Sometime in 1772, a young African girl walked demurely into a room in Boston to undergo an oral examination, the results of which would determine the direction of her life and work. Perhaps she was shocked upon entering the appointed room. For there, perhaps gathered in a semicircle, sat eighteen of Boston's most notable citizens. Among them were John Erving, a prominent Boston merchant; the Reverend Charles Chauncy, pastor of he Tenth Congregational Church; and John Hancock, who would later gain fame for his signature on the Declaration of Independence. At the center of this group was His Excellency, Thomas Hutchinson, governor of Massachusetts, with Andrew Oliver, his lieutenant governor, close by his side. Why had this august group been assembled? Why had it seen fit to summon this young African girl, scarcely eighteen years old, before it? This group of "the most respectable Characters in Boston," as it would later define itself, had assembled to question closely the African adolescent on the slender sheaf of poems that she claimed to have "written by herself." We can only speculate on the nature of the questions posed to this fledgling poet. ... We do know, however, that the African poet's responses were more than sufficient to prompt the eighteen august gentlemen to compose, sign, and publish a two-paragraph "Attestation," an open letter "To the Publick" that prefaces Phillis Wheatley's book. ... (Gates vii-viii) In his forward to The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley, "In ... Her Own Write," Henry Louis Gates, Jr., describes the scene he imagines having preceded the validation of Wheatley's authorship by eighteen prominent Bostonians, during which the poet was questioned in order to ascertain her ability to have written the works ascribed to her. While there may be no historical evidence to support his recreation, as Kirstin Wilcox asserts (10), Gates does manage to capture some of the important elements in Wheatley's life as a poet in his imaginative recreation.(1) In particular, the scenario Gates recounts indicates an awareness of Wheatley's dominant audience as well as the unique historical moment in which she wrote. While Wheatley's was clearly a bifurcated audience, there can be little doubt that the eighteen men who signed for her represented a major constituency for her poetry, among those who read the broadsides and newspapers in which she published and who had the public ear.(2) She knew these men because they had visited the Wheatley home, because she had heard them preach, or because they had established public reputations in Boston. These were also men for whom she had actually written poems, either to celebrate personal accomplishment or to mourn the passing of a loved one. In addition, they were men whose experience would not have included a Phillis Wheatley, and who might well have wondered whether the young author was a "serious" poet or a front for abolitionists. For, as previous critics have pointed out, Wheatley's poetry is not devoid of racial awareness, as had long been suggested. Antonio T. Bly asserts that Wheatley used her poems not simply to "denounce the hypocrisy practiced by white Christians, but also [to] express a strong sense of black pride to her fellow slaves, who were often read her poetry by slave masters who thought that her writings were harmless" (205-06). A number of the poems can be seen as direct appeals to her black counterparts to accept the Christian God as a means of salvation, if not in this world then certainly in the next. However, critics have yet to consider fully the possibility that Wheatley might have crafted her poems to work specifically upon the white audience that would have constituted her main readership, aside from overt pleas to accept the possibility of black Christians. A close examination of two poems in particular, "To the University of Cambridge, in New-England" and "On Being Brought from Africa to America," suggests that they were designed to manipulate this audience in very specific ways. …


In this modern age intellectual property (IP) law is an area of the law which no lawyer can afford to ignore, even if that lawyer does not actively participate in the field of IP law. It is now almost universally recognised that IP rights are an essential part of any business. Protecting rights is critical to the interests of IP rights-holders because of the value of intellectual assets. During the last two decades IP law has expanded rapidly with regard to objects which are protected and the scope of that protection. Further, the IP system plays a critical role in both the national and international economy. IP law has therefore moved from being a rather dry area of commercial law, practised by relatively few, into the mainstream of legal practice. Every lawyer should at least understand the basics, even if it is just a case of the lawyer recognising that his or her client has a serious problem which requires the services of an expert. The problem with this area of the law is that it encompasses at least six different subjects, each of which warrants a text of its own and on which there are a number of major works, each one dealing with its own specialist subject. IP is protected by both statute and the common law. It is not an easy subject to understand and attempting to get to grips with the main principles can be quite daunting. For those who wish to get an overview of, and an introduction to, the entire topic it is useful to have a single book which covers the main categories of IP law.


Abstract—The Point canonical transformation method is applied for solving the Schrödinger equation with position-dependent mass. This class of problem has been solved for continuous mass distributions. In this work, a staggered mass distribution for the case of a free particle in an infinite square well potential has been proposed. The continuity conditions as well as normalization for the wave function are also considered. The proposal can be used for dealing with other kind of staggered mass distributions in the Schrödinger equation with different quantum potentials.


The different methodological approaches applied to the study of the characterisation of Jesus and the disciples in the Gospel of Mark have contributed much to our knowledge of Jesus and his disciples. The recent interest in the oral-aural dynamics in the communication of Mark's story has caused us to understand that Mark wrote not to be read silently and privately, but read aloud/performed publicly before a live audience, who were mostly unable to read and belonged to an oral culture (chapter 2). Thus, encompassing the strengths of previous approaches and venturing upon newer frameworks (orality, social/cultural memory, and performance criticism), we develop an eclectic approach, which we term oral-memorial-comparative hermeneutics, to address how an oral narrative, such as Mark's Gospel, would have been composed, communicated, and comprehended in an ancient oral culture (chapter 3). More specifically, such an approach helps in our inquiry into how the characterisations of Jesus and the disciples in Mark's narrative function rhetorically in the context of an ancient oral narration, in relation to following Jesus and belonging to his community.

This approach considers how both the author and the target audience would have exploited their socio-historical context for the composition and comprehension of the characterisations of Jesus and the disciples in the Gospel of Mark. Thus, this thesis analyses Mark's characterisations of Jesus and his disciples in the context of an ancient narration, particularly in first-century Palestine. Through the lens of orality, social memory, and performance criticism, Mark's characterisations of Jesus and his disciples would have shown how one should follow Jesus and belong to his group. We conclude that if Mark's target audience appreciated the association of Jesus and his disciples over against other groups (chapter 4) and if they were convinced of Mark's ideological thrust represented by the character of Jesus over against his disciples and other characters (chapter 5), then it is more likely than not that they were moved to act upon following Jesus in faithful discipleship and belonging to his group (chapter 6). Thus, our findings support the thesis of this research that Mark's characterisation of Jesus and his disciples (in relation to other characters and set in an ancient oral narration) dramatizes an ideological clash (between the way of domination and the way of Jesus—service and sacrifice), which would have aided in the identity formation of Mark's community.


This work covers the Western Desert to the Nile Valley during the period ca. 6500-3750 calBC and determines the aetiology and nature of early Predynastic (Badarian- ca. 4350-3750 calBC) belief systems. The migration of peoples from the Western Desert to the Nile Valley as a result of the commencement of aridification in ca. 5300 calBC would have influenced belief systems. Throughout, a flexible theoretical framework is used to interrogate the heterogeneous evidence. The catalyst for the work is Barta's retrospective interpretation of the rock-art motifs in Wadi Sura as early representations of ancient Egyptian deities and the beginnings of ancient Egyptian religion. The motifs are also linked to Middle Kingdom concept of the dead by Le Quellec. These two interpretations are examined and are proved to be incorrect. The conclusion is that the motifs are the result of a shamanic rain ritual. Archaeological evidence reveals there was no direct contact between Wadi Sura and the Nile Valley. The rock-art in Dakhleh Oasis and environs was also analysed as was the megalithic site of Nabta Playa. Although different, both appear to have had concerns about rain and fertility. Ceramic evidence reveals contacts between Nabta Playa, Dakhleh Oasis and the early Badarian sites. This suggests that at least part of the aetiology of beliefs was the Western Desert. The interrogation of mortuary evidence at Gebel Ramlah, associated with Nabta Playa and that of the Badarian period reveals a belief in an afterlife, rebirth and regeneration. The role of the living is considered vital for the dead to achieve this transformational status. At all sites the supernatural and symbolism appear to play an important role as does shamanism. It is apparent that the concepts of fertility, an afterlife and rebirth formed the basis of the early Predynastic belief systems. No recognisable deities existed.


Objectives There is an urgent need for validated measures of health-adverse psychosocial work environments. We tested the validity of a newly developed short version of the original questionnaire measuring effort–reward imbalance at work (ERI). Methods The study sample comprised working men and women (n=4771) participating in the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), a nationally representative longitudinal cohort study, in 2006 and 2008. Structural equation modelling was applied to test factorial validity, using the ERI scales. Furthermore, criterion validity was explored with two prospectively assessed health indicators, poor self-reported health and depressive symptoms. Results are based on logistic and linear regression analyses, with appropriate confounder control. Results The short version of the ERI questionnaire (16 items) provides satisfactory psychometric properties (internal consistency of scales, confirmatory factor analysis with a good model fit of the data with the theoretical structure). All scales, and the effort–reward ratio, were prospectively associated with an increased risk of poor general self-rated health and depressive symptoms, indicating satisfactory criterion validity. Conclusion This short version of the ERI questionnaire provides a psychometrically useful tool for epidemiological studies focused on the health-adverse effects of work and employment in the context of a globalised economy.


