The Books of Catullus consists of a completely new translation of Catullus's poems divided into the three 'books' some scholars have agreed is the right order of the poems. These 'books' are divided as book one 1-60, book two 61-64, book three 65-116. This main text is prefaced by six essays: 'Starting Line,' 'The Flâneur: Catullus, Martial, Baudelaire, Frank O'Hara,' 'Catullus and Modernism,' 'The Question of Voice in Catullus,' 'The Accessibility of Catullus,' and 'Sourcing the Origin: Translations of Catullus since 1950'. The essays together have an aesthetic of their own, reflecting what I take to be the most important features in 'the books' of Catullus: the key feature is a flâneurist wandering. The essays are speculative and diverse in their enquiry, and are not only representative of the 'matter' of thought which was going on behind the translations, but also represent the 'form' and circumstances that that thinking took place in. So the essays wander through and around questions relating to the gaze, collecting, 'occasion' and voice, the modern and Modernism, the contemporary, accessibility and difficulty, coterie and the evolution and practice of translation itself, in general, and in relation to Catullus in particular. If the essays wander (and wonder) in these ways, as a flâneur might conduct his perambulations, they also reflect the 'form' of the 'books'.
The poems are anchored by metrical form, they 'wander' around, through and across other possible categorical orderings as diverse as genre (lyric, elegy, epigram, hymn, translation, verse-letter, 'epyllion,' etc.); theme (love, loss, friendship, rivalry, marriage, adultery, politics, sexuality, etc.); length (the poems vary in length from two lines to in excess of four hundred), and so on. George A. Sheets in his essay 'Elements of Style in Catullus' (Skinner 2007, 190) sums up the poems in this way: 'the single most characteristic aspect of Catullan "style" is its protean character'. Other epithets can be added: quotidian, contingent, exploratory, speculative. The essays, therefore, reflect this 'protean character' of the poems in how they address the reader: they can be chatty, informal, formal, comical, serious, academic, intellectual (and intelligent), playful, precise, digressive, 'occasional,' accessible, difficult, 'modern' – all rich characteristics of the poems – in short the art of the poems can be found in the expression of the essays.


Evolutionary theory predicts that both the virulence and the sex ratio of a parasite can depend upon its population structure, and be positively correlated. With only one or a low number of strains within a host, a low sex ratio and a relatively low virulence are predicted. With high numbers of strains within a host, a more even sex ratio and a high parasite virulence are predicted. We examined gametocyte sex ratio and a possible correlate of virulence, parasite density (parasitaemia), in natural populations of two species causing lizard malaria, Plasmodium 'tropiduri' and P. balli. The mean sex ratios of both species were femalebiased, consistent with estimate selfing rates of 0.36 and 0.48 respectively. In P. 'tropiduri', as we predicted, a positive correlation was also observed between our measure of virulence, parasitaemia and the gametocyte sex ratio. Furthermore, the gametocyte sex ratio was positively correlated with gametocyte density (gametocytaemia). This is consistent with facultative sex allocation in response to variable population structure if gametocytaemia is an indicator of the number of clones within a host. These relationships were not observed in P. balli.


Introduction: Obesity for centuries has had myriad implications on physical, mental, and psychosocial health. Various therapies like nutritional therapy, physical activity, pharmacotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy have failed in managing obesity and lead to disappointing results. Contrary to these results, bariatric surgery has shown to have a decrease in weight of 50–75%. Not only has bariatric surgery been effective in morbid obesity but it also plays a significant role in a high rate of remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus and other obesity-related comorbidities like dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. Materials and methods: This is a prospective study, undertaken in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, from July 2017 to September 2019 after taking clearance from the Institution ethics committee. A total of 30 patients were included in this study who were morbidly obese with metabolic syndrome. The indications for surgery were according to the latest guidelines issued by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) for the Asian population. Results: There was a significant fall in all parameters like weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS), HbA1c, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. The weight loss and BMI baseline were seen by the end of 12 months were 40 ± 9.3 kg and from 43.23 to 29.75, respectively, showing its statistical significance. There was a substantial decrease in baseline fasting sugar from 172 ± 19.7 to 139 ± 17.2 mg/dL. Simultaneously, a fall in HbA1c values was seen from the mean of 8.67 ± 1.1 to 6.18 ± 0.4 at the end of 1 year. There is a noteworthy improvement seen in hypertension by the end of 3rd month with mean systolic coming down to 131 ± 14 mm Hg and diastolic to 77 ± 11 mm Hg. Dyslipidemia seen in 21 patients out of 30 patients saw a 100% improvement. Therefore, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) plays a vital role in reducing morbidity and mortality by effective weight loss and control of comorbid diseases.


Grassland bird populations are declining. Invasive plant species may be contributing to these declines by altering habitat quality. However, the effects of invasive plants on grassland birds are largely unknown. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is an exotic, invasive weed in the northern Great Plains. We examined the effects of leafy spurge infestation on densities of breeding birds, nest-site selection, and nest success in grasslands on the Sheyenne National Grassland (SNG), North Dakota, USA, 1999-2000. We categorized spurge-infested grasslands into 3 groups (low, medium, high), based on the area covered by spurge patches. We surveyed 75 100-m-radius circular points (25 in each group), and searched for nests in 6 16-ha plots (2 in each group). Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) and savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) densities were lower on high-spurge points than on low-and medium-spurge points. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) densities were not significantly different among spurge cover groups. Spurge cover did not appear to be an important factor in nest-site selection. However, western meadowlark nest success was positively associated with spurge cover. Vegetation structure is an important indicator of habitat quality and resource availability for grassland birds. Changes in vegetation structure caused by introduced plant species, such as spurge, can alter resource availability and hence affect bird community composition. Managers of spurge-infested grasslands should continue current spurge control measures to help prevent further declines in grassland habitat quality and grassland bird populations.


Predators are often culled to benefit prey, but in many cases this conservation goal is not achieved or results remain unknown. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a predator of global significance, and an invasive species in some regions. Red fox culls intended to benefit prey are often restricted to small areas, and effectiveness is rarely sufficiently evaluated. Given the economic, ecological, social, and welfare issues associated with lethal predator control, there is a strong need to assess the effects of spatiotemporal variation in culling intensity on red fox abundance. We surveyed red fox populations in fragmented forests of south‐western Germany and related indices of local fox abundance to culling data, predicted landscape‐scale fox abundance, and other covariates. We tested whether restricted‐area culling was associated with local reductions in fox abundance, and examined how this relationship changed over time. Local fox abundance was temporarily reduced in spring, following winter culls. However, the effect was minor and fox populations had compensated for the reductions at the latest by autumn. Restricted‐area culling therefore likely failed to sustain effects on fox abundance throughout the period most relevant for conservation (i.e., the reproductive period of the target prey species). To be effective as a conservation tool, culling will therefore require explicit spatiotemporal coordination matching the biology of predators and target prey.


In bacterial chromosomes, the position of a gene relative to the single origin of replication generally reflects its replication timing, how often it is expressed, and consequently, its rate of evolution. However, because some archaeal genomes contain multiple origins of replication, bias in gene dosage caused by delayed replication should be minimized and hence the substitution rate of genes should associate less with chromosome position. To test this hypothesis, six archaeal genomes from the genus Sulfolobus containing three origins of replication were selected, conserved orthologs were identified, and the evolutionary rates (dN and dS) of these orthologs were quantified. Ortholog families were grouped by their consensus position and designated by their proximity to one of the three origins (O1, O2, O3). Conserved orthologs were concentrated near the origins and most variation in genome content occurred distant from the origins. Linear regressions of both synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates on distance from replication origins were significantly positive, the rates being greatest in the region furthest from any of the origins and slowest among genes near the origins. Genes near O1 also evolved faster than those near O2 and O3, which suggest that this origin may fire later in the cell cycle. Increased evolutionary rates and gene dispensability are strongly associated with reduced gene expression caused in part by reduced gene dosage during the cell cycle. Therefore, in this genus of Archaea as well as in many Bacteria, evolutionary rates and variation in genome content associate with replication timing.


We present a dynamical investigation of a newly found asteroid, 2010 SO 16, and the discovery that it is a horseshoe companion of the Earth. The object's absolute magnitude (H = 20.7) makes this the largest object of its type known to-date. By carrying out numerical integrations of dynamical clones, we find that (a) its status as a horseshoe is secure given the current accuracy of its ephemeris, and (b) the time spent in horseshoe libration with the Earth is several times 10 5 yr, two orders of magnitude longer than determined for other horseshoe asteroids of the Earth. Further, using a model based on Hill's approximation to the three-body problem, we show that, apart from the low eccentricity which prevents close encounters with other planets or the Earth itself, its stability can be attributed to the value of its Jacobi constant far from the regime that allows transitions into other co-orbital modes or escape from the resonance altogether. We provide evidence that the eventual escape of the asteroid from horseshoe libration is caused by the action of planetary secular perturbations and the stochastic evolution of the eccentricity. The questions of its origin and the existence of as-yet-undiscovered co-orbital companions of the Earth are discussed.


