PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To test the effectiveness of a two-to-three session family therapeutic conversation intervention (FAM-TCI) for primary and partner caregivers of children and adolescents in active cancer treatment on perceived family support and on expressive family functioning.

DESIGN
Quasiexperimental; one group pre- and post-test.

SETTING
Inpatient cancer unit and a day treatment cancer unit at the Children's Hospital in Reykjavik, Iceland.

SAMPLE
19 parent caregivers (10 primary, 9 partner) of children in active cancer medical treatment.

METHODS
The caregivers completed baseline measure questionnaires and were offered the first sessions of the FAM-TCI. About four to eight weeks later, the second session was administered and then the caregivers were offered a third session, if needed, one week later. When the caregivers had finished all sessions, they answered the same set of questionnaires about one week later.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
The FAM-TCI for primary and partner caregivers, family support, and expressive family functioning.

FINDINGS
Primary caregivers perceived significantly higher family support after the intervention compared to before. Those caregivers also reported significantly higher expressive family functioning and significantly higher emotional communication after the intervention. Partner caregivers, however, reported significantly lower verbal communication after the FAM-TCI compared to before.

CONCLUSIONS
Shortening hospital stays in pediatric oncology populations has focused attention on effective short-term psychosocial interventions. The FAM-TCI is promising as an effective short-term intervention but requires additional testing.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
The FAM-TCI strengthened pediatric oncology caregivers in their caregiving activities and was found to benefit primary caregivers regarding their perception of family support and expressive family functioning; therefore, the intervention might benefit future families of children and adolescents in active cancer treatment.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION
The FAM-TCI was brief, easy to provide, and well fitted. Pediatric oncology nurses can offer brief, beneficial interventions to families of children and adolescents with cancer who are in active treatment. Knowing that primary caregivers experienced support and information may result in more effective evidence-based family care.


ABSTRACT This article explores the author's strategy for developing a computer performance system designed for free improvisation with acoustic instruments following a non-idiomatic approach. Philosophical considerations on potentiality and personal and social space and research into the psychology of motivation and behavior have inspired and enabled a different approach to integrating technology with improvisation. The technical realization of a parameter space, in particular utilizing contingent behavior emerging from the convergent mapping of a mixture of controller types, has proven effective for the spontaneous creative decision making required to extend the sonic potential of an acoustic piano while minimizing direct computer operation, as applied regularly in practice by the author.


Abstract. Data scarcity and model over-parameterisation, leading to model equifinality and large prediction uncertainty, are common barriers to effective hydrological modelling. The problem can be alleviated by constraining the prior parameter space using parameter regionalisation. A common basis for regionalisation in the UK is the HOST database which provides estimates of hydrological indices for different soil classifications. In our study, Base Flow Index is estimated from the HOST database and the power of this index for constraining the parameter space is explored. The method is applied to a highly discretised distributed model of a 12.5 km2 upland catchment in Wales. To assess probabilistic predictions against flow observations, a probabilistic version of the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency is derived. For six flow gauges with reliable data, this efficiency ranged between 0.70 and 0.81, and inspection of the results shows that the model explains the data well. Knowledge of how Base Flow Index and interception losses may change under future land use management interventions was then used to further condition the model. Two interventions are considered: afforestation of grazed areas, and soil degradation associated with increased grazing intensity. Afforestation leads to median reduction in modelled runoff volume of 24% over the simulated 3 month period; and a median peak flow reduction ranging from 12 to 15% over the six gauges for the largest simulated event. Uncertainty in all results is low compared to prior uncertainty and it is concluded that using Base Flow Index estimated from HOST is a simple and potentially powerful method of conditioning the parameter space under current and future land management.


Short-term temperature effects on respiration and photosynthesis were investigated in intact diatom-dominated benthic communities, collected at 2 temperate and 1 high-arctic subtidal sites. Areal rates of total (TOE) and diffusive (DOE) O2 exchange were determined from O2-microsen- sor measurements in intact sediment cores in the temperature range from 0 to 24°C in darkness and at 140 µmol photons m -2 s -1 . In darkness, the O2 consumption increased exponentially with increas- ing temperature for both TOE and DOE, and no optimum temperature was observed within the applied temperature range. Q10 was calculated from the linear slope in Arrhenius plots and ranged between 1.7 and 3.3 at the respective sites. The volume-specific rate (Rdark,vol) solely representing the biological temperature response was somewhat stronger, with Q10 values of 2.6 to 5.2. The Q10 values were overall not correlated to the in situ water temperature or geographical position. Accordingly, no difference in the temperature acclimation or adaptation strategy of the microbial community was observed. Slurred oxic sediment samples showed a Q10 of 1.7 and were, hence, lower than estimates based on intact sediment core measurements. This can be ascribed to changes in physical and biolog- ical controls during resuspension. Gross photosynthesis was measured with the light-dark shift method at the 2 temperate sites. Both areal (Pgross) and volumetric (Pgross,vol) rates increased with tem- perature to an optimum temperature at 12 and 15°C, with a Q10 for Pgross of 2.2 and 2.6 for the 2 sites, respectively. The gross photosynthesis response could be categorised as psychrotrophic for both sites and no temperature adaptation was observed between the 2 sites. Our measurements document that temperature stimulates heterotrophic activity more than gross photosynthesis, and that the benthic communities gradually become heterotrophic with increasing temperature. This has implications for C-cycling in shallow water communities experiencing seasonal and diel temperature fluctuations.


Inserting renewable energy in the electric grid in a decentralized manner is a key challenge of the energy transition. However, at local stage, both production and demand display erratic behavior, be it for the dependence upon local weather conditions. Thus, the match between supply and demand is delicate to achieve in such a stochastic context. It is the goal of Energy Management Systems (EMS) to achieve such balance at least cost. We present EMSx, a numerical benchmark for testing control algorithms for the management of electric microgrids doted with a photovoltaic unit and an energy storage system. Our benchmark is based on a rich collection of historical observations and forecasts collected by the company Schneider Electric. Besides the dataset, we also publicly release EMSx.jl, a package implemented in the Julia language which enables to easily implement a microgrid controller and to test it on the EMSx benchmark. Eventually, we showcase the results of standard microgrid control methods, including Model Predictive Control, Open Loop Feedback Control and Stochastic Dynamic Programming.


In the first half of the twentieth century, Theodor Adorno wrote about the 'culture industry'. For Adorno, culture too along with the products of factory labour was increasingly becoming a commodity. Now, in what they call the 'global culture industry', Scott Lash and Celia Lury argue that Adorno's worst nightmares have come true.

Their new book tells the compelling story of how material objects such as watches and sportswear have become powerful cultural symbols, and how the production of symbols, in the form of globally recognized brands, has now become a central goal of capitalism. Global Culture Industry provides an empirically and theoretically rich examination of the ways in which these objects - from Nike shoes to Toy Story, from global football to conceptual art - metamorphose and move across national borders.

This book is set to become a dialectic of enlightenment for the age of globalization. It will be essential reading for students and scholars across the social sciences.


A real-time quantitative PCR assay was developed for the accurate detection and quantification of the root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus thornei. A qPCR primer set, including two primers and a probe, was designed based on the sequence of the beta-1,4-endoglucanase gene. The assay was optimised by using the primers with SYBR green I dye and setting the qPCR program to different annealing temperatures ranging from 62 to 69 degrees C. Based on the Ct values, we retained the program with an annealing temperature of 69 degrees C. The specificity of the qPCR assay including the probe was confirmed by the lack of amplification of DNA from 47 populations belonging to 15 other Pratylenchus species and nine isolates from P. thornei. The assay was very sensitive as it was able to detect a single individual of P. thornei, even when mixed with up to 80 individuals of P. penetrans. DNA was extracted from exactly 80 P thornei individuals. A dilution series from this DNA resulted in a standard curve showing a highly significant linearity between the Ct values and the dilution rates (R-2 = 0.98; slope = -3.38; E = 97.6%). The qPCR assay developed in this study proved to be specific and sensitive, thus providing a fast and accurate tool for detection and quantification of this pathogen during research, as well as for diagnostic labs.


This project aims to understand how to manage defects in single and two storey residential projects in Queensland taking a trade-based approach given that most work is subcontracted. Despite various construction acts, regulations, standards, codes, licensing regimes, other management approaches such as quality management, risk management, defect management, building are still handed with defects. In developed countries such as Australia, subcontractors do most of the on-site work. However, despite subcontractor or trade contractor being the specialists in the specific area, there are yet many problems associated with subcontractors. It is this phenomenon that led to the further investigation
in this area.

Although Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) produces the list of top ten defects each year in its annual report, due to some of its limitations, it does not provide the whole picture of defects actually occurring in this industry. Thus it was deemed necessary to conduct a risk analysis of various trades used in residential construction. An online questionnaire survey was chosen as a research method, which was further divided into two stages. For the first stage, a qualitative risk analysis adopted from Project Management Body of Knowledge was undertaken to identify the troublesome trades. After the identification of the troublesome trades, second stage survey was undertaken to identify the strategies that would assist in minimising defects for those troublesome trades.

