During World War II, 110,000 citizens and resident aliens of Japanese ancestry were banished from their homes and confined behind barbed wire for two and a half years. This comprehensive work surveys the historical origins, political characteristics, and legal consequences of that calamitous episode. The authors describe the myths and suspicions about Orientals on the West Coast and trace the influence of racial bigotry in the evacuation and in the court cases growing out of it. A theory is advanced to account for the administrative and legal decisions which initiated and concluded this calamity. Finally, the authors analyze the principal constitutional issues involved in the evacuation and their implications for the future.


Here we carried out a scientometric analysis of scientific literature published referred to the use of graphene and graphene-based materials. We found that in the last 15 years, more than 1200 issues have been produced, with an H -index of 67 cited 2647 times. The countries that have a larger production, in terms of number of issues published, are China, the United States, South Korea, India, and Iran, and the most relevant subject categories in which they are indexed are materials science, chemistry, science and tech- nology, physics, and engineering, while the biological and medical specialties seem to be actually not deeply involved.


This article presents the second installment of an empirical investigation into regulatory competition in international securities markets. It contributes to the current debate about competitiveness of U.S. capital markets by offering an account of transatlantic capital raising practices at the height of technology boom of the 1990s and before the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the corporate scandals that precipitated the Act. This article provides evidence that European issuers in the late 1990s were already turning away from U.S. public capital markets. While regulatory considerations appear to have played a role in that trend, even more important were the growing importance of private means of access of U.S. capital, the increased off-shore presence of U.S. institutional investors, and the relatively unsatisfactory trading performance of many foreign issuers that had gone to the trouble of obtaining U.S. public listings early in the 1990s. The picture of transatlantic capital raising presented in our survey suggests that the recent decline in competitiveness of U.S. capital markets may well be more a product of long-standing trends in global financial markets than a response to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or other requirements of federal securities laws. We have supplemented our original analysis with a post-script from the vantage point of 2008 to draw connections between our findings and those of recent academic literature.


In the sixteenth century, one of the world's most precious commodities was cochineal, a legendary red dye treasured by the ancient Mexicans and sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors. Shipped to Europe, the dye created a sensation, producing the brightest, strongest red the world had ever seen. Soon Spain's cochineal monopoly was worth a fortune. As the English, French, Dutch, and other Europeans joined the chase for cochineal -- a chase that lasted for more than three centuries -- a tale of pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies unfolds. A Perfect Red evokes with style and verve this history of a grand obsession, of intrigue, empire, and adventure in pursuit of the most desirable color on earth.


Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) describes excessive vasoconstriction of the digital microvasculature in response to cold exposure and emotional stress. RP is typically the earliest clinical manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc); a complex multisystem disease of unknown aetiology characterized by vasculopathy, inflammation and fibrosis. Vasculopathy is considered an essential pre-requisite to tissue remodeling, characterized by excessive collagen synthesis and tissue fibrosis, which occurs in the skin and other organs of patients with SSc. There is mounting evidence associating platelets with important biological functions beyond primary haemostasis. Upon activation, platelets release a large array of mediators implicated in vasoconstriction, inflammation and fibrosis, which has led me to consider the contribution of platelets to the pathogenesis of both RP and SSc. The principal aim of this thesis is to explore the impact of targeted anti-thrombotic therapy on digital microvascular function, platelet activation, oxidative stress and eicosanoid biosynthesis in RP and SSc. It is not possible to examine the impact of anti-platelet therapy on microvascular function, without first identifying sensitive methods for assessing digital microvascular function in humans. I shall report the findings of work examining established (infrared thermography) and novel (laser speckle contrast imaging) methods for the objective assessment of digital microvascular function in RP and SSc. I shall critically appraise the application of these methods alongside subjective patient self-report assessment of digital vascular function. I shall examine associations between digital vascular function, platelet activation, oxidative stress and eicosanoid biosynthesis between primary RP and SSc. I shall also report the findings of an investigator-led early phase clinical trial of targeted anti-thrombotic medication in RP and SSc. The major findings of this study were highlighting the strengths and limitations of established and novel methods for objective microvascular assessment in RP and SSc, and the poor agreement that exists between objective and subjective methods for assessing RP severity. I have identified similarities and differences in platelet activation and eicosanoid biosynthesis in primary RP and SSc. I shall present evidence of apparent efficacy of asasantin retard therapy on subjective, but not objective, assessments of digital microvascular function; the relevance of which shall be discussed in detail.


Introduction: Urinary incontinence is a common problem in women which may cause some restrictions in daily activities, mental health problems and social isolation. Objective: This study aimed to compare some factors associated with urinary incontinence in women with and without urinary incontinence. Methods: This descriptive case-control study was conducted on all women who had rectocel and cystocel surgery from 1997 to 2007 in Al-Zahra and Poursina Hospital. In this study all cases for cystocel and rectocel (480cases) were considered as case group and twice as many (960 cases) normal women were selected as control groupand compared after matcting variable of age, number of deliveries, blood pressure, diabetes, menopusal status and hormon replacement thrapy. Dara were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods (mean and percent) and analytical tesrs such as T-test and Chi-squre. P-value under 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of patients with urinary incontinence was 43.10  11.89 years. Average number of parity in case group was higher than the control group (3.81  1.26 vs 1.98 0.75 ) and statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups (p=0.0001 ). Patients in both groups had no significant differences considering diabetes, hypertension, menopause and hormon replacement therapy. But there was statistically significant differences in type of delivery between the two groups (p=0.0001). Conclusion: It was observed that urinary incontinence in women with higher parity and vaginal delivery was higher than the control group. It seems that these two factors are the main risk factors for urinary incontinence in women.


In this selective review, we first provide some empirical examples that motivate the usefulness of semi-nonparametric techniques in modelling economic and financial time series. We describe popular classes of semi-nonparametric dynamic models and some temporal dependence properties. We then present penalized sieve extremum (PSE) estimation as a general method for semi-nonparametric models with cross-sectional, panel, time series, or spatial data. The method is especially powerful in estimating difficult ill-posed inverse problems such as semi-nonparametric mixtures or conditional moment restrictions. We review recent advances on inference and large sample properties of the PSE estimators, which include (1) consistency and convergence rates of the PSE estimator of the nonparametric part; (2) limiting distributions of plug-in PSE estimators of functionals that are either smooth (i.e., root-n estimable) or non-smooth (i.e., slower than root-n estimable); (3) simple criterion-based inference for plug-in PSE estimation of smooth or non-smooth functionals; and (4) root-n asymptotic normality of semiparametric two-step estimators and their consistent variance estimators. Examples from dynamic asset pricing, nonlinear spatial VAR, semiparametric GARCH, and copula-based multivariate financial models are used to illustrate the general results.


The present study aims at improving the characterization of the dietary status of four sigmodontine rodents (Graomys griseoflavus, Akodon molinae, Calomys musculinus and Eligmodontia typus) by quantifying the major food categories (leaves, stems, seeds, Prosopis flexuosa pods, and arthopods) with a modified microhistological technique. The use of this new technique enhances the likelihood of accurately identifying plant parts, such as stems, seeds and fruits that are usually underestimated. Results reveal that hard tissues, like seeds, are a major resource in the diets while other hard tissues, such as stems and P. flexuosa pods, appear for the first time in the diet of all four species of sigmodontine rodents. Rodent species display considerable trophic flexibility that may be particularly advantageous in arid environments where resource availability is unpredictable and heterogeneous.


Research of the Dutch educational inspectorate shows that there are still many problems within Dutch primary education (Inspectie van het onderwijs, 2010). Topicus creates a pupil administration system ParnasSys that tries to solve these problems for the primary education. Two of these problems are not solved by ParnasSys however. Teachers are uncertified and teaching material is often bad. With the recent increase in popularity of social networks, Topicus sees opportunities.
This study shows a social network should be integrated into ParnasSys as a stand-alone application. This means that when users log-in to ParnasSys they get a new option to go to the social network, but the existing parts do not connect directly to the network.
Existing theory and implementations of social networks in education and corporations shows that social networking creates new relationships between people that otherwise would not have existed. This leads to access to more information, new experience and creation of new content. The creation of new content can help teachers to select better teaching material, enhance their current teaching material and find solutions to issues they currently have in the classroom. They can also share their own experiences with others helping other teachers increase their skills and experiences.
When integrating a social network within ParnasSys there are two issues that need to be mitigated:
1. Copyright.
2. Privacy.
Copyright can easily be mitigated by automatically posting all content on the network with a creative commons attribution license. This means that everyone can use the content as long as they mention the author. When people post content to the network that is copyrighted it can be removed when a takedown notice or report is received.
Privacy is a more subtle issue. While privacy controls mitigate most of the issues. Some issues subsist. For example when a teacher posts something about a pupil and the parent of this pupil is also a teacher with access to ParnasSys this could lead to issues. The only way to mitigate this issue is by educating the users that those privacy issues exist.
Recommendations : It is recommended to integrate a social network within ParnasSys. There are two possibilities for further research. First the research recommends to integrate the social network as a stand-alone application as start, but it is recommended to look further into possibilities to connect several existing parts of ParnasSys with the network. For example pages with information of tests could integrate with the network where several users can work together on these tests. Second, finding of information gets more important when the network gets more users. While there are no issues found on finding of information in the interviews with users, this could become an issue in the future. It is therefore recommended to test several search methods and measure how many users use these methods to find their needed information.


