We assessed the involvement of specific glutamate receptors in the action of anesthetics. In addition to the clinical anesthetics enflurane, isoflurane and halothane, we tested novel halogenated compounds, which are anesthetic or nonanesthetic in vivo, on glutamate receptor (GluR) subunits. these volatile compounds as well as pentobarbital and phenobarbital were tested on kainate-induced currents in Xenopus oocytes expressing GluR1, GluR3, GluR2+3 or GluR6 subunits. The anesthetic 1-chloro-1,2,2-triflurocyclobutane (F3) weakly inhibited kainate responses in oocytes expressing GluR3 receptors but not oocytes expressing GluR1 or GluR2+3 receptors. Surprisingly, F3 potentiated kainate responses in oocytes expressing the kainate-selective receptor GluR6. The nonanesthetics 2,3-chlorooctafluorobutane (F8) and 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6) did not affect GluR3 or GluR6 kainate responses. Isoflurane weakly inhibited although enflurane and halothane modestly inhibited kainate responses in oocytes expressing GluR1, GluR3 or GluR2+3 receptors. As with F3, isoflurane, enflurane and halothane potentiated kainate-induced currents of GluR6 receptors. The respective inhibitory and potentiating effects of halothane on GluR3 and GluR6 receptors were enhanced by increasing duration of halothane exposure. In contrast to the opposing action of volatile anesthetics, pentobarbital and phenobarbital inhibited GluR3 and GluR6 kainate responses and had a much greater effect on GluR6 receptors. These results provide novel evidence that anesthetics produce selective actions on glutamate receptors, suggesting that subunit composition may determine the role of glutamate receptors in anesthesia.


This thesis is an exploration of the characters Alice in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland and Josef K in Franz Kafka's The Trial and the ways each is an uncertain "self"
in an uncertain "family." The thesis performs according to Carroll's and Kafka's considerations
that the prose-page is a stage of performance of whatever ideas are appropriate to the context, in
this case, analysis of ideas from the two novels. Both writers explored the power of the Law (s)
of language but both also suggested that the truth of language will never be known. To use the
language of Kafka, the "truth" of language is a door that will never be entered. The result is that
uncertainty appears around every corner of the "self" and the families or language of "families"
that Alice's and K's selves are part of. The conclusion in the thesis is arrived at in the text via
explorations of specific word meanings (such as "reeling and writhing" and "family") and how
the meanings of these words are related to the contexts (physical and intellectual positions) from
which they are birthed. And the necessity of performance at the core of the thesis reveals itself
through performances of "knowledge" that remain uncertain and always hidden inside the door
of Kafka's Law (s) or, in the case of Alice, metaphorically underground.


In this qualitative study, we examined teachers' language policy appropriation in the English-only state of Arizona. Specifically, we investigated teachers who received their professional placement and preparation through the Teach For America organization. We conducted the research in 2010 and 2011, a period when Arizona state language policy required that English learners be placed in English language development classrooms, separated from mainstream classrooms, to receive four hours of daily skill-based language instruction in language-specific content only, including grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and conversation. Through analysis of interview data from seven current corps members and eight alumni teachers, we investigated whether and how professional preparation shaped teachers' identity and agency to implement prescriptive linguistic and instructional mandates in the classroom.


558 site-meeting minutes from 20 publicly procured projects have been analysed to extract differences between partnering and non-partnering projects concerning cost and quality, where time delays, the amount of disputes, financial outcome and contract flexibility have been used as indicators. In order to find the unique effect of partnering and control for other affecting variables, a quasi-experimental evaluation has been carried out. This approach strives to match partnering projects with identical non-partnering projects on every relevant variable except partnering. By trying to provide more tangible data and an improved structure, this study can be seen as reaction to the criticisms of earlier empirical evaluations. The paper has pushed the frontier for partnering evaluations forward concerning method and data. No systematic or general trends can be seen in the material. The result casts a shadow over the positive results from earlier evaluations and suggests that the main contribution of partnering might lie in its intangible effects. Partnering can be seen as something that is intended to improve the general perception of a construction industry, a declaration of a will to change.


Non-LTE Ne-N2 (Local thermal equilibrium) mixture plasma is characterized to evaluate the electron temperature (Te) and Excitation temperature (Texc). The investigated plasma is of density range (109 to 1010 cm-3), thus it belongs to corona balance. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to calculate the electron temperature and excitation temperature. Ne-I lines are employed to calculate the electron temperature and excitation temperature. The effective principal quantum numbers ' k p ' of the selected Ne-I lines, are less than 7 for the above mentioned density range, which confirm that the corona balance is the most probable balance. Modified Boltzmann plot is employed to estimate the electron temperature, whereas simple Boltzmann plot is used to calculate the excitation temperature. Langmuir probe has also been used to measure the plasma parameters e.g., electron temperature (Te), electron number density (ne), plasma potential (Vp) and electron energy distribution function (EEDF).
Electron temperature (Te) measured from Ne-I lines, by employing modified Boltzmann plot technique, is also compared with Langmuir probe results. In both techniques the trend is same i.e., electron temperature increases with increase in Ne % and RF power in the mixture and it decreases with increase in filling pressure. It is also observed that electron temperature (Te) measured with Langmuir probe is slightly greater than electron temperature (Te) measured with modified Boltzmann plot method. Generally, excitation temperature (Texc) is greater than electron temperature (Te).This fact is also observed in the characterization of the Ne-N2 mixture plasma.
EEDFs in Ne-N2 mixture plasma are measured as a function of Ne %, filling pressure and RF power. It is observed that the tails of the EEDF gain height and extend towards the higher energy with increase in Ne %, which confirms that population of high energy electrons increases with increase in Ne % in the mixture. Electron number density (ne) is also calculated and results show that 'ne' decreases with Ne %. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to investigate the effect of neon mixing on the vibrational temperature of second positive ( 3 ,ν ′→ 3 ,ν ′′) 2 u g N C Π B Π and first negative ( Σ+ ν ′→ Σ+ ν ′′) + 2 , 2 , 2 u g N B X system of nitrogen plasma generated by 13.56 MHz RF generator. The relative changes in vibrational population of ( 3 ) 2 u N C Π and Σ+ + N (B 2 u ) 2 states with neon mixing are monitored by measuring the emission intensities of second positive and first negative system of nitrogen molecules. Vibrational temperature is calculated for the sequences Δν = 0, -1 and -2, that follows the Boltzmann distribution. It is found that electron temperature as well as vibrational temperature of second positive and first negative system can be raised significantly by mixing of neon in the nitrogen plasma.Vibrational temperature of second positive system is raised up to 0.67 eV at 90 % neo whereas for first negative system it is raised up to 0.78 eV at 0.5 mbar pressure and 250 watt RF power. It is also found that vibrational temperature increases with the gas pressure up to 0.5 mbar.The over population of the levels of ( 3 , ) N2 C Πu ν ′ states with neon mixing are monitored by measuring the emission intensities of second positive system of nitrogen molecules. Since, over populations of levels of ( 3 , ) N2 C Πu ν ′ e.g., 1 and 4, effect the calculus of vibrational temperature of ( 3 , ) N2 C Πu ν ′ state, therefore, a linearization process is employed to such distributions allowing us to calculate the vibrational temperature of the ( 3 , ) N2 C Πu ν ′ state. Vibration temperature ( ν T ) measured from different linear adjust gives different value of ' ν T ', which in turns reflects the effect of over population of levels of ( 3 , ) N2 C Πu ν ′ state.


Uncover me, my life is woven Into the warp of impairment The weft of chronic illness Experience first-hand me living (Woven, LJS, 2014) What are the experiences of New Zealand secondary school teachers living with impairments and/or chronic illness? This is the question I sought to explore through the storied experiences of Abby, Boady, Cleo, Elle, Garry, George, Harry, Jane, Kate, Lilly, May, and Sophie (not their real names), 12 New Zealand secondary school teachers. Working within a qualitative interpretivist paradigm, I drew from disability studies, disability studies in education, and arts-based educational research to frame this study. I conducted a qualitative exploratory survey and narrative interviews to produce the data. Thematic analysis of the opened ended survey questions provided strands of inquiry for the poetic text "I am, am I?" and the narrative interviews: Discriminatory practices/negative attitudes; disclosure; acceptance and support; impairment/chronic affects. After conducting a series of narrative interviews over a year, I drew on narrative and poetic inquires to create an adapted holistic-content analysis framework to analyse the interview data. This invovled three stages. Firstly, taking the position of storyteller, I co-created with the interview participants, storied accounts around their experiences of living with impairments and/or chronic illness. Secondly, an inductive analysis phase produced the major themes of diagnosis, teaching, and disability. Finally, poetic texts were created as a further iteration and level of analysis The themes elucidate the complex, everyday doing and being for disabled New Zealand secondary school teachers. Teachers experienced levels of support from collegaues, and at times, school management accomodated their impairments. Participants also discussed the impact of stigma, isolation, and feeling like they were burdens. They highlighted attidutinal barriers associated with getting into, and staying in teaching. The themes, combined with the poetic and narrative texts, produce a space for creating understandings of disabled teachers experiences in New Zealand. This thesis provides a foundation for further research with and by disabled New Zealand teachers. It argues for social and political changes for disabled teachers if inclusive education is to be actualised. These changes may include both the celebration of and advocacy for and with disabled teachers through online forums and teacher union initiatives. Disabled teachers' perspectives largely remain invisible and untapped sources for inclusion at both practical and theoretical levels. The stories of Abby, Boady, Cleo, Elle, Garry, George, Harry, Jane, Kate, Lilly, May, and Sophie have the potential to become vehicles for change. All the little things iv


