On March 2, 2015, Judge Paul W. Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland offered a wide-ranging analysis of antitrust claims against the conduct of famous "patent troll" Intellectual Ventures (IV). IV sued Capital One for patent infringement, Capital One sought to amend its Answer and Counterclaims to add antitrust counterclaims, and, in this opinion, Judge Grimm allowed this amendment. The opinion in Intellectual Ventures v. Capital One is important for three primary reasons.The first involves market definition. The court defined the relevant market narrowly to cover only IV's patent portfolio. In moving "upstream" to patents, such a maneuver is not constrained by the limits of customer demand and whether products can be substituted in a "downstream" product market. The second development centers on predatory monopolization conduct. The court plowed new ground in finding monopolization based on the acquisition of a patent portfolio. It distinguished between a "bona fide" patent acquisition and IV's process of working backwards from product to patent, locating companies with sunk product investments and then suing them for patent infringement. Third, the court resuscitated the oft-criticized Brown Shoe case and its incipiency standard. The court offered just such a framework in asserting that "it may be that Plaintiffs' first 10, or 100, or 1,000 patent acquisitions did not violate § 7," but that "at some point, the acquisitions...created a monopoly and crossed the line to actionable under § 7." In short, the decision in Intellectual Ventures v. Capital One offers an aggressive roadmap for the antitrust analysis of patent trolls. This court can provide more guidance as the case goes forward, as the framework promises to have a significant effect on patent trolls, particularly in their acquisition and use of patent portfolios.


Use of education finance data is ubiquitous. Yet, because the academic calendar circumscribes two calendar years, researchers have linked the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to three different dates: fall, spring, and academic fiscal years. We demonstrate that linking the CPI to these different academic years results in identifying different trends in U.S. educational spending during the Great Recession. Descriptive inferences should not be sensitive to researcher discretion about merge years. We provide an easy-to-use software package to facilitate implementation of National Center for Education Statistics guidelines in the hope that future analyses of education finance data will explicitly and consistently apply inflation adjustments.


By most accounts, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) — the union representing the players in the NBA — conceded a significant amount of money and other contractual terms in the new ten-year collective bargaining agreement (2011 Agreement) that ended the 2011 NBA lockout. Player concessions were predictable because the NBA's economic structure desperately needed an overhaul. The magnitude of such concessions, however, was startling. The substantial changes in the division of basketball-related income, contract lengths and amounts, salary cap provisions, and revenue sharing rendered the NBA lockout — and the resulting 2011 Agreement — a near-complete victory for the owners. Several interpretations have been offered to explain the lopsided deal, including the financial strain on players during the lockout and the players' emotional reactions to the negotiations. These justifications are intriguing, particularly in light of the racial overtones that marked the entire process. These explanations have significant merit, but they fail to completely account for why the NBA players agreed to such drastically unfavorable terms. This article provides a fuller analysis of how this surprising result came about. In doing so, it takes an interdisciplinary approach using communications and industrial relations scholarship that highlights the critical importance of intra-union communications, public relations campaigns, and union democracy. Through this analysis, this article not only assesses the missteps of the NBPA during the NBA lockout, but also provides guidance to professional sports unions for future collective bargaining negotiations during periods of labor unrest.


Under both benign and malign circumstances, people now manage a spectrum of identities across both real-world and cyber domains. Our belief, however, is that all these instances ultimately track back for an individual to reflect a single 'SuperIdentity'. This paper outlines the assumptions underpinning the SuperIdentity Project, describing the innovative use of data fusion to incorporate novel real-world and cyber cues into a rich framework appropriate for modern identity. The proposed combinatorial model will support a robust identification or authentication decision, with confidence indexed both by the level of trust in data provenance, and the diagnosticity of the identity factors being used. Additionally, the exploration of correlations between factors may underpin the more intelligent use of identity information so that known information may be used to predict previously hidden information. With modern living supporting the 'distribution of identity' across real and cyber domains, and with criminal elements operating in increasingly sophisticated ways in the hinterland between the two, this approach is suggested as a way forwards, and is discussed in terms of its impact on privacy, security, and the detection of threat


