To survive and reproduce, a cell must process information from its environment and its own internal state and respond accordingly, in terms of metabolic activity, gene expression, movement, growth, division and differentiation. These signal–response decisions are made by complex networks of interacting genes and proteins, which function as biochemical switches and clocks, and other recognizable information-processing circuitry. This theme issue of Interface Focus (in two parts) brings together articles on time-keeping and decision-making in living cells—work that uses precise mathematical modelling of underlying molecular regulatory networks to understand important features of cell physiology. Part I focuses on time-keeping: mechanisms and dynamics of biological oscillators and modes of synchronization and entrainment of oscillators, with special attention to circadian clocks.


Effective implementation of new information systems (IS) is a central concern of practitioners today. Research on IS innovation and implementation success factors has been considerable, however mixed and often conflicting results characterise the state of our knowledge. This paper reviews the literature concerned with IS innovation implementation to identify major concepts and key issues requiring attention. Three inter-related concepts are identified in the literature complexity, uncertainty and knowledge dynamics that have not been considered as interacting processes in any previous work identified. An interactive process model relating these three concepts is proposed to address this gap, and in doing so provides a way for the implementation process for IS innovation to be better understood.


As sensors are energy constrained devices, one challenge in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is to guarantee coverage and meanwhile maximize network lifetime. In this paper, we leverage prediction to solve this challenging problem, by exploiting temporal-spatial correlations among sensory data. The basic idea lies in that a sensor node can be turned off safely when its sensory information can be inferred through some prediction methods, like Bayesian inference. We adopt the concept of entropy in information theory to evaluate the information uncertainty about the region of interest (RoI). We formulate the problem as a minimum weight submodular set cover problem, which is known to be NP hard. To address this problem, an efficient centralized truncated greedy algorithm (TGA) is proposed. We prove the performance guarantee of TGA in terms of the ratio of aggregate weight obtained by TGA to that by the optimal algorithm. Considering the decentralization nature of WSNs, we further present a distributed version of TGA, denoted as DTGA, which can obtain the same solution as TGA. The implementation issues such as network connectivity and communication cost are extensively discussed. We perform real data experiments as well as simulations to demonstrate the advantage of DTGA over the only existing competing algorithm [1] and the impacts of different parameters associated with data correlations on the network lifetime.


A major goal in ecology is to unravel how species assemblages emerge and how they are structured across the landscape. Host-parasite systems are particularly interesting in this context, as limited host dispersal may promote the differentiation of parasite communities. We examined whether the patterns of species diversity in Cichlidogyrus, a genus of monogenean parasitic flatworms with a direct life cycle, are consistent with the hypothesis that parasite diversity is driven by host dispersal. This was carried out by comparing two sympatric cichlid hosts (Tropheus moorii and Simochromis diagramma) with contrasting dispersal abilities. Genetic connectivity among host populations along the Zambian shoreline of Lake Tanganyika was estimated using microsatellite genotyping. Cichlidogyrus parasites were isolated and identified morphologically to the species level.Simochromis diagramma, a host with a high dispersal capacity, was infected by a low number of Cichlidogyrus species, and the parasite assemblages were similar among host populations. In contrast, T.moorii, a host with a low dispersal capacity, was infected by a large number of Cichlidogyrus species, and the parasite assemblages differed strongly among host populations. These outcomes were thus as expected from the hypothesis. Because of the strong host specificity of these Cichlidogyrus species, a lack of connectivity among host populations might facilitate allopatric speciation of the parasite.


Neuroscience is entering the era of 'extreme data' with little experience and few plans for the associated volume, velocity, variety, and veracity challenges. This is a serious impediment for both the sharing of data across labs, as well as the utilization of modern and high-performance computing capabilities to enable data driven discovery. Here, we introduce BRAINformat, a novel file format and model for management and storage of neuroscience data. The BRAINformat library defines application-independent design concepts and modules that together create a general framework for standardization of scientific data. We describe the formal specification of scientific data standards, which facilitates sharing and verification of data and formats. We introduce the concept of Managed Objects, enabling semantic components of data formats to be specified as self-contained units, supporting modular and reusable design of data format components and file storage. The BRAINformat is built off of HDF5, enabling portable, scalable, and self-describing data storage. We introduce the novel concept of Relationship Attributes for modeling and use of semantic relationships between data objects, and discuss the annotation of data using dedicated data annotation modules provided by the BRAINformat library. Based on these concepts we implement dedicated, application-oriented modules and design a data standard for neuroscience data. The BRAINformat software library is open source, easy-to-use, and provides detailed user and developer documentation and is freely available at: https://bitbucket.org/oruebel/brainformat.


Abstract : We study the issue of designing a downlink scheduling policy for a cellular network with base station antenna arrays. We derive an optimal scheduling policy that achieves the throughput region which is a set of feasible arrival rate vectors that can be stabilized by some scheduling policy. Then based on the structure of the derived optimal policy whose complexity increases exponentially with the number of users in the system, we propose two heuristic scheduling algorithms with much lower complexity. We demonstrate that our proposed algorithms perform much better than other heuristic algorithms that do not take into consideration the physical layer constraints and/or queue lengths in the sense that they have a larger throughput region than other heuristic algorithms.


By aminothermal treatment of ternary CsxHgySez phases, or of Cs2Se with HgSO4, respectively, in 1,2-diaminoethane (en) and en/water mixtures at 150 °C, four new cesium selenido mercurate compounds Cs2[HgSe2] (1), [Cs2(H2O)2][HgSe2] (2), Cs[Cs3(H2O)0.5][HgSe2](Se2) (3) and Cs19(Hen)(H2en)(Se2)[HgSe2]2[HgSe3][Hg2Se5]2 (4) were synthesized. The precursor phases were prepared by fusion of Cs2Se and HgSe at 600 °C. 2 comprises an unprecedented 1D anionic selenido mercurate substructure. 3 and 4 are rare examples of mercurate compounds with different anions, one of which comprises a new type of a dinuclear chalcogenido mercurate anion. The structures of all four compounds were identified by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-XFS) was used to confirm the heavy atom compositions, and optical absorption measurements were performed to determine the optical band gaps.


While recognizing the importance of a statute of limitations, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15 acts as a counterbalance to such statutes by allowing a plaintiff to freely amend a complaint to assert additional claims, or to name new or additional parties, and have those amendments relate back to a complaint filed within the statute of limitations even though that statute has run. There have been interpretive problems, particularly with the language of Rule 15 (c)(1)(C)(ii). These problems arise when the "amendment changes the party or the naming of the party" after the statutory period and the conditions of Rule 15(c)(1)(C) are applied. Courts have often been very cautious in interpreting the rule because of a reluctance to see a person drawn into litigation after the statute of limitations has run out. The text of the rule addresses this problem by allowing such relation back only when the claim is sufficiently related to the original pleading and the defendant "received such notice of the action so that it [would] not be prejudiced in defending on the merits and knew or should have known that the action would have been brought against it, but for a mistake concerning the proper party's identity." This Article focuses on the phrase "knew or should have known ... but for a mistake concerning the proper party's identity," as set out in Rule 15(c)(1)(C)(ii). It examines how differing interpretations of that phrase by courts of appeals have affected the application of the rule in four related but somewhat different situations, which has led to the Supreme Court taking up the issue. This Article begins by examining the text and purpose of the rule. It then analyzes the cases that show the competing views as to the meaning of Rule 15(c)(1)(C)(ii) and evaluates these views in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Krupski v. Costa Crociere S.p.A., in which the Court sought "to resolve tension among the Circuits over the breadth of Rule 15(c)(1)(C)(ii)."


This article explores the early collaborations of John Cage and Merce Cunningham, in which music and dance were united structurally and in expressive intent. Drawing on unexamined archival materials, I begin by highlighting the thematic content of the earliest Cage-Cunningham collaborations, Credo in Us (1942) and Four Walls (1944), of Cunningham9s (rather than Martha Graham9s) choreography for the Revivalist9s solo in Appalachian Spring (1944), and of Cage9s The Perilous Night (1943–44), premiered at the couple9s debut concert. These works all portray a conflict between sexual desire and social conformity through marriage, a theme of pressing import as Cage left his wife to become Cunningham9s partner. I then elucidate the programmatic nature of the first and last works that Cunningham choreographed to the music of Satie, Idyllic Song (1944) and Second Hand (1970), both of which use Cage9s arrangements for piano of Satie9s Socrate . Placing Cunningham9s personal choreographic notes in dialogue with my own observation of rehearsals and performances, I suggest that Second Hand dramatizes not only the Socratic texts set in Satie9s score but also the couple9s relationship and their earlier dependence on and subsequent rejection of personal expression, a rejection that heightened their status within the postwar avant-garde. Instead of dismissing the collaborations of the 1940s as "early" or "anomalous," I suggest that they are fundamental to understanding how Cage and Cunningham9s relationship prior to their de facto marriage led to one of the most productive divorces in the history of artistic collaboration.


Currently, traffic congestions are common events in road networks of main cities in developing countries. It has been observed that, the size of congestion increases year after year. For traffic congestion management to work efficiently, sufficiently and accurately information are needed. In this research we present an alternative method using agent technology to collect and manipulate data so as to be used in optimizing the vehicle flow within the road networks. The objective is to design an agent based system to provide sufficient and accurate information used in traffic flow management, and vehicle traffic congestion mitigation. The implementation approach is presented. The case study is a portion of the road network from the city of Dar es Salaam.


