This article analyzes the role of print journalists in constructing a collective mourning space while covering the deaths of their colleagues. Based on an inductive analysis of 261 news stories following the deaths of 16 Israeli reporters and news editors who died between 1956 and 2018, I identified three discursive tensions that underlie the coverage: (1) factual versus emotional reporting, (2) professional versus national identity, and (3) individual versus institutional challenges. The article discusses the ways in which Israeli journalists reconcile these discursive tensions to portray the personal, professional, social, and national significance of their colleagues, while avoiding reference to any threats to their profession. Via the coverage of their colleagues' deaths, the journalists thus establish both their relevance and their cultural authority while reinforcing the legitimacy of print journalism, positioning it in the present as a respected establishment with a long history and an anticipated future.


Science education has been facing important challenges in the recent years: the decline in student's interest in scientific topics, and moreover, the decrease of students pursuing science beyond their compulsory studies (Bennett, Hogarth, Lubben, 2003). As a result, research has focus on examining different approaches that could attempt to improve the situation. One of these approaches has been the use of context-based problem-solving tasks (Kolbach & Sumfleth, 2011; Bennett, Hogarth, Lubben, 2003). While research into context-based problem-solving tasks suggest that they are very motivating for students, it is still unclear how they influence motivation. Following an experimental pretest-postest design, two studies examined the effects of context-based task characteristics of contextualization, complexity, and transparency, on students' motivational variables, performance, and metacognitive experiences.
Results from both studies suggest that the task characteristic of contextualization directly influences how students' interest is triggered and maintained throughout the task. On the other hand, the task characteristics of complexity and transparency had different effects for the other dependent variables of effort, difficulty, and solution correctness.
Moreover, data shows that other motivational variables such as anxiety and success expectancies are strongly influenced by the interaction of the parameters under study. The dissertation concludes that appropriate design and use of context-based task characteristics can benefit students' learning processes and outcomes.


In 2008 the big developments in the Philippines were the signing of a historic and controversial agreement with Muslim rebels, the subsequent scuttling of that agreement by the Supreme Court, and a resumption of hostilities between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Meanwhile, the embattled Arroyo government worked to respond to a series of economic and natural disasters.


In the mid-1950s the Netherlands government embarked on a massive construction program, called the Delta Plan. Its purpose was to enhance protection from floods caused by the North Sea in the estuaries of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. According to the plan, all connections to the sea were to be closed by dams, except the New Waterway to Rotterdam and the Western Scheldt. In 1974 all dams and dikes were complete except the dam closing off the Eastern Scheldt from the sea. In view of growing opposition to a complete closure, plans were revised in 1976, and instead of the dam, a storm surge barrier will be constructed. This barrier will reduce the tidal range in the Eastern Scheldt and will be closed during storm surges. In support of engineering and environmental studies related to the construction and operation of this barrier, a large numerical model has been developed, which covers the Eastern and Western Scheldt and the adjacent offshore area. The section of the North Sea which is included in the model is about 120 km long and 30 km wide, running from Blankenberghe in Belgium to Scheveningen in the Netherlands (Fig. 1). The bathymetry of the model area varies widely. In general it slopes from the shore to about 25 m at 30 km from the coast. In certain sections of the offshore area, the bottom is relatively flat; in other areas it has offshore bars and the bottom contains underwater sand dunes with a height of several meters. In the estuaries the tidal flow has scoured deep channels. The tidal flats near the North Sea are generally sandy, but the ecologically important tidal marshes located more inland contain much finer material. The flow and the water levels in the region which is modeled are generally tide-induced. However, the influence of meteorological effects is always present and sometimes dominates water movements and water levels (storm surges). The influence of the fresh water discharges is of much less importance; generally their effects can only be noticed in the immediate vicinity of the discharge. The tides in the offshore area of the model are part of the complicated tide system in the North Sea. The semidiurnal tidal wave propagates along the coast in a northeasterly direction. During this propagation the amplitude reduces from about 1.90 m near Blankenberghe to about .85 m near Scheveningen.


Regulation of centrosome and spindle positioning is crucial for spatial cell division control. The one-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo has proven attractive for dissecting the mechanisms underlying centrosome and spindle positioning in a metazoan organism. Previous work revealed that these processes rely on an evolutionarily conserved force generator complex located at the cell cortex. This complex anchors the motor protein dynein, thus allowing cortical pulling forces to be exerted on astral microtubules emanating from microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). Here, we report that the clathrin heavy chain CHC-1 negatively regulates pulling forces acting on centrosomes during interphase and on spindle poles during mitosis in one-cell C. elegans embryos. We establish a similar role for the cytokinesis/apoptosis/RNA-binding protein CAR-1 and uncover that CAR-1 is needed to maintain proper levels of CHC-1. We demonstrate that CHC-1 is necessary for normal organization of the cortical acto-myosin network and for full cortical tension. Furthermore, we establish that the centrosome positioning phenotype of embryos depleted of CHC-1 is alleviated by stabilizing the acto-myosin network. Conversely, we demonstrate that slight perturbations of the acto-myosin network in otherwise wild-type embryos results in excess centrosome movements resembling those in chc-1(RNAi) embryos. We developed a 2D computational model to simulate cortical rigidity-dependent pulling forces, which recapitulates the experimental data and further demonstrates that excess centrosome movements are produced at medium cortical rigidity values. Overall, our findings lead us to propose that clathrin plays a critical role in centrosome positioning by promoting acto-myosin cortical tension.


In recent years RDF and OWL have become the most common knowledge representation languages in use on the Web, propelled by the recommendation of the W3C. In this paper we present a practical implementation of a different kind of knowledge representation based on Prototypes. In detail, we present a concrete syntax easily and effectively parsable by applications. We also present extensible implementations of a prototype knowledge base, specifically designed for storage of Prototypes. These implementations are written in Java and can be extended by using the implementation as a library. Alternatively, the software can be deployed as such. Further, results of benchmarks for both local and web deployment are presented. This paper augments a research paper, in which we describe the more theoretical aspects of our Prototype system.


The historiography of the Great War has been significantly renewed in recent years; yet, despite its crucial social, economic, and cultural importance, the role that fashion played in shaping wartime experiences and economies on an international scale between 1914 and 1918 has largely gone unaddressed. Fashion, Society, and the First World War fills this gap by offering a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the war on the ways that the fashion industry functioned in a global wartime economy, as well as on the ways that women and men negotiated this new world.

With an international, thematic approach, and illustrated in full color throughout, this volume discusses the reconfiguration of the fashion industry, wartime style and production, and the reframing of selfhood, gender roles, and national identity through visual, print and material culture. Through analysis of archives, visual chronicles, press, and garments, and covering an impressive range of topics, from the feathered showgirl in Paris to the evolution of pilots' uniforms, these exciting essays show how fashion, even temporarily, encouraged the articulation of an identity, a society, and a nation.

Fashion, Society, and the First World War provides an extensive overview by leading fashion historians on an industry in the midst of major transformation and is both an invaluable guide and starting point for all researchers, curators, and students interested in fashion history and the cultural history of the period.


Walter Tschinkel's passion for fire ants has been stoked by over 30 years of exploring the rhythm and drama of Solenopsis invicta's biology. Since South American fire ants arrived in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1940s, they have spread to become one of the most reviled pests in the Sunbelt. In "Fire Ants", Tschinkel provides not just an encyclopaedic overview of S. invicta - how they found colonies, construct and defend their nests, forage and distribute food, struggle among themselves for primacy, and even relocate entire colonies - but a lively account of how research is done, how science establishes facts, and the pleasures and problems of a scientific career. Between chapters detailed enough for experts but readily accessible to any educated reader, 'interludes' provide vivid verbal images of the world of fire ants and the people who study them. Early chapters describe the several failed, and heavily politically influenced, eradication campaigns, and later ones, the remarkable spread of S. invicta's 'polygyne' form, in which nests harbour multiple queens and colonies reproduce by 'budding'. The reader learns much about ants, the practice of science, and humans' role in the fire ant's North American success.


KICHEVA, P. and S. ANGELOVA, 2006. Study on the productive potential of some Vicia L. species. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 12: 29-34 The great plasticity and adaptation of vetch species, their high protein content (19-35 %), as well as the possibilities for their introduction as alternative crops provoke the interest of many scientists in this field from the beginning of the last century (Tupikova, 1926; Muratova, 1926; Maxted, 1995). According to Houerou (1985) the vetch species have an enormous potential as legume crops for dry areas. A total of 19 species of the genus Vicia (including Vicia faba) are cultivated all over the world mainly for forage, grain and as a green manure crops (Enneking, 1995). A few annual vetch species are cultivated in our country – mainly common vetch V. sativa and occasionally bitter vetch (V. ervilia), hairy vetch (V. villosa) and Hungarian vetch (V. pannonica). From the perennial species with a certain economic importance is V. tenuifolia, which has been used from its natural habitats in the Eastern Rhodope mountain (Terziiski, 1986). There are few attempts for introducing promising wild vetch species as alternative crops or as a breeding material in Bulgaria (Koeva et al., 2002; Kicheva, 2003; Terziiski, 1986). The main aim of the study is to establish the economic suitability of different promising annual vetch species, stored in the genebank of IPGR-Sadovo as well as the possibilities for their utilization as alternative forage crops.