One of the most devastating periods in twentieth-century history was the rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge over Cambodia. From April 1975 to the beginning of the Vietnamese occupation in late December 1978, the country underwent perhaps the most violent and far-reaching of all modern revolutions. These six essays search for what can be explained in the ultimately inexplicable evils perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. Accompanying them is a photo essay that provides shocking visual evidence of the tragedy of Cambodia's autogenocide. "The most important examination of the subject so far.... Without in any way denying the horror and brutality of the Khmers Rouges, the essays adopt a principle of detached analysis which makes their conclusion far more significant and convincing than the superficial images emanating from the television or cinema screen." --Ralph Smith, The Times Literary Supplement "A book that belongs on the shelf of every scholar interested in Cambodia, revolution, or communism.... Answers to questions such as What effect did Khmer society have on the reign of the Khmer Rouge?' focus on understanding, rather than merely describing." --Randall Scott Clemons, Perspectives on Political Science


Title of Document: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED ADHESION TEST FOR POLYMER INTERFACES Nathan Andrew Vickey Master of Science 2007 Directed By: Professor Bongtae Han Department of Mechanical Engineering The bond strength of polymer interfaces within packaged microelectronic devices significantly influences their reliability. In the interest of predictive modeling and to facilitate materials selection during the design process, it is highly desirable to be able to distinguish between the adhesive performances of multiple polymer interfaces. However, typical adhesion testing is normally plagued by large deviations in its test results which make drawing statistical conclusions from adhesion strength data difficult. To remedy this, an investigation into the primary sources of variance associated with the pull test was performed. Four primary factors were identified, load alignment, loading rate, bond thickness, and the edge condition. The control of each of these four parameters was targeted during the development of an improved adhesion test technique. The results are an adhesion measurement method which has successfully reduced the scatter in test results from a standard deviation of 50% to approximately 10%. DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED ADHESION TEST FOR POLYMER INTERFACES


Despite the popularity of electoral gender quotas, the substantive impact of quotas on the plenary behavior of members of parliament (MPs) has yet to be thoroughly empirically explored, and in particular, there is a dearth of evidence from non-Western cases. Here we create a unique content analysis dataset from 14 years (1998–2011) of plenary debates, including the contents of more than 150,000 unique MP speeches recorded in some 40,000 pages of the Ugandan parliamentary Hansard to test how MP characteristics affect patterns of gender-related legislative speech. We find that female MPs speak about issues related to women's interests significantly more than male MPs. Further, we find no evidence of significant differences between female MPs elected with and without quotas, suggesting that, in the Ugandan case, gender is a more salient predictor of the tendency to "speak for women" than electoral pathway. To our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the effectiveness of quotas in promoting women's substantive representation in parliamentary debates across all policy domains over a significant time period. We discuss the implications of these findings in the Ugandan context, as well as how our evidence speaks to substantive representation through reserved seat quotas in semi-authoritarian regimes more broadly.


Referring to the original context of Dutch Disease, the term refers to the fears of de-industrialization that gripped the Netherlands as a result of the appreciation of the Dutch currency that followed the discovery of natural gas deposits. Expansion of petroleum exports in the 1960s not only crowded out other exports, it actually reduced other exports disproportionately and fueled the fears of dire consequences for Dutch manufacturing. In the case of Equatorial Guinea, the secondary sector represents about 2 percent of the gross domestic product, manufacturing represents less than 1 percent, and oil represents more than 95 percent. The negative impact of the Dutch Disease in this context would be limited given the structure of the economy and on the contrary may even be a good thing because it fuels the structural transformational process of the economy, which is needed in Equatorial Guinea. This paper argues that the ongoing Dutch Disease is a natural and necessary reallocation of resources in the economy of Equatorial Guinea. The magnitude of negative macroeconomic consequences of the Dutch Disease depends on the country's economic structure and stage of development. In a country where the manufacturing sector barely exists or where the non-oil primary sector is structurally deficient, as has been the case of Equatorial Guinea, there is little to fear about the disease. The oil boom is a blessing, given that oil revenues when properly managed can play a special and critical role in overall economic development and poverty reduction in low-income countries. To promote good governance in the management of the country's oil wealth, the government may wish to adhere to clear standards of accountability and transparency; especially by complying with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI++).


In this study, five nurses' experiences of regularly having to face the incurable illness and death of dying patients were explored. Qualitative interviews were conducted on two occasions, with an interval of 11 years. An interpretive method was used to discern the nurses' thoughts, feelings, and attitudes over the years toward death and dying. The main finding was that working in hospice care and facing the dying and death of many patients had an impact on daily work and private life. Narrations from the first occasion were conceptualized as the theme "death as an agent of change." Eleven years later, the presence of death took a less dominant place in the nurses' lives and the theme became "death as a companion in life." In the long term, nurses emphasized that their professional and personal growth was fostered by their relationship with the dying patients.


Abstract. Ultrafast lasers in the visible and near-infrared range have emerged as a potential new method for pathogen reduction of blood products and pharmaceuticals. However, the mechanism of enveloped virus inactivation by this method is unknown. We report the inactivation as well as the molecular and structural effects caused by visible (425 nm) femtosecond laser irradiation on murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus. Our results show that laser irradiation (1) caused a 5-log reduction in MCMV titer, (2) did not cause significant changes to the global structure of MCMV virions including membrane and capsid, as assessed by electron microscopy, (3) produced no evidence of double-strand breaks or crosslinking in MCMV genomic DNA, and (4) caused selective aggregation of viral capsid and tegument proteins. We propose a model in which ultrafast laser irradiation induces partial unfolding of viral proteins by disrupting hydrogen bonds and/or hydrophobic interactions, leading to aggregation of closely associated viral proteins and inactivation of the virus. These results provide new insight into the inactivation of enveloped viruses by visible femtosecond lasers at the molecular level, and help pave the way for the development of a new ultrafast laser technology for pathogen reduction.


Slides from a presentation discussing the UNCG University Libraries' research data management services, which strive to best meet the needs of the campuses while also maximizing limited resources. At UNCG, librarians collaborate across departments to support targeted research data management needs on campus. We have developed this collaborative effort by building on the strengths of an existing multi-school institutional repository system (NC DOCKS: http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/) and a long running outreach and instruction program for secondary data discovery. This presentation discusses the scope and component pieces of the University Libraries' data management services, and the development of our service model and various associated activities, including support for data management planning, a series of workshops for graduate students created in collaboration with our Institutional Review Board, outreach and training efforts, and institutional repository integration. Presenters address specific roles, workflows, challenges, and lessons learned, and provide perspectives from both public and technical services. This presentation was delivered on July 22, 2016 as part of the Mississippi State University Libraries Scholarly Communication Summit: "The State of Data Services."


SYNOPSIS The well-established method which is applied in South Africa to determine the value of timber plantations ignores real or relative price changes. The omission of real price changes from a plantation valuation can seriously understate or overstate the true value of a plantation. This paper shows, by means of an example, the potential differences which can occur between plantation values obtained according to the hitherto generally accepted method and those obtained according to a method which takes account of real price changes.


Injury-induced sensitization of nociceptors contributes to pain states and the development of chronic pain. Inhibiting activity-dependent mRNA translation through mechanistic target of rapamycin and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways blocks the development of nociceptor sensitization. These pathways convergently signal to the eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 4F complex to regulate the sensitization of nociceptors, but the details of this process are ill defined. Here we investigated the hypothesis that phosphorylation of the 5′ cap-binding protein eIF4E by its specific kinase MAPK interacting kinases (MNKs) 1/2 is a key factor in nociceptor sensitization and the development of chronic pain. Phosphorylation of ser209 on eIF4E regulates the translation of a subset of mRNAs. We show that pronociceptive and inflammatory factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and carrageenan, produce decreased mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, decreased affective pain behaviors, and strongly reduced hyperalgesic priming in mice lacking eIF4E phosphorylation (eIF4ES209A). Tests were done in both sexes, and no sex differences were found. Moreover, in patch-clamp electrophysiology and Ca2+ imaging experiments on dorsal root ganglion neurons, NGF- and IL-6-induced increases in excitability were attenuated in neurons from eIF4ES209A mice. These effects were recapitulated in Mnk1/2−/− mice and with the MNK1/2 inhibitor cercosporamide. We also find that cold hypersensitivity induced by peripheral nerve injury is reduced in eIF4ES209A and Mnk1/2−/− mice and following cercosporamide treatment. Our findings demonstrate that the MNK1/2–eIF4E signaling axis is an important contributing factor to mechanisms of nociceptor plasticity and the development of chronic pain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Chronic pain is a debilitating disease affecting approximately one in three Americans. Chronic pain is thought to be driven by changes in the excitability of peripheral nociceptive neurons, but the precise mechanisms controlling these changes are not elucidated. Emerging evidence demonstrates that mRNA translation regulation pathways are key factors in changes in nociceptor excitability. Our work demonstrates that a single phosphorylation site on the 5′ cap-binding protein eIF4E is a critical mechanism for changes in nociceptor excitability that drive the development of chronic pain. We reveal a new mechanistic target for the development of a chronic pain state and propose that targeting the upstream kinase, MAPK interacting kinase 1/2, could be used as a therapeutic approach for chronic pain.


Complex random states have the statistical properties of the Gaussian and circular unitary ensemble eigenstates of random matrix theory. Even though their components are correlated by the normalization constraint, it is nevertheless possible to derive compact analytic formulas for their extreme values' statistical properties for all dimensionalities. The maximum intensity result slowly approaches the Gumbel distribution even though the variables are bounded, whereas the minimum intensity result rapidly approaches the Weibull distribution. Since random matrix theory is conjectured to be applicable to chaotic quantum systems, we calculate the extreme eigenfunction statistics for the standard map with parameters at which its classical map is fully chaotic. The statistical behaviors are consistent with the finite-N formulas.


