Encryption schemes are designed to provide data confidentiality and are a fundamental cryptographic primitive with many applications in higher-level protocols. Groups with a bilinear map allow us to build public key encryption schemes with new properties that are otherwise difficult to obtain using groups without a bilinear map. We support our thesis by presenting two encryption schemes based on bilinear groups; the first is a partial solution to the open problem on doubly homomorphic encryption proposed by Rivest et al. in 1978, and the second is the most efficient hierarchical identity based encryption scheme to date.
Our main result deals with homomorphic encryption. Using bilinear groups, we developed a homomorphic encryption scheme based on the subgroup decision complexity assumption; this encryption scheme is additively homomorphic and also possesses an additional limited (single) multiplicative homomorphism. Even with such limitations, our encryption scheme allows us to evaluate on encrypted inputs useful formulas such as polynomials of total degree at most two and dot products. Our encryption scheme also lends itself naturally to a secure function evaluation protocol for computing 2-DNFs, which can be used to improve private information retrieval protocols.
Our second result deals with hierarchical identity based encryption (HIBE), a generalization of identity based encryption. In previous constructions for HIBE, the length of ciphertexts, as well as the time needed for decryption, grows linearly with the depth of the hierarchy. Our HIBE system has ciphertext size, as well as decryption cost, that is independent of the hierarchy depth. The principal applications for HIBE are forward secure encryption and public key broadcast encryption. Using our HIBE system instead of existing HIBE systems in these two applications results in substantial reductions in the ciphertext size of both these applications.


The institutional presidency has expanded to engulf the offices of the vice president and the First Lady under its field of influence. One motivation for such institutional expansion of the presidency is that these, and similar offices, provide the president with policy-making and/or political support. We see the logic of policy-making support in the case of the vice president, where vice presidents, like Walter Mondale for Jimmy Carter and Albert Gore for Bill Clinton, could bring their talent and Washington experience to presidential policy-making councils.(1) While First Ladies may also bring policy-making and other types of advice to presidents, the institutional development of the First Lady's office can perhaps better be understood from the logic of presidential public relations. Presidents may view their First Ladies as potential political assets. In his race for the presidency in 1992, Bill Clinton advertised that voting for him was also a vote for Hillary Clinton (Troy 1997, 346; Burden and Mughan 1999). Thus, presidents might reckon that when they are suffering public criticism and downward sliding polls, they can exhibit their First Lady on the public arena if she is herself popular. Or the First Lady might be especially important in attracting and/or maintaining the support of women. Use of a First Lady in this fashion might help distract the public from its negative orientations toward the president and thus somewhat mute the president's public opinion troubles. In my previous article for the journal, I attempted to test this idea by marshaling data on public approval of Mrs. Clinton (Cohen 2000). That analysis indicated no apparent causal connection between First Lady and presidential approval in either direction, that is, from presidential approval to First Lady approval or from approval of the First Lady to approval of the president. The limited number of public-approval polls on the First Lady, and the ambiguity of what it means to ask the public to assess the "job" or "role" or "position" of the First Lady, sorely limited that analysis. In this article, I continue the theme of that article but rely on a new, more complete data series of public evaluations toward the First Lady. Whereas approval polls of the First Lady are both rare and ambiguous, favorability ratings of the First Lady, especially during the tenure of Mrs. Clinton, are quite common. Below, I describe the construction of a monthly index of favorability to the First Lady that spans from January 1993 through June 1999, a total of seventy-eight months. Then, I discuss some of the properties of this data series, relate it to presidential favorability for the same time period, and attempt to explain the dynamics of First Lady favorability. A Monthly Index of First Lady Public Favorability For nearly every month that Mrs. Clinton has been the First Lady, one polling organization or another has asked the public about its opinion of her, whether respondents had a favorable or unfavorable impression of the First Lady.(2) From these data, one can construct a time series of public favorability toward this First Lady, providing us with a history of public regard to Mrs. Clinton, something not available for previous First Ladies, due to insufficient data. There are several ways that one can "combine" these data to create a monthly (or other time unit) series. For instance, in a recent article, Burden and Mughan (1999) average the favorability results of polls from CBS/New York Times, Gallup/USA/Today/CNN and Yankelovich/Time/CNN from January 1993 through December 1997 by month. They control for differences in "don't know" rates. One limitation of their approach, which relies on only three survey organizations, is a relatively large number of months with missing data, ten of sixty (16.7 percent). To fill in the data gaps, they interpolate by taking the average between the bounding months. I rely on a different technique, developed by Stimson (1999), that helps us employ a larger number of survey organizations. …


Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the important cereal food crop and model crop for plant genome analysis. Drought remains as one of the major constraints limiting rice productivity. Conventional breeding approaches are slow in progress towards developing drought tolerant rice varieties due to complex nature of drought tolerance mechanism. The understanding of plant responses to abiotic stresses at the genomic level provides a foundation for gene discovery and genetic engineering of rice for drought tolerance. Identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling drought tolerance related traits will help in precise introgression of desired genomic regions (QTLs) through marker assisted selection and genetic engineering. The genomic region on chromosome 9 (73 – 95 cM) controlling drought tolerant related traits were selected and attempts were made through insilico methods to understand the putative candidate genes controlling drought tolerance. Through literature survey and database search, QTL located on chromosome 9 (73 to 95 cM) linked to drought tolerance related traits was selected. About 145 drought responsive genes were found to be located in this region as reported in a publicly available microarray data. The drought responsive genes were classified according to their function and presence of cis elements. Detailed analyses revealed that majority of these drought responsive genes are involved in important cellular functions and enriched with DRE-cis elements. Aquaporin (OsPIP2; 7) and cytochromeP450 (OsCYP78A3) genes were selected for functional validation. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed the differential expression of these genes between contrasting rice genotypes IR64 and Nootripathu for drought tolerance at vegetative stage.


In this paper, a continuum mathematical model of Glioblastoma neurological diffusion has been developed in order to identify and characterize discrete cellular mechanisms underlying altered cells motility. The mathematical model has been treated by two different methods: Finite Element Method (FEM) and Boubaker polynomial expansion scheme (BPES). The Finite Element Method has been emphasized as a plat form for discretization of a basic parabolic equation using variational analyses and Fourier transform. The same parabolic model has been subjected to the Boubaker polynomial expansion scheme analyses in order to monitor the evolution of tumor from the non-vascular stage to the vascular one. Obtained results have been successfully compared to some recently proposed profiles.


This paper empirically examines the benefits of relationship banking to banks, in the context of consumer credit markets. Using a unique panel dataset that contains comprehensive information about the relationships between a large bank and its credit card customers, we estimate the effects of relationship banking on the customers' default, attrition, and utilization behavior. We find that relationship accounts exhibit lower probabilities of default and attrition, and have higher utilization rates, compared to non-relationship accounts, ceteris paribus. Such effects become more pronounced with increases in various measures of the strength of the relationships, such as relationship breadth, depth, length, and proximity. Moreover, dynamic information about changes in the behavior of a customer's other accounts at the bank, such as changes in checking and savings balances, helps predict and thus monitor the behavior of the credit card account over time. These results imply significant potential benefits of relationship banking to banks in the retail credit market.


Research has shown that students have tremendous difficulties developing a qualitative understanding of wave optics, at all educational levels. In this study, we investigate how three different approaches to visualizing light waves affect students' understanding of wave optics. In the first, the conventional, approach light waves are represented by sinusoidal curves. The second teaching approach includes representing light waves by a series of static images, showing the oscillating electric field vectors at characteristic, subsequent instants of time. Within the third approach phasors are used for visualizing light waves. A total of N=85 secondary school students were randomly assigned to one of the three teaching approaches, each of which lasted a period of four class hours. Students who learned with phasors and students who learned from the series of static images outperformed the students learning according to the conventional approach, i.e., they showed a much better understanding of basic wave optics, as measured by a conceptual survey administered to the students one week after the treatment. Our results suggest that visualizing light waves with phasors or oscillating electric field vectors is a promising approach to developing a deeper understanding of wave optics for students enrolled in conceptual level physics courses. (IPN/Orig.)


In the world, Mexico is the major producer of prickly pears and also has the largest number in varieties. However, in addition to its highly seasonal production, prickly pears are consumed just by a small segment of the Mexican population. Therefore, the promotion of prickly pears consumption in the form of new derivative products by emphasizing its bioactive properties seems to be a possible solution to its low consumption. Recent studies from European and Asian laboratories showed that some prickly pears varieties have a significant antioxidant activity. In Mexico, prickly pears producers are looking for new ways of commercialization. In this regard, similar studies are underway surveying those varieties from the highly producing Mexican states with the goal to develop new functional products with high added value. In addition, the use of prickly pears as a raw material for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries is being considered and seems to be highly promising. Keywords: Prickly pears, antioxidant activity, innovation, functional food.