A series of computer simulation models for performance and design evaluation of tracked vehicles have emerged in the past decade. In contrast with empirical models developed earlier, they are based on detailed studies of the mechanics of vehicle-terrain interaction, and take into account all major vehicle design features and terrain characteristics. Thus, they provide a comprehensive and realistic tool for the vehicle engineer to optimize vehicle design and for the procurement manager to evaluate competing vehicle candidates. These models have been gaining increasingly wide acceptance in industry and governmental agencies. For instance, the model NTVPM for tracked vehicles with relatively short track pitch has been successfully used to assist vehicle manufacturers in the development of a new generation of high-mobility military vehicles and governmental agencies in the evaluation of vehicle candidates in Europe, North America and Asia.


The concept of a sustainable city, it seems, forms a very complex entity with many interactive components, tenant in the integrative perspective and its futuristic scope, before it can be termed to be sustainable. This being the case, how does the planning system bring the community involvement to address the challenges faced by the contemporary city? Thus, this paper analyses the present practices underlying urban development in central and the capacitation of community; to understand the activities underpinning this reality and its operating environment: assess like the threats and opportunities involved from a scientific, philosophical and political point of view. Spatial planning is in nature (and will always be) politically sensitive. With community development in South Africa, desires and expectations are focused on the present reality: they want jobs, homes and socio-economic security and access. The research conducted in Matlosana Municipality in RSA recognised this interface and the need for interdisciplinary approach at the local level. The focus of the paper will be to establish the point at which a range of different kinds of question collide and require simultaneous solutions; and in which issues of power [governance] and community needs [involvement] can result into interdisciplinarity. This is considered the main pathway to resolve community issues and thus support towards enhancing the sustainable city principle in terms of an incremental approach towards revitalization of neighbourhoods urban integration and thus sustainability.


In a recent paper on the long coincident behavior of international capital flows, commodity prices, and interest rates in global financial centers, Reinhart, Reinhart, and Trebesch (2016 and 2017) discovered the curious case of missing defaults. Despite the drying up of global capital flows and a sharp fall in commodity prices from 2012 to 2016, sovereign defaults in emerging market and developing economies did not spike higher as predicted by the record of the prior two hundred years. An important new dimension in the latest global capital flow cycle is the surge in Chinese loans to developing countries, notably low-income commodity producers since the early 2000s. A key driver of China's overseas lending boom is its significantly larger global footprint, which expanded at a record clip and helped stabilize global trade especially since the global financial crisis. Furthermore, Chinese official ambition to become a global power led to large official flows to support development projects and other purposes. The key question for policy makers and investors is whether these missing defaults are deferred or defused. There is also evidence to suggest that many developing borrowers are already encountering problems in servicing their recent debts to China (sovereign defaults are mismeasured). This analysis aims to shed light into what is currently one of the most opaque issues in global finance. For researchers a key question is whether this new source of support changes the empirical determinants of global capital flows.


Master the core topics found on the otolaryngology board exam with Bailey's Head and Neck Surgery - Otolaryngology Review. This comprehensive, quick-review, resource parallels the chapters in Bailey's Head and Neck Surgery: Otolaryngology, Fifth Edition. Featuring 1,100 board-style questions and a comprehensive online quiz bank for review on the go, this invaluable resource is ideal for both residents taking their boards and for practitioners up for re-certification. Features: Master key concepts as you self-test using the review book's 1,000 multiple-choice, board-style questions devised by the contributors and editors of the Fifth edition. Deepen your understanding with answers and explanations based on Bailey's Head and Neck Surgery: Otolaryngology, along with page references for deeper exploration. Study on the go with anytime, anywhere access to a comprehensive online quiz bank.


Most previous research in the domain of relationship marketing has focused on the
antecedents of loyalty and commitment in the industrial market, distribution channel
or consumer goods. This study however, models the antecedents of consumer's
relationship commitment in the context of a retail banking service.
The success and survival of a commercial bank depends on its bankers ability to
understand customers' needs and find effective ways to satisfy them. Having
recognized that retail customers are the potential market niche, it is essential for
bankers to obtain information concerning their patronage factors towards specific
financial institutions.The impact of four key explanatory variables (personal influence, sociological
influence, institutional influence, and trust) on relationship commitment are
examined. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain primary data from
respondents consisted of bank consumer occupying the selected dwelling unit in
Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. A final sample of 578, which was obtained from
the both areas, was an acceptable representation of the population. The data was
tested using (i) Multiple Regression Analysis (ii) Pearson Correlation Analysis, (iii)
Path Analysis.
The result shows that sociological influences and trust have the most significant
direct impact on relationship commitment. Institutional influences give a great
impact on personal and sociological influences but it give a small impact on
relationship commitment. This result is consistent with the views of Anderson et. al
(1976) and Tan and Chua (1986) that the consumer decision to choose their bank are
greatly impacted by the sociological factors. The same study conducted in Malaysia
by Haron and Ahmad (1992) however found that social factors are the least
influential factors if compared to others.
In spite of these inconsistencies, the current studies have comes out with a new
conceptual model (Model of Determinant of Relationship Commitment) which
indicate that Sociological and Personal Influence, as well as Trust are the
determinant of relationship commitment in retail banking industry.However, it needs to be noted that the multiple regression analysis results only shows
that the four hypothesized variables investigated (personal influence, sociological
influence, institutional influence, and trust), only represents 25.5 per cent of the
consumer relationship commitment towards their bank.
In short, the bankers who seek success must become more and more oriented to
understanding consumer behavior in the financial marketplace. Causal factors
operative in consumer bank selection and patronization must be identified to
optimize bank marketing strategies. The bankers must adopt a more aggressive
stance, become more knowledgeable, acquire more skills and be totally committed to
nurturing high quality relationship with the consumer.


In today's world of high tech manufacturing and computer-aided design simulations of models is at the heart of the whole manufacturing process. Trying to represent and study the variables of real world models using simulation computer programs can turn out to be a very expensive and time consuming task. On the other hand advancements in modern multi-core CPUs promise remarkable computational power. Modern modeling environments provide different optimization and parallelization options to take advantage of the available computational power. Some of these parallelization approaches are based on automatically extracting parallelism with the help of the model compiler or translator. Another approach is to provide the model programmers with the necessary language constructs to express any potential parallelism in their models.In this paper we present an automatic parallelization approach for Modelica models using Transmission Line Modeling (TLM). TLM is suitable for parallel simulations because larger models can be partitioned into smaller independent sub-models. TLM introduces parallelism into the system by decoupling subsystems using delays greater than the step size of the numerical solver. A prototype has been implemented in the OpenModelica Compiler (OMC) framework. Our approach re-uses the dependency analysis from the sequential translation step of OMC. With the help of the dependency analysis information the set of equations for a model is partitioned into a number of sub-systems. The resulting independent sub-systems are scheduled and executed in parallel. The run-time system for OMC has been improved to provide thread safety and handle parallelism while keeping the introduced overhead to minimum for normal sequential operation and maintaining portability.


It's one of the hallmarks of American democracy: on inauguration day, the departing president heeds the will of the people and hands the keys to power to a successor. The transition from one administration to the next sounds simple, even ceremonial. But in 2009, as President George W. Bush briefed President-elect Barack Obama about the ongoing wars and plummeting economy he'd soon inherit, the Bush team revealed that they were grappling with a late-breaking threat to the presidency: U.S. intelligence sources believed that a terror group with links to Al Qaeda planned to attack the National Mall during the inaugural festivities. Although this violence never materialized, its possibility made it clear that well-laid contingency plans were essential. Political scientist Martha Joynt Kumar uncovered this secret peril while interviewing senior Bush and Obama advisers for her latest book. In Before the Oath, Kumar documents how two presidential teams - one outgoing, the other incoming - must forge trusting alliances in order to help the new president succeed in his or her first term. Kumar enjoyed unprecedented access to several incumbent and candidate transition team members, and she combines in-depth scholarship with one-on-one interviews to put readers squarely behind the scenes. Using the Bush-Obama handoff as a lens through which to examine the presidential transition process, Kumar interweaves examples from previous administrations as far back as Truman-Eisenhower. Her subjects describe in vivid detail the challenges of sowing campaign ideals across a sprawling executive branch as Congress, the media, and external events press in. Kumar's lively account of lessons learned and pitfalls encountered during past presidential transitions provides an essential road map for presidential aspirants and their advisers, as well as campaign workers, federal employees, and political appointees.


Glass, particularly in architectural design, expresses lightness and modernity. By rising glass surfaces of facades in buildings with high safety requirements, glass works as security glazing. Requirements of security glazing increase constantly. However, single glass panes do not fulfil the demands on these high technology products. Thereby, laminated glass or insulated glass are used to solve problems of the specifications in view of fire, heat, noise, sound and sun protection as well as safety, energy, design or media. The combination of different materials in a composite panel permits the optimisation in consideration of requested structural or mechanical properties. In this case, the lamination of brittle glass with ductile polycarbonate enables innovative composite panels, which extends the range of glazing with security relevant applications. Glass-polycarbonate composite panels are generally defined with two outer glass panes and one or more inner polycarbonate sheets, laminated with polymeric interlayers. The combination of these two materials demonstrates a more efficient alternative to common security glazing. Continuous developments in the field of thin glass result in more and more applications beyond the usage in smartphones or tablets. Large-sized thin glasses with a nominal thickness of 2 mm or less are for some time available and already used in science and technology. Applications of thin glass in the building sector demand to analyse the required material properties and to combine thin glass panes with additional layers due to its low geometrical stiffness. An option for applications of large-sized thin glass panes presents the lamination with polycarbonate. Thin glass substitute the two outer glass panes in glass-polycarbonate composite panels. Therefore, thin glass-polycarbonate composite panels are slighter than common security glazing. Several options for using thin glass in architecture and the lamination with polycarbonate are described as well as the required tests for using as laminated safety glass and security glass with resistance against manual attack.