Big Five traits and self-esteem play a crucial role in explaining satisfaction in couples. Moreover, no clear answer exists whether similarity in Big Five traits and self-esteem predict couple satisfaction. Further, little evidence exists showing whether relationship satisfaction predicts Big Five traits and self-esteem. These personality constructs have rarely been studied conjointly and no research is available to give some indication of how family members impact each other in Big Five traits and self-esteem (i.e., codevelopment in personality). This cumulative dissertation encloses five studies with the goal to review current research on Big Five traits and satisfaction in couples, to test whether Big Five traits, self-esteem, and the partners' similarity in personality predict relationship satisfaction and whether relationships satisfaction predicts later personality. We further examine self-esteem as mediator between Big Five traits and relationship satisfaction and perceptual processes as mediators between self-esteem, neuroticism, and relationship satisfaction. We also study Big Five traits and self-esteem conjointly to test for their reciprocal association and their possible impact on family members' personalities. The five studies reveal that (a) neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and self-esteem are especially vital for both partners' satisfaction, (b) Big Five trait and self-esteem similarity does not substantially contribute to satisfaction in addition to both partners' personality main effects, with the exception of neuroticism and openness, (c) self-esteem and perceptual processes emerged as mediators, (d) Big Five traits and self-esteem are associated concurrently and have a bidirectional impact on each other longitudinally, and (e) evidence from studies with adolescent and young adult children suggests little impact of family members' personalities on their Big Five traits and self-esteem. The present dissertation highlights the importance of the conjoint examination of Big Five traits and self-esteem and their reciprocity over time. Finally, the analysis of the impact of family members' personality traits and self-esteem suggests new research avenues when studying Big Five traits and self-esteem development.


The Nox family NADPH oxidases are reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzymes that are strongly implicated in atherogenesis. However, no studies have examined which Nox isoform(s) are involved. Here we investigated the role of the Nox2-containing NADPH oxidase in atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-null (ApoE−/−) mice. Wild-type (C57Bl6/J), ApoE−/−, and Nox2−/y/ApoE−/− mice were maintained on a high-fat (21%) diet from 5 wk of age until they were 12 or 19 wk old. Mice were euthanized and their aortas removed for measurement of Nox2 expression (Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry), ROS production (L012-enhanced chemiluminescence), nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability (contractions to Nω-nitro-L-arginine), and atherosclerotic plaque development along the aorta and in the aortic sinus. Nox2 expression was upregulated in the aortic endothelium of ApoE−/− mice before the appearance of lesions, and this was associated with elevated ROS levels. Within developing plaques, macrophages were also a prominent source of Nox2. The absence of Nox2 in Nox2−/y/ApoE−/− double-knockout mice had minimal effects on plasma lipids or lesion development in the aortic sinus in animals up to 19 wk of age. However, an en face examination of the aorta from the arch to the iliac bifurcation revealed a 50% reduction in lesion area in Nox2−/y/ApoE−/− versus ApoE−/− mice, and this was associated with a marked decrease in aortic ROS production and an increased NO bioavailability. In conclusion, this is the first demonstration of a role for Nox2-NADPH oxidase in vascular ROS production, reduced NO bioavailability, and early lesion development in ApoE−/− mice, highlighting this Nox isoform as a potential target for future therapies for atherosclerosis.


This study compares the effects of importing fresh Mexican Hass avocados into the United States under three scenarios for mitigating pest risks. The analysis finds that Scenario 1, adherence to the U.S. phytosanitary rule of November 2004—which removed all seasonal and geographic restrictions on Mexican avocados, while maintaining existing compliance procedures in Mexico—leads to low pest risks for U.S. producers and an estimated annual U.S. welfare gain of $72 million. In Scenario 2, if compliance measures specific to fruit fly control are eliminated along with seasonal and geographic restrictions, pest risks for U.S. producers remain low and there is an additional gain in net U.S. welfare of $1.7 million. Results for Scenario 3, which eliminates all control measures in Mexico, depends on the level of pest-risk estimated. With average risk, there is a gain in net U.S. welfare of about $8.5 million compared with eliminating only seasonal and geographic restrictions, but U.S. producers incur significant pest control costs. With maximum pest-risk estimates, the net gain in U.S. welfare is $16.2 million less than if only geographic and seasonal restrictions are eliminated, with larger pest control costs for U.S. producers and lower consumer welfare gains due to pest-related losses of U.S. avocados.


The European shoe industry has experienced significant challenges in the last 20 years, mainly due to the pressures of modern global markets in which the industry has to compete with competitors from low labour cost countries in Asia and the Far East. A new trend is now forecast concerning the mass customization of shoes, where customers choose and order customized shoes from a range of predefined materials and designs. This is to be achieved through the 'shoe shop of the future' with combined capabilities of obtaining 3D models of customer's feet together with the exciting developments offered through the latest advancement in e-commerce. However, such a novel approach for the customization of shoe design and production will have a significant influence on the batch sizes and expected lead times, and will reduce the average batch size of shoe production from 500–1000 pairs to about 10–20 pairs per batch. Consequently, customized shoes will result in an enormous increase in the number of batches, leading to an increase in the complexity of planning, scheduling and tracking of orders both across the supply chain and internally within various production departments of a shoe factory. This research proposes a distributed scheduling approach to provide the required autonomy in decision making and flexibility in job sequencing at departmental level to deal with the complexity of planning a large number of small batch production orders.


Abstract Lake Simcoe, the largest lake in southern Ontario outside of the Laurentian Great Lakes, is affected by numerous stressors including eutrophication resulting from total phosphorus (TP) loading, climate change, and invasions of exotic species. We synthesized the long-term responses of Lake Simcoe to these stressors by assessing trends in water quality and biological composition over multiple trophic levels. Evidence for climate change included increasing thermal stability of the lake and changes in subfossil diatom communities over time. Although the deep water dissolved oxygen (O2) minimum has increased significantly since TP load reductions, it is still below estimated historical values and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan end-of-summer target level of 7 mg O2 L-1. Low deep water O2 concentrations corresponded with a decline in coldwater fish abundance. Since 1980, some nutrient concentrations have decreased (spring TP) while others have increased (silica), but many show no obvious changes (ice-free TP, nitrate, ammonium). Increases in water clarity, combined with declines in chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biovolumes in Cook's Bay, were temporally consistent with declines in TP loading and the lake-wide establishment of dreissenid mussels as a major component of the Lake Simcoe ecosystem. Using an investigative tool, we identified 2 periods when abrupt shifts potentially occurred in multiple parameters: 1986 and 1995-1997. Additional ecosystem level changes such as declines in zooplankton, declines in offshore benthic invertebrate abundance, and increased nearshore invertebrate abundance likely reflect the effects of invasive species. The interaction of these multiple stressors have significantly altered the Lake Simcoe ecosystem.


Reported are the results of a case-control study carried out between July 1989 and June 1990 in Fortaleza city, Ceará State, Brazil, to determine the factors that place young children living in urban slum conditions at increased risk of contracting pneumonia. Cases were 650 under-2-year-olds with a radiological diagnosis of pneumonia who were recruited at the main paediatric hospital in the city over a full calendar year. Age-matched controls were recruited from the neighbourhood where the cases lived. Cases and controls were compared with respect to a variety of sociodemographic, environmental, reproductive, nutritional, and morbidity factors, and a risk factor questionnaire was administered to the mother of each child or to the child's normal guardian. Cases and controls were also weighed and measured. Malnutrition was the most important risk factor for childhood pneumonia in the study population, with weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height also being important risk factors. In view of the high prevalence of stunting in the study population, there is an urgent need to reduce the level of malnutrition as a priority. Attendance at a day care centre was also associated with a high odds ratio. In view of the growing numbers of children attending day care centres in both developing and developed countries, it is essential that ways be identified to improve the design and management of such centres in order to minimize the risk of pneumonia. Increased risks of childhood pneumonia were also associated with low birth weight, non-breast-feeding, crowding, high parity, and incomplete vaccination status, but not with socioeconomic status or environmental variables. Finally, children who had suffered from previous episodes of wheezing or been hospitalized for pneumonia had a greater than threefold increased risk of contracting the disease.


Rotating 3D objects is a difficult task. We present a new rotation technique based on collision-free "mating" to expedite 3D rotations. It is specifically designed for one-handed interaction on tablets or touchscreens. A user study found that our new technique decreased the time to rotate objects in 3D by more than 60% in situations where objects align. We found similar results when users translated and rotated objects in a 3D scene. Also, angle errors were 35% less with mating. In essence, our new rotation technique improves both the speed and accuracy of common 3D rotation tasks.


Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a structured prospective risk assessment method that is widely used within healthcare. FMEA involves a multidisciplinary team mapping out a high-risk process of care, identifying the failures that can occur, and then characterising each of these in terms of probability of occurrence, severity of effects and detectability, to give a risk priority number used to identify failures most in need of attention. One might assume that such a widely used tool would have an established evidence base. This paper considers whether or not this is the case, examining the evidence for the reliability and validity of its outputs, the mathematical principles behind the calculation of a risk prioirty number, and variation in how it is used in practice. We also consider the likely advantages of this approach, together with the disadvantages in terms of the healthcare professionals' time involved. We conclude that although FMEA is popular and many published studies have reported its use within healthcare, there is little evidence to support its use for the quantitative prioritisation of process failures. It lacks both reliability and validity, and is very time consuming. We would not recommend its use as a quantitative technique to prioritise, promote or study patient safety interventions. However, the stage of FMEA involving multidisciplinary mapping process seems valuable and work is now needed to identify the best way of converting this into plans for action.


