The past decade has witnessed a worldwide and more-or-less irreversible shift away from state ownership. This "megatrend" is expected to last well into the next millennium. Given policymakers' previous strong inclination towards nationalization and state ownership, one must ask: Why change now?"Markets, States, and Public Policy" concentrates on the experience of Britain and France, two pioneers of privatization, and draws specifically on detailed case studies of three sectors: oil, telecommunications, and railroads. The book shows that privatization is brought about by the interplay of three factors at critical junctures of time: available policy alternatives, the ideological complexion and strategy of the governing parties, and widening government budget deficits. Thus privatization is a politically forged decision to forego direct control over markets, in favor of indirect control.Zahariadis applies the multiple streams approach, extending the theory in two important ways: first, by giving it an explicitly comparative focus and second, by broadening its explanatory reach to cover policy adoption in addition to agenda setting. In doing this, the author strikes a unique balance between theoretical analysis and empirical rigor. Zahariadis's novel way of comparatively examining the dynamics of policy choice and his use of literature that cuts across the fields of comparative politics, public policy and political economy will attract the interest of students of political science, public administration, economics, and sociology.Nikolaos Zahariadis is Assistant Professor of Political Science, State University of New York-New Paltz.


We investigate the strategic pricing for leading brands sold in the carbonated soft drink (CSD) market in the context of a flexible demand specification (i.e. random parameter nested logit) and a structural pricing equation. Our approach does not rely upon the often used ad hoc linear approximations to demand and profit-maximizing first-order conditions. We estimate the structural pricing equation using four different estimators (i.e. OLS, LIML, 2SLS, and GMM) and compare the implied deviation from Bertrand-Nash competition. Our results suggest that retailers, on average, price CSD brands below their cost, likely a result of the competitive retailing environment. We also find CSD wholesalers price their brands significantly more cooperatively than Bertrand-Nash would suggest, thus inflating profits.


Drawing on Justice Brandeis's oft-cited observation that states can serve as "laboratories" of policy experimentation, this Article develops a framework for assessing the allocation of governance authority for regulating Internet activities. In particular, it focuses on whether states should be free to experiment with regulatory approaches or whether the federal government should have principal, if not exclusive (preemptive), regulatory authority over Internet-related activities. Using recent efforts to regulate spyware and adware as a case study, the analysis shows that the lack of harmonization of, and uncertainty surrounding, state unfair competition law produces costly, confusing, multi-district litigation and pushes enterprises to adhere to the limits of the most restrictive state. Such a governance regime unduly hinders innovation in Internet business models. On this basis, the Article favors a uniform federal regulatory system and pre-emption of state statutes and unfair competition common law as applied to spyware and adware. The final section of the Article extrapolates from this study of spyware and adware regulation to the larger context of Internet governance.


Abstract. Tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagini) are Australasian marsupials that inhabit tropical forests of far north-eastern Queensland and New Guinea. The secondary adaptation of tree-kangaroos to an arboreal lifestyle from a terrestrial heritage offers an excellent opportunity to study the adaptation of the musculoskeletal system for arboreal locomotion, particularly from a template well adapted to terrestrial bipedal saltation. We present a detailed descriptive study of the hind limb musculature of Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo (D. lumholtzi) in comparison to other macropodines to test whether the hind limb musculature of tree-kangaroos is functionally adapted to the different mechanical demands of locomotion in the uneven three-dimensional arboreal environment. The hind limb musculature of Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi), the western brush wallaby (Macropus irma), the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) and the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) are described. The hind limb anatomy of D. lumholtzi differed from that of the terrestrial macropodines in that the muscles had a greater degree of internal differentiation, relatively longer fleshy bellies and very short, stout tendons of insertion. There was also a modified arrangement of muscle origins and insertions that enhance mechanical advantage. Differences in the relative proportions of the hind limb muscle mass between tree-kangaroos and terrestrial macropodines reflect adaptation of the limb musculature of tree-kangaroos for arboreal locomotion. The hind limb musculature of Setonix was different to that of both Dendrolagus and Macropus, possibly reflecting its more basal phylogenetic position within the Macropodinae.


In the context of environmental monitoring, outdoor wireless cameras are vulnerable to natural hazards. To benefit from the inexpensive imaging sensors, we introduce a multi-camera monitoring system to share the physical risk. With multiple cameras focusing at a common scenery of interest, we propose an interleaved sampling strategy to minimize per-camera consumption by distributing sampling tasks among cameras. To overcome the uncertainties in the sensor network, we propose a robust adaptive synchronization scheme to build optimal sampling configuration by exploiting the broadcast nature of wireless communication. The theory as well as simulation results verify the fast convergence and robustness of the algorithm. Under the interleaved sampling configuration, we propose three video coding methods to compress correlated video streams from disjoint cameras, namely, distributed/independent/joint coding schemes. The energy profiling on a two-camera system shows that independent and joint coding perform substantially better. The comparison between two-camera and single-camera system shows 30%-50% per-camera consumption reduction. On top of these, we point out that MIMO technology can be potentially utilized to push the communication consumption even lower.


Abstract Our analysis explains how vulture investors (vultures) can maintain and exploit their reputations for toughness. Vultures leverage their reputations to extract concessions from stockholders in debt restructurings. To profit from these concessions, vultures must first acquire debt from incumbent bondholders. Buying only the tranches most likely to render them marginal creditors maximizes vulture leverage in debt-purchase negotiations. Vulture profits are proportional to the degree of uncertainty regarding the identity of the marginal debt class.


File carving is the process of recovering files from an investigative target, potentially without knowledge of the file system structures. The process is based on information about the format of the file types of interest, as well as on assumptions about how files are typically laid out on block devices. If the filesystem metadata is used at all, it is typically used only for establishing cluster sizes and avoiding carving of undeleted files (which can be extracted without file carving). Current generation file carvers make copies of recovered files. Unfortunately, it is common to end up with a large volume of false positives during a file carving operation. These false positives are "junk" files that have invalid formats and can consume a large amount of disk space. In this paper, we present an in-place approach to file carving, which allows inspection of recovered files without actually copying file contents. This results in significant reduction in storage requirements (even in pathological cases), much shorter turnaround times, and opens up new opportunities to perform on-the-spot screening of evidence. Our system can perform in-place carving on both local and remote drives.


Isolates of Alternaria solani, cause of potato early blight, collected in 1998 through 2001 from various potato growing areas across the midwestern United States, were tested for sensitivity to azoxystrobin. Isolates collected in 1998, prior to the introduction of azoxystrobin, were tested to establish the baseline sensitivity of the fungus to this fungicide. Isolates collected in subsequent years, not necessarily from the same sites as baseline isolates, were tested to determine if populations of A. solani had become less sensitive to azoxystrobin. Azoxystrobin sensitivity was determined utilizing an in vitro spore germination assay. The effective fungicide concentration that inhibited spore germination by 50% (EC50) was determined for each isolate. There was no significant difference in mean EC50 values between baseline isolates and all other isolates collected through 1999. Mean azoxystrobin EC50 values of A. solani isolates collected in 2000 and 2001 were significantly higher compared with means from previous years, and mean azoxystrobin EC50 values from 2001 were significantly higher than means from isolates collected in 2000. A subset of 54 A. solani isolates was evaluated in vitro for cross-sensitivity to pyraclostrobin and trifloxystrobin. A highly significant and strong correlation among the isolates tested for fungicide cross-sensitivity was detected between azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin; however, the correlation between azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin, and between trifloxystrobin and pyraclostrobin, was significant but weak. A second subset of five isolates was chosen for in vivo assessment of azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, and trifloxystrobin sensitivity. Disease severity on plants treated with azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin was significantly greater with reduced-sensitive A. solani isolates compared with sensitive isolates. Disease severity was not statistically different between azoxystrobin reduced-sensitive and sensitive A. solani isolates on plants treated with trifloxystrobin. This is the first report of a shift in sensitivity to QoI fungicides in a fungus possessing only an anamorphic stage.


@contents: Selected Contents: Chapter 1 Parts and goals of a listening and speaking course The four strands A commonsense justification of the four strands Learning through listening and reading Learning through speaking and writing Language-focused learning Becoming fluent in listening, speaking, reading and writing Balancing the four strands Integrating the four strands Principles and the four strands Learning goals Chapter 2 Beginning to listen and speak in another language What should they learn? How should the teaching and learning be done? Practising sentence patterns Guiding listening and speaking Techniques for early meaning-focused speaking Planning a listening and speaking programme for beginners Chapter 3 Listening Listening and language learning Advanced listening: Notetaking How to take notes Learning how to take notes Monitoring notetaking Monitoring meaning focused listening Chapter 4 Learning through interaction and negotiation Encouraging negotiation Using written input to encourage negotiation Using information distribution to encourage negotiation Factors affecting the amount and type of negotiation Using learner training to encourage negotiation Monitoring negotiation Learning through non-negotiated interaction Understanding language teaching tasks: Ranking What is a ranking task? Method steps What can you use ranking tasks for? How can you make and prepare for ranking tasks? What material can you base ranking tasks on? Monitoring a ranking task Monitoring learners beginning to speak Chapter 5 Learning through pushed output Pushed output Pushing output Formal speaking The nature of formal speaking Teaching formal speaking A process approach to formal speaking Guidelines for presenting a formal talk Chapter 6 Pronunciation The place of form focused pronunciation instruction Factors affecting the learning of another sound system Procedures and techniques Fitting pronunciation into a course Monitoring pronunciation Chapter 7 Deliberate teaching The value and limits of language-focused learning Deliberate vocabulary learning The requirements of language-focused vocabulary instruction Techniques and procedures Deliberate grammar learning The causes of error The effect of correction Correction procedures Fitting language-focused learning into a course Chapter 8 Dictation and related activities Dictation Pre-dictation exercises Variations of dictation Related techniques Monitoring dictation Dicto-comp Related techniques Chapter 9 Developing fluency The nature of fluency Fluency and accuracy Developing fluency Designing fluency activities Fitting fluency into a course Developing fluency in listening and speaking Techniques for developing fluency in listening Techniques for developing fluency in speaking Monitoring fluency tasks Chapter 10 Testing Monitoring progress Testing listening and speaking Listening tests Speaking tests Appendix 1 The survival syllabus Appendix 2 The most useful words for beginning graded reading Appendix 3 Topic types Appendix 4 Topics for listening and speaking


