Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes among children and adults worldwide, it is imperative to identify dietary strategies that promote weight control. One potential anti-obesity compound is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), sold worldwide for weight loss. However, the safety and efficacy of this supplement remains questionable. Current research shows that, in addition to reducing fat mass, trans-10,cis-12 (10,12) CLA supplementation in animals and some humans leads to insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, or fatty liver. In vitro studies suggest that 10,12 CLA causes inflammation in primary cultures of human adipocytes by increasing mitogen activated extracellular kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase (MEK/ERK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NFeB) signaling, which impairs glucose and fatty acid uptake and utilization. However, the link between inflammatory signaling in primary cultures of human adipocytes and CLA-mediated delipidation has not been fully characterized. Additionally, the particular cell type (i.e., preadipoyctes vs. adipocytes) responsible for 10,12 CLA-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance in white adipose tissue is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the cell type responsible for 10,12 CLA-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance in cultures of newly differentiated human adipocytes (Aim 1), and to identify the specific upstream mechanisms involved (Aim 2). To examine Aim 1, inflammatory gene expression and protein secretion, prostaglandin secretion, or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cJun phosphorylation was measured in adipocytes vs. preadipocytes in four distinct cell culture models. To examine Aim 2, chemical inhibitors were employed to determine the role of protein kinases, including the MAPK cJun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) in 10,12 CLA-mediated inflammatory signaling and insulin resistance in newly differentiated primary human adipocytes. Collectively, results from this project reveal that 10,12 CLA instigates release of inflammatory signals from adipocytes that subsequently activate adjacent preadipocytes. Mechanisms of 10,12 CLA-mediated inflammatory signaling and insulin resistance involve activation of the protein kinases JNK and DGKs. These findings are expected to contribute critical insights for the development of safe and effective therapeutic strategies for weight control.


The integration of an agent-based simulation model as a component of a game engine for serious games targeting prevention and health promotion in the context of infectious diseases is described. It is argued that a combination of agent-based modelling and serious games can help provide a more realistic picture of disease spread than conventional ecoepidemiological models, by facilitating the integration of more detailed multidisciplinary expert knowledge. In addition, agent-based simulations provide engaging game mechanics, thereby fostering citizen engagement in the collection of up-to-date real-world data which can be used to improve the model.


"Net neutrality" and Internet "fast-lanes" have been the subject of raging debates for several years now, with various viewpoints put forth by stakeholders (Internet Service Providers, Content Service Providers, and consumers) seeking to influence how the Internet is regulated. In this paper we summarize the perspectives on this debate from multiple angles, and propose a fresh direction to address the current stalemate. Our first contribution is to highlight the contentions in the net neutrality debate from the viewpoints of technology (what mechanisms do or do not violate net neutrality?), economics (how does net neutrality help or hurt investment and growth?), and society (do fast-lanes disempower consumers?). Our second contribution is to survey the state-of-play of net neutrality in various regions of the world, highlighting the influence of factors such as consumer choice and public investment on the regulatory approach taken by governments. Our final contribution is to propose a new model that engages consumers in fast-lane negotiations, allowing them to customize fast-lane usage on their broadband link. We believe that our approach can provide a compromise solution that can break the current stalemate and be acceptable to all parties.


In this paper, we examine agent backgrounding in Italian Sign Language (LIS). Specifically, we are interested in
 identifying and describing the strategies used by LIS signers to reduce referentiality. On the basis of low-referential contexts
 (cf. questionnaire in the Introduction chapter), we recorded target sentences containing potential markers of agent backgrounding
 and asked three LIS native signers to provide felicity judgments on them using a 7-point scale. We discuss agent-backgrounding
 strategies of different types: (i) manual, (ii) non-manual, and (iii) syntactic. Overall, our study shows that the combination of
 raised eyebrows and mouth-corners down associated with the existential quantifier someone and the sign person
 makes the agent-backgrounding reading more prominent. Other strategies that can be used in LIS to reduce referentiality are free
 relatives, perspective shift, and null subject. We also investigate in more detail the semantic status of someone,
 person, and the null subject through well-established tests from the literature.


Body vigilance may serve as an important vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of anxiety pathology. Increased awareness of body sensations has been proposed to relate to anxiety sensitivity (i.e., fears of anxiety sensations) and contribute to panic attacks. Consistent with contemporary models of anxiety disorders, research suggests that individuals who experience recurrent panic attacks exhibit biases toward threat-relevant cues and interventions that reduce attention to threat-relevant stimuli reduce anxiety and panic symptomology. Physical exercise has been shown to exert anxiolytic and anti-panic effects, presumably in part via exposure-generated reductions in fear of relevant physiological sensations. However, recent research suggests that exposure-based interventions generate reductions in vigilance for threat information, and changes in threat vigilance appear to precede and predict reductions in anxiety symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of regular exercise on body vigilance among individuals with high body vigilance and anxiety sensitivity. Twenty-seven non-exercising participants were randomized to complete 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, resistance training, or rest. Results indicated all conditions demonstrated statistically significant reductions in body vigilance. Results are discussed with regard to their implications in the use of exercise interventions for anxiety and related forms of psychopathology.


In Dutch, all morpheme-final obstruents are voiceless in word-final position. As a consequence, the distinction between obstruents that are voiced before vowel-initial suffixes and those that are always voiceless is neutralized. This study adds to the existing evidence that the neutralization is incomplete: neutralized, alternating plosives tend to have shorter bursts than non-alternating plosives. Furthermore, in a rating study, listeners scored the alternating plosives as more voiced than the nonalternating plosives, showing sensitivity to the subtle subphonemic cues in the acoustic signal. Importantly, the participants who were presented with the complete words, instead of just the final rhymes, scored the alternating plosives as even more voiced. This shows that listeners' perception of voice is affected by their knowledge of the obstruent's realization in the word's morphological paradigm. Apparently, subphonemic paradigmatic levelling is a characteristic of both production and perception. We explain the effects within an analogy-based approach.


Executive Summary While there has been much research on Branding and Brand Equity in recent years, relatively little has been published on Brand Valuation, despite it being a key managerial issue. This paper reviews the Brand Valuation literature. It highlights Brand Valuation research, the obstacles to Brand Valuation and valuation approaches. The various approaches available for Brand valuation are discussed. Important but neglected issues such as the discount rate, growth rate and useful life are highlighted in the context of valuing brands. Guidelines are provided for managers and a process for valuing brands is suggested. Introduction Branding as a concept has been around for many years now. Brands help identify and differentiate the goods and services of one organization from those of another. From a customer's point of view, brands simplify shopping, aid in the processing of information about products, and makes them feel confident of their purchase decision. Managers have also become aware of the fact that the brand has become an important company asset, and focus is needed on the creation of brand equity. Brand equity as a concept has been developed over the last decade (Aaker 1991; Keller 1998). One of the main issues still to be resolved is how to value brands. Summarizing the primary thrust of articles published in the Journal of Marketing Research during 1987-1997, Malhotra et al concluded that in the area of brand evaluation and choice, future research should focus on further measurements of the brand equity construct (Malhotra, et al 1999). They proposed that a generally accepted measure could further the overall understanding of the strategic role of brand equity in extending the brand and in financially benefiting the firm. While there are a number of approaches available to managers, it is still uncertain which approach is best, and the issues around the discount rate, growth rate and useful life have to be resolved (Kapferer, 1994). As capital becomes less of a constraint on businesses there will be far greater emphasis on how this capital is used to creatively differentiate the organisation. The abundance of capital means that physical assets can be replicated with ease (Drucker, 1998). The point of differentiation (and the source of shareholder value) will flow from intangible assets. Two main trends are driving the need for a greater understanding of the techniques used to measure brand equity. The first is the growing need to evaluate the "productivity" of marketing spend (Sheth and Sisoda, 2000); and the second is the accounting requirement that purchased brands are capitalized and amortized. The benefit of ascertaining the correct brand value will ensure that resources are appropriately channeled to where they will deliver the greatest value to the organization, particularly in optimizing a brand portfolio. Decisions regarding the correct level of marketing spend, the evaluation of brand manager performance, and the initial decision whether to build a strong brand will be simplified. Another potential use is ensuring that the correct value is determined for mergers and acquisition purposes. It is time for marketing as a profession to adopt common standards much like the accounting profession has adopted standards of practice in their field. Furthermore, an accurate brand equity valuation ensures that brand-licensing fees correctly reflect the benefits received (Keller, 1998). The objectives of this article are : to identify and review the various approaches and methods used to value brands and to discuss the issues managers need to consider when evaluating valuation methods. The major contribution of this article is that it provides managers with guidelines on what to look for when going through a brand valuation process. Brand Valuation Initial research into the valuation of brands originated from two areas : marketing measurement of brand equity, and the financial treatment of brands. …


Research described in this thesis focused on biological, ecological and evolutionary aspects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), and in particular of the family Gigasporaceae (Gigaspora and Scutellospora, genera). This study had two major objectives. The first objective was to obtain better knowledge about the life history strategies (LHS) of Gigasporaceae, and the second objective was to study the intragenomic polymorphism of the ribosomal rDNA copies in order to understand its origin and to test the use of such polymorphism to discriminate between closely related species. The LHS patterns observed for the Gigasporaceae species studied suggests that they behave like K-strategists, i.e. organisms adapted to live at stable and predictable environments, as compared to Glomeraceae species that form single spores in the soil. Based on LHS patterns of Gigasporaceae an hypotheses that those species will be negatively selected in disturbed ecosystems have been formulated. Although intraspecific rDNA polymorphism in Gigasporaceae has been previously reported, this study, for the first time, systematically describes this heterogeneity and analyses this phenomenon with respect to Gigasporaceae phylogeny and evolution. It has been demonstrated that the intragenomic polymorphism of the rDNA copies can be used to differentiate species and in the case of Gigaspora even isolates. The phylogenetic analysis of inter and intragenomic rDNA polymorphism of closely related Gigaspora species strongly suggested that reticulated evolution, characterized by occasional hybridization or horizontal gene transfer between two species, played a significant role in evolution of this asexual group of fungi, via parasexual recombination. In addition, a molecular method was developed to assess Gigasporaceae diversity in environmental samples.