The current literature on financial economics is dominated by neoclassical dogma and, supposedly, the notion of value-neutrality. However, the failure of neoclassical economics to deal with real financial phenomena suggests that this might be too simplistic of an approach.This book consists of a collection of essays dealing with financial markets' imperfections, and the inability of neoclassical economics to deal with such imperfections. Its central argument is that financial economics, as based on the tenets of neoclassical economics, cannot answer or solve the real-life problems that people face. It also shows the direct relationship between economics and politics - something that is usually denied in academic models, given that science is supposed to be value-neutral. In this thought-provoking and avant-garde book, the author not only exposes what has gone wrong, but also suggests reforms to both the academic and the political-economic systems that might help make markets fair rather than efficient. Drawing on interdisciplinary fields, this book will appeal to readers who are interested in finance, economics, business, the political economy and philosophy.


Arguably, the most important event in criminal law is the determination of guilt. Indeed, the entire intellectual architecture of criminal law is directed towards a moment when a court declares the subject guilty, or not. That determination, through 'due process of law', is essential to the legitimation of punishment. Without this mechanism, punishment is simply an exercise in violence and oppression. The declarative moment, at the conclusion of a rule-governed process of evidence and reason, transforms the brutality of the state into lawful enforcement of law and legitimate action in the eyes of the world. This process is fundamental to the political and intellectual economy of the criminal law, and necessarily invites questions: what is this process; where did it come from; and what are its characteristics? This article aims to answer these questions by drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, situated in a legal analytic, for the purpose of proposing new ways of thinking about the concept of guilt, and how it is determined in criminal law. The overarching position of the paper is that a genealogy of guilt reveals ancient links between modern techniques for determining guilt, theology, and the construction of truth. We begin by considering the idea of guilt and how the criminal law makes that assessment.


This thesis investigates migration aspirations and experiences of female Polish migrant workers and returnees, who have been working and living in the UK. In the face of theoretical debates and a lack of knowledge on the experience of Polish women as migrant workers in the UK, a contextualised study prioritising the narratives of the interviewees was established. The theoretical and methodological approach is characterised by grounded theory methodology informed by theoretical sensitivity, which is combined with the analysis of biographical narrative interviews, semi-structured expert interviews, and secondary quantitative data. Through this approach, the conditions and influential factors that shape female Polish migrant workers' aspirations and experiences, as well the way in which they make meaning of them, are scrutinised. Different patterns of migration aspirations have been constructed by the informants' narratives – migration as a solution, as a family strategy or as an opportunity. Furthermore, specificities of working and living in the UK have been established, marked by different routes into employment, migrant and feminised work, and different patterns of work trajectories; as well as social networks, transnational lives and experiences of women and family life. Constructions of return decisions or the lack of return motivations, as well as experiences after return, bring forth the relevance of expectations resulting in the question: 'return to what?' Additionally, return plans have been adapted in the face of structural constraints or because of individual preferences, which were at times overruled in the context of return as a family strategy. Return was also constructed, however, as path to personal or professional fulfilment, as an opportunity, or as a result of disappointment. In the context of the conditions of the enlarged EU providing the freedom of movement, the post-transformation labour market in Poland, and the gendered and migrant labour market segmentation in the UK, as well as gender regimes, female Polish migrant workers actively mediated their migration aspirations and experiences.


When hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and other disasters strike, we count our losses, search for causes, commiserate with victims, and initiate relief efforts. Amply illustrated and expansively researched, Inventing Disaster explains the origins and development of this predictable, even ritualized, culture of calamity over three centuries, exploring its roots in the revolutions in science, information, and emotion that were part of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe and America.
Beginning with the collapse of the early seventeenth-century Jamestown colony, ending with the deadly Johnstown flood of 1889, and highlighting fires, epidemics, earthquakes, and exploding steamboats along the way, Cynthia A. Kierner tells horrific stories of culturally significant calamities and their victims and charts efforts to explain, prevent, and relieve disaster-related losses. Although how we interpret and respond to disasters has changed in some ways since the nineteenth century, Kierner demonstrates that, for better or worse, the intellectual, economic, and political environments of earlier eras forged our own twenty-first-century approach to disaster, shaping the stories we tell, the precautions we ponder, and the remedies we prescribe for disaster-ravaged communities.


The Unconsoled (1995), Kazuo Ishiguro's fourth novel, received decidedly mixed reviews at first, some reviewers declaring it a masterpiece, others a failure, but all agreeing that it is a deeply enigmatic work. (1) The story is unmistakably dreamlike, but readers are puzzled about the ontological status of events narrated: is the narrator, Ryder, literally dreaming? Does he suffer from amnesia, dementia, or some other mental disability? Does he inhabit some alternate reality, and if so, of what sort? The explanations that Ishiguro himself has offered to interviewers address these questions but have failed to settle them unambiguously. Critics have found it notoriously difficult to formulate even the most basic description of the plot without distorting it. Natalie Reitano, for instance, describes Ryder as "beset by an amnesia he barely acknowledges" (361), and Barry Lewis begins his plot description, Ryder, an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, is the victim of an inexplicable amnesia. He arrives on a Tuesday at an unnamed town, somewhere in the heart of Europe, without a schedule. But this is not just another venue on his tour: it is the home of his partner, Sophie, and child, Boris, facts that have curiously slipped his mind. (104) But these descriptors require qualification. If Ryder is simply a victim of amnesia, why does Sophie's father, Gustav, not recognize him? And if he has lived with Sophie in this town (and at one point he has vague memories of their apartment [283-84]), why is he known only by reputation to the musical elite of the town who have invited him to perform? In the three-stage argument that follows, I first address what has been the major interpretive puzzle about this novel, namely the ontological status of its characters and events. In my view, the events are not those of a proper dream to be related to some ulterior reality; rather, they belong to a world in which events and the main character's psychological reactions operate as they do in a dream, but which is itself the ultimate reality. The second section discusses the narrative challenges of describing such a dreamworld and the techniques of "oneiric realism" which the author has devised to meet those challenges. The final section argues that in this narrative mode the concept of narratorial consistency and reliability as well as the moral responsibility of the characters must be reexamined and explains why this mode is particularly well suited to Ishiguro's stated intentions in the novel. Ontology in The Unconsoled The dreamlike quality of The Unconsoled has naturally invited psychoanalytic interpretations. Since Freud, literature and film have created a genre of works whose plots include some act of detection involving the discovery of an amnesiac's identity and personal history through the interpretation of dreams. Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound is a paradigm case: in this film Gregory Peck plays an amnesiac who has reason to believe that he has committed a murder; Ingrid Bergman is a psychiatrist who discovers by interpretation of one of his dreams that he is innocent and that he instead suffers from a guilt complex deriving from the repressed memory of a childhood accident that killed his brother. Her interpretation consists of identifying events in the amnesiac's real life corresponding to their coded counterparts in the dream imagery and, on the basis of this encryption, diagnosing her patient's psychological affliction. Similarly, readers of The Unconsoled repeatedly search for some reality behind the dreamlike surface of the plot. An early reviewer says, For as the tale progresses Mr. Ishiguro artfully points to the fact that alongside the dream-story of Ryder's European sojourn exists another story, Ryder's real story. While Ryder grapples with the complications of his schedule, Sophie and Boris, incidental characters--the daughter and grandson of the hotel porter--impinge on Ryder's attention until it slowly becomes evident that they are not wholly unfamiliar to him, that they are, in fact, his wife and child. …


This study explores the decision outcomes achieved by 122 subjects using a DSS for an insolvency decision making task. Decision quality improvements occur as a result of collaboration between the decision maker and the DSS at two crucial points in the decision making process. Firstly when the decision maker initially interacts with the DSS to generate a recommendation, and secondly when the decision maker decides whether to incorporate that recommendation into their decision. Good technology design will assist a decision maker to generate a high quality recommendation; however the ensuing acceptance or otherwise of the recommendation is what ultimately affects the decision outcome. The study encompasses exploration of DSS use, and how decision outcomes are subsequently impacted. The results show that providing decisional guidance, in particular suggestive guidance, helped novice decision makers produce higher quality recommendations; and that adoption of those recommendations improved decision quality. The results are consistent with the theoretical premise that a key design issue is providing appropriate guidance to fit the task and individual, rather than simply guidance per se. The results show decision performance is a function of both how the technology is designed and used; and whether the user incorporates the recommendation received into their final decision. DSS use is a necessary, but not sufficient, precursor to improved decision outcomes.


Approaches addressing widespread open defecation practices in southeast Madagascar must navigate
strongly held cultural values, traditions and taboos. In the urban commune of Fort Dauphin, this has
resulted in SEED Madagascar's adoption of a 'hybrid' approach to CLTS through Project Malio, a
three-year urban sanitation project which seeks to instigate behaviour change by increasing access to
improved sanitation in households and schools. Despite cultural taboos generally inhibiting discussion
around defecation practices, the community has been accepting of the Malio approach, including
campaigns using graphic Information, Education and Communication materials. However, plans to pilot
a provocative signboard engaging a specific cultural taboo elicited such concern across the NGO's
Malagasy staff that a town-wide study was conducted to determine 'how far is too far'. The Malio
experience raises questions over the application of CLTS to evoke shock and shame and whether
adapting the approach to fit cultural context removes its potency, and therefore its effectiveness.


