Methane emissions from cattle and sheep have gained increasing profile in the context of climate change. As well as reduced consumption of meat and dairy products, a range of different technical solutions have been suggested as providing ways of reducing these emissions. These solutions include use of genetic selection, changing varieties of grass, use of feed additives, or use of vaccines to change rumen bacterial composition. However, beef and sheep farming in the UK is focused on upland areas where preservation of biodiversity is important and where many farmers have developed direct customer bases by selling 'naturally' produced meat. Many of the technical solutions offered appear to contradict these biodiversity and 'natural product' drivers and support more intensive production systems. At the same time increasing concerns about food security provide another driver to farming practice. The ethical question then is, how do you balance these often contradictory requirements? This paper will use data based on interviews with 42 UK beef and sheep farmers and industry representatives to tease out their views on these questions. I will demonstrate that the threat of methane production and its impact on the climate is not seen as credible by beef and sheep farmers; methane from grass-fed animals is not viewed as a pollutant. Furthermore, many of the technical mitigation methods offered lack appeal in hill production systems because of their perceived negative impacts on other desirable outcomes. More intensive beef production systems are, however, amenable to these techniques. A number of difficult ethical trade-offs are raised when considering how best to address methane emissions from sheep and beef cattle.


Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) of transmitter release probability (Pr) are thought to be triggered by the activation of glutamate receptors. Here, we demonstrate that glutamate release at CA3-CA1 synapses is in fact inhibitory and unnecessary for increases in Pr. Instead, at active presynaptic terminals, postsynaptic depolarization alone can increase Pr by promoting the release of nitric oxide from neuronal dendrites in a manner dependent on L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The release of glutamate, in contrast, decreases Pr by activating presynaptic NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Thus, net changes in Pr are determined by the combined effect of both LTP-promoting and LTD-promoting processes, that is, by the amount of glutamate release and postsynaptic depolarization that accompany presynaptic activity, respectively. Neither of these processes directly depends on the activation of postsynaptic NMDARs. We further show that presynaptic changes can be captured by a simple mathematical framework, in which the role of presynaptic plasticity is to ensure that the ability for a presynaptic terminal to release glutamate is matched with its ability to predict postsynaptic spiking.


The Brent Field consists of a major, westerly dipping fault block, wh a crestal area broken up into a series of stumped tault blocks'. The primary phase of development has conceritrated on water-flooding the West Flank, but effort is now being applied to recover the oil in the slumped blocks. This paper describes the varlous studies undertaken to formulate a development plan for the ±13 million m 3 (80 MMstb) of oh reserves in the slumps of the Brent Reservoir and presents initial well resuits. A valid geological interpretation was crucial to successful development planning for the slumps. Structural nterpretation is difficult due to limited seismic reoution, but the geological model has been supported by a review of structural analogues and by the limited well performance data. The slump faults are interpreted as running predominantly north-south. As such, they provide a significant barrier to west-east low, whilst allowing better communication in the northsouth direction. Development options have been evaluated by reservoir simuiation based on this geological interpretation. Eastwest communication will be too poor to enable the slumps to be doveloped at reasonable rates by relying solely on pressure support from West Flank water infection. In addition the use of horizontal wells. as compared with convenhional deviated wells, has been shown to give significant benetits by providing offtake points in several slump blocks with one well, thereby Throughout this paper the crestal collapse features are reterred to as slumps. or stumped bloci sa. Technically speaking Ihese features are rotationat stides, not slumps, but they were originally thought to bo slumps and use of this terminology has persisted. FIg.1 Locatlon of the Brent Fleld improving the sweep etliciency and increasing the recovery whilst optimising rig usage. A development plan has been formulated on this basis with a series of roughly parallel east-west horizontal oil producers, interspersed with horizontal water injectors. This plan is now being implemented and resuits from the first wells will be presented.


ABSTRACT This article analyzes different ontological categories and how they relate to the conservation of contemporary art. Faced with the necessity of apprehending the work of art from an ontological point of view, a theoretical approach is made on the concepts that most affect the conservation of contemporary art: quiddity, truth-authenticity, identity, quality, consistency, and interpretation. These are analyzed from an empirical perspective, based on the experience of conservation and restoration. Since conserving and restoring require making decisions that will affect the material and conceptual plane of the works, several possible paradigms that must be introduced into the deontological code of the profession are analyzed. In addition, the study of a new paradigm is provided, that of the death of the work of art. This paradigm can serve as a frame of reference, given the impossibility of bringing the 'Truth' of the artwork into the world of the sensitive. This may occur due to different conditioning factors and limitations of a material, technical, or intentional type, which affect issues that were once established as essential to the entity. On the other hand, different types of time that are related to the conservation of contemporary art are studied: biological time, the eternal present of the work, time as a constructor agent, and destructive time as a facilitator of the appearance of ruin or ruin-relic in the work of art.


Is there any reason not to spy on other people as necessary to get the facts straight, especially if you can put the facts you uncover to good use? To "spy" is secretly to monitor or investigate another's beliefs, intentions, actions, omissions, or capacities, especially as revealed in otherwise concealed or confidential conduct, communications and documents. By definition, spying involves secret, covert activity, though not necessarily lies, fraud or dishonesty. Nor does spying necessarily involve the use of special equipment, such as a tape recorder or high-powered binoculars. Use of a third party agent, such as a "private eye" or Central Intelligence Agency operative is not necessary for surveillance to count as spying. Spying is morally troublesome both because it violates privacy norms and because it relies on secrecy and, perhaps, nefarious deception. Contemporary technologies of data collection make secret, privacy-invading surveillance easy and nearly irresistible. For every technology of confidential personal communication - telephone, mobile phone, computer email - there are one or more counter-technologies of eavesdropping. But covert surveillance conducted by amateur and professional spies still includes old-fashioned techniques of stealth, trickery and deception known a half century ago: shadowing by car, peeking at letters and diaries, donning disguises, breaking and entering, taking photographs, and tape recording conversations. The ethical examination of spying cannot be reduced to a conversation about reigning in the mischief potential of twenty-first century technology. We do need to concern ourselves with what tomorrow's spies will do with nanotechnology, but plenty of spying is possible with the time-tested techniques of the Baby Boomers, or even, for that matter, the Victorians. The philosophical problem I wish to consider here is the ethical limits of spying on others, when the reasons for spying are good. I explore the plausibility of three interrelated ideas. The first idea is one I will call the anti-spying principle: spying on other adults is prima facie unethical. The second idea is an exception to the anti-spying principle: spying on others is ethically permissible, even mandatory, in certain situations, where the ends are good. The third and final idea is a constraint on exceptions to the anti-spying principle: where spying is ethically permitted or required, there are ethical limits on the methods of spying. The virtuous spy will violate privacy and transparency norms, of course; but he or she will, to the extent possible, continue to act with respect for the moral autonomy and for the moral and legal interests of the investigative target.


In conventional graphics, a distinction is normally made between the ground (most often the paper) and the figure (usually some lines or patterns placed on the ground to form an image). But what do you do, say, when an art instructor tells you to ¿draw something with no ground.¿ It was essentially from this very assignment in a graphic design class that Scott Kim first molded an interest and then an avocation. Concentrating on letters and the extent to which they can be modified and still be recognizable, he has dabbled in an art form to such an extent that he can now present a book of delightful figures and thought-provoking text. His figures are visual palindromes, self-descriptive, visually ambiguous, or in some other way intriguing.


This study investigated a career education programme which was run with students enrolled in the Science Foundation Programme (SFP). The SFP is a one year bridging course at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, for black students with insufficient matric points to enter directly into the science faculty. The class comprised of 135 students who were divided into 16 groups with about eight students in each. These career groups met monthly over a three month period. The approach to career education was based on group discussion and exploration. This made it possible for the students to deal with material that was relevant to their being in a vocationally orientated programme. The career groups were aimed at assisting the students with increasing their selfknowledge in relation to their career decision making, expanding their knowledge ofwork and careers, exploring issues of career planning, and developing social and group skills. Research on the above process was undertaken by means of questionnaires, genograms and written paragraphs completed by the students over the duration of the programme. The students' evaluation ofthe programme was also investigated. The nature ofthe data meant that there were some responses which could be coded numerically, however much of the data was of a qualitative nature . Thematic analysis was thus undertaken. The programme dealt primarily with the issue ofcontextualism, focussing on the students macro-and micro-contexts and the role that these play in shaping the students' careers. The developmentalcontextual approach ofVondracek, Lemer, and Schulenberg (1986) was used to organise and make sense of the contextual data. Findings demonstrated that career information given in isolation is not sufficient. It needs to be located in the participants' context. Participation in the career education groups seemed to diminish the chances of students foreclosing on career decisions prematurely, and increased their self awareness and knowledge about the world of work. Research findings also highlighted the value ofdiscussion as an important adjunct to other careers education techniques. The group discussion provided opportunities for gaining information and also encouraged individuals to take a more active role in their career development and career decision making. The career education groups provided a powerful tool for a collaborative learning experience with the students. This study also highlighted the limitations of a Western, individualistic approach, particularly when one is working cross culturally.