After receiving the ethics approval from University of Southern Queensland ethics committee, the questionnaire was distributed to approximately 500 participants. Unfortunately only 24 (4.8%) responses were received for the first stage survey and only 14 (2.8%) responses were received for the second stage survey. The main finding from the first stage survey was the identification of high-risk trades. Out of thirty-four trades used in the first stage survey, three trades were identified as high-risk trades, which are as follows:

• Waterproofing
• Concreting
• Swimming pool construction, maintenance and installation

With this knowledge, potential mitigation techniques could be implemented in construction to assist in minimising defects. The second survey identified that the majority of respondents believe that the licensing regime should be tightened for trades such as waterproofing and Swimming pool construction, installation and maintenance. For Concreting trade majority of respondents choose payment of work done should only be made after receiving relevant certificates from building certifier. For Painting and Decorating trade respondent believed that there is a need to grade trade contractor as Grade 1,2 etc. (to motivate subcontractors for better performance).

Further research on the feasibility of introducing the grading system for subcontractors and further study on how licencing system could be tightened for high-risk trades is proposed through this project.


A numerical implementation of the method of matched asymptotic expansions is proposed to analyse two-dimensional uniform streaming flow at low Reynolds number past a straight cylinder (or cylinders) of arbitrary cross-sectional shape. General solutions for both the Stokes and Oseen equations in two dimensions are expressed in terms of a boundary distribution of fundamental single- and double-layer singularities. These general solutions are then converted to integral equations for the unknown distributions of singularity strengths by application of boundary conditions at the cylinder surface, and matching conditions between the Stokes and Oseen solutions. By solving these integral equations, using collocation methods familiar from three-dimensional application of 'boundary integral' methods for solutions of Stokes equation, we generate a uniformly valid approximation to the solution for the whole domain. We demonstrate the method by considering, as numerical examples, uniform flow past an elliptic cylinder, uniform flow past a cylinder of rectangular cross-section, and uniform flow past two parallel cylinders which may be either equal in radius, or of different sizes.


Improving the lifetime and the operational stability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is critical for realizing their implementation as a practical and highly-efficient energy conversion system. However, the corrosion of metal bipolar plates, which are a key component in PEMFCs, leads to decreased efficiency and durability. Here, we prepared poly(methyl methacrylate)-derived multilayer graphene (Gr) coatings with high crystallinity and a continuous three-dimensional (3D) structure using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system for short periods (≤5 min). The resulting 3D Gr-coated Ni foam is demonstrated to act as a bipolar plate with long-term operating stability. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the synthesized graphene on Ni foam outperforms bare Ni foam and amorphous-carbon-coated Ni foam by providing a two-order-of-magnitude lower corrosion rate in the operating environment for a PEMFC. In addition, after stability tests in a destructive environment, the 3D Gr-coated Ni foam maintained its outstanding interfacial contact resistance of 9.3 mΩ cm2 at 10.1 kgf cm−2. A H2/air PEMFC fabricated using the Gr-coated Ni foam embedded within the groove of a graphite-based bipolar plate exhibited a substantially enhanced power density of ∼967 mW cm−2 at a cell potential of 0.5 V with further advantages of weight reduction and no additional machinery process for the gas flow channel. This facile coating approach addresses one of the key limitations of current metal bipolar plates in PEMFCs, and paves the way to further enhance energy conversion systems through interface engineering.


Aqueous suspensions of platelet-like shaped tripalmitin nanocrystals are studied here at high tripalmitin concentrations (10 wt % tripalmitin) for the first time by a combination of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). The suspensions are stabilized by different lecithins, namely, DLPC, DOPC, and the lecithin blend S100. At such high concentrations the platelets start to self-assemble in stacks, which causes interference maxima at low Q-values in the SAXS and SANS patterns, respectively. It is found that the stack-related interference maxima are more pronounced for the suspension stabilized with DOPC and in particular DLPC, compared to suspensions stabilized by S100. By use of the X-ray and neutron powder pattern simulation analysis (XNPPSA), the SAXS and SANS patterns of the native tripalmitin suspensions could only be reproduced simultaneously when assuming the presence of both isolated nanocrystals and stacks of nanocrystals of different size in the simulation model of the dispersions. By a fit of the simulated SAXS and SANS patterns to the experimental data, a distribution of the stack sizes and their volume fractions is determined. The volume fraction of stacklike platelet assemblies is found to rise from 70% for S100-stabilized suspensions to almost 100% for the DLPC-stabilized suspensions. The distribution of the platelet thicknesses could be determined with molecular resolution from a combined analysis of the SAXS and SANS patterns of the corresponding diluted tripalmitin (3 wt %) suspensions. In accordance with microcalorimetric data, it could be concluded that the platelets in the suspensions stabilized with DOPC, and in particular DLPC, are significantly thinner than those stabilized with S100. The DLPC-stabilized suspensions exhibit a significantly narrower platelet thickness distribution compared to DOPC- and S100-stabilized suspensions. The smaller thicknesses for the DLPC- and DOPC-stabilized platelets explain their higher tendency to self-assemble in stacks. The finding that the nanoparticles of the suspension stabilized by the saturated lecithin DLPC crystallize in the stable β-tripalmitin modification with its characteristic platelet-like shape is surprising and can be explained by the fact that the main phase transformation temperature for DLPC is, as for unsaturated lecithins like DOPC and S100, well below the crystallization temperature of the supercooled tripalmitin emulsion droplets.


Eighty-six fetuses of 21–41 weeks' gestation with arrhythmias were studied with ultrasound and heart ratemonitoring. The type of arrhythmia was identified by M-mode studies and was confirmed by postnatal electrocardio-gram in 70 infants. The most common arrhythmia waspremature atrial contractions (761, followed by prematureventricular contractions (five), paroxysmal supraventriculartachycardia (four), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (one). Dop-pler echocardiography was performed in 54 fetuses to mea-sure flow velocities across the atrioventricular and semilunarvalves. After isolated premature atrial and ventricular con-tractions, post-extrasystolic potentiation was demonstratedby an increase in fractional shortening (N = 32) of 49 2 6%in the right ventricle and 64 2 7% in the left ventricle. Whenpost-extrasystolic beats were compared with normal beats, Doppler-determined time-velocity integrals increased 43%across the tricuspid valve, 41% across the mitral valve, 34%across the pulmonary valve, and 38% across the aortic valve. Mean velocity increased significantly after conversion tonormal sinus rhythm in the five fetuses with supraventricu-lar tachycardia (P < .05). By studying the physiologicconsequences of fetal arrhythmias using two-dimensional Doppler and M-mode ultrasound, we have documented thepresence of post-extrasystolic potentiation after prematurecontractions, the existence of the Frank-Starling mechanism, and an increase in mean velocity (and therefore in cardiacoutput) after conversion of fetal tachyarrhythmias to normalsinus rhythm.


Decision makers at the national and local level of health systems require evidence of effectiveness, safety and costs of health technologies for resource allocation. In this sense Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a favorable tool considering it is a multidisciplinary process to evaluate the benefits as well as the social, economic, organizational and ethical issues of a health technology. The aim of this study was to review the literature in order to identify the attributes used in the process of technology acquisition. It was analyzed the attributes of HTA with the purpose of classifying them, to see which are the most recommended for acquisition in hospitals. The identified literature indicated that not only the clinical and economic attributes were considered, but also attributes related to the context of the hospital such as the effect of technology on other hospital services and others associated with the organization


Purpose Observational studies have reported increased colon cancer recurrence and mortality in patients with states of hyperinsulinemia, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and high glycemic load diet. Nut intake has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. However, the effect of nut intake on colon cancer recurrence and survival is not known. Patients and Methods We conducted a prospective, observational study of 826 eligible patients with stage III colon cancer who reported dietary intake on food frequency questionnaires while enrolled onto a randomized adjuvant chemotherapy trial. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we assessed associations of nut intake with cancer recurrence and mortality. Results After a median follow-up of 6.5 years, compared with patients who abstained from nuts, individuals who consumed two or more servings of nuts per week experienced an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for disease-free survival of 0.58 (95% CI, 0.37 to 0.92; Ptrend = .03) and an HR for overall survival of 0.43 (95% CI, 0.25 to 0.74; Ptrend = .01). In subgroup analysis, the apparent benefit was confined to tree nut intake (HR for disease-free survival, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.85; Ptrend = .04; and HR for overall survival, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.82; Ptrend = .04). The association of total nut intake with improved outcomes was maintained across other known or suspected risk factors for cancer recurrence and mortality. Conclusion Diets with a higher consumption of nuts may be associated with a significantly reduced incidence of cancer recurrence and death in patients with stage III colon cancer.