Aim To obtain palaeobotanical evidence enabling evaluation of the viability of the hypothesis that the 'oriental' element of the Balkan flora reached south-east Europe from Turkey prior to the Holocene, probably via the Thracian Plain during a late Quaternary glacial stage but no later than the late Weichselian. Methods We undertook analyses of pollen and microspores, plant macrofossils, wood fragments and molluscs recovered from sediments deposited in the Ezero wetland during the late Weichselian and Weichselian late-glacial. Sediment chronology was determined using radiocarbon age estimates. Results Six metres of sediments were recovered from the basin, of which the lower 3 m, extending from c . 15,450 cal yr bp to the early Allerød, was analysed. A major hiatus occurred after c . 13,900 cal yr bp , the overlying sediments being of late Holocene age. Palaeobotanical evidence indicates predominantly open vegetation during the Weichselian late-glacial, although macrofossil remains of woody taxa demonstrate the local presence of patches of wooded steppe and gallery forest. Changes in the composition of the steppe vegetation, and in the nature of the sediments deposited in the basin, indicate changes in climatic conditions, especially in the hydrological regime and in the moisture available to vegetation. After an initially relatively moister phase, the final centuries of the late Weichselian were drier, as was a short interval that may correlate with the Older Dryas. Moister conditions characterize intervals corresponding to the Bølling and Allerød sub-units of the Weichselian lateglacial interstadial. Although the pollen evidence is thus consistent with that from previous studies of this period in south-east Europe and south-west Asia, indicating predominantly open steppe vegetation, the macrofossil evidence indicates the persistent local presence of woody taxa. The woody taxa recorded include Celtis tournefortii -type and Juniperus cf. J. excelsa , two taxa today characteristic of the wooded steppes of Anatolia and members of the 'oriental' element of the southern Balkan flora, as well as Rosaceae Subfams. Maloideae and Prunoideae, Alnus and Fraxinus . Main conclusions The late Weichselian vegetation of the northern Thracian Plain included patches of wooded steppe that supported members of the 'oriental' element of the modern Balkan flora. The presence of such taxa renders viable the hypothesis that they could have reached south-east Europe from Turkey via the Thracian Plain during glacial times. Such hypotheses in historical biogeography can be evaluated critically using the evidence obtained from plant macrofossil analyses in combination with that from pollen analysis.


A 56-year-old Thai female was referred to Naresuan university hospital with anemia and pitting edema both legs. She had underlying diseases of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and chronic renal failure with anemia. Before her referral, she was treated by an internist at a provincial hospital. With deterioration of creatinine level and anemic symptom, she was advised to see a nephrologist for the diagnosis of causative pathology and treatment. The reevaluation of chronic renal failure was done. The results of laboratory investigation were creatinine level of 2.42 mg/dl, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 44 mg/dl and the urinalysis found microscopic hematuria. Further evaluations for hematuria ; vaginoscopy, cystoscopy and ultrasonography of genitourinary system, were performed consequently but all investigations were unremarkable. Then, renal biopsy was done with the result of anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis. The hemodialysis and total plasma exchange were done several times to reduce the antibody of anti glomerular basement membrane level.During her admission, she complained of sudden blurred vision both eyes after the ninth total plasma exchange. She has no previous ocular problems nor physical trauma. The ocular examination showed visual acuity of counting fingers both eyes. Anterior segment was unremarkable for her age. The posterior segments showed retinal thickening around the posterior poles with clear intervening zones both eyes with some intraretinal hemorrhage which was compatible with Purtscher-like retinopathy by clinical. The pathogenesis of Purtscher-like retinopathy was investigated with negative results. The counseling was done and the treatment of observation was chosen by the patient and her family. Then she was discharged and followed up at out patient unit of ophthalmology department, Naresuan university hospital.

Conclusion: The Purtscher-like retinopathy is a rare ocular disease with  variable treatment strategies and outcomes. In complicated case without obvious causes, the pathogenesis of the disease should be investigated which directed to the proper treatment and better visual outcome.


Palestine is a developing country of a different nature from that of the developing countries of the world. It is a state under occupation that does not have many natural resources. It is prohibited from exploiting its natural resources such as water, salt, and natural gas, and even producing or importing electricity, occupation is the total importer of fossil fuels, adding 87% of its electricity needs. The design of green energy-saving buildings, combined with the exploitation of renewable energy resources, especially solar energy, with 3000 sunshine a year and an average of solar radiation of 5.4 kW h/m2/day, may be the only way out of the current situation. The main objective of this work is to provide a review of the green building sector in Palestine in terms of research issued, governmental and non-governmental bodies concerned with the development of this field, in addition to the most important projects implemented as green building in Palestine, and finally discussing the most important obstacles hindering the adoption of green building as a long-term sustainable development strategy. Our urban heritage has an architectural and construction style that meets the requirements of sustainable construction. However, the rapid and dramatic change in the construction sector, in terms of building materials and construction, has increased the energy burden. Throughout Palestine there are seven climatic zones, which in itself is a challenge to the design of green construction, in addition to low public awareness of the concept of sustainable construction. The study concluded that, the absence of legislations and laws binding the minimum requirements of green building are among the most important obstacles to the adoption of sustainable construction as a long-term strategy to achieve the desired independence in the energy sector, in addition to the non-use of financial tools to stimulate investment in the green building sector in Palestine.


Because market segmentations are a familiar managerial artifact, it is easy to overlook the assumptions teams make as they construct these representations. Segmentations have become entrenched within companies because they are useful in navigating the complexity of the real world, but this generalizing tendency can also lead to stasis and misguided decision-making. As ethnographers we encounter additional limits in how the language, categories, and beliefs embedded in a segmentation affect our work. Anthropological theory on culture and representation offers a means by which to further assess our engagement with these artifacts. Based on emerging practices in two case studies, this paper argues for a politicized approach to segmentation – a critical stance to how and why they take on power as they are circulated within organizations.


This Article provides the first empirical study of the use of the term "patent troll" by U.S. media-specifically, examining leading newspapers and online publications. The study offers several key findings: (1) First, starting in 2006, the U.S. media surveyed used "patent troll" far more than any other term, despite the efforts of scholars to devise alternative, more neutral-sounding terms. The tipping point was the combination of the controversial Blackberry and eBay patent cases in 2006 — prior to that time, "patent holding company" was the most popular term. (2) Second, the media more often portrayed such patent entities in a one-sided, negative light with very little analysis or empirical support. For example, few works provided statistics or discussion of any studies to support their negative portrayal. Practically no articles mentioned the lack of a working requirement in U.S. patent law, which permits all patentees not to practice their inventions. These findings provide support for the recent judicial decisions that have barred, at trial, the use of the term "patent troll" as unfairly prejudicial.


The ultimate goal of implantable bioanalytical sensors is to enable the continuous and precise monitoring of clinically and physiologically important targets in the body for prolonged periods. Electrochemical, aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors already achieve this goal in a modular way, so far allowing the multihour in vivo monitoring of over half a dozen molecular targets without relying on their specific chemical reactivities. E-AB sensors achieve this modularity by employing nucleic acid aptamers as recognition elements, which can reversibly and selectively bind to molecular targets even in complex biological fluids such as unprocessed blood. However, the translation of the E-AB platform from bench-top, in vitro proof-of-concept demonstrations to truly relevant in vivo clinical applications still faces challenges, some of which are dependent on innovations in the fields of material sciences, interfacial chemistry, biomedical engineering and data management. In this review we critically discuss some of the challenges that the E-AB platform still needs to overcome before it can achieve full, unhindered translation to biomedical and clinical research, decentralized diagnostics and medical applications.


Focusing on three of the defining moments of the twentieth century - the end of the two World Wars and the collapse of the Iron Curtain - this volume presents a rich collection of authoritative essays, covering a wide range of thematic, regional, temporal and methodological perspectives. By re-examining the traumatic legacies of the century's three major conflicts, the volume illuminates a number of recurrent yet differentiated ideas concerning memorialisation, mythologisation, mobilisation, commemoration and confrontation, reconstruction and representation in the aftermath of conflict. The post-conflict relationship between the living and the dead, the contestation of memories and legacies of war in cultural and political discourses, and the significance of generations are key threads binding the collection together. While not claiming to be the definitive study of so vast a subject, the collection nevertheless presents a series of enlightening historical and cultural perspectives from leading scholars in the field, and it pushes back the boundaries of the burgeoning field of the study of legacies and memories of war. Bringing together historians, literary scholars, political scientists and cultural studies experts to discuss the legacies and memories of war in Europe (1918-1945-1989), the collection makes an important contribution to the ongoing interdisciplinary conversation regarding the interwoven legacies of twentieth-century Europe's three major conflicts.