We examined the effects of ocean climate variability on juvenile rockfish Sebastes spp. from 1975-2002 in the central California Current by examining the diet of a local marine bird, the common murre Uria aalge, on multiple temporal scales. Responses to higher-frequency climate change (interannual El Nino and La Nina events) were strong, with declines in rockfish take in warm- water years. Responses to low-frequency climate events (e.g. shifts of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, PDO) were less obvious. Inter-annual patterns showed no response to the 1976-1977 regime shift to warmer PDO conditions. Instead, rockfish use declined beginning in 1989, corresponding to another suggested regime change, then rebounded shortly after the hypothesized return to a cool phase of the PDO in the late 1990s. Intra-annual diet patterns, however, revealed changes in rockfish use well before 1989. These signals indicate that declines may have corresponded to the 1976-1977 regime shift but were lagged, possibly due to the long lifespan and intermittent recruitment of rockfish. This interpretation is supported by local upwelling patterns that show a lagged correlation between upwelling and juvenile rockfish abundance in the marine bird diet.


Most civilian casualties in war are not the result of direct exposure to bombs and bullets; they are due to the destruction of the essentials of daily living, including food, water, shelter, and health care. These "indirect" effects are too often invisible and not adequately assessed nor addressed by just war principles or global humanitarian response. This essay suggests that while the neglect of indirect effects has been longstanding, recent technical advances make such neglect increasingly unacceptable: 1) our ability to measure indirect effects has improved dramatically and 2) our ability to prevent or mitigate the indirect human toll of war has made unprecedented progress. Together, these advances underscore the importance of addressing more fully the challenge of indirect effects both in the application of just war principles as well as their tragic human cost in areas of conflict around the world.


In the late twentieth century, following decades of reform and renewal in many of the Christian churches, one would perhaps expect the catholic/sacramental traditions to be alive and well. In many respects, they are. There is spirited commitment to Christian ideals and a great deal of ecumenical dialogue. But attendance at weekly liturgy no longer seems to be the standard it once was. Are people simply over-extended? Or have we lost touch with a deep level of our common heritage? Perhaps an example from my own background can illustrate the issues involved. A recent Sunday liturgy at a Roman Catholic parish continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, a bit longer than average even for this fairly relaxed congregation. The priest was welcoming and engaging, and he managed to involve the willing congregation in many aspects of the ceremonies with which they otherwise would have been concerned only as spectators. Examples of his excellent talent for inviting such involvement included: encouraging all the children to stand around the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and asking questions of them as he proceeded, explaining the relevance of each aspect of a Baptism ceremony as a baby was welcomed into the Church, asking several randomly selected adults to bless the child as representatives of the community. On the whole, it was a thoroughly pleasant experience and the majority of those present seemed gratified to have been in attendance. On the other hand, four-fifths of the time involved was spent in activities other than what would be defined strictly as "eucharistic." The Liturgy of the Eucharist itself took no more than twenty minutes, half of which was taken up with distribution of communion. Even the Liturgy of the Word was truncated, there being no actual scripturebased homily. (The priest did, however, make use of imagery taken from the gospel for some brief remarks during the baptismal ceremony.) Thus, while this liturgy surely engaged the participants, the fact that it was meant to be a eucharistic liturgy seemed secondary, and the elements of ceremony which served to engage the participants were not actions straightforwardly concerned with Liturgy of the Eucharist. These engaging elements were people-centered, inclusive, even overtly symbolic (good use being made of the Paschal candle); they were "eucharistic" in the broad sense of being grateful expressions of community blessing. But that which was involving in the liturgy was not eucharistic in the more narrow and technical sense of being anaphoral-i.e. directly related to the Eucharistic Prayer, the great expression of thanks for what the Church is because of Christ's sacrifice. One might say that the group was concerned with solidifying community, but did not seem particularly interested in doing this on the deeply symbolic, sacramental level.l Overt eucharistic sacramentality seemed less important than a kind of "prayerful sociability." An equally important observation is that no one seemed to mind; as long as the technical requirements of the Liturgy of the Eucharist were satisfied, its time-deficit was apparently unimportant. My sense, from a number of similar instances, is that this recent scenario is simply a particularly noteworthy example of a trend. Many Roman Catholics-who as a church profess to have a fully developed sacramental life, and who further avow that the eucharist is the center of that sacramental life-in practice relegate their specific eucharistic practice to a few minutes in a given week. Thus the majority of church-going Roman Catholics are enthusiastic participants in liturgy, but dedicate little time therein to the great sign of fellowship, death and resurrection which they say is the center of their religious lives. Much in recent Roman Catholic liturgical practice has come about as a direct result of the reforms begun by Vatican Council II. People-centered, friendly liturgies have become a way of life for Roman Catholics in recent decades, and many of the laity are now active participants in liturgy and engaged worshippers where previously they were passive observers and detached witnesses of someone else's ceremony. …


COVID-19 drove a mass social experiment in working from home (WFH). We surveymore than 30,000 Americans over multiple waves to investigate whether WFH will stick, and why. Our data say that 20 percent of full workdays will be supplied from home after the pandemic ends, compared with just 5 percent before. We develop evidence on five reasons for this large shift: better-than-expected WFH experiences, new investments in physical and human capital that enable WFH, greatly diminished stigma associated with WFH, lingering concerns about crowds and contagion risks, and a pandemic-driven surge in technological innovations that support WFH. We also use our survey data to project three consequences: First, employees will enjoy large benefits from greater remote work, especially those with higher earnings. Second, the shift to WFH will directly reduce spending in major city centers by at least 5-10 percent relative to the pre-pandemic situation. Third, our data on employer plans and the relative productivity of WFH imply a 5 percent productivity boost in the post-pandemic economy due to re-optimized working arrangements. Only one-fifth of this productivity gain will show up in conventional productivity measures, because they do not capture the time savings from less commuting.


Author Posting. © The Oceanography Society, 2014. This article is posted here by permission of The Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 27, no. 1 (2014): 222–235, doi:10.5670/oceanog.2014.26.


"One of the most serious challenges to environmentalism that has emerged in the 1990s is the so-called Wise Use movement. While operating under the guise of an independent movement of small landowners, it is in reality a backlash against environmental protection measures, funded and organized by corporations with a vested interest in preventing further environmental gains. "Let the People Judge" collects the writings of a wide range of thinkers on the Wise Use movement and the controversies that fuel the Wise Use debate.


The functioning and efficacy of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) in controlling malaria are discussed in the present review. ITNs Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) have been shown to have a beneficial impact in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in children. However, a few issues are still unresolved: for instance the short and long term effects of an artificially induced reduction in the intensity of malaria transmission on the immune system and the mortality of children is not entirely understood; further studies are needed on whether the spread of resistance to pyrethroids, which is the only class of insecticide currently recommended on nets, affects the effectiveness of ITNs so that resistance to these insecticides would constitutes a serious threat for the success of the malaria vector control programs. Lastly, the economic aspects are presented. The main problem is to find a way for a sustainable implementation of this methodology, that includes purchasing new bednets, delivery and the regular re-impregnation of the existing nets. Free delivery and retreatment in poor countries is not only more equitable but also more efficient than marketing methods.


The EFDA-JET tokamak is an experimental fusion device researching fusion as a means
of energy production. Inside the toroidal vessel, plasma with temperature in excess of
100 million degrees Celsius is generated and constrained by high power magnetic fields.
Additional protection is provided by tiles which clad the inside of the machine. As part
of a major upgrade existing heat protective tiles are to be replaced with an advanced
design, and renewed interest has been shown in dimensional measurement of the
surface.
Measurement must occur during shutdown periods where temperature and pressure are
at ambient levels. Manned entry is not permissible and all work should be performed
remotely. To avoid contamination which could affect the fusion reaction and
experimental results, contact with the measurement surface is not permitted.
This work assesses non-contact surface measurement technologies, along with standards
and guidelines for dimensional surface measurement. Existing measurement test
artefacts do not offer the required surface finish and features, so specific test artefacts
have been designed and produced. These artefacts are traceable to the national length
standard, as traceability is a pre-requisite to evaluate accuracy.
Exploratory tests highlighted two technologies for further investigation, laser
triangulation and white light fringe projection. Two commercially available, state-ofthe-
art examples of each technology have been evaluated using a processing method
developed to highlight performance in key areas relevant to EFDA-JET. These areas
include quantitative assessments of the effect of surface angle on measurement quality,
the effect of depth of field for fringe projection systems and the ability of technologies
to record gap and flush from tens of micrometres to millimetres.
Tests enable a user to begin to assess the impact the measurement system has on the
measurement result, how different technologies and systems used alone or in
combination may resolve or compound erroneous results, clarifying or disrupting the
meaning of results.


Disability levels in the United States declined during the 1980s and 1990s, but these declines stalled more recently. Using data for 2013 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we estimated the percentages of national and state disability that could be prevented through reductions in five modifiable health risk factors associated with disability: cigarette smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. Taking into account risk-factor prevalence and the association between each risk factor and disability, we evaluated the fraction of disability preventable if risk factors were reduced under two scenarios: complete elimination of risk factors and reduction in all states to the lowest levels observed in states. If all five risk factors were eliminated, 53 percent of disability could be prevented nationally. The largest contributors were smoking (17 percent), obesity (16 percent), and hypertension (12 percent). If all states reduced risk-factor levels to the lowest observed levels, up to 7 percent of disability could be prevented nationally. Many states in the South and Midwest could experience disability reductions of more than 10 percent by attaining the same risk-factor levels as in states that had the lowest levels. Improved risk-factor prevention could result in the resumption of longer-term declines in US disability.