As the colonic epithelium is physiologically exposed to butyrate and to activators of protein kinase C, we examined the effect of the protein kinase C signalling pathway on butyrate-induced expression of markers of differentiation. Activators and inhibitors of protein kinase C were used in combination with butyrate and effects on the expression of markers of differentiation examined in colon cancer cell lines. When the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate (100 nM) was added for 24 h prior to the addition of 2 mM butyrate, there was a synergistic increase in alkaline phosphatase activity (154 +/- 11% above that for butyrate alone, P = 0.003) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Butyrate-induced expression of carcinoembryonic antigen and interleukin-8, dome formation and cell turnover were also markedly augmented by pre-treatment with phorbol myristate acetate. A similar effect was observed with propionate or acetate (but not other differentiating agents), when phorbol myristate acetate and butyrate were added concurrently, or when other protein kinase C activators were used. Pharmacological inhibition of protein kinase C activity did not alter butyrate-induced alkaline phosphatase activity, but abrogated the augmentation induced by phorbol myristate acetate. We conclude that protein kinase C does not mediate the differentiating effects of butyrate on colon cancer cells, but its activation regulates butyrate-induced cellular differentiation.


Increased traceability of food and food ingredients through the agri-food chain has featured in recent industry initiatives in the Canadian livestock sector and is an important facet of the new Canadian Agricultural Policy Framework (APF). While traceability is usually implicitly associated with ensuring food safety and delivering quality assurances, there has been very little economic analysis of the functions of traceability systems and the value that consumers place on traceability assurances. This paper examines the economic incentives for implementing traceability systems in the meat and livestock sector. Experimental auctions are used to assess the willingness to pay of Canadian consumers for a traceability assurance, a food safety assurance, and an on-farm production method assurance for beef and pork products. Results from these laboratory market experiments provide insights into the relative value for Canadian consumers of traceability and quality assurances. Traceability, in the absence of quality verification, is of limited value to individual consumers. Bundling traceability with quality assurances has the potential to deliver more value.


While the identity and validity of the extant families of ruminants are undoubted, there are significant problems with the determination of the interrelationships among the families, notably within the families of the Pecora, or horned ruminants. The morphological features used to construct ruminant phylogeny have been a source of controversy: many features used over the past century have been shown to be highly homoplastic and related to functional similarities. Ruminants evolved in the context of the later Cenozoic climatic changes, and many lineages adopted functional morphological adaptations related to feeding on more abrasive diets (resulting in the parallel evolution of a greater extent of loph development in the molars and, in some lineages, hypsodonty) and locomotion in open habitats (resulting in the parallel evolution of fused metapodials and reduction and/or loss of lateral digits). The fact that the molecular phylogeny shows a very different pattern from the currently accepted morphological one is of particular cause for concern, especially as molecular data are of no use for understanding the relationships of extinct lineages. Here we review the morphological data used in ruminant phylogenetics, and show even many of the less obviously functional features (e.g., number and position of the lacrimal orifices) are subject to homoplasy and variation, especially when fossil taxa are included. In addition, many morphological features treated as independent traits in phylogenetics are correlated (e.g., cranial morphology associated with hypsodonty). Some potentially reliable features are identified, but these do not help to sort out relationships within the Pecora. We advocate for the investigation into better morphological features, possibly derived from basicranial and ear region characters (although these features are not without their own issues of homoplasy), and for caution in character consideration in performing phylogenetic analyses.


The use of rhizobium inoculants fertilizer in soybean production has been practiced for over a century all over the world, but in Africa, the technology is relatively new. Rhizobium inoculants have been disseminated in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by Nitrogen 2 Africa (N2AFRICA) project of CIAT and later IITA since 2010. However, demographic factors and perception in rhizobium adoption remain unknown. We assessed the demographic factors and perception in rhizobium inoculant adoption among 193 smallholder soybeans farmers of South Kivu Province of DRC. The information was collected in September 2018 and included farms and farmers socio-economic characteristics and farmer's adoption and perception of rhizobium inoculants. We used Probit model to assess the factors that are likely to influence the adoption and measured the perception using 5-point Likert-type scale. Results indicated that the adoption of rhizobium inoculants was very low in South Kivu (21%) and was highly influenced (P<0.01) by gender of the household head, farmer's location, education type of household head, the knowledge of nodules roles and the household income. The perception of inoculant by farmers also highly influenced its adoption. Furthermore, farmers strongly perceive rhizobium as an affordable nitrogen source for enhancing soybeans productivity but less available in the market. More effort is needed in farmers' education about BNF to improve adoption of inoculants.

 Key words:  Adoption, perception, smallholder's farmers, Biofix, Soybeans, N2 Africa, rhizobium inoculants.


A survey was conducted of family members' perceptions of the initial family interview using a one-way screen with live consultation. There was a high response rate (95%, n = 43 families) and the majority of respondents (80%) perceived the overall experience as useful. Those who read the clinic's information leaflet in advance and felt able to share concerns about the process with the interviewer tended to forget about the screen more quickly. Those who read the leaflet were more likely to find the overall meeting useful. The survey generated a number of suggestions to make this first meeting more 'user friendly'.


Silencing sensory neurons in the lungs using a sodium channel inhibitor may dampen the asthmatic response to allergens. Allergens trigger inflammatory responses that constrict the airways, and this response is abnormally increased in asthma patients. Sensory neurons in the lung respond to chemical, mechanical, or thermal stimuli through the activation of nociceptors, including the transient receptor potential channel TRPV1, to initiate protective airway reflexes, such as coughing. Talbot et al. found that pharmacologically blocking voltage-gated sodium channels might suppress allergen-induced asthma. In naïve mice, intranasal instillation of the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin increased the abundance of neuropeptides and various immune cells in fluid isolated from the bronchoaveolae; mice challenged with the allergen ovalbumin had an even greater response to capsaicin. Blocking the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.8 in sensory neurons of ovalbumin-exposed mice—either through conditional knockout or inhalation of the charged sodium channel-blocking agent QX-314—increased voluntary exercise and decreased the capsaicin-induced increase in neuropeptides and immune cells in the bronchoaveolar fluid and decreased basement membrane thickening in the lung tissue. Cytokines implicated in asthma, such as interleukin-5 (IL-5), were also increased in the brochoaveolar fluid of ovalbumin-challenged mice, and QX-314 treatment decreased IL-5 abundance in the brochoaveolar fluid. Exposure to IL-5 activated Nav1.8-positive and IL-5 receptor–positive lung neurons in culture. Lung-resident ILC2 cells, a type of immune cell, are activated by allergens and produce IL-5, among other cytokines; they also contain receptors to several sensory neuron-secreted neuropeptides, including the receptor for VIP, which was released from cultured Nav1.8-positive sensory neurons stimulated with capsaicin or IL-5. Ablating Nav1.8 in sensory neurons or treating mice with QX-314 decreased the amount and activation of ILC2 cells in bronchoaveolar fluid. Ovalbumin-challenged mice had increased abundance of VIP in bronchoaveolar fluid, and this was reduced by QX-314 treatment. The findings suggest that Nav1.8-positive sensory neurons and immune cells engage in an inflammatory signaling loop involving neuron-secreted VIP and ILC2-secreted IL-5 that contributes to the airway constriction in response to allergens. S. Talbot, R.-E. E. Abdulnour, P. R. Burkett, S. Lee, S. J. F. Cronin, M. A. Pascal, C. Laedermann, S. L. Foster, J. V. Tran, N. Lai, I. M. Chiu, N. Ghasemlou, M. DiBiase, D. Roberson, C. Von Hehn, B. Agac, O. Haworth, H. Seki, J. M. Penninger, V. K. Kuchroo, B. P. Bean, B. D. Levy, C. J. Woolf, Silencing nociceptor neurons reduces allergic airway inflammation. Neuron 87, 341–354 (2015). [Pubmed]


The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors and strategies which enable pupils to focus their minds on the conceptual issue being taught, and how teachers may build and maintain the pupils' self confidence in articulating scientific ideas. The study focused on the work of the science department in a boys' 12 to 16 comprehensive school in Southern England, where the researcher was Head of the Faculty of Science and Technology. This was an ethnographic case study where the researcher was a participant observer in action research. The research focused on national curriculum years 8 and 9 and involved three methodological stages; the exploratory, field operational and explanatory search. The exploratory stage involved the development of the Responsive Teaching Model and the writing and implementation, by all the science teachers, of schemes of work which bore this model in mind. Formal data collection involved; lesson observations, pupil questionnaire, analysis of end of year 8 pupil profiles and interviews with the science staff and the school's Special Needs coordinator. The field operational stage involved a science teacher working with an advisory teacher in the production, implementation and reviewing of a module of work. This stage also involved the detailed observation of science lessons using an observation schedule developed from the initial findings from the other instruments. During the period of the research, the GCSE examination results improved considerably and were found to be significantly higher than may have been expected. The explanatory search stage revealed that successful lessons were associated with science teachers orchestrating a number of interrelated characteristics: the teachers' planning, individual pupils' conceptual understanding, the group social behaviour of the children and the interpersonal relations. It appears that the interpersonal relations have a central role to play in enabling effective learning. There was evidence that the manner in which whole class and small group work is organised could facilitate effective learning. The way in which the science department had worked together as a team had encouraged teachers to reflect on their practice, and seemed to enable teachers to adapt their teaching styles and strategies. The reflectivity itself, and the fact that it was research based was felt to be particularly significant. This study raises further issues related to; the initial training of teachers, the in-service training of established teachers and the possible advantages of undertaking action research in schools.