A mobile ad hoc network, is an independent network of mobile devices connected by wireless links. Each device in a MANET can move freely in any direction, and will therefore change its links to other devices easily. Each must forward traffic of others, and therefore be called a router. The main challenge in building a MANET is in terms of security. In this paper we are presenting the mathematical model to detect selfish nodes using the probability density function. The proposed model works with existing routing protocol and the nodes that are suspected of having the selfishness are given a Selfishness test. This model formulates this problem with the help of prior probability and continuous Bayes' theorem.


In recent years, there has been concern about the impact of work on family life, particularly the effect that current working patterns may have on food behaviour (food provision, food consumption and eating patterns) within the home. Increased female employment and long working hours may affect family functioning though little has been done to model any association. There is evidence of less food preparation within the home, increased consumption of convenience products and fragmented meal times. In addition lack of time, irregular working hours and busy lifestyle have been identified as barriers to adopting a healthier diet Lappalainen et al (1998); suggesting those elements of work and time may also determine the relative healthiness of the diet. The effect this may have on future generations is unknown, but if less time is spent in food related activities within the home then there may be fewer opportunities for children to gain practical food knowledge and skills. Time constraints, experienced because of work, may possibly be eased by the use of time saving strategies and products. The main food provider's practical food knowledge, attitude and cooking skills may ameliorate the impact of work on food behaviour. Whilst previous academic research has explored changing patterns of work and food consumption independently, this study is original in its attempt to combine these separate disciplines. The aim of this research was to develop, build and test a theoretical model for exploring the relationship between working patterns and food behaviour. Following a systematic review of the literature, a conceptual framework was built to identify the key dimensions of work, food behaviour and the factors that may influence it. This was used in the development of a postal survey instrument to measure and test the research hypotheses. The sample was made up of 642 households, with children aged between 8-10 years old, (a response rate of 22%). Data was established on household patterns of eating and working in terms of the critical dimensions identified. This included food behaviour (food provider behaviour, eating behaviour of the household, healthy eating profile, shopping and cooking behaviours) and working patterns (hours, job satisfaction and time factors). Statistical analysis of the data was completed; descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and principal components were used to establish valid conclusions about relationships and test hypotheses. The findings of the research revealed no direct association between the number of hours worked and household food behaviour; although working hours were associated with greater shared responsibility for food related tasks. This may have positive implications for working parents as the results suggest that work commitments do not automatically lead to deterioration in eating patterns with unhealthy food choices being made. An association was found between the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and skills of the main food provider and consumption of certain types of foods. The impact of work patterns on food behaviour therefore cannot simply be explained by the management and redistribution of time. Qualitative analysis reveals suggests coping strategies and the value placed on time for food and a healthy diet to be the main determinants of food behaviour. Knowledge, skills and attitudes may lead to the development of more effective coping strategies when dealing with work and home responsibilities. The implications of these, findings are discussed and recommendations are made for future work.


Abstract Elhuyar, born in Spain in 1755, received a thorough training in mining geology at several of the leading European mining schools. He was appointed to an important post in New Spain (Mexico), where he arrived in 1788. There he devoted himself to reorganizing the administration of the mining industry and then to founding a School of Mines in Mexico City. This was opened in 1792, and in 1811 moved into the magnificent new building known as El Palacio de Minería, which now houses the Engineering School of the University. When an independent government was set up in Mexico in 1821, Elhuyar returned to Spain, where he continued to work for the government as a mining consultant. He prepared a report on the Rio Tinto mines and was responsible for the planning of the School of Mining Engineering in Madrid.


Objective:In this randomized, controlled, unblinded trial, we sought to test Repeat Back's (RB) effect on comprehension following informed consent discussions. Summary Background Data:RB has been suggested as a method to improve patient comprehension when obtaining informed consent. In this technique, patients are asked to recount what they have been told in the informed consent discussion. Despite preliminary data, this practice has not been evaluated in any large scale study. Methods:This study was conducted in 7 Veterans Health Administration Medical Centers where informed consent is obtained using iMedConsent, the VA's computer based platform. Patients scheduled for elective surgeries were randomized to RB (a module added to the iMedConsent package) or standard iMedConsent (no RB). Comprehension was tested after the informed consent using procedure-specific questionnaires. Time stamps in the iMedConsent program estimated the time spent completing the informed consent process. Provider and patient satisfaction were measured using 5-point Likert scales. Statistical comparisons of groups were performed using t-tests and &khgr;2 tests. Results:A total of 575 patients were enrolled. In the RB group, providers spent 2.6 minutes longer (P < 0.0001) obtaining informed consent. The mean comprehension score was significantly higher in the RB group (71.4%) versus the no RB group (68.2%, P = 0.03); the effect was greatest in carotid endarterectomy patients (RB = 73.4% vs. no RB = 67.7%, P = 0.02). Quality of decision making was rated similarly. Providers were neutral to slightly favorable regarding RB. Conclusions:RB implemented within an electronic informed consent system improved patient comprehension. The additional time required was acceptable to providers. RB should be considered as an enhancement to surgical informed consent. This clinical trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier NCT00288899).


ABSTRACT The post-Cold War era has witnessed the rapid expansion of organisational learning initiatives within NATO militaries, especially formal "lessons-learned" processes. The effectiveness of national lessons-learned processes in recalibrating military activity to the demands of ongoing operations has been highly-differentiated. However, the academic literature on military change and practitioner guidance has been slow to investigate the key features of best-practice in military learning. This article breaks new ground by drawing upon the literature on dynamic organisational capabilities to explore the fundamental organisational processes and activities which are necessary to implement successful lessons-learned. It examines, in particular, the organisational features which facilitate "knowledge transformation": the effective combination of new knowledge gained from intra- and inter-organisational learning with existing organisational knowledge. The article concludes by highlighting several potential future empirical and theoretical research agendas in military learning and the importance of engagement between lessons-learned practitioners and organisational learning scholars.


In this study, three random copolymers including quinoxaline derivatives with different substituent groups, 2,6-bis(trimethylstannyl)-4,8-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene and 4,7-dibromo-2-(2-octyldodecyl)-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole, were designed and synthesized according to the donor–acceptor (D–A) approach. 1H NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and gel permeation chromatography were utilized for the characterization of the polymers. Optical studies were performed in order to investigate the absorption behaviors of the polymers. P1, P2 and P3 demonstrate broad visible light absorption behavior with maximum absorption peaks around 374/539, 493/535 and 488/532 nm and their optical band gap values were calculated as 1.74, 1.87 and 1.70 eV respectively. Bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices were fabricated using the synthesized polymers as electron donors with fullerene derivatives where the best power conversion efficiencies were found to be 2.03% for P1 : PC71BM (1 : 3, w : w), 2.22% for P2 : PC71BM (1 : 4, w : w) and 1.52% for P3 : PC71BM (1 : 2, w : w) with methanol treatment.


The growing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for various applications requires ubiquitous and reliable connectivity for safe control and data exchange between these devices and ground terminals. Depending on the application, UAV-mounted wireless equipment can either be an aerial user equipment (AUE) that co-exists with the terrestrial users, or it can be a part of wireless infrastructure providing a range of services to the ground users. For instance, AUE can be used for real-time search and rescue and Aerial Base Station (ABS) can enhance coverage, capacity and energy efficiency of wireless networks. In both cases, UAV-based solutions are scalable, mobile, fast to deploy. However, several technical challenges have to be addressed. In this work, we present a tutorial on wireless communication with UAVs, taking into account a wide range of potential applications. The main goal of this work is to provide a complete overview of the main scenarios (AUE and ABS), channel and performance models, compare them, and discuss open research points. This work gives a comprehensive overview of the research done until now and depicts a comprehensive picture to foster new ideas and solutions while avoiding duplication of past work. We start by discussing the open challenges of wireless communication with UAVs. To give answers to the posed questions, we focus on the UAV communication basics, mainly providing the necessary channel modeling background and giving guidelines on how various channel models should be used. Next, theoretical, simulation- and measurement-based approaches, to address the key challenges for AUE usage, are presented. Moreover, in this work, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview on how UAV-mounted equipment can be used as a part of a communication network. Based on the theoretical analysis, we show how various network parameters can be optimized.


Why is it that men and boys have been and still are violated in human conflict, be it in conventional war, insurgencies or periods of civil and ethnic strife? Above all, why, throughout history, have victims, perpetrators and society as a whole refused to acknowledge this violation, and why do episodes of male-on-male rape and sexual abuse feature so rarely in accounts of war, be they official histories, eye-witness ac- counts or popular narratives? Is there more to this elision of memory than simply shame? Is there more to it than the victor's desire to violate the enemy body? Amalendu Misra's startlingly original re- search into male sexual violence explores the meaning and role of the male body prior to its abuse and how it is altered by violation in war- time. He examines the bio-political contexts of conflict in which primarily men and occasion- ally women sexually violate men; he details the inadequate legal safeguards for survivors of such events; and in unearthing and analysing an ignored aspect of war, he inquires whether such violence can ever be deterred. '… sexual violation of men has been ignored for too long. Without sensationalism, Misra's book explores these victims in the context of armed conflicts.' Professor Joanna Bourke, Birkbeck, Univ. of London, Author Rape: A History from the 1860s to the Present.