We present an efficient Bayesian online learning algorithm for clustering vectors of binary values based on a well known model, the mixture of Bernoulli profiles. The model includes conjugate Beta priors over the success probabilities and maintains discrete probability distributions for cluster assignments. Clustering is then formulated as inference in a factor graph which is solved efficiently using online approximate message passing. The resulting algorithm has three key features: a) it requires only a single pass across the data and can hence be used on data streams, b) it maintains the uncertainty of parameters and cluster assignments, and c) it implements an automatic step size adaptation based on the current model uncertainty. The model is tested on an artificially generated toy dataset and applied to a large scale real-world data set from online advertising, the data being online ads characterized by the set of keywords to which they have been subscribed. The proposed approach scales well for large datasets, and compares favorably to other clustering algorithms on the ads dataset. As a concrete application to online advertising we show how the learnt model can be used to recommend new keywords for given ads.


* Science Serialized: Representation of the Sciences in Nineteenth-Century Periodicals. Geoffrey Cantor and Sally Shuttleworth, eds. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. 358 pp. $40.00 hbk. Science historians and others will welcome this interesting collection of scholarly essays on the portrayal of science in British magazines in the 1800s. Indeed, mass communication scholars interested in the historical role of periodicals in society will find this volume informative, and anyone interested in Victorian life and times will enjoy this work. The theme of the book is advanced by editors Sally Shuttleworth and Geoffrey Cantor in the introductory chapter. "Periodicals were not passive conveyors of scientific information but active ingredients in the ferment of science," they state. The discourse of science took shape "through the flux and collision of viewpoints expressed in the periodical press." This argument is well supported in chapters examining the content of Victorian periodicals on topics ranging from botany in women's magazines, science and theology, physiological psychology, popularity of experiments on hybrid crossing, and controversies related to the writings of John Tyndall, Grant Alien, W. K. Clifford, Samuel Butler, Thomas Henry Huxley, Charles Darwin, and others. The book includes fourteen chapters by sixteen scholars from institutions in Britain, Canada, and the United States. It was in the periodicals, from Academy to Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, that scientists published their ideas and others reacted to them. After all, at the dawning of the 1800s, scientific disciplinary boundaries were not yet drawn, academic journals were not yet common, and the word "scientist" was not yet even coined. (Until William Whewell suggested the term in the 1830s, it was "natural philosophers" who studied science of the natural world.) Not only did the periodicals provide communication between scientists and the lay public; contributor Roger Smith describes the function of the nineteenth century periodical in providing communication among scientists, a function that "academic journals later took over." Chapter author Frank A. J. L. James dates the rise of the specialized weekly scientific press from the birth of The Chemical News in 1857 and continuing into the 1860s. According to the editors, periodicals "are by nature more open and multi-vocal than books" and "played a crucial role in the development of scientific thought itself." Periodicals capture cultural history, observed contributor Ann B. Shteir. "Because they are particularly subject to fashion and modulations in audience tastes, magazines may register these changing cultural conversations even more clearly than books." A chapter by Crosbie Smith and Ian Higginson is devoted to discussion of periodicals in North America, including North American Review (begun in 1815), Harper's New Monthly Magazine (begun in 1850), Atlantic Monthly (begun in 1857), and Scribner's Monthly (begun in 1870). …


This paper presents new evidence on the effect of state fiscal institutions, particularly balanced-budget rules and restrictions on state debt issuance, on the yields on state general obligation bonds. We analyze information from the Chubb Relative Value Survey, which contains relative tax-exempt yields on the bonds issued by different states over the period 1973-1996. We find that states with tighter anti-deficit rules, and more restrictive provisions on the authority of state legislatures to issue debt, pay lower interest rates on their bonds. The interest rate differential between a state with a very strict anti-deficit fiscal constitution, and one with a lax constitution, is between fifteen and twenty basis points. States with binding revenue limits tend to face higher borrowing rates by approximately the same amount, while states with expenditure limits face lower borrowing costs. Thus fiscal restraints that control expenditures are viewed favorably by bond market participants, while those that restrict taxes, and therefore might interfere with the state's ability to repay interest, result in higher borrowing costs. The effect of strict fiscal institutions is particularly evident when a state's economy is weak. These results provide important evidence that bond market participants consider fiscal institutions in assessing the risk characteristics of tax-exempt bonds, and further support the view that fiscal institutions have real effects on fiscal policy outcomes.


This paper explores the Web 2.0 ethos with respect to the application of pedagogy within 3D online virtual environments. 3D worlds can create a synthetic experience capturing the essence of being in a particular world or context. The AliveX3D platform adopts the Web 2.0 ethos and applies it to online 3D virtual environment forming a Web 2.0/Web3D hybrid that has wider usability than previous alternatives. This combined with the AliveX3D Scene Editor allows learning experiences, which are controlled by the learner, appear authentic and facilitate collaboration conversations to be developed simultaneously. This immersion enables learners to negotiate meaning based on their own personal cognitive, affective and kinaesthetic experiences rather than on the descriptions of others' experiences. We conclude by suggesting the choices embedded within the worlds allow the learning focus to shift away from isolated pre-designed interactions, to a situation that encourages the learner to control, manage and direct their own learning.


There has been concern about the role of analgesics in the development of renal‐cell cancer, although a few studies have reported moderately elevated risks with regular or long‐term use. In a large international case‐control study of renal‐cell cancer we examined, among other hypotheses, the effect of phenacetin‐containing and of other types of analgesics: paracetamol (acetaminophen), salicylates (mainly aspirin) and pyrazolones (e.g., antipyrine or phenazone). Relative risks, adjusted for the effects of age, sex, body‐mass index, tobacco smoking and study centre, were not significantly increased with intake of phenacetin, either when lifetime consumption was categorized at the level of >0.1 kg or when subjects were subdivided further by amount. Nor were paracetamol, salicylates or pyrazolones linked with renal‐cell cancer. No consistently increasing risks with consumption level was found. The lack of association was not altered by restricting analgesic use to that which occurred 5 or 10 years before the defined "cut‐off" date or when analysis was restricted to exclusive users of a particular type of analgesic. Neither was the risk influenced by the rate of consumption or whether the consumption had occurred at a young age. Our study provides clear evidence that aspirin is unrelated to renal‐cell cancer risk, and our findings do not support the hypothesis that analgesics containing phenacetin or paracetamol increase the risk, although the number of "regular" users and the amount of these types of analgesic consumed were too small to confidently rule out a minor carcinogenic effect of phenacetin and paracetamol. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Recipient of 2007 The Hyde Park Historical Society Paul Cornell Award A collection of interviews with African Americans who came to Chicago from the South. In their first great migration to Chicago that began during World War I, African Americans came from the South seeking a better life--and fleeing a Jim Crow system of racial prejudice, discrimination, and segregation. What they found was much less than what they'd hoped for, but it was much better than what they'd come from--and in the process they set in motion vast changes not only in Chicago but also in the whole fabric of American society. This book, the first of three volumes, revisits this momentous chapter in American history with those who lived it. Oral history of the first order, "Bridges of Memory" lets us hear the voices of those who left social, political, and economic oppression for political freedom and opportunity such as they'd never known--and for new forms of prejudice and segregation. These children and grandchildren of ex-slaves found work in the stockyards and steel mills of Chicago, settled and started small businesses in the "Black Belt" on the South Side, and brought forth the jazz, blues, and gospel music that the city is now known for. Historian Timuel D. Black, Jr., himself the son of first-generation migrants to Chicago, interviews a wide cross-section of African Americans whose remarks and reflections touch on issues ranging from fascism to Jim Crow segregation to the origin of the blues. Their recollections comprise a vivid record of a neighborhood, a city, a society, and a people undergoing dramatic and unprecedented changes.


Abstract A new method has been applied to the determination of neutron nonelastic cross sections for iron 56Fe and lead 208Pb for energies between 5 and 26 MeV. These data have estimated errors of only a few percent and do not suffer from the ambiguities encountered in earlier nonelastic data. We attempt to fit these high-precision data using both a semiclassical single phase shift model (nuclear Ramsauer model) as well as a recent global optical model that well reproduces a wide body of neutron scattering observables. At the 5% uncertainty level, both models produce satisfactory fits. However, neither model gives satisfactory fits to these new precise data. We conclude that fitting precise data, i.e., data with errors of ~2% or less, may require a nuclear mass dependence of radii that reflects structure effects such as shell closures.


Bone metabolism is a homeostatic process, imbalance in which leads to the onset of diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. Although several drugs are currently available to treat such conditions, they are associated with severe side effects and do not enhance bone formation. Thus, identifying alternative treatment strategies that focus on enhancing bone formation is essential. Herein, we explored the osteogenic potential of Turpinia formosana Nakai using human osteoblast (HOb) cells. The plant extract was subjected to various chromatographic techniques to obtain six compounds, including one new compound: 3,3′-di-O-methylellagic acid-4-O-α-l-arabinofuranoside (1). Compounds 3,3′-di-O-methylellagic acid-4-O-α-l-arabinofuranoside (1), gentisic acid 5-O-β-d-(6′-O-galloyl) glucopyranoside (2), strictinin (3), and (-)-epicatechin-3-O-β-d-allopyranoside (6) displayed no significant cytotoxicity toward HOb cells, and thus their effects on various osteogenic markers were analyzed. Results showed that 1–3 and 6 significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity up to 120.0, 121.3, 116.4, and 125.1%, respectively. Furthermore, 1, 2, and 6 also markedly enhanced the mineralization process with respective values of up to 136.4, 118.9, and 134.6%. In addition, the new compound, 1, significantly increased expression levels of estrogen receptor-α (133.4%) and osteogenesis-related genes of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteopontin (OPN), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, bone sialoprotein (BSP), type I collagen (Col-1), and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) by at least 1.5-fold. Our results demonstrated that compounds isolated from T. formosana possess robust osteogenic potential, with the new compound, 1, also exhibiting the potential to enhance the bone formation process. We suggest that T. formosana and its isolated active compounds deserve further evaluation for development as anti-osteoporotic agents.


