Even before the first books of her poems were published in the 1890s, friends, neighbors, and even apparently strangers knew Emily Dickinson was a writer of remarkable verses. Featuring both wellknown documents and material printed or collected here for the first time, this book offers a broad range of writings that convey impressions of Dickinson in her own time and for the first decades following the publication of her poems. It all begins with her school days and continues to the centennial of her birth in 1930. In addition, promotional items, reviews, and correspondence relating to early publications are included, as well as some later documents that reveal the changing assessments of Dickinson's poetry in response to evolving critical standards. These documents provide evidence that counters many popular conceptions of her life and reception, such as the belief that the writer best known for poems focused on loss, death, and immortality was herself a morose soul. In fact, those who knew her found her humorous, playful, and interested in other people. Dickinson maintained literary and personal correspondence with major representatives of the national literary scene, developing a reputation as a remarkable writer even as she maintained extreme levels of privacy. Evidence compiled here also demonstrates that she herself made considerable provision for the survival of her poems and laid the groundwork for their eventual publication. Dickinson in Her Own Time reveals the poet as her contemporaries knew her, before her legend took hold.


We revisit the problem of learning mixtures of spherical Gaussians. Given samples from mixture $\frac{1}{k}\sum_{j=1}^{k}\mathcal{N}(\mu_j, I_d)$, the goal is to estimate the means $\mu_1, \mu_2, \ldots, \mu_k \in \mathbb{R}^d$ up to a small error. The hardness of this learning problem can be measured by the separation $\Delta$ defined as the minimum distance between all pairs of means. Regev and Vijayaraghavan (2017) showed that with $\Delta = \Omega(\sqrt{\log k})$ separation, the means can be learned using $\mathrm{poly}(k, d)$ samples, whereas super-polynomially many samples are required if $\Delta = o(\sqrt{\log k})$ and $d = \Omega(\log k)$. This leaves open the low-dimensional regime where $d = o(\log k)$. In this work, we give an algorithm that efficiently learns the means in $d = O(\log k/\log\log k)$ dimensions under separation $d/\sqrt{\log k}$ (modulo doubly logarithmic factors). This separation is strictly smaller than $\sqrt{\log k}$, and is also shown to be necessary. Along with the results of Regev and Vijayaraghavan (2017), our work almost pins down the critical separation threshold at which efficient parameter learning becomes possible for spherical Gaussian mixtures. More generally, our algorithm runs in time $\mathrm{poly}(k)\cdot f(d, \Delta, \epsilon)$, and is thus fixed-parameter tractable in parameters $d$, $\Delta$ and $\epsilon$. Our approach is based on estimating the Fourier transform of the mixture at carefully chosen frequencies, and both the algorithm and its analysis are simple and elementary. Our positive results can be easily extended to learning mixtures of non-Gaussian distributions, under a mild condition on the Fourier spectrum of the distribution.


Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol for secure remote login and other
secure network services over an insecure network. This document
describes the SSH Connection Protocol. It provides interactive login
sessions, remote execution of commands, forwarded TCP/IP connections,
and forwarded X11 connections. All of these channels are multiplexed
into a single encrypted tunnel. The SSH Connection Protocol has been
designed to run on top of the SSH transport layer and user
authentication protocols. [STANDARDS-TRACK]


A biomimetic, facile approach to cellulose modification is the utilisation of self-adsorbing, naturally occurring biopolymers, such as the hemicellulose xyloglucan (XG). Herein, XG-block-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (XG-b-PSBMA) zwitterionic block copolymers have been prepared and assessed for their ability to adsorb to cellulose, specifically cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The polymers were synthesised using reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation, employing an XG macromolecular RAFT agent (XG-RAFT), polymerising a sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) under aqueous conditions. The incorporation of the XG block shifted the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) values to higher temperatures (20 and 30 °C) compared with the PSBMA homopolymers (17 and 22 °C) and the transition was also broadened. The adsorption of the polymers to a CNF surface was monitored using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), showing that the XG block enhanced the adsorption of the zwitterionic polymer. The formation of CNF-composite films was achieved utilising a facile vacuum filtration methodology, and the targeted compositions were confirmed by FT-IR and TGA analyses. The films exhibited high degrees of swelling in water, which were investigated at two different temperatures, 5 and 60 °C (below and above the polymer USCT values). These results highlight the advantage of using an XG block for the biomimetic modification of cellulose to form new cellulose-composite materials such as super-absorbing films.


Many objective or subjective factors influence the decision to open a business. The most important factors are: the existence of an adequate opportunity or a market, perception that starting a business could be difficult because of bureaucracy, financial barriers or the need to acquire new skills, a lack of money, etc. Also, entrepreneurial behavior is generally influenced by socio-economic status of the family of origin [1]. Thus, children from wealthy families have the "competitive advantage" to receive an education appropriate for managing a business and of course have the necessary financial resources and its start [2]. However, abilities of every individual can "correct'' these benefits are completely eliminated/reduced exogenous barriers [3]. In this article I will present the results of a pilot study conducted in 2014 at Bucharest employees to observe their entrepreneurial behavior.


Although automatic classification of machine translation errors still cannot provide the same detailed granularity as manual error classification, it is an important task which enables estimation of translation errors and better understanding of the analyzed MT system, in a short time and on a large scale. State-of-the-art methods use hard decisions to assign single error labels to each word. This work presents first results of a new error classification method, which assigns multiple error labels to each word. We assign fractional counts for each label, which can be interpreted as a confidence for the label. Our method generates sensible multi-error suggestions, and improves the correlation between manual and automatic error distributions.


Crop productivity of eroded lands is very poor due to removal of top fertile soil losing organic matter and plant nutrients. Crop productivity of such marginal lands needs to be restored in order to meet the food requirements of increasing population. Therefore field experiments were conducted at Thana, Malakand; Kabal and Matta, Swat, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan for three years during 2004 to 2005- 2006 to study the effect of inorganic fertilizers alone and in combination with farm yard manure (FYM) under two cropping systems i.e. wheat-mungbean-wheat and wheat-maize-wheat on the yield of wheat. The fertilizer treatments consisted of farmer's practice: Tl (60-45-0 kg N-P2 05-K20 ha-1), balanced rate of inorganic fertilizers: T2 (120-90-60-5 kg N-P205-K20-Zn ha-1), and combined application of inorganic and organic fertilizers: T3 (60-90-60-5 kg N-P205-K20-Zn ha-I + 20 t FYM ha-1) for wheat crop. Maize and mungbean crops were grown in the respective treatments after wheat crop during summer 2004 and 2005. Maize crop received the same treatments after wheat in the same plots except FYM in T3. In case of mungbean, no nitrogen and FYM was applied in all the three treatments. Experiments were laid out in a RCB split plot arrangement with cropping systems in the main plots and fertilizer treatments in the subplots. Three replications were used in each experiment. The results showed that the combined application of FYM with NPKZn (T3) increased the grain yield of wheat significantly over the other two treatments with an increase of 30-61 % over TI and 3 to 18 % over T2 While T2 increased the yields significantly over TI with an increase of about 14 to 45 %. Similar trends were observed for straw yields. Among the two cropping system, mungbean Wheat system increased the Wheat yields significantly over maize-wheat based on the pooled data of the two years (2004-2005 and 2005-2006) with an increase of 14 %. Yields during 2005-2006 were higher than the ones during 2004-2005 based on the pooled data of the sites due to more rainfall during the former year than the latter one. Based on the pooled data of three sites, there was variation in crop yield among various sites. The highest yields were recorded at Matta followed by Thana and Kabal Economics of fertilizer use for wheat showed that the highest net returns were recorded in case of T3 followed by T2. Net returns from mungbean-wheat system were either comparable with maize-wheat or greater than the latter. Similar to wheat, summer crops of maize and mungbean responded to combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers as T 3 increased the yields of these crops significantly over T2 and T1. As regards soil properties, T3 improved soil physical properties (bulk density, total porosity and available water capacity), chemical properties (pH and organic matter), microbiological properties (respiration and cumulative respiration, mineralizable-C and -N, mineral-N, soil microbial biomass-C and-N and bacterial and fungal population) and soil fertility status (AB-DTPA ext. P, K, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) over a period of time. These soil properties were also improved in wheat-mungbean-wheat cropping system. It can be concluded that application of balanced rate of fertilizers in combination with organic manure would improve organic matter and soil fertility in surface layer, improve the soil physical environment, soil microbiological properties and restore crop productivity, under wheat-mungbean-wheat system for sustainable agriculture as compared with wheat-maize -wheat system. Thus crop productivity of eroded lands can be improved on sustainable basis by adopting integrated plant nutrient management.


The focus of the Special Section in this issue is the ethics of how knowledge is acquired through experiments on human subjects. Assuming that our use of language may have an effect on our thoughts and behavior, how we commonly understand the term "subject" in research with humans can undercut what is most important from an ethical perspective. The notion of "subject" can be crucially ambiguous in that it can refer to the units making up the "n" of a research study—those nameless, faceless, numbers supplying the information that supports, or fails to support, the researchers' hypothesis. On the other hand, "subject" can have a much deeper meaning. In addition to being participants in a study, the humans involved are, have been, or will be the subjects of lives—that is, they are real persons, with all the personal characteristics and social connections that entails. It is because of this status that they deserve to be regarded and protected. The degree to which we lose sight of this distinction increases the danger of crossing the ethical limits of human subjects research.