Terephthalic acid is an important industrial chemical but its production typically generates 3–10 tons of wastewater, which is a significant source of pollution. Although recent research has shown that terephthalic acid can be degraded by physical and chemical methods, these methods are complex and expensive. Microbial degradation of terephthalic acid is a popular alternative because it is environmentally friendly. We isolated a Gram-positive strain capable of growing aerobically on terephthalic acid as the sole carbon and energy source. It was identified as Arthrobacter sp. by 16S rDNA sequencing and its physiological and biochemical characteristics. For terephthalic acid degradation, the optimal temperature of the resting cells was 30 °C, optimal shaking speed was 150 rpm, the most suitable pH was 7.0, and the ability to degrade terephthalic acid was inhibited by concentrations of terephthalic acid above 10 g/L.


Empirical studies have indicated that the elderly seem to accumulate wealth after retirement, and that the desire to leave bequests is an important determinent of saving behavior, both kinds of results have cast doubt on the validity of the life cycle hypothesis of consumption. In the first part of this paper, a model of bequests is specified, and the implications for consumption and wealth trajectories are derived. The main result is that, even with a bequest motive, consumption generally decreases with age after retirement, and that wealth will also decrease for all but wealthy households. In the empirical part of the paper, wealth changes of retired households are reported over 10 years of panel data. Contrary to many results from cross-section data, the elderly do dissave: over 10 years the wealth of the elderly in the sample decreases by about 27 real. A test for a bequest motive is proposed. There is no evidence whatsoever for abequest motive.


aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sexual dimorphism can be established by odontometric study of permanent maxillary canine teeth as well as canine arch width. methods: This study was carried out on 368 students of Government Medical College, Bhavnagar was conducted at Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Out of these 368 students, 152 students are female & 216 students are male. Both sexes belong to age group between 18 to 24 years. The following measurements of the permanent maxillary canine teeth were taken: mesio-distal width of the crown and inter-canine distance. From these measurements maxillary canine index was calculated. In addition, the percentage of sexual dimorphism was calculated. results: There was sexual dimorphism in mesio-distal width, canine arch width and canine index of permanent maxillary canine teeth. Sexual dimorphism is more on right permanent maxillary canine teeth than left permanent maxillary canine teeth. conclusion: According to the present study, sexual dimorphism in mesio-distal diameter is more in right maxillary canine (8.87%) is than left maxillary canine teeth (7.26%). Sexual dimorphism in canine index is more in right maxillary canine (1.93%) is than left maxillary canine teeth (0.61%).


SUMMARY A central problem of seismology is the inversion of regional waveform data for models of earthquake sources. In regions such as Southern California, preliminary 3-D earth structure models are already available, and efficient numerical methods have been developed for 3-D anelastic wave-propagation simulations. We describe an automated procedure that utilizes these capabilities to derive centroid moment tensors (CMTs). The procedure relies on the use of receiver-side Green's tensors (RGTs), which comprise the spatial-temporal displacements produced by the three orthogonal unit impulsive point forces acting at the receivers. We have constructed a RGT database for 219 broad-band stations in Southern California using a tomographically improved version of the 3-D SCEC Community Velocity Model Version 4.0 (CVM4) and a staggered-grid finite-difference code. Finite-difference synthetic seismograms for any earthquake in our modelling volume can be simply calculated by extracting a small, source-centred volume from the RGT database and applying the reciprocity principle. The partial derivatives needed for the CMT inversion can be generated in the same way. We have developed an automated algorithm that combines a grid-search for suitable focal mechanisms and hypocentre locations with a Gauss–Newton optimization that further refines the grid-search results. Using this algorithm, we have determined CMT solutions for 165 small to medium-sized earthquakes in Southern California. Preliminary comparison with the CMT solutions provided by the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN) shows that our solutions generally provide better fit to the observed waveforms. When applied to a large number of earthquakes, our algorithm may provide a more robust CMT catalogue for earthquakes in Southern California.


This article investigates the scopic regimes of computer-mediated peer production and the possibilities for seeing, knowing, and governing that are entailed in its accomplishment. Examining the case of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the analysis takes a closer look at the everyday routines of mutual observation and the tools that authors have crafted to watch over each other through an archive of wiki-based activities. Based on a three-year ethnographic study among English- and German-language contributors, the article interrogates the technologically enabled gaze they direct to collaborative activities as a form of mutual editorial surveillance. Regarding the status of the knowledge circulated in such environments, it characterizes the management of visibility as an exploitation of both operational cognizance and nescience. In conclusion, the reciprocal information gathering by users about their peers invites to redraft, once again, concepts of panopticism commonly employed to describe modern societies of control and discipline.


Niagara Peninsula of Ontario is the largest viticultural area in Canada. Although it is considered to be a cool and wet region, in the last decade many water stress events occurred during the growing seasons with negative effects on grape and wine quality. This study was initiated to understand and develop the best strategies for water management in vineyards and those that might contribute to grape maturity advancement. The irrigation trials investigated the impact of time of initiation (fruit set, lag phase and veraison), water replacement level based on theoretical loss through crop evapotranspiration (ETc; 100,50 and 25%) and different irrigation strategies [partial root zone drying (PRD) versus regulated deficit irrigation (RD!)] on grape composition and wine sensory profiles. The irrigation experiments were conducted in a commercial vineyard (Lambert Vineyards Inc.) located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, from 2005 through 2009. The two experiments that tested the combination of different water regimes and irrigation time initiation were set up in a randomized block design as follows: Baco noir three replicates x 10 treatments [(25%, 50% and 100% of ETc) x (initiation at fruit set, lag phase and veraison) + control]; Chardonnay three replicates x seven treatments [(25%, 50% and 100% of ETc) x (initiation at fruit set and veraison) + control]. The experiments that tested different irrigation strategies were set up on two cultivars as follows: Sauvignon blanc four replicates x four treatments [control, fully irrigated (100% ETc), PRD (100% ETc) and RDI (25% ETc)]; Cabemet Sauvignon four replicates x five treatments [control, fully irrigated (100% ETc), PRD (100% ETc), RDI (50% ETc) and RDI (25% ETc)]. The controls in each experiment were nonirrigated. The irrigation treatments were compared for many variables related to soil water status, vine physiology, berry composition, wine sensory profile, and hormone composition [(abscisic acid (ABA) and its catabolites]. Soil moisture profile was mostly affected by irrigation treatments between 20 and 60 em depth depending on the grapevine cultivar and the regime of water applied. Overall soil moisture was consistently higher throughout the season in 100 and 50% ETc compare to the control. Transpiration rates and leaf temperature as well as shoot growth rate were the most sensitive variables to soil water status. Drip irrigation associated with RDI treatments (50% ETc and 25% ETc) had the most beneficial effects on vine physiology, fruit composition and wine varietal typicity, mainly by maintaining a balance between vegetative and reproductive parts of the vine. Neither the control nor the 100 ETc had overall a positive effect on grape composition and wine sensory typicity. The time of irrigation initiation affected the vine physiology and grape quality, the most positive effect was found in treatments initiated at lag phase and veraison. RDI treatments were overall more consistent in their positive effect on grape composition and wine varietal typicity comparing to PRD treatment. The greatest difference between non-irrigated and irrigated vines in most of the variables studied was found in 2007, the driest and hottest season of the experimental period. Soil water status had a greater and more consistent effect on red grapevine cultivars rather than on white winegrape cultivars. To understand the relationships among soil and plant water status, plant physiology and the hormonal profiles associated with it, abscisic acid (ABA) and its catabolites [phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), 7-hydroxy-ABA (TOH-ABA), 8' -hydroxy-ABA, neophaseic acid and abscisic acid glucose ester (ABA-GE)] were analyzed in leaves and berries from the Baco noir and Chardonnay irrigation trials over two growing seasons. ABA and some of its catabolites accurately described the water status in the vines. Endogenous ABA and some of its catabolites were strongly affected in Baco noir and Chardonnay by both the water regime (i.e. ET level) and timing of irrigation initiation. Chardonnay grapevines produced less ABA in both leaves and berries compared to Baco noir, which indicated that ABA synthesis is also cultivar dependant. ABA-GE was the main catabolite in treatments with high water deficits, while PA and DPA were higher in treatments with high water status, suggesting that the vine produced more ABA-GE under water deficits to maintain rapid control of the stomata. These differences between irrigation treatments with respect to ABA and catabolites were particularly noticeable in the dry 2007 season. Two trials using exogenous ABA investigated the effect of different concentrations of ABA and organs targeted for spraying, on grape maturation and berry composition of Cabemet Sauvignon grapevines, in two cool and wet seasons (2008-2009). The fIrst experiment consisted of three replicates x three treatments [(150 and 300 mg/L, both applications only on clusters) + untreated control] while the second experiment consisted in three replicates x four treatments [(full canopy, only clusters, and only leaves sprayed with 300 ppm ABA) + untreated control]. Exogenous ABA was effective in hastening veraison, and improving the composition of Cabemet Sauvignon. Ability of ABA to control the timing of grape berry maturation was dependant on both solution concentration and the target organ. ABA affected not only fruit composition but also yield components. Berries treated with ABA had lower weight and higher skin dry mass, which constitutes qualitative aspects desired in the wine grapes. Temporal advancement of ripening through hormonal control can lead to earlier fruit maturation, which is a distinct advantage in cooler areas or areas with a high risk of early frost occurrence. Exogenous ABA could provide considerable benefits to wine industry in terms of grape composition, wine style and schedule activities in the winery, particularly in wet and cool years.