CLN3, also called Batten Disease or Juvenile Dementia, is an early onset lysosomal storage disorder. It manifests with blindness at ~8 years of age, followed by seizures and decline of cognitive and motor functions, leading to the patient's death in the third decade. A co-morbidity of CLN3 is declining cardiac function, including arrhythmias, hypertrophy and echocardiogram abnormalities (Reske-Nielsen E 1981; Michielsen et al. 1984; Tomiyasu et al. 2000; Ostergaard JR 2011; Polychronis Dilaveris 2014). The cardiac dysfunction may result from structural or electrical remodelling of cardiomyocytes. However, although lipopigment accumulation, which is characteristic of CLN3, has been observed in cardiomyocytes, there is limited research into how the heart is altered in CLN3 patients (Reske-Nielsen E 1981; Staropoli et al. 2012).
CLN3 is a lysosomal membrane protein that is implicated Ca2+ signalling and homeostasis. Cells expressing a mutated form of CLN3 that is commonly found in patients (CLN3Δex7/8) show increased sensitivity to thapsigargin-induced autophagy and an increased lysosomal Ca2+ concentration (Chandrachud et al., 2015). Although the sarcoplasmic reticulum is the main Ca2+ store in cardiomyocytes, it has been shown that Ca2+ release from lysosomes via two-pore channels is important for modulation of Ca2+ signals following beta-adrenergic stimulation and the triggering of isoproterenol-induced arrhythmias (Capel et al., 2015, Nebel et al., 2013). The CLN3 protein is therefore expressed within cardiomyocytes in a critical homeostatic/signalling location.
Using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from CLN3 patients and healthy donors we are investigating alterations in Ca2+ signalling and structure associated with CLN3 mutation.


This article introduces two realized systems designed for real-time processing of video data. For both systems the necessary performance is reached by parallelizing data processing. Especially during the iconic pre-processing of images such systems are very advantageous. One of both systems uses the large efficiency of modern current GPUs ("Graphics Processing Unit") by assigning the most substantial processing steps to a graphic card. The associated software system permits a comfortable use of this approach at all. The other system was realized as a cluster of conventional dual-core CPUs. A special programming model supports the generation of image processing applications. After both systems were described in their hardware structure as well as their software architecture, the efficiency, usability, flexibility and the necessary expenditure are compared with the help of easy test tasks in order to permit a quantitative evaluation of possible fields of usage.


To study the effect of cellulolytic gut bacteria as a feed supplement on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer), a 42 days experiment was done. Group I was fed on control diet (diet A), Group II, III and IV were fed with diet B (Bacillus subtilis), C (Bacillus licheniformis), and D (B. subtilis and B.  licheniformis in 1:1 ratio) respectively. Higher (P<0.05) weight gain percent (248.75 %), specific growth rate (4.80) and apparent fiber digestibility were observed in group IV. Maximum (P<0.05) survivability (86.67 %), PER and apparent protein digestibility were significantly (P<0.05) higher and FCR (1.24) was significantly (P<0.05) lower in animals of group III. Total microbial population and cellulolytic bacterial population in the gut of juvenile seabass of group IV was significantly (P<0.05) higher than other groups. Amylolytic bacterial population was in the same range of group III and IV but they were significantly (P<0.05) higher than other two groups. Digestive cellulase enzyme activity was significantly (P<0.05) higher in group IV, digestive amylase and protease was in the same range of group III and IV. So, these two cellulolytic gut bacteria B. licheniformis and B. subtilis showed beneficial effect on seabass as feed supplement.