A general integral form of the boundary-layer equation, valid for either laminar or turbulent incompressible boundary-layer flow, is derived. By using the experimental finding that all velocity profiles of the turbulent boundary layer form essentially a single-parameter family, the general equation is changed to an equation for the space rate of change of the velocity-profile shape parameter. The lack of precise knowledge concerning the surface shear and the distribution of the shearing stress across turbulent boundary layers prevented the attainment of a reliable method for calculating the behavior of turbulent boundary layers.


Abstract This article is an attempt to understand India's concerns over the Diamer Bhasha dam project within the overall ambit of India's approach towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It makes a holistic assessment of the feasibility of the project, the political and technical issues involved in it, the long-term strategy of Pakistan and China in the region, and the local reactions, which must inform India's future policy preferences regarding PoK. The article is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the factors that make the project controversial and these are discussed under three broad headings: location, financial constraints and geopolitical drivers. The second section outlines India's concerns—political, socio-cultural, ecological and geopolitical. The third and final section sums up the key findings of the article and suggests concrete options for Indian policy makers to readjust their overall policy on PoK in general and on the construction of the Diamer Bhasha dam in particular.


Extreme events such as floods can endanger human lives and cause large economic damage. The Savinja River catchment is one of the most frequently flooded areas in Slovenia, Europe. In order to evaluate the impact of the proposed flood mitigation measures on the flood safety in this catchment, the combined hydrological and hydraulic modelling approach was carried out. The hydrological model Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV-light) was used to perform hydrological modelling. The hydraulic calculations were carried out using the HEC-RAS 5.0.3 model in order to simulate the combined oneand two-dimensional unsteady flow. Using the calibrated and validated hydrological and hydraulic models, the impact of the proposed measures was assessed in the light of the sustainable flood management. Additionally, with analyses of the historical data and past flood events, we were able to investigate the characteristics of the extreme floods in this area and also downstream at the confluence with the Sava River. Moreover, it was found that the backwater effect has an important role on the water level and flood safety along the river reach, which is often neglected in the aspect of flood management.


The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains --but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.


"The [arrays] exercises are quite sophisticated and interesting. Provides the best combination of conceptual discussion and implementation examples of dynamic binding that I have encountered in a text. Excellent overview of basic networking via Java. Provides the perfect breadth and depth for generics in an entry-level Java class. Provides a good segue into a data structures course -- the exercises are excellent." -- Ric Heishman, George Mason University "Beautiful collections of exercises--a nice illustration of how to use Java libraries to generate impressive and stimulating graphics with minimal code and effort. I found the "Making a Difference" exercises to be very nice and tactfully presented." -- Amr Sabry, Indiana University "A comprehensive introduction to programming in Java that covers all major areas of the platform. To me, the best way to understand programming is by example, and this book contains copious, well-described sample code." -- Simon Ritter, Sun Microsystems "Great example of polymorphism and interfaces. Great comparison of recursion and iteration. I found the [Searching and Sorting] chapter to be just right. A very understandable, simplified explanation of Big O--the best I have ever read! A great synthesis of details to help someone create generic data structures. I appreciate the addition of the GUI-based threading issues. Great approach to Java web technologies." -- Sue McFarland Metzger, Villanova University "I'm sure this [ATM] case study will be of immense value to practitioners and students of the object-oriented approach. Demystifies inheritance and polymorphism, and illustrates their use in getting elegant, simple and maintainable code." -- Vinod Varma, Astra Infotech Private Limited


Groups of agents, such as participants in a collective pension fund, can decide to undertake a joint investment and to define, ex ante, a rule for the division of proceeds. The collective investment decision and the allocation rule together form a risk sharing scheme. Such a scheme defines a contingent claim for each participant. Given a proposed risk sharing scheme and an agreed-upon pricing functional, the values of these claims can be determined and can be compared to the values of the contributions made by the agents. A risk sharing scheme is said to be financially fair if, for each agent, the value of the agent's claim as defined by the scheme is equal to the value of the agent's contribution. The paper provides conditions under which there exists a unique risk sharing scheme that is both Pareto efficient (in the sense of expected utility) and financially fair. Furthermore, an iterative algorithm is presented by which this scheme can be computed. The theory is illustrated by a simple example which shows that, in an incomplete financial market, agents may benefit substantially from forming a collective.


The possible effects of changes in the feeding pattern on activated sludge properties related to bioflocculation have been analyzed in lab scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR) in order to determine if these changes in effluent water quality and settling and dewatering properties are significant, so they can be considered in future studies or if they can be recommended as crucial when operating and designing wastewater treatment plants. The activated sludge process is widely used to treat wastewater from both industrial and municipal sources. Biomass from industrial facilities containing high monovalent to divalent ion content usually settles poorly, which leads to low quality effluents that fail to meet environmental requirements. Therefore, the combined effect of feeding pattern plus the addition of sodium to activated sludge reactors was studied in this experiment. A series of SBRs were operated at different sodium concentrations that ranged from 1.5 – 15 meq/L and different feeding times that ranged from 1 minute to 4 hours. Biomass samples were taken from each reactor to study the settling and dewatering properties and effluent samples were used to analyze the amount of organic matter and exocellular polymeric substances present due to deflocculation. As expected, the changes in feeding strategies affected all of the properties measured. When the feeding time was maintained low (pulse feed) the effluent quality and settling properties were the best. As the feeding time was increased the effluent quality, settling, and dewatering properties increased suggesting that the way in which the reactors were fed affected the overall bioflocculation process. The causes of the high deflocculation observed are not well understood, but data suggest that a microbial community change could have affected exocellular biopolymers which are believed to play an important role on bioflocculation.


Job search assistance and intensified counseling have been found to be effective for labor market integration by a large number of studies, but the evidence for older and hard-to-place unemployed individuals more specifically is mixed. In this paper we present key results from the evaluation of "Perspektive 50plus", a large-scale active labor market program directed at the older unemployed in Germany. To identify the treatment effects, we exploit regional variation in program participation. Based on survey evidence, we argue that participation of regions is not endogenous in the vast majority of cases. We use a combination of different evaluation estimators to check the sensitivity of the results to selection, substitution and local labor market effects. We find large positive effects of the program in the range of five to ten percentage points on integration into unsubsidized employment. However, there are also substantial lock-in effects, such that program participants have a higher probability of remaining on public welfare benefit receipt for up to one year after commencing the program.


We review studies of the generation and propagation of nonlinear and shock sound waves in He II (the superfluid phase of 4He), both under the saturated vapor pressure (SVP) and at elevated pressures. The evolution in shape of second and first sound waves excited by a pulsed heater has been investigated for increasing power W of the heat pulse. It has been found that, by increasing the pressure P from SVP up to 25 atm, the temperature T_lambda, at which the nonlinearity coefficient alpha of second sound reverses its sign, is decreased from 1.88 to 1.58 K. Thus at all pressures there exists a wide temperature range below T_lambda where alpha is negative, so that the temperature discontinuity(shock front) should be formed at the center of a propagating bipolar pulse of second sound. Numerical estimates show that, with rising pressure, the amplitude ratio of linear first and second sound waves generated by the heater at small W should increase significantly. This effect has allowed us to observe at P=13.3 atm a linear wave of heatingrarefaction in first sound, and its transformation to a shock wave of cooling (compression). Measurements made at high W for pressures above and below the critical pressure in He II, Pcr=2.2 atm, suggest that the main reason for initiation of the first sound compression wave is strong thermal expansion of a layer of He I (the normal phase) created at the heater-He II interface when W exceeds a critical value. Experiments with nonlinear second sound waves in a high-quality resonator show that, when the driving amplitude of the second sound is sufficiently high, multiple harmonics of second sound waves are generated over a wide range of frequencies due to nonlinearity. At sufficiently high frequencies the nonlinear transfer of the wave energy to sequentially higher wave numbers is terminated by the viscous damping of the waves.


The electrical resistivity study of Etioro-Akoko has become imperative because of non-functional potable water. The study aims at resolving the geology setup through hydro-geophysical methods and modeling of the wells. Dipole- dipole, Schlumberger array and the positioning of the hand dug wells were carried out in the study area. Dipole-dipole array results in the study area do not show structures indicative of high groundwater yield potential. Three layers comprising of the topsoil, weathered layer, and the fresh basement were delineated using the Schlumberger array with overburden thicknesses ranging from 4.5-7.7m.The values are too thin to support productive wells. Well inventory (depth to well-base) results ranges from 5.3-7.3m and were used to model the direction of flow pattern of groundwater. The southernmost part of the map is continuously discharged. To tap into the groundwater resources in this area requires detailed geophysical mapping and investigations of the discharge area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.69.3.5334


A thoroughly updated revision of the first comprehensive overview of intelligence designed for both the student and the general reader, Silent Warfare is an insider's guide to a shadowy, often misunderstood world. Leading intelligence scholars Abram N. Shulsky and Gary J. Schmitt clearly explain such topics as the principles of collection, analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action, and their interrelationship with policymakers and democratic values. This new edition takes account of the expanding literature in the field of intelligence and deals with the consequences for intelligence of vast recent changes in telecommunication and computer technology the new "information age." It also reflects the world's strategic changes since the end of the Cold War. This landmark book provides a valuable framework for understanding today's headlines, as well as the many developments likely to come in the real world of the spy.


