Businesses frequently make promises and commitments to employees, customers, investors and civil society as a means to secure resources or obtain cooperation. Many of these commitments are made on behalf of the business as an organization, as if it were a moral actor. Yet evidence suggests that businesses do not have a strong track record for keeping commitments and broken commitments contribute to stakeholder distrust. Though historical explanations emphasize the role of "bad apples" or old-fashioned personal greed and static individual traits above all, recent work on institutional and organizational corruption suggests that "bad barrels" or individual-, interpersonal-, and group-level factors may also be at play. Yet even these views are relatively narrow, which has led to "a relative neglect of the role of processes and systems" in creating corruption. Separate bodies of research suggest that unclear or ambiguous commitments or failures in "connecting the dots" across organizations can also contribute to "commitment drift." We therefore argue for the inclusion of "weak commitments" and "disconnected dots" as two additional sources of institutional and organizational corruption. Given these four possible causes, we argue that keeping organizational commitments may be harder than it first appears, and that developing commitment-keeping competence could help companies advance their own interests as well as build trust with other stakeholders. In this paper, we report on a project to develop and pilot two tools for diagnosing "commitment drift" and building commitment-keeping competence: a Commitment Scorecard and a Commitment-Keeping Employee Survey. We draw on an 18-month multi-methods study with a U.S.-based global Fortune 500 company whose CEO had committed to keeping promises as an explicit business strategy, where we piloted the Survey and Scorecard. We begin by outlining a working causal model of commitment drift. We then analyze the Employee Survey and Commitment Scorecard pilot results, and present implications for future study.


The therapy-enhancement distinction occupies a central place in contemporary discussions of human genetics and has been the subject of much debate. At a recent conference on gene therapy policy, scientists predicted that within a few years researchers will develop techniques that can be used to enhance human traits. In thinking about the morality of genetic interventions, many writers have defended somatic gene therapy, and some have defended germline gene therapy, but only a handful of writers defend genetic enhancement, or even give it a fair hearing. The mere mention of genetic enhancement makes many people cringe and brings to mind the Nazi eugenics programs, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, "The X-Files," or the recent movie "Gattaca." Although many people believe that gene therapy has morally legitimate medical uses, others regard genetic enhancement as morally problematic or decidedly evil.


The rich body of Bandit literature not only offers a diverse toolbox of algorithms, but also makes it hard for a practitioner to find the right solution to solve the problem at hand. Typical textbooks on Bandits focus on designing and analyzing algorithms, and surveys on applications often present a list of individual applications. While these are valuable resources, there exists a gap in mapping applications to appropriate Bandit algorithms. In this paper, we aim to reduce this gap with a structured map of Bandits to help practitioners navigate to find relevant and practical Bandit algorithms. Instead of providing a comprehensive overview, we focus on a small number of key decision points related to reward, action, and features, which often affect how Bandit algorithms are chosen in practice.


The Pipeline Ridge Au-Cu-Pb-Zn deposit of central New South Wales is contained within the Sarona Downes tuff member of the Kopyje Shelf, 20 km southeast of the town of Canbelego, adjacent to the Coonara Fault. It is a poorly understood, currently sub-economic, deposit on the eastern extent of the Cobar Basin; a part of the north-northwest striking region separated out as the Canbelego-Mineral Hill volcanic belt. The Cobar Superbasin is an extensional basin characteristic of the Central Lachlan Orogen and as of 2006 is the richest polymetallic basin within the Lachlan Orogen. Petrography, whole rock geochemistry (XRF), geochronology (U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating) and sulphur isotope analysis have been used to describe the geology, mineralisation and produce a petrogenetic model of the Pipeline Ridge system. Two felsic volcanic rock samples above and below mineralisation were sampled for zircon extraction, and 44 zircons were dated using the SHRIMP at ANU. Both samples fall within error of each other giving a combined age of 426.0 ± 5.3 Ma. This indicates that the volcanic pile at Pipeline Ridge consists of at least two separate interlayered acidic tuff units deposited on the shelf around the SilurianDevonian boundary (426.0 ± 5.3 Ma) and probably represents the early stages of rifting within the basin. Petrographic and geochemical evidence suggest these tuff units represent two separate sources from evolved magmatic sources produced from decompressional melting of continental crust and underplated basalts. Epithermal mineralisation stocks were emplaced into the steeply eastward dipping volcanic pile, sub-parallel to an interpreted fault zone probably during deformation and inversion of the basin during the Mid Devonian Tabberabberan Orogeny. Petrographic evidence of the strongest mineralisation zones indicates three phases of hydrothermal influx to be responsible for the mineralisation of the system. Phase 2 alteration is responsible for the main pulse of economic mineralisation introducing base metals, Au and carbonates in hydrothermal fluids. Sulphur isotope analysis was obtained for pyrite (10.3 δ34 S ‰), chalcopyrite (11.6 δ34 S ‰), and galena (9.0 δ34 S ‰). Pyrite-galena pairs are used cautiously as geothermometres, indicating hydrothermal fluid deposition temperatures to be at and above the upper limits for epithermal deposits (approximately 350oC). Extensive hydrothermal alteration in the form of sericitisation and chlorite alteration is evident in thinsections and has been taken into to account when using immobile element geochemical classification and discriminant plots, which indicate these volcanics are derived from an alkali-rich (A-type) source. This deposit may represent an initial Kuroko VMS style deposit associated with the initial eruption of felsic volcanics in a marine environment but the strong hydrothermal alteration and recrystallisation makes it difficult to interpret. The chalcedonic, coliform and vuggy quartz veining as well as mineralisation and alteration assemblages suggests the final mineralisation best fits an intermediate sulphidation epithermal deposit model. The regional tectonic setting of the Cobar Basin within the central Lachlan Orogen during the latest Silurian to Devonian is thought not to be reflected by one single modern day tectonic analogue by a combination of tectonic factors characterising a number of modern day, subduction related extensional settings.


This study aimed to analyze the quality of the implementation of free education at the level of free education in Jabodetabek. Subjects were implementing elements of the free education that teachers and principals in the area of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. This research is non-experimental research because no manipulation of study variables. The type of research is a survey method. This research data collection techniques are questionnaires and observation techniques. Questionnaires and observation selected in this study, because of the variables to be measured is certain, that the quality of the implementation of free education at the primary level. This technique is also an effective technique for measuring the purpose of this study of the respondents are already established. The research result shows that the implementation of free education in Jabodetabek meet the quality standards of education good views of inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes of education. Judging from the quality standard based education accreditation, quality free education in Jabodetabek meet the quality standards of education with the acquisition value of A. Model implementation of free education of the funding envisaged in three models of education, namely the liberation of all kinds of levies by schools to parents, Liberation operational cost of education to parents, except for expenses for personal needs such as school uniforms and operational financing of education imposed on BOS (School Operational Cost). Impact of free education based on the quality of the inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes, as well as quality accreditation are also models of implementation of free education for the elderly, the implementation of free education in Jabodetabek with quality standards do not have the participation of parents is optimal, had the satisfaction of graduates, and assisted from the financing of education free of charge. For teachers based on the acquisition of data about the quality of free education, teachers meet standards with optimal learning process.


This article focuses on picturebooks for young children aged 12 to 24 months. This type of picturebook has been largely neglected in picturebook research, albeit it provides fascinating insights into the literary and cognitive development of young children. Two types of picturebooks will be analyzed: First, those that show single objects from the child's surroundings which are denoted by nouns, second those that show actions that are usually denoted by verbs. Both book types serve to support the child's acquisition of early concepts, i.e. mental devices the child needs when referring to objects (ball, apple), persons (mummy, baby), or actions (to hit the ball). These early-concept books, as we call them (see Kummerling-Meibauer & Meibauer 2005), have important properties from the point of view of cognitive and literary development. Not only do they reflect the child's order of lexical acquisition, they also serve as an introduction in elementary picture-text relations and text structures. Hence this article is a plea for a developmental approach to picturebooks. Such an approach should integrate insights from a number of disciplines, such as psycholinguistics and developmental psychology, picture theory, and narratology.


Business skills training programs increased microentrepreneurs' use of business best practices, but in most cases, there were no significant changes in their profits. Alternative programs that are tailored to participants' needs or foster an entrepreneurial mindset have shown more promising results than traditional programs.


Systematic manipulation of a cell microenvironment with micro- and nanoscale resolution is often required for deciphering various cellular and molecular phenomena. To address this requirement, we have developed a plasma lithography technique to manipulate the cellular microenvironment by creating a patterned surface with feature sizes ranging from 100 nm to millimeters. The goal of this technique is to be able to study, in a controlled way, the behaviors of individual cells as well as groups of cells and their interactions. This plasma lithography method is based on selective modification of the surface chemistry on a substrate by means of shielding the contact of low-temperature plasma with a physical mold. This selective shielding leaves a chemical pattern which can guide cell attachment and movement. This pattern, or surface template, can then be used to create networks of cells whose structure can mimic that found in nature and produces a controllable environment for experimental investigations. The technique is well suited to studying biological phenomenon as it produces stable surface patterns on transparent polymeric substrates in a biocompatible manner. The surface patterns last for weeks to months and can thus guide interaction with cells for long time periods which facilitates the study of long-term cellular processes, such as differentiation and adaption. The modification to the surface is primarily chemical in nature and thus does not introduce topographical or physical interference for interpretation of results. It also does not involve any harsh or toxic substances to achieve patterning and is compatible for tissue culture. Furthermore, it can be applied to modify various types of polymeric substrates, which due to the ability to tune their properties are ideal for and are widely used in biological applications. The resolution achievable is also beneficial, as isolation of specific processes such as migration, adhesion, or binding allows for discrete, clear observations at the single to multicell level. This method has been employed to form diverse networks of different cell types for investigations involving migration, signaling, tissue formation, and the behavior and interactions of neurons arraigned in a network.