The Wilderness Act generally prohibits the development of all structures within wilderness areas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service built two water tanks for bighorn sheep residing in the especially arid Kofa Wilderness region of southwest Arizona. The Ninth Circuit analyzed whether these structures fell within the narrow ―minimum requirements‖ exception of the Wilderness Act. Although constructed with altruistic motives, the court found the water tanks violated the Wilderness Act because the Service failed to adequately demonstrate that these tanks were truly necessary for the conservation of the Kofa bighorn sheep population. This decision and the showing of necessity requirements it announces will impact all agency action fitting within the ―minimum requirements‖ exception.


Headspace GC using the standard addition method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of organic solvents in natural flavorings. The procedure can be outlined as follows: an aliquot of the sample is transferred to a 10 mL vial. To each vial, a DMSO solution containing solvents at different concentrations is added as the standard solution. The vials are kept at 50 degrees C (for automatic injection) or 40 degrees C (for hand-operated injection) for 40 minutes. One mL of the vapor phase in each vial is injected into a gas chromatograph equipped with an Aquatic-2 column (0.25 mm i.d. x 60 m). To evaluate this method, we conducted a performance study in collaboration with 10 laboratories, using ginger oleoresin. We analyzed 6 solvents (methanol, 2-propanol, acetone, dichloromethane, hexane, and 1,1,2-trichloroethene) for which the maximum residue limits are established in Japan's Specifications and Standards for Food Additives. Methanol and acetone existed in the ginger oleoresin, so only the other that four kinds of solvents were added to it. Eight of the laboratories used automatic injection, while the remaining two used hand-operated injection. Statistical analyses were conducted on the data obtained from the 8 laboratories. Repeatability standard deviations (RSDr) ranged from 4.3 to 11.4%, and reproducibility standard deviations (RSDR) ranged from 8.4 to 19.0%.


Disease problems in crop plants are still a major threat to the agro-industry worldwide. Various strategies have been developed and evaluated in recent years. One strategy is to use naturally-occurring antipathogen factors such as lysozymes and chitinases in transgenic plants. In the present study, transgenic plants containing chick-egg white lysozyme (Lys 75) have been evaluated for lysozyme production in planta, subcellular localisation, and resistance to some potato pathogens, including Phytophthora infestans and Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica, the two major potato pathogens worldwide. In addition, the evaluation of resistance was also undertaken for transgenic plants carrying other naturally-occurring antipathogen factors including a bean chitinase gene (BCH 35) and a snowdrop lectin gene (GNA 74). In order to accurately quantify the lysozyme production in Lys 75 plants, the turbidimetric lysozyme enzyme assay was optimised. Also, a modified substrate for the enzyme has been developed by covalently linked the Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall with a dye, remazol brilliant violet 5R to enable a colorimetric assay of the enzyme. In order to quantitatively assess resistance levels of the transgenic plant, a new method (leaf-bridge bioassay) for conducting and evaluating resistance in planta has been developed. All transgenic plants in tissue culture were tested for resistance using this technique. Evaluation of the progress of infection in detached leaves of Lys 75 showed that lysozyme gave some degree of protection against the bacterial pathogen, Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica and the fungal pathogen, Fusarium sulphureum. Analysis of intercellular fluid from the Lys 75 leaves showed that more than 80% of the total lysozyme expressed in the leaf was located in the intercellular space which is a strategic place to combat pathogen attack. In contrast, the levels of protection in BCH 35 plants were relatively low compared with Lys 75. The progress of infection was delayed in BCH 35 leaves challenged with F. sulphureum only. No resistance at all was observed in GNA 74 to all the pathogens used. All the transgenic potato lines were susceptible to P. infestans. Recently, a new strategy to combat disease problems has been suggested based on a 'durable resistance'. Potato variety Stirling' which shows durable resistance in the field has been used to study the early biochemical and molecular events during elicitation of 'Stirling' cell suspension cultures with an elicitor mix derived from infective units of a compatible strain of P. infestans. For comparison, an elicitor mix from an incompatible strain of P. infestans was also prepared and used. The mixed elicitor comprising zoospore extract, culture filtrate and mycelium homogenate induced defence responses in 'Stirling' cell suspension cultures as judged by the increase in PAL enzyme activity. PAL activity in 'Stirling' ceUs elicited with an elicitor mix derived from an incompatible strain of P. infestans was twice the activity in the compatible interaction. The peak levels in both types of interaction were at 6 h post-elicitation. An oxidative burst was demonstrated also in both types of interactions indicated by rapid release of H(_2)O(_2) into the culture medium. The H(_2)O(_2) level peaked at 2 h post-elicitation in both interactions before being reduced to its normal level at 4 h. The H(_2)O(_2) released during incompatible interaction was twice the levels monitored in the compatible. A subtracted cDNA library of differentially expressed mRNAs during elicitation of 'Stirling' cell suspension cultures with the elicitor mix from a compatible strain of P. infestans was constructed using suppression subtractive hybridisation. Two cDNA clones, STS 42 and STS 52, relevant to the present study were identified and characterised. STS 42 showed high degree of similarity to potato leucine aminopeptidase gene which is induced in response to wounding. Gene expression studies using RT-PCR showed that the mRNA levels of STS 42 increased gradually throughout the 18 h elicitation. STS 51 was identified as a member of the ribonuclease T2 histidine proteins. It showed some degree of similarity to plant ribonucleases involved in self-incompatibility reactions during pollination. It has a site for tyrosine kinase phosphorylation at the hydrophilic region of the sequence and could possibly be involved in phosphorylation during signal transduction. mRNA levels of STS 51 were increased during the first 12 h of elicitation.


Afforestation has many benefits at the local regional and global scale. The local social impacts of planting new forests, however, depend on a variety of contextual factors and other details including who is doing the planting, which species are being planted, the location of the planting and, perhaps most importantly, existing land uses and their linkage to social and economic circumstances. This article presents case study research into these issues in two places in County Kerry Ireland. Utilising the concept of the differentiated landscape, we examine the somewhat varying social responses to afforestation in the two study sites in light of the different environmental and social and economic circumstances in the two adjacent areas. We conclude that a more locally nuanced approach to forest planting than has been common in the past could well create greater social acceptance of future afforestation and benefits accruing from it.


This paper focuses on the first century of the global tobacco epidemic and its current status, reviewing the current and projected future of the global tobacco epidemic and the steps that are in progress to end it. In the United States and many countries of western Europe, tobacco consumption peaked during the 1960s and 1970s and declined as tobacco control programs were initiated, motivated by the evidence indicting smoking as a leading cause of disease. Despite this policy advancement and the subsequent reductions in tobacco consumption, the global tobacco epidemic continued to grow in the later years of the twentieth century, as the multinational companies sought new markets to replace those shrinking in high-income countries. In response, the World Health Organization developed between 2000 and 2004 its first public health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which entered into force in 2005. An accompanying package of interventions has been implemented. New approaches to tobacco control, including plain packaging and single representation of brands, have been implemented by Australia and Uruguay, respectively, but have been challenged by the tobacco industry.