Soil matric and air pressures can significantly affect each other especially if the soil‐gas phase becomes disconnected from the atmosphere. Such effects were presumed to be one possible explanation for observed preferential flow patterns in a mine soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate interactions between soil‐air and water pressures in situ under field conditions. In a 2.5‐m‐wide mine soil pit, nine soil air pressure probes were horizontally installed 27 cm apart in a row at 80 cm depth and augmented by two rows of tensiometers, one row 10 cm below and one row 10 cm above the air probes. Field data were recorded for 3 wk in autumn 2001. At two of the nine measurement positions, deviations of soil air from atmospheric pressure were observed. Solely at these two positions, water‐saturated conditions were found and drainage could be collected using a cell lysimeter, indicating that these air probes were disconnected from aboveground air. After accounting for soil temperature effects, the fluctuations in soil air pressure were found to correspond with those of the ambient soil water pressure during infiltration events. The gradual decrease of soil air pressure after the event might be induced by suction effects of draining soil water in the flow finger with the soil water pressures remaining above the air entry pressure of the soil. Results suggest that effects of flow on soil air pressure can occur locally. In this heterogeneous mine soil, the air–water pressure interactions were restricted to soil regions that coincided with preferential flow paths.


When a database does not cover the earlier years that you need it to, then you may need to use the print index version of it.


Although there is strong evidence that segregation on socioeconomic lines has risen in many countries over the last few decades, comparatively little is known about the processes by which this happens. While it is often assumed that selective migration is the dominant process, this has rarely been demonstrated. This paper proposes a more comprehensive framework to analyse processes driving changes in segregation—a 'neighbourhood accounts' framework. The framework is tested using data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study for 1991–2001, focusing on the working-age population. Contrary to what many have assumed, selective migration is shown to have only a very weak impact on changes in spatial segregation, and is certainly not the dominant factor—at least in this particular context. The effects of ageing or cohort replacement and of uneven rates of status change or social mobility appear much more important. This raises important issues for policies to tackle segregation.


Diverticular disease refers to symptomatic and asymptomatic disease with an underlying pathology of colonic diverticula. Predisposing factors for the formation of diverticula include a low-fiber diet and physical inactivity. Approximately 85 percent of patients with diverticula are believed to remain asymptomatic. Symptomatic disease without inflammation is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring colonoscopy because imaging studies cannot discern the significance of diverticula. Fiber supplementation may prevent progression to symptomatic disease or improve symptoms in patients without inflammation. Computed tomography is recommended for diagnosis when inflammation is present. Antibiotic therapy aimed at anaerobes and gram-negative rods is first-line treatment for diverticulitis. Whether treatment is administered on an inpatient or outpatient basis is determined by the clinical status of the patient and his or her ability to tolerate oral intake. Surgical consultation is indicated for disease that does not respond to medical management or for repeated attacks that may be less likely to respond to medical therapy and have a higher mortality rate. Prompt surgical consultation also should be obtained when there is evidence of abscess formation, fistula formation, obstruction, or free perforation.


Abstract It is often thought that local governments in the Global South have less influence over climate city networks than those from the Global North. We question this by examining how different climate city networks relate and function as interconnected, yet independent, decision-making centers. We explore the extent to which this polycentric system overcomes the assumed exclusivity and inequality of these networks. We analyze twenty-two climate city networks using qualitative comparative analysis to classify the networks with a majority of members from either the Global North or the Global South based on conditions related to their context, diversity of members, and degree of homogeneity. We find that climate city networks overcome North–South dependencies through targeted support reflecting the local needs and conditions of city members. This diversity of tailored alternatives for cities provides equality and inclusivity at the polycentric system level, despite showing inequality and exclusivity at the network level.


In performing a classical hazard or risk analysis of an industrial plant, problems arise in integrating all hazards into an overall risk statement. The Zurich Hazard Analysis (ZHA) is a basic and practical tool to catalogue hazards and represent the corresponding risks by classifications of frequency and consequence of an (undesired) event in a risk matrix format. In extension, fuzzy logic makes it possible to generalize such strict classification schemes in order to consider different measurements, opinions, etc. Integration of fuzzy sets into the ZHA produces a linguistic overall plant risk indicator statement, including all or the most of important hazards. The procedures of computing are shown in a distinct number of working steps and discussed on the basis of practical ZHA case studies.


Three parallel overlapping cores have been taken in the Albanian side of Lake Shkodra (Albania/Montenegro). The chronological frame of the record, spanning approximately the last 4500 years, has been assessed using four radiocarbon dates and four well-known tephra layers of Italian volcanoes. Multidisciplinary analyses turned out to be decisive to understand environmental, climatic changes and human impact. Here, we focus on palynology. The humidity at Shkodra was always enough to allow the developing of a luxuriant arboreal vegetation. The pollen percentage diagram does not record important changes in terrestrial plants percentages. Arboreal pollen (AP) shows only a rather slight decrease, with 'natural forests' replaced by intensive cultivation of chestnut and walnut in the last seven/eight centuries. The rather minimal changes in composition and dominance are because of the fact that the pollen rain comes from different vegetation belts, from the Mediterranean to the alpine one. Two major periods of humidity are found, one at the base of the pollen concentration and influx diagram, before 4100 yr BP, the other at 1300 yr BP. Minima in pollen influx and concentration occurred soon before 4000, at ca. 2900 and at ca. 1450 yr BP These minima, interpreted as aridity crises, show a temporal coincidence with the so-called Bond events 1-3 already found in other central and eastern Mediterranean records. The minimum in AP occurring after 500 yr BP could represent the record of the 'Little Ice Age', even if it could be the effect of a strong land use.


Boreal forests are changing in response to climate, with potentially important feedbacks to regional and global climate through altered carbon cycle and albedo dynamics. These feedback processes will be affected by vegetation changes, and feedback strengths will largely rely on the spatial extent and timing of vegetation change. Satellite remote sensing is widely used to monitor vegetation dynamics, and vegetation indices (VIs) are frequently used to characterize spatial and temporal trends in vegetation productivity. In this study we combine field observations of larch forest cover across a 25 km2 upland landscape in northeastern Siberia with high-resolution satellite observations to determine how the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) are related to forest cover. Across 46 forest stands ranging from 0% to 90% larch canopy cover, we find either no change, or declines in NDVI and EVI derived from PlanetScope CubeSat and Landsat data with increasing forest cover. In conjunction with field observations of NDVI, these results indicate that understory vegetation likely exerts a strong influence on vegetation indices in these ecosystems. This suggests that positive decadal trends in NDVI in Siberian larch forests may correspond primarily to increases in understory productivity, or even to declines in forest cover. Consequently, positive NDVI trends may be associated with declines in terrestrial carbon storage and increases in albedo, rather than increases in carbon storage and decreases in albedo that are commonly assumed. Moreover, it is also likely that important ecological changes such as large changes in forest density or variable forest regrowth after fire are not captured by long-term NDVI trends.


A frequency-stabilization system of a helium–neon laser with an internal-mirror plasma tube is described. The temperature of the plasma tube immersed in water flow is regulated by controlling the temperature of the water by a temperature regulator. The frequency shift is detected with a Fabry-Perot etalon and phototube. The output variation of the phototube is fed as an error signal to the regulator. The error estimation is also discussed. The relative uncertainty of the frequency stabilization is less than ±3 × 10−9 over a period of longer than 24 h.


The aim of this study is to estimate both stochastic and mathematical programming efficiency cost frontiers for the Latin American water sector, by means of econometric and Data Envelopment Analysis techniques, using the ADERASA database. ADERASA is the Latin American association for water regulators, which has made a systematic job of data collection, among other initiatives. This study fills a gap in the understanding of relative efficiency in the Latin American water sector, using a consistent database. First, we present a survey of the empirical literature related to cost and production frontiers in the water and sanitation sector. Second, once alternative specifications were chosen, models have been estimated and environmental variables included in an exploratory way. The coefficients have the expected signs and plausible values. Some consistency between methodologies is found. This paper yields two results. The better knowledge of the underlying cost (or production) model is a first step to using benchmarking as a regulatory tool. The policy implications are relatively straightforward. With benchmarking technology it is possible to coordinate the action of different regulators, each with their own asymmetry of information. The key is setting indicative standards which constitute the basis of further discussion.


CD36 Gene Expression Induced by Fish Oil in Abdominal Adipose Tissue of Rats with Metabolic Syndrome
Introduction: CD36 is a ubiquitously expressed transmembrane glycoprotein primarily localized in tissues with high levels of fatty acid oxidation. According to its broad binding specificity and signal transduction capabilities, CD36 is thought to be involved in several physiological and pathological events related to metabolic syndrome, which underlies diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, major causes of morbidity and mortality in most of the world. Objective and Method: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary fish oil (n-3 PUFAs) administration on adipose tissue CD36 mRNA expression levels in rats with metabolic syndrome induced by 30% sucrose administration in drinking water during 21 weeks. Results and Discussion: After dietary fish oil administration (6 weeks), lower blood pressure and serum concentrations of insulin, non-esterified fatty acids, triacylglycerols and HOMA-IR index were observed, in combination with increased expression levels of CD36 in adipose tissue which would result in enhanced fatty acids uptake, storage and oxidation and the consequent increase in insulin sensitivity. Conclusion: our results show that the overexpression of CD36 in adipocytes could be one of the mechanisms by which fish oil is beneficial to ameliorate metabolic syndrome, through the modulation of fatty acids metabolism.


