In proteomic research, experimental and computational approaches are combined to provide global analysis of the entire proteomes of cells and tissues. The identification and quantification of multiple proteins, which constitute a specific biological system, are important for understanding complex problems in biology. The coupling of highly efficient separations and mass spectrometry instrumentation is evolving rapidly and is being widely applied to problems ranging from biological function to drug development. Development of rapid and high-resolution separation technology is an important field in proteomics. In this study, a solution isoelectric focusing apparatus was modified and built into a two-dimensional separation method for peptides. Newly commercialized isoelectric membranes, which carry immobilized ampholytes, were integrated to establish the pH boundaries in this apparatus. High-performance liquid chromatography was employed as the second dimension, integrated with mass spectrometry. An insoluble nuclear protein fraction was used for optimization and evaluation of this method. The insoluble nuclear proteins were recovered from the nuclei of human MCF-7 human cancer cells and cleaved enzymatically. The resulting peptides were analyzed by the two-dimensional separation method, which coupled solution isoelectric focusing with reversed-phase liquid chromatography interfaced with mass spectrometry. A total of 281 peptides corresponding to 167 proteins were identified by this experiment. The high sample capacity and concentration effect of isoelectric focusing make it possible to detect relatively low abundance proteins in a complex mixture. This two-dimensional separation method dramatically improves peptide detection and identification compared with a single dimension LC-MS analysis. This method has been demonstrated to provide efficient and reproducible separation of both protein and peptides. The two-dimensional separation method was combined with proteolytic isotopic labeling for comparative analysis of protein expression in different cells. Abundances of nuclear proteins from three different drug resistant MCF-7 cancer cell lines were compared to those from the drug susceptible parent cell line using this combined strategy. The abundances of 19 proteins were found to be significantly changed. Their functions are considered in relation to potential mechanisms of in drug resistance.


Improved performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was achieved by implementing a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer at the cathode-organic interface, spin coated between the organic layer and the cathode. The small geometry of CNTs could enable the enhancement of the electric field around them, thus increasing electron injection efficiency from the cathode to the organic layer. In addition, as measured from the x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy, incorporation of CNT could reduce the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the organic material at the cathode-organic interface, thus effectively decreasing the barrier for electron injection. Increased electron injection and luminance characteristics were demonstrated for both polymer and small molecule based OLED devices.


Cambrian and Ordovician shelf, platform, and basin rocks are present in Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona and were deposited on the southwestern continental margin of North America (Laurentia). Cambrian and Ordovician rocks in Sonora, Mexico, are mostly exposed in scattered outcrops in the northern half of the state. Their discontinuous nature results from extensive Quaternary and Tertiary surficial cover, from Tertiary and Mesozoic granitic batholiths in western Sonora, and from widespread Tertiary volcanic deposits in the Sierra Madre Occidental in eastern Sonora. Cambrian and Ordovician shelf rocks were deposited as part of the southern Laurentian miogeocline on the southwestern continental margin of North America. Lower Cambrian shelf units in Sonora consist mainly of quartzite, siltstone, and silty limestone; limestone increases upward in the sequence. Middle Cambrian shelf rocks consist mostly of limestone, dolostone, and siltstone. Upper Cambrian shelf rocks are sparse in Sonora; where present, they consist chiefly of siltstone and minor limestone. Cambrian shelf rocks display subtle facies changes from west to east across Sonora. In northwestern Sonora, these rocks attain their maximum thickness and may represent the Early Cambrian shelf margin. At the Sierra Agua Verde section, 110 km (68 mi) east of Hermosillo, these rocks thin, have greater proportions of clastic material, and were probably deposited in an inner-shelf setting. A major unconformity is present near the base of the Cambrian in Sonora and is similar to the Sauk I unconformity in the Wood Canyon Formation in Nevada and California. The top of the Cambrian is transitional with overlying Ordovician strata. Cambrian cratonic platform rocks are exposed in northern Sonora and southern Arizona and include the Middle Cambrian Bolsa Quartzite and Middle and Upper Cambrian Abrigo Limestone. The most complete sections of Ordovician shelf rocks in Sonora are 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Hermosillo. In these sections, the Lower Ordovician is characterized by intraclastic limestone, siltstone, shale, and chert. The Middle Ordovician is mostly silty limestone and quartzite, and the Upper Ordovician is cherty limestone and some argillaceous limestone. A major disconformity separates the Middle Ordovician quartzite from the overlying Upper Ordovician carbonate rocks and is similar to the disconformity between the Middle and Upper Ordovician Eureka Quartzite and Upper Ordovician Ely Springs Dolomite in Nevada and California. In parts of northwestern Sonora, Ordovician rocks are disconformably overlain by Upper Silurian rocks. Northeastward in Sonora and Arizona, toward the craton, Ordovician rocks are progressively truncated by a major onlap unconformity and are overlain by Devonian rocks. Except in local areas, Ordovician rocks are generally absent in cratonic platform sequences in northern Sonora and southern Arizona.


This study synthesizes and reports patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among athletes vs nonathletes after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement. A systematic review was performed in November 2020 with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) process. We included studies that reported PROs for athletes vs nonathletes. We excluded articles that did not contain full text, that were not in English, and that included level IV evidence. Four studies reporting on a total of 294 athletes and 230 nonathletes were included. Of these studies, 3 found superior outcomes among athletes, and 1 found that athletes recovered faster, but nonathletes had equivalent outcomes at later follow-up. Athletes and nonathletes showed significant improvements in PROs; however, athletes showed a trend toward superior PROs. Thus, pre-operative athletic activity is associated with favorable outcomes after hip arthroscopy. [Orthopedics. 20XX;XX(X):xx-xx.].


Newly acquired insight into the mechanism of air-sea momentum transfer has also resolved some long-standing questions on air-sea transfer of gases of low diffusivity. Sharp-crested wavelets carrying viscous shear layers cause air flow separation, which in turn leads to form drag and shear stress 'spikes' on the wavelets. Concomitant flow separation in water, and variable shear, cause surface divergence, and thereby keep the surface diffusion boundary layer thin. An important unresolved question is the precise role of the shear stress spikes in the momentum transfer process: do they increase wavelet momentum in the first instance, or does their momentum go directly into the viscous surface shear layer? If the former, then the surface divergences important for gas transfer arise only from flow separation, otherwise also directly from the variable acceleration of the surface shear layer. The latter answer implies more intense gas transfer. In an attempt to find the answer to this question, an idealized model of wave generation by an isolated shear stress distribution has been analyzed. The result shows unequivocally that nonuniform shear stress is not an efficient wave generator, and that in a typical situation more than 99% of the momentum input is absorbed by the surface shear layer.


This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of third-year social work students at a selected university in South Africa regarding the effects of having endured adverse childhood experiences. Findings showed the beginnings of positive life lessons that can emerge from having endured adverse experiences. Findings also confirmed the process of coping with these experiences that included outcomes of resilience and burgeoning post-traumatic growth. Implications are discussed especially regarding the place and development of coping, resilience and post-traumatic growth in social work education and social work practice. Recommendations include the professional use of self and self-awareness through mindfulness teaching practices.


Fuzzy State Space Model (FSSM) is a novel inverse modeling technique used for optimization of input parameters in multivariable dynamic systems whereby the uncertainty of the parameters is considered and incorporated with the crisp state space models proposed in the modem control theory. The model
is succesfully implemented to the state space model of a furnace system of a combined cycle power plant. In this study, FSSM is further implemented to the other state space model of a subsystem in the boiler namely superheater,reheater, riser and drum. Since graph theory is rich in theoretical results especially for studying interconnection among elements in natural and manmade system, therefore, graph representing FSSM is initially developed which is based on the graph theoretic approach. However, the graph of FSSM is found to be a static graph where not much analysis of the graph could explain the model of FSSM of a boiler. Thus, other concept namely Autocatalytic Set (ACS) was applied in developing a new graph which could explain a dynamic nature of a processes in the boiler system. Since combustion process and evaporation process are the main process occurs in the system, therefore two graphs representing interaction among the species in each of the process in the
boiler are constructed. These results lead to the development of the third graph which represent a combination of the two processes in the boiler. Adjacency matrix for each of the graph is investigated and and its relation to Perron-Frobenious Theorem is established. Next, to obtain an explanation of the dynamic nature of the system, a Dynamic Autocatalytic Set Graph Algorithm
(DAGA) is presented which succesfully explained the dynamics of the real processes in the boiler. The dynamic graphs found from the implementation of DAGA to the boiler system are then further investigated where connection of the graphs to fuzzy graph of type-1 are established. Basic characteristics of the dynamic graphs which was developed in this study have resulted in the
derivation of some propositions and proven theorems.