The development of a biological inventory is a common tool in biodiversity and conservation studies. There is some information related to a biological inventory in Puerto Rico compiled from academic journals and regulatory agencies; however, there is no document that contains all the information. Accordingly, we reviewed literature and documents regarding introduced insects over a period of 35 years, from 1980 to 2015; however, there is still data to be collected and corroborated. For each species, we describe the classification, distribution by hosts, taxa and detection date. Included as introduced species are insects detected on the island, whether introduced deliberately, accidentally or by natural phenomena. Official sources of information were used to complement the data from our inventory. The fundamental purpose of the study is to establish the presence of species of the insect fauna listed by state and federal agencies, and to describe, in an integral way, the composition of biotic elements. Among the most relevant data found is the fact that most of the introduced insect species are from the orders Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. The order Hemiptera was the most prevalent in this study, with 12 families represented. Another significant finding is that the largest number of insect species was introduced into the island in the years 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.


NADPH oxidation and cytochrome c reduction with and without lucigenin as well as NAD(P)H/lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence of rat liver microsomes were studied. An increased rate of NADPH oxidation and cytochrome c reduction in the presence of lucigenin was related to one-electron lucigenin reduction by microsomal NADPH reductases. The apparent Michaelis constant values for lucigenin (Km appLuc) were 3.6 and 5.0 microM in normoxygenic (pO2 = 150 +/- 5 mm Hg) and 8.7 and 8.3 microM in hypoxygenic (pO2 = 45 +/- 4 mm Hg) media in the reactions of lucigenin-dependent NADPH oxidation and cytochrome c reduction, respectively. The maximal level of NADPH/lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence was registered at lucigenin concentration close to the mean K Luc/m app in the lucigenin-reductase reaction. Increasing the lucigenin concentration from 5 to 100 microM was associated with a decrease in the chemiluminescence intensity; this could be due to the inactivation of cytochrome P450. In the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the rate of lucigenin-dependent cytochrome c reduction and NADPH/lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence were decreased by 10 and 30%, respectively. The addition of lucigenin to microsomes which contain the reduced hemoprotein--CO complex was followed by the disappearance of the differential absorption spectrum specific for the carboxy complex and by increase in chemiluminescence intensity versus the control (without carboxy complex). Thus, lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence of microsomes may be due to some enzymes including lucigenin reductase (NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase), generation of O2-. in the redox cycle of lucigenin radicals, dioxetane formation by (di)oxygenases, and catalytic action of the cytochrome P450 heme on dioxetane decomposition followed by light quantum emission. Thus, lucigenin cannot be used to measure the basal O2-. formation in tissue homogenates with high levels of NAD(P)H-oxidoreductases.


Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is the major disease constraint on international trade in livestock and their products. In the state of West Bengal, India, 1,082 FMD outbreaks were reported in the 18 years from 1985 to 2002. Of the prevalent four serotypes, O type FMD virus accounted for the most outbreaks (67%), followed by Asia-1 virus type (15%) and A virus type (14%). Outbreaks of the type C FMD virus were least prevalent (4%), and no cases have been recorded since 1996. The study shows clearly that incidences were highest during the winter months and in the alluvial agro-climatic zones. The distribution and density of the FMD-susceptible population in different districts of the state also played major role in disease incidences. Due to the unrestricted movements of animals among different cattle markets, the disease was transmitted either by direct contact or by aerosols from infected to healthy animals. Cattle suffered most from the disease, accounting for about 95% of the cases. The monitoring of the disease documented in this study provides information about the endemicity of the disease that can help to formulate an effective strategy for an FMD control programme.


1. The effect of chronic inhibition of angiotensin II formation was investigated in four groups of hypertensive rats. Benign hypertension was produced by placing a 0·25 mm-diameter silver clip on the renal artery; a 0·20 mm clip was used to create malignant hypertension. A two-kidney model had a clip plus intact contralateral kidney and a one-kidney model had a clip plus contralateral nephrectomy. Benign and malignant groups were prepared in both the one-kidney and two-kidney variations. Converting enzyme inhibitor (SQ 14.225) was given to these four groups for 1 week in drinking water and average intake ranged from 33 to 77 mg/day. 2. The two malignant groups had the highest plasma renin activities and they showed a precipitous fall in arterial pressure in the first 24 h of inhibition of angiotensin formation. All groups showed an additional slow decline in pressure during the remaining 6 days of inhibition. Changes in heart rate and sodium excretion were variable but, in general, heart rate decreased during inhibition. 3. Arterial pressure did not become normal with inhibition in either of the one-kidney models: decreases to 126 and 132 mmHg were observed in the benign and malignant groups respectively. Three of the malignant one-kidney animals became uraemic with inhibition and one died before inhibition was discontinued. 4. Arterial pressure was reduced to normal pressure (95 mmHg) after 1 week of inhibition in both the benign and malignant two-kidney models. 5. It appears that normal pressure was restored in the two-kidney model but not in the one-kidney model because of the presence of the intact contralateral kidney. The physiological basis for this difference is not known but changes in renal excretory function may be involved.


This paper describes a realistic computer simulation of airborne hurricane surveillance using the recently developed microwave remote sensor, the hurricane imaging radiometer (HIRAD). An end-to-end simulation is described of HIRAD wind speed and rain rate measurements during two hurricanes while flying on a high-altitude aircraft. This simulation addresses the particular challenge which is accurate hurricane wind speed measurements in the presence of intense rain rates. The objective of this research is to develop baseline retrieval algorithms and provide a wind speed measurement accuracy assessment for future hurricane flights including the NASA GRIP hurricane field program that was conducted in summer of 2010. Examples of retrieved hurricane wind speed and rain rate images are presented, and comparisons of the retrieved parameters with two different numerical hurricane models data are made. Special emphasis is provided on the wind speed measurement error, and statistical results are presented over a broad range of wind and rain conditions over the full measurement swath (earth incidence angle).


Americans from every demographic, socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic category identify themselves as concerned about the environment, and most say that they have personally taken steps to reduce pollution or improve environmental quality in some way.' One of the most salient cultural and social signatures of the contemporary era in the United States, and throughout much of the world, has been the diffusion of a desire to protect, preserve, and restore features of the natural environment to a greater degree than current practices and policies do.' These environmental concerns are not only widely shared, they have been extended to become a wide policy agenda. No longer confined to preserving national parks or eliminating the most noxious forms of smog and the most obvious kinds of water pollution, the environmental agenda has expanded to embrace the preservation of open spaces, critical habitats, wetlands, tropical rain forests, and other natural areas; the reduction of all forms of harmful pollution and emissions; and the reformation of personal habits of consumption and corporate practices of production that underlie the supply and demand of products that directly or indirectly harm the environment. Environmental implications are everywhere and they have seeped into everyone's consciousness. The first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, is a convenient marker for the launch of the Environmental Era, in which this pro-environment attitude gained a political critical mass, producing an impressive set of


Redistributive systems in Africa are still in their infancy but are constantly expanding in order to finance increasing public spending. This paper aims at characterizing the redistributive potential of six African countries: Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa. These countries show contrasted situations in terms of income distribution. We assess the role of tax-benefit systems to explain these differences. Using newly developed tax-benefit microsimulations for all six countries, we produce counterfactual simulations whereby the system of the most (least) redistributive country is applied to the population of all other countries. In this way, we can decompose the total country difference in income distribution between the contribution of tax-benefit policies versus the contribution of other factors (market income distributions, demographics, etc.). This analysis contributes to the recent literature on the redistributive role of socio-fiscal policies in developing countries and highlights the role of microsimulation techniques to characterize how different African countries can learn from each other to improve social protection and reduce inequality.


Ghana's new status as an oil-producing country has invigorated the scholarly debate on the resource curse theory, which assumes that countries with vast natural resource wealth like oil, diamond and gold are likely to experience slow economic growth and development as compared to countries with scarce natural resources. Although the development literature is well endowed with cases of countries with huge natural resources that have experienced slow economic growth, the literature is also clear on few other countries with enormous natural resources that continue to experience high economic growth due to strong political institutions and democratic practices. Norway and Botswana are two good examples. This paper employs the resource curse theory to examine the central research question of whether Ghana's democratic institutions and governance practices can help the country escape the resource curse. While Ghana's democratic institutions appear to provide a solid foundation for its new oil wealth, this paper argues that Ghana can only escape the resource curse if oil sector governance practices are accorded the same or higher attention as democratic governance practices. Clearly, the central argument by the authors to shift the debate toward oil sector governance is particularly important to the ongoing discourse on Ghana's oil wealth.


The aim of the paper is to specify the items that effect the importance of organic tourism both for human life and sustainable tourism destinations. The fundamental point of the study is to focus on organic farming both as a tool for welfare of the destinations and their importance and potential for the upcoming future of healthy generations using the data collected from segments of the society such as administrators, non-governmental organization members and farmers. The study is also based on an extensive secondary research analyzing the diverse iterature regarding the organic/ecological/sustainable/destination tourism. The results are supplemented by semi- tructured interviews. To date, many people have been interested in visiting villages and having an experience in living farms. This tourism activity is combined with facilities to create potent economic force to small villages. Besides, consuming organic food is one of the most important attitudes to live healthier and longer by being or working in the farms or villages as a visitor which creates a new era in tourism named as organic tourism. Organic tourism primarily targets tourists, tours organized for the purpose of health, relaxation activities, agriculture ducation, culture and gastronomy. The research offers a practical help for farmers, local governors, local people (especially villagers), tour operators and visitors fleeing from the intensity of city life in the light of the findings.