Girls tend to outperform boys in reading tests, while they usually lag behind boys in math. However, the size of the gender gap varies to a great extent between countries. While the existing literature explains these differences as being mainly due to cultural factors, this paper explores whether this cross-country variation is related to educational policies like tracking, grade retention, and individualised teaching practices. The gender test score gap is analysed in math, reading and science using the PISA 2012 dataset. Multilevel models are used in the estimation. The results suggest that the extent of the gender gap is indeed associated with certain characteristics of the various education systems. First, applying a difference-in-differences estimation method, it was found that early tracking has a direct effect on the gender gap in test scores, in favour of girls. Second, suggestive evidence shows that more student-oriented teaching practices also benefit girls relative to boys, both between and within countries, and within schools. Finally, grade retention is correlated with the gender gap, though there is further evidence suggesting that this correlation is very unlikely to represent a causal effect.


The recent Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) is a smart memory which includes functional units inside one logic layer of the 3D stacked memory design. In order to execute instructions inside the Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC), the processor needs to send instructions to be executed near data, keeping most of the pipeline complexity inside the processor. Thus, control-flow and data-flow dependencies are all managed inside the processor, in such way that only update instructions are supported by the HMC. In order to solve data-flow dependencies inside the memory, previous work proposed HMC Instruction Vector Extensions (HIVE), which embeds a high number of functional units with a interlock register bank. In this work we propose HMC Instruction Prediction Extensions (HIPE), that supports predicated execution inside the memory, in order to transform control-flow dependencies into data-flow dependencies. Our mechanism focus on removing the high latency iteration between the processor and the smart memory during the execution of branches that depends on data processed inside the memory. In this paper we evaluate a balanced design of HIVE comparing to x86 and HMC executions. After we show the HIPE mechanism results when executing a database workload, which is a strong candidate to use smart memories. We show interesting trade-offs of performance when comparing our mechanism to previous work.


Ball shear test is the most common test method used to assess the reliability of bond strength for ball grid array (BGA) packages. In this work, a combined experimental and numerical study was carried out to realize of BGA solder interface strength. Solder mask defined bond pads on the BGA substrate were used for BGA ball bonding. Different bond pad metallizations and solder alloys were used. Solid state aging at 150degC up to 1000 h has been carried out to change the interfacial microstructure. Cross-sectional studies of the solder-to-bond pad interfaces was conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer to investigate the interfacial reaction phenomena. Ball shear tests have been carried out to obtain the mechanical strength of the solder joints and to correlate shear behaviour with the interfacial reaction products. An attempt has been taken to realize experimental findings by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). It was found that intermetallic compound (IMC) formation at the solder interface plays an important role in the BGA solder bond strength. By changing the morphology and the microchemistry of IMCs, the fracture propagation path could be changed and hence, reliability could be improved.


It is expected that climate change will affect important natural inland waterways in Europe, among others, the Rhine River. Inland waterway transport is one of the main economic activities developed in the Rhine, and the effects of climate change on this activity are of great concern for skippers, the industry and policy-makers. This paper aims to identify whether longer and more frequent dry periods projected in the Rhine River will turn into a physical limitation that prevent inland waterway transport companies from guaranteeing reliable transportation to their customers, and – if so – when such a situation might take place. Based on the adaptation turning point approach, we propose a four step method to identify critical time periods for future climate change adaptation. According to our results, the inland waterway transport sector will start facing insurmountable problems associated with low water levels within the time span 2081–2095. The adaptation turning point approach provides analysts with a dynamic appraisal method that allows options to be ranked with timing of period of effectiveness and the time span needed for implementation as criteria. This increases flexibility of planning and allows for uncertainty about changing future conditions.


In order to better understand runoff characteristics from natural gas well sites in north central Texas, the City of Denton, with assistance through an EPA funded 104b3 Water Quality Cooperative Agreement, monitored storm water runoff from local natural gas well sites. Storm water runoff was found to contain high concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS). Observed TSS concentrations resulted in sediment loading rates that are similar to those observed from typical construction activities. Petroleum hydrocarbons, in contrast, were rarely detected in runoff samples. Heavy metals were detected in concentrations similar to those observed in typical urban runoff. However, the concentrations observed at the gas well sites were higher than those measured at nearby reference sites. Storm water runoff data collected from these sites were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the water erosion prediction project (WEPP) model for predicting runoff and sediment from these sites. Runoff and sediment predictions were adequate; however, rainfall simulation experiments were used to further characterize the portion of the site where drilling and extraction operations are performed, referred to as the "pad site." These experiments were used to develop specific pad site erosion parameters for the WEPP model. Finally, version 2 of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE 2.0) was used to evaluate the efficiency of best management practices (BMPs) for natural gas well sites. BMP efficiency ratings, which ranged from 52 to 93%, were also evaluated in the context of site management goals and implementation cost, demonstrating a practical approach for managing soil loss and understanding the importance of selecting appropriate site-specific BMPs.


Explore the new design discipline that is behind such products as the iPod and innovative Web sites like Flicer. While other books on this subject are either aimed at more seasoned practitioners or else are too focused on a particular medium like software, this guide will take a more holistic approach to the discipline, looking at interaction design for the Web, software, and devices. It isi? the only interaction design book that is coming from a designers point of view rather than that of an engineer. This much-needed guide is more than just a how-to manual. It covers interaction design fundamentals, approaches to designing, design research, and more, and spans all mediums-Internet, software, and devices. Even robots! Filled with tips, real-world projects, and interviews, you'll get a solid grounding in everything you need to successfully tackle interaction design.


The aquatic sloth, Thalassocnus, is one of the most intriguing lineage of mammal known from the southern pacific coast of South America during the late Neogene. It was initially recognized in Perú, but recent paleontological surveys also recorded its presence in Chile. However, the determination of how many species of Thalassocnus were actually present in Chile remains as an open question. Here, we provide a detailed morphological description of an isolated distal fragment of humerus recovered at the Mina Fosforita member (ca. 7 Ma), Bahía Inglesa Formation (Atacama Region, northern Chile), which is referred to Thalassocnus. Morphological comparisons with others forms from Chile and Perú allow us to attribute the CPUC/C/557 specimen to Thalassocnus cf. T. natans, though some degree of intraspecific variation is acknowledged. The assessment of the stratigraphic provenance of the materials with previously assigned to Thalassocnus from the Bahía Inglesa, Horcón and Coquimbo formations, permits us to propose that the taxonomic diversity of Thalassocnus in Chile is unequivocal conformed by T. carolomartini, and T. natans. We also admitted the likely presence of T. antiquus and probably T. yaucensis. Futures discoveries of more complete specimens, and/or the detailed analysis of undescribed specimens from Chile will undoubtedly contribute to illustrate the evolutionary history of the Thalassocnus radiation in Chile.


In this chapter I examine the concept of sexual offenses in Swedish criminal law: How is the sexuality of sexual offenses constructed? The material analyzed consists of preparatory works and case law on sexual offenses. Inspired by law professor Katherine M. Franke, the analysis is theoretically grounded in two diverse understandings of sexuality: Sexuality as erotic and sexuality as a dense transfer point for relations of power. In the article I argue that the sexuality of sexual offenses – such as it is constructed in Swedish criminal law on sexual offences – reflects an image of sexuality as pleasurable and mutual. Hence, it is a sexuality created as erotic. Further, a consequence of this construction of sexuality is discussed in the article, namely that sexuality as erotic renders invisible the many different ways in which sexuality is used as a tool in relations of power. Finally, different theoretical understandings of the relation between gender and sexual violations in criminal law are shortly discussed.


Abstract New insights from the recent literature are summarized and new data presented concerning the formation, structure and morphology of halloysite. Halloysite formation by weathering always requires the presence of water. Where substantial drying occurs, kaolinite is formed instead. Halloysite formation is favoured by a low pH. The octahedral sheet is positively charged at pH < ∼8, whereas the tetrahedral sheet is negatively charged at pH > ∼2. The opposing sheet charge would facilitate interlayer uptake of H2O molecules. When halloysite intercalates certain polar organic molecules, additional (hkl) reflections appear in the X-ray diffraction pattern, suggesting layer re-arrangement which, however, is dissimilar to that in kaolinite. Associated oxides and oxyhydroxides of Fe and Mn may limit the growth of halloysite particles as does incorporation of Fe into the structure. Particles of different shape and Fe content may occur within a given sample of halloysite.


The manipulation of articulated objects is of primary importance in Robotics and can be considered as one of the most complex manipulation tasks. Traditionally, this problem has been tackled by developing ad hoc approaches, which lack flexibility and portability. In this paper, we present a framework based on answer set programming (ASP) for the automated manipulation of articulated objects in a robot control architecture. In particular, ASP is employed for representing the configuration of the articulated object for checking the consistency of such representation in the knowledge base and for generating the sequence of manipulation actions. The framework is exemplified and validated on the Baxter dual-arm manipulator in the first, simple scenario. Then, we extend such scenario to improve the overall setup accuracy and to introduce a few constraints in robot actions execution to enforce their feasibility. The extended scenario entails a high number of possible actions that can be fruitfully combined together. Therefore, we exploit macro actions from automated planning in order to provide more effective plans. We validate the overall framework in the extended scenario, thereby confirming the applicability of ASP also in more realistic Robotics settings and showing the usefulness of macro actions for the robot-based manipulation of articulated objects.