Traditional data management technologies originating from business domain are currently facing many challenges from other domains such as scientific research. Data structures in databases are becoming more and more complex and data query functions are moving from the back-end database level towards the front-end user-interface level. Traditional query languages such as SQL, OQL, and form-based query interfaces cannot fully meet the needs today. This research is motivated by the data management issues in life science applications. I propose a methodology for domain-specific conceptual data modeling and querying. The methodology can be applied to any domain to capture more domain semantics and empower end-users to formulate a query at the conceptual level with terminologies and functions familiar to them. The query system resulting from the methodology is designed to work on all major types of database management systems (DBMS) and support end-users to dynamically define and add new domain-specific functions. That is, all user-defined functions can be either pre-defined by domain experts and/or data model creators at the time of system creation, or dynamically defined by end-users from the client side at any time.
The methodology has a domain-specific conceptual data model (DSC-DM) and a domain-specific conceptual query language (DSC-QL). DSC-QL uses only the abstract concepts, relationships, and functions defined in DSC-DM. It is a user-oriented high level query language and intentionally designed to be flexible, extensible, and readily usable. DSC-QL queries are much simpler than corresponding SQL or OQL queries because of advanced features such as user-defined functions, composite and set attributes, dot-path expressions, and super-classes. DSC-QL can be translated into SQL and OQL through a dynamic mapping function, and automatically updated when the underlying database schema evolves. The operational and declarative semantics of DSC-QL are formally defined in terms of graphs. A normal form for DSC-QL as a standard format for the mappings from flexible conceptual expressions to restricted SQL or OQL statements is also defined. Two translation algorithms from normalized DSC-QL to SQL and OQL are introduced. Through comparison, DSC-QL is shown to have very good balance between simplicity and expressive power and is suitable for end-users.
Implementation details of the query system are reported as well. Two prototypes have been built. One prototype is for neuroscience domain, which is built on an object-oriented DBMS. The other one is for traditional business domain, which is built on a relational DBMS.
Index words. Conceptual Query Language, Domain-Specific, Data Model, Methodology, Normal Form, Life Science Data, User-Defined Functions, Domain-Specific Functions, Graph-Based Semantics, Form-Based Query Interface


Aim: The purpose of the study is to verify if there is statistic difference of lung function before surgery based on differences in clinical characteristics (sex, age, degree of differentiation, size of tumor, tumor node metastasis (TNM), methods of surgeries, pleural metastasis, and lymph gland metastasis). Another purpose is to test if forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity obstruction (FEV1/FVC) is a risk factor of the prognosis of lung cancer. Methods: This retrospective study used t-test or analysis of variance to explore whether dramatic difference of lung function (FVC, FEV1, maximal voluntary ventilation [MVV], and FEV1/FVC) existed based on differences in clinical characteristics. The study used the Kaplan–Meier method to verify if FEV1/FVC could be a risk factor to predict the prognosis of lung cancer patients after surgeries. Results: The statistical results indicated that statistical difference of FVC existed between different age groups. In patients of different ages and sexes, there was statistically different MVV. Results of FEV1/FVC showed that FEV1/FVC varied dramatically in patients of different pleural metastasis conditions or TNM. Analysis of prognosis proved that in patients with a different differentiation degree, size of tumor, metastasis conditions of lymph gland, and TNM stage, a statistically different prognosis was found. As for groups of normal and abnormal FEV1/FVC, no apparently different prognosis was observed. Analysis of lung cancer patients of stage I indicated that the 5-year survival was dramatically different between patients of normal and abnormal FEV1/FVC. Conclusion: In lung cancer patients of stage I, FEV1/FVC was one of the risk factors of prognosis.


The broken, dead stands of the Caribbean elkhorn coral Acropora palmata, which suf- fered massive mortalities from disease and bleaching during the early 1980s, are now widely covered by Cliona tenuis, an encrusting and excavating brown sponge (Hadromerida, Clionaidae). This sponge displaces live coral tissue by undermining the polypal skeletal support. On the windward fringing reef of Islas del Rosario (Colombian Caribbean), 26% of C. tenuis individuals currently dwelling on live corals had colonized their host from sponge-carrying branches of A. palmata thrown against the corals during storms. Times of initial colonization were traced back from sponge growth rates in a few marked massive coral colonies and found to coincide approximately with hurricanes that had affected the area. Transplantation experiments confirmed that C. tenuis is able to spread to new coral hosts from attached fragments. The extent of C. tenuis dispersion via branching coral frag- ments and further massive coral colonization is now evident and, given that C. tenuis-encrusted A. palmata fragments are becoming progressively smaller, the phenomenon is likely to increase. C. tenuis was also found undermining encrusting and foliose corals settled on dead A. palmata branches, thus also retarding the process of reef recovery to an unknown degree.


Research demonstrates that staff quality directly impacts student achievement in out-of-school time (OST) settings, and that effective staff development contributes to a skilled workforce. Evaluating OST professional development is therefore attracting increased attention from researchers, practitioners, and funding agencies. In the spring of 2004, the Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) began searching for professional development evaluation instruments designed specifically for the OST field. Since the OSTRC could not locate research-based surveys for this genre, it implemented a pilot study to create and test such instruments. These surveys were designed to evaluate professional conferences, which are critical (but not exclusive) components of OST professional development opportunities. The overarching goal of this study was to operationalize the pathway between professional development conferences and increased student learning.


The article gives the results of scientific research conducted within the framework of the doctoral thesis "Forensic psychiatric evaluation of persons who have committed sexual criminal offenses". For the purposes of the study the author analyzed 287 cases of forensic psychiatric examinations regarding the subject, who committed the sexual offense and were at the forensic psychiatric examination in Kiev city center forensic psychiatric examination in 2000 to 2015 (16 years old). The study revealed the criteria of «limited responsibility» for the perpetrators of sexual crimes, offered a forensic psychiatric assessment model for ability to understand their actions and to govern them in individuals who have committed sexual offenses. Key words: forensic psychiatric examination, responsibility – limited responsibility – irresponsibility, sexual offenses.


Blogs are the recent emerging media which relies on information technology and technological advance. Since the mass media in some less-developed and developing countries are in government service and their policies are developed based on governmental interests, so blogs are provided for ideas and exchanging opinions. In this paper, we highlighted performed simulations from obtained information from 100 users and bloggers in Kohkiloye and Boyer Ahmad Province and using Weka 3.6 tool and c4.5 algorithm by applying decision tree with more than %82 precision for getting future tendency anticipation of users to blogging and using in strategically areas. General Terms Data Mining, Algorithm, Blog Writing.


Each fall, thousands of Rocky Mountain Sandhill Cranes and other migratory birds congregate at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley in search of wintering habitat. As such, this refuge is known as one of the premier destinations for bird viewing and photography in the United States. Using contingent valuation data, this case study quantifies the value associated with migratory bird recreation at this refuge to be $7.5 million in 2010. It is estimated that this annual value increased by more than $6.4 million in 2017 due to growth in annual


The alignment between design and business strategy in large firms is important because it enables designers to work more effectively with employees from various disciplines on sustainable opportunities, prioritize available resources to achieve objectives, and support distinctive value propositions. The results of a literature review and responses to 11 questions provided by eight employees of four large firms (two retailers and two technology vendors) were used to: produce an alignment capability inventory – list of resources, processes and priorities that large firms employ to align design and business strategy, identify configurations of design and business strategy, and develop a model and propositions of the factors that affect design and business strategy alignment. This research will be of interest to top management teams of large firms where the alignment between designers and strategists is low as well as researchers studying strategic alignment in large firms.


The authors describe a case of L-asparaginase induced intracranial thrombosis and subsequent haemorrhage in a newly diagnosed 30-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who was successfully managed by surgical intervention. At presentation, he had a Glasgow Coma Score of 7/15, was aphasic and had dense right hemiplegia. Neuroimaging revealed an acute anterior left middle cerebral artery infarct with parenchymal haemorrhagic conversion, mass effect and subfalcine herniation. He subsequently underwent left frontal craniotomy and evacuation of large frontal haematoma and decompressive craniectomy for cerebral oedema. Six months postoperatively he underwent titanium cranioplasty. He had made good clinical recovery and is currently mobilising independently with mild occasional episodes of expressive dysphasia, difficulty with fine motor movement on the right side, and has remained seizure free. This is the first documented case of L-asparaginase induced haemorrhagic stroke managed by neurosurgical intervention. The authors emphasise the possible role of surgery in managing chemotherapy induced intracranial complications.


