« less


The response of epicardial tissue to the implantation of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) was evaluated and compared with identical material implanted within subcutaneous and adipose tissues. These two tissue environments were selected for comparison with epicardial implants because they represent tissue often involved in device implantation. Discs of ePTFE (6 mm) were implanted into three different tissue sites in Sprague-Dawley rats. At 5 weeks, polymers and surrounding tissues were harvested and processed for light microscopy. General histology and histochemistry data indicated all polymers to be well incorporated with new tissue. Subcutaneous implants were covered by a dense fibrous capsule (55-70 microm). Epicardial and adipose implants had no fibrous capsule and a significantly greater number of microvessels (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) within the surrounding tissues compared with subcutaneous implants. An increased level of inflammation was also observed around epicardial implants compared with the other implants. Additionally, the new vasculature surrounding epicardially implanted ePTFE revealed an altered microvessel density and vessel type distribution compared with normal (control) epicardium. These results suggest that epicardial tissue responds to implanted ePTFE with a robust inflammatory response that may support the formation of a new microvasculature that is uniquely different from the native epicardial microvasculature.


The paper takes one significant element of the agriculture production – use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) – and considers it in relation to the production pattern in Polish farms. It asks if under the ceteris paribus conditions the use of GMO plants in Polish farms will have influence on the cropping structure. To answer this question only a scientific and theoretical assumption has been applied that GMO cultivation is permitted without restrictions in Poland. The approach combines both the very short experience of the new biotech based system of agricultural production and a modeling, which builds up and aggregates the impacts of individual farm responses under assumed situations.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The relative merits of buttonhole (or blunt needle) versus rope ladder (or sharp needle) cannulation for hemodialysis vascular access are unclear.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
Clinical outcomes by cannulation method were reviewed in 90 consecutive home hemodialysis patients. Initially, patients were trained in rope ladder cannulation. From 2004 on, all incident patients were started on buttonhole cannulation, and prevalent patients were converted to this cannulation method. Coprimary outcomes were arteriovenous fistula-attributable systemic infections and a composite of arteriovenous fistula loss or requirement for surgical intervention. Secondary outcomes were total arteriovenous fistula-related infections and staff time requirements. Additionally, a systematic review evaluating infections by cannulation method was performed.

RESULTS
Seventeen systemic arteriovenous fistula-attributable infections were documented in 90 patients who were followed for 3765 arteriovenous fistula-months. Compared with rope ladder, buttonhole was not associated with a significantly higher rate of systemic arteriovenous fistula-attributable infections (incidence rate ratio, 2.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.66 to 11.09; P=0.17). However, use of buttonhole was associated with a significantly higher rate of total arteriovenous fistula infections (incidence rate ratio, 3.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.66 to 12.77; P=0.03). Initial and ongoing staff time requirements were significantly higher with buttonhole cannulation. Arteriovenous fistula loss or requirement for surgical intervention was not different between cannulation methods. A systematic review found increased arteriovenous fistula-related infections with buttonhole compared with rope ladder in four randomized trials (relative risk, 3.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 12.20), seven observational studies comparing before with after changes (relative risk, 3.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.90 to 5.21), and three observational studies comparing units with different cannulation methods (relative risk, 3.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.44 to 7.43).

CONCLUSION
Buttonhole cannulation was associated with higher rates of infectious events, increased staff support requirements, and no reduction in surgical arteriovenous fistula interventions compared with rope ladder in home hemodialysis patients. A systematic review of the published literature found that buttonhole is associated with higher risk of arteriovenous fistula-related infections.


Abstract This article is based on a corpus of transcripts of four criminal courtroom trials in China. It investigates interruption in the Chinese criminal courtroom discourse as a highly institutionalized and strongly goal-oriented discourse. The study focuses on the number, functions, causes, and distribution of interruptions as well as their correlation with the Chinese legal system and legal culture. Interruptions in Chinese courtroom trials are substantially asymmetrical in terms of the number, functions, and causes in the sense that prosecutors interrupt the most and defense lawyers the least, with judges being in the middle but somewhat closer to prosecutors. A defendant is the most interrupted party. The dominant side, represented by the judge and the prosecutor, interrupts to exercise control by stretching the Gricean maxims to the extreme. In contrast, a defendant interrupts mainly for cooperation or to insist on their right to speak. I also attempt to explain the imbalance by referring to the Chinese judicial system and legal culture and compare the interruption phenomena in Chinese criminal trials with those I observed in the United States.


The goal of this collaborative research project undertaken by the Crow Reservation community, Little Big Horn College and Montana State University Bozeman has been to improve the health of Crow community members by assessing, communicating and mitigating the risks from local waterborne contaminants. The Reservation's surface waters have always been greatly respected by the Crow people, valued as a source of life and health and relied upon for drinking water. About fifty years ago, rural families switched to home well water instead of hauling water from the rivers. Many families went from having an unlimited supply of free, good quality river water, to unpalatable well water dependent upon an expensive-to-maintain plumbing system. Tribal members questioned the health of the rivers and well water due to visible water quality deterioration and potential connections to illnesses and initiated this research project. We share what we have learned as tribal members and researchers about conducting community-based risk assessment and using our data to improve Tribal and river health. Initial research on river water quality revealed significant microbial contamination. Collaborations with several microbiologists revealed substantial E. coli and Cryptosporidium river contamination as well as Helicobacter pylori in home water supplies. We found that about 55% of home wells are unsafe to drink due to either mineral and/or microbial contamination. Depending on the river valley, 11% to 58% of home wells exceed the cumulative risk level of concern for mineral contaminants. Exposure to contaminated well water exacerbates the community's existing health disparities due to the confluence of the area's geology, extensive agriculture, lack of public environmental health education, jurisdictional complexities of reservations, already vulnerable health status and families' limited financial resources for mitigating poor quality well water. Limited resources as well as the links among ecosystems, cultural practices and public health will increase the already existing impacts of climate change on reservation communities. Flood frequency, late summer water shortage and fire severity are increasing while water quality is declining. Risk communication and risk mitigation, not just risk assessment, have been and continue to be central to our project and pursued through numerous venues and collaborations.


Scleractinian corals begin their biomineralization process shortly after larval settlement with the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) structures at the interface between the larval tissues and the substrate. The newly settled larvae exert variable degrees of control over this skeleton formation, providing an opportunity to study a range of biocarbonate structures, some of which are transient and not observed in adult coral skeletons. Here we present a morphological, structural, crystallographic, and chemical comparison between two types of aragonite deposits observed during the skeletal development of 2‐days old recruits of Pocillopora damicornis: (1) Primary septum and (2) Abundant, dumbbell‐like structures, quasi‐randomly distributed between initial deposits of the basal plate and not present in adult corals—At the mesoscale level, initial septa structures are formed by superimposed fan‐shaped fasciculi consisting of bundles of fibers, as also observed in adult corals. This organization is not observed in the dumbbell‐like structures. However, at the ultrastructural level there is great similarity between septa and dumbbell components. Both are composed of <100 nm granular units arranged into larger single‐crystal domains.Chemically, a small difference is observed between the septae with an average Mg/Ca ratio around 11 mmol/mol and the dumbbell‐like structures with ca. 7 mmol/mol; Sr/Ca ratios are similar in the two structures at around 8 mmol/mol—Overall, the observed differences in distribution, morphology, and chemistry between septa, which are highly conserved structures fundamental to the architecture of the skeleton, and the transient, dumbbell‐like structures, suggest that the latter might be formed through less controlled biomineralization processes. Our observations emphasize the inherent difficulties involved in distinguishing different biomineralization pathways based on ultrastructural and crystallographical observations. J. Morphol. 276:1146–1156, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This is a collection of essays in honour of eminent Professor Robert O'Neill. Each chapter was written by prominent academics and practitioners who have had a professional connection with Professor O'Neill during his long and distinguished career. The overarching themes running throughout the book are war, strategy and history. All the essays are shaped by the role that Professor O'Neill has played over the last 50 years in the debates in Australia, Europe and the US. This book covers not only Professor O'Neill's impressive career, but also the evolution of strategy in practice, and of strategic studies as an internationally recognised academic discipline.


Can charter schools save public education? This radical question has unleashed a flood of opinions from Americans struggling with the contentious challenges of education reform. There has been plenty of heat over charter schools and their implications, but, until now, not much light. This important new book supplies plenty of illumination.Charter schools--independently operated public schools of choice--have existed in the United States only since 1992, yet there are already over 1,500 of them. How are they doing? Here prominent education analysts Chester Finn, Bruno Manno, and Gregg Vanourek offer the richest data available on the successes and failures of this exciting but controversial approach to education reform. After studying one hundred schools, interviewing hundreds of participants, surveying thousands more, and analyzing the most current data, they have compiled today's most authoritative, comprehensive explanation and appraisal of the charter phenomenon. Fact-filled, clear-eyed, and hard-hitting, this is the book for anyone concerned about public education and interested in the role of charter schools in its renewal.Can charter schools boost student achievement, drive educational innovation, and develop a new model of accountability for public schools? Where did the idea of charter schools come from? What would the future hold if this phenomenon spreads? These are some of the questions that this book answers. It addresses pupil performance, enrollment patterns, school start-up problems, charges of inequity, and smoldering political battles. It features close-up looks at five real--and very different--charter schools and two school districts that have been deeply affected by the charter movement, including their setbacks and triumphs. After outlining a new model of education accountability and describing how charter schools often lead to community renewal, the authors take the reader on an imaginary tour of a charter-based school system.Charter schools are the most vibrant force in education today. This book suggests that their legacy will consist not only of helping millions of families obtain a better education for their children but also in renewing American public education itself.