A new Green-function formalism is developed for calculating fields generated by sources in the presence of a multilayer geometry. The approach is to formulate the problem immediately in terms of s- and p-polarized waves generated, so that the calculation of the effect of interfaces proceeds by the introduction of Fresnel reflection and transmission coefficients and parallels the simple physical picture of light progressing through the structure.


For two years Ester Newton did field research in the world of drag queens-homosexual men who make a living impersonating women. Newton spent time in the noisy bars, the chaotic dressing rooms, and the cheap apartments and hotels that make up the lives of drag queens, interviewing informants whose trust she had earned and compiling a lively, first-hand ethnographic account of the culture of female impersonators. "Mother Camp" explores the distinctions that drag queens make among themselves as performers, the various kinds of night clubs and acts they depend on for a living, and the social organization of their work. A major part of the book deals with the symbolic geography of male and female styles, as enacted in the homosexual concept of "drag" (sex role transformation) and "camp," an important humor system cultivated by the drag queens themselves. "Newton's fascinating book shows how study of the extraordinary can brilliantly illuminate the ordinary-that social-sexual division of personality, appearance, and activity we usually take for granted."-Jonathan Katz, author of "Gay American History" "A trenchant statement of the social force and arbitrary nature of gender roles."-Martin S. Weinberg, "Contemporary Sociology"


With shear interest in nanoporous materials, the ultraconfining interlayer spacing of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) provides an excellent medium to study reactivity, structure, and dynamic properties of water. In this paper, we present how substrate composition affects chemo-physical properties of water in ultraconfined hydrophilic media. This is achieved by performing molecular dynamics simulation on a set of 150 realistic models with different compositions of calcium and silicon contents. It is demonstrated that the substrate chemistry directly affects the structural properties of water molecules. The motion of confined water shows a multi-stage dynamics which is characteristic of supercooled liquids and glassy phases. Inhomogeneity in that dynamics is used to differentiate between mobile and immobile water molecules. Furthermore, it is shown that the mobility of water molecules is composition-dependent. Similar to the pressure-driven self-diffusivity anomaly observed in bulk water, we report the first study on composition-driven diffusion anomaly, the self diffusivity increases with increasing confined water density in C-S-H. Such anomalous behavior is explained by the decrease in the typical activation energy required for a water molecule to escape its dynamical cage.


Human activities are putting greater pressure on the climate system, on biological integrity, on biogeochemical systems, and many other earth system processes. There is demand for ambitious policy interventions to reduce each one of these pressures, but the challenge for the international community may be even more di cult than just trying to 'apply the brakes.' The problem is rather more like parallel parking, where backing away from one obstacle may put us on a collision course with another. Staying within a 'safe operating space' for humanity requires that, as we take steps to reduce the pressure on one earth system process, we do not inadvertently increase the pressure on others. In this paper, we present a novel stylized multi-sector general equilibrium model with multiple earth system processes, and calibrate it with data from the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) to study the global consequences of key policy proposals. Our main finding is that a global carbon tax, aside from reducing carbon emissions, would have many unexpected benefits, single-handedly easing pressure on nearly all of the critical earth system processes. It however also carries with it an increased demand for land in agriculture and further pressure on fisheries, such that supplementary policies may be needed as a safeguard.


Abstract. Colorado potato beetle (CPB) adults and larvae devour leaves of potato and other solanaceous crops and weeds, and may quickly develop resistance to pesticides. With early detection of CPB damage, more options are available for precision integrated pest management, which reduces the amount of pesticides applied in a field. Remote sensing with small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) has potential for CPB detection because low flight altitudes allow image acquisition at very high spatial resolution. A five-band multispectral sensor and up-looking incident light sensor were mounted on a six-rotor sUAS, which was flown at altitudes of 60 and 30 m in June 2014. Plants went from visibly undamaged to having some damage in just 1 day. Whole-plot normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the number of pixels classified as damaged (0.70≤NDVI≤0.80) were not correlated with visible CPB damage ranked from least to most. Area of CPB damage estimated using object-based image analysis was highly correlated to the visual ranking of damage. Furthermore, plant height calculated using structure-from-motion point clouds was related to CPB damage, but this method required extensive operator intervention for success. Object-based image analysis has potential for early detection based on high spatial resolution sUAS remote sensing.


e offer a theory of intertemporal bureaucratic decision making which proposes that an agency's forecast optimism is related to the extent to which it discounts future reputation costs associated with bureaucratic incompetence. Agency forecasts of the distant future are more likely to be optimistic than short-term forecasts. We claim that unstable organizations will discount reputation costs at a steeper rate than stable organizations, and therefore will produce more optimistic forecasts. We test our theory using macroeconomic forecasts produced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) across six forecast horizons from 1979 to 2003. The statistical results are generally consistent with our theory: OMB generates more optimistic long-term forecasts than SSA. Further, differences in forecast optimism between these executive branch agencies widen as the forecast horizon increases. Our evidence suggests that more stable agencies place a premium on minimizing reputation costs. Conversely, less stable agencies are more likely to accommodate political pressures for forecast optimism. These findings underscore the importance of institutional design for understanding how executive agencies balance the conflicting goals of political responsiveness and bureaucratic competence within the administrative state.


Garnet occurs within rhyolitic to dacitic lavas, ignimbrites and volcaniclastic sediments of the Pyrenean calc-alkaline Permo-Carboniferous volcanic rocks. On the basis of texture and major and trace element composition, the garnet is interpreted as having a phenocrystal as opposed to a xenocrystal or restite origin. The Pyrenean silicic volcanics are strongly peraluminous, consistent with derivation as a partial melt from a sedimentary source. They were erupted contemporaneously with the Hercynian thermal anomaly, which produced regional granulite facies metamorphism and anatectic granites. The 'Late Hercynian granodiorites' were also intruded at about this time. Geochemical data suggest that the petrogenesis of the volcanic rocks differed from that of the granodiorites. REE garnet/matrix partition coefficients for garnets from a welded rhyolitic ignimbrite are similar to those reported for other phenocrystal garnets in rhyolites. REE abundances imply that the garnets crystallized from a HREE depleted melt and this is considered to reflect the effects of garnet in the restite. Experimental constraints suggest that the garnet crystallized at pressures >4–5kb, implying that the rhyolites originated from > 14–17km depth and were erupted rapidly from these depths in order for the garnet to survive. These figures place constraints on the thermal regime prevailing in the late stages of the Hercynian orogeny.


Two novel techniques based on Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) were applied to measure gas-phase temperature distributions in boundary layers close to wall surfaces. Single- line toluene-LIF thermometry was used to image temperature in a nitrogen gas flow above a heated wall. The nitrogen gas flow was doped with evaporated toluene. When excited at 266 nm, the toluene LIF-signal shows an exponential dependence on temperature. This behavior was used to calculate absolute temperatures from LIF images after calibration at known conditions. The second technique, multi-line NO-LIF thermometry was applied to image temperature in the quenching boundary layer close to a metal wall located on a flat flame burner. A small amount of nitric oxide was mixed into the air/methane mixture. NO molecules were excited in the A-X (0,0)-band at 225 nm. NO-LIF excitation spectra were acquired by tuning the excimer laser wavelength and recording the NO LIF-signal with an ICCD camera. Absolute temperatures were calculated for every pixel by fitting simulated excitation spectra to the experimental data. Temperature distributions close to the wall surface were measured at two different flow-rate conditions. A high nominal spatial resolution of 0.016 mm/pixel in direction perpendicular to the wall was reached. Wall surface temperatures were recorded simultaneously by embedded thermocouples and compared with gas-phase temperature near the wall surface.


We report on a study of an Anoto® digital pen and paper usage in three student project groups over three months. We have set up a system including a digital pen and paper, handwriting recognition software, and provided the conditions for wireless note sharing over Bluetooth, and thereafter we let the students use the technology as they went about their activities. Our goal was to evaluate the system's potential for student groups as usage naturally occurred and to assess how the participants integrated the technology in their work and whether it bridged the physical-digital gap. We found that even if the technology works well for individual use, collaborative use of digital pen and paper posed important issues, which we discuss in the light of our notion of nomadicity as a work condition, as well as in the light of the increasingly opportunistic nature of handwriting nowadays.