Our approach to adult learners and the learning process is shaped by our knowledge of how adults change and develop across the life span. This issue of New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education reviews the latest work in adult developmental theory in the biological, psychological, sociocultural, and integrated domains, and explores the implications of this work for adult education. Chapters examine how gAnder, race, and sexual orientation affect our sense of self; explore spiritual development and theories of aging; and offer a way of understanding development in terms of how people use narrative to organize and make meaning of their experiences. This is the 84th issue of the quarterly journal "New Directions for Adult and Continuing Development."


In this work we consider weighted lattice paths in the quarter plane ${\Bbb N}_0\times{\Bbb N}_0$. The steps are given by $(m,n)\to(m-1,n)$, $(m,n)\to(m,n-1)$ and are weighted as follows: $(m,n)\to(m-1,n)$ by $m/(m+n)$ and step $(m,n)\to(m,n-1)$ by $n/(m+n)$. The considered lattice paths are absorbed at lines $y=x/t -s/t$ with $t\in{\Bbb N}$ and $s\in{\Bbb N}_0$. We provide explicit formulae for the sum of the weights of paths, starting at $(m,n)$, which are absorbed at a certain height $k$ at lines $y=x/t -s/t$ with $t\in{\Bbb N}$ and $s\in{\Bbb N}_0$, using a generating functions approach. Furthermore these weighted lattice paths can be interpreted as probability distributions arising in the context of Polya-Eggenberger urn models, more precisely, the lattice paths are sample paths of the well known sampling without replacement urn. We provide limiting distribution results for the underlying random variable, obtaining a total of five phase changes.


The threat of malicious insiders to organizations is persistent and increasing. We examine 15 real cases of insider threat sabotage of IT systems to identify several key points in the attack time-line, such as when the insider clearly became disgruntled, began attack preparations, and carried out the attack. We also determine when the attack stopped, when it was detected, and when action was taken on the insider. We found that 7 of the insiders we studied clearly became disgruntled more than 28 days prior to attack, but 9 did not carry out malicious acts until less than a day prior to attack. Of the 15 attacks, 8 ended within a day, 12 were detected within a week, and in 10 cases action was taken on the insider within a month. This exercise is a proof-of-concept for future work on larger data sets, and in this paper we detail our study methods and results, discuss challenges we faced, and identify potential new research directions.


Auditory Processing Deficits is designed to provide readers with key clinical information on APD, an important, growing area of interest in the field of audiology. The book contains the latest guidelines on screening, diagnosis, and intervention of auditory processing deficits and includes key information on related assessment tools and management strategies. Key Features: * More than 300 high-quality, full-color illustrations help readers understand complex topics* Graphics showing clinical research data aid in comprehension and retention of difficult concepts* Case examples facilitate the synthesis of information from clinical assessments and creation of intervention plans* Each chapter includes a section on future trends that informs readers of upcoming technologies or methodologies that could benefit patients Written by an experienced authority on APD, with knowledge and experience in three related fields including audiology, speech-language pathology, and teaching for the deaf, this book is an essential clinical guide for graduate students in audiology as well as practicing audiologists.


Contrastive learning for self-supervised representation learning has brought a strong improvement to many application areas, such as computer vision and natural language processing. With the availability of large collections of unlabeled data in vision and language, contrastive learning of language and image representations has brought impressive results. The contrastive learning methods CLIP and CLOOB have demonstrated that the learned representations are highly transferable to a large set of diverse tasks when trained on multi-modal data from two different domains. In drug discovery, similar large, multi-modal datasets comprising both cell-based microscopy images and chemical structures of molecules are available. However, contrastive learning has not been used for this type of multi-modal data in drug discovery, although transferable representations could be a remedy for the time-consuming and cost-expensive label acquisition in this domain. In this work, we present a contrastive learning method for image-based and structure-based representations of small molecules for drug discovery. Our method, Contrastive Leave One Out boost for Molecule Encoders (CLOOME), is based on CLOOB and comprises an encoder for microscopy data, an encoder for chemical structures and a contrastive learning objective. On the benchmark dataset ºCell Paintingº, we demonstrate the ability of our method to learn transferable representations by performing linear probing for activity prediction tasks. Additionally, we show that the representations could also be useful for bioisosteric replacement tasks.


This paper presents design of an SI engine load torque estimator based on an adaptive Kalman filter. The adaptive estimator is characterized by a fast response and good noise suppression ability. The estimator is used to establish a fast load torque compensation path within a proportional-plus-integral (PI) controller-based idle speed control system. The proposed adaptive controller has been verified by means of experiments, and compared with PI, PID and polynomial controllers. The experimental results point out to favorable performance of the adaptive controller for a wide engine operating range.


The term bureaucracy is laden with negative connotations. One thinks of large, rigidified organizations with baroque, ritualized procedures incapable of adapting to changing needs and conditions in the environment. In mentioning the term bureaucracy one usually also speaks of its means of perpetuation: the professional bureaucrat. These are usually cast as unimaginative, plodding individuals socialized into the rule system of the bureaucracy to the point where the rules themselves, and not the purposes behind the rules, become the reason and guides of their employ. In recent years, another force has appeared which threatens to spread, the phenomenon of bureaucracy even further; namely the implementation of these bureaucratic rules and procedures in the form of computer-based administrative systems.

The purpose of this paper is to review in somewhat more depth the nature and interaction of these three forces: the bureaucratic organization itself; the bureaucrats that populate such organizations; and the special impact of information technology on their operation.


Members of the strictly stygobiont, continental subterranean amphipod family Metacrangonyctidae are reported for the first time outside the Old World. Two new species of Metacrangonyx are described from two widely separated localities in the Dominican Republic (Hispaniola), one facing the Caribbean and the other the Atlantic ocean. The discovery of metacrangonyctids in the western Atlantic suggests that they are an ancient subterranean lineage tied to the shores of the Tethys belt, and thus weakens previous biogeographic arguments raised to favour their separate and independent family status with respect to the Hadziidae. The discovery in the Mediterranean of marine populations of metacrangonyctids is reported as well, and both findings are used to test the reliability of the scenario currently held for the origin and evolution of this peculiar group of stygobiont amphipods. It is concluded that Metacrangonyx is a thalassoid lineage already present in the shores of the western Tethys before the complete aperture of the central North Atlantic (circa 110 Myr BP), and with marine populations persisting at both shores of this ocean until some time in the Quaternary, in case they have not yet disappeared. Evidence derived from Hispaniolan and Balearic Metacrangonyx does not support the correspondence between species-groups and the time at which precise waves of colonization of continental ground waters took place (after Turonian and Senonian marine regressions, respectively) as is assumed to occur for Old World taxa.


Philippe Starck describes him as a "mystic in a country which is no longer mystic." Drew Philip calls his buildings "land art" that "struggle to emerge from the earth." He is the only architect to have won the discipline's four most prestigious prizes: the Pritzker, Carlsberg, Praemium Imperiale, and Kyoto Prize. His name is Tadao Ando, and he is one of the world's greatest living architects. Combining influences from Japanese tradition with the best of Modernism, Ando has developed a completely unique building aesthetic that makes use of concrete, wood, water, light, space, and nature in a way that has never been witnessed elsewhere in architecture. This book provides the perfect introduction to Ando's work, including private homes, churches, museums, apartment complexes, and cultural spaces throughout Japan, and in France, Italy, Spain, and the USA.


This study considers the implications for teachers of physical education of adopting physical literacy as the focus of their work. These implications arise from the philosophical underpinning of the concept, from the definition of physical literacy and are in line with the mission of the International Physical Literacy Association. In the first section of this study, recommendations stemming from the philosophical roots of the concept will be outlined in brief. The other three sections will demonstrate how this philosophical basis and the definition of physical literacy should inform, first, lesson and unit content; second, teaching approaches; and, finally, curriculum planning. Unpacking the implications and what physical literacy looks like in practice is essential if teachers are to begin to incorporate physical literacy within their practice.


Research suggests that belief in conspiracy theories (CT) stems from basic psychological mechanisms and is linked to other belief systems (e.g. religious beliefs). While previous research has extensively examined individual and contextual variables associated with CT beliefs, it has not yet investigated the role of culture. In the current research, we tested, based on a situated cultural cognition perspective, the extent to which culture predicts CT beliefs. Using Hofstede's model of cultural values, three nation-level analyses of data from 25, 19 and 18 countries using different measures of CT beliefs (Study 1, N = 5,323; Study 2a, N = 12,255; Study 2b, N = 30,994) revealed positive associations between Masculinity, Collectivism and CT beliefs. A cross-sectional study among US citizens (Study 3, N = 350), using individual-level measures of Hofstede's values, replicated these findings. A meta-analysis of correlations across studies corroborated the presence of positive links between CT beliefs, Collectivism, r = .31, 95%CI = [.15; .47] and Masculinity, , r = .39, 95%CI = [.18; .59]. Our results suggest that in addition to individual-differences and contextual variables, cultural factors also play an important role in shaping CT beliefs.