The addition of ethers and polyethers to fluoroalkenes (especially hexafluoropropene, but also chlorotrifluoroethene, decafluoro-3,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)- hex-3-ene, 1,1-difluoroethene, hexafluorocyclobutene, octafluorocyclopentene and pentafluoropropene) and hexafluoroacetone was investigated. Studies involving model compounds, such as diethyl ether and oxolane, indicated that this general reaction proceeded with ease when initiated by UV light, using acetone as both solvent and photosensitiser. High field NMR studies allowed a high degree of structural and also mechanistic information to be derived. It was established that the diadducts of HFP with diethyl ether and with oxolane form by two different processes, the former with a surprising degree of stereocontrol. Additions of polyethers to fluoroalkenes were performed and, using the information gained from the model compounds, approximate structures for the new materials were derived. These materials have interesting properties and were shown to migrate to the air interface in acetone solutions of poly(methyl methacrylate) and also in paint by ESCA. Cyclic analogues of these materials (derived from crown ethers) were also synthesised, and evidence for the formation of corresponding alkali metal complexes was obtained by mass spectrometry, though the complexes could not be isolated. Both the cyclic and acyclic materials were successfully fluorinated, using elemental fluorine at room temperature, in an unusual solvent system. NMR and other analysis were performed on these perfluoropolyethers.


Background: A new conception is emerging by acknowledging that right breathing volume is elemental for good health, based on the devotional work of Russian scientist Konstantin Buteyko. Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) is committed to reduce pulmonary ventilation which raises the levels of carbon dioxide in the body. Thus, it increases oxygen delivery to the tissues and cells. Objectives: To analyse the effectiveness of the Buteyko Breathing Technique on physiological and psychological parameters of football players. Methodology: 40 male footballers were included in the study and randomly divided into two groups. Group A (n=20) received 6 weeks BBT (5 sessions/week) where as Group B (n=20) continued with regular training. Resting Heart Rate (RHR), Resting Blood Pressure (RBP), VO2max, Control Pause Test and Anxiety were measured at the beginning and after the completion of the protocol in both the groups. Results: Paired t test revealed a significant decrease in RHR, and Anxiety by 5.76% and 12.4% respectively. Resting Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 4.26% and 5% respectively, whereas massive improvement was seen in Control Pause by 134.2% and VO2max by 15.54% in Group A. No significant change was seen in group B. Conclusion: BBT was found to be useful technique to enhance endurance of the players as it has showed a positive improvement in cardio respiratory parameters. This technique was also helpful in reducing anxiety.


In thrust belts, low-angle tectonic contacts are common, and are associated with the stacking of tectonic units and the resulting regional shortening. The Southern Apennines of Italy, where basin and platform sediments are stacked along low-angle regional thrusts caused by the shortening of the Adria passive margin, are no exception. We studied a portion of a north–south-trending, low-angle regional thrust that separates Apennine platform sediments from Lagonegro basin rocks. To the east of the thrust, klippen composed of platform sediments overlying Lagonegro rocks along a low-angle tectonic contact are present. The klippen were first interpreted as remnants of the regional thrust. We performed a detailed structural analysis of the regional thrust, and we examined the structural setting of the klippen. Field evidence and analysis of map patterns revealed that emplacement of low-angle, foreland-propagating thrusts was followed by extensional deformation accommodated by regional east-dipping, low-angle normal faults. At the base of the klippen, we identified low-angle tectonic contacts with an extensional kinematics. We conclude that the klippen were the result of movements of platform sediments and Lagonegro rocks along low-angle normal faults, and not thrusts as previously interpreted. These faults are cut by more recent, high-angle normal faults associated with the opening of the Agri basin. Collectively, we show that evidence of changes in the tectonostratigraphic architecture, fault geometry and kinematics, and fabrics in the thrusts can reveal the presence of low-angle normal faults, the result of an extensional regime. We expect that our findings will contribute to the understanding of the deformation history of part of the Southern Apennines, and of other mountain belts. The results are also important to understand the transition from compression to extension in the Southern Apennines and in similar orogenic belts.


BACKGROUND
The interests that motivate medical students to study this career are diverse and they may change during the seven years of study. In Chile, 22 universities offer medicine and the number of graduated students has increased by more than 50% over the last 10 years.

AIM
To determine the motivational profile of medical students at admission, and at the end of their career.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
A voluntary anonymous survey was applied to 275 first and 140 seventh year medical students from one traditional public and two private schools.

RESULTS
The main reason for applying to medical school was social interest (68.7%), followed by interest in science and academia. Thirty six percent of students from seventh year would not study medicine again. In the seventh year, the interest in medical care persists in 88% of students, followed by academic interests in 64%. Only 24% had research interests. Fifty nine and 57% of students projected their medical work in private and public hospital settings, respectively. Only 11% projected themselves as doing research. Sixty nine percent of students would like to receive more information about post graduate education.

CONCLUSIONS
There is a low interest in research and a high percentage of seventh year students that would not apply to medicine again. Medical schools should perform a systematic analysis of students' interests to improve faulty areas.


Peatlands are the most efficient terrestrial carbon store on Earth, and deliver multiple other ecosystem services including climate regulation, water purification, preservation of ecological and archaeological records, etc. Disturbed and degraded peatlands do not provide the same ecological services and thus bear a significant cost to society. Because this cost may be alleviated by appropriate restoration measures, money is being invested in peatland restoration projects around the world. Here, we review over 25 years of restoration in Western Europe. First, we provide an overview of techniques used in different contexts and evaluate the status of the evidence base for restoration outcomes. Between 1993 and 2015, the EU‐LIFE nature programme alone invested 167.6M € in 80 projects, which aim to restore over 913 km2 of peatland habitats in Western European countries, mostly in protected sites part of the Natura 2000 EU network. This represents less than 2% of the total remaining area of peatlands in these countries, most of which have been impacted to some degree by anthropogenic disturbances. Potential for restoration should be considered in nondesignated sites. We reviewed a number of case studies covering a range of restoration approaches used in different parts of Western Europe. We found that published evidence of restoration progress was limited to specific sites/areas, and in many cases lacked baseline measurements and clear goals, that is, measurable target or contemporary reference(s). We discuss barriers and opportunities to turn the tide for peatland restoration in Western Europe and promote the establishment of robust, standardized monitoring schemes.


Direct effects of herbivory, and indirect effects through induced responses to herbivory, can both influence the susceptibility of plants to subsequent attacks by herbivores. There has, however, been very little research (if any) to investigate how the large-scale effects of browsing by megaherbivores (.1000 kg body mass) on woody plants might influence the subsequent use of those plants by phytophagous insects. We conducted a field study in Kruger National Park, South Africa, to investigate whether browsing by elephants (Loxodonta africana) on mopane trees (Colophospermum mopane) had any influence on the subsequent selection of those trees by ovipositing mopane moths (Imbrasia belina). Our results showed that, after controlling for differences in canopy volume, the density of egg masses was almost halved in mopane woodlands recovering from severe elephant browsing in the previous season. This is despite the regrowth on heavily browsed trees having lower tannin:protein ratios and longer shoots. Our suggested explanation is that large monophagous caterpillars can only feed in the canopies of the trees in which they hatch and so the quantity of food in each canopy is more important than its quality. There are implications for the sustainable harvesting of mopane caterpillars, which represent an important food resource for rural communities in southern Africa. Future avenues for research include patch selection by large herbivores in response to local nutrient enrichment by frass deposited during caterpillar outbreaks.


Fluorescent proteins are an incredibly versatile tool in biological imaging. Unfortunately, fluorescent proteins cannot be used to track small metabolites in vivo. The purpose of the work described herein was to create novel red-shifted RNA aptamer based probes for use in molecular imaging. All potential dyes were prescreened using molecular modeling and only the dyes that absorbed wavelengths longer than 500 nm were synthesized. The first aminothiophene based imidazolinone dyes (ATI-1 and ATI-2) were synthesized and their electronic properties were evaluated. SELEX was performed on ATI-2 to find several random RNA sequences that were capable of binding the chromophore and activating ATI-2 fluorescence. It is proposed that fluorescence activated cell sorting can be used to separate and isolate the sequences that form the brightest complexes with ATI-2.


Analyzing the urban water cycle is crucial for adequate urban water management and pollution control of the natural water cycle. Knowledge about exfiltration from sewer networks is very limited; but the few available studies indicate that exfiltration pollution loads pose un-counted serious threat to groundwater. The research was carried out on Nablus-East with a population of 94,910 inhabitants, to assess the pollution load of wastewater exfiltration from the sewers network and outlets. The investigations were carried out mainly on two catchments; a sub-main small controllable catchment, and a main catchment representing 86% of Nablus-East. The wastewater flows and loads from the two catchments were measured, and water consumption records were obtained as ArcMap software shapefiles. The results revealed that 82.2% of the consumed water ends up in the sewer network. The exfiltration wastewater from the sewer network resembles 12.8% of the consumed water, while 65.2% drains untreated to wadi Al-Sajor through the outlets, and 4.2% ends up in cesspits. The specific water consumption, wastewater production, wastewater exfiltrated from the sewer network and wastewater reaches the outlet are respectively 79.6, 65.4, 10.2 and 55.2 L/c.d. The specific pollution loads exfiltrated from the sewered part of Nablus-East are 2.4(g N/c.d), 0.25 (g TP/c.d), 23.5(g CODt/c.d) and 13 (g BOD/c.d). The total nitrogen load of the produced wastewater from Nablus-East is 1.88 (kg N/ha*day), out of which 1.49 (kg N/ha*day) reaches the outlets as a major point source pollution. The remaining 0.39 (kg N/ha*day) routes into exfiltration from sewer network of 0.29 (kg N/ha*day) and in cesspits is 0.10 (kg N/ha*day). The annual urban nitrogen loading of Nablus-East wastewater is 688 (kg N/ha*yr), which is very high due to high population density. Therefore, a wastewater treatment plant should be constructed as a first priority, and the sewers network should be rehabilitated.


