With the recognition of their ability to promote weight loss, conjugated dienes of linoleic acid (CLA) have become the main ingredient of certain dietary supplements to counteract obesity. The results of prospective studies, however, indicate there may be long-term side effects that could be of key importance for the safety of CLA-based products. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of CLA supplementation with the effective weight-reducing trans-10, cis-12 CLA, its ineffective companion cis-9, trans-11 CLA, and 1:1 mixtures of them on the mineral composition of hard tissues and blood in mice. The study material consisted of bones, teeth, and serum of female obesity-prone C57BI/6J mice fed MURIGRAN feed containing soy oil or soy oil plus CLA. After 4 weeks of supplementation, the animals were sacrificed and the tissues were collected for analysis. The fluoride content was determined by potentiometry, while calcium and magnesium levels were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that CLA isomers significantly increased the bone fluoride content while reducing the fluoride levels in teeth and serum, which was particularly evident in case of the CLA cis-9, trans-11 isomer. With the latter, a slight reduction in the bone calcium content was also observed, accompanied by a statistically significant reduction of magnesium levels, which might have a significant impact on bone quality. It appears that calcium and magnesium are transported from bones to serum and teeth with CLA supplementation, wherein a rise in their levels was observed. In teeth, increased calcium and magnesium levels with simultaneous reduction in the fluoride levels occurred, thereby possibly reducing enamel hardness by increasing the formation of crystal defects and the presence of amorphous hydroxyapatite.


Abstract. Extra–tropical wind storms pose one of the most dangerous and loss intensive natural hazards for Europe. However, due to only 50 years of high quality observational data, it is difficult to assess the statistical uncertainty of these sparse events just based on observations. Over the last decade seasonal ensemble forecasts have become indispensable in quantifying the uncertainty of weather prediction on seasonal time scales. In this study seasonal forecasts are used in a climatological context: By making use of the up to 51 ensemble members a broad, physically consistent statistical base can be created. This large sample can thus be used to assess the uncertainty of extreme wind storm features such as intensity or severity more accurately. In particular return periods and even a potential maximum intensity of windstorms and extra–tropical cyclones (ETCs) can be calculated depending on a specific cluster or region in Europe. A 100-year event minimum core pressure in Central Europe, for example, is estimated to be around 940 hPa, whereas it would be around 928 hPa for the British Isles. By employing extreme value statistics a potential minimum core pressure (maximum curvature) can be estimated as well. This is way below (above) a 1000-year event however, it can therefore be seen more as a physical barrier than a realistic scenario.


Giardia is a gastrointestinal parasite that causes infections in humans worldwide. In developing countries, giardiasis is an emerging infection because it plays an important role in diarrhea outbreaks linked to water and food consumption affecting the population in general. Giardiasis is referred to as zoonosis because its biological etiological agent is transmitted to humans through animal reservoirs by oral-fecal route. Detection and occurrences of Giardia cysts have been documented in water, food, soil, and air. The principal risk factors for developing giardiasis include environmental contamination associated with malnutrition and immunosuppression. The small size of cysts and their environmental resistance together with the small infection dose to produce the disease allow giardia dissemination especially in marginalized populations; however, parasitism is present in all countries and at different economic levels. This zoonotic illness contains several species of Giardia duodenalis, infecting mammals and humans with eight serotypes, of which A and B are of public health importance. Quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) is a methodology used for predicting health risk to establish regulations for permissible Giardia risk in water and food. This chapter focuses on worldwide reviews of Giardia incidence in environmental samples including giardiasis prevalence, serotypes, risk factors, and finally options for cyst reduction in the environment, emphasizing on QMRA.


This action research project was based on the leadership of a collaborative change initiative which sought to effect changes across a consortium of higher education institutions in Ireland. The changes sought were defined and agreed with the Higher Education Authority as funding agency for the initiative. The changes sought to ensure that the higher education provision was more relevant and accessible to learners in the work place. Four specific strands of activity formed the basis of the initiative and in all cases the change processes were informed through an exploration and sharing of current practice and a collective agreement on priorities and actions arising from the exploration stages. A variety of research techniques was used in the collection of information on the existing practice and these were distilled into guidelines for the improvement of practice generally. In the case of each of the strands of activity the major outcome, in the form of a report, was widely disseminated throughout the Irish higher education sector and has had a significant impact on practice within the nine higher education institutions which formed the consortium and beyond. The particular leadership challenges associated with leading a collaborative project such as this are addressed. An analysis of the extant literature points to the lack of a suitable framework to support this type of cross-organisational change management initiative. Through an action research approach and the inclusion of a number of different perspectives in building a three dimensional focus of informed enquiry, a revised Framework for Change is developed. The Framework is informed by the analysis of in-depth interviews with participants in the change initiative and it is developed as a re-usable framework which will inform the design and leadership of broad, collaborative, cross-organisational change endeavours generally.


We develop GPU adaptations of the Aho-Corasick and multipattern Boyer-Moore string matching algorithms for the two cases GPU-to-GPU (input to the algorithms is initially in GPU memory and the output is left in GPU memory) and host-to-host (input and output are in the memory of the host CPU). For the GPU-to-GPU case, we consider several refinements to a base GPU implementation and measure the performance gain from each refinement. For the host-to-host case, we analyze two strategies to communicate between the host and the GPU and show that one is optimal with respect to runtime while the other requires less device memory. This analysis is done for GPUs with one I/O channel to the host as well as those with 2. Experiments conducted on an NVIDIA Tesla GT200 GPU that has 240 cores running off of a Xeon 2.8 GHz quad-core host CPU show that, for the GPU-to-GPU case, our Aho-Corasick GPU adaptation achieves a speedup between 8.5 and 9.5 relative to a single-thread CPU implementation and between 2.4 and 3.2 relative to the best multithreaded implementation. For the host-to-host case, the GPU AC code achieves a speedup of 3.1 relative to a single-threaded CPU implementation. However, the GPU is unable to deliver any speedup relative to the best multithreaded code running on the quad-core host. In fact, the measured speedups for the latter case ranged between 0.74 and 0.83. Early versions of our multipattern Boyer-Moore adaptations ran 7 to 10 percent slower than corresponding versions of the AC adaptations and we did not refine the multipattern Boyer-Moore codes further.


In this thesis we apply the technique of localization to three-dimensional N=2 superconformal field theories. We consider both theories which are exactly superconformal, and those which are believed to flow to nontrivial superconformal fixed points, for which we consider implicitly these fixed points. We find that in such theories, the partition function and certain supersymmetric observables, such as Wilson loops, can be computed exactly by a matrix model. This matrix model consists of an integral over g, the Lie algebra of the gauge group of the theory, of a certain product of 1-loop factors and classical contributions. One can also consider a space of supersymmetric deformations of the partition function corresponding to the set of abelian global symmetries. In the second part of the thesis we apply these results to test dualities. We start with the case of ABJM theory, which is dual to M-theory on an asymptotically AdS_4xS^7 background. We extract strong coupling results in the field theory, which can be compared to semiclassical, weak coupling results in the gravity theory, and a nontrivial agreement is found. We also consider several classes of dualities between two three-dimensional field theories, namely, 3D mirror symmetry, Aharony duality, and Giveon-Kutasov duality. Here the dualities are typically between the IR limits of two Yang-Mills theories, which are strongly coupled in three dimensions since Yang-Mills theory is asymptotically free here. Thus the comparison is again very nontrivial, and relies on the exactness of the localization computation. We also compare the deformed partition functions, which tests the mapping of global symmetries of the dual theories. Finally, we discuss some recent progress in the understanding of general three-dimensional theories in the form of the F-theorem, a conjectured analogy to the a-theorem in four dimensions and c-theorem in two dimensions, which is closely related to the localization computation.


Interventions in agri-food value chains are thought to potentially make important contributions towards enhancing agriculture's role in nutrition. Some frameworks have begun to identify sets of requirements for pro-nutrition value chains. Pakistan's dairy sector has been the focusof a business-driven innovation which introduced ultra-high temperature (UHT)-treated milk in aseptic packaging. This was expected to relieve existing constraints in production and distribution, raise incomes for producers, and increase the supply of an affordable nutrient-dense food to consumers. While this innovation appeared to fulfil most requirements ofa pro-nutrition value chain, it ultimately failed to act as a bridge between farmers and consumers. Instead, it led to the introduction of non-dairy products and imported raw materials. This case study shows that while existing frameworks take a relatively static view of whether an innovation prospectively fulfils certain requirements, businesses can quickly alter entire value chains in response to market conditions.


We use ground-based imaging polarimetry to detect and image the dusty circumstellar envelopes of a sample of proto-planetary nebulae (PPNe) at near-infrared wavelengths. This technique allows the scattered light from the faint envelope to be separated from the glare of the bright central star and is particularly well suited to this class of object. We detect extended (up to 9 arcsec diameter) circumstellar envelopes around 15 out of 16 sources with a range of morphologies including bipolars and shells. The distribution of scattered light in combination with its polarization (up to 40 per cent) provides unambiguous evidence for axisymmetry in 14 objects showing this to be a common trait of PPNe. We suggest that the range of observed envelope morphologies results from the development of an axisymmetric dust distribution during the superwind phase at the end of the AGB. We identify shells seen in polarized light with scattering from these superwind dust distributions which allows us to provide constraints on the duration of the superwind phase. In one object (IRAS 19475+3119) the circumstellar envelope has a two-armed spiral structure which we suggest results from the interaction of the mass losing star with a binary companion.