Astrocytes, a member of the glial cell family, are the most abundant neural cell type of the central nervous system (CNS) and present functional and morphological heterogeneity. Among other characteristics, astrocytes provide trophic functions, are essential for the formation of the blood-brain barrier, regulate ion homeostasis, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Despite their diversity astrocyte subpopulations are not well characterized mainly due to the lack of markers that could classify functional subclasses. This study aimed at the phenotyping of astrocyte subpopulations based on cell surface marker expression, their prospective isolation and subsequent molecular and cellular characterization of the identified subsets. The glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) is a common astrocyte marker expressed by astrocytes in the CNS. As the GLAST antibody allows for the isolation of astrocytes it was chosen as principal component for the identification of astrocyte subpopulations. One approach, which was not successful, was the generation of novel monoclonal astrocyte subpopulation specific antibodies using GLAST isolated astrocytes and hybridoma techniques. Another approach was the identification of novel astrocyte markers by flow cytometry. 232 cell surface markers were tested for their expression on astrocytes. In total, 15 candidates were identified and subsequently validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the recently established in house technology: Multidimensional In Situ Cytometry Survey (MICS). The expression profile and the nature of the target of the novel Anti-ACSA-2 (ACSA: astrocyte cell surface antigen) antibody were addressed. In co-operation with the group of Dr. Harold Cremer at the Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, the expression profile of the ACSA-2 antigen was analyzed systematically using IHC, immunocytochemistry (ICC), MICS and flow cytometry. Co-expression of ACSA-2 with common astrocyte markers such as GFAP, S100β and GLAST and missing expression on neurons, oligodendrocytes validated ACSA-2 as an astrocyte specific marker. Additional Western Blot analysis, immunoprecipitation and deglycosylation assays pointed out the ACSA-2 antibody addresses a glycosylation structure expressed by astrocytes. In the next step, the expression profile of ACSA-2 and GLAST was investigated in comprehensive analyses of embryonal, neonatal and adult mouse brain using IHC, ICC, MICS, and flow cytometry. ACSA-2 and GLAST demonstrated differential marker expression in distinct brain regions, retina and spinal cord of neonatal mice. Additional studies addressed ACSA-2 and GLAST expression on neural stem cells. The expression of ACSA-2 in the subventricular zone (SVZ) was analyzed using IHC, in vivo electroporation and flow cytometry. ACSA-2 was demonstrated to be co-expressed with GLAST in the adult SVZ as shown by IHC and flow cytometry. Differences between ACSA-2 and GLAST expression were also identified in the rostral migratory stream (RMS) and hippocampus of the adult mouse brain. However, these differences could not be confirmed on the single cell level by flow cytometry. Cerebellar glia revealed significant differences in GLAST and ACSA-2 expression in the adult mouse brain. To address the origin of these potential subpopulations GLAST and ACSA-2 expression was monitored between E13 and P12 in the developing cerebellum. Thereby, ACSA-2-/GLAST+ and ACSA-2+/GLAST+/- cells were identified. Populations were most discriminative between E17 to P3 and frequencies of ACSA-2-/GLAST+ cells decreased with the onset of development. Both fractions were isolated to high purities by magnetic cell sorting. Cell characteristics were addressed by ICC, neurosphere assay, gene expression profiling and transplantation assay. Cell differentiation in vivo was investigated in collaboration with the group of Dr. Annalisa Buffo at the Neuroscienze Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi in Turin. ACSA-2-/GLAST+ and ACSA-2+/GLAST+/- cells were isolated from the cerebellum of P0-P3 β-actin GFP mice and grafted into cerebellum of homochronic wild-type mice. ACSA-2-/GLAST+ cells were able to differentiate into interneurons (stellate and basket cells), Bergmann glia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In contrast, ACSA-2+/GLAST+/- cells only differentiated into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Gene expression profiling was performed to address differences on the transcriptome level. Genes related to a multipotent and GABAergic phenotyp were enriched in the ACSA-2-/GLAST+ sample set (Gli1, Wif1, Nestin, Ptf1a, Ascl-1). Genes involved in cell-cell interactions as well as cell matrix proteins (Gjb2, Gjb6, Gja1, Vitronectin) were enriched in the ACSA-2+/GLAST+/- sample set.

In conclusion, this study presents a regional, functional and molecular discrimination of astrocyte subpopulations based on specific cell surface markers. As a result it describes the identification of a novel ACSA-2-/GLAST+ subpopulation of astrocytes which act as multipotent progenitors in the cerebellum.


Structural fuses are some points in structure which are exposed of destruction due to vast internal forces and plastic joints are summed up in them and possible destruction would start in these points, so the best way is substituting well-featured materials such as HPFRCC rather than conventional concrete against earthquake with rigidity behaviour of strain under tension and capability of high energy absorption before failure. The formation and features of plastic joints in HPFRCC beams and frames are investigated in this paper considering 12 concrete and HPFRCC beams and 12 columns with variables such as compressive strength, lateral load type, axial load in column. Results showed that in HPFRCC beams, increasing compressive strength leaded into increasing force and displacement, curve, plastic joint length. HPFRCC beams under concentrated loading had the more displacement and energy absorption, and beam under uniform loading had the maximum force and the beams under two-point loading had longer plastic hinge rather than beams under uniform loading. HPFRCC frames had lateral force and displacement of respectively 7% and 18% more than their relevant concrete frames and curvature, plastic joint length were increased up to 1.18 and 1.30 times of RC frames, respectively. Therefore the HPFRCC material is effective and appropriate for new concrete structures subjected cyclic loading.


In Iran, the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah deeply influenced the country's economic, political, and social life. Everything either began or ended with the state. The state was the most important institution in the country and enjoyed a significant monopoly in political and economic decision-making, trade, etc. It enjoyed autonomy from social pressures and pursued its own policies, whilst controlling political groups. Therefore, to analyse the function and behaviour of the state and the economic development of the country, I have used a political economy approach. To this end, a model has been constructed to describe the political structure of the Iranian state and to map the country's political and economic development. It has been argued that: 1. The political structure of the regime was authoritarian-bureaucratic, based on the three pillars of the state bureaucracy, the security machinery and the armed forces, and the network of court patronage. A parallel to this structure can be seen in the Safavid dynasty whose pillars of power were the same.2 The decision-making process and exercise of power was manipulated by, and depended upon, the Shah and the ruling elite. This manipulation depended substantially on the degree of state autonomy from social and economic groups.3. The state acted as the engine of economic growth and the main source of capital accumulation. Thus, the political system became the main economic decision-making body who dictated economic policies for more than the market. In spite of this direction, the state never questioned the essence of private capital accumulation.4. Oil revenues, both by increasing the magnitude of resources at the disposal of the state and by easing structural constraints, substantially increased the capacity of the state to intervene in economy and society to pursue its own policies, and5. Oil revenues provided a new kind of economy, built on rent and heavily reliant on the export of a single raw material, the production of which required little contact with the rest of the economy. It brought spectacular growth, yet at the same time engendered dependency on volatile markets. In the long run oil also created new international interdependencies as the state relied on foreign markets for capital, labour, and goods. Furthermore, Iran had no independent technological capacity and had to import semi finished goods to meet its industrial needs. Therefore, a process of 'dependent development' was shaped during the 1960s and 1970s.


The Gap-Hamming-Distance problem arose in the context of proving space lower bounds for a number of key problems in the data stream model. In this problem, Alice and Bob have to decide whether the Hamming distance between their $n$-bit input strings is large (i.e., at least $n/2 + \sqrt n$) or small (i.e., at most $n/2 - \sqrt n$); they do not care if it is neither large nor small. This $\Theta(\sqrt n)$ gap in the problem specification is crucial for capturing the approximation allowed to a data stream algorithm. Thus far, for randomized communication, an $\Omega(n)$ lower bound on this problem was known only in the one-way setting. We prove an $\Omega(n)$ lower bound for randomized protocols that use any constant number of rounds. As a consequence we conclude, for instance, that $\epsilon$-approximately counting the number of distinct elements in a data stream requires $\Omega(1/\epsilon^2)$ space, even with multiple (a constant number of) passes over the input stream. This extends earlier one-pass lower bounds, answering a long-standing open question. We obtain similar results for approximating the frequency moments and for approximating the empirical entropy of a data stream. In the process, we also obtain tight $n - \Theta(\sqrt{n}\log n)$ lower and upper bounds on the one-way deterministic communication complexity of the problem. Finally, we give a simple combinatorial proof of an $\Omega(n)$ lower bound on the one-way randomized communication complexity.


Abstract At first glance South Africa's black farming sector appears to contribute rather minimally to overall agricultural output in South Africa. However, despite the complexity involved in this sector and the often marginal conditions in which agriculture is practised it appears to be important to a large number of black households. Furthermore, the significance they attach to subsistence agriculture as means of supplementing household food supplies seems to heavily outweigh other reasons for engaging in agriculture. Some South African researchers have indicated the contribution subsistence production makes to household food security, despite the prevalent complexities and the low input nature of this production. Statistics South Africa's Labour Force Survey data from 2001 to 2007 and a case study of subsistence farming in Limpopo Province are used to support the argument that, despite the complexity of this sector, the more than 4 million subsistence farmers, need and merit greater support. Such support should be based on the local context, build on and, where appropriate, improve existing local practices, while addressing various existing threats to this type of production. Recommendations are made as to what policy makers need to consider when considering how best to support subsistence production.


Evaluation of Post-Deployment PTSD Screening of Marines Returning From a Combat Deployment by Erika L. Hall MS, Walden University, 2011 BS, Indiana University, 2007 AA, Hawaii Pacific University, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University August 2015 Abstract The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the post-deployment screening instrument currently utilized to assess active-duty Marines for symptoms of PTSD upon their return from a combat deployment can be solely relied upon to accurately assess for PTSD. Additionally, this study sought to compare the number of Marines who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answersThe purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the post-deployment screening instrument currently utilized to assess active-duty Marines for symptoms of PTSD upon their return from a combat deployment can be solely relied upon to accurately assess for PTSD. Additionally, this study sought to compare the number of Marines who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on the Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) to the number who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on their PTSD Checklist – Military Version (PCL-M). The participants in this study were comprised of a sample of active-duty Marines that had recently returned from a combat deployment. A quantitative secondary data analysis used Item Response Theory (IRT) to examine the answers provided by the participants on both the PDHA and PCL-M. Both instruments proved to be effective when assessing symptoms of PTSD and the participants identified as having symptoms of PTSD were referred for mental health services as required. According to the results, more Marines were identified as having symptoms of PTSD using both assessment instruments (PDHA and PCL-M) compared to those identified using just the PDHA. The result was a better understanding of predictors of Marines who may later develop PTSD. The results of this study can also assist the Marine Corps with its post-deployment screening for symptoms of PTSD which in turn can provide appropriate mental health referrals for Marines if deemed appropriate. Evaluation of Post-Deployment PTSD Screening of Marines Returning From a Combat Deployment by Erika L. Hall MS, Walden University, 2011 BS, Indiana University, 2007 AA, Hawaii Pacific University, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology


A dual-band circularly polarized stacked annular-ring patch antenna is presented in this letter. This antenna operates at both the GPS L1 frequency of 1575 MHz and L2 frequency of 1227 MHz, whose frequency ratio is about 1.28. The proposed antenna is formed by two concentric annular-ring patches that are placed on opposite sides of a substrate. Wide axial-ratio bandwidths (larger than 2%), determined by 3-dB axial ratio, are achieved at both bands. The measured gains at 1227 and 1575 MHz are about 6 and 7 dBi, respectively, with the loss of substrate taken into consideration. Both simulated and measured results are presented. The method of varying frequency ratio is also discussed.