The University of Reading has conducted some preliminary work on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Arenavirus in Norway rats trapped from farms and semi-urban areas in central southern England. Campylobacter is the cause of a notificable disease in the UK, with 57,772 cases reported for England and Wales in 2009. Transmission to humans is believed to be primarily through
undercooked meat, from contaminated water, and through contact with pets; and symptoms include a high temperature, severe diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Ninety-seven per-cent of sporadic cases have been attributed to farm animals, and in particular the meat and poultry industry. There are eighteen species of Campylobacter, eleven of which can be pathogenic to humans; although the principal species that cause gastrointestinal disease in humans are C. jejuni and C. coli; although C. lari, C. helveticus and C. upsaliensis are also involved. Salmonella species also causes a gastrointestinal disease, and in the UK, is common in chicken and has been linked to egg production. Species are typed using antigen specific agglutination tests, or
by their susceptibility to specific bacteriophage. Some strains are known to be linked with human disease (eg.
S. enteritidis PT4).


—Aluminium smelters are one of the peculiar loads, which typically represent a series of electrolytic cells supplied by a multi-pulse rectifier system. In order to address the complexity involved in the modelling of a smelting plant, the impact of multipulse configurations and its connection to HV networks and control aspects of load current should be considered. This paper addresses the issues related to the control of DC current using saturable reactors for different alumina feeding mechanisms in a typical smelter. The saturable reactors are modelled as variable inductors of which the magnitude is controlled using a proportional-integral control scheme. A smelting plant with a twelve pulse rectifier system and variable DC load has been modelled in PSCAD ® /EMTDC © . The plant is connected to the AC network through 220 kV/110 kV transformer with tap changing facilities to control the secondary voltage and associated load current of the smelter. The simulation results are reported for the control of DC current under varying load conditions.


Critical against conventional disciplinary history of social science, this essay presents an analytical framework stemming from historical research of the author on Chicago sociology and french sociology after 1945. The proposed point of departure for research in the history of social sciences is similar to the basic perspective of history (as proposed by Lucien Febvre) or sociology of work in Everett Hughes' style: social sciences are to be considered as social practices whose primary ends are the production of texts, with historical and thus changing properties. Investigations must looks at every categories concerned directly or indirectly (or even in abstentia) with the production of social sciences: researcher, concurrent researcher of other specialties or disciplines, scolarly and learned institutions, those who finance research, general audiences, etc.). Heterogeneous elements must be taken into account: the documentary sources, the way of processing documentation, the rhetoric, the categories of analyses and questioning, the social contexts in which the research is carried out, the biographical experience of producers, the contexts of publication and reception. As an illustration of the possible extensions of this approach, a rapid presentation is given of the use made in research on the Chicago tradition of certain distinctions to analyze the diffusion of works and the relations between generations of researchers.


A search for new antiparasitic agents from a strain of the fungus Aspergillus carneus isolated from an estuarine sediment collected in Tasmania, Australia, yielded the known terrestrial fungal metabolite marcfortine A (1) as an exceptionally potent antiparasitic agent. This study also yielded a series of new depsipeptides, aspergillicins A-E (2-6) and the known terrestrial fungal metabolite acyl aszonalenin (7). Marcfortine A (1) and acyl aszonalenin (7) were identified by spectroscopic analysis, with comparison to literature data. Complete stereostructures were assigned to aspergillicins A-E (2-6) on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, together with ESIMS analysis of the free amino acids generated by acid hydrolysis, and HPLC analysis of Marfey derivatives prepared from the acid hydrolysate. The peptide amino acid sequence for all aspergillicins was unambiguously assigned by MS(n) ion-trap ESI mass spectrometry.


The main goal for my research was to challenge the long held belief that the mechanical properties of maturing dystrophic compared to control skeletal muscle membranes are weaker, leading to onset of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We built on a previous report from our lab that suggested sarcolemmal membranes from dystrophic mice are not more susceptible to damage early in maturation (i.e., age 9-12 days) and determined if and when muscle mechanical properties change as the mice mature. Across four studies, I have helped define the role of dystrophin-deficient skeletal muscle membranes in the onset of DMD. A linear viscoelastic muscle model was used to determine passive stiffness and damping in control and dystrophic muscles from maturing mice aged 14-35 days. Results confirmed my hypothesis that there are no differences in passive mechanical properties between normal and dystrophic mice. Recognizing the limitations of the linear model, a nonlinear model was developed to determine the stiffness and damping of active and passive dystrophic muscles from maturing mice aged 21 and 35 days. The nonlinear model achieved a significantly better fit to experimental data than the linear model when muscles were stretched to 15% strain beyond resting length. Active and passive mechanical properties of dystrophic mice were not different than control at 14 and 28 days of age. The previously developed nonlinear model was used to determine a more complete timecourse (14-100 days of age) of dystrophic muscle mechanical properties. There was no difference in passive stiffness between mdx and control muscles at each age. However, the mdx:utrn muscles showed increased stiffness compared to control and mdx muscles at 21 and 28 days, suggesting a temporary change within the muscle that only occurs with a lack of both utrophin and dystrophin. Fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle mechanical properties were compared in control and dystrophic mice aged 3, 5, and 9 weeks of age. Dystrophic and control slow-twitch muscles did not have different mechanical properties, suggesting that a lack of dystrophin does not affect slow-twitch muscles during maturation (3-5 weeks) or well after maturation (9 weeks).


Should voting be compulsory? Many people believe that it should, and that coun- tries, like Britain, which have never had compulsion, ought to adopt it. As is common with such things, the arguments are a mixture of principle and political calculation, reflecting the idea that compulsory voting is morally right and that it is likely to prove politically beneficial. This article casts a sceptical eye on both types of argument. It shows that compulsory voting is gen- erally unjustified although there are good reasons to worry about declining voter turnout in established democracies, and to worry about inequalities of turnout as well.


A hydraulic line between a hydraulic pump and an actuator comes under much stress when a pulsatile actuator is used. It causes a huge pressure oscillation in the hydraulic system and thus decreases reliability. For example in a rock drill transferable hydraulic power is tens of kilowatts, so efficiency is also significant. The operating frequency of the rock drill is usually between 30 and 60 Hz. The frequency of the pressure oscillation is then very low compared for example to pressure oscillation of a hydraulic pump. The aim of this thesis is study pressure dampers when the damped frequency is low and when they work as a part of a wider system. After theoretical inspection, pressure dampers were simulated and then different dampers were tested with a pure sine wave pressure oscillation and then with the real rock drill. Different sizes of accumulators, a Helmholz resonator, a T-pipe and an inline suppressor were used in tests. Dimension theories of dampers worked even though the operating frequency was low. The simulation models used operated well enough so that they can be utilised for a definition of the pressure damper. The accumulator damped pressure oscillation of the rock drill well when it was installed near the hydraulic main line but it didn't damp pressure oscillation of the rock drill as expected when it was tuned by the "natural frequency" method. The T-pipe was easy to tune and the damping capacity was promising even with the rock drill. The Helmholtz-resonator damped well, but the size of the damper was too big for mobile hydraulic applications. The inline-suppressor didn't damp pressure oscillation between 30-60Hz much but it damped high pressure oscillation (1200Hz) well.


Background and study aims: There have been concerns regarding tumor cell seeding along the needle track or within the peritoneum caused by preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether preoperative EUS-FNA is associated with increased risk of stomach/peritoneal recurrence and whether the procedure affects long term survival. Methods: The records of patients diagnosed with malignant solid and cystic pancreatic neoplasms who underwent surgery with curative intent between 1996 and 2012 were reviewed. Results: A total of 256 patients with similar baseline characteristics were included: 48 patients in the non-EUS-FNA group and 208 in the EUS-FNA group. Recurrence data were available for 207 patients. Median length of follow-up was 23 months (range 0 – 111 months). A total of 19 patients had gastric or peritoneal recurrence; 6 (15.4 %) in the non-EUS-FNA group vs. 13 (7.7 %) in the EUS-FNA group (P = 0.21). Three patients had recurrence in the stomach wall: one (2.6 %) patient in the non-EUS-FNA group vs. two patients (1.2 %) in EUS-FNA group (P = 0.46). A total of 16 patients had peritoneal recurrence: 5 patients (12.8 %) in the non-EUS-FNA group and 11 patients (6.5 %) in the EUS-FNA group (P = 0.19). In a multivariate analysis, undergoing EUS-FNA was not associated with increased cancer recurrence or decreased overall survival. Conclusion: Pre-operative EUS-FNA was not associated with an increased rate of gastric or peritoneal cancer recurrence in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Two patients had gastric wall recurrence following the procedure, but this may be explained by direct tumor extension. This suggests that EUS-FNA is not associated with an increased risk of needle track seeding.


A phase modulation technique able to increase the transmission capacity of an optical channel is presented. It is based on spatial soliton switching properties. The modulator device ac- cepts as inputs two streams of amplitude modulated pulses and generates an output stream of phase modulated pulses whose phase values depends on the different input combinations, coding prop- erly the input streams and increasing the transmission capacity of the optical channel that carries this information. The modulator device can be properly cascaded, generating a unique stream of pulses capable of carrying the information of a certain number of input channels. A proper demodulator device is also presented. It is capable of accepting as input a phase modulated stream of pulses, generating as outputs the original amplitude modulated pulse streams.