OBJECTIVES As part of a consultancy project on occupational health, the Delphi method was used to identify research priorities in occupational health in Malaysia. METHODS Participation was sought from government ministries, industry, and professional organisations, and university departments with an interest in occupational and public health. Two rounds of questionnaires resulted in a final list of priorities, with noticeable differences between participants depending on whether they worked in industry or were from government organisations. RESULTS The participation rate of 71% (55 of 78) was obtained for the first questionnaire and 76% (72 of 95) for the second questionnaire. The participants identified occupational health problems for specific groups and industries as the top research priority area (ranked as top priority by 25% of participants). Ministry of Health participants placed emphasis on healthcare workers (52% ranking it as top priority), whereas those from industry identified construction and plantation workers as groups, which should be accorded the highest priority. Evaluation of research and services was given a low priority. CONCLUSIONS The priorities for occupational health determined with the Delphi approach showed differences between Malaysia, a developing country, and findings from similar European studies. This may be expected, as differences exist in stages of economic development, types of industries, occupational activities, and cultural attitudes to occupational health and safety. Chemical poisonings and workplace accidents were accorded a high priority. By contrast with findings from western countries, workplace psychosocial problems and musculoskeletal injuries were deemed less important. There also seemed to be greater emphasis on adopting interventions for identified problems based on experience in other countries rather than the need to evaluate local occupational health provisions.


Cellular development requires the silencing and activation of specific gene sequences in a well-orchestrated fashion. Transcriptional gene silencing is associated with the clustered methylation of cytosine bases (C) in CpG units of promoters. The methylation occurs at position C5 of cytosine to give 5methylcytosine (mC) with the help of special DNA methyltransferases (DNMT). [1] The DNA methylome is significantly reprogrammed at various stages during early development, [2] during the development of primordial germ cells, [2c, 3] or later in a locus-specific way at postdevelopmental stages. [4] Decreasing levels of mC can be established passively by successive rounds of DNA replication in the absence of methyltransferases. Active demethylation, in contrast, is proposed to be a process in which the mC bases are directly converted back into unmodified cytosines in the genome. [5] The recent discovery that mC can be further oxidized to hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) with the help of TET enzymes [6] has led to the idea that hmC is connected to epigenetic reprogramming, [7] maybe as an intermediate in an, as yet controversial, active demethylation process. [4, 5, 8] Indeed recent data suggest that active demethylation in postdevelopmental phases may proceed through deamination of hmC to give 5-hydroxymethyluridine (hmU), which is then removed from the genome with the help of the base excision repair (BER) system. [9] Chemically, an attractive alternative mechanism for a more global active demethylation could be envisioned through further oxidation of hmC to give either 5formylcytosine (fC) or 5-carboxylcytosine (caC) followed by elimination of a formyl or carboxyl group, respectively


Both community activism and anthropological research affect local communities materially, whether this research is conducted by 'ac tivists' or 'objectivists'. It is ethically and methodologically important that these activisms be recognized and built into the subject of the research. Aboriginal rights litigation entails both explicit and implicit activism by all concerned, although few admit as much. In this light, some of the effects of such activism on a local community engaged in aboriginal rights litigation in Canada are discussed in the form of a dia logue between an anthropologist and a community activist who is now working in aboriginal law.


The ArbuckleSimp son aquifer in southcentral Oklahoma consists of a thick sequence of folded and faulted carbonate and clastic rocks of Upper Cambrian to Middle Ordovician age. Fractures and karst features locally increase the aquifer's capacity to transmit and store ground water. The aquifer is a principal source of water for municipal and rural users. A hydrologic study was conducted to evaluate the effects of municipal ground-water withdrawal from the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer on local ground-water levels and discharge from nearby springs and streams in south-central Pontotoc County. A municipal well was pumped for 63 hours at an average rate of 1,170 gallons per minute. A maximum observed drawdown of 0.3 feet was recorded half a mile from the pumping well. Drawdown was observed as far as 1.2 miles from the pumping well. No measurable response was observed at any of the surface-water-discharge measurement sites; however, recharge from precipitation may have masked any decreases in discharge caused by the pumping. Simultaneous pumping of two municipal wells for 241 hours at average rates of 1,170 and 2,730 gallons per minute resulted in a maximum observed drawdown of 1.3 feet recorded at an average distance of 0.80 miles from the pumping wells. The most distant drawdown observed was at an average distance of 1.1 miles from the pumped wells. Less than 2 days after pumping stopped, increases in springflow were recorded at two springs; it is unknown whether these discharge responses reflect the effects of recharge from precipitation, or the combined effects of precipitation and the cessation of ground-water withdrawal. The effects of the stress tests on the hydrologic system were offset by recharge from concurrent precipitation. The maximum observed drawdown represents about 6 percent of the median natural water-level fluctuation during the study period. The effect of drawdown could become critical during extended periods of low precipitation, if water levels are already near the bottom of domestic wells in the area. However, a comparison of maximum observed drawdown (1.3 ft) with the minimum saturated thickness of fresh ground water (1,500 ft) suggests that municipal pumping had little effect on the amount of ground water stored in the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer in the study area. This evaluation is based on the limited pumping rates and times of the stress tests.


One major issue in mathematics teacher education regards the role of university-level mathematics in teacher knowledge. In the context of a design-based research project, an advanced mathematics teacher education course aimed at strengthening the connections between university-level mathematics and school mathematics was developed. In this paper, I present a case study, conducted within the education course, in which I analyse the characteristics of teacher knowledge produced by five small groups of pre-service teachers in an open-ended problem-based learning task. The results indicate the problem-based learning approach has the potential for enhancing specialised content knowledge such as knowledge of different representations of and applications of mathematical concepts. The results also highlight the challenges in using this approach for enhancing horizon content knowledge such as knowledge about the relationships between mathematical concepts. The findings in this case study suggest that problem-based learning can be used to develop mathematics teacher education, although further research is needed to design instructional practices that enhance pre-service teachers' horizon content knowledge.


In this paper we address the issue of assessing and communicating the joint probabilities implied by density forecasts from multivariate time series models. We focus our attention in three areas. First, we investigate a new method of producing fan charts that better communicates the uncertainty present in forecasts from multivariate time series models. Second, we suggest a new measure for assessing the plausibility of non-central point forecasts. And third, we describe how to use the density forecasts from a multivariate time series model to assess the probability of a set of future events occurring. An additional novelty of this paper is our use of a regime-switching DSGE model with an occasionally binding zero lower bound constraint, estimated on US data, to produce the density forecasts. The tools we offer will allow practitioners to better assess and communicate joint forecast probabilities, a criticism that has been leveled at central bank communications.


Provision of health and social support to people who engage in anti-social or offending behaviour and have intellectual disabilities (ID) remains a challenge to services. Numerous population studies have produced contradictory findings with reviews calling for the development of more fruitful approaches and recommending investigation of the care pathways operating within ID services. This study reports on the pathways through services encountered by adults with offending or anti-social behaviour referred to 15 UK community ID services in 2002. Pathways through services were tracked for 24 months post referral. Referral rates, demographic characteristics, and associations with anti-social or offending behaviour were statistically analysed for 237 cases. Most referrals originated from the local community (66%); a high proportion were female (40.5%). Community services appeared encapsulated, serving adults with offending behaviour over the long term, but predominantly (74%) those already known to local ID services. Implications for services and future research strategies are considered.


Metadiabasic intrusions of the Mount Norris Intrusive Suite occur in faultbounded lithotectonic packages containing Stowe, Moretown, and Cram Hill Formation lithologies in the northern Vermont Rowe-Hawley belt, a proposed Ordovician arc-trench gap above an east-dipping subduction zone. Rocks of the Mount Norris Intrusive Suite are characteristically massive and weakly foliated, have chilled margins, contain xenoliths, and have sharp contacts that both crosscut and are parallel to early structural fabrics in the host metasedimentary rocks. Although the mineral assemblage of the Mount Norris Intrusive Suite is albite 1 actinolite 1 epidote 1 chlorite 1 calcite 1 quartz, intergrowths of albite 1 actinolite are probably pseudomorphs after plagioclase 1 clinopyroxene. The metadiabases are subalkaline, tholeiitic, hypabyssal basalts with preserved ophitic texture. A backarcbasin tectonic setting for the intrusive suite is suggested by its LREE (light rare earth element) enrichment, negative NbTa anomalies, and Ta/Yb vs. Th/Yb trends. Although no direct isotopic age data are available, the intrusions are broadly Ordovician because their contacts are clearly folded by the earliest Acadian (Silurian‐Devonian) folds. Field evidence and geochemical data suggest compelling along-strike correlations with the Coburn Hill Volcanics of northern Vermont and the Bolton Igneous Group of southern Quebec. Isotopic and stratigraphic age constraints for the Bolton Igneous Group bracket these backarc magmas to the 477‐ 458 Ma interval. A tectonic model that begins with east-dipping subduction and progresses to outboard west-dipping subduction after a syncollisional polarity reversal best explains the intrusion of deformed metamorphosed metasedimentary rocks by backarc magmas.