Background Tolvaptan is an orally active vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist used to treat hyponatremia associated with congestive failure, cirrhosis, and the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Hyponatremia (< 135 mmol/l) is a predictor of death among patients with chronic heart failure and cirrhosis. Current therapy for acute and chronic hyponatremia is often ineffective and poor tolerated. Purpose Our aim is to analyse the use of the drug, benefit and adverse effects, checking if the prescription complies with the guidelines and accuracy of the dosage. Materials and methods The study was conducted between March-August 2.011. Patients with a tolvaptan prescription were reviewed: analysis, diagnose and admission's reason, treatment duration, evolution and possible side-effects. Results 14 patients (57% male) received tolvaptan in the study period. Average age was 69.28 (55-88) years. Location of patients among the clinical units was, 28% Cardiology department, 21.4% Geriatric department, 14.3% Hepathology and other units (Internal Medicine, Oncology and Critical Care Unit). Main diagnoses were 28.6% hyponatremia, 28.5% heart failure. Treatment duration was 13.6 (3-51) days and starting dose was 15 mg/24 h, only in 2 patients dose was increased to 30 mg. Another patient began with 30 mg/24 h and dose was increased to 60 mg/24h. Average pretreatment parameters: serum sodium concentration SSC: 125.1 (113-129) mg/dl, creatinine: 1.41 mg/dl (0.41-3.07), glucose: 125.14 mg/dl (113-139) and potassium 4.55 mg/dl (3.2-5.6). Average post-treatment parameters: SSC: 135.3 (129-143), creatinine: 1.36 mg/dl (0.54-3.20), glucose: 135.3 mg/dl (129-143) and potassium 4.21 mg/dl (3.2-5.2). No adverse events due to treatment were registered. Exitus: a critical patient, a terminal cancer patient and 2 85-year-old patients. Mean cost of the treatment: 1.214 €/patient (260-4431) €. Conclusions Tolvaptan is used in our patients to treat hyponatremia (not secondary to SIADH) and optimises sodium serum levels. The treatment diminished successfully the admission time and improved the clinical situation without adverse events.


Approximate expressions are derived for the probability density functions of the i.f. signal magnitudes from optical heterodyne detection systems operating in the presence of clear air turbulence. The effects of lognormal amplitude fluctuations and Gaussian phase perturbations, in addition to local oscillator shot noise, are considered for both passive receivers and those employing active tilt-tracking systems to eliminate angle-of-arrival fluctuations. In Part 2, experimental results are presented that verify the density functions developed here.


Afghanistan has long been conventionally regarded as a remote space peripheral to the wider world. Yet scholarship produced in the 2nd decade of the 21st century suggests its multiple connections to a wide array of regions and settings. Such connections are especially visible when viewed through the lens of the trade networks originating from the territories of modern Afghanistan. Scholars have come to recognize that Afghan traders have long been active players in many contexts across Asia and beyond. Such traders and the networks they form play a critically important role in connecting different parts of Asia with one another, including South Asia and Eurasia, as well as East and West Asia. The connective role performed by Afghan caravanners and religious minorities in the trade between India and Central Asia are especially well documented by historians. Increasingly so too are the activities of Afghan merchants in Ottoman territories. The trading networks Afghan traders have participated in are historically dynamic. Their orientating values shift across time and space between various forms of religious, ethno-linguistic, and political identity. The capacity to adapt to changing circumstances is helpful in understanding the continuing relevance of Afghan traders to 21st-century forms of globalized capitalism, in contexts as varied as the former Soviet Union, China, and the Arabian Peninsula.


In this article the author explores the fundamental shifts that occur in the relationship of the corporation to individuals, and to society as a whole, as a result of the emergence of new information technology in the Age of Communication. An overview is given of how the new corporate building blocks of connectivity, corporate renewal and culture can evoke and liberate the intellectual capital at the organisation, and more importantly revive the spirit of the organisation. The author concludes that corporations, within the Communication Age, can evolve from dominance to pre-eminence through taking on a broader social role and becoming fundamentally important socio-economic nodes in the individual's ever-expanding connectivity networks.


This paper investigates the consequences of sex imbalance in India's population for violence against women. We match district level administrative crime data by category to age- specific sex ratios in census data across four decades and, to analyse mechanisms, we also use administrative data on marriage rates and household survey data on attitudes to violence against women and marriage quality. We estimate that the elasticity of violence against women with respect to the surplus of men age 20-24 is unity, and that this explains about 35% of the rise in gender-based violence since 1995. Although less robust, there is some evidence that the youth sex ratio also raises non-gendered forms of violence, but we find no discernible impact upon property and economic crime. In probing mechanisms we argue that men are more prone to crime than women, that the share of unmarried men is increasing in the youth sex ratio, that attitudes to violence against women are evolving as a function of the sex ratio at birth and marriage quality measures, including self-reported domestic violence, are negatively related to sex ratios.


In recent times we observe a strong tendency in Chinese studies leading to the conceptual fusion of sinology and
social science in broader terms and, perhaps, to abolish "sinology" as an autonomous intellectual endeavour
eventually. The latter means that a clear-cut distinction is made between general methodology and methods of
social science on the one hand and the different objects of their application on the other hand. The assumption is
taken for granted that methodology is completely independent from its special field of application like, for instance,
the "area" in "area studies". Hence there is only a certain need to get access to the peculiar empirical data in that
field in order to be able to apply those general methods deemed to be the most effective and fruitful ones
regarding the class of problems under which that special case is to be subsumed.


Wireless license auctions have successfully replaced "beauty contests" in many countries. Competitive bidding (1) puts spectrum rights in the hands of the most productive firms; (2) reduces rent-seeking costs; and (3) captures license values for the public, potentially reducing costly tax distortions. Economists and policy makers have asymmetrically focused on (3). Yet, the overwhelming consumer welfare gains are produced in output (retail services) markets, not by extracting revenues from the sale of spectrum inputs. This fact leads to powerful policy implications, supporting liberal policies that permit market rivals to (quickly) access abundant bandwidth.


State and national initiatives provide teachers opportunities for interdisciplinary units with increased significance of non-fiction in English Language Arts and decreased reliance on the textbook in history and social studies. In these three disciplines, beginning in elementary school, students are expected to scrutinize multiple trade books of the same event, era, or person to construct understandings. Trade books are a logical curricular link between these three curricula. The initiatives, however, do not prescribe specific curricular materials; teachers rely on their own discretion when selecting available trade books. Historical misrepresentations have been found to emerge within trade books to varying degrees, yet only a few empirical studies have been conducted. We empirically evaluated trade books centered on the Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller's teacher. Celebrated as the Miracle Worker, she remains a relatively obscure figure. As a child, Macy faced the desertion or death of every family member and struggled to overcome poverty and isolation. Macy's story, thus, complements Keller's in consequential ways. We report various historical misrepresentations within the trade books and provide ancillary primary sources for teachers interested in addressing the historical omissions.


Using the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic inhibitor Uniconazol, we determined that det1, a mutant that no longer requires light to be germinated, still requires GA synthesis for germination. This result suggests that dark inhibition of germination in Arabidopsis may be due to inhibition of GA synthesis by the DET1 gene product in mature wild-type seeds. Similar experiments with mutants that lack seed dormancy due to a reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid (abi) have shown that abi1 and abi3 no longer require GA for germination. Furthermore, by shifting wild-type seeds to inhibitor at 6-hour intervals during imbibition, we determined that GA synthesis is only required during the first 24 hours of the imbibition process to reverse abscisic acid-induced dormancy in Arabidopsis.


This study explored university education faculty perceptions of their curriculum styles and their influence on the preparation of aspiring teachers. Using Miller's (2011) curriculum inventory, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design included (N =11) graduate education faculty who self-identified with one of four schools of curriculum design: linear, holistic, laissez-faire, critical theorist. A follow-up focus group was conducted with N = 7 participants, where their views and theories of curriculum were shared regarding effective design and implementation of curriculum, and the transmission of personal theories to aspiring teachers. Results may be valuable to those who prepare aspiring teachers and develop teacher preparation programs.


In this paper, we investigate the performance of a multiple access scheme based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) in High Altitude Platform (HAP) system for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. In our study, HAPs are used to replace the traditional gateway deployed on the ground and collect data from sensor nodes. Two scenarios of OFDM schemes with different subcarrier spacing are simulated in Rayleigh and Ricean fading environment. Results show the multiple access scheme based on OFDM for WSN can improve the performance against multipath transmission.