Introduction and Objectives Engineering living tissues or organs critically depends on the use of scaffolds to attract, house and instruct host cells. To achieve this, the scaffolds need to be functionalised using different strategies. One of these strategies relies on the use designer peptides to decorate scaffolds. Peptide linkers have shown increasing importance in the production of bioactive materials for various biological applications. In particular, they act as natural linkers for merging multiple functional domains and for attaching active motifs on the surface to induce cells and to enhance the function of biomaterials. However, intense structural customization of the linkers is required prior to examine them under experimental conditions for challenging tissue engineering applications such as heart valve repair. Thus, we here apply computer-aided molecular design to construct the linkers including essential properties such as multiple motif presentations and binding on scaffolds/nanoparticles. Materials and Methods The 3D structures of known functional motif (collagen and fibronectin inducing) with linkers were used in the interactive molecular dynamics simulations, which were carried out under physiological conditions after parameterization of all atomic properties. The simulations are to solve Newton equation of motion for 100 nanoseconds at the parallel super computer using algorithms of Groningen machine for chemical simulations. The trajectories of the simulations were collected at regular interval for analysing molecular behaviours, molecular interactions and structural properties of the linkers. Results Our recent modeling shows that the linkers based on valine and alanine can be used for merging dual bioactive motifs, which enhance the stimulation of collagen and fibronectin in human adipose derived stem cells under experimental conditions. By further applying the modeling strategy, here, we are developing linkers in specific conformations with surface attachment property. The computer aided-design used to analyse the structural role of key residues such as proline, serine, alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, lysine and cysteine in different lengths with several combinations to probe favourable linkers. The structural rigidity and self-assembly are the major molecular features that were used appropriately to create the efficient linkers for decoration and functionalization of biomaterials. Conclusion The design of customized linkers may offer many advantages for the production intelligent biomaterials with multi-functionality, enhanced bioactivity and to target specific sites/shapes for tissue engineering applications.


We present the first results in the search for relativistic magnetic monopoles with the IceCube detector, a subsurface neutrino telescope located in the South Polar ice cap containing a volume of 1 km$^{3}$. This analysis searches data taken on the partially completed detector during 2007 when roughly 0.2 km$^{3}$ of ice was instrumented. The lack of candidate events leads to an upper limit on the flux of relativistic magnetic monopoles of $\Phi_{\mathrm{90%C.L.}}\sim 3\e{-18}\fluxunits$ for $\beta\geq0.8$. This is a factor of 4 improvement over the previous best experimental flux limits up to a Lorentz boost $\gamma$ below $10^{7}$. This result is then interpreted for a wide range of mass and kinetic energy values.


We consider the problem of predicting the spectral reflectance of paper samples immersed in ink mixtures of varying ink concentrations. Relying on an adapted version of the Kubelka-Munk theory, we predict the reflectances of the samples dyed by ink mixtures. We first derive a method to calculate the effective scattering coefficient of an inked paper sample as a function of its absorbance coefficient. Then we learn from a single sample the reduction in ink concentrations when two inks are mixed. Using these ink concentration reduction factors, we can then predict the reflectances of paper colored by ink mixtures of various nominal concentrations. © 2010 Society for Imaging Science and technology.


Plants are sessile and therefore have developed mechanisms to adapt to their environment, including the soil mineral nutrient composition. Ionomics is a developing functional genomic strategy designed to rapidly identify the genes and gene networks involved in regulating how plants acquire and accumulate these mineral nutrients from the soil. Here, we report on the coupling of high-throughput elemental profiling of shoot tissue from various Arabidopsis accessions with DNA microarray-based bulk segregant analysis and reverse genetics, for the rapid identification of genes from wild populations of Arabidopsis that are involved in regulating how plants acquire and accumulate Na+ from the soil. Elemental profiling of shoot tissue from 12 different Arabidopsis accessions revealed that two coastal populations of Arabidopsis collected from Tossa del Mar, Spain, and Tsu, Japan (Ts-1 and Tsu-1, respectively), accumulate higher shoot levels of Na+ than do Col-0 and other accessions. We identify AtHKT1, known to encode a Na+ transporter, as being the causal locus driving elevated shoot Na+ in both Ts-1 and Tsu-1. Furthermore, we establish that a deletion in a tandem repeat sequence approximately 5 kb upstream of AtHKT1 is responsible for the reduced root expression of AtHKT1 observed in these accessions. Reciprocal grafting experiments establish that this loss of AtHKT1 expression in roots is responsible for elevated shoot Na+. Interestingly, and in contrast to the hkt1–1 null mutant, under NaCl stress conditions, this novel AtHKT1 allele not only does not confer NaCl sensitivity but also cosegregates with elevated NaCl tolerance. We also present all our elemental profiling data in a new open access ionomics database, the Purdue Ionomics Information Management System (PiiMS; http://www.purdue.edu/dp/ionomics). Using DNA microarray-based genotyping has allowed us to rapidly identify AtHKT1 as the casual locus driving the natural variation in shoot Na+ accumulation we observed in Ts-1 and Tsu-1. Such an approach overcomes the limitations imposed by a lack of established genetic markers in most Arabidopsis accessions and opens up a vast and tractable source of natural variation for the identification of gene function not only in ionomics but also in many other biological processes.


Organohalide lead (hybrid) perovskites have emerged as competitive semiconducting materials for photovoltaic devices due to their high performance and low cost. To further the understanding and optimization of these materials, solution-based methods for interrogating and modifying perovskite thin films are needed. In this work, we report a hydrofluoroether (HFE) solvent-based electrolyte for electrochemical processing and characterization of organic-inorganic trihalide lead perovskite thin films. Organic perovskite films are soluble in most of the polar organic solvents, and thus until now, they were not considered suitable for electrochemical processing. We have enabled electrochemical characterization and demonstrated a processing toolset for these materials utilizing highly fluorinated electrolytes based on a HFE solvent. Our results show that chemically orthogonal electrolytes based on HFE solvents do not dissolve organic perovskite films and thus allow electrochemical characterization of the electronic structure, investigation of charge transport properties, and potential electrochemical doping of the films with in situ diagnostic capabilities.


Adverse pregnancy outcomes including prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) have been associated with life-long chronic disease risk for the infant. Stress during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Many studies have reported the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Indigenous populations and a smaller number of studies have measured rates of stress and depression in these populations. This study sought to examine the potential association between stress during pregnancy and the rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Australian Indigenous women residing in rural and remote communities in New South Wales. This study found a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy than the general population. There was also a higher incidence of prematurity and LBW deliveries. Unfortunately, missing post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptomatology data impeded the examination of associations of interest. This was largely due to the highly sensitive nature of the issues under investigation, and the need to ensure adequate levels of trust between Indigenous women and research staff before disclosure and recording of sensitive research data. We were unable to demonstrate a significant association between the level of stress and the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes at this stage. We recommend this longitudinal study continue until complete data sets are available. Future research in this area should ensure prioritization of building trust in participants and overestimating sample size to ensure no undue pressure is placed upon an already stressed participant.


Syngas Impurity Effects on Cell Growth, Enzymatic Activities and Ethanol Production via Fermentation Deshun Xu Department of Chemical Engineering, BYU Doctor of Philosophy A syngas compositional database with focus on trace impurities was established. For this work, ammonia (NH3) and benzene (C6H6) effects on cell growth, enzymatic activities of hydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and product formation were studied. NH3, after entering media, will be converted rapidly to NH4, which will raise the total osmolarity of the media. NH3, as a common nutrient for the cell growth, is not the real culprit for cell growth inhibition. In essence, it is the high osmolarity resulting from the accumulation of NH4 in the media which disrupts the normal regulation of the cells. It was concluded that at NH4 concentration above 250 mM, the cell growth was substantially inhibited. However, P11 cells used in this study can likely adapt to an elevated osmolarity (up to 500 mM) although the mechanism is unknown. It was also found that higher osmolarity will eventually lead to higher ethanol per cell density. In conclusion, NH3 needs to be cleaned out of syngas feeding system. The realistic C6H6 concentration in the media coming from a gasifier was simulated in bioreactors and was measured by a GC/MS. The most realistic C6H6 concentration in the media was around 0.41 mM (upper limit 0.83 mM). However, five elevated concentrations of 0.64, 1.18, 1.72, 2.33, and 3.44 mM were doped into the media. It was found that at 3.44 mM cell growth and ethanol production were significantly affected. However, there was only negligible adverse effect on cell growth and ethanol production at 0.41 mM, which is the expected concentration in bioreactors exposed to syngas. Therefore, it is unnecessary to remove C6H6 from the gas feeding stream. A kinetic model for hydrogenase activity that included inhibition effects of NH4 and C6H6 was developed. Experimental results showed that NH4 is a non-competitive inhibitor for hydrogenase activity with KNH4+ of (649 ± 35) mM and KH2 of (0.19 ± 0.1) mM. This KH2 value is consistent with those reported in literature. C6H6 is also a non-competitive inhibitor but a more potent one compared to NH4 (KC6H6=11.4 ± 1.32 mM). A KH2 value of (0.196 ± 0.022) mM is also comparable with literature and also with the NH4 study. At a realistic C6H6 concentration of 0.41 mM expected in bioreactors exposed to syngas, hydrogenase activity is expected to be reduced by less than 5%. Forward ADH activity was not adversely affected up to 200 mM [NH4]. From the current work, NH3 should be targeted for removal but it is not necessary to remove C6H6 when designing an efficient gas cleanup system.


An important obstacle to accurate data analytics is dirty data in the form of missing, duplicate, incorrect, or inconsistent values. In the SampleClean project, we have developed a new suite of techniques to estimate the results of queries when only a sample of data can be cleaned. Some forms of data corruption, such as duplication, can affect sampling probabilities, and thus, new techniques have to be designed to ensure correctness of the approximate query results. We first describe our initial project on computing statistically bounded estimates of sum, count, and avg queries from samples of cleaned data. We subsequently explored how the same techniques could apply to other problems in database research, namely, materialized view maintenance. To avoid expensive incremental maintenance, we maintain only a sample of rows in a view, and then leverage SampleClean to approximate aggregate query results. Finally, we describe our work on a gradient-descent algorithm that extends the key ideas to the increasingly common Machine Learning-based analytics.