Abstract Little is known about the ecology of the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, particularly demography and behavior. To learn more about the species in Oklahoma, we conducted a telemetry project on 2 small streams at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, an 8,417.5-ha refuge located in east-central Oklahoma. Between June 1999 and August 2000, we fitted 19 M. temminckii with ultrasonic telemetry tags and studied turtle movements and microhabitat use. Turtles were checked 2 to 3 times weekly in summer and sporadically in winter. Several microhabitat variables were measured at each turtle location and a random location to help quantify microhabitat use vs. availability. We recorded 147 turtle locations. Turtles were always associated with submerged cover with a high percentage of overhead canopy cover. Turtles used deeper depths in late summer (but not deeper depths than random locations) and deeper depths in midwinter (and deeper depths than random locations) than in early summer. They used shallower depths than random locations in early summer. This seasonal shift in depth use might be thermoregulatory, although evidence for this is indirect. The mean linear home range for all turtles was 777.8 m. Females had larger home ranges than males, and juveniles had larger home ranges than adults, although the latter was not statistically significant. Macrochelys temminckii used submerged structures as a core site, and stayed at each core site for an average of 12.3 d.


Within the scope of a published study [1] in collaboration with Lonza Ltd. (Basel, Switzerland) and Azelis (Azelis Deutschland Kosmetik GmbH, Moers, Germany), the surfactant polyglyceryl-10 monooleate was tested for its suitability as a skin-compatible emulsifier for low-viscosity sprays and lotions and as a builder for liposomal structures. The aspect of skin compatibility in particular makes it necessary to achieve the desired stabilization of the emulsion with the smallest possible amount of active ingredient. In particular, the number of free surfactant monomers not bound in micelles or liposomes should be as low as possible. Against this background, the determination of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the surfactant concentration necessary for the maximum reduction of the interfacial tension between hydrophilic and hydrophobic phase played an important role in the evaluation of the emulsifier. Here we present the results of our interfacial analytical measurements, which form a section of the broader publication. The complete study includes additional polariation microscopic investigations of the liposomal structure as well as particle size determinations and rheological measurement of complex formulations with polyglyceryl-10 monooleate as emulsifier to evaluate the suitability for finest droplet, low viscosity emulsions.


An agent noun is a derived noun whose general meaning is 'person who does . . .'. It is thus characterized by the feature [+ Human], regardless of whether the person involved actually performs an action (e.g., French nageur 'swimmer', i.e., 'a person who swims'), carries out a profession (e.g., Spanish cabrero 'goatherd', i.e., 'a person who looks after goats'), adheres to a certain ideology or group (e.g., Italian femminista 'feminist', i.e., 'a person who supports or follows the feminist movement'), and so on. Agent nouns are for the most part denominal (as with cabrero and femminista above) and deverbal (as with nageur above). Latin denominal agent nouns were mainly formed with -arius, though the Latin agentive suffix par excellence was -tor, which derived nouns from verbs. Latin denominal agents were also formed with -ista, a borrowing from Greek -ιστήϛ. The reflexes of all three suffixes are widespread and highly productive in the Romance languages, as in the case of Portuguese/Spanish/Catalan/Occitan pescador 'fisherman' (-dor < -torem), French boucher 'butcher' (-er < -arium), and Romanian flautist (-ist < -ista). At any rate, the distinction between denominal and deverbal agent nouns is not always straightforward, as demonstrated by the Romance forms connected with the Latin present particle -nte, for whereas the majority display a verbal base (e.g., Italian cantante 'singer' ← cantare 'to sing'), there are some which do not (e.g., Italian bracciante 'hired hand' ← braccio 'arm'), thus allowing them to be regarded as denominal derivations. A minor group of agent nouns is made up of deadjectival derivations, often conveying a pejorative meaning; such is the case with Italian elegantone 'person of overblown elegance' (← elegante 'elegant') and French richard 'very rich person' (← riche 'rich').


Geochemical interactions between shale and hydraulic fracturing fluid may affect produced-water chemistry and rock properties. It is important to investigate the rock–water reactions to understand the impacts. Eight autoclave experiments reacting Marcellus and Eagle Ford Shale samples with synthetic brines and a friction reducer were conducted for more than 21 days. To better determine mineral dissolution and precipitation at the rock–water interface, the shale samples were ion milled to create extremely smooth surfaces that were characterized before and after the autoclave experiments using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This method provides an unprecedented level of detail and the ability to directly compare the same mineral particles before and after the reaction experiments. Dissolution area was quantified by tracing and measuring the geometry of newly formed pores. Changes in porosity and permeability were also measured by mercury intrusion capillary pressure (MICP) tests. Aqueous chemistry and SEM observations show that dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and feldspar and pyrite oxidation are the primary mineral reactions that control the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, K, Si, and SO4 in aqueous solutions. Porosity measured by MICP also increased up to 95%, which would exert significant influence on fluid flow in the matrix along the fractures. Mineral dissolution was enhanced and precipitation was reduced in solutions with higher salinity. The addition of polyacrylamide (a friction reducer) to the reaction solutions had small and mixed effects on mineral reactions, probably by plugging small pores and restricting mineral precipitation. The results suggest that rock–water interactions during hydraulic fracturing likely improve porosity and permeability in the matrix along the fractures by mineral dissolution. The extent of the geochemical reactions is controlled by the salinity of the fluids, with higher salinity enhancing mineral dissolution.


This article argues that strict scrutiny did not originate in equal protection cases. Rather, it originated in the First Amendment in the late 1950s and early 1960s and migrated from there to the Equal Protection Clause in the late-1960s. The Article begins by discussing strict scrutiny analytically, situating it as one of many doctrines through which the Supreme Court gives heightened protection to favored constitutional interests. It then traces the origin of strict scrutiny's compelling state interest requirement to the First Amendment. It shows that the compelling state interest test initially appeared in First Amendment litigation in 1957 and that its birthing process was not complete until 1963. At that time, the compelling interest standard coalesced with the First Amendment's narrow tailoring requirement, which was decades older, to form modern strict scrutiny. The Article also argues that it took another six years for the component parts of strict scrutiny to migrate from the First Amendment to the Equal Protection Clause. The compelling state interest standard was the last component to make the move. When it did, strict scrutiny rapidly blossomed into one of the late-twentieth century's most fundamental constitutional doctrines. In addition to establishing the First Amendment origin of the compelling state interest test and strict scrutiny, this Article discusses the revised history for the light it sheds on strict scrutiny's rationale, arguing that strict scrutiny began as a tool of cost-benefit analysis, not as a means to ferret out illicit governmental motive. It also says the revised history supports the view that over time the Court has shifted the Equal Protection Clause's ?core value? from a proscription of racial subordination to forbidding racial classification.


Maternal plasma histamine levels in normal pregnancy are generally similar to those in non pregnant women during the first trimester, and usually decline gradually during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters (Brew and Sullivan, 2006). In some complications of pregnancy such as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), spontaneous abortion (SA), pre-term labour (PL) and Pre-eclampsia (PE) histamine levels increase as pregnancy proceeds (Southren et al., 1966; Achari, Achari and Rao, 1971; Beaven et al., 1975), and the elevated levels of histamine may directly cause some of the features of these disorders (Brew and Sullivan, 2006).

Placenta is a major source of histamine, but it also releases active diamine amine oxidase (DAO; EC 126.96.36.199) into the maternal circulation, which metabolises histamine (Kapeller-Adler, 1944; Gunther and Glick, 1967; Semeniuchenko, 1975; Granerus, Gillbrand and Wetterqvist, 1977; Purcell and Hanahoe, 1991; Brew, Lakasing and Sullivan, 2007). This breaks down the histamine released from the placenta in normal pregnancy, leading to the limited changes in maternal blood histamine. Clinically, the deported placental DAO activity in maternal blood increases a 1000 fold during normal pregnancy (Southren et al., 1966). The DAO activity rises exponentially in the first 24 weeks of normal gestation and plateaus thereafter to form a normal histamine-DAO-axis (nHDA) (Southren et al., 1966; Beaven et al., 1975; Dubois et al., 1977) (Ahlmark, 1944; Southren et al., 1966; Gunther and Glick, 1967; Weingold and Southren, 1968; Tufvesson, 1978; Beaven et al., 1975; Dubois et al., 1977). In contrast, the spontaneous exponential rise of DAO activity is abrogated from gestational week 8 onwards thus, leading to a defective Histamine-DAO-Axis (dHDA) in pregnancies that present with elevated maternal blood histamine (Southren et al., 1966; Achari, Achari and Rao, 1971; Beaven et al., 1975; Legge and Duff, 1981). Ex-vivo defective Histamine-DAO-Axis also referred to Elevated Histamine Model (EHM) was developed to mimic in vivo dHDA to study effects of histamine in human placenta. The EHM was developed by creating in vitro culture model to represent normal placentae with nHDA and complicated placentae with dHDA. In the nHDA samples, the endogenous DAO activity is maintained to eliminate endogenous production of histamine, while DAO activity is blocked with aminoguanidine in the dHDA samples to allow histamine levels to elevate during the treatment period. Aminoguanidine is a specific inhibitor of DAO enzyme activity (Tamura et al., 1989).


