Background: The pedagogical and status implications of assessment in physical education (PE) have been recognised in the past. How students perceive being assessed and graded is a neglected area, however. While some studies have garnered students' perceptions of assessment when no grade is awarded or the stakes are relatively low, we know less about how assessment in physical education is perceived or experienced by students engaged in systems where grades have direct implications for students' educational or vocational futures. Purpose: The study presented in this article investigated the criterion-referenced assessment experiences and perceptions of Swedish physical education and health (PEH) students in their last year of compulsory schooling. Central questions were: what do the students understand as the basis for grading decisions in PEH and what do they perceive as the learning goals of the subject? Research design and data collection: A total of 355 students (189 boys and 166 girls) from 28 different schools participated. They were 15 to 16 years of age and attending school year 9. The study draws on data collected through both a questionnaire, which all students answered, and 23 focus groups interviews, in which 73 of the students participated. Findings: The majority of the responses from the students focused on attitudinal, dispositional and behavioural characteristics as opposed to stated learning outcomes in terms of the display of subject specific knowledge and physical capacity. The results indicated that students do think grades are important but they did not appear to recognise the official criteria as the predominant basis for achievement of grades in PEH. Significantly, the degree of student certainty in these elements was underpinned by their indication that the grading criteria were clear and that they were aware of the basis upon which grading judgements were made. Conclusions: We recommend that in order to promote a better alignment between the official assessment expectations of the PEH syllabus and students' perceptions of assessable elements, the Swedish education system should provide greater syllabus clarifications regarding assessment practices and continuing professional development focusing on task construction, criteria and standards construction, the collection and use of evidence and the alignment of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.


Abstract The voices of teachers experiencing and reacting to highly-publicized testing scandals are rarely heard, despite high-levels of criticism and blame from many stakeholders. Drawing on Foucault's conception of disciplinary power (hierarchical observation, normalizing judgment, and examination) (1975/1995), we analyzed 5,897 written reflections from 38 novice teachers working in 26 different elementary schools in an urban school district as teachers wrote about their experiences of teaching during a high-profile, high-stakes standardized test cheating scandal. Reflections depicted chronic manifestations of student and teacher stress and pressure, rigid testing procedures, mandated fear-based training, miscommunications, disrupted routines, developmentally inappropriate practices, and surveillance. These findings complicate dominant narratives about the cheating scandal and call all stakeholders to disrupt current discourses of accountability in order to recreate schools as liberatory and ethical spaces. In an era where accountability policies claim to work toward the goals of equal education for all and social justice, the effects of said policies must be critically examined by policymakers at all levels.


1 Nutrient availability, defoliation and soil disturbance are important factors that influence the richness of plant communities. However, few studies have examined the interactions between these factors, especially in harsh environments. We therefore examined the effects of fertilization, defoliation and soil disturbance on plant species richness in an alpine meadow in northern Sweden. 2 From 2002 to 2005, plots were fertilized, mowed and disturbed annually in a factorially designed experiment. Plant species richness, colonization and extinction were recorded in permanent subplots. Seedling densities and recruitment from seed of Potentilla crantzii were also estimated in order to examine the mechanisms whereby these treatments influence colonization by new species. 3 Species richness peaked in the absence of disturbance in unfertilized plots and with light disturbance in fertilized plots. Colonization by new vascular plant species, seed recruitment and seedling density were all increased by soil disturbance, suggesting that colonization was increased because conditions were more favourable for seed recruitment following the disturbance treatment. Extinction of species was highest in the mowed, intensively disturbed and unfertilized plots and lowest in the fertilized, lightly disturbed and unmowed plots. 4 Local extinction was negatively correlated with both moss and vascular plant biomass. Local colonization, seedling density and recruitment of P. crantzii were all strongly negatively correlated with the biomass of mosses. In contrast, the biomass of vascular plants was only weakly correlated with local colonization, seedling density and recruitment of P. crantzii. 5 This study suggest that the level of disturbance at which species richness peaks should move towards higher disturbance levels when productivity increases. However, lower extinction rates rather then higher colonization rates seem to be causing the increase in species richness following disturbance.


The forests of the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, are internationally recognized as one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems. However, despite past conservation efforts they face an ongoing threat from clearing for smallholder agriculture. One potential solution is a "payments for ecosystem services' (PES) program, where farmers are paid to protect forest that lies on their farms. To determine the design of PES program most likely to attract participation, careful documentation of farmer's policy preferences is required. We quantify these preferences and determine willingness to accept values using a choice experiment approach. Notable results are that payment for manure fertilizer (representing an investment in farm productivity) was highly effective at motivating farmer support, a group payment was highly ineffective, and that minimal program conditionality was not always preferred.


The chaotic behavior of the continental climate of an atmospheric general circulation model is investigated from an ensemble of decadal simulations with common specifications of radiative forcings and monthly ocean boundary conditions, but different initial states of atmosphere and land. The variability structures of key model land-surface processes appear to agree sufficiently with observational estimates to warrant detailed examination of their predictability on seasonal time scales. This predictability is inferred from several novel measures of spatio-temporal reproducibility applied to eleven model variables. The reproducibility statistics are computed for variables in which the seasonal cycle is included or excluded, the former case being most pertinent to climate model simulations, and the latter to predictions of the seasonal anomalies. Because the reproducibility metrics in the latter case are determined in the context of a ''perfectly'' known ocean state, they are properly viewed as estimates of the potential predictability of seasonal climate. Inferences based on these reproducibility metrics are shown to be in general agreement with those derived from more conventional measures of potential predictability. It is found that the land-surface variables which include the seasonal cycle are impacted only marginally by changes in initial conditions; moreover, their seasonal climatologies exhibit high spatialmore » reproducibility. In contrast, the reproducibility of a seasonal land-surface anomaly is generally low, although it is considerably higher in the Tropics; its spatial reproducibility also fluctuates in tandem with warm and cold phases of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon. However, the detailed sensitivities to initial conditions depend somewhat on the land-surface process: pressure and temperature anomalies exhibit the highest temporal reproducibilities, while hydrological and turbulent flux anomalies show the highest spatial reproducibilities. Implications of these results for model intercomparisons and seasonal forecasts are elaborated.« less


In New Zealand, 56 % of all tourism earnings come from domestic tourism (Ministry of Tourism, 2009), yet the attention by the government is primarily directed towards international tourism. In fact, Interactive Travellers®, New Zealand's target market, comprise young people and more mature tourists travelling without children (Tourism New Zealand, 2009) creating a gap for families with children. This article looks at the significance of domestic holidays for New Zealand families. It establishes a definition of Kiwi family holidays and explores additional aspects of national and social identity formation.


type="main"> With the 2011 America Invents Act, the United States discarded its century-old first-to-invent patent-awarding system in favor of a first-to-file rule. Critics have argued that the first-to-file rule rewards speed in patent applications rather than creativity, thereby undermining innovation. We evaluate this concern within a dynamic model of a patent race, and find first-to-invent (weakly) more conducive to innovation than first-to-file. Defending prior users' rights can promote both pro- and anti-R&D effect of a switch to first-to-file.


Over the past decade, international economic organizations have come under attack as illegitimate and oppressive. The remedy, according to the critics, is civil society: non-state associations should have a right to participate in the policymaking activities of international organizations. But the moral grounds for giving civil society such a central role in global governance, together with the ramifications of those moral grounds for organizational reform in the international arena, have not yet been systematically analyzed. Why are associations outside the state better placed than trained, career civil servants and elected politicians to decide on international aid, the regulatory pre-requisites for free trade, and other issues of global governance? And even though we might all agree that associations outside the state have something to contribute to the work of international elites, what, precisely, should be their role? Writing press articles, lobbying, commenting on policymaking proposals, voting on committees, or suing in international tribunals? This paper explores the contribution that the political philosophy and empirical practice of liberal democracy can make to this set of questions. Liberal theorists have made four different types of claims for how civil society contributes to the good life, each of which generates a different understanding of the associations that count as "civil society" and the policy initiatives that should be undertaken in favor of civil society. Equipped with these insights, the organizational reforms under way in the international realm are evaluated. However, the literature review also demonstrates, somewhat surprisingly, that the political theorists and the civil society activists are talking past one another: the theory does not address directly the question of whether associations should take part in democratic governance. For the theory, the democratic value of civil society lies in collective life outside the state. Therefore, the paper turns to the practice of contemporary democracies. Comparative law shows that private associations can participate in public life in at least three different ways: pluralism, corporatism, and republicanism. In pluralism, multiple, competing interest groups have numerous opportunities to influence policymaking, irrespective of their size or aims, through the legislature, the bureaucracy, and the courts. In corporatism, certain intermediate organizations are afforded a special role in policymaking because they are believed to represent significant social and economic forces. In republicanism, citizen associations engage in the public life of the nation through debate and protest, but enjoy relatively few opportunities to influence legislators, bureaucrats, and judges. In light of the ideals underpinning these different cultures of democracy and the empirics of the international realm, the paper concludes that the law of corporatism is the most appropriate for some of today's international organizations.