Leptohyphes Eaton is one of the most species-rich American genera in Ephemeroptera, with 45 valid species distributed from south-central USA to Patagonia. Most species are distributed in central and northern Andes. Nymphs are frequent and abundant in mountain streams. We present a parsimony-based morphological phylogeny for the genus. Specific geographic records were studied using Hovenkamp's protocol (barrier biogeography). Leptohyphes was recovered as a monophyletic group. The most ancient disjunction found in Leptohyphes separated Tepui-area from the rest of the Americas. Other interesting vicariant events were found, including the separation of eastern Atlantic mountains (Mata Atlantica) from the Andes; oriental and occidental slopes of the Andes; northern from central Andes; and northern Andes from Central and North America. An ancient tropical South American origin for the genus is supported, with a more recent diversification due to Andean orogeny. Clades and terminals reaching North America include few independent events of more recent range expansions.


In Between Facts and Norms Jurgen Habermas works out the legal and political implications of his Theory of Communicative Action (1981), bringing to fruition the project announced with his publication of The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere in 1962. This new work is a major contribution to recent debates on the rule of law and the possibilities of democracy in postindustrial societies, but it is much more.The introduction by William Rehg succinctly captures the special nature of the work, noting that it offers a sweeping, sociologically informed conceptualization of law and basic rights, a normative account of the rule of law and the constitutional state, an attempt to bridge normative and empirical approaches to democracy, and an account of the social context required for democracy. Finally, the work frames and caps these arguments with a bold proposal for a new paradigm of law that goes beyond the dichotomies that have afflicted modern political theory from its inception and that still underlie current controversies between so- called liberals and civic republicans.The book includes a postscript written in 1994, which restates the argument in light of its initial reception, and two appendixes, which cover key developments that preceded the book. Habermas himself was actively involved in the translation, adapting the text as necessary to make it more accessible to English-speaking readers.


OBJECTIVE--To examine the effects of taking drugs affecting bone metabolism on the risk of hip fracture in women aged over 50 years. DESIGN--Retrospective, population based, case-control study by questionnaire. SETTING--14 centres in six countries in southern Europe. SUBJECTS--2086 women with hip fracture and 3532 control women matched for age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Number of drugs affecting bone metabolism taken and length taken for. RESULTS--Women taking drugs affecting bone metabolism had a significantly decreased risk of hip fracture. After adjustment for differences in other risk factors, the relative risk of hip fractures was 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.31 to 0.85) in women taking oestrogens, 0.75 (0.60 to 0.94) in those taking calcium, and 0.69 (0.51 to 0.92) in those taking calcitonin. The fall in risk was not significant for anabolic steroids (0.6 (0.29 to 1.22)). Neither vitamin D nor fluorides were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of hip fracture. The effect on hip fracture risk increased significantly with increasing duration of exposure (risk ratio 0.8 (0.61 to 1.05) for less than median exposure v 0.66 (0.5 to 0.88) for greater than median exposure). Drugs were equally effective in older and younger women, with the exception of oestrogen. CONCLUSIONS--Oestrogen, calcium, and calcitonins significantly decrease the risk of hip fracture. Short term intervention late in the natural course of osteoporosis may have significant effects on the incidence of hip fracture.


Solid-state disks (SSDs), which are composed of multiple NAND flash chips, are replacing hard disk drives (HDDs) in the mass storage market. The performances of SSDs are increasing due to the exploitation of parallel I/O architectures. However, reliability remains as a critical issue when designing a large-scale flash storage. For both high performance and reliability, Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) storage architecture is essential to flash memory SSD. However, the parity handling overhead for reliable storage is significant. We propose a novel RAID technique for flash memory SSD for reducing the parity updating cost. To reduce the number of write operations for the parity updates, the proposed scheme delays the parity update which must accompany each data write in the original RAID technique. In addition, by exploiting the characteristics of flash memory, the proposed scheme uses the partial parity technique to reduce the number of read operations required to calculate a parity. We evaluated the performance improvements using a RAID-5 SSD simulator. The proposed techniques improved the performance of the RAID-5 SSD by 47 percent and 38 percent on average in comparison to the original RAID-5 technique and the previous delayed parity updating technique, respectively.


A qualitative analysis of the perceived value and impact of social characteristics in managing projects is presented. The analysis is a result of conducting a survey of Organizational Dynamics Graduate Students at the University of Pennsylvania with a Projects, Programs, and Portfolios Concentration. In today's global world projects are an integral component of doing business in a dynamically changing, uncertain, and complex marketplace. An organization's ability to adapt may depend on its ability to communicate and integrate cross-functionally. Much of what has been written about project management addresses knowledge areas and processes. Many organizations use tools, methodologies, and processes that add rigor to the project life cycle. As the discipline grows, the human side of project management must be considered. There is increasing global awareness that social characteristics are an important component to managing projects. Art and science will converge to create a new socially aware manager. Project managers are positioned to be change agents as their organizations experience a metamorphic paradigm shift. Comments Submitted to the Program of Organizational Dynamics in the Graduate Division of the School of Arts and Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania Advisor: Richard M. Bayney This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/od_theses_msod/31 THE PERCEIVED VALUE AND IMPACT OF SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS WHEN MANAGING PROJECTS


Ludwig Museum in Budapest was founded in 1989. Its collection can be divided into two larger groups: one consisting of American and Western European artworks (pop art, photorealism, works by Die Neue Wilden) donated by the founders; the other incorporating works that ended up in the collection as a result of collecting activity starting in the 1990's focusing on the art of former Socialist countries. The newly set collection display makes attempts to present emphatic points not only in well-organised chronological order or along stylistic features, but to examine the characteristics, consonances, differences as well as the artistic-cultural parallels between Western and Eastern art. The collection renders it possible to show up substantive parallelism within the lifeworks of artists with dedicated and critical approach from Western as well as Eastern countries.


Prostate cancer is a life-threatening malignant disease, one the most common cancer types in men and leading cause of death among men because of cancer. Considering the state of the art for the diagnosis of prostate cancer a man overall has to suffer uncomfortable and invasive medical tests, usually in the environment of a hospital or medical clinic, long waiting times for the results of the medical assessment, and, nonetheless still risking the possibility to obtain an uncertain medical outcome. In this case the results of the diagnosis tests do not clearly and certainly indicate the actual existence or absence of cancer. Therefore, the medical test should be repeated and/or further inconvenient tests should be performed increasing the time and financial costs, as well as, the emotional stress for the patient. Meanwhile, reliable, low-cost, and accessible therapeutic compound monitoring systems for individualized healthcare, and especially for treatment of malignant diseases, such as prostate cancer and AIDS are a very important aspect in medical practice. This requirements are even more highlighted for drugs demonstrating very narrow therapeutic window, that is also depicted at low concentrations. Moreover, point-of-care biosensors for therapeutic compounds monitoring bring the treatment to the patient0s bedside, minimizing the interfering factors in medical treatments, providing a flexible and robust cut-of-technology for the monitoring of treatment, with higher efficacy and lower side effects for patients. The realization of novel ultrasensitive nano-bio-sensors for the direct and label-free detection of chemical and biological species, that present high reliability, robustness and the advantage of a quick data acquisition is therefore, the main objective of the thesis. The work presented in this thesis aims to achieve optimum sensing output in both diagnostics and therapeutics fields, for detecting a malignant disease at early stages, and for efficient screening of therapeutic drugs used in chemotherapy, allowing the possibility for continuous monitoring. Silicon nanowires with their unique properties such as the high surface-to-volume ratio and the size comparable to biomolecules, and combined with the specificity of immune-sensing techniques, are natural candidates for the fabrication of nanosensors. Moreover, memristive properties, exhibited by nanofabricated devices coupled with biological processes, introduce innovating solutions to the biosensing filed. In addition, graphene-based nanostructures, only recently suggested in literature, are hereby demonstrated as novel structures in electrochemistry for effective drug monitoring. Finally, complete biosensing platforms are suggested through the design and realization of a printed circuit electronic board for automatized sensing readout, along with the fabrication of a microfluidic circuit for straightforward bio-functionalization and bio-detection procedures. These aspects pave the way for the actual development of point-of-care devices, a significant aspect for treatment in hospitals and bench to bedside applications. New possibilities for multi-panel detection are also presented by the selective functionalization of individual nanodevices on a singe chip. This new aspect shows high potential for Lab-on-a Chip applications and multiplex detection of different biomarkers on the same chip, or for both biomarkers and therapeutic compounds paving the way for theranostics.


Scholars and pundits alike have been
qualifying our times as of "transition and
turbulence", "disorder" and "strategic
unease". Other concepts that recur in
discussions on the present state of the
world are 'uncertainty' and
'unpredictability'. They all seem to point
to a world in flux. Let's see what that
means.


Abstract We explore the experiences of youth who disconnected from their local high schools and resumed their educations in community-based education (CBE) programs offering high school equivalency instruction. Drawing on focus-group interview narratives (N = 59) where youth describe the 'second chances' offered to them, we document supportive, encouraging relationships with adults in the CBEs that stand in contrast to their experiences in school. Simultaneously, we suggest that in the face of program narratives that emphasized individual responsibility and success, any critical read of their world articulated earlier by the youth was no longer evident. In essence, they moved from one institution framed by neoliberal tenets to another but in the process, they traded the resistance they exhibited in their public high schools to accommodation in the CBEs. We problematize the discourse of 'second chances' if and when it remains uncoupled to analyses of societal and institutional inequity and injustices.