Received: June 01, 2019 Accepted: June 30, 2019 Published: July 31, 2019 Volume: 2 Issue: 4 DOI: 10.32996/ijllt.2019.2.4.16 This paper addresses the imperative of embedding ethics-awareness competence in translator-training programmes in China, and illustrates the components and methodology that such training involves. Although ethical issues have been approached from a variety of perspectives in the wider discipline of Translation Studies in China, discussion about the role of ethicsawareness in professional translation practice has tended to centre on the perceived qualities of loyalty or fidelity to the source text rather than exploring ethics as a value-based professional system. Moreover, there has been little discussion as to how ethics-awareness might be presented in the translator-training curriculum. This paper adopts a more reflective and critical stance towards ethical issues, and in particular as to how ethics might be taught through the application of "identity-state-explain" model under social constructivism. There are different interpretations between ethics and experience, while this paper will evaluate the perspectives of deontologists and consequentialists, discussing ethics in order both to present a practicebased discussion that draws upon ethics as an abstract system that is concerned to shape and control behaviours. Everything discussed here has a real-world value, calling as it does for a different approach to translatortraining than has hitherto been adopted. The paper will also seek to make a series of pedagogic recommendations that bring together real-world concerns with the enhanced professionalization of the role of the translator in today's technological landscape. This competence is undeniably about text and how text is used, but professional translators also have to think for themselves what ethics might mean in different situations, to assess whether an activist stance may or may not be appropriate, and how the subject of translation itself is being publicly represented.


If you feel certain that society is heading for nuclear war, as Doris Lessing felt in the 1960s, what are you supposed to do with that knowledge? How do you act ethically and responsibly in the face of such a depressing conviction about the future? Or, more radically: to what action might the depression itself call you? Pursuing the social and discursive implications of foreknowledge leads eventually to the question of prophecy--to the role and responsibility of the prophet. Lessing explores precisely this question in The Golden Notebook (1962), a multi-layered, multi-voiced novel in which the lament for a threatened future weaves its way through character, plot, dialogue, and narrative structure. Reading this novel as an inquiry into prophecy and its consequences unearths some of the interactions between the many thematic preoccupations of The Golden Notebook and the socio-political crisis with which it was attempting--in many ways unsuccessfully, Lessing felt--to engage. The author was frustrated by the precedence "the sex war" took over political and social issues in reviews of the novel. That she considered the imminence of world-wide nuclear destruction more important than other themes is evidenced by her impatience with the "sexual revolution" in the 1960s: "I say we should all go to bed, shut up about sexual liberation, and go on with important matters. We must prevent another major war. We're already in a time of total chaos, but we're so corrupted that we can't see it" (Raskin 175). What society cannot see is exactly what the prophet-narrator in Lessing's novel feels compelled to tell. Christa Wolf's novel Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays (1983), although written twenty years later, originally in German, and from the other side of the Cold War divide, serves here as a powerful intertext for my reading of The Golden Notebook, insofar as Wolf's novelization of the fall of Troy is also inflected with its author's sense of impending nuclear disaster. (1) Wolf explains why she finds the prophet(ess)'s role particularly relevant in the nuclear age: "I try to trace the roots of the contradictions in which our civilization is now entrapped. This is what I was doing in the Cassandra book. That work is very much a product of its time [1984]" (Fourth Dimension 128). Wolf's comments in the essays that accompany the novel in Cassandra, along with her ideas in Accident: The Events of a Day (written in 1986, in response to the Chernobyl reactor meltdown) shed further light on what foreknowledge does to a narrator and her story--and to an author and her readership. Prophecy, as I shall define it here, is both a narrative position and a narrative problem, arising in response to the need to reconcile the demands of emotion and action, of knowledge and living with that knowledge. Prophecy is perhaps one of the most courageous responses to the extreme feelings of loss and helplessness that arise under a culture of nuclearism--a culture like Britain as well as the USA during the second half of the twentieth century, in which the official discourses of defense, deterrence, and "collateral damage" had begun to inflict their own violence. Put simply, the kinds of losses suffered under nuclearism cannot be properly mourned, commemorated, or "worked through" in Western cultures because the detonation, though perceived as inevitable, has not yet taken place. Instead, the dread of nuclear destruction generates a kind of collective melancholia: it produces proleptic mourning, a future-oriented grief in abeyance or on hold. (2) Julia Kristeva describes melancholia as "impossible mourning" in order to emphasize how the depressed person's sorrow is not sanctioned by or received into the symbolic economy of language (9). Words, for one facing unmournable loss, thus become devitalized and weak, on the one hand--unable to contain or express the extremes of desire--and, on the other hand, monstrously virulent in their powers of trivialization, exclusion, and denial. …


ABSTRACT
 There is growing interest in the underlying mechanisms affecting female leaders in Higher Education (HE). This article compares four countries – Germany, Norway, Poland and Sweden to identify key structural conditions (enablers and barriers) for female representation in academia by studying the regulative framework of government policy. Two research questions are guiding the analysis: first, what (if any) policy instruments are chosen to increase the number of female leaders in HE? Second, to what extent does this choice of instruments mirror either sectorial logic (HE) or national policy styles? The empirical results of the article show that while processes of policy diffusion are observable at the sectoral level, gender equality policies and instrument choice differ considerably in the four countries under consideration. The article thus concludes that national policy styles need to be understood as enabling and disabling policy factors for gender equality in HE shaping the process of translating diffused models decisively.


Gardnerella vaginalis has long been associated with bacterial vaginosis, a condition that increases the risk of women to preterm birth, sexually transmitted infections, and other adverse sequelae. However, G. vaginalis is also commonly found in healthy asymptomatic women of all ages. This raises the question if genetic differences among strains might distinguish potentially pathogenic from commensal strains. To disentangle the diversity of G. vaginalis, we invoked the concept of ecotypes—lineages of genetically and ecologically distinct strains within a named species—to better understand their evolutionary history and identify functional characteristics. We compared the genomes of G. vaginalis to six species in the closely related Bifidobacterium genus and found that G. vaginalis has a large accessory genome relative to Bifidobacterium, including many unique genes possibly involved in metabolism, drug resistance, and virulence. We then performed a comparative genomic analysis of 35 strains of G. vaginalis to infer a phylogeny based on the combined analysis of the core genome, using nucleotide substitution models, and the accessory genome, using gene gain/loss models. With the inferred tree topology, we performed comparisons of functional gene content among lineages that diverged at varying depths in the phylogeny and found significant differences in the representation of genes putatively involved in pathogenicity. Our functional enrichment analysis suggests that some lineages of G. vaginalis may possess enhanced pathogenic capabilities, including genes involved in mucus degradation like sialidases, while others may be commensal strains, lacking many of these pathogenic capabilities. The combined phylogenetic evidence and functional enrichment analysis allowed us to identify distinct ecotypes that have evolved in G. vaginalis as the result of the differential gene gain/loss for specific functions, including the capability to cause disease. We finally discuss how this analysis framework could be used to gain insight into the etiology of bacterial vaginosis and improve diagnosis.


A simplified approach has been implemented to generate public sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) whole genome sequence data (WGS). Next generation sequencing (NGS) systems based on generating large number of short sequence data is suitable to achieve this approach. The objectives of this study, were to; identify a large number of single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers to be shared among public and private sugar beet researchers and specifically target polymorphic SNP between beet curly top resistant and susceptible genotypes, in addition to enriching sugar beet public genomic sequence data The genome of KDH13 doubled haploid line has been sequenced using Illumina HiSeq2000 NGS platform. This line (PI663862) was released by USDA-ARS as a genetic stock resistant to beet curly top. Sequencing of a standard paired end and a 2kb-insert mate-pair genomic libraries, constructed from a leaf sample yielded 82.9 Gb of sequence data. Less than 2% of the raw sequence data was filtered out when eliminating mitochondria and chloroplast nucleotides. Nuclear sequence data totaling 51.5 Gb with a 35.7% GC content was assembled, using ABySS software, into contigs that achieved 68X genome coverage. The assembly of KDH13, named BvvSeq-1, was generated from a total of 3,850,207 contigs of which 95,923 were 1.15 Kb in length at N50. The contigs were assembled into 126,533 scaffolds in 1.8 Kb lengths at N50. These scaffolds cover 238 Mb which spans approximately 31% of the 758 Mb sugarbeet genome. BvvSeq-1 was aligned to the draft genome sequence of sugarbeet (RefBeet-0.9), which was generated from the KWS2320 doubled haploid line (susceptible to beet curly top) using MUMmer software. A total of 404 Mb of BvvSeq-1 were mapped to RefBeet-0.9 which accounts for 69%. A comprehensive array of single nucleotide variants were identified between the two genomes using Genome Analysis TK software. A thousand polymorphic single nucleotide variants between KDHL13 and KWS2320 were selected, based on the depth of sequencing (coverage) and variation in the flanking regions. To establish a SNP panel for public genotyping and genetic mapping we used the Fluidigm® SNPtype assay coupled to the IFC and EP1 reader systems. This platform offers a flexible small scale genotyping system available in the following chip formats: 24.192, 48.48, and 96.96. We deployed the 96.96 format that allows for genotyping 96 individuals using 96 SNP markers and generated 9,216 data points.