Balthus The Last Studies is an undisclosed corpus of nearly two thousand photographs produced during the last ten years of the painter's life. They are the preliminary studies for his last three major paintings. His hands incapacitated by old age, Balthus resorted to the camera as a sort of prosthesis, at once eye, hand and pencil, thus reassuming the mysterious ritual of sketching, for him the one and only way to approach and define the mental image from which the paintings composition would proceed. As a substitute for drawing, these never before seen photographs fully participate in the slow, painstaking practice which had been Balthus' for nearly a century. As such, they give a major insight into the painter's endless quest of beauty.


For more than two decades ago mathematician Barbara Shipman made rather surprising finding while working with her thesis. The 2-D projections of certain curves in flag manifold F = SU(3)/U(1)×U(1) defined by the so called momentum map look like the waggle part of the dance of the honey bee. Shipman found that one could reproduce in this framework both waggle dance and circle dance (special case of waggle dance) and the transition between these occurring as the distance of the food source from the nest reduces below some critical distance. Shipman introduced a parameter, which she called α, and found that the variation of α allows to integrate various forms of the honeybee dance to a bigger picture. Since SU(3) is the gauge group of color interactions, this unexpected finding led Shipman to as whether there might be a profound connection between quantum physics at quark level and macroscopic physics at the level of honeybee dance. The average colleague of course regards this kind of proposal as crackpottery: the argument is that there simply cannot be any interaction between degrees of freedom in so vastly different length scales. Personally I however found this finding fascinating and wrote about the interpretation of this finding in the framework of TGD and TGD inspired consciousness. During more than two decades a lot of progress has taken place in TGD, in particular I have learned that the flag manifold F has interpretation as twistor space of CP2 and plays a fundamental role in twistor lift of TGD. Hence it is interesting to look what this could allow to say about honeybee dance. It turned out that one could understand the waggle parts of the honeybee dance at spacetime level in terms of the intersection of the space-time surface with the image of the Cartan sub-algebra of SU(3) represented in CP2 using exponential map. This allows to code the positional data about the food source. The frequencies assignable to the wing vibrations and waggling turn could have interpretation as cyclotron frequencies as expected if the magnetic body of the bee controls the waggle dance utilizing resonance mechanism. They could also correspond to the momenta (frequencies) defining constants of motion for geodesic in U(1) × U(1) defining one particular point of flag manifold F . Also a connection with the Chladni effect emerges: the waggle motion is along time-like curve at which Kähler force vanishes. Also the transition from waggle dance do circle dance involving also a short waggle period can be understood.


This book explores the nexus of art, personal piety, and selfrepresentation in the last centuries of Byzantium. Spanning the period from around 1100 to around 1450, it focuses upon the evidence of verse inscriptions, or epigrams, on works of art. Epigrammatic poetry, Professor Drpić argues, constitutes a critical, if largely neglected, source for reconstructing aesthetic and socio-cultural discourses that informed the making, use, and perception of art in the Byzantine world. Bringing together art-historical and literary modes of analysis, the book examines epigrams and other related texts alongside an array of objects, including icons, reliquaries, ecclesiastical textiles, mosaics, and entire church buildings. By attending to such diverse topics as devotional self-fashioning, the aesthetics of adornment, sacred giving, and the erotics of the icon, this study offers a penetrating and highly original account of Byzantine art and its place in Byzantine society and religious life.


With rehabilitation estimates now just 20% of what they first were, the liberation of Kuwait has not been a cure-all for the construction industry. Firms participating in the emergency restoration have discovered that project management is tougher than the actual construction and engineering. Firms scrambling for work are using varying, sometimes creative strategies to land elusive contracts. There could still be $20 billion in work, but the race to find it will resemble a marathon more than a sprint. The most successful firms to date have been the large companies, such as Blount and Brown & Root, which secured emergency restoration contracts from the Corps of Engineers. Smaller firms trying to latch on have swamped the bigger companies with inquiries, but others have used more daring strategies, such as starting work in Kuwait without a contract. Others have formed joint ventures with partners already established in the region and several surveying firms actually got together and formed a company during Operation Desert Shield. Firms are mostly taking a micro not a macro approach to work. Rather than undertake a massive marketing campaign in Kuwait, they have adopted a project-specific, rifle-shot strategy zeroing in on specific markets, such as hotel rehab, computer mapping and database upgrading and testing of cleanup technologies.


WGS brings new scholarship into conversation on campus in three main ways. First, the program sponsors a seminar series that brings speakers from academia and the broader community to Johns Hopkins University. Second, we organize workshops each semester around multiyear themes, such as "Affect and Emotion" and "Medical Humanities." Finally, we bring renowned scholars and public figures to the Homewood campus through our annual Visiting Distinguished Professorship. Recent visiting professors have included Karen Barad (University of California-Santa Cruz), Joan Wallach Scott (Institute for Advanced Studies), Trinh-Minh Ha (University of California-Berkeley), and Michael Warner (Yale University).


Description: This paper focuses on the historical narrative of Kievan Rus between 860 to 1240 and the importance of historical archaeology in order to gain a clearer understanding of its history. Very few sources written in the 9 to 13th centuries in Rus survive today. The Primary Chronicle is the most widely known and available account of the history of Rus for historians to use. However, scholars utilize the chronicle with caution because the original oldest surviving chronicle was written almost two centuries after the first dated entry. We can expect that not everything written in the chronicles was accurate and that changes would have been made. Since the Primary Chronicle is a fundamental piece of literature for historians studying the history of Kievan Rus, I will be closely examining passages from Samuel Cross's translation of the Primary Chronicle to understand the once-official narrative and identify archaeological evidence that either supports or challenges the official narrative. I will discuss issues regarding: the so-called Norman Controversy, Khazar influence in Kiev, construction and utilization of boats, traditional Scandinavian boat graves, the organization of the city of Kiev, and literacy among non-elite townspeople.


One vision of future energy systems is based on an increasingly decentralized supply of electricity and heat in small-scale systems that are installed on the individual building level, which we refer to as micropower. Our understanding of micropower includes systems that provide electricity (such as photovoltaics), heat (such as wood pellet stoves, heat pumps, or solar thermal collectors) or both heat and electricity (micro-CHP, either based on natural gas or biomass). Our focus is on micropower systems that have lower environmental impact than incumbent technology, which tends to be oil heating and conventional electricity from the grid in most European countries. While the technological potential of micropower has been widely acknowledged and some policies are explicitly trying to support this market, the market adoption of micropower systems ultimately depends on customer decisions to buy them, and on adequate business models (Chesbrough and Rosenbloom 2002, Stahler 2001) for suppliers of micropower systems to successfully meet demand. Compared to other aspects of micropower, research on customer preferences and business models are two relatively underdeveloped streams of research. Our project uses a two-step approach to investigating customer preferences: In a first phase (which is the subject of this paper), we are using qualitative research methods (interviews and focus groups) to gain a comprehensive understanding of underlying attitudes and other factors influencing customers' buying decisions, while in a second phase, a quantitative survey (using conjoint analysis) will be conducted to assess the relative attractiveness of different systems. On the supply side of our research, we are investigating key aspects of successful business models.
Based on the findings of the first phase of our research, this paper aims at answering the following research questions:
- What are the attitudes, values and beliefs of Swiss residential customers towards various micropower systems?
- Which attributes of micropower systems are most relevant for customers' buying decisions?
- Who else plays an important role in the decision process for or against micropower systems, and what are the most relevant sources of information for preparing buying decisions?
- What are promising target segments for marketing various micropower systems to Swiss consumers?
- What different types of business models for micropower can be identified in the micropower market (with an emphasis on solar thermal collectors) and how successful are they?


Emerging 5G networks will not only offer higher link rates, but also integrate a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs) in order to provide ultra-reliable broadband access to a wide range of applications with high throughput and low latency requirements. SDN-enabled dynamic path selection is of critical importance in exploiting the collective transmission resources in such heterogeneous multi-RAT environments and delivering excellent user performance. In the present paper we propose the 'best-rate' path selection algorithm for multi-RAT networks with various types of traffic flows. The best-rate algorithm accounts for the radio conditions and performance requirements of individual flows as well as the load conditions at the various access points. We analytically establish that the rates received by the various flows under the best-rate path selection, in conjunction with local fair resource sharing at the individual access points, are close to globally Proportional Fair. Detailed simulation experiments demonstrate that the best-rate algorithm achieves significant gains in terms of user-perceived throughput performance over various baseline policies.