Abstract. Compound events (CEs) are multivariate extreme events in which the individual contributing variables may not be extreme themselves, but their joint – dependent – occurrence causes an extreme impact. Conventional univariate statistical analysis cannot give accurate information regarding the multivariate nature of these events. We develop a conceptual model, implemented via pair-copula constructions, which allows for the quantification of the risk associated with compound events in present-day and future climate, as well as the uncertainty estimates around such risk. The model includes predictors, which could represent for instance meteorological processes that provide insight into both the involved physical mechanisms and the temporal variability of compound events. Moreover, this model enables multivariate statistical downscaling of compound events. Downscaling is required to extend the compound events' risk assessment to the past or future climate, where climate models either do not simulate realistic values of the local variables driving the events or do not simulate them at all. Based on the developed model, we study compound floods, i.e. joint storm surge and high river runoff, in Ravenna (Italy). To explicitly quantify the risk, we define the impact of compound floods as a function of sea and river levels. We use meteorological predictors to extend the analysis to the past, and get a more robust risk analysis. We quantify the uncertainties of the risk analysis, observing that they are very large due to the shortness of the available data, though this may also be the case in other studies where they have not been estimated. Ignoring the dependence between sea and river levels would result in an underestimation of risk; in particular, the expected return period of the highest compound flood observed increases from about 20 to 32 years when switching from the dependent to the independent case.


The focus of this study (number 55 in the Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology) is the impact of developments from the 13th-19th centuries on the Ilare District of Central Yorubaland, SW Nigeria. The author's goal is to explain how the panregional interaction networks and historical processes shaped the settlement history, socio-political development, and transformations in the material aspects of cultural institutions in Ilare District during the period studied. Although Ilare District is recognized as a periphery in the interacting networks that linked several regional metropolises in Yorubaland, this study demonstrates that a regional history of these networks can be reconstructed by using the archaeological and oral historical data from Ilare District. As the first archaeological investigation in this interesting area, this work extends the frontiers of academic research in Yorubaland, and contributes to the pool of data needed to construct a comprehensive cultural history for the region.


Chemokines, first identified for chemoattractant activity for immune cells, are now becoming recognized as migratory signals in the central nervous system. So far, they have been implicated in both neuron and glial cell migration (see the Related Resources). Xiang et al. provide evidence that a gradient of the chemokine stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) can repel axon growth of cultured cerebellar granule cells, promoting repulsive axon turning that was inhibited by an antibody against the chemokine receptor CXCR4. Chemokines activate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). In Xenopus spinal neurons, repulsive turning was stimulated by the addition of a gradient of the metabotropic (GPCR) γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAB) receptor activator, baclofen. GABA itself promoted chemoattraction of these neurons through stimulation of the ionotropic GABAA receptor. Chemorepulsion was inhibited by inhibitors of Gi or phospholipase C (PLC) or depletion of internal calcium stores. Repulsion could be converted to attraction by the addition of the guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) analog 8-Br-cGMP or by the addition of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors. The authors suggest that a gradient of GPCR activation can stimulate growth cone turning. Whether the response is an attractive or repulsive one depends on the cGMP concentration. Y. Xiang, Y. Li, Z. Zhang, K. Cui, S. Wang, X.-b. Yuan, C.-p. Wu, M.-m. Poo, S. Duan, Nerve growth cone guidance mediated by G protein-coupled receptors, Nature Neurosci. 5, 843-8448 (2002). [Online Journal]


The purpose of this study is to examine the likelihood of poverty transition and the effects of different events on poor elderly. This study is important because the aging population has grown rapidly, and elderly poverty involves many complex relationships across an individual's life span. The contributions of this study are to improve the understanding of elderly poverty and to provide considerable policy implications for elderly demographic changes in the future. The data for this study are from the years 1992-2006 of the Health and Retirement Study(HRS) and the sample consists of 30,405 elderly individuals from eight waves. To examine the incidence and dynamics of elderly poverty, the poverty exit(re-entry) hazard rate based on Kaplan-Meier productlimit estimates are used. Entry into and exit from elderly poverty models are separately used to estimate the conditional relationship between poverty transition and multiple trigger events as well as various covariates using the discrete-time hazard model. These multivariate techniques show a more realistic picture of elderly poverty transition in terms of providing a preliminary explanation of the unobserved heterogeneity of the elderly poverty. The major findings are: (1) in terms of poverty entry and exit rates, the exit rate was decreased during the 1990s, but the rate was increased during the 2000s while the entry rate fell somewhat during the 1990s and rose somewhat during the 2000s; (2) as the length of the poverty spell increased, the probability of poverty exit decreased; (3) as the non-poverty duration increases, the poverty reentry rates are constant at around 10 percent; (4) retirement and a negative change in health condition both have significant effects on elderly poverty entry, while retirement, increase in total wealth, and becoming insured from any government health program all have significant effects on elderly poverty exit; and (5) life history variables, such as total years of work and length of marriage have significant effects on both elderly poverty entry and exit. Results from the hazard rates(exit and re-entry rate) imply that a person who falls into poverty during his or her elderly years is highly likely to remain poor ecause the exit probabilities fall as the length of the poverty spell increases. In addition, the results of constant re-entry rates infer that the elderly population is exposed to the risk of falling to an income that puts them below the poverty line. Results from multivariate analysis suggest that retirement has an important role in elderly poverty transition and a negative change in health condition also has positive impact on elderly poverty entry. Thus, effective income support programs and social policies for the elderly help to prevent elderly individuals from becoming poor.


[1] The solar wind experiment on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) has detected at least 328 impulsive solar electron bursts at energies below 1.4 keV that exhibited energy and angle dispersion in the interval from 1 January 1998 through 30 September 2003. Some of these bursts could be detected down to energies as low as 73 eV, the lowest energies yet reported for such events. The study interval encompassed the rise to and initial decline from the most recent solar activity maximum. We find that the average rate of occurrence of these electron bursts, which were strongly associated with intense type III radio bursts that extended down close to the local plasma frequency, did not vary significantly as a function of solar activity as measured by smoothed monthly sunspot numbers. The bursts were observed within all types of solar wind flows, including recurrent low-speed and high-speed solar wind and transient disturbances driven by coronal mass ejections; however, the bursts were observed predominantly within low-density solar wind, particularly those bursts that could be detected at the very lowest energies. This preferred association with low-density solar wind suggests the possibility that energy losses to Coulomb collisions in the very inner heliosphere play a significant role in determining which low-energy burst electrons are transmitted to 1 AU. Few low-energy electron bursts were observed in the near-vicinity of the heliospheric current sheet, which indicates that if the bursts are a result of magnetic reconnection in the solar atmosphere the reconnection must usually occur at current sheets that do not extend out into the solar wind. The occurrence of some of the more intense bursts within recurrent high-speed streams, which are thought to originate from coronal holes or their boundary regions, is something of a puzzle. We suggest four possible explanations of this puzzle.


Recently the interest in the development of country and longevity risk models has been growing. The investigation of long-run equilibrium relationships could provide valuable information about the factors driving changes in mortality, in particular across ages and across countries. In order to investigate cross-country common longevity trends, tools to quantify, compare, and model the strength of dependence become essential. On one hand, it is necessary to take into account either the dependence for adjacent age groups or the dependence structure across time in a single population setting—a sort of intradependence structure. On the other hand, the dependence across multiple populations, which we describe as interdependence, can be explored for capturing common long-run relationships between countries. The objective of our work is to produce longevity projections by taking into account the presence of various forms of cross-sectional and temporal dependencies in the error processes of multiple populations, considering mortality data from different countries. The algorithm that we propose combines model-based predictions in the Lee-Carter (LC) framework with a bootstrap procedure for dependent data, and so both the historical parametric structure and the intragroup error correlation structure are preserved. We introduce a model which applies a sieve bootstrap to the residuals of the LC model and is able to reproduce, in the sampling, the dependence structure of the data under consideration. In the current article, the algorithm that we build is applied to a pool of populations by using ideas from panel data; we refer to this new algorithm as the Multiple Lee-Carter Panel Sieve (MLCPS). We are interested in estimating the relationship between populations of similar socioeconomic conditions. The empirical results show that the MLCPS approach works well in the presence of dependence.


Inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP), or Vanek's tumor, is a rare benign lesion of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical manifestations of IFP vary based on size and location within the GI tract. This case describes a patient who presented with hematochezia and abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed ileoileal intussusception without a clear lead point. The patient underwent resection of the intussuscepted small bowel with primary anastomosis. A large polypoid mass was identified as the pathological lead point. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis revealed an IFP. Review of the literature indicates that early surgical intervention is the treatment of choice for intussusception caused by IFP. Lesions are typically reported as solitary, and resection is curative.