The innovation explored in this paper reveals some of the complexities of power and ownership that practitioners need to negotiate if they are to create institutional spaces where learners can find their own voice. The paper sheds light on current debates about personal learning environments versus VLEs, and argues that an either/or approach is unnecessarily limiting. It proposes, instead, that practitioners will be able to operate more effectively if they recognize the diversity of actors and influences that shape the spaces in which learning takes place. The paper tests this proposition by examining the introduction of a synchronous online tool, highlighting the practitioner values that the project team revealed in its pedagogic choices.


Abstract Largely as a result of the expansion of oil palm Elaeis guineensis, forest fragmentation has occurred on a large scale in Borneo. There is much concern about how forest-dependent species, such as the Vulnerable sun bear Helarctos malayanus, can persist in this landscape. The absence of sufficient natural food in forest fragments could drive sun bears into oil palm plantations, where they risk coming into conflict with people. We interviewed oil palm plantation workers and farmers in the Lower Kinabatangan region of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, to ascertain if sun bears were utilizing plantations, if they were causing damage to the crop, and how the bears were perceived by people. To obtain a comparative baseline we extended these questions to include other species as well. We found that bears were rarely encountered in plantations and were not considered to be destructive to the oil palm crop, although they were generally feared. Other species, such as macaques Macaca spp., bearded pigs Sus barbatus, and elephants Elephas maximus, had more destructive feeding habits. Sun bears could use this readily available food resource without being targeted for retribution, although incidental human-related mortality remains a risk. Although bears could gain some nutritional benefit from oil palm, plantations do not provide the diversity of food and cover available in a natural forest.


Hewitt and Flett's Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale identifies different types of perfectionism: self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), These may be divided into further facets, such as Campbell and Di Paula's perfectionism subscales. One of the SOP facets, Perfectionistic Striving, captures adaptive aspects of perfectionism. This facet may thus be the reason why SOP has been found to positively correlate with goal achievement. Little research has been conducted with these subscales, though, as well as with the relationship between SOP and goal achievement in the domain of work, despite many referring to work as the domain they are most perfectionistic in. This study therefore investigated the hypothesis that the Perfectionistic Striving subscale score would correlate higher with supervisor ratings of employee goal achievement in comparison to the correlations between the other subscales' scores and supervisor ratings. One hundred and fifteen employees at a call centre filled out the MPS, afterward, deciding upon a work performance-related goal to try and reach within six months. Their supervisors, at the end of the six months, then rated the incumbents' goal achievement. A hierarchal multiple regression using the incumbents' MPS subscale scores and the supervisors' ratings demonstrated support for the hypothesis.


In a world of dwindling fossil-based energy, global air pollution and warming, biocatalysis may be a perfect problem-solver. It has the potential to procure sustainable raw materials and energy from biomass, and enables chiral and highly functionalized compounds to be produced ecologically for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. At ZHAW Waedenswil on June 20, 2016, the Competence Center for Biocatalysis (CCBIO) gave European experts the opportunity to present the latest findings from science, research and practice in the future-oriented field of biocatalysis.


The use of celebrities and athletes as product endorsers has long been the subject of examination by advertising and marketing professionals. The popularity of NASCAR in today's culture has broadened the scope of celebrity athletes to include NASCAR drivers. As marketing and advertising ties to drivers increase, an analysis of the opportunities that exist for sponsors to develop a meaningful promotional campaign that produces the right mix of product and celebrity endorser becomes increasingly important. This case paper reviews the results of an exploratory study which examined the various characteristics fans associate with some of the top NASCAR drivers. The purpose is to investigate more closely the characteristics fans like – and even dislike—in their favorite drivers. The paper offers benefits to marketing and sponsorship practitioners looking to identify the personality traits which may help create the synergy between product and endorser in the development of persuasive promotional campaigns.


Ergativity in Mayan languages is realized in the cross-referencing features on verbs rather than as case marking features on noun phrases. Overt absolutive markers appear with intransitive verbs. Some Mayan languages extend the ergative markers to intransitive verbs in aspectless complement clauses. The languages also make changes to transitive verbs in the same aspectless contexts. We evaluate how Mam, Q'anjob'al and Yucatec children acquire the extension of the ergative markers to intransitive verbs and the changes to transitive verbs in aspectless clauses. In each language we analyzed data of three children in the age range of 2;0 to 3;0. Our findings show that: (i) although the three languages have similar patterns of extended ergativity, children are sensitive to language-specific constraints on extended ergativity; (ii) the input frequency does not predict the acquisition of extended ergativity. We conclude that the structure of each language is responsible for the acquisition of extended ergativity.


It is widely accepted in Caribbean studies that there is an ongoing resistance culture in Jamaica's dancehalls. However, the notion of resistance has remained confined to the terrain of what Carolyn Cooper calls 'border clashes' – local versus global, culture versus slackness, uptown versus downtown, and popular culture versus high culture. This article underlines the distinctive creativity of dancehall artistes such as the Twin of Twins, whose artistic practice generates a textual arena where different discourses can interact dialectically in various forms. It primarily explores the Twins' treatment of resistance culture in their represented spaces. It subsequently discusses the dialogic dynamics involved in the relationship between the dominant and dominated classes. These analyses reveal the relational ethos of dancehall DJs' counter-narratives and the Twin of Twins' ability to produce a dialogic relation to social reality.


The vertical radiation force on an absorbing micrometer-sized dielectric sphere situated in an evanescent field is calculated by use of electromagnetic wave theory. The present study is a continuation of an earlier paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B12, 2429 (1995)] in which both the horizontal and the vertical radiation forces were calculated with the constraint that the sphere was nonabsorbing. Whereas the horizontal force can be well accounted for within this constraint, there is no possibility of describing the repulsiveness of the vertical force that was so distinctly demonstrated in the Kawata–Sugiura experiment [Opt. Lett.17, 772 (1992)] unless a departure from the theory of pure nondispersive dielectrics is made in some way. Introduction of absorption, i.e., of a complex refractive index, is one natural way to generalize the previous theory. We work out general expressions for the vertical force for this case and illustrate the calculations by numerical computations. It turns out that, when it is applied to the Kawata–Sugiura case, the repulsive radiation force caused by absorption is not strong enough to account for the actual lifting of the polystyrene latex or glass spheres. The physical reason for the experimental outcome is, in this case, most probably the presence of surfactants, which make the surfaces of the spheres partially conducting.


Conservative and working-class, Jean Macquart is an experienced, middle-aged soldier in the French army, who has endured deep personal loss. When he first meets the wealthy and mercurial Maurice Levasseur, who never seems to have suffered, his hatred is immediate. But after they are thrown together during the disastrous Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, the pair are compelled to understand one other. Forging a profound friendship, they must struggle together to endure a disorganised and brutal war, the savage destruction of France's Second Empire and the fall of Napoleon III. One of the greatest of all war novels, "The Debacle" is the nineteenth novel in Zola's great Rougon-Macquart cycle. A forceful and deeply moving tale of close friendship, it is also a fascinating chronicle of the events that were to lead, in the words of Zola himself, to the murder of a nation'.


Despite the advances in the representational capacity of approximate distributions for variational inference, the optimization process can still limit the density that is ultimately learned. We demonstrate the drawbacks of biasing the true posterior to be unimodal, and introduce Annealed Variational Objectives (AVO) into the training of hierarchical variational methods. Inspired by Annealed Importance Sampling, the proposed method facilitates learning by incorporating energy tempering into the optimization objective. In our experiments, we demonstrate our method's robustness to deterministic warm up, and the benefits of encouraging exploration in the latent space.


We provide new evidence on the extent of measurement error in respondent-reported earnings data by exploiting detailed W-2 records matched to older workers in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our empirical findings are qualitatively consistent with the findings of previous studies. Mean measurement error in the 1991 HRS earnings data for men is somewhat larger than what has been found in other validation studies, but is still modest, averaging about 0.059 log points, approximately 5.9 percent, or $1,500. For women in 1991, it is 0.067 log points, approximately 6.7 percent, or $916. We find a negative correlation between the measurement error and the true value of earnings as measured by the W-2 records, which indicates the presence of non-classical measurement error. For men and women, this error shows little correlation with a standard set of cross-sectional earnings determinants. The one exception is that the measurement error rises with reported education. The bias on the OLS parameter estimate of the impact of having a college degree or higher (relative to a high school drop-out) from using the respondent-reported rather than the W-2 earnings is positive and estimated to be 0.071 log points, or roughly a bias of 7 percent.