Minecraft is a registered trademark of Mojang Synergies / Notch Development AB. This book is not affiliated with or sponsored by Mojang Synergies / Notch Development AB. The easiest, quickest, most entertaining introduction to creating Minecraft mods in Java updated to use the Spigot server for running your own Minecraft server and creating Minecraft mods Ideal for Minecraft users, young and old, who are new to programming Clear and friendly style assumes no prior programming knowledge Popular author Rogers Cadenhead breaks down Minecraft mods programming concepts and terms into short, easily understandable lessons Fun examples provide a step-by-step, hands-on experience that begins with simple tasks and gradually builds Master Minecraft modding and use Java to transform Minecrafts worlds, tools, behavior, weapons, structures, mobseverything! (Plus, youll learn some basic Java programming skills you can use anywhere.) Learn how to do what you want, the way you want, one incredibly easy step at a time. Modding Minecraft has never been this simple. This is the easiest, most practical beginners guide to creating killer Minecraft mods in Java simple, reliable, full-color instructions for doing everything you really want to do. Heres a small sample of what youll learn: Set up your Minecraft server and mod development tools Master Java basics every Minecraft modder needs to know Read, write, store, and change information throughout your mod Build mods that can make decisions and respond to player actions Understand object-oriented programming and the objects you can program in Minecraft Handle errors without crashing Minecraft Use threads to create mobs that can do many things at once Customize your mobs, and build on existing objects to write new mods Spawn new mobs, find hidden mobs, and make one mob ride another Dig holes and build structures Create projectile weapons and potion effects Learn Java programming while enhancing your favorite game Contents at a Glance Part I: Java from the Ground Up 1 Dig into Minecraft Programming with Java 2 Use NetBeans for Minecraft Programming 3 Create a Minecraft Mod 4 Start Writing Java Programs 5 Understand How Java Programs Work 6 Store and Change Information in a Mod 7 Use Strings to Communicate 8 Use Conditional Tests to Make Decisions 9 Repeat an Action with Loops 10 Store Information with Arrays Part II: The World of Java Objects 11 Create Your First Object 12 Describe What Your Object Is Like 13 Make the Most of Existing Objects 14 Store Objects in Data Structures 15 Handle Errors in a Mod 16 Create a Threaded Mod 17 Read and Write Files Part III: Create Killer Minecraft Mods 18 Spawn a Mob 19 Make One Mob Ride Another 20 Take a Census of Mobs and Villages 21 Transmute Materials in an Inventory 22 Dig a Giant Hole 23 Chop Down a Forest of Trees 24 Respond to Events in the Game 25 Display a Mobs Health During Combat 26 Make a World Change over Time 27 Befriend the God of Lightning Appendix A Visit This Books Website


This study investigates Malek Bennabi's approach to civilization and aims at
analyzing the various factors contributed to the formulation and development of
Bennabi's approach by using metatheorizing methodology (Mu) through its four
dimensions. It goes beyond available literature on Bennabi, to not only present his
approach, but to understand its underlying structure.
The researcher, by using (Mu), realized that civilization is a multi-aspects concept
and it had been dominated by the paradigms of philosophy of history and social
sciences, on the one hand. On the other hand, it is found that Bennabi's
interdisciplinary approach to civilization in its two parts; the major concepts and the
interpretation of the movement of civilization, is a result of the internal-external and
the social–intellectual factors which formed the context of his approach.
The internal-social factors as his background (family, religion and education) and his
intellectual pursuits (activities and intellectual connections), on one hand, and the
external-social factors as the colonization and decolonization processes on the other
hand, formed the social structure of Bennabi's approach.Moreover, the internal-intellectual factors as the dominant paradigms and schools
within civilization studies, on the one hand, and the external-intellectual factors as
the impacts of the Qur'an and Sunna, the reformist thought in the Muslim world,
psychology, philosophy and the modernity discourse, the natural sciences and
mathematics, on the other hand formed the intellectual or the cognitive structure of
his approach.
The researcher found that by applying (Mu) in this study, he could go beyond mere
presenting Bennabi's approach, and could gain an in-depth understanding of
Bennabi's interdisciplinary approach to civilization and its underlying structure.
In addition, (Mu) offered a methodological tools to understanding Bennabi's
approach to civilization, and could provide a potential methodology to study the
formulation and development of ideas, approaches and theories, because of (Mu)'s
comprehensiveness in integrating the tools of philosophy of science, history of ideas
and sociology of knowledge in one methodology which is metatheorizing.


While most psychologists working in forensic contexts aspire to practice in a manner consistent with the highest ideals of ethical practice, they face numerous and complex concerns and may be unclear about how to apply the Ethics Code and Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists to their real-world issues. In Ethical Practice in Forensic Psychology, Shane S. Bush, Mary A. Connell, and Robert L. Denney explore common ethical dilemmas forensic psychologists may encounter in procedures including referrals, evaluations, documentation of findings and opinions, and testimony and termination. The authors present and apply a practical ethical-decision making model to timely case vignettes in the areas of civil, criminal, and child/family law to demonstrate how to approach the ethical challenges faced in forensic psychology; they also offer suggestions for addressing potential ethical misconduct by colleagues. This balanced and comprehensive volume will be a valuable addition to the library of forensic psychology students and trainees, and career forensic psychologists.


Analog paper is still often preferred over electronic documents due to specific affordances and rich spatial interaction, in particular if multiple pages are laid out and handled simultaneously. We investigated how interaction with video can benefit from paper-like displays that support interaction with motion and sound. We present a system that includes novel interaction concepts for both video and audio. This includes spatial techniques for temporal navigation, arranging and grouping of videos, virtualizing and materializing contents, as well as focusing on multiple parallel audio sources.


Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is a contactless, automatic identification wireless technology primarily used for identifying and tracking of objects, goods and humans. RFID is not only limited to identification and tracking applications. This proliferating wireless technology has been deployed in numerous securities sensitive applications e.g. access control, e-passports, contactless payments, driver license, transport ticking and health cards. RFID inherits all the security and privacy problems that are related to wireless technology and in addition to those that are specific to RFID systems. The security and privacy protection schemes proposed in literature for wireless devices are mostly secured through symmetric/asymmetric keys encryption/decryption and hash functions. The security of all these cryptographic algorithms depends on computationally complex problems that are hard to compute using available resources. However, these algorithms require cryptographic operations on RFID tags which contradict the low cost demand of RFID tags. Due to limited number of logic gates in tags, i.e., 5K-10K, these methods are not practical. Much research effort has done in attempt to solve consumer's privacy and security problem. Solutions that prevent clandestine inventory are mostly application layer techniques. To solve this problem, a new RFID physical layer scheme has been proposed namely Direct Sequence Backscatter Encryption (DSB Enc). The proposed scheme uses level generator to produce different levels before transmitting the signal to the tag. The tag response to the signal sent by the reader using backscatter communications on the same signal which looks random to the eavesdropper. Therefore eavesdropper cannot extract the information from reader to tag and tag to reader communication using passive eavesdropping. As reader knows the different generated levels added to the carrier signal, it can remove the levels and retrieve the tag's messages. We proposed a lightweight, low-cost and practically secure physical layer security to the RFID system, for a supply chain processing application, without increasing the computational power and tag's cost. The proposed scheme was validated by simulations on GNU Radio and experimentation using SDR and a WISP tag. Our implementation and experimental results validate that DSB Enc is secure against passive eavesdropping, replay and relay attacks. It provides better results in the presence of AWGN channel.


This article is about methodology in research in marketing. It questions the mainstream choice of approaches and suggests alternative directions with qualitative rather than quantitative inquiry in focus. It deals with my personal journey through Methodologyland; the establishment of a Hall of Fame of my favorite research approaches supplemented with a Chamber of Horrors; and a brief commentary on some pivotal concepts in science. It concludes that the absence of the development of general marketing theory is partly due to the preoccupation with erroneously chosen methodology and claims that scholarly research boils down to four basic strategies: curiosity, courage, reflection, and dialogue; the rest is technical support. Key words: action research; case study research; grounded theory; interactive research; narrative research; research methodology; theory generation


This study evaluated if relations between components of complex sample stimuli would have controlled conditional responding in identity and arbitrary simultaneous matching-to-sample tasks. In Phase 1, 3 children with educational special needs were trained to select stimulus B1 in the presence of stimulus A1, and select B2 in the presence of A2 (AB conditional relations); then symmetrical BA relations BA were tested. Afterwards they were exposed to differential observing response procedure that prompted children to make simultaneous identity matching responses with complex sample and comparison stimuli (AB-AB relations). In the sequence, the ABX conditional relations were trained. One stimulus in set A and another in set B appeared together as a sample, and two novel stimuli were the comparisons. Selection of X1 was reinforced if the two stimuli in the AB complex sample had been related in the previous training, and selection of X2 was reinforced if the components of AB sample had not been conditionally related. In Phase 2, PQ and QP conditional relations had been trained and tested, respectively. The aim of PQX tests was evaluated if selection of X1 and X2 would have been controlled by conditional or non-conditional relations between P and Q stimuli as complex sample. All children who learned AB conditional relations, showed BA symmetrical emergency, and obtained high accuracy level at differential observing response, namely they demonstrated AB-AB identity matching-to-sample. Differently neither of them met learning criterion on ABX training. Then the experiment was stopped in Phase 1. In addition to literature data, these results demonstrated functional independency between discriminative skills required by the two teaching contingencies of conditional relations with complex stimuli.


When prescribing lithium, the risk of toxicity remains a concern. In this study, we examined a cohort of patients exposed to lithium between 1997 and 2013. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of lithium intoxication and to evaluate the clinical course and changes in renal function. Of 1340 patients, 96 had experienced at least one episode of lithium levels ⩾1.5 mmol/L, yielding an incidence of 0.01 per patient-year. Seventy-seven patients available for review had experienced 91 episodes, of whom 34% required intensive care and 13% were treated with haemodialysis. There were no fatalities. Acute kidney injury occurred, but renal function at baseline was not different to renal function after the episode. Renal impairment was often associated with co-morbidities and other factors. Both intermittent and continuous-venovenous haemodialysis were used, but the clearance of continuous-venovenous haemodialysis can be too low in cases where large amounts of lithium have been ingested. Saline and forced diuresis have been used and are safe. Lithium intoxication seems rare and can be safely managed in most cases. Physicians should not withhold lithium for fear of intoxication in patients who benefit from it. Yet, physicians should have a low threshold to screen for toxicity.