"The Penguin Dictionary of Economics" explains a host of economic terms, from acceleration principle to venture capital, Euro to X-efficiency, globalisation to zero-sum game. The eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to include those terms that have become so familiar since the global recession begun ('quantitative easing' and 'sub-prime' among them), but whose meanings escape most of us. Wide-ranging and accessible, this detailed practical and international guide will be indispensable for students of economics and professionals (in business, finance or the public sector), and for anyone wishing to follow economic discussions in the media today.


Physical entrapment of enzymes within a porous matrix is a fast and gentle process to immobilize biocatalysts to enable their recycling and long‐term use. This study introduces the development of a biocompatible 3D‐printing material suitable for enzyme entrapment, while having good rheological and UV‐hardening properties. Three different viscosity‐enhancing additives have been tested in combination with a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate‐based hydrogel system. The addition of polyxanthan or hectorite clay particles results in hydrogels that degrade over hours or days, releasing entrapped compounds. In contrast, the addition of nanometer‐sized silicate particles ensures processability while preventing disintegration of the hydrogel. Lattice structures with a total height of 6 mm consisting of 40 layers were 3D‐printed with all materials and characterized by image analysis. Rheological measurements identified a shear stress window of 200 < τ < 500 Pa at shear rates of 25 s−1 and 25°C for well‐defined geometries with an extrusion‐based printhead. Enzymes immobilized in these long‐term stable hydrogel structures retained an effective activity of approximately 10% compared to the free enzyme in solution. It could be shown that the reduction of effective activity is not caused by a significant reduction of the intrinsic enzyme activity but by mass transfer limitations within the printed hydrogel structures.


Background: Clopidogrel, an oral antiplatelet, has been used off-label in pediatric patients at risk for thrombosis, including those with heart disease, for more than a decade. While numerous clinical trials in adults have resulted in the formation of comprehensive management guidelines, considerably less is known about the safety and efficacy of clopidogrel use in children. Method: An exhaustive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Medline, CINAHL and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. The keywords searched included "clopidogrel", "child", "teen", "young", "pediatric", "boy", "girl", "adolescent" and "heart diseases" individually and in combination. The search was limited to the English language and articles older than ten years were excluded. After eliminating duplicate articles and those irrelevant to the topic of interest, seven studies were identified for review and three were selected. Results: Three studies were reviewed, two of which were retrospective chart reviews and one randomized control trial. These studies included children with congenital or acquired heart disease, ages 8 days to 18 years old. Doses varied by study from 0.01 mg/kg/day to 6 mg/kg/day. Very few thrombotic events occurred and these events were rarely attributed to clopidogrel. The most frequent complication was skin bruising and minor bleeding. Conclusion: Clopidogrel appears to be relatively well tolerated in infants and children at low doses, but should be used cautiously, particularly when administered in combination with other antiplatelet or anticoagulants, as it may increase bleeding risks.


Good feedback is critical to creativity and learning, yet rare. Many people do not know how to actually provide effective feedback. There is increasing demand for quality feedback -- and thus feedback givers -- in learning and professional settings. This paper contributes empirical evidence that two interactive techniques -- reusable suggestions and adaptive guidance -- can improve feedback on creative work. We present these techniques embodied in the CritiqueKit system to help reviewers give specific, actionable, and justified feedback. Two real-world deployment studies and two controlled experiments with CritiqueKit found that adaptively-presented suggestions improve the quality of feedback from novice reviewers. Reviewers also reported that suggestions and guidance helped them describe their thoughts and reminded them to provide effective feedback.


Papers submitted to International Psychogeriatrics undergo peer review, with each manuscript being assessed by two or more reviewers possessing expertise relevant to the paper's topic. The advice of reviewers is often highly valuable to authors working to strengthen papers through revision, and their recommendations are central to the process of determining what is published in International Psychogeriatrics.


This article traces the mounting interest in, and visibility of, girls and young women in development (WID) policy, especially since the turn of the twenty-first century when a 'Smart Economics' rationale for promoting gender equality and female empowerment has become ever more prominent and explicit. 'Smart Economics', which is strongly associated with an increased influence of corporate stakeholders, frequently through public–private partnerships (PPPs), stresses a 'business case' for investing in women for developmental (read economic) efficiency, with investment in younger generations of women being touted as more efficient still. The latter is encapsulated in the term 'Smarter Economics' with the Nike Foundation's 'Girl Effect' being a showcase example. In this, and similar, initiatives linked with neoliberal development, 'investing in girls' appears to be driven not only by imperatives of 'female empowerment', but also to realize more general dividends for future economic growth and poverty alleviation. Yet, while it may well be that girls and young women have benefited from their rapid relocation from the sidelines towards the centre of development discourse and planning, major questions remain as to whose voices are prioritized, and whose agendas are primarily served by the current shift from 'Smart' to 'Smarter Economics'.


"Dietro un muro di ferro". Un reportage dai territori - This is a reportage of last August's journey into the West Bank. It speaks about the "iron wall" in which, in 1923, Zeev Jabotinsky - father of the right-wing Revisionists-Zionists movement - considered necessary to confine the arabic population. It speaks of the cities and villages: Aboud, Qalqilya, Taybeh, Ramallah, Bir Zeit, Betlemme, At-Tuwani and Hebron. Of meetings with its people: Michel Sabbah, the patriarch of Jerusalem; priests from Aboud, Taybeh and Gaza; doctors at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in Qalqilya; agronomists at the Palestinian Agricultural Development Association; attorneys-at law at the Mandela Center; embroiderers at the Palestinian Melchite Embrodery Center; violinists at Ramallah's music school Al Kamandjati; theologians at the Al-Liqa Center; nuns at the Bethlehem Charitas Baby Hospital, and ordinary families from Bethlehem and Jerusalem. It pretends only to be a direct encounter with the faces and voices of the Palestinian people. Key Words: West Bank, wall, check-point, Jerusalem, water, olive trees. Parole Chiave: West Bank, muro, check point, Gerusalemme, acqua, ulivi.


Between 1890 and 1930, the daily life of the American family began to reflect rapid advances in technology, aesthetics, and attitudes about American culture. Pictorial, literary, musical, and decorative arts from this era all reveal a shift from clutter to clarity and from profusion to restraint as modern conveniences, ranging from pre-stamped needlework patterns to central heat, were introduced into the domestic environment. However, the household arts were also affected by an enduring strain of conservatism reflected in the popularity of historically inspired furnishing styles. In this collection of essays, ten experts in turn-of-the-century popular and material culture examine how the struggle between modernity and tradition was reflected in various facets of the household aesthetic. Their findings touch on sub-themes of gender, generation, and class to provide a fascinating commentary on what middle-class Americans were prepared to discard in the name of modernity and what they stubbornly retained for the sake of ideology. Through an examination of material culture and prescriptive literature from this period, the essayists also demonstrate how changes in artistic expression affected the psychological, social, and cultural lives of everyday Americans.


ABSTRACT Brachiopods from the Upper Oligocene (Chattian), Aquitaine Basin, southwestern France comprise nine species in seven genera: Novocrania Lee & Brunton, 2001, Terebratulina d'Orbigny, 1847, Megathiris d'Orbigny, 1847, Argyrotheca Dall, 1900, Joania Álvarez, Brunton & Long, 2008, Megerlia King, 1850, and Lacazella Munier-Chalmas, 1880. One megathyridid is described as a new species, Joania peyrerensis n. sp., characterized by ornamentation of 6–8 distinct, sharp ribs and by triangular, plate-like teeth. With the exception of Megathiris detruncata (Gmelin, 1791) and Lacazella mediterranea (Risso, 1826), all species are recorded for the first time from the Oligocene of the Aquitaine Basin. In taxonomic composition this brachiopod fauna displays close affinity with the Miocene faunas of the Mediterranean Province and Central Paratethys. The dominance of micromorphic megathyridids and thecideides in the Peyrère assemblage, characteristic of cryptic habitats suggests the presence of submarine caves and/or crevices, thus supporting the previous interpretations of this faunistic assemblage as a cave biocenosis. Frequency of gastropod drillings observed on the investigated brachiopods is low (4%) as is in most Cenozoic brachiopod populations. The paleotemperatures calculated from the &dgr;18O values of brachiopod shells (21 to 24°C) correspond well to a paleoenvironmental interpretation based on paleoecology of other taxonomic groups.


The aim of this study was to uncover certain physical properties of cashmere fibres obtained from goat hair in Van, Turkey, and determine their usability in the textile sector. For this purpose 36 hair goats were studied, aged between two and three years old, obtained from breeders at Van Yuzuncu Yil University Livestock Facilities and the Ozalp and Baskale districts of Van, with twelve goats being taken from each breeder. The sample of hairs were collected by combing three areas of the goat's body (shoulder, flank and rump). The analysis indicated that the cashmere length of two-year-old hair goats was longer than that of three-year-old hair goats. There was no linear relationship between the differences among cashmere elasticity and yield properties and the altitude levels of the districts. It was determined that the fibre diameter of the cashmere of hair goats in Van was acceptable for the textile sector and competitive with major cashmere-producing countries. Key words : cashmere features, hair goat, Van province.