At no other moment in history have the values of business and the corporation been more nakedly and arrogantly in the ascendant. Combining popular intellectual history with a survey of recent business culture, Thomas Frank traces an idea he calls 'market populism' - the notion that markets are, in some transcendent way, identifiable with democracy and the will of the people. The idea that any criticism of things as they are is elitist can be seen in management literature, where downsizing and ceaseless, chaotic change are celebrated as victories for democracy; in advertising, where an endless array of brands seek to position themselves as symbols of authenticity and rebellion; on Wall street, where the stock market is identified as the domain of the small investor and common man; and, in the right-wing politics of the 1990s and the popular theories of Tom Peters, Charles Handy and Thomas Friedman. "One Market Under God" is Frank's counterattack against the onslaught of market propaganda. Mounted with the weapons of common sense, it is lucid and tinged with anger, betrayal and a certain hope for the future.


During the synthesis of viral components within an infected cell, the cell undergoes characteristic biochemical and morphological changes. Visible morphological changes in cells caused by viral infection are called cytopathic effects (CPE); the responsible virus is said to be cytopathogenic. The degree and types of visible damage to cells caused by viral infection vary greatly. Some viruses cause little or no CPE; others can cause total destruction of a cell monolayer after infection. The microscopic appearance of the CPE caused by some of these cytocidal viruses may be sufficiently characteristic to allow provisional identification of an unknown virus.
Recognizing CPE is an important diagnostic tool. Several types of CPE are distinguishable in living cultures, but fixation and staining of the cells is necessary to view manifestations such as inclusion bodies and syncytia. Syncytia are enlarged cells with four or more nuclei resulting from the fusion of the plasma membranes of four or more cells. Inclusion bodies are areas of altered staining due to accumulation of viral nucleic acids or proteins during viral assembly or due to the viral scarring of the cell.
Figure 1 shows Giemsa-stained bovine fetal spleen cells 24 hours post infection with bovine enterovirus, at a total magnification of 200x. CPE can be seen. In the magnified, labeled version of the micrograph, arrows point to cells showing pyknosis (shrunken, dense, poorly shaped cells).
Figure 2 shows noninfected BFS cells at 200X.


Abstract Building on the conceptualisation of 'the local' in gender and development discourse, we explore how national and sub-national policy actors in Uganda perceive gender equality policy in the context of agriculture and climate change, to assess the potential of localised solutions to achieve gender equality. Using data from national and sub-national policy actors in Uganda (37 semi-structured interviews, 78 questionnaires), the study found that policy actors largely adhered to global gender discourses in proposing context-specific solutions to gender inequality. Our results show that although local actors identified local norms and culture as major barriers to gender equality, their proposed solutions did not address local gender norms, focussed on formal policy and did little to address underlying causes of gender inequalities. Based on the findings, we suggest that 'the local' should be reconstructed as a deliberative space where a wide variety of actors, including local feminist organisations, critically engage, assess and address local gender inequality patterns in agriculture and climate change adaptation processes.


Over 80 task-based recipes to store, organize, manipulate, and analyze spatial data in a PostGIS database Overview Integrate PostGIS with web frameworks and implement OGC standards such as WMS and WFS using MapServer and GeoServer Convert 2D and 3D vector data, raster data, and routing data into usable forms Visualize data from the PostGIS database using a desktop GIS program such as QGIS and OpenJUMP Easy-to-use recipes with advanced analyses of spatial data and practical applications In Detail PostGIS is a spatial database that integrates advanced storage and analysis of vector and raster data, and is remarkably flexible and powerful. PostGIS provides support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database and is currently one of the most popular open source spatial databases. If you want to explore the complete range of PostGIS techniques and expose its related extensions, this book is a must-have. This book is a deep dive into the full range of PostGIS topics, with practical applications of the concepts and code. It is a comprehensive guide on the PostGIS tools and concepts that are required to manage, manipulate, and analyse spatial data in PostGIS. This book is packed with systematic instructions of hands-on examples and in-depth explanations. Even for experienced users, this book will serve as a great source of reference by providing new ways of working with PostGIS through the book's easy-to-follow approach. This hands-on guide looks at key spatial data manipulation tasks, explaining not only how each task is performed, but also why. It provides practical guidance allowing you to safely take advantage of the advanced technology in PostGIS in order to simplify your spatial database administration tasks. This practical book will help you take advantage of basic and advanced vector, raster, and routing approaches. You will learn to use the concepts of data maintenance, optimization, and performance, which will help you to integrate these into a large ecosystem of desktop and web tools. With this comprehensive guide, you will be armed with all the tools and instructions you need to both manage the spatial database system and make better decisions as your project's requirements evolve. What you will learn from this book Import and export geographical data from the PostGIS database using the available tools Structure spatial data using the functionality provided by the combination of PostgreSQL and PostGIS Work with a set of PostGIS functions to perform basic and advanced vector analyses Connect PostGIS with PHP, Java, and .NET Learn to use programming frameworks around PostGIS Maintain, optimize, and fine-tune spatial data for long-term viability Explore the 3D capabilities of PostGIS, including LiDAR point clouds and point clouds derived from Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques Distribute 3D models through the Web using the X3D standard Use PostGIS to develop powerful GIS web applications using Open Geospatial Consortium web standards Master PostGIS Raster Approach An easy-to-use guide, full of hands-on recipes for manipulating spatial data in a PostGIS database. Each topic is explained and placed in context, and for the more inquisitive, there are more details of the concepts used. Who this book is written for If you are a web developer or a software architect, especially in location-based companies, and want to expand the range of techniques you are using with PostGIS, then this book is for you. You should have some prior experience with PostgreSQL database and spatial concepts.


The aim of this thesis is showing how financial market design can facilitate the growth of developing countries. The paper is divided into two main parts (II and III). Part II explains how financial markets support developing countries by improving the accumulation of capital and increasing the pace of technological enhancements, since both advance growth and economic productivity. These two roles are in turn direct consequences of performing the six growth related functions: mobilization of savings; risk reduction; better information access; improved corporate control; facilitate the exchange; and support for financial integration. Part III, will then describe the design of the Dubai International Financial Exchange, as a financial market in a developing country, demonstrating how these six functions can be performed. Part I, only briefly, explains financial markets, and is there to provide a background for the reader. At the end of the paper, some recommendations and conclusions are discussed.


Electoral rules translate votes into seats on different basis. Politicians respond differently to alternative electoral rules, and consequently, economic performance is expected to vary across rules. This paper empirically investigates whether electoral rules have an effect –and if so, under which circumstances–on the economic performance of industries. Applying panel data techniques to an extensive dataset covering 61 manufacturing industries from 58 democracies over 1990-2010, we find that industry size –measured by the number of workers to total population– grinds industry economic growth. However, we find very robust evidence that large industries grow less slowly under majoritarian rules than under proportional representation and mixed systems. Based on previous theories suggesting that majoritarian rules are more likely to target narrow-interest groups, we conjecture a multilateral political linkage among officed-oriented politicians, industries and voters which might explain the differential effect of electoral rules on the economic performance of industries.


Soil loss is not limited to change from forest or woodland to other land uses/covers. It may occur when there is agricultural land-use/cover modification or conversion. Soil loss may influence loss of carbon from the soil, hence implication on greenhouse gas emission. Changing land use could be considered actually or potentially successful in adapting to climate change, or may be considered maladaptation if it creates environmental degradation. In semi-arid northern Ghana, changing agricultural practices have been identified amongst other climate variability and climate change adaptation measures. Similarly, some of the policies aimed at improving farm household resilience toward climate change impact might necessitate land use change. The heterogeneity of farm household (agents) cannot be ignored when addressing land use/cover change issues, especially when livelihood is dependent on land. This paper therefore presents an approach for simulating soil loss from an agro-ecosystem using multi-agent simulation (MAS). We adapted a universal soil loss equation as a soil loss sub-model in the Vea-LUDAS model (a MAS model). Furthermore, for a 20-year simulation period, we presented the impact of agricultural land-use adaptation strategy (maize cultivation credit i.e., maize credit scenario) on soil loss and compared it with the baseline scenario i.e., business-as-usual. Adoption of maize as influenced by maize cultivation credit significantly influenced agricultural land-use change in the study area. Although there was no significant difference in the soil loss under the tested scenarios, the incorporation of human decision-making in a temporal manner allowed us to view patterns that cannot be seen in single step modeling. The study shows that opening up cropland on soil with a high erosion risk has implications for soil loss. Hence, effective measures should be put in place to prevent the opening up of lands that have high erosion risk.


Aortic valve stenosis (AS) and abdominal aorto-iliac stenosis typically affect elderly patients, and both are associated with the adverse outcome if not adequately managed. Surgical intervention is the first treatment in younger patients without significant comorbidities. Notably, these conditions can be present simultaneously. The choice of the optimal treatment of these patients is challenging, and no clear recommendations are available, but the option of simultaneous treatment by percutaneous intervention, especially in high surgical-risk patients, appeared to be attractive. We report a series of 2 cases with severe AS and aorto-iliac stenosis referred to "Ospedale del Cuore" of Massa (Italy) who could not undergo surgical intervention. They were treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and covered endovascular reconstruction of aortic bifurcation (CERAB) within the same procedure. Our case series showed that one-stage intervention is an effective, safe, and feasible treatment of these two pathologies. In the future, this approach can represent the "gold-standard" for elderly and frail subjects.