To investigate peroxisome assembly and human peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs) such as Zellweger syndrome, thirteen different complementation groups (CGs) of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants defective in peroxisome biogenesis have been isolated and established as a model research system. Successful gene-cloning studies by a forward genetic approach utilized a rapid functional complementation assay of CHO cell mutants led to isolation of human peroxin (PEX) genes. Search for pathogenic genes responsible for PBDs of all 14 CGs is now completed together with the homology search by screening the human expressed sequence tag database using yeast PEX genes. Peroxins are divided into three groups: (1) peroxins including Pex3p, Pex16p, and Pex19p, are responsible for peroxisome membrane biogenesis via classes I and II pathways; (2) peroxins that function in matrix protein import; (3) those such as three forms of Pex11p, Pex11pα, Pex11pβ, and Pex11pγ, are involved in peroxisome proliferation where DLP1, Mff, and Fis1 coordinately function. In membrane assembly, Pex19p forms complexes in the cytosol with newly synthesized PMPs including Pex16p and transports them to the receptor Pex3p, whereby peroxisomal membrane is formed (Class I pathway). Pex19p likewise forms a complex with newly made Pex3p and translocates it to the Pex3p receptor, Pex16p (Class II pathway). In matrix protein import, newly synthesized proteins harboring peroxisome targeting signal type 1 or 2 are recognized by Pex5p or Pex7p in the cytoplasm and are imported to peroxisomes via translocation machinery. In regard to peroxisome-cytoplasmic shuttling of Pex5p, Pex5p initially targets to an 800-kDa docking complex consisting of Pex14p and Pex13p and then translocates to a 500-kDa RING translocation complex. At the terminal step, Pex1p and Pex6p of the AAA family mediate the export of Pex5p, where Cys-ubiquitination of Pex5p is essential for the Pex5p exit.


Hybrid Simulation has been introduced to simulate the seismic response of civil structures. The hybrid model of the emulated system combines numerical and physical subdomains and its dynamic response to a realistic excitation is simulated using a numerical time-stepping response history analysis. In the current practice, lumped parameters structural topologies such as shear type frames or inverted pendulum characterize the physical subdomain and the design of the testing setup is straightforward. Although hybrid simulation has been extensively exploited for testing concrete and steel structures, in the authors' knowledge, there is still a paucity of scientific publications devoted to masonry applications. This is in contrast to the inherent uncertainty carried by masonry failure mechanisms, which hinders any attempt of implementing predictive numerical models. From this perspective, this paper summarizes our recent research achievements aimed at extending hybrid simulation to distributed parameter specimens, such as masonry walls, using the minimum number of actuators. The great potential of reduction bases in driving the substructuring process has been shown in a previous work and here is enhanced to floating physical subdomains


This study explores contemporary and alternative forms of religion active in the Pittsburgh area. Otherwise known as New Age and neopagan, new spiritualities are a domain of religiosity marked by individualism, multiculturalism, and idiosyncratic experimentation with identity that is both subjectively oriented, yet communalistic. Under investigation are the rituals and material culture of study participants, which includes examining the physical manifestations of what are often internal, invisible, and subjective processes. Chapter themes include ritual and structure, commodification and healing, psychonautics and re-enchantment, all of which are defined and discussed via participant comments. Understanding processes of meaning-making, and how beliefs work within these subcultures, is enabled in part through an examination of spirituality texts and discourses. Included therefore is an analysis of such texts, in which the story of modern seekership is interpreted and contextualized, but additionally through the medium of such popular collective myths as Alice in Wonderland and The Matrix. Some questions include, what are the social structures of new spiritualities? What kinds of communities exist to house them? How do norms operate, and what sorts of power dynamics govern such cultural spaces? What are the common goals of individuals who follow new spiritualities? What kinds of embodied experiences define them? How are relationships conducted? What is the role of gender? How is sexuality conceived of? And how does this form of religiosity reproduce itself? Answering these questions partly involves contrasting new spiritualities with traditional religions and normative society. New spirituality is a way of life, and a world view. It is an approach to living that is guided by particular values, beliefs, and practices, all of which shape members' orientation to among other things healthcare, diet, technology, and the environment.


The overriding aim of this groundbreaking volume-whether the subject is vocal ornamentation in 19th-century opera or the collective improvisation of the Grateful Dead-is to give new recognition to performance as the core of musical culture. The collection brings together renowned scholars from performance studies and musicology (including Philip Auslander, David Borgo, Daphne Brooks, Nicholas Cook, Maria Delgado, Susan Fast, Dana Gooley, Philip Gossett, Jason King, Elisabeth Le Guin, Aida Mbowa, Ingrid Monson, Roger Moseley, Richard Pettengill, Joseph Roach, and Margaret Savilonia), with the intent of sparking a productive new dialogue on music as performance. Taking It to the Bridge is on the one hand a series of in-depth studies of a broad range of performance artists and genres, and on the other a contribution to ongoing methodological developments within the study of music, with the goal of bridging the approaches of musicology and performance studies, to enable a close, interpretive listening that combines the best of each. At the same time, by juxtaposing musical genres that range from pop and soul to the classics, and from world music to games and web-mediated performances, Taking It to the Bridge provides an inventory of contrasted approaches to the study of performance and contributes to its developing centrality within music studies.


The precursor of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (proMMP-9, progelatinase B) noncovalently binds to tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 through the C-terminal domain of each molecule. We have isolated the proMMP-9•TIMP-1 complex from the medium of human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells and investigated the activation processes of the complex by 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate, trypsin, and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3, stromelysin 1). The treatment of the proMMP-9•TIMP-1 complex with 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate or trypsin converts proMMP-9 to lower molecular weight species corresponding to active forms, but no gelatinolytic activity is detected. The lack of enzymic activity results from binding of TIMP-1 to the activated MMP-9. The treatment of the proMMP-9•TIMP-1 complex with a possible physiological proMMP-9 activator, MMP-3, does not reveal any gelatinolytic activity unless the molar ratio of MMP-3 to the complex exceeds 1. This is due to the inhibition of MMP-3 by TIMP-1 forming a ternary proMMP-9•TIMP-1•MMP-3 complex. The formation of the ternary complex weakens the interaction between proMMP-9 and TIMP-1, resulting in partial dissociation of the complex into proMMP-9 and the TIMP-1•MMP-3 complex. When MMP-3 is in excess, the propeptide is completely processed, and the full activity of MMP-9 is detected. Similarly, the proMMP-9•TIMP-1 complex inhibits MMP-1 (interstitial collagenase) and in turn renders the proMMP-9 activable by a catalytic amount of MMP-3. These results suggest that formation of the proMMP-9•TIMP-1 complex regulates extracellular matrix breakdown in tissue by switching the predominant MMP activity from one type to another.


Several new of fused thienopyridine and pyrazolopyridine derivatives were synthesized via the reactions of both compounds 2- Carbohydrazide 2 and 3-aminopyrazolopyridine 14 with a variety of active reagents and chemicals. Structures were established based on elemental and spectral data studies. Some of the synthesized compounds exploited potent antitumor activity, especially the pyridopyrazolotriazine 20c which displayed the highest activity among the tested compounds with the IC50 equal to 3.8μg/ml.


In this paper, we address the problem of tracking cooperative mobile nodes in wireless sensor networks. Aiming at a resource efficient solution, we advocate the use of sensors that maintain their location information and rely on the tracking service only when their locations change. In the proposed approach, the tracked node transmits a signal and infrastructure nodes measure the Doppler shifts of the transmitted signal. We show that Mica2 motes can measure RF Doppler shifts with 0.2 Hz accuracy corresponding to a 0.14 m/s error in relative speed estimates using radio inter-ferometric technique.
 The tracking problem is modeled as a non-linear optimization problem and an extended Kalman filter is used to solve it accurately assuming Gaussian measurement errors. However, this approach may fail if the tracked node changes its speed or direction. We propose to update the Kalman filter state by performing constrained least-squares optimization when a maneuver is detected. The combined approach achieves almost a 50% accuracy improvement over the Kalman filter alone when the mobile node changes its direction and speed frequently. We describe our proof-of-concept implementation of the tracking service and evaluate its performance experimentally and in simulation.


International audience

 Many libraries offer free access to digitised historical newspapers via user interfaces. After an initial period of search and filter options as the only features, the availability of more advanced tools and the desire for more options among users has ushered in a period of interface development. However, this raises a number of open questions and challenges. For example, how can we provide interfaces for different user groups? What tools should be available on interfaces and how can we avoid too much complexity? What tools are helpful and how can we improve usability? This paper will not provide definite answers to these questions, but it gives an insight into the difficulties, challenges and risks of using interfaces to investigate historical newspapers. More importantly, it provides ideas and recommendations for the improvement of user interfaces and digital tools.


Introduction: Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk estimation tools are a simple means of identifying those at high risk in a community and hence a potentially cost-effective strategy for CHD prevention in resource-poor countries. Aim: To estimate 10 years risk for hard CHD among the urban population by using Framingham Heart Study produced sexspecific coronary heart disease (CHD) prediction functions and to find out correlates of CHD risk in study population. Methodology: Present community based descriptive study was carried out in 1133 residents of south zone of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat state (India), age 20 years or more without any previous history of CVD. Framingham Heart Study produced simple model with office based non laboratory predictors was used to assess for estimating 10 years risk of developing hard coronary heart disease . Results: The median 10-year probability of CHD was 2.9% (5.6% for men and 1.8% for women). One third (33.4%) population above 30 years had CVD risk 20% or more. Males had significantly higher CVD risk as compared to females (20% of males & 4.5% of female had high CVD risk). Cardiovascular disease risk was also person with inadequate sleep & in executives. Conclusion- Higher risk in males & unskilled worker was mainly due to tobacco addiction while in executives it was mainly due to diabetes & obesity.