Knowledge of the rheological properties of mantle materials is critical in modeling the dynamics of the Earth. The high-temperature flow law of olivine defined at mantle conditions is especially important since the pressure dependence of rheology may affect our estimation of the strength of olivine in the Earth's interior. In this study, steady-state high-temperature (up to 1473 K) deformation experiments of polycrystalline olivine (average grain size ? 10 ?m) at pressure up to 9.6 GPa, were conducted using a Deformation-DIA (D-DIA) high-pressure apparatus and synchrotron X-ray radiation. The oxygen fugacity (fo2) during the runs was in-between the iron-wustite and the Ni/NiO buffers' fo2. The water content of the polycrystalline samples was generally about 150 to 200 wt. ppm but was as low as 35 wt ppm. Typically, 30 % strain was generated during the uniaxial compression. Sample lengths during the deformation process as well as the differential stresses were monitored in situ by X-ray radiography and diffraction, respectively. The strain rate was derived with an accuracy of 10?6 s?1. Differential stress was measured at constant strain rate (?10?5 s?1) using a multi-element solid-state detector combined with a conical slit. Recovered specimens were investigated by optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).more » TEM shows that dislocation glide was the dominant deformation mechanism throughout the experiment. Evidence of dislocation climb and cross-slip as active mechanisms are also reported. Deformation data show little or no dependence of the dislocation creep flow with pressure, yielding to an activation volume V* of 0 {+-} 5 cm3/mol. These new data are consistent with the high-temperature rheological laws at lower pressures, as reported previously.« less


This paper investigates the fundamental performance limits of medium access control (MAC) protocols for particular multihop, RF-based wireless sensor networks and underwater sensor networks. A key aspect of this study is the modeling of a fair-access criterion that requires sensors to have an equal rate of underwater frame delivery to the base station. Tight upper bounds on network utilization and tight lower bounds on the minimum time between samples are derived for fixed linear and grid topologies. The significance of these bounds is two-fold: First, they hold for any MAC protocol under both single-channel and half-duplex radios; second, they are provably tight. For underwater sensor networks, under certain conditions, we derive a tight upper bound on network utilization and demonstrate a significant fact that the utilization in networks with propagation delay is larger than that in networks with no propagation delay. The challenge of this work about underwater sensor networks lies in the fact that the propagation delay impact on underwater sensor networks is difficult to model. Finally, we explore bounds in networks with more complex topologies.


The gene gurken (grk) in Drosophila melanogaster is required to establish the anterior/posterior and dorsal/ventral axes of the egg. When insulin levels are high such as when food is readily available, grk is translated using a common mechanism that requires recognition of the 7-methylguanosine cap at the 5' end of the RNA. Translation of grk requires Vasa activity which is inhibited through phosphorylation is spindle-B (spn-B) mutants. It was discovered in our lab that Insulin/Insulin-like Signaling (IIS) mutations or inhibition of TOR by rapamycin result in increased grk translation in spn-B mutants thereby overcoming this cap-dependent block. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the grk 5' UTR contains an Internal Ribosomal Entry Site (IRES). An IRES provides an alternative mechanism of translation that occurs through use of a secondary structure in the 5' UTR in the mRNA. The utility of the IRES is that it allows for translation of important mRNA's even in the absence of canonical cap-dependent translation factors. These conditions can arise in nature when insulin levels or nutrient availability is low. The presence of an IRES will be explored in vivo through a comparison of transgenic reporter lines containing different luciferase reporter constructs. These constructs will be used to test the hypothesis that the grk 5' UTR contains an IRES and examine the effect of nutrient limitation, inhibition of TOR, or IIS mutations on grk translation. To localize the IRES within the GRK 5' UTR selective deletion mutations will be made in secondary structures identified through selective 2'-Hydroxyl Acylation and Primer Extension (SHAPE) analysis. The activity of these reporter lines will be analyzed through assaying these transgenic lines. This will allow for the identification of the presence and location of the IRES within the grk 5' UTR. Here we present data demonstrating the activity of reporter constructs that have been generated by fusion with the 5' UTR of grk. Additionally we propose a new technique using GRNA chromatography to identify the presence of an IRES as well as important secondary structures needed for IRES function using the same reporter constructs.


In this research, the top six determinants of evaluation, as shown in Table 2, were selected as objectives of developing the digital convergence policy of Taiwan, they are: (1)C11 Promoting telecommunication mobile value-added services; (2) C12expediting the digitization of cable and terrestrial TV; (3) C21promoting investment and development of the convergence industry; (4) C13adjusting the scope of regulating telecommunications and broadcasting ; (5) C31completing the digital convergence legislative framework and passing relevant legislation; and (6) C22 reducing the digital divide and popularizing services."For this research, opinions and comments from experts and scholars were compiled with the objective of establishing the most effective research structure and means of evaluation. Subsequently, results show that the top criteria expedite Taiwan's digital convergence is the development of high-speed broadband network infrastructure. Besides, Taiwan presently does not perform well in Harmonic Convergence Regulatory Environment. It also means that there is not a sound regulatory environment, particularly in "balance digital divide and universal service". Thus, Taiwan should first improve "Harmonic Convergence Regulatory Environment".


People with disabilities seldom get a chance to voice their opinions on their sport experiences. A deeper understanding of the context-related experiences of sport is a prerequisite for teachers and leaders to be able to provide adequate, inclusive and meaningful activities. The aim of this qualitative case study was to examine how young people with disabilities made sense of sport, within both the compulsory school system and the voluntary sports movement. The study involved 10 young adults (aged 16 to 29 years) with disabilities, five males and five females. All the participants had rich experiences of sport. An inductive approach to qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews was used to enable individuals to explain and give meaning to their experiences of sport including those pertaining to gender and inclusion. The findings illustrated that dominating gender and ability norms influenced the interviewees' understanding of themselves in relation to sport; as a consequence, some of the female interviewees had a more diverse, sometimes contradictory experience of sport than the male interviewees. The basic premise of this study is that researchers can develop more insightful understandings of inclusion by studying the subjective meanings that are constructed by people with disabilities in their sport experiences.


Programming the Future C omputing is evolving, and programming is evolving along with it. Programming, by definition, is nothing more than arranging data in such a way that it can be processed by a computer. However, the term really encompasses so much more than what any dictionary would claim. This issue of XRDS examines some fascinating research and opinion on programming, from how to teach future programmers, to coding on a team in the for-profit world, to breaking research on programming bacteria, and beyond. The first strand of this issue explores parallel programming. How are we progressing toward truly harnessing the power of multi-core computing? Bryan Catanzaro and Kurt Keutzer showcase some great developments at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley that focus on a unique approach to parallel programming using patterns: building blocks utilized by the programmer to ensure high quality parallel code (page 22). Additionally, Jason Ansel and Cy Chan from MIT provide insight into the PetaBricks compiler—a great step toward enabling scalable and portable performance (page 32). Software development is an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars. How do we train future programmers to think parallel? A roundtable discussion on the teaching of parallel programming investigates the challenges in training a new generation of programmers. Maurice Herlihy (MIT), William Gropp (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and John Mellor-Crummey (Rice University) share their insights (page 28). The industry has also given birth to a number of software development methodologies, with agile software receiving a lot of attention both inside and outside commercial environments. David Largent investigates how the agile approach to programming works (page 38). It serves as a reminder that programming has a human side, and that we must ensure programmers are happy and productive in teams. Programming and computing don't always deal exclusively with machines. A new field of science is looking at whether and how we can use biological tissue programmatically. Masami Hagiya, Fumiaki Tanaka, and Ibuki Kawamata from the University of Tokyo give an overview of synthetic biology and nanotechnology, and how nature's building blocks can be harnessed for computation (page 17). You'll see some interesting parallels between robotics and biology here. Additionally, an interdisciplinary team comprising faculty and students from Missouri Western State University and Davidson College tell us how they programmed E. coli bacteria to solve the Hamiltonian Path Problem at the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition at MIT (page 10). Their work hit headlines around the world and was even published by a top biological journal—amazing work for undergraduate students! We had a lot of fun putting this issue together, and we hope it inspires you to also push the boundaries of what "programming" means. — James Stanier Programming has a human side, and we must ensure programmers are happy and productive in teams." P ho to : C ar lo s R os as


A trial was conducted to evaluate the influence of antinutritional factors in some feedstuffs on broiler chick's performance and intestinal epithelium. A total of 480 one-day old broiler chicks were allotted to a completely randomized experimental design with four treatments (A= corn and soybean meal based control diet; B = diet containing Leucaena leucocephala - 6% [LL]; C = diet containing Leucaena cunningan - 6% [LC] and D = diet containing Pigeous bean - Cajanus cajan - 20% [CC]), four replicates and 30 broiler chicks per experimental unit. The broiler chicks, which were fed with LL and LC containing diets showed lower weight gain and a worse feed: gain in the periods from 1 to 21 and from 1 to 42 days of age. At 21st days of age only the broiler chicks fed with LC containing diet showed a higher villi size in jejunum and villi: crypt ratio in jejunum and ileum. There was significant increase on the number of Goblet cells in the duodenum and jejunum in the broiler chicks of all treatments at the 21st day of age, and only broiler chicks fed with LL and LC containing diets showed an increased number of Goblet cells in the ileum. At 42th day of age, an increase of Goblet cells was observed in the duodenum of broiler chicks fed with CC containing diets, and in the ileum of broiler chicks fed with LL, LC e CC containing diets. Feed intake and crypt depth were not influenced by treatments in any of the experimental periods. Alterations on jejunum villi morphology, villi: crypt ratio and increased number of Goblet cells in the initial period resulted on a worse weight gain and feed: gain in the initial and total growth periods of the broiler chicks.