Community Days, an innovative initiative to foster community service and civic engagement at the City University of New York's new Guttman Community College, encourages students to perform volunteer work around the city. What makes the program unique are opportunities for students to take self-directed excursions and enjoy free resources in the city—activities not usually associated with service-learning. Including a component that the students identify as "Fun Day" in a program dedicated to volunteer service strengthens the program and increases the enthusiasm of the participants. This essay examines reflections completed by the students after participating in Community Days, considering their initial expectations and apprehensions, their experiences in unfamiliar environments, and the connections they draw between community service and "fun." These reflections suggest that the two program components reinforce one another in building social capital. Independently navigating unfamiliar areas of the city challenges them and builds their sense of autonomy and control. Successfully completing new challenges, however simple—whether serving meals in a soup kitchen or riding the Staten Island Ferry—gives them an experience of earned success. Because Guttman allows the students agency to decide how (and ultimately if) they will participate, they take full possession of their accomplishments.


Large-print books--those are for when you get older! Teenagers are lucky--they don't have to worry about small newspaper print or hard-to-read menus. Except, some do! Teenagers with low vision or reading disabilities and those who are reluctant readers need large-print books. Statistics for teenagers with low vision can be hard to find. Lighthouse International says that "3 percent of individuals age six and older, representing 7.9 million people, have difficulty seeing words and letters in ordinary newspaper print even when wearing glasses or contact lenses." (1) Teenagers with dyslexia and reading disabilities also benefit from books with a larger type size. (2) Wesley Yandell Jr. reported on the success of using large print in School Library Journal: [L]arger print is easier on students' eyes, something that may be a factor with kids who have undiagnosed vision problems. There may be a psychological factor as well. When kids first learn to read, they use Large print. As their reading acuity grows, the type size shrinks, and some students may perceive the smaller print as harder to read. The use of large print may unconsciously help them return to their earlier learning experiences, when they perceived reading as easier and more enjoyable. (3) As explained by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), the minimum type size for large print is 14 point, but most large-print books are in 16 or 18-point type. Novels are in 10- to 12-point type, and newspapers are often printed in 8-point type. (4) Isabel Warren-Lynch, Executive Art Director for Random House Children's Books, says that picture books are printed in 16- to 24-point type--and up! Middle-grade books are in 14-point type. (5) This article is in 12-point type. As teenagers leave behind children's books, they find that print, literally, gets smaller. Reading can turn from fun to a chore. Commercial large-print publishers don't always carry young adult tides. Thorndike Press publishes at least two young adult books each month. (6) The Library Reproduction Service Large Print School Books and InfoCon publish a large number of books for teens and also provide "large print on demand" for tides that cannot be found elsewhere. Prices can vary widely, with on-demand services costing more. Resources listed in the sidebar have more information about some of the numerous sources for large-print books, newspapers, and magazines. The Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader eBooks allow users to increase the type size of any book to 20 points, turning a regular book into large print at no additional cost. You don't need to have everything in your collection--you just need to help your teens find sources for large print. …


Sams Teach Yourself JavaServer Pages in 21 Days offers a proven tutorial format to teach JSP in 21 example-driven lessons. This book is for Web publishing professionals migrating to JavaServer Pages for its ability to create dynamic, interactive Web sites and separate presentation from Java code running behind the scenes. The book starts by explaining the relationship between JSP and Java Servlets and the basics of JSP functions and features. You'll then learn how JSP handles data, interacts with Java components, tracks users, and more. Later chapters discuss debugging, working with databases, XSLT and XML, using the Struts framework from Apache, handling binary data like graphics, and deploying JSP applications. Each topic is illustrated with many working examples that the reader can understand and put to work immediately. Throughout the book the author provides pointers to upcoming developments in JSP 2, to ensure that you are prepared for changes in the new version.


I. INTRODUCTION II. RETRANSMISSION CONSENT III. THE CURRENT DISPUTE: WHAT EACH PARTY WANTS A. Cable Providers B. Broadcasters C. Consumers IV. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS A. FCC Proposals 1. Improving Good Faith Standards 2. Revision of Notice Requirements 3. Extending "Sweeps" Prohibition to Non-Cable MVPDs 4. Elimination of Network Nonduplication and Syndicated Exclusivity Rules B. Non-FCC Proposals 1. Interim Carriage 2. Mandatory Binding Arbitration 3. Does the FCC Have the Necessary Authority? V. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS I. INTRODUCTION On October 16, 2010, approximately three million cable TV subscribers across the New York metropolitan area lost access to their local Fox stations and missed the first two games of the World Series. (1) Previously, on March 7, 2010, nearly 3.1 million households lost their local ABC signal and missed the first fourteen minutes of the Academy Awards. (2) In 2008, 1.5 million Time-Warner subscribers lost access to fifteen broadcast stations in fifteen local markets for one month. (3) For nearly one month in 2007, seven hundred thousand Mediacom subscribers in twelve states lost access to twenty-three stations including affiliates of Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the CW. (4) In 2005, seventy-five thousand cable subscribers in Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas lost access to their local Nexstar broadcast affiliates for nearly one year. (5) Examples of these types of signal blackouts date back even further. (6) More recently, on February 18, 2011, Univision pulled its broadcast signal from 7,000 Rhode Island households for three months. (7) In March 2011, DISH Network consumers in seventeen markets lost their CBS, FOX, NBC, and CW signals for six days. (8) In September 2011, LIN TV pulled eight broadcast signals from the Mediacom cable systems in Florida, Michigan, and Indiana causing blackouts for nearly 1.2 million subscribers that lasted nearly six weeks. (9) Multiple other blackouts have occurred this year. (10) Each of these blackouts was the result of failed negotiations between the cable or satellite provider and the broadcaster. (11) Under the current regulatory scheme, broadcasters and cable providers must enter into negotiations with each other for permission to retransmit a broadcast signal over a cable system. (12) The vast majority of these retransmission consent negotiations are resolved privately, without government intervention and without the loss of broadcast signals to cable subscribers. (13) However, sometimes the negotiations reach an impasse, and the result can be signal blackouts for cable subscribers. When this happens, consumers are inevitably harmed. Recently, there has been a growing dispute between cable providers and broadcasters about how to deal with such breakdowns in negotiations. While cable providers call for reform of the retransmission consent regulations, broadcasters resist government intervention. (14) Meanwhile, the FCC has recognized the problem facing consumers and recently initiated proceedings to try to solve it. (15) This Note will examine the contours of the dispute between cable providers and broadcasters and discuss the possible solutions to this growing crisis. In Part II, a brief history of the retransmission consent regulations of the 1992 Cable Act is put forth as necessary background information. (16) Part III of the Note addresses the positions that cable companies and broadcasters have taken in the dispute. Part IV will discuss possible solutions to the dispute. Finally, Part V will offer some recommendations and conclusions as to what the best solution may be. II. RETRANSMISSION CONSENT Originally, cable television existed to serve locations that could not receive broadcast signals. (17) The cable company's job was to take the signal from the airwaves and retransmit it to a subscriber's household. …


Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is an uncommon entity that presents diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic dilemmas despite being a well-recognized entity for over 150 years. This is because of significant differences in the rates of hemolysis and associated diseases and because there is considerable clinical heterogeneity. In addition, there is a lack of clinical trials required to refine and update standardized and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. To aid the clinician in AIHA management, we present four vignettes that represent and highlight distinct clinical presentations with separate diagnostic and therapeutic pathways that we use in our clinical practice setting. We also review the parameters present in diagnostic testing that allow for prognostic insight and present algorithms for both diagnosis and treatment of the AIHA patient in diverse situations. This is done in the hope that this review may offer guidance in regard to personalized therapy recommendations. A section is included for the diagnosis of suspected AIHA with negative test results, a relatively infrequent but challenging situation, in order to assist in the overall evaluation spectrum for these patients.


The present article reports a descriptive and explanatory case study, whose objective was to identify and describe to what extend students develop cultural awareness through activities designed under the principles of the Text-Driven Approach (TDA). This approach, presented by Brian Tomlinson, answers the question of how a second language can be learned or acquired in the most effective way in the classroom, and also aims to design interesting materials for students which lead them to think, reflect, and communicate. The research deals with developing cultural awareness in Elementary English students in the Modern Languages Degree at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Basically, the research development comprised 3 stages. The first one consisted of the identification of the problem, which was intended to figure out if students develop cultural awareness in their English classes; the second stage was intended to design a set of activities following the TDA principles. Said design became the core of the pedagogical intervention to give answers to the problem found. The third stage was featured by the implementation of the activities in two different classrooms for a period of three months. During such implementation of the activities, data were collected by using 3 important instruments: the observation sheets, which were helpful in order to gather information about observable students' behaviors (what students do). The second instrument was a questionnaire, in which students had the opportunity to express what they thought and learned during the implementation of the activities (what students say they do) and finally, we count on artifacts from students (what students really do), regarding the activities designed in order to develop cultural awareness; such artifacts were found by means of the teacher's guide, the document in which the activities were presented. Therefore, the same phenomenon was observed from 3 different perspectives obtaining a triangulation, a technique, which was considered the most appropriate to do the analysis of the data. The information collected led researchers to 4 important categories through which answers were given to the research question: knowledge (savoir), socio-cultural competence (savoir fare), attitude (savoir etre), understanding ''the other''. Such categories allowed researchers to classify the information gathered and obtain the preliminary findings, which showed that the activities designed definitely developed cultural awareness to some extend in Elementary English students.