Distributing a collection of virtual humans throughout a large urban environment, where limited semantic information is available, poses a problem when attempting to create a visually realistic real time environment. Randomly positioning agents within an urban environment will not cover the environment with virtual humans in a plausible way. For example, areas of the urban space that are more frequently used should have a higher population density both at the start and during the simulation. It is infeasible to manually identify areas in the urban environment which should be crowded or sparsely populated when considering a scalable method, suitable for large environments. Consequently, this paper combines and extends techniques from spatial analysis and virtual agent behaviour simulations to develop a system capable of automatically distributing pedestrians in an urban environment. In particular, it extends the pointbased space syntax technique to enable the automatic analysis of a large urban environment in the presence of limited contextual information. This analysis specifies a set of population densities for areas in the environment and these values are used to initialise the locations of all the virtual humans in the environment. In addition to the initialisation stage the population densities in each area are consulted to ensure that the correct distribution of virtual humans is maintained throughout the simulation. The system is tested on an arbitrary section of a real city and comparisons of the characteristic parts of the test environment are correlated with the pedestrian movements.


Aggregate data reveal a sizable increase in labor force participation rates since 2000 among American workers on the cusp of retirement, reverting back to levels for older men not seen since the 1970s. While these aggregate numbers are useful in that they document overall trends, they do not elucidate the reasons behind workers' decisions. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally-representative, longitudinal survey of older Americans that spans 1992 to 2004, provides micro-level data regarding these retirement trends. Moreover, the HRS contains detailed information about the types of jobs older Americans are taking (e.g., full-time versus part-time, self-employed versus wage-and-salary, low-paying versus high-paying, blue collar versus white collar). This study capitalizes on the richness of the HRS data and explores labor force determinants and outcomes of older Americans, with an emphasis on retirees' choices in recent years. We present a cross-sectional and longitudinal description of the financial, health, and employment situation of older Americans. We then explore retirement determinants using multinomial logistic regression to model gradual retirement and logistic and OLS regression to model the work-leisure (whether to work) and hours intensity (how much to work) decisions of older workers. Evidence suggests that the majority of older Americans retire gradually, in stages, and that younger retirees continue to respond to financial incentives just as their predecessors did. In addition, the retirement decisions of younger and middle-aged retirees appear similar in the face of macro-level changes in the early part of this decade.


This paper provides a comprehensive econometric framework for the empirical analysis of buyer power. It encompasses the two main features of pricing schemes in business-to-business relationships: nonlinear price schedules and bargaining over rents. Disentangling them is critical to the empirical identification of buyer power. Testable predictions from the theoretical analysis are delineated, and a pragmatic empirical methodology is presented. It is readily implementable on the basis of transaction data, routinely collected by antitrust authorities. The empirical framework is illustrated using data from the UK brick industry. The paper emphasizes the importance of controlling for endogeneity of volumes and for heterogeneity across buyers and sellers.


High fat diet (HFD) has been associated with weight gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The composition of fatty acids in various diets (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated) influence levels of blood insulin, glucose, and the onset of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. PURPOSE: Determine the effects of high fat diets with alterations in the major dietary fatty acid content (a mixed fat western diet, a polyunsaturated fatty acid diet or a monounsaturated fatty acid diet) on skeletal muscle glycogen, lipid, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), and mitochondrial content. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a 21% (by weight; 41% total energy) high fat western-style diet for 9 weeks to induce obesity. They were then divided into 3 dietary groups that continued on a HFD for the next 6 weeks of 1) mixed fat western diet (WD) (9.8% saturated, 7.7% mono; 3.5% poly; n=9); 2) monounsaturated fat (MUFA) (2.8% saturated, 15.8% mono; 2.2% poly; n=9); or 3) polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) (3.0% saturated; 2.9%mono; 15.7% poly; n=8). A control group followed a 15-week low fat Chow diet (CD) (4.8% fat; 0.74% saturated fat; 2% mono; 1.77% poly; n=9). At the end of the dietary intervention, glycogen content was measured in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) with periodic acid-schiff staining. GLUT4 protein content was measured using rabbit polyclonal antibody against GLUT4 (ab654), mitochondrial content was measured using mouse polyclonal antibody against COX4 protein (ab14744), and lipid content was measured using BODIPY 493/503, using immunohistochemistry techniques. Images were captured by ZEN imaging software by ZEIS and data was analyzed with ImageJ. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in glycogen content after 6 weeks of HFD with different dietary fatty acid composition, compared to control chow diet. (AU± SEM; CD: 4.41±0.04, WD: 4.74± 0.13, MUFA: 4.54± 0.08, PUFA: 4.54± 0.11, one-way ANOVA p= 0.11). There were also no significant differences in GLUT4 protein content (AU± SEM; CD: 74.68± 5.91, WD: 64.42 ± 2.88, MUFA: 76.12± 6.51, PUFA: 62.83± 4.12; one-way ANOVA p= 0.17) and lipid content after a HFD differing in dietary fatty acids compared to a control chow diet. (AU± SEM; CD: 168± 19.28, WD: 141.3 ± 15.5, MUFA: 193.7 ± 15.3, PUFA: 152.1± 16,69; one-way ANOVA p=0.18). Mitochondria content was less in HFD rich in PUFA when compared to HFD rich in MUFA (CD; WD; AU± SEM; MUFA 60.33±7.31 vs. PUFA 37.42±5.53; MUFA vs. PUFA p= 0.03). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that six weeks of high fat diet does not affect skeletal muscle glycogen content, lipid content and GLUT4 content regardless of dietary fatty acid composition. Six weeks of high fat diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids results in lower mitochondrial content compared to high fat diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acid. Our data suggest that high fat diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids may negatively impact skeletal muscle oxidative capacity compared to a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids.


This paper provides new evidence on individual preferences over annuities and lump sum payments based on hypothetical questions posed in the DNB Household Survey in 2005. Contrary to the majority of papers in the annuitization puzzle literature, this study allows to control explicitly for the subjective survival probability (SSP), a key driver of the decision about whether to annuitize or not as a perceived measure of longevity risk. We find that people expecting to live longer do claim to prefer the annuity. This finding is very robust to controlling for bequest motives. The relevance of this paper is twofold. First, it delivers an important empirical result on the role of the SSP that is still not directly tested in the literature. Second and more important, combined with the empirical evidence that on average individuals tend to systematically underestimate their life expectancy, the findings have strong policy implications. The annuitization puzzle may be alleviated by helping individuals in better assessing their longevity risk, rather than forcing their actions.


Almost all courts to interpret Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act have construed its ambiguously worded immunity provision broadly, shielding Internet intermediaries from tort liability so long as they are not the literal authors of offensive content. Although this broad interpretation effects the basic goals of the statute, it ignores several serious textual difficulties and mistakenly extends protection too far by immunizing even direct participants in tortuous conduct.This analysis, which examines the text and history of Section 230 in light of two strains of pre-Internet vicarious liability defamation doctrine, concludes that the immunity provision of Section 230, though broad, was not intended to abrogate entirely traditional common law notions of vicarious liability. Some bases of vicarious liability remain, and their continuing validity both explains the textual puzzles courts have faced in applying Section 230 and undergirds the push by a small minority of courts to narrow the section's immunity provision.


Selling luxury suite inventory is a priority for professional sport organizations, yet little is known about the motivations of those who purchase suites. There are 12,400 luxury suites in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL (Association of Luxury Suite Directors, 2009) accounting for over $600 million in gross revenues (Lee & Chun, 2002). In the current recession, selling suites is a challenge as many corporate suite clients are leery of the public perception of owning a suite and are being held more accountable for spending than ever before. This study sought to gain a better understanding of how luxury suite sales professionals perceive their corporate client motivations for purchasing and renewal as well as to explore similarities and differences between the "big four" leagues. Results indicated that there are few differences between leagues and that relationships between the team and the suite client are critical to selling suites and retaining corporate clients.