The writings of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) have captivated scholars, activists, and ecologists for more than a century. Less attention has been paid, however, to the author's political philosophy and its influence on American public life. Although Thoreau's doctrine of civil disobedience has long since become a touchstone of world history, the greater part of his political legacy has been overlooked. With a resurgence of interest in recent years, A Political Companion to Henry David Thoreau is the first volume focused exclusively on Thoreau's ethical and political thought. Jack Turner illuminates the unexamined aspects of Thoreau's political life and writings. Combining both new and classic essays, this book offers a fresh and comprehensive understanding of Thoreau's politics, and includes discussions of subjects ranging from his democratic individualism to the political relevance of his intellectual eccentricity. The collection consists of works by sixteen prominent political theorists and includes an extended bibliography on Thoreau's politics. A Political Companion to Henry David Thoreau is a landmark reference for anyone seeking a better understanding of Thoreau's complex political philosophy.


Establishing background (geologic) rates of erosion is prerequisite to quantifying the impact of human activities on Earth's surface. Here, we present 10 Be estimates of background erosion rates for ten large (10,000–100,000 km 2 ) river basins in the southeastern United States, an area that was cleared of native forest and used intensively for agriculture. These 10 Be-based rates are indicative of the pace at which the North American passive-margin landscape eroded before European settlement (∼8 m/m.y.). Comparing these background rates to both rates of post-settlement hillslope erosion and to river sediment yields for the same basins, we find that following peak disturbance (late 1800s and early 1900s), rates of hillslope erosion (∼950 m/m.y.) exceeded 10 Be-determined background rates more than one-hundred fold. Although large-basin sediment yields during peak disturbance increased 5–10× above pre-settlement norms, rivers at the time were transporting only ∼6% of the eroded material; work by others suggests that the bulk of historically eroded material remained and still remains as legacy sediment stored at the base of hillslopes and along valley bottoms. Because background erosion rates, such as we present here, reflect the rate at which soil is generated over millennial time scales, they can inform and enhance landscape-management strategies.


The production and perception of music is a multimodal activity involving auditory, visual and conceptual processing, integrating these with prior knowledge and environmental experience. Musicians utilise expressive physical nuances to highlight salient features of the score. The question arises within the literature as to whether performers' non-technical, non-sound-producing movements may be communicatively meaningful and convey important structural information to audience members and co-performers. In the light of previous performance research (Vines et al., 2006, Wanderley, 2002, Davidson, 1993), and considering findings within co-speech gestural research and auditory and audio-visual neuroscience, this thesis examines the nature of those movements not directly necessary for the production of sound, and their particular influence on audience perception.
Within the current research 3D performance analysis is conducted using the Vicon 12- camera system and Nexus data-processing software. Performance gestures are identified as repeated patterns of motion relating to music structure, which not only express phrasing and structural hierarchy but are consistently and accurately interpreted as such by a perceiving audience. Gestural characteristics are analysed across performers and performance style using two Chopin preludes selected for their diverse yet comparable structures (Opus 28:7 and 6). Effects on perceptual judgements of presentation modes (visual-only, auditory-only, audiovisual, full- and point-light) and viewing conditions are explored.
This thesis argues that while performance style is highly idiosyncratic, piano performers reliably generate structural gestures through repeated patterns of upper-body movement. The shapes and locations of phrasing motions are identified particular to the sample of performers investigated. Findings demonstrate that despite the personalised nature of the gestures, performers use increased velocity of movements to emphasise musical structure and that observers accurately and consistently locate phrasing junctures where these patterns and variation in motion magnitude, shape and velocity occur. By viewing performance motions in polar (spherical) rather than cartesian coordinate space it is possible to get mathematically closer to the movement generated by each of the nine performers, revealing distinct patterns of motion relating to phrasing structures, regardless of intended performance style. These patterns are highly individualised both to each performer and performed piece. Instantaneous velocity analysis indicates a right-directed bias of performance motion variation at salient structural features within individual performances.

Perceptual analyses demonstrate that audience members are able to accurately and effectively detect phrasing structure from performance motion alone. This ability persists even for degraded point-light performances, where all extraneous environmental information has been removed. The relative contributions of audio, visual and audiovisual judgements demonstrate that the visual component of a performance does positively impact on the over- all accuracy of phrasing judgements, indicating that receivers are most effective in their recognition of structural segmentations when they can both see and hear a performance. Observers appear to make use of a rapid online judgement heuristics, adjusting response processes quickly to adapt and perform accurately across multiple modes of presentation and performance style. In line with existent theories within the literature, it is proposed that this processing ability may be related to cognitive and perceptual interpretation of syntax within gestural communication during social interaction and speech.
Findings of this research may have future impact on performance pedagogy, computational analysis and performance research, as well as potentially influencing future investigations of the cognitive aspects of musical and gestural understanding.


Pre-independence, it was predominantly missionaries that were providing formal educational services. Immediately after and before 1975 it was mostly by governments. Contributions of missionaries and private individuals were very minimal. Services rendered by the governments were unable to meet the needs. Governments rolled out guidelines for private individuals and groups to establish schools. The objective of this paper is to compare private and government efforts in the provision of secondary education. Twenty five private schools and thirty public schools were randomly selected for interview across the geographic zones. Documents on school registrations and students enrolments in both public and private schools were perused and compared. Principals and proprietors of schools and colleges were interviewed. Principal Officers in the Ministries of Education were interviewed. Private schools exist all over. There is no Educational Zone that does not have Private Schools. There were more private schools than governments' in some zones. They are complimenting and supplementing the services of the governments'. But, their services and operations have to be checked and controlled by the governments. Governments should encourage and support establishment of schools and colleges. Private individuals and groups should combine efforts to render stronger and more reliable services as it is in the banking industry. Government should not attempt to take over schools again. Private individuals and groups should also venture into establishment of Technical Colleges and Trade Centres where the focus is solely on technical education.


Simple Summary Knowledge about methods used in quantification of greenhouse gasses is currently needed due to international commitments to reduce the emissions. In the agricultural sector one important task is to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminants. Different methods for quantifying these emissions are presently being used and others are under development, all with different conditions for application. For scientist and other persons working with the topic it is very important to understand the advantages and disadvantage of the different methods in use. This paper gives a brief introduction to existing methods but also a description of newer methods and model-based techniques. Abstract This paper is a brief introduction to the different methods used to quantify the enteric methane emission from ruminants. A thorough knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods is very important in order to plan experiments, understand and interpret experimental results, and compare them with other studies. The aim of the paper is to describe the principles, advantages and disadvantages of different methods used to quantify the enteric methane emission from ruminants. The best-known methods: Chambers/respiration chambers, SF6 technique and in vitro gas production technique and the newer CO2 methods are described. Model estimations, which are used to calculate national budget and single cow enteric emission from intake and diet composition, are also discussed. Other methods under development such as the micrometeorological technique, combined feeder and CH4 analyzer and proxy methods are briefly mentioned. Methods of choice for estimating enteric methane emission depend on aim, equipment, knowledge, time and money available, but interpretation of results obtained with a given method can be improved if knowledge about the disadvantages and advantages are used in the planning of experiments.


Importance
The NAVIGATE ESUS randomized clinical trial found that 15 mg of rivaroxaban per day does not reduce stroke compared with aspirin in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS); however, it substantially reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objective
To analyze whether rivaroxaban is associated with a reduction of recurrent stroke among patients with ESUS who have an increased risk of AF.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Participants were stratified by predictors of AF, including left atrial diameter, frequency of premature atrial contractions, and HAVOC score, a validated scheme using clinical features. Treatment interactions with these predictors were assessed. Participants were enrolled between December 2014 and September 2017, and analysis began March 2018.

Intervention
Rivaroxaban treatment vs aspirin.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Risk of ischemic stroke.

Results
Among 7112 patients with a mean (SD) age of 67 (9.8) years, the mean (SD) HAVOC score was 2.6 (1.8), the mean (SD) left atrial diameter was 3.8 (1.4) cm (n = 4022), and the median (interquartile range) daily frequency of premature atrial contractions was 48 (13-222). Detection of AF during follow-up increased for each tertile of HAVOC score: 2.3% (score, 0-2), 3.0% (score, 3), and 5.8% (score, >3); however, neither tertiles of the HAVOC score nor premature atrial contractions frequency impacted the association of rivaroxaban with recurrent ischemic stroke (P for interaction = .67 and .96, respectively). Atrial fibrillation annual incidence increased for each tertile of left atrial diameter (2.0%, 3.6%, and 5.2%) and for each tertile of premature atrial contractions frequency (1.3%, 2.9%, and 7.0%). Among the predefined subgroup of patients with a left atrial diameter of more than 4.6 cm (9% of overall population), the risk of ischemic stroke was lower among the rivaroxaban group (1.7% per year) compared with the aspirin group (6.5% per year) (hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.07-0.94; P for interaction = .02).

Conclusions and Relevance
The HAVOC score, left atrial diameter, and premature atrial contraction frequency predicted subsequent clinical AF. Rivaroxaban was associated with a reduced risk of recurrent stroke among patients with ESUS and moderate or severe left atrial enlargement; however, this needs to be independently confirmed before influencing clinical practice.