Abstract. The use of drones and photogrammetric technologies are increasing rapidly in different applications. Currently, drone processing workflow is in most cases based on sequential image acquisition and post-processing, but there are great interests towards real-time solutions. Fast and reliable real-time drone data processing can benefit, for instance, environmental monitoring tasks in precision agriculture and in forest. Recent developments in miniaturized and low-cost inertial measurement systems and GNSS sensors, and Real-time kinematic (RTK) position data are offering new perspectives for the comprehensive remote sensing applications. The combination of these sensors and light-weight and low-cost multi- or hyperspectral frame sensors in drones provides the opportunity of creating near real-time or real-time remote sensing data of target object. We have developed a system with direct georeferencing onboard drone to be used combined with hyperspectral frame cameras in real-time remote sensing applications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the real-time georeferencing comparing with post-processing solutions. Experimental data sets were captured in agricultural and forested test sites using the system. The accuracy of onboard georeferencing data were better than 0.5 m. The results showed that the real-time remote sensing is promising and feasible in both test sites.


The opening words of this first issue of Acta Scientiae Anatomica (ASA) - the Official Journal of the Anatomy Society of the Rio de Janeiro State - are a tribute to the philosopher Karl Popper, one of the most fruitful thinkers of our time. He, with a brilliant affirmation between many of his own, puts us to face the truest reality of "being or not being", as scientific researchers "only participate in the game of science. They who publishes scientific articles… They have to publish. That is the only passport that is able to spread and globalize their knowledge among their peers..." (please see the PDF for the whole Editorial).


The focus of this study was to evaluate the impact of model-based inquiry on pre-service physics teachers' conceptual understanding of dynamics. Theoretical framework of this research was based on models-of-data theory. True-experimental design using quantitative and qualitative research methods was carried out for this research. Participants of this study were 22 senior pre-service physics teachers. The instructional strategy in the experimental class was model-based inquiry (MBI) while it was inquiry in the control class. Data were collected by using Force Concept Inventory (FCI), video recordings, inquiry reports and the instructor's field notes. The results of Mann-Whitney U tests for two classes' pre-tests and post-tests indicated that there was not any significant difference between two classes' performances before and after the treatment. On the other hand, the results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the experimental class's post FCI scores were better than their pre FCI scores. The following conclusions can be drawn from the study: Putting modelling explicitly into the center of inquiry facilitates conceptual learning. Therefore, model building and formation in inquiry can be seen as a way not only to represent what learners have already known but also to generate new knowledge. Making associations with other phenomena under the framework of epistemic characters of knowledge and expanding on these associations with discussions in inquiry learning environment promote students' understanding. Finally, model quality may stimulate science learning; however, more research is needed to extend this conclusion.


The potential function for flow, with circulation, of a compressible fluid about a circular cylinder is obtained in series form including terms of the orders of m(4) where m is the Mach number of the free stream. The resulting equations are used to obtain pressure coefficients as a function of Mach number at a point on the surface of the cylinder for different values of circulation. The coefficients derived are compared with the Glauert-Prandtl and Karman-Tsien approximations which are functions of the pressure coefficients of an incompressible fluid. For the cases considered, the values of the pressure coefficients computed from the theory were found to be somewhere between the two approximations, the first underestimating and the second overestimating it.


Since 2013, the formal structure of global corporate tax policymaking at the OECD has changed. Decisions are no longer made by 37 OECD members, but by 137 countries from all regions and levels of development through the 'Inclusive Framework' (IF). Official documentation emphasises that all countries participate on an 'equal footing', but some participants and observers have emphasised that developing countries in particular face practical obstacles that lead to unequal participation in practice. In this paper, we assess these claims, drawing primarily on 48 interviews with negotiators, policymakers and stakeholders involved in global tax discussions. We find that the explosion in formal membership has not in itself led to the step-change in developing country influence that the raw numbers imply. This is because of a combination of structural obstacles that are not unique to the IF, and some challenging aspects of the OECD's way of working. Yet, lower-income countries have made some modest achievements to date, and there are signs of incremental progress towards a more effective presence. We develop a typology of mechanisms through which successes have been achieved: association with the efforts of more powerful states, anticipation of lower-income countries' needs by the OECD secretariat and others, collaboration to form more powerful coalitions, and the emergence of expert negotiators with individual authority.


Great progress has been made in global agricultural production during the past half century, but these have not ensured food security. The ability of global agriculture to sustain current productivity levels has been called into question by the acceleration of climate change and the degradation of overstretched ecosystems services upon which agriculture depends. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), emphasises the interconnectedness of agriculture's various roles and functions, and its consequent multi-functionality. The report notes the fundamental failure of development policies being the reliance on the draw-down of natural capital. Agriculture is at a crossroads and in need of fundamental redirection away from food production towards multifunctional agriculture. This paradigm shift places farmers' livelihoods in a central position. One innovative approach envisions the creation of Evergreen Agriculture, denoting the comprehensive integration of perennial vegetation into annual cereal crop farming systems, creating a green cover on the land throughout the year. One such proto-type involves the use of Faidherbia albida , a tree indigenous throughout the African continent. This leguminous tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen, producing nutrient-rich foliage and pods that are highly valued as organic fertilizer and livestock fodder. What makes it Faidherbia unique is that it sheds its leaves during the early rainy season, re-growing them only in the dry season. This makes the plant highly compatible as an intercrop with fairly dense populations of food crops. Annual crops in the vicinity of Faidherbia trees tend to exhibit much improved performance and yield. Faidherbia has been long been integrated in small-scale agriculture in some parts of Africa, with reports of Faidherbia agro-forests being expanded to cover millions of hectares in Niger and other parts of West Africa through farmer-managed natural regeneration. This provides a basis for conceiving how food crops in the future can be produced on a broad scale under the canopies of Faidherbia and/or other mixed agroforests.


Irregular migration to Europe by sea, though risky, remains one of the most popular migration options for many sub-Saharan Africans. This study examines the determinants of irregular migration from West Africa to Europe. We implemented an incentivized lab-in-the-field experiment in rural Gambia, the country with the region's highest rate of irregular migration to Europe. Male youths aged 15 to 25 were given hypothetical scenarios regarding the probability of dying en route to Europe and of gaining legal residence status after successful arrival. According to the data we collected, potential migrants overestimate both the risk of dying en route to Europe and the probability of obtaining legal residency status. In this context, our experimental results show that providing potential migrants with official numbers on the probability of getting a legal residence permit decreases their likelihood of migration by 2.88 percentage points (pp), while information on the death risk of migrating increases their likelihood of migration by 2.29 pp—although the official numbers should be regarded as a lower bound to actual mortality. Follow-up data collected one year after the experiment show that the migration decisions reported in the lab experiment correlate well with actual migration decisions and intentions. Overall, our study indicates that the migration decisions of potential migrants are likely to respond to relevant information.


Thomas Hischak, The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Cloth, xxxiv, 923 pp., $ 39.95. ISBN 978-0-19-533533-0. www.oup.com What is an American musical? Thomas Hischak poses the question in his preface to The Oxford Companion to the American Musical, but the reader needs to look no further than the volume's subtitle for the answer. In an opening essay that presents a whirlwind tour of the evolution of the form, Hischak underlines that it is not restricted to stage plays, but that it encompasses musicals written or adapted for film and television. From the moment Al Jolson began singing on celluloid, and with Julie Andrew's television portrayal of the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, the musical has embraced new venues as quickly as they have appeared. The past season-which included Sweeney Todd on the silver screen, the premier of the made-for-television musical Camp Rock, and a full complement of Broadway productions led by In the Heights-is proof positive that the parameters of the American musical are fluid, flexible, and far from fixed. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical, by covering theater, film, and television in a single volume, emphasizes the broad-based appeal of the form. The volume consists of nearly 2,000 entries, with information about musicals, movies, television shows, actors, singers, composers, lyricists, directors, awards, companies, and subjects. Entries are short, succinct distillations of essential information, written in an objective and dear style. Hischak does not play down significant contributions, as when he describes Showboat as the first masterpiece of American music theater, and Oklahoma! as the single most influential work in the genre. But the author also keeps the focus firmly on the topic at hand, as evidenced by the biography of film and television performer Ronald Reagan, which contains no mention of his notable political career until the last sentence. The volume consists of major musicals and people in all three media, but Hischak also strives to offer snapshots of the genre at different points in its history by including less known figures and productions. The compendium encompasses works produced outside the United States, and international artists if they influenced the American musical or captivated American audiences. A few operas, such as Porgy and Bess, are listed because they were first produced as a theatrical presentation. …


The paper studies how the 2004 merger policy reform affected the probability of a merger being challenged by the European Commission. I use a probit model to assess how economic factors drive decisions and to isolate differences between policies before and after the reform. The net sample consists of 341 horizontal mergers from 1990 to 2012. Overall, I find robust evidence of policy shifts due to the reform. By some measures, the policy appears to have slightly softened. There is also an indication that mergers reviewed under the unilateral-effects theory are more likely to be challenged than are those reviewed under the coordinated-effects theory. Market shares and entry barriers are found to influence decisions before and after the reform. However, market shares appear to play a somewhat smaller role after the reform.