The aim of this article is to analyse restrictions and prohibitions for violations of Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in the Civil Service. The article reveals that the current legal regulation imposing restrictions and prohibitions on persons who violate Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in the Civil Service in some important aspects is not constitutionally based, uncertain and unsustainable. It is shown that the regulatory failures preconditions differently interpret and apply the law norms defining the restrictions and prohibitions for violations of the requirements of the mentioned law. This argument is supported by the analysis of the said law norms in the context of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania official constitutional doctrine, the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania and the Chief Official Ethics Commission practices.


Long-term concession contracts associated with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects, such as National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, are subject to substantial risks, which may not only emerge from project activities such as design and construction, but also from global issues beyond the control of project parties, such as commercial, legal and political risks. Therefore, the principal parties involved must manage risks effectively and efficiently, as early as the project initiation stage, in order to ensure a successful delivery. The aim of this paper is to examine the risk identification process of the NHS PFI hospital in the UK, as a case study, in order to determine the techniques used in risk identification, and their significance, based on estimated probabilities of occurrence. These objectives were achieved through interviews with key personnel within the NHS Trust involved. Results found the sole technique used in risk identification to be brainstorming, through which more than thirty risks were identified and classified under six risk categories: planning, pre-commissioning, design, land purchasing, construction and operation. Thirteen risks were identified as significant based on their estimated probability of occurrence had the project been developed via public procurement. The results of this research will enable public sector clients like the NHS Trust to not only identify the significant risks, which will allow them to focus more attention on developing appropriate mitigation strategies and contingency plans, but also to improve its risk identification process through the use of other techniques in order to support findings from the brainstorming process.


ABSTRACT Our previous study showed that bacterial genomes can be identified using 16S rRNA sequencing in urine specimens of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who are culture negative according to standard urine culture protocols. In the present study, we used a modified culture protocol that included plating larger volumes of urine, incubation under varied atmospheric conditions, and prolonged incubation times to demonstrate that many of the organisms identified in urine by 16S rRNA gene sequencing are, in fact, cultivable using an expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) protocol. Sixty-five urine specimens (from 41 patients with overactive bladder and 24 controls) were examined using both the standard and EQUC culture techniques. Fifty-two of the 65 urine samples (80%) grew bacterial species using EQUC, while the majority of these (48/52 [92%]) were reported as no growth at 103 CFU/ml by the clinical microbiology laboratory using the standard urine culture protocol. Thirty-five different genera and 85 different species were identified by EQUC. The most prevalent genera isolated were Lactobacillus (15%), followed by Corynebacterium (14.2%), Streptococcus (11.9%), Actinomyces (6.9%), and Staphylococcus (6.9%). Other genera commonly isolated include Aerococcus, Gardnerella, Bifidobacterium, and Actinobaculum. Our current study demonstrates that urine contains communities of living bacteria that comprise a resident female urine microbiota.


Establishment of a successful pregnancy requires not only implantation of a healthy embryo into a receptive uterus but also progesterone receptor (PGR)-dependent transformation of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) into specialized decidual cells. Decidual cells support the developing embryo and are critical for placentation. We have previously shown that a known transcriptional coregulator of the PGR, Steroid Receptor Coactivator-2 (SRC-2), is a critical driver of endometrial decidualization in both human and mouse endometrium. However, the full spectrum of genes transcriptionally controlled by SRC-2 in decidualizing ESCs has not been identified. Therefore, using an RNA- and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing approach, we have identified the transcriptome of decidualizing human ESCs (hESCs) that requires SRC-2. We revealed that the majority of hESC genes regulated by SRC-2 are associated with decidualization. Over 50% of SRC-2-regulated genes are also controlled by the PGR. While ontology analysis showed that SRC-2-dependent genes are functionally linked to signaling processes known to underpin hESC decidualization, cell membrane processes were significantly enriched in this analysis. Follow-up studies showed that retinoid signaling is dependent on SRC-2 during hESC decidualization. Specifically, SRC-2 is required for full induction of the retinol transporter, Stimulated by Retinoic Acid 6 (STRA6), which is essential for hESC decidualization. Together our findings show that a critical subset of genes transcriptionally reprogramed by PGR during hESC decidualization requires SRC-2. Among the multiple genes, pathways, and networks that are dependent on SRC-2 during hESC decidualization, first-line analysis supports a critical role for this coregulator in maintaining retinoid signaling during progesterone driven decidualization.


Cutaneous odontogenic sinuses are the most common cause of chronic draining sinus tracts on the face and neck. These lesions present as erythematous nodules with surrounding dimples, which intermittently drain purulent fluid. Although most patients do not have dental symptoms, careful questioning of a patient's past symptoms may help the clinician identify a dental etiology. A history of toothache in the affected area that resolves without dental intervention is useful information. Clinical and radiographic examination may reveal carious teeth with radiolucent areas. Elimination of the source of infection by endodontic treatment or tooth removal results in resolution of the sinus tract, typically within 2 weeks. Early precise diagnosis and appropriate dental treatment can circumvent unnecessary and ineffective antibiotic therapy or surgical treatment. We report a case of a cutaneous odontogenic sinus in the right cheek area.


Technology exists to provide easiness to a problem faced by society. One technology that is widely used and very popular by mobile phone users today are SMS (Short Message Service). With SMS, has been widely implemented applications that are based on current SMS, such as the Marquis, polls, forums, and even also for business applications such as ordering goods. So by utilizing technology that is being developed at this time, built a hospital information service to facilitate the public or the user who want to know information services at a hospital quickly, easily and inexpensively, which is built with the use of computer technology and mobile phones that can be provide interactive information between hospitals and the user. Writing Final Project Report is to design a Hospital Management System sub-systems Outpatient Medical Treatment based on SMS Client using Java server on Regional General Hospital Bekasi in detail, fast and up to date with the help of mobile phones as a medium of communication. In this thesis the design of Java programs and SMS Based Client Server uses Java as its programming language and database used is MySQL. Research methodology used in this study using a methodology RAD (Rapid Application Development) by using a development framework GRAPLLE (Guidelines for Rapid Application Engineering), grapple methodology is requirement planning segment, segment analysis and design segments. In this report will model the system software using UML. UML design model shows only the needs of the proposed system in an objective, particularly for computerized systems. Besides designing the new system is also done by arranging Final design is about the design of System Management Outpatient Medical Treatment based on SMS Client using Java server on the Board of the Regional General Hospital in Bekasi. The design of the system this information will assist in the processes of Outpatient Medical Management Services. This application can provide service to the community through the delivery of SMS in accordance with the format specified and the application can also automatically send a reply SMS in accordance with the information requested by the community, and earnings information quickly and on time according to the needs of system users. These applications are built, providing service to the community ten of them are patient registration services, the service queue to the poly, specialist information services, information services physician practice schedule, the total cost of service information, suggestions and complaints services, patient information services, information services empty room availability, room information services, information booking services inpatient rooms. Keyword : Hospital Management System, Medical Outpatient Treatment, Java, UML, MySQL.


The Urban Transportation Modeling System (UTMS) is a methodology used to estimate travel demand in response to changes in land use patterns, roadway characteristics, and socioeconomic factors. This demand is measured by the volume of traffic that flows through a system of streets and highways. Through the use of traffic assignment software, parts of UTMS have become automated. One of the newest automated processes is the extraction of a subarea from a larger regional model. This extraction process is important to the local planner because it maintains a link from the regional model to the local model and allows the planner to extract an already distributed trip table rather than build one from scratch. This subarea extraction process, as practiced, is a one-way information flow. The regional model is calibrated and its information is passed down to the subarea model. It is suggested that an "information feedback loop" should be inserted into the process. The subarea model information is looped back to the regional model and used in the regional calibration. The enhanced procedure is applied to a northern New Jersey network. The results show that the new methodology improved the calibration of the regional model, particularly in the vicinity of the subarea focus model. This new methodology is the key to developing subarea focus models with properly distributed trip tables. In addition, the results are used to develop general conclusions about the applicability of the feedback process.