Genomes from around the globe Genomic sequencing of diverse human populations to understand overall genetic diversity has lagged behind in-depth examination of specific populations. To add to our understanding of human genetic diversity, Bergström et al. generated whole-genome sequences surveying individuals in the Human Genome Diversity Project, which is a panel of global populations that has been instrumental in understanding the history of human populations. The authors' study adds data about African, Oceanian, and Amerindian populations and indicates that diversity tends to result from differences at the single-nucleotide level rather than copy number variation. An analysis of archaic sequences in modern populations identifies ancestral genetic variation in African populations that likely predates modern humans and has been lost in most non-African populations. Science, this issue p. eaay5012 Genomes from diverse human populations record human genetic diversity and illuminate the history of our species. INTRODUCTION Large-scale human genome-sequencing studies to date have been limited to large, metropolitan populations or to small numbers of genomes from each group. Much remains to be understood about the extent and structure of genetic variation in our species and how it was shaped by past population separations, admixture, adaptation, size changes, and gene flow from archaic human groups. Larger numbers of genome sequences from more diverse populations are needed to answer these questions. RATIONALE We sequenced 929 genomes from 54 geographically, linguistically, and culturally diverse human populations to an average of 35× coverage and analyzed the variation among them. We also physically resolved the haplotype phase of 26 of these genomes using linked-read sequencing. RESULTS We identified 67.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, 8.8 million small insertions or deletions (indels), and 40,736 copy number variants. This includes hundreds of thousands of variants that had not been discovered by previous sequencing efforts, but which are common in one or more population. We demonstrate benefits to the study of population relationships of genome sequences over ascertained array genotypes, particularly when involving African populations. Populations in central and southern Africa, the Americas, and Oceania each harbor tens to hundreds of thousands of private, common genetic variants. Most of these variants arose as new mutations rather than through archaic introgression, except in Oceanian populations, where many private variants derive from Denisovan admixture. Although some reach high frequencies, no variants are fixed between major geographical regions. We estimate that the genetic separation between present-day human populations occurred mostly within the past 250,000 years. However, these early separations were gradual in nature and shaped by protracted gene flow. All populations thus still had some genetic contact more recently than this, but there is also evidence that a small fraction of present-day structure might be hundreds of thousands of years older. Most populations expanded in size over the past 10,000 years, but hunter-gatherer groups did not. The low diversity among the Neanderthal haplotypes segregating in present-day populations indicates that, while more than one Neanderthal individual must have contributed genetic material to modern humans, there was likely only one major episode of admixture. By contrast, Denisovan haplotype diversity reflects a more complex history involving more than one episode of admixture. We found small amounts of Neanderthal ancestry in West African genomes, most likely reflecting Eurasian admixture. Despite their very low levels or absence of archaic ancestry, African populations share many Neanderthal and Denisovan variants that are absent from Eurasia, reflecting how a larger proportion of the ancestral human variation has been maintained in Africa. CONCLUSION The discovery of substantial amounts of common genetic variation that was previously undocumented and is geographically restricted highlights the continued value of anthropologically informed study designs for understanding human diversity. The genome sequences presented here are a freely available resource with relevance to population history, medical genetics, anthropology, and linguistics. Structure of genetic variation across worldwide human populations. Shown is a schematic illustration of the approximate amounts of four different classes of genetic variation found in different geographical regions. The origins of the populations included in the study are indicated by dots. Genome sequences from diverse human groups are needed to understand the structure of genetic variation in our species and the history of, and relationships between, different populations. We present 929 high-coverage genome sequences from 54 diverse human populations, 26 of which are physically phased using linked-read sequencing. Analyses of these genomes reveal an excess of previously undocumented common genetic variation private to southern Africa, central Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, but an absence of such variants fixed between major geographical regions. We also find deep and gradual population separations within Africa, contrasting population size histories between hunter-gatherer and agriculturalist groups in the past 10,000 years, and a contrast between single Neanderthal but multiple Denisovan source populations contributing to present-day human populations.


Abstract
 Potential effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) and thermal enrichment on the reproduction of fishes were investigated through a larval-trapping survey in the Stony River watershed, Grant County, WV. Trapping was conducted at seven sites from 26 March to 2 July 2004. Overall larval catch was low (379 individuals in 220 hours of trapping). More larval White Suckers were captured than all other species. Vectors fitted to nonparametric multidimensional scaling ordinations suggested that temperature was highly correlated to fish communities captured at our sites. Survival of larval Fathead Minnows was examined in situ at six sites from 13 May to 11 June 2004 in the same system. Larval survival was lower, but not significantly different between sites directly downstream of AMD-impacted tributaries (40% survival) and non-AMD sites (52% survival). The lower survival was caused by a significant mortality event at one site that coincided with acute pH depression in an AMD tributary immediately upstream of the site. Results from a Cox proportional hazard test suggests that low pH is having a significant negative influence on larval fish survival in this system. The results from this research indicate that the combination of low pH events and elevated temperature are negatively influencing the larval fish populations of the Stony River watershed. Management actions that address these problems would have the potential to substantially increase both reproduction rates and larval survival, therefore greatly enhancing the fishery.


Infants' early gaze alternations are one of their first steps towards a sophisticated understanding of the social world. This ability, to gaze alternate between an object of interest and another individual also attending to that object, has been considered foundational to the development of many complex social-cognitive abilities, such as theory of mind and language. However, to understand the evolution of these abilities, it is important to identify whether and how gaze alternations are used and develop in our closest living relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Here, we evaluated the development of gaze alternations in a large, developmental sample of bonobos (N = 17) and chimpanzees (N = 35). To assess the flexibility of ape gaze alternations, we tested whether they produced gaze alternations when requesting food from a human who was either visually attentive or visually inattentive. Similarly to human infants, both bonobos and chimpanzees produced gaze alternations, and did so more frequently when a human communicative partner was visually attentive. However, unlike humans, who gaze alternate frequently from early in development, chimpanzees did not begin to gaze alternate frequently until adulthood. Bonobos produced very few gaze alternations, regardless of age. Thus, it may be the early emergence of gaze alternations, as opposed gaze alternations themselves, that is derived in the human lineage. The distinctively early emergence of gaze alternations in humans may be a critical underpinning for the development of complex human social-cognitive abilities.


This paper studies the relationship between firm markups and importing intermediate inputs and exporting using detailed firm-level data from Hungary in 1995-2003. We estimate production functions structurally to obtain firm-year-level productivity and markup estimates. We find that importing intermediate inputs is associated with large markup premium, while the exporter markup premium is nonexistent when we control for the importer status. We interpret our results in a simple theoretical framework, where firms lower their markup when exporting to more competitive foreign markets and where importing intermediate inputs leads to higher-quality products.


Restrictions on the release of PCBs into the environment began in the early 1970s, resulting in reduced PCB concentrations in Lake Michigan bloaters (Coregonus hoyi). However, since 1980, PCB concentrations in bloater have declined only slightly. The bloater population also increased 40-fold during 1970 through 1984, resulting in a diet shift and a density-dependent decline in growth. Our goal was to determine how these changes in diet and growth may have affected PCB accumulation in Lake Michigan bloater. We evaluated the consequences of these two changes on bloater PCB concentrations by developing a bioenergetics-based PCB bioaccumulation model. Bloater PCB concentrations increased little when we increased the amount of Diporeia hoyi, the most contaminated prey, in the bloater diet. By comparing constant growth (similar to those of the 1970s) to observed decline in growth rates, we found that lower growth rates during the 1980s placed older, more contaminated bloaters in the size range most vulnerable to predators and in the size range sampled by PCB monitoring programs. Bloater PCB concentration trends may be influenced by the sampling methodology of the United States Geological Survey. If fish PCB trends are to be used as an indicator of system-level PCB trends, sampling should include a representative sample of fish of known age from the population.


The Zero-Coupon Inflation Indexed Swap (ZCIIS) is a derivative contract through which inflation expectations on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are actively traded in the US. In this thesis we consider different ways to use the information from the ZCIIS market for modeling forward inflation in a risk-neutral framework. We choose to implement a model using a Monte Carlo methodology that simulates the evolution of the forward CPI ratio. We prefer this approach for its flexibility, ease of implementation, instant calibration to the ZCIIS market and intrinsic convexity adjustment on the inflation-linked payoff. Subsequently, we present a series of results we obtain when modeling a chain of consecutive CPI ratios for simulating the evolution of spot inflation. Furthermore, we use this for pricing inflation caplets and floorlets. Finally, we use the intuition gained from this exercise to analyse our results for pricing inflation caps.


On April 1, 1992 New Jersey's minimum wage increased from $4.25 to $5.05 per hour. To evaluate the impact of the law we surveyed 410 fast food restaurants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania before and after the rise in the minimum. Comparisons of the changes in wages, employment, and prices at stores in New Jersey relative to stores in Pennsylvania (where the minimum wage remained fixed at $4.25 per hour) yield simple estimates of the effect of the higher minimum wage. Our empirical findings challenge the prediction that a rise in the minimum reduces employment. Relative to stores in Pennsylvania, fast food restaurants in New Jersey increased employment by 13 percent. We also compare employment growth at stores in New Jersey that were initially paying high wages (and were unaffected by the new law) to employment changes at lower-wage stores. Stores that were unaffected by the minimum wage had the same employment growth as stores in Pennsylvania, while stores that had to increase their wages increased their employment.


A report discussing the use of the "IEP Quality Tutorial-South Dakota (IEPQ-SD)." During the 2010-2011 school year, the state of South Dakota piloted an online program called the "IEP Quality Tutorial-South Dakota (IEPQ-SD)". IEPQ-SD was designed to support the implementation of standards-based IEPs in schools throughout the state. Forty-nine educators in South Dakota participated in training on the IEPQ-SD tool, and they were then given access to the tool so that they could use it in their work with IEPs. This report presents the results of an evaluation of the extent to which teachers used IEPQ-SD after training, and their reactions to it. Interviews were conducted with five of the training participants approximately six months after the training session to learn about educator perceptions of the training, how their work with IEPs has been affected by the training, and how student experiences have been affected by the training. They were also asked what the educators liked about the training and what could be improved for future trainings, and if and how participants thought the IEPQ-SD tool should be rolled out to other educators in South Dakota.