Electrolyte cation size is known to influence the electrochemical reduction of CO2 over metals; however, a satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon has not been developed. We report here that these effects can be attributed to a previously unrecognized consequence of cation hydrolysis occurring in the vicinity of the cathode. With increasing cation size, the pKa for cation hydrolysis decreases and is sufficiently low for hydrated K+, Rb+, and Cs+ to serve as buffering agents. Buffering lowers the pH near the cathode, leading to an increase in the local concentration of dissolved CO2. The consequences of these changes are an increase in cathode activity, a decrease in Faradaic efficiencies for H2 and CH4, and an increase in Faradaic efficiencies for CO, C2H4, and C2H5OH, in full agreement with experimental observations for CO2 reduction over Ag and Cu.


Collective communications are invaluable to modern high performance applications, although most users of these communication patterns do not always want to know their inner most working. The implementation of the collectives are often left to the middle-ware developer such as those providing an MPI library. As many of these libraries are designed to be both generic and portable the MPI developers commonly offer internal tuning options suitable only for knowledgeable users that allow some level of customization. The work presented in this paper aims not only to provide a very efficient set of collective operations for use with the Open MPI implementation but also to make the control and tuning of them straightforward and flexible. Additionally this paper demonstrates a novel example of the proposed frameworks flexibility, by dynamically tuning a MPI Alltoallv algorithm during runtime.


ABSTRACT Traditionally, research on the gender fraction of women in white-collar crime has focused on female lack of financial motive, organizational opportunity, and personal willingness for deviant behavior. This article applies the opposite perspective of traditional gender research on white-collar crime in terms of special female motive, opportunity, and willingness. This article challenges prior research regarding female involvement in white-collar crime. Based on the theory of convenience, this article identifies convenience themes that are gender-specific in favor of pink-collar offenders. In the motive dimension of convenience theory, we find concern for others and strain causing depression and anxiety. In the opportunity dimension, we find that women have the advantage of facing suspicion of misconduct, wrongdoing, and crime to a far lesser extent compared to men. In the willingness dimension, we find that women as followers can justify their actions and neutralize their potential guilt feelings far better than men in the role of leaders in crime can neutralize what they have done.


Tropical wetlands, especially peatlands and mangroves, are important in global carbon cycling. Indonesia has more tropical wetlands than any other country on Earth. - Research that addresses critical information gaps and communicates the results on land use and carbon dynamics in tropical wetlands is needed to inform sound policy decisions. This work can also improve IPCC Guidelines on methodologies for greenhouse gas inventories. - Standardised methods and protocols are needed for effective monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions from land use and land cover change in tropical wetlands. - Low-lying coastal ecological zones are already affected by rising sea levels and other marine -related climate change effects. Mangroves are key to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. - Conservation and reducing degradation to tropical wetlands are both sound mitigation approaches and important adaptation strategies. Mitigation procedures that preserve ecosystem resistance and resilience to climate change are recommended as cost-effective and ecologically sound adaptation strategies. - Ecosystem-based or watershed-wide approaches provide the best lens through which communities can assess and manage with changing climate conditions.


Efficient adaptive immune responses require the localization of T lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs and inflamed tissues. To achieve correct localization of T lymphocytes, the migration of these cells is initiated and directed by adhesion molecules and chemokines. It has recently been shown that the inhibitory surface molecule CD152 (CTLA-4) initiates Th cell migration, but the molecular mechanism underlying this effect remains to be elucidated. Using CD4 T lymphocytes derived from OVA-specific TCR transgenic CD152-deficient and CD152-competent mice, we demonstrate that chemokine-triggered signal transduction is differentially regulated by CD152 via phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent activation of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). In the presence of CD152 signaling, the chemoattractant CCL4 selectively induces the full activation of Akt via phosphorylation at threonine 308 and serine 473 in pro-inflammatory Th lymphocytes expressing the cognate chemokine receptor CCR5. Akt signals lead to cytoskeleton rearrangements, which are indispensable for migration. Therefore, this novel Akt-modulating function of CD152 signals affecting T cell migration demonstrates that boosting CD152 or its down-stream signal transduction could aid therapies aimed at sensitizing T lymphocytes for optimal migration, thus contributing to a precise and effective immune response.


This thesis is concerned with exploring to what extent gendered behaviors in interaction are situated and constrained by the situation and the context in the Omani workplace. One of the most important aims of this research was to study the influence of the context on the communication process, and why some rules of interaction are reproduced and others resisted. Therefore, I used social constructionist epistemology that assumes that social categories such as gender and power are constructed through the talk and not taken for granted or independent variables as was previously assumed by the essentialist approaches ( Burr, 1995 ).
Within the social constructionist epistemology I used two different frameworks to analyze the data: critical discourse analysis of Fairclough ( 1992 ) and the discursive psychology approach. The two frameworks both served to answer my research question as the ( CDA ) framework provided me with a research tool that combined linguistically oriented discourse analysis with relevant social and political aspects ( Fairclough, 1992) while the ( DP ) is a discourse analysis approach that is concerned with analyzing the talk in interactions (Fitch and Sanders, 2005).
The analysis of a meeting between male and female librarians revealed that the participants did not enact gender and they did not interact according to their gender category but according to their group membership as they talked as one group: "the librarians group". The second conclusion drawn is that in every interaction participants try to achieve particular goals and to achieve their goals they may use more interactional control features, identify themselves with specific identities and reject others, they may take up a specific social position in the discourse and they may reject others, and they may join a specific group or distance themselves from the group.


A graph is crossing-critical if the removal of any of its edges decreases its crossing number. This work is motivated by the following question: to what extent is crossing- criticality a property that is inherent to the structure of a graph, and to what extent can it be induced on a noncritical graph by multiplying (all or some of) its edges? It is shown that if a nonplanar graph G is obtained by adding an edge to a cubic polyhedral graph, and G is sufficiently connected, then G can be made crossing-critical by a suitable multiplication of edges.


This article studies and contextualizes the attempts to reform the University of Bologna in the decades around 1583. On the basis of little-known documents, it shows how Rome exploited a directive of university reform from the Council of Trent to gain increasing power over the running of the "studio" and also the city of Bologna. The request for a report by the Congregation of the Council in 1583, undertaken most likely at Gregory XIII's request, laid the foundation for papal control, which was facilitated by overlapping and poorly defined lines of authority with respect to the university. Tensions internal to Bologna and the "studio" are also considered inasmuch as they affected the city's relationship with Rome.


Receptors expressed on the surface of neurons during development direct cell migration, axon guidance, dendrite morphogenesis, and synapse formation by responding to cues in the neuron's environment. The expression levels and the activity of cell surface receptors must be tightly controlled for a neuron to acquire its unique identity. Transcriptional mechanisms are essential in this process, and many studies have identified requirements for specific transcription factors during the different steps of neural circuit assembly. However, the downstream effectors by which most of these factors control morphology and connectivity remain unknown. In Chapter 1, I highlight recent work that elucidated functional relationships between transcription factors and the cellular effectors through which they regulate neural morphogenesis and synaptogenesis in multiple model systems. In Chapters 2 and 3, I present data demonstrating that the homeodomain transcription factors Hb9 and Islet control motor axon guidance in Drosophila embryos through distinct effectors: Hb9 regulates the (Roundabout) 2 receptor in a subset of motor neurons, while Islet acts in the same cells to regulate the Frazzled/DCC receptor. Genetic rescue experiments indicate that these relationships are functionally important for the guidance of motor axons to their muscle targets. In addition, Islet regulates motor neuron dendrite targeting in the central nervous system (CNS) through Frazzled, demonstrating how an individual transcription factor can control multiple aspects of neuronal connectivity through the same effector. In Chapter 4, I characterize a non-canonical function for the Robo2 receptor during midline crossing, and present data suggesting that this activity requires Robo2 to be expressed in midline cells, providing an example of how mechanisms that regulate guidance receptor gene expression are key to regulating receptor function and nervous system formation. In Chapter 5, I explore the implications of these findings, and propose future directions of research to build upon them. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Cell & Molecular Biology First Advisor Greg J. Bashaw


A study was conducted to assess soil erosion using Geographical Information System
(GIS) and Universal Soil Loss Equations (USLE) for the Sg. Hijau watershed. The study
area, located in Fraser's Hill, Pahang is 1.5 km2 in size and lies between 1060 and 1350
m a.s.l. A GIS software, ARC/INFO version 3.4 was used to develop the database.
Analysis was carried out using the ArcView Spatial Analyst Version 1.1 and ArcView
3D Analyst. Results obtained show that about 48% of the Sg. Hijau catchment falls under
the slope gradient of 12°_25° while 26% of the area under the slope of more than 25°.
Four empirical methods based on the applications of erosivity were used for soil erosion
computation. They were from Roose (1975), Balamurugan (1990), Morgan (1974) and
rainfall of more than 25 mm/hr adopted in this study. By comparison, Roose generated
the highest erosion rate with 1.757 t/ha/yr followed by Balamurugan with 0.685 t/ha/yr,
25 mm/hr with 0.567 t/ha/yr and lastly, Morgan with 0.532 t/ha/yr. Erosion rates of less
than 1 t/ha/yr were computed for most of the area in the study watershed: soil erosion
rates ranged from 0.363 to 0.642 t/ha/yr. The results obtained were also comparable to
measured soil loss from erosion plots in other studies under similar conditions. Most
studies have shown that erosion seldom exceeds 1 t/ha/yr under forest conditions. This
study showed that soil erosion rates could be calculated using USLE within the GIS
environment. Apart from employing GIS as an easy-to-use database and toolkit for
modeling, GIS techniques could be used to assess the uncertainty and validity of spatial
erosion models. The use in catchment hydrological and erosion modeling offers
considerable potential.