Physical conditions for D-T fusion reactions in hot plasmas are reviewed, showing the difference between inertial and magnetic confinement. The principles of muon-catalized fusion are given as an example of alternative approach. The main features of the tokamak, i.e. the magnetically-confined plasma configuration which is most investigated in reactor studies are described. ITER, a 500 MW th tokamak reactor design, is an international project and represents the single step toward a DEMO, a demonstration electricity-generating fusion power station. Safety and environmental aspects of tokamak reactors, in particular their inherent safety, were investigated in the E.C. Safety and Environmental Assessment of Fusion Power-Phase 2 (SEAFP-2). Management options for tritiated -activated fusion waste are described, either with disposal in fission waste repositories, or according to other concepts. Data on fusion cost and time schedule are given


2 3 Abstract This contribution highlights the advantages of using a multidisciplinary modelling approach to the characterisation of the environmental dynamics of a typical semi-arid Mediterranean region, the Flumendosa river basin located in central Sardinia (Italy). Here, the widespread presence of geomorphological active processes interacts with the consequences of intense human activities on crop cultivation and forest management to produce a fragile environment the equilibrium of which must be carefully surveyed and maintained. To this end, an hydro-geomorphological soil erosion hazard model was devised and applied using remote sensing and G.I.S. techniques as support tools. Radiometric enhancement and supervised classification processing of multitemporal Landsat TM images were used to derive land cover mformation, allowing to understand the seasonal evolution of the area and to monitor the presence and movement of organic materials. These data were then combined with those derived from ground truth and ground survey campaigns concerning geology and geomorphology. At the same time, rainfall simulations were carried out in order to evaluate the principal parameters involved in the soil erosion processes. On these data a hydro-geomorphological model based on the spatial prevalence of the different erosion processes, was applied. Six main parameters (i.e. soil erosivity, land use, hillslope gradient and curvature, contributing area and soil infiltration capacity) were used and combined with a matrix linear combination. Results show that the model could represent, if routinely applied at a local administrative level, a valuable tool for forecasting the relative risk of soil erosion in the framework of a correct environmental management.


HUBENOVA, T. and A. ZAIKOV, 2013. Prey size selectivity in pike (Esox lucius L.) fed with crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio L.). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., Supplement 1: 51–54 The object of the present study was to investigate the prey size selectivity by pike Esox lucius L. in controlled conditions. The experiment was carried out with 6 pike with body weight between 613–676 g. Each of them is stocked individually in cage with 20 small and 20 large specimens of crucian carp Carasius auratus gibelio. The investigation shows that in the specifi c conditions of the experiment pike prefers to eat large prey and the results are in conformity with optimal foraging theory. In the end of the experiment in all of the cages the large preys were eaten fi rst. Established selectivity index is as follows: small prey -0.088; large prey +0.094.


Knowledge brokers are people or organizations that move knowledge around and create connections between researchers and their various audiences. This commentary reviews some of the literature on knowledge brokering and lays out some thoughts on how to analyze and theorize this practice. Discussing the invisibility and interstitiality of knowledge brokers, the author argues that social scientists need to analyze more thoroughly their practices, the brokering devices they use, and the benefits and drawbacks of their double peripherality. The author also argues that knowledge brokers do not only move knowledge, but they also produce a new kind of knowledge: brokered knowledge.


This paper approaches the problem of the ontology of the photographic image 'post-digitalization' historically, via a conception of photography as the historical totality of photographic forms. It argues, first, that photography is not best understood as a particular art or medium, but rather in terms of the form of the image it produces; second, that the photographic image is the main social form of the digital image (the current historically dominant form of the image in general); and third, that there is no fundamental ontological distinction regarding indexicality between photographically generated digital images and those of chemically based photography. 'The anxiety about the real' produced by digital imagery has its origins elsewhere, in the ontological peculiarities of the social form of value in societies based on relations of exchange. Distinguishing between the 'event of capture' and the 'event of visualization', it is argued that it is in its potential for an infinite multiplication of visualizations that the distinctiveness of the digital image lies. In the digital image, the infinite possibilities for social exchange generated by the abstraction of value from use finds an equivalent visual form.


Internet routers must adhere to many polices governing the selection of paths that meet potentially complex constraints on length, security, symmetry and organizational preferences. Many routing problems are caused by their misconfigura-tion, usually due to a combination of human errors and the lack of a high-level formal language for specifying routing policies that can be used to generate router configurations. We describe an approach that obviates many problems by using a declarative language for specifying network-wide routing policies to automatically configure routers and also inform software agents that can diagnose and correct networking problems. Our policy language is grounded in ontologies encoded in the Semantic Web language OWL, supporting machine understanding and interoperability. Polices expressed in it can be automatically compiled into low-level router configurations and intelligent agents can reason with them to diagnose and correct routing problems. We have prototyped the approach and evaluated the results both in a simulator and on a small physical network. Our results show that the framework performs well on a number of use cases, including checking for policy coherence, preventing asymmetric routing patterns, applying organizational preferences, and diagnosing and correcting failures.


Objective. In view of the scarcity of ultrasound in low-resource settings, to evaluate abdominal palpation for prediction of oligohydramnios in suspected prolonged pregnancy, using the ultrasound-obtained amniotic fluid index (AFI) as a gold standard, taking into account maternal and fetal factors that may affect amniotic fluid volume.  Methods. A cross-sectional analytical study at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa, on women referred from midwife-run clinics with suspected gestational age ≥41 weeks. Eligible women had their AFI measured, then had abdominal palpation by the researcher, who was blinded to exact gestational age and AFI findings. Palpation focused on ballottability of fetal parts, ease of feeling fetal parts, and impression of fetal compaction. Gestational age was then recalculated using information from earlier ultrasound scans and menstrual dates. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was performed with oligohydramnios (AFI <5 cm) as the dependent variable. Results. Of 100 women, 45 had a recalculated gestational age ≥41 weeks. Twenty-three had oligohydramnios. Gestational age was a significant independent predictor for oligohydramnios (odds ratio (OR) 1.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08 - 2.94). The only component of palpation significantly associated with oligohydramnios, after adjustment for gestational age, was non-ballottability of the presenting part (adjusted OR 4.02; 95% CI 1.05 - 15.4). Non-ballottability had a sensitivity and specificity for oligohydramnios of 87% and 40%, respectively, with a negative predictive value of 91%. Conclusion. When ultrasound is not available, ballottability of the presenting part may have value for excluding oligohydramnios and assisting clinical decisions in suspected prolonged pregnancy.


On 25 May 2009 the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted yet another nuclear test in flagrant violation of security council resolution 1718 (5551st meeting, 14 Oct 2006, par 2), adopted under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter in response to a 2006 claim by North Korea that it had conducted a test of nuclear weapons. Both these incidents were seen by members of the international community as a disconcerting sequel to North Korea's withdrawal in 2003 from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to which it became a signatory in 1983, and the subsequent termination of the country's safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In response to the 2009 incident, the security council, again acting under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, adopted resolution 1874 (6141st meeting, 12 June 2009). In addition to condemning in the strongest terms the 2009 nuclear test and, once again, prohibiting any further tests, the council took the rather extraordinary step in this resolution to demand North Korea's return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguard Agreement, whose purpose it is to verify compliance by North Korea with its obligations in terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This decision by the security council brings into focus the question whether the council has the power at all to direct a state to revive its membership of a treaty as an article 41 measure against a threat to international peace and security, especially in view of the fact that treaty membership is a matter of state consent which must be uncoerced, and in view of the fact that the Non-Proliferation Treaty itself provides for state withdrawal in certain specified circumstances. In addressing these issues this note will first give an overview of the main non-proliferation efforts undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations.