The connections between disaster recovery and the resilience of affected communities have become common features of disaster risk reduction programmes since the adoption of The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005–2015. Increasing attention is paid to the capacity of disaster-affected communities to recover with little or no external assistance following a disaster. This highlights the need for a change in the disaster risk reduction work culture, with stronger emphasis being put on resilience rather than just needs or vulnerability. The aim of this thesis is to determine the extent to which development and humanitarian interventions promote resilience in disaster-prone areas. Three case studies with elements of resilience building were examined in 2002, 2004 and 2005 using an evaluation framework. Survey and participatory interviewing methods involving more than 1200 participants were employed to gain insights from the implementation of: The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe; The Institutional Support Project in Ethiopia; and The Agricultural Rehabilitation Project in East Timor. There are no easy answers for enhancing disaster resilience through development and humanitarian interventions. However, four conclusions emerging from this study contribute to the emerging disaster resilience body of knowledge, spanning social science disciplines such as geography, environmental management and sociology. Firstly, disaster resilience is the ability to 'bounce forward' rather than 'bounce back' following a disaster. The notion of 'bounce back' implies the capacity to return to a pre- disaster state, which fails to capture the 'new' reality created by the disaster. 'Bounce forward' encapsulates community continuity within the context of changed realities brought about by the disaster. Secondly, resilience and vulnerability are confirmed as discrete constructs, the one not being the 'flip side' of the other. Thirdly, local resilience to disasters is about agency, albeit in a political and economic context. Community agency continuously creates and re-creates, and owns and controls the disaster institutional structures. Fourthly, resilience building resonates with the contiguum approach - it can occur at any phase or multiple phases of the disaster cycle. Thus, the process of resilience building does not necessarily need to adopt a 'linear' or continuum approach. The contiguum approach offers opportunities for linking (existing) resilience, relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRRD). Finally, on the basis of the author's broader experience with similar evaluations elsewhere, the findings of this thesis are robust and generalisable and would not have been significantly different, if different case studies were used. Similarly, the focus of this thesis has been on structures and evaluation processes and outcomes; a different approach might have given rise to different findings.


South Asians (SA) are a high-risk group for cardiometabolic disease, which is partly attributed, to their 'thin-fat' body composition (BC) phenotype. Generally, SAs have a higher % fat mass (FM) and less skeletal muscle mass (SMM), together with a more abdominal distribution of body fat, compared with white Europeans (WE) at equivalent body mass index (BMI) values. SAs also tend to have a shorter adult stature. Effective paediatric monitoring and clinical management requires improved tools for assessing body fatness and other components of BC. This is partly due to BMI being regarded as an inadequate indicator of adiposity and SMM, particularly for SAs, thus other field-based measures of BC have been investigated. In addition to BMI, several UK BC references for WE children and adolescents are available, including WC, %FM, and SMM; however, there are no similar references available for their SA counterparts.

This thesis is comprised of four key studies in which ethnic variations in BC (%FM and appendicular SMM (SMMa)), WC, and leg length (LL) in particular relative LL (RLL) between SA and WE children and adolescents (aged 5-18y) were investigated. The core aim was to develop age- and sex-specific percentile references for %FM, SMMa, and WC for the SA ethnicity. In study one, the BC418 bioelectrical impedance analyser (BIA) was validated against DXA for field-based BC assessment, in a sample of SA children (n= 53; 5-21y) to develop an ethnic-specific prediction equation for FM, FFM and SMMa determination, as prior studies have found BIA underestimates %FM in SAs. This equation was found to be only valid for children ≥9y, which was attributed to the opportunistic nature of recruitment. It was concluded that no single equation was valid across the whole child and adolescent population. This equation needs to be tested in an independent group to confirm its accuracy and functionality, prior to wider application. Due to discrepancies in DXA weight and scale weight, it was not possible to develop a prediction equation for SMMa, although the existing BIA output was considered acceptable due to the very small between-method relative differences.

In study two the new BIA prediction equation was applied to a large SA dataset of children (n =1,624) from low-income communities. Compared to UK90 (SDS) reference data, both SA girls and boys (9-14y) were significantly shorter, lighter, with a lower mean BMI and WC compared with their WE counterparts, with no significant differences in %FM. %FM and SMMa reference curves were constructed and comparisons were made between published WE (from affluent areas, WE1) reference curves, together with a low-income cohort (WE2). Comparisons in %FM at the 50th centile, between the SA and WE cohorts revealed that SAs had greater %FM overall, and this difference increased after application of the new equation. Similarly, across all age ranges SAs had significantly less relative SMMa than their WE counterparts.

The third study generated SA sex- and ethnic-specific WC centile curves. SDS comparisons with the WE2 cohort revealed SAs had a significantly lower mean WC than their WE2 counterparts. It was concluded that, as WC acts as a proxy for visceral fat, ethnic-specific cut-offs similar to those adopted for adults in India should be considered for children. The final study on LL revealed that SAs had a longer RLL than WE children, although as RLL data for WEs was derived, this would require further verification. The outcomes from these studies provide the evidence base and assessment tools to support the use of ethnic-specific references for children and youths in the UK from a SA background. The findings in this thesis demonstrate that overweight and obesity vary across different ethnic groups and this variation needs to be considered in the context of the clinical referral for individual children as well as for population surveillance. These are the first set of reference percentile charts for BC, proportions and dimensions in the UK SA paediatric population. Our findings support the use of these ethnic-specific references that go beyond BMI as an indicator of obesity-related metabolic health risk.


As the systematic approach to engineering matters, the performance evaluation system is proposed and examined theoretically by using the mathematical model. The systematic and theoretical approach to humanity is described. In the long history of human activity, engineering, culture, tradition, customs, life style, language have been formed gradually based upon politics, economics, natural and social environments. In usual, facility (F) behaves and performs a certain interaction (I) under some environments (E). This general phenomenon (physics/chemistry) is due to nature law and also applied to  general social phenomenon and human activity. Above F,E,I are considered to be primary elements of the basic system V(F,E,I).The performance of V(F,E,I) is evaluated as a result of phenomenon. As the rating index (p), five elements are defined: time(t), space(x),money(m), humanity(h), quality(q). The basic system V(F,E,I) is expressed in form of V(t,x,m,h,q) because of having the rating index built-in. The performance evaluation system is formulated by the mathematical model (partial differentiation form )of    δV(F,E,I)/ δp. By using a model of the existing bridge, the basic system V(F,E,I) of steel bridge  and their performance evaluation are simulated by the mathematical model.   Facility F, environment E and interaction I elements of the basic system V(F,E,I) of the steel bridge are organized and  each hierarchy is built in detail. They are closely related to the description/articles of the specification in edit and design use. The methodology of constitution and systematization of the specification is proposed. The sample bridge has been awarded as one of the best bridge of the year by JSCE in 2012.                                                The performance evaluation clarifies why it is worthwhile and selected.                      Systematic approach to engineering matters and humanity are discussed. As the two-dimensional ( X,Y ) problem, the expression method of  block diagram is described. The X-Y axes should be orthogonally designated by independent phenomenon each other. Based upon the nature law, Pareto distribution and the potential energy reserved theory, three problems are examined; 1)Risk management, regional disasters control, 2)Fracture/fatigue problems of the shear panel dampers and 3) The PM (performance/maintenance) theory of human activity. Keywords: performance evaluation system, rating index, primary/secondary evaluation, bridge system, nature law, potential energy reserved theory


The prevailing political and economic conditions both in Greece and around the world determine the general development of all forms of tourism. The development of specific forms of tourism, such as that of religious tourism, gains tremendous interest in the present economic circumstances, as it is a factor in strengthening the national economy and at the same time a legacy for the future with enormous social, cultural and environmental significance. The development of a strategic approach to religious tourism can build on the comparative advantage of our country in this field by creating new tourist sites to attract tourists with intellectual pursuits and special interests. The Prefecture of Evia has a rich range of natural and cultural resources, with particular characteristics of beauty, uniqueness, and authenticity, elements that are required for the design and development of specific forms of tourism. In the case study on religious tourism in Saint John Russian in the Prefecture of Evia, an attempt is being made to explore the contribution of religious tourism to local development and the preconditions for the promotion of the pilgrimage of Saint John Russian to a major destination of religious and cultural interest of international scope. Additionally, an effort is made to highlight the importance of religious tourism as a special form of tourism that contributes to the development of areas hosting religious monuments. Identifying the opportunities and opportunities that exist, exploring its growth prospects and identifying emerging markets, dictates the formulation of policy proposals where combined with the existing specific forms of tourism it will show it as an essential factor in the systematic organisation, exploitation and promotion of the Area.


The study of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1) DNA replication has shown that E1 and E2 are the only viral proteins required for this process. Both E1 and E2 interact with the viral origin of replication (ori). The BPV1 E2 protein is also a well-characterized transcriptional regulator. We show in this report that E1 can modulate transcription by interactions with E2. At low concentrations, E1 enhanced the E2-mediated transactivation of heterologous promoters containing the BPV1 ori by promoting cooperative binding of both E1 and E2 to the DNA. In contrast, in the presence of excess E1, transactivation by E2 is repressed. This last process, however, does not require cooperative DNA binding of the two proteins. These results imply that the balance between these two distinct types of interaction is crucial both for control of replication and for early viral transcription.