Michael Boylan is the John J. McDonnell jr chair in Ethics, and professor and chair of the philosophy department at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to being a poet and novelist, he has written more than 100 published articles and 25 books primarily in ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of science, and the intersection of philosophy and literature. He was a fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Washington DC policy think tank from 2007-2009 and is the general editor of a series of trade books on public philosophy with Basil Blackwell Publishers and another series of books with Prentice Hall as well as being the ethics editor for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Boylan was actually the first guest that I had never met before, so I had no idea how the interview would go – nor what kind of person Boylan was. There was no need for worry, though, as Boylan turned out to be engaged, enthusiastic and inspiring – on top of being a very nice guy. We had a great conversation, mostly centred around the relationship between philosophy and literature, (ancient) philosophy of biology, the good life and several other topics covered in Boylan's impressive oeuvre.


United Nations peacekeeping operations (UN PKOs) increasingly engage with local communities to support peace processes in war-torn countries. Yet, while existing research tends to focus on the coercive and state-building functions of UN PKOs, their concrete local activities with community leaders and populations remain, empirically and theoretically, understudied. Thus, this study investigates how peacekeepers' community-based intergroup dialogue activities influence communal violence. It argues that facilitating dialogue between different communal identity-based groups locally can revive intergroup coordination and diminish negative biases against other groups, thereby reducing the risk of communal conflict escalation. This argument is tested using a novel data set of intergroup dialogue activities organized by the UN PKO in Côte d'Ivoire across 107 departments from October 2011 to May 2016. Bivariate probit and matching address the nonrandom assignment of these interventions. The analyses provide robust evidence that the UN PKO mitigated communal violence by organizing intergroup dialogues.


The development of tools for complex dynamic security systems is not a straight forward engineering task but, rather, a scientific task where discovery of new scientific principles and math is necessary. For years, scientists have observed complex behavior but have had difficulty understanding it. Prominent examples include: insect colony organization, the stock market, molecular interactions, fractals, and emergent behavior. Engineering such systems will be an even greater challenge. This report explores four tools for engineered complex dynamic security systems: Partially Observable Markov Decision Process, Percolation Theory, Graph Theory, and Exergy/Entropy Theory. Additionally, enabling hardware technology for next generation security systems are described: a 100 node wireless sensor network, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle.


In the framework of Density Functional Theory with Strongly Correlated Electrons we consider the so called bond dissociating limit for the energy of an aggregate of atoms. We show that the multi-marginals optimal transport cost with Coulombian electron-electron repulsion may correctly describe the dissociation effect. The variational limit is completely calculated in the case of N=2 electrons. The theme of fractional number of electrons appears naturally and brings into play the question of optimal partial transport cost. A plan is outlined to complete the analysis which involves the study of the relaxation of optimal transport cost with respect to the weak* convergence of measures.


Conservation behaviour is an area of conservation biology particularly suited to investigate problems of species endangerment associated with managing animals in fragmented habitats and isolated parks. It employs a theoretical framework that examines the mechanisms, development, function and phylogeny of behavioural variation in order to develop practical tools for preventing extinction. This framework can be used to attract animals to suitable habitat, restore migratory movements, identify individual reproductive strategies affecting conservation and focus protection on species most susceptible to extinction. The future success of conservation behaviour requires that behaviourists link individual variation in behaviour to processes that determine population viability.

Key concepts

Animal conservation will require active management.

Behavioural problems must be examined from four perspectives (mechanisms, ontogeny, adaptive function, phylogeny) simultaneously.

Behavioural strategies of individual animals change as habitat and populations are altered, and those changes could harm population viability.

Animal behaviourists must participate in conservation planning to protect the future of biodiversity.

Keywords:

conservation;
extinction;
wildlife management;
ethology


Bankruptcy scholars generally agree that consumer bankruptcy functions, at least in part, as a form of social insurance. It does so by allowing individuals to discharge unsecured debts that they incur and cannot pay as a result of the occurrence of one or more particular events or circumstances. Available data suggest that the consumer bankruptcy system primarily insures individuals against the effects of unemployment, illness, disability, and marital dissolution. But other regimes - unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, Medicare, spousal support laws, etc. - insure individuals against these circumstances as well. To the extent that legal scholars have considered the relationship between bankruptcy and these other programs, they have tended to assume that bankruptcy filings reflect failures of other social insurance programs, gaps in the social safety net. It is reasonable to believe, however, that an optimal social insurance system would allocate significant functions to bankruptcy. This Article frames basic questions that must be resolved in determining the optimal role of bankruptcy within the American social insurance system. By way of illustration, it compares the wage insurance functions of bankruptcy and unemployment insurance with respect to administrative costs, co-insurance costs, moral hazard, and effects on labor and credit markets. It also considers potential policy implications of such a comparison. These include changing the scope of benefits and/or eligibility under non-bankruptcy programs and altering the exemption rules that operate in bankruptcy. Resolving such normative questions about the relationship between bankruptcy and other social insurance programs is an essential step in evaluating the significance of current bankruptcy rates and the desirability of recent bankruptcy reforms.


In occupational safety and health acts, ordinances, regulations, directives, standards and guidelines, A-weighted sound exposures, varying in level and duration, are traditionally converted to an 8-hour-average sound level by applying the 3-dB exchange rate. Under the prerequisite that the energy equivalent rating level does not exceed 85 dB(A)/8 h, even impulse noise exposures of up to 140 dB are declared harmless. Indeed, the mutual settlement of level and duration based on the concept of energy equivalence is correct as far as sound energy or physical dose is concerned. However, between this principle and work physiological and work psychological, i.e. ergonomics paradigms, some decisive discrepancies do exist. People react to exposures according to human characteristics rather than "function" according to the laws of physics as they apply to inert matter. This has been demonstrated by a series of new experimental approaches, in which temporary threshold shifts and their restitution associated with various energy equivalent noise exposures have been measured. Also, the impact of various types of loud music has been investigated. In addition to the conventionally determined maximum threshold shift, TTS2, and the time it takes to reach the resting hearing level again, the area under the restitution curve, indicate the total physiological costs the hearing has to pay for a preceding sound exposure. This book is an attempt to increase the transparency in existing evaluation methods and - in the interest of pertinent disclosure of risks associated with common procedures - to work towards the elimination of unacceptable simplifications and dangerously erroneous assessments.


This Article analyzes the Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations issued by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Article describes the goals, principles and procedures set forth in the Paper, and discusses key questions and dilemmas relating to how the OTP approaches these in practice. In particular, the Article focuses on the interplay and synergies between ICC preliminary examinations and accountability mechanisms at the domestic level, often referred to as 'positive complementarity'.
Such an analysis is important already because the OTP itself and many scholars alike claim that a key goal of preliminary examinations involves 'the ending of impunity, by encouraging genuine national proceedings'. Despite the attention being afforded the concept of 'positive complementarity', however, only few existing studies examine the extent to which this goal is being effectively pursued by the OTP at the preliminary examination phase and how ICC preliminary examinations may affect national authorities' commitment to domestic accountability processes and otherwise impact the scope, nature and conduct of such processes.
The Article concludes that, although limited in scope, existing empirically-based studies point to a more complex picture concerning the synergies between preliminary examinations and domestic accountability processes compared to that endorsed by the OTP. Utilizing the notions of 'hand-over' and 'burden-sharing' versions of complementarity, the Article observes that both versions of complementarity may face significant challenges in practice, especially in situations where there is no or only limited political at the national level to advance accountability for the crimes under ICC scrutiny. Yet, the Article also argues that the OTP may, through its monitoring, statements and encouragement at the preliminary examination phase, advance the rule of law in national jurisdictions in other subtle ways, for example by 'lifting' perceptions of the seriousness of the abuses under scrutiny to a new level.


This research study presents an investigation of interpreter trainees acquiring New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as a second language (L2) outside their formal classroom learning. This study was motivated firstly by a concern that a considerable reduction in learner and lecturer contact hours within an NZSL interpreting programme would compromise graduate NZSL competency, necessitating a compensatory approach predominantly in the context of the Deaf community. Secondly, the study attempts to address a marked gap in research related to L2 sign language learning from a sociocultural perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a bilingual context (NZSL and English) in order to gain the 'inside' perspectives of six NZSL learners who had just completed a two-year Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting. The interviews sought to uncover the informal NZSL language learning opportunities used by the participants, especially within the social context of the Deaf community, and the individual learner strategies utilised by 'good learners' of NZSL. Interview data were transcribed and were analysed by employing qualitative methods. Coding of the data revealed a number of categories which were subsequently examined for salient themes relating to the research questions. The main findings of the study revolved around the significance of L2 learner access to social and material resources, especially within the Deaf sociocultural context. Of particular significance was the enhancement of learner motivation and confidence as was the frequency and depth of interaction with Deaf people and degree of mediated NZSL learning from NZSL mentors. Of key importance were the social relationships and networks developed with L1 users, which facilitated access to an array of NZSL learning opportunities. Material language learning resources, such as NZSL video samples and equipment were also useful, when interaction with Deaf people was not possible due to heavy study demands, especially in the second year of the programme. Learner involvement in the Deaf community, particularly within Deaf social networks, resulted in significantly improved linguistic, pragmatic and sociocultural competency. The findings of the study raise two main implications. Firstly, the study highlights the need for NZSL interpreting curriculum enrichment and the resourcing of the programme to foster learner autonomy. Secondly, to date there has been little research on adult L2 sign language learning outside the classroom context and the study may stimulate further studies of the acquisition of sign language as a second language. The study may also be of benefit to autonomous L2 sign language learners and stakeholders in sign language interpreting education around the world.