Computer music research realizes a vision of performance by means of computational expression, linking body and space to sound and imagery through eclectic forms of sensing and interaction. This vision could dramatically influence computer science education, simultaneously modernizing the field and drawing in diverse new participants. In this article, we describe our work creating an interactive computer music toolkit for youth called BlockyTalky. This toolkit enables users to create networks of sensing devices and synthesizers, and to program the musical and interactive behaviors of these devices. We also describe our work with two middle-school teachers to codesign and deploy a curriculum for 11- to 13-year-old students. We draw on work with these students to evidence how computer music can support learning about computer science concepts and change students' perceptions of computing. We conclude by outlining some remaining questions around how computer music and computer science may best be linked to provide transformative educational experiences.


This paper investigates preference heterogeneity of wine consumers by using latent class models based on attitudinal questions. Such responses turn out to be an important source of additional information when the goal is to identify different groups of people with a similar wine preference structure. We assume that preferences are latent and the responses to attitudinal questions are the visible effect of this latent heterogeneity. We find evidence of 4 different classes of respondents with similar response patterns. We focus on preferences for a well-known wine, the Prosecco, and sample the population in the area of production. For each preference-class we estimate a class-specific WTP equation for this wine, so as to estimate the class responsiveness of WTP to various determinants. Estimates for a 4-class model are discussed in detail to illustrate the potential of this approach in characterizing the preferences of local consumers for the two most common certifications of origin.


By 2010, XG-PON technology had been standardized, but now NG-PON2 is following closely behind. The question of how these two systems will compete, coexist, or cooperate will be considered. NG-PON2 can be seen as an augmented version of XG-PON1, with a large amount of component reuse. So, it's not win or lose, but an orderly succession.


A 16-channel microwave interferometer with the phase imaging method has been reconstructed to obtain the radial plasma density distributions at the west plug cell in the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. Signals measured by the interferometer have DC offsets, which cause a measurable error in the phase imaging measurement system. We propose the method to eliminate DC offsets from the signals in each channel easily on the analysis software.


After years of research, scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are now able to explain, in exquisite molecular detail, how the estrogen hormone can help keep breast cancer cells alive. In the Sept. 24 online issue of the journal, Nature Cell Biology, they assign roles to a number of genes and proteins thought to play a part in breast cancer cell survival, and in the process, have identified potential molecular drug targets. "It's a very complex story, but we have been able to bring together a number of basic discoveries from different fields of research to work out the basic mechanism by which estrogen can exert a pro-life effect on cancer cells," said the study's lead author, Edward T. H. Yeh, M.D., professor and chair of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson's Department of Cardiology. Along the way, the researchers have provided some novel insights. One is that they have provided a role for breast cancer-associated protein 3 (BCA3), which had been recently found to be over-expressed in both breast and prostate cancers. Yeh and his team show that this protein, by itself, doesn't have any relationship to the cancer, but when modified by the protein NEDD8, can act like a tumor suppressor. The researchers also found that SIRT1, a key protein involved in this molecular pathway, is a member of a family of proteins responsible for prolonging life span in both yeast and worms. "The fact that these molecules, which maintain life span in other species, has been found to be involved in suppressing cancer development seems important to us," Yeh said. "The reason people live longer is that they don't develop cancer as readily." Players in this newly defined pathway are: * BCA3, which had no known function. * NEDD8, a protein that can bind to other proteins and alter their function. * SENP8, a protease (enzyme) that can break bonds between other molecules.SIRT1 * NFkB (Nuclear Factor kappa B), a family of proteins that turn on genes involved in cell death (apoptosis) and cell proliferation. When over-expressed, NFkB can protect cells from undergoing apoptosis, and in general, the more NFkBis expressed, the more resistant the cell is to apoptosis. * Estrogen, a hormone that acts as growth fuel for about 70 percent of breast cancers. Researchers are interested in ways that cells can efficiently turn genes on or off, and one of the newest mechanisms is dubbed "NEDDylation," which Yeh helped to find 10 years ago. This process requires multiple enzymes to attach NEDD8 to other proteins. To find proteins that can be altered by NEDD8, the four-member research team used yeast as their experimental platform, and SENP8 as a tool. This enzyme is known to be able to separate NEDD8 from the proteins it binds to. In this way, they could use SNEP8 "as bait" to fish for protein complexes held together by NEDD8. They first found that BCA3 binds to SENP8 and was modified byNEDD8, and then discovered that this complex affects NFkB signaling. It does this by binding on to p65, one of the two proteins that make up NFkB proteins, the researchers say. "NEDD8 modified BCA3 regulates the activity of NFkB, but BCA3 alone does not have any impact on NFkB," says Yeh. Then they looked at how this NEDDylation further works to suppress the ability of NFkB to transcribe (activate) other genes. Here the investigators found SITR1, the molecule known to prolong life span in several other species. SITR1 is a histone deacetylase, a protein that blocks transcription factors from regulating genes. "When NEDD8 modified BCA3, it binds to p65 and recruits SITR1 to suppress NFkB-mediated transcription," Yeh said. Finally, the researchers discovered that estrogen blocks NEDD8 from modifying BCA3, a finding which goes some way to "explaining estrogen's pro-life effect in breast cancer cells," Yeh says. "Estrogen could enhance the survival of breast cancer cells by silencing BCA3, through eliminating its hold on NFkB transcription." Now that this cancer-promoting molecular pathway has been described, Yeh says it might be possible to interfere with a number of the players to inhibit cancer growth. "NEDD8 is key," he said. "It may be possible to design drugs that block the removal of NEDD8 from BCA3." By increasing the amount of NEDD8-modified BCA3, there will be a corresponding decrease in the level of NFkB and the cancer cells will be more sensitive to chemotherapy, Yeh says. "There is a lot we need to sort out, of course, but this is a model of how estrogen may function to promote growth in breast cancer that we can all now work from," Yeh says. The study was supported by grants from National Institutes of Health. The first author, Fei Gao, M.D., Ph.D. was a post-doctoral fellow with Yeh at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and is an associate professor and vice-director, Department of Cell Biology and Vice-Director, Science and Technology Division at the Shanghai Jiao-Tong University, School of Medicine, at Shanghai, China. Other co-authors include Jinke Cheng, Ph.D., assistant professor from the Department of Cardiology, M. D. Anderson, and Tong Shi, M.D. from the Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, in Shanghai, China. Yeh is also director of the Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine and a member of the Texas Heart Institute.


This article brings to the attention of those public servants involved in the design and negotiation of free trade agreements between the United States and developing countries, such as Colombia, the potential benefits and drawbacks of negotiating in a bilateral forum. Rather than critiquing the free trade agreement for its particular provisions, this article examines the U.S. policy of negotiating bilaterally with developing countries as opposed to multilaterally in the world trade system and what effects such an approach might have on the economic development of the latter. Using an incremental policy analysis, the article critiques the bilateral approach in terms of economic development and fair trade negotiations using the recent Colombia-U.S. trade agreement as a case study. The article concludes that a bilateral approach that is disconnected from a broader multilateral context may be detrimental to developing countries and recommends increased oversight of such agreements by the World Trade Organization to ensure a higher degree of fairness.


An artist in mourning for a brother who died fighting in Bosnia, a restless young woman alerted to the possibility of life outside her tight knit community, an unemployed lawyer lingering in a Kenyan hospital - Lily Mabura's first collection of short stories deals with characters whose fates fascinate and alarm. Set in Kenya, the USA, Namibia and the Congo, these brief, evocative tales demonstrate an acute sensitivity to the globalised trajectories which increasingly distinguish our world. One of Kenya's most promising authors, Lily Mabura's story 'How Shall We Kill the Bishop?' was shortlisted for the 2010 Caine Prize for African Fiction


Background Intraperitoneal daptomycin is used for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis caused by vancomycin-resistant bacteria. This study investigated the stability of daptomycin in a pH-neutral PD solution. Methods Reconstituted solution of daptomycin was added to a total of nine PD bags to obtain a concentration of 20 mg/L and stored at 1 of 3 different temperatures: 4 or 25°C for up to 168 h or 37°C for up to 48 h. Stabilities were determined by visual inspection, pH measurement and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results Daptomycin retained more than 90% of its initial concentration for 120, 72 and 12 h at 4°C, 25°C and 37°C, respectively. No physical precipitation or pH change was observed during the study. Conclusions Daptomycin in a pH-neutral PD solution is physically and chemically stable for 120 and 12 h at 4°C and 37°C, respectively.


The aim of this study was to assess nurses' performance related to control and prevention of nosocomial respiratory infection in artificially ventilated patients and to estimate incidence and the causative microorganisms of such infection. The study was conducted on 30 ventilated patients and 30 nurses who were responsible for their care. An observation checklist was used to assess nurses' practices regarding daily care activities, ventilator decontamination, use of universal infection control measures and maintenance of the patients' care environment. A second sheet was developed to estimate incidence of nosocomial respiratory infection and identification of the causative microorganisms. A third sheet was designed to help in daily assessment of the patient's health condition. The study revealed a high incidence of nosocomial respiratory infections (83.3%) and pseudomonas was the causative agents in more than one-fourth of the cases. Moreover, nurses' infection control practices were inadequate.