When the convulsions of the Arab Spring first became manifest in Syria in March 2011, the Ba'athist regime was quick to blame the pro- tests on the 'Syrian Muslim Brotherhood' and its 'al-Qaeda affiliates.' But who are these Islamists so determined to rule a post-Assad Syria? Little has been published on militant Islam in Syria since Hafez Assad's regime destroyed the Islamist movement in its stronghold of Hama in February 1982. This book bridges that gap by providing readers with the first comprehensive account of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's history to date. In this ground-breaking account of Syria's most prominent, yet highly secretive, Islamist organisation, the author draws on previously untapped sources: the memoirs of former Syrian jihadists; British and American archives; and also a series of wide-ranging interviews with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's historical leaders as well as those who battled against them - many speaking on the record for the first time. Ashes of Hama uncovers the major aspects of the Islamist struggle: from the Brotherhood's radicalisation and its 'jihad' against the Ba'athist regime and subsequent exile, to a spectacular comeback at the forefront of the Syrian revolution in 2011 - a remarkable turnaround for an Islamist movement which all analysts had pronounced dead amid the ruins of Hama in 1982.


The effect of soil erosion on global carbon cycling, especially as a source or sink for greenhouse gases, has been the subject of intense debate. The controversy arises mostly from the lack of information on the fate of eroded soil organic carbon (SOC) whilst in-transit from the site of erosion to the site of longer-term deposition. Solving this controversy requires an improved understanding of the transport distance of eroded SOC, which is principally related to the settling velocity of sediment fractions that carry the eroded SOC. Although settling velocity has already been included in some erosion models, it is often based on mineral particle size distribution. For aggregated soils, settling velocities are affected by their actual aggregate size rather than by mineral particle size distribution. Aggregate stability is, in turn, strongly influenced by SOC. In order to identify the effect of aggregation of source soil on the transport distance of eroded SOC, and its susceptibility to mineralization after transport and temporary deposition, a rainfall simulation was carried out on a silty loam. Both the eroded sediments and undisturbed soils were fractionated into six different size classes using a settling tube apparatus according to their settling velocities: 20 μm. Weight, SOC content and instantaneous respiration rates were measured for each of the six class fractions. Our results indicate that (1) 41% of the eroded SOC was transported with coarse aggregates that would be likely re-deposited down eroding hillslopes, rather than with fine particles likely transferred to water courses; (2) erosion was prone to accelerate the mineralization of eroded SOC, and thus might contribute more CO2 to the atmosphere than current estimates which often ignore potential effects of aggregation; (3) preferential deposition of SOC-rich coarse aggregates potentially causes an increase of SOC remaining in the colluvial system and a reduction of SOC flux to the alluvial or aquatic system. These findings identify a potential error of overestimating net erosion-induced carbon sink effects, and thus add an additional factor to consider when improving our current understanding of SOC erosion and deposition on hillslopes.


Earlier publications indicate that the price of young wines cannot be estimated accurately through weather conditions. Considering that a majority of fine wine is sold in the form of wine futures, even before the wine is bottled, determining realistic prices for these wine futures accurately is one of the most critical decisions. Surveys of leading wine merchants and industry experts exhibit significant departures from the realized market prices. We develop a pricing model for fine wines using weather, market, and expert reviews. The financial exchange for fine wines called Liv‐ex has already adopted our estimated prices and tagged them as "realistic prices." Our approach combines temperature, rainfall, market fluctuations, and tasting expert scores and leads to accurate estimations that the wine industry has not seen before. Our study shows that higher temperatures, lower levels of precipitation, appreciation in the Liv‐ex 100 index as a market indicator, and higher barrel scores increase market prices. We conduct a comprehensive set of robustness checks and show that the mean absolute deviation of actual market prices from our estimated prices is substantially smaller than any academic benchmark. Our realistic prices help create transparency in this highly opaque market. When compared with the realized prices, our realistic prices guide buyers (e.g., distributors, restaurateurs, merchants) in their purchase decisions as they can determine whether a wine is underpriced or overpriced.


It seems evident that the geometry of the urban form as an urban design parameter is crucial. The layout of the structure can modify the urban climate through proper design, thus improving the thermal comfort both outside and inside buildings, even reducing energy demands for heating and cooling requirements. Although solar design potentials on an architectural scale are at present well developed, the approach and the techniques applied on an urban scale are yet to be consolidated in order to promote climatic responsive urban design. This thesis is concerned with a method to evaluate solar energy in urban design. The emphasis of the thesis is to study the relationship between the urban form and solar insolation and to establish a comprehensive approach which can evaluate the urban forms, with respect to the generated shadow pattern, and can be applicable to all types of urban configurations.
Among the considerations which have also been investigated, is the interrelationship between solar insolation and thermal performance of urban patterns. The thesis discusses the possible application of these forms in Palestine, in order to highlight the way that the derived results can be handled in real practice. While the analysis was mainly related to the Palestinian climate, the techniques employed may be applicable to other countries. The main structure of this thesis is arranged in two parts. The first part identifies the conceptual framework of the sustainable urban design in order to provide the reader with basic information about the subject. The principal aim of this part has been to outline the research area on which the present work was set. Secondly, parametric studies have been performed to bridge the gap in the previous studies. The parametric studies are structured into four chapters. Each study raises separate but overlapping issues and the four studies together cover the basic classified types of urban forms.
The first study compares radial and rectangular forms in order to explore the solar behaviour of the radial form, as opposed to the rectangular one and to illustrate the methodology adopted in this research work to evaluate the urban forms with regard to the generated shadow patterns and thermal performance. The second study compares radial and rectangular urban canyons to clarify the influence of the self-shading effect of the radial form. The experiment evaluates the most suitable spacing between buildings to avoid overshadowing and maintain good solar accessibility. The study was also performed to determine the urban fabric that allows the achievement of high urban density under optimal solar insolation conditions. The third part contains studies related to aspects of solar insolation in bilateral types of building. The study compares different radial forms varying in the extent of their concavity to find out the one with the minimum variation of exposed areas between the two opposite facades.
The final chapter of the parametric studies deals with the evaluation and analysis of the radial forms and the rectangular V-shape. This experiment aims to prove the capability of the methodology which was developed in this research, to evaluate such complex forms. Simulation studies encompass shading and thermal analyses. Based on the simulations, design recommendations were derived. The resulting framework provides a significant step forward in understanding the built environment and demonstrates the rich potential in using passive design as a means of influencing urban design. Finally, the thesis draws conclusions and identifies areas for further research into the consideration of solar energy in urban design.


Most studies of access to water by the poor focus on their 'primary' source of drinking water. Even on this count, in sub-Saharan Africa, 30% of urban households rely directly on water from wells. However, this only tells part of the story. The work of Practical Action and our project partners in Kisumu has revealed how poor urban households rely on a diverse range of water sources of differing quality and price for different uses (drinking, cooking and washing).We find that 45% of households in 4 informal settlements in Kisumu are using borehole or surface water for at least some of their needs. Access to these sources is an important part of their coping strategies when there is a shortage of piped water or when household circumstances change. However, the quality and accessibility of the water can be poor. Improving access not only to piped water, but also to good quality water from protected springs, shallow wells and community-managed boreholes, can have great benefits in particular for women. This paper illustrates the diverse benefits that can accrue, and highlights some of the policy issues that arise.


Detection and identification of microbial species are crucial in a wide range of industries, including production of beverages, foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Traditionally, colony formation and its morphological analysis (e.g., size, shape, and color) with a naked eye have been employed for this purpose. However, such a conventional method is time consuming, labor intensive, and not very reproducible. To overcome these problems, we propose a novel method that detects microcolonies (diameter 10–500 μm) using a lensless imaging system. When comparing colony images of five microorganisms from different genera (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans), the images showed obvious different features. Being closely related species, St. aureus and St. epidermidis resembled each other, but the imaging analysis could extract substantial information (colony fingerprints) including the morphological and physiological features, and linear discriminant analysis of the colony fingerprints distinguished these two species with 100% of accuracy. Because this system may offer many advantages such as high-throughput testing, lower costs, more compact equipment, and ease of automation, it holds promise for microbial detection and identification in various academic and industrial areas.


Follow-up data on 2700 subjects who had had maximum stress tests were assembled in life tables. A positive test, characterized by ST-segment depression of 1.5 mm, 0.08 sec from the J point, predicted an incidence of some new coronary event of 9.5% a year, as compared with 1.7% in those with a negative test. The incidence of infarction and death was also significantly higher than in the negative responders. Early onset of ischemia occurring at moderate exercise (4 metabolic equivalents-METS) resulted in an incidence of all coronary events of 15% a year, while ischemia first manifested at the seventh minute of exercise (approximately 8 METS) results in an incidence of only 4% per year. The magnitude of ST depression and the age of onset of ischemia failed to influence the incidence of coronary events. A myocardial infarction previous to the test increased the incidence of events in both positive and negative responders. The positives with a previous infarction had more than double the incidence of coronary events than the positive responders with no pre-existing infarction. Those with chronotropic incompetence had a high incidence of coronary events even though the ECG response to exercise was normal.