Cathepsin G is a serine protease located in the azurophil granules of neutrophils. We have shown previously that cathepsin G stimulates human lymphocytes. In this study, we demonstrate that cathepsin G exhibits specific, saturable and reversible binding to lymphocytes: B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) ‐inhibited cathepsin G also bound to lymphocytes, although both the number of binding sites and the affinity were less than those of native cathepsin G. The binding of cathepsin G to lymphocytes showed cooperativity, but that of PMSF‐inhibited cathepsin G did not. PMSF‐inhibited cathepsin G was able to partially displace bound cathepsin G. These results suggest that molecules on the lymphocyte surface that bind cathepsin G recognize not only the active site of cathepsin G but also other sites of this molecule, but the active site has an important function in this binding because stimulation of lymphocytes requires the binding of proteolytically active cathepsin G. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 73–79; 1997.


The market in licit recreational drugs is continuing to grow, both in the UK and elsewhere, and the internet has been acknowledged as a key factor in enabling this rapid expansion over the last few years. This is particularly true of the recent rise in popularity of the substance mephedrone (4‐methylmethcathinone) and related cathinones. Keeping up to date with these new drugs and emerging trends is a challenge for both professionals and users, particularly given the relative paucity of balanced and reliable information available and the potential for misinformation to be widely disseminated. This article examines the transmission of inaccurate information in relation to mephedrone and substituted cathinones, and discusses the implication of this for harm reduction and future research, by looking at the results of the European Commission funded Psychonaut Web Mapping project, which used online resources to detect emerging trends, monitor their diffusion, and develop a reasonably accurate profile of these new psychoactive compounds.


We conducted a theory-driven process evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial comparing two types of complementary feeding (meat versus fortified cereal) on infant growth in Guatemala, Pakistan, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We examined process evaluation indicators for the entire study cohort (N = 1236) using chi-square tests to examine differences between treatment groups. We administered exit interviews to 219 caregivers and 45 intervention staff to explore why caregivers may or may not have performed suggested infant feeding behaviors. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between caregiver scores and infant linear growth velocity. As message recall increased, irrespective of treatment group, linear growth velocity increased when controlling for other factors (P < 0.05), emphasizing the importance of study messages. Our detailed process evaluation revealed few differences between treatment groups, giving us confidence that the main trial's lack of effect to reverse the progression of stunting cannot be explained by differences between groups or inconsistencies in protocol implementation. These findings add to an emerging body of literature suggesting limited impact on stunting of interventions initiated during the period of complementary feeding in impoverished environments. The early onset and steady progression support the provision of earlier and comprehensive interventions.


In "The Revenge of Gaia," bestselling author James Lovelock- father of climate studies and originator of the influential Gaia theory which views the entire earth as a living meta-organism-provides a definitive look at our imminent global crisis. In this disturbing new book, Lovelock guides us toward a hard reality: soon, we may not be able to alter the oncoming climate crisis. Lovelock's influential Gaia theory, one of the building blocks of modern climate science, conceives of the Earth, including the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and upper layers of rock, as a single living super-organism, regulating its internal environment much as an animal regulates its body temperature and chemical balance. But now, says Lovelock, that organism is sick. It is running a fever born of the combination of a sun whose intensity is slowly growing over millions of years, and an atmosphere whose greenhouse gases have recently spiked due to human activity. Earth will adjust to these stresses, but on time scales measured in the hundreds of millennia. It is already too late, Lovelock says, to prevent the global climate from "flipping" into an entirely new equilibrium state that will leave the tropics uninhabitable, and force migration to the poles. "The Revenge of Gaia" explains the stress the planetary system is under and how humans are contributing to it, what the consequences will be, and what humanity must do to rescue itself.


Promonocytic (U1) and T lymphocytic (ACH-2) cell lines chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) constitutively express low levels of virus, but expression can be induced by phorbol esters and cytokines. Whereas ACH-2 cells produce infectious virions, U1 cells produce defective, noninfectious particles. Although 3'-azido-3'-deoxythimidine (AZT) prevented acute HIV infection of susceptible cells, it did not prevent the induction of HIV expression in the infected cell lines. In contrast, interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) inhibited the release of reverse transcriptase and viral antigens into the culture supernatant after phorbol ester stimulation of both cell lines. Further, IFN-alpha suppressed the production or release (or both) of whole HIV virions, but had no effect on the amount of cell-associated viral proteins. Also, after phorbol ester stimulation of ACH-2 cells, IFN-alpha reduced the number of infectious viral particles secreted into the culture supernatant, but had no effect on the infectivity of cell-associated virus. These findings lend support to the combined use of antiviral agents that have action at both the early (AZT) and the late (IFN-alpha) stages of HIV replication.


The synthesis and characterization of the thermosensitive copolymers based on Poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) and 3-butenoic acid and functionalized with piperazine was carried out. The free radical polymerization of the PNIPA copolymer with 3-butenoic acid was performed under microwave radiation. After obtaining this copolymer, the carboxyl groups present in the copolymer chain were activated with 1-ethyl- (3-3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide in the presence of N-hydroxysuccinimide, improving its reactivity to incorporate the piperazine through its amino group. The characterization consisted: differential scanning calorimetric and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry to determine the LCST phase transition temperature, ranging from (30-35)°C. Structurally it was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. A morphological analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy, after simulating an injectable process, with the objective to observe internally the porosity and interconnectivity. The biocompatibility was evaluated through hemocompatibility tests and it was observed that the copolymers obtained were not cytotoxic. In base of the results, the chemical structure of these new copolymers confers a functionality that allows them to serve as nuclei to graft other molecules, such as polysaccharides. Then, the results obtained on the LCST temperature, porosity, interconnected pore network morphology, the ability to be injectable and the biocompatible nature of these copolymers are indicative that these new synthetic biomaterials have the potential to be used in biomedical, pharmacological and for tissue engineering. Also, once their biocompatibility was demonstrate, they may serve to generate interesting compounds having chemical anchor points for the possible addition of polysaccharides using insertion reactions, thereby generating graft copolymers with potential use in biomedical applications.


On 31 October 2004, Sotheby's conducted an auction in Hong Kong under a new category entitled 'Contemporary Chinese Art'. This was not the first time that either of the multinational auction houses had included contemporary Chinese art in their auction offerings; however, in the decade leading up to this auction, contemporary Chinese art was primarily included in the broader sale category titled Modern and Contemporary Chinese Painting s. By late 2004, Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby's Managing Director, China, Southeast Asia and Australasia, was cognisant of a significant shift in international market interest in Chinese art of a style comparable to contemporary international art. In fact, Christie's had offered a substantial number of artworks in this style at an auction in London in October 1998 titled Asian Avant Garde . However, Christie's auction, which included Japanese, Korean and Chinese contemporary art, was poorly attended and a financial failure. Consequently, Christie's abandoned this auction category. So what had occurred over the intervening six years that gave Sotheby's encouragement to inaugurate this auction category? This article is structured around a unique methodology whereby examination of the contents of the auction catalogue including artists, artworks, provenance, date of production and medium provides a framework for analysis of this emergent auction category. The contextual analysis of Sotheby's inaugural auction in October 2004 illuminates the networked activities of a small group of dealers, critics and curators acting as cultural mediators to create a global market for the artwork of a select group of Chinese artists. The activities of this network are underpinned through the symbolic value imbued by international museum exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art presented as provenance and exhibition history. According to the 2007 TEFAF report, global art auction sales for contemporary Chinese art grew nearly two hundredfold between 2003 and 2007. This article thereby aims to contribute to an understanding of how the global auction market for contemporary Chinese art was inaugurated and developed.


We compare the determinants of individual giving between two countries, Spain and the US, which differ in their redistribution policies and their beliefs over the causes of poverty. By varying the information about the determinants of income, we find that, although overall giving is similar in both countries when subjects know the actual role of luck and effort, Spanish subjects give more than American subjects when they are uninformed. Using elicited beliefs, we find that this is due to the Spanish subjects' association of poverty with bad luck and American subjects' association of poverty with a lack of effort.


The ecosystems on the coastal plains of south-west Australia (SW WA) (e.g. Swan Coastal plain, Scott River plain) are groundwater dependent. The interactions between surface water and groundwater can greatly influence water quality of these systems. Redox conditions of groundwater can remove nitrate, while evaporation from surface waters can concentrate soluble salts. Acid sulfate soils also widely occur across the coastal plains particularly in wetlands.