Reconstruction of the timing and pattern of exhumation of basement-involved uplifts during the Laramide is essential to the understanding of the mechanisms of crustal shortening and thickening in the region. We use reconstructions of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of Late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic river water from fossil shells in six basins of the Rocky Mountains contextualized by modern river-water Sr chemistry studies to trace the erosion of Precambrian basement cores in the Laramide ranges. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and Sr concentration of modern river water in the Rocky Mountains are controlled by river bedrock lithology. Weathering of Precambrian silicate rocks in the cores of Laramide ranges produces high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in highland rivers. Weathering of Paleozoic and Mesozoic carbonates along the basin margins reduces the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and increases Sr concentration of rivers as they flow basinward. Lowland rivers that have headwaters in Precambrian basement mostly have 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios >0.711, whereas rivers confined to or with very long reaches in basins have 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios between 0.709 and 0.711. River-water δ 18 O values do not change in response to changes in catchment elevation. Our results from fossil shells show that carbonate weathering dominated the river-water Sr chemistry in the Alberta Foreland, Williston, and Crazy Mountains Basins, and that Proterozoic low-grade metamorphic carbonates in the Belt-Purcell Supergroup were not exposed in the Canadian Rocky Mountains during Late Cretaceous–early Paleocene time. Silicate weathering influenced the Sr chemistry of surface waters in the Powder River Basin during the late Paleocene and the Washakie Basin during the early Eocene, suggesting Precambrian silicate basement rock was extensively exhumed and eroded. The observation that Precambrian basement was eroded earlier around the Powder River Basin than around the Washakie Basin is consistent with a previous study that suggests Laramide ranges in northeast Wyoming reached high elevation earlier than the ranges adjacent to the Sevier thrust belt. Widespread basement erosion in late Paleocene–early Eocene time was controlled by tectonic exhumation, and may have been intensified by the wet and warm global climate.


The development of shell-less culture methods for bird embryos with high hatchability would be useful for the efficient generation of transgenic chickens, embryo manipulations, tissue engineering, and basic studies in regenerative medicine. To date, studies of culture methods for bird embryos include the whole embryo culture using narrow windowed eggshells, surrogate eggshells, and an artificial vessel using a gas-permeable membrane. However, there are no reports achieving high hatchability of >50% using completely artificial vessels. To establish a simple method for culturing chick embryos with high hatchability, we examined various culture conditions, including methods for calcium supplementation and oxygen aeration. In the embryo cultures where the embryos were transferred to the culture vessel after 55-56 h incubation, more than 90% of embryos survived until day 17 when a polymethylpentene film was used as a culture vessel with calcium lactate and distilled water supplementations. The aeration of pure oxygen to the surviving embryos from day 17 yielded a hatchability of 57.1% (8 out of 14). Thus, we successfully achieved a high hatchability with this method in chicken embryo culture using an artificial vessel.


Large-eddy simulation(LES) solves only the large scales part of turbulent flows by using a scales separation based on a filtering operation. The solution of the filtered Navier-Stokes equations requires then to model the subgrid-scale (SGS) stress tensor to take into account the effect of scales smaller than the filter size. In this work, a new model is proposed for the SGS stress model. The model formulation is based on a regularization procedure of the gradient model to correct its unstable behavior. The model is developed based on a priori tests to improve the accuracy of the modeling for both structural and functional performances, i.e., the model ability to locally approximate the SGS unknown term and to reproduce enough global SGS dissipation, respectively. LES is then performed for a posteriori validation. This work is an extension to the SGS stress tensor of the regularization procedure proposed by Balarac et al. ["A dynamic regularized gradient model of the subgrid-scale scalar flux for large eddy simulations," Phys. Fluids 25(7), 075107 (2013)] to model the SGS scalar flux. A set of dynamic regularized gradient (DRG) models is thus made available for both the momentum and the scalar equations. The second objective of this work is to compare this new set of DRG models with direct numerical simulations (DNS), filtered DNS in the case of classic flows simulated with a pseudo-spectral solver and with the standard set of models based on the dynamic Smagorinsky model. Various flow configurations are considered: decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence,turbulent plane jet, and turbulent channel flows. These tests demonstrate the stable behavior provided by the regularization procedure, along with substantial improvement for velocity and scalar statistics predictions.


Unit selection synthesis inventories have coverage issues, which lead to missing syllable or diphone units. In the conventional back-off strategy of substituting the missing unit with approximate unit(s), the rules for approximate matching are hard to derive. In this paper we propose a back-off strategy for Telugu TTS systems emulating native speaker intuition. It uses reduced vowel insertion in complex consonant clusters to replace missing units. The inserted vowel identity is determined using a rule-set adapted from L2 (second language) acquisition research in Telugu, reducing the effort required in preparing the rule-set. Subjective evaluations show that the proposed back-off method performs better than the conventional methods.