While genetic screens have identified many genes essential for neurite outgrowth, they have been limited in their ability to identify neural genes that also have earlier critical roles in the gastrula, or neural genes for which maternally contributed RNA compensates for gene mutations in the zygote. To address this, we developed methods to screen the Drosophila genome using RNA-interference (RNAi) on primary neural cells and present the results of the first full-genome RNAi screen in neurons. We used live-cell imaging and quantitative image analysis to characterize the morphological phenotypes of fluorescently labelled primary neurons and glia in response to RNAi-mediated gene knockdown. From the full genome screen, we focused our analysis on 104 evolutionarily conserved genes that when downregulated by RNAi, have morphological defects such as reduced axon extension, excessive branching, loss of fasciculation, and blebbing. To assist in the phenotypic analysis of the large data sets, we generated image analysis algorithms that could assess the statistical significance of the mutant phenotypes. The algorithms were essential for the analysis of the thousands of images generated by the screening process and will become a valuable tool for future genome-wide screens in primary neurons. Our analysis revealed unexpected, essential roles in neurite outgrowth for genes representing a wide range of functional categories including signalling molecules, enzymes, channels, receptors, and cytoskeletal proteins. We also found that genes known to be involved in protein and vesicle trafficking showed similar RNAi phenotypes. We confirmed phenotypes of the protein trafficking genes Sec61alpha and Ran GTPase using Drosophila embryo and mouse embryonic cerebral cortical neurons, respectively. Collectively, our results showed that RNAi phenotypes in primary neural culture can parallel in vivo phenotypes, and the screening technique can be used to identify many new genes that have important functions in the nervous system.


A healthy balanced diet is vital for good health both from the perspective of an elite athlete and for those who enjoy working out to keep fit. Training can be optimised to help athletes and exercisers to reach their goals by making informed dietary choices. The key to making the diet healthy and balanced is to ensure it provides adequate energy from the consumption of a wide variety of commonly available foods, to meet the carbohydrate, protein and fat requirements for both health and exercise. The food we eat provides the nutrients required by the body. However, no one food or food group can provide all the essential nutrients the body requires. Athletes and exercisers should eat a variety of foods to provide all the essential nutrients to support the preparation for, the participation in, and the recovery from sports and exercise. The body's energy supply is derived from the nutrients in the diet. Nutrients are found in differing amounts in foods and are broken down in the body to provide a certain quantity of energy, commonly expressed as kilocalories (kcal) per gram (g). The main energy-yielding nutrients in the diet are as follows.


In 1964, William Hamilton presented a mechanism for the evolution of altruism, which was perceived by its main promoters as an alternative to explanations based on "group selection," invoking advantage to the population to account for the evolution of such traits. Less than ten years later, Hamilton used the framework developed by George Price to model the evolution of an altruistic gene in a structured population, a result that has been interpreted as a spectacular conversion to group selection. This paper revisits the modeling research on altruism and the considerable semantic ambiguities concerning the levels of selection in the late 1960s and early 1970s, by studying in close detail the reflections and exchanges among Hamilton, Price, Robert Trivers, and Ilan Eshel. The challenge in this research was not simply to find and model robust mechanisms for the evolution of altruism, but to interpret their properties in unambiguous terms that could be accepted by other researchers. The continuing debate over the levels of selection results from the tension between the properties of the models and the words used in interpreting them.


Abstract Differentiation of soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations and pools in topsoil horizons of forest soils in the Karkonosze Mountains was examined in relation to environmental and human-induced factors, with special focus on altitudinal gradient, related climatic conditions, and a zonality of vegetation. The samples were collected from the forest litter and soil layers 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, in 621 plots arranged in a regular network of monitoring established in the Karkonosze National Park. The concentrations of SOC were determined in laboratory and used for calculation of SOC pools. Four elevation zones were distinguished for analysis: 500–750 m, 750–1000 m, 1000–1250 m, and >1250 m. The concentrations of SOC in forest litter (38.3–44.1%) showed an insignificant increasing trend with altitude. The concentrations of SOC in the layers 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, were in a very broad range 0.27–47.6%, thus indicating a high differentiation, and also tended to insignificantly increase along with altitude. The largest share of accumulated SOC pools was proved to be present in the layer 0–10 cm, except for the highest zone >1250 m in which forest litter contains slightly larger amounts of SOC. The pools of SOC accumulated in the 20 cm thick topsoil and forest litter turned out to vary considerably (3.6–58.2 kg·m−2), but the mean values and medians in particular elevation zones fall in a narrow range 10.5–11.9 kg·m−2, close to the values reported from the Alps. The lack of statistical significance of reported tendencies was explained by a monitoring sites-oriented random soil sampling, i.e. in forest stands of various age, species-composition and degradation degree.


We calculate theoretically the coupling of a terahertz wave from a dipole into a two-wire waveguide. The field transmission and reflection are obtained using a Single Mode Matching (SMM) technique at the input port of the two-wire waveguide. The results show more than 70 percent coupling efficiency for the waveguide using 500 μm radii wires with 2mm center-to-center separation and the exciting field cross section of 1mm × 1mm. The results also show good agreement with the full-wave numerical simulations using the Finite Element Method (FEM).


Several opportunities are available for dramatically reducing the use of agrochemicals in Asian cereal crop production. The first section of this paper summarizes past trends and future prospects for pesticide use in Asia for the three major cereal crops: rice, wheat, and maize. The second section identifies factors that have contributed to rising farm-level demand for pesticides and factors that could lead to a reduction in their demand. The third section highlights the advances that have been made in generating and disseminating cereal crops with resistance to insects and diseases. It focuses on conventional breeding strategies for host-plant resistance as well as the current and potential contributions of biotechnology. Pesticide productivity, yield variability, and their relation to host-plant resistance are reviewed, along with evidence from trials and farmers' fields. The paper concludes with a discussion of the integrated management approaches that will be necessary for maximizing and sustaining the productivity gains offered by resistant varieties.


The corpus luteum (CL) is a pivotal structure in the regulation of the estrous cycle and in the establishment of pregnancy. It is one of the most vascularised organs in the body, undergoing rapid cellular and vascular changes in order to fulfill its role. B-Mode and Doppler ultrasound has enabled further research into the equine CL and can be utilised as a clinical tool in the assessment of luteal form and function. An understanding of the normal ultrasonographic variations of luteal development and regression is essential to enable clinicians to make an assessment of luteal age as well as make clinical decisions in the gynaecological management of mares under their care. Although advances in the management of brood mares have led to an increase in conception rates, early embryonic death (EED) is still a major economic concern in equine practice. Because EED is in almost all cases recognized retrospectively, it is not surprising that CL resp. progesterone insufficiency is assumed to cause EED. However, there is little scientific evidence to support this hypothesis. Despite preventive managerial measures there are few pharmacological means to improve function of the CL (e.g. Regumate®, GnRH, hCG) in the mare.


It has long been recognized that the invariance and equivariance properties of a representation are critically important for success in many vision tasks. In this paper we present Steerable Convolutional Neural Networks, an efficient and flexible class of equivariant convolutional networks. We show that steerable CNNs achieve state of the art results on the CIFAR image classification benchmark. The mathematical theory of steerable representations reveals a type system in which any steerable representation is a composition of elementary feature types, each one associated with a particular kind of symmetry. We show how the parameter cost of a steerable filter bank depends on the types of the input and output features, and show how to use this knowledge to construct CNNs that utilize parameters effectively.


Abstract. In a large number of scenarios and missions, the technical, operational and economical advantages of UAS-based photogrammetry and remote sensing over traditional airborne and satellite platforms are apparent. Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) or combined optical/SAR operation in remote areas might be a case of a typical "dull, dirty, dangerous" mission suitable for unmanned operation – in harsh environments such as for example rain forest areas in Brazil, topographic mapping of small to medium sparsely inhabited remote areas with UAS-based photogrammetry and remote sensing seems to be a reasonable paradigm. An example of such a system is the SARVANT platform, a fixed-wing aerial vehicle with a six-meter wingspan and a maximumtake- of-weight of 140 kilograms, able to carry a fifty-kilogram payload. SARVANT includes a multi-band (X and P) interferometric SAR payload, as the P-band enables the topographic mapping of densely tree-covered areas, providing terrain profile information. Moreover, the combination of X- and P-band measurements can be used to extract biomass estimations. Finally, long-term plan entails to incorporate surveying capabilities also at optical bands and deliver real-time imagery to a control station. This paper focuses on the remote-sensing concept in SARVANT, composed by the aforementioned SAR sensor and envisioning a double optical camera configuration to cover the visible and the near-infrared spectrum. The flexibility on the optical payload election, ranging from professional, medium-format cameras to mass-market, small-format cameras, is discussed as a driver in the SARVANT development. The paper also focuses on the navigation and orientation payloads, including the sensors (IMU and GNSS), the measurement acquisition system and the proposed navigation and orientation methods. The latter includes the Fast AT procedure, which performs close to traditional Integrated Sensor Orientation (ISO) and better than Direct Sensor Orientation (DiSO), and features the advantage of not requiring the massive image processing load for the generation of tie points, although it does require some Ground Control Points (GCPs). This technique is further supported by the availability of a high quality INS/GNSS trajectory, motivated by single-pass and repeat-pass SAR interferometry requirements.