Practices associated with agricultural development such drainage, agroforestry and application of fertilisers has altered the natural hydrology, disturbed acid sulfate soils and impacted on water quality. To understand the impact of these practices on acid sulfate soils, nutrient cycling and subsequent effects on water quality for SW WA, a combination of column experiments and monitoring of surface water and groundwater was used. The study sites were located at Torbay, Scott Coastal Plain, Stratham and Peel Harvey area.

The study found acidification of surface water from acid sulfate soils had a limited spatial extent and was confined to disturbed wetlands and the surface runoff from these wetlands. The high acid neutralising capacity of many coastal soils helped to minimise widespread acidification of surface water but salinity impacts from acid sulfate soils disturbance were more dispersed. The depth of the summer watertable was the main determinant of the depth to the sulfidic layer in the acid sulfate soils. Over much of the coastal plain the summer watertable and sulfide layer was below the depth of agricultural drainage. Bluegum plantations can lower watertables thereby exposing acid sulfate soils and causing acidification of groundwater, as well as surface waters.

Acid sulfate soil oxidation formed iron oxy-hydroxides which sorbed phosphorus. The strong reducing conditions of groundwater and soils increases the risk of denitrification but acidification restricted nitrification. Reducing conditions also led to reduction of iron oxides and release of phosphorus into the water column.

The coastal podzols with humic layers led to strong reducing conditions in groundwater where sulfate concentrated by evaporation was reduced to form sulfides. Our results suggest that acid sulfate soils on many parts of the coastal plain resulted from in-situ groundwater processes rather than marine inundation.


Studying the perception of spatiotemporal stimulus patterns in various modalities may yield important information on the way in which humans process sensory information. The perception of tactile and nociceptive cutaneous stimulus patterns have been studied by Stolle et al. [1] and Trojan et al. [2][4] respectively. Among other things, both authors studied subjective localization of single stimuli. In Trojan et al. [4], two types of mislocalization patterns were observed for nociceptive single stimuli when comparing the localization reports with the stimulus locations: (1) overall proximal or distal displacement and (2) expansion or contraction of the stimulus area.
It is unknown whether tactile and nociceptive stimuli at the same skin site are perceived as being at the same site. Therefore, comparing the spatial perception of tactile and nociceptive cutaneous stimuli may provide new insights into their processing. This comparison can only be successfully made by applying nociceptive and tactile stimuli at the same skin site in the same experiment. This can be done by using a device which has recently been developed at our institute and which we refer to as the bimodal stimulation electrode [3].
Recording the perceived locations of stimuli can be done by letting subjects report these on a scale. The most intuitive scale for this is the stimulated arm itself. However, this would bias the perception of stimulus location by providing visual information of the electrode locations. The goal of the present research was to (1) create and (2) test a setup which allows subjects to report perceived stimulus locations on their own arm without seeing the electrode positions. This was achieved by building a setup consisting of a touch screen (Provision Visboard) which presents a digital image of the subject's own arm (without electrodes) and which is positioned over this arm after the electrodes have been attached. Subjects can report the localizations by pointing at the screen using a pointer.


The cognitive agent model presented in this paper generates prior and retrospective ownership states for an action based on principles from recent neurological theories. A prior ownership state is affected by prediction of the effects of a prepared action, and exerts control by strengthening or suppressing actual execution of the action. A retrospective ownership state depends on whether the sensed consequences co-occur with the predicted consequences, and is the basis for acknowledging authorship of actions, for example, in social context. It is shown how poor action effect prediction capabilities can lead to reduced retrospective ownership states, as in persons suffering from schizophrenia.


It is, perhaps, an embarrassment of riches for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) researchers and providers—the approval of pirfenidone and nintedanib for the treatment of IPF and on its heels, an unprecedented interest on the part of pharmaceutical companies to sponsor clinical trials to test new candidates. In addition, large amounts of clinical data from patients with IPF of very diverse genetic and environmental backgrounds accompanied the clinical trials for pirfenidone and nintedanib. And the new studies promise to yield even more data, repositories of blood, cells, DNA and RNA, at an ever-increasing degree of sophistication. With the availability of these biorepositories and data repositories, very provocative questions can be asked—and potentially answered.

It is in this context that we read in Thorax a new post hoc analysis by Professor Kreuter and colleagues of 624 patients with IPF pooled from the placebo arms of the pirfenidone trials (CAPACITY 004 and 006 and ASCEND).1 The authors have previously analysed these patients and have addressed some intriguing questions, including how anticoagulation and acid suppression in IPF for comorbid conditions affected study outcomes.2 ,3 In the present article, they have turned their attention to another question that has dogged clinical researchers previously, namely how the use of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG coenzyme A) reductase inhibitors, popularly known as 'statins', affects outcomes in IPF. The authors employed a shared frailty model, which is an extension of the Cox regression model,1 to determine the effect of statins on study outcomes without adjustment and a multivariate model to adjust for age, …


The interface between hard disk and slider involves mechanical and tribochemical processes between the hard carbon overcoat of the disk, the lubricant, and the carbon coated or uncoated slider surface. These processes have been studied by two related X-ray techniques-Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and Photoemission Electron Microscopy (PEEM) using X-rays. NEXAFS allows studying the elemental composition and chemical bonding in a material, whereas PEEM combines this ability with imaging of the sample. Lubricated and unlubricated disks were worn under various conditions using carbon coated and uncoated sliders. The wear tracks on the hard disks were investigated using PEEM to find chemical and elemental changes caused by the wear. Local NEXAFS spectra taken in wear tracks using the PEEM microscope show no chemical changes on unlubricated disks, just a reduction of the hard carbon overcoat thickness. On lubricated disks remarkable chemical modifications of the lubricants caused by the wear are observed if the disks failed the wear tests. The chemical changes are manifested in a formation of various new carbon-oxygen (mostly carboxylic) bonds in the wear tracks and in a strong reduction of the amount of fluorine and carbon. The chemical modifications were only found inside the wear tracks and are clearly caused by the wear. It was found that lubricant degradation is not solely a mechanical process of molecule scission but accompanied by oxidation reactions. The chemical changes were strongly correlated to the tribological behavior of the disks: the worse the disks performed in the wear tests, the stronger were the chemical modifications.


Raising domestic tax revenues is a priority for most sub-Saharan African countries. But the tax bases in most African countries are undermined by widespread tax avoidance and evasion. A new study from CMI supports the claim that improved knowledge about the tax system makes a difference in people's willingness to pay tax. The study shows that exposure to Value-AddedTax (VAT) makes people take a greater interest in tax issues and makes them more willing to pay tax. This brief argues that making the VAT more visible, can be an efficient and important tool in building a tax-paying culture.


In this paper we present STAR-RT - the first working prototype of Selective Tuning Attention Reference (STAR) model and Cognitive Programs (CPs). The Selective Tuning (ST) model received substantial support through psychological and neurophysiological experiments. The STAR framework expands ST and applies it to practical visual tasks. In order to do so, similarly to many cognitive architectures, STAR combines the visual hierarchy (based on ST) with the executive controller, working and short-term memory components and fixation controller. CPs in turn enable the communication among all these elements for visual task execution. To test the relevance of the system in a realistic context, we implemented the necessary components of STAR and designed CPs for playing two closed-source video games - Canabaltand Robot Unicorn Attack. Since both games run in a browser window, our algorithm has the same amount of information and the same amount of time to react to the events on the screen as a human player would. STAR-RT plays both games in real time using only visual input and achieves scores comparable to human expert players. It thus provides an existence proof for the utility of the particular CP structure and primitives used and the potential for continued experimentation and verification of their utility in broader scenarios.


In 1969, Leighton developed a quasi-1D mathematical model of the solar dynamo, building upon the phenomenological scenario of Babcock published in 1961. Here we present a modification and extension of Leighton's model. Using the axisymmetric component (longitudinal average) of the magnetic field, we consider the radial field component at the solar surface and the radially integrated toroidal magnetic flux in the convection zone, both as functions of latitude. No assumptions are made with regard to the radial location of the toroidal flux. The model includes the effects of (i) turbulent diffusion at the surface and in the convection zone; (ii) poleward meridional flow at the surface and an equatorward return flow affecting the toroidal flux; (iii) latitudinal differential rotation and the near-surface layer of radial rotational shear; (iv) downward convective pumping of magnetic flux in the shear layer; and (v) flux emergence in the form of tilted bipolar magnetic regions treated as a source term for the radial surface field. While the parameters relevant for the transport of the surface field are taken from observations, the model condenses the unknown properties of magnetic field and flow in the convection zone into a few free parameters (turbulent diffusivity, effective return flow, amplitude of the source term, and a parameter describing the effective radial shear). Comparison with the results of 2D flux transport dynamo codes shows that the model captures the essential features of these simulations. We make use of the computational efficiency of the model to carry out an extended parameter study. We cover an extended domain of the 4D parameter space and identify the parameter ranges that provide solar-like solutions. Dipole parity is always preferred and solutions with periods around 22 yr and a correct phase difference between flux emergence in low latitudes and the strength of the polar fields are found for a return flow speed around 2 m s -1 , turbulent diffusivity below about 80 km 2 s -1 , and dynamo excitation not too far above the threshold (linear growth rate less than 0.1 yr -1 ).