Most empirical formulas have been proposed to quantitatively evaluate local damage to reinforced concrete (RC) structures caused by a rigid projectile impact. These formulas have been derived from impact tests performed to the target structure with a normal angle, while only a few impact tests involving soft projectile to the target structure have been studied. Recently, we conducted a series of impact tests to evaluate local damage to RC panels subjected to normal and oblique impact due to rigid and soft projectiles. The final goal of our study is to establish a new formula for evaluating local damage to RC structures caused by oblique impact based on experimental and analytical investigation. This paper summarizes the results of experimental and analytical investigation on penetration damage mode to RC panels subjected to normal projectile impact. Through the comparison between experimental and analytical results, the analytical method is validated.


This paper examines the articles published in the Singapore journal of library and information management journal Present analysis covers the areas like article distribution pattern, authorship pattern, reference, and geographical distribution of authors, etc. At the time of data mining of said journal, 25 articles were published during the period 2008-2012. Singapore since being the host country, as such proved to be one of the major contributors of the journal in every respect. Individual contribution of authors to the journal has been tabulated as per articles contributed, highlighted in their standing order. After analysing 435 references, on average 17.40 references have been assigned to each article. Researchers from 4 different countries across the world have contributed research articles to the journal during the period of study. 48.00 % articles contributed to the journal during the period of study are based on co-authorship pattern,unveiling the fact that most of the research undertaken these days is on joint authorship pattern.


In some people, a high cholesterol concentration in the blood is caused by an inherited genetic defect known as familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). A raised cholesterol concentration in the blood is present from birth and may
lead to early development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The disease shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance, being transmitted from generation to generation in such a way that siblings and
children of a person with FH have a 50% risk of inheriting FH. Most people with FH have inherited a defective gene for FH from only one parent and are therefore heterozygous. Rarely, a person will inherit a genetic
defect from both parents and will have homozygous FH or compound heterozygous FH, which will be collectively termed homozygous FH for the purpose of this guideline.
The prevalence of heterozygous FH in the UK population is estimated to be 1 in 500, which means that approximately 110,000 people are affected. The elevated serum cholesterol concentration that characterises heterozygous FH leads to a greater than 50% risk of coronary heart disease in men by the age of 50 years and at least 30% in women by the age of 60 years.
Homozygous FH is rare, with symptoms appearing in childhood, and is associated with early death from coronary heart disease. Homozygous FH has an incidence of approximately one case per one million. The guideline will assume that prescribers will use a drug's summary of
product characteristics to inform their decisions for individual patients.


Background Physical activity is vital for older people's health. Walking is older people's commonest physical activity (PA), light intensity if strolling, moderate intensity if brisker. We assessed whether a primary care nurse-delivered complex intervention increased older peoples' walking. Methods 2-arm parallel design, cluster randomised controlled trial with household as the randomisation unit. 988 people aged 60–75 years who had no restrictions to increasing their walking, were randomly selected from 3 Oxfordshire and Berkshire UK general practices and invited to participate, of whom 298 people from 250 households were randomised to intervention group (150 individuals) or usual care control group (148 individuals). The intervention group received four practice nurse PA consultations incorporating behaviour change techniques, feedback on pedometer step-counts and accelerometer PA intensity, an individual PA diary and PA plan. Outcomes were: average daily step-counts over 7 days (primary outcome) and average time spent in moderate or vigorous PA weekly (MVPA) (secondary outcome) at 3 and 12 months, assessed by accelerometry. These were regressed on baseline levels to represent changes. Other outcomes included adverse events, anthropometry, depression, anxiety and pain scores. Assessors were not blind to group allocation. Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN421225561 Results Primary outcome data were available for 280 (94%) individuals. Mean (SD) baseline average daily step-count was 7453 (2463) in control and 7388 (2218) in intervention groups. At 3 months both average daily step-counts and average weekly MVPA increased significantly more in the intervention than control group, by 1037 (95% CI 513, 1560) steps/day and 66 (95% CI 36, 96) minutes/week respectively. At 12 months the corresponding differences were 609 (95% CI 104, 1115) steps/day and 40 (95% CI 10, 70) minutes/week respectively. There were no significant between group differences in other outcomes. Conclusion The PACE-Lift trial increased walking, both step-counts and time spent in MVPA in older primary care patients at 3 and 12 months, with no effect on adverse events.


ABSTRACT
 We conducted trials in a citrus grove infested with Argentine ants [Linepithema humile (Mayr); Hymenoptera: Formicidae] using bait stations (9.8 per ha) filled with bait consisting of either 0.001% imidacloprid as one treatment or 0.25% methoprene as a second treatment. The 2 treated areas and a control were widely separated in the grove. Within each area, trees were randomly selected to receive sucrose water monitors. Consumption of the sucrose water is a measurement of ant foraging activity that we used to compare treatments and the control. For all weekly samples except one, consumption by ants in the imidacloprid-treated area was significantly lower than in the controls. The methoprene treatments gave a more complex outcome: the consumption of the bait was significantly higher than in the controls during wk 5 and 8, but then rapidly descended below the consumption level of the control during wk 11 and 12. A post-experimental examination of the control and methoprene areas showed that queen numbers in the methoprene area were 93% lower than in the control area. A subsequent laboratory experiment comparing the methoprene bait in sucrose to sucrose only showed significant worker mortality after 9, 12, and 16 wk, while at the end of the experiment queen mortality was 24% higher than in the controls (ns). The initial rise in field ant numbers with the methoprene bait would pose a problem for its use by growers unless it would be used early in the season before hot weather would drive the annual increase in ant numbers.


A model Ni-Bi system has been used to investigate intergranular penetration (IGP) phenomenon. All experiments have been done on Ni 26°<110> bicrystal at 700°C using bismuth vapour condensation as a source of liquid bismuth. Such a procedure results at room temperature in either partial or total Liquid Metal Induced Embrittlement (LMIE) of a unique grain boundary, depending on the duration of liquid Bi / solid Ni contact at 700°C. Auger Electron Spectrometry (AES) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) have been used to measure the Bi concentration profile between the source of liquid bismuth and the penetration front. Two zones have been clearly identified : the first one of almost constant Bi concentration called nanometrethick film which is interpreted in terms of Fowler-Guggenheim multi-layer segregation under local equilibrium conditions and the second one with a progressive decrease of Bi concentration over a distance of the order of 20-200µm. Such a long transition zone, together with parabolic diffusion kinetics indicates diffusion-based mechanism of intergranular penetration as opposed to the direct grain boundary wetting.


The rise of lethal autonomous weapons systems creates numerous problems for legal regimes meant to insure public accountability for unlawful uses of force. In particular, international humanitarian law has long relied on enforcement through individual criminal responsibility, which is complicated by autonomous weapons that fragment responsibility for decisions to deploy violence. Accordingly, there may often be no human being with the requisite level of intent to trigger individual responsibility under existing doctrine. In response, perhaps international criminal law could be reformed to account for such issues. Or, in the alternative, greater emphasis on other forms of accountability, such as tort liability and state responsibility might be useful supplements.
But largely absent from this debate is discussion of an alternative form of accountability that often gets overlooked or dismissed as inconsequential, one that we might term "administrative accountability." This article provides a close look at this type of accountability and its potential. Such accountability might take the form of administrative procedures, inquiries, sanctions, and reforms that can be deployed within the military or the administrative state more broadly to respond to an incident in which a violation of international humanitarian law may have occurred. These procedures might result in after-the fact sanctions on individuals who may be implicated in harms even if they would not be deemed criminally responsible or even negligent within a tort law framework. They also might dictate organizational reforms of bureaucratic structures that affect systems of hierarchical or other types of control that are forward-looking in their focus. Administrative accountability may be particularly useful in the case of autonomous systems because the restrictions of criminal law, such as the intent requirement for most crimes, may not apply in many circumstances. Administrative accountability, in contrast, is far more flexible both in the process by which it unfolds and in the remedies available, offering the prospect of both individual sanctions as well as broader organizational reforms.
Obviously, such accountability depends on the willingness of actors within the administrative bureaucracy to pursue such accountability mechanisms. And at times, criminal accountability or tort liability may be more appropriate. But at the very least the potential for such administrative accountability should be part of any discussion about accountability for uses of autonomous and semi-autonomous weaponry. Moreover, because administrative bureaucracies are not monolithic, simply the creation of administrative procedures to investigate and impose non-criminal discipline for violations of international norms can create a cadre of experts within the government who internalize these values and foster a culture of broader compliance.


Variations in state campaign finance regulations across states and over time provide an opportunity to test the effects of reforms on the electoral success of incumbent state legislators. We use the most recent state legislative election returns dataset to test whether state campaign finance reforms help or hinder incumbents. Our analysis of nearly 66,000 contests in 33 years reveals that campaign contribution limits and partial public financing have little impact on incumbent reelection prospects. However, full public financing and prohibitions on corporate independent expenditures significantly increase the probability of incumbent reelection.


In an age of mediated conflict, the fields of media and communication studies need to critically address the increasingly important relation between film and violent conflict. The number of films dealing with violent conflicts is expanding, but scholars still struggle to find suitable frameworks to study them. Instead, concepts such as "accented" and "exilic" filmmaking are often used. Seeking to advance the study of film and violent conflict, and based on interdisciplinary insights, this article proposes a framework of cinematic engagement that takes the level of involvement of filmmakers as a key element of differentiation. The proposed framework is illustrated with examples from Kurdish cinema, which is deeply rooted in one of the longest-standing conflicts in the Middle East.