We present the DTFE public software, a code for reconstructing fields from a discrete set of samples/measurements using the maximum of information contained in the point distribution. The code is written in C++ using the CGAL library and is parallelized using OpenMP. The software was designed for the analysis of cosmological data but can be used in other fields where one must interpolate quantities given at a discrete point set. The software comes with a wide suite of options to facilitate the analysis of 2- and 3-dimensional data and of both numerical simulations and galaxy redshift surveys. For comparison purposes, the code also implements the TSC and SPH grid interpolation methods. The code comes with an extensive user guide detailing the program options, examples and the inner workings of the code. The DTFE public software and further information can be found at this http URL .


The backscattering of circularly polarized light at normal incidence to a half-space of scattering particles is studied using the Electric Field Monte Carlo (EMC) method. The spatial distribution of the backscattered light intensity is examined for both the time-resolved and continuous wave cases for large particles with anisotropy factor, g, in the range 0.8 to 0.97. For the time-resolved case, the backscattered light with the same helicity as that of the incident beam (co-polarized) is found to form a ring centered on the point of incidence. The ring expands and simultaneously grows weak as time increases. The intensity of backscattered light with helicity opposite to that of the incident beam (cross-polarized) is found to exhibit a ring behavior for g >/= 0.85, with significant backscattering at the point of incidence. For the continuous-wave case no such ring pattern is observed in backscattered light for either helicity. The present EMC study suggests that the ring behavior can only be observed in the time domain, in contrast to previous studies of light backscattered from forward scattering media based on the scalar time-independent Fokker-Planck approximation to the radiative transfer equation. The time-dependent ring structure of backscattered light may have potential use in subsurface imaging applications.


The concept of value and, more specifically, customer value is of increasing interest to both academics and practitioners. Many see it as the next source of competitive advantage. Like other regions of the country, the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan has a presence of SMEs in many sectors. A major one amongst these is the marble sector; characterized by two sub-sectors, marble mining and marble processing. A review of various studies in the marble sector reveals that about 70 percent of marble reserves in Pakistan are being wasted due to poor mining and processing techniques. The situation is further aggravated by a lack of sound marketing strategies that are focused on value creation that enable these SMEs to enhance competitiveness and achieve greater profitability especially in the international markets. This paper, which is part of the preliminary work for PhD research being carried out by the author at the University of Southampton, UK, tries to examine some of the issues and perspectives regarding customer value creation and relates these concepts to the marble sector of N WF.P. The literature reviewed for this purpose lays emphasis on the concept of value from the dimension of employees and processes. It also highlights some of the drivers and barriers to value creation. By identifying some of the issues and perspectives to customer value creation, this paper would be a first step towards enhancing the competitiveness of Pakistan's marble industry especially in the international market.


He is a brilliant maths professor with a peculiar problem - ever since a traumatic head injury seventeen years ago, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. She is a sensitive but astute young housekeeper who is entrusted to take care of him. Each morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are reintroduced to one another, a strange, beautiful relationship blossoms between them. The Professor may not remember what he had for breakfast, but his mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past. He devises clever maths riddles - based on her shoe size or her birthday - and the numbers reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her ten-year-old son. With each new equation, the three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory.


The ability to successfully switch hit, or hit a baseball from both sides of the plate, requires a great amount of practice and coordination bilaterally. This study used three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data to examine the swing patterns of skilled switch hitters in baseball. Three male minor league and division I collegiate switch hitters participated. Subjects stood on force plates and hit baseballs off a tee while their swings were recorded with a three-dimensional optical motion capture system. Each subject performed twenty total swings, ten from the right and ten from the left. The swings were digitally analyzed and the dependent measures were compared side-to-side. The swing was broken down into specific events and temporal phase parameters were obtained. Peak vertical ground reaction force of each foot and stride length of each swing were also obtained. All variables were statistically analyzed using paired t-tests. The subjects displayed surface swing characteristics side-to-side that appeared identical and statistically there were no significant differences in the swing variables side-to-side. However, each subject had slight internal pattern differences side-to-side that are reported and discussed. Switch hitters are an excellent example of skilled practitioners that can provide insight into questions pertaining to dominance and motor control. Further research is needed with more subjects to explore side-to-side similarities and differences in well-established patterns. v Acknowledgements


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Understanding the experiences of stroke patients and their carers during the early days following discharge from hospital is an important aspect of providing appropriate care during this crucial time.

BACKGROUND
Due to the diverse changes that can result from a stroke, adjustment to returning home may raise many issues for those involved. A review of research was undertaken with the aim of identifying what is already known about experiences at this time.

DESIGN
Systematic review.

METHOD
Search of electronic databases.

RESULTS
The review revealed that recognition of the impact of stroke on patients and carers is improving, with many studies focussing on the longer-term aspects of stroke recovery. Research into the early discharge experiences of stroke patients and/or their carers is often limited to retrospective, longitudinal studies. With the continuing shift towards care in the community, patients and carers can increasingly expect more recovery to be taking place at home at an even earlier stage. Earlier discharge may have important implications for those involved. The review also highlighted that patients with aphasia have frequently been excluded from stroke research and that social roles are important aspects in stroke recovery.

CONCLUSIONS
To prepare patients and carers better for the impact of returning home, further research is needed into their experiences at this significant time, particularly in the UK. There is also a need to facilitate the inclusion of those with aphasia in stroke research.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
An improved understanding of the issues facing stroke patients and carers during their early days at home should facilitate the preparation for discharge in the hospital setting and allow more focussed follow-up services in the community.


Netflix and other transnational online video streaming services are disrupting long-established arrangements in national television systems around the world. In this paper we analyse how public service media (PSM) organisations (key purveyors of societal goals in broadcasting) are responding to the fast-growing popularity of these new services. Drawing on Philip Napoli's framework for analysing strategic responses by established media to threats of competitive displacement by new media, we find that the three PSM organisations in our study exhibit commonalities. Their responses have tended to follow a particular evolution starting with different levels of complacency and resistance before settling into more coherent strategies revolving around efforts to differentiate PSM offerings, while also diversifying into activities, primarily across new platforms, that mimic SVoD approaches and probe production collaborations. Beyond these similarities, however, we also find that a range of contextual factors (including path-dependency, the role and status of PSM in each country, the degree of additional government support, cultural factors and market size) help explain nuances in strategic responses between our three cases.


This paper attempts to demonstrate Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework by conducting internal and external level analyses on two online news articles that report on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) submission of its findings on the "Mamasapano Incident" that happened in the Philippines in 2015. In performing analyses using this framework, the social context and background for these texts, as well as the relationship between the internal discourse features and the external social practices and structures in which the texts were produced are thoroughly examined. As a result, it can be noted that from the texts' internal discourse features, the news articles portray ideological and social distinctions among social actors such as the Philippine Senate, the SAF troopers, the MILF, the MILF fighters, and the civilians. Moreover, from the viewpoint of the texts as being external social practices, the texts maintain institutional identities as news reports, but they also reveal some evaluative stance as exemplified by the adjectival phrases that the writers employed. Having both the internal and external features examined, it can be said that the way these texts were written seems to portray power relations that exist between the Philippine government and the MILF.
Key words: Critical Discourse Analysis, discourse analysis, news articles, social practices, social structures, power relations


The present study is concerned with the evolution of investment chapters of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Our purpose is to observe the structure and recurrent patterns of the normative content of these chapters in order to ascertain and analyse certain trends. The sample of agreements reviewed is limited to the investment agreements concluded (or about to be concluded, when there is sufficient information) by the two major importers and exporters of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) — the United States and the European Union.After an overview illustrating the history and layout of the EU and U.S. systems of investment protection (Part I), we provide a breakdown of the provisions that create a gulf between the two models (Part II). In Part III, we describe and analyse the current impasse in the European Union's newly centralised management of investment policies. Our central claim is then illustrated in Part IV, where we argue that the U.S. (NAFTA-like) template is likely to prevail over the European one, in the long run, because it fills the gaps in incomplete treaty regimes like those recurrent in European Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union seems to confirm this trend. In light of these remarks, we conclude that, in the future, pluri- and multilateral negotiations will increasingly lean towards the NAFTA model and gradually distance themselves from the European BIT standard.


In this paper, we propose a methodology for the estimation of the pose of oblique landscape images. Knowledge about the pose is needed for using such images in augmented reality applications or to allow projection of pixels in a GIS for spatial analysis. We propose to estimate the pose using a 30 digital elevation model (OEM) rendered with an ortho-image as reference. Starting from a rough estimation, the pose is refined by exploiting correspondences detected with a local normalized cross-correlation method. Matches are searched between edge features extracted both in the query image and in a synthetic image generated from the DEM and the ortho-image. A RANSAC approach based on the camera model extracts the best matches. Few iterations of the algorithm provide a precise estimation of the pose, leading to a precise georeferencing of the query image. We tested the proposed methodology to images of a popular glacier in the south of Switzerland downloaded from Panoramio.