This book presents topics in the grammar of South Efate, an Oceanic language of Central Vanuatu as spoken in Erakor village on the outskirts of Port Vila. It is one of the first such grammars to take seriously the provision of primary data for the verification of claims made in the analysis. The research is set in the context of increasing attention being paid to the state of the world's smaller languages and their prospects for being spoken into the future. In addition to providing an outline of the grammar of the language, the author describes the process of developing an archivable textual corpus that is used to make example sentences citable and playable, using software (Audiamus) developed in the course of the research. An included DVD provides a dictionary and finderlist, a set of interlinearized example texts and elicited sentences, and playable media versions of most example sentences and of the example texts.


An authoritative overview of current research on human attention, emphasizing the relation between cognitive phenomena observed in the laboratory and in the real world. Laboratory research on human attention has often been conducted under conditions that bear little resemblance to the complexity of our everyday lives. Although this research has yielded interesting discoveries, few scholars have truly connected these findings to natural experiences. This book bridges the gap between ?laboratory and life? by bringing together cutting-edge research using traditional methodologies with research that focuses on attention in everyday contexts. It offers definitive reviews by both established and rising research stars on foundational topics such as visual attention and cognitive control, underrepresented domains such as auditory and temporal attention, and emerging areas of investigation such as mind wandering and embodied attention. The contributors discuss a range of approaches and methodologies, including psychophysics, mental chronometry, stationary and mobile eye-tracking, and electrophysiological and functional brain imaging. Chapters on everyday attention consider such diverse activities as driving, shopping, reading, multitasking, and playing videogames. All chapters present their topics in the same overall format: historical context, current research, the possible integration of laboratory and real-world approaches, future directions, and key and outstanding issues. ContributorsRichard A. Abrams, Lewis Baker, Daphne Bavelier, Virginia Best, Adam B. Blake, Paul W. Burgess, Alan D. Castel, Karen Collins, Mike J. Dixon, Sidney K. D'Mello, Julia Focker, Charles L. Folk, Tom Foulsham, Jonathan A. Fugelsang, Bradley S. Gibson, Matthias S. Gobel, Davood G. Gozli, Arthur C. Graesser, Peter A. Hancock, Kevin A. Harrigan, Simone G. Heideman, Cristy Ho, Roxane J. Itier, Gustav Kuhn, Michael F. Land, Mallorie Leinenger, Daniel Levin, Steven J. Luck, Gerald Matthews, Daniel Memmert, Stephen Monsell, Meeneley Nazarian, Anna C. Nobre, Andrew M. Olney, Kerri Pickel, Jay Pratt, Keith Rayner, Daniel C. Richardson, Evan F. Risko, Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, Vivian Siu, Jonathan Smallwood, Charles Spence, David Strayer, Pedro Sztybel, Benjamin W. Tatler, Eric T. Taylor, Jeff Templeton, Robert Teszka, Michel Wedel, Blaire J. Weidler, Lisa Wojtowicz, Jeremy M. Wolfe, Geoffrey F. Woodman


Until March 2014 leptospirosis cases and its Case Fatality Rate increased in Pati and Boyolali. This study aims to describe distribution of infected rats and shrews in flood area in Pati and endemic area in Boyolali. Research carried out by the cross sectional design on March-April 2014. Coordinate of Leptospira infected rats and shrews were mapped using google earth with home range buffer. Data analyzed descriptively to describe distribution of infected rats and shrews. Pathogenic Leptospira sp. infected rats and shrews spread with random pattern. This results could be an explanation of higher transmission risk. of leptospirosis in the area of study


We experienced a case of Meniere's disease; the patient complained of attacks of hearing loss and vertigo that occurred depending on weather changes. However, a relationship between the disease and weather factors has not been previously reported. We report a case of delayed endolymphatic hydrops that was affected by the weather; we observed vestibular and cochlear symptoms during the clinical course. We recorded the relationship between weather factors (temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity) and vestibulocochlear symptoms in the patient for 2.5 years beginning from January, 2002. A significant relationship was observed between the atmospheric pressure data and the vestibulocochlear symptoms; this was greater than that for other factors such as temperature and humidity. The atmospheric pressure showed a high value when the patient experienced vestibular symptoms and a low value with cochlear symptoms. The vestibulocochlear symptoms were aggravated when the pressure changed by more than 10 hPa (increase or decrease) for several days. Based on the results of this study, a change in atmospheric pressure is considered to cause vestibulocochlear symptoms accompanied by an increase in endolymphatic hydrops. This change in endolymphatic hydrops is thought to be caused by a low atmospheric pressure in the middle ear and a corresponding high atmospheric pressure in the inner ear. It is difficult to accept that vertiginous disease is caused only by weather factors. The present case indicates a possibility for the prediction of vertiginous attacks by focusing on changes in atmospheric pressure.


The Steered Response Power Phase Transform (SRP-PHAT) is one of the most robust methods among sound source localization operating in noisy and reverberant environments. Direction of Arrival (DOA) Estimation has important applications in human computer interfaces such as video conferencing, speech enhancement and speech recognition. In this thesis work, SRP-PHAT method has been implemented for 16 element microphone array arranged into 4 rows and 4 columns in the presence of noise and reverberation. Computation of TDOA for each pair of microphones in a row setup or a column setup, generalized cross correlation estimates are calculated and thereby computing the source position and then by averaging the row wise obtained TDOA values and column wise obtained TDOA values, best accurate source position can be determined. Weighted Overlap and Add (WOLA) filter bank is used in SRP-PHAT method to find the TDOA in frequency domain. Original TDOA's and estimated TDOA's obtained from SRP-PHAT are compared to analyse the performance of the SRP-PHAT method. Mean estimation error and Standard deviation are calculated to find the accuracy of the estimated values of TDOA.


This study examined the effects of two different warm-up protocols on lower limb power and flexibility in high level athletes. Twenty international level fencers (10 males and 10 females) performed two warm-up protocols that included 5-min light jogging and either short (15s) or long (45s) static stretching exercises for each of the main leg muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings and triceps surae), followed by either 3 sets of 3 (short stretching treatment), or 3 sets of 5 tuck jumps (long stretching treatment), in a randomized crossover design with one week between treatments. Hip joint flexion was measured with a Lafayette goniometer before and after the 5-min warm-up, after stretching and 8 min after the tuck jumps, while counter movement jump (CMJ) performance was evaluated by an Ergojump contact platform, before and after the stretching treatment, as well as immediately after and 8 minutes after the tuck jumps. Three way ANOVA (condition, time, gender) revealed significant time (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.001) main effects for hip joint flexion, with no interaction between factors. Flexibility increased by 6. 8 ± 1.1% (p < 0.01) after warm-up and by another 5.8 ± 1.6% (p < 0.01) after stretching, while it remained increased 8 min after the tuck jumps. Women had greater ROM compared with men at all time points (125 ± 8° vs. 94 ± 4° p<0.01 at baseline), but the pattern of change in hip flexibility was not different between genders. CMJ performance was greater in men compared with women at all time points (38.2 ± 1.9 cm vs. 29.8 ± 1.2 cm p < 0.01 at baseline), but the percentage of change CMJ performance was not different between genders. CMJ performance remained unchanged throughout the short stretching protocol, while it decreased by 5.5 ± 0.9% (p < 0.01) after stretching in the long stretching protocol However, 8 min after the tuck jumps, CMJ performance was not different from the baseline value (p = 0.075). In conclusion, lower limb power may be decreased after long periods of stretching, but performance of explosive exercises may reverse this phenomenon.


The current standard when creating a digital image is to have a grid of sensors with each sensor collecting information that defines its associated pixel value in a digital image. For many applications storing or transmitting the entire set of pixel values is not desirable due to its large size. In these cases processing is performed on the original data which reduces its size, but results in an image which is an approximation of the original. We present an alternative to this approach that will only use a subset of the existing sensors, thus collecting less initial data and therefore avoiding the need for the additional step of having to reduce the data size after sampling. For this approach, which uses sub-sampling, we define an image construction method which takes the sub-samples and produces its own approximation of the fully sampled image. With this construction method and a strict constraint on the kinds of images we are allowed to capture, we show that there exists an optimal set of pixel locations to sample to minimize the squared error between the constructed image and the fully sampled image. Since our method has less information about the image when it decides how to reduce its size, when compared to the current standard, our method will result in a less accurate approximation of the original image. Even with this lowered performance we will show that using our supplied construction method and sample locations under the specified constraint on the original image, the proposed method creates an image that is a visually acceptable approximation.


Transmembrane adaptor proteins (TRAPs) are important organisers for the transduction of immunoreceptor-mediated signals. Prr7 is a TRAP that regulates T cell receptor (TCR) signalling and potently induces cell death when overexpressed in human Jurkat T cells. Whether endogenous Prr7 has a similar functional role is currently unknown. To address this issue, we analysed the development and function of the immune system in Prr7 knockout mice. We found that loss of Prr7 partially impairs development of single positive CD4+ T cells in the thymus but has no effect on the development of other T cell subpopulations, B cells, NK cells, or NKT cells. Moreover, Prr7 does not affect the TCR signalling pathway as T cells derived from Prr7 knockout and wild-type animals and stimulated in vitro express the same levels of the activation marker CD69, and retain their ability to proliferate and activate induced cell death programs. Importantly, Prr7 knockout mice retained the capacity to mount a protective immune response when challenged with Listeria monocytogenes infection in vivo. In addition, T cell effector functions (activation, migration, and reactivation) were normal following induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Prr7 knockout mice. Collectively, our work shows that loss of Prr7 does not result in a major immune system phenotype and suggests that Prr7 has a dispensable function for TCR signalling.