Magnetotransport measurements in large diameter multiwall carbon nanotubes (20–40 nm) demonstrate the competition of a magnetic-field dependent bandstructure and Altshuler–Aronov–Spivak oscillations. By means of an efficient capacitive coupling to a backgate electrode, the magnetoconductance oscillations are explored as a function of Fermi level shift. Changing the magnetic field orientation with respect to the tube axis and by ensemble averaging, allows the contributions of different Aharonov–Bohm phases to be identified. The results are in qualitative agreement with numerical calculations of the band structure and the conductance.


Impairment-based evaluation has, until recently, been the mainstay of orthopaedic research in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, participation-based outcomes, in particular returning to sport, have lately garnered increased research attention. This is important because returning to sport is typically a main concern of injured athletes. Recent metaanalyses have demonstrated that the return to sport rate after ACL reconstruction is disappointingly low, and that a range of contextual factors including age, sex, sport participation level, and psychological factors may affect the return to sport rate. Moderate to large effect sizes have been demonstrated for greater psychological readiness to return to sport, and lower fear of reinjury favoring returning to the preinjury level sport after ACL reconstruction. Understanding the relationship between psychological factors and returning to sport is essential in light of the fact that most athletes recover good physical function after surgery, and many athletes with good knee function do not return to sport. Psychological factors are potentially modifiable with appropriate intervention, yet these factors are not systematically addressed in routine postoperative rehabilitation. This review summarizes the recent evidence for the relationship between psychological factors and ACL injury, including recovery from injury and returning to sport.


In this study, a fluidized bed reactor was used to compare heterogeneous and homogeneous crystallization for recovering magnesium ammonia phosphate (MAP) from the dewatering filtrate at a municipal water resource recovery facility. Investigating the factors affecting crystallization revealed that pH exerted a greater effect than the Mg/P molar ratio. The results of a heterogeneous crystallization experiment showed that removal efficiency of phosphate (RP%) and crystal efficiency of phosphate (CP%) were 68% and 66%, respectively, at a PO4‐P concentration of 200 mg/L, pH of 8.0, and Mg/P molar ratio of 1.0 for 3 h. The reaction rate of heterogeneous crystallization was markedly higher than that of homogeneous crystallization. Those pellets produced through the heterogeneous crystallization exhibited a dense surface (particle size 0.5‐1.0 mm; water content 8.7%). Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) examination, the crystallized patterns of the needle‐shaped pellets were identified as MgNH4PO4·6H2O.


[1] Field measurements indicate that, in gravel bed rivers, bed load may not be a one-to-one response to shear stress but may instead fluctuate a great deal over time for a given flow condition. Both in flume and field experiments, these fluctuations were often associated with migration of low-relief bed forms called bed load sheets. Whereas several studies have described bed load sheets as a consequence of grain sorting, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for their production and migration. These were investigated in flume experiments. A set of 20 experiments was conducted under constant feeding rate conditions, with mixtures of different uniform sediments and for slopes varying from 0.8 to 9%. Except for runs performed in high flow conditions, we observed periodic bed load sheet production and migration associated with fluctuations of bed slope, bed state (bed fining and paving), and bed load. Observations allowed us to conclude that bed load sheets resulted from very efficient vertical and longitudinal grain sorting that produced periodic local bed aggradation and erosion clearly observed in the upstream section of the flume. Fractional transport rates were measured in one run. Combined with the results of experiments previously conducted by authors with uniform sediments, this experiment showed that the highest (peak) solid discharges were essentially caused by the much greater mobility of the coarser gravels when transported within bed load sheets. A scenario is proposed for the mechanisms involved in bed load sheet production and migration.


Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are widely used for establishing evidence of the effectiveness of interventions, yet public health interventions are often complex, posing speci�c challenges for RCTs. While there is increasing recognition that qualitative methods can and should be integrated into RCTs, few frameworks and practical guidance highlight which qualitative methods should be integrated and for what purposes. As a result, qualitative methods are often poorly or haphazardly integrated into existing trials, and researchers rely heavily on interviews and focus group discussions. To improve current practice, we propose a framework for innovative qualitative research methods that can help address the challenges of RCTs for complex public health interventions. Methods: We used a stepped approach to develop a practical framework for researchers. This included: (1) a systematic review of the innovative qualitative methods mentioned in the health literature; (2) in-depth interviews with 23 academics from different methodological backgrounds working on RCTs of public health interventions in 11 different countries; and (3) a framework development and group consensus-building process. Results: The �ndings are presented according to the CONSORT Statement categories for ease of use. We identify the main challenges of RCTs for public health interventions alongside each of the CONSORT categories and potential innovative qualitative methods that overcome each challenge are listed as part of a Framework for the Integration of Innovative Qualitative Methods into RCTs of Complex Health Interventions. Innovative qualitative methods described in the interviews include: rapid ethnographic appraisals, document analysis, diary methods, interactive voice responses and SMS, community mapping, spiral walks, pair interviews and visual participatory analysis. Conclusions: The �ndings of this study point to the usefulness of observational and participatory methods for trials of complex public health interventions, offering a novel contribution to the broader literature about the need for mixed methods approaches. Integrating a diverse toolkit of qualitative methods can enable appropriate adjustments to the intervention and/ or process of data collection during RCTs, which in turn can create more sustainable and effective interventions. However, such integration will require a cultural shift towards the adoption of method-neutral research approaches, transdisciplinary collaborations, and publishing regimes.


The binding of [3H]muscimol, a gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) receptor agonist, to a membrane preparation from pig cerebral cortex was enhanced by the anaesthetic propanidid in a concentration-dependent manner. At 0 degrees C, binding was stimulated to 220% of control values, with 50% stimulation at 60 microM-propanidid. At 37 degrees C, propanidid caused a more powerful stimulation of [3H]muscimol binding (340% of control values). Propanidid (1 mM) exerted little effect on the affinity of muscimol binding (KD approx. 10 nM), but increased the apparent number of high-affinity binding sites in the membrane by 2-fold. Enhancement of [3H]muscimol binding was observed only in the presence of Cl- ions, half-maximal activation being achieved at approx. 40 mM-Cl-. Picrotoxinin inhibited the stimulation of [3H]muscimol binding by propanidid with an IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) value of approx. 25 microM. The enhancement of [3H]muscimol binding by propanidid was not additive with the enhancement produced by secobarbital. Phenobarbital inhibited the effect of propanidid and secobarbital. The GABA receptor was solubilized with Triton X-100 or with Chaps [3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]propanesulphonate]. Propanidid and secobarbital did not stimulate the binding of [3H]muscimol after solubilization with Triton X-100. However, the receptor could be solubilized by 5 mM-Chaps with retention of the stimulatory effects of propanidid and secobarbital. Unlike barbiturates, propanidid did not stimulate the binding of [3H]flunitrazepam to membranes. It is suggested that the ability to modulate the [3H]muscimol site of the GABA-receptor complex may be a common and perhaps functional characteristic of general anaesthetics.


AIM
The aim of this was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions provided by a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in reducing stress in carers of individuals with dementia.

BACKGROUND
The CMHT had been created to working specifically with older people with mental health problems and their carers. Following initial multidisciplinary assessment a range of interventions were provided to both clients and carers according to assessed need. There is an established need for mental health services to focus on the need of carers and the study attempts to see if the interventions provided were useful in reducing carer stress.

METHOD
The study used a time series design over a 2-year period on all referrals to the CMHT. All carers of individuals with dementia or clearly identified memory problems were invited to participate and a total of 26 carers consented and participated in all stages of data collection. Data were collected on initial assessment, as well as 3 and 6 months following the initial assessment using the Caregiver Strain Index (CSI). A questionnaire was also administered which collected basic demographic information and details of symptoms demonstrated by the carer's relatives.

RESULTS
On initial assessment the mean CSI score for the overall sample was 9.23. The mean CSI reading at 3 months (6.63) and 6 months period (4.12) demonstrated statistically highly significant reductions in carer stress (P = 0.000). A linear stepwise regression analysis of the impact of the different interventions on reductions in the CSI scores showed a statistically significant relationship between respite care and reduction in carer stress (B = 1.705, t = 2.586, P = 0.017).

CONCLUSION
The results add support to the role of multidisciplinary community based services for individuals with dementia, offering a range of interventions to both clients and their carers, in reducing carer stress. The authors also argue for the routine use of the CSI in such teams as means of monitoring the well-being of carers as well as evaluating the effectiveness of service delivery.


New whole rock chemical and Re-Os isotopic analyses of peridotite xenoliths from the Monastery kimberlite show the majority of the samples to have the low Fe, Al and Ca, and high MgO contents typical of magmaphile-element depleted cratonic lithospheric mantle. Two out of nine samples have elevated Al and lower Mg contents. Re-Os results show these two samples to be mid-Proterozoic in age indicating that additions of compositionally distinct material to this mantle section took place well after its initial assembly in the Archean. The remainder of the samples have the low Re/Os and 187Os/188Os characteristic of old cratonic peridotites, overlapping extensively with most other peridotite xenoliths contained in kimberlites erupted through the Kaapvaal craton. Excluding the two Proterozoic samples and two samples with anomalously old Re-Os model ages, the Monastery results give a mean Re-depletion model age (TRD) of 2.76 ± 0.41 Ga and mantle model age (TMA) of 3.25 ± 0.28 Ga. The oldest TRD observed at Monastery is 3.02 Ga. Compared to two well-studied localities from west of the Colesberg lineament that may mark a 2.9 Ga suture between the western and eastern blocks of the Kaapvaal craton, the Monastery mean TMA is older, but within uncertainty of, the mean TMA observed for Kimberley (2.93 Ga) and Newlands (3.18 Ga) peridotites. Similarly, the maximum TRD obtained at Kimberley (2.95 Ga) and Newlands (3.22 Ga) span the maximum TRD observed at Monastery. These results show conclusively that the most significant geochemical differentiation event affecting the Kaapvaal mantle occurred in the Archean. Compared to the results for peridotite xenoliths in kimberlites that penetrate the western Kaapvaal, the older mean TMA observed for Monastery peridotites is suggestive of older mantle beneath the older crust of the eastern Kaapvaal. However, the combination of the scatter observed in the TMA ages for samples from each locality and the uncertainty in the interpretation of Re-Os mantle model ages caused by the multistage, e.g. metasomatic, history of the samples does not allow conclusive resolution of this possible age difference.