Why are contracts incomplete? Transaction costs and bounded rationality cannot be a total explanation since states of the world are often describable, foreseeable, and yet are not mentioned in a contract. Asymmetric information theories also have limitations. We offer an explanation based on "contracts as reference points". Including a contingency of the form, "The buyer will require a good in event E", has a benefit and a cost. The benefit is that if E occurs there is less to argue about; the cost is that the additional reference point provided by the outcome in E can hinder (re)negotiation in states outside E. We show that if parties agree about a reasonable division of surplus, an incomplete contract can be strictly superior to a contingent contract.


London is a centre of cutting-edge fashion - in Buttoned-Up, the creators of 'the best fashion mag out there', Fantastic Man, tell the story of London style through the history of the button-down shirt - part of a series of twelve books tied to the twelve lines of the London Underground, as Tfl celebrates 150 years of the Tube with Penguin. It is also available in a boxset. "Taking a seemingly singular point of focus, the top-button-buttoned shirt, [Buttoned-Up] is a sartorial romp along the Ginger Line, looking at the curious fashion phenomenon through the eyes of its greatest exponents, including the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, who is pictured like everyone else in the book, buttoned up to the top". (Design Week). "Authors include the masterly John Lanchester, the children of Kids Company, comic John O'Farrell and social geographer Danny Dorling. Ranging from the polemical to the fantastical, the personal to the societal, they offer something for every taste. All experience the city as a cultural phenomenon and notice its nature and its people. Read individually they're delightful small reads, pulled together they offer a particular portrait of a global city". (Evening Standard). "Exquisitely diverse". (The Times). "Eclectic and broad-minded ...beautifully designed". (Tom Cox, Observer). "A fascinating collection with a wide range of styles and themes. The design qualities are excellent, as you might expect from Penguin with a consistent look and feel while allowing distinctive covers for each book. This is a very pleasing set of books". (A Common Reader blog). "The contrasts and transitions between books are as stirring as the books themselves...A multidimensional literary jigsaw". (Londonist). "A series of short, sharp, city-based vignettes - some personal, some political and some pictorial ...each inimitable author finds that our city is complicated but ultimately connected, full of wit, and just the right amount of grit". (Fabric Magazine). "A collection of beautiful books". (Grazia). Praise for Fantastic Man magazine: "The best fashion mag out there...Fashion-forward, clever, deeply engaged with the fashion world...Fantastic Man is better designed, better photographed and rafts more stylish than the competition. If you buy only one men's fashion magazine, it should be this one". (San Francisco Chronicle). Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom are the creators of Fantastic Man, a formal and intelligent men's fashion magazine that positions itself above the commercial fray with a singular tone and elegant design. In 2010 they launched the female counterpart of Fantastic Man called The Gentlewoman, a modern ladies style journal.


The Takeover Directive (2004/25/EC) pursues a noble and worthy aim, namely how to conduct a public bid, which often involves different jurisdictions and for that reason merits regulation at a Union level. Unfortunately, it was mistaken for a company law directive at a time when it was not fully realized that corporate governance should not be subject to substantial harmonization, and consequently the Directive tried to harmonize several highly controversial issues of corporate governance. This made the Directive difficult to adopt, but unfortunately the Union legislators pressed on and ultimately succeeded.Most would agree that the outcome of the Directive was poor. To assert that perhaps the Directive should never have been passed in this form, is not to say that the Directive should not have been passed at all. It should, and it is still necessary, if, that is, it is restricted to only deal with the issue at hart: how to conduct a public bid.Consequently, the Directive should be stripped of its corporate governance issues in the upcoming revision. These issues are not ripe for harmonization and may never be, because differences in corporate governance among the Member States should not be seen as obstacles to takeovers but as a treasure trove of possibilities for companies to choose among.A removal should be possible for the anti-frustration rule and the breakthrough rule because they are already optional in the present Directive and it would furthermore be a welcomed observance of the principle of subsidiarity.The mandatory bid rule should also be removed as it too represents a certain corporate governance choice to protect incumbent management from shareholder control that is incompatible with other governance systems emphasizing such control, e.g. the Nordic regime. This, however, may prove more difficult as it benefits several strong constituencies and in stead it may be important to mitigate the detrimental effects of the rule on shareholder activism, notably by making the mandatory bid rule and its provision on parties acting in concert more precise and limited in scope so they will only apply to circumstances where a public bid has been launched, but not ordinary acquisitions or actions performed on the market as part of normal trading and normal shareholder activity before, at or after the general meeting.


Amidst concern about the implications of an aging U.S. population, recent evidence suggests that there is a unique aging trend among the homeless population. Building on this, we use data from New York City and from the last three decennial Census enumerations to assess how the age composition of the homeless population—both single adults and adults in families—has changed over time. Findings show diverging trends in aging patterns for single adults and adults in families over the past 20 years. Among single adults, the bulk of the sheltered population is comprised of persons born during the latter part of the baby boom era whose high risk for homelessness has continued as they have aged. Specifically, the age group in this population facing the highest risk for homelessness was 34–36 (born 1954–1956) in 1990; 37–42 (born 1958–1963) in 2000; and 49–51 (born 1959–1961) in 2010. In contrast, among adults in sheltered families, there is no indication of any progressive aging of the family household heads. The modal age across the study period remains at 21–23 years of age. We consider implications for the health care and social welfare systems, and policy responses to homelessness.


Soil samples contaminated with spent motor engine oil collected from Abakaliki auto-mechanic site were analyzed to determine the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components which are often targets in environmental check. Identification and quantification of the PAH components was accomplished using a gas chromatographic system (6890 series and 6890 plus) equipped with a quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (Agilent 5975 MSD) after ultrasonic extraction of the sample and clean up of the extract. The results showed that out of the sixteen USEPA target PAHs (EPA-16) assayed, only six were detected in varying concentrations in mg/kg. These include Phenanthrene with concentration range of 0.0172 ± 0.01 to 0.0193 ± 0.02, fluorene (0.0189 ± 0.01), benzo(a)anthracene (0.0162 ± 0.05), chrysene (0.0209 ± 0.02), benzo(b)fluoranthrene (0.0453 ± 0.02) and benzo(k)fluoranthrene (0.0389 ± 0.1). The concentration of total PAH components detected in the samples ranged from 0.0184 ± 0.02 to 0.1385 ± 0.2 mg/kg. Implications of PAHs on health were discussed. ©JASEM


The effects were studied of potassium sulfate and potassium chloride applied at rates up to 640 kg/ha K on tuber specific gravity, size and susceptibility to internal bruising. The field experiments from which these data were obtained were conducted during the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons throughout the main potato-growing areas of South Australia. For the deficient and marginal site groupings, there was a consistent positive trend in specific gravity as potassium sulfate rates increased up to 640 kg/ha K. There was a slight negative trend when potassium chloride was used. Potassium fertiliser had no consistent effect on specific gravity at sites in the non-responsive grouping. Petiole or tuber potassium concentrations were poorly correlated with specific gravity. In the deficient and marginal groups increasing rates of potassium increased the yield of 80-350, 350-450, 450-680 and greater than 680-g tubers. The percentage increase in yield was greatest for the larger size grades (350-450 g or larger). At sites in the non-responsive group potassium had no effect on tuber size. At 2 out of 9 sites the effect of potassium chloride on tuber size was significantly different from that of potassium sulfate. Potassium chloride at rates of 160 and 320 kg/ha K reduced the susceptibility of tubers to internal bruising at 3 out of 4 sites. Potassium sulfate was effective at 3 out of 6 sites but only at the highest rate tested (640 kg/ ha K). Susceptibility to internal bruising was significantly (P < 0.01) negatively correlated with both petiole and tuber potassium concentrations. Prognostic critical potassium concentrations above which internal bruising was minimised were 8.30% in petioles or 1.84% in tubers. These values were calculated using the Cate-Nelson separation.


Sea urchins can exert a profound influence on temperate reefs, but the extent of their influence also varies considerably among geographic locations. Here, we describe the influence of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma on attached macroalgae and drift macrophytes at a sub- tidal rocky reef in south-western Australia. In one experiment, we manipulated the density of H. ery- throgramma in fenced plots; in a second, we manipulated the presence and absence of H. erythro- gramma in unfenced plots. The manipulation of H. erythrogramma density did not result in changes in attached macroalgal biomass, but the treatment with the highest density of sea urchins had a greater drift macrophyte biomass. When H. erythrogramma was removed from unfenced plots, a slightly higher macroalgal biomass was observed in the austral summer, but this difference was not present a few months later. However, the drift biomass was 4 times higher in plots where sea urchins were not removed. The dominant macrophyte species in the drift were scarce or absent from the assemblage growing attached to the reef, suggesting that much of the drift originated elsewhere, either in adjacent seagrass beds or on reefs hundreds of metres to kilometres away. There was a disproportionate retention of drift kelp Ecklonia radiata by H. erythrogramma. Based on these results, we propose that spatial subsidies in the form of drift macroalgae result in a weak influence of H. erythrogramma on attached macroalgae.


Human-robot interaction and robot-robot interaction and cooperation in shared spatial areas is a challenging field of research regarding safety, stability and performance. In this paper the collision avoidance between human and robot by extrapolation of human intentions and a suitable optimization of tracking velocities is discussed. Furthermore for robot-robot interactions in a shared area traffic rules and artificial force potential fields and their optimization by market-based approach are applied for obstacle avoidance. For testing and verification, the navigation strategy is implemented and tested in simulation of more realistic vehicles. Extensive simulation experiments are performed to examine the improvement of the traditional potential field (PF) method by the MBO strategy.