The role of neutrophils in the development of peracute lung lesions of bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis was investigated. Eight calves were divided into two groups of four calves each. Group I was treated with intravenous phosphate-buffered saline and served as the neutrophil sufficient calves. Group II was treated with intravenous hydroxyurea which produced a state of neutropenia. When peripheral blood neutrophil numbers dropped below 300 cells/microL in group II, all calves were challenged with an intrabronchial bolus of Pasteurella haemolytica in the log phase of growth. An acute inflammatory process occurred in both groups of calves indicated by a rise in body temperature. While pulmonary lesions occurred in both groups by six hours postinoculation, they varied in pathological characteristics. Pulmonary lesions in the neutrophil sufficient calves consisted of fibrinopurulent alveolitis-bronchiolitis with associated alveolar septal necrosis, interlobular edema, and intravascular thrombi. The neutrophil deficient calves had extensive intra-alveolar edema, interlobular edema, intraalveolar hemorrhage, atelectasis, and focal areas of alveolar septal necrosis. These results show that P. haemolytica can induce severe pulmonary tissue damage through both neutrophil dependent and neutrophil independent mechanisms.


The taxonomic positions of Microterricola viridarii JCM 15926T, Phycicola gilvus DSM 18319T and Leifsonia pindariensis JCM 15132T were re-examined. Phylogenetic analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities revealed that all three strains are closely related with each other and form a monophyletic cluster with high sequence similarity (99.2 -99.9 %). A dendrogram constructed based on the protein spectra generated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy also displayed close clustering of these three strains. The fatty acid profiles of three strains were very similar to each other and contained branched fatty acids (anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0) as the predominant cellular fatty acids. The polar lipid profiles of the three stains were similar and consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine as major polar lipids and an unknown lipid. Comparisons of morphological, chemotaxonomic and physiological data of Microterricola viridarii JCM 15926T, Leifsonia pindariensis JCM 15132T and Phycicola gilvus DSM 18319T are in agreement with the features of a common genus. DNA-DNA hybridization data generated during this study showed less than 70 % reassociation value with each other indicating that they are different at species level. Based on the present study, we conclude that Phycicola gilvus DSM 18319T and Leifsonia pindariensis JCM 15132T should be reclassified under the genus Microterricola, since this genus has the nomenclatural priority, and reclassified as Microterricolagilva comb. nov. (type strain SSWW-21T=DSM 18319T=KCTC 19185T=JCM 30550T) and Microterricolapindariensis comb. nov. (type strain PON10T=LMG 24222T=JCM 15132T=MTCC9128T). An emended description of the genus Microterricola is also presented.


English Language Learners (ELLs) are consistently found to overuse, misunderstand, and misuse connectives in the English language (Bolton et al., 2002; Chen, 2006; Hinkel, 2002; Ozono & Ito, 2003; Zhang, 2000) and current research has not investigated whether this misunderstanding effects the memory of claims. The primary goal of the present study was to examine whether knowledge of truth-functional connectives is related to conjunctive bias in ELL students. Using a within-subjects design, the effects of instruction in truth-functional connectives on conjunctive bias in nine ELL students were investigated. Repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) revealed an elimination of conjunctive bias following explicit instruction in truth functions. Further tests were also conducted to validate instruments for measuring conjunctive bias, the understanding of truth functions, and to evaluate conjunctive bias and the understanding of truth functions among 29 ELL's. The findings have significant pedagogical implications related to the justification of including instruction in truth functions in language curriculum.


We perform a detailed analysis of the importance of causality within the strong-field approximation and the steepest-descent framework for the recollision-excitation with subsequent tunneling ionization (RESI) pathway in laser-induced nonsequential double ionization (NSDI). In this time-delayed pathway, an electron returns to its parent ion and, by recolliding with the core, gives part of its kinetic energy to excite a second electron at a time t′. The second electron then reaches the continuum at a later time t by tunneling ionization. We show that, if t′ and t are complex, the condition that recollision of the first electron occurs before tunnel ionization of the second electron translates into boundary conditions for the steepest-descent contours and thus puts constraints on the saddles to be taken when computing the RESI transition amplitudes. We also show that this generalized causality condition has a dramatic effect on the shapes of the RESI electron momentum distributions for few-cycle laser pulses. Physically, causality determines how the dominant sets of orbits of an electron returning to its parent ion can be combined with the dominant orbits of a second electron tunneling from an excited state. All features encountered are analyzed in terms of such orbits and their quantum interference.


A large, stratified, random sample is used to identify vegetation related patterns of snowcover and patterns of land and lake snowcover properties in the basin of Elizabeth Lake, Labrador, Canada. Spatial patterns of snow depth, density and water equivalent are discussed using analyses of variance and trend surface analyses. Statistically significant relationships are demonstrated between these properties and four distinctive "landscape units," Tundra, Open Lichen Woodland, Close Lichen Woodland and Lake. Special features of a mid-winter lake snowcover are discussed including the amount and type of snow present and the spatial patterns in it. The survey system used appears to be useful for hydrologic work.


Because tumours are comprised of "self' cells and antigens, they escape recognition by the immune system, which discriminates between "self' and "non-self'. One such antigen is cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine proteinase, that has been implicated as one of the proteolytic enzymes involved in tumour invasion and metastasis. Cathepsin B autoantibodies could open possibilities which may be useful in cancer immunotherapy 0 In this study generation of cathepsin B autoantibodies was attempted by manipulating the immune system into recognising and responding to cathepsin B in complex with a "foreign" protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). Cathepsin B was isolated from rabbit liver using the three phase partitioning (TPP) method, modified by adding t-butanol in the homogenisation buffer. Isolation of cathepsin Band cathepsin L, using this novel method, minimised the formation of artefacts such as a covalent cathepsin L-stefin B complex and produced higher yields of enzyme. Pure rabbit liver cathepsin B was conjugated to BSA, using glutaraldehyde as coupling agent, and administered intramuscularly into rabbits. Another three inoculation protocols, which functioned as controls were: i) free cathepsin B administered intramuscularly, ii) complexed cathepsin B administered intravenously, and iii) free cathepsin B administered intravenously. IgGs isolated from inoculated rabbits' serum were assayed by a three layer ELISA system, immunoinhibition assays and dot blots. The anti-complex (intramuscular) antibodies showed the highest recognition for cathepsin B and were the only antibodies that were immunoinhibitory. This suggests that the immune system was, to some extend, successfully manipulated into recognising the complexed "self' cathepsin B.


The widespread occurrence of dissolved proteins as well as porin proteins was confirmed in water columns at five stations located in the North Pacific, the northern North Pacific, and the Bering Sea, where no investigation has heretofore been made with regard to dissolved protein. The major dissolved proteins detected in this study were determined to be glycosylated, based on the detection of an aldehyde group formed by the periodate oxidation of the electrophoretically separated dissolved proteins. The cross reactivity against lectins to the glycoproteins indicated that there were two types of linkage between sugar chain and polypeptide; one was an N‐linked sugar chain and the other was an O‐linked sugar chain. In this study, a previously reported dissolved protein with an apparent molecular weight of 40 kilodaltons was identified as an OmpA‐like protein, not a porin protein but a major outer membrane protein of most pathogenic gram‐negative bacteria. The survival of porin proteins in dissolved organic matter is thought to give rise to the resistant structure of these proteins; consequently, unidentified dissolved proteins could also be porin proteins. However, the occurrences of glycoproteins and an OmpA‐like protein demonstrated that proteins other than porin proteins account for the majority of dissolved proteins, since no glycosylated porin protein is known. There must therefore be an additional mechanism by which dissolved proteins are protected from biological attack. The possibility that glycoprotein sugar chains can help preserve other dissolved proteins in seawater, as well as the glycoproteins themselves, is discussed herein.


Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) technology and recent developments in fabrication processes have shown it to be compatible with Si-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. The perpendicular spin transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM) configuration opened up opportunities for an ultra-dense MRAM evolution and was most widely adapted for its scalability. Insertion of STT-MRAM in the back end of line (BEOL) wiring levels has many advantages, including density, latency, and endurance with the promise of being comparable to performance of dynamic random access memory technology (DRAM). There are several important parameters at multiple process steps which require precise metrology for STT-MRAM integration. Inline metrology of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) pillar is vital to calibrate the magnetic read/write performance parameters. This work discusses various challenges to monitor critical process steps for integrating STT-MRAM in advanced CMOS technologies and key metrology solutions are presented. To precisely predict MRAM junction resistance early in the process flow, a machine learning model was developed using scatterometry spectra collected after MTJ pillar formation and corresponding resistance data from the end of line electrical test. This machine learning model utilizes metrology data from the pillar formation process and can predict accurate device resistance values. Additionally, carefully monitoring the required planarization process of an interlayer dielectric deposited after the MTJ pillar formation is critical to avoid subsequent defects. Several modelling techniques are discussed and a new spectral interferometry-based technique, vertical travelling scatterometry (VTS), is demonstrated as a solution for measurements on fully integrated device areas


Many writers had already elaborated upon matters of truth and honesty, when Albert Camus characterized Meursault, the protagonist of his best selling novel The Outsider, as an honest man who 'refuses to lie...for the sake of truth'. At that time, Camus had an international fame in the world of
literature, and he explained the novel and his absurd hero, Meursault, in a preface to an English language edition of
L'Etranger. Yet, some commentators and critics found Camus'
s explanation strange and reacted against his commentaries. Chief among them is Conor Cruise O'Brien who believes that Meursault of the actual novel is not the same that Camus
characterized in the explanation of the novel. O'Brien points out that Meursualt of the story lies, and he is indifferent to truth. This paper is a critical examination of O'Brien's and other critics' commentaries which stand for and against Camus's own commentaries on his absurd character, Meursault, to lead us to the heart of the matter of Camus's understanding of terms such as honesty and truth. In doing so, despite the fact that Camus is the creator of Meursault, his commentary on Meursault is analysed next to other critics' commentaries, and not as a dominant one.