Jay S. Bybee* Whoever, unaware, comes close and hears the Sirens' [lucid song] will nevermore draw near... his home .... But if you wish to listen to their song, just stand erect before the mast and . . . tie fast your hands and feet .... But ... if you plead with [your crew] to loose those bonds, they must add still more ropes and knots.1 I. INTRODUCTION One of the most remarkable aspects of the Constitution is the manner in which it marbles together people and states. The Constitution begins with the words "We the People of the United States"2 and ends with requirements for state ratification and the signatures of its authors.3 In between, the Constitution alternately protects or subjects to national control people and states.4 While "American federalism allowed the federal government to do almost all its business directly with persons,"5 the states remained "constituent and essential parts of the federal Government."6 By ratifying the Constitution, the states agreed to cede a portion of their sovereignty to a new entity, the "United States." The states granted to Congress their collective powers to impose taxes,7 incur debt,8 issue coin and securities,9 regulate commerce among the states and with other sovereigns,10 and control the engines of war.11 The states further relinquished their rights to act as independent sovereigns and enter into treaties with foreign countries, coin money, grant titles of nobility, and wage war.12 The states gave up their powers to lay duties on the goods of other states,13 to treat citizens of other states as aliens who lack the privileges and immunities of their own citizens,14 and to regard the public acts of other states as those of foreign powers.15 As to those powers vested in Congress and deprived the states, Congress's authority was complete over people and states. Nevertheless, Congress did not acquire the plenary powers of a national government. Madison noted that if "the Government [is] national with regard to the operation of its powers, it changes its aspect again when we contemplate it in relation to the extent of its powers."16 The states reserved authority over their criminal laws,17 particularly the power to issue or not the Writ of Habeas Corpus.18 The Constitution also made clear that states might maintain a separate militia19 and provide their own rules regarding religious freedom, speech, and press.20 States retained a right to territorial integrity against efforts to divide or combine states21 and the right not to be deprived of equal representation in the Senate without the state's consent.22 To these enumerated reservations, the Constitution added that powers not delegated to the United States, nor prohibited to the states, were reserved to the states and the people.23 Nowhere is the interrelationship between the people who ordained and established the United States and the states who ratified it more evident than in the election of the President and the composition of Congress. The President and Vice President are selected by the electors who meet following popular election. By tradition, a state's electors-equal to the total of its senators and representatives in Congress-vote for the candidate who received the largest number of votes in the state.24 The voting for President is accomplished by states. This arrangement combined both democracy and federalism, without subordinating one to the other.25 This same pattern replicated in the structure of Congress. As James Madison described it: The house of representatives will derive its powers from the people of America, and the people will be represented in the same proportion, and on the same principle, as they are in the Legislature of a particular State. So far the Government is national not federal. The Senate on the other hand will derive its powers from the States, as political and co-equal societies; and these will be represented on the principle of equality in the Senate, as they now are in the existing Congress. …


The northern Tibetan Plateau is the most traditional and important semi-nomadic region in Tibet. The alpine vegetation is sensitive and vulnerable to climate change and human activities, and is also important as an ecological security in protecting the headwaters of major rivers in Asia. Therefore, the Tibetan alpine grasslands have fundamental significance to both Mainland China and South Asia. The pasture degradation, however, likely threatens the livelihood of residents and the habitats of wildlife on this plateau. Since 2004, the government has launched a series of ecological restoration projects and economic compensatory payment polices. Many fences were additionally built on degraded pastures to prevent new degradation, to promote functionality recovery, and to balance the stocking rate with forage productivity. The grazed vs. fenced paired pastures across different zonal grassland communities along evident environmental gradients provide us with a natural comparative experiment platform to test the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors. This study critically reviews the background, significance of and debates on short-term grazing exclusion with fences in this region. We also aim to figure out scientific and standardized workflows for assessing the effectiveness of grazing exclusion and compensatory payments in the future.


Working in the context of symmetric spectra, we describe and study a homotopy completion tower for algebras and left modules over operads in the category of modules over a commutative ring spectrum (e.g., structured ring spectra). We prove a strong convergence theorem that for 0-connected algebras and modules over a (-1)-connected operad, the homotopy completion tower interpolates (in a strong sense) between topological Quillen homology and the identity functor. By systematically exploiting strong convergence, we prove several theorems concerning the topological Quillen homology of algebras and modules over operads. These include a theorem relating finiteness properties of topological Quillen homology groups and homotopy groups that can be thought of as a spectral algebra analog of Serre's finiteness theorem for spaces and H.R. Miller's boundedness result for simplicial commutative rings (but in reverse form). We also prove absolute and relative Hurewicz theorems and a corresponding Whitehead theorem for topological Quillen homology. Furthermore, we prove a rigidification theorem, which we use to describe completion with respect to topological Quillen homology (or TQ-completion). The TQ-completion construction can be thought of as a spectral algebra analog of Sullivan's localization and completion of spaces, Bousfield-Kan's completion of spaces with respect to homology, and Carlsson's and Arone-Kankaanrinta's completion and localization of spaces with respect to stable homotopy. We prove analogous results for algebras and left modules over operads in unbounded chain complexes.


Abstract Starting from the end of 2019 the new SARs-CoV-2 virus, in the period of a few months, had spread to 210 countries and its territories. The Wuhan wild animal market, in Hubei province, China is considered the epicenter of this pandemic. WHO declared the name COVID-19 to designate the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is the third coronavirus pandemic after SARS in 2002–2003 and MERS-CoV in 2012. Genome sequencing of this new COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 virus shows slight genetic diversity when compared to other coronaviruses. Owing to its pathogenesis, and less known replication cycle, no universal antiviral treatment can be applied and vaccine preparation is still a larger challenge. The present article will highlight transmission, pandemic status, genetic diversity current antiviral therapy, and vaccine trials for COVID-19. 1. Introduction. 2. Pathogenesis of coronaviruses. 3. Genetic diversity. 4. Transmission. 5. Vaccination strategies against COVID-19. 6. In Process Vaccination strategies against COVID-19. 7. Lack of antiviral treatment and antiviral treatment studies. 8. Precautions. 9. Conclusions


This paper focuses on the evaluation of quality perceptions from users of an electronic government website. As government organizations have begun to enhance transparency, communicate and interact with citizens via the Web, developing appropriate online services has demanded heightened understanding of the requirements of users and appropriate tailoring of solutions. The site examined in the paper enables the online submission of self-assessed tax returns in the UK. Survey data collected via the eQual instrument were used to statistically model the perceptions of site users. However, in addition to quantitative data, we also collected open comments from respondents, and it is these comments that provide the crux of this paper. Such comments, via data triangulation, provided much more insight into the perceptions of site quality than the statistical data alone. The results of the comment analysis both support the instrument and point to additional factors determining the perceptions of quality of such e-government services requiring attention in the instrument development. The paper rounds off with a conclusions and an agenda for future research in this area.


First, we discuss the background of the development of counsel adequacy in death penalty cases. Next, we look carefully at Strickland, and the subsequent Supreme Court cases that appear—on the surface—to bolster it in this context. We then consider multiple jurisprudential filters that we believe must be taken seriously if this area of the law is to be given any authentic meaning. Next, we will examine and interpret the data that we have developed. Finally, we will look at this entire area of law through the filter of therapeutic jurisprudence, and then explain why and how the charade of "adequacy of counsel law" fails miserably to meet the standards of this important school of thought.

Our title comes, in part, from Bob Dylan's song, Shelter from the Storm. As one of the authors (MLP) has previously noted in another article drawing on that song's lyrics, "[i]n a full-length book about that album, the critics Andy Gill and Kevin Odegard characterize the song as depicting a 'mythic image of torment.'" The defendants in the cases we write about—by and large, defendants with profound mental disabilities who face the death penalty in large part because of the inadequacy of their legal representation— confront (and are defeated by) a world of 'steel-eyed death.' We hope that this Article helps change these realities.


Historically, outdoor activities have been viewed as a male domain. Yet, research indicates that women benefit from these activities, and they may provide a unique context for resisting gender roles. Little research, however, has examined the processes contributing to these benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes associated with a women's wilderness canoe trip, as well as the processes that contributed to the outcomes. Eight women participated in a three-day, beginners' women-only canoe trip offered by a university outdoor program. Daily debriefings and field observations during the trip, as well as in-depth post-trip interviews, were conducted to capture the women's experiences. Results illuminated four major themes including autonomy through disengagement from traditional gender roles, relatedness through connection with other women, competence through overcoming challenges, and enjoyment. These results suggested an all-women, wilderness trip can enhance the self-determination of women through the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs.


The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction between dissolved oxygen and sulfur(iv) was studied in aqueous acidic medium using co-catalysts peroxodisulfate and silver(i) ions. The presence of both catalysts was required to observe measurable rates in the studied process. The reaction rate was determined through following the UV-absorption of hydrated sulfur dioxide, and the trends were determined as a function of pH, reactant and catalyst concentrations. Individual kinetic curves under conditions where dissolved oxygen was the limiting reagent were close to zeroth-order. A chain mechanism with four chain carriers, sulfite, sulfate, peroxomonosulfate ion radical and silver(ii) ion, is proposed to interpret all the kinetic and stoichiometric findings, and an explicit formula was obtained for the rate law. The role of the co-catalysts is to produce chain carriers, whereas silver(i) and silver(ii) ions also participate in chain propagation steps. Further supporting evidence for the proposed mechanism was gained in laser flash photolysis studies, which showed that sulfate ion radical reacts quite rapidly with silver(i) ion.


Abstract: The election of left-leaning ex-military officer Ollanta Humala in Peru's 2011 election surprised observers. Peru's economy had boomed under market-oriented governments in the 2000s. Three factors explain Peru's left turn. First, in the politically fragmented and volatile environment created by party collapse, three establishment candidates split the moderate vote, allowing Humala and another extra-establishment candidate, Keiko Fujimori, to make the runoff. Second, economic boom notwithstanding, public dissatisfaction and distrust in political institutions remained high, largely due to state weakness. Finally, Humala's moderate turn helped him win over key middle class voters, while Fujimori failed to distance herself from her father's authoritarian government. Whereas conservatives fear a Venezuela-like scenario and progressives hope for a Brazil-like scenario, the most likely scenario is a moderate but mediocre government. Humala may attempt to replicate Lula, but with no real party, a weak state, and little experience, he is unlikely to match his success.