The shift from multicultural and post-national perspectives to citizenship and migration issues compels scholars to analyse more deeply the impact of nation-states on immigrants and foreigners. Hence, the author addressesthe special social field in which different kinds of foreigners live: residents, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants and others. He argues that this field consists of three separate yet interconnected spheres. The first is the sphere of entry where immigration control dominates; the second is the sphere of residence and settlement where immigrants become foreigners and live with restricted civil and political rights; and the third is the sphere of naturalisation where foreigners finally become citizens. Comparative historical analysis shows that two main patterns of migration policy exist. Old immigration countries emphasise selective measures in the sphere of immigration control rather than in the sphere of naturalisation, while for a long time European countries managed immigration in a more liberal way and, conversely, strengthened the selective nature of naturalisation practices. Over the last decades, both systems have developed a kind of negative «differentiated citizenship» aimed at controlling and disciplining those foreigners who live in the intermediary sphere.


Experimental work was conducted on oriented strand board webbed wood I-joists to investigate the buckling behavior. Both lateral buckling and local web buckling were witnessed in the tests. The two types of buckling were reproduced in the finite element simulations using ABAQUS. The buckling modes and usually overestimated buckling loads of a joist were obtained from linear eigenvalue buckling analysis. The buckling modes were then introduced into a joist as initial geometric imperfections to conduct nonlinear buckling analysis, and more reliable buckling loads were obtained. Based on statistics of the analytical results, the local web buckling capacity at a support was empirically expressed by the postbuckling load. The empirical formula was extended to local web buckling under a concentrated load applied to the upper flange, where a reduction in buckling load was made to take the effect of moment into account.


In the last decades, the possibility to use the inelastic capacities of structures have driven the seismic design philosophy to conceive structures with ductile elements, able to obtain large deformations without compromising structural safety. In particular, the utilization of high-strength elements combined with the purpose of reducing inertial masses of the construction has highlighted the second-order effect as a result of the "lightweight" structure's flexibility. Computational aspects of inclusion of the second-order effects in the structural analysis remain an open issue and the most common method in the current design practices uses the stability coefficient θ. The stability coefficient estimates the ratio between the second-order effect and lateral loads' effects. This coefficient is used then to amplify the lateral loads' effects in order to consider the second-order effects, within a certain range proposed by codes of practices. In the present paper, we propose a simple approach, as an alternative to the stability coefficient method, in order to take into consideration P-Delta effects for earthquake-resisting ductile frame structures in the design process. The expected plastic deformations, which can be assessed by the behavior factor and the elastic deformations of the structure, are expected to magnify the P-Delta effects compared to those estimated from an elastic approach. The real internal forces are approximated by modifying the stiffness matrix of the structure in such a way as to provide a compatible amplification effect. This concept is herein implemented with a three-step procedure and illustrated with well-documented case studies from the current literature. The obtained results show that the method, although simple, provides a good approximation compared to more refined and computationally expensive methods. The proposed method seems promising for facilitating the design computations and increasing the accuracy of the internal forces considering the second-order effects and the amplification from the inelastic deformations.


Chromium is present in different types of industrial effluents, being responsible for environmental pollution. Traditionally, the chromium removal is made by chemical precipitation. However, this method is not completely feasible to reduce the chromium concentration to levels as low as required by environmental legislation. Biosorption is a process in which solids of natural origin are employed for binding heavy metals. It is a promising alternative method to treat industrial effluents, mainly because of its low cost and high metal binding capacity. In this work the chromium biosorption process by Sargassum sp. seaweed biomass is studied. Sargassum sp. seaweed, which is abundant in the Brazilian coast, has been utilized with and without milling. The work considered the determination of chromium-biomass equilibrium data in batch system. These studies were carried out in order to determine some operational parameters of chromium sorption such as the time required for the metal-biosorbent equilibrium, the effects of biomass size, pH and temperature. The results showed that pH has an important effect on chromium biosorption capacity. The biosorbent size did not affect chromium biosorption rate and capacity.


The International Investment Regime (IIR) materialises in international arbitral tribunals that protect the rights of foreign investors. Could these tribunals hamper the implementation of exceptional measures agreed to end armed conflicts? The principle of proportionality, usually employed to balance competing demands such as the interests of international investors and the right of states to self-determination, could fall short when it comes to the concept of a nation and a society's right to peace. Focusing on the Colombian peace process, this article argues that the agreement on land redistribution, a cornerstone of the peace agreements, benefits the whole society, including foreign investors. However, the colonialist nature of the IIR could lead foreign investors, who see their investments and expected profits affected, to demand compensation for governmental land acquisition. The Colombian case suggests powerful lessons for the willingness of transitional states to defend their people's right to peace in international tribunals.


We estimate the annual net air‐sea fluxes of oxygen for 13 regions on the basis of a steady state inverse modeling technique that is independent of air‐sea gas exchange parameterizations. The inverted data consist of the observed oceanic oxygen concentration after a correction has been applied to account for biological cycling. We find that the tropical oceans (13°S−13°N) emit ∼212 Tmol O2 yr−1, which is compensated by uptake of 148 Tmol yr−1 in the Northern Hemisphere (>13°N) and by uptake of 65 Tmol yr−1 in the Southern Hemisphere (<13°S). These results imply that the dominant feature of oxygen transport in the combined ocean‐atmosphere system is the existence of a closed circulation cell in each hemisphere. These two cells consist of O2 uptake by the ocean in the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres and transport in the ocean toward the tropics, where O2 is lost to the atmosphere and transported in the atmosphere back toward the poles. We find an asymmetry in the two cells involving O2 uptake in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere versus loss of O2 in the temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere. There is an additional asymmetry between the Atlantic basin, which has a net southward transport at all latitudes north of 36°S, in agreement with independent transport estimates, versus the Indian and Pacific Oceans, which have a strong equatorward transport everywhere. We find that these inverse estimates are relatively insensitive to details in the inversion scheme but are sensitive to biases in the ocean general circulation model that provides the linkage between surface fluxes and ocean interior concentrations. Forward simulations of O2 in an atmospheric tracer transport model using our inversely estimated oxygen fluxes as a boundary condition agree reasonably well with observations of atmospheric potential oxygen (APO ≈ O2 + CO2). Our results indicate that the north‐south asymmetry in the strength of the two hemispheric cells coupled with a strong asymmetry in fossil fuel emissions can explain much of the observed interhemispheric gradient in APO. Therefore it might not be necessary to invoke the existence of a large southward interhemispheric transport of O2 in the ocean, such as proposed by Stephens et al. [1998]. However, we find that uncertainties in the modeled APO distribution stemming from seasonal atmospheric rectification effects and the limited APO data coverage prevent the currently available APO data from providing strong constraints on the magnitude of interhemispheric transport.


This thesis has explored the development of policy in the higher education sector in Bangladesh since the 1990s. It sought to understand the processes that led to the policy formulation based on neoliberal ideas and traces why, how and by whom these policies were developed in the higher education sector in Bangladesh. In order to understand the formation processes the study also reviewed the history of previous policies, and the discussion contextualizes the present policy formation within a discussion of the earlier development of higher education in Bangladesh. The theoretical framework of this research was developed and informed by the concept of policy borrowing. The methodological approach in this thesis was predominantly that of a case study within a broadly qualitative framework where neoliberal higher education policy making of Bangladesh was selected as a case. The case study used two main methods for collecting data: firstly, from the key neoliberal policies since the 1990s and secondly from the key policy actors involved in the development of these neoliberal policies in higher education. The findings of this thesis suggested that the way in which the neoliberal ideas were shaped in the higher education policies in Bangladesh could be defined as a 'Bangladeshi' form of neoliberalism. Although the overall features of this 'Bangladeshi' form of neoliberal ideas still embraced the idea of 'Americanisation' or 'Westernisation', these neoliberal ideas were developed in slightly different ways by actors who considered the socio-economic and political context of Bangladesh. The findings also demonstrated that many concepts put forward by policy borrowing models were found exemplified in the Bangladeshi case study. For example, the construction of 'policy problems' involved a process of 'externalisation' to solve the policy problems in the higher education sector in Bangladesh, which ensured that neoliberal ideas as developed elsewhere were looked at. In particular, the analysis supported the arguments of several scholars in the policy borrowing models that neoliberal globalisation has become the key source of solutions to policy problems, and the spread of these ideas has worked as a catalyst to solve problems in different national spaces. In the policy formation processes, the references to 'lessons learnt' or references to the 'best practices' from other countries became the policy tools to justify the adoption of neoliberal ideas in the higher education policies at the state level in Bangladesh. By demonstrating these characteristics of the process, this thesis has contributed to knowledge both in 'comparative policy studies' and policy borrowing models. This thesis has argued that the 'micro-politics' of a context need to be studied to understand the reasons why neoliberal ideas were formulated in the developing countries like Bangladesh. The argument about the importance of studying the 'micro-politics' of policy development contributes to knowledge in 'comparative policy studies'. In addition, this research has argued that the concept of 'semi-peripheral references' as externalisation has become one of the dominant higher education policy strategies in Bangladesh. In shifting away from references to the 'best practices' or 'international standards' to references to the practices in 'semi-peripheral' countries that have similar non Western socio-economic and political spaces to Bangladesh, policy actors have been able to justify the adoption of contested neoliberal ideas into the higher education policies of Bangladesh.


Atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality world-wide and specifically in Israel. These guidelines update the previous guidelines of the Israeli Society for Research, Prevention and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, published in 2005. The need for an update is based on new scientific data published in recent years necessitating changes in the recommendations for preventing and treating atherosclerosis. These guidelines were written in collaboration between all the societies outlined here and the content of this statement was approved by the delegates of these societies. The recommendations were written taking into consideration guidelines published by other international medical societies and also the specific needs of the Israeli medical system. Due to limitations of space, in the current paper we present: assessment of cardiovascular risk, smoking cessation and the treatment of dyslipidemia. Other sections including: recommendations to the general population, nutritional and physical activity recommendations, treatment of hypertension, prevention of ischemic stroke and the metabolic syndrome are available at http://www.ima.org.il/harefuah.


Carbonaceous pelites from northeastern Pennsylvania that have undergone very low grade metamorphism during the Allegheny orogeny contain domains (approximately 20 × 500 µm) in which one of two mineral assemblages, kaolinite + quartz or pyrophyllite + quartz, occur. These phases are related by the reaction kaolinite + quartz = pyrophyllite + H 2 O. The bulk mineralogy determined by X-ray diffraction incorrectly suggests that the phases kaolinite, pyrophyllite, and quartz coexist. The occurrence of these phases in rocks metamorphosed under different P - T conditions does not result from internal buffering of µH 2 O or from the metastable persistence of kaolinite or pyrophyllite due to slow reaction rates. Rather, equilibrium among these minerals and accompanying fluid within the domains was apparently approached, while disequilibrium reigned between domains. It is not at present possible to determine the process by which the domains formed or were maintained. Regions of inferred high permeability (consisting dominantly of quartz grains) do not coincide with the mineralogic domains, suggesting that µH 2 O was not controlled by the passage of fluid through the rock. Immiscibility between CH 4 (provided by coaly matter) and H 2 O (provided from prograde mineral reactions) is likely to have occurred and may have led to the initial segregation of fluids into discrete domains.


Linear and non-linear quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were presented for modeling and predicting anti-diabetic activities of a set of inhibitors of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 and 2 (ACC1 and ACC2). Different algorithms were utilized to choose the best variables among large numbers of descriptors and then these selected descriptors were used for non-linear (artificial neural network) and linear (multiple linear regression) modeling. The variable selection methods were consisted of stepwise-multiple linear regression (stepwise-MLR), successive projections algorithm (SPA), genetic algorithm-multiple linear regression (GA-MLR) and Bayesian regularized genetic neural networks (BRGNNs). The prediction abilities of the models were evaluated by Monte Carlo cross validation (MCCV) in variable selection and modeling steps. The results revealed that the best variables for describing the inhibition mechanism of ACC were among topological charge indices, radial distribution function, geometrical, and autocorrelation descriptors. The statistical parameters of R2 and root mean square error (RMSE) indicated that BRGNNs is superior for modeling the inhibitory activity of ACC modulators over the other methods. The sensitivity analysis together with the frequency of the selected molecular descriptors in this work can establish an understanding to the mechanism of ACC inhibitory activity of small molecules.


The S stars in the Galactic-center region are found to be on near-perfect Keplerian orbits around presumably a supermassive black hole, with periods of 15–50 yr. Since these stars reach a few percent of light speed at pericenter, various relativistic effects are expected and have been discussed in the literature. We argue that an elegant test of the Einstein equivalence principle should be possible with existing instruments, through spectroscopic monitoring of an S star concentrated during the months around pericenter, supplemented with an already-adequate astrometric determination of the inclination. In essence, the spectrum of an S star can be considered a heterogeneous ensemble of clocks in a freely falling frame, which near pericenter is moving at relativistic speeds.


This report presents data and information to make an assessment of the funding needed to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for access to improved water and sanitation by the year 2015. Specifically, it describes current achievements of MDGs and the current funding condition. In 2002, 1.1 billion people lacked access to improved water, and 2.6 billion people lacked access to improved sanitation. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it is necessary to provide improved water access for additional 1.5 billion people and improved sanitation access for 2 billion people by 2015. The breakdown of funding is estimated to be 65-70 percent from domestic public sector, 5 percent from the domestic private sector, 10-15 percent from international donors, and 10-15 percent from international private companies. There is an approximately $10 billion per year shortfall between current spending for water and sanitation infrastructure and the estimated cost to achieve the MDG target. To achieve the target, in-country funding and international aid should be increased by $10 billion per year. Particularly, international aid should be doubled or increased by $3 billion per year for countries that have difficulties increasing their own in-country funding. In 2002, 42 percent of people or 300 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa lack access to improved water. According to reports of the World Bank, UNICEF and WHO, the total annual expenditure requirement for improved water and sanitation is $3.3 billion and $3.4 billion per year respectively. Despite the necessity to spend funding effectively, a case study on Ethiopia reveals that only 30 percent of the budget was used for actual infrastructure, and a large portion was impacted by corruption and mismanagement. Many efforts have been made to date to improve this condition, including prioritization, promoting equity, enhancing sector coordination, and raising capacity. Yet, those efforts have not worked effectively enough to help many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet the MDG target. A case study on Kenya, however, reveals its successful increase of in-country funding through charging taxes and giving the responsibility for water and sanitation provision from a local government to a private company. Comments Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Environmental Studies 2007. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/12 Global Water Finance Assessment of the Funding Needed to Attain the Millennium Development Goals for Water and Sanitation


This study aimed to evaluate the influence of concentrate supplementation on the ingestive behaviour of grazing ewes. Twelve pregnant pluriparous sheep were used, six of the Santa Ines breed and six of the Morada Nova breed. The supplement was formulated to supply the animals with two feed levels (0.5% and 1.5% of body weight) of nutrition. The experimental design was a randomized 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two breeds, two supplementation levels and two feeding shifts, morning and afternoon) with six replicates per treatment, totalling 24 experimental units. Focal sampling was used to record the time spent on the adopted behaviour at 10-minute intervals for 10 continuous hours, with three replications, totalling 180 records per animal. Sampling started at 07:00. Time spent grazing, ruminating and resting did not correlate with the level of concentrate supplementation. It was expected that concentrate supplementation would reflect directly on forage intake owing to the substitution effect, which causes sheep where the supplement supplied a small proportion of net energy requirement, to have a greater grazing intensity. The two breeds differed in the time spent ruminating or lying, with the Santa Ines sheep spending more time in these activities. Greater intensity of grazing and ruminating occurred in the morning, which is directly related to the climatic conditions of the region. Time of day is a factor that imposes limitations on the feeding behaviour patterns of ewes that are supplemented on pasture. Keywords: Breed, Grazing, Morada Nova, Santa Ines, Season


This article explores the role of the doctrine of free trade in the creation of the Congo State in 1885 and the relationship between free trade and native rights with respect to the subsequent campaign to reform the colonial administration of the Congo State. On one hand, King Leopold II of Belgium successfully used the rhetoric of free trade and native rights to camouflage his personal ambitions in Africa. He set up international associations with the stated aim of "exploring and civilizing Africa" through "legitimate trade" and "suppression of the slave trade", Leopold convinced the major European powers and the United States to support his control of the Congo Free State. On the other hand, E.D. Morel, a native rights activist, led a successful campaign against Leopold by arguing that he has not upheld the principle of free trade and non-discriminiation. The story of Leopold & Morel demonstrates how the rhetoric and ideal of free trade and native rights were used by individuals, world leaders and international associations and governments to pursue contradictory and inconsistent goals, such as to promote or oppose free trade; protect or enslave a native population; and advance the cause of peace or set the stage for future conflicts. It is also a story about Morel's presumption that free trade is consistent with the goals of native rights. Today, as advocates of the doctrine of free trade and the multilateral trading system face mounting criticism, it is useful to look at a historical episode where the doctrine of free trade has left a paradoxical legacy. This paradox may, in some measure, help us understand both the continued skepticism towards the doctrine of free trade and the ongoing attraction of free trade.


Backgorund: People in the Jatihadi village are using d u g wells water which contain high iron level. The average of iron level is 2.79 mg/l. Appropriate technology tray aerator with media contacts zeolite and activated carbon is the right solution to overcome the problems of high Fe content . This study aim s to analyze the difference variation the addition of contact media adsorption on tray aerator for d u g wells iron level in Jatihadi village, Sumber subdistrict, Rembang regency. Method: The design of this study is pre experiment research with one group pretest posttest design.  We used Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) method to measure the iron level. Water sample volume for each aeration is 20 liters and there are 16 repetitions. The media that we used in this research is zeolite and activated carbon. Results: The result showed the average levels of iron before treatment is 2.79 mg/l, and after the first treatment down to 0.21 mg/l, after second treatment is 0.25 mg/l. Statistical analysis showed that there is no difference between variation of contact media adsorption for d u g wells  iron level, but Wilcoxon analysis showed that there is a significant difference between before and after treatment for adding zeolite or activated carbon. Conclusion: The efficiency of tray aerator with the addition of zeolite is higher than addition of activated carbon.


Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of cumin tincture (Cuminum cyminum L.) when used as a sensory feed additive for all animal species. The product is a water ethanol ■■■■■ solution, which contains 0.002–0.003% of 4‐isopropylbenzaldehyde (cuminaldehyde). The FEEDAP Panel concludes that the additive cumin tincture is safe at the maximum proposed use level (30 μL/kg complete feed or water for drinking) for all animal species. No safety concern would arise for the consumer from the use of cumin tincture up to the highest safe level in feeds. No specific data were provided by the applicant regarding the safety of the additive for users. In the absence of data, no conclusions can be drawn on the additive's potential to be a dermal/eye irritant or a skin sensitiser. The use of cumin tincture at the maximum proposed dose is not considered to be a risk for the environment. Since the major components of the additive are recognised to provide flavour in food and its function in feed would be essentially the same, no demonstration of efficacy is considered necessary.


Biomaterials are non-viable substances formulated to interact with biological systems. An ideal biomaterial will be cytocompatible – it will not cause an adverse response in the body – and will have similar physical properties to the material it is replacing. Group 2 metal phosphates make good biomaterials as they are chemically similar to bone and teeth. The synthesis and structure of magnesium acid pyrophosphate, MgH2P2O7 is reported. Attempts to dope calcium and magnesium acid pyrophosphates with metal cations to alter their physical and biological properties are described. The properties of a material can be modified by producing a composite. The interactions between a naturally occurring polymer, polyhydroxybutrate and calcium polyphosphate were investigated to see if a composite could be formed. It was found that polyhydroxybutrate decomposed at too low a temperature for a calcium polyphosphate composite to occur. The small piezoelectric properties of bone may assist the healing of any damage. γ-calcium polyphosphate may exhibit a piezoelectric effect. To measure this aligned crystals are required. γ-calcium polyphosphate was synthesised in magnetic and electric fields in an attempt to produce alignment. Although it was found fields did affect the product, it has not so far been possible to quantify or explain this effect.


The increasing cost of nitrogen fertilizer and the need for a N source for low-input and organic farmers have led to the increased exploration of legume cover crops as an alternative to N fertilization. Reliable cropping strategies are needed to enhance legume cover crop use as a N source. Interseeding legume cover crops into corn (Zea mays L.) can affect corn yield and cover crop dry matter. This study, conducted at the Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, MI, from 2002 to 2005, evaluated (i) the impact ofinterseeded cover crops on corn yield at various corn densities (37,500 to 75,000 plants ha -1 ) and (ii) the effect of corn density on cover crop dry matter (DM) when corn was interseeded with red clover [Trifolium pratense L.) or chickling vetch (Latbyrus sativus L., var. AC Greenfix). Interseeded cover crops did not affect corn yield at any corn density. Interseeded cover crop DM decreased as corn density increased. The subsequent spring, red clover DM was similar regardless of previous corn density; AC Greenfix did not regrow. Interseeded cover crops produced less DM than monoculture cover crops. Cover crops can be interseeded into corn densities up to 75,000 plants ha -1 without corn yield reduction and still produce substantial DM the subsequent spring. Interseeding corn with red clover could be used in low-input farming systems to reduce N fertilizer costs, especially in developing countries and in organic farming systems.


Abstract: Taiwan is at the northeastern limits of the Asian center of diversity for fruit flies in the tribe Dacini, and the country has several endemic species. Between 2013 and 2015, we surveyed the diversity of dacine fruit flies in Taiwan using kairomone baited traps and found 15 species. We report four species for the first time in Taiwan and figure them: Bactrocera nigrifacia (Zhang, Ji, & Chen 2011), B. rubigina (Wang & Zhao 1989), B. dorsaloides (Hardy & Adachi 1954) and B. bhutaniae (Drew & Romig 2013). For the species that are classified as pests, we explored how their spatial distribution correlates with elevation. The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel 1912), is the most abundant pest on the island, but decreases sharply in abundance at higher elevations. Other pest species occur in much smaller numbers and respond differently to elevation and latitude. We also re-evaluated all records of previously recorded species and add our records to provide a checklist with 30 species of Dacini that occur in Taiwan. All species are regarded as native, six are endemic, and seven are agricultural pests. Historical records were georeferenced and plotted on maps along with records from the 2013–2015 survey to collate all known distribution data. We briefly discuss the state of knowledge of the fruit flies in Taiwan and how the distribution and host usage of Dacini may change in the future. Finally, considering the economic importance of the group, our understanding of their diversity and distributions is surprisingly poor.


We describe an approach to the use of case-based techniques for natural language understanding and for action planning in a system for dialogue between a human and a robot, which in our case is a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). A single case base and case-based reasoning engine is used both for understanding and for planning actions by the UAV. This approach has been developed through the work on an experimental dialogue system, called CEDERIC. Dialogue experiments where a number of users have solved tasks by dialogue with this system showed very adequate success rates, while at the same time they indicated a few weak points in the system that could then easily be corrected.


In semiclassical studies of systems with a mixed phase space, the neighbourhood of bifurcations of co-dimension two is felt strongly even though such bifurcations are ungeneric in classical mechanics. We discuss a scenario which reveals this fact and derive the correct semiclassical contribution of the bifurcating orbits to the trace of the unitary time-evolution operator. That contribution has a certain collective character rather than being additive in the individual periodic orbits involved. The relevance of our observation is demonstrated by a numerical study of the kicked top; the collective contribution derived is found to considerably improve the semiclassical approximation of the trace.


Code vulnerabilities in the ladder logic of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) have not been sufficiently addressed in the literature. Most of the research related to PLC threats or attacks focuses on the hardware portion of ICS (Industrial Control Systems) or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems such as: industrial components, peripheral devices, or networks. It does not adequately discuss PLC code-level vulnerabilities and attacks. This paper provides an overview of some critical vulnerabilities within the PLC ladder logic code or program and recommends corresponding steps or methods to keep PLCs safer and more secure. The paper focuses on ladder logic code vulnerabilities and weak points that might be exploited by malicious attacks. Those weak points could be a result of intentional malicious pieces of code embedded within the ladder logic code or inadvertent ones such as bad code practices or human errors.


The development and validation of a high-fidelity dynamic model of an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) is presented. The developed model of the electric vehicle system consists of two main subsystems: the high-fidelity vehicle dynamics model, and the highfidelity electrical powertrain subsystem that is comprised of an alternating-current (AC) electric motor, a 3-phase inverter, and motor controllers. The high-fidelity models are developed in MapleSim and Simulink. Specifically, the high-fidelity vehicle dynamics model is developed using the MapleSim multibody and tire dynamics libraries. A simple longitudinal model is developed in Simulink to cross-validate the high-fidelity MapleSim model by comparing the vehicle dynamics responses of the two models. The electrical powertrain components are developed and implemented in the following order: the AC electric motor is developed first followed by the 3-phase voltage source inverter. Motor controllers are developed next, and lastly the electrical powertrain subsystem is assembled by combining the AC electric motor, the 3-phase inverter, and the motor controllers. Previous research results and literature on AC electric motors are studied thoroughly to develop an AC electric motor model suitable for electric vehicle applications. The 3-phase voltage source inverter is developed to convert a constant voltage signal into 3-phase AC voltage signals that are used by the AC electric motor. Lastly, the motor controllers are designed to control the electric motor responses, such as developed motor torque or speed. At each stage of the powertrain component model developments, the developed models are verified by studying their simulation results. Experimental motor data from vehicle testing is available, so the experimental torque-speed curves are used to tune the AC electric motor parameters. Once all the individual components are developed and validated, the high-fidelity electric vehicle system is created in Simulink by assembling the MapleSim vehicle dynamics model and the electrical powertrain subsystem which is developed in Simulink. For the models developed in MapleSim, they are exported as Simulink blocks so that they could be run alongside with the Simulink models. A driver controller is included to calculate required reference motor torque to track a reference speed input. A brake module is designed to simulate a brake system found in an electric vehicle where regenerative and mechanical brake systems cooperate to deliver braking torque. The electric vehicle system model is simulated using the driving cycles that represent city, highway, and aggressive driving scenarios. The simulation results, such as the vehicle's longitudinal speed and developed motor torque and currents, are presented and studied to verify that the electric vehicle system can operate under different driving scenarios.


Named Data Networking (NDN) is an evolving Future Internet Architecture where data is a first-class entity. Data synchronization plays an important role in NDN similar to transport protocols in IP. Some distributed applications, such as news and weather services, require a synchronization protocol where each consumer can subscribe to a different subset of a producer's data streams. In this paper, we propose PartialSync which aims to efficiently address this synchronization problem. We use names in PartialSync messages to carry producer's latest namespace information and each consumer's subscription information, which allows producers to maintain a single state for all consumers and enables consumers to synchronize with any producer that replicates the same data. We represent the latest names in a producer's data streams using an Invertible Bloom Filter (IBF), which allows efficient computation of set differences. By comparing the differences between its old IBF and new IBF, the producer can generate a list of new data names that have been produced in the period between the old and new IBF. Using this list and a consumer's subscription information, the producer can notify the consumer if new data matching the subscription has been produced. We have implemented PartialSync in the NDN codebase and are using it to develop a prototype building management system where users can subscribe to any subset of data generated by the many sensors and actuators in buildings.