Evaluation of Automated Reminders to Reduce Sepsis Mortality Rates by Maria Lindo MSN/FNP, Walden University, 2014 BS, University of Texas Arlington, 2012 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Walden University February, 2017 Abstract Sepsis is still a leading cause of death in the United States despite extensive research and modern advancement in technology. Early recognition of sepsis and timely management strategies are important for effective reduction of sepsis-related morbidity and mortality. Guided by the logic model, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic reminders in enhancing clinical decision-making among 30 nurses in 3Sepsis is still a leading cause of death in the United States despite extensive research and modern advancement in technology. Early recognition of sepsis and timely management strategies are important for effective reduction of sepsis-related morbidity and mortality. Guided by the logic model, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic reminders in enhancing clinical decision-making among 30 nurses in 3 medical-surgical units. The practice-focused question addressed the effectiveness of electronic reminders for early recognition and initiation of goal-directed treatment of sepsis in hospitalized patients on medical-surgical units in an effort to reduce sepsis mortality rates. Data were collected from a randomized convenience sample using a selfconstructed questionnaire and through observation. The observations were aimed at assessing whether the nurses adhered to the sepsis protocol, while the questionnaire captured the participants' perceptions regarding the use of automated alerts measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis involved the use of frequencies and percentages, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). The results indicated that all the nurses adhered to sepsis protocol. The sepsis-related mortality rate, mean response time, and rate of severe sepsis at the hospital were reduced by 17.2%, 14 minutes, and 11.1%, respectively. It was concluded that automatic alert systems improve nurses' ability to recognize early symptoms of sepsis and their ability to initiate Code Sepsis. However, replication of this study using a large sample size could provide findings that are more generalizable. Electronic reminders may promote positive social change because earlier recognition of sepsis by nurses may lead to a reduction of healthcare costs through improved management of sepsis patients in acute care settings. Evaluation of Automated Reminders to Reduce Sepsis Mortality Rates by Maria Lindo MSN/FNP, Walden University, 2014 BS, University of Texas Arlington, 2012 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Walden University February 2017


Global science, engineering and technology companies have in recent years, perhaps rather later than some other sectors, turned their attention to equality and diversity issues in order to attract and retain a diverse workforce. However the introduction of equality and diversity policies and initiatives has rarely resulted in changes in the entrenched gendered workplace cultures. In particular the under representation and 'leaky pipeline' of women in professional roles as scientists and engineers still continues to be a concern (Greenfield 2002, Hewlett et al 2008). One of the key stages at which the disparity between rhetoric and reality manifests itself is when male or female SET professionals become parents. Gendered assumptions about parenthood often underlie policies and practices can perpetuate inequalities after maternity (Lewis and Humbert, in press).
This paper draws on data from interviews at four science and engineering companies based in France, Italy and the Netherlands. We interviewed 53 women and 10 men of whom the majority were scientists and engineers. All were highly qualified and in professional careers, several already within managerial trajectories. Women form a minority of employees in three and in senior roles in all four of the companies, and there was high level concern about the difficulties of recruitment and the loss of talented women. All four companies had well established equality and diversity policies and had implemented initiatives to support flexible working and career breaks. Despite the fact that these were global companies the working practices were strongly influenced by local national legislation and cultural norms regarding part time working and parenthood and we explore the impact of some of these national and cultural differences.
In most cases, the flexible working requirements of individual women employees were 'accommodated' – line managers were responsible for implementing policies and their responses were uneven We argue that accommodation rarely embeds the practice within organisational culture and relying on line managers' discretion makes these practices 'exceptional' even if they are indeed common place..
Although they were aware of equality and diversity policies operated by their employers, the accounts of female employees also indicate that they had been strongly influenced by workplace normative cultures in their decisions about returning to work after maternity, fearing they would miss out on promotional opportunities during their absence. Organisational discourses of motherhood and fatherhood and assumptions about "choice" and about availability and time prioritisation underpin many practices including criteria for career progression. The emphasis on being visible and available and other gendered competencies is critical in many companies, for successful promotion. Thus workplace policies and practices including flexitime policies can be double edged , while practices such as holding meetings in late afternoon or evening, or the expectation of mobility and frequent travel can become major barriers. Such practices undermine gender equity and workplace effectiveness


Golf is a Zen sport. If you leave the present moment, you will likely feel the immediate karmic consequences like a hammer hitting your thumb. In The Mindful Golfer: How to Lower Your Handicap While Raising Your Consciousness, Stephen Altschuler helps you nail it all right--hard and true and into another level of surrender, satisfaction, and, self-awareness. He uses the tools of Zen to raise the game several notches on the ladder of consciousness. The book discusses the state of the game, some of its more illustrious players, its glories, and its challenges. The author covers some of his own struggles with golf, and some moments of achievement, if only fleeting. His book is a reflective look at golf today, emphasizing the mental and spiritual elements of the game. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports--books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.


The aim of the conducted research is development and search of analysis algorithms of textural images. The software products, which allow analyzing successfully textures in details, can be used in different fields of science and the industry. First of all, it is chemistry and materials science. It is possible to analyze materials of organic origin, cuts of metals and minerals, ceramics, etc. Another field of research, where we can effectively apply these methods, is the diagnosis of internal pathologies of human, including malignant, according to the images received by means of the thermal imager. In this study we are talking about application of spectral decomposition on various orthonormalized bases of images, which were received by the translucent electronic microscopy. The program is implemented in the Matlab environment, which allows spectral transformations of six types: 1) cosine, 2) Hadamard of the n 2 order, 3) Hadamard of the order ,1   p n )4 (mod3  p  prime number, i.e. based on Legendre's symbol, 4) Haar, 5) slant, 6) Dobeshi-4. Various experiments were made. The algorithms, which were studied in this research, have allowed us to allocate effectively on the analyzed images some fields, which can be characterized by different degrees of structure orderliness. To say more precisely, chemists are interested in the "disorder" areas of structure of materials, for example, during studying the ultrastructure of plant cell walls. This research was made for the Institute for Chemistry of Solids and Mechanochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The main attention was paid to the development of software tools for the analysis of the above microphotographs. It is supposed that received characteristics for different images - textural signs, as well as various spectral coefficients can be further correlated with values, which characterize the physical and chemical properties of the analyzed material: reactivity, porosity, diffusion coefficient, and so on. For correlation, it will be possible to use algorithms for machine learning, for example, based on the neurocomputer approach.


This paper introduces indicators about the division of labour to measure and interpret recent trends in employment in the Netherlands. We show that changes in the division of labour occur at three different levels: the level of the individual worker, the level of the industry and the spatial level. At each level the current organisation of work is determined by an equilibrium of forces that glue tasks together and unbundled tasks. Communication costs are the main force for clustering or gluing together tasks; comparative advantage stimulates unbundling and specialisation. Our results show that on average the Netherlands has witnessed unbundling in the period 1996-2005. So, on average the advantages of specialisation have increased. These developments can explain to a considerable extent changes in the structure of employment. Especially at the spatial level our approach explains a substantial part of the increase in offshoring during this period. JEL: F16, J23, J24


This paper employs firm-level panel data of 57 incumbent and entrant firms for 23 European countries in the decade from 2003 to 2012. We examine the impact of service- and facility-based competition on firm-level investment as well as the strategic effects underlying infrastructure investment decisions. At the same time we explicitly model the structural dynamics of broadband investment by means of a flexible accelerator model. The empirical specification employs dynamic panel estimation techniques which allows us to account for various sources of endogeneity. We find that facility-based competition exerts a positive and significant impact on both incumbents and entrants implying that incumbents' and entrants' investment decisions are strategic complements. Moreover, we find that intermodal competition in terms of fixed-mobile substitution exerts different effects at the firm level. Finally, we show that service-based competition appears to have no significant impact on the investment decision of incumbents and entrants. However, with respect to the later phase of market liberalization, service-based competition exerts a negative impact on entrants' investment. Our results thus also provide relevant policy guidance on the role of service-based competition in regulating emerging high-speed broadband infrastructure.


This thesis introduces the wide multiple baseline stereo (WxBS) problem. WxBS, a generalization of the standard wide baseline stereo problem, considers the matching of images that simultaneously differ in more than one image acquisition factor such as viewpoint, illumination, sensor type, or where object appearance changes significantly, e.g., over time. A new dataset with the ground truth, evaluation metric and baselines has been introduced. The thesis presents the following improvements of the WxBS pipeline. (i) A loss function, called HardNeg, for learning a local image descriptor that relies on hard negative mining within a mini-batch and on the maximization of the distance between the closest positive and the closest negative patches. (ii) The descriptor trained with the HardNeg loss, called HardNet, is compact and shows state-of-the-art performance in standard matching, patch verification and retrieval benchmarks. (iii) A method for learning the affine shape, orientation, and potentially other parameters related to geometric and appearance properties of local features. (iv) A tentative correspondences generation strategy which generalizes the standard first to second closest distance ratio is presented. The selection strategy, which shows performance superior to the standard method, is applicable to either hard-engineered descriptors like SIFT, LIOP, and MROGH or deeply learned like HardNet. (v) A feedback loop is introduced for the two-view matching problem, resulting in MODS -- matching with on-demand view synthesis -- algorithm. MODS is an algorithm that handles a viewing angle difference even larger than the previous state-of-the-art ASIFT algorithm, without a significant increase of computational cost over"standard"wide and narrow baseline approaches. Last, but not least, a comprehensive benchmark for local features and robust estimation algorithms is introduced.