Inhibition of angiogenesis by DSCR1 through the VEGF-calcineurin pathway may contribute to decreased incidence of tumors in Down syndrome. Down syndrome, which is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 and is the most common genetic cause of mental retardation, is associated with a substantially decreased risk of most solid cancers. DSCR1, one of the supernumerary genes in trisomy 21, encodes a protein that inhibits angiogenic signaling mediated through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and calcineurin. This inhibition led Baek et al. to explore the possibility that increased DSCR1 abundance might suppress angiogenesis and, thereby, tumor growth. After determining that there was indeed a modest increase in DSCR1 abundance in Down syndrome tissues, the authors identified a comparable increase in DSCR1 in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome, which is trisomic for the mouse orthologs of 104 of the human chromosome 21 genes. Transplanted tumors grew more slowly in Ts65Dn mice than in diploid littermates and showed decreased microvessel density; moreover, teratomas derived from induced pluripotent stem cells with trisomy 21 had lower microvessel density when grown in immunodeficient mice than did teratomas derived from cytogenically normal cells. Transgenic mice with three copies of Dscr1 (Dscr1 mice) also showed decreased growth of transplanted tumors and decreased tumor angiogenesis, whereas Ts65Dn mice with only two copies of Dscr1 (but trisomic for the other 103 genes) exhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis intermediate between those of parent Ts65Dn and wild-type mice. Compared with wild-type cells, endothelial cells from Dscr1 mice showed decreased VEGF-calcineurin signaling, as evidenced by decreased translocation of NFATc1 to the nucleus in response to VEGF treatment, decreased abundance of the VEGF-calcineurin-NFAT target cycloxygenase 2, and decreased VEGF-induced proliferation. Overexpression in Dscr1 transgenic endothelial cells of another chromosome 21 gene implicated in VEGF signaling, Dyrk1a, further decreased VEGF-dependent endothelial cell proliferation. The authors conclude that inhibition of angiogenesis by DSCR1 through the VEGF-calcineurin pathway likely contributes to the decreased incidence of tumors in individuals with Down syndrome and may provide clues to new therapeutic targets in cancer. K.-H. Baek, A. Zaslavsky, R. C. Lynch, C. Britt, Y. Okada, R. J. Siarey, M. W. Lensch, I.-H. Park, S. S. Yoon, T. Minami, J. R. Korenberg, J. Folkman, G. Q. Daley, W. C. Aird, Z. Galdzicki, S. Ryeom, Down's syndrome suppression of tumour growth and the role of the calcineurin inhibitor DSCR1. Nature 459, 1126–1130 (2009). [PubMed]


The aim of this study was to assess potential impacts of water quality changes associated with floods on the occupancy of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in two subtropical estuaries in Australia. Boat-based surveys were conducted in the Clarence River estuary (CR) and Richmond River estuaries (RR) over 3 yr. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that when the dolphins were absent from the estuaries, three water quality components were extracted in the CR and two components in the RR. The PCA1 component included high loadings for salinity, turbidity, and pH for the CR (46%); and salinity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) for the RR (51%). Randomization tests showed that dolphins abandoned both estuaries at times of lower salinity, and during periods of higher turbidity and of lower levels of pH and dissolved oxygen in the RR that were associated with floods. The time until dolphins returned to the estuary postflood depended on the length and severity of the flood, but generally dolphins were observed in waters with salinity levels above 29‰. Their delayed return postflood could be for their physiological health, or because their prey returned to the estuaries under these higher salinity conditions, or more likely a combination of both factors.


The concept of Bioeconomy covers the agricultural, food and energy research industries which develop, produce or use them in any form of biological resource such as animals, plants and microorganisms. The region of Latin America has some important advantages, such as abundant natural resources, which can be benefit in economic progress and social integration in this new production model. This study provides an overview of the Bioeconomy in Latin America, and its conceptualization which is characterized in two ways: firstly, as a bioproject, and secondly as a platform for competitive economic growth. The former project and platform was done by integrating the systematic and profound analysis of literature in the support of the policy framework bioeconomic development, based on themanagement and technological exploitation of living matter. This study finds the definition of Bioeconomy with emphasis on economic output and biofuels, including the challenges and efforts of bioeconomic development in Latin America focusing on the new context of global bioeconomic development. The value of this work lies down in the analysis and monitoring about of the bioeconomic advances and the possibility to contribute to support ideas and policies that promote the regional economic improvement.


We study the returns of stocks from twenty-one frontier markets divided into the four regions of Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia from January 2006 to June 2016. Factor mimicking portfolios based on market capitalization (SMB), book-to-market equity (HML), and momentum (WML) are constructed and reveal large and significant returns associated with value and momentum in frontier markets. Different from the developed markets, value and momentum effects are observed in both large and small market cap stocks. Empirical asset pricing models are not able to explain the observed value and momentum return patterns. Local asset pricing models, which use factors constructed from frontier market returns, and global asset pricing models, which use factors derived from developed market returns, are rejected in nearly all cases; however, the local four-factor model strongly outperforms the local single-factor capital asset pricing model (CAPM) for all regions, and the local four-factor model is found to be vastly superior to all global models. Surprisingly, there is no difference in performance between the global one-factor CAPM and the global four-factor model in explaining frontier stock market returns. This evidence strongly suggests that frontier and developed markets are segmented.


Abstract. The average depth in the ocean at which the majority of sinking organic matter particles remineralise is a fundamental parameter in the ocean's role in regulating atmospheric CO2. Observed spatial patterns in sinking fluxes and relationships between the fluxes of different particles in the modern ocean have widely been used to invoke controlling mechanisms with important implications for CO2 regulation. However, such analyses are limited by the sparse spatial sampling of the available sediment trap data. Here we explore whether model ocean circulation rates, in the form of a transport matrix, can be used to derive remineralisation rates and infer sinking particle flux curves from the much more highly resolved observations of dissolved nutrient concentrations. Initially we show an example of the method using a transport matrix from the MITgcm model and demonstrate that there are a number of potential uncertainties associated with the method. We then use the Earth system model GENIE to generate a synthetic tracer data set to explore the method and its sensitivity to key sources of uncertainty arising from errors in the tracer observations and in the model circulation. We use a 54-member ensemble of different, but plausible, estimates of the modern circulation to explore errors associated with model transport rates. We find that reconstructed re-mineralisation rates are very sensitive to both errors in observations and model circulation rates, such that a simple inversion cannot provide a robust estimate of particulate flux profiles. Estimated remineralisation rates are particularly sensitive to differences between the "observed" and modelled circulation because remineralisation rates are 3–4 magnitudes smaller than transport rates. We highlight a potential method of constraining the uncertainty associated with using modelled circulation rates, although its success is limited by the observations currently available. Finally, we show that there are additional uncertainties when inferring particle flux curves from reliable estimates of remineralisation rates due to processes that are not restricted to the vertical water column transport, such as the cycling of dissolved organic matter.


Leaching of P to tile drains by colloid‐facilitated transport in macropores is an important pathway for P loss in structured soils. Macropore flow is the main transport route for many organic and inorganic pollutants, but macropore flow cannot currently be reliably predicted. The objectives of this study were first to develop pedotransfer functions (PTFs) predicting near‐saturated [k(−1)] and saturated (Ks) hydraulic conductivity using simple soil parameters as predictors and second to use this information and a newly developed raster‐based soil property map of Denmark to identify risk areas for macropore flow. The data set was based on hydraulic measurements on large, undisturbed soil columns from different localities in Denmark. Unsaturated [k(h)] and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured in the laboratory; k(−1) representing the hydraulic conductivity of the soil matrix and the difference between log(Ks) and log[k(−1)] that expresses the possible degree of preferential transport through macropores were considered crucial for the flow of water through macropores. Pedotransfer functions predicting the two key parameters (log(Ks) and log[k(−1)]) based on neural networks were derived using combinations of different soil physical parameters. The neural network was able to develop reasonably accurate PTFs predicting log[k(−1)], whereas the prediction of log(Ks) was less accurate. Using the distributed data of the hydraulic properties derived from the PTFs, outputs of water flow modeling were used to construct a new map dividing Denmark into risk categories for macropore flow. This map can be combined with other tools to identify areas where there is a high risk of contaminants leaching out of the root zone.


A significant risk factor in assessing and modeling potential catastrophic slope movement in open-pit mines is the presence of argillic alteration in host rocks. Highresolution hyperspectral imagery operating in the visible to shortwave infrared can be a useful tool for identifying and mapping potentially dangerous argillic zones. We have conducted preliminary experiments with a new type of hyperspectral imager that employs an acousto-optic tunable filter, a variable retardation plate and a standard digital camera. The instrument we tested operates in the .5-1.0 micrometer range. A shortwave infrared instrument is planned, and mid-infrared instruments have been designed. An AOTF consists of an acoustic transducer that generates an acoustic wave that propagates through an attached crystalline substance. The wave sinusoidally modulates the refractive index of the crystal, selectively diffracting incident light according to its wavelength. The instrument also measures polarization signatures of reflecting surfaces as well as their spectral properties, opening up new areas of possible research. Images can be acquired and processed at 30 frames/second. The AOTF camera system offers numerous advantages to geologists. It can be used as an airborne imager or as a portable field device to image pit walls, outcrops, rock specimens or drill core. It can be adapted to image polished sections under a microscope, and it could be used in underground workings. Algorithms can produce processed images in real time (e.g., ratio images), and, because it is a camera system, aerial images can be orthorectified.


This exhibition developed from research into the limits of form, where gesture and experienced space can become visible, employing casting techniques begun in 2004 at The Glass Centre, Sunderland and Middlesex University, where Cowan first experimented with glass casting processes.

Erica Fiorentini Arte Contemporanea, Rome, invited Cowan to prepare a solo exhibition in their international artists programme. The 3-month exhibition I segreti dell'animal displayed new sculptures and photographs alongside previously exhibited work in a Cowan/Fiorentini collaboration, whose focus was the gestural body.