We live at a time when many aspects of our educational culture are declared to be in crisis. Increasingly, the STEM movement dominates initiatives at the same time that there is less agreement about what constitutes a Humanities or liberal arts education. Relatively broad consensus indicates that it should make students somehow "better". Within the field of pre-college normative ethics surveys, a survey of textbooks shows that most agree on what a course like this should look like. In evaluating the effects of an ethics curriculum, however, most show diffidence to claim moral transformation in their students. At least part of this problem seems to stem from mainstream philosophy's longtime bias against and misunderstanding of emotions. A closer look at emotions and how they might be educated offers a very different picture how a successful ethics curriculum could look.
A typical ethics curriculum of any level presumes that a course neutral in regards to which, if any, of the normative ethical theories covered is true. However, any such course begins with a host of implied values that might not necessarily be shared with the students. If it's the case, as contemporary moral psychology suggests that at the very least, our rational minds inform our behavior and moral judgments far less than we might have thought, then a course in normative ethics needs to engage emotions far more effectively. Martha Nussbaum's recent work Political Emotions suggests some important ways that desirable emotions like civic love and undesirable emotions like disgust might relate to a curriculum. With the right approach, perhaps we can begin to claim that a moral philosophy course might make someone more moral.


Involving users in the design process is increasingly discussed as the quickest and most reliable way to capture the needs of users and consumers. In parallel, the fastest growing population segment in Asia and the West is older people. This article asks whether their involvement in the design process could accelerate a growing service market and if so, how? It addresses a knowledge gap that constrains service provision for a growing market of older people and which underestimates older people's potential contribution in the early phases of the development of new services. The current role of older users is limited to that of test persons later in the design process or as objects of randomized samples that explore consumers' reactions to existing products. The present case study provides an empirical example of how old users can be involved in the early stages of service design. In doing this, the article questions the concept of old users as laggards. It suggests great potential to include such users - been arounds - as sources of innovation in the earlier phases of the design process if they have the right tools and opportunities to act. In identifying unsatisfied needs and potential market solutions, the inclusion of old users in user-driven projects can contribute to the generation of business ideas.


this research addressed the question: is musical memory preserved in dementia, specifically, dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD)? Six tests involving different aspects of melody and language processing were administered to each of five groups of participants: 50 younger adults, 100 older adults, and 50 AD older adults classified into three levels of AD severity—mild, moderate and severe. No test was immune to, but not all tests were equally sensitive to, the presence of dementia. Long-term familiarity for melody was preserved across levels of AD, even at the severe stage for a few individuals. Detecting pitch distortions in melodies was possible for mild and some of the moderate AD participants. The ability to sing a melody when prompted by its lyrics was retained at the mild stage and was retained by a few individuals through the severe stages of AD. Long-term familiarity with the lyrics of familiar melodies was also found across levels of AD. In contrast, detection of grammatical distortions in the lyrics of familiar melodies and the ability to complete familiar proverbs were affected even at the mild stage of AD. We conclude that musical semantic memory may be spared through the mild and moderate stages of AD and may be preserved even in some individuals at the severe stage.


"This paper accomplishes two objectives. First, it provides simulation results from a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that have helped focus the debate about the potential effects of agricultural trade liberalization on developing countries. The aggregate numbers show modest net positive effects over a medium-term period (five years out). First, when developed countries fully remove their subsidies and trade barriers, welfare and GDP of the developing countries rise, as do value added in agricultural production and agro-industries, and agricultural exports. Focal point estimates that we provide are increases in welfare and GDP of $10 billion and $15 billion, respectively, while agricultural value added increases $23 billion and agricultural exports by $37 billion. Second, when developing countries also eliminate their subsidies and trade barriers, there is an additional net gain in aggregated developing country welfare and GDP—which now increase by nearly $20 billion and $38 billion. Thus, developing countries gain from developed country liberalization, but there are also gains from reform of their own policies. Our results suggest a fairly even balance between these sources of gains. The second and equally important contribution of the paper is to describe the heterogeneity among developing countries in terms of their agricultural resources, and to disaggregate the simulated results among 40 developing countries or regions. The basic model includes the innovation of assuming there is unemployed labor in developing countries, so growth in agricultural production has a modest "multiplier" effect. The basic model also allows for a slight positive effect of increased trade on productivity—the focal results cited above include this impact. Effects are distinguished between elimination of subsidies and trade barriers by the US, the EU, Japan and Korea, and all developed countries simultaneously. Effects on different developing countries and regions differ due to differences in the subsidy and trade barrier instruments utilized by the developed countries, the commodities affected, and the trade patterns and volumes evident in the initial baseline data." Authors' Abstract