To fulfill the objective of providing robust and reliable fiber optic pressure sensors capable of operating in harsh environments, this dissertation presents the detailed research work on the design, modeling, implementation, analysis, and performance evaluation of the novel fiber optic self-calibrated interferometric/intensity-based (SCIIB) pressure sensor system. By self-referencing its two channels outputs, for the first time to our knowledge, the developed SCIIB technology can fully compensate for the fluctuation of source power and the variations of fiber losses. Based on the SCIIB principle, both multimode and single-mode fiber-based SCIIB sensor systems were designed and successfully implemented. To achieve all the potential advantages of the SCIIB technology, the novel controlled thermal bonding method was proposed, designed, and developed to fabricate high performance fiber optic Fabry-Perot sensor probes with excellent mechanical strength and temperature stability. Mathematical models of the sensor in response to the pressure and temperature are studied to provide a guideline for optimal design of the sensor probe. The solid and detailed noise analysis is also presented to provide a better understanding of the performance limitation of the SCIIB system. Based on the system noise analysis results, optimization measures are proposed to improve the system performance. Extensive experiments have also been conducted to systematically evaluate the performance of the instrumentation systems and the sensor probes. The major test results give us the confidence to believe that the development of the fiber optic SCIIB pressure sensor system provides a reliable pressure measurement tool capable of operating in high pressure, high temperature harsh environments.


In this thesis I describe the results of two main projects that on first glance have very little in common. One project, Monogenic Prenatal Diagnostic (MG-NIPD), shows how we can diagnose an unborn fetus at risk of inheriting a monogenic disease using maternal blood. In another project we designed a novel method, Multi-Contact Chromatin Conformation Capture (MC-4C), to investigate the 3D folding of DNA stored within the cell nucleus. To find the common factor is this work, one has to look at the methods rather than the subjects. Our MG-NIPD method relies in a large part on Targeted Locus Amplification (TLA). TLA and MC-4C, are both derived from the Chromatin Conformation Capture (3C) method, where DNA is fixated, digested and ligated within the cell nucleus. As a result, DNA elements in close physical proximity are joined in what is known as a proximity ligation. Such ligation events are indicative of interactions between functional DNA elements such as promotors and enhancers. Previously, analysis of proximity ligations was limited to pairwise observations, resulting in population wide averages. To further elucidate the organisation of the genome, we developed MC-4C, which relies on a novel sequencing method (nanopore sequencing). For the first time we can now interrogate multi-way proximity ligations. Using MC-4C we were able to detect the formation of an active chromatin hub, where multiple genes and multiple enhancers interact simultaneously. Additionally, we applied MC-4C in cells where the cohesin displacing factor WAPL was depleted. As a result, novel CTCF-CTCF interactions are formed over longer distances. Our analysis showed that this is at least partially the result of multi-way CTCF clustering. We propose that the underlying mechanism may be excessive loop collision, resulting in a "cohesin traffic jam". Proximity ligations are however not limited to functional interactions, and also contain random ligation events between elements of the same chromosome. This aspect of proximity ligations is used in TLA to map the genetic polymorphisms that are present on the same chromosome and are therefore co-inherited. We applied this knowledge in the setting of risk families expecting a child. First we determined the neutral genetic polymorphisms that are present on the disease and wild-type chromosomes in both parents. Subsequently we isolated and sequenced cell-free DNA from maternal blood during pregnancy, which contains a small percentage of fetal DNA. Quantification of the previously mapped polymorphisms in the cell-free DNA allowed us to then determine which parental genes were inherited by the fetus, and to thereby deduce the fetal disease status. We provided proof-of-principle for the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis and for Beta-thalassemia.


Summary Aim In this study we designed a modified method of abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) in order to establish a stable animal model of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We also evaluated cardiac structure and function in rats with myocardial hypertrophy using echocardiography, and provide a theory and experimental basis for the application of drug interventions using the LVH animal model. We hope this model will provide insight into novel clinical therapies for LVH. Methods The abdominal aorta of male Wistar rats (80–100 g) was constricted between the branches of the coeliac and anterior mesenteric arteries, to a diameter of 0.55 mm. Echocardiography, using a linear phase array probe, combined with histology and plasma BNP concentration, was performed at three, four and six weeks post AAC. Results: The acute (24-hour) mortality rate was lower (8%) than in previous reports (15%) using this modified rat model. Compared with shams, animals who underwent AAC demonstrated significantly increased interventricular septal (IVS), LV posterior wall (LVPWd), LV mass index (LVMI), crosssectional area (CSA) of myocytes, and perivascular fibrosis; while the ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS) and cardiac output (CO) were consistently lower at each time interval. Notably, differences in these parameters between the AAC and sham groups were significant by three weeks and reached a peak at four weeks. Following AAC, plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level was gradually elevated, compared with the sham group, between three and six weeks. Conclusion This modified AAC model induced LVH both stably and safely by week four post surgery. Echocardiography was accurately able to assess changes in chamber dimensions and systolic properties in the rats with LVH.


We report an X-ray spectral study of the transverse structure of the Centaurus A jet using new data from the Chandra Cen A Very Large Project. We find that the spectrum steepens with increasing distance from the jet axis, and that this steepening can be attributed to a change in the average spectrum of the knotty emission. Such a trend is unexpected if the knots are predominantly a surface feature residing in a shear layer between faster and slower flows. We suggest that the spectral steepening of the knot emission as a function of distance from the jet axis is due to knot migration, implying a component of transverse motion of knots within the flow.


In the immune system, developing thymocytes depend critically on an intimate association with the organized stromal microenvironment of the thymus, which is made up primarily of thymic epithelial cells. Akiyama et al. demonstrate the importance of this association for T cell tolerance. A deficiency in the RING domain ubiquitin ligase TRAF6 caused a loss of organized thymic epithelial architecture. The severe impairment of T cell development then leads to autoimmunity. T. Akiyama, S. Maeda, S. Yamane, K. Ogino, M. Kasai, F. Kajiura, M. Matsumoto, J.-I. Inoue, Dependence of self-tolerance on TRAF6-directed development of thymic stroma. Science 308, 248-251 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Wild caprinae, including sheep and goats, are an extremely valuable group of mammals. While most live in mountains, some inhabit desert grasslands, tropical forests or even arctic tundra. They range in size from the 30kg goral to the 350kg musk ox and display a variety of horn shapes and sizes as well as coat and body coloration. They are highly prized by hunters on account of their horns and their coats. Today, despite their important domestic relations, many wild caprinae are in danger of being lost forever: over 70 of caprinae taxa are threatened and over 30 endangered or critical. The main threats to them are over-harvesting, habitat loss and resource competition from livestock. Some face an additional threat from trophy hunters. Despite this, however, conservation legislation is either absent or, more often, poorly enforced. This action plan explores the value of caprinae to biodiversity, the threats facing the members of the species, and makes recommendations to reverse current trends. It also emphasises the importance to carpinae conservation and survival of close collaboration among all parties involved in wildlife conservation including local peoples and hunting organisations, governments, scientists and academic institutions.


Background: The age of technology, where information and knowledge perform important roles in the organisational context, creates an opportunity for local government organisations (such as metropolitan municipalities) in South Africa to support knowledge-sharing. One such technology that supports knowledge-sharing is an intranet. If an intranet is not effectively managed, knowledge-sharing in an organisation shall not be augmented.
Objective: To investigate whether or not an intranet augments knowledge-sharing in the selected organisation of eThekwini Municipality.
Methods: In this study a quantitative research approach was adopted.
Results: The results of this survey suggest that firstly the intranet appears to be at a medium maturity level; secondly, whilst there is information sharing, the intranet does not appear to be effective as a knowledge-sharing structure; and thirdly there appears to be scope for improvement of the content on the intranet. The implication thereof is that eThekwini Municipality's recently formed Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) may be ideally poised to address the identified shortcomings.
Conclusion: Intranet technology plays an important role in an organisation by enabling the effective acquisition, sharing and presentation of knowledge. Because of this an intranet must be effectively managed to readily augment knowledge-sharing in the organisational context of local government organisations (such as metropolitan municipalities) in South Africa.


New chromosome rearrangements were found in 10% or more of mitotically stable transformants. This was shown for transformations involving a variety of different markers, vectors and recipient strains. Breakpoints were randomly distributed among the seven linkage groups. Controls using untransformed protoplasts of the same strains contained almost no rearrangements. A study of molecularly characterized Am+ transformants showed that rearrangements are frequent when multiple ectopic integration events have occurred. In contrast, rearrangements are absent or infrequent when only the resident locus is restored to am+ by a homologous event. Sequences of the transforming vector were genetically linked to breakpoints in 6 of 10 translocations that were examined using Southern hybridization or colony blots.