A number of writers have attempted to list separate elements of film form across a number of filmmaking processes, narration, cinematography, sound, editing, or general aspects of mise-en-scene. My emphasis is on the cinematographic image itself, and whilst there are many similarities in the previous attempts to breakdown elements of a cinematographic image, there are gaps and omissions in the previous lists, and there are also comparable differences, particularly with terminology. A number of the earlier examples need updating, partly due to changing technologies.  By synthesizing, editing and updating the numerous attempts that have been made by other writers I will create an objective, and complete taxonomy of aesthetic elements of the cinematographic image. My aim is to provide a comprehensive, yet workable, analytical tool.


Hip injuries are common among athletes. Recent studies have analyzed hip pathology in many athletic populations; however, little research has been done on hip injuries and pathology among skiers and snowboarders. The purpose of this study is to review common mechanisms of hip injury and associated hip pathology in professional skiers and snowboarders. This study was institutional review board-approved. A retrospective database review was performed on all professional skiers and snowboarders who were evaluated by the senior author and underwent hip arthroscopy between 2005 and 2010 for debilitating hip pain. Professional skiers and snowboarders included athletes who compete at the professional level and instructors. Thirty-six painful hips were identified in 29 professionals (7 with bilateral involvement). Pathology and intra-operative findings were identified at time of index procedure. Subjective mechanism of injury was recorded. All data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. Twenty alpine skiers (4 bilateral), three Nordic skiers (2 bilateral), four snowboarders, and two aerialists (1 bilateral) were identified. A high-speed ski crash resulting in hip pain was the most common mechanism of injury (n = 14 hips), with all of those injuries occurring in racers and aerialists. All Nordic skiers (n = 5 hips) reported a gradual onset of hip pain with no specific injury. Three hip dislocations were reported by two alpine ski instructors and one alpine ski racer. All hips were found to have labral pathology and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) at the time of index procedure. An Outerbridge grade IV chondral defect was treated with arthroscopic microfracture technique in five hips (14%). Seventeen hips (47%) were treated with capsular plication for hip instability. High-speed crashes are common mechanisms of hip injury. Labral pathology, FAI, and hip instability are frequent pathological arthroscopic findings in professional skiers and snowboarders.


Induction of micro-current in subject is known to be effective on the treatment of inflammatory disease. Thus, this study evaluated that the micro-current electrical treatment (MET) can reduce rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is one of inflammatory disease, and tried to find optimized level of current for treatment. 55 male 11-week-old C57BL/6 mice were used and randomly allocated into five groups; normal group (N; n=11), the group of induced RA (C; n=11) and three groups of induced RA with MET (M) using different levels of current by 22 μA, 50 μA, and 400 μA (22M, 50M and 400M; n=11, respectively). MET was carried out for 1 hour each day. Both 3rd metatarsal (3rd MT) and tarsal (T) were scanned by in-vivo micro computed tomography (micro-CT) at 0week and after 3weeks in order to obtain structural parameters including BMD (Bone mineral density), BV (Bone volume) and Obj.N (Mean number of objects per slice). In M groups, all the measured parameters after 3 weeks were significantly higher than those of C group regardless of the current levels. However, there is no significant difference among the different levels of electrical current at 3week. These results indicated that the MET may be effective on the treatment of RA. However, we cannot assure the optimized level of current to treat RA tremendously.


Umbilical cord blood (UCB) derived multipotent stem cells are capable of giving rise hematopoietic, epithelial, endothelial and neural progenitor cells. Thus suggested to significantly improve graft-versus-host disease and represent the distinctive therapeutic option for several malignant and non-malignant diseases. Recent advances in strategies to isolate, expand and shorten the timing of UCB stem cells engraftment have tremendously improved the efficacy of transplantations. Nervous system has limited regenerative potential in disease conditions such as cancer, neurodegeneration, stroke, and several neural injuries. This review focuses on application of UCB derived stem/progenitor cells in aforementioned pathological conditions. We have discussed the possible attempts to make use of UCB therapies to generate neural cells and tissues with developmental and functional similarities to neuronal cells. In addition, emerging applications of UCB derived AC133+ (CD133+) endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) as imaging probe, regenerative agent, and gene delivery vehicle are mentioned that will further improve the understanding of use of UCB cells in therapeutic modalities. However, safe and effective protocols for cell transplantations are still required for therapeutic efficacy.


Psyllids are an economically important group of insects. Several species are serious emerging pests with regulatory significance. About 20 adventive species have been discovered in Florida in the past 20 years, including several pests. Additionally, five species new to science have been found. We provide an annotated checklist of Florida species with taxonomic information and identification tools, including keys to Florida genera and known species. Seventy species of Psylloidea currently are reported from Florida. Forty-one are native to Florida, with 12 endemic to the state. Twenty are adventive, the majority being from the Neotropics. One was introduced deliberately for biological control, seven represent temporary populations (eradicated, reared in quarantine), and one is a dubious record. Craspedolepta euthamiae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Katacephala wineriterae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Pseudophacopteron gumbolimbo Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Nothotrioza longipedis Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, and Trioza myresae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species are described from Florida and are native endemic species. Aphalara persicaria Caldwell is redescribed and separated from similar species. Aphalara persicaria var. cubana Caldwell is confirmed as a junior synonym of Aphalara persicaria. The Florida records of Craspedolepta spp. are revisited and revised, including Craspedolepta euthamiae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species. Bactericera nigrilla (Crawford), new combination, revived status is recognized from Florida, redescribed, and distinguished from similar species. Rhinopsylla caldwelli Tuthill is transferred to Kuwayama Crawford and becomes Kuwayama caldwelli (Tuthill), new combination. Trioza maritima Tuthill is transferred to Leuronota Crawford and becomes Leuronota maritima (Tuthill), new combination. Species of Bactericera Puton on Salix L. (Salicaceae) in North America are reviewed. Bactericera flori (Crawford), new combination, new status. is determined to be the correct name for Trioza assimilis Crawford nec Flor (= Trioza flori Crawford, replacement name, = Trioza pomonae Aulmann, replacement name), and Trioza dubia Patch, new synonym. Lectotypes are designated for Trioza marginata Crawford, Trioza minuta Crawford, Trioza minuta similis Crawford, and Trioza nigra Crawford.


This paper provides new evidence on the extent of underreporting of gun violence. Criminal activity is often selectively underreported – that is, underreported in a non-random manner. This can make it difficult to understand public safety problems and devise effective policy strategies to address them. However, new surveillance technologies are facilitating the collection of more accurate data on crime. In this paper, we describe data on gunfire incidents, recorded using a tool called ShotSpotter. We compare those data with previously-available data on gun violence (reported crime and 911 calls) to estimate baseline correlations between these measures as well as the causal effect of gunfire incidents on reporting. Using data from Washington, DC, and Oakland, CA, we find that only 12% of gunfire incidents result in a 911 call to report gunshots, and only 2-7% of incidents result in a reported assault with a dangerous weapon. These extremely low reporting rates have important implications for research on gun violence. The characteristics and research potential of ShotSpotter data are relevant to surveillance data more broadly; while such data have not yet been exploited by social scientists, they could be extremely valuable for crime research and policy.


In this thesis, we attempt to provide evidence on the effect of credit portfolio diversification in two dimensions, industrial and geographical diversification. Further, we analyze whether differences in banks' risk exposure are related to different ownership structures. We use an empirical approach and comprehensive data from the Norwegian banking market, containing annual information on 142 banks over the period 2005-2013. We measure the impact on two different variables reflecting risk in different ways; risk of insolvency by using the Z-score and banks' credit portfolio risk using the loan loss ratio. Our findings suggest that banks' choice of diversification strategy has a significant impact on banks' risk exposure. We find that increased industrial diversification reduces Norwegian banks' risk. Moreover, our findings indicate that increased geographical diversification increases banks' risk of insolvency. We do however not find conclusive evidence suggesting that bank ownership is relevant when explaining banks' risk exposure in the Norwegian banking market. ________________________________________________________________________ 4


Context: Exploring the design space is an important process in a design task. In this study, we considered design space exploration for the learners in vocational education and training (VET). The goal of the study was to investigate how they explore the design space while focusing on the effect of a graph-like interface on the learner's understanding of the design space. With florists as the target profession, we investigated how the apprentices explore design variations, what they would gain from such activity, and how we can support this process. Approach: We developed a web application called BloomGraph that allows learners to explore design variations. It provides a graph-based interface that enables the systematic variation of design. Using the BloomGraph application, we conducted an experimental study with 44 florist apprentices in Switzerland to investigate the effect of the graph-based interface which provides a structured way of exploring the design space. The experimental group was given the graph-based interface to explore design variations while the control group had a linear-based interface. We compared them in terms of the number of bouquets explored, time of exploration, diversity of bouquets explored, and the learning gain in terms of the understanding of the design space measured using pre and post-tests. We also analyzed the strategies adopted by the participants for the graph navigation and the visual exploration behavior using the eye gaze data. Findings: Our analysis shows that the graph-based interface fosters a better understanding of the size of the design space and more efficient navigation towards a goal design in terms of the number of intermediate designs but with longer exploration of each intermediate design compared to the linear-based interface. Regarding the behavioral patterns in graph exploration, the participants who showed more strategic behavior in the design choices acquired a better understanding of the design space. Additionally, we trained a model that predicts the next choice of a learner using eye tracking data. It provides a reasonable accuracy that opens new possibilities for future studies.Conclusion: The findings of this study support the feasibility of design space exploration as a digital activity for VET learners and show how the learners can benefit from it. The contribution of the paper includes the validation of the idea with florist apprentices and the demonstration of how the process can be supported using a structured interface and the learner behavior analysis. This paper shows how a design exploration activity can provide an added value in the learning of an apprentice in a design-related VET system.