The sculpture 'Myself as a Tree' comprised a glass cast of the trace of an actual arm moving repetitively through wet clay - a material representation of movement as physical form. Another work â Water Portraits presented a series of photographs recording the movement of water as a hand-held camera followed the rise and fall of a boat's prow cutting through waves. Further works investigated the representation of performative gestures. Concepts of ritual and gesture, temporality and memory drawn from Deleuze and Agamben provided the theoretical underpinning of the practice. Research into the materialization of ephemeral forces was first developed during a study trip to Walter de Maria's Lightning Field, and inhabiting a deserted island in the Outer Hebrides for eight consecutive summers. The accompanying catalogue included excerpts from discussions between the artist and Jean Fisher (RA2) and Simonetta Lux, with an introduction by Erica Fiorentini.

There were 13 exhibition reviews in Italian newspapers/on-line journals.


Terrorism is one of the biggest threats for the developed and developing countries that required unified policies to combat with this evil, however, before devising any sustained policies, it is imperative to lookup for country's socio-economic issues that may restrain this effort in vein. This study examines the relationship between terrorism incidence, poverty issues and economic growth in the context of Pakistan by using the time period of 1980-2015, in order to propose an integrated economic framework for long-term sustained growth. The study used time series cointegration techniques, including, unit root, cointegration, robust least square regression, granger causality and impulse response function for robust inferences. The results show that unemployment and population growth both decreases country's economic growth that put a strain on country's sustained efforts for long-term growth. The improvement in the education status of the residents substantially decline the poverty, however, it does not translated in to labor market, where unemployment increases poverty in country. Although, the study results do not show the positive association between unemployment and terrorism incidence in a country, however, it is evident from the results that there is a positive association between education and number of attacks in a country, which support the Krueger and Maleckova's demand side theory of terrorism. Krueger and Maleckova's terrorism demand theory provoked that educated individuals are more preferable to the terrorist organizations due to have a better skills to plan the terrorist activities. The study concludes that Pakistan government should have to provide better education and employment opportunities to reduce the unwanted thoughts of terrorism activities in a country.


Two hundred and ninety-three randomly-selected members of the staff of ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research were surveyed anonymously in June 1998, using a pre-tested and self-administered questionnaire, to assess their knowledge on, and attitude toward, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). All except 4 (1.4%) heard of AIDS. Main sources of information were radio and television (93%), newspapers and magazines (84.8%), posters and leaflets (70.2%), and friends (59.2%). About 94% of the respondents believed that HIV might spread in Bangladesh. Only 61.6% knew about the causative agent for AIDS. More than 96% had knowledge that HIV could be detected through blood test. The respondents were aware that unprotected sexual intercourse (92%), transfusion of blood and blood components (93.8%), sharing unsterile needles for injections (94.1%), and delivery of babies by infected mothers (82.7%) could transmit HIV. Similarly, the respondents had the knowledge that HIV infection could be prevented by using condom during sexual intercourse (85.5%), having sex only with an HIV-negative faithful partner (87.2%), avoiding transfusion of blood not screened for HIV (88.9%), and taking injections with sterile needles (86.5%). However, only 33.0% had the knowledge that HIV-infected persons can look healthy, and 56.4% were unaware of transmission through breastmilk. Most members of the staff, particularly at lower level, had misconceptions about transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. More than 40% of the respondents had the attitude that HIV-infected persons should not be allowed to work, while another 10% did not have any idea about it. The findings of the study suggest that the members of the Centre's staff have a satisfactory level of essential knowledge on HIV/AIDS, although half of them have poor attitudes toward persons with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, preventive strategy for the staff should be directed toward behaviour change communication.


Abstract The duty to rescue persons in distress at sea is a fundamental rule of international law. It has been incorporated in international treaties and forms the content of a norm of customary international law. It applies both during peacetime and during wartime, albeit with the necessary adjustments to take into account the different circumstances. States are also under the duty to provide search and rescue services. This article discusses the content and limitations of these provisions and assesses their potential to ensure the protection of human lives at sea. Furthermore, the article suggests that reference to the right to life, as protected in international human rights law, may be useful in further safeguarding human life and ensuring compliance by States with their duties.


High Temperature Superconductors (HTSCs) were rst discovered in 1986, but despite enormous amount of research for last two decades, these materials are still not yet completely understood. HTSCs exhibit very complicated three dimensional phase diagram parameterized by temperature, magnetic led and carrier concentration. Up to now we do not know how to properly characterize all of their di erent phases, in particular the so-called pseudogap (PG) phase where the system is not macroscopically a superconductor but shows properties similar to the superconducting (SC) state. Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) that probes the momentum space structure of a system has greatly contributed to our understanding of the electronic structure of HTSCs. In this thesis I will present various ARPES studies on HTSCs. In order to understand the origin of high temperature superconductivity in copper ox- ides, we must understand the normal state from which it emerges. I will present the evolu- tion of the normal state electronic excitations with temperature and carrier concentration in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ using ARPES data. I will show that unlike conventional superconductor, the high temperature superconductors exhibit two additional temperature scales which are pseudo- gap scale T , below which electronic excitations exhibit an energy gap, coherence scale Tcoh, below which sharp spectral features appear due to increased lifetime of the excitations. And T and Tcoh are strongly doping dependent, and cross each other near optimal doping. I will also present ARPES observation of the electronic excitations of the non-superconducting state that exists between the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator at zero doping and the super- conducting state at larger dopings in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ (Bi2212). I will show that the state is a nodal liquid whose excitation gap becomes zero only at points in momentum space, and the material has the same gap structure as the d-wave superconductor despite that it has resistivity characteristic of an insulator and the absence of coherent quasiparticle peaks. And there is a smooth evolution of the spectrum across the insulator-to-superconductor transition At the end I will show our scaling analysis of ARPES data across the phase diagram. From the scaling analysis, we nd that there is a 2-D scaling relation in the pseudogap phase, but not in the normal states in the over-doped phase. Thus the states in the pseudogap phase share the same properties that are di erent from over-doped phase. And also because of the scaling relation, there is quantum critical line along the Fermi-surface in the pseudogap phase.


Lane departure crashes account for a significant number of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities. However, information specific to large truck lane departures is not well documented. This project evaluated lane departure crashes and the related independent variables and attempted to derive causal relationships that can be used to identify preventative measures for reducing large truck lane departure crashes. Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association's Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) Database were evaluated to determine both the common causes and the circumstances leading to lane departure crashes. Causes and circumstances may include driver, vehicle, roadway, and environmental factors. Simple statistics, a simple odds ratio, and logistic regression were used to evaluate the crashes, and driver, vehicle, environmental, and roadway factors contributing to large truck lane departure crashes were identified.


Abstract Pho7, a member of the Zn2Cys6 family of fungal transcription factors, is the key transcriptional activator underlying fission yeast phosphate homeostasis, a physiological response to phosphate starvation in which the pho1, pho84 and tgp1 genes are upregulated. Here, we delineated a minimized 61-amino-acid Pho7 DNA-binding domain (DBD) and determined the 1.7 Å crystal structure of the DBD at its target site in the tgp1 promoter. Two distinctive features of the Pho7 DBD are: it binds DNA as a monomer, unlike most other fungal zinc-cluster factors that bind as homodimers; and it makes extensive interactions with its asymmetric target sequence over a 14-bp footprint that entails hydrogen bonding to 13 individual bases within, and remote from, the CGG triplet typically recognized by other Zn2Cys6 DBDs. Base pair substitutions at Pho7 sites in the tgp1 and pho1 promoters highlight the importance of the 5′-CGG triplet for Pho7 binding in vitro and Pho7-dependent gene expression in vivo. We identify several DBD amino acids at which alanine substitution effaced or attenuated the pho1 phosphate starvation response and concordantly reduced Pho7 binding to a pho1 promoter site.


The hypothesis that supplementation with Spirulina will increase liveweight, growth and body conformation with significant interactions between sire breed and sex was tested using purebred Merino weaners and first-cross weaners from Merino dams sired by Dorset, Black Suffolk and White Suffolk rams under the same pasture-based management system. Our experimental objective was to evaluate the effects of varying levels of Spirulina supplementation, sire breed and gender on liveweight and body conformation traits. We utilized a complete randomized block experimental design balanced by 4 sire breeds, 3 supplementation levels and 2 sexes in which weaned prime lambs with an average liveweight of 37.6 ± 5.2 kg and body condition score of 3.1 ± 0.4 at 6 months of age were balanced by sire breed and gender and randomly allocated into 3 treatments (8 lambs per treatment) – the control group grazing without Spirulina (0%), low (10%wt/vol) and high (20%wt/vol) Spirulina. Lambs in the low and high Spirulina treatment groups were drenched daily with Spirulina prior to being released for grazing with the control group of lambs over a 6-week trial period, following a 3-week adjustment phase. Weekly measurements of chest girth, withers height, body length, body condition score and liveweight were taken. Mixed linear model procedures in SAS with sire breed, sex, Spirulina level and their second order interactions as fixed effects and sire as a random variable, were used for statistical analysis. Spirulina level significantly influenced lamb liveweight (P<0.018), body condition score (P<0.001) and body length (P<0.015). Lambs on Spirulina levels of 10% recorded the highest mean liveweight of 41.9 ± 0.7 kg. Spirulina levels of 20% did not significantly improve liveweight compared to the control group (0%). Highly significant sire breed interactions with Spirulina level (P<0.001) resulted in the heaviest (47.08 kg) and lightest (35.14 kg) average liveweights in Black Suffolk-sired crossbreds and purebred Merino lambs respectively, supplemented at the 20% Spirulina level. Body conformation (P<0.001) and liveweight (P<0.014) responses to Spirulina supplementation significantly varied between ewe and wether lambs. It was evident that a cost-effective supplementation strategy with Spirulina for optimal liveweight gains in weaner lambs was achieved at the 10% level. These findings will aid sheep farmers in making informed choices about appropriate sire breed and gender combinations in their enterprises when supplementing with Spirulina for growth improvement as a strategic pathway for the early attainment of market weights in prime lambs. We concluded that based on the empirical experimental evidence within the scope of this study, the tested hypothesis is acceptable.