Lambir Hills National Park in Malaysian Borneo is composed of dipterocarp tree species which specialize on different soil types. Although the mechanisms contributing to this distribution of tree species are unknown, one hypothesis is that tree species at Lambir differ in their preferences for different nitrogen forms. In this study we investigated (1) whether clay soil and sandy loam soil types at Lambir differ in the availability of ammonium and nitrate and (2) whether tree species specializing on either clay soil or sandy loam soil at Lambir have differing preferences or capacities to take up ammonium, nitrate, or glycine (organic nitrogen). We expected sandy loam specialists to show a greater capacity to absorb ammonium, relative to clay specialists, and clay specialists to exhibit greater capacity to absorb nitrate, relative to sandy loam specialists. Generalist species were expected to have no preference for different nitrogen forms. We had no apriori expectations with regard to the expected uptake of glycine. An anion and cation exchange resin experiment revealed that as expected, clay soil consisted of significantly more nitrate than ammonium. However, contrary to predictions, sandy loam soil did not have significantly more ammonium than nitrate. We conducted a 15 N tracer experiment by injecting 15 N labeled solutions of nitrate, ammonium, or glycine in the soil of potted seedlings with different soil type specialization. 15 N and 13 C analysis of leaf tissue from treated seedlings did not support our hypotheses that sandy loam specialists would have significantly greater uptake of ammonium over nitrate, and that clay specialists would have significantly greater uptake of nitrate over ammonium. For a majority of the species, uptake of ammonium, nitrate, and glycine was similar. This indicates that these species have the ability to take up organic nitrogen in the form of the simple amino acid, glycine. It appears that nitrogen form preference in not likely to be a mechanism in the distribution of tree species at Lambir.


Third-tier cities are neglected in the research literature. Global and second-tier cities provide the positive, proactive applications of city imaging and creative industries strategies. However, small cities – particularly those who reached their height and notoriety through the industrial revolution – reveal few strategies for stability, let alone growth. This study investigates an unusual third-tier city: Oshawa in Ontario Canada. Known as the home of General Motors, its recent economic and social development has been tethered to the arrival of a new institution of higher education: the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Yet this article confirms that simply opening a university is not enough to commence regeneration or renewal, particularly if an institution is imposed on unwilling residents. Therefore, an alternative strategy – involving geosocial networking – offers a way for local businesses and organizations to attract customers and provide a digital medication to analogue injustice and decay.


The aim of this qualitative study was to provide an insight into the perceptions of older parents of learning disabled people on the future accommodation needs of their adult children. Semi-structured interviews were used to seek parental awareness of residential options available, concerns in relation to future accommodation and the preferred accommodation options for their offspring. Four couples who shared the family home with an adult who has a learning disability took part in the study and data was analysed using a step by step form of content analysis as described by Burnard (1991). Emergent themes from transcripts were then organised into main categories

The results of this study suggest that older parents are dissatisfied with both statutory and private services, that they have concerns for their non-disabled children and their own ageing. Being a parent to a person who has a learning disability is seen to be a difficult task and yet parents may want to provide support at home for as long a possible. Of the parents who participated in this study, three couples wanted to maintain their adult child at home for as long as possible and the parents who were actively seeking accommodation outside the family home expected to be involved in all aspects of their daughteri?½s care for the long term future.


Photothermal reflectance and photothermal displacement measurements of optical absorption and thermal conductivity are reported for electron-beam-(EB) deposited and ion-plated (IP) thin films of TiO(2), Ta(2)O(5), and ZrO(2). Of the particular set of samples investigated, the EB films have higher absorption than the IP films. The absorption of the EB samples decreases over a period of ~ 90 min on irradiations with an Ar-ion laser of 488-nm wavelength. By contrast, the absorption of the IP samples changes insignificantly or not at all. Photothermal displacement area scans of coating surfaces yield lower defect densities for the IP samples compared with the EB samples for all three oxide materials. The feasibility and limitations of photothermal measurements for thin-film optical and thermal characterizations are discussed.


Abstract This address is directed toward applied economists as they provide information to private and public decision makers. Central to this discussion is the role of markets as institutions in achieving society's desired ends. Current "economic correctness"–the view that unfettered markets are superior in achieving efficiency, growth, and welfare-has attempted to return a larger role to the private sector, but the relative roles of market-oriented versus government-oriented solutions to problems are often not well appraised. Views presented herein calls for agricultural economists to move simultaneously toward an understanding of the strategic behavior of firms in imperfectly competitive markets and toward an adoption of policy analysis consistent with a socially complex and globally integrated economy.


In this thesis, I critically investigate how issues of sexual justice, sexual politics and normative heterosexuality are interpreted, constructed, and discussed in several salient emancipatory or critical legal and political projects on sexuality and gender, especially in the areas of family relations. Subordination feminism, men and masculinity studies, queer theories, and liberal theories of sexual justice are the major theories I engage with. After critically reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of these theories, I argue that it is worth incorporating a combined approach of queer humanist men and masculinities studies in thinking about gender oppression, normative heterosexuality, law and sexual justice. The combined approach, I argue, is an approach that draws on queer theories, liberal theories of sexual justice, some feminist theories, and humanist men and masculinities studies. I contend that one of the core insights of queer humanist men and masculinities studies is the rejection of an oversimplified and unidimensional concept of gender oppression and gender power relations; a concept that is frequently assumed by subordination feminism. Queer humanist men and masculinities studies view the power relations of gender and the gender oppression in the family as multi-layered and complex, not just about male domination and female subordination. I argue that we will be able to see more realities and previously hidden or marginalised sexuality and gender oppression by incorporating perspectives inspired by queer humanist men and masculinities studies. I further contend that we cannot effectively subvert normative heterosexuality by only seeing and addressing gender normativity in one gender. I discuss the implications of queer humanist men's studies in equality law, family law and gay men's studies. In conclusion, I argue that queer humanist men and masculinity studies can broaden our base of concerns and knowledge of sexual injustices and sexual oppression in sexual justice projects. It is an approach worth considering and an area of sexual justice study worth further exploration and research.


Dynamic integration theory (DIT) describes emotion development across the lifespan, from childhood to old age. In doing so, DIT draws on a number of perspectives, such as equilibrium theories, theories of cognitive development, and theories of behavioral adaptation, and takes a strong cognitive-developmental view on emotion experience and emotion regulation. Two propositions are at the core of DIT. First, the development of emotion experience and emotion regulation proceeds from simple and automatic reactions to increasingly complex and integrated cognitive-affective structures (i.e., schemas). These cognitive-affective structures can be ordered in terms of increasing levels of cognitive complexity and integration, with integration referring to a person's ability to acknowledge both positive and negative affect states and to tolerate and reconcile the contradictions and tensions that these states generate. Second, DIT also postulates that the efficiency with which cognitive-affective systems work is a result of the dynamic interplay between contextual variables and person-specific characteristics. Three key factors contribute to this dynamic interplay between person and context: (1) the strength of the affective arousal, (2) the person's cognitive resources for dealing with different affect states, and (3) pre-existing trait-like dispositions and reaction tendencies that may either hinder or facilitate emotion regulation. Thus, a person's emotion experience and emotion regulation in a given situation are the product of the dynamic interaction of these factors. Considerable empirical evidence supports the theoretical propositions of DIT, including findings speaking to changes in emotion experience and emotion regulation in later life when declines in cognitive functioning tend to become normative.


Isostasy is a key concept in geoscience to interpret the state of mass balance between the Earth's crust and mantle. There are four well-known isostatic models: the classical models of Airy/Heiskanen (A/H), Pratt/Hayford (P/H), and Vening Meinesz (VM) and the modern model of Vening Meinesz-Moritz (VMM). The first three models assume a local and regional isostatic compensation, whereas the latter one supposes a global isostatic compensation scheme.A more satisfactory test of isostasy is to determine the Moho interface. The Moho discontinuity (or Moho) is the surface, which marks the boundary between the Earth's crust and upper mantle. Generally, the Moho interface can be mapped accurately by seismic observations, but limited coverage of seismic data and economic considerations make gravimetric or combined gravimetric-seismic methods a more realistic technique for imaging the Moho interface either regional or global scales.It is the main purpose of this dissertation to investigate an isostatic model with respect to its feasibility to use in recovering the Moho parameters (i.e. Moho depth and Moho density contrast). The study is mostly limited to the VMM model and to the combined approach on regional and global scales. The thesis briefly includes various investigations with the following specific subjects:1) to investigate the applicability and quality of satellite altimetry data (i.e. marine gravity data) in Moho determination over the oceans using the VMM model, 2) to investigate the need for methodologies using gravimetric data jointly with seismic data (i.e. combined approach) to estimate both the Moho depth and Moho density contrast over regional and global scales, 3) to investigate the spherical terrain correction and its effect on the VMM Moho determination, 4) to investigate the residual isostatic topography (RIT, i.e. difference between actual topography and isostatic topography) and its effect in the VMM Moho estimation, 5) to investigate the application of the lithospheric thermal-pressure correction and its effect on the Moho geometry using the VMM model, 6) Finally, the thesis ends with the application of the classical isostatic models for predicting the geoid height.The main input data used in the VMM model for a Moho recovery is the gravity anomaly/disturbance corrected for the gravitational contributions of mass density variation due in different layers of the Earth's crust (i.e. stripping gravity corrections) and for the gravity contribution from deeper masses below the crust (i.e. non-isostatic effects). The corrections are computed using the recent seismic crustal model CRUST1.0.Our numerical investigations presented in this thesis demonstrate that 1) the VMM approach is applicable for estimating Moho geometry using a global marine gravity field derived by satellite altimetry and that the possible mean dynamic topography in the marine gravity model does not significantly affect the Moho determination, 2) the combined approach could help in filling-in the gaps in the seismic models and it also provides good fit to other global and regional models more than 90 per cent of the locations, 3) despite the fact that the lateral variation of the crustal depth is rather smooth, the terrain affects the Moho result most significantly in many areas, 4) the application of the RIT correction improves the agreement of our Moho result with some published global Moho models, 5) the application of the lithospheric thermal-pressure correction improves the agreement of VMM Moho model with some other global Moho models, 6) the geoid height cannot be successfully represented by the classical models due to many other gravitational signals from various mass variations within the Earth that affects the geoid.