Western populations have a growing obesity epidemic due in part to excessive nutrient intake from high-fat diets, which are increasingly common. Overindulgence of nutrients is associated with a greater incidence of metabolic dysfunction and a greater risk for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic disorders that lower quality of life. Research in humans and animal models has improved our understanding of how excess circulating free fatty acids negatively impact the ability of muscle and other tissues to regulate nutrient uptake and utilization. It is generally accepted by the scientific community that excess circulating fatty acids lead to insulin resistance, but there is little clarity regarding the underlying mechanisms. In the present review, we will outline the current understanding of the characteristics associated with fatty acid mobilization and fatty acid utilization within specific tissues. We will also discuss the potential mechanistic role of hyperlipidemia on metabolic dysfunction associated with type 2 diabetes.


The N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA)‐type glutamate receptor in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) has been implicated in activity‐dependent plasticity important for cortically evoked acquisition of fear‐potentiated startle response. We examined the ultrastructural immunoperoxidase labeling of the R1 subunit of the NMDA receptor in the BLA of adult rats to determine the potential cellular and subcellular sites mediating the effects generated by NMDA activation. The localization was compared with that seen in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), the major efferent pathway from the central nucleus of the amygdala, which has a more pronounced involvement in autonomic function. Electron microscopy established that in the BLA, 68. 4% (n=177) of the profiles showing NMDAR1–like immunoreactivity (NMDAR1–LI) were dendrites, and 19. 8% were distal tips of astrocytic processes. In contrast, profiles containing NMDAR1–LI (n=262) in the BNST were more equally distributed between dendrites (37. 4%) and axons (38. 2%). The subcellular localization of NMDAR1 immunoreactivity was, however, similar in both regions. Our findings provide the first ultrastructural evidence that glutamate may prominently act through NMDAR1 receptors to elicit postsynaptic actions on intrinsic neurons in the BLA and BNST. The results also indicate that, in the BLA, the NMDAR1 receptor plays an important role in astrocytic function, whereas the receptor is more preferentially a presynaptic modulator in axons which terminate in or pass through the BNST. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Objective: To determine the prevalence of and to classify ultrasound-proven brain injury during neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in The Netherlands. Design: Retrospective nationwide study (Rotterdam and Nijmegen), spanning two decades. Setting: Level III university hospitals. Subjects: All neonates who underwent neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation from 1989 to 2010. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Cranial ultrasound images were reviewed independently by two investigators without knowledge of primary diagnosis, outcome, type of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or statistics. The scans were reviewed for lesion type and timing, with the use of a refined classification method for focal brain injury. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation type was venoarterial in 88%. Brain abnormalities were detected in 17.3%: primary hemorrhage was most frequent (8.8%). Stroke was identified in 5% of the total group, with a notable significant preference for the left hemisphere (in 70%). Lobar hematoma (prevalence 2.2 %) was also significantly left predominant. Conclusion: The incidence of brain injury found with cranial ultrasound in The Netherlands of the patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during the neonatal period was 17.3%. Primary hemorrhage was the largest group of lesions, not clearly side-specific except for lobar bleeding, most probably related to changes in venous flow. Arterial ischemic stroke occurred predominant in the left hemisphere.


The ITU-T has defined an architecture and requirements for operating
an Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON). The Generalized
Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) protocol suite is designed to
provide a control plane for a range of network technologies. These
include optical networks such as time division multiplexing (TDM)
networks including the Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital
Hierarchy (SONET/SDH), Optical Transport Networks (OTNs), and lambda
switching optical networks. The requirements for GMPLS routing to
satisfy the requirements of ASON routing and an evaluation of existing
GMPLS routing protocols are provided in other documents. This document
defines extensions to the OSPFv2 Link State Routing Protocol to meet
the requirements for routing in an ASON. Note that this work is
scoped to the requirements and evaluation expressed in RFC 4258 and
RFC 4652 and the ITU-T Recommendations that were current when those
documents were written. Future extensions or revisions of this work
may be necessary if the ITU-T Recommendations are revised or if new
requirements are introduced into a revision of RFC 4258. This document
obsoletes RFC 5787 and updates RFC 5786. [STANDARDS-TRACK]


Transition state analogs pepstatin methylester (PME) and L685458 have been shown to inhibit γ-secretase non-competitively (Tian, G., Sobotka-Briner, C., Zysk, J., Liu, X., Birr, C., Sylvester, M. A., Edwards, P. D., Scott, C. W., and Greenberg, B. D. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 31499–31505). This unusual kinetics suggests physical separation of the sites for substrate binding and catalysis with binding of the transition state analogs to the catalytic site and not to the substrate binding site. Methods of inhibitor cross-competition kinetics and competition ligand binding were utilized to address whether non-transition state small molecule inhibitors, which also display non-competitive inhibition of γ-secretase, inhibit the enzyme by binding to the catalytic site as well. Inhibitor cross-competition kinetics indicated competitive binding between the transition state analogs PME and L685458 and between small molecules arylsulfonamides and benzodiazepines, but non-competitive binding between the transition state analogs and the small molecule inhibitors. These results were indicative of two inhibitor binding sites, one for transition state analogs and the other for non-transition state small molecule inhibitors. The presence of two inhibitor binding sites for two different classes of inhibitors was corroborated by results from competition ligand binding using [3H]L685458 as the radioligand. Although L685458 and PME displaced the radioligand at the same concentrations as for enzyme inhibition, arylsulfonamides and benzodiazepines did not displace the radioligand at their Ki values, a result consistent with the presence of two inhibitor binding sites. These findings provide useful insights into the catalytic and regulatory mechanisms of γ-secretase that may facilitate the design of novel γ-secretase inhibitors.


In order to shed light on the influence of riverbed vegetation on river morphodynamics, we perform a linear stability analysis on a minimal model of vegetation dynamics coupled with classical one‐ and two‐dimensional Saint‐Venant‐Exner equations of morphodynamics. Vegetation is modeled as a density field of rigid, nonsubmerged cylinders and affects flow via a roughness change. Furthermore, vegetation is assumed to develop following a logistic dependence and may be uprooted by flow. First, we perform the stability analysis of the reduced one‐dimensional framework. As a result of the competitive interaction between vegetation growth and removal through uprooting, we find a domain in the parameter space where originally straight rivers are unstable toward periodic longitudinal patterns. For realistic values of the sediment transport parameter, the dominant longitudinal wavelength is determined by the parameters of the vegetation model. Bed topography is found to adjust to the spatial pattern fixed by vegetation. Subsequently, the stability analysis is repeated for the two‐dimensional framework, where the system may evolve toward alternate or multiple bars. On a fixed bed, we find instability toward alternate bars due to flow‐vegetation interaction, but no multiple bars. Both alternate and multiple bars are present on a movable, vegetated bed. Finally, we find that the addition of vegetation to a previously unvegetated riverbed favors instability toward alternate bars and thus the development of a single course rather than braiding.


Thank you for reading public enemy 1. As you may know, people have search numerous times for their favorite books like this public enemy 1, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they cope with some infectious virus inside their computer. public enemy 1 is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our books collection hosts in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the public enemy 1 is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Current consumer electronics devices do not interoperate and are hard to use. Devices use proprietary, device-specific and inflexible protocols. Resources across device classes, such as personal computers and home appliances cannot be taken advantage of. Even recent efforts to connect sensors into networks concentrate on new, ad-hoc protocols that segregate the low-cost devices into their own little world.If all classes of devices could speak the same language, they could talk directly to each other in ways natural to the application without artificial technical barriers. This would allow easily creating seamless applications that aggregate the capabilities of all the electronics. The interoperation adds value to all the devices.Extensible Markup Language (XML) Web Services were conceived to solve the e-business interoperation problem. After decades of failed attempts with EDI, SNA, DCOM, CORBA, and other similar technologies, XML and its communication specification SOAP has proven itself to be a viable technology. If XML is good for e-business, could it also be good for embedded systems communication?This paper argues that XML and SOAP indeed can be useful in small devices. Solutions to performance questions are available and techniques are outlined here. New unique challenges, such as heterogeneous configuration, privacy and security issues, and real-time requirements (e.g. for gaming) are identified and solutions outlined. A prototype implementation for low-cost microcontrollers is described with numbers included.