With the advent of studies in the area of mise-en-page and the increased interest in the relationships among text, image, and material structures in medieval manuscripts, the inherent problems of interpretation and "intentionality" have often been concentrated in critics' assignment of meaning and cultural "readings" to medieval illuminators. Yet numerous sources, especially the instructions to illuminators that remain still visible in unfinished manuscripts, confirm that methods of work in the illustrating of medieval texts were guided by very different criteria than interpretation. Instead, the material and mechanical realities of reproducing medieval texts, among them Dante's Commedia, were often subject more to production efficiency, cost effectiveness, taste, and scribal and cultural norms. Examining the instructions to the illuminator of an unfinished copy of a uniquely edited Veneto copy of the Commedia, initially produced in the 1340s (Codex Italicus 1 of the University Library and Archives of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest), this essay investigates the systems and constructions imposed on the Commedia by a new scribal culture in the reproduction and "visual glossing" of the poem.


No president looms larger in twentieth-century American history than Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and few life stories can match his for sheer drama. Following in the footsteps of his Republican cousin President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR devoted himself to politics as a Democrat and a true man of the people. Eventually setting his sights on the presidency, he was elected to office in 1932 by a nation that was mired in the Great Depression and desperate for revival. As the distinguished historian Alonzo Hamby argues in this authoritative biography, FDR s record as president was more mixed than we are often led to believe. The New Deal provided much-needed assistance to millions of Americans, but failed to restore prosperity, and while FDR became an outstanding commander-in-chief during World War II, his plans for the postwar world were seriously flawed. No less perceptive is Hamby s account of FDR s private life, which explores the dynamics of his marriage and his romance with his wife s secretary, Lucy Mercer. Hamby documents FDR s final months in intimate detail, claiming that his perseverance, despite his serious illness, not only shaped his presidency, but must be counted as one of the twentieth century s great feats of endurance. Hamby reveals a man whose personalityegocentric, undisciplined in his personal appetites, at times a callous user of aides and associates, yet philanthropic and caring for his nation s underdogsshaped his immense legacy. "Man of Destiny" is a measured account of the life, both personal and public, of the most important American leader of the twentieth century. "


We discuss donor–acceptor conjugated polymers where the acceptor moieties are orthogonal to the donor-based backbone direction through the synthesis and study of a new class of materials (including six oligomers and three polymers) based on 4H-cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) with an imine functionality introduced at the CPDT bridgehead position. Absorption spectroscopy provides information on the influence of structure on the optical properties. We paid special attention to the energies and oscillator strengths of the low-energy transitions and how they correlate with chain length. When the orthogonally conjugated materials are compared to a more traditional polymer, where the donor and acceptor fragments are in series along the backbone direction, fundamental differences in the optical properties are observed. Quantum-mechanical studies of the geometric structure, electronic structure, and excited-state vertical transitions using density functional theory unravel the interplay of structural design and resulting optoelectronic properties. Our findings underline that the magnitude and orientation relative to the backbone long axis of the transition dipole moment is key in designing narrow optical-gap materials with large absorption cross-sections and oscillator strengths.


We explored the association between caregiving for preschool children with developmental disabilities and maternal health and healthcare use using linked primary care and Born in Bradford birth cohort data. Adjusting for prenatal health, healthcare use and socioeconomic status, mothers who were caregivers were more likely than other mothers to have symptoms of psychological distress (odds ratio 1.24; 95% CI 1.01, 1.53), exhaustion (1.42; 1.12, 1.80) and possibly head and musculoskeletal pain (1.18; 0.97, 1.43). Despite the higher prevalence of symptoms, they did not access healthcare services more and may seek healthcare for psychological distress less often (0.64; 0.40, 1.02). In general, socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with worse health. Pakistani ethnicity (versus white British) and prenatal consultation were strongly associated with higher postnatal consultation rates. Prenatal ill health, healthcare use and socioeconomic status are important factors in the detection of postnatal ill health via primary care services. If caregiver burden and the risk of under-detecting (and thus under treating) caregiver ill health is not addressed during the preschool period health inequalities between caregivers and other mothers and their families may persist and grow. The health of mothers of young disabled children, in particular their unmet health needs, warrants attention in research and clinical practice.


Abstract The authors have turned the Zoetrope, initially an optical toy from the pre-cinema era, into a three-dimensional (3D) animation display. "Crystal Zoetrope" is a new visual medium involving a glass disc with numerous engraved objects that displays a sophisticated 3D animation. It can be built in small sizes and even be embedded in everyday objects or environments. Using this new visual medium, the authors produced the 3D animation "Sea of Stars" that portrays the life cycle of planets in the universe.


In the summer of 2009, the dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, pledged to improve the school's poor record of attracting and retaining minority and women students. But since then, by all accounts, the situation at one of the country's top public universities has gotten worse instead of better. So last week a coalition of student organizations used a meeting of the college's executive committee as a forum to demand action. Engineering Dean S. Shankar Sastry has promised the students to come up with an "action plan" by mid-December, starting with an effort to persuade students admitted next spring to attend Berkeley in the fall.


Abstract Robert Schumann9s Blumenstuck , op. 19, a short piano piece dating from 1839, is generally not included among the composer9s more poetically inspired or formally adventurous pieces. Thanks in part to Schumann9s own disparaging remarks about the piece, Blumenstuck , like the stylistically similar Arabeske , op. 18, has been viewed as a fairly straightforward effort to appeal to amateur consumers—especially women consumers—of domestic piano music. Rather than recuperate Schumann9s piece through a revelation of its structural achievements, this article links the piece9s mixed aesthetic status to the similar standing of flowers (and the genre of flower painting to which Schumann9s title alludes) in early-nineteenth-century German culture. Emblematic of women and the expression of conventional sentiments, flowers nonetheless constituted a remarkably evocative symbol in Romantic literature. Sentimental and Romantic discourses of the flower converged in the trope of Blumensprache (the language of flowers), an idea that found expression in both popular manuals cataloguing the meanings of flowers and the more esoteric environments of Schumann9s criticism, E. T. A. Hoffmann9s tales, and Heinrich Heine9s poetry. In each of these venues, flowers served as imaginary conduits joining mundane and transcendent realms. Drawing on the work of Friedrich Kittler, I argue that Schumann9s Blumenstuck , with its conflicting imperatives of pleasure and instruction, congenial melody and motivic intertwining, conflates aesthetic and reception-based categories in a related manner and, as a result, undermines traditional means of generic classification.


The interleukin 3 (IL-3), IL-5, and granulocyte/macrophage colony- stimulating factor receptors consist of a cytokine-specific alpha subunit and the common beta subunit. Whereas IL-3 stimulates various lineages of hematopoietic cells, including multipotential progenitors, IL-5 acts mainly as an eosinophil lineage-specific factor. To investigate whether the lineage specificity of IL-5 is due to restricted expression of the IL-5 receptor alpha subunit (IL-5R alpha), we generated transgenic mice that express the mouse IL-5R alpha constitutively by phosphoglycerate kinase promoter. The transgenic mouse expressed IL-5R alpha ubiquitously, and the bone marrow cells formed various types of colonies, including multi-lineage colonies, in response to IL-5. IL-5 also supported formation of both multi-lineage and blast cell colonies from dormant progenitors of the 5-fluorouracil- treated transgenic mice. The cells composing the blast cell colony gave rise to many colonies including multi-lineage colonies when they were replated in secondary culture containing either Il-5 or IL-3. There was no significant difference in replating efficiency or in types of secondary colonies between IL-5- and IL-3-stimulated cultures. Conversely, the cells from the IL-3-induced blast cell colonies of the transgenic mice proliferated in response to either IL-3 or IL-5. Thus, the development of the progenitors can be equally supported by either IL-5 or IL-3, suggesting that intracellular signals from the IL-3R can be replaced by those from IL-5. These results strongly suggest that the lineage specificity of IL-5 is mainly due to the restricted expression of IL-5R alpha.


The study investigated the Local Government's support to children with mental and hearing disabilities in Songea Municipality Primary Schools in Tanzania. Specifically, it explored the type of support received by the children, examined the needs of the children enrolled in primary schools and assessed stakeholder's views on the Local Government's support to primary children with disabilities. Qualitative research approaches were employed. The sample comprised 268 respondents involving school heads, academic coordinators; unit specialists which coordinate Special needs education, teachers, parents, children with hearing and mental disabilities. Questionnaires, interview guides and observation schedules were used as instruments for data collection. The study results showed that the Local Government supports both public and private special needs primary schools. The support include, employing and paying salary for teachers, providing funds for food and transport as well as teaching and learning devices. It was also found that children need health services, life skills training and friendly environment for learning. The study concludes that the role of Local Government in educating parents on the rights of every child to receive primary education is highly needed. It is recommended that MOEVT in collaboration with the Local Government authorities should review the primary school curriculum and make sure that every Tanzanian child receives primary education and appropriate life skills training.


In A Dialogical Concept of Minority Rights, Hanna H. Wei offers a re-conceptualisation of the notion of minority rights as the first step of a possible solution to some of the theoretical and practical difficulties of minority protection.