This study explored the roles of spiritual distress and negative communication in relationship satisfaction among couples that include a veteran managing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fifty-eight veterans managing PTSD and 42 of their partners responded to mailed surveys assessing PTSD symptoms, relationship satisfaction, negative communication, spiritual distress, and demographics. Among veterans, spiritual distress predicted relationship satisfaction, and the effect was mediated by negative communication. Among partners, negative communication, but not spiritual distress, predicted relationship satisfaction. Clinical implications and future directions for spiritually-integrated care are discussed.


Numerical simulations of Typhoon Morakot (2009) were performed using the Naval Research Laboratory's Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System for Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC). COAMPS-TC was run in real-time in 2009 in the western North Pacific Ocean basin, and simulations of Morakot were executed during its life cycle, from formation through landfall in Taiwan. In this work, an evaluation of the model's performance is presented. The COAMPS-TC average track errors were small and very close to those of the consensus. Further, the intensity errors were small; the mean absolute intensity error at the 48 h lead time was 9 kt. Particular focus was placed on the 72-h simulation beginning on 1200 UTC 6 August, encompassing the time frame before, during and after landfall. COAMPS-TC was able to predict the structure of Morakot reasonably well before and after landfall, capturing a large asymmetric tropical cyclone with the precipitation shield shifted to the south of its center. Qualitatively, the precipitation forecast was consistent with observations from the Taiwan rain gauge network, as the model was able to predict two maxima, in both the northern and southern portions of the central mountain range. However, the accumulated precipitation maximum in the southern portion of the central mountain range was underpredicted by approximately 50%. The underprediction in precipitation by COAMPS-TC in southern Taiwan was due to four factors: (i) the premature dissipation of tropical storm Goni causing errors in the large-scale flow and moisture pattern after landfall, (ii) inaccuracies in the spatial location and timing of convective and stratiform precipitation as Morakot interacted with land and the southwest monsoon flow, (iii) a simulated track that moved slightly too slow prior to landfall and slightly too fast after landfall, and (iv) a horizontal resolution (5-km) that may be too coarse to resolve the interaction of convection with the complex topography.


The overall aim of this book is to provide a clear,comprehensive account of the problem of child abuse and the way in which the law deals with the problem. The process of recognition of child abuse as a significant social problem, and the changing attitudes towards the veracity and reliability of statements made by children, are also explored. The reporting of abuse, the role of the doctor in diagnosing abuse and the development of inter-agency co-operation are examined, together with an account of how the law protects children from further abuse. Procedures in court, in both civil and criminal cases involving abuse victims, are explained, including the use of video technology. Finally, attention is paid to the abuser, and to the concepts of treatment and punishement.


The incidence and drug susceptibility of gram-negative isolates from clinical samples of patients from different intensive care units at the Hospital de Clinicas Jose de San Martin were analysed. Two hundred isolates during the same five months period, in two different years (1998 and 2001) were obtained and evaluated. Acinetobacter spp., was the most frequently isolated microorganism. Resistance to imipenem was observed in 60% of these isolations while resistance to 3 r d generation cephalosporin and ciprofloxacin was observed in more than 80%. Klebsiella pneumoniae was not resistant to imipenem, the resistance to 3 r d and 4 t h generation cephalosporins decreased from 71.4 to 30% of isolates (p<0.05), while ciprofloxacin resistance increased from 5 to 20% (p<0.05). An increasing resistance to imipenem in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was noted, from 15.4 to 68% (p<0.05%); to ciprofloxacin, from 31.4 to 66.3% (p< 0.05); to amikacin, from 23 to 60.1% (p<0.05); and to ceftazidime, from 8.2 to 28.3% (p<0.05). In conclusion, the alarming rates of resistance found in this study provide compelling evidence of the need for more rational use of antimicrobial agents; ongoing surveillance on the etiology of infections and their resistance profiles is important to guide future antimicrobial chemotherapy.


Anchor- and distribution-based methods were combined to evaluate and establish minimally important differences (MIDs) for two Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures in an outpatient chronic pain population. These included the computer-adaptive test (CAT) versions of two PROMIS measures: Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety-Related Symptoms (PROMIS; Cella, Gershon, Lai & Choi). Participants (n = 170) undergoing a behavioral medicine evaluation in an interdisciplinary pain management clinic completed two PROMIS CATs and multiple clinical anchor measures/questions. Modeled after similar analyses (Yost, Eton, Garcia, & Cella), three a priori criteria were used to select usable cross-sectional anchor-based MID estimates; these included a minimum Spearman correlation of .3 between the PROMIS measure and anchor item/categories, a minimum comparison group sample size of 10 within each anchor, and an effect size between .2 and .8 for each anchor-based estimate. For each PROMIS measure, the mean standard error of measurement was calculated and incorporated into MID analyses. Using a large sample (n = 170), a number of the cross-sectional T-score anchor-based MID estimates (57%) were not included due to failure to meet a priori criteria. Based on the analyses, the following T-score MID ranges are recommended: Depression CAT (3.5–5.5) and Anxiety CAT (3.0–5.5). The average effect sizes for MID estimates ranged from .32 to .57. This study is among the first to address MIDs for PROMIS measures; it is the first study to establish usable MIDs for psychological symptoms on outpatients with chronic/persistent pain. The results may be used to gauge minimally important clinical difference and/or treatment response for individuals within this patient population. MIDs for PROs are particularly useful when treatment responses are significant to the patient but are difficult to evaluate during the clinical visit.


We propose an approach for the automatic creation of mood playlists in the Thayer plane (TP). Music emotion recognition is tackled as a regression and classification problem, aiming to predict the arousal and valence (AV) values of each song in the TP, based on Yang's dataset. To this end, a high number of audio features are extracted using three frameworks: PsySound, MIR Toolbox and Marsyas. The extracted features and Yang's annotated AV values are used to train several Support Vector Regressors, each employing different feature sets. The best performance, in terms of R 2 statistics, was attained after feature selection, reaching 63% for arousal and 35.6% for valence. Based on the predicted location of each song in the TP, mood playlists can be created by specifying a point in the plane, from which the closest songs are re-trieved. Using one seed song, the accuracy of the created playlists was 62.3% for 20-song playlists, 24.8% for 5-song playlists and 6.2% for the top song.


The book takes a fresh look at modern Japan, and does not treat the Japanese as enigmatic or mysterious people; their ways of thinking and their culture can be explained by an honest appraisal of their history and of the norms that have shaped this history. This book not only reveals the mentality and national character of modern Japanese people but also attempts to explore and analyze the roots of their mannerisms. Everyone knows that the Japanese are generally more polite than other nationalities, but why is this so? Why do they embrace a relaxed attitude when being served by others? Surely, there must be specific reasons to account for these observations. Delving into the social values of the Japanese, why do they value loyalty and commitment so much? How long have they been upholding these virtues? Why, when interrogated by the police, even without being beaten or tortured, do they easily confess guilt for crimes that they have not committed? What are the reasons for such behaviors? All these questions and more are answered in this engaging and illuminating book.


O n 9 August 2001, President George W. Bush announced a new policy for federal funding of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. To their credit, both former President Bill Clinton and current President Bush developed explicit policies for the funding of research involving human embryos. Nevertheless, these good-faith efforts followed at least 15 years during which Democratic and Republican administrations avoided the ethical and political minefields associated with such research, chiefly by ignoring the issue. In contrast, the United Kingdom has been engaged in a more decisive process, which can instructively be compared to that of the United States.

In 1979, after the first successful outcome of human in vitro fertilization (IVF), a U.S. federal Ethics Advisory Board concluded that federal funding for human embryo research designed to evaluate clinical IVF would be ethically acceptable. The board's 900-page report was never acted on, however, and from 1979 to 1994 federal policy on human embryo research languished. During the first Clinton administration, an interdisciplinary advisory panel appointed by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Harold Varmus produced an extensive new report on human embryo research. The 1994 report strongly endorsed research on unused embryos from IVF clinics, with the consent of the genetic parents. A narrow majority of panel members also approved the creation of embryos for research purposes in carefully specified circumstances; President Clinton immediately and publicly disagreed with this position. Before any of the NIH panel's recommendations could be implemented, however, Congress blocked federal funding of all human embryo research by attaching prohibitions to the annual appropriations bills that fund NIH.