We generalize the notion of a crossed module of groups to that of a crossed module of racks. We investigate the relation to categorified racks, namely strict 2-racks, and trunk-like objects in the category of racks, generalizing the relation between crossed modules of groups and strict 2-groups. Then we explore topological applications. We show that by applying the rack-space functor, a crossed module of racks gives rise to a covering. Our main result shows how the fundamental racks associated to links upstairs and downstairs in a covering fit together to form a crossed module of racks.


The enormous number of complex systems results in the necessity of high-level and cost-efficient

modelling structures for the operators and system designers. Model-based approaches offer a very

challenging way to integrate a priori knowledge into the procedure. Soft computing based models

in particular, can successfully be applied in cases of highly nonlinear problems. A further reason

for dealing with so called soft computational model based techniques is that in real-world cases,

many times only partial, uncertain and/or inaccurate data is available.

Wavelet-Based soft computing techniques are considered, as one of the latest trends in system

identification/modelling. This thesis provides a comprehensive synopsis of the main wavelet-based

approaches to model the non-linear dynamical systems in real world problems in conjunction with

possible twists and novelties aiming for more accurate and less complex modelling structure.

Initially, an on-line structure and parameter design has been considered in an adaptive Neuro-

Fuzzy (NF) scheme. The problem of redundant membership functions and consequently fuzzy

rules is circumvented by applying an adaptive structure. The growth of a special type of Fungus

(Monascus ruber van Tieghem) is examined against several other approaches for further

justification of the proposed methodology.

By extending the line of research, two Morlet Wavelet Neural Network (WNN) structures have

been introduced. Increasing the accuracy and decreasing the computational cost are both the

primary targets of proposed novelties. Modifying the synoptic weights by replacing them with

Linear Combination Weights (LCW) and also imposing a Hybrid Learning Algorithm (HLA)

comprising of Gradient Descent (GD) and Recursive Least Square (RLS), are the tools utilised for

the above challenges. These two models differ from the point of view of structure while they share

the same HLA scheme. The second approach contains an additional Multiplication layer, plus its

hidden layer contains several sub-WNNs for each input dimension. The practical superiority of

these extensions is demonstrated by simulation and experimental results on real non-linear

dynamic system; Listeria Monocytogenes survival curves in Ultra-High Temperature (UHT)

whole milk, and consolidated with comprehensive comparison with other suggested schemes.

At the next stage, the extended clustering-based fuzzy version of the proposed WNN schemes, is

presented as the ultimate structure in this thesis. The proposed Fuzzy Wavelet Neural network

(FWNN) benefitted from Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs) clustering feature, updated by a

modified Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. One of the main aims of this thesis is to illustrate how the GMM-EM scheme could be used not only for detecting useful knowledge from

the data by building accurate regression, but also for the identification of complex systems.

The structure of FWNN is based on the basis of fuzzy rules including wavelet functions in the

consequent parts of rules. In order to improve the function approximation accuracy and general

capability of the FWNN system, an efficient hybrid learning approach is used to adjust the

parameters of dilation, translation, weights, and membership. Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is

employed for wavelet parameters adjustment together with Weighted Least Square (WLS) which

is dedicated for the Linear Combination Weights fine-tuning. The results of a real-world

application of Short Time Load Forecasting (STLF) further re-enforced the plausibility of the

above technique.