Abstract Previous work on the structural and thermal properties of various types of kaolinite have led to different conclusions, rendering comparison of analytical results difficult. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the thermal behaviour of kaolinite and to carry out a kinetic analysis of the decomposition of kaolinite at high temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) were used to study the mechanism of the thermal decomposition. The modified Coats-Redfern, Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Kissinger decomposition models were used to determine the decomposition mechanism of the kaolinite sample. The dehydroxylation of kaolinite occurred at ~600°C with the formation of metakaolin, which then transformed into either γ-alumina or aluminium-silicon spinel together with amorphous silica. The results of the XRD and FTIR analyses indicated that the γ-alumina, or aluminium-silicon spinel and amorphous silica phases, transformed into mullite and α-cristobalite, respectively, after decomposition at 900°C. Good linearity was observed with the modified Coats-Redfern, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Kissinger models from room temperature to 1400°C and the range of the activation energy determined was 120-180 kJ/mol.


This paper discusses the movement patterns of two groups of birds which are generally regarded as irruptive migrants, namely (a) boreal finches and others that depend on fluctuating tree-fruit crops, and (b) owls and others that depend on cyclically fluctuating rodent populations. Both groups specialise on food supplies which, in particular regions, fluctuate more than 100-fold from year to year. However, seed-crops in widely separated regions may fluctuate independently of one another, as may rodent populations, so that poor food supplies in one region may coincide with good supplies in another. If individuals are to have access to rich food supplies every year, they must often move hundreds or thousands of kilometres from one breeding area to another. In years of widespread food shortage (or high numbers relative to food supplies) extending many thousands or millions of square kilometres, large numbers of individuals migrate to lower latitudes, as an 'irruptive migration'. For these reasons, the distribution of the population, in both summer and winter, varies greatly from year to year. In particular breeding areas, many species of irruptive migrants fluctuate in density according to food supplies at the time. The facts that the response to food change is rapid, and that increases in numbers from one year to the next are often greater than can be explained by high survival and reproduction from the previous year, imply that such year to year density changes are due mainly to movements. Ring recoveries and other data lend support to this view. In irruptive migrants, in contrast to regular migrants, site fidelity is poor, and few individuals return to the same breeding areas in successive years (apart from owls in the increase phase of a rodent cycle). Moreover, ring recoveries and radio-tracking confirm that the same individuals can breed in different years in areas separated by hundreds or thousands of kilometres. Extreme examples are provided by Common Crossbills Loxia curvirostra, in which individual adults were found in localities up to 3200 km apart in different breeding seasons, and Snowy Owls Nyctea scandiaca found in localities up to nearly 2000 km apart. The implication from irruptive migrations, that individuals can winter in widely separated localities in different years, is also supported by ring recoveries, at least in seed-eaters, in which individuals have been found in one winter hundreds or thousands of kilometres from where they were ringed in a previous winter. Most such shifts could be regarded as lying at different points on the same migration axis, but some were apparently on different axes, as the birds were recovered in winter far to the east or west of where they were ringed in a previous winter. Extreme examples include a Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus (6000 km, Ukraine to Siberia), a Siskin Carduelis spinus (3000 km, Sweden to Iran), a Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus (3950 km, Quebec to California), and a Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea (8350 km, Belgium to China). Compared to regular (obligate) migrants, irruptive (facultative) migrants show much greater year to year variations in the proportions of individuals that migrate, and greater individual and year to year variations in the timing, directions and distances of movements. The control systems are flexible in irruptive migrants, enabling individuals to respond to feeding conditions at the time. However, regular and irruptive migrants are probably best regarded, not as distinct categories, but as representing opposite extremes of a continuum of migratory behaviour found among birds, from narrow and consistent at one end to broad and flexible at the other. Both systems are adaptive, the one to conditions in which resource levels are predictable in space and time, and the other to conditions in which resource levels are unpredictable. Depending on the predictability and stability of its food supply, the same species may behave as a resident or regular migrant in one part of its range, and as an irruptive migrant in another, as exemplified by particular species of both seed-eaters and rodent-eaters.


Micronutrient malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger, affects two billion people worldwide. In recent years, the global challenge of reducing hidden hunger and hence improving related health outcomes through agricultural interventions has received much attention. One potential solution is biofortification—the process of breeding and delivering staple food crops with higher micronutrient content. Biofortification could prove to be a cost-effective and sustainable strategy, especially in rural areas of many developing countries where production and consumption of staple crops is high and high micronutrient deficiency rates are rampant. The aim of this paper is to develop and implement country-crop-micronutrient–specific biofortification prioritization indices (BPIs) that will rank countries according to their suitability for investment in biofortification interventions to be used by various stakeholders with differing objectives. BPIs combine subindices for production, consumption, and micronutrient deficiency, using country-level crop production and consumption data primarily from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and iron, zinc, and vitamin A deficiency data from the World Health Organization (WHO). BPIs are calculated for seven staple crops that have been developed and for 127 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. BPIs should not be used as a one-stop shop for making decisions on biofortification investment decisions because they have several limitations. As they are currently calculated, BPIs do not explicitly take cost-effectiveness into account, neither do they allow for a subnational analysis. Future research will address these shortcomings. For now, the BPIs presented in this paper are useful tools for highlighting those countries that may benefit from significant reductions in micronutrient deficiency through biofortification of staple crops.


OBJECTIVE
To assess feasibility of measuring synovial volume in the hand and wrist in patients with polyarticular course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As well, to compare clinical variables with synovial volume calculated from MRI in patients receiving disease modifying or biologic therapy.

METHODS
Ten patients with polyarticular course JRA starting methotrexate (n = 3) or etanercept (n = 7) therapy had MRI with intravenous contrast performed of one hand and wrist at baseline and after 6 weeks and 3 months of pharmacotherapy. Synovial volume was determined for the entire hand and wrist and also for regions. Patients were assessed clinically by the core set of outcome variables for JRA and total hand swelling score, and assessed for clinical improvement based upon change in these variables.

RESULTS
Increased synovial volume was observed at entry by MRI in all patients (range 2.4-12.5 cc, median 3.7 cc). Correlation of total synovial volume from MRI with total hand swelling score at each timepoint was good (r = 0.52-0.68). Correlation with other clinical variables was not consistently strong. Patients who improved clinically did not differ from patients who did not improve clinically with respect to change in synovial volume.

CONCLUSION
Determining synovial volume in the hand and wrist in patients with JRA by MRI is feasible and correlates with total hand swelling assessed on physical examination. Inconsistent or poor correlation with other clinical variables and the clinical definition of improvement requires further study.


Automatic recognition of human activities is among the key capabilities of many intelligent systems with vision/perception. Most existing approaches to this problem require sophisticated feature extraction before classification can be performed. This paper presents a novel approach for human action recognition using only simple low-level visual features: motion captured from direct frame differencing. A codebook of key poses is first created from the training data through unsupervised clustering. Videos of actions are then coded as sequences of super-frames, defined as the key poses augmented with discriminative attributes. A weighted-sequence distance is proposed for comparing two super-frame sequences, which is further wrapped as a kernel embedded in a SVM classifier for the final classification. Compared with conventional methods, our approach provides a flexible non-parametric sequential structure with a corresponding distance measure for human action representation and classification without requiring complex feature extraction. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated with the widely-used KTH human activity dataset, for which the proposed method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art.


Background. The Anaesthetic Conserving Device is a modified heat and moisture exchanger that enables the application of inhalation sedation with existing ventilators in intensive care units. The following review describes the advantages of inhalation sedation using the Anaesthetic Conserving Device in comparison to standard intravenous sedation for patients in intensive care units and highlights the technical aspects of its functioning.Methods. The literature search was limited to PubMed, Sage Journals and CINAHL databases, using the terms »anaesthetic conserving device«, »volatile anaesthetic reflection filter«, »AnaConDa« independently and in connection with the terms »sedation« and intensive care unit«. Included are articles published up until December 2014.Results. Use of inhalation sedation with the Anaesthetic Conserving Device enables faster transition to spontaneous breathing and a shorter awakening time than with intravenous sedation. Even short-term inhalation sedation of patients after open heart procedures has a cardioprotective effect and reduces troponin T values. Despite increased concentrations of inorganic fluoride in serum after sevoflurane exposure, no clinical studies to date have shown its nephrotoxic effect, even after long-term (48 h) sedation. The Anaesthetic Conserving Device is accurate in maintaining target values of volatile anaesthetics. However, increased dead space volume was found in several studies, exceeding the internal volume of the Anaesthetic Conserving Device.Conclusion. Results to date show that inhalation sedation with the Anaesthetic Conserving Device may be an effective and safe alternative to existing protocols of intravenous sedation for patients requiring intensive treatment.