Abstract
 The taxonomic status and phylogenetic placement of Sporidesmium pachyanthicola in Capnodiales (Dothideomycetes) are revisited based on a specimen collected on the petiole of a dead leaf of Sabal palmetto in south Florida, U.S.A. New evidence inferred from phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data together with a broad taxon sampling at family level suggest that the fungus is a member of Extremaceae and therefore its previous placement within the broadly defined Teratosphaeriaceae was not supported. A new genus Castanedospora is introduced to accommodate this species on the basis of its distinct morphology and phylogenetic position distant from Sporidesmiaceae sensu stricto in Sordariomycetes. The holotype material from Cuba was found to be exhausted and the Florida specimen, which agrees well with the original description, is selected as epitype. The fungus produced considerably long cylindrical to narrowly obclavate conidia in culture strongly resembling those of Sporidesmajora pennsylvaniensis, another sporidesmium-like, capnodiaceous anamorph. However, phylogenetic analyses show that they are not congeneric and the latter belongs to the family Phaeothecoidiellaceae.


This collection of original articles focuses on the function, role, and structure of linguistic and extralinguistic "context(s)" in relation to the notion of "constructions" and in construction grammar. It thus takes up and brings together two equally complex concepts of linguistics, which both encompass structural as well as pragmatic and discourse-oriented aspects. Although both notions – contexts as well as constructions – have been under intense discussion in linguistics during the last decades with a wide span of research interests, integrative studies of these aspects have been largely missing.The eight papers presented in this volume explore the possibilities and risks of integrating context(s) into particular constructions and construction grammar in general. Topics range from particular language and construction-specific problems such as the "polysemy" of modal verbs in relation to context-sensitive constructions, to general technical analyses and proposals, including proposals for formalizing contextual features in constructional representations.The volume will be of interest to scholars and advanced undergraduates interested in linguistic theory in general and in constructional, pragmatic and discourse-analytic approaches in particular.


Abstract. Ice shelf instability is one of the main sources of uncertainty in
Antarctica's contribution to future sea level rise. Calving events play a
crucial role in ice shelf weakening but remain unpredictable, and their
governing processes are still poorly understood. In this study, we analyze
the unexpected September 2019 calving event from the Amery Ice Shelf, the
largest since 1963 and which occurred almost a decade earlier than expected,
to better understand the role of the atmosphere in calving. We find that
atmospheric extremes provided a deterministic role in this event. A series
of anomalously deep and stationary explosive twin polar cyclones over the
Cooperation and Davis seas generated tides and wind-driven ocean slope,
leading to fracture amplification along the pre-existing rift and
ultimately calving of the massive iceberg. The calving was triggered by high
oceanward sea surface slopes produced by the storms. The observed
record-anomalous atmospheric conditions were promoted by blocking ridges and
Antarctic-wide anomalous poleward transport of heat and moisture. Blocking
highs helped in (i) directing moist and warm air masses towards the ice
shelf and (ii) maintaining the observed extreme cyclones stationary at
the front of the ice shelf for several days. Accumulation of cold air over
the ice sheet, due to the blocking highs, led to the formation of an intense
cold high pressure over the ice sheet, which helped fuel sustained
anomalously deep cyclones via increased baroclinicity. Our results stress
the importance of atmospheric extremes in ice shelf dynamics via tides and
sea surface slope and its need to be accounted for when considering
Antarctic ice shelf variability and contribution to sea level, especially
given that more of these extremes are predicted under a warmer climate.


In Life on the Hyphen: The Cuban-American Way (1995), Gustavo Perez Firmat speaks of the "1.5 ers," that generation of Cuban-Americans who were children at the time of migration, but grew into adults in the United States. (1) They feel fully comfortable in neither culture but are able to circulate effectively in both. Unlike their parents, who will never be North Americans, they will never be Cubans. As Firmat says, "Cuba is an enduring, perhaps an endearing fiction. Cuba is for them as ethereal as the smoke and as persistent as the smell of their grandfather's cigars" (5). For this uprooted generation, fiction can provide a home of sorts, a place to explore the meaning of the past, and one's personal place in it and the present. Cuban-American poet Ricardo Pau-Llosa has said that "the exile knows his place, and that place is the imagination" (qtd. in Firmat 10). Though Cristina Garcia's parents left shortly after the revolution, it is probably inaccurate to describe her as an exile. Born in 1958, she does not remember the revolution and has lived almost all of her life as a Cuban-American. Nevertheless, despite her early departure from Cuba, Garcia has described her childhood as "bifurcated," the sort of hyphenated existence of which Firmat speaks. Living her public life in a Brooklyn neighborhood populated by white ethnics, her Cuban background did not seem that relevant to her, but at home she felt Cuban because her mother, who recognized the connection between language and culture, insisted on Spanish. As Garcia matured, her sense of Cuban identity, a "family affair," became "very important" to her ("And There Is" 102). A 1984 trip to the island to visit her mother's family, supporters of Castro, focused her interest on her identity and larger questions of history and politics, opening up the complexities of the Cuban revolution. Before that visit, she had viewed the Cuban situation in the unambiguous black and white of many Cuban-Americans ("And There Is" 104; "A Fish Swims" 65). Paradoxically, by meeting the other side of her family and immersing herself in the personal, she began to see larger sociopolitical contexts of being Cuban and began thinking about how historical events affect individuals and families ("And There Is" 107; "A Fish Swims" 71). Hearing stories from her grandmother, who lived in a house on the beach similar to Celia del Pino's in Dreaming in Cuban, she became especially interested in how such events affected women's relationships. As many feminist writers have alleged, Garcia believes that "traditional history obviates women and the evolution of home, family, and society" and concentrates instead on wars and the doings of men ("And There Is" 107). Another event affecting Garcia's fiction was working for Time magazine in Miami. Here she met the Cuban-American community for the first time and felt very alienated from them. Accused of being a communist because she was a Democrat, she became convinced that others besides right-wing extremists need to speak as Cuban-Americans in order to heal the profound rifts created by the revolution. According to her and many other Cuban-American writers, the loud voices do not necessarily represent the dominant Cuban-American viewpoint. (2) For example, some would like to see the blockade lifted and to see more dialogue with the Castro regime and more tolerance in the exile community. This call for dialogue and tolerance is reflected in the work of other Cuban-American writers and scholars, such as Ruth Behar, whose recent anthology by Cuban-Americans and Cubans attempts to "build bridges" between the extreme views of right and left. Behar believes that Cubans need "a nuanced and complex view of how Cubans on the island and in the diaspora give meaning to their lives, their identity, and their culture in the aftermath of a battle that has split the nation at the root" (2). Certainly Garcia's work gives that nuanced and complex view that could bring about the reconciliation called for by Behar. …


In this article, we analyze the use of #MeToo and #HimToo in response to the hearings on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. We explore the use of these hashtags within the context of popular feminism and employ a qualitative thematic analysis of a purposeful sample of Tweets that include the hashtags #MeToo (n = 730) and #HimToo (n = 124) collected between September 23 and 27, 2018. We find that four themes are mirrored in both #MeToo and #HimToo tweets: personal experience; identification and disidentification; calls to action; and discursive appropriation. Although the sample size was limited and the relative popularity of these oppositional hashtags must be considered, these findings offer support for Banet-Weiser's suggestion that popular feminism is structurally mirrored by popular misogyny. Thus, although there is evidence that individuals link their deployment of these two hashtags to explicit political calls to action, we suggest that the ease with which popular feminist discourse can be rhetorically inverted is a limitation of popular feminist hashtag activism.


The conceptions teachers have about assessment are assumed to influence their practices and to be consistent with the jurisdictional and policy frameworks in which they work. This paper compares two groups of teachers (i.e., New Zealand primary and secondary) in response to the Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA-IIIA) self-administered survey inventory. The previously reported fourfactor hierarchical model for primary teachers (i.e., improvement, irrelevance, school accountability and student accountability) was found to be statistically invariant with good fit characteristics across both groups using nested, multigroup invariance testing in confirmatory factor analysis. The only statistically significant difference was the mean score for the student accountability conception, which was more strongly endorsed by secondary teachers, consistent with their role in administering the New Zealand qualifications system. The study suggests that teachers develop or adopt conceptions of assessment that allow them to successfully function within their own policy or legal framework.


The carbon monoxide diffusing capacity test (D(LCO)) is a commonly performed pulmonary function test that requires technical expertise and attention to detail to get acceptable results. With the advent of automated devices and powerful computer programs, D(LCO) measurement has rapidly gained wide clinical acceptance. But there are many subtle aspects to performing the test that can diminish its accuracy and repeatability. The clinician must ensure: that the D(LCO) instrument is correctly calibrated; that inhalation is least 90% of the largest previously measured vital capacity; that the patient executes a quick, smooth inhalation within 2 seconds; that the breath-hold is 9-11 seconds; that the breath-hold is without straining (no Valsalva or Müller maneuvers); that exhalation is quick and smooth; that a representative gas sample is obtained from the correct portion of the exhalation; and that at least 5 minutes elapse between D(LCO) tests. At least 2 but no more than 5 D(LCO) tests should be conducted, and testing is complete when 2 tests are within 10% or 3 D(LCO) units (mL CO/min/mm Hg) of each other. The reported D(LCO) value is the average of the first 2 tests that meet the reproducibility criteria, but if 5 tests are performed and no 2 meet the reproducibility criteria, the reported value is the average of the 2 tests with the highest inspiratory volumes. These quality controls will help laboratories achieve consistent high D(LCO) accuracy.