Heterozygous mutations in the human Kir6.2 gene (KCNJ11), the pore-forming subunit of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP channel), are a common cause of neonatal diabetes. We identified a novel KCNJ11 mutation, R50Q, that causes permanent neonatal diabetes (PNDM) without neurological problems. We investigated the functional effects this mutation and another at the same residue (R50P) that led to PNDM in association with developmental delay. Wild-type or mutant Kir6.2/SUR1 channels were examined by heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. Both mutations increased resting whole-cell currents through homomeric and heterozygous KATP channels by reducing channel inhibition by ATP, an effect that was larger in the presence of Mg2+. However the magnitude of the reduction in ATP sensitivity (and the increase in the whole-cell current) was substantially larger for the R50P mutation. This is consistent with the more severe phenotype. Single–R50P channel kinetics (in the absence of ATP) did not differ from wild type, indicating that the mutation primarily affects ATP binding and/or transduction. This supports the idea that R50 lies in the ATP-binding site of Kir6.2. The sulfonylurea tolbutamide blocked heterozygous R50Q (89%) and R50P (84%) channels only slightly less than wild-type channels (98%), suggesting that sulfonylurea therapy may be of benefit for patients with either mutation.


The role and contribution of the firm's Chief Information Officer has been the subject of much debate and uncertainty. Yet, too few empirical studies have examined the implications of the CIO role. This study examined the effects of CIO demography, CIO competencies as well as CIO organisational positioning on the contribution of information systems (IS&T) to business performance. Data were collected from 111 South African companies and results revealed that CIO business, interpersonal/political and technology management competence have significant direct effects on the dependent variable. The effect of CIO organisational position, including structural power and political relationship, was found to be mediated by CIO competence. CIO work experience also impacted the contribution of IS&T. Results have important implications for our understanding of the competencies and organisational positioning required of executives charged with the responsibility for information systems and technology management.


The article analyses the relationship between the constitutional right (duty) of courts to apply to the Constitutional Court and the constitutionalisation of labour law. Attention is drawn to the fact that the official constitutional doctrine incorporates the unfolding of the aspects that are significant to both collective and individual labour law. It is showed that the application of legal acts comprising labour law exposes certain conflicts of the established legal regulation with the values consolidated in the Constitution and with legal reality, and makes it evident that the regulation of labour relations lacks legal certainty. The said facts induce the situation, where the evolution of constitutional values exerting direct influence on labour law is not sufficient, and where courts of general jurisdiction and specialised courts fail in the course of considering cases related to the protection of labour rights to make use, in an adequately effective manner, of their constitutional right to apply to the Constitutional Court. Applications filed with the Constitutional Court by courts of general jurisdiction and specialised courts, as well as the subsequently adopted final acts of the Constitutional Court, are showed to embody the dialogue taking place within the boundaries of the national law system among courts and judges. Among other things, it is argued that the courts' position, due to whatever reasons (inter alia, prolonged time limits of case consideration) not to apply to the Constitutional Court, when doubts arise with regard to the constitutionality of a legal act applied in the case being considered by them, has balanced on the verge of lawfulness, and that the judges adopting such a position face the risk of administering formal justice. Taking a look at the practice of courts, the article examines the application of some explicitly consolidated norms of labour law, including the jurisprudential legal regulation of non-compete agreements and employment contracts concluded with heads of administration, which has become a classical part of the theory of labour law. The assumption is made that the jurisprudential legal regulation of non-compete agreements and employment contracts concluded with heads of administration, as legitimised in the case law of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, indicates that, in individual cases, in the practice of courts, a gap in a legal regulation is not only filled in in an ad hoc manner, but that the practice of courts may also produce a rather authentic system of rules of legal regulation, which, while taking account of the scope of such jurisprudential legal regulation, the duration of its validity, and its links with the limitation of certain constitutional labour rights, is hardly compatible with the constitutional requirement of legal certainty. It is noted that in the latter situations courts are made law-making subjects, first of all, through the inaction (insufficient action) of lawmaking subjects themselves.


This paper examines the relationship between ownership structure, analyst coverage, and forecast error for the entire population of non-financial companies listed on the Swiss Exchange for the period 2003-2013. The results show a negative association between concentrated ownership and analyst coverage for both family firms and firms held by a nonfamily blockholder. Furthermore, forecasts of analysts are shown to be more accurate for family firms than for other firms. These results suggest that family ownership improves the quality of the firm's information environment. This situation can be explained by a better alignment of interests between majority and minority shareholders among family firms.


Abstract Boundaries are drawn by the winners of territorial contests with little regard for the cultural integrity or internal social relations of those they displace. When national boundaries delineating Canada, the United States, and Mexico were established, they had the effect of bisecting several dozen tribes, leaving relatives on either side of borders, and cutting off access to areas where people from dozens of other tribes or bands had customarily gathered for trade, for socializing, and to participate in religious rites and ceremonies. Tribal governments have struggled with this problem for years. Post 9/11, borders have tightened and difficulties have multiplied. Now tribes are calling for a new deal, one which would allow them to modify Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requirements in order to ensure that tribal members will be able to continue to freely cross borders and to limit what tribes perceive as intrusive searches of regalia, sacred objects, and costumes used in ceremonies. In addition, many tribes are demanding a greater role in, and increased funding for, implementation of DHS policies on reservations. On the other hand, some would argue that the broader public interest in domestic security should override tribal concerns. In this paper I first examine the effects of border security measures on tribes/bands/first nations. Next, I incorporate recent debates on multiculturalism into an evaluation of arguments for and against developing a separate border protocol for indigenous people.


Objectives- The determine the success rate of deployment and long term patency of Gianturco Rosch metal stents in inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinomas and to evaluate the effectiveness of partial drainage in the palliation of jaundice in these patients. Materials and Methods : Over a period of two years, nine patients of inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinomas were referred for percutaneous biliary drainage and stent placement. All patients were put on internal external catheter drainage as aa first step prior to stenting. One patient, who had severe pre-existing cholangitis, died a few days after catheter drainage. Of the remaining eight patients, seven had only partial drainage of the liver. The segments or lobe with atrophy, portal vein occlusion or tumour infiltration were excluded. The eight patients received a total of 14 Gianturco Rosch Z-stents. There were no major procedure related complications and no evidence of cholangitis up to 30 days after discharge. Bilirubin levels in all patients dropped sharply following the stenting. On follow up, 2 patients had stent occlusions at 2 months, one patient at 6.5 months. One patient had a 11-month survival without stent occlusion. Cholangitis episodes on follow up were found to be uncommon and mild when present. Endoscopic insertion of a plastic stent through the metal stent was done in 3 patients with stent occlusion. Conclusions: Percutaneous deployment of Gianturco Rosch metal stents is safe, has a high success rate and provides adequate palliation even when few segments of the liver are not drained. Due to the relatively long survival of these patients, reinterventions may be required frequently.


Competence is one of the key variables that determine the performance of an employee. This study aims to provide an overview of competency-based human resource development in the Office of the City of Buol. The method used is descriptive with inductive approach. Data collection is done by observation, interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed qualitatively namely through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results showed that the competency-based human resource development in the Office of the City of Buol not achieve optimal results. This is shown by the results of performance appraisal that does not reflect the actual achievement of an employee. Factors that cause less successful efforts of competency-based human resource development is due to the low culture of learning and development practices that do not associate the results of planning activities, training, assessment, and job-oriented competence development Keyword : competency-based human resources, learning culture, an environment


Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), also known as Factitious Disorder by Proxy, is drawing considerable attention among specialists worldwide. There is a very little information about MSBP in Lithuania. MSBP is characterized by the deliberate fabrication or induction of medical symptoms and signs in a child by an adult caretaker (commonly mother) in order to receive medical care, hospitalisation and multiplex diagnostic and treatment procedures. A child can be seriously disabled psychologically, physically or even can die as a result of MSBP. That is why MSBP is also considered as the unusual form of child abuse. The diagnosis of MSBP and intervention still present difficult problems. First of all, the possibility for misdiagnosis of MSBP remains high. Secondly, the analysis of motivation reveals several yet not all useful implications for treating other forms of child abuse as well. Finally, the multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis, intervention and prevention is of utmost necessity to apply when dealing with MSBP or other cases of child abuse.