The first International Transplant Science (ITS) meeting jointly organized by AST, ESOT and TTS was held on November 10-13, 2019 in Clearwater, Florida, to focus on issues related to the basic and translational science of immunology and transplantation. The 148 participants included international experts in transplantation, immunology, cell biology and organ engineering, as well as young investigators and trainees in these areas. The objectives of the meeting were to (1) introduce and discuss the latest discoveries, technologies and concepts in basic science of relevance to transplantation; (2) provide opportunities for every trainee and young investigators to present their work in mini-oral and mentored poster sessions; (3) have programmed networking opportunities to allow for the free exchange of ideas and developing new collaborations. Participants came away from the meeting inspired by the quality of science presented, excited by the opportunities to discuss science with fellow attendees, and enthusiasm for the next ITS meeting in 2020 in Europe.


Bill Berkeley describes his fifteen years of reporting on Africa, providing a series of firsthand encounters with key players in six countries-Liberia, Zaire (now Congo), Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa. . Since 1983 journalist Bill Berkeley has traveled through Africa's most troubled lands to seek out the tyrants and military leaders who orchestrate these nations' seemingly intractable wars. Shattering once and for all the myth that ancient tribal hatreds lay at the heart of the continent's troubles, Berkeley instead holds accountable the "Big Men" who came to power during this period, describing the very rational methods behind their apparent madness. Weaving together insightful historical analysis and his own keen observations of ordinary men, women, and children struggling in the midst of terrible violence, Berkeley insists that what the world often sees as uniquely "African" interethnic troubles are in fact rooted in the international politics of colonialism and the Cold War. The Graves Are Not Yet Full provides a convincing explanation for the last half-century's cycle of revolution and genocide in Africa, detailing the stirring history of these nations' quests for peace and independence over the last seventeen years. Berkeley's incisive analysis does much to bring recent African history into sharp focus while at the same time illuminating just what it is that allows societies-wherever they may be-to accept, and sometimes embrace, violence.


OVERSEER Nutrient Budgets (OVERSEER) is a whole-farm nutrient budgeting tool using a yearly time scale. It calculates a nutrient budget for the farm, taking into account inputs, outputs, and some of the internal recycling of nutrients around the farm. The model integrates multiple animal enterprises (dairy, sheep, beef, deer, dairy goats) and different land uses, including pastoral, cropping (arable, vegetable, fruit), and cut and carry areas. Nutrient budgets are calculated for the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. With an increased emphasis on water quality, the model is being used to assess N leaching from pastoral farms. This paper discusses some perspectives and emerging practices that are occurring as a result of using an integrated farm systems model like OVERSEER, with a focus on urine patch, irrigation, effluent management and fodder crops.


Strong yet creeping megathrust faults Powerful faults in subduction zones, called "megathrust faults," produce the largest earthquakes on Earth. Gao and Wang use heat flow data to show that when the faults subduct jagged sea floor, they generate tamer earthquakes than do faults that subduct smooth sea floor. The rugged sea floor brings irregularities into the fault that cause it to deform slowly over time, which results in a comparatively higher fault strength and lower seismicity. The finding has a direct impact on assessing regional earthquake and tsunami hazards. Science, this issue p. 1038 Megathrusts subducting rugged sea floor have high fault strength but do not unleash great earthquakes. Subduction faults, called megathrusts, can generate large and hazardous earthquakes. The mode of slip and seismicity of a megathrust is controlled by the structural complexity of the fault zone. However, the relative strength of a megathrust based on the mode of slip is far from clear. The fault strength affects surface heat flow by frictional heating during slip. We model heat-flow data for a number of subduction zones to determine the fault strength. We find that smooth megathrusts that produce great earthquakes tend to be weaker and therefore dissipate less heat than geometrically rough megathrusts that slip mainly by creeping.


OBJECTIVE
This the second of two articles reviewing the scientific literature on the evaluation and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSDs), employing the methodology of evidence-based medicine. We herein report on the accumulated evidence regarding the evaluation and treatment of Advamced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD), Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD), Free-Running Disorder (FRD) and Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm ISWR).

METHODS
A set of specific questions relevant to clinical practice were formulated, a systematic literature search was performed, and relevant articles were abstracted and graded.

RESULTS
A substantial body of literature has accumulated that provides a rational basis the evaluation and treatment of CRSDs. Physiological assessment has involved determination of circadian phase using core body temperature and the timing of melatonin secretion. Behavioral assessment has involved sleep logs, actigraphy and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Treatment interventions fall into three broad categories: 1) prescribed sleep scheduling, 2) circadian phase shifting ("resetting the clock"), and 3) symptomatic treatment using hypnotic and stimulant medications.

CONCLUSION
Circadian rhythm science has also pointed the way to rational interventions for CRSDs and these treatments have been introduced into the practice of sleep medicine with varying degrees of success. More translational research is needed using subjects who meet current diagnostic criteria.


BACKGROUND
Improving the diet of the Scottish population has been a government focus in recent years. Health promotion is known to be more effective in affluent groups. Alongside trends in eating behaviour, changes in socioeconomic inequalities must be monitored.

METHODS
Eating behaviour data from the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Scotland Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey were modelled using multilevel linear modelling.

RESULTS
Fruit and vegetable consumption increased between 2002 and 2010 by 0.26 and 0.27 days per week, respectively, while consumption of sweets, chips and crisps fell by 0.73, 1.25 and 0.99 days per week, respectively. An overall healthy eating score, calculated by summing food item weekly consumption, increased significantly (at 95% level of significance) over this period. Fruit and vegetable consumption was more frequent among children with high family affluence (individual measure of socioeconomic status), while consumption of crisps and chips was less frequent. When an interaction term was added between year and family affluence, this was not significant for any outcome. Variance at the education authority and school levels remained significant for all outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent eating behaviours in Scotland have improved over time across the family affluence scale gradient as a whole, with persistent inequalities. Alongside population programmes, initiatives directed at more deprived groups are required.


PURPOSE
We compared two chemotherapy regimens that included methotrexate (MTX), cisplatin (CDP), and doxorubicin (ADM) with or without ifosfamide (IFO) in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients age ≤ 40 years randomly received regimens with the same cumulative doses of drugs (ADM 420 mg/m(2), MTX 120 g/m(2), CDP 600 mg/m(2), and IFO 30 g/m(2)) but with different durations (arm A, 44 weeks; arm B, 34 weeks). IFO was given postoperatively when pathologic response to MTX-CDP-ADM was poor (arm A) or given in the primary phase of chemotherapy with MTX-CDP-ADM (arm B). End points of the study included pathologic response to preoperative chemotherapy, toxicity, and survival. Given the feasibility of accrual, the statistical plan only permitted detection of a 15% difference in 5-year overall survival (OS).

RESULTS
From April 2001 to December 2006, 246 patients were enrolled. Two hundred thirty patients (94%) underwent limb salvage surgery (arm A, 92%; arm B, 96%; P = .5). Chemotherapy-induced necrosis was good in 45% of patients (48% in arm A, 42% in arm B; P = .3). Four patients died of treatment-related toxicity (arm A, n = 1; arm B, n = 3). A significantly higher incidence of hematologic toxicity was reported in arm B. With a median follow-up of 66 months (range, 1 to 104 months), 5-year OS and event-free survival (EFS) rates were not significantly different between arm A and arm B, with OS being 73% (95% CI, 65% to 81%) in arm A and 74% (95% CI, 66% to 82%) in arm B and EFS being 64% (95% CI, 56% to 73%) in arm A and 55% (95% CI, 46% to 64%) in arm B.

CONCLUSION
IFO added to MTX, CDP, and ADM from the preoperative phase does not improve the good responder rate and increases hematologic toxicity. IFO should only be considered in patients who have a poor histologic response to MTX, CDP, and ADM.


The substantial changes in bus fares and service levels which were introduced in Telford, Shropshire, on 1 April, 1978 provided a suitable context in which to estimate elasticities of bus passenger demand using data collected in special surveys before and after the implementation of the changes. The study found evidence that shopping trips by bus had been redistributed between the various shopping centres in Telford in response to changes in relative fares and service levels. When a method of estimating elasticities which eliminated redistribution effects was used, fare elasticities for shopping trips were estimated to lie in the range -0.58 to -0.80. Shopping seemed to be fairly insensitive to changes in service frequency, but elasticities with respect to a weighted combination of walking, waiting and in-vehicle time were estimated in the range -0.55 to -0.71. The surveys indicated that trips made for non-shopping purposes (approximately two-thirds of which were work and education trips) are generally less sensitive to fares than shopping trips. For these trips, fare elasticities ranged between -0.32 and -0.46. Elasticities for non-shopping trips with respect to buses per hour were between 0.29 and 0.37 while elasticities relative to the combined walk, wait and in-vehicle times varied between -0.43 and -0.76. (Author/TRRL)


After the end of the Cold War, multinational solutions
play a growing role within NATO. Rising costs of
equipment combined with reductions in troop numbers
have forced member states to pool their resources.
Development and procurement of new equipment, as
well as the integration of military units from two or
more countries are being implemented. If successful,
multinational solutions may prove instrumental in
redressing the transatlantic imbalance in military
capacities.
Whereas the political and economic benefits are
easily detectable, multinational solutions mean
increased dependence on others. The scope for
autonomous decision-making is reduced. Smaller
countries will be more affected by this than their larger
partners. Exactly how is discussed here with particular
emphasis on the chanllenges confronting Norway.


Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary science that includes scientific and technological activities at molecular and atomic scales (1–100 nm). Scientific principles and new properties can be understood and controlled when working at this scale. Nanotechnology is advancing rapidly due to the great progress achieved in various fields including electronics, mechanics, medicine, cosmetics, food, etc. This increased use of nano-sized materials leads to the release of a substantial amount of nanoparticles into the environment. To date there is a lack of standardized procedures to assess their safety and impact on the environment. Specific toxicological studies as well as characterization and quantification of nanoparticles are required to establish regulations to control field application of nanoscale materials. A classification of nanoparticles and the techniques employed in their characterization, separation, and quantification are summarized and described in this review. A global perspective on nanoparticle exposure and environmental effect is also discussed.


BACKGROUND
In recent years, by tremendous use of mobile phone telecommunication, a growing concern about the possible health hazards has increased greatly among public and scientists. The mobile phone exposure has been shown to have many effects upon the immune functions, stimulating hormones, mammalian brain, sperm motility and morphology, and neurological pathologies syndrome. The aim of this study was to find out the psychological and psychobiological reactions of the people who are living near mobile phone base transceiver stations (BTS) antenna, in Isfahan, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study on 250 randomly selected inhabitants (133 women and 117 men) was performed in October 2012 till November 2012. The inhabitants were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire that focused on the relevant psychological and psychobiological reactions parameters. A computer program (SPSS version16.0, Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis using the Chi-square test with Yates correction. All the data were tested using a criterion level of p = 0.05.

RESULTS
The results showed that most of the symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, irritability, discomfort, nervousness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss and lowering of libido were statistically significant in the inhabitants living near the BTS antenna (<300 m distances) compared to those living far from the BTS antenna (>300 m).

CONCLUSION
It is suggested that cellular phone BTS antenna should not be sited closer than 300 m to populations to minimize exposure of neighbors.


The nuclear power industry has latched on to global warming as an argument for its renaissance. Although even industry proponents acknowledge that the problem of disposing of spent nuclear fuel remains unsolved, the industry routinely assumes this problem will be solved in the future. Unfortunately, this is the same assumption made by nuclear energy proponents at the beginning of the nuclear industry fifty years ago. We haven't solved the nuclear waste problem in the past half century, and there is no reason to think we will be more likely to do so in the next one. Like the shipwrecked economist in the old joke, the nuclear industry continues to postulate that we should "assume we have a can opener" for the nuclear waste problem.


To express nominal possession, Spanish speakers use a linguistic variable with three variants: a possessive adjective, a definite article and periphrasis. This study explores the expression of possession in Barranquilla, Colombia examining data extracted from sociolinguistic interviews with a socially stratified group of twenty informants. I conducted a series of statistical regression analyses for each variant testing ten linguistic and five social constraints. The results revealed that possessive adjectives and definite articles marking possession are almost evenly distributed. The expression of possession is conditioned by eight linguistic and two social constraints including distance between referent and possessive, semantic category, type of subject, speaker's sex and social status/age. The results also suggest that the incursion of possessive periphrasis may constitute a manifestation of cyclicity, a crosslinguistic evolutionary process triggering internal syntactic and morphological adjustments. The results help increase our understanding of variation in contemporary Spanish and of how the sociolinguistic forces constraining language variation in Colombian Costeno Spanish conform to established sociolinguistic theory.


Most of the Himalayan Cenozoic leucogranites are products of partial melting of metapelite sources. In the Malashan-Gyirong area (southern Tibet), the geochemical compositions of leucogranites define two groups with distinct whole-rock major elements, large ion lithophile elements, rare earth elements, high field strength elements, and Sr and Hf isotope ratios. Based on published experimental results that define generalized melting reactions of metapelitic sources, we infer that these leucogranites are the products of two different types of crustal anatexis: fluid-fluxed melting and fluid-absent melting of muscovite in metasedimentary sources. As compared to the leucogranites derived from fluid-absent melting, those from fluid-fluxed melting have relatively higher Ca, Sr, Ba, Zr, Hf, Th, and light rare earth element concentrations, and Zr/Hf, Eu/Eu*, and Nd/Nd*, but lower Rb, Nb, Ta, and U concentrations, Rb/Sr and ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios, and e_(Hf)(t). The geochemical differences can be explained by melting behaviors of major (muscovite, feldspar) and accessory minerals (zircon and monazite) during different modes of crustal anatexis. The systematic elemental and isotopic signatures of different types of crustal anatexis and, in particular, the coupling of major and trace elements that results from common influences on rock-forming and accessory mineral behaviors provide tools with which to refine our understanding of the nature of crustal anatexis.


When we talk about the Danish Literary Canon we tend to focus on literature that has certain aesthetic qualities and a clear impact on the history of our homeland's literature. Scholars discuss and even quarrel about which authors and texts actually meet these criteria. However, there is more to the issue than the impact on literature itself. The acclaimed and cherished canon also leaves its imprint on real life outside academia and takes part in everyday life. This occurs, for example, when images related to the works appear on stamps, or when authors or characters are commemorated in statues or in names given to streets. Here, we are dealing with material culture. This contribution examines H. C. Andersen's two fairy tales, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling , from an anthropological perspective, as iconic, national symbols, which contributed to and confirmed the self-image of Denmark as a postcard-idyllic country, captured in the motto 'Small is beautiful'. We also attempt to demonstrate how this image, which interacts with other cultural codes might be challenged by counter-stories, that might at the same time nevertheless involuntarily confirm their status as national symbols.


Despite the efforts of South Africa and Uganda to genderize their energy policy, a clear idea what engendering energy policy is about is still lacking. There is not much knowledge on what its main characteristics are and how national governments can genderize their energy policy. Governments, civil society and development organizations, do not know how to realize gender mainstreaming in this
area. The experience of South Africa in genderizing their energy policy and the attempts of the Ugandan government to integrate gender in their energy policy document could provide an example for other governments. The main objective of this study is therefore to contribute to the formulation of a gender-aware energy policy, which could help to overcome gender-inequality in national energy policy by developing and defining the main characteristics of gender-aware nation al energy policy and analyzing under which conditions such a policy can be realized.


This paper provides an analysis of 64 punitive damages awards of at least $100 million. Based on an inventory of these cases, there is evidence that these blockbuster awards are highly concentrated geographically, as two states account for 27 of the 64 awards. The awards also have been rising substantially over time, with the majority of these blockbuster awards taking place since 1999. An assessment of the current status of the blockbuster punitive damages awards indicates that most of these awards have been appealed, but the reversal of these punitive damages awards is the exception rather than the rule. Many large punitive damages awards are settled without any appeal. The ratio limits outlined in State Farm v. Campbell will affect over 90% of the blockbuster awards and over 90% of the damages associated with these awards if a ratio of 1.0 becomes the upper limit on punitive damages.


To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first study for Germany to assess the long-term impacts of studying without graduating on three labour market outcomes (working hours, wages, and occupational prestige), and on overall life satisfaction, on the basis of a sample of employed individuals from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) who possess a university entrance qualification. The impact is analyzed relative to individuals who have never been enrolled in university study (baseline group) and to individuals that have attained a university degree. The impacts are assessed by means of a double machine learning procedure that accounts for selection into the three educational paths and generates the counterfactual outcomes for the different paths. The findings indicate an average impact of studying without graduating of plus 5 percentage points on occupational prestige, and minus 2.8 percentage points on life satisfaction relative to the baseline group. The estimates for wages and working hours are not significant. The effects of graduating on all outcomes is positive and substantial relative to studying without graduating or not studying at all.


Laser-assisted metallic nanoparticle synthesis is a versatile "green" method that has become a topic of active research. This chapter discusses the photochemical reaction mechanisms driving AuCl4 1⁄2 reduction using femtosecond-laser irradiation, and reviews recent advances in Au nanoparticle size-control. We begin by describing the physical processes underlying the interactions between laser pulses and the condensed media, including optical breakdown and supercontinuum emission. These processes produce a highly reactive plasma containing free electrons, which reduce AuCl4 1⁄2 , and radical species producing H2O2 that cause autocatalytic growth of Au nanoparticles. Then, we discuss the reduction kinetics of AuCl4 1⁄2 , which follow an autocatalytic rate law in which the firstand second-order rate constants depend on free electrons and H2O2 availability. Finally, we explain strategies to control the size of gold nanoparticles as they are synthesized; including modifications of laser parameters and solution compositions.


We study a special paradigm of active learning, called cost effective active search, where the goal is to find a given number of positive points from a large unlabeled pool with minimum labeling cost. Most existing methods solve this problem heuristically, and few theoretical results have been established. We adopt a principled Bayesian approach for the first time. We first derive the Bayesian optimal policy and establish a strong hardness result: the optimal policy is hard to approximate, with the best-possible approximation ratio lower bounded by $\Omega(n^{0.16})$. We then propose an efficient and nonmyopic policy using the negative Poisson binomial distribution. We propose simple and fast approximations for computing its expectation, which serves as an essential role in our proposed policy. We conduct comprehensive experiments on various domains such as drug and materials discovery, and demonstrate that our proposed search procedure is superior to the widely used greedy baseline.