The question addressed in this paper is what subset of code transformations should be attempted for a given method in a Just-in-Time compilation environment. The solution proposed is to use a Support Vector Machine (SVM) to learn a model based on method features and on the measured compilation and execution times of the methods. An extensive exploration phase collects a set of example compilations to be used by the SVM to train the model. This paper reports on a work in progress. So far, linear-SVM models, applied to benchmarks from the SPECjvm98 suite, have not outperformed the compilation plans engineered by the development team over many years. However the models almost match that performance for the javac benchmark.


The scientific analysis of financial data, both for practical and theoretical purposes, has continuously been an active and evolving area. Traditionally, financial modeling and analysis have primarily relied on financial econometrics, which applies statistical methods to the problems of finance. Recently, advances in analytical and algorithmic methods, powerful technological solutions, and the expansion of the financial data ecosystem have created new opportunities and provided novel and robust ways to solve existing and new problems in finance. To expand the scope of financial econometrics and incorporate these novelties, the field of financial data science (FDS) has emerged. Crucially, FDS adds more interdisciplinary, methodological variety and technological components to the analysis process, thus generating the need for a holistic view in the management of an FDS project. In this article, the author presents a holistic and structured approach to efficiently and effectively manage an FDS project. The main contribution of the article is to provide a comprehensive, financial-domain–oriented approach to FDS management that can be used by researchers and practitioners to exploit the opportunities arising from the evolving finance landscape. TOPICS: Statistical methods, simulations, big data/machine learning Key Findings • Financial data science is presented as an emerging field that complements classical financial econometrics. • The financial data ecosystem is discussed in detail, illustrating the types and structures of financial data and their distinguishing features. • A strategy of nine interrelated parts is proposed to efficiently manage a financial data science project. The proposed approach can be used by industry professionals and academic researchers.


Abstract National borders seem to be losing relevance in the last decades as a variety of issues has been reducing the costs of international trade, such as technological progress, by reducing costs of transportation and communication and trade liberalisation, by giving more freely access to national markets. This paper examines the changes in Brazil's trade patterns based on an apparent consumption analysis, comparing the pre‐Mercosur period with the post‐integration phase. This approach provides a direct link with the theory of regional integration allowing one to explicitly differentiate between trade creation and trade diversion. The analysis describes how the Brazilian demand for sectors in an ISIC three‐digit level, divided between domestic production, imports from members and imports from non‐member countries, evolved in that period. The results show that in 18 out of 21 sectors analysed, there was a decrease in Brazilian border effect, with the shares of imports from both members and non‐member countries increasing in Brazil's apparent consumption at the expense of domestic production. However, it seems that the likely increase in welfare resulting from this should not be attributed mostly to Mercosur but instead to unilateral tariff liberalisation that took place in the period up to 1994.


The world economy is modelled by linking nine small country models of the 'new classical' type, and adding three blocs of trade equations to cover the smaller economies. The model (like the Liverpool Model of the United Kingdom) assumes rational expectations and market clearing (there are union and non-union sectors in the labour market). These assumptions distinguish it from available multi-country models such as Project Link, which tend to be very large and preserve a traditional Keynesian approach. Policy simulations show that bond-financed United States deficits generate approximately 100 percent 'crowding out' through higher interest rates, while United States monetary policy is very potent (a 1 percent once-for-all rise in the money supply raises world GNP by 0.8 percent in year 1). Recent world experience is argued to be consistent with these results. The large United States deficits have not been 'stimulatory' but have raised world real interest rates substantially. The United States monetary contraction in 1980-81 and expansion in late 1982 have been the major cause of the latest world business cycle. The model also indicates that, even though theoretically possible, international 'fine-tuning' is unnecessary as the model is fairly rapidly self-stabilising. Planned 'locomotive' policies - i.e., rises in budget deficits and money growth - will have their principal effect on inflationary expectations. Predictability of policy is clearly desirable. At the 'micro' country level, it would pay EEC governments to borrow less when United States deficits have pushed world interest rates up; this would ease pressure on the world capital market.


"Geared toward 3rd to 5th grade students with social-behavioral problems, Adventures aboard the S.S.GRIN links the worlds of social skills training and interactive technology. The colorful environments and 2.5D perspective create an engaging setting, and the challenges presented to the player change in difficulty based on previous decisions and actions. Adventures aboard the S.S.GRIN incorporates the themes and skills of the evidence-based S.S.GRIN programs developed by 3-C Institute for Social Development, such as self-esteem, communication, and cooperation."


In this work different configurations of stabilization ponds are con- sidered. Dynamic modeling of each pond was implemented within a dynamic optimization environment and the whole system was simulated during a time horizon of four months. A detailed mechanistic model is constructed, based on first principles of mass conservation, of different types of systems of anaerobic, aerobic and facultative ponds in series in order to compare their performance. Model takes into account dynamic mass balances of biomass of algae, the main groups of bacteria: heterotrophic bacteria, autotrophic bacteria, fermenting bac- teria, acetotrophic sulphate reducing bacteria and acetotrophic methanogenic bacteria. Also, mass balances for organic load were formulated, such as slowly biodegradable particulate COD (Xs), inert particulate COD (XI), fermentation products (SA), inert soluble COD (SI), and fermentable readily biodegradable soluble COD (SF). For nutrients, ammonium and ammonia nitrogen (NH), ni- trate and nitrite nitrogen (NO), sulphate sulphur (SO4) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Finally, molecular nitrogen (N2) and methane (CH4) emissions were con- sidered in the model. For the whole time horizon, we find that the conventional configuration is better than the actual configuration of the wastewater treatment plant. Even though the differences are not as high as expected, this fact influences the total energy con- sumption by the aerators of the aerobic ponds.


This thesis traces the literary course of gothic narrative elements as they appear within children's fiction, beginning from the late eighteenth century and concluding at the close of the nineteenth century. The thesis presents evidence and potentialities for children's appropriation of gothic fiction written for adults, and links them to the contemporaneous development of gothic devices in fiction written for children. These are argued to reflect a single phenomenon: The burgeoning relevance, literary and social, of the adolescent, in whom gothic and children's fictions find a natural point of crossover. This thesis contextualises critical negativity towards the gothic and particularly to potential adolescent audiences, highlighting how contentious and therefore radical their relationship was. Nonetheless, the thesis introduces two hitherto obscure examples of early gothic children's fiction from the end of the eighteenth century which provide initial evidence of this trend, alongside readings of parodic representations of adolescent gothic consumption. This is developed in an analysis of twelve early nineteenth-century gothic bluebooks, examples of short, cheap gothic fiction, for their relevance and, more significantly, accessibility to potential adolescent readers. This point suggests mechanisms by which the very means used to acquire fiction can foster the development of the adolescent social unit. The adolescent, or maturing child, is then considered as a specifically literary figure, with the character-type's role, both in major canonical works of fiction and more esoteric texts aimed at narrower and often younger audiences, scrutinised for continuing gothic resonance particular to their immature age and experience. The conclusion of this reading of literary and social history for evidence of the joint occurrence and significance of gothic and adolescence produces a theory regarding gothic fiction's significance to the understanding and acceptance of the adolescent in society, and the success of the seemingly unlikely partnership of the gothic in children's fiction.


In this paper we propose a network architecture that combines a rule-based approach with that of the neural network paradigm. Our primary motivation for this is to ensure that the knowledge embodied in the network is explicitly encoded in the form of understandable rules. This enables the network's decision to be understood, and provides an audit trail of how that decision was arrived at. We utilize an information theoretic approach to learning a model of the domain knowledge from examples. This model takes the form of a set of probabilistic conjunctive rules between discrete input evidence variables and output class variables. These rules are then mapped onto the weights and nodes of a feedforward neural network resulting in a directly specified architecture. The network acts as parallel Bayesian classifier, but more importantly, can also output posterior probability estimates of the class variables. Empirical tests on a number of data sets show that the rule-based classifier performs comparably with standard neural network classifiers, while possessing unique advantages in terms of knowledge representation and probability estimation.