»Eine polarisierende Wirkung von Zentrumskabinetten? Der Mechanismus der eingeschränkten Konkurrenz«. What effect does the presence of a coalition of the ideological center have on polarization in party systems? Studies of party positioning demonstrate the impact of a party's affiliation to the cabinet for its electoral campaigning. In addition, comparative studies of party systems analyzed the effects of the competitive situation between the coalition and the opposition on party competition dynamics. Nevertheless, the linkage between findings of both branches of literature is still missing. On the one hand, studies of party competition models generally focus on explaining party behavior and do not aggregate these insights. On the other hand, party system studies usually lack an analytical micro-foundation. Thus, we do not know the mechanism that drives a polity to the extreme. To find this missing link, we derive two potential explanations based on the spatial theory of party competition and Satori's study of party systems: incumbent punishment and limited contestation. We elaborate these mechanisms with the help of an agent-based model. Then, we trace the effect of cabinet type back to the limited contestation between coalition parties. If the incumbent parties avoid contestation with each other, a center cabinet induces polarizing dynamics since the opposition then has no incentive for responsible office-seeking. Specific circumstances such as a polarized electorate and voters' negative evaluation of the cabinet parties support this mechanism. Methodologically, our simulation study reveals three advantages of the agent-based modeling approach: (1) the uncovering of thus far implicit assumptions; (2) the possibility of analyzing causal dependencies within a complex and dynamic model; and (3) the precision of our theoretical expectations based on the micro-foundation.


A defendant's continuous attendance of a trial before the ICC has long been purported to be her absolute obligation and an irrevocable principle of international criminal justice. Yet, when the first prosecution of sitting Heads of State caused the most serious political crisis ever faced by the Court, its legislative body recently decided to arbitrarily relax this obligation in order to accommodate the special needs of elite defendants. While proponents of this reform claim that it was practically unavoidable to prevent a collapse of the ICC, opponents insist that it sacrificed justice for politics. As this article shows, both sides to the debate neglect the elephant in the room, however: the long purported obligation of the defendant to attend the trial is in fact illegitimate. To establish this conclusion, the article demonstrates that defendants before the ICC enjoy the right to be absent from trials and can only be obliged to attend specific hearings. Building on this analysis, the article presents a novel comprehensive framework for regulating the attendance requirement. The proposed new framework strengthens the international criminal justice system's recognition of fundamental rights, upholds the objectives of the ICC, and mitigates the most serious challenges faced by the Court.


The aim of this study was to establish incubation values of eggs (egg fertilization, absolute and relative embryo mortality, and hatchability of male and female chicks), morphometric indicators (preincubation egg mass; length, width, and egg shape index; hatched female and male chicken mass and their relative share in the egg mass before incubation), and the phenotype correlation between some traits in the younger parent flock (YF 33 —33 weeks) and the older flock (OF 49 —49 weeks) of the light Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA) Brown hybrid. With regard to incubation values, the younger flock (YF 33 ) demonstrated better incubation results than the older flock (OF 49 ). The egg fertilization rate was 95.24 and 94.22%, respectively, chick hatchability as the percentage of the total of incubated eggs was 86.51 and 84.89%, respectively, and chick hatchability as the percentage of the total of fertilized eggs was 90.83 and 90.09%, respectively. Embryo mortality rate was 8.73 and 9.17% (YF 33 ), and 9.33 and 9.91% (OF 49 ). Regardless of the parent flock age, eggs that hatched female chicks had lower values of observed morphometric traits than those that hatched male chicks, except for the egg shape index (77.49–77.47%, respectively) which was higher by 0.02% in eggs which hatched female chicks, but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Contrary to effects of the chick sex, the parent flock age had considerably larger effect on observed morphometric traits, as all morphometric indicators of eggs and hatched chicks of both sexes in the older flock (OF 59 ) had statistically significantly higher values (P < 0.001) than in the younger flock (YF 33 ). The only exception is the relative share of the chicken in the egg mass where the measured difference ( − 0.03%) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The phenotype correlation coefficients determined ( r p ) between the egg mass before the incubation period and the egg shape index were statistically significant (P < 0.01; P < 0001), except between the egg mass of eggs which hatched female chicks and the egg shape index in the young flock (YF 33 ), whereby the calculated coefficient ( r xy = 0.107) was not statistically confirmed (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the egg mass and hatched chicken mass of both sexes increased with the age of the parent flock, and statistically significant absolute phenotype correlation (P < 0.001) was determined between these two indicators.


In ellipsometry of rough surfaces, the commonly used parameters, psi and delta, are insufficient to characterize completely the changes in polarization state which occur when light is reflected from a rough surface. When an experimentally determined Mueller matrix is available, parameters indicative of depolarization, cross polarization, and change in ellipticity can be found. When the Mueller matrix is regarded as an operator mapping input polarization states depicted on a Poincare sphere to output states in a similar coordinate system, these new parameters can be illustrated in terms of their effects on the Poincare sphere. The depolarization and cross polarization parameters correlate with specimen roughness and reflectance.


Computer models of flow and transport processes in critical or vulnerable reaches of rivers have become essential tools in assessing the long‐term sustainable management of river basins. A generic long‐standing source of uncertainty in the output from these models arises from the difficulty in estimating flow rates at the upstream boundary of the reach. When the process being modeled relies on an accurate description of the autocorrelation in the flow, such as in sediment transport, and predictions are required for future changed climatic conditions, this difficulty becomes acute. One currently popular solution is to combine stochastic weather generators with catchment hydrology models to simulate hydrographs. This paper offers an alternative solution, which bypasses the complexities of this approach and the extra uncertainties that arise from imposing restrictive predefined model structures. The proposed method uses an autoregressive multinomial logit model to link temperature and precipitation catchment data to flow data of the River Tees in the northeast United Kingdom. This model accounts for temporal autocorrelation by using the previous day's observation and other variables as explanatory variables. Incorporating basin area average temperature and precipitation allows climate change predictions from regional climate models to be used when predicting flows. The successful application of the method is demonstrated for the River Tees in northeast United Kingdom.


Abstract This study investigates the microclimate and hydrology of debris-laden ice surfaces in the Taylor Valley, Antarctica, in early summer, focusing on the onset of melt. Measurements of energy and mass fluxes were made on an outwash fan and in moraines near the terminus of Taylor Glacier. The surface microclimate was strongly controlled by absorbed solar radiation, with a low albedo of 0.17. Seasonal warming of the substrate led to an abrupt shift in thermal and hydrological patterns as temperatures exceeded freezing point. Within a week the Bowen ratio switched from 2.05 to 0.48 and mass losses to the atmosphere increased four-fold from 0.39 to 1.6 mm d-1. Melt onset also produced complex ground temperature patterns with strong diurnal damping below the freezing front. These patterns were caused by phase changes in the freezing front, coupled with an abundant water supply from local runoff. Of secondary importance to the surface energy balance and mass fluxes was the effect of local winds on boundary layer characteristics. This resulted in larger mass losses during the more turbulent, warmer and drier down-valley flows.


Brexit has far-reaching consequences for Europe and the European single market for financial transactions. In particular in this field, the UK has had a strong influence in drafting European policies and legislation as the City of London has acted as the financial hub in Europe for several decades. As a result, the UK has spearheaded the call for more market friendly legislation with the support of some other EU member states. This went against the wishes of several other EU member states, where a stronger rule-based approach to financial markets was strongly preferred, in particular after the financial crisis clearly demonstrated weaknesses in the macroeconomic oversight of European financial markets. With the UK leaving, the call for more stringent legislation will gain momentum as the political leadership among the remaining 27 EU member states will shift and might be looking to curtail the long-standing dominant position of the UK in the field of financial industries. In this light, several leaders of EU27 member states have already voiced their support for their nations' financial hub to become the next City of London. This would lead to a substantial change in leadership in European finance post-Brexit. This contribution assesses the impact of Brexit on the changes in political leadership on the governance of European financial markets, as they might ultimately be reflected in the institutional outcomes and policies.


To mitigate the global greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) has the potential to play a significant role for reaching mitigation target. Oxy-fuel combustion is a promising technology for CO2 capture in power plants. Advantages compared to CCS with the conventional combustion technology are: high combustion efficiency, flue gas volume reduction, low fuel consumption, near zero CO2 emission, and less nitrogen oxides (NOx) formation can be reached simultaneously by using the oxy-fuel combustion technology. However, knowledge gaps relating to large scale coal based and natural gas based power plants with CO2 capture still exist, such as combustors and boilers operating at higher temperatures and design of CO2 turbines and compressors. To apply the oxy-fuel combustion technology on power plants, much work is focused on the fundamental and feasibility study regarding combustion characterization, process and system analysis, and economic evaluation etc. Further studies from system perspective point of view are highlighted, such as the impact of operating conditions on system performance and on advanced cycle integrated with oxy-fuel combustion for CO2 capture. In this thesis, the characterization for flue gas recycle (FGR) was theoretically derived based on mass balance of combustion reactions, and system modeling was conducted by using a process simulator, Aspen Plus. Important parameters such as FGR rate and ratio, flue gas composition, and electrical efficiency etc. were analyzed and discussed based on different operational conditions. An advanced evaporative gas turbine (EvGT) cycle with oxy-fuel combustion for CO2 capture was also studied. Based on economic indicators such as specific investment cost (SIC), cost of electricity (COE), and cost of CO2avoidance (COA), economic performance was evaluated and compared among various system configurations. The system configurations include an EvGT cycle power plant without CO2 capture, an EvGT cycle power plant with chemical absorption for CO2 capture, and a combined cycle power plant. The study shows that FGR ratio is of importance, which has impact not only on heat transfer but also on mass transfer in the oxy-coal combustion process. Significant reduction in the amount of flue gas can be achieved due to the flue gas recycling, particularly for the system with more prior upstream recycle options. Although the recycle options have almost no effect on FGR ratio, flue gas flow rate, and system electrical efficiency, FGR options have significant effects on flue gas compositions, especially the concentrations of CO2 and H2O, and heat exchanger duties. In addition, oxygen purity and water/gas ratio, respectively, have an optimum value for an EvGT cycle power plant with oxy-fuel combustion. Oxygen purity of 97 mol% and water/gas ratio of 0.133 can be considered as the optimum values for the studied system. For optional operating conditions of flue gas recycling, the exhaust gas recycled after condensing (dry recycle) results in about 5 percentage points higher electrical efficiency and about 45 % more cooling water consumption comparing with the exhaust gas recycled before condensing (wet recycle). The direct costs of EvGT cycle with oxy-fuel combustion are a little higher than the direct costs of EvGT cycle with chemical absorption. However, as plant size is larger than 60 MW, even though the EvGT cycle with oxy-fuel combustion has a higher COE than the EvGT cycle with chemical absorption, the EvGT cycle with oxy-fuel combustion has a lower COA. Further, compared with others studies of natural gas combined cycle (NGCC), the EvGT system has a lower COE and COA than the NGCC system no matter which CO2 capture technology is integrated.