The herpes simplex virus transcription factor VP16 has long been studied for its ability to activate transcription. Similar to other transcription activators, VP16 has a transcription activation domain that overlaps with a domain that signals its degradation. Is there a mechanistic link between transcription and proteolysis? Salghetti et al. show that in yeast, the Met30 subunit of a ubiquitin ligase is required not only for the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but also for transcriptional activation by VP16. The process of transcription activation was separated from proteolysis by artificially ubiquitinating VP16. Ubiquitin may be fulfilling this additional role, separate from that in protein degradation, by recruiting the proteasome. S. E. Salghetti, A. A. Caudy, J. G. Chenoweth, W. P. Tansey, Regulation of transcriptional activation domain function by ubiquitin. Science 293, 1651-1653 (2001). [Abstract] [Full Text]


In any conflict, the First Alternative is my way, and the Second Alternative is your way. The fight always boils down to a question of whose way is better. This book presents a new and practical, but incredibly effective and eye-opening, way to reach resolution through using the 'Third Alternative'. The Third Alternative moves beyond your way or my way to a higher and better way - one that allows both parties to emerge from debate or even heated conflict in a far better place than either had envisioned. With the Third Alternative, nobody has to give up anything, and everyone wins. To a world of escalating strife and contention, Third Alternative thinkers like those Covey profiles in this innovative and practical book, bring creative solutions, peace and healing. Through key examples and stories from his work as a consultant, Covey will demonstrate that Third Alternative thinking is the supreme opportunity of our times. Readers will learn how to create new and better results instead of escalating conflict, as well as how to build strong relationships with diverse individuals based on an attitude of winning together. The Third Alternative represents a departure from material on conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation; the book represents a new way of thinking that will be embraced not only by the many fans that have flocked to Covey's prior books, but also by anyone who is seeking resolution in their professional or personal lives.


The study of the Island of Mauritius presented here is a collaborative effort between the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, the Royal Swedish Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the Agricultural Research & Extension Unit in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

The Climate, Land, Energy and Water Strategies project (CLEWS) deals with integration of water, energy and land-use models to quantify resource use, greenhouse gas emissions and costs associated with meeting energy, water and food security goals. For this purpose the WEAP water model, the LEAP energy model and the AEZ land production planning tool were applied in an integrated fashion to determine (a) crop suitability under rain-fed and irrigated conditions for current and future projected climate, (b) potentials of bio-fuel feedstock crops, (c) the practicality and impact of crop changes, and (d) measures to ensure adequate water supplies in the face of an observed and projected trend of decreasing rainfall.

A core component in this study is the assessment of alternative land and water use options in view of anticipated climate change and socio-economic trends. For this purpose the agro-ecological zones (AEZ) methodology and database framework has been applied at a resolution of 3 arc-seconds (ca. 100 m grid). Climate change results indicate significant changes in rain-fed crop production potentials, particularly a decline in the northern and western parts of the island.

Results show that total water resources availability is expected to diminish due to climate change while water demand for agriculture, industrial and domestic use is increasing. This will trigger planning for extra water storage systems, for an overall expansion and upgrading of current water supply infrastructure, but also and foremost for more efficient use of water resources, in particular for irrigation. The high water demand of the dominating sugarcane production on the island may locally require the introduction of alternative less water demanding cropping systems.


United States v. Booker1 held that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines ("Guidelines"),2 as they were applied at the time, violated defendants' Sixth Amendment jury trial rights. Unfortunately, Booker failed to provide the clarity that judges and commentators not to mention defendants had hoped for. The Supreme Court produced a tortured 124-page decision with two conflicting majority opinions. The tension between the majority opinions ran so deep that their authors, Justices Stevens and Breyer, each wrote principal dissents in the case.3 Justice Stevens, in the "substantive majority" opinion {Booker /), concluded that the Guidelines violated a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to have every fact essential to the imposition of a sentence proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.4 Stevens proposed a simple solution to the problem: require a jury finding for every fact that increased the Guideline sentence.5 But this was not the remedy the Court adopted. Instead, Justice Breyer, in the "remedial majority" opinion {Booker II), concluded that the appropriate remedy was to make the Guidelines "advisory."6 Once advisory, the Guideline facts were no longer essential to the punishment and were therefore beyond the scope of the Constitution's jury trial guarantee. But Justice Breyer was not finished. In order to ensure that judges did not return to the Wild West of preGuideline sentencing, Breyer determined that appellate courts would review


This paper will look at the vexing issue of balancing the two following fundamental public interest considerations in the context of 'the new genetics' the maintenance of the confidentiality and privacy of human genetic information versus the disclosure of such information to the courts in the course of litigation and in the interests of the proper administration of justice. To illustrate this quandary, the paper will look specifically at the nature and practice of genetic registers as appropriate repositories of human genetic information. The paper will look at the legislative enactments and case law decisions that complicate this area and will conclude with a statement of policy that, in the writer's view, will provide an effective balance.


Damned upon publication for engaging with the taboo issues of female sexuality and infidelity, Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" (1899) is now hailed as a key early feminist text and an important work of American literature. This sourcebook combines accessible commentary with reprinted documents to provide the ideal introduction to this widely debated novel. The editors offer: extensive coverage of the contexts to the work, including biographical information on Chopin and the social and historical backgrounds to her writing; an outline of the critical reception of the novel from the early reviews to contemporary debates, and extracts from influential essays; selected chapters of the original text, reproduced with extensive commentary on key issues and suggestions on links with contextual and critical materials; and, a guide to further reading, ideal for extended independent study. Providing all the tools for engaged, informed individual analysis of the text, this sourcebook will greatly enrich any reading of "The Awakening". It is an essential starting point for students of American literature and women's writing, or for anyone fascinated by Chopin's controversial work.


There is a striking similarity between the philosophy of Martin Heidegger and Harry G. Frankfurt: they both argue that the temporal nature of human existence and agency is due to the fact that humans care about things. Even though Heidegger's concept of care and Frankfurt's concept of caring are very different, they are worth comparing because they play a similar role and have similar significance in their thinking. This comparison also offers an opportunity for a desired dialog between philosophers working in those two different traditions. I argue that the two views can complement each other: Though Frankfurt provides a detailed psychological description of caring, his concept of caring is too mentalistic and leads to solipsism. Thus, his theory can be enriched with the help of Heidegger's view based on the concept of Being-in-theworld.


Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma caused by high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is now a well-recognized tumor entity whose incidence is on the rise. Most HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas have a distinct histomorphology, and most patients fit a typical clinical profile. Importantly, HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma patients overall have significantly improved outcomes when compared to their HPV-negative counterparts, and the differences in tumor biology may soon lead to modifications in how they are treated. While high-risk HPV can be detected in a significant minority of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas across anatomic subsites in the head and neck, it has become clear in recent years that the biologically and clinically favorable features are limited to tumors that harbor transcriptionally active, high-risk HPV, something that occurs predominantly (but certainly not exclusively) in the oropharynx. It is now acknowledged that detecting transcriptionally active, high-risk HPV is a necessity in routine clinical practice, but there is considerable confusion among pathologists and clinicians alike about the subsites and settings in which HPV testing should be performed. Compounding this lack of clarity is the fact that there are multiple HPV testing options available, but currently there is no clear consensus on which test or combination of tests is optimal for routine diagnostic use. This review serves as an update for practicing pathologists on the current status of HPV (and surrogate marker) testing in head and neck cancers.


Safe drinking water and basic sanitation are key elements of the Millennium Development Goals, a United Nations initiative. The microbial quality of drinking water is inherently linked to sanitation practices because fecal pathogens are the most common source of drinking water contamination in developing countries. Filtration of water through soil and aquifer sediments can provide natural protection against pathogens, and this makes groundwater an attractive option for safe drinking water supply. Groundwater quality may, however, be compromised by the leaching of natural chemical constituents from geologic materials. Conversely, geochemical processes provide the basis both for the removal of such contaminants and for the recovery of nutrients from wastewater through physicochemical treatment.


Objective Alteration in glutamatergic neurotransmission and dopaminergic dysfunction has been implicated in both the initiation and expression of addiction related behaviors. This pilot study was aimed to investigate the serum levels of glutamate and dopamine in adults with internet gaming disorder (IGD). Methods We measured serum levels of glutamate and dopamine in male participants with IGD (n=26) and age-matched healthy controls (n=25). Clinical interviews were performed to identify IGD and to rule out psychiatric comorbidities. Serum levels of glutamate and dopamine were examined by enzyme immunoassays using ELISA Kits. Results Serum levels of glutamate were lower among IGD than control (IGD: 24.184±12.303 μg/ml; control: 33.676±12.413μg/ml; t=2.742, p=0.008), while levels of dopamine did not differ between. Serum glutamate and dopamine levels did not correlate with gaming hours and exposure to game in the IGD group. But serum glutamate levels were positively correlated with the dopamine levels (r=0.360, p=0.013). Conclusion Our results suggest that altered glutamatergic neurotransmission may contribute to the pathophysiology of IGD.