Background. Results of previous research examining long-term residual effects of marijuana use on cognition are conflicting. A major methodological limitation of prior studies is the inability to determine whether differences between users and non-users are due to differences in genetic vulnerability preceding drug use or due to the effects of the drug. Method. Fifty-four monozygotic male twin pairs, discordant for regular marijuana use in which neither twin used any other illicit drug regularly, were recruited from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. A minimum of 1 year had passed since the marijuana-using twins had last used the drug, and a mean of almost 20 years had passed since the last time marijuana had been used regularly. Twins were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery to assess general intelligence, executive functioning, attention, memory and motor skills. Differences in performance between marijuana-using twins and their non-using co-twins were compared using a multivariate analysis of specific cognitive domains and univariate analyses of individual test scores. Dose–response relationships were explored within the marijuana-using group. Results. Marijuana-using twins significantly differed from their non-using co-twins on the general intelligence domain; however, within that domain only the performance of the block design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Revised reached a level of statistical significance. Conclusions. Out of the numerous measures that were administered, only one significant difference was noted between marijuana-using twins and their non-using co-twins on cognitive functioning. The results indicate an absence of marked long-term residual effects of marijuana use on cognitive abilities.


\newcommand{\dpsd}{$\mathit{dpsd}$} A discrete stochastic uncoupling process for finite spaces is introduced, called the \emph{Markov Cluster Process} (MCL~process). The process takes a stochastic matrix as input, and then alternates flow expansion and flow inflation, each step defining a stochastic matrix in terms of the previous one. Flow expansion corresponds with taking the~$k^{th}$~power of a stochastic matrix, where~$k\in\N$. Flow inflation corresponds with a parametrized operator~$\Gamma_r$, $r\geq 0$, which maps the set of (column) stochastic matrices onto itself. The image~$\Gamma_r M$ is obtained by raising each entry in~$M$ to the~$r^{th}$~power and rescaling each column to have sum~$1$ again. In practice the process converges very fast towards a limit which is idempotent under both matrix multiplication and inflation, with quadratic convergence around the limit points. The limit is in general extremely sparse and the number of components of its associated graph may be larger than the number associated with the input matrix. This uncoupling is a desired effect as it reveals structure in the input matrix. The inflation operator~$\Gamma_r$ is shown to map the class of matrices which are diagonally similar to a symmetric matrix onto itself. The term \emph{diagonally positive semi-definite} (\dpsd) is used for matrices which are diagonally similar to a positive semi-definite matrix. It is shown that for $r\in\N$ and for~$M$ a stochastic \dpsd\ matrix, the image~$\Gamma_r M$ is again \dpsd. Determinantal inequalities satisfied by a \dpsd\ matrix~$M$ imply a natural ordering among the diagonal elements of~$M$, generalizing a mapping of nonnegative column allowable idempotent matrices onto overlapping clusterings. The spectrum of~$\Gamma_{\infty} M$, for \dpsd\ $M$, is of the form~$\{0^{n-k}, 1^k\}$, where~$k$ is the number of endclasses of the ordering associated with~$M$, and~$n$ is the dimension of~$M$. Reductions of \dpsd\ matrices are given, a connection with Hilbert''s distance and the contraction ratio defined for nonnegative matrices is discussed, and several conjectures are made.


Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are usually treated with clindamycin. However, when treatment is directed against S. aureus isolates harbouring gene that mediate inducible clindamycin resistance, treatment failure is bound to occur. In this study, the occurrence of constitutive- and inducible-clinamycin resistance was phenotypically evacuated in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from a Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, Nigeria. A total of 39 non-duplicate clinical isolates of S. aureus were used in this study; and the isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using cefoxitin (30 µg), bacitracin (10 µg), erythromycin (15 µg), oxacillin (1 µg), clindamycin (2 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), mupirocin (5 µg) and cloxacillin (5 µg). D-test was performed on all the S. aureus strains to detect constitutive- and inducible-clindamycin resistance (iMLSB) phenotypes. The multiple antibiotic resistance nature of the iMLSB phenotypes as calculated using multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) formular. Among the 39 clinical isolates of S. aureus studied, 76.9% (30/39) showed resistance to clindamycin, while 74.4% (29/39) showed resistance to erythromycin. Also, all the S. aureus isolates were completely resistant to cloxacillin and mupirocin. A total of 6 (15.4) S. aureus isolates showed inducible-clindamycin resistance (iMLSB) while 20.5% S. aureus isolates (n=8) were confirmed constitutive-clindamycin resistance (cMLSB) phenotypes by the D-test technique. On average, the S. aureus isolates that were positive for iMLSB had MARI of 0.7; and this indicates a high level of multiple antibiotic resistance profile of the isolates. The result of this study has shown that cMLSB and iMLSB occur in clinical isolates of S. aureus from this part of the world. Further molecular characterization of the genetic factors responsible for cMLSB and iMLSB in clinical isolates of S. aureus is necessitated. Since routine antibiotic susceptibility studies cannot detect either cMLSB or iMLSB in clinical isolates of S. aureus, it is important for Nigerian hospital laboratories to include the D-test protocol in their practice.


The problematic implications of the long absence of a dedicated encounter between Marxism and FPA (foreign policy analysis) are discussed. This absence has been marked by a series of different starting points and theoretical preferences between both intellectual projects. A paradigmatic turn for the incorporation of FPA and international politics into a revised Marxist research program is needed. Whereas FPA originated within a United States–centric Cold War context, growing out of the subfield of "comparative foreign policy," which initially pursued a positivistic methodology, Marxism's European theoretical legacy afforded neither international relations nor foreign policy analysis any systematic place since its inception in the 19th century. Recurring rapprochements were qualified successes due to Marxism's tendency to relapse into structuralist versions of grand theorizing. While these could speak to general theories of international relations in the field of IR (international relations) from the late 20th century onward, FPA fell again and again through the cracks of this grand analytical register. Marxist FPA has only very recently been recognized as a serious research program, notably within the two traditions of neo-Gramscian international political economy (IPE) and Marxist historical sociology. With this move, Marxism has started to identify a problematique and produced a nascent literature that should bear fruit in the future.


In recent years, there has been an increase in awareness of the underrepresentation of women in the sound and music computing fields. The New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) conference is not an exception, with a number of open questions remaining around the issue. In the present paper, we study the presence and evolution over time of women authors in NIME since the beginning of the conference in 2001 until 2017. We discuss the results of such a gender imbalance and potential solutions by summarizing the actions taken by a number of worldwide initiatives that have put an effort into making women's work visible in our field, with a particular emphasis on Women in Music Tech (WiMT), a student-led organization that aims to encourage more women to join music technology, as a case study. We conclude with a hope for an improvement in the representation of women in NIME by presenting WiNIME, a public online database that details who are the women authors in NIME.


In the Apology Plato ascribes to Socrates a kind of knowledge that
distinguishes him from others, viz., the knowledge that in truth he is worthless
in respect of knowledge. Furthermore, the cultivation of this 'Socratic wisdom'
is presented by Plato as necessary for anyone wishing to pursue the examined
life, the only life worth living for a human being, and therefore as something
that we all should seek to acquire. In the Charmides, however, Socrates argues
at length to the conclusion that such knowledge is neither possible nor, even if
it were possible, of any use. This apparent contradiction in Platonic doctrine is
the problem of Socratic wisdom in the Apology and the Charmides.
The thesis first constructs the problem of Socratic wisdom from the text of
the two dialogues. It then considers various strategies in the long tradition of
Platonic scholarship by which proposals have been made to resolve this and
other inconsistencies in Plato. These strategies are assessed and reasons are
given for preferring a recent approach called the 'double dialogue' reading of
Plato, which treats his works not primarily as vehicles for publishing his
doctrines, but as philosophical challenges for the reader.
The thesis then conducts a double dialogue reading of the second half of the
Charmides and demonstrates how this way of reading Plato provides a
resolution to the problem of Socratic wisdom. The resolution lies in showing
how, in the Charmides, Plato issues a challenge to the reader to address the
inadequacies of the model of knowledge that underlies the apparent success of
the dialogue's refutation of Socratic wisdom. Thus, not only is the problem of Socratic wisdom resolved, but the double dialogue strategy of reading Plato is
validated for further employment in resolving other inconsistencies in Plato.Greek Philosophy


Competition laws have become a mainstay of regulation in market economies today. At the same time, past efforts to study the drivers or effects of these laws have been hampered by the lack of systematic measures of these laws across a wide range of years or countries. In this paper, we draw on new data on the evolution of competition laws to create a novel Competition Law Index (the "CLI") that measures the stringency of competition regulation from 1889 to 2010. We then employ the CLI to examine trends in the intensity of competition regulation over time and across key countries. We also use our data to create several alternative indexes of competition law that may be appropriate for specific research applications. In doing so, we hope to demonstrate how the CLI can facilitate new empirical research on comparative and international competition law.