Abstract. The reworking of sandy sediments in shallow coastal and shelf seas is mainly driven by physical forcing in the form of wave- and current-induced shear stress. As an important habitat for benthic species seeking shelter and food, the upper seafloor is also marked by intense bioturbation. Although this reworking activity is recognized as an important mechanism for the exchange of particular matter and solutes between sediment and water column, quantifications and assessments of the relative importance of physical and biogenic reworking of subtidal shelf sediments are rare. This work presents in situ measurements of volumetric reworking rates from six different locations in the southeastern North Sea. The investigated sites cover a range of water depths between 23 and 41 m, different magnitudes of physical (wave and current) forcing and sedimentological conditions as well as different habitats and benthic communities. The measured biogenic reworking rates reach up to 14 % of physically driven reworking via bedform migration. Comparisons with physical quantities water depth, median grain size, bottom water temperature and flow velocity reveal good correlations and allow for an approximation of the biogenic reworking rate from a combination of these readily available oceanographic parameters. The diffusive relocation of sediment by benthic fauna also influences the topography of small scale bedforms and may reduce their height by up to 10 % in a few hours during hydrodynamically inactive conditions. The observations show that even in an energetic environment such as the southeastern North Sea, the benthic fauna contributes an important regulating ecosystem service by overturning upper seafloor sediments. This reworking mechanism becomes particularly important in areas and during periods of sub-threshold conditions for physically driven sediment reworking.


The scheduling of clinical pathways such as oncological treatments involves a tricky decision process because the therapeutic regimens require to respect strict timing constraints with possibly limited resources such as beds and caregivers availability with an increasing number of patients. Such constraints must be met simultaneously for every patient treated at the same time, by making the best use of limited hospital resources. The scheduling must also be robust in case of adverse events such as unexpected delays or partial treatment deliveries due to their toxicity. In this paper, we show how such a decision process can be driven by care quality indicators to ensure all the dimensions. We demonstrate how constraint-based local search techniques can cope with real-world size chemotherapy pathways and efficiently adapt to changes. We also share some ethical concerns about the way the objective function is expressed and more generally about how the tool integrates in the medical decision process.


Poland has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004 and adoption of the euro by Poland is integral part of our Treaty of Accession. From the legal point of view Poland is already the member of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) but because has not completed the third stage of the EMU, we still can use our own currency – polish zloty. On January 17, 2006 Polish Finance Minister Zyta Gilowska said in an interview that Poland will not adopt the euro before 2010, adding that 2011 was an achievable deadline. In October 2006, the Polish President Lech Kaczynski said in an interview with Spain,s El Mundo that euro entry" should be a subject submitted to a referendum, which would take place at the end of his legislature, which ends in 2010 (1). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during the Economic forum in Krynica that Poland would adopt euro in 2011 a year before the European football championship organized together by Poland and Ukraine. In November 2008 Polish Government accepted so called road map to introduce euro by 2012. Firstly, Polish zloty should join the ERM 2 system which was planned in the middle of 2009. Secondly, after accomplishment convergence criteria in 2011, Poland is going to fix the permanent exchange rate between polish zloty and euro. Thirdly, introduction of Euro and withdrawal of polish zloty is previewed on 1 January 2012. The prices on polish market are going to be presented in two currencies (polish zloty and Euro) during six month. However, before Poland will join the euro zone , the Polish Constitution has to be amended to give the European Central Bank the right to print and distribute euro as a national currency. In connection with the world financial crises and suddenly devaluation of polish zloty most economist agree that government plan of euro introduction in Poland is too rushed and not realistic and adhesion of zloty into ERM 2 system should be delaying.


A situation where J blocks of variables are observed on the same set of individuals is considered in this paper. A factor analysis logic is applied to tables instead of variables. The latent variables of each block should well explain their own block and, at the same time, the latent variables of same order should be as positively correlated as possible to improve interpretation. The paper first (1) reviews the main methods for multiblock analysis based on a criterion to be optimized, (2) describes the hierarchical PLS path modeling algorithm and (3) recalls that it allows one to recover some usual multiblock analysis methods. It is then supposed that the number of latent variables can be different from one block to another and that these latent variables are orthogonal. PLS regression and PLS path modeling are used for this situation. The relation between Horst's generalized canonical correlation analysis and generalized Procrustean analysis for this specific application is also studied. The approach is illustrated by an example from sensory analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The intensity of feeling that multiculturalism invariably ignites is considered in this timely analysis of how the 'New Britain' of the twenty-first century is variously re-imagined as multicultural. Introducing the concept of 'multicultural intimacies', Anne-Marie Fortier offers a new form of critical engagement with the cultural politics of multiculturalism, one that attends to ideals of mixing, loving thy neighbour and feelings for the nation. In the first study of its kind, Fortier considers the anxieties, desires, and issues that form representations of 'multicultural Britain' available in the British public domain. She investigates: -- the significance of gender, sex, generations and kinship, as well as race and ethnicity, in debates about cultural difference -- the consolidation of religion as a marker of absolute difference -- 'moral racism', the criteria for good citizenship and the limits of civility. This book presents a unique analysis of multiculturalism that draws on insights from critical race studies, feminist and queer studies, postcolonialism and psychoanalysis.


This study investigated mothers' and proprietors/caregivers' opinions on the importance of play to children's development in Ibadan. Sample consists of Two hundred and ninety-five respondents (220 working mothers, 75 proprietors/caregivers). They were randomly selected from the various government ministries, corporate organisations, and 25 Daycare Centres within Ibadan North Local Government. Mothers and Proprietor/caregivers responded to Children's Leisure Assessment Scale (CLAS, r =0.93). Three research questions were raised and answered in the study. Data were analyzed using simple percentages. Findings revealed that 89.5% of mothers and 92% of proprietor/caregivers agreed that play provides opportunities for creativity in children. Also, mothers (97.7%) and proprietor/caregivers (98.6%) agreed that plays enhance children's perception and imagination. Findings also revealed that although, mothers and proprietor/caregivers agreed that children's take-home assignments are important, they disagreed on free time for children; majority of the proprietor/caregivers (92%) opined that children should be given some time to play freely, while 65% of the mothers disagreed. Findings also showed that mothers (85.9%) and proprietor/caregivers (100%) agreed that children mostly play with same sex partners. Based on the findings, tips on how to make use of free play as a factor to facilitate development among children were given. Keywords : Mothers, Proprietor, Caregiver, Daycare, Children and Play. International Journal of Emotional Psychology and Sport Ethics Vol. 10 2008: pp.187-198


Reliable estimates of coccolith masses of the different species are an important prerequisite in determining coccolith carbonate fluxes. This paper presents data from sediment trap samples that were analysed in order to determine the contribution of coccolithophores to the flux through the water column and to compare relative flux contribution based on different size estimates. Biometrical analyses of distinct coccolith species were therefore performed on samples from four additional time-series stations. Besides analysing the numerically dominant taxa Emiliania huxleyi and Florisphaera profunda, measurements have been made on Calcidiscus leptoporus, Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Helicosphaera carteri and Syracosphaera pulchra. This study strongly reinforces the previous conclusion that size calibrations are essential for reliable results, i.e. that the superficially attractive alternative of adopting "standard" size estimates for species is an invalid approach. The most extreme example of variable volume calculation is given for C. leptoporus. Mean size plots differ significantly from different regions, either with large, intermediate or small coccoliths dominating. The variability in size is likely to result in an approximately three-fold variability in carbonate mass contribution.


This paper studies the physical layer's impact on the blocking probability and energy consumption of wide-area dynamic elastic optical networks (EONs). For this purpose, we consider five network configurations, each named with a network configuration identifier (NCI) from 1 to 5, for which the Routing, Modulation Level, and Spectrum Assignment (RMLSA) problem is solved. NCI 1–4 are transparent configurations based on all-EDFA, hybrid Raman/EDFA amplifiers (with different Raman gain ratio <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Gamma _{R}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), all-DFRA, and alternating span configuration (EDFA and DFRA). NCI 5 is a translucent configuration based on all-EDFA and 3R regenerators. We model the physical layer for every network configuration to determine the maximum achievable reach of optical signals. Employing simulation, we calculate the blocking probability and the energy consumption of the different network configurations. In terms of blocking, our results show that NCI 2 and 3 offer the lowest blocking probability, with at least 1 and 3 orders of magnitude of difference with respect to NCI 1 and 5 at high and low traffic loads, respectively. In terms of energy consumption, the best performing alternatives are the ones with the worst blocking (NCI 1), while NCI 3 exhibits the highest energy consumption with NCI <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\,\,\Gamma _{R}=0.75$ </tex-math></inline-formula> following closely. This situation highlights a clear trade-off between blocking performance and energy cost that must be considered when designing a dynamic EON. Thus, we identify NCI 2 using <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Gamma _{R}=0.25$ </tex-math></inline-formula> as a promising alternative to reduce the blocking probability significantly in wide-area dynamic EONs without a prohibitive increase in energy consumption.


As adolescent self-harm is a growing public health concern, more research is needed to identify potential risk factors. Studies have highlighted that exposure to the self-harm of others may be a risk factor associated with engagement in self-harm. However, research investigating young people's experiences of the self-harm of others has been limited. This qualitative study aimed to explore young people's experiences of the self-harm of others and interviewed a total of eight young people (five females and three males; aged between 13 and 18 years) resident at one of two adolescent mental health inpatient units in the North of England. The interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and four themes were identified: 'Pre-admission exposure to self-harm', 'Exposure on the inside: An unpleasant environment', 'Helper vs helped' and 'Separation from the attention seekers: competing for authenticity'. Prevention efforts to reduce the social transmission and stigma surrounding self-harm among young people are discussed.