A new class of median type filters for image processing is proposed. In the filters linear FIR substructures are used in conjunction with the median operation. The root signals and noise attenuation properties of the FIR-median hybrid (FMH) and multilevel FMH filters are compared with representative edge preserving filtering operations. The concept of multilevel median operation is introduced to improve the detail preserving property of conventional median and the FMH filters. In the multilevel filters there exists a trade-off between noise attenuation and detail preservation. The analysis and examples indicate that FMH filters preserve details better and are computationally much more efficient than the conventional median and the K-nearest neighbor averaging filters.


Mammalian genomes contain hundreds of genes transcribed by RNA Polymerase III (Pol III), encoding noncoding RNAs and especially the tRNAs specialized to carry specific amino acids to the ribosome for protein synthesis. In addition to this well-known function, tRNAs and their genes (tDNAs) serve a variety of other critical cellular functions. For example, tRNAs and other Pol III transcripts can be cleaved to yield small RNAs with potent regulatory activities. Furthermore, from yeast to mammals, active tDNAs and related "extra-TFIIIC" (ETC) loci provide the DNA scaffolds for the most ancient known mechanism of three-dimensional chromatin architecture. Here we identify the ZSCAN5 TF family - including mammalian ZSCAN5B and its primate-specific paralogs - as proteins that occupy mammalian Pol III promoters and ETC sites. We show that ZSCAN5B binds with high specificity to a conserved subset of Pol III genes in human and mouse. Furthermore, primate-specific ZSCAN5A and ZSCAN5D also bind Pol III genes, although ZSCAN5D preferentially localizes to MIR SINE- and LINE2-associated ETC sites. ZSCAN5 genes are expressed in proliferating cell populations and are cell-cycle regulated, and siRNA knockdown experiments suggested a cooperative role in regulation of mitotic progression. Consistent with this prediction, ZSCAN5A knockdown led to increasing numbers of cells in mitosis and the appearance of cells. Together, these data implicate the role of ZSCAN5 genes in regulation of Pol III genes and nearby Pol II loci, ultimately influencing cell cycle progression and differentiation in a variety of tissues.


This thesis examines the process of knowledge acquisition by Malaysian manufacturing firms through their involvement in international strategic alliances. The strategic alliances can be with or without equity involvement. Firms involved with a foreign partner with equity involvement are joint venture firms while non-equity involvement are firms that engaged in contractual agreements. Using empirical evidence from 65 international alliances gathered through a survey conducted in high-technology manufacturing sectors, several factors that influence the process of knowledge acquisition are examined. The factors are: learning capacity, experience, goals, active involvement and accessibility to the foreign knowledge. Censored regression analysis and ordered probit analysis are used to analyse the effects of these factors on knowledge acquisition and its determinant parts, and the effects of knowledge acquisition and its determinants on the performance of the alliances. A second questionnaire gathered evidence relating to the factors, which encouraged tacit knowledge transfer between the foreign and Malaysian partners in international alliances. The key findings of the study are: knowledge acquisition in international strategic alliances is influenced by five determining factors; learning capacity, experience, articulated goals, active involvement and accessibility; new technology knowledge, product development knowledge and manufacturing process knowledge are influenced differently by the determining factors; knowledge acquisition and its determinant factors have a significant impact on the firm's performance; cultural differences tend to moderate the effect on the firm's performance; acquiring tacit knowledge is not only influenced by the five determinant factors but also by other factors, such as dependency, accessibility, trust, manufacturing control, learning methods and organisational systems; Malaysian firms involved in joint ventures tend to acquire more knowledge than those involved in contractual agreements, but joint ventures also exhibit higher degrees of dependency than contractual agreements; and the presence of R&D activity in the Malaysian partner encourages knowledge acquisition, but the amount of R&D expenditure has no effect on knowledge acquisition.


There is little doubt that energy demand is expected to grow rapidly in most developing countries over the next decades. For Bangladesh, economic growth has been accelerating and it is expected that the population will grow from an estimated 150 million people in 2008 to 200 million by 2050, with almost half of the population living in urban areas.

An examination of options for meeting the expected energy demand for 2050 on the assumption that economic growth will continue is necessary in order to plan infrastructure investments that will still be functioning in 2050.

A simple scenario was constructed to predict the energy use in 2050. We estimate that by 2050, an electricity generating capacity of ca. 200 GWp will be needed. The scale of this challenge should not be underestimated. Even with the discovery of large coal deposits and the dwindling gas reserves in Bangladesh, fossil fuels will not be able to provide the bulk of the electricity demand unless there are substantial imports. Renewable energy, particularly solar and biomass, will need to expanded to generate electricity at scale to meet increasing demand. Therefore, massive expansion of renewable energy is not only desirable but necessary in the medium to long term.


The system of dhimmah has been used to deal with diversity and conflict within Islamic societies. Will Kymlicka, a comtemporary liberal thinker, states that since the system of dhimmah has failed to foster individual autonomy, it should be discarded in the contemporary world. However, some liberals disagree with Kymlicka's position. Chandran Kukathas, another prominent contemporary liberal thinker, opines that not autonomy, but freedom of conscience is the fundamental value each and every individual must possess. In this paper, we present the Islamic system of dhimmah and then turn to critically discuss two different liberal approaches of dealing with the differences. Finally, in the conclusion, it is argued that instead of discarding this approach, the system of dhimmah can be developed along liberal lines that can take freedom of conscience as the basis.


Granular materials are omnipresent in many fields ranging from civil engineering to food, mining and pharmaceutical industries. Often considered a fourth state of matter, they exhibit specific phenomena such as segregation, arching effects, pattern formation, etc. Due to its potential capability of realistically rendering these behaviors, the Distinct Element Method (DEM) is a very enticing simulation technique. Indeed it makes it possible to analyze and observe phenomena that are barely if at all accessible experimentally. DEM works by tracking every particle in the system individually, maintaining for each a trajectory influenced by external factors such as gravitation or contacts with boundary objects and by the interactions with other grains. The mathematical problem of identifying pairs of grains that interact and locating precisely where the contact occurs is highly dependent on the shape of the grains. We focus in this thesis on 3D spherical grains and use dynamic weighted Delaunay triangulations to track the collisions. The triangulation is built on the centers of the grains and evolves to follow their motion. We prove that all potentially colliding pairs of spheres are adjacent in the triangulation. As there are 6n to 8n edges for n spheres in most practical cases, the complexity of the collision detection becomes linear instead of quadratic in the number of particles, with a small overhead in maintaining the triangulation with efficient local operations. For the physical problem of realistically rendering the collision in a numerical contact model suitable for computer simulation, we have used widely accepted theories such as the viscoelastic model of Cundall, but have also tested some recent, more sophisticated developments in the field. The collision detection and contact models have been implemented in a modular DEM simulation code with advanced features in data structures storing the triangulation, in numerical robustness of the geometric computations, and in parallel processing on shared memory computers. Optimal packing of powders is important in many industrial processes, yet no theoretical result exists when dealing with grains of different sizes. We have performed simulations of such cases and could compare our results with experimental data. Preliminary results have been obtained regarding the relation between the size and proportion of grains and the density of the packing. Other simulations have also been performed, such as the granular flow through an hourglass. As no efficient simulation method is currently known for non-spherical 3D grains, we propose an intermediate approach of gluing spheres together into arbitrary shaped clusters and show some examples based on this approach.


BACKGROUND
Exfoliative dermatitis has been described in cats as a paraneoplastic skin disease associated with thymoma. There are anecdotal reports of cases without thymoma, with various suspected aetiologies.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES
To identify common features, underlying causes, response to therapy and outcome of nonthymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in cats.

METHODS
Retrospective analysis was carried out of cases presented to dermatology referral centres or cases submitted for histopathological examination. Detailed historical and clinical data were obtained and evaluated statistically. Histopathology was reviewed in a blinded fashion by three dermatopathologists, and PCR for herpesvirus was performed.

RESULTS
Eighteen cats fulfilled all inclusion criteria. There was no sex, age or breed predisposition. All cats presented with severe generalized (77%) or multifocal exfoliation (23%); 12 cats were severely depressed. In all cats, thymoma was excluded radiographically and feline leukaemia virus tests were negative. Additional imaging procedures in 14 cats and postmortem examination in two cats did not detect neoplasia. Histopathology revealed interface dermatitis, mural interface folliculitis and sebaceous adenitis indistinguishable from findings in thymoma-associated cases. PCR for herpes DNA was negative. No aetiology was identified. Treatment in 12 cases consisted of immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids and/or ciclosporin; one responded to antibiotics, one to shampoo, two went into spontaneous remission, and two did not receive any therapy and were euthanized.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Nonthymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in cats is clinically and histopathologically indistinguishable from thymoma-associated cases. Most cases benefit from immunosuppressive therapy; therefore, an immunopathological response to an undefined trigger is suspected.