Venus and Earth have similar radii and estimated bulk compositions, and both have an iron core that is at least partially liquid. However, despite these similarities, Venus lacks an appreciable dipolar magnetic field. Here I examine the hypothesis that this absence is due to Venus9s also lacking plate tectonics for the past 0.5 b.y. The generation of a global magnetic field requires core convection, which in turn requires extraction of heat from the core into the overlying mantle. Plate tectonics cools Earth9s mantle; on the basis of elastic thickness estimates and convection models, it is argued here that the mantle temperature on Venus is currently increasing. This heating will reduce the heat flux out of the core to zero over ∼1 b.y., halting core convection and magnetic field generation. If plate tectonics was operating on Venus prior to ca. 0.5 Ga, a magnetic field may also have existed. On Earth, the geodynamo may be a consequence of plate tectonics; this connection between near-surface processes and core magnetism may also be relevant to the generation of magnetic fields on Mars, Mercury, and Ganymede.


The paper considers stochastic optimization of the electricity procurement in the day-ahead power market. The novelty is in addressing the random errors of time series forecasting of electrical power loads and prices in the procurement. This problem is currently important because of the increased random variability in the power grid that is caused by growing integration of renewable generation. This paper presents a methodology for stochastic optimization using data-driven models. We consider non-parametric models of multivariate distributions based on multiple quantile regressions, built from historical data sets. The statistics, such as cost expectation, required for the stochastic optimization are computed numerically using these models. Applying the methodology to utility data shows that 2% improvement of the costs is feasible.


In a round turbulent jet at room temperature, measurement of the shear correlation coefficient as a function of frequency (through band-pass filters) has given a rather direct verification of Kolmogoroff's local-isotropy hypothesis. One-dimensional power spectra of velocity and temperature fluctuations, measured in unheated and heated jets, respectively, have been contrasted. Under the same conditions, the two corresponding transverse correlation functions have been measured and compared. Finally, measurements have been made of the mean thermal wakes behind local (line) heat sources in the unheated turbulent jet, and the order of magnitude of the temperature fluctuations has been determined.


The paper presents two missing data filling methods which can be applied to time series forecasting. The basic idea of the proposed methods is that usually, the forecasted parameter (in this case PM2.5 air pollutant concentration) is dependent on some related parameters that influence its value. When the parameter time series have missing data due to various reasons (e.g. faulty measurement instruments), the time series of other parameters (if available) can be used to fill in the missing values. One method is based on an artificial neural network that has as input the values of the other related parameters measured at time t and as output the value of the missing value of the forecasted parameter at time t. The other method is Holt-Winters which uses as inputs previous values of the forecasted parameter. These methods are proper for cases with larger gaps in the time series (more than several days). These filling methods are compared in terms of statistical indicators (e.g. RMSE). Also, a comparative study was performed for PM2.5 forecasting accuracy analysis with two forecasting methods: a feed forward artificial neural network and Holt-Winters.


International trade, and its financing, is now a key component of many undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. For anyone involved in international sales, finance, shipping and administration, or for those studying for academic or professional qualifications in international trade, The Handbook of International Trade and Finance offers an extensive and topical explanation of the key finance areas. This essential reference resource provides the information necessary to help you to reduce risks and improve cash flow, identify the most competitive finance alternatives, structure the best payment terms, and minimize finance and transaction costs. This fully revised and updated 4th edition of The Handbook of International Trade and Finance also describes the negotiating process from the perspectives of both the buyer and the seller, providing valuable insight into the complete financing process, and covering key topics such as: trade risks and risk assessment; structured trade finance; methods and terms of payment; currency risk management and bonds, guarantees and standby letters of credit. The Handbook gives a complete and thorough assessment of all the issues involved in constructing, financing and completing a cross-border transaction and is an indispensable guide for anyone who deals with international trade. It also includes a section on risk management, which plays an increasingly important role in international trade from currency fluctuations to political risk and natural disasters. N.B. The book covers the principles of international trade and finance that are common across the globe and is relevant to anyone wanting to understand the subject, wherever they are located. Specific national issues (eg the UK's Brexit decision) do not affect the content.


A cytochrome P450 expressed in pig liver was cloned by polymerase chain reaction using oligonucleotide primers based on amino acid sequences of the purified taurochenodeoxycholic acid 6α-hydroxylase. This enzyme catalyzes a 6α-hydroxylation of chenodeoxycholic acid, and the product hyocholic acid is considered to be a primary bile acid specific for the pig. The cDNA encodes a protein of 504 amino acids. The primary structure of the porcine taurochenodeoxycholic acid 6α-hydroxylase, designated CYP4A21, shows about 75% identity with known members of the CYP4A subfamily in rabbit and man. Transfection of the cDNA for CYP4A21 into COS cells resulted in the synthesis of an enzyme that was recognized by antibodies raised against the purified pig liver enzyme and catalyzed 6α-hydroxylation of taurochenodeoxycholic acid. The hitherto known CYP4A enzymes catalyze hydroxylation of fatty acids and prostaglandins and have frequently been referred to as fatty acid hydroxylases. A change in substrate specificity from fatty acids or prostaglandins to a steroid nucleus among CYP4A enzymes is notable. The results of mutagenesis experiments indicate that three amino acid substitutions in a region around position 315 which is highly conserved in all previously known CYP4A and CYP4B enzymes could be involved in the altered catalytic activity of CYP4A21.


Schmelzmetall Hovadur CCZ is a heat-treatable, copper-chromium-zirconium alloy. In the solution heat-treated and artificially aged condition, this alloy exhibits high thermal and electrical conductivity along with high strength and a high softening temperature. Hovadur CCZ evolved from CuCr1 (CW105C), a precipitation-hardenable alloy first made in the 1930s for spot welding electrodes, for which strength and hardness at temperatures up to 500 °C (930 °F), as well as good electrical and thermal conductivity, are essential. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, hardness, elasticity, and tensile properties. It also includes information on forming, heat treating, machining, and joining. Filing Code: Cu-912. Producer or source: Schmelzmetall AG.


When considering the issues associated with addressing faith, spirituality, and religion on campus, it is important for student affairs professionals, especially those at public colleges and universities, to be cognizant of the associated legal issues. The Constitution protects the freedom of religious exercise and against the establishment of religion by the government or its agents. Common issues faced by student affairs professionals include those associated with prayer on campus as well as the official recognition of student religious groups and their access to university resources. It is impossible to examine the issues surrounding religion in higher education, particularly public higher education, without examining the legal issues involved. O'Neil (1997) observed, "Religious expression on the public campus has been persistently troublesome and may become more so as the aspirations of student religious organizations intensify" (p. xv). The primary reason that legal issues are so significant is the provisions of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The First Amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The two most important clauses of the First Amendment with respect to religion and higher education are the Free Exercise and the Establishment Clauses. However, a number of recent cases have also drawn upon the freedom of speech and assembly clauses as well. Kaplin and Lee (1995) articulated the demands that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment places on public institutions of higher education: Under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, public institutions must maintain a neutral stance regarding religious beliefs and activities; they must, in other words, maintain religious neutrality. Public institutions cannot favor or support one religion over another, and they cannot favor or support religion over nonreligion. (p. 56) While most higher education administrators understand that they cannot endorse a particular religious practice, they often fail to understand fully that public institutions of higher education also cannot favor or support nonreligion over religion. The neutrality demanded by the Court does not mean that institutions can prohibit all religious activities on campus or silence all discussion of the topic. It seems that many in the academy believe that the First Amendment's mandate of the separation of church and state demands that religion be entirely removed from public higher education. Clark (2001) described many student affairs professionals as hesitant to address religion and spirituality on campus noting they were "unaware of or confused about the legal issues involved in religion and spirituality on the college campus" (p. 3H). Without a better understanding of the limitations and protections of spiritual expression on campus, our institutions cannot fully and effectively address this important aspect of the lives of students, faculty, and staff. The Constitution and Religion Tn order to understand the place of religion in student life today, it is vital to understand the Constitution's protection of the free exercise of religion and prohibition against the establishment of religion by the government, set forth in the First Amendment (Lowery, 2000). Often the courts are forced to balance these two competing fundamental rights against one another in deciding cases involving education. Establishment of Religion The Supreme Court has established a three prong test for determining whether a governmental program violates the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment in two cases decided by the Court in 1971, Lemon v. Kurtzman and Tilton v. Richardson. …


Biosynthesis of the antibiotic nosiheptide proceeds via unforeseen radical intermediates [Also see Report by Sicoli et al.] The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) radical enzyme superfamily plays a central role in the biosynthesis of many vitamins, cofactors, and antibiotics. Radical SAM enzymes catalyze challenging chemical reactions such as C-H bond activation (1), ring contraction (2), and molecular skeletal rearrangements (3, 4). They overcome the dif culty of these reactions by forming a highly oxidizing radical species, 5′-deoxyadenosyl (5′-dAdo·), from SAM and a reduced iron-sulfur cluster (5). This radical species can selectively abstract a hydrogen atom from a substrate, enabling complex chemical transformations. There are more than 113,000 radical SAM enzymes, but only a small number are both biochemically and structurally characterized, and many of the reaction mechanisms remain enigmatic. On page 1320 of this issue, Sicoli et al. provide evidence for unexpected radical intermediates in the mechanism of the radical SAM enzyme NosL (6).