Performance in all forms of motor activity related to sport performance improves progressively during the course of the childhood years as a consequence of normal growth and development. Whether (a) sport training can accelerate and ultimately enhance this biological development and (b) the existence of certain ages when training might prove to be more effective in improving performance, particularly early in childhood, remains uncertain. Physiological adaptations to endurance training in prepubertal children (improvements in maximal oxygen uptake) are dampened compared with adults, but enhancements of strength following resistance training are equally effective at all ages. The extent that intensive training regimens characteristic of early sport specialization in children can trigger physiological and performance adaptations may therefore depend on the form of exercise involved. Clearly, additional research is needed to enhance the understanding of the physiological responses to intensive sport training...


The Utah method for numerically evaluating polygraph charts is a highly reliable and valid method for scoring specific-incident, comparison-question tests. For respiration, electrodermal activity (skin conductance or skin resistance), relative blood pressure (cardiograph), and peripheral vasomotor activity (finger plethysmograph), a score from +3 to -3 is assigned for each presentation of a relevant question. The reaction to the relevant question is compared to the reaction to a nearby comparison (control) question. A positive score is assigned when the psychophysiological reaction is greater to the comparison question than to the relevant question, a negative score is assigned when the reaction is greater to the relevant question, and a zero is assigned when the responses to the relevant and comparison questions are approximately equal. Scores are based on the criteria described in the present report. Common artifacts that may affect numerical evaluations are discussed, as are limitations of this scoring system.


The development of a motion imagery (MI) quality scale, akin to the National Image Interpretibility Rating Scale (NIIRS) for still imagery, would have great value to designers and users of surveillance and other MI systems. A multiphase study has adopted a perceptual approach to identifying the main MI attributes that affect interpretibility. The current perceptual study measured frame rate effects for simple motion imagery interpretation tasks of detecting and identifying a known target. By using synthetic imagery, there was full control of the contrast and speed of moving objects, motion complexity, the number of confusers, and the noise structure. To explore the detectibility threshold, the contrast between the darker moving objects and the background was set at 5%, 2%, and 1%. Nine viewers were to detect or identify a moving synthetic "bug" in each of 288 10-second clip. We found that frame rate, contrast, and confusers had a statistically significant effect on image interpretibility (at the 95% level), while the speed and background showed no significant effect. Generally, there was a significant loss in correct detection and identification for frame rates below 10 F/s. Increasing the contrast improved detection and at high contrast, confusers did not affect detection. Confusers reduced detection of higher speed objects. Higher speed improved detection, but complicated identification, although this effect was small. Higher speed made detection harder at 1 Frame/s, but improved detection at 30 F/s. The low loss of quality at moderately lower frame rates may have implications for bandwidth limited systems. A study is underway to confirm, with live action imagery, the results reported here with synthetic.


This work presents a new multiobjective algorithm based on ant colonies, which is used in the construction of the multicast tree for data transmission in a computer network. The proposed algorithm simultaneously optimizes cost of the multicast tree, average delay and maximum end-to-end delay. In this way, a set of optimal solutions, know as Pareto set, is calculated in only one run of the algorithm, without a priori restrictions. The proposed algorithm was inspired in a Multi-objective Ant Colony System (MOACS). Experimental results prove the proposed algorithm outperforms a recently published Multiobjective Multicast Algorithm (MMA), specially designed for solving the multicast routing problem.


This paper considers a dynamic platform competition in a market with network externalities. We ask two research questions. The first one asks how the beliefs advantage carries over in time, and whether a low-quality platform can maintain its focal position along time. We show that for very high and very low discount factors it is possible for the low-quality platform to maintain its focal position indefinitely. But for the intermediate discount factor the higher quality platform wins and keeps the market. The second question asks what drives changes in the market leadership along time (observed in many markets, like smartphones and video-game consoles), and how such changes can be supported as a dynamic equilibrium outcome. We offer two explanations. The first explanation relies on intrinsic equilibrium uncertainty. The second explanation relies on the adoption of technology. One could expect such change in the market leader to be a sign of intense competition between platforms. However, we find that changes in leadership indicate softer price competition.


The European price landscape is characterised by significant price differences among regions and countries for quasi-identical goods. Possible explanations include transport costs, tariffs and non-tariff barriers, market structure, etc? While the introduction of the single European currency reduces exchange rate volatility and hence price volatility across its participating member countries, it is yet unclear to which extent this also implies reductions in price dispersion across countries. Similarly, the introduction of the euro and the associated increase in price transparency will reduce consumers' transactions costs associated with cross-country price comparisons. It remains to be seen whether these transactions cost reductions are sufficient to trigger a reduction in the band of inaction within which prices can fluctuate without triggering consumer arbitrage and whether cross-country price dispersion will be induced to decrease. The latter has rather frequently been claimed to be one of the main benefits of the euro. The aim of this paper is to analyse to which extent the euro may be expected to contribute to increased regional price convergence - a topic being directly related to the euro cash changeover. It is obviously too early to evaluate the price and convergence effects, not to mention the economic benefits, brought about by the introduction of the euro. The cash changeover transition period has barely ended yet. Moreover, many economic effects will only materialise in the long-term. We use individual product prices from the Luxembourg and the surrounding regions Lorraine, Rhine-Palatinate and Walloon collected on several occasions between October 2001 and April 2002 in order to analyse the factors contributing to regional price differences. Luxembourg and its surrounding regions emerge as natural candidate for such a study. At relatively short distance to each other four countries border each other. Furthermore, these regions are highly integrated with each other, which is also apparent from the about 100 000 cross-border commuters travelling into Luxembourg every day. This reduces the obstacles, which somewhere else may effectively seal off regions against each other. The high degree of regional integration also means that a high share of the population was used to compare and pay prices in different currencies prior to the introduction of euro. If we were able to obtain statistically affirmative results in these almost ideal conditions, then this would nurture our hopes for measurable effects for the whole euro area. If this was not the case, then it may prove rather difficult to find price level convergence effects - even in the long-term. The empirical results obtained in this paper generally support the transactions cost arguments. More specifically, the absolute percentage price difference is increasing in distance, but at a decreasing rate. Similarly, crossing borders increases the price deviations, while membership to the former Belgo-Luxembourg currency union reduces price deviations. These results are rather remarkable given the high degree of homogeneity with regard to the geographical area under investigation. These results raise our hopes that the euro will be able to reduce price dispersion in the euro area in the long-term. The data set also allows us to explicitly analyse how packaging size differences influence the deviations from the law of one price. This is a particular feature of this data set, which many other international data sets do not have. The results are affirmative. The larger the differences in unit value representations the larger are price deviations. Thus, this result supports the statement of the European Commission (2001c) arguing that market structure matters. Furthermore, being part of the same retail chain matters. The results clearly suggest that price deviations are smaller on average, if the prices are observed in the same supermarket chain.


OBJECTIVE
To define the clinical features and outcome of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this cross-sectional study of the autonomic symptom profile, inclusion criteria were orthostatic heart rate increment of 30 beats/min or greater, orthostatic symptoms, completion of a standardized autonomic test battery, and follow-up of 18 months or longer. We used 2 instruments. The first part was a structured and validated autonomic symptom profile (108 patients). The second part was a structured questionnaire focused on autonomic status on prospective follow-up (40 patients) (mean +/- SD follow-up, 67+/-52 months).

RESULTS
Most patients had frequent, persistent, and at least moderately severe symptoms for less than 5 years. The following orthostatic symptoms occurred in more than 75% of subjects: light-headedness or dizziness, lower extremity or diffuse weakness, disequilibrium, tachycardia, and shakiness. Nonorthostatic symptoms included dry eyes or mouth, gastrointestinal complaints of bloating, early satiety, nausea, pain, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. Half of the patients reported an antecedent illness presumed to be of viral origin. On follow-up, 80 % of patients were improved, 60% were functionally normal, and 90% were able to return to work. Patients who had an antecedent event appeared to do better than those with spontaneous POTS. Salt supplementation and beta-blockers were the most efficacious therapies.

CONCLUSION
In the majority of patients, POTS is self-resolving, especially in those with a triggering event.


The recent literature on the duration of trade has predominantly analyzed the determinants of trade flow durations using Cox proportional hazards models. The purpose of this paper is to show why it is inappropriate to analyze the duration of trade with continuous-time models such as the Cox model, and to propose alternative discrete-time models which are more suitable for estimation. Briefly, the Cox model has three major drawbacks when applied to large trade data sets. First, it faces problems in the presence of many tied duration times, leading to biased coefficient estimates and standard errors. Second, it is difficult to properly control for unobserved heterogeneity, which can result in spurious duration dependence and parameter bias. Third, the Cox model imposes the restrictive and empirically questionable assumption of proportional hazards. By contrast, with discrete-time models there is no problem handling ties; unobserved heterogeneity can be controlled for without difficulty; and the restrictive proportional hazards assumption can easily be bypassed. By replicating an influential study by Besedeš and Prusa from 2006, but employing discrete-time models as well as the original Cox model, we find empirical support for each of these arguments against the Cox model. Moreover, when comparing estimation results obtained from a Cox model and our preferred discrete-time specification, we find significant differences in both the predicted hazard rates and the estimated effects of explanatory variables on the hazard. In other words, the choice between models affects the conclusions that can be drawn.