Compared with conventional photometric methods of measuring cell parameters, including the cell gap and the pretilt angle of a nematic parallel-aligned liquid crystal (PALC) using multiple wavelengths at normal incidence, this research proposes the use of a phase-sensitive interferometric ellipsometer to determine cell parameters precisely based on a single wavelength at large oblique incidence angles. The advantage of this method is that it detects the phase difference using an optical heterodyne interferometer in which a common phase noise rejection mode is provided. Thus, there is a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the phase measurement. In addition, a range of large oblique incidence angles on the PALC is used so that a high sensitivity measurement of the cell parameters is obtained experimentally. During the measurements, the multiple reflections and spatial shifting effect of the emerging extraordinary ray (E-ray) and ordinary ray (O-ray) from the PALC at large oblique incidence angles are able to be reduced effectively by the use of retro-reflected geometry in the interferometer. The experimental results verify that the sensitivities for the cell gap and pretilt angle measurements are 0.3 nm and 0.01 degrees , respectively.


We prove a strong/weak stability estimate for the 3D homogeneous Boltzmann equation with moderately soft potentials ($\gamma\in(-1,0)$) using the Wasserstein distance with quadratic cost. This in particular implies the uniqueness in the class of all weak solutions, assuming only that the initial condition has a finite entropy and a finite moment of sufficiently high order. We also consider the Nanbu $N$-stochastic particle system which approximates the weak solution. We use a probabilistic coupling method and give, under suitable assumptions on the initial condition, a rate of convergence of the empirical measure of the particle system to the solution of the Boltzmann equation for this singular interaction.


This paper presents an original semi-analytical method (SAM) for computing the 2D current distribution in conductors and superconductors of arbitrary shape, discretized in triangular elements. The method is a generalization of the one introduced by Brandt in 1996, and relies on new and compact analytical relationships between the current density (Jx), the vector potential (Ax), and the magnetic flux density (Bx,By), for a linear variation of J over 2D triangular elements. The derivation of these new formulas, which is also presented in this paper, is based on the analytic solution of the 2D potential integral. The results obtained with the SAM were validated successfully using COMSOL Multiphysics, a commercial package based on the finite-element method. Very good agreement was found between the two methods. The new formulas are also expected to be of great interest in the resolution of inverse problems.


Inulinase from Aspergillus niger was covalently immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs/Fe3O4) covered with soy protein isolate (SPI/Fe3O4) functionalized by bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles. MNPs are promising enzyme carriers because they separate easily under external magnetic fields and have enhanced immobilized enzyme reusability. As MNPs aggregate simply, surface coating strategy was employed. SPI functionalized by BSA was a suitable candidate for nanomagnetite coating due to its superior biocompatibility and hydrophilicity. Fe3O4@SPI-BSA nanoparticles were synthesized as a novel carrier with narrow particle size distribution. Step by step fabrication monitoring of Fe3O4@SPI-BSA nanoparticles was performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The results illustrated that nanomagnetite with the spherical morphology was well monodispersed with the diameter of about 35 nm. The average size of the SPI-BSA nanoparticles was 80 to 90 nm, and their zeta potential was around −34 mV. Finally, the mean diameter of fabricated Fe3O4@SPI-BSA NPs was less than 120 nm. Inulinase enzyme from Aspergillus niger was covalently immobilized through gluteraldehyde on Fe3O4@SPI-BSA nanoparticles successfully. Fourier transform infrared spectra and field emission scanning electron microscopy images provided sufficient proof for the enzyme immobilization on the nanoparticles with 80% enzyme loading.


Substantial attention has been paid in recent years to the risk of maturity mismatch in emerging markets. Although this risk is microeconomic in nature, the evidence advanced thus far has taken the form of macro correlations. This paper empirically evaluates this mechanism at the micro level by using a database of over 3,000 publicly traded firms from fifteen emerging markets. The paper measures the risk of short-term exposure by estimating, at the firm level, the effect on investment of the interaction of short-term exposure and aggregate capital flows. This effect is (statistically) zero, contrary to the prediction of the maturity-mismatch hypothesis. This conclusion is robust to using a variety of different estimators, alternative measures of capital flows, and controls for devaluation effects and access to international capital. The paper finds evidence that short-term-exposed firms pay higher financing costs and liquidate assets at fire sale prices, but the paper does not find that this reduction in net worth translates into a drop in investment.


US Senator Barack Obama recently proposed the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006, which should it be enacted, would establish a Genomics and Personalized Medicine Interagency Working Group to coordinate personalized medicine efforts, fund genomics research to improve drug safety and establish a US Biobanking Research Initiative similar to efforts deployed in other countries. But what impact could personalized medicine have on the drug development process, the pharmaceutical industry and international health, including that in developing countries? Can personalized medicines support innovation, sustainability and growth in the pharmaceutical industry and also respond to changing world realities, emerging public demands for safer and more efficacious medicines and equitable access to pharmaceuticals? The present paper examines these socio-ethical and science policy questions by first elucidating their in- trinsic and often complex interactions with other economic and policy issues (and the often divergent interests of stakeholders). We then present some examples from other industries (e.g., the case of hybrid cars and attendant growth of consumer interest and confidence in high quality sustainable products), with a view to identifying the factors that might contribute to a successful integration of pharmacogenomics and related biomarker technologies in patient care, interna- tional health and public policy. In particular, we propose ways to integrate the concept of sustainability into corporate and investor models of pharmaceutical industry development. While the power of pharmacogenomics to serve as a driver for the pharmaceutical industry remains to be evaluated, we submit that biomedical innovation and economic prosperity can co-exist with ethical drug development and the sustainable commercialization of customized drug therapies.


A novel method to prevent the over-fitting effect and improve the generalization performance of the Minimum Classification Error (MCE) / Generalized Probabilistic Descent (GPD) learning is proposed. The MCE/GPD method, which is one of the newest discriminative-learning approaches proposed by Katagiri and Juang in 1992, results in better recognition performance in various areas of pattern recognition than the maximum-likelihood (ML) based approach where a posteriori probabilities are esti-mated. Despite its superiority in recognition performance, it still suffers from the problem of over-fitting to the training samples as it is with other learning algorithms. In the present study, a regularization technique is employed to the MCE method to over-come this problem. Feed-forward neural networks are employed as a recognition platform to evaluate the recognition performance of the proposed method. Recognition experiments are conducted on several sorts of datasets. The proposed method shows better generalization performance than the original one.


AbstractThe aim of my thesis was to search for understanding and describing the consideration given in planning and constructing a new preschool with special focus on the environment and concern for the children and the children's perspective.The method I have used is qualitative and inspired by phenomenography and the socio-cultural perspective.My empirical material is a result of the data collection, based on interviews with open questions comprising five people, all from different positions in local organisations involved in the planning and construction of a new preschool.My study resulted in five themes: Experience of planning and work to build a new preschool, the children and the children's perspective, educational allowance in the indoor environment, thoughts of the future / environmental and educational concerns in the outdoor environment. The results emphazises the various interviewees' thoughts on the physical environments design. They express it as a unique opportunity to start in the "right way", to get create an educational environment based on preschool curriculum, and the concept of everyday teaching and then building layout.In the discussion, I tried to show how this work has been done which different forms of consideration that was given in planning of a new construction of a preschool. In addition, the consideration that has been taken of the children and the children's perspective.Keywords: construction, educational allowance in the indoor environment, activity, pedagogical considerations in the outdoor environment, everyday pedagogy, Lpfo98


Until recently, Japanese encephalitis (JE) was recognized as the only encephalitis having outbreak potential in India. The clinical features described for the viral encephalitis outbreak in Raipur and Jabalpur in 1980 exactly match the typical case definition of Chandipura (CHP) encephalitis. Undoubtedly, the virus has now attained the status of an important emerging pathogen of public health significance. In this chapter, the author briefly describes the outbreaks that have led to the identification of this disease and also provides a brief description of the classical, as well as modern, virological techniques used. Other important studies that have been undertaken on the virus and disease are also summarized. An outbreak of acute encephalitis of unknown origin with a high case fatality rate (CFR) was reported in children from 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, during 2003. The general clinical features of CHP encephalitis include high-grade fever of short duration, vomiting, altered sensorium, generalized convulsions, and decerebrate posture, leading to grade IV coma, acute encephalitis/encephalopathy, and death within a few to 48 hours of hospitalization. Based on the G-gene sequence of an Indian CHP virus isolate (GenBank accession number J04350), the diagnostic PCR was standardized. Genomic DNA was extracted from frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells. For HLA A, B, and C typing, a PCR-single-strand polymorphism molecular method was followed. To overcome chance deviation in the frequency of the HLA allele, the P value was corrected by the use of the Bonferroni inequality method.