Public agencies and private enterprises increasingly desire to achieve ecosystem service outcomes in agricultural systems, but are limited by perceived conflicts between economic and ecosystem service goals and a lack of tools enabling effective operational management. Here we use Iowa—an agriculturally homogeneous state representative of the Maize Belt—to demonstrate an economic rationale for cropland diversification at the subfield scale. We used a novel computational framework that integrates disparate but publicly available data to map ∼3.3 million unique potential management polygons (9.3 Mha) and reveal subfield opportunities to increase overall field profitability. We analyzed subfield profitability for maize/soybean fields during 2010–2013—four of the most profitable years in recent history—and projected results for 2015. While cropland operating at a loss of US$ 250 ha−1 or more was negligible between 2010 and 2013 at 18 000–190 000 ha (<2% of row-crop land), the extent of highly unprofitable land increased to 2.5 Mha, or 27% of row-crop land, in the 2015 projection. Aggregation of these areas to the township level revealed 'hotspots' for potential management change in Western, Central, and Northeast Iowa. In these least profitable areas, incorporating conservation management that breaks even (e.g., planting low-input perennials), into low-yielding portions of fields could increase overall cropland profitability by 80%. This approach is applicable to the broader region and differs substantially from the status quo of 'top-down' land management for conservation by harnessing private interest to align profitability with the production of ecosystem services.


Over the past fifteen years, a college education has become increasingly valuable in the labor market. As a result, the stakes have been raised in the debate over college admissions and student financial aid. With the gap in college enrollment widening by family income, the time has come to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the American system for financing higher education and to rethink its structure from the ground up. This book begins with an overview of the many indirect ways in which Americans pay for college--as taxpayers, students, and parents--and describes the sometimes perverse ways in which state and federal financial aid policies interact. Thomas J. Kane evaluates alternative explanations for the rise in public and private college costs--weighing the role of federal financial aid policy, higher input costs, and competitive pressures on individual colleges. He analyzes how far we have come in ensuring access to all. Evidence suggests that large differences in college enrollment remain between high and low income students, even those with similar test scores and attending the same high schools. Kane promotes a package of reforms intended to squeeze more social bang from the many public bucks devoted to higher education. For example, he advocates "front-loading" the Pell grant program, limiting eligibility to those in their first two years of college, and providing a larger share of federal subsidies by assessing student resources after college rather than evaluating a single year of parents income and assets before college. Copublished with the Russell Sage Foundation


In an as-yet-unpublished report, an international panel of geoscientists has concluded that a pair of deadly earthquakes that struck the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna in 2012 could have been triggered by the extraction of petroleum at a local oil field. Fear of humanmade seismicity has already sparked fierce opposition against new oil and gas drilling efforts in Italy, and some say the report could lead the country's regional presidents to turn down new requests for fossil-fuel exploration.... Language: en


A combined interpretation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images and helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) sea-ice thickness data has provided an estimate of sea-ice volume formed in Laptev Sea polynyas during the winter of 2007/08. The evolution of the surveyed sea-ice areas, which were formed between late December 2007 and middle April 2008, was tracked using a series of SAR images with a sampling interval of 2–3 days. Approximately 160 km of HEM data recorded in April 2008 provided sea-ice thicknesses along profiles that transected sea ice varying in age from 1 to 116 days. For the volume estimates, thickness information along the HEM profiles was extrapolated to zones of the same age. The error of areal mean thickness information was estimated to be between 0.2 m for younger ice and up to 1.55 m for older ice, with the primary error source being the spatially limited HEM coverage. Our results have demonstrated that the modal thicknesses and mean thicknesses of level ice correlated with the sea-ice age, but that varying dynamic and thermodynamic sea-ice growth conditions resulted in a rather heterogeneous sea-ice thickness distribution on scales of tens of kilometers. Taking all uncertainties into account, total sea-ice area and volume produced within the entire surveyed area were 52 650 km2 and 93.6 ± 26.6 km3. The surveyed polynya contributed 2.0 ± 0.5% of the sea-ice produced throughout the Arctic during the 2007/08 winter. The SAR-HEM volume estimate compares well with the 112 km3 ice production calculated with a~high-resolution ocean sea-ice model. Measured modal and mean-level ice thicknesses correlate with calculated freezing-degree-day thicknesses with a factor of 0.87–0.89, which was too low to justify the assumption of homogeneous thermodynamic growth conditions in the area, or indicates a strong dynamic thickening of level ice by rafting of even thicker ice.


We propose a robust system for automatic Robot Navigation in uncontrolled en-
vironments. The system is composed by three main modules: the Arti cial Vision
module, the Reinforcement Learning module, and the behavior control module. The
aim of the system is to allow a robot to automatically nd a path that arrives to
a pre xed goal. Turn and straight movements in uncontrolled environments are
automatically estimated and controlled using the proposed modules.
The Arti cial Vision module is responsible of obtaining a quanti ed representa-
tion of the robot vision. This is done by the automatic detection and description of
image interest points using state-of-the-art strategies. Once an image is described
with a set of local feature vectors, the view is codi ed as a vector of visual words
frequencies computed from a previous scene representation, which robustly discrim-
inate among the di erent possible views of the robot in the environment. Local
features changes in time are also used to estimate robot movement and consequently
control robot behavior be means of the analysis of the computed vanishing points.
The Reinforcement Learning (RL) module receives a vector quanti ed by the
Arti cial Vision module plus robot sensor estimations. RL strategy computes the
required state and reward. The state corresponds to the normalized received quan-
ti ed vector together with the robot proximity sensor quanti cations. The reward
value is computed using the distance between the robot and the goal. Given the
high dimensionality of the problem we deal with, conventional RF strategies make
the search problem unfeasible. Because of this reason, we propose the use of an al-
gorithm from the articulation control eld, named Natural Actor-Critic, which can
deal with high dimensionality problems.
We tested the proposed methodology in uncontrolled environments using the
Sony Aibo robot. The results shown that the robot looked for the goal, producing
behavior changes based on experience, but without nding the optimal route.
3


In light-emitting diode (LED) applications, it is becoming a big issue that how to optimize light intensity distribution curve (LIDC) and design corresponding optical component to achieve uniform illumination when distance-height ratio (DHR) is given. A new reversing design method is proposed to solve this problem, including design and optimization of LIDC to achieve high uniform illumination and a new algorithm of freeform lens to generate the required LIDC by LED light source. According to this method, two new LED modules integrated with freeform lenses are successfully designed for slim direct-lit LED backlighting with thickness of 10mm, and uniformities of illuminance increase from 0.446 to 0.915 and from 0.155 to 0.887 when DHRs are 2 and 3 respectively. Moreover, the number of new LED modules dramatically decreases to 1/9 of the traditional LED modules while achieving similar uniform illumination in backlighting. Therefore, this new method provides a practical and simple way for optical design of LED uniform illumination when DHR is much larger than 1.


Today, documentation is becoming a major source of exposure and appreciation for artworks on the Internet, beyond the original purpose of preservation and academic archiving. This study analyzes 982 documentations of interactive digital art projects created between 1979 and 2017. Each documentation was represented as a point in a 17-dimensional vector space through binary encoding. The resulting visualization from the t-SNE algorithm shows that, compared to its phenomenological quality, most documentation of interactive art is a cinematic surrogate that follows film post-production techniques. In conclusion, this study calls for the development of documentary techniques that can provide the viewer with a quasi-authentic experience of the original work in interactive digital art.


In an exploratory quasi-experimental observational study, 138 participants recruited during a university orientation week were exposed to social engineering directives in the form of fake email or phishing attacks over several months in 2017. These email attacks attempted to elicit personal information from participants or entice them into clicking links which may have been compromised in a real-world setting. The study aimed to determine the risks of cybercrime for students by observing their responses to social engineering and exploring attitudes to cybercrime risks before and after the phishing phase. Three types of scam emails were distributed that varied in the degree of individualization: generic, tailored, and targeted or 'spear.' To differentiate participants on the basis of cybercrime awareness, participants in a 'Hunter' condition were primed throughout the study to remain vigilant to all scams, while participants in a 'Passive' condition received no such instruction. The study explored the influence of scam type, cybercrime awareness, gender, IT competence, and perceived Internet safety on susceptibility to email scams. Contrary to the hypotheses, none of these factors were associated with scam susceptibility. Although, tailored and individually crafted email scams were more likely to induce engagement than generic scams. Analysis of all the variables showed that international students and first year students were deceived by significantly more scams than domestic students and later year students. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) analysis was undertaken to further explore the role of all the variables of interest and the results were consistent with the descriptive findings showing that student status (domestic compared to international) and year of study (first year student compared to students in second, third and later years of study) had a higher association to the risk of scam deception. Implications and future research directions are discussed.


For centuries, parents across the globe have utilized corporal punishment against children in the name of discipline. This Article is the first legal article to examine cross-national trends in child corporal punishment laws and to propose ideas for reducing its practice using the social norms approach. By examining 192 countries over a 46-year period, we shed light on emerging patterns. Additionally, by delving into countries' self-reports regarding their compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) treaty, we observe other unique patterns globally.