Three genes (Imcpa, Imcpb and Imcpc) that encode cysteme proteinases (CPs) in L. mexicana have previously been cloned and sequenced. The enzymes encoded differ significantly from each other and host CPs. In an attempt to elucidate the parts played by each CP in the parasite's life history, mutant lines of the parasite which lack Imcpa, Imcpb and Imcpc have been examined in order to determine their phenotypes. Null mutants which have been further modified by transfecting the cells with genes encoding L. mexicana CPs and CPs of other trypanosomatids have also been studied. These lines have been analysed to determine how they differ from the parent line in terms of proteinase and protein content, growth and differentiation axenically in vitro and in peritoneal macrophage cells, infectivity to mice and susceptibility to CP inhibitors. Null mutants for the Imcpa CP gene were found to have a cryptic phenotype, since differences between the Imcpa null mutants and wild type L. mexicana were not detectable. This suggested that either the enzyme has a role which was not detected with the phenotypic tests used or that its activity was being compensated for by one of the other CPs present in L. mexicana. In contrast to previously published conclusions, studies using null mutants for lmcpa revealed that LmCPa was not at highest levels in the amastigote stage. Triton X-114 phase separation revealed the protein encoded by lmcpa to be hydrophobic, suggesting it could be membrane-associated. Stationary phase promastigotes of mutants null for the multicopy lmcpb genes showed a marked phenotype with respect to virulence, as their ability to infect macrophages in vitro was severely impaired. The infectivity was restored by re-expression of an enzymatically active internal copy of the gene array (g2.8), suggesting that the enzymes play a role in intracellular survival. Time course experiments demonstrated that the null mutants invaded macrophages in large numbers but were unable to survive in the majority of the cells. Despite their reduced virulence to PECs, the mutants were capable of infecting mice although the time taken for lesions to form was significantly longer than with wild type and the lesions were 100-fold smaller. Interestingly, lesion amastigotes of the mutants were able to infect macrophages in vitro as successfully as wild type, but took three months longer to produce lesions in mice. These data showed that the CPs encoded by lmcpb are important for parasite virulence, but are not essential for survival in the host. Double lmcpa/lmcpb null mutants were found to have a similar phenotype to the lmcpb null mutants in terms of their ability to infect macrophages in vitro, suggesting that lmcpa was not compensating for the loss of lmcpb in this phenotypic test, although it was found that they did not cause lesions in mice. Studies utilising null mutants re-expressing different copies of the lmcpb array revealed that individual isoenzymes differ in their substrate preferences and ability to complement the loss of virulence associated with the null mutant, suggesting that the individual isoenzymes have distinct roles in the parasite's interaction with the host. Immunogold labelling of the megasome in transfectants re-expressing an lmcpb CP gene with a truncated C-terminal extension (gl) demonstrated that the C-terminal extension is not necessary for intracellular targeting or activity. All life-cycle stages of the mutants null for the cathepsin B-like CP gene (lmcpc) could be cultured in vitro, demonstrating that this CP is not essential for the growth or differentiation of the parasite. However, they showed greatly reduced infectivity to macrophages in vitro, resulting in only a low percentage of the cells being infected. Re-expression of lmcpc in the null mutant increased the parasite's infectivity to macrophages in vitro. However, the null mutants for lmcpc formed lesions in mice at a rate comparable with wild type parasites, suggesting that although the CP encoded by lmcpc may play a role in the parasite-macrophage interaction it alone is not crucial for infectivity or virulence. Peptidyl-diazomethane CP inhibitors, which entered the parasites and inhibited LmCPb in situ, had little or no effect on parasite growth or differentiation axenically in vitro. However, at the same concentration, N-benzoyloxycarbonyl-phe-ala-diazomethane reduced the infectivity of wild type parasites to macrophages by 80%, a similar percentage to that seen with the lmcpb null mutant. However, further experiments suggested that LmCPb may not be the prime target of this inhibitor. With respect to drug target validation it is essential to determine which CPs are necessary for parasite survival. The overall results of this study suggest that while none summary of the CPs of L. mexicana are vital, some appear to have important and distinct roles in differentiation and intracellular survival.


Cloud storage system provides facilitative file storage and sharing services for distributed clients. To address integrity, controllable outsourcing, and origin auditing concerns on outsourced files, we propose an identity-based data outsourcing (IBDO) scheme equipped with desirable features advantageous over existing proposals in securing outsourced data. First, our IBDO scheme allows a user to authorize dedicated proxies to upload data to the cloud storage server on her behalf, e.g., a company may authorize some employees to upload files to the company's cloud account in a controlled way. The proxies are identified and authorized with their recognizable identities, which eliminates complicated certificate management in usual secure distributed computing systems. Second, our IBDO scheme facilitates comprehensive auditing, i.e., our scheme not only permits regular integrity auditing as in existing schemes for securing outsourced data, but also allows to audit the information on data origin, type, and consistence of outsourced files. Security analysis and experimental evaluation indicate that our IBDO scheme provides strong security with desirable efficiency.


ABSTRACT Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to test the importance of activity-oriented precursors in a relationship model. This study supports the theoretical view that firms create trust and knowledge through activities and these activities make a commitment decision less risky (Johanson & Vahlne, 2009). The secondary purpose of this study is to collect and examine data from interorganizational relationships in both Sweden and the United States. By including data from two countries, results will be more generalizable. Results can also lead to several managerial implications. Methodology/approach: This study focuses on a sample of distributors from both the United States and Sweden. One hundred sixty-one usable surveys were returned from the U.S. survey, for a response rate of 27%. One hundred twenty-four usable surveys were returned from the Swedish survey, for a response rate of 21%. The PLS-SEM method was used to examine the model's constructs. Findings: Similar to past research results show that trust and commitment have a direct positive influence on satisfaction, and that trust also has a direct positive influence on commitment. However, this study uniquely supports four out of six newly tested hypotheses. Both cooperation and relationship assets have a direct positive influence on commitment. Cooperation has a direct positive influence on trust and commitment. Relationship assets have a direct negative influence on trust but a direct positive influence on commitment. Surprisingly, two hypotheses were not supported: Coordination did not have a significant relationship with either trust or commitment. Research implications: Managers who want to achieve a satisfactory relationship based on trust and commitment need to prioritize their attention toward cooperation. They should also be aware that participation in joint activities (i.e., coordination and relationship investments) does not guarantee higher levels of trust or commitment in the relationship. It is the quality of the joint activities and the how dependent firms are on each other and not just participation in joint activities that are likely to create higher levels of trust or commitment. The quality of coordination and manageable levels of dependence may counteract the higher costs associated with joint activities compared to the costs associated with cooperation. Managers may be wise to not make major commitments to other firms unless high quality joint activities have created knowledge and trust between firms. Originality/value/contribution: The model adds the joint activity-oriented antecedents associated with collaboration which is essential to a successful relationship. Because of the high failure rate of collaboration may be due to cooperation and coordination failures and because these two constructs are underspecified in interorganizational research, this study is unique in examining activity-oriented antecedents in a trust/commitment model of relationship satisfaction in a cross-cultural context (i.e., with U.S. and Swedish samples).


The study examined the involvement of non-professionals in cataloguing practices in three academic libraries in Nigeria. Twenty five respondents comprising current cataloguers and those who had worked as cataloguers were used for the study. A descriptive survey method using a self-constructed questionnaire was used. Four research questions were posed and analysed using frequency counts and percentages. Results showed that the involvement of non-professionals in cataloguing is fast becoming a reality, with one university library depending more on non-professionals while the other two showed less dependence on them. Methods adopted by these libraries to ensure quality control include close supervision by professionals, training non-professionals in copy cataloguing, and designation of a librarian to constantly edit the catalogue for possible re-cataloguing. The use of prepared worksheets by librarians to be keyed in by non-professionals is the least used strategy. Other major findings include changes in cataloguing practices which comprise online cataloguing, cataloguing of Internet resources and electronic files, copy-cataloguing, different metadata structures, introduction of OPAC and the involvement of non-professionals in cataloguing practices. Outsourcing, procurement of ICT, employment of Systems Engineers as part of library staff, attendance of workshops and conferences among others were some of the strategies adopted to cope with these changes; however, the application of ICT was the most frequently used strategy. The study concluded that cataloguing practices in the libraries sampled have witnessed changes as a result of the application of ICT in organizing library materials which has in turn changed the role of cataloguers from merely providing bibliographic details of materials to that of supervision and other administrative functions, and in order to maintain relevance, librarians have been forced to build capacity in the area of ICT .


Each chapter presents case examples of legal issues that arise in practice, clearly explains the governing legal rules, their rationale, and their clinical impact, and offers concrete action guides to navigating clinico-legal dilemmas. This edition addresses crucial recent developments including new federal rules protecting patients' privacy, regulations minimizing use of seclusion and restraint, liability risks associated with newer psychiatric medications, malpractice risks in forensic psychiatry, and new structured assessment tools for violence risk, suicidality, and decisional capacity.


Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental retardation. Early diagnosis is important not only for appropriate management of individuals but also to identify carriers who are unaware of their high risk of having an affected child. The disorder is associated with a cytogenetically visible fragile site (FRAXA) at Xq27.3, caused by amplification of a (CGG)n repeat sequence within the gene at this locus designated FMR1. Clinical and molecular studies have been undertaken to screen for fragile X syndrome in 154 children with moderate and severe learning difficulties of previously unknown origin. Southern blot analysis of peripheral blood showed the characteristic abnormally large (CGG)n repeat sequence associated with fragile X syndrome in four of the 154 children. The findings were confirmed by cytogenetic observation of the fragile site and by further molecular studies. The families of the affected children were offered genetic counselling and DNA tests to determine their carrier status. These findings show that there are still unrecognised cases of fragile X syndrome. Given the difficulty of making a clinical diagnosis and the implications for families when the diagnosis is missed, screening in high risk populations may be justified. The issues involved in screening all children in special schools for fragile X syndrome are discussed.