In a particular embodiment, a method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating an interview where the interviewer and interviewee speak different languages. In an embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a speaker to output audio information, at least one interface to communicate with a display device, a processor and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor to determine an interviewee language from a plurality of languages, store collected data and data related to the determined interviewee language, receive a first interviewee information item and a second interviewee information item associated with a topic selection from an interviewer system. The instructions further include instructions to provide the first interviewee information item to the speaker for acoustic output in the interviewee language and to provide the second interviewee information item to the at least one interface to communicate with the display device.


The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) participates in both performance optimization and evaluation, with dissociable contributions from dorsal (dACC) and rostral (rACC) regions. Deactivation in rACC and other default-mode regions is important for performance optimization, whereas increased rACC and dACC activation contributes to performance evaluation. Errors activate both rACC and dACC. We propose that this activation reflects differential error-related involvement of rACC and dACC during both performance optimization and evaluation, and that these two processes can be distinguished by the timing of their occurrence within a trial. We compared correct and error antisaccade trials. We expected errors to correlate with an early failure of rACC deactivation and increased activation of both rACC and dACC later in the trial. Eighteen healthy subjects performed a series of prosaccade and antisaccade trials during event-related functional MRI. We estimated the hemodynamic responses for error and correct antisaccades using a finite impulse-response model. We examined ACC activity by comparing error and correct antisaccades with a fixation baseline and error to correct antisaccades directly. Compared with correct antisaccades, errors were characterized by an early bilateral failure of deactivation of rACC and other default-mode regions. This difference was significant in rACC. Errors also were associated with increased activity in both rACC and dACC later in the trial. These results show that accurate performance involves deactivation of the rACC and other default mode regions and suggest that both rACC and dACC contribute to the evaluation of error responses.


The study investigates how the Finnish model of providing initial vo- cational education and training (IVET) has succeeded in terms of enhancing educational progress and employability. A relatively high level of participation in IVET makes the Finnish model distinctive from those of three other Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. All four Nordic countries have well- organised labour markets and universal types of welfare states. Priority is given to goals related to equal opportunities and social inclusion. At the same time, these countries have different models of IVET. While the study compares the Finnish model of organising IVET to those of other Nordic countries, it also examines the German and UK models, which represent differing societal approaches to IVET. The differences in the outcomes of the IVET systems are described and analysed through reviewing secondary data provided by Eurydice and Eurostat, along with country reports produced in a Nordic comparative project, Nord-VET.


The Chelungpu fault, Taiwan, produced a northward propagating rupture on 21 September 1999 resulting in a M(subscript w) 7.6 earthquake with a~90 km long N-S trending fault scarp. The mineralogic and physical character of the fault-related rocks within the Chelungpu fault zone, as measured at 9 sites along 70 km of the 1999 rupture trace, changes significantly along strike and with depth. The northern section of the Chelungpu fault has a 10-30 m-wide primary damage zone that is characterized by increased fracture density and alteration, but little microstructural damage to within 1 m from the main fault. The southern section of the Chelungpu fault has a 25-70 m wide primary damage zone that is characterized by increased fracture density and alteration, the presence of intensely sheared rock, and numerous secondary faults and gouge zones as far as 240 m from the main fault. The complexity of the damage zone, geochemistry, and clay mineralogy of the southern fault zone may reflect its relative maturity (~1 Ma) compared to the northern fault zone (~46-100 Ka). The major down-dip mineralogic variation is a transition from a significant amount of smectite in exhumed fault cores to little or no smectite in the fault core at sampled depths of 200 to 1000 m. This transition may be influenced by weathering processes at the surface, however co-seismic fluid flow may have a role in illite-smectite reactions. The composition of clays has important seismologic implications as clays play a role in fault weakening.


Melanin is a complex, highly coloured natural antioxidant with potent biological activities and diverse applications. A potential source of melanin is the Siberian apricot (Armeniaca sibirica) whose kernel skin is currently a waste by-product. To explore its potential, melanin from apricot kernel skin was extracted. The molecular mass was determined by gel chromatography and its structure was examined by elemental analysis, UV-Vis, infrared, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (C-NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, its protective effect against hydrazineinduced hepatic injury in rats was evaluated. The results showed that melanin has< 5% sulphur (S) content, indicating that it consists mostly of eumelanin. Its UV-Vis, infrared and C-NMR spectra were very similar to those of synthetic melanin, although it had relatively high carboxylate, aliphatic, and phenol-skeleton content. Two distinct fractions (2.4±0.12 and 0.±560.1 kDa) were detected. Injections of hydrazine at 65 mg/kg body-weight (b.wt.) doses resulted in significant (p < 0.01) increases in lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde contents) in liver homogenates and serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities (64%, 69%, and 98% increase relative to the controls, respectively). It also induced significant (p < 0.05 or 0.01) decreases in liver homogenate catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities and reduced glutathione content (48%, 28%, 7%, and 98% reduction, respectively). Administering melanin prior to hydrazine, at 10 mg/kg b.wt., strongly inhibited these changes and ameliorated histopathological hepatic injury. The results indicated that melanin alleviated hydrazine-induced liver injury by relieving oxidative stress, which may provide a novel protective strategy for protection against liver diseases.


An antagonistic yeast, Cryptococcus laurentii, alone or in combination with a low dose of imazalil (25 μg a.i./ml) or kresoxim-methyl (50 μg a.i./ml), was investigated for its ability to control Alternaria alternata and Monilinia fructicola on jujube fruit under different storage conditions. Biocontrol activity of C. laurentii against A. alternata and M. fructicola at 20°C was enhanced significantly by combination with either fungicide. An integrated strategy for control of A. alternata and M. fructicola was developed that included a combination of C. laurentii, a low dose of fungicide, and controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage. Fruit treated with C. laurentii plus imazalil at 25 μg a.i./ml or kresoxim-methyl at 50 μg a.i./ml and stored in CA storage with 10% O2 + 0% CO2 at 0°C showed a lower disease incidence caused by both pathogens than fruit stored in air at 0°C. Application of imazalil (25 μg a.i./ml) or kresoxim-methyl (50 μg a.i./ml) did not inhibit the growth of C. laurentii in wounds of jujube fruit stored in air at 20 and 0°C or in CA at 0°C. The yeast grew rapidly in the wounds of jujube fruit under all storage conditions. The ability of C. laurentii to effectively control postharvest diseases of jujube fruit, the resistance of C. laurentii to low rates of fungicides, and the adaptability of this yeast to CA storage indicate that C. laurentii has great commercial potential as a biological control product.


In this paper, the ITTC Standard Cavitator is numerically investigated in a cavitation tunnel. Simulations at different cavitation numbers are compared against experiments conducted in the cavitation tunnel of SVA Potsdam. The focus is placed on the numerical prediction of sheet-cavitation dynamics and the analysis of transient phenomena. A compressible two-phase flow model is used for the flow solution, and two turbulence closures are employed: a two-equation unsteady RANS model, and a hybrid RANS/LES model. A homogeneous mixture model is used for the two phases. Detailed analysis of the cavitation shedding mechanism confirms that the dynamics of the sheet cavitation are dictated by the re-entrant jet. The break-off cycle is relatively periodic in both investigated cases with approximately constant shedding frequency. The CFD predicted sheet-cavitation shedding frequencies can be observed also in the acoustic measurements. The Strouhal numbers lie within the usual ranges reported in the literature for sheet-cavitation shedding. We furthermore demonstrate that the vortical flow structures can in certain cases develop striking cavitating toroidal vortices, as well as pressure wave fronts associated with a cavity cloud collapse event. To our knowledge, our numerical analyses are the first reported for the ITTC standard cavitator.