Four calvarial (=skull roof) bones from the Fusea vertebratebearing
site (uppermost Ladinian or lowermost Carnian), near
Tolmezzo (Udine Province, northeastern Italy) provide the first
unambiguous record of lungfish (Dipnoi) in Italy. The preservation
of the specimens does not allow a detailed taxonomic interpretation
and for this reason they are referred to the lungfish suborder Ceratodontoidei,
leaving indeterminate their familial and generic attribution.
Dipnoans constitute an additional taxon to be added to the
diverse vertebrate assemblage discovered in the Fusea site, formed by
nothosauroids, cyamodontoid placodonts, the protorosaurian Tanystropheus,
small archosaurians, and elasmobranchian and actinopterygian
fishes. These fishes provide evidence of freshwater influence in
the sedimentary environment of this important paleontological site
occurring at the boundary between two prevailing marine units (the
Schlern/Sciliar Dolostone and the Val Degano Formation).


Marilyn McCord Adams's work on the problem of evil offers one of the most creative and sophisticated religious theodicies. Adams relies upon specifically Christian resources to explain how God is able to defeat horrendous evils within the context of an individual's life by integrating the participant's experience of suffering into their relationship with God. This strategy rests upon the claim that God has participated in a representative sample of human horrors. I argue that traditional interpretations of the relevant Christian beliefs do not support the idea that Christ experienced the disintegration of his meaning-making capacities characteristic of horrendous evils. I contend that for Adams's strategy to be successful, a scenario of 'God hidden from God' must be posited. Genuine divine solidarity with human horrors means that God somehow experiences the anguish and existential confusion associated with divine hiddenness. To elucidate this claim and defend its plausibility, I employ Stump's framework for understanding the nature of union in love. Part of my aim is to distinguish and clarify notions of presence, abandonment, and hiddenness central to this discussion, and argue— contra Stump—that the mutual closeness enjoyed between Christ and God can be constrained without implying a moral fault on the part of God or Christ.


From the afternoon of April 22nd to the early morning of May 1st 2016, CAGE at the Department of Geology Uit, the Arctic University of Norway, arranged a scientific cruise aimed at investigating sediment cores and pore water, water masses, and planktonic faunas, at the western Svalbard margin and western Barents Sea slope, also visiting methane seep sites off Vestnesa Ridge, Prins Karls Forland (PKF) and in Storfjorden Trough on R/V "Helmer Hanssen". Investigated areas were (in order of visiting sites on the cruise): PKF, Vestnesa Ridge, PKF again, Storfjorden Trough and Storfjorden. This cruise can be regarded as a continuance of the previous cruise February 8-15, 2016, where all seep sites at Vestnesa Ridge and PKF were abandoned because of bad weather conditions. In April we hope to reach Vestnesa and PKF to get the cores we missed in February. The scientific sampling was done within the framework of several ongoing projects at the Department of Geology, University of Tromsø: "CAGE -Centre for Arctic Gas hydrate, Environment and Climate", in which the sub-projects Paleo-CIRCUS and "OA-Ocean Acidification" are included.
A total of 10 gravity cores, 3 multinet casts and 14 CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) casts were performed along the western Svalbard margin (Vestnesa and PKF). Data were also collected in Storfjorden Trough and Storfjorden, no brine overflow detected in April either.
Chirp profiles and multibeam lines were acquired during transits and in small surveys at potential core sites over outer Vestnesa, PKF and in Storfjorden filling previous gaps in records from earlier cruises.


The permanence of rt-PCR positivity after a long time in COVID-19 patients has prompted the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 could cause a persistent infection or patients can become re-infected by this virus. Both possibilities could have critical implications for the management and control of COVID-19. Here we present the first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Ecuador and South America.

Materials and methods: Our diagnostic laboratory detected a potential re-infection in one patient who was SARS-COv2 rt-PCR positive twice (in May and July 2020). The first laboratory-confirmed infection presented with mild symptoms and full recovery, reaffirmed by a negative RT-PCR test result obtained two weeks after symptom onset. More severe COVID-19-like symptoms presented again four weeks after the first event, and a third RT-PCR test was performed which resulted positive. The total RNA extraction (from the samples collected on both occasions) was sequenced in an Oxford Nanopore MinION using a tilling PCR protocol developed by the ARTIC-Network, and the reads were analyzed using the artic-medaka consensus generation tool. Anti SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies were investigated.

Results: different SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified in each infection event. For the first infection, the genome was assigned to the B1.p9 GISAID clade while the variant associated with the second episode was assigned to the A.1.1 GISAID clade. High levels of both SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM and IgG were observed during the second event.

Discussion: a patient with two COVID-19 events presented two different SARS-CoV-2 variants on each event, confirming reinfection. This phenomenon is still considered rare.


The aim of this paper is to provide a hypothesis concerning the commission, function and meaning of the celebrated Valois Tapestries. No documentary evidence indicating who ordered the cycle and why has so far come to light. However, on the basis of recent works on the patronage and collections of Catherine de Medicis a new interpretation can be proposed. It is known that the tapestries were taken in 1589 to Florence by Christine de Lorraine as a part of her trousseau. In the light of new research on Catherine de Medicis and her patronage, it seems plausible that the tapestries could have been commissioned by the Queen specifically for her beloved granddaughter. This assumption can be confirmed by careful re-examination of the vivid foreground portraits which represent the members of Valois and Lorraine houses. The tapestries can be thus seen as a woven genealogy of Christine de Lorraine – the proof of her royal lineage. This 'gallery' of portraits of her family and allies, shown in a portable and prestigious medium, would have appeared particularly appropriate as a trousseau of a princess at a foreign court. The representation of the famous fetes organized by Catherine de Medicis can therefore be interpreted on one level as evidence of the magnificence of her court. Knowing that queen used the festivals as an instrument of power, for Christine their depiction could have served as a reminder of the political training that she had received from her grandmother.


The development of small and medium scale enterprise has been canvassed as the foundation of any solid development of any nation world over. The objectives of this paper include: (i) To find out the
relationship between effective management of small scale enterprise and the nation's economic
development, (ii) To examine whether financial challenges faced by sole proprietorship business can affect employment generation in Nigeria amongst others. The study used survey research method with
three hypotheses, which were later analyzed with correlation and regression test statistics on the
nature of each of the hypotheses. Based on findings of the study, useful policy recommendations were
made which businesses owners and policy makers at the various tiers of government will find
beneficial when faithfully implemented


Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive and fatal disease. We have examined 32 patients with smoldering, chronic, lymphoma and acute leukemia using Affymetrix HG-U133A2.0 arrays. Using the BRB array program, we identified genes differentially expressed in leukemia cells compared with normal lymphocytes. Several unique genes were identified that were overexpressed in leukemic cells, including TNFSF11, RGS13, MAFb, CSPG2, C/EBP-alpha, and TCF4; 200 of the most highly overexpressed ATL genes were analyzed by the Pathway Studio, version 4.0 program. ATL leukemia cells were characterized by an increase in genes linked to "central" genes CDC2/cyclin B1, SYK/LYN, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and BIRC5. Because of its potential therapeutic importance, we focused our studies on the regulation and function of BIRC5, whose expression was increased in 13 of 14 leukemia samples. TCF4 reporter assays and transfection of DN-TCF4 demonstrated that TCF4 regulates BIRC5 gene expression. Functionally, transfection of ATL cells with BIRC5 shRNA decreased BIRC5 expression and cell viability 80%. Clinical treatment of ATL patients with Zenapax or bortezomib decreased BIRC5 expression and cell viability. These experiments represent the first direct experimental evidence that BIRC5 plays an important role in ATL cell viability and provides important insight into ATL genesis and potential targeted therapies.


BACKGROUND
Large blood-based prospective studies can provide reliable assessment of the complex interplay of lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors as determinants of chronic disease.

METHODS
The baseline survey of the China Kadoorie Biobank took place during 2004-08 in 10 geographically defined regions, with collection of questionnaire data, physical measurements and blood samples. Subsequently, a re-survey of 25,000 randomly selected participants was done (80% responded) using the same methods as in the baseline. All participants are being followed for cause-specific mortality and morbidity, and for any hospital admission through linkages with registries and health insurance (HI) databases.

RESULTS
Overall, 512,891 adults aged 30-79 years were recruited, including 41% men, 56% from rural areas and mean age was 52 years. The prevalence of ever-regular smoking was 74% in men and 3% in women. The mean blood pressure was 132/79 mmHg in men and 130/77 mmHg in women. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.4 kg/m(2) in men and 23.8 kg/m(2) in women, with only 4% being obese (>30 kg/m(2)), and 3.2% being diabetic. Blood collection was successful in 99.98% and the mean delay from sample collection to processing was 10.6 h. For each of the main baseline variables, there is good reproducibility but large heterogeneity by age, sex and study area. By 1 January 2011, over 10,000 deaths had been recorded, with 91% of surviving participants already linked to HI databases.

CONCLUSION
This established large biobank will be a rich and powerful resource for investigating genetic and non-genetic causes of many common chronic diseases in the Chinese population.