Extracted from text ... Coaching:
the heart is sovereign
TThis article is the second of a series written
to discuss how coaching can be used to
efficiently and effectively grow our businesses
and communities.
Miranda is a senior executive. She was
just two weeks into her new job when she
came for Power Coaching. As someone
trained in psychology, she was looking for
a coaching process that could assist her in
getting to the root cause of her inability to
exhibit strong leadership competencies.
During one of the Power Coaching sessions,
Miranda complained about Connie,
one of her employees. Miranda's perception
was that Connie ..


UNLABELLED
Lupus nephritis is one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). African Americans generally have a more severe presentation and more often progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD) than Caucasians. Several studies point to higher creatinine, low complement levels, thrombocytopenia, anemia, hypertension, and proliferative glomerulonephritis as predictors of ESRD in lupus nephritis within multi-ethnic cohorts. The purpose of the current study was to correlate clinical, serological, and immunological variables with the development of ESRD requiring dialysis in the African American population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A small retrospective study was performed with African American patients who had been diagnosed with lupus nephritis and biopsied between 1996 and 2006. Clinical, serological, and immunological variables were investigated. Chi square, t-test, ANOVA, and univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were applied to identify predictors of adverse outcome (ESRD requiring dialysis) in 67 patients with lupus nephritis. Sub-group analyses were performed in some cases to evaluate differences among the different classes.

RESULTS
Renal function was more depressed in the proliferative forms of lupus nephritis. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was increased mostly in classes III, IV, and V. Complement levels were uniformly decreased in the population studied. Nonetheless, C4 was more significantly depressed in the proliferative forms of lupus nephritis. We found that higher creatinine values (defined as creatinine greater than 1.2), low glomerular filtration rate (GFR) defined as GFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2), class IV lupus nephritis, and hypertension are associated with ESRD in this population. On the other hand, class V lupus nephritis patients had significantly less risk to progress to ESRD (p values < 0.05). On subgroup analysis, neither low C3 nor low C4 levels were associated with ESRD requiring dialysis.

CONCLUSION
As previously noted in other studies, hypertension, higher creatinine, proliferative nephritis, and decreased GFR are associated with ESRD requiring dialysis.


In this paper we address the following question: how can efficient water use strategies evolve and persist when natural selection favors aggressive but inefficient individual water use? A tragedy of the commons, in which the competitive evolutionary outcome is lower than the ecosystem optimum (in this case defined as maximum productivity), arises because of (1) a trade‐off between resource uptake rate and resource use efficiency and (2) the open access character of soil water as a resource. Competitive superiority is determined by the lowest value of the steady state soil moisture, which can be minimized by increasing water uptake or by increasing drought tolerance. When the competing types all have the same drought tolerance, the most aggressive water users exclude efficient ones, even though they produce a lower biomass when in monoculture. However, plants with low water uptake can exclude aggressive ones if they have enough drought tolerance to produce a lower steady state soil moisture. In that case the competitive superior is also the best monoculture, and there is no tragedy of the commons. Spatial segregation in soil moisture dynamics favors the persistence of conservative water use strategies and the evolution of lower maximum transpiration rates. Increasing genetic relatedness between competing plants favors the evolution of conservative water use strategies. Some combinations of soil moisture spatial segregation and intensity of kin selection may favor the evolution and maintenance of multiple types of plant water use. This occurs because a cyclical pattern of species replacement can arise where no single type can exclude all other types.


In typical household refrigeration systems, the compressor is structurally connected to the cabinet through an assembly composed of rubber mounts and a steel support plate, usually called base-plate. This plate works as a vibration energy path from the compressor to other refrigerator components, and its dynamic behavior must be known in order to avoid the coincidence of resonances and operational frequencies , a situation in which the energy flow is maximized. One way to design a support that satisfies this requirement is to optimize the shape of the plate, locating its structural modes as far as possible from the operational frequency and first harmonics. In this work, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to solve the eigenvalue problem and to parameterize the optimization procedure, which is based on positioning of the nodes of a design region (the plate) in a FEM simplified model. Due to the large number of variables, a gradientbased method is adopted. The objective of the methodology is to maximize the difference between two adjacent eigenvalues near the fundamental operation frequency of the compressor, in order to obtain a large and effective bandgap. A geometrical constraint is imposed to the problem and it is represented by a maximum allowed deformation of the plate. The gradients needed are obtained using elementary stiffness and mass matrices information. The obtained results show that the procedure leads to a new shape which ensures the desired dynamic characteristics for the support plate.


The purpose of this essay is to propose a new answer to the question of "what happened to the Congress of Industrial Organizations?" Lynd argues the CIO became what its creator, United Mine Workers (UMW) president John L. Lewis, intended it to be. This approach is juxtaposed with the approach taken by A.J. Muste, who helped to lead the cotton textile strike of 1919 to victory, then founded the Brookwood Labor School—probably the most radical and effective school for workers in American history.


India is a multilingual and multicultural country that came together less than a century ago. The populace spans wide extremes of wealth and education. The artificial intelligence community, which gained in strength in the eighties, has had a major focus on research directed towards societal goals of bridging the linguistic and educational divide, and delivers the fruits of information technology to all people. In this article we look at a brief history followed by two examples of research aimed at crossing the language barriers.


Experiential dynamic therapy (EDT) is a subgroup of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) that emphasizes patients' in-session affective processing. To evaluate the efficacy of EDT for psychiatric conditions, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Twenty-eight studies published between 1978 and 2014 were included, encompassing 1,782 adult patients with mood, anxiety, personality, or mixed disorders. Across targeted outcome domains, medium-size between-groups effects (Cohen's ds ranging from 0.39 to 0.65) favored EDT over inactive controls at posttreatment and in symptom measures at follow-up. We found no differences between EDT and active treatments (e.g., medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, manualized supportive therapy) at posttreatment, but EDT outperformed supportive therapy at follow-up (d = 0.75). In terms of within-group effect sizes, EDT was associated with large improvements in general psychiatric symptoms (d = 1.11), depression (d = 1.33), and anxiety (d = 1.09) and with small to moderate gains in the areas of interpersonal problems (d = 0.55) and global functioning (d = 0.86). Small but significant effects suggested continued improvement between posttreatment and follow-up. Heterogeneity in pre-post effects was explored in subgroup analyses, which indicated that EDT might be most effective in depressive disorders and that individual EDT had larger effects compared with group treatment. In addition, EDT performed better in higher quality studies. We conclude that EDT is a promising treatment for psychiatric conditions in adults. Further high-quality studies evaluating contemporary versions of EDT in specific psychiatric conditions are warranted.


Brachiaria humidicola (syn. Urochloa humidicola) has been acknowledged to control soil nitrification through release of nitrification inhibitors (NI), a phenomenon conceptualized as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). Liming and N fertilization as features of agricultural intensification may suppress BNI performance, due to a decrease in NI exudation, increased NH3 availability and promotion of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) over archaea (AOA). A 2-year three-factorial pot trial was conducted to investigate the influence of soil pH and soil microbial background (ratio of archaea to bacteria) on BNI performance of B. humidicola. The study verified the capacity of B. humidicola to reduce net nitrification rates by 50 to 85% compared to the non-planted control, irrespective of soil pH and microbial background. The reduction of net nitrification, however, was largely dependent on microbial N immobilization and efficient plant N uptake. A reduction of gross nitrification could not be confirmed for the AOA dominated soil, but possibly contributed to reduced net nitrification rates in the AOB-dominated soil. However, this putative reduction of gross nitrification was attributed to plant-facilitated intermicrobial competition between bacterial heterotrophs and nitrifiers rather than BNI. It was concluded that BNI may play a dominant role in extensive B. humidicola pasture systems, while N immobilization and efficient plant N uptake may display the dominant factors controlling net nitrification rates under intensively managed B. humidicola.