Plastics are versatile, cheap and durable materials that are omnipresent in modern society. Since most of them are derived from crude oil and are not biodegradable, their production leads to the depletion of fossil fuels and the accumulation of enormous amounts of plastic waste that pollutes ecosystems worldwide. For this reason, the European Union and other organisations are investing in research aimed at developing eco-friendly alternatives such as bioplastics.Poly-3-D-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a type of biodegradable bioplastic that is naturally synthesized and used by specific microorganisms as an energy source and for carbon storage under stressful environmental conditions. However, these micro-organisms are not well suited for growth in biomass hydrolysates. Baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, might represent an interesting host for PHB production since it is a well-known industrial platform for the effective conversion of various carbon sources into key precursor metabolites, and has high tolerance to low pH and fermentation inhibitors that are present in biomass hydrolysates. The aim of the present work was to use synthetic biology tools to "rewire" S. cerevisiae metabolism, and to investigate whether it can be used for the efficient production of PHB from xylose feedstock.Recombinant S. cerevisiae strains carrying the oxido-reductive xylose pathway from Scheffersomyces stipitis were engineered for heterologous gene expression of the biosynthetic PHB pathway from Cupriavidus necator. This enabled PHB production from xylose as the sole carbon source, although the production was low and oxygen-dependent. Further improvements were achieved by modification of the cofactor balance through the introduction of alternative enzymes with different cofactor requirements. The introduction of a xylose reductase variant with increased affinity for NADH cofactor enabled better redox homeostasis, allowing PHB production from xylose under anaerobic conditions. PHB biosynthesis was also improved by the substitution of the NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase by an NADH-dependent counterpart.As the availability of cytosolic acetyl-CoA, which is the precursor of PHB, remained a major challenge, several strategies were tested to redirect the carbon flux towards acetyl-CoA, such as the use of alternative pathways and the downregulation of the ethanol route. However, the production of PHB could only be improved under aerobic conditions due to tight cell regulation at the cytosolic NADH and acetyl-CoA levels.The xylose-fermentation capabilities of different Spathaspora species were ex¬plored in parallel, with the aim of finding better enzymes for further improvement of anaerobic xylose fermentation by S. cerevisiae. The xylose reductase gene XYL1.2 from Sp. passalidarum was found to encode an enzyme with a high affinity for NADH. When transferred to S. cerevisiae, xylose fermentation and ethanol production were improved under anaerobic conditions.This work demonstrates how the S. cerevisiae genome can be reprogrammed for PHB production from sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass. However, further modification of the metabolism will be necessary before industrial implementation is possible. (Less)


We study the gradient flow model for the Landau-de Gennes energy functional for nematic liquid crystals at the nematic-isotropic transition temperature on prototype geometries. We study the dynamic model on a three-dimensional droplet and on a disc with Dirichlet boundary conditions and different types of initial conditions. In the case of a droplet with radial boundary conditions, a large class of physically relevant initial conditions generate dynamic solutions with a well-defined isotropic-nematic interface which propagates according to mean curvature for small times. On a disc, we make a distinction between "planar" and "non-planar" initial conditions and "minimal" and "non-minimal" Dirichlet boundary conditions. Planar initial conditions generate solutions with an isotropic core for all times whereas non-planar initial conditions generate solutions which escape into the third dimension. Non-minimal boundary conditions generate solutions with boundary layers and these solutions can either have a largely ordered interior profile or an almost entirely disordered isotropic interior profile. Our examples suggest that whilst critical points of the Landau-de Gennes energy typically have highly localized disordered-ordered interfaces, the transient dynamics exhibit observable isotropic-nematic interfaces of potential experimental relevance.


Introduction: Many species of Syzygium are known to have antiseptic activity. Several Australian Syzygium species had roles as traditional bush medicines for Australian Aborigines although their antiseptic potential has not been rigorously studied. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of solvent extracts of Syzygium australe and Syzygium leuhmannii fruits were investigated by disc diffusion assay against a panel of bacteria and fungi and their MIC values were determined. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: The methanolic extracts of the fruit of both Syzygium species displayed the greater antibacterial activity of the extracts tested. S. australe generally had greater efficacy than the S. leuhmannii extracts. S. australe and S. leuhmannii fruit methanolic extract inhibited the growth of 13 (93%) and 12 (86%) of the 14 bacteria tested. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were both susceptible, although a slightly greater susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria was noted. Nine (90%) and 8 (80%) of the 10 Gram-negative bacteria had their growth inhibited by S. australe and S. leuhmannii fruit methanolic extract extracts respectively. In contrast, methanolic extracts of both species inhibited growth of 100% of the Gram-positive bacteria tested. None of the extracts displayed broad antifungal activity. Indeed, none of the extracts inhibited the growth of A. niger or C. albicans. Only S. cerevisiae growth was affected and then only by the chloroform and hexane extracts. The methanolic, aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of both Syzygium species were toxic in the Artemia franciscana bioassay, inducing significant mortality at <1000 µg/ml. Conclusions: The inhibitory bioactivity of S. australe against the bacterial panel validate Australian Aboriginal usage of S. australe leaves as antiseptic agents and confirms their medicinal potential, although care is needed in the uses of these extracts for these purposes due to their reported toxicity.


This paper explores the use of emerging Grid technologies for the manipulation of a scientific dataset with complex schema. We focus on the potential of a well-known Grid middleware—OGSA-DQP—for querying such datasets. In particular, we investigate running OGSA-DQP queries against SQL Server and Oracle database to access data in a complex schema of a real scientific database—the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. We used two common databases which support complex schemas and very large datasets: SQL Server and Oracle. The paper briefly provides the background information on the SDSS database. It then examines the running of a few OGSADQP queries and the query plans. Various join queries run successfully through OGSA-DQP after we optimized the implementation of some of the OGSA-DQP operations.


U–Pb detrital zircon data show that the East Mainland Succession, the presumed correlative of the Dalradian Supergroup in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, is dominated by Mesoproterozoic and Archaean material, with some Palaeoproterozoic detritus. The data are most consistent with derivation from eastern Laurentia, although western Baltica sources cannot be excluded. A magmatic event at c. 576 Ma supplied detritus to the Clift Hills Group, and was the source of high-temperature fluids that resulted in growth of new metamorphic zircon, and altered old detrital grains within the underlying sedimentary pile. This provides a constraint on the age of the global Shuram–Wonaka event recognized within the Whiteness Group, which underlies the Clift Hills Group. The presence of common Archaean detritus is compatible with broad time-correlation of the East Mainland Succession with the Dalradian Supergroup. However, differences in age, thickness and basin evolution are consistent with deposition in separate basins along the extending Laurentian margin during supercontinent break-up and development of the Iapetus Ocean. Similarities in the detrital zircon records of the East Mainland Succession and the offshore Devonian–Carboniferous Clair Group permit derivation, at least in part, of the latter from the Shetland Islands and proximal sources on the adjacent continental shelf. Supplementary material: SIMS and LA-ICP-MS analytical data, and statistical analyses are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18674.


The design and planning process is crucial to the implementation of monitoring, reporting, and fact-finding (MRF) mechanisms geared toward investigating violations of international law, including human rights, international criminal law, and international humanitarian law. However, many disagreements exist about how MRF actors should weigh different factors in their design and planning decision-making processes. This paper — to provide a point of reference indicating the implications of different methodological choices — examines areas of methodological agreement and disagreement, trends of professional decision-making, and normative perceptions that practitioners hold about best practices regarding the design and planning of MRF mechanisms. Based on an assessment of fifteen MRF missions implemented over the past decade, this paper analyzes how commissioners on these missions interpreted the mission's investigative scope, examines the factors that guided decisions about the activities that the mission would undertake, and offers an overview of common staffing dilemmas. Overall, the paper aims to present a portrait of the state of MRF practice, in terms of how practitioners approach fulfilling their mandates.


This paper presents a robotic system that is compatible with anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as with the more sensitive functional MRI (fMRI), and can safely and smoothly interact with human motion during the imaging. The system takes advantage of the electromagnetic shield that encloses the MR room by placing the interfering or sensitive components outside the shield, in the control room. This eliminates the need for extensive compatibility testing before each use. The concept is based on a conventional actuator placed outside the scanner room and a hydrostatic connection to transmit force and motion to an MR-compatible slave placed next to or inside the MR scanner. A force sensor, based on reflected light intensity measurement over optical fibers, measures interaction forces with the human subject. A robotic interface for wrist motion demonstrates the MR compatibility of this concept and the possibility to interact with various dynamic environments during functional imaging. This technology provides a basis for applications such as assistive devices for interventional MRI and haptic interfaces for neuroscience investigations.


This paper deals with the historical relations between dialects of Boni, a Cushitic language of Kenya and Somalia. Boni forms the subject of Volume 10 of the Language and Dialect Atlas of Kenya (Heine & Möhlig 1982). Heine presents evidence for three subgroups within Boni, as well as several areas of convergence between dialects belonging to different proposed subgroups. In reviewing his evidence, I find that two of the three splits are not supported by the data, and therefore his conclusions on convergence must also be reinterpreted. Given the presence of numerous intersecting isoglosses, the tree diagram is an inappropriate model for describing the relations between Boni dialects, and I turn to Historical Glottometry (Kalyan & François 2018) to provide a visualization of the data.


The material scope of arbitration in administrative matters has recently been considerably enlarged, especially in regards to the administrative act. It was recognized that the Arbitral Tribunal has the power to appreciate the legality of an administrative act. Traditionally, the legality of administrative acts was reserved for state courts. However, the legal incongruity was notorious. Article 180 (1) (c) of the Code of Procedure of the Administrative Courts (CPTA), 2002, provided that arbitral tribunals could enounce "matters relating to administrative acts that could be revoked without grounds for invalidity". We could diagnose two types of legal failures. First, within Administrative Law, it was incomprehensibly admissible to arbitrate the legality of administrative acts pertaining to the contractual sphere and exclude all others from the control of arbitration law. The other flaw suffered by the regime of arbitrability of administrative acts related to the possibility of arbitrability of tax acts and the imposition of strong limitations on the control of the legality of administrative acts in Administrative Law. The revision of the CPTA in 2015 implied a change in the legislative paradigm in the matter of administrative arbitration, providing for the possibility by the arbitral tribunals of assessing the legality of the administrative act, thus putting an end to a doctrinal dispute about the admissibility of the same. However, a literal interpretation of the precept would lead us to subsume within the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunals the assessment of the legality of any administrative act. Considering the legislative scope of the legal prediction enunciated, the present work will have as its objective to answer three key questions. The first is to assess to what extent the arbitral tribunals may rule on the merit and legality of the administrative act. The second is to determine whether all administrative acts are arbitrable. The third concerns the search for a criterion of arbitrability of the administrative act, especially in matters related to legality.