Learning with noisy labels is imperative in the Big Data era since it reduces expensive labor on accurate annotations. Previous method, learning with noise transition, has enjoyed theoretical guarantees when it is applied to the scenario with the class-conditional noise. However, this approach critically depends on an accurate pre-estimated noise transition, which is usually impractical. Subsequent improvement adapts the preestimation in the form of a Softmax layer along with the training progress. However, the parameters in the Softmax layer are highly tweaked for the fragile performance and easily get stuck into undesired local minimums. To overcome this issue, we propose a Latent Class-Conditional Noise model (LCCN) that models the noise transition in a Bayesian form. By projecting the noise transition into a Dirichlet-distributed space, the learning is constrained on a simplex instead of some adhoc parametric space. Furthermore, we specially deduce a dynamic label regression method for LCCN to iteratively infer the latent true labels and jointly train the classifier and model the noise. Our approach theoretically safeguards the bounded update of the noise transition, which avoids arbitrarily tuning via a batch of samples. Extensive experiments have been conducted on controllable noise data with CIFAR10 and CIFAR-100 datasets, and the agnostic noise data with Clothing1M and WebVision17 datasets. Experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed model outperforms several state-of-the-art methods.


A persistent earthquake sequence in northeast Ohio includes many distinct fore-main-aftershock subsequences, illuminates two faults, and was triggered by fluid injection. The first known earthquake from within 30 km of Ashtabula was an M blg 3.8 mainshock that shook the downtown area in 1987. Seismicity has continued at an average of about one felt event per year. The largest magnitude so far, M blg 4.3, caused slight damage (modified Mercalli intensity VI) on 26 January 2001. The latest subsequence started in July 2003 with an M blg 2.6 event. Accurate hypocenters and focal mechanisms are available from three local seismograph deployments in 1987, 2001, 2003 and from regional broadband seismograms. These hypocenters are in the Precambrian basement, 0-2 km below the 1.8-km-deep Paleozoic unconformity, and illuminate two distinct planar east-west-striking sources zones 4 km apart, one in 1987 about 1.5 km long, the other in 2001 and 2003 about 5 km long. We interpret them as steep subparallel faults slipping left laterally in the current regime. Like many of the faults that ruptured in hazardous stable continental region (SCR) earthquakes, these faults were previously unknown and probably have small post-Precambrian displacements. The 1987 source was active a year after onset of class 1 fluid injection only 0.7 km north of the fault. The second fault, 5 km south of the injection well, became active in 2000, while the 1987 source was inactive. The well injected about 164 m 3 /day of waste fluid into the 1.8-km-deep basal sandstone with about 100 bars of wellhead pressure from May 1986 to June 1994. An annular high pore-pressure anomaly is expected to expand along this hydraulically confined horizon at the top of the basement, even after injection ends and pressure drops near the well. Over 16 years, seismicity has shifted southward from ≤1 to 5-8 km from the point of injection. It seems to initiate when and where a significant pore-pressure rise intersects pre-existing faults close to failure and to be turned off when pressure starts dropping back. The largest earthquakes postdated the end of injection at both Ashtabula and at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado. Anthropogenic earthquake hazard may thus persist after the causative activity has ceased but can generally be closely monitored. High-stress and low-strain rates in SCRs can account for a larger proportion of triggered earthquakes in the eastern United States and other SCRs than in active regions.


The effect of the geometrical confinement on the shell filling in quantum dots obtained in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) tri-sided gate metal oxide semiconductor single-electron transistors (MOSSETs) is investigated on the basis of the current spin density functional theory. Variations of the geometric shape in nanowire SOI-MOSSETs with square section entail important changes in the valley filling sequences, whereas the variability of the gate length does not imply a significant modification of the filling patterns. Our results provide quantitative insights towards the shell engineering of silicon quantum dots for qubits with stable valley filling patterns.


Abstract This paper describes the performance of a granular bed baffled reactor when receiving unpredictable hydraulic shock loads, which is a frequent occurrence in industrial wastewater treatment plants. Shock loads were created by rapidly increasing volumetric organic loading rates from 2.5 to 20 kg COD m−3 d−1, by decreasing (in a stepwise fashion) hydraulic retention time from 48 firs to 6 his. Synthetic wastewater containing glucose as the main organic compound was used in this study. High effluent quality was observed, with soluble COD removal efficiencies of 94% to 97%, during all shock loading conditions at steady state. The reactor appeared to possess high tolerance to rapid hydraulic changes with fast recovery time. Marked phase separation between different microorganisms occurred at high organic loading rate, with addogenesis and methanogenesis being the respective dominant activities in the upstream and downstream compartments of the reactor. The compartmentalised nature of the reactor and the granular bed structure were believed to be responsible for high reactor stability during overloading conditions. Microbial ecology in the system appeared to favour acetate and butyrate production at high organic loading rate. Granular biomass possessed good settling characteristics, hence encouraging high biomass retention within the system. The dense granular bed in the methanogenic zone acted as a filtration bed for lighter floating non‐granular biomass, thus further reducing overall effluent solids concentration. This study demonstrated that the granular bed baffled reactor is a suitable system for treating industrial wastewaters with highly varying flow rates


Microvirga lupini LUT6T is an aerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that can exist as a soil saprophyte or as a legume microsymbiont of Lupinus texensis. LUT6T was isolated in 2006 from a nodule recovered from the roots of the annual L. texensis growing in Travis Co., Texas. LUT6T forms a highly specific nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with endemic L. texensis and no other Lupinus species can form an effective nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with this isolate. Here we describe the features of M. lupini LUT6T, together with genome sequence information and its annotation. The 9,633,614 bp improved high quality draft genome is arranged into 160 scaffolds of 1,366 contigs containing 10,864 protein-coding genes and 87 RNA-only encoding genes, and is one of 20 rhizobial genomes sequenced as part of a DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Community Sequencing Project.


This study presents a novel biometric approach to identify operators, given only streams of their control movements within a manual control task setting. In the present task subjects control a simulated, remotely operated robotic arm, attempting to dock onto a satellite in orbit. The proposed methodology utilizes the Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) algorithm to distinguish operators by their unique control behaviors. Results presented compare the identification performance of HTM with Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) and Edit Distance on Real Sequences (EDR), in both static and real-time data settings. The HTM method outperformed both DTW and EDR in the real- time setting, and matched DTW in the static setting. Observed superior performance of the HTM algorithm lays the foundation for the extension of the proposed methodology to other motion- monitoring applications, such as real-time workload assessment, motion/simulator sickness onset or distraction detection.The data gathered in the study was posted to IEEE-dataport, DOI: 10.21227/wpyf-r927


Maryawne Knudsen A SURVEY OF THE STATE OF TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IN FOUR SOUTH JERSEY HIGH SCHOOLS 1996 Thesis Advisor: Dr. Lili Levinowitt Master of Arts in Secondary Education The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' subjective perception of their teaching effectiveness and the factors that facilitate and/or inhibit their sense oefficacy in four South Jersey high schools. In addition, two problems were examined as to the impact of class size on teaching efficacy and does experience in teaching affect a teachers sense of effectiveness? The sample was selected from high school teachers in a two county area in southern New Jersey. Teachers were given a questionnaire to complete which was designed to identify importnt attitudes toward teaching efficacy, Atotal of 275 questionnaires were distributed and 136 were returned. Data were reported in means, modes, and frequencies for teacher effectivenes; and inferential statistics for comparing the efficacy of experienced versus new teachers. Findings confirmed that teachers in the area are confident in their ability to teach. Two concerns suraced that reflected a problem, class size and adequate teacher training. The most positive responses were a teacher's ability to adapt to cunicular changes, the ability to re-adjust an assignment to a student's level of difficulty, and the ability to redirect a noisy student. There were no statistical differerces between experienced and nlew teachers and their attitudes towards efficacy.


The four-wave mixing process in coupled-resonator optical waveguides is considered in detail and an approximate and simple approach allowing one to estimate the conversion efficiency is proposed. The analytical results are verified through a reliable and complete numerical technique taking into account nonlinear induced phase modulations, the large-signal regime, and the pulse shape evolution along the structure. The conversion efficiency is enhanced by the slow down factor to the fourth power and the impact of attenuation and phase mismatch are carefully investigated. The main aim of this study is to provide a technique to design efficient and compact wavelength converters. Two examples of devices operating on signals at 10 and 50 Gbits/s are presented and discussed. Pulse distortions induced by chromatic dispersion, frequency detuning, and slow down factor wavelength dependence are examined and the beneficial role of the nonlinear induced phase modulation on the phase mismatch is pointed out. Numerical examples show that with typical semiconductor characteristics, very high conversion efficiencies with pump powers of only a few tenths of milliwatts are achievable.


Experimental work and analysis was done to investigate engine startup robustness and emissions of a flex-fuel spark ignition (SI) direct injection (DI) engine. The vaporization and other characteristics of ethanol fuel blends present a challenge at engine startup. Strategies to reduce the enrichment requirements for the first engine startup cycle and emissions for the second and third fired cycle at 25°C ± 1°C engine and intake air temperature were investigated. Research work was conducted on a single cylinder SIDI engine with gasoline and E85 fuels, to study the effect on first fired cycle of engine startup. Piston configurations that included a compression ratio change (11 vs 15.5) and piston geometry change (flattop vs bowl) were tested, along with changes in intake cam timing (95,110,125) and fuel pressure (0.4 MPa vs 3 MPa). The goal was to replicate the engine speed, manifold pressure, fuel pressure and testing temperature from an engine startup trace for investigating the first fired cycle for the engine. Results showed bowl piston was able to enable lower equivalence ratio engine starts with gasoline fuel, while also showing lower IMEP at the same equivalence ratio compared to flat top piston. With E85, bowl piston showed reduced IMEP as compression ratio increased at the same equivalence ratio. A preference for constant intake valve timing across fuels seemed to indicate that flattop piston might be a good flex-fuel piston. Significant improvements were seen with higher CR bowl piston with high fuel pressure starts, but showed no improvement with low fuel pressures. Simulation work was conducted to analyze initial three cycles of engine startup in GT-POWER for the same set of hardware used in the experimentations. A steady state validated model was modified for startup conditions. The results of which allowed an understanding of the relative residual levels and IMEP at the test points in the cam phasing space. This allowed selecting additional test points that enable use of higher residual levels, eliminating those with smaller trapped mass incapable of producing required IMEP for proper engine turnover. The second phase of experimental testing results for 2nd and 3rd startup cycle revealed both E10 and E85 prefer the same SOI of 240°bTDC at second and third startup cycle for the flat top piston and high injection pressures. E85 fuel optimal cam timing for startup showed that it tolerates more residuals compared to E10 fuel. Higher internal residuals drives down the O requirement for both fuels up to their combustion stability limit, this is thought to be direct benefit to vaporization due to increased cycle start temperature. Benefits are shown for an advance IMOP and retarded EMOP strategy at engine startup. Overall the amount of residuals preferred by an engine for E10 fuel at startup is thought to be constant across engine speed, thus could enable easier selection of optimized cam positions across the startup speeds.