Intron-containing, incompletely spliced mRNAs are normally thought to be retained in the nucleus or degraded if they make it into the cytoplasm, but Bell et al. report that an intron-containing mRNA has a role in regulating the distribution of a K+ channel in neurons and can thus influence the firing properties of the cell. The authors studied large-conductance Ca2+-sensitive K+ (BKCa) channels, which are activated in response to changes in membrane potential and concentrations of intracellular calcium and thus modulate the firing properties of hippocampal neurons. An mRNA encoding the BKCa channel alpha subunit that contained intron 16 (i16) made up about 10% of the cytoplasmic transcripts encoding the channel protein as detected by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) base extension method in culture rat hippocampal neurons. The authors also developed a quantum dot-based in situ hybridization protocol that allowed them to detect the i16-containing transcript in the somatodendritic cytoplasm in a gradient, with the concentration decreasing in inverse proportion to the distance from the cell soma. Specific depletion of i16-containing mRNA with siRNA changed the localization of BKCa channels, making them less likely to localize with filamentous actin in dendritic spines. Depletion of the i16-containing mRNA also increased excitability of the treated neurons. The authors propose that these effects likely derive from expression of the alternatively spliced mRNA and suggest that cytoplasmically located intron-containing mRNA may provide a previously unrecognized mechanism by which neuronal membrane excitability can be controlled. T. J. Bell, K. Y. Miyashiro, J.-Y. Sul, R. McCullough, P. T. Buckley, J. Jochems, D. F. Meaney, P. Haydon, C. Cantor, T. D. Parsons, J. Eberwine, Cytoplasmic BKCa channel intron-containing mRNAs contribute to the intrinsic excitability of hippocampal neurons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 1901-1906 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Title of thesis: ANALYSIS OF RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS IN CONTINUOUS POLYMERIZATION REACTORS Kedar Himanshu Dave, Master of Science, 2004 Thesis directed by: Professor Kyu Yong Choi Department of Chemical Engineering This work explores the possibility of exploiting structure-property relationships to manufacture tailor-made polymers with target end-use properties. A novel framework which aims to improve upon current industrial practices in polymerization process and product quality control is proposed. The strong inter-relationship between the molecular architecture and rheological properties of polymers is the basis of this framework. The melt index is one of the most commonly used industrial measures of a polymer's processibilty. However, this single-point non-Newtonian viscosity is inadequate to accurately reflect the polymer melt's flow behavior. This justifies monitoring the entire viscosity-shear rate behavior during the polymerization stage. In addition, the crucial role played by the polymer melt's elastic characteristics is not reflected in it's shear viscosity and so elasticity meaurements are also warranted. In this study, rheological models available in the open literature are utillized to demonstrate these critical issues at industrially relevant operating conditions. The observations made are also compared with published experimental results and found to be qualitatively similar. Two case studies are presented. The first one is the free-radical solution polymerization of styrene with binary initiators in a cascade of two CSTRs. In the second case, the solution polymerization of ethylene in a single CSTR with a mixture of two single-site transition metal catalysts is considered. The feasibility of the proposed framework to tailor the product's MWD, irrespective of the underlying reactor configuration or kinetic mechanism, is demonstrated via steady state simulations. Relative gain analysis reveals the non-linearity and interactions in the control loops. Although the main contributions of this study primarily deal with the viscoelastic behavior of linear homopolymers, potential extensions to systems involving polymers with small amounts of long chain branching or the control of other end-use properties are also discussed. ANALYSIS OF RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS IN CONTINUOUS POLYMERIZATION REACTORS by Kedar Himanshu Dave Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science 2004 Advisory Commmittee: Professor Kyu Yong Choi, Chair/Advisor Professor Richard V. Calabrese Associate Professor Nam Sun Wang


Clickjacking, a subclass of " User Interface Redressing " attacks, is a threat against web applications arising from the combination of ambient authority and multiple browsing contexts available in many web user agent programs. Users can be tricked into clicking on obscured user interface elements of an application and in so doing initiate actions against their will, such as adding an attacker to a victim's social graph, promoting the attacker's content on a social network, or sending a payment to the attacker. Some technical countermeasures exist in web browsers, but offer incomplete protection or prohibit useful and legitimate constructs such as IFRAMEs in third-party browsing contexts. This paper describes a method for combining randomization of user interface elements with statistical analysis of first click success rates across a population to provide an effective and adaptive method of detecting and responding to clickjacking campaigns. Though not a general purpose solution to clickjacking, the method requires no modifications to existing web user agents and is applicable to many of the most widely deployed and commonly attacked use cases for which no other mitigations currently exist. The technique can also be effectively combined with client-side approaches to enhance the effectiveness of both.


Natural convection will obviously influence the liquid steel flow in continuous casting (CC) tundish, which cannot be neglected in tundish metallurgical process. Through the theoretical analysis, the dimensionless number, Gr/Re 2 , is adopted to determine the convection pattern in tundish system. Validity of this criteria in a reduced scale water model are also discussed in this paper. Non-isothermal water model experiment with the temperature variation of inlet stream, has been simulated to see the effect of temperature variation of ladle stream. The convection pattern of molten steel flow in continuous casting tundish is also studied numerically by using the commercialized computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software package, CFX4. From the results of theoretical analysis, physical and mathematical model simulation, it can be stated that the convection pattern of molten steel flow in tundish is controlled by the combined nature convection and forced convection.


Abstract. An intercomparison of different aerosol chemical characterization techniques has been performed as part of a chamber study of biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) formation and aging at the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric PHotochemistry In a large Reaction chamber). Three different aerosol sampling techniques – the aerosol collection module (ACM), the chemical analysis of aerosol online (CHARON) and the collection thermal-desorption unit (TD) were connected to proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometers (PTR-ToF-MSs) to provide chemical characterization of the SOA. The techniques were compared among each other and to results from an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). The experiments investigated SOA formation from the ozonolysis of β-pinene, limonene, a β-pinene–limonene mix and real plant emissions from Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine). The SOA was subsequently aged by photo-oxidation, except for limonene SOA, which was aged by NO3 oxidation. Despite significant differences in the aerosol collection and desorption methods of the PTR-based techniques, the determined chemical composition, i.e. the same major contributing signals, was found by all instruments for the different chemical systems studied. These signals could be attributed to known products expected from the oxidation of the examined monoterpenes. The sampling and desorption method of ACM and TD provided additional information on the volatility of individual compounds and showed relatively good agreement. Averaged over all experiments, the total aerosol mass recovery compared to an SMPS varied within 80 ± 10, 51 ± 5 and 27 ± 3 % for CHARON, ACM and TD, respectively. Comparison to the oxygen-to-carbon ratios (O : C) obtained by AMS showed that all PTR-based techniques observed lower O : C ratios, indicating a loss of molecular oxygen either during aerosol sampling or detection. The differences in total mass recovery and O : C between the three instruments resulted predominantly from differences in the field strength (E∕N) in the drift tube reaction ionization chambers of the PTR-ToF-MS instruments and from dissimilarities in the collection/desorption of aerosols. Laboratory case studies showed that PTR-ToF-MS E∕N conditions influenced fragmentation which resulted in water and further neutral fragment losses of the detected molecules. Since ACM and TD were operated in higher E∕N than CHARON, this resulted in higher fragmentation, thus affecting primarily the detected oxygen and carbon content and therefore also the mass recovery. Overall, these techniques have been shown to provide valuable insight on the chemical characteristics of BSOA and can address unknown thermodynamic properties such as partitioning coefficient values and volatility patterns down to a compound-specific level.


Objective: Botulinum toxin type-A (BoNTA) has been considered a treatment option for CH. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of BoNTA treatment in patients with medically resistant CH. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with CH were included in the study. Patients in the BoNTA group (n=20) were administered 10 U of BoNTA bilaterally to the frontal muscles, 20 U to the temporal muscles, 15 U to the semispinalis capitis, 15 U to the splenius capitis, and 15 U to the trapezius muscles (total: 150 U). Patients in the placebo group (n=20) received 0.2 mL of saline administrated to the same sites. All participations were evaluated 6 and 12 weeks after treatment; side effects, the number of painful days, severity (by visual analogue scale, VAS) and frequency of pain were evaluated. Results: In the BoNTA group, the severity and frequency of pain 6 and 12 weeks post treatment were significantly lower than pre-treatment levels (p<0.05). At 12 weeks post treatment, the severity and frequency of pain in the BoNTA group were lower than in the placebo group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that BoNTA was an effective treatment for CH.


Since 1999, 52 icebergs have been tagged with GPS buoys in the Weddell Seato enable monitoring of their position. The chosen icebergs were of small tomedium size, with a few icebergs larger than 10 km associatedwith the calving of icebergs A38 and A43 from the Ronne Ice Shelf.The majority of icebergs were tagged off Neumayer Station (8E, 70S).It was found that smaller bergs with edges shorter than 200 m had the shortestlife cycle (< 0.5 yr). Iceberg and thus freshwater export out of theWeddell Sea was found to be highly variable. In one year the majority of buoysdeployed remained in the Weddell Sea, constituting about 40 % of the NCEP P-Efreshwater input, whereas in other years all of the tagged icebergs were exported.The observed drifts of icebergs and sea-ice showed a remarkably coherent motion.The analysis of an iceberg - sea-ice buoy array in the western Weddell Seaand an iceberg array in the eastern Weddell Sea showed a coherent sea-iceiceberg drift in sea-ice concentrations above 86 %. Dynamic kinematic parameter(DKP) during the course of coherent movement were low and deviations from the meancourse associated with the passage of low-pressure system. The length scale ofcoherent movement was estimated to be less than 250km; about half the value found forthe Arctic Ocean.


A frequency modulated (FM) analog optical link using an FM discriminator is analyzed. Figures-of-merit are derived, including expressions for the second-order (OIP2) and third-order intercept points (OIP3), spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) and noise figure (NF). It is found that a discriminator with linear field transmission and constant group delay will produce no third-order or higher-order distortions, and balanced detection will suppress the remaining second-order distortion. Low biasing the discriminator is found not to improve the NF of the link. Residual intensity modulation (IM) of the laser is shown to significantly increase the link's distortion. A discriminator using tenth-order finite-impulse response (FIR) filters implemented in planar lightwave circuits (PLC) is proposed and shown to improve OIP3 by 31 dB over a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) discriminator.


Measurement unit safety policy checking is a topic in software analysis concerned with ensuring that programs do not violate basic principles of units of measurement. Such violations can hide significant domain-specific errors which are hard or impossible to find otherwise. Measurement unit analysis by means of automatic deduction is addressed in this paper. We draw general design principles for measurement unit certification tools and discuss our prototype for the C language, which includes both dynamic and static checkers. Our approach is based on assume/assert annotations of code, which are properly interpreted by our deduction-based tools and ignored by standard compilers. We do not modify the language in order to support units. The approach can be extended to incorporate other safety policies without great efforts.