1.All of the wing fringe cilia of Thrips physapus , except those along the hindwing leading edge, pivot in elongated sockets which lock them into two positions. 2. The wings lie parallel over the abdomen when not in use, with the cilia locked in the closed position at an angle of 15-20° to the wing axis. The closing of the fringes prevents entanglement of the trailing edge cilia and lateral projection of the forewing leading edge cilia. 3. During flight the cilia are locked in the open position, doubling the wing area. The locking force is stronger than the combined aerodynamic and inertial forces on the cilia. 4. The fringes are opened by abdominal combing and closed by tibial combing. 5. The same morphological features are found in other members of the sub-order Terebrantia. Parallel wings at rest are characteristic of this suborder, and the collapsible fringe system is viewed as an effective method for parking the wings. 6. The fringes of the sub-order Tubulifera are not collapsible. The wings overlap on the abdomen at rest and a similar parking problem does not arise.


Abstract Mormoopidae is a small family of Neotropical microchiropteran bats that includes two genera (Mormoops and Pteronotus) and ten species, two of which are known only from fossils. Mormoopidae is typically classified as a member of Noctilionoidea, a group that minimally includes two other Neotropical families (Phyllostomidae and Noctilionidae) and may also include Mystacinidae, a taxon endemic to New Zealand and Australia. Phylogenetic relationships of extant mormoopid species and one extinct taxon, Pteronotus pristinus, were investigated in a series of parsimony analyses of 209 morphological characters including features of the skull, dentition, vomeronasal organ complex and brain, trachea and hyoid apparatus, tongue, face, ears, pelage, patagia, postcranial skeleton, postcranial myology, reproductive tract, and digestive tract. Three extant phyllostomid species, two noctilionids, two mystacinids, and one emballonurid species were included as outgroups to test monophyly of Mormoopidae and to provide a context for determining the sister group of the family. Results of parsimony analyses under a variety of different assumption sets indicate that Mormoopidae is monophyletic, and that Pteronotus and Mormoops are monophyletic sister taxa. Within the genus Pteronotus, several clades were repeatedly recovered: (1) P. davyi + P. gymnonotus (= subgenus Pteronotus); (2) P. macleayi + P. quadridens; (3) P. personatus + P. macleayi + P. quadridens (= subgenus Chilonycteris); (4) P. parnellii + P. pristinus + P. personatus + P. macleayi + P. quadridens; and (5) P. parnellii + P. pristinus (= subgenus Phyllodia). These results support monophyly of all subgenera of Pteronotus previously recognized, and additionally indicate that the subgenera Pteronotus and Chilonycteris are sister taxa. Comprehensive diagnoses for each species and clade of Mormoopidae are provided based on character optimizations and ancillary morphometric data from the literature. Results of our parsimony analyses also have implications for understanding higher-level phylogeny of noctilionoid bats. Monophyly of each of the traditionally recognized families (i.e., Noctilionidae, Mystacinidae, Mormoopidae, and Phyllostomidae) was strongly supported. In congruence with recent analyses of mitochondrial gene-sequence data and DNA hybridization experiments, we found strong support for inclusion of Mystacinidae in Noctilionoidea. Using an emballonurid species to root the tree, we found the following interfamilial relationships of noctilionoids: (Noctilionidae (Mystacinidae (Phyllostomidae, Mormoopidae))). Lists of morphological synapomorphies of each of these groups are provided based on character optimizations.


ABSTRACT The ank gene of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) codes for a protein with a predicted molecular size of 131.2 kDa that is recognized by serum from both dogs and humans infected with granulocytic ehrlichiae. As part of an effort to assess the phylogenetic relatedness of granulocytic ehrlichiae from different geographic regions and in different host species, the ankgene was PCR amplified and sequenced from a variety of sources. These included 10 blood specimens from patients with confirmed human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (three from New York, four from Wisconsin, two from Slovenia, and one from Sweden). Also examined was a canine granulocytic ehrlichia sample obtained from Minnesota, Ehrlichia equi from California, Ehrlichia phagocytophila from Sweden, and the granulocytic ehrlichia isolate USG3. The sequences showed a high level of homology (>95.5% identity), with the lowest homology occurring between a New York HGE agent and the SwedishE. phagocytophila. Several 3-bp deletions and a variable number of 51- and 81-bp direct repeats were noted. Although the North American HGE sequences showed the highest conservation (>98.1% identity), phylogenetic analyses indicated that these samples represent two separate clades, one including the three New York HGE samples and the USG3 strain and another with the Wisconsin HGE and Minnesota canine sequences. Two of the New York samples and the USG3 strain showed 100% identity over the entire 3,696-bp product. Likewise, three of the Wisconsin human samples and the Minnesota dog sample were identical (3,693 bp). Whereas phylogenetic analysis showed that the E. equi sequence was most closely related to the Upper Midwest samples, analysis of the repeat structures showed it to be more similar to the European samples. Overall, the genetic analysis based on theank gene showed that the granulocytic ehrlichiae are closely related, appear to infect multiple species, and can be grouped into at least three different clades, two North American and one European.


The type genus of Serpulidae, Serpula Linnaeus, 1758, along with closely related genera Crucigera Benedict, 1887 and Hydroides Gunnerus, 1768, accounts for approximately one-third of all described species in the family. Although previous morphological and molecular studies unequivocally indicate that these three genera constitute a monophyletic group, the status of each genus remains unknown. In this study, the relationships among and within the genera Serpula, Crucigera, and Hydroides were investigated using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses of nuclear (18S and 28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (cytochrome b) genomic molecular markers plus morphology. The phylogeny supports the monophyly of Hydroides, but Serpula forms a paraphyletic basal grade and Crucigera is polyphyletic. The lack of close relationship between Hydroides and Crucigera indicates that their similar opercular features are not homologous.


Views culturally responsive teaching as a contextual and situational process for both teachers and students—the students—including those who are from a diversity of languages, cultures, racial/ethnic backgrounds, religions, economic resources, interests, abilities, and life experiences.


Personalized recommendation has received a lot of attention as a highly practical research topic. However, existing recommender systems provide the recommendations with a generic statement such as "Customers who bought this item also bought…". Explainable recommendation, which makes a user aware of why such items are recommended, is in demand. The goal of our research is to make the users feel as if they are receiving recommendations from their friends. To this end, we formulate a new challenging problem called personalized reason generation for explainable recommendation for songs in conversation applications and propose a solution that generates a natural language explanation of the reason for recommending a song to that particular user. For example, if the user is a student, our method can generate an output such as "Campus radio plays this song at noon every day, and I think it sounds wonderful," which the student may find easy to relate to. In the offline experiments, through manual assessments, the gain of our method is statistically significant on the relevance to songs and personalization to users comparing with baselines. Large-scale online experiments show that our method outperforms manually selected reasons by 8.2% in terms of click-through rate. Evaluation results indicate that our generated reasons are relevant to songs and personalized to users, and they attract users to click the recommendations.


Students in higher professionals education are prepared for high level professional practice. To be able to fulfill their future roles, their educational programmes provide them interaction with professional knowledge, theoretical knowledge and professional practice. These types of interactions are presumed to aid students in their transformation from high school student to a professional in a complex society. However, it still is unknown how the different types of knowledge interact in the transformation of students to professionals through higher professional education, as well as the prerogatives for this interaction. This longitudinal study will follow 4x25 students of four different applied disciplines during their four years of undergraduate education to better understand this role of knowledge. In a mixed-methods design the interaction between the development of their professional identity, professional knowledge-base and notions of just professional action will be investigated. This poster presents an overview of the research design.


Epilepsy affects 0.5-1% of the population. Often, there is no recognizable cause, although it may develop after brain damage, such as trauma, infection or tumor growth or other kinds of neurological disease. Epilepsy is a very common neurological disorder, characterized by seizures, which take various forms and results from episodic neuronal discharges, the form of the seizure depending on the part of the brain affected. Current antiepileptic drugs are effective in controlling seizures in about 70% of patients, but their use is often limited by side effects. Novel mannich bases of indole were synthesized by using a series of aldehydes and secondary amines in presence of ethanol with magnetic stirring for 4-6 hours in cold condition. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectral data. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for anticonvulsant activity by maximum electroshock induced convulsions method on Wister albino mice of either sex (25-30 gm). Phenytoin was used as standard drug. Some of these synthesized compounds shown significant anticonvulsant activity.


Abstract The relationship between bond valence and structural energy has never been fully explored, although several predictive models have assumed some simple relationship between the two. Some of these models relate energy only to bond valence, while others also take into account other factors, such as bond character. We examined periodic trends in bond dissociation energies as a function of their ionicity, covalency, and metallicity, defined in terms of the electronegativity values of the atoms involved. A statistical model was optimized to describe these trends, allowing us to generate rough bond energy vs. bond valence curves. The shapes of these curves vary dramatically as a function of bond character, and are strongly influenced by the lone-pair bond-weakening effect. The curve shapes can be used to rationalize several chemical trends, including the preferred structures of compounds with different bond types, the prevalence of peroxide and persulfide minerals, preferred bond lengths in oxides, and the pKa values of (hydr)oxy-acids. The last is perhaps the most important, because some valence-based acidity models are in current use, despite the fact that some aspects of their rationale are unclear.