Elementary science educators in Katy Independent School District voiced concerns that there simply is not enough time to participate in professional development. Teachers claimed district-provided trainings are not convenient to their busy schedules, courses and times are limited, content is lacking, and the level of instruction is superficial because presentation time is inadequate. The purpose of this action research project was to provide meaningful inquiry science professional development over an extended period of time. Elementary science teachers voluntarily participated in this four week action research project. The treatment consisted of a blended learning model which incorporated the use of an online learning platform along with traditional face-to-face professional development. Each week, participants worked at their own pace and completed assignments which focused on strengthening elementary inquiry science skills. Teachers were afforded opportunities to collaborate with fellow classmates using the online discussion board and at meetings. Teachers' beliefs regarding professional growth, collaboration, and self-efficacy for learning about and implementing inquiry science were measured throughout the treatment. Results from this action research project prove teachers received significant benefits from participation in a blended professional model where peer collaboration is encouraged. This qualitative study verified participation in a flipped professional development course does provide teachers time and flexibility to learn about inquiry science and collaborate with peers.


Every spring, alfalfa growth and development is different due to variations in climatic, variety, stand age and other crop production factors. With the 2019 growing season being off to a cooler than normal start, this has slowed alfalfa growth this spring. This is a good reminder that while calendar date may be one method used to determine when to harvest first crop alfalfa, this method is not the best method to use. Instead, the PEAQ method (Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality) developed by the University of Wisconsin does a better job. Disciplines Agricultural Science | Agriculture This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cropnews/2536 6/26/2019 Estimate Alfalfa First Crop Harvest with PEAQ | Integrated Crop Management https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2019/05/estimate-alfalfa-first-crop-harvest-peaq 1/4 Integrated Crop Management Estimate Alfalfa First Crop Harvest with PEAQ May 10, 2019 Every spring, alfalfa growth and development is different due to variations in climatic, variety, stand age and other crop production factors. With the 2019 growing season being off to a cooler than normal start, this has slowed alfalfa growth this spring. This is a good reminder that while calendar date may be one method used to determine when to harvest first crop alfalfa, this method is not the best method to use. Instead, the PEAQ method (Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality) developed by the University of Wisconsin does a better job. The PEAQ method uses alfalfa stand height and maturity stage (vegetative, bud, or bloom) to estimate the relative feed value (RFV). In general, it is recommended to harvest alfalfa at about 150 RFV for milking dairy herds and 125 RFV for heifers, stocker cattle, and lactating beef cattle. First crop alfalfa standing in the field can drop three to five points of RFV per day. The steps on how to use the PEAQ method to determine when to make the first crop of alfalfa are listed below. Note that while PEAQ does a good job of estimating the RFV, under the best harvest conditions, 10 to 20 percent of the forage dry matter will be lost at harvest. This amounts to approximately 15 RFV points for haylage and 25 RFV points for hay. Therefore, if you are trying to end up with 150 RFV alfalfa, you should consider harvesting the crop when PEAQ measurements estimate a RFV of 165 to 175 for the standing alfalfa crop in the field. Steps for using PEAQ to determine when to take first crop alfalfa Step 1. Choose a representative two square foot area in the field. 6/26/2019 Estimate Alfalfa First Crop Harvest with PEAQ | Integrated Crop Management https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2019/05/estimate-alfalfa-first-crop-harvest-peaq 2/4 Step 2. Determine the stage of the most mature stem in the area by using the definitions at the top of Table 1. Step 3. Measure the tallest stem in the area. The tallest stem may not be the most mature stem. Measure the stem from the soil surface to the tip of the stem; not to the tip of the leaf. Straighten the stem for an accurate measure of height. Based on stem maturity and stem height, use Table 1 to estimate the RFV of standing alfalfa crop. Step 4. Repeat steps 1-3 in five representative areas across the field. Step 5. To estimate harvest quality, subtract 15-25 RFV units to account for harvest losses during the haylage or hay harvest process, respectively. Step 6. Determine your optimum harvest time using the PEAQ estimate, your livestock forage quality needs, considerations of upcoming weather forecasts favorable for harvest or not, and the general assumption that RFV drops three to five points per day. ISU Extension maintains a PEAQ website that includes a fact sheet to explain how to use the PEAQ method to determine when to harvest first crop alfalfa. This website also includes postings of PEAQ values from some alfalfa fields across Iowa being monitored by ISU Extension and Outreach staff. Follow the progress along in these reports, but conditions can vary field-by-field. Therefore, it is recommended to take PEAQ measurements in your own fields to best estimate first crop harvest to help target the quality of forage you wish to achieve. 6/26/2019 Estimate Alfalfa First Crop Harvest with PEAQ | Integrated Crop Management https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2019/05/estimate-alfalfa-first-crop-harvest-peaq 3/4 Category: Crop Production Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on May 10, 2019. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed. Crop: Biomass and Forage Tags: alfalfa PEAQ alfalfa harvest


On-site and off-site effects of erosion in the Lake Victoria basin are some of the main contributors to the actual situation of poverty which is facing its population, one of the densest in the world. The Nyando River Basin (Western-Kenya) was identified as a regional erosion hotspot and one of the main sources of sediment and phosphorous into the Lake Victoria (ICRAF, 2001). In 2004, within the context of the Western Kenyan Integrated Ecosystem Management Project (WKIEM, ICRAF, 2003) measures to reduce erosion and increment agricultural productivity, through enhanced vegetation cover and improved management, were implemented in some plots located in East-Nyakach (lower Nyando River Basin).
This study investigated the effect of tree-planting and exclusion of grazing livestock in infiltrability, soil bulk density and erosion, as well as the existent relationships between these variables four years after rehabilitation started. A comparative study between WKIEM treated plots, where trees were planted, and adjacent controls was carried out in 9 paired-plots. Infiltrability was measured using double-ring infiltrometers in six sample points per plot, and by rainfall simulations at 20 and 60 mm/h intensities in two sample points. Steady-state infiltrability was afterwards estimated by means of curve-fitting to Philip's equation (Philip, 1957). Sediment generation rates (Mg ha-1 h-1) were calculated, for 20 and 60 mm/h rainfall intensities, by drying and weighing the amount of sediments present in the generated runoff after two hours of simulated rainfall. Four topsoil bulk density samples were collected in each plot and vegetation cover was assessed as percentage classes.
The results showed that the average steady-state infitrability was significantly higher, and the average sediment generation rate and bulk density significantly lower, in the treated plots than in the controls. The higher infiltrability rates in the treated plots as compared to the controls were significantly explained by the increment in vegetation cover and the reduction in soil bulk density. Vegetation cover also explained the variation in the amount of sediments generated, which were significantly lower under an enhanced cover. A negative relationship was found between the steady-state infiltrability and the sediment generation rate.
Tree planting practices constitute a feasible and functional management option to reduce erosion by decreasing surface runoff generation through enhanced soil infiltrability, and increasing vegetation cover.

Keywords: Lake Victoria basin, Nyando River basin, steady-state infiltrability, bulk density, erosion, gully, runoff, sediment generation rate, double-ring infiltrometer, rainfall simulator, trees, vegetation cover, agroforestry.


Litigation funding has been argued to be an important development in Australian civil litigation that provides access to justice, allows for the spreading of the risk of complex litigation and can improve the efficiency of litigation by bringing commercial considerations to bear. Since the High Court decision in Campbells Cash and Carry Pty Limited v Fostif Pty Ltd (2006) 229 CLR 386, the Australian litigation funding industry has enjoyed significant growth. However, the operation and proper constraints on litigation funding remains a live issue with concerns that the relatively unregulated nature of the litigation funding market creates the possibility for harm to consumers and the abuse of court processes. This paper reviews the development of litigation funding in Australia and the proposals for its regulation, including the decision in Brookfield Multiplex Limited v International Litigation Funding Partners Pte Ltd (2009) 180 FCR 11 where the Full Federal Court found that the litigation funding arrangements under consideration constituted a 'managed investment scheme' that was subject to the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).


Abstract. Acyl peroxy nitrates (APNs, also known as PANs) are formed from the oxidation of aldehydes and other oxygenated VOC (oVOC) in the presence of NO2. There are both anthropogenic and biogenic oVOC precursors to APNs, but a detailed evaluation of this chemistry against observations has proven elusive. Here we describe measurements of PAN, PPN, and MPAN along with the majority of chemicals that participate in their production and loss, including OH, HO2, numerous oVOC, and NO2. Observations were made during the Biosphere Effects on AeRosols and Photochemistry Experiment (BEARPEX 2007) in the outflow of the Sacramento urban plume. These observations are used to evaluate a detailed chemical model of APN ratios and concentrations. We find that the ratios of APNs are nearly independent of the loss mechanisms and thus an especially good test of our understanding of their sources. We show that oxidation of methylvinyl ketone, methacrolein, methyl glyoxal, biacetyl and acetaldehyde are all significant sources of the PAN+peroxy acetyl (PA) radical reservoir, accounting for 26%, 2%, 7%, 20%, and 45%, of the production rate on average during the campaign, respectively. At high temperatures, when upwind isoprene emissions are highest, oxidation of non-acetaldehyde PA radical sources contributes over 60% to the total PA production rate, with methylvinyl ketone being the most important of the isoprene-derived sources. An analysis of absolute APN concentrations reveals a missing APN sink that can be resolved by increasing the PA+∑RO2 rate constant by a factor of 3.