3-D printing creates physical items or objects from digital data. This type of printing starts with an electronic file and turns it into a physical item through the use of a 3-D printer, making the imagined real--or, at least, real via built-up layers of plastic (Kaur 2012). Multiple 3-D printer brands are available, but the most popular among schools and libraries is the MakerBot Replicator 2, mainly because of its ease of use, size, and overall print capabilities. If you wonder what 3-D printers can do, the answer is just about anything. If a student, librarian, or teacher can design it, the 3-D printer can make it. The printer may be limited by size or scale, but 3-D printers allow users to print the physical world that surrounds us (Kaur 2012). 3~D printers can play a large role in the lives of our students' research and education by creating models of thoughts and ideas as well as supporting invention (Kurt and Colegrove 2012). In this Technology Quest column I focus on two educators, an art teacher and a middle/high school librarian, who have recently introduced 3-D printers into their learning spaces.


Ask a mechanical, structural, or electrical engineer how far they would get without a heavy reliance on a firm mathematical foundation, and they will tell you, not far. Yet so-called software engineers often practice their art with little or no idea of the mathematical underpinnings of what they are doing. And then we wonder why software is notorious for being delivered late and full of bugs, while other engineers routinely deliver finished bridges, automobiles, electrical appliances, etc., on time and with only minor defects. This book sets out to redress this imbalance. Members of my advanced development team at Adobe who took the course based on the same material all benefited greatly from the time invested. It may appear as a highly technical text intended only for computer scientists, but it should be required reading for all practicing software engineers. Martin Newell, Adobe FellowThe book contains some of the most beautiful code I have ever seen. Bjarne Stroustrup, Designer of C++ I am happy to see the content of Alexs course, the development and teaching of which I strongly supported as the CTO of Silicon Graphics, now available to all programmers in this elegant little book. Forest Baskett, General Partner, New Enterprise AssociatesPauls patience and architectural experience helped to organize Alexs mathematical approach into a tightly-structured edificean impressive feat! Robert W. Taylor, Founder of Xerox PARC CSL and DEC Systems Research CenterElements of Programming provides a different understanding of programming than is presented elsewhere. Its major premise is that practical programming, like other areas of science and engineering,must be based on a solid mathematical foundation. The book shows that algorithms implemented in a real programming language, such as C++, can operate in the most general mathematical setting. For example, the fast exponentiation algorithm is defined to work with any associative operation. Using abstract algorithms leads to efficient, reliable, secure, and economical software.This is not an easy book. Nor is it a compilation of tips and tricks for incremental improvements in your programming skills. The books value is more fundamental and, ultimately, more critical for insight into programming. To benefit fully, you will need to work through it from beginning to end, reading the code, proving the lemmas, and doing the exercises. When finished, you will see how the application of the deductive method to your programs assures that your systems software components will work together and behave as they must.The book presents a number of algorithms and requirements for types on which they are defined. The code for these descriptionsalso available on the Webis written in a small subset of C++ meant to be accessible to any experienced programmer. This subset is defined in a special language appendix coauthored by Sean Parent and Bjarne Stroustrup.Whether you are a software developer, or any other professional for whom programming is an important activity, or a committed student, you will come to understand what the books experienced authors have been teaching and demonstrating for yearsthat mathematics is good for programming, and that theory is good for practice.


If you know your Ecclesiastes, you will know that there is nothing new under the sun. Well, sometimes medicine feels like this; sometimes it feels a little like medicine, and paediatrics, does go around in circles. I suspect that it is a good barometer of your state of mind at a particular point whether you regard this as a good or a bad thing. Right now, having reviewed the contents of this edition of E&P I'm fi nding it fun, and I hope you do too. There are a lot of old subjects from new angles. Or, if you prefer, new subjects from old angles. I hope I can persuade you, also, that there are some genuinely new things out there too. Three Picket papers involve retreads of quite well worn themes. You will recall that Picket is about us keeping an eye out for quality papers, re-abstracting them, and then placing them in a clinical context. Two of these papers look at probiotics. Nick Brown – a regular behindthe-scenes Picket abstracter describes probiotics as the new universal panacea (see page 239), and anyone following the literature will have drawn the conclusion that researchers have attempted to fi t the probiotics answer to pretty much any question they can think of. Nick goes on to describe their attempt to deal with 'that hoariest of old chestnuts, colic'; the other paper looks at probiotics and nosocomial infections. Of course, in reading through this and the other papers about probiotics, I would hate to draw any conclusions from the fact that many of the unique species of probiotics have become commercial properties, with, theoretically at least, no ability to extrapolate to other species. And, of course, any particular trial tends to test just one form of probiotic against the possible indication. The third Picket (see page 240) was the one I was pleased to be asked to write, and enjoyed writing after having to read the paper about half a dozen times. I knew that I remembered an important literary reference at the time of writing, but it is only now that I have found it. On Thursday 14 October 1982, that great diarist of our time, Sue Townsend, in the guise of Adrian Mole, describes his grandmother wrapping his near step-sibling (it's complicated), Maxwell, in 'Vick and brown paper at night'. I have always been a little unsettled that Adrian Mole is about a year older than me, although this never diminished the author's intent: that as the reader you think you see things more clearly than Adrian or his family. I am sure, then, that grandma Mole would have enjoyed the fi nding that vapour rub may in fact have some effi cacy. When reviewing the paper I wondered if the smell would unblind the participants. By comparison, in 'The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'1 – where, to be fair, grandma Mole was not conducting an RCT, it was the rustling of the brown paper which disturbed the rest of the family. Away from the Pickets, in this month's Editor's choice we have got another new test, which I fi nd another useful barometer of my state of mind. Procalcitonin, abbreviated to PCT (which is confusing in England since this also describes a soon to be defunct commissioning structure), is either 'The New Great Hope' in detecting serious bacterial infection, or it is a test which is a little bit better than a C-reactive protein. Irwin and Carrol do a good job of convincing me that it isn't just the latter and suggests to me that it might be worth starting the conversation about use of this test for my patients again (see page 228). At the other end of the testing range, we have got a discussion on a much older test; urinary sodium and osmolality (see page 223), which I confess is something I have to relearn with monotonous regularity. So, is there nothing 'New Under the Sun'? As I write this, an email drops in my inbox with stunning research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.2 They are early results, for sure, but the idea that the attempts to produce an immunisation against malaria may have had major success is remarkable, and leads me to wonder if we are seeing the very start of the end of an era. Or, perhaps we are just seeing more of the same of what Jenner witnessed when he started vaccination. Bringing this back down to a much more mundane level, I hope you enjoy this issue, and certainly hope that you get something new from it. The next edition will look a little different, but will probably, ultimately, be more of the same. Please keep your comments coming; I really enjoy reading them, and they do help shape the journal.


Long-term care in the United States has taken the nursing home as its benchmark, but the monetary, social, and psychological costs of nursing home care are all too high. This book challenges the current dominance of nursing homes as the principal institution of long-term care. It offers a series of alternative models where both services and housing can be provided in a way that allows long-term consumers to enjoy dignified, "normal" lifestyles. It addresses the political and economic consequences of making this decision. The authors start with the premise that long-term care is designed to assist people who lack the capacity to function fully independently. They argue that no disabled person of any age should be required to forsake his/her humanity in exchange for care. The book rejects the artificial dichotomy between social and medical care, asserting that both play important roles in psychological and physical well-being of long-term care patients. The authors consider the need for competent and compassionate medicine and discuss the methods for improving both its coordination of care and its effectiveness. The book redefines the meaning of safety and protection in long-term care, and how this goal can be accomplished without sacrificing quality of living. As the new millenium and the aging of baby boomers approaches, more creative approaches to providing better long-term care are required. This volume outlines a useful framework for the provision ofeffective and humane community-based programs that are both feasible and affordable. It will be an invaluable guide for geriatricians, public health professionals, family physicians, nurses and others who care for elderly patients.


The year 2013 marked the 21 st anniversary of responsible investing (RI) in South Africa. No systematic analysis of the nature of RI strategies and criteria has, however, been conducted. Content analysis of the investment mandates of 73 RI funds has revealed that the majority of asset managers employ impact investing strategies which address social issues such as infrastructure development and economic empowerment. Semi-structured interviews with eight experts in the RI field have highlighted growing interest in impact investing and screening strategies. If RI in South Africa is to reach its full potential, then a broader range of investment strategies and criteria needs to be adopted. Asset managers can capitalise on gaps in the current RI offering by creating RI-orientated property funds, dedicated green funds, and funds which employ a best-in-sector screening strategy. A clear need for focused RI research, training and education in South Africa has furthermore been identified.