Notably, during the course of our empirical research and data collection (2017–2019), significant moves to decrease the prevalence of child corporal punishment have emerged, such as the 2019 legislation in Japan seeking to outlaw the practice of child corporal punishment in Japanese homes, and the 2018 American Association for Pediatricians Statement asserting its first public admonishment of physical discipline against children in the home.

In our analysis, we utilize the country of Sweden — the first country worldwide to ban outright corporal punishment in the home — as our first case study to delve into the concept of norm cascades. We then showcase the country of Ethiopia — a country making great strides in changing societal norms about corporal punishment through public dissemination of literature and norm campaigns — as our second case study to examine concepts of re-norming. In conclusion, we demonstrate how social norms theories may be utilized to decrease the use and societal acceptance of child corporal punishment in the home.


Abstract. Biomass burning emissions of atmospheric aerosols, including black carbon, are growing due to increased global drought, and comprise a large source of uncertainty in regional climate and air quality studies. We develop and apply new incremental four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) capabilities in WRFDA-Chem to find optimal spatially and temporally distributed biomass burning (BB) and anthropogenic black carbon (BC) aerosol emissions. The constraints are provided by aircraft BC concentrations from the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board (ARCTAS-CARB) field campaign and surface BC concentrations from the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) network on 22, 23, and 24 June 2008. We consider three BB inventories, including Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) v1.0 and v1.5 and Quick Fire Emissions Database (QFED) v2.4r8. On 22 June, aircraft observations are able to reduce the spread between a customized QFED inventory and FINNv1.0 from a factor of 3. 5 ( × 3. 5) to only × 2. 1. On 23 and 24 June, the spread is reduced from × 3. 4 to × 1. 4. The posterior corrections to emissions are heterogeneous in time and space, and exhibit similar spatial patterns of sign for both inventories. The posterior diurnal BB patterns indicate that multiple daily emission peaks might be warranted in specific regions of California. The US EPA's 2005 National Emissions Inventory (NEI05) is used as the anthropogenic prior. On 23 and 24 June, the coastal California posterior is reduced by × 2, where highway sources dominate, while inland sources are increased near Barstow by × 5. Relative BB emission variances are reduced from the prior by up to 35 % in grid cells close to aircraft flight paths and by up to 60 % for fires near surface measurements. Anthropogenic variance reduction is as high as 40 % and is similarly limited to sources close to observations. We find that the 22 June aircraft observations are able to constrain approximately 14 degrees of freedom of signal (DOF), while surface and aircraft observations together on 23/24 June constrain 23 DOF. Improving hourly- to daily-scale concentration predictions of BC and other aerosols during BB events will require more comprehensive and/or targeted measurements and a more complete accounting of sources of error besides the emissions.


With the advent of Twitter, microblogging has turned into a widely discussed phenomenon. Due to its perceived impact, many organisations have begun experimenting with the use of microblogging "behind the firewall", in order to support internal communication and group work. However, Enterprise Microblogging (EMB) is still in its infancy and not yet well understood. With this study we want to add to the rather limited body of knowledge a case study of Enterprise Microblogging in an academic setting. A multidisciplinary team of University researchers has adopted the platform Communote to collaborate and communicate. We conduct a genre analysis of the team"s microblogging stream and find that EMB mainly serves as an effective medium for context building and meeting coordination in a project of otherwise loosely related individual activities. We compare our results with findings from two existing EMB cases, one of which has investigated the use of the same IT artefact in a different context. We find striking differences in usage patterns and show that EMB is highly dependent on the particular organisational context shared by the EMB users. Consequently, we conclude that appropriation of Enterprise Microblogging happens largely in accordance with organisational context characteristics.


Questionable research practices (QRPs) are a strongly debated topic in the scientific community. Hypotheses about the relationship between individual differences and QRPs are plentiful but have rarely been empirically tested. Here, we investigate whether researchers' personal motivation (expressed by achievement goals) is associated with self-reported engagement in QRPs within a sample of 217 psychology researchers. Appearance approach goals (striving for skill demonstration) positively predicted engagement in QRPs, while learning approach goals (striving for skill development) were a negative predictor. These effects remained stable when also considering Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy in a latent multiple regression model. Additional moderation analyses revealed that the more researchers favored publishing over scientific rigor, the stronger the association between appearance approach goals and engagement in QRPs. The findings deliver first insights into the nature of the relationship between personal motivation and scientific malpractice.


The field of photovoltaic (PV) forecasting has been evolving rapidly in the recent years. This paper provides a very short-term forecasting technique on energy harvested from small scale PV systems. It makes use of a supervised machine learning technique, k-nearest neighbours (kNN), to provide PV owners 5 easily-comprehensible output levels of Very Low, Low, Medium, High and Very High. This proposed technique uses readily available data from inverters, namely time of the day and instantaneous power, and data from commonly used additional weather measurement equipment namely outdoor temperature, panel temperature and on-site irradiance. The proposed technique targets very short-term forecasting period of 15 minutes ahead, which is sufficient for building owners to activate alternatives such as powering up backup generator or switching off non-critical loads to reduce load demand. The short-term forecasting results are useful in small localized areas where the weather changes very quickly. Its results can be passed to smart energy management system to aid in their decision makings. Historical data of an existing 30kWp PV system located in Singapore is used to evaluate the accuracy of the kNN short term forecasting technique. Despite the lack of expensive and complicated resources such as numerical weather prediction models and satellite and sky imagery observations of clouds, the proposed technique achieved an acceptable accuracy of over 68%. The paper compares and discusses the parameters and the number of neighbours to be used in the technique.


Targets for the condition and performance of water supply networks can be formulated from quantitative needs as well as from the demand for the quality and reliability of drinking water networks. To reach these objectives, a public or semi-public utility needs to invest in system maintenance and rehabilitation. For the system analyst it is difficult to give specific action threshold values for each indicator describing the network performance. Preferences differ and interdependencies between criteria do not allow, by conventional scoring models, determination of those projects which are the most efficient. Another method is presented for ranking rehabilitation projects according to multiple criteria with respect to efficiency. The development of the procedure and its implementation in software is part of a research project funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).


This paper explores the history of African Americans in the U.S. economy since emancipation. With the end of the Civil War, some four million former slaves had gained their freedom, but the freed people faced daunting economic challenges, including poverty, illiteracy, and discrimination. Despite these adverse conditions, the economic status of African Americans improved over the ensuing century, if haltingly and unevenly. Progress was driven by three major forces. First, both inside and outside the South, black educational gains narrowed the black-white skill gap. Second, black workers moved to opportunities in burgeoning urban labor markets. Third, especially during the 1960s, racial discrimination in labor and other markets declined under pressure from the civil rights movement, equal opportunity law, and diminishing racial prejudice on the part of whites. The decades since the achievements of the 1960s present a decidedly more mixed picture. Overt racial discrimination plays a less substantial role in limiting the opportunities of African Americans in the U.S. economy than it did half a century ago. On the other hand, progress toward narrowing the economic gaps between blacks and whites has stagnated. Particularly concerning has been the concentration of poverty and social dislocation in inner-city neighborhoods, exploding black male incarceration rates, and the large and persistent racial skill gap.


Forests have both use and non-use values and play an important role in promoting sociocultural and economic development of a country. Forest provides a good habitat for wildlife and varied-species biodiversity. They are also a major tourist destination as they provide recreational services. One example of such forest is Kakamega forest (KF) in Western Kenya. This forest is divided into Kakamega Forest National Reserve and Kakamega Forest Reserve which are managed by Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and Forest Department (FD), currently Kenya Forest Service respectively. The purpose of this study was to apply the Zonal Travel Cost Method (TCM) to estimate the recreational value Kakamega forest. Further, the study aimed to establish the relationship between the destinations attributes and tourists' overall level of satisfaction. To achieve these objectives the researcher relied on two sources of data. First, to estimate the recreational value using the TCM, data on tourists' numbers and the countries of origin was collected from past records in Kenya Wildlife Services and Forest Department offices, travel agents and other government offices. Secondly, to establish the level of. satisfaction 300 questionnaires were administered to the tourists who visited KF from August 2005 to November 2005. The data were sorted, coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) software. The data were presented using tables, frequencies and percentages. Correlations and regressions analysis were carried out to establish the relationship between the destination attributes and tourists' satisfaction. The result from this study shows that KWS has higher recreational value of Ksh. 280 Million (US$ 3.7 Million) than FD with Ksh. 191 Million (US$ 2.6 Million). The satisfaction results shows that KF is a potential tourists destination offering a satisfying experience to tourists (mean satisfaction = 5.38). The results show that twenty nine destination attributes determine the tourist overall level of satisfaction while visiting KF. These factors relate to key hospitality variables like tangibles, responsibilities, reliability, assurance and empathy. Further, the results show that the tourists' satisfaction relates to sources of information about the forest and the interests for visiting the forest. These findings are important to tourist planners, managers and promoters. Based upon the results the study concludes by giving several recommendations on promotion of conservation of KF, while increasing tourists' satisfaction.