Tracking technologies use pervasive information systems to scan and record the location of individuals and to transfer information about them to and from a central database. One potential application is a "smart" national identity card (NID). National polls have shown a strong majority of Americans favor an NID in recent months. This study uses a telephone poll with 400 respondents and semistructured interviews with 29 New Jersey adults to explore in depth the concerns and opinions that explain the "surface" opinion that is elicited with a single question. The results indicate that most people actually have very mixed feelings, with strong reservations about privacy and civil rights implications and also the security of the information on the card itself from theft or misuse.


We evaluated the feasibility of a home-based rehabilitation programme, which was designed to resemble an in-hospital rehabilitation programme. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery (EuroSCORE 0–10) followed a one-month home rehabilitation programme supervised by a nurse-tutor and a physiotherapist. Physiotherapy was performed at home with calisthenic exercises and bicycle-ergometer tests. Patients transmitted the recorded ECGs by telephone to a service centre. They also performed a 6-minute walking test and filled in a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the programme. A total of 47 patients were enrolled in the study. There were 3050 telephone calls, of which 3012 (99%) were scheduled and 38 were unscheduled. No further action was required in 95% of calls. There were 809 sessions for calisthenic exercises and 1039 for exercise training. There was a significant increase in the 6-minute walking test distance at the end of the programme compared to the baseline (404 m vs. 307 m, P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction, as measured in a questionnaire, was about 95% overall. This type of home rehabilitation using telemedicine appears to be worth implementing in selected categories of patients.


The cat was used as a representative quadruped for a study of the action of the locomotor apparatus in walking. In the analysis the body was considered as being made up of eleven parts behaving in such a fashion that they could be considered as rigid bodies. The weight of each part was determined, the position of its centre of gravity and also its moment of inertia. Moving pictures were taken of the cat walking over a specially constructed platform which recorded the pressure exerted by each foot during the stride. The photographs recorded the position of the various parts of the body at successive instants. These records were analysed in terms of displacement, velocity and acceleration of the centre of gravity of the body as a whole, and also of its parts. A comparison of vertical forces acting on single limbs of the cat during the walk shows that the reactions are greater on the forelimbs. This is not only due to the location of the centre of gravity nearer the forelimbs, but also is the result of a thrust produced at the forelimb which is largely responsible for an upward acceleration of the centre of mass of the body. Horizontal forces produced at the forefeet also tend to be greater than those at the hind. When horizontal impulse over the whole step is considered, it is shown that the forelimbs produce more retarding action, while the hindlimbs contribute more forwarding impulse to the body. The arrangement of steps is such that horizontal reactions on fore- and hindlimbs are antagonistic, thus damping fluctuations in horizontal acceleration and velocity of the centre of gravity with a probable saving in energy expenditure. The kinetic energy of the body, derived from the data of the mass and velocity of separate parts, maintains an average level but undergoes cyclical changes during the stride. A possible transfer into gravitational potential energy can account for only a part of these kinetic energy changes which are thought to involve muscle action. An analysis of the relationship between muscle forces about the joints and forces of reaction which co-operate to produce the recorded movement of an individual segment of the limbs allows the calculation of the resultant muscle torque acting on that segment. This provided actual measurements for the total muscle torque about each of the joints of the limbs at any instant. Correlation of these torques with the action of definite muscle groups indicates roughly the manner in which these muscles function in quadrupedal walking.


RTS is a real time scheduler for the Common Music algorithmic composition system. RTS enables compositional algorithms written in Lisp to generate sound in real time and to communicate with concurrently executing applications via OSC [1], Portmidi [2] and Midishare [3] connections. One of the nicest features of the RTS scheduler is that it can be "invisible" to musical algorithms, that is, a given musical algorithm is able to execute in either real time or non-real time modes without any change to its code. This allows a composer to use the identical suite of algorithms for both file-based and interactive work simply by switching scheduling modes, without having to change how the algorithms themselves are expressed. Of course real-time execution can limit how much computation can happen in a given execution slice and so the RTS system also provides a library of compositional tools specifically designed with real time execution in mind for composers that want to optimize their algorithms for real time use. The RTS scheduler is based on POSIX threads [4] and is implemented as an optional software system that can be loaded into Common Music on demand, whenever the composer wants to work in real time. RTS can run in any Common Lisp or Scheme that supports callbacks and foreign function calling. The current bindings support OpenMCL [5], SBCL [6] and Gauche Scheme [7] on both Linux and OS X. A version may be available for SBCL/Windows in the future.


This thesis explores the ways in which the work of women teachers in primary schools
in one region of Brazil has been re-defined by agents within the school itself.
The investigation was pursued through semi-structured interviews with 48 women
teachers and 14 school managers working mainly in poor communities. It reflects the
experiences of teachers from Municipal schools in one of the developed cities: Belo Horizonte.
Informal talks with teachers involved in activities outside classroom, other school staff such as
secretaries and door-keepers, and parents encountered at the school entrance (some parents
agreed to participate in tape-recorded interviews) also provided useful information for the
study. Among the secondary• material collected during the field work were visual and written
didactic texts used inside schools, the school files relating to discipline problems between
pupils/parents and teachers, and the school files of "Colegiado" meetings. Also inside schools,
observations were made of school meetings with parents; pedagogical meetings and a extraschool
activities such as paren& and pupils' preparation for a party and showing of a school
video. A search of written material from local newspapers archived by the Teachers' Union
related to teachers was conducted. Visits to, and contacts with, the Municipal Secretary of
Education provided material on extra-school administration. Study at the local University, with
its extensive archive of recent studies on the history and conditions of work of women teachers
in Brazil, in the State of Minas Gerais and specifically in the Municipal schools of Belo
Horizonte,was a rich source of academic material for this study.
It is suggested that the domestication of teachers' roles has been promoted within
schools by teachers, the school managers and others involved in school life (parents, pupils
and other school staff). This has led to a considerable increase in the number of roles schools
and teachers are required to fulfil in communities with serious economic and social limitations.
In a society where state social support is insufficient, schools provide palliative solutions for a
range of needs. However, as schools become increasingly involved in business other than
formal education, teachers' roles have changed and thus are judged through a gendered filter
iii
which stresses femininity over professionalism.
Women's acceptance of poor working conditions and their involvement in the
immediate social problems of pupils and local communities has been beneficial for the Brazilian
and State governments, as well as for the local community. However, there have been negative
consequences for the development of better ways to teach children from these communities and
the status and socio-economic position of teachers themselves. The domestication of the roles
of women in teaching has thus had long-term negative consequences for the education of the
poor.


ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the computer usage intentions of Ghanaian Tertiary Students. The Technology Acceptance Model was adopted as the theoretical framework to ascertain whether it could help explain behavioral intentions of individuals to accept and use technology. Factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the initial research model and to uncover any additional factors influencing students' behavioral intentions. Multiple Linear Regression analysis was done to determine the extent to which dependent variables were predicted by independent variables. T-tests were used for test of significance. This study reveals that the age and level/year of tertiary students as well as prior experience of computer usage have no significant influence on perceived usefulness of a computer. Experience however significantly influenced perceived ease of use whilst age and level/year of students did not. The study also indicates that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use had a significant effect on the attitude of students towards their computer usage. Interestingly, only perceived usefulness significantly influenced the students' intention to use the computer. Thus fundamental changes may have to be made to the Technology Acceptance Model if it is to be applied to a developing country such as Ghana. This research was limited to one particular university. The study did not consider data on actual computer usage. Further research would have to consider these factors. The findings of this research and the model developed provide a basis for individuals who have to make a decision concerning computer usage of tertiary students in a developing country. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Computer usage has increased in various tertiary institutions. Various computer types such as laptops, desktop computers, and palmtop computers are now available to tertiary students. Students can thus make use of Computer Based Tutorials (CBTs); store large volumes of books (e-books) quickly submit their assignments to their lecturers through the internet as well as download lecture notes from the internet. Other tools available to students include instant messaging, emailing, search engines for research, web-based resources, access to library catalogues, and graduate degree programs online. Web-based learning technologies are increasing on college campuses as developers have created easy-to-use courseware applications such as E-campus (used by Regent University College Ghana) and KEWL(Used by the University of Ghana). Two trends are evident with regards to educators identifying incentives for integrating computers in their teaching. These are student accomplishment, rather than educator external rewards; and the ability of students to use computers as a tool for their own purposes. At an increasing number of universities, computers are gradually becoming a requirement for incoming students in preparation for their career success. Employers value extensive experience with Information Technology and are expecting their higher education graduates to be computer literate (RoIa, 2002). Previous researchers have shown that laptop computers in the classroom can lead to positive educational outcomes (Finn and Inman, 2004). The focus of this study is on the computer usage intentions of students in tertiary institutions in Ghana. Modern trends require that students use the computer a lot in their studies. Very little is known about computer usage intentions of Ghanaian tertiary students. There is therefore the need for empirical research on the intentions of computer usage among tertiary students. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main objective of the study is to investigate the behavioral intentions of computer usage among Ghanaian Tertiary students using a single institution as a case study. This may help to explain the key factors affecting the decision of students to use computers in their study. …


The common graph Laplacian regularizer is well-established in semi-supervised learning and spectral dimensionality reduction. However, as a first-order regularizer, it can lead to degenerate functions in high-dimensional manifolds. The iterated graph Laplacian enables high-order regularization, but it has a high computational complexity and so cannot be applied to large problems. We introduce a new regularizer which is globally high order and so does not suffer from the degeneracy of the graph Laplacian regularizer, but is also sparse for efficient computation in semi-supervised learning applications. We reduce computational complexity by building a local first-order approximation of the manifold as a surrogate geometry, and construct our high-order regularizer based on local derivative evaluations therein. Experiments on human body shape and pose analysis demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our method.