Zolpidem, which is currently marketed in Europe as a hypnotic, is a short-duration imidazopyridine whose actions are mediated at the gamma-aminobutyric acid benzodiazepine receptor complex. However, zolpidem produces a variety of biochemical differences from classic benzodiazepine agonists including showing selectivity for the central BZ1 (omega 1) receptor subtype as well as showing a different pattern of distribution of binding sites. This study compared zolpidem to the benzodiazepine hypnotic triazolam in 15 healthy male volunteers with histories of sedative drug abuse. Placebo, zolpidem (15, 30 and 45 mg) and triazolam (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg) were administered p.o. in a mixed sequence in a double-blind, cross-over design. The onset time with zolpidem was faster than with triazolam, with peak effects of both drugs occurring at 1 to 2 hr after administration. Both zolpidem and triazolam produced dose-related decrements in performance on various performance tasks including circular lights, reaction time, balance, number recall and the digit symbol substitution test. Both drugs also produced similar dose-related changes on various observer ratings including overall strength of drug effect. Triazolam, but not zolpidem, increased subject- and observer-rated sleepiness and produced greater impairment on a picture memory task. Zolpidem, but not triazolam, produced increases in subject ratings of various somatic symptoms (e.g., dizzy, anxious and queasy) and there were 9 days on which subjects vomited after zolpidem, but none after triazolam. Although the highest dose of both drugs was identified by subjects as being active, the highest dose of triazolam was identified as being barbiturate, benzodiazepine or alcohol, almost twice as often as the highest dose of zolpidem. Overall, this study shows that although zolpidem produces many effects in common with triazolam, it also has a unique profile of effects distinguishable from classic benzodiazepine agonists. The mechanism(s) underlying these differences is unclear, but may be related to the atypical biochemical profile of zolpidem.


This paper presents a method to solve the American option pricing problem in the Black Scholes framework that generalizes the Barone-Adesi, Whaley method [1]. An auxiliary parameter is introduced in the American option pricing problem. Power series expansions in this parameter of the option price and of the corresponding free boundary are derived. These series expansions have the Baroni-Adesi, Whaley solution of the American option pricing problem as zero-th order term. The coefficients of the option price series are explicit formulae. The partial sums of the free boundary series are determined solving numerically nonlinear equations that depend from the time variable as a parameter. Numerical experiments suggest that the series expansions derived are convergent. The evaluation of the truncated series expansions on a grid of values of the independent variables is easily parallelizable. The cost of computing the n-th order truncated series expansions is approximately proportional to n as n goes to infinity. The results obtained on a set of test problems with the first and second order approximations deduced from the previous series expansions outperform in accuracy and/or in computational cost the results obtained with several alternative methods to solve the American option pricing problem [1]-[3]. For example when we consider options with maturity time between three and ten years and positive cost of carrying parameter (i.e. when the continuous dividend yield is smaller than the risk free interest rate) the second order approximation of the free boundary obtained truncating the series expansions improves substantially the Barone-Adesi, Whaley free boundary [1]. The website: http://www.econ.univpm.it/recchioni/finance/w20 contains material including animations, an interactive application and an app that helps the understanding of the paper. A general reference to the work of the authors and of their coauthors in mathematical finance is the website: http://www.econ.univpm.it/recchioni/finance.


Increased attention has been paid recently to the issue of the regulation of professional boundaries. In this paper, we undertake an international comparison of the regulation of health professional boundaries across the OECD countries of Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. Our case studies focus on the inter-professional boundary negotiation between medicine and nursing and the intra-professional boundary negotiation between domestic and internationally trained physicians. Our analysis draws upon the complementary interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives of institutional economics and the concept of professional closure from the sociology of professions. In applying these lenses to the two case studies in these four country contexts, we reveal that there has been a shift in the context of professional regulation towards a more coordinated national approach to licensure. There has also been a broad scale move towards breaking down at least the regulatory barriers to inter-professional collaboration between physicians and nurses which has included the expansion of the scope of nursing practice to take up traditionally exclusive domains of medicine. The seemingly protectionist professional regulatory policies vis-a-vis international medical graduates also seem to be breaking down primarily through government measures. Overall, there has been an increased permeability of professional boundaries both inter-professionally and intra-professionally, and market-oriented systems seem to be in a better position to overcome medical dominance than state-led ones, even though they do not change the main rules of regulation at the macro-level.


Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are highly parallel shared memory microprocessors, and as such, they are prone to the same concurrency considerations as their traditional multicore CPU counterparts. In this thesis, we consider shared memory consistency, i.e. what values can be read when issued concurrently with writes on current GPU hardware. While memory consistency has been relatively well studied for CPUs, GPUs present substantially different concurrency systems with an explicit thread and memory hierarchy. Because documentation on GPU memory models is limited, it remains unclear what behaviors are allowed by current GPU implementations. To this end, this work focuses on testing shared memory consistency behavior on NVIDIA GPUs. We present a format for describing GPU memory consistency tests (dubbed GPU litmus tests) which includes the placement of testing threads into the GPU thread hierarchy (e.g. cooperative thread arrays, warps) and memory locations into GPU memory regions (e.g. shared, global). We then present a framework for running GPU litmus tests under system stress designed to trigger weak memory model behaviors, that is, executions that do not correspond to an interleaving of the instructions of the concurrent program. We discuss GPU specific incantations (i.e. heuristics) which we found to be crucial for observing weak memory model executions; these include bank conflicts and custom GPU memory stressing functions. We then report the results of running GPU litmus tests in this framework and show that we observe a controversial relaxed coherence behavior on older NVIDIA chips. We present several examples of published GPU applications which may exhibit unintended behavior due to the lack of fence synchronization; one such example is a spin-lock published in the popular CUDA by Example book. We then test several families of tests and compare our results to a proposed operational GPU memory model and show that the model is unsound (i.e. disallows behaviors that we observe on hardware). Our techniques are implemented in a modified version of a memory model testing tool named litmus.


Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the four-peak structure observed in the low-latitude equatorial ionosphere by the FORMOSAT/COSMIC satellites. Longitudinal distributions of NmF2 (the density of the F layer peak) and hmF2 (ionospheric F2-layer peak height) averages, obtained around September equinox periods from 2007 to 2015, were submitted to a bi-spectral Fourier analysis in order to obtain the amplitudes and phases of the main waves. The four-peak structure in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere was present in both low and high solar activity periods. This kind of structure possibly has tropospheric origins related to the tidal waves propagating from below that modulate the E-region dynamo, mainly the eastward non-migrating diurnal tide with wavenumber 3 (DE3, E for eastward). This wave when combined with the migrating diurnal tide (DW1, W for westward) presents a wavenumber-4 (wave-4) structure under a synoptic view. Electron densities observed during 2008 and 2013 September equinoxes revealed that the wave-4 structures became more prominent around or above the F-region altitude peak (∼  300–350 km). The four-peak structure remains up to higher ionosphere altitudes (∼  800 km). Spectral analysis showed DE3 and SPW4 (stationary planetary wave with wavenumber 4) signatures at these altitudes. We found that a combination of DE3 and SPW4 with migrating tides is able to reproduce the wave-4 pattern in most of the ionospheric parameters. For the first time a study using wave variations in ionospheric observations for different altitude intervals and solar cycle was done. The conclusion is that the wave-4 structure observed at high altitudes in ionosphere is related to effects of the E-region dynamo combined with transport effects in the F region.


Purpose-This paper aims to investigate factors that affect customer switching from Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV's) to Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV's), in Jordan for the period of (2010-2014).Design/methodology/approach-A self-administered survey was hand-delivered to the targeted sample of car users in Jordan. The authors delivered 400 questionnaires to customers, from which 333 were deemed valid for the analysis, corresponding to the percentage of (83.25%) which indicates the validity of the study. Findings- There was no difference in switching behavior between (ICEV's) and (HEV's) based on gender in the Jordanian market. Fuel consumption efficiency was the number one variable that supports the switching behavior towards (HEV's), followed by Eco friendliness, lower taxes and technological features. Price and the current trend in the market were the least supporting factors. In addition to that the perception of the battery life of (HEV's), limited choices in the market, lack of information and fear of the relatively new technology were the major hindering factors of choosing an (HEV).Research limitations-Future research needs to investigate other factors that may affect customers' behavior such as perceived image, trust, and subjective norms. Future research should investigate into the importance of environmental awareness and new technologies, and gender differences in behavior. From an international marketing standpoint, comparative studies between Jordanian and non-Jordanian customers are potential areas of future research for international marketing strategies and cross-cultural consumer behaviour analysis. Practical implications-The paper identifies the determinants of switching behavior. marketers should focus addressing customers concerns in terms of providing enough information and building awareness towards the technology and it's benefits towards the society and the environment.Originality/value-Our study is one of the few in Jordan that investigates the switching behavior towards vehicles technology. Our study is thought to have made a modest contribution to consumer behaviour literature and, specifically, for decision making process. It offers marketers insights into the determinants of switching behavior towards the hybrid vechicle technology and how this contribute to consumers' decision making process and attitudes to achieve the intended behavioural outcomes


We read with great interest the recent review by RamaMaceiras et al. entitled 'Job satisfaction, stress and burnout in anaesthesia: relevant topics for anaesthesiologists and healthcare managers' and the accompanying editorial by Pirjo Lindfors. The review article was both insightful and informative, addressing the important issue of occupational stress and burnout, and the subsequent implications on the healthcare system. The authors highlight the negative individual and organisational effects of job dissatisfaction and burnout and offer strategies that may improve outcomes.