This technique enhances the detection capability of the autonomous Real-Nose system from MIT to detect odorants and their concentrations in noisy and transient environments. The lowcost, portable system with low power consumption will operate at high speed and is suited for unmanned and remotely operated long-life applications. A deterministic mathematical model was developed to detect odorants and calculate their concentration in noisy environments. Real data from MIT's NanoNose was examined, from which a signal conditioning technique was proposed to enable robust odorant detection for the RealNose system. Its sensitivity can reach to sub-part-per-billion (sub-ppb). A Space Invariant Independent Component Analysis (SPICA) algorithm was developed to deal with non-linear mixing that is an over-complete case, and it is used as a preprocessing step to recover the original odorant sources for detection. This approach, combined with the Cascade Error Projection (CEP) Neural Network algorithm, was used to perform odorant identification. Signal conditioning is used to identify potential processing windows to enable robust detection for autonomous systems. So far, the software has been developed and evaluated with current data sets provided by the MIT team. However, continuous data streams are made available where even the occurrence of a new odorant is unannounced and needs to be noticed by the system autonomously before its unambiguous detection. The challenge for the software is to be able to separate the potential valid signal from the odorant and from the noisy transition region when the odorant is just introduced.


In considering the application of the Social Security law to a posthumously conceived biological child of a deceased worker, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit observed in dicta that a case such as this, "presents a host of difficult legal and even moral questions." This paper focuses on the standards and policies that should be applied in addressing the multitude of legal and moral questions that arise from the desire to produce genetically related offspring by using the gametes of deceased or incompetent persons.Contemporary medical procedures using assisted reproductive technology have made it possible for even infertile people to have genetically related children. Similarly, even dead people can have children genetically related to them by retrieving their gametes or producing embryos using their gametes to fertilize an egg by in vitro fertilization. These embryos can then be cryopreserved for possible future use to produce a child who is genetically related to the incompetent or deceased person. The potential legal issues may not be initially evident, but issues arising from consent standards for harvesting and using gametes and public policy concerns are real and troubling. While the Uniform Parentage Act addresses some of the matters in the context of parentage of children of Assisted Reproductive Technology ("ART"), and the Uniform Probate Code deals with issues related to inheritance issues arising from ART, the American Bar Association Model Act Governing Assisted Reproductive Technology ("Model Act") is the only proposed law which attempts to regulate all aspects of ART. It is for that reason that this article uses the Model Act to address the various issues raised in the article. The seven factual examples used in the article illustrate the problems created by requests to harvest and use gametes retrieved from dead or incompetent persons and will be discussed in context in this article. Each of these examples is based at least in part on real-life situations that are discussed in court decisions, reported in the general media, or are known personally to the author.


Besides its canonical role in protein synthesis, the eukaryotic translation elongation fac- tor 1A (eEF1A) is also involved in many other cellular processes such as cell survival and apoptosis. We showed that eEF1A phosphorylation by C-Raf in vitro occurred only in the presence of eEF1A1 and eEF1A2, thus suggesting that both isoforms interacted in cancer cells (heterodimer formation). This hypothesis was recently investigated in COS-7 cells where fluorescent recombinant eEF1A isoforms colocalized at the level of cytoplasm with a FRET signal more intense at plasma membrane level. Here, we addressed our attention in highlighting and confirming this interaction in a different cell line, HEK 293, normally expressing eEF1A1 but lacking the eEF1A2 isoform. To this end, His-tagged eEF1A2 was expressed in HEK 293 cells and found to colocalize with endogenous eEF1A1 in the cyto - plasm, also at the level of cellular membranes. Moreover, FRET analysis showed, in this case, the appearance of a stronger signal mainly at the level of the plasma membrane. These results confirmed what was previously observed in COS-7 cells and strongly rein forced the interaction among eEF1A isoforms. Moreover, the formation of eEF1A het- erodimer in cancer cells could also be important for cytoskeleton rearrangements rather than for phosphorylation, most likely occurring during cell survival and apoptosis.


It is a time of political unrest in Great Britain. And behind the Iron Curtain an insidious plot is being hatched, a plan so incendiary that even the KGB is ignorant of its existence--"Aurora," the sinister brainchild of two of the world's most dangerous men: the general secretary of the Soviet Union and master spy Kim Philby. The wheels are in motion, the pawns are in place, and the countdown has begun toward an "accident" that could change the fact of British politics forever and trigger and collapse of the Western alliance. Only British agent John Preston stand any chance of breaching the conspiracy. Through plot and counterplot, from bloody back streets to polished halls of power both East and West, his desperate investigation is relentlessly blocked by deceit, treachery, and the most deadly enemy of all...time.


This article focuses on the abstract legal concept of asset, trying to indicate what objects are included in this concept. The article also provides a brief overview of the development of the term "asset" in law in the historical perspective. A thing is the most elementary object to comprehend and describe, thus a considerable attention is drawn to this kind of unit of asset in this article. However, other objects of civil rights are analyzed more extensively next to the analysis of the concept ant nature of a thing. Such objects of civil rights as money, bonds, shares, intellectual property and intellectual capital evolved during the course of time. The analysis of legal acts of Lithuania shows that there is no general concept of asset given by the legislator, though separate legal acts have definitions of assets, which do not elaborate, nor generalize the typical features of every unit of asset. Discussing the concept of asset it is impossible to avoid the consideration of the interplay of such separate concepts as "asset", "property", "object of property rights", as these concepts are often used as convertible terms. Due to complex economic relationship in the modern world, not only new intangible objects of property evolve, but existing objects are merged together by functional purpose to compose a self-sufficient unit of asset known as proprietary complex. The Civil Code of Lithuania establishes that a firm as a proprietary complex is considered as a mass of proprietary, financial and intangible resources, its rights and obligations. The article also pays attention to the changes of the concept of asset determined by knowledge based economy, when all intangible objects (information, knowledge, human resources) generating additional value of a company are considered as assets. Intellectual capital is considered as sum of information and knowledge, which significance in the modern world steadily rises becoming the new most valuable asset of a company. Consequently the conclusion of the article points out that the classical concept of the asset, e.g. considering only tangible objects as an asset, does not meet the needs of the modern civil law, thus the broader concept of asset, e.g. considering all objects having objective value and the ability to circulate in the civil turnover, conquers the classical one.


Objective: Data from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) were used to prospectively evaluate the free recall score from the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT-FR) and Logical Memory I immediate recall (LM-IR) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised for prediction of incident Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia among individuals from a community-based cohort with memory complaints. Methods: Analyses included 854 participants, age ≥70 years, who initially had no dementia, and had memory complaints. Clinic evaluations were completed annually and AD dementia was diagnosed using standard criteria (n = 86 cases; average follow-up 4.1 years). Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic ability of FCSRT-FR and LM-IR for incident AD over various durations of follow-up. Results: For identifying those with memory complaints who will develop incident AD dementia over 2–4 years, the FCSRT-FR had better operating characteristics than LM-IR. APOE ε4 status, age, and education did not affect cut points; however, positive predictive values were higher among APOE ε4-positive individuals. Conclusions: For follow-up intervals of 2–4 years, the FCSRT-FR is more predictive than the LM-IR for identifying individuals with memory complaints who will develop incident AD. APOE ε4 status improves positive predictive value, but does not affect the choice of optimal cuts.


Azadinium is a dinophycean genus capable of producing azaspiracids (AZAs), a recently discovered group
of lipophilic phycotoxins causing human intoxication via mussel consumption. Although initially
described from the North Sea, the genus currently consisting of four described species is probably
distributed worldwide. Here we report on Azadinium from the Shetland Islands, which are located in the
northernmost part of the North Sea and are largely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Two strains of
Azadinium were isolated from a single water sample. One strain was identified as Azadinium spinosum
based on morphology and sequence data and had an AZA cell quota of about 20 fg per cell, similar to all
other described strains of the species. The toxin profile consisted of AZA-1 and AZA-2 in a 2.3:1 ratio and
a yet undescribed AZA of 715 Da. The other strain represents a new species and is here described as
Azadinium polongum sp. nov. Like A. spinosum, but different to Azadinium obesum and Azadinium poporum,
A. polongum has an antapical spine. A. polongum differs from A. spinosum by an elongated shape of the
pore plate (Po), and X-plate, the location of the ventral pore, and the absence of a distinct pyrenoid with
starch sheath. Molecular analysis based on SSU, LSU, and ITS sequencing supported separation of
A. polongum at the species level. Detailed LC–MS analysis showed that A. polongum does not produce any
known AZAs in measureable amounts.


The CMAJ Governance Review Panel, formed in March 2006 to "review the CMAJ's governance structure and to provide objective recommendations to further the CMAJ's continued commitment to editorial independence and maintaining excellence in reporting on the science and the art of medicine," released its final report on July 14, 2006.1 Many of its recommendations are in keeping with our submission to the panel.2 The CMA's rapid acceptance of all 25 recommendations3 and initiation of steps to implement them is a strong and welcome signal that the CMA is committed to upholding the editorial independence of CMAJ.