Background: COVID-19 is a major pandemic that has killed more than 196,000 people. The COVID-19 disease course is strikingly divergent. Approximately 80-85% of patients experience mild or no symptoms, while the remainder develop severe disease. The mechanisms underlying these divergent outcomes are unclear. Emerging health disparities data regarding African American and homeless populations suggest that vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) may be an underlying driver of COVID-19 severity. To better define the VDI-COVID-19 link, we determined the prevalence of VDI among our COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: In an Institutional Review Board approved study performed at a single, tertiary care academic medical center, the medical records of COVID-19 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were included for whom serum 25-hydroxycholecalcifoerol (25OHD) levels were determined. COVID-19-relevant data were compiled and analyzed. We determined the frequency of VDI among COVID-19 patients to evaluate the likelihood of a VDI-COVID-19 relationship. Results: Twenty COVID-19 patients with serum 25OHD levels were identified; 65.0% required ICU admission.The VDI prevalence in ICU patients was 84.6%, vs. 57.1% in floor patients. Strikingly, 100% of ICU patients less than 75 years old had VDI. Coagulopathy was present in 62.5% of ICU COVID-19 patients, and 92.3% were lymphocytopenic. Conclusions: VDI is highly prevalent in severe COVID-19 patients. VDI and severe COVID-19 share numerous associations including hypertension, obesity, male sex, advanced age, concentration in northern climates, coagulopathy, and immune dysfunction. Thus, we suggest that prospective, randomized controlled studies of VDI in COVID-19 patients are warranted.


Crosslinguistically, inflectional morphology exhibits a spectacular range of complexity in both the structure of individual words and the organization of systems that words participate in. We distinguish two dimensions in the analysis of morphological complexity. Enumerative complexity (E-complexity) reflects the number of morphosyntactic distinctions that languages make and the strategies employed to encode them, concerning either the internal composition of words or the arrangement of classes of words into inflection classes. This, we argue, is constrained by integrative complexity (I-complexity). The I-complexity of an inflectional system reflects the difficulty that a paradigmatic system poses for language users (rather than lexicographers) in information-theoretic terms. This becomes clear by distinguishing average paradigm entropy from average conditional entropy. The average entropy of a paradigm is the uncertainty in guessing the realization for a particular cell of the paradigm of a particular lexeme (given knowledge of the possible exponents). This gives one a measure of the complexity of a morphological system—systems with more exponents and more inflection classes will in general have higher average paradigm entropy— but it presupposes a problem that adult native speakers will never encounter. In order to know that a lexeme exists, the speaker must have heard at least one word form, so in the worst case a speaker will be faced with predicting a word form based on knowledge of one other word form of that lexeme. Thus, a better measure of morphological complexity is the average conditional entropy, the average uncertainty in guessing the realization of one randomly selected cell in the paradigm of a lexeme given the realization of one other randomly selected cell. This is the I-complexity of paradigm organization. Viewed from this information-theoretic perspective, languages that appear to differ greatly in their E-complexity—the number of exponents, inflectional classes, and principal parts— can actually be quite similar in terms of the challenge they pose for a language user who already knows how the system works. We adduce evidence for this hypothesis from three sources: a comparison between languages of varying degrees of E-complexity, a case study from the particularly challenging conjugational system of Chiquihuitlán Mazatec, and a Monte Carlo simulation modeling the encoding of morphosyntactic properties into formal expressions. The results of these analyses provide evidence for the crucial status of words and paradigms for understanding morphological organization.*


Potash alkali and metal contents of ashes obtained from peels of six varieties of Nigeria Musa species were investigated. The varieties of Musa species – Musa paradisiaca (plantain), Musa 'Gross Michel' (Igbo banana), M.sapientum L. (paranta), Musa 'Wild Banana' (omini), Musa 'Red' (sweet banana), and Musa 'Fugamo' (somupeke), were investigated. The moisture, dry matter, ash and alkali contents; concentration of metals in the ashes and in the contents extracted with water from the ashes; and the ratio of potassium to other metals in the ashes and in the corresponding extracts were determined. Moisture contents ranged from 80.9 to 86.7%; dry matter content, 13.3 to 19.1%; ash content, 6.3 to 12.0%; alkali content, 69.0 to 81.9% of ash and 4.7 to 9.6% of dry sample. Samples ranged between 2.60 and 720mg/kg and in the corresponding extracts, BDL to 500.49mg/kg; ratio of concentration of potassium to other metals in the samples, 0.6 to 395; and in the extracts, 0.5 to 313. Gross michel showed the highest concentration of K (750mg/kg) while omini banana gave the lowest average value (112.70mg/kg).