This paper proposes a framework for application of system dynamics modeling to sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable manufacturing involves interaction of multiple complex systems including those in manufacturing, environmental, financial, and social domains. A concerted effort involving a number of researchers may be required to develop the requisite capability to model sustainable manufacturing with a flexible scope. At present, it is difficult for researchers to collaborate, share, and reuse models and components due to lack of consistency in several aspects including taxonomy and modeling approaches. The proposed framework is a first step to move towards composability of sustainable manufacturing model components developed by different research teams. The proposed framework organizes the major factors influencing sustainable manufacturing into four interacting complex domains. The framework is intended for use as a platform to develop model components that may be integrated to analyze sustainable manufacturing for different industries and geographies.


Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why bat–wind turbine collisions occur; however, most of these hypotheses have yet to be tested and with high numbers of bat fatalities reported annually at wind resource facilities globally, there is a real need to understand this phenomenon. In this study, we tested whether aviation lighting influenced the number of bat fatalities at wind turbines. Thus, at a utility‐scale wind facility in north‐central Texas, we explored whether bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines with red flashing aviation lighting compared with turbines without such lighting. Over a 5‐year period, we recorded fatalities at wind turbines as part of a long‐term fatality monitoring programme. During standardized searches, we collected 916 bat carcasses representing all six species known to be present at the site. We found that bat fatalities were higher at wind turbines without aviation lighting compared with those with; a pattern that was driven by one species, Lasiurus borealis, and there was no significant difference between fatalities at wind turbines with or without aviation lighting for any other species. Our study demonstrates that wind turbines should continue to be fitted with synchronized, flashing red aviation lights, as this form of lighting does not appear to be one of the potential causes of bat fatalities at wind resource facilities. We therefore support further research that explores possible alternative causes of bat–wind turbine interactions. More specifically, we reiterate that there is still a pressing need to determine the aspects of bat ecology that result in individuals coming into contact with wind turbines.


This paper argues that Negative Concord is generated by the grammars of all English varieties, but just not "realized" in the standardized variety, in the sense of Barbiers (2005, 2009). I show that Double Negation constructions, wherein two negative elements yield a doubly negated meaning, are formed identically by English varieties that realize Negative Concord and those that do not. Unlike previous Minimalist Agree approaches to English Negative Concord, this proposal accounts for the fact that English varieties generate both Double Negation and Negative Concord constructions. This paper employs Tortora's (2009, in press) mechanism of feature spreading, and Lopez's (2009) derivational assignment of the pragmatic feature [contrast], to successfully capture the facts of Negative Concord and Double Negation in English. In so doing, it contributes insight into the representation of sentential negation, and supports the Barbiersian notion that not all grammatical structures are realized in a given variety.


Performance management is prevalent in public organizations and public services, but the push for performance may harm genuine accountability. One critical reason for this is that little knowledge has developed about the scope and effect of actual accountability requirements in the public management field. This dissertation furthers our understanding of accountability and performance by distinguishing them as different dimensions of public management. Building on this distinction, the effect of accountability (A) on performance (P) and accountability management's (M) mediating role in the relationship between accountability and performance were investigated empirically in child welfare services in Virginia. The study had two stages: interviews and a survey. The qualitative content analysis of the interviews provides several noteworthy findings. Accountability can be understood more with the terms: explanation, expectation, people/society, action/decision, and values. Conversely, performance can be considered more in line with the terms: productivity/outcome, timely work, team playing, learning, and strategy. The incompatible characteristics found between accountability and performance highlight problems behind performance-driven accountability. The survey portion of the study, built upon the interview data, also presents notable findings. (1) Accountability affects performance both directly and indirectly, and (2) accountability management matters in the relationship between accountability and performance. While the empirical literature on the A → P link focuses on the effects of competing accountability requirements, my study examines dimensions of the accountability requirements' impact. Formal (e.g., legal) as well as informal (e.g., ethical) accountability requirements are critical for ensuring higher performance. Compliance strategies implicitly connect informal accountability requirements with work performance. The findings support the study's argument that accountability should be stressed for better performance and highlight the need for the careful design of accountability mechanisms in social services. Ultimately, this study may serve as a foundation for future efforts to establish more appropriate accountability and performance arrangements.


Wall-rock alteration at the Getchell underground deposit was examined to determine the effects of Au-bear-ing fluids on host lithologies and the relationship between K-bearing alteration minerals and Au deposition. The major, minor, and trace element geochemistry of highly altered and mineralized to unmineralized rocks from the Getchell deposit was quantified for more than 50 samples collected along 13 transects through calcareous siltstone and carbonaceous limestone and along one transect through a rhyodacite dike. Each transect in sedimentary rocks was collected along a single homogeneous bed that could be followed from high-grade ore to moderately altered rock or waste rock. Analyses were obtained for 39 elements, 10 oxides, and loss on ignition, using multiple techniques. Petrographic studies were integrated with geochemistry and X-ray diffraction and electron microbeam analyses to identify ore and alteration minerals and to correlate mineralogy with geochemical fluxes. Geochemical analyses indicate that Ti, Al, Zr, and Th behave as immobile elements. Immobility isocon diagrams show that significant Hg, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, and Cs are typically added to the wall rocks with Au. Fe is im-mobile in some transects, added to wall rocks in others, and removed from rhyodacite host rocks. Minor S and W are usually added to the rock, whereas minor Cu and Mo are variably added or removed. SiO 2 appears to be either added during alteration or remain constant. Elements that are consistently removed during alteration include Ca, Mn, Sr, and Sc and minor Mg, Ba, and K. Na was significantly removed from the rhyodacite. Au correlates positively with Ag, Hg, Sb, Se, Si, Te, and Tl and negatively with Ca, Mn, and Sc. Element fluxes correspond with observations of mineral abundances and show that sulfidation and decar-bonitization are spatially associated with gold mineralization. Au, Hg, Sb, Tl, Cu, and possibly Te and W were incorporated in trace element-rich pyrite as host-rock Fe was sulfidized. Fe was added to mineralized rocks in some transects, indicating that pyritization occurred in addition to sulfidation. Cs is a component of galkhaite, a trace mineral that is relatively common in some parts of the Getchell system. Decarbonitization removed as much as 95 wt percent calcite from mineralized rocks in some transects and is responsible for loss of Ca, Mn, Sr, and Sc. Although SiO 2 , As, and S are significantly added to Carlin-type systems, they do not appear as major added components in the isocon diagrams. This is because the halos for these components are much larger than the areas examined by the sample transects. X-ray diffraction analyses identified minerals in ore and waste samples and quantified clay minerals, including illite and montmorillonite. Kaolinite was not identified or is present in low abundances in both mineralized and unmineralized rocks. Montmorillonite does not correlate with gold and textures are consistent with pore-filling deposition of montmorillonite following Au deposition. Illite abundance exhibits a positive correlation with Au ( r 2 = 0.80). Intergrowths of illite with ore-stage pyrite support a genetic relationship between the two minerals and indicate that illite formed as part of the Au-related hydrothermal event. Mineral abundances and textures suggest that illite formed by alteration of K feldspar during Au deposition. Results show that dating of K-bearing phases in sedimentary rocks, other than illite, would provide ages unrelated to gold deposition.


We study the problem of learning conditional average treatment effects (CATE) from high-dimensional, observational data with unobserved confounders. Unobserved confounders introduce ignorance -- a level of unidentifiability -- about an individual's response to treatment by inducing bias in CATE estimates. We present a new parametric interval estimator suited for high-dimensional data, that estimates a range of possible CATE values when given a predefined bound on the level of hidden confounding. Further, previous interval estimators do not account for ignorance about the CATE associated with samples that may be underrepresented in the original study, or samples that violate the overlap assumption. Our interval estimator also incorporates model uncertainty so that practitioners can be made aware of out-of-distribution data. We prove that our estimator converges to tight bounds on CATE when there may be unobserved confounding, and assess it using semi-synthetic, high-dimensional datasets.


Since 2001, the White House Transition Project has provided reports to incoming White House staff members on topics critical to a successful transfer of power. Written by presidential scholars from across the country, the series aims to enhance the staff's understanding of day-to-day operations in the West and East wings. Nearly every former White House chief of staff, press secretary, director of communications, and senior advisor since the Nixon administration has been interviewed for the project to determine how each office operates — what works, what doesn't and what did they wish they had known before arriving at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.? Other reports cover topics as diverse as the most effective use of the first 100 days and the dynamics of presidential travel. The 2017 series is a partnership between the Moody Foundation, the White House Transition Project and the Baker Institute. It is led by Martha Joynt Kumar, an emeritus professor at Towson University and author of several books on the presidency, and Terry Sullivan, author and member of the political science faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was supported by a grant from the Moody Foundation. The White House Transition Project's report on the role and responsibilities of the first lady is available here. The complete series may be downloaded on the WHTP website (http://whitehousetransitionproject.org/).


We present a flexible design for a static, multimodal, multiplex spectrometer which is optimized for the weak incoherent sources that are common in biomedical applications. Simultaneous high throughput and resolution are achieved in a single-shot measurement via 2-D aperture encoding. The resulting computational problem is well-conditioned and easily invertible.