This article introduces Exponential Random Graph Modeling (ERGM), a method for statistical inference in social network analysis. The following aspects of the method are explained in the text: 1) objectives, 2) model specification, 3) estimation, and 4) interpretation of the estimation results. I also provide an example case with empirical network data and show how ERGMs can be applied to examine real network data.


We have succeeded in preparing semi-synthesized proteins bound to Sc(3+) ion which can promote an epoxide ring-opening reaction. The Sc(3+) binding site was created on the surface of [(gp5βf)(3)](2) (N. Yokoi et al., Small, 2010, 6, 1873) by introducing a cysteine residue for conjugation of a bpy moiety using a thiol-maleimide coupling reaction. Three cysteine mutants [(gp5βf_X)(3)](2) (X = G18C, L47C, N51C) were prepared to introduce a bpy in different positions because it had been reported that Sc(3+) ion can serve as a Lewis-acid catalyst for an epoxide ring-opening reaction upon binding of epoxide to bpy and two -ROH groups. G18C_bpy with Sc(3+) can accelerate the rate of catalysis of the epoxide ring-opening reaction and has the highest rate of conversion among the three mutants. The value is more than 20 times higher than that of the mixtures of [(gp5βf)(3)](2)/2,2'-bipyridine and L-threonine/2,2'-bipyridine. The elevated activity was obtained by the cooperative effect of stabilizing the Sc(3+) coordination and accumulation of substrates on the protein surface. Thus, we expect that the semi-synthetic approach can provide insights into new rational design of artificial metalloenzymes.


In the last decades, the fabrication of ordered nano- and microporous structures has attracted increasing interest due to their specific properties and multiple possible applications in electronics, as templates or in the biological field. The development of such materials has been favored by the introduction of the simple breath-figure templating method in the 1990's. In order to fully exploit the potential of these porous materials, the use of advanced functional molecules as precursors is essential. One suitable class of molecules is the well-defined linear-dendritic hybrids (LD hybrids) family. The structural variations, multiple end-groups and possible amphiphilicity of these molecules are significant advantages that could lead to highly sophisticated functional materials with potential usage in biology. Therefore, this project was directed towards the synthesis of advanced LD hybrids and the evaluation of their ability to form ordered functional porous films.A degradation and toxicity study was initially conducted on polyester-based 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) dendrimers under physiological conditions to support the potential usage of these molecules for biological purposes. The materials were found to undergo a relatively fast depolymerization process at pH 7.5. Moreover, the initial dendrimer and its decomposition products were proven to be non-toxic for immune competent cells, allowing for the utilization of these molecules for biological applications.A linear-dendritic-linear hybrid library was successfully synthesized from biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) and bis-MPA building blocks using a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP)and copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The materials, consisting of one long PEG block connected to the focal point of the dendron and several PCL arms attached at its periphery, were used to construct ordered porous films using the breath figure method. The polymeric architecture strongly affected the ordering of the films with a more regular morphology obtained from a more flexible polymer. Changing the semi-crystalline PCL to amorphous polylactide (PLA) also permitted the formation of porous arrays. Interestingly, films obtained from inverted structures possessing one long PCL block and several short PEG chains, also presented a regular morphology. Moreover they could be activated to exhibit multiple surface hydroxyl groups.To increase the number of orthogonal synthetic methodologies available for the preparation of advanced macromolecules, high molecular weight dendritic macrothiols were synthesized. These molecules were efficiently coupled to a number of core molecules via thiol-ene coupling, generating a comprehensive library of dendritic materials. This approach represents an attractive alternative to the commonly used, but potentially toxic, CuAAC.Exploiting the obtained results, a final LD hybrid was synthesized from atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) derivatives and thiol-ene coupling (TEC) with macrothiols. This macromolecule was successfully utilized to form functional ordered porous arrays and the availability of peripheral alkyne functional groups was demonstrated by efficient coupling with fluorescent Rhodamine-B. The HEMA-backbone allowed for the introduction of cross-linkable azide groups that were used to significantly improve the thermal stability of the films from 50 °C to 200 °C. These materials have the potential to be used in applications such as catalysis, in medicine and as sensors.


A new kind of Se-N dynamic covalent bond has been found that can form between the Se atom of a phenylselenyl halogen species and the N atom of a pyridine derivative, such as polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine). This Se-N dynamic covalent bond can be reversibly and rapidly formed or cleaved under acidic or basic conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the bond can be dynamically cleaved by heating or treatment with stronger electron-donating pyridine derivatives. The multiple responses of Se-N bond to external stimuli has enriched the existing family of dynamic covalent bonds. It can be used for controlled and reversible self-assembly and disassembly, which may find potential applications in a number of areas, including self-healing materials and responsive assemblies.


In this paper we study the problem that when a Boolean function can be represented as the sum of two bent functions. This problem was recently presented by N. Tokareva in studying the number of bent functions [20]. Firstly, many functions, such as quadratic Boolean functions, MaioranaMacFarland bent functions, partial spread functions etc, are proved to be able to be represented as the sum of two bent functions. Methods to construct such functions from low dimension ones are also introduced. N. Tokareva's main hypothesis is proved for n ≤ 6. Moreover, two hypotheses which are equivalent to N. Tokareva's main hypothesis are presented. These hypotheses may lead to new ideas or methods to solve this problem. At last, necessary and sufficient conditions on the problem when the sum of several bent functions is again a bent function are given.


Technological innovations change the intermediation relationships within securities trading. Thus, the question arises which factors drive or hinder their adoption. This paper develops a model to evaluate institutional investors' intentions to adopt the meta-technology we call non-delegated order handling. It focuses on the usage of IT-driven trading systems which enable investors to control the choice of trading venue, order slicing, and timing themselves instead of delegating the execution of stock trading to an intermediary. Therefore the theory of task-technology-fit is integrated into the technology acceptance model. Further, it was successfully tested on data from the largest European institutional investors. The results outline that the perceived fit among the system"s capabilities and individual trading requirements is the main driver for adoption. Secondly, performance expectations fuel the intention to use trading innovations. Thirdly, for the expected efforts only a weak effect could be shown. Finally, factors like contractual barriers and competitive pressure which investors cannot control do not substantially affect their adoption decision.


The provision of insurance for the poor, covering a variety of risks, could well be a key milestone in the fight against poverty. In richer economies, insurance achieved through broad public action and appropriately developed private mechanisms has fundamentally changed the lives of poor people. The difficulty in developing countries, however, is that insurance markets are limited, as (often) is the capacity of public agencies to provide sufficient protection. Much experimentation has occurred in the provision of health insurance, and microfinance institutions have begun to take more interest in insurance, providing coverage for risks like crop failure resulting from drought and loss of income due to illness or accident as part of their overall service delivery. The focus of this brief is the design of insurance schemes for the poor in some of the poorest settings of the developing world, taking potential synergies and pitfalls into account.


Introduction. In accordance with the theory of the cycle all the world is subject to cyclical development. Is no exception management activities manager, which is also prone to cyclical fluctuations. Theoretical analysis. On the basis of generalization of the results of the theory of the cycle in the paper shows that the cyclical dynamics is an important factor in the management of activities and one of the determinants of its development, so the activity is subject to manager's qualitative transformation and is seen as alternately repeated change of several qualities (stages). Discussion of results. The result of the analysis of the stages of the life cycle management becomes avoidance of the stage of "decline" and extend its life cycle. Thus, there is an objective need for the formation and operation in practice of the new concept of life cycle management.


An over stocking of trees having diameters less than 20 cm, as measured 1.52 m off the ground presents a major fire hazard to over 54 million acres of National Forest land. Improving the commercial value of this small diameter timber appears to be the most cost effective way to encourage the harvesting needed to alleviate the problem. US Forest Service research is exploring several options for the development of value-added markets for this material. One of these involves the design and use of round-timber structural components. An evaluation of small-diameter timber mechanical properties shows them to be of a quality acceptable for use in engineered structural components. The bending and axial strength of this timber is, in fact, superior to most sawn lumber. The primary barrier to structural use is the lack of commodity-market round-timber connections.


Abstract. Influence of long term trends in the climate parameters (average temperature, wind speed and solar irradiance) on phytoplankton and nutrient in the Baltic Sea was studied with an integrated three-dimensional coupled sea-ice ecological model. Simple ecosystem has been added to the sea-ice model and it has been used to estimate variability of the phytoplankton and nutrient during long term changes of the main atmospheric forces. Several numerical experiments were conducted to test the sensitivity of the model to changes of the main physical parameters such as temperature, wind speed, solar and thermal radiation (in different configurations). Influences of variability of these parameters on phytoplankton and nutrient (total inorganic nitrogen) is presented and discussion on relevance to expected future climate change is provided.