The developmental processes of lymphopoiesis generate mature B lymphocytes from hematopoietic stem cells through increasingly restricted intermediates. Networks of transcription factors regulate these cell fate choices and are composed of both ubiquitously expressed and B lineage-specific factors. E-protein transcription factors are encoded by the three genes E2A, E2-2 (SEF2-1), and HEB. The E2A gene is required for B cell development and encodes the alternatively spliced proteins E12 and E47. During B lymphocyte development, the cells have to pass several checkpoints verifying the functionality of their antigen receptors. Early in the development, the expression of a pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) with membrane-bound immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain protein associated with surrogate light chain (SLC) proteins is a critical checkpoint that monitors for functional Ig heavy chain rearrangement. Signaling from the pre-BCR induces survival and a limited clonal expansion. Here it is shown that pre-BCR signaling rapidly down-regulates the SLCs l5 and VpreB and also the co-receptor CD19. Ca2+ signaling and E2A were shown to be essential for this regulation. E2A mutated in its binding site for the Ca2+ sensor protein calmodulin (CaM), and thus with CaM-resistant DNA binding, makes l5, VpreB and CD19 expression resistant to the inhibition following pre-BCR stimulation. Thus, Ca2+ down-regulates SLC and CD19 gene expression upon pre-BCR stimulation through inhibition of E2A by Ca2+/CaM. A general negative feedback regulation of the pre-BCR proteins as well as many co-receptors and proteins in signal pathways from the receptor was also shown. After the ordered recombination of Ig heavy chain gene segments, also Ig light chain gene segments are recombined together to create antibody diversity. The recombinations are orchestrated by the recombination activating gene (RAG) enzymes, other enzymes that cleave/mutate/assemble DNA of the Ig loci, and the transcription factor Pax5. A key feature of the immune system is the concept that one lymphocyte has only one antigen specificity that can be selected for or against. This requires that only one of the alleles of genes for Ig chains is made functional. The mechanism of this allelic exclusion has however been an enigma. Here pre-BCR signaling was shown to down-regulate several components of the recombination machinery including RAG1 and RAG2 through CaM inhibition of E2A. Furthermore, E2A, Pax5 and the RAGs were shown to be in a complex bound to key sequences on the IgH gene before pre-BCR stimulation and instead bound to CaM after this stimulation. Thus, the recombination complex is directly released through CaM inhibition of E2A. Upon encountering antigens, B cells must adapt to produce a highly specific and potent antibody response. Somatic hypermutation (SH), which introduces point mutations in the variable regions of Ig genes, can increase the affinity for antigen, and antibody effector functions can be altered by class switch recombination (CSR), which changes the expressed constant region exons. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is the mutagenic antibody diversification enzyme that is essential for both SH and CSR. The AID enzyme has to be tightly controlled as it is a powerful mutagen. BCR signaling, which signals that good antibody affinity has been reached, was shown to inhibit AID gene expression through CaM inhibition of E2A. SH increases the antigen binding strength by many orders of magnitude. Each round of SH leads to one or a few mutations, followed by selection for increased affinity. Thus, BCR signaling has to enable selection for successive improvements in antibodies (Ab) over an extremely broad range of affinities. Here the BCR is shown to be subject to general negative feedback regulation of the receptor proteins as well as many co-receptors and proteins in signal pathways from the receptor. Thus, the BCR can down-regulate itself to enable sensitive detection of successive improvements in antigen affinity. Furthermore, the feedback inhibition of the BCR signalosome and most of its protein, and most other gene regulations by BCR stimulation, is through inhibition of E2A by Ca2+/CaM. Differentiation to Ab-secreting plasmablasts and plasma cells is antigen-driven. The interaction of antigen with the membrane-bound Ab of the BCR is critical in determining which clones enter the plasma cell response. Genome-wide analysis showed that differentiation of B cells to Ab-secreting cell is induced by BCR stimulation through very fast regulatory events, and induction of IRF-4 and down-regulation of Pax5, Bcl-6, MITF, Ets-1, Fli-1 and Spi-B gene expressions were identified as immediate early events. Ca2+ signaling through CaM inhibition of E2A was essential for these rapid down-regulations of immediate early genes after BCR stimulation in initiation of plasma cell differentiation.


Abstract. We have developed an automated analysis scheme for meteor head echo observations by the 46.5 MHz Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar near Shigaraki, Japan (34.85° N, 136.10° E). The analysis procedure computes meteoroid range, velocity and deceleration as functions of time with unprecedented accuracy and precision. This is crucial for estimations of meteoroid mass and orbital parameters as well as investigations of the meteoroid-atmosphere interaction processes. In this paper we present this analysis procedure in detail. The algorithms use a combination of single-pulse-Doppler, time-of-flight and pulse-to-pulse phase correlation measurements to determine the radial velocity to within a few tens of metres per second with 3.12 ms time resolution. Equivalently, the precision improvement is at least a factor of 20 compared to previous single-pulse measurements. Such a precision reveals that the deceleration increases significantly during the intense part of a meteoroid's ablation process in the atmosphere. From each received pulse, the target range is determined to within a few tens of meters, or the order of a few hundredths of the 900 m long range gates. This is achieved by transmitting a 13-bit Barker code oversampled by a factor of two at reception and using a novel range interpolation technique. The meteoroid velocity vector is determined from the estimated radial velocity by carefully taking the location of the meteor target and the angle from its trajectory to the radar beam into account. The latter is determined from target range and bore axis offset. We have identified and solved the signal processing issue giving rise to the peculiar signature in signal to noise ratio plots reported by Galindo et al. (2011), and show how to use the range interpolation technique to differentiate the effect of signal processing from physical processes.


About the Book The first book of its kind, Theory of Gearing: Kinematics, Geometry, and Synthesis systematically develops a scientific theory of gearing that makes it possible to synthesize novel gears with the desired performance. Written by a leading gearing expert who holds more than 200 patents, it presents a modern methodology for gear design. The proposed theory is based on a key postulate: all the design parameters for an optimal gear pair for a particular application can be derived from (a) a given configuration of the rotation vectors of the driving and driven shafts and (b) the power transmitted by the gear pair. This allows engineers to synthesize the desired gear pairs with only the following input information: The rotation and torque on the driving shaft The configuration of the driven shaft in relation to the driving shaft The desired rotation and torque of the driven shaft Beginning with the fundamentals, the book reconsiders the basic theory of kinematics and geometry of gears to provide a sound basis for the evaluation and development of future designs. It then examines ideal and real gearing for parallel-axis, intersected-axis, and crossed-axis gearing. The book addresses how to minimize vibration and noise in gears, discusses aspects of implementing the theory of gearing, and analyzes principal features of power transmission and the loading of gear teeth. More than 500 figures clearly illustrate the principles. This is an invaluable resource for engineers and researchers who work in gear design, gear production, and the application of gears as well as for students in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. Covering all known gear designs, this book offers an analytical solution to the problem of designing optimal gear pairs for any given application. It also encourages researchers to further develop the theory of gearing. Share this Title Recommend to Librarian Related Titles 1 of 3 An Introduction to the Design and Behavior of Bolted Joints, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded


The eBay Feedback Forum is claimed to be a crucial component of the success of eBay. Many empirical studies have found that this feedback system exerts a deterrent effect on the opportunistic behavior the Internet's anonymity may incite buyers and sellers to adopt. The feedback system in place on eBay is however far from being perfect and may be especially vulnerable to strategic ratings (or nonratings) that might reduce the informational content of feedback profiles. This article aims to examine the efficiency of the eBay feedback system, through a set of experiments based on the trust game. Our experimental design consists of four different treatments. The baseline treatment corresponds to a finite repeated simultaneous trust game. The second treatment, called "eBay rating" is identical to the baseline treatment except that we added a second stage in which the players have the opportunity of rating their partner. In this treatment, each participant is given the choice to either evaluate immediately or wait, knowing that only one rating will be accepted. The third treatment, called "Sequential rating" is identical to the "eBay rating" treatment, except that the order in which players evaluate one another is randomly determined by the computer. Finally in the fourth treatment, called "Simultaneous rating", both players are required to make their rating decisions simultaneously. Our experimental results indicate that the eBay feedback system could be improved by either constraining partners to leave ratings simultaneously or by predetermining the rating sequence.


With the inclusion of 406 MHz transponders on the Galileo satellites and the new search and rescue (SAR) return link message (RLM) on the open service E1B signal, the availability of distress beacons equipped with a Galileo or combined GPS/Galileo receiver will be very important in the future to take advantage of the SAR RLM, thereby facilitating the rescue operations and helping to identify and reject false alerts. Consequently, this paper provides the status of the development of a flexible Galileo L1 receiver platform as well as an analysis and comparison of acquisition schemes suitable to be implemented in 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat distress beacons. For each considered acquisition scheme, we compare the acquisition performance that can be obtained using GPS L1 C/A or Galileo E1B or E1C signals and consider and discuss the following main constraints: a very short time to first fix (TTFF) in cold start conditions (the beacon's GNSS receiver may not be powered on for years before it is activated in an emergency); a low energy consumption per position fix (the beacon and GNSS receiver are battery powered); a possibly long coherent integration time to achieve synchronization and tracking in harsh environments (e.g., when some or all of the satellite signals are blocked or attenuated by an obstruction); the ability to demodulate the satellites signals in the presence of a 406MHz/5W and a 121.5MHz/(up to 100mW) beacon transmitters; and a low complexity (low price).


The evidence summarised in this submission is based on the national research project: From Regionalism to Localism: Cross Country LEPs. The aim of this research is to monitor what steps are being taken by LEPs to support businesses to create jobs and support the development of local economies. The research explores the issues arising from the formation of the LEPs over their first three years, 2010-2013 and is monitoring the journey of the LEPs nationally. LEPs are the chief vehicle for economic development within the context of localism but are delivering national level initiatives, such as Enterprise Zones. Indeed, they have been set a considerable challenge – uniting business, public and community interests in a way that enables the economic regeneration and growth of local places. The research drills-down to focus on four particular 'regions': the North East; Yorkshire and the Humber; the West Midlands and the South West. Some of the project team's initial and emerging research outputs are appended to this submission.