Bacteria exploit a diverse set of defenses to survive exposure to antibiotics. While the molecular and genetic underpinnings of antibiotic resistance are increasingly understood, less is known about how these molecular events influence microbial dynamics on the population scale. In this work, we show that the dynamics of E. faecalis communities exposed to antibiotics can be surprisingly rich, revealing scenarios where–for example–increasing population size or delaying drug exposure can promote population collapse. Specifically, we combine experiments in computer-controlled bioreactors with simple mathematical models to reveal density-dependent feedback loops that couple population growth and antibiotic efficacy when communities include drug-resistant (β-lactamase producing) subpopulations. The resulting communities exhibit a wide range of behavior, including population survival, population collapse, or one of two qualitatively distinct bistable behaviors where survival is favored in either small or large populations. These dynamics reflect competing density-dependent effects of different subpopulations, with growth of drug-sensitive cells increasing but growth of drug-resistant cells decreasing effective drug inhibition. Guided by these results, we experimentally demonstrate how populations receiving immediate drug influx may sometimes thrive, while identical populations exposed to delayed drug influx (and lower average drug concentrations) collapse. These results illustrate that the spread of drug resistant determinants—even in a simplified single-species communities—may be governed by potentially counterintuitive dynamics driven by population-level interactions.


Extension educators have diligently educated the general public about water conservation. Incorporating audiences' personal experience into educational programming is recommended as an approach to effectively enhance audiences' adoption of water conservation practices. To ensure the impact on the audiences and environment, understanding the differences in issues audiences are concerned and audiences' behavioral pattern is needed. This study examined the regional differences in how U.S. residents' experiences with water issues related to their engagement and intention to engage in water conservation in order to facilitate the development of Extension educational programming in different regions. An online survey was administered to collect responses from U.S. residents in this descriptive and correlational study. Respondents' water issues experience, water use behaviors, water conservation practice application, and willingness to act on water conservation were measured. Regional differences in how experience were associated with water use behaviors, water conservation practices application, and willingness to act were found. Extension educators should be aware of such regional differences when developing water conservation educational programs and provide recommendations tailored to regional audiences' needs and interests. By doing so, audiences' adoption of water conservation practices is expected to increase.


There is a growing recognition that future management of the water quality in UK rivers will depend upon an improved understanding of the effects of projected climate change on catchment systems. Until recently, little attention has been given to the secondary effects that climate change may have. However, it is now becoming clear that successful management will depend upon research into factors beyond the primary changes in soil moisture and river flows. One area of particular concern is the way climate change may alter patterns of diffuse pollution of fine sediment, with associated impacts on river flora and fauna.

If the UK is going to meet the stringent targets laid out in the EU Water Framework Directive, then urgent management of diffuse pollution is required. In 2012 only 28% of water bodies met their ecological potential or good status and 67% of river water bodies cite diffuse pollution as a key pressure which is preventing improvement and the achievement of good ecological status (Environment Agency, 2012). For management solutions to be cost-effective, they need to be targeted at the key problem areas within a catchment. This research uses the River Eden catchment in Cumbria as a test catchment and applies a hydrological simulation model, risk mapping framework and risk filter to the area in order to determine current connectivity and diffuse pollution trends. From this toolkit, projections of the future patterns of risk are calculated.

The SCIMAP based toolkit predicted that the fine-sediment erosion risk varies spatially across the River Eden catchment. Locations deemed to be most at risk of causing a fine-sediment pollution issue are in the lower reaches of the catchment where intensive arable farming is found. When risks were modelled temporally, variations depending upon vegetation cover and average monthly rainfall were found. It was noted that the presence of autumn-sown crops could reduce risk over a year whilst spring-sown crops are likely to increase fine-sediment erosion risks.

Several conclusions are drawn from this research: 1) it has been shown that the SCIMAP framework is an effective way of identifying critical source areas of diffuse pollution and could prove an invaluable tool to environmental managers; 2) the important role that autumn-sown crops can play in minimising erosion risk has been shown to be applicable in the River Eden catchment and the best way to incorporate this into crop cycles highlighted; 3) through the use of projected climate change data and a hydrological simulation model, it has been shown that the location of critical source areas are likely to change as a result of projected climate change and associated variability in rural land management. This highlights the need for continuous catchment-wide monitoring and management of hydrological connectivity and associated diffuse pollution risks.