Computer networks are becoming increasingly large and complex; more so with the recent penetration of the internet into all walks of life. It is essential to be able to monitor and to analyse networks in a timely and efficient manner; to extract important metrics and measurements and to do so in a way which does not unduly disturb or affect the performance of the network under test. Network tomography is one possible method to accomplish these aims. Drawing upon the principles of statistical inference, it is often possible to determine the statistical properties of either the links or the paths of the network, whichever is desired, by measuring at the most convenient points thus reducing the effort required. In particular, bottleneck-link detection methods in which estimates of the delay distributions on network links are inferred from measurements made at end-points on network paths, are examined as a means to determine which links of the network are experiencing the highest delay. Initially two published methods, one based upon a single Gaussian distribution and the other based upon the method-of-moments, are examined by comparing their performance using three metrics: robustness to scaling, bottleneck detection accuracy and computational complexity. Whilst there are many published algorithms, there is little literature in which said algorithms are objectively compared. In this thesis, two network topologies are considered, each with three configurations in order to determine performance in six scenarios. Two new estimation methods are then introduced, both based on Gaussian mixture models which are believed to offer an advantage over existing methods in certain scenarios. Computationally, a mixture model algorithm is much more complex than a simple parametric algorithm but the flexibility in modelling an arbitrary distribution is vastly increased. Better model accuracy potentially leads to more accurate estimation and detection of the bottleneck. The concept of increasing flexibility is again considered by using a Pearson type-1 distribution as an alternative to the single Gaussian distribution. This increases the flexibility but with a reduced complexity when compared with mixture model approaches which necessitate the use of iterative approximation methods. A hybrid approach is also considered where the method-of-moments is combined with the Pearson type-1 method in order to circumvent problems with the output stage of the former. This algorithm has a higher variance than the method-of-moments but the output stage is more convenient for manipulation. Also considered is a new approach to detection algorithms which is not dependant on any a-priori parameter selection and makes use of the Kullback-Leibler divergence. The results show that it accomplishes its aim but is not robust enough to replace the current algorithms. Delay estimation is then cast in a different role, as an integral part of an algorithm to correlate input and output streams in an anonymising network such as the onion router (TOR). TOR is used by users in an attempt to conceal network traffic from observation. Breaking the encryption protocols used is not possible without significant effort but by correlating the un-encrypted input and output streams from the TOR network, it is possible to provide a degree of certainty about the ownership of traffic streams. The delay model is essential as the network is treated as providing a pseudo-random delay to each packet; having an accurate model allows the algorithm to better correlate the streams. Declaration of originality I hereby declare that the research recorded in this thesis and the thesis itself was composed and originated entirely by myself in the School of Engineering at The University of Edinburgh. Nicholas Alexander Johnson


The UC3717A is an improved version of the UC3717, used to switch drive the current in one winding of a bipolar stepper motor. The UC3717A has been modified to supply higher winding current, more reliable thermal protection, and improved efficiency by providing integrated bootstrap circuitry to lower recirculation saturation voltages. The diagram shown below presents the building blocks of the UC3717A. Included are an LS-TTL compatible logic input, a current sensor, a monostable, a thermal shutdown network, and an H-bridge output stage. The output stage features built-in fast recovery commutating diodes and integrated bootstrap pull up. Two UC3717As and a few external components form a complete control and drive unit for LS-TTL or micro-processor controlled stepper motor systems.


Depending on the source one can conclude that United States consumers enjoy access to a robustly competitive and nearly ubiquitous marketplace for inexpensive broadband Internet access, or they suffer the consequences of a tightly concentrated industry offering inferior service at high rates. On one hand, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA") and some sponsored researchers offer a quite sanguine outlook, possibly influenced by their appreciation for the political and public relations dividends in compiling positive results. On the other hand, other statistical compilations and interpretations show the U.S. behind in terms of market penetration and price, even trailing some nations that have similarly unfavorable geographical and demographic characteristics. In the light of the extraordinary global success achieved by domestic ventures in information and communications technology ("ICT"), it would appear counterintuitive for some current broadband statistics to show the United States lagging other nations in terms of favorable access to next generation networks. The FCC has used evidence of robust market penetration and competition in broadband markets to support an aggressive deregulatory campaign. Advocates for even more deregulation regularly cite the Commission's statistics as evidence that the unfettered marketplace can achieve broadband access and affordability goals. Both the Commission and many stakeholders assume the frequently cited statistics present a true picture of the marketplace. A recent NTIA document concludes that the United States has achieved the goal of "universal, affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007" articulated by President Bush in 2004. This paper will examine the United States broadband penetration and pricing statistics with a critical eye, in light of other contradictory compilations by credible organizations including the International Telecommunication Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Additionally the paper will compare and contrast the FCC's identification of broadband options in the author's home zip code with what actual options the author could identify. The paper concludes that the FCC and NTIA have overstated broadband penetration and affordability by using an overly generous and unrealistic definition of what qualifies as broadband service, by using zip codes as the primary geographic unit of measure and by misinterpreting available statistics. Additionally the FCC includes as competition services lacking any true cross-elasticity with other services based on substantial price differences. The paper concludes that credible calculations, using better calibrated measures, show a mixed outcome based on different geographical focus. Some U.S. residents, particularly in urban locales, enjoy comparatively excellent broadband service, while rural residents may have ample access options, albeit at comparatively high prices in light of limited price competition. The paper concludes that the absence of robust price competition among many facilities-based broadband operators in many areas of the nation challenges many of the assumptions built into recent FCC policy initiatives that seek to abandon consumer safeguards. The paper also concludes that a statutory mandate to promote universal access to advanced telecommunications capability requires the FCC to collect and disseminate credible statistics on next generation network deployment.


Neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) play an important role in synaptic plasticity, but their precise mechanism of action is still controversial. Kovalchuk et al. (see the Perspective by Manabe) combined electrophysiological recordings and Ca2+ imaging to study the effects of BDNF on dentate granule cells in hippocampal slices. Brief puffs of BDNF caused rapid Ca2+ transients in individual dendritic spines. Pairing weak tetanus stimulation with BDNF application could induce long-term potentiation (LTP) that completely occluded tetanus-evoked LTP. The induction of LTP could be blocked by postsynaptic Ca2+ chelation or by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists. All of these findings point toward a postsynaptic mechanism for BDNF-induced LTP. Y. Kovalchuk, E. Hanse, K. W. Kafitz, A. Konnerth, Postsynaptic induction of BDNF-mediated long-term potentiation. Science 295, 1729-1734 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text] T. Manabe, Does BDNF have pre- or postsynaptic targets? Science 295, 1651-1653 (2002). [Full Text]


Patterns of recruitment in marine ecosystems can reflect the distribution of adults, dispersal by ocean currents, or patterns of mortality after settlement. In turn, patterns of recruitment can play an important role in determining patterns of adult abundance and community dynamics. Here we examine the biogeographic structure of recruitment variability along the U.S. West Coast and examine its association with temperature variability. From 1997 to 2004 we monitored monthly recruitment rates of dominant intertidal invertebrates, mussels and barnacles, at 26 rocky shore sites on the West Coast of the United States, from northern Oregon to southern California, a span of 1750 km of coastline. We examined spatial variation in the dynamics of recruitment rates and their relationship to coastal oceanography using satellite-derived time series of monthly sea surface temperature (SST). Recruitment rates showed a biogeographic structure with large regions under similar dynamics delimited by abrupt transitions. The seasonal peak in recruitment rates for both mussels and barnacles changed from a late summer-early fall peak in Oregon to winter or early spring in northern California, and then back toward summer in southern California. Recruitment rates varied greatly in magnitude across the latitudinal range. The barnacle Balanus glandula and mussels (Mytilus spp.) showed a decline of two orders of magnitude south of Oregon. In contrast, recruitment rates of barnacles of the genus Chthamalus showed a variable pattern across the region examined. The spatial distribution of associations between raw SST and recruitment rates for all species showed positive associations, indicating recruitment during warm months, for all species in Oregon, northern California, and several sites in south-central California. By considerably extending the spatial and temporal scales beyond that of previous studies on larval recruitment rates in this system, our study has identified major biogeographic breaks around Cape Blanco and Point Conception despite considerable spatial and temporal variation within each region and among species. These large differences in recruitment rates across biogeographic scales highlight the need for a better understanding of larval responses to ocean circulation patterns in the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems.


The definition of a fractal has been successfully deduced from constructing the Koch
curve and the Cantor set. Principles of seven methods (the ruler, box-counting, spectral,
structure function, intersection methods, cube-counting, and triangular prism methods) for
determining the fractal dimensions are illustrated and verified by the Koch curve, Cantor
set, and the simulated 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional ffim samples by comparing the
calculated with the theoretical D values of the theoretical fractal models. The application of
appropriate methods to self-similar or self-affme fractals is essential due to different
theoretical assumptions of the methodologies. The ruler dimension is different from the
spectral dimension. The application of Hanning window to the synthetic fBm samples
(Hanning window weighted) is important to obtain correct fractal dimensions for the
spectral method and structure function methods. The multi-scaling behaviour of a fractal
can be unveiled by revealing the difference between the 1st and 2nd order structure function
methods. The zeroset theory is used to relate the D values of 1-d contour set with 2-d
surface by analyzing the DEM data.
The results of fractal analysing 132 topographic contours digitized from different
Abstract v
scales (1:200,000, 1:50,000, 1:20,000) of maps of the border area between Spain and
Portugal show that contours are self-similar, and have a fractal dimension of about D = 1.23
over length scales ranging from 30 m to 13 km scale (3 orders of magnitude). The thirteen
filed and map profiles from Dorset area of southern England has a D value of 1.03 derived
from the ruler method. The variations in D values are controlled by three geological factors:
erosive processes, lithologies, and fractures. The dominant control is the erosive process
and fractures, and lithologies can either result in significant difference or produce more
subtle variation in D values of coastlines and contours. For example, the river down-cutting
produces higher D value (1.1 ~ 1.5) than the wave action or cliff retreat erosive processes
(1.01-1.10).
The results of the fractal analysis of the five TM sub-image of Qatar have shown that
D values of the TM images range from 2.10 to 2.96. The variations in D values are
controlled by different types of surface, band variations, and methodologies. The study area
B of a single rock type has the lowest D value (D is about 2.25) and is significant different
from the other four study areas, whilst the urban area E yields the highest fractal dimension
(about D = 2.6). Band 3 yields the highest fractal dimensions, followed by bands 4, 5, 1,
and 6, and band 2 has the lowest D value. The difference between the D values derived
from the 2nd and 1st order structure function methods for all the six bands of five study areas
is D2s,(q=2) - D2s(q=l) = 0.16 0.13 (the uncertainty is the standard deviation), and suggests
that the TM imagery has a multi-scaling property.