The large de ections of a clamped, circular plate are investigated over a wide range of transverse loadings and initial in-plane tension loads. The continuous transition from plate behavior to membrane behavior is described in detail, along with the development of the accompanying edge zone region where properties change rapidly. We give a simple approximation of this edge zone and its properties, provide limits for the validity of small de ection, linear theory, and note the similar e ects of large in-plane tension and large transverse loading. The values and trends are presented in general non-dimensional form, and should prove useful for the design of thin circular disks for micro-sensing applications.


Nowadays a general platform has played an important role in the product design process. As the traditional similarity measure used in module division is to the design stage in which the features and set are static, it is impossible to find the similar components in alterative design stages. For this reason, a new common platform design method on extension-distance is presented. According to build the relative function, the threshold used in the key module identification is easy to generate. Then the tolerance-constraint functions in the customized components division for the common platform generation. Then the adaptability measure is used to find the optimal case in the database. The measure has been used in the gasoline saw common platform design process.


Phages are natural predators of bacteria and have been exploited in bacterial detection because of their exquisite specificity to their cognate bacterial hosts. In this study, we present a bacteriophage amplification-coupled assay as a surrogate for detecting a bacterium present in a sample. The assay entails detection of progeny phage resulting from infection and subsequent growth inside the bacterium present in suspected samples. This approach reduces testing time and enhances sensitivity to identify pathogens compared to traditional overnight plaque assay. Further, the assay has the ability to discriminate between live and dead cells since phages require live host cells to infect and replicate. To demonstrate its utility, phage MS2 amplification-coupled, bead-based sandwich type immunoassay on the Luminex® MAGPIX instrument for Escherichia coli detection was performed. The assay not only showed live cell discrimination ability but also a limit of E. coli detection of 1×102 cells/mL of live cells after a 3-hour incubation. In addition, the sensitivity of the assay was not impaired in the presence of dead cells. These results demonstrate that bacteriophage amplification-coupled assay can be a rapid live cell detection assay compared to traditional culture methods and a promising tool for quick validation of bacterial inactivation. Combined with the unique multiplex bead chemistry afforded by Luminex® MAGPIX platform, the phage assay can be expanded to be an ultra-deep multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens using specific phages directed against the target pathogens.


Rapid dissemination of critical and accurate information to low-resource and poorly literate people in crisis situations has long been a challenge. Historically, print media as well as radio and television have served as major delivery channels. With the advent of cellphones, SMS (texting),
 and the Internet, these digital technologies now afford enhanced opportunities for reaching this poorly literate, low-resource client group quickly and efficiently. Here, we describe a two-step, rapid response approach to the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive noctuid
 pest newly causing havoc on maize production in Africa and Asia. First, we developed a science-based, animated video – now being localized further into various languages across Africa and Asia – intended to aid semi-literate, smallholder farmers in identifying and scouting for
 fall armyworm effectively. Second, we made the animation easily available for (re)distribution in affected areas via the Internet and copying/sharing with Bluetooth®, thereby exponentially increasing the animation's reach across a wide spectrum of diverse languages and literacy levels.
 In this way, this form of asymmetrical communication hybridizes and combines the educational qualities of print dissemination with the range of radio/television delivery. An urgent need now exists to place the existing mobile ESD FAW animation into as many local languages as needed/possible
 to improve management of this pest. Such language variants will also increase the usefulness of the FAW animation for governments, intergovernmental institutions, non-government organizations, and civil society groups intent of working with farmers in Africa (and Asia) as it pertains to FAW
 IPM. The USAID, CIMMYT, IITA, and SAWBO teams will continue to foster awareness around mobile ESD as a FAW resource through each of their respective networks, but we also encourage other research and development organizations to do the same. More broadly, there is also the need to develop
 and disseminate further SAWBO mobile ESD animations on other aspects of FAW management to assist farmers in their attempts to control this pest. Making sure that target audiences have access to this animation, and any future animations, is undoubtedly a considerable challenge. It will be critical
 to inform intergovernmental, governmental, and non-governmental organizations, working directly or indirectly with farmers, that this resource exists, such that they can be the direct conduit to its deployment in the field. Thus, this (and any future FAW) animation(s) represent(s) a supporting
 tool for other organizations to use. It will also require that they develop localized pathways for deployment. However, it is important to note that training local educational deployment agents (e.g., extension agents) in the use of the SAWBO Deployer App allows for a highly effective approach
 to make SAWBO animations available for deployment with farmers in real time as new animations and language variants become available.


Visually inferring the elasticity of a bouncing object poses a challenge to the visual system: The observable behavior of the object depends on its elasticity but also on extrinsic factors, such as its initial position and velocity. Estimating elasticity requires disentangling these different contributions to the observed motion. We created 2-second simulations of a cube bouncing in a room and varied the cube's elasticity in 10 steps. The cube's initial position, orientation, and velocity were varied randomly to gain three random samples for each level of elasticity. We systematically limited the visual information by creating three versions of each stimulus: (a) a full rendering of the scene, (b) the cube in a completely black environment, and (c) a rigid version of the cube following the same trajectories but without rotating or deforming (also in a completely black environment). Thirteen observers rated the apparent elasticity of the cubes and the typicality of their motion. Generally, stimuli were judged as less typical if they showed rigid motion without rotations, highly elastic cubes, or unlikely events. Overall, elasticity judgments correlated strongly with the true elasticity but did not show perfect constancy. Yet, importantly, we found similar results for all three stimulus conditions, despite significant differences in their apparent typicality. This suggests that the trajectory alone contains the information required to make elasticity judgments.


This article reviews the past 15 years of developments in regional ocean data assimilation. A variety of scientific, management, and safety-related objectives motivate marine scientists to characterize many ocean environments, including coastal regions. As in weather prediction, the accurate representation of physical, chemical, and/or biological properties in the ocean is challenging. Models and observations alone provide imperfect representations of the ocean state, but together they can offer improved estimates. Variational and sequential methods are among the most widely used in regional ocean systems, and there have been exciting recent advances in ensemble and four-dimensional variational approaches. These techniques are increasingly being tested and adapted for biogeochemical applications.


Abstract Two approaches to identity have been employed to explore issues in Japan's international relations. One views identity as constituted by domestic norms and culture, and as constitutive of interests, which in turn cause behaviour. Proponents view Japan's 'pacifist' and 'antimilitarist' identity as inherently stable and likely to change only as a result of material factors. In the other approach, 'Japan' emerges and changes through processes of differentiation vis-à-vis 'Others'. Neither 'domestic' nor 'material' factors can exist outside of such identity constructions. We argue that the second, relational, approach is more theoretically sound, but begs three questions. First, how can different identity constructions in relation to numerous Others be synthesised and understood comprehensively? Second, how can continuity and change be handled in the same relational framework? Third, what is the point of analysing identity in relational terms? This article addresses the first two questions by introducing an analytical framework consisting of three mutually interacting layers of identity construction. Based on the articles in this special issue, we argue that identity entrepreneurs and emotions are particularly likely to contribute to change within this model. We address the third question by stressing common ground with the first approach: identity enables and constrains behaviour. In the case of Japan, changes in identity construction highlighted by the articles in this special issue forebode a political agenda centred on strengthening Japan militarily.


This article discusses the mathematical modeling of a straight microchannel heat sink, embedded with pin-fins, for purposes of liquid cooling of microelectronic chips. The influence of three different geometrical parameters, pin fins' diameter, pitch, and hydraulic diameter, on the heat sinks performance is studied. The studies are performed for Reynolds numbers varying from 250 to 2000, and the results are quantified based on thermal resistance and pressure drop. The heat sinks embedded with pin fins have better performance in terms of thermal resistance but at the same time have higher pressure drop. Studies revealed that increasing the pin fins' diameter, pitch, and hydraulic diameter have an influence on the thermal resistance; the thermal resistance is found to be decreasing with increasing these parameters for the same Reynolds number. For the cases studied, the reduction in thermal resistance of straight microchannels embedded with pin fins varied from 18% to 60% compared with that of traditional straight microchannels for different heat sinks configurations and Reynolds number. On the other hand, the pressure drop is increasing with an increase in pin fins' diameter and pitch, while it is found to be decreasing with increasing the hydraulic diameter.