The principles of editorial independence are enshrined in the new governance structure, along with clear lines of communication, authority and accountability, thus ensuring that the Editor-in-Chief will have full control over editorial content, irrespective of the topic. To make clear to readers that editorial content does not necessarily reflect CMA policy, the disclaimer that currently appears on the editorial page and in the table of contents will be more prominent, and all editorials will be signed. As a matter of courtesy, the journal will continue to give the CMA the same advance notice as it gives the media concerning editorial content, but the CMA will have no right or ability to influence the publication of that content. Instead, CMA, like any one else, may submit its opinion as a commentary or other article, which will undergo the usual review process before its merit for publication is weighed. The significance and value of a formal CMAJ mission statement (Box 1) is highlighted in the report, including its importance in hiring the Editor-in-Chief, evaluating the performance of CMAJ and the Editor-in-Chief, and resolving conflicts. The ownership of CMAJ has been transferred from CMA Holdings, a subsidiary that manages many CMA businesses, back to CMA proper (as the Department of Publications).

Box 1

We are particularly encouraged by changes to the Journal Oversight Committee (JOC). Its mandate has been expanded and its membership revised to provide an excellent framework for key decision-making affecting the future of CMAJ. The JOC now has clear responsibility for the annual performance review of the Journal and the Editor-in-Chief and for making recommendations to the CMA Board of Directors regarding employment of the Editor-in-Chief, as well as a major role in dealing with matters of contention between the Owner, the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher. The written contract for the Editor-in-Chief, who will be appointed for a 5-year term, will clearly specify terms and conditions, including key accountabilities and responsibilities, the parameters for the annual performance review, and procedures for renewal and termination. The CMAJ mission statement and the Journal's key goals and objectives (see online Appendix 1, available at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/175/5/453/DC1) will be the foundation for editorial decisions.

In short, the new governance structure will smooth the road ahead as CMAJ builds on its history as Canada's premier peer-reviewed general medical journal and continues its prominent role in the international literature. Already, CMAJ's new governance structure is being recognized by other associations as a model for journal publishing, a strong signal of the importance and visionary nature of the Governance Review Panel's work. Although there may be unexpected and controversial curves in the road ahead, the new governance plan and a renewed atmosphere of trust, integrity and good faith among the parties will allow CMAJ to press forward at good speed. The signposts along the road are indeed positive ones. — Noni MacDonald, Acting Editor-in-Chief; Bruce Squires, Editor Emeritus; David Hawkins, Senior Editor; Jocelyn Downie, Advisor to the Interim Editorial Board; and the Interim Editorial Board: Arnold Aberman, Paul W. Armstrong, Frank Davidoff, Allan Detsky, Judith Hall, Brian Hennen, Jean Rouleau, Claude Roy, Jeff Scott and Donna Stewart


PURPOSE
Vascular adhesion protein (VAP)-1, a multifunctional molecule with adhesive and enzymatic properties, is expressed at the surface of vascular endothelial cells of mammals. It also exists as a soluble form (sVAP-1), which is implicated in oxidative stress via its enzymatic activity. This study explores a link between increased level of sVAP-1 and oxidative stress in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with a focus on mechanistic components to form sVAP-1 by shedding from retinal endothelial cells.

METHODS
Protein levels of sVAP-1 and N epsilon-(hexanoyl)lysine (HEL), an oxidative stress marker, in the vitreous samples from patients with PDR or non-PDR were measured by ELISA. The mechanism of VAP-1 shedding under diabetic condition, exposure to high glucose and/or inflammatory cytokines, was explored using cultured retinal capillary endothelial cells.

RESULTS
Protein level of sVAP-1 was increased and correlated with HEL in the vitreous fluid of patients with PDR. Retinal capillary endothelial cells released sVAP-1 when stimulated with high glucose or inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β in vitro. Furthermore, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, type IV collagenases, were the key molecules to mediate the protein cleavage of VAP-1 from retinal capillary endothelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data for the first time provide evidence on the link between sVAP-1 and type IV collagenases in the pathogenesis of PDR.


Label ranking is the task of ordering labels with respect to their relevance to an input instance. We describe a unified approach for the online label ranking task. We do so by casting the online learning problem as a game against a competitor who receives all the examples in advance and sets its label ranker to be the optimal solution of a constrained optimization problem. This optimization problem consists of two terms: the empirical label-ranking loss of the competitor and a complexity measure of the competitor's ranking function. We then describe and analyze a framework for online label ranking that incrementally ascends the dual problem corresponding to the competitor's optimization problem. The generality of our framework enables us to derive new online update schemes. In particular, we use the relative entropy as a complexity measure to derive efficient multiplicative algorithms for the label ranking task. Depending on the specific form of the instances, the multiplicative updates either have a closed form or can be calculated very efficiently by tailoring an interior point procedure to the label ranking task. We demonstrate the potential of our approach in a few experiments with email categorization tasks.


A growing literature stresses the importance of reciprocity, especially for employment relations. In this paper, we study the interaction of different payment modes with reciprocity. In particular, we analyze how equal wages affect performance and efficiency in an environment characterized by contractual incompleteness. In our experiment, one principal is matched with two agents. The principal pays equal wages in one treatment and can set individual wages in the other. We find that the use of equal wages elicits substantially lower efforts and efficiency. This is not caused by monetary incentives per se since under both wage schemes it is profit-maximizing for agents to exert high efforts. The treatment difference is rather driven by the fact that reciprocity is violated far more frequently in the equal wage treatment. Agents suffering from a violation of reciprocity subsequently withdraw effort. Our results suggest that individual reward and punishment opportunities are crucial for making reciprocity a powerful contract enforcement device.


PURPOSE
We investigated whether simply opening the fellow eye triggers suppression of the amblyopic eye or whether stimulation of the fellow fixing eye is required for suppression.

METHODS
We measured luminance contrast thresholds either for the amblyopic eye or fellow fixing eye using a haploscope. A square frame was presented to each eye to aid binocular fusion. In experiment 1, two gratings appeared within diagonal quadrants (e.g. top-left and bottom-right) of one eye. The other eye was either occluded with an eye patch or viewed a black background. In experiment 2, two gratings appeared within the diagonal quadrants of one eye and another two gratings were shown to the opposite quadrants of the other eye. One pair of gratings were the targets to detect and the other pair were dichoptic maskers.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A two-way ANOVA with factors of eye and patching was conducted on the thresholds from experiment 1. Although thresholds were significantly higher for the amblyopic eye than for the fellow fixing eye, the difference was relatively small. This could be due to the low spatial frequency of the gratings. The effect of patching and the interaction were not significant. That is, thresholds for the amblyopic eye were only minimally elevated when the eye patch was removed from the fellow fixing eye. On the other hand, the patients exhibited much higher thresholds when the dichoptic masker gratings were presented in experiment 2. These results suggest that just opening both eyes is not sufficient to elicit strong suppression of the amblyopic eye and that dichoptic stimulation is required to trigger suppression. Furthermore, the suppression was not confined to the quadrants that contained the masks but extended to the quadrants containing the targets. This suggests the presence of long-range suppressive interactions within the amblyopic visual cortex. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


An unnatural stone arrangement at Arrawarra Beach, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, has been the subject of debate for at least two decades. Previous archaeological research has produced conflicting ethnographic and historical accounts of the origin and use of the structure. The excavation of a large quantity of fragmented, though well-preserved fishbone from a nearby shell midden has provided a unique opportunity to investigate the questions of age, origin and use of the stone structure. To obtain high quality data for investigating fishing strategies at Arrawarra Beach, particular attention has been paid to the retrieval and identification methodologies employed on the fishbone assemblage. Small-mesh sieving ensured the recovery of the optimum amount of fishbone from the deposit. Taxa previously unidentified from archaeological sites on the mid-north coast of New South Wales have been identified through increasing the number of diagnostic elements to include some post-cranial elements. The possible environments exploited for resource procurement were identified through an ecological study of the fish represented archaeologically. The Arrawarra 1 fishbone assemblage represents a fish 'catch' of primarily small- to medium-sized taxa, with both carnivorous and herbivorous species represented. A small number of larger, carnivorous fish are also represented. The identification of taxa and their habitats suggests a shallow-water environment, rich in food suiting both the herbivorous and carnivorous fish. The rocky platform on which the Arrawarra stone structure is constructed provides this environment. A number of other fishing methods could account for this assemblage, but the use of a large-scale fishing technology, such as a stone fishtrap, provides a single means of obtaining the resources represented by the archaeological assemblage.


Video summarization is a challenging problem with great application potential. Whereas prior approaches, largely unsupervised in nature, focus on sampling useful frames and assembling them as summaries, we consider video summarization as a supervised subset selection problem. Our idea is to teach the system to learn from human-created summaries how to select informative and diverse subsets, so as to best meet evaluation metrics derived from human-perceived quality. To this end, we propose the sequential determinantal point process (seqDPP), a probabilistic model for diverse sequential subset selection. Our novel seqDPP heeds the inherent sequential structures in video data, thus overcoming the deficiency of the standard DPP, which treats video frames as randomly permutable items. Meanwhile, seqDPP retains the power of modeling diverse subsets, essential for summarization. Our extensive results of summarizing videos from 3 datasets demonstrate the superior performance of our method, compared to not only existing unsupervised methods but also naive applications of the standard DPP model.