AIMS
B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 10 (Bcl10) is a member of the CARMA-Bcl10-MALT1 signalosome, linking angiotensin (Ang) II and antigen-dependent immune-cell activation to nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling. We showed earlier that Bcl10 plays a role in Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis and remodeling, independent of blood pressure. We now investigated the role of Bcl10 in Ang II-induced renal damage.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Bcl10 knockout mice (Bcl10 KO) and wild-type (WT) controls were given 1% NaCl in the drinking water and Ang II (1.44 mg/kg/d) for 14 days. Additionally, Bcl10 KO or WT kidneys were transplanted onto WT mice that were challenged by the same protocol for 7 days. Kidneys of Ang II-treated Bcl10 KO mice developed less fibrosis and showed fewer infiltrating cells. Nevertheless, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ngal) and kidney injury molecule (Kim)1 expression was higher in the kidneys of Ang II-treated Bcl10 KO mice, indicating exacerbated tubular damage. Furthermore, albuminuria was significantly higher in Ang II-treated Bcl10 KO mice accompanied by reduced glomerular nephrin expression and podocyte number. Ang II-treated WT mice transplanted with Bcl10 KO kidney showed more albuminuria and renal Ngal, compared to WT->WT kidney transplanted mice, as well as lower podocyte number but similar fibrosis and cell infiltration. Interestingly, mice lacking Bcl10 in the kidney exhibited less Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy than controls.

CONCLUSIONS
Bcl10 has multi-faceted actions in Ang II-induced renal damage. On the one hand, global Bcl10 deficiency ameliorates renal fibrosis and cell infiltration; on the other hand, lack of renal Bcl10 aggravates albuminuria and podocyte damage. These data suggest that Bcl10 maintains podocyte integrity and renal function.

TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
The CARMA-Bcl10-MALT1 signalosome plays a pivotal role in several cell types regulating different (patho)physiological processes. For example, it links Ang II and NF-κB signaling pathways. The molecular mechanism of albuminuria upon Ang II-induced hypertension is not fully understood. Podocytes are a direct target of Ang II. We provide data that the lack of Bcl10 protects the kidney and the heart from Ang II-induced fibrosis and immune cell infiltration. Nevertheless, it aggravates albuminuria and podocyte damage independently from blood pressure. Therefore, a cell type-specific interpretation of major signaling pathway helps to better understand the pathogenesis of target organ damage.


We investigated potential SARS-CoV-2 tropism in human endometrium by single-cell RNA-sequencing of viral entry-associated genes in healthy women. Percentages of endometrial cells expressing ACE2, TMPRSS2, CTSB, or CTSL were <2%, 12%, 80%, and 80%, respectively, with 0.7% of cells expressing all four genes. Our findings imply low efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the endometrium before embryo implantation, providing information to assess preconception risk in asymptomatic carriers.


Simply Mycoplasma The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a human pathogen, has a genome of reduced size and is one of the simplest organisms that can reproduce outside of host cells. As such, it represents an excellent model organism in which to attempt a systems-level understanding of its biological organization. Now three papers provide a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the proteome, the metabolic network, and the transcriptome of M. pneumoniae (see the Perspective by Ochman and Raghavan). Anticipating what might be possible in the future for more complex organisms, Kühner et al. (p. 1235) combine analysis of protein interactions by mass spectrometry with extensive structural information on M. pneumoniae proteins to reveal how proteins work together as molecular machines and map their organization within the cell by electron tomography. The manageable genome size of M. pneumoniae allowed Yus et al. (p. 1263) to map the metabolic network of the organism manually and validate it experimentally. Analysis of the network aided development of a minimal medium in which the bacterium could be cultured. Finally, G‡ell et al. (p. 1268) applied state-of-the-art sequencing techniques to reveal that this "simple" organism makes extensive use of noncoding RNAs and has exon- and intron-like structure within transcriptional operons that allows complex gene regulation resembling that of eukaryotes. The simplified proteome of a bacterium provides insight into the organization of proteins into molecular machines. The genome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is among the smallest found in self-replicating organisms. To study the basic principles of bacterial proteome organization, we used tandem affinity purification–mass spectrometry (TAP-MS) in a proteome-wide screen. The analysis revealed 62 homomultimeric and 116 heteromultimeric soluble protein complexes, of which the majority are novel. About a third of the heteromultimeric complexes show higher levels of proteome organization, including assembly into larger, multiprotein complex entities, suggesting sequential steps in biological processes, and extensive sharing of components, implying protein multifunctionality. Incorporation of structural models for 484 proteins, single-particle electron microscopy, and cellular electron tomograms provided supporting structural details for this proteome organization. The data set provides a blueprint of the minimal cellular machinery required for life.


Manure allocation on dairy farms to meet crop nutrient requirements, minimize environmental risks of nutrient loss, and maximize economic returns is a complex management derision. A multiplecriteria, mathematical programming approach was developed to assess decision-making with respect to manure allocation decisions at the farm scale. The objective function to be optimized includes several subfunctions developed for considering economic and environmental indicators, such as the Phosphorus Site Index. The structure of the nonlinear model allows the planner to change the importance among subfunctions, making it possible to obtain solutions that meet different management objectives for manure allocation. Optimization results for a New York State dairy farm were compared with recommendations made by a farm planner. The results show that using this optimization model allowed the total amount of manure within the farm to be applied, satisfying the nutrient requirements and keeping the P-Index low in all fields where manure was applied. The optimized recommendation resulted in a 31% reduction in the average P-Index weighted by field area and in a 50% reduction in the standard deviation of the P-Index among fields, mainly because manure application was minimized in fields with higher soil-test P and with higher P transport factor. This approach is a definite improvement over current practices used in nutrient management planning, but due to difficulties associated with nonlinear programming, this software is not easily adapted for general use.


To date, visual question answering (VQA) (i.e., image QA and video QA) is still a holy grail in vision and language understanding, especially for video QA. Compared with image QA that focuses primarily on understanding the associations between image region-level details and corresponding questions, video QA requires a model to jointly reason across both spatial and long-range temporal structures of a video as well as text to provide an accurate answer. In this paper, we specifically tackle the problem of video QA by proposing a Structured Two-stream Attention network, namely STA, to answer a free-form or open-ended natural language question about the content of a given video. First, we infer rich longrange temporal structures in videos using our structured segment component and encode text features. Then, our structured two-stream attention component simultaneously localizes important visual instance, reduces the influence of background video and focuses on the relevant text. Finally, the structured two-stream fusion component incorporates different segments of query and video aware context representation and infers the answers. Experiments on the large-scale video QA dataset TGIF-QA show that our proposed method significantly surpasses the best counterpart (i.e., with one representation for the video input) by 13.0%, 13.5%, 11.0% and 0.3 for Action, Trans., TrameQA and Count tasks. It also outperforms the best competitor (i.e., with two representations) on the Action, Trans., TrameQA tasks by 4.1%, 4.7%, and 5.1%.


Gastric cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality across the world, with poor prognosis and a median overall survival of ≤12 months for advanced stage gastric cancer. Environmental, genetic and other predisposing factors contribute to the development of gastric cancer and a predominant factor was found to be infection of Helicobacter pylori. Advances in understanding the deranged signalling pathways that are critical for normal cellular homeostasis helped in the development of novel drugs that target specific proteins and pathways to curtail the growth of gastric cancer. Genetic studies revealed several single nucleotide polymorphisms, chromosomal aberrations and epigenetic alterations that likely play a major role in elevating the susceptibility to develop gastric cancer. Methylation pattern of specific genes may likely prove to be a valid biomarker for early detection of gastric cancer, but much progress is needed to establish specific markers. Important developments have been made in targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 for treating advanced gastro-oesophageal junction cancer, using specific monoclonal antibodies. Lack of efficacy with regard to targeting other signalling pathways including mesenchymal-epithelial transition/hepatocyte growth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin is probably due to suboptimal patient selection for these clinical trials, which is probably due to the lack of appropriate biomarkers, to decide on responsive patient population. Besides the development of antagonists for the cell growth-related signalling pathways, advances are also being made to tackle gastric cancer by immunotherapies, targeting immune check-points, which may hold promise for better treatment options in future.