Background: Chromosome 13q deletion is associated with varying phenotypes, which seem to depend on the location of the deleted segment. Although various attempts have been made to link the 13q deletion intervals to distinct phenotypes, there is still no acknowledged consensus correlation between the monosomy of distinct 13q regions and specific clinical features. Methods: 14 Italian patients carrying partial de novo 13q deletions were studied. Molecular–cytogenetic characterisation was carried out by means of array-comparative genomic hybridisation (array-CGH) or fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). Results: Our 14 patients showed mental retardation ranging from profound–severe to moderate–mild: eight had central nervous system (CNS) anomalies, including neural tube defects (NTDs), six had eye abnormalities, nine had facial dysmorphisms and 10 had hand or feet anomalies. The size of the deleted regions varied from 4.2 to 75.7 Mb. Conclusion: This study is the first systematic molecular characterisation of de novo 13q deletions, and offers a karyotype–phenotype correlation based on detailed clinical studies and molecular determinations of the deleted regions. Analyses confirm that patients lacking the 13q32 band are the most seriously affected, and critical intervals have been preliminarily assigned for CNS malformations. Dose-sensitive genes proximal to q33.2 may be involved in NTDs. The minimal deletion interval associated with the Dandy–Walker malformation (DWM) was narrowed to the 13q32.2–33.2 region, in which the ZIC2 and ZIC5 genes proposed as underlying various CNS malformations are mapped.


the advent of the drug-eluting stent, the incidence of in-stent restenosis remains unacceptably high. Gene therapeutic strategies, including catheter-based gene delivery and gene-eluting stents, offer novel treatment methods to promote re-endothelialization, and inhibit inflammation, neointimal hyperplasia and late stent thrombosis. The translation of gene therapy into clinical application must be safe and requires an effective, site-specific delivery system as well as the ability to provide sustained transgene expression. The progress of magnetic nanotechnology and genetic engineering of human stem cells can provide such elements. In the present review, the authors discuss the evolution of antirestenosis therapy, underlying mechanisms of restenosis and the applications of gene therapy to prevent in-stent restenosis. Current gene delivery methods, including gene vectors and delivery strategies, are critically reviewed.


The combined use of P- and S-wave seismic reflection data is appealing for providing insights into active petroleum systems because P-waves are sensitive to fluids and S-waves are not. The method presented herein relies on the simultaneous acquisition of P- and S-wave data using a vibratory source operated in the inline horizontal mode. The combined analysis of P- and S-wave reflections is tested on two potential hydrocarbon seeps located in a prospective area of the St. Lawrence Lowlands in Eastern Canada. For both sites, P-wave data indicate local changes in the reflection amplitude and slow velocities, whereas S-wave data present an anomalous amplitude at one site. Differences between P- and S-wave reflection morphology and amplitude and the abrupt decrease in P-velocity are indirect lines of evidence for hydrocarbon migration toward the surface through unconsolidated sediments. Surface-gas analysis made on samples taken at one potential seeping site reveals the occurrence of thermogenic gas that presumably vents from the underlying fractured Utica Shale forming the top of the bedrock. The 3C shear data suggest that fluid migration locally disturbs the elastic properties of the matrix. The comparative analysis of P- and S-wave data along with 3C recordings makes this method not only attractive for the remote detection of shallow hydrocarbons but also for the exploration of how fluid migration impacts unconsolidated geologic media.


This document presents the report for the Final Degree Thesis. The subject of the project is the Rearrangement of the Customer Services of the public company Barcelona Serveis Municipals (B:SM). The project is classified in the Management area and it details the definition and adaptation process of a new model in the customer services of B:SM. The origin of the project stands on the opening of the new Calabria facilities.
The purpose of the project is to identify the problems in the current system and redefine consistently the relationship between the three main axes: processes, people and tools. Taking into account the location and layout of the new facilities of the company, analyse and define the needs of human resources and tools based on the current records.
The procedure followed to perform the project comprises an initial stage, where the problems of the model are identified thanks to common experiences from the different business units. The second stage responds to the devising of a new model with updated requirements based on the new situation, as well as an analysis of the involved positions. As a consequence, a new model is designed and is implemented.
The aim of the project is to obtain an innovative and efficient solution that, besides optimizing the resources of the company, places the customer as the main focus of the system and is adapted to the needs.
To sum up, the current status of the company, places the opening of the new offices at Calabria street as the base point for the new department of Customer Services of B:SM. In this document are described the processes, human resources and tools models which will define the Customer Services of B:SM.
Regarding processes, it must be noted that both the front-office attention and back-office attention (phone and written requests) processes have been defined, as well as other important ones needed to guarantee the proper operation and management of the offices; for example: the inclusion of new service process, the continuous improvement philosofy and the event handling process. The definition of these processes is the starting point for the selection and training of personnel. The tools for the model can be classified in two categories. On the one hand, all tools currently used for managing the businesses are moved and, on the other hand, new tools are added to make the new office more dynamic and appropriate for the technological level of the users.


Silphium perfoliatum L. (cup plant, silphie) and S. integrifolium Michx. (rosinweed, silflower) are in the same subfamily and tribe as sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Silphium perfoliatum has been grown in many countries as a forage or bioenergy crop with forage quality approaching that of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and biomass yield close to maize (Zea mays L.) in some environments. Silphium integrifolium has large seeds with taste and oil quality similar to traditional oilseed sunflower. Silphium species are all long-lived, diploid perennials. Crops from this genus could improve the yield stability, soil, and biodiversity of agricultural landscapes because, in their wild state, they are deep rooted and support a wide diversity of pollinators. In contrast with premodern domestication, de novo domestication should be intentional and scientific. We have the luxury and obligation at this moment in history to expand the domestication ideotype from food and energy production to include (i) crop-driven ecosystem services important for sustainability, (ii) genetic diversity to enable breeding progress for centuries, (iii) natural adaptations and microbiome associations conferring resource use efficiency and stress tolerance, and (iv) improving domestication theory itself by monitoring genetic and ecophysiological changes from predomestication baselines. Achieving these goals rapidly will require the use of next-generation sequencing for marker development and an international, interdisciplinary team committed to collaboration and strategic planning.


A FRET-based sensor enables the live monitoring of the temporal and spatial dynamics of ERK activity in cells and intact tissues. Members of the extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important in such processes as cellular proliferation and differentiation. The consequences of ERK activation depend on its subcellular localization (for example, cytoplasmic versus nuclear) and the duration of its active state; however, analysis of ERK activity in live cells is technically challenging. Harvey et al. built upon previously described fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)–based reporter systems to design an ERK activity sensor (EKAR). One member of a donor-acceptor pair of fluorescent molecules is found at each end of EKAR. The central portions consist of the phospho-binding WW domain, a linker sequence, an ERK-specific substrate peptide, and an ERK-docking site. When ERK phosphorylates the substrate peptide, the WW domain shifts to bind to the phosphorylated site, which causes a conformational change in EKAR that brings the two fluorescent moieties sufficiently close to one another for FRET to occur. When expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, EKAR was localized to the nucleus; the addition of a nuclear export sequence to EKAR generated a cytoplasmic form, EKARcyto. Two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging (2pFLIM) demonstrated that EKARcyto responded to activation of ERK but not to that of other MAPKs such as JNK and p38, that both the ERK-docking site and the substrate peptide were required for sensing ERK activation, and that EKAR signals were reversible. Finally, the authors successfully used EKAR to monitor both cytoplasmic and nuclear ERK signaling in organotypic hippocampal brain slices and in pyramidal neurons. This new reagent now enables the monitoring of ERK activity in live cells and presumably could form the basis of sensors for other MAPKs. C. D. Harvey, A. G. Ehrhardt, C. Cellurale, H. Zhong, R. Yasuda, R. J. Davis, K. Svoboda, A genetically encoded fluorescent sensor of ERK activity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 19264–19269 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Page v Abstract This comparative study was carried out to investigate the presence of antibiotic sensitive and resistant bacteria in different environmental samples of Bangladesh with specific clinical strain obtained from ICDDR, B .The environmental samples were isolated from the month April 2014 to September 2014 from different locations of Dhaka city to perceive the propensity of the environmental isolates to develop antibiotic resistance at different time periods of a year. The bacterial isolates were identified on the basis of standard cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Antibiogram was done to identify the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates according to CLSI guideline. The result of this study indicated that significant number of the environmental isolates has become resistant to the tested antibiotics, and some of them have become multi-resistant to these therapeutic agents whereas all the clinical isolates showed the opposite result. The study helps to predict the future emergence and guide the development of strategies to counteract this resistance. Therefore periodic and comprehensive survey of antibiotic resistance in the environmental bacteria is required.


Several accounts of speech perception propose that the areas involved in producing language are also involved in perceiving it. In line with this view, neuroimaging studies show activation of premotor cortex (PMC) during phoneme judgment tasks; however, there is debate about whether speech perception necessarily involves motor processes, across all task contexts, or whether the contribution of PMC is restricted to tasks requiring explicit phoneme awareness. Some aspects of speech processing, such as mapping sounds onto meaning, may proceed without the involvement of motor speech areas if PMC specifically contributes to the manipulation and categorical perception of phonemes. We applied TMS to three sites—PMC, posterior superior temporal gyrus, and occipital pole—and for the first time within the TMS literature, directly contrasted two speech perception tasks that required explicit phoneme decisions and mapping of speech sounds onto semantic categories, respectively. TMS to PMC disrupted explicit phonological judgments but not access to meaning for the same speech stimuli. TMS to two further sites confirmed that this pattern was site specific and did not reflect a generic difference in the susceptibility of our experimental tasks to TMS: stimulation of pSTG, a site involved in auditory processing, disrupted performance in both language tasks, whereas stimulation of occipital pole had no effect on performance in either task. These findings demonstrate that, although PMC is important for explicit phonological judgments, crucially, PMC is not necessary for mapping speech onto meanings.