This study focuses on the early stages of the gelation of an aqueous type A (Pig skin) gelatin solution. The thermo-reversible mono and triple helix formation was observed by rheology and proton NMR relaxation measurements.
At high temperatures (T > 330 K), gelatin molecules form flexible random coils of small hydrodynamic radius, the elastic modulus of the solution is relatively low. On decreasing the temperature, mono helix formation begins, connected with an increase of the storage modulus and the hydrodynamic radius. The absence of a significant concentration dependence of this early variation of the modulus indicates the intramolecular nature of this structural change. The simultaneous decrease of the spin-spin relaxation times of the 1H signals of certain amino acids confirms its effect on the molecular mobility. As this affects especially the signals of arginine and lysine, we conclude that these basic amino acids play a significant role in forming the intramolecular interactions. Triple helix formation occurs at a point at which the viscosity begins to increase rapidly near the gel point (T < 320 K). This process is clearly dominated by intermolecular interactions, as the slope as well as the starting point of the rapid increase significantly depends on the concentration.
In this work the coil structure of gelatin in the early stage of gelatin gelation under variation of temperature (283-330 K), pH (3, 6.5, 11) and concentration (1, 3, 5 % w/w) were also evaluated by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, changes in the rheological characteristics such as storage modulus and complex viscosity of the gelatin solutions were measured and the effect of acidity, temperature and concentration are evaluated. The experimental results are analyzed to obtain the polar contribution to the relaxation behavior and the mobility of aminoacids in different temperature and different acidity. It was indicated by spin-spin relaxation time that mobility of amino acids in acidic and basic solution are much more than in neutral solution and some amino acids have different behavior in acidic and basic media. Besides, gelation temperature shifted to lower temperature in both acidic and basic solutions. Rheological behavior also confirms that inter-molecular and intra-molecular interaction will be decreased in acidic and basic media and the gelation time decreased. Therefore, by controlling the temperature, concentration and also pH, folding of the amino acids could be controlled.
Gelation process of gelatin after mineralization with nano-particulate hydroxyapatite was monitored and investigation of relaxation behavior of aminoacids in gelatin chains and changes in the coil structure of 3 and 5 % gelatin solution under variation of temperature (298-330 K). The NMR state diagrams, i.e. plots of ln (T2) vs. the reciprocal temperature (1/T), were produced for 3 % and 5 % gelatin solutions mineralized with hydroxyapatite. We found that the different concentrations (3 and 5 %) have no drastic effect on the T2 relaxation time but different amino acids have different patterns, so a different mobility during heat scan can be postulated. It may relate to this fact that they are well designed to have an interaction with phosphate and calcium anion.
In our study, we introduced new n-HAp (spherical, mixed shape and rod-like) /gelatin scaffolds coated with n-HAp using Chemical Bath Deposition technique. In this research n-HAp was prepared by wet chemical process and according to the present state of knowledge; the samples prepared at 25˚C show spherical (via continuous method) and mixed shape (via non-continuous method) particles and aggregate readily. The n-HAp particles fabricated at 40, 70˚C and 24 h aging time are needle and rod-like with widths ranging 30-60 nm and lengths from 100-300 nm, respectively. They distribute in gelatin much better than spherical and mixed shape particles, due to their higher surface area and higher reactivity. Therefore, the good mechanical properties of the nano-rod HAp/gelatin scaffold may result from their uniform distribution in the gelatin matrix, from their surface activity and their interface chemical bonding which makes it possible for n-HAp to link with gelatin. Spin-spin relaxation time measurements confirm that n-HAp may link with gelatin by interactions with Ca2+ and phosphate ions.
The compressive modulus of the n-HAp/gelatin scaffolds coated with n-HAp was 8.459 and 4.584 MPa for 5 and 3 % gelatin concentration respectively which is comparable to the compressive modulus of a human cancellous bone. Both compressive strength and moduli seem to increase by coating of the scaffolds. N-HAp particles coat the scaffold wall and easily enter the microscopic fractures resulting from inter particle contact and increase the mechanical strength.
According to the cell culture experiments, the incorporation of rod-like n-HAp and coating of scaffolds with n-HAp particles enable the prepared scaffolds to possess good biocompatibility, high bioactivity and sufficient mechanical strength in comparison with pure one. Coated scaffolds seem to have a better cell attachment and proliferation. This research suggests that the newly developed rod-like HAp/gelatin coated with n-HAp fulfill most of the requirements for the use as a suitable bone replacement and may be superior for bone tissue engineering.


The objective of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of items from the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) across racial and ethnic groups and assess the impact of differential item functioning (DIF) on test scores from the EBS. Participants were 4,856 first-grade students (49% female) who were diverse with regard to race and ethnicity (45% African American, 41% Hispanic/Latino, and 14% Caucasian). Classroom teachers rated each student on the EBS during the fall semester screening window. Item response theory modeling was combined with ordinal regression to investigate the presence and impact of differential item functioning across 3 race and ethnicity groups. The findings suggest that items from the EBS exhibit small to negligible levels of DIF, and the limited DIF that was present does not significantly impact overall scores. Researchers and practitioners can have confidence that scores from the EBS are relatively unaffected by test bias when measuring the emotional and behavioral risk of young students from African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Caucasian backgrounds.


Recomposing the Past is a book concerned with the complex but important ways in which we engage with the past in modern times. Contributors examine how media on stage and screen uses music, and in particular early music, to evoke and recompose a distant past. Culture, popular and otherwise, is awash with a stylise - sometimes contradictory - musical history. And yet for all its complexities, these representations of the past through music are integral to how our contemporary and collective imaginations understand history. More importantly, they offer a valuable insight into how we understand our musical present. Such representative strategies, the book argues, cross generic boundaries, and as such it brings together a range of multimedia discussion on the subjects of film (Lord of the Rings, Dangerous Liasions), television (Game of Thrones, The Borgias), videogame (Dragon Warrior, Gauntlet), and opera (Written on Skin, Taverner, English 'dramatick opera'). This collection constitutes a significant, and interdisciplinary, contribution to a growing literature which is unpacking our ongoing creative dialogue with the past. Divided into three complementary sections, grouped not by genre or media but by theme, it considers: 'Authenticity, Appropriateness, and Recomposing the Past', 'Music, Space, and Place: Geography as History', and 'Presentness and the Past: Dialogues between Old and New'. Like the musical collage that is our shared multimedia historical soundscape, it is hoped that this collection is, in its eclecticism, more than the sum of its parts.


We show that in repeated interactions the avenues for effective provision of incentives depend crucially on the type of information players observe. We establish this conclusion for general repeated two-player games in which information arrives via a continuous-time stationary process that has a continuous multidimensional Brownian component and a Poisson component, and in which the players act frequently. The Poisson jumps can be used to effectively provide incentives both with transfers and value burning, while continuous Brownian information can be used to provide incentives only with transfers.


This thesis seeks to explain why European Union (EU) member states choose to pursue their foreign policy objectives regarding Russia at the EU level or bilaterally. It explores the idea in the literature that national governments engage in 'venue shopping' to achieve national foreign policy objectives. The thesis examines the question of how EU member states engage with Russia by examining different policy case studies (energy relations, democracy and human rights promotion, bilateral disputes). It analyses member governments' choice of policy route from two contrasting, but complementary perspectives, exploring both rational choice arguments from a 'logic of expected consequences' perspective (focusing on the anticipated costs and benefits of national governments' choice of policy route) and social constructivist arguments from a 'logic of appropriateness' perspective (focusing on the effects of EU membership and the socialisation of national representatives into the rules and norms of behaviour in the EU on the political elites' choice of policy route). With a systematic analysis of national governments' choices across different policy issues it helps clarify the motivations underpinning the decision to pursue national foreign policy objectives at the European or the national level. It thereby contributes to filling a lacuna in the existing literature on EU-Russia relations and the extant research on member states' foreign policies in the EU context. The contributions to existing scholarship that the thesis makes are: first, it demonstrates that the decision to cooperate, or act at the bilateral level, is not as clear cut as it is often depicted. I show that in most cases it is not a question of either-or. Member states frequently pursue cooperation at the EU level to achieve foreign policy objectives that they also pursue at the bilateral level. Second, I show that member states' choices are predominantly influenced by their assessment of the utility of the European and the national route. There is considerably less evidence to suggest that the European level is being privileged as a result of a socialisation in the EU, so the length of membership, and thus the duration of national decision-makers' exposure to EU policy-making processes does not determine a member government's choice and influences it only to a limited extent. Third, I show that the size/capacity of the member state they represent is but one factor influencing national governments in their choice of foreign policy route. Whether a state is large or small gives indications of a national government's likely choice, but it does not offer definitive insights into which policy route will be chosen on a particular issue. Fourth, I concur with existing research that argues that a distinction between policy issues in terms of their hierarchy ('first order' or 'second order') provides insights into member states' likely choice, but I argue that it is necessary to not just focus on the policy domain, but also to differentiate within a policy domain between the pursuit of broader framework objectives that deliver benefits to all member states and those objectives on which individual states accrue gains in the absence of a common EU agreement with Russia. Fifth, this thesis highlights the importance of how member states perceive Russia - as a threat or as an opportunity – and the importance they attribute to maintaining 'friendly', 'pragmatic' relations for whether they cooperate at the EU level or opt for the pursuit of their individual relations with Russia at the bilateral level. Finally, on the basis of the findings from the three analytically and empirically significant cases I argue that member states' choices are highly contingent and can only be explained by considering the interplay between the different factors that enter into national governments' calculus regarding the utility of the EU route versus the bilateral pursuit of national foreign policy objectives.