Snow and glacier melt (SGM) estimation plays an important role in water resources management. Although melting process can be modelled by energy balance methods, such studies require detailed data, which is rarely available. Hence, new and simpler approaches are needed for SGM es- timations. The present study aims at developing an artificial neural networks (ANN) based technique for estimating the energy available for melt (EAM) and SGM rates using avail- able and easy to obtain data such as temperature, short-wave radiation and relative humidity. Several ANN and multiple linear regression models (MLR) were developed to repre- sent the energy fluxes and estimate the EAM. The models were trained using measured data from the Zongo glacier located in the outer tropics and validated against measured data from the Antizana glacier located in the inner tropics. It was found that ANN models provide a better generalisa- tion when applied to other data sets. The performance of the models was improved by including Antizana data into the training set, as it was proved to provide better results than other techniques like the use of a prior logarithmic transfor- mation. The final model was validated against measured data from the Alpine glaciers Argenti` ere and Saint-Sorlin. Then, the models were applied for the estimation of SGM at Con- doriri glacier. The estimated SGM was compared with SGM estimated by an enhanced temperature method and proved to have the same behaviour considering temperature sensibility. Moreover, the ANN models have the advantage of direct ap- plication, while the temperature method requires calibration of empirical coefficients.


To the Editor: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 3 and 4 are considered to be primarily zoonotic (1). However, recent data indicate that both genotypes can be transmitted among humans through other routes (2,3). Observations of genetic distinctiveness between swine and human HEV strains circulating within the same region argue against exclusivity of zoonotic transmission (4). A recent report presented a remarkable example of such distinction between genotype 3 isolates in rural communities in southeastern Bolivia (5).

We examined HEV sequences obtained in that study to show the independent genetic origin of swine and human variants. Findings suggest disjunction between human and swine HEV strains in this epidemiologic setting, despite the potential for extensive cross-species exposure.

Using reference sequences from Lu et al. (6), we conducted subtype analysis of HEV open reading frame 2 sequences at nucleotide positions 826–1173 (GenBank accession no. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF060668","term_id":"4321753"}}AF060668) from isolates from 2 rural communities in southeastern Bolivia (5). Analysis showed that swine sequences belonged to subtype 3i and that the human sequences belonged to 3e.

We collected all available GenBank genotype 3 sequences covering this genomic region for which the dates of collection were documented. Sequences were used to estimate the time from the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) by using BEAST version 1.6.1 (7). Estimated tMRCA for GenBank sequences was longer than for sequences from Bolivia alone (Table) or for all genotype 3 sequences together (Table).

Table

Model estimates of time to most common recent ancestor for HEV ORF2 nucleotide sequences, southeastern Bolivia*

To reduce the effect of close relatedness among human or swine HEV sequences from Bolivia on the tMRCA estimate, we used only 1 representative sequence per species from each community in the final analysis. This analysis identified an estimated tMRCA similar to that seen for GenBank sequences alone (Table, model F vs. model D). This estimate indicates that human and swine HEV isolates from southeastern Bolivia last shared a common ancestor ≈275 years ago (Table, model F). Thus, swine HEV strains from both rural communities belonged to subtype 3i, and the human HEV strains identified from the community of Bartolo, Bolivia, belonged to subtype 3e and shared an ancestor with swine strains almost 3 centuries ago.

This finding is surprising because the community of Bartolo has several potential risk factors for zoonotic transmission of HEV. There are ≈200 humans and ≈70 swine in Bartolo (8). Residents are mainly native Quechua and Guarani with some of mixed Spanish ancestry who subsist at a low socioeconomic level. Their main livelihood activities are agriculture and breeding of animals. Free-range pig farms are family owned. Because of its impoverished state, the community has no running water, and few houses have toilets. No facilities are suitable for safely slaughtering animals (5,9). These conditions appear to create a setting in which zoonotic transmission of HEV should be common, and infection should be caused by a strain shared between swine and humans. However, the data suggest host-specific infection with distinct HEV subtypes.

Although specimens were collected from 172 humans (≈86%) and 67 swine (≈96%) in Bartolo (8), zoonotically transmitted isolates may have been missed because of the sample-pooling technique used (5). Nevertheless, detection of distinct HEV strains in human and swine populations indicates possible nonzoonotic, human-to-human transmission in this community. Detection of antibodies against HEV among 7% of residents and HEV genomes in persons without serologic markers of HEV infection indicate a higher HEV prevalence in Bartolo (5). Subclinical infection detected by PCR among Bartolo residents (5), rapid decrease of HEV antibody, and uncertain sensitivity of commercial serologic assays (10) suggest that the reported extent of HEV infection is most likely an underestimate.

High prevalence may generate conditions in this community that effectively prevent cross-species transmission because of frequent exposure to HEV early in life when contacts between humans and animals are limited, thus promoting host-specific transmission. This supposition is supported by the higher seropositivity seen among children 1–5 years of age and adults 41–50 years of age in Bartolo (5). Implications of these observations for understanding HEV evolution and epidemiology of HEV infections warrant further research on genetic heterogeneity of HEV strains in this region and other epidemiologic settings.


This qualitative study is conducted via focus groups with 47 Australian public service interpreters to investigate their responses to vicarious trauma (VT) in their practice, the influence of culture, and their views on how to maintain mental well-being. While participant interpreters employ various strategies to deal with traumatic client content and other work stressors, cultural inhibitors are found to prevent some from sharing their emotional vulnerability or seeking professional help. They indicated that they want to be treated with respect and as part of the professional team, rather than a machine or a shadow. Professional development is needed to clarify the limits of confidentiality, explain trauma and its vicarious possibilities, and to establish interpreters' professional entitlement to briefing and debriefing. Stakeholders including educators, professional associations, interpreting agencies, and other professions and institutional users of interpreting services should work respectfully and collaboratively to prevent and help interpreters recover from VT.


This paper addresses two issues of great importance in the current economic climate. First, it analyses the extent to which unemployment experiences have a scarring effect on British men during the Great Recession. Second, it provides an insight into the relation between true state dependence and the business cycle by investigating the role of local unemployment in affecting the persistence of unemployment incidence and by analysing the dynamics of unemployment scarring in the last two decades. Our results support the presence of true state dependence both during the Great Recession and in the other two sub-periods analysed, the early 90s and early 2000s. Moreover, we find evidence of a negative association between the scarring effect of unemployment and the business cycle. From a policy perspective, our findings imply that public interventions aimed at alleviating unemployment in the short term are also likely to have beneficial effects on longer term unemployment, especially during downturns.


This paper delivers empirical evidence on how informal transfers are affected by a formal and country-wide health insurance scheme. Using the fifth wave of the Ghanaian Living Standard Household Survey, we investigate the extent to which the exogenous implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme affects the probability of making or receiving informal transfers and their monetary equivalents. Our findings suggest that there is a significant crowding out of informal transfers. Members of weak transfer networks and individuals that run an enterprise are inclined to reduce their amount of remittances. We conclude that the provision of formal health insurance can reduce covariate risk in weak transfer networks and support business owners that are confronted by strong sharing obligations.


We theoretically investigate and optimize the performance of four-wave mixing (FWM) in microring resonators (MRRs) integrated with two-dimensional (2D) layered graphene oxide (GO) films. Owing to the interaction between the MRRs and the highly nonlinear GO films as well as to the resonant enhancement effect, the FWM efficiency in GO-coated MRRs can be significantly improved. Based on previous experiments, we perform detailed analysis for the influence of the GO film parameters and MRR coupling strength on the FWM conversion efficiency (CE) of the hybrid MRRs. By optimizing the device parameters to balance the trade-off between the Kerr nonlinearity and loss, we achieve a high CE enhancement of ~18.6 dB relative to the uncoated MRR, which is ~8.3 dB higher than previous experimental results. The influence of photo-thermal changes in the GO films as well as variations in the MRR parameters such as the ring radius and waveguide dispersion on the FWM performance is also discussed. These results highlight the significantly improved FWM performance that can be achieved in MRRs incorporating GO films and provide a guide for optimizing their FWM performance.


Our analyses showed that the degree of free fertilization is mostly influenced by maximum temperature and sunshine duration.We found that free fertilization ratio increases with higher daily maximum temperatures; similar results characterise sunshine duration as well, namely we observed higher free fertilization ratio at higher sunshine duration values. Total amount of precipitation during the period between blossoming and maturity and the difference between the average daytime and night temperatures have an important role in the tendency of maturity time. Photosynthesis and respiration are essentially significant in the development of biological systems. These two processes are mostly regulated by the daytime and night temperatures. Therefore, it is not surprising that if the difference between daytime and night temperatures is large, it means intensive photosynthesis and a low degree of respiratory loss. Under these conditions intensive development and ripening can take place; however, in case of a low temperature difference intensive respiration slows down the process of development. Duration of ripening is also significantly influenced by the amount of precipitation of the period between blossoming and maturity. Abundant precipitation slows down the process of ripening, while dry weather accelerates it. Self-fertilization takes place in a space isolated from the environment. In spite of that, we found that effectiveness of self-pollination significantly depends on the meteorological conditions. Degree of self-fertilization is influenced directly by temperature and indirectly by other climatic parameters. We found a significant connection between the values of maximum and minimum temperatures during blossoming and the ratio of self-fertilization. Increase of maximum temperature reduces the effectiveness of self-pollination. A 1 °C increase of maximum temperature reduces self-fertilization ratio by 0,6%. In the case of minimum temperature we can state that the morning minimum temperature of 7,5–8,5°C is the most favourable. If minimum temperatures are under 4 °C or above 12 °C, self-fertilization ratio reduces to the quarter of the value characteristic at 8 °C. We believe that the effectiveness of self-fertilization can be improved considerably by the rational placement of isolator bags within the crown area, avoiding their placement to the external, western crown surface. International Journal of Horticultural Science 2010, 16 (1): 17–21. Agroinform Publishing House, Budapest, Printed in Hungary ISSN 1585-0404