Since September 2003, the Retirement Research Center at the National Bureau of Economic Research has conducted a coordinated series of investigations on Social Security in a changing environment and the potential routes to sustainable solvency. The Center supports extensive collaborative research over a multiyear horizon to achieve a more fully integrated understanding of Social Security's challenges and the changing environment in which it operates. This article is an overview of the studies completed since the Center's inception.


The aim of present was study relationship between branch performance with current deposit interest-free loan (Case Study: Bank Melli of Zabol city). In this study, 268 questionnaires evaluated performance of 29 branches distributed in Zabol city. Zabol's total number of branches was 32 branches that the third branch will not measured because they were newly established. Due to the small population of branches, all of society was studied in this study. This study is considered descriptive survey. Questionnaire was used to evaluate statistical population attitudes about the performance of short-term bank deposits and longterm success of bank. The results showed that there is significant relationship between performances of branch and short-term deposits absorption and this relationship is reversed and there is no significant relationship between branch performance and with current deposit.


Apparatus of the type used in liquid crystal and semiconductor production facilities, medical inspection facilities, and linear motor cars utilize a magnetic field. When operated, either driven or rotated, they may experience a disturbance of the ambient magnetic field. This is more likely to occur if the driven or rotating portion of the apparatus is formed from a magnetic material. In recent years, bearings use in apparatus utilizing a magnetic field were made in precipitation hardening stainless steels such as Mn-Cr-V series or Mn-Cr-Ni-V series. Although these steels have excellent corrosion resistance, compared to martensitic stainless steels like AISI 440C, it is still not sufficient. In addition, the typical hardness of a precipitation hardening stainless steel used for bearings is about 446 HV. The low hardness of the steel means that the durability of the bearing is often unsatisfactory. Therefore, work was undertaken to develop a bearing steel with improved properties. In addition, to having improved corrosion resistance and durability, the steel must also have a very low magnetic permeability. This led to the development of a carburized AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel. The carburizing was carried out at 500°C to produce a surface layer with a hardness around 800∼1000 HV, while retaining the excellent corrosion resistance and low magnetic permeability associated with this type of steel. Tests carried out have shown that despite the thinness of the hardened layer and low core hardness, in certain applications bearings made in carburized AISI 316L exhibited excellent durability together with low friction characteristics.


Adrenal hemorrhage is rare but appears to occur more frequently in patients with underlying hematological conditions. We report two recent patients with underlying hematological disorders who presented with adrenal insufficiency due to bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. The first case is a 59-year-old woman known to have myelofibrosis. This patient was being treated with warfarin for left leg deep vein thrombosis which developed after splenectomy. She was admitted to hospital with vomiting and abdominal pain. The second case is an 84-year-old male patient with antiphospholipid syndrome and diabetes mellitus who was treated with warfarin and insulin. He was admitted with sudden onset of nausea, hypotension and recurrent hypoglycemia despite cessation of insulin therapy. In both cases, bilateral enlarged adrenal glands consistent with hemorrhage were detected resulting in adrenal insufficiency. It is important that Hematologists and Endocrinologists alike should recognise symptoms of adrenal insufficiency in patients with hematological disorders, particularly those being treated with antiplatelet medications or anticoagulants. doi:10.4021/jem31w


Purpose To quantitatively characterize the retinal vascular network in healthy and pathological cases using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images. Methods The study included 56 eyes of 28 patients as follows: 26 healthy, 20 with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 6 with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and 4 with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). For 33 eyes (16 healthy and 17 with DR), vessel density maps were provided by the OCTA machine. An automatic algorithm classified the image (as healthy, DR, AMD, or RVO) and provided quantitative information obtained from the angiograms, including global vessel density, global fractal dimension, and fovea avascular zone (FAZ) area. Classification results were compared with the diagnosis made by a retina specialist. The quantitative values were compared with the literature and to values provided by the OCTA machine. Results The success rate of classification was 83.9%. Vessel densities obtained by our algorithm (in healthy and DR cases) were significantly lower than the values reported in previous studies using OCTA. Similarly, they were much lower than the values provided by the OCTA machine. However, vessel densities in the healthy cases were similar to or higher than (depending on the retinal layer) the recently published values that may be considered as gold standard. Our values of fractal dimension were similar to those previously reported. Conclusions Our algorithm provides significantly improved vessel density values compared with previous studies. We believe our algorithm successfully omits false vessels. Translational Relevance Accurately assessing retinal vessel density enables better evaluation of retinal disorders.


The early life-history stages of reptiles are extremely important to an individual's fitness, but in an ecological sense, among the most difficult to observe. Here, we used radio-tracking techniques to describe the differences in movement patterns, habitat use and home range between hatchling and juvenile Komodo dragons Varanus komodoensis on Komodo Island, Indonesia. The movement of hatchlings from their nests was largely linear and suggested a natal dispersal event. The movement patterns of juvenile Komodo dragons exhibited a greater spatial overlap than hatchlings, indicating greater site fidelity and thus use of a more defined activity area. The rates of daily movement were significantly less for hatchlings compared with juvenile dragons. The activity areas of hatchlings were significantly smaller than juvenile dragons. Both age classes preferred utilizing dry monsoon forest compared with other habitat types. Hatchlings were predominantly arboreal compared with juveniles and the degree of arboreal activity was strongly correlated with an individual's size. These distinct differences in spatial ecology between immature life-history stages suggest that different selection pressures may affect different size classes of Komodo dragons.


We have investigated a number of configuration interaction (CI) wave functions which incorporate the dominant effects of triple and quadruple substitutions. If we employ natural orbitals from a CI singles and doubles (CISD) procedure, then the orbitals may be conveniently partitioned into subspaces of varying importance, and electron configurations may be classified according to how they occupy each of the subspaces. We employ a CI model space containing all single and double substitutions and also those classes of triply and quadruply substituted configurations deemed most important on the basis of natural orbital populations. This a priori selection scheme recovers a large fraction of the energy of a CI including all triples and quadruples (CISDTQ) at a drastically reduced computational expense, and it represents a more "black-box" alternative to traditional multireference CI approaches. Implications for nonvariational approaches are also discussed.


Summary

Phytophthora agathidicida (PTA) causes a root rot and collar rot of New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis). This study developed techniques to visualize early infection of kauri by PTA in deliberately inoculated seedlings. Conventional light microscopy was carried out on cleared and stained roots using trypan blue to observe PTA structures. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the PTA root structures at a higher resolution. A fluorescent in situ hybridization assay (FISH) was developed using a PTA-specific probe to label PTA structures in planta. Infection progression in roots of 2-year-old kauri inoculated with PTA at 5, 10, 16 and 20 days post-inoculation (d.p.i.) was compared using these three approaches. Light microscopy identified no Phytophthora-like structures in the control treatments. In PTA-inoculated plants, lignitubers were produced 5 d.p.i. in cortical cells. Infection was localized after 5 days, but as the infection progressed (up to 20 d.p.i.), the 'degree' of root infection increased, as did the number of replicates in which structures were observed. SEM provided higher resolution images; again, no PTA structures were observed in the negative control material examined. The slide-based FISH-specificity assay successfully hybridized with PTA hyphae. Fluorescence was observed using 330–380 nm excitation and an emission filter at 420 nm (DAPI), with PTA nuclei fluorescing a bright greenish-yellow. Cross-reactivity was not observed when the assay was applied to six other non-target Phytophthora species. Successful hybridization reactions occurred between the primer and PTA structures in planta. Applying this FISH assay has allowed clear differentiation of the intracellular and intercellular structures of PTA. The technique can be applied to longer term studies or analysis of ex situ inoculation studies aiming to elucidate differential host-responses to the pathogen. Additionally, the technique could be applied to study the interactions with other fungal endophytes (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi), which could be assessed for biocontrol potential as part of the integrated management of the disease.


Rhodotorula genus, amended in 2015, is polyphyletic and contains Rhodotorula species that grow as single-cell yeast (monomorphic) and reproduce asexually via budding/fission (anamorphic); it also contains Rhodosporidium species that reproduce sexually (teleomorphic) and alternate between a yeast phase and dikaryotic filamentous phase (dimorphic). Several species of these "red yeast" produce industrial bioproducts, namely biofuel feedstocks, carotenoids, enzymes, and biosurfactants. This chapter highlights the biotechnology areas that Rhodotorula/ Rhodosporidium contributes to and the future market value of those industries. The primary yeast species to be discussed include Rhodosporidium toruloides, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodosporidium diobovatum, Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae, Rhodotorula graminis, Rhodotorula babjevae, and Rhodotorula taiwanensis.


A cascaded ytterbium-doped all-fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) with 1064-nm pulsed laser is demonstrated, and it can produce up to 20-W average power and 0.1-mJ pulse energy at tunable repetition rates from 10 to 200 kHz. Two main di±culties of the all-fiber configuration are overcome: all fiber isolator and mode field adapter between single mode fiber (SMF) and double cladding fiber (DCF). Gain saturation and nonlinear effect are analyzed theoretically, and the possibility of further power-scaling of this cascade scheme is predicted.