As the complexity of hardware digital systems increases, their correctness becomes a major concern. Traditional verification by simulation is infeasible to exhaustively test and guarantee correctness. More than a decade ago, however, formal verification has been introduced as complement technique to simulation. Formal methods establish that a design implementation satisfies its specification by mathematical reasoning. Among several techniques, model checking is one of the most successful technology, which is based on the exploration of the design state space. In this thesis, we propose a new model checking method based on the theory of ω-automata and multiway decision graphs (MDGs). Unlike reduced ordered binary decision diagrams (ROBDDs), MDGs allow system models to be described using abstract state machines (ASMs) through abstract data sorts and uninterpreted function symbols, hence enabling the verification of larger designs independent of the datapath width.
Given an ASM and a first-order linear time temporal logic property, the model checking problem proposed in this thesis is reduced to a language emptiness checking of an ω-automaton that accepts all ω-words produced by the system violating the property formula. The checking method comprises four steps: (1) transforming the first-order property into a propositional formula by constructing ASMs for the atomic formulas of the property; (2) generating an ω-automaton from the negation of the transformed propositional formula; (3) computing the product of the generated automaton, the system model ASM and the constructed ASMs; and (4) applying a language emptiness checking algorithm on the product automaton. Three different checking algorithms have been developed, implemented, and proved correct in this thesis.
To evaluate the performance of the proposed model checking method and implemented tool, we conducted several experimentations and case studies. We also compared the efficiency of our tool with an existing MDG regular model checking application, as well as with popular ROBDD-based automata model checking tools such as VIS. Our model checker was found to be outperforming the above tools.


Huemer defends phenomenal conservatism (PC) and also the further claim that belief in any rival theory is self-defeating (SD). Here I construct a dilemma for his position: either PC and SD are incompatible, or belief in PC is itself self-defeating. I take these considerations to suggest a better self-defeat argument for (belief in) PC and a strong form of internalism.


Cyclic executives are used to schedule safety-critical real-time systems because of their determinism, simplicity, and efficiency. One major challenge of the cyclic executive model is to produce the cyclic scheduling timetable. This problem is related to the bin-packing problem and is NP-Hard in the strong sense. Unnecessary context switches within the scheduling table can introduce significant overhead; in IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics), cache-related overheads can increase task execution times up to 33%. Developed in the context of the Software Engineering Master 19s Degree at ISEP, the Polytechnic Institute of Engineering in Porto Portugal, this thesis contains two contributions to the scheduling literature. The first is a precise and exact approach to computing the slack of a job set that is schedule policy independent. The method introduces several operations to update and maintain the slack at runtime, ensuring the slack of all jobs is valid and coherent. The second contribution is the definition of a state-of-the-art preemptive scheduling algorithm focused on minimizing the number of system preemptions for real-time safety-critical applications within a reasonable amount of time. Both contributions have been implemented and extensively tested in scala. Experimental results suggest our scheduling algorithm has similar non-preemptive schedulability ratio than Chain Window RM, yet lower ratio in high utilizations than Chain Window EDF and BB-Moore. For task sets that failed to be scheduled nonpreemptively, 98-99% of all jobs are scheduled without preemptions. Considering the fact that our scheduler is preemptive, being able to compete with non-preemptive schedulers is an excellent result indeed. In terms of execution time, our proposal is an order of magnitude faster than the aforementioned algorithms. Both contributions of this work are planned to be presented at future conferences such as RTSS@Work and RTAS. Polytechnic Institute of Engineering Porto, Portugal research center in real-time & embedded computing systems


The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value on customer retention via Customer Relationship Management (CRM) performance at selected motor dealerships in the Buffalo City Municipality of South Africa (hereafter referred to as Buffalo City Municipality). The population included all customers of Toyota, Volkswagen and Nissan dealership brands in the Buffalo City Municipality. Both stratified random sampling and simple random sampling were used and a total of 252 customers participated in the study. Primary data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using Structured Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings stipulate that the application of CRM is fundamental to obtaining the desired results of retaining more customers, in addition to obtaining more profitable customers and using the existing customers as advocates for acquiring new customers and spreading the positive word of the motor dealership outlet. The managers of motor dealerships must therefore understand that managing customer retention in isolation will not generate maximum revenues. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p792


This thesis develops and tests a new model which integrates the resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory to explain MNEs, especially emerging economy MNEs' (EMEs) outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) strategy and performance. Existing literature has highlighted the significance as well as limitations of the RBV and IT in an international business context. Recently scholars argue that the RBV and IT should be combined for better applicability in MNE study. However, so far, there has been no work that comprehensively addresses the following questions: What are the limitations of the RBV and IT in the international business context? What are their boundaries and overlaps for MNE study? In the international business context, why should the RBV and IT be integrated and how can they be integrated to better explain MNEs' OFDI strategy and performance?
In order to fill the above research gaps, this thesis firstly discusses the limitations, boundaries, and integration mechanisms of the RBV and IT in an international business context, based on which, a new model integrating the RBV and IT is developed to explain/predict MNEs, especially EMEs' OFDI strategy and performance. Theoretical propositions are proposed in the theory-building chapter (chapter 2).
To test the above new model, three specific empirical studies (chapters 3, 4 and 5) are conducted. As a baseline of the model, chapter 3 examines how MNEs' resources, institutional conditions and OFDI strategies affect their performance directly and separately. Specially, controlling for EMEs' self-selection into the global investment market, chapter 3 investigates how EMEs' resources, institutional conditions, and OFDI strategies affect their productivity gain from OFDI. The propensity-score matching and difference-in-difference (DID) approaches are combined to test the theoretical framework, utilizing unique data on Chinese manufacturing firms over the sample period 2002–2008. The results provide insights into this topic by indicating that EMEs without state ownership but with stronger absorptive capability gain higher and sustainable productivity effects. Such gains are lagged if merger and acquisition (M&A) are employed as an entry strategy, and gains are higher for EMEs investing in developed than in less developed countries. Policy and managerial implications are discussed.
Chapters 4 and 5 investigate the determinants and impact of MNE subsidiaries' bribing strategy in corrupt contexts. An analytical framework is built based on an integration of institutional and resource-based constructs, and tested using firm-level data from 2210 subsidiaries operating in Africa. Controlling for the subsidiaries' self-selection to bribe, the findings, based on the Tobit, Heckman two-step, OLS and IV regression results, indicate that the heterogeneity of MNE subsidiaries' resources and perceived corrupt pressures lead to differing bribery strategies in response to host country corruption, and these two variables then interactively moderate the impact of bribery on MNES performance. MNE subsidiaries' perceived level of host country corruption produces a positive effect on their choice of bribery. But the subsidiaries' home-country anti-corruption levels and their holding of internationally recognized quality certification (IQC) reduce MNE subsidiaries' willingness to pay bribes. A more interesting finding is that, after controlling for MNE subsidiaries' perceived pressures of corruption in host countries, MNE subsidiaries' home-country anti-corruption levels and MNE subsidiaries' holding of IQC negatively moderate bribery's effectiveness on performance. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.


Abstract Background Existing evidence for the prospective association of vitamin D status with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is focused almost exclusively on circulating total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] without distinction between its subtypes: nonepimeric and epimeric 25(OH)D3 stereoisomers, and 25(OH)D2, the minor component of 25(OH)D. We aimed to investigate the prospective associations of circulating levels of the sum and each of these three metabolites with incident T2D. Methods This analysis in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)–InterAct case-cohort study for T2D included 9671 incident T2D cases and 13,562 subcohort members. Plasma vitamin D metabolites were quantified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. We used a multivariable Prentice-weighted Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of T2D for each metabolite. Analyses were performed separately within country, and estimates were combined across countries using random-effects meta-analysis. Results The mean concentrations (SD) of total 25(OH)D, nonepimeric 25(OH)D3, epimeric 25(OH)D3, and 25(OH)D2 were 41.1 (17.2), 40.7 (17.3), 2.13 (1.31), and 8.16 (6.52) nmol/L, respectively. Plasma total 25(OH)D and nonepimeric 25(OH)D3 were inversely associated with incident T2D [multivariable-adjusted HR per 1 SD = 0.81 (95% CI, 0.77, 0.86) for both variables], whereas epimeric 25(OH)D3 was positively associated [per 1 SD HR = 1.16 (1.09, 1.25)]. There was no statistically significant association with T2D for 25(OH)D2 [per 1 SD HR = 0.94 (0.76, 1.18)]. Conclusions Plasma nonepimeric 25(OH)D3 was inversely associated with incident T2D, consistent with it being the major metabolite contributing to total 25(OH)D. The positive association of the epimeric form of 25(OH)D3 with incident T2D provides novel information to assess the biological relevance of vitamin D epimerization and vitamin D subtypes in diabetes etiology.