We present a framework for real-time visual motion perception consisting of an analog VLSI optical flow sensor with reconfigurable pixels, connected in feedback with a controlling processor. The 2-D sensor array is composed of motion processing pixels that can be individually recruited to form dynamic ensembles that collectively compute visual motion. The flexible framework lends itself to the emulation of multi-layer recurrent network architectures for high-level processing of visual motion. In particular, attentional modulation can easily be incorporated in the visual motion processing. We show a simple example of visual tracking that demonstrates the potential of the framework.


The goal of this paper is to examine the shape of the Laffer curve quantitatively in a simple neoclassical growth model calibrated to the US as well as to the EU-15 economy. We show that the US and the EU-15 area are located on the left side of their labor and capital tax Laffer curves, but the EU-15 economy being much closer to the slippery slopes than the US. Our results indicate that since 1975 the EU-15 area has moved considerably closer to the peaks of their Laffer curves. We find that the slope of the Laffer curve in the EU-15 economy is much flatter than in the US which documents a much higher degree of distortions in the EU-15 area. A dynamic scoring analysis shows that more than one half of a labor tax cut and more than four fifth of a capital tax cut are self-financing in the EU-15 economy.


Before 1995, the frequencies of mycobacterial and fungal bloodstream infections (BSI) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected populations in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia were unknown. Therefore, a prospective survey of febrile (oral temperature >38 C or axillary temperature >37.5 C) adult patients who presented to sentinel teaching hospitals in Tanzania (1995), Thailand (1997), and Malawi (1997 dry season and 1998 wet season) was conducted. The objectives were to (i) determine the aetiology, prevalence, and clinical correlates of BSL and (ii) characterise the role played by HIV infection. After informed consent, a detailed history was recorded for each patient followed by physical examination. Next, blood was cultured for bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi, and tested for HIV and malaria. Data were collected for 517 patients in Tanzania, 246 in Thailand, and 471 in Malawi. Respective BSI, HIV, and malaria parasitaemia rates were: Tanzania: 28%, 55%, 9.5% Thailand: 48%, 74%, 0 Malawi dry season: 30%, 74%, 4% Malawi wet season: 28%, 73%, 31%. The most frequently isolated bloodstream pathogens were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and non-typhi Salmonella species (NTS) in Tanzania MTB and Cryptococcus neoformans in Thailand MTB and Streptococcus pneumoniae during Malawi dry season and MTB and NTS during Malawi wet season. In each country, HIV-infected patients were significantly more likely to acquire BSI all patients with mycobacteraemia were HIV-infected. The Malawi findings are the first description of seasonal variation in the occurrence of S. pneumoniae and NTS bacteraemias. Logistic regression models yielded predictors of BSI in Thailand (HIV infection, chronic diarrhoea, lymphadenopathy, or splenomegaly) and Malawi (HIV infection, chronic fever, oral candidiasis, or acute diarrhoea). In populations with high prevalence rates of HIV infection, MTB has become the foremost cause of documented BSI. Similar season- and country-specific surveys, performed periodically in HIV-endemic regions will provide data on the aetiology and predictors of BSI, and facilitate empirical therapy of febrile illnesses.


Feminist geography and political geography still represent two solitudes within the discipline. While increased traffic between these different parts of the discipline points to a degree of intellectual engagement, there remains a paucity of feminist thought in political geography. This article examines recent scholarship on feminist political geography, with a view to applying its insights to the struggles to protest and end political violence. The concept of feminist geopolitics is employed and recast, both as a bridging concept between feminist and political geography and as an analytical approach that has political valence in the context of the war in Iraq. Feminist geopolitics is revisited in this article, but remains a critical analytic in relation to body counts and other casualties in war zones.


Workplaces and educational institutions merely represent different instances of social practices in which learning occurs through participation. Learning in both kinds of social practice can be understood through a consideration of their respective participatory practices. Therefore, to distinguish between the two … [so that] one is formalised and the other informal … is not helpful (Billett, 2002, p57).

The Presence of Informal as well as Formal Learning in Educational Institutions
Despite Billett's view, it has become commonplace in Western, industrialised societies to think of formal and informal learning as inherently different from each other. Thus, formal learning is planned, teacher-dominated, assessed and takes place in educational institutions, where learning is the prime official objective of activity. Informal learning, on the other hand, is unplanned, incidental, unassessed and uncontrolled by a teacher, and takes place in everyday life, where learning is not the primary purpose of the activities that we engage in. Thus, the argument has gone, we learn informally through participating in everyday life – in the family, the local community, in the workplace and at leisure. On occasions, we learn formally, if and when we attend courses at schools, colleges or university.

The origins of this division are not only theoretical: particular meanings of formal and informal learning have historically been associated with the interests and practices of different social and political groupings (Colley et al, 2003). Most recently, political attention has been focused on this debate by European lifelong learning strategies (European Commission, 2001). These have introduced a third category of 'non-formal' learning (a term intended to convey a combination of formal and informal characteristics), associated mainly with the workplace. A key policy goal is that non-formal learning should be clearly identified to allow formal assessment and accreditation, supposedly in the interests of both individual workers and economic competitiveness. This strategy has created controversy not only about its feasibility but also about whose interests it is likely to benefit most. At the same time, it reinforces the notion that there are separate types of learning, and that a prime task for research is to delineate clear boundaries between them.


This paper was presented at a symposium, hosted by the Florida International University Law Review during March 2011 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act. Dean R. Alexander Acosta, himself a former Board member, tasked the panelists not only with predicting the Board's future but also with commenting on the extent to which the Board's fate is simply to wither away. I chose to demonstrate that the Board and the NLRA are not simply withering away but have been repressed by all three branches of government. I chose to demonstrate that proposition through an historical account of the changing definition of the statutory term, "employee." That account reveals what I call, the vanishing employee.The NLRA's definition of employee is significant because it is the gateway to all worker protection under Section 7, which includes the fundamental rights to self-organize, bargain collectively, and band together for mutual aid or protection. Although the Supreme Court has characterized that statutory definition as "striking[ly]" broad, all three branches of government have worked together to narrow that definition and, in doing so, narrow the gate through which meaningful opportunity for free association resides.This paper examines that statutory definition with reference to (1) the plain language, (2) the legislative history, (3) congressional amendment, (4) Supreme Court interpretation, and (5) administrative interpretation. I begin with a deconstruction of the statutory term employee and show that there is an affirmative definition and a negative definition. Building on the work of labor law theorists such as Marion Crain, Ellen Dannin, Matthew Finkin, Harry Hutchinson, Risa Lieberwitz, Ken Matheny, Marley Weiss, among others, I show that, although the plain language of the affirmative part of the definition does in fact broadly include "any employee" and expressly "shall not be limited to the employees of a particular employer," that definition has been narrowed by all three branches of government. First, Congress added two important exemptions to the definition – independent contractors and supervisors. Second, the Bush II Board, based in part on recent Supreme Court precedent, has interpreted those exemptions, especially the supervisory exemption, in a way that punches a gaping hole in an otherwise broad definition. Third, notwithstanding court precedent, the Bush II Board more recently attacked the affirmative definition of employee by removing wholesale classes of employees from the statutory definition, merely because, in its view, those workers did not have "the economic relationship contemplated and protected by the Act."I end by arguing in favor of congressional amendment, in particular, by eliminating the supervisory and independent contractor exemptions. In my view, eliminating these exemptions is the best way to maximize worker autonomy and dignity. Recognizing that congressional amendment is unlikely, I describe several other more modest changes that could protect more workers. For example, administrative and court interpretation of the NLRA in light of its purpose – to promote "the practice and procedure of collective bargaining" – would go a long way toward eradicating some of these problems. I also touch upon the experience of Canada to briefly consider whether distinguishing between independent and dependent contractors might broaden the definition of employee by narrowing those who are currently exempted as independent contractors. I conclude by arguing that the best chance for revitalizing workplace participation will be to ensure organization rights to those who meet the statutory definition through the internet and other social networking activities.


Stuck at home, and looking for popular fiction, non-fiction, and/or graphic novels to read? Then this is the guide for you!


Small antennas satisfying bandwidth requirements in wideband, broadband and multichannel communication systems are of wide interest among researchers. This paper investigates the resonant behaviour of proximity coupled circular fractal planar monopole against circular fractal planar monopole without proximity coupling. The antennas are fed using microstripline and coplanar waveguide technique. These antennas are designed and printed on low cost FR4 substrate ( height h=1.56mm and εr =4.3) of size 110 mm by 115 mm with circular patch radius of 40 mm. The planar fractal monopole shows multiband characteristics under different configurations of feed. The monopole can be used for various compact applications in 482 MHz to 4 GHz band.