Background and Hypothesis: The pathogenesis of neuroblastoma remains elusive. In order to further understand the pathogenesis, it is necessary to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms of the cancer. One protein of interest is high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). HMGB1 has been implicated in cancer including tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, relapse and therapeutic resistance. HMGB1 isoforms signals via different receptors including the chemokine receptor, CXCR4, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and the prominent inflammation-associated receptor, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). To gain insight into the possible impact of HMGB1 on the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line, we determined the degree to which CXCR4, TLR4 and RAGE are present on SH-SY5Y cells. We hypothesize that the presence of these receptors in SH-SY5Y cells may mediate proliferation of neuroblastoma cells and other types of cancer.
Experimental Design or Project Methods: The SH-SY5Y cell line (ATCC® CRL-2266™) was derived from a metastatic bone tumor in a 4 year old female. Cells were lysed in lysis buffer, electrophoresed on a 10% SDS-PAGE, and blotted onto PVDF membrane. After blocking, the membranes were incubated with primary antibodies against the receptor protein overnight at 4 °C, and then with HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies for 1h. Protein bands were visualized with a SuperSignal West Pico Chemiluminescent Substrate.
Results: To be finalized
Conclusion and Potential Impact: Investigating SH-SY5Y cell line for the presence of these inflammation-associated receptors could potentially serve as a model to better understand the role of these receptors in cancer research.


Employee engagement is a concept that can have huge positive bearings on organisational outcomes (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999), specifically in the health industry (Pelzang, 2010; Lee, Lee and Kang 2012). This research will examine the key influencers of engagement for carers in the home-care sector in East Clare.

The home-care sector is going to become an increasingly important one in the years ahead, given Ireland's ageing population. The industry is beginning to be opened up to tender and is currently unregulated (Home and Community Care Ireland, 2014). However, there appears to be very little Irish research done in this area despite it being of such critical social and economic importance both to the individual being cared for and society as a whole. Therefore, it is worthy of more examination. The impetus for the research arose through the researcher working in a large home care provider in Dublin for one day a week for six months. This prompted a curiosity about how the ad-hoc working hours impacted on carer engagement levels.

The methodology used in this research was structured, face-to-face interviews with five carers which was the most appropriate way to gain a comprehensive insight into the area. The interviews were structured around a questionnaire amended from Tellis-Neyak (2007) and allowed the research to generate the "why" of the responses for better understanding (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).
The research found that the carers interviewed display what appears to be a uniquely high level of engagement, to the extent that the main source of job stress is that they can't do more for their clients. Pay appears not to be a significant factor in determining engagement levels. There is a very hands-off style of management resulting in a high level of employee discretion. There is little or no formal recognition of the outstanding work that is done by carers on a daily basis.

The findings are of enormous value as the job of a carer is truly unique and needs to be recognised and valued by their employers and society.


Uganda, like most African countries, is a creature of European imperialism. Its boundaries were determined in latitudes and longitudes by agreements amongst European nations, and by Britain's administrative convenience. Consequently, the country is a conglomeration of over forty different communities most of which were independent sovereign entities prior to the establishment of the Uganda Protectorate. The Kingdom of Buganda was the nucleus around which the Protectorate was built. It was declared a British Protectorate in 1894. Two years later the immediate neighbouring territories: the kingdoms of Ankole, Bunyoro and Toro, and the chieftaincies of Busoga, were incorporated in the "Uganda Protectorate". The rest of the territory was declared included in the Protectorate by virtue of the 1902 Uganda Order in Council. Buganda's status in the Uganda Protectorate was unique. It was the only territory in the Protectorate which was colonized by agreement between the British Government and its African rulers.1 The first agreement was the 1894 treaty whereby Buganda accepted British protection. Six years later the famous 1900 Uganda agreement (hereafter the Buganda agreement) was made. The latter agreement elaborated in great detail the division of powers between the Protectorate Government and the Buganda administration.2 Throughout the British administration of the territory these agreements were followed by both parties almost to the letter. For this reason Buganda's administration substantially differed from that of the rest of the Protectorate. It enjoyed legal rights and privileges which were generally not available to the other regions. Though the 1900 agreement expressly stipulated that Buganda was to be equal in rank with the other provinces in the Protectorate, quite clearly there was no such equality either in theory or in practice.


The growing interest in cannabidiol (CBD), specifically a pure form of CBD, as a treatment for epilepsy, among other conditions, is reflected in recent changes in legislation in some countries. Although there has been much speculation about the therapeutic value of cannabis-based products as an anti-seizure treatment for some time, it is only within the last two years that Class I evidence has been available for a pure form of CBD, based on placebo-controlled RCTs for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. However, just as we are beginning to understand the significance of CBD as a treatment for epilepsy, in recent years, a broad spectrum of products advertised to contain CBD has emerged on the market. The effects of these products are fundamentally dependent on the purity, preparation, and concentration of CBD and other components, and consensus and standardisation are severely lacking regarding their preparation, composition, usage and effectiveness. This review aims to provide information to neurologists and epileptologists on the therapeutic value of CBD products, principally a purified form, in routine practice for patients with intractable epilepsy.


Food waste policy analysis has traditionally concentrated on supranational or national policies and paid little attention to the role of cities in tackling this phenomenon. Nevertheless, cities have proved to be crucial actors in tackling food waste, launching effective policies and initiatives to address it. By looking at 40 cities across 16 European countries, this study aims to present a new framework for assessing urban food waste policies and initiatives. The framework proposed identifies and sheds light on the links between the different types of policies launched, the main areas of interventions addressed, as well as the different actors intervening in urban food waste management. Finally, it identifies direct and indirect links with the Sustainable Development Goals, showing the role that cities can play in achieving the targets of the UN 2030 Agenda.


The author characterizes Meskoob, a close friend of his father's, was much more than a successful writer and popular literary figure. He was also a gentle and angelic human being who had, for decades regaled him with his humor folksy tales and innumerable acts of kindness. He was, according to the author a voracious reader and tireless researcher who was a master of Persian language. No one could read Meskoob's Dar Kooye Dust [In the Presence of the Beloved] or Soog-e Syavosh [Mourning Syavosh] and not be impressed by his powerful pen and his mastery of the writer over Persian mythology and literary traditions. One may safely assume, the author suggests, that each one of his essays and books alone elevate him to a unique and lofty place among Iranian writers and social and literary critics.
Meskoob's social and literary life was, according to the author, further distinguished by his abiding and constant commitment to ethical principles, and a self-critical attitude that must ideally inform the life of a true intellectual. It was, moreover, his belief in a set of humanistic values that led him first to immerse himself in ancient Zaratushtrian texts, and later to membership in the Tudeh party. His ethical bearings also led him to adopt a critical attitude towards Iranian intellectual scene. Not unlike Julien Benda, the early twentieth century French philosopher and the author of The Treason of Intellectuals, Meskoob, in a break with most Iranian intellectuals of his generation, firmly believed in universal human values. Thus, he deemed the future of a modern society of Iran to be closely tied to the general social and political developments in democratic societies.


The increase of the expected lifetime, that is the longevity phenomenon, is accompanied by an increase of the number of seniors with a severe disability. Because of the significant costs of long term care facilities, it is important to analyze the time spent in long term care, as well as the probability of entering into this state during its lifetime, and how they evolve with longevity. Our paper considers such questions, when lifetime data are available, but long term care data are either unavailable, or too aggregated, or unreliable, as it is usually the case. We specify a joint structural model of long term care and mortality, and explain why parameters of such models are identifiable from only the lifetime data. The methodology is applied to the mortality data of French males, first with a deterministic trend and then with a dynamic factor process. Prediction formulas are then provided and illustrated using the same data. We show in particular that the expected cost of the long term care is increasing less fast than the residual life expectancy at age 50


Previous research has shown that the naturally occurring reactive electrophilic species (RES), 12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA), not only serves as a precursor for jasmonic acid but is also a potent antifungal compound. However, both the low amount present in plants and the multistep synthesis required to produce this compound on a scale viable for agrochemical use currently limits its practical value. The aim of this research was to generate a range of molecular mimics of OPDA with a minimum number of synthetic steps and screen for antifungal activity. Synthetic 4-octyl-cyclopentenone containing the cyclopentenone ring and an eight carbon alkyl chain was found to show the highest in vitro antifungal activity against C. herbarum and B. cinerea with minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 100-200µM. This indicates that structurally simplified 4-octyl-cyclopentenone can be successfully synthesised to mimic the antifungal activity of OPDA against specific fungal strains. Application of 4-octyl-cyclopentenone could act as surfactant by disrupting and disorganising the lipid membrane non-specifically, resulting in the leakage of potassium ions, which was the proposed mode of action of this compound. However, the sensitivity of fungi to this compound is not correlated to the lipid composition of fungal spores. (E)-2-alkenals were also studied for their antimicrobial activity and (E)-2-undecenal was found to have the highest antimicrobial activity against a range of pathogens. The hydrophilic moiety (the a,s-unsaturated carbonyl group), common to both (E)-2-undecenal and 4-octyl-cyclentenone is essential to their bioactivity, and the hydrophobic moiety plays an important role in their antimicrobial activities. 4-Octyl-cyclopentenone showed no visible toxicity to the test plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting that its high antifungal activity against Botrytis and Cladosporium could be exploited for commercialisation as a new generation of agrochemical.