OCHMIAN, I., K. KOZOS and K. MIJOWSKA, 2015. Influence of storage conditions on changes in physical parameters and chemical composition of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruit during storage. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 178-183 The research was carried out in the years 2009-2012 at the Fruit Farming Laboratory of the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin. The experiment was conducted in a production plantation where Sunrise cultivar bushes were planted in grey-brown podzolic soil, and collected fruit was stored for 6 weeks. The Palliflex storage system ensures specific atmosphere in a single pallet, which enables long- and short-term storage of fruit. In the research, fruit quality (physical parameters and chemical composition) was assessed depending on method of fruit preparation for storage (without shock cooling or shock cooling of fruit after harvest) and storage conditions (an ordinary cold store and CA cold store – the Palliflex system). The smallest changes in firmness (437 G·mm -1 ) and color when compared to fresh fruit were observed in a CA cold store after fruit pre-cooling (425 G·mm -1 ). The highest fruit weight loss was noted after fruit storage in normal atmosphere (1.9%). The storage resulted in a reduced content of ascorbic acid (59 and 72 mg·1000 mL -1 ) and polyphenols (175 and 207 mg·100g -1 ), while the content of nitrates in fruit grew (47.4 and 41.2 mg·1000 mL -1 ). No changes were observed in the content of extract


Hydrogen cracking in steel weldments can drastically reduce the toughness and ductility of welds in steel structures. Unfortunately, the development of the hydrogen economy will also see materials being increasingly exposed to hydrogen, in processes such as during hydrogen production and transportation. Thus, test methods are required which allow for a reproducible assessment of hydrogen embrittlement in weld material. In this article, rectangular test specimens made from weld bead on plate samples were subject to 4-point bend testing to investigate the relationship between applied stress, hydrogen content and embrittlement. This test concentrates the stresses in the weld bead, thus reducing the effects of premature HAZ cracking and enabling failure to develop in the weld metal, and showed good reproducibility. This test may form the basis for an industry test. Another test method is described using an un-machined weld bead on plate. A method of calculating the stresses and strains in this specimen in 4-point bending was developed.


Pricing Asian options based on the arithmetic average, under the Black and Scholes model, involves estimating an integral (a mathematical expectation) for which no analytical solution is available. Pricing their American-style counterparts, which provide early exercise opportunities, poses the additional difficulty of solving a dynamic optimization problem to determine the optimal exercise strategy. We develop a numerical method for pricing American-style Asian options based on dynamic programming combined with finite-element piecewise-polynomial approximation of the value function. Numerical experiments show convergence, consistency, and efficiency. Some theoretical properties of the value function and of the optimal exercise strategy are also established. (Option pricing, Asian Options, Path-dependent options, American Options, Dynamic Programming, Piecewise Polynomials)


The object of this article is to set forth certain evidence that emerges from a study of three of Plutarch's Lives, the Titus, the Paullus, and the Cato Maior, evidence which indicates that these Lives are based upon a definite type of biographical composition, and to suggest its possible origin and date. Since E. Meyer's article on the Cimon of Nepos and Plutarch, biographical sources have generally been assumed for the Greek Lives, and there has been a tendency to make the same assumption for the Roman Lives also, without, however, setting forth the evidence that might justify it. Uxkull Gyllenband maintained that biographies of Greeks and Romans, the sources of Plutarch, were written in the second century b.c., but he gives no evidence for his contention, which is indeed refuted by the observations of Jacoby. Mühl argued with some force that Plutarch's source for the Marcellus was a biography. There is good reason to doubt his conclusion that Plutarch has used a biography of Poseidonius; but the arguments advanced by Klotz for the thesis that the source was the annalist Valerius Antias are still less convincing. Liedmeier postulates a biographical source for the Paullus, but without doing more than asserting the general improbability that Plutarch here used a multiplicity of sources. It seems therefore desirable to collect such evidence as there is of a biographical source in these three Roman Lives of the second century b.c., and it is with such an attempt rather than with a priori considerations that I am here concerned.


This research project investigates the development processes, practices and outcomes of
'Safer Food Better Business' (SFBB) - a project initiated by the UK Food Standards
Agency at Salford University. SFBB is an adaptation of Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point (HACCP) - the existing, internationally accepted food safety
management methodology for food manufacturing - developed to ensure its use, utility
and acceptance by the catering industry whilst achieving the standards of scientifically
based risk management systems set by the UN Codex Alimentarius Committee.
Previous national and international food safety initiatives have failed to ensure catering
industry compliance with minimum standards within this complex and under researched
area of the food industry. This work addresses a key research question - 'Can the
traditional methodology of Codex HACCP be adapted to the complex catering
situations found in small independent restaurants through the utilisation of
multidisciplinary teams interacting with industry representatives'
This research was structured in five stages.
Stage (1) focused on identifying, clarifying and verifying the research problem. This
was undertaken through an in-depth investigation into 25 restaurants utilising structured
interviews in order to identify levels of adherence to key food safety guidance
instructions, restaurant owner-managers understanding of food safety; and the use of
documentation and levels of record keeping.
Stage (2) was a documentary examination of current catering food safety in order to
determine the areas where these systems matched the Codex standards required, and
also where present systems did not achieve appropriate levels of outcome. This work
was under taken through the use of gap analysis techniques.
Stage (3) was an in-depth analysis of the processes and outputs of the multi-disciplinary
team at Salford University that was set the task of constructing SFBB, the new food
safety management system based upon Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) principles.
Stage (4) examined the utility and practicality of SFBB through mentoring 50 randomly
selected restaurants using an action research methodology.
Stage (5) evaluated the system using a range of qualitative and quantitative methods.
The results demonstrate that 'Safer Food Better Business' is a pragmatic solution to the
problems of adapting HACCP for use in catering. Interestingly, traditional catering
practices, such as testing through the use of sensory cues, were validated and
consequently suggest that this system will find resonance in the catering trade. Training
needs were also identified and new National Occupational Standards prepared. The
validity of SFBB was further validated by measurements of cognitive, affective and
behavioural change.


The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the oldest and largest university on the island of Puerto Rico. With 11 campuses distributed along the island the institution has a student population of over to 64, 000 undergraduate and more than 5,000 graduate students, with close to 20,000 FT & PT faculty. The institution offers a full spectrum of programs throughout its campuses from certificates, associate and bachelor degrees, to Masters and PhD. programs. The article gives a general description of the UPR's libraries' information literacy (IL) programs at 8 of its 11 campuses. A search of the resent library literature revealed that nothing has been written about the information literacy programs of the libraries of the University of Puerto Rico library system. This article gives a report on the state of these programs as of the spring of 2007


In 1987, the President"s Commission on Americans Outdoors recommended that communities establish public greenways along lands and waterways to provide recreationalists with open space access that is close to their homes (President"s Commission on Americans Outdoors, 1987). This form of outdoor space is different than a traditional park in that greenways are longer, often more narrow, corridors that are conducive to walking, running, hiking and cycling. Moreover, several states and local communities have turned to creating paddle trails along scenic stretches of rivers in order to provide another opportunity for recreationalists to enjoy their natural surroundings. The Texas Parks and Wildlife has created such a program that promotes the use of popular rivers for paddling recreation. However, due to the linear nature of greenways, the space occupied often stretches through several tracts of private land. Some of the neighboring landowners of greenways have expressed apprehension toward these spaces because of concerns over a loss of property value, privacy, crime, liability, property damage and trespassing. The purpose of this research is to assess the attitudes of landowners living along the Luling Paddle Trail before and after the opening of the trail. The method chosen in determining the attitudes of these landowners is surveys. The results show that although there is a slight concern over a loss of privacy and trespassing, most landowners do not feel trepidation toward the trail. The conclusion of this research explores the necessity of expanding this research to cover more river trails.


Abstract Background During April–June 2017, Minnesota experienced the state's largest measles outbreak in 27 years. A vaccination campaign was implemented. Numerous vaccine-associated rash illnesses (VARI) were detected. VARI is non-contagious, but difficult to distinguish from measles clinically. Often, public health control measures need to be implemented before wild-type measles can be differentiated from VARI by viral genotyping. We compared clinical characteristics of VARI and confirmed measles cases to inform testing practices. Methods We defined measles cases per the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. VARI was defined as a rash occurring in a person within 21 days after receipt of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and in whom a measles vaccine strain (genotype A) was detected in naso/oro- pharyngeal swab or urine samples. Minnesota's immunization information system monitored MMR doses administered. We collected clinical information through routine case investigation. Results Over 42,000 MMR doses above expected were administered during the outbreak. We identified 71 measles cases and 30 VARI. The median age of VARI patients was 1.2 years (range 10 months–48 years) and for measles cases 2.8 years (range 3 months–57 years). VARI diagnosis increased with rising MMR administration (figure); rash onset occurred a median of 11 (range 7–18) days after MMR receipt. Most VARI (97%) occurred following first MMR dose. The presence of fever was similar among VARI and measles cases (97% of VARI vs. 100% of measles cases; P = 0.12), but differences were seen in the proportion with cough (30% vs. 96%; P < 0.001), coryza (47% vs. 85%; P < 0.001), conjunctivitis (23% vs. 68%; P < 0.001), and exposure to infectious measles cases (0% vs. 96%). Conclusions Surges in MMR administration and heightened community awareness during a measles outbreak can result in a large number of VARI, consuming considerable public health resources. When evaluating the need to suspect measles among patients with febrile rash, clinicians should consider time since MMR administration, clinical presentation, and history of measles exposure. Collecting appropriate specimens for timely virus genotyping could inform appropriate public health action. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Stereotypic content in the media has been regarded as a bane in a large variety of studies in communication, and its troublesome effects on the audience have been researched extensively. However, the utility of its deployment has not been given a full explanation. Serving as a key concept throughout, "the culture peg," a conceptual approximation of the national stereotype, was investigated empirically and theoretically to identify how stereotypes are enacted in major international newspapers. This study then investigated why they are so persistently used by tapping into cultural studies and related fields as theoretical resources. It finds through conceptual and textual analyses that the stereotype functions like culture does generally, according to cultural theorists. Stereotypes in the media attract the audience because they likely resonate through the discursive framework commonly shared by journalists and the audiences, both of whom possess similar cultural frames.