E mpowerment   of women through Ages an Analysis is a much debated topic in the contemporary society.  The concept of women empowerment throughout the world has its roots in women's movement. Today the world has gone far ahead in its material progress. Inventions have become popularized, communities have become stabilized and people have become sophisticated. We, the citizen of the new millennium are destined to tune with the new wave of developments happening in the entire world now. It is the apt time to analyze the world from different angles. One of the chief dimensions or angles is to study the role and position and power enjoyed by women through Ages in its true perspective. This study is hypothesized that since women in India are empowered they could  participates in all activities such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science, technology and the like. In the midst, our society is still largely male dominated and most women do not have real freedom in their spheres of life. At the same time this study signifies two things. One is that that a cultural struggle is needed to sweep away the feudal and medieval mentality from which such a situation stem. The other one is the commendable role and power possessed by women through ages and their contributions to the entire society in the changed scenario.  More over this article intends to give an awareness and insight into the problems faced by women over years and their role and position from different angles. After all empowerment of women will lead to a world where women and men ensure that resources are utilized not just equitably, but sanely and safely.


We describe an experimental setup, which measures transient chemical changes of photoexcited solutes in disordered systems via time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) with picosecond temporal resolution. The setup combines a femtosecond amplified laser with picosecond x-ray pulses at beamline 5.3.1 at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, USA. New results on time-resolved XAS used for probing both the electronic and the geometric modifications of a photoexcited tris-(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium (II), [RuII(bpy)3]2+ in water solution are presented.


The mineralogy and textures of sedimentary carbonate rocks suggest two stages of diagenesis. The stabilization of skeletal fragments from aragonite, high magnesian calcite and calcite, to calcite is the first stage and generally pre-compactive grain fracture. The formation of cements and consequent reduction in porosity is the second stage and is generally post compactive grain fracture. Both stages involve reaction and equilibration with pore waters. Stable isotopes and trace element ratios indicate compositional variations between rain water and marine brines for these fluids. The role of organic reactions and clay minerals is important. Pressure solution may occur at any stage and varies from grain to grain to through rock stylolites.


Aim: The Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) opened in Kings Cross in May 2001. This paper examines whether there have been: (i) increases in the volume of robbery, theft and illicit drug offences in Kings Cross Local Area Command (LAC) up until December 2012 or; (ii) increases in the percentage of Kings Cross illicit drug offences occurring in the immediate vicinity of the MSIC. Method: The volume of crime was indicated by the number of criminal incidents of robbery, theft and specific illicit drug offences recorded by NSW police between January 1999 and December 2012. We measured trends in these offences in Kings Cross LAC from May 2001 (after the MSIC was opened) to December 2012 and compared them to trends in the rest of Sydney. Spatial analyses were used to determine whether incidents of possess/deal cocaine, narcotics or amphetamines were concentrated around the MSIC. Results: With a few minor exceptions there has been a decline in the incidence of robbery and theft incidents in Kings Cross LAC since the MSIC opened. This is consistent with what occurred in the rest of Sydney. The trend in possess/deal cocaine, narcotics or amphetamines was relatively stable from May 2001 through December 2008 but then increased from January 2009 in both Kings Cross LAC and the rest of Sydney. There has been no noticeable trend in the percentage of illicit drug offences which occurred within 50 metres of the MSIC. Conclusion: The trends in property crime incidents and illicit drug crime incidents were the same in Kings Cross LAC and the rest of Sydney after the opening of the MSIC.


Objective The primary objective was to assess the effect of MVC intensification on latently infected CD4+ T cells in chronically HIV-1-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Methods We performed an open-label pilot phase II clinical trial involving chronically HIV-1-infected patients receiving stable antiretroviral therapy whose regimen was intensified with 48 weeks of maraviroc therapy. We analyzed the latent reservoir, the residual viremia and episomal 2LTR DNA to examine the relationship between these measures and the HIV-1 latent reservoir, immune activation, lymphocyte subsets (including effector and central memory T cells), and markers associated with bacterial translocation. Results Overall a non significant reduction in the size of the latent reservoir was found (p = 0.068). A mean reduction of 1.82 IUPM was observed in 4 patients with detectable latent reservoir at baseline after 48 weeks of intensification. No effect on plasma residual viremia was observed. Unexpectedly, all the patients had detectable 2LTR DNA circles at week 24, while none of them showed those circles at the end of the study. No changes were detected in CD4+ or CD8+ counts, although a significant decrease was found in the proportion of HLA-DR+/CD38+ CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. LPS and sCD14 levels increased. Conclusions Intensification with MVC was associated with a trend to a decrease in the size of the latent HIV-1 reservoir in memory T cells. No impact on residual viremia was detected. Additional studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00795444


In this study, we propose a new detection method of nanoparticle-enhanced human papillomavirus genotyping microarrays using a DVD optical pick-up with a photodiode. The HPV genotyping DNA chip was labeled using Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles, prepared on a treatment glass substrate. Then, the bio information of the HPV genotyping target DNA was detected by measuring the difference of the optical signals between the DNA spots and the background parts for cervical cancer diagnosis. Moreover the approximate linear relationship between the concentration of the HPV genotyping target DNA and the optical signal depending on the density of Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles was obtained by performing a spot finding algorithm. It is shown that the nanoparticle-labeled HPV genotyping target DNA can be measured and quantified by collecting the low-cost photodiode signal on the treatment glass chip, replacing high-cost fluorescence microarray scanners using a photomultiplier tube.


The Bouverie album, held in the photography collection at George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film is a hand-embellished photographic collage album from the late Victorian period. The volume contains over 200 albumen prints (mainly form un-mounted cartes-de-visite) that have been trimmed from their backgrounds and mounted into elaborate and fanciful scenes. Family members and friends star in comical tennis matches and tours of ruins and trimmed portraits are suspended from plants like fruit or surrounded by bouquets of highly detailed flowers. The time that was invested into the creation this object is incredible and the skill and attention to detail make it a rare and valuable object, to both photographic and cultural historians. This thesis explores the hand-embellished photograph album as its own genre, studying its influences, precursors and role within Victorian society. The album also offers clues to the role of women, evidence of the concept of florigraphy and, as many family photograph albums do, offers an interesting look at family roles. The following paper considers each one of these elements, and examines the album in comparison to other types of photo albums and personal books such as commonplace and scrapbooks. The similarities and differences between this genre of album and its precursors, and the peculiarities of this one in particular are discussed. I also closely examined several of the scenes, unpacking some of the historical and cultural information held within. This thesis demonstrates the historical importance of objects such as this one. The mixed media used means they require careful handling and preservation techniques particular to their structure in order to ensure that they will be available to future researchers. The final chapter of this thesis makes storage and handling suggestions in order to ensure the preservation of objects such as this one, including a discussion of surrogates and a description of an album housing (a modified clam shell box) that reduces the amount of handling the object receives.


We examine the effects of the short-selling ban, imposed by Australian regulators in the wake of the global financial crisis, on the trading of financial stocks. Our findings argue against commonly stated reasons for imposing short-sale bans. We find no evidence that short-sale restrictions provide support for stock prices or that they reduce volatility. Moreover, stocks subject to the short-selling ban suffered a severe degradation in market quality. Controlling for the adverse effects of the financial crisis on markets, we show that short-selling restrictions increase intraday volatility, reduce trading activity and increase bid–ask spreads.


Motivated by the importance of education in an individual's and a society's development, researchers have been exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the domain and have come up with myriad potential applications. This paper pays particular attention to this issue by highlighting the future scope and market opportunities for AI in education, the existing tools and applications deployed in several applications of AI in education, research trends, current limitations and pitfalls of AI in education. In particular, the paper reviews the various applications of AI in education including student grading and evaluations, students' retention and drop out prediction, sentiment analysis, intelligent tutoring, classrooms' monitoring and recommendation systems. The paper also provides a detailed bibliometric analysis to highlight the research trends in the domain over six years (2014--2019). For this study, we analyze research publications in various related sub-domains such as learning analytics, educational data mining (EDM), and big data in education. The paper analyzes educational applications from different perspectives. On the one hand, it provides a detailed description of the tools and platforms developed as the outcome of the research work achieved in these applications. On the other side, it identifies the potential challenges, current limitations and hints for further improvement. We also provide important insights into the use and pitfalls of AI in education. We believe such rigorous analysis will provide a baseline for future research in the domain.


In the financial sector, cryptographic algorithms are used as fundamental techniques for assuring confidentiality and integrity of data used in financial transactions and for authenticating entities involved in the transactions. Currently, the most widely used algorithms appear to be two-key triple DES and RC4 for symmetric ciphers, RSA with a 1024-bit key for an asymmetric cipher and a digital signature, and SHA-1 for a hash function according to international standards and guidelines related to the financial transactions. However, according to academic papers and reports regarding the security evaluation for such algorithms, it is difficult to ensure enough security by using the algorithms for a long time period, such as 10 or 15 years, due to advances in cryptanalysis techniques, improvement of computing power, and so on. To enhance the transition to more secure ones, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States describes in various guidelines that NIST will no longer approve two-key triple DES, RSA with a 1024-bit key, and SHA-1 as the algorithms suitable for IT systems of the U.S. Federal Government after 2010. It is an important issue how to advance the transition of the algorithms in the financial sector. This paper refers to issues regarding the transition as Year 2010 issues in cryptographic algorithms. To successfully complete the transition by 2010, the deadline set by NIST, it is necessary for financial institutions to begin discussing the issues at the earliest possible date. This paper summarizes security evaluation results of the current algorithms, and describes Year 2010 issues, their impact on the financial industry, and the transition plan announced by NIST. This paper also shows several points to be discussed when dealing with Year 2010 issues.