The culturing of human ES cells in 1998, with funding by a private company, confronted U.S. policymakers with new quandaries. In 1999, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, in a report to President Clinton, recommended modifying the congressional funding ban to permit federal support for the derivation as well as the use of ES cells from unneeded embryos. Shortly thereafter, NIH proposed that federal funding be permitted for the use of ES cells already derived with nonfederal support but not for the derivation process, which entails the destruction of embryos. In NIH's view, research using such cells had not been prohibited by the congressional ban, because ES cells are not embryos. President Bush's new policy accepts the NIH proposal, with an additional limit on the time of derivation. Meanwhile, research funded and conducted in the private sector continues, without advance public disclosure and subject only to a handful of state statutes.

By contrast, during this same period of time, the United Kingdom rapidly came to terms with human embryo research. A public advisory committee chaired by philosopher Mary Warnock recommended in 1984 that the British government permit and fund research on human embryos. Within the committee, there was strong support for the use of unused embryos from IVF in research, whereas a slim majority favored the generation of embryos for research purposes in extraordinary circumstances. The Warnock Committee also recommended the establishment of a government licensing authority for human embryo research and clinical IVF. Six years later, virtually all of the Warnock Committee's recommendations were translated into the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act of 1990.

From 1991 to the present, official licensing authorities have reviewed all human embryo research proposals in the United Kingdom, without regard to funding source. They have also kept detailed records on the number of embryos used in research and published annual reports on approved projects. In January 2001, regulations adopted by the British Parliament expanded the list of permissible goals for human embryo research and, more controversially, will permit the creation of human embryos for research by means of nuclear transfer.

The moral of this story is not that either nation's policy is superior to that of the other. One lesson is that ignoring a public policy problem does not make it disappear. Another is that timely action may help policymakers resolve later, unanticipated policy questions. In the years ahead, the United States, the United Kingdom, and perhaps 25 other industrialized nations will be engaged in a global policy experiment. Governments and their advisors will need to be humble and flexible, but also decisive and courageous. Additional surprises surely lie ahead.


ABSTRACT ftsZ is essential for cell division in many microorganisms. In Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, FtsZ plays a role in ring formation at the leading edge of the cell division septum. An ftsZ homologue is present in the Borrelia burgdorferi genome (ftsZBbu). Its gene product (FtsZBbu) is strongly homologous to other bacterial FtsZ proteins, but its function has not been established. Because loss-of-function mutants of ftsZBbu might be lethal, the tetR/tetO system was adapted for regulated control of this gene in B. burgdorferi. Sixty-two nucleotides of an ftsZBbu antisense DNA sequence under the control of a tetracycline-responsive modified hybrid borrelial promoter were cloned into pKFSS1. This construct was electroporated into a B. burgdorferi host strain carrying a chromosomally located tetR under the control of the B. burgdorferi flaB promoter. After induction by anhydrotetracycline, expression of antisense ftsZ RNA resulted in generation of filamentous B. burgdorferi that were unable to divide and grew more slowly than uninduced cells. To determine whether FtsZBbu could interfere with the function of E. coli FtsZ, ftsZBbu was amplified from chromosomal DNA and placed under the control of the tetracycline-regulated hybrid promoter. After introduction of the construct into E. coli and induction with anhydrotetracycline, overexpression of ftsZBbu generated a filamentous phenotype. This suggested interference of ftsZBbu with E. coli FtsZ function and confirmed the role of ftsZBbu in cell division. This is the first report of the generation of a B. burgdorferi conditional lethal mutant equivalent by tetracycline-controlled expression of antisense RNA.


In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars. This accessible new translation offers an illuminating insight into the world of the Arab geographers, and the medieval lands of the far north.


With any new technology in aviation come new regulations, policies and concerns about safety related to the implementation of this new technology. The purpose of this research is to explain what aviation safety initiatives have been introduced in response to the use of glass cockpits in general aviation. The method that will be used to explore this topic and answer this question will be a literature review of already published information on glass cockpits. This information will be taken from aviation-related articles, reports, studies and websites. Discussion about policy changes that have been developed due to the introduction and continued use of glass cockpit technology will be explained, including studies completed by aviation organizations to compare this technology to conventional aviation cockpit panels and their results. Studies show that training is an important factor to this topic. Increased training means more time and more money will need to be put forth by those learning to fly and teaching to fly, as well as by those building and bettering aviation technologies, all in order to continue to make flight a possibility.


We are seeing today what appear to be the beginnings of an ecological revolution, a new historical moment unlike any humanity has experienced. Not only is the planet burning, but a revolutionary climate movement is rising up and is now on fire in response.


Genome size varies widely across organisms, with no apparent tie to organismal complexity. While genome size is inherited, there is no established evolutionary model for this trait. Hypotheses have been postulated for the observed variation in genome sizes across species, most notably the effective population size hypothesis, the mutational equilibrium hypothesis, and the adaptive hypothesis. While much data has been collected on genome size, the above hypotheses have largely ignored impacts from phylogenetic relationships. In order to test these competing hypotheses, genome sizes of 87 Sophophora species were analyzed in a comparative phylogenetic approach using Pagel's parameters of evolution, Blomberg's K, Abouheif's Cmean and Moran's I. In addition to testing the mode and rate of genome size evolution in Sophophora species, the effect of number of taxa on detection of phylogenetic signal was analyzed for each of these comparative phylogenetic methods. Sophophora genome size was found to be dependent on the phylogeny, indicating that evolutionary time was important for predicting the variation among species. Genome size was found to evolve gradually on branches of the tree, with a rapid burst of change early in the phylogeny. These results suggest that Sophophora genome size has experienced gradual changes, which support the largely theoretical mutational equilibrium hypothesis. While some methods (Abouheif's Cmean and Moran's I) were found to be affected by increasing taxa numbers, more commonly used methods (λ and Blomberg's K) were found to have increasing reliability with increasing taxa number, with significantly more support with fifteen or more taxa. Our results suggest that these comparative phylogenetic methods, with adequate taxon sampling, can be a powerful way to uncover the enigma that is genome size variation through incorporation of phylogenetic relationships.


Purpose: Although R-CHOP–based immunochemotherapy cures significant proportions of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma, tumor cell susceptibility to chemotherapy varies, with mostly fatal outcome in cases of resistant disease. We and others have shown before that export of cytostatic drugs contributes to drug resistance. Now we provide a novel approach to overcome exosome-mediated drug resistance in aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Experimental Design: We used well-established centrifugation protocols to purify exosomes from DLBCL cell lines and detected anthracyclines using FACS and HPLC. We used shRNA knockdown of ABCA3 to determine ABCA3 dependence of chemotherapy susceptibility and monitored ABCA3 expression after indomethacin treatment using qPCR. Finally, we established an in vivo assay using a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay to determine the synergy of anthracycline and indomethacin treatment. Results: We show increased efficacy of the anthracycline doxorubicin and the anthracenedione pixantrone by suppression of exosomal drug resistance with indomethacin. B-cell lymphoma cells in vitro efficiently extruded doxorubicin and pixantrone, in part compacted in exosomes. Exosomal biogenesis was critically dependent on the expression of the ATP-transporter A3 (ABCA3). Genetic or chemical depletion of ABCA3 augmented intracellular retention of both drugs and shifted the subcellular drug accumulation to prolonged nuclear retention. Indomethacin increased the cytostatic efficacy of both drugs against DLBCL cell lines in vitro and in vivo in a CAM assay. Conclusions: We propose pretreatment with indomethacin toward enhanced antitumor efficacy of anthracyclines and anthracenediones. Clin Cancer Res; 22(2); 395–404. ©2015 AACR.


In January 1973 Hugh R. Jones began his tenure as an Associate Judge on the New York Court of Appeals and accorded me the honor and privilege of serving as his first law clerk. Professor Robert J. Rabin of the Syracuse University College of Law served as "correspondent" law clerk and Martha Wilmot as the judge's secretary, traveling between Albany and Utica--through his December 1984 term--to meet the stenographic and clerical demands of the Court's work in two locations. With no judicial experience before 1973, the immediate challenge Judge Jones faced deciding appeals and motions in civil and criminal matters (of statewide and often national significance) was daunting. Judge Jones's pre-judicial background as New York State Bar President, State University of New York Trustee, State Social Welfare Board Chairman, Episcopal Diocese of Central New York Chancellor, and New York State Select Committee on Correctional Institutions and Programs Chairman required organizational and human relations skills, motivation, and dedication to public service which he immediately applied to his judicial duties with zeal and enthusiasm. Judge Jones motivated his staff by example. His attention to detail resulted in his reading and analyzing the record in most of the appeals he heard. He treated his clerks, the Court's staff, and those appearing before the Court with a warmth, respect, and collegiality equaled in my experience only by former New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge Stanley H. Fuld. (1) Judge Jones took great care to use plain language in drafting and editing judicial decisions. By writing drafts initially and reviewing them later, he strove to reduce adverse influences which differences in mood, strength, or temporal events might have on the finished product. Legal scholars who study Judge Jones's opinions will find them an enduring example of clear and concise writing. If he disagreed with the reasoning or result suggested in a clerk's report he would discuss the case with the clerk before arriving at a final decision. His egalitarian treatment of law clerks is special and remarkable evidence of the respect he had for others. During his memorial service at the Hamilton College Chapel each person who remembered him--including children, grandchildren, in-laws, attorneys, judges, clergy, friends and neighbors--recalled unique, individual acts of kindness, consideration, caring, and humor they experienced with Judge Jones. …


This briefing paper provides the background to the current development of and future trends around OER aimed at adding to our understanding, stimulating ongoing debate among the JISC community and developing a research agenda. The briefing is structured in three sections: discussion on the conceptual and contextual issues of Open Educational Resources; a review of current OER initiatives; their scale, approaches, main issues and challenges; discussion on trends emerging in Open Educational Resources, with respect to future research and activities.


Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are relatively new in South Africa and their popularity is increasing. Their appearance coincides with intensifying attempts by government and society to reduce tobacco smoking through stricter limitation on its sale, advertising and use. Debate has been triggered on their use regarding the potential risks of increasing nicotine addiction and encouraging people to start smoking, or whether e-cigarettes might serve rather as an efficient means of treating addiction, thus assisting smokers to quit.
Opinions among doctors regarding e-cigarettes vary, some seeing potential for good, others condemning them outright. Several professional medical societies have taken the stand that, whatever their potential as a smoking-cessation method, they cannot be encouraged since they are produced and promoted by the tobacco industry. Also, that research supported by the manufacturers of e-cigarettes may not be presented at their meetings or in their medical journals.
We present the following arguments for the potential benefit and harms of e-cigarettes, based on the currently available evidence.


Recommended Citation Niese, Adam Trent. "The Relationship between visual working memory and visual long-term memory. 1 ABSTRACT This dissertation evaluated whether Visual Working Memory (VWM) is a distinct memory system or if it is an activated state of Visual Long Term Memory (VLTM). These two positions suggest different roles for VLTM representations in the performance of VWM. If VWM representations are an activated state of VLTM representations, it seems plausible that strong VLTM representations should facilitate VWM performance. However, if the two representations are actually distinct, it seems less likely that a facilitation interaction between VLTM and VWM representations should be observed. Five experiments were conducted in which participants learned a set of trained stimuli over two days of training. Participant performance with the trained stimuli was compared to performance with novel stimuli on a subsequent VWM change detection task to determine the plausibility of VLTM-VWM interactions. The first and second experiments revealed a LTM facilitation effect that could not be explained by priming, but the third experiment suggested that this facilitation effect was mediated by non-visual representations. The fourth and fifth experiments parceled out the contributions of non-visual memory representations, and failed to demonstrate any evidence of VLTM-VWM performance interactions. These results, in conjunction with other examples from the literature, all converged on the conclusion that VLTM-VWM facilitation interactions are relatively implausible. As such, it was concluded that VWM and VLTM representations are discreet. ii To Mom, Dad, and Katie, who never took no for an answer iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


Calmodulin interactions with Ca2+ channels unify two vital but diverse functions: Ca2+ regulation of channels themselves and local Ca2+ triggering of nuclear transcription factors. Crucial to these functions are the number of calmodulins regulating each channel, and the number of calmodulins privy to the local Ca2+ signal of each channel. Mori et al. (see the Perspective by Levitan) fused calmodulin to the cytoplasmic tail of the channel protein. A single calmodulin could reproduce the Ca2+-dependent inactivation characteristic of the native channel. The local concentration of calmodulin at the mouth of the channel was estimated to be several orders of magnitude greater than that in the cytoplasm. This value corresponds to a swarm of about 25 calmodulins poised at the channel mouth, presumably ready to carry Ca2+ signals to various targets such as nuclear transcription factors. M. X. Mori, M. G. Erickson, D. T. Yue, Functional stoichiometry and local enrichment of calmodulin interacting with Ca2+ channels. Science 304, 432-435 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text] I. B. Levitan, A well-stocked pool. Science 304, 394-395 (2004). [Summary] [Full Text]


This paper develops a single-vendor single-retailer supply chain for multi-product. The proposed model is based on Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) approach and vendor uses the retailer's data for better decision making. Number of orders and available capital are the constraints of the model. In this system, shortages are backordered; therefore, the vendor's warehouse capacity is another limitation of the problem. After the model formulation, an Integer Nonlinear Programming problem will be provided; hence, a genetic algorithm has been used to solve the model. Consequently, order quantities, number of shipments received by a retailer and maximum backorder levels for products have been determined with regard to cost consideration. Finally, a numerical example is presented to describe the sufficiency of the proposed strategy with respect to parameter-tuned by response surface methodology (RSM).


Complete CCENT preparation with hands-on practice and robust study aids The CCENT Study Guide, 3rd Edition offers complete conceptual and practical study tools for the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician exam. Written by networking expert Todd Lammle, this study guide provides everything you need to pass the CCENT with flying colors. 100% coverage of the all exam objectives includes detailed discussion on IP data networks, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, switching and routing, network security, and much more. Todd draws on 30 years of experience to give you practical examples and real-world insights that go way beyond exam prep, and plenty of hands-on labs help you gain experience with important tasks. The Sybex interactive online learning tools include a pre-assessment test to show you how much you already know, two bonus ICND-1 practice exams to test your understanding, and hundreds of sample questions and over 100 flashcards provide quick review. Exclusive to this study guide is 30 days free online video training with over 17 hours of additional instruction from the experts at ITPro TV. The CCENT is the entry-level certification for those looking to break into the networking field. As a part of the CCNA certification process, the exam is comprehensiveand a comprehensive study guide is essential. This study guide helps you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be confident on exam day. Review all CCENT exam objectives Access online study tools and practice ICND1 exams Get hands-on experience with dozens of labs Master switching and routing, troubleshooting, security, and more Don't bother parsing technical references or trying to figure it out yourself. This book allows you to learn and review with networking's leading authority, with clear explanations, practical instruction, and real-world insight. When you're ready for the next step in your career, the CCENT Study Guide, 3rd Edition gets you on track to succeed on the CCENT exam.


There has been an explosion of new research and writing about all aspects of the information disciplines. Nevertheless, both academics and practitioners often find it difficult to engage in successful writing strategies. Indeed, writing is hard work, and doing it in a way that leads to publication is an even harder task. Since reading is essential to good writing, the challenges of learning to write are obvious. In this essay, I am drawing on many years of experience in writing and publishing, as well as considerable reading of writers' memoirs, advice books on writing, literary studies, and other perspectives on the experience of writing in order to offer a set of approaches that can be pursued over a lifetime of scholarship and practice. Writing is a craft or art to be learned, and learning demands paying attention to the audience, having clear objectives, being an avid reader, and possessing the ability to accept and learn from criticism. While information professionals and scholars incessantly write for each other, there are large segments of the public and other disciplines who they ignore. Fortunately, the tools and resources for improving one's writing are both broad and deep; discipline and realistic strategies are all that are required to improve one's writing and, ultimately, to achieve success in publishing.


Tree Search (TS) is crucial to some of the most influential successes in reinforcement learning. Here, we tackle two major challenges with TS that limit its usability: \textit{distribution shift} and \textit{scalability}. We first discover and analyze a counter-intuitive phenomenon: action selection through TS and a pre-trained value function often leads to lower performance compared to the original pre-trained agent, even when having access to the exact state and reward in future steps. We show this is due to a distribution shift to areas where value estimates are highly inaccurate and analyze this effect using Extreme Value theory. To overcome this problem, we introduce a novel off-policy correction term that accounts for the mismatch between the pre-trained value and its corresponding TS policy by penalizing under-sampled trajectories. We prove that our correction eliminates the above mismatch and bound the probability of sub-optimal action selection. Our correction significantly improves pre-trained Rainbow agents without any further training, often more than doubling their scores on Atari games. Next, we address the scalability issue given by the computational complexity of exhaustive TS that scales exponentially with the tree depth. We introduce Batch-BFS: a GPU breadth-first search that advances all nodes in each depth of the tree simultaneously. Batch-BFS reduces runtime by two orders of magnitude and, beyond inference, enables also training with TS of depths that were not feasible before. We train DQN agents from scratch using TS and show improvement in several Atari games compared to both the original DQN and the more advanced Rainbow. The code for BCTS can be found in \url{https://github.com/NVlabs/bcts}.


Is the international financial architecture debate over? Not according to leading experts gathered together in this impressive volume who try to identify the key trends that will fashion the international financial system in the years ahead. As history has shown, the evolution of the international monetary system is a slow process. However, the authors argue that we may be entering a new era in which a combination of factors will have lasting consequences on the functioning of the international monetary system and the future role of the IMF.


It has been shown many times that cosputtering low-friction coatings of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten disulfide (WS2) with other elements can improve the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties. To achieve the lowest friction, MoS2 or WS2 should be doped with element(s) improving the hardness and density of the coatings. On the other hand, such elements, or their compounds, should not be present in the outermost molecular layers at the sliding interface. This article suggests that there are important differences between how MoS2 and WS2 coatings respond to or react with doping elements, despite the almost identical structure and behavior of the undoped materials. Two systems have been investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), W-S-C-Cr and W-S-C-Ti, and showed significant amounts of oxides, which typically formed a layer just underneath the crystalline WS2 top layer. Further, carbon was almost completely absent in the tribofilms, despite the fact that the as-deposited coatings contained as much as 40–50 at% C. An interesting observation here is that WS2 basal planes surround or embed Fe wear particles, suggesting a relatively strong adhesion or a Fe-S chemical bonding between iron/steel and WS2. The result of this is that the wear particles become pacified and remain in the contact as low-friction material.