All mature pancreatic cell types arise from organ-specific multipotent progenitor cells. Although previous studies have identified cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic cues for progenitor cell expansion, it is unclear how these cues are integrated within the niche of the developing organ. Here, we present genetic evidence in mice that the transcription factor Sox9 forms the centerpiece of a gene regulatory network that is crucial for proper organ growth and maintenance of organ identity. We show that pancreatic progenitor-specific ablation of Sox9 during early pancreas development causes pancreas-to-liver cell fate conversion. Sox9 deficiency results in cell-autonomous loss of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (Fgfr) 2b, which is required for transducing mesenchymal Fgf10 signals. Likewise, Fgf10 is required to maintain expression of Sox9 and Fgfr2 in epithelial progenitors, showing that Sox9, Fgfr2 and Fgf10 form a feed-forward expression loop in the early pancreatic organ niche. Mirroring Sox9 deficiency, perturbation of Fgfr signaling in pancreatic explants or genetic inactivation of Fgf10 also result in hepatic cell fate conversion. Combined with previous findings that Fgfr2b or Fgf10 are necessary for pancreatic progenitor cell proliferation, our results demonstrate that organ fate commitment and progenitor cell expansion are coordinately controlled by the activity of a Sox9/Fgf10/Fgfr2b feed-forward loop in the pancreatic niche. This self-promoting Sox9/Fgf10/Fgfr2b loop may regulate cell identity and organ size in a broad spectrum of developmental and regenerative contexts.


Support vector machines (SVMs), though accurate, are not preferred in applications requiring great classification speed, due to the number of support vectors being large. To overcome this problem we devise a primal method with the following properties: (1) it decouples the idea of basis functions from the concept of support vectors; (2) it greedily finds a set of kernel basis functions of a specified maximum size (dmax) to approximate the SVM primal cost function well; (3) it is efficient and roughly scales as O(ndmax2) where n is the number of training examples; and, (4) the number of basis functions it requires to achieve an accuracy close to the SVM accuracy is usually far less than the number of SVM support vectors.


Under the Navy's Flexible Cyber-Secure Radio (FlexCSR) program, the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory are jointly developing a unique cybersecurity solution for tactical unmanned systems (UxS): the FlexCSR Security/Cyber Module (SCM) End Cryptographic Unit (ECU). To deal with possible loss of unmanned systems that contain the device, the SCM ECU uses only publicly available Commercial National Security Algorithms and a Tactical Key Management system to generate and distribute onboard mission keys that are destroyed at mission completion or upon compromise. This also significantly reduces the logistic complexity traditionally involved with protection and loading of classified cryptographic keys. The SCM ECU is on track to be certified by the National Security Agency for protecting tactical data-in-transit up to Secret level. The FlexCSR SCM ECU is the first stand-alone cryptographic module that conforms to the United States Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Communications Architecture for Unmanned Systems, an initiative by the Office of the Secretary of Defense supporting the interoperability pillar of the DoD Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap. It is a credit cardsized enclosed unit that provides USB interfaces for plaintext and ciphertext, support for radio controls and management, and a software Application Programming Interface that together allow easy integration into tactical UxS communication systems. This paper gives an overview of the architecture, interfaces, usage, and development and approval schedule of the device.


We propose a way to learn visual features that are compatible with previously computed ones even when they have different dimensions and are learned via different neural network architectures and loss functions. Compatible means that, if such features are used to compare images, then ``new'' features can be compared directly to ``old'' features, so they can be used interchangeably. This enables visual search systems to bypass computing new features for all previously seen images when updating the embedding models, a process known as backfilling. Backward compatibility is critical to quickly deploy new embedding models that leverage ever-growing large-scale training datasets and improvements in deep learning architectures and training methods. We propose a framework to train embedding models, called backward-compatible training (BCT), as a first step towards backward compatible representation learning. In experiments on learning embeddings for face recognition, models trained with BCT successfully achieve backward compatibility without sacrificing accuracy, thus enabling backfill-free model updates of visual embeddings.


Degrees of freedom (DOF) refer to the number of free parameters in a model that need to be independently controlled to generate the intended output. In this chapter, we discuss how DOF is a critical issue not only for computational modeling, but also for theoretical understanding of prosody. The relevance of DOF is examined from the perspective of the motor control of articulatory movements, the acquisition of speech production skills, and the communicative functions conveyed by prosody. In particular, we explore the issue of DOF in the temporal aspect of speech and show that, due to certain fundamental constraints in the execution of motor movements, there is likely minimal DOF in the relative timing of prosodic and segmental events at the level of articulatory control.


Professor Jeremy Waldron has proposed a new category of rights named "responsibility-rights." Society grants these rights to facilitate the performance of responsibilities; continued exercise of the right, therefore, may depend upon full discharge of the responsibilities. In this invited essay, we apply Professor Waldron's concept of responsibility-rights to the protected status of lawyers. United States lawyers possess a host of special rights, we argue, because society expects them to discharge accompanying responsibilities. Those responsibilities reach far beyond duties to individual clients; they include a responsibility to maintain a legal system that adequately serves society's needs. Delivering that system requires lawyers to design education, bar admission, professional responsibility, and business systems that meet society's needs — rather than ones that satisfy the interests of lawyers. If the legal profession does not meet this responsibility, it will forfeit its special rights. Client dissatisfaction and outsourcing of legal work suggest that this process is already under way.


Background Recent obesity prevention initiatives focus on healthy neighborhood design, but most research examines neighborhood food retail and physical activity (PA) environments in isolation. We estimated joint, interactive, and cumulative impacts of neighborhood food retail and PA environment characteristics on body mass index (BMI) throughout early adulthood. Methods and Findings We used cohort data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study [n=4,092; Year 7 (24-42 years, 1992-1993) followed over 5 exams through Year 25 (2010-2011); 12,921 person-exam observations], with linked time-varying geographic information system-derived neighborhood environment measures. Using regression with fixed effects for individuals, we modeled time-lagged BMI as a function of food and PA resource density (counts per population) and neighborhood development intensity (a composite density score). We controlled for neighborhood poverty, individual-level sociodemographics, and BMI in the prior exam; and included significant interactions between neighborhood measures and by sex. Using model coefficients, we simulated BMI reductions in response to single and combined neighborhood improvements. Simulated increase in supermarket density (from 25th to 75th percentile) predicted inter-exam reduction in BMI of 0.09 kg/m2 [estimate (95% CI): -0.09 (-0.16, -0.02)]. Increasing commercial PA facility density predicted BMI reductions up to 0.22 kg/m2 in men, with variation across other neighborhood features [estimate (95% CI) range: -0.14 (-0.29, 0.01) to -0.22 (-0.37, -0.08)]. Simultaneous increases in supermarket and commercial PA facility density predicted inter-exam BMI reductions up to 0.31 kg/m2 in men [estimate (95% CI) range: -0.23 (-0.39, -0.06) to -0.31 (-0.47, -0.15)] but not women. Reduced fast food restaurant and convenience store density and increased public PA facility density and neighborhood development intensity did not predict reductions in BMI. Conclusions Findings suggest that improvements in neighborhood food retail or PA environments may accumulate to reduce BMI, but some neighborhood changes may be less beneficial to women.


Native starch extracted from the tubers of Plectranthusesculentus (Family: Lamiaceae) was modified by acetylation,oxidation, carboxymethylation, xerogel formation, acetylation/xerogel formation,and acetylation/oxidation. Starch syneresis, swelling power and solubility were determined by gravimetric techniques at 10% w/v of starch dispersion. Rheological properties were determined on a Bohlin Gemini HR Nano Rotonetic drive 2rheometer while the structural properties were evaluated using Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and x-ray diffractometry (XRD). FTIR confirmed the presence of acetyl groups at 1700 cm-1 and carboxymethyl groups at 1579 cm-1. The acetylated derivatives were resistant to syneresis.  XRD displayed crystallized region with three prominent peaks, centred on 2θ = 15.1, 17.2and 23.2°, for the native starch, acetylated and oxidized starches while the carboxymethylated, xerogelized, and acetylated/xerogelizedderivatives were typically amorphous. The derivatives (carboxymethylated andacetylated/xerogelyzed) were thermally stable and formed viscoelastic gel at room temperature. Conversely, dispersions of the native starch and the derivatives (acetylated, oxidized and acetylated/oxidized) exhibited thermal transitions due to gelatinization. The acetylated derivatives have potential in terms of shelf-life, stability, and diverse opportunities for multiple applications in pharmaceutical and food industries.


This article reveals the positions of corporations not only as active players in politics but also as targets of activist shareholders with opposing political preferences. We examine whether a firm's political orientation, as measured by its political spending, serves as a driver of shareholder proposal submissions, one manifestation of shareholder activism. Using data on S&P 500 companies for 1997–2014, we find that the divergence in political orientation between shareholders and corporate management is strongly associated with the number of submissions of shareholder proposals on environmental or social issues. Firms that contribute more to the Republican Party are more likely to be targeted by nonindividual, Democratic-leaning shareholders. This pattern remains even after controlling for firms' records of corporate social responsibility and labor relations. This finding implies that corporate political spending prompts shareholders with strong political preferences to target firms on the opposite end of the political spectrum.


Considers the construction of orthogonal time-varying filter banks. By examining the time domain description of the two-channel orthogonal filter bank the authors find it possible to construct a set of orthogonal boundary filters, which allows to apply the filter bank to one-sided or finite-length signals, without redundancy or distortion. The method is constructive and complete. There is a whole space of orthogonal boundary solutions, and there is considerable freedom for optimization. This may be used to generate subband tree structures where the tree varies over time, and to change between different filter sets. The authors also show that the iteration of discrete-time time-varying filter banks gives continuous-time bases, just as in the stationary case. This gives rise to wavelet, or wavelet packet, bases for half-line and interval regions. >