During the apartheid era the South African education system was characterised as being authoritarian, non-consultative and non-participatory. Educational leadership tended to focus on technical and bureaucratic functions of management without integrating the skills of vision building, team building or promoting collaboration and participative management skills. The dawn of a democratic South Africa heralded major transformation in the education policies, systems and practices for all schools. The South African Schools Act places all South Africans firmly on the road to a school based system of education management. Educationalists were faced with a major challenge to transform education towards a participative and collaborative approach with the fundamental goal of promoting effective teaching and learning in all schools. The Task Team on Education Managements report, Changing Management to Manage Change 1996, emphasised that the move to self-management in itself offers no guarantee of positive change. Real transformation will depend upon the nature and quality of internal management. In this connection self-management must be accompanied by an internal devolution of power within the school and in transformational leadership. A transformational style of leadership is significant as this style of leadership embraces a charismatic, visionary, cultural and empowering concept of leadership. Emphasis is given to higher levels of personal commitment towards accomplishing the goals of the organisation. Evidence suggests that transformational leadership in particular is closely associated with both school effectiveness and school improvement (see Clark 1989) What is attempted is an assessment of the extent to which leadership in a primary school may be characterised as transformational. The mentioned school is substantially self-managing and is one which has clearly stated goals related to effectiveness and its mission implies an ongoing concern with continuing improvement. The main findings of the research exhibited a discrepancy between the principal's perception of his leadership style and the perception of the staff regarding the principal's leadership style. The principal perceived his role as leader as being more transformational than transactional while members of the staff believed that the principal was more a transactional leader.


Buyers often search across sellers to learn which product best fits their needs. We study how sellers manage these search incentives through their disclosure strategies (e.g., product trials, reviews, and recommendations) and ask how competition affects information provision. If sellers can observe the beliefs of buyers or can coordinate their strategies, then there is an equilibrium in which sellers provide the "monopoly level" of information. In contrast, if buyers' beliefs are private, then there is an equilibrium in which sellers provide full information as search costs vanish. Anonymity and coordination thus play important roles in understanding how advice markets work.


The article presents an application of queuing theory (mass service) to describe transportation process. It presents the essential concepts of the queuing theory. The process of moving a load unit through the logistics centre was presented. To illustrate the issues an example of five-level, two-input queuing networks was examined.


Did Gerty MacDowell have an abortion? "Advertising Agency: Print Culture and Female Sexuality in 'Nausicaa'" uncovers historical material long overlooked by Joyce scholars to indicate that she very well may have: Widow Welch's Female Pills, a patent medication to which Gerty explicitly refers, was widely believed to have abortifacient properties during the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. This essay draws upon Joyce's familiarity with the discourses of birth-control movements and turn-of-the-century advertising to argue that critics have too easily dismissed Gerty as an unthinking and passive consumer of the fashion, fiction, and fantasy offered by ladies' magazines. Instead, this essay contends, Gerty, like her creator, employs the deliberately ambiguous rhetoric of advertising, seizing control of her body and reproductive health from a legal system that seeks to circumscribe her.


This study explored the daily life physical activity (PA) experiences of 11 adolescent girls living in a rural community in the Northwest of the United States. This qualitative study employed visual methods to explore adolescent girls' PA experiences in their daily lives. Specifically, this study used visual diaries and photo-elicitation interviews to capture girls' PA experiences. Data from this study revealed two distinct PA patterns among the 11 participants: casual movers and sporty girls. Casual movers have a much less structured approach to PA. They engage in a wide variety of PA types—mostly individual forms of PA and PA geared towards recreation. They describe fun, enjoyment, and task mastery as their main motivations to be physically active. Casual movers often engage in PA with family members and are compelled to be active outdoors and in their homes or neighborhoods. In contrast, all five sporty girls belong to competitive sports teams and have a more structured PA routine. They seek performance improvement and have high perceptions of physical competence. Sporty girls value being active with their teammates and receive strong support from their families in the form of encouragement, role modeling, and financial/structural assistance. Sporty girls feel confident being active in their schools' fields, courts, and gymnasiums, but also appreciate the outdoors environment. Findings from this study support the need for schools to increase access to PA opportunities that are not focused on skill or fitness performance, thus appealing to casual movers' approach to physical movement.


Abstract Background: Physical inactivity is well recognised as one of the leading causes of preventable death. However, little is known about the general public's knowledge surrounding national physical activity guidelines, particularly within general practice (GP). Setting: Two GPs (York and Maidenhead, UK). Question: Are GP patients aware of the national physical guidelines? Also, are health care professionals routinely raising the issue of physical inactivity and would patients welcome support from health care professionals regarding inactivity? Methodology: A questionnaire was distributed in two GPs over a one-week period to evaluate patients knowledge of the national physical activity guidelines. Results: Ninety-four participants completed the questionnaire over one week (60 female; 34 male), with an average age of 54.2 (standard deviation: 19.9 years). 14% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 8–22%) of the total participants correctly knew the recommended national guidelines for physical activity. 52% (95% CI: 42–63%) recalled being asked by a health care professional about their activity levels. 46% (95% CI: 35–56%) would welcome support from a health care professional around improving their activity levels. Discussion/Conclusion: Only 14% of responders correctly knew the current national minimum activity guidelines. Encouragingly 46% of participants in our study were interested in physical activity advice from a health care professional. Health care professionals need to be aware that many patients do not know the current physical activity guidelines and recognise that primary care may be an underutilised opportunity to educate and promote physical activity.


From flight simulators and first-person shooters to MMPOG and innovative strategy games like 2008's Spore, computer games owe their development to computer simulation and imaging produced by and for the military during the Cold War. To understand their place in contemporary culture, Patrick Crogan argues, we must first understand the military logics that created and continue to inform them. Gameplay Mode situates computer games and gaming within the contemporary technocultural moment, connecting them to developments in the conceptualization of pure war since the Second World War and the evolution of simulation as both a technological achievement and a sociopolitical tool.

Crogan begins by locating the origins of computer games in the development of cybernetic weapons systems in the 1940s, the U.S. Air Force's attempt to use computer simulation to protect the country against nuclear attack, and the U.S. military's development of the SIMNET simulated battlefield network in the late 1980s. He then examines specific game modes and genres in detail, from the creation of virtual space in fight simulation games and the co-option of narrative forms in gameplay to the continuities between online gaming sociality and real-world communities and the potential of experimental or artgame projects like September 12th: A Toy World and Painstation, to critique conventional computer games.

Drawing on critical theoretical perspectives on computer-based technoculture, Crogan reveals the profound extent to which today's computer games—and the wider culture they increasingly influence—are informed by the technoscientific program they inherited from the military-industrial complex. But, Crogan concludes, games can play with, as well as play out, their underlying logic, offering the potential for computer gaming to anticipate a different, more peaceful and hopeful future.


Unlike the canonical application of liquid crystals (LCs), LC displays, emerging technologies based on LC materials are increasingly leveraging the presence of nanoscale defects. The inherent nanoscale characteristics of LC defects present both significant opportunities as well as barriers for the application of this fascinating class of materials. Simulation-based approaches to the study of the effects of confinement and interface anchoring conditions on LC domains has resulted in significant progress over the past decade, where simulations are now able to access experimentally-relevant length scales while simultaneously capturing nanoscale defect structures. In this work, continuum simulations were performed in order to study the dynamics of micron-scale nematic LC spheroids of varying shape. Nematic spheroids are one of the simplest inherently defect-containing LC structures and are relevant to polymer-dispersed LC-based "smart" window technology. Simulation results include nematic phase formation and external field-switching dynamics of nematic spheroids ranging in shape from oblate to prolate. Results include both qualitative and quantitative insight into the complex coupling of nanoscale defect dynamics and structure transitions to micron-scale reorientation. Dynamic mechanisms are presented and related to structural transitions in LC defects present in the nematic domain. Domain-averaged metrics including order parameters and response times are determined for a range of experimentally-accessible electric field strengths. These results have both fundamental and technological relevance, in that increased understanding of LC dynamics in the presence of defects is a key barrier to continued advancement in the field.


Optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) is the most common congenital optic nerve anomaly and a leading cause of blindness in the USA. Although most cases of ONH occur as isolated cases within their respective families, the advancement in molecular diagnostic technology has made us realise that a substantial fraction of cases has identifiable genetic causes, typically de novo mutations. An increasing number of genes has been reported, mutations of which can cause ONH. Many of the genes involved serve as transcription factors, participating in an intricate multistep process critical to eye development and neurogenesis in the neural retina. This review will discuss the respective genes and mutations, human phenotypes, and animal models that have been created to gain a deeper understanding of the disorders. The identification of the underlying gene and mutation provides an important step in diagnosis, medical care and counselling for the affected individuals and their families. We envision that future research will lead to further disease gene identification, but will also teach us about gene–gene and gene–environment interactions relevant to optic nerve development. How much of the functional impairment of the various forms of ONH is a reflection of altered morphogenesis versus neuronal homeostasis will determine the prospect of therapeutic intervention, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of the individuals affected with ONH.