Even though Web image search queries are often ambiguous, traditional search engines retrieve and present results solely based on relevance ranking, where only the most common and popular interpretations of the query are considered. Rather than assuming that all users are interested in the most common meaning of the query, a more sensible approach may be to produce a diversified set of images that cover the various aspects of the query, under the expectation that at least one of these interpretations will match the searcher's needs. However, such a promotion of diversity in the search results has the side-effect of decreasing the precision of the most common sense. In this paper, we evaluate these competing factors in the context of a method for explicitly diversifying image search results via concept-based query expansion using Wikipedia. Experiments with controlling the degree of diversification illustrate this trade-off between diversity and precision for both ambiguous and more specific queries. As a result of these experiments, an automatic method for tuning the diversification parameter is proposed based on the degree of ambiguity of the original query.


This study presents and discusses the teaching methods that might contribute in
motivating students to participate in accounting class. Extensive literature on different
teaching methods had been reviewed. However, for the purpose of the study, only four
teaching methods are considered: problem solving, question and answer session,
feedback and group work.
The objectives of the study are: to determine the students' perceptions towards the
different teaching methods; to examine the perceptions of the male and female
students; and to determine the perceptions of DIA students of Part 1, Part 3 and Part 6
on the various teaching methods.
The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to Diploma in Accountancy
students at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam.
It is found that the students perceived as very important for the lecturer to explain in
various techniques on area that they find difficulty to understand and to demonstrate
the step in solving problem, which is consistent with previous study. However, the
findings show that these students are reluctant to make comment in expressing their
understanding on the topic taught which is inconsistent with the previous study.
Further analysis conducted shows that there is no significant difference between
gender and among students from different parts towards their perception on the
teaching methods that motivate their class participation.
This study provides an indication; it is not an ultimatum that the lecturer need to
follow. Also, the study believes that the lecturer should put more focus on two way
communication with the students and be more concern on the academic development
of the students.


Researchers have discovered that service learning affects students' academic, personal, and social development. However, currently there is a gap in literature analyzing ways in which service learning affects students' perceived leadership skills. This study examined the effectiveness of service learning on the perceived leadership skills of 74 sport management undergraduate students at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university using Kouzes' and Posner's Student Leadership Practices Inventory instrument, which examines leadership practices in five areas: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. The results of this study may help faculty members and administrators to better understand the potential of utilizing service learning projects in their classrooms as a vehicle for their students to develop quality leadership practices. Recommendations for further research and practice are also discussed.


Motivations. RNA editing is a widespread molecular phenomenon which modifies primary transcripts at specific positions [1]. It occurs in a variety of organisms including human and cooperates with alternative splicing in increasing both proteomic and transcriptomic complexity. RNA Editing can modulate gene expression and affect protein functionality. In human, such phenomenon is highly frequent in brain and its deregulation has been linked to a variety of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases [2]. Many editing events have been identified by next generation sequencing technologies employing massive transcriptome sequencing [3] together with whole genome or exome sequencing. Nowadays numerous RNA-Seq experiments are available through public databases and represent a relevant source of yet unexplored RNA editing sites. Hereafter we propose a simple computational strategy to identify de novo genomic positions enriched in novel potential RNA editing events through a new, two-step mapping procedure. Methods. To accurately predict RNA editing sites we developed a double mapping procedure in which millions of Illumina short reads were independently mapped onto the human transcriptome and the reference human genome tolerating at maximum two mismatches for each unique alignment. Only concordant alignments from the double mapping procedure were used for downstream analyses. All reads supporting each reference position were explored to calculate the empirical probability to observe a substitution. Such probabilities were then used to detect statistically significant base conversions by applying the Fisher's exact test by comparing the observed and expected occurrences in the aligned reads. Benjamini-Hochberg correction was finally employed to reduce the false discovery rate. A-to-I RNA editing candidates may be then selected according to P-value, coverage and editing extent for the experimental validation using the classical Sanger sequencing from RNA/DNA extracted from the same individual. Results. We initially tested our computational method on the SRA study SRA012427 involving high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of human brain tissues by Illumina technology. Over 22 millions 50 nt long paired-end reads were aligned onto the human reference genome (assembly hg18). Applying the above-described double mapping methodology and stringent filters we found 19 highly significant A-to-I conversions in known human coding regions. Interestingly, 11 of such changes have been already described in literature and 6 were experimentally confirmed. To further corroborate our strategy we carried out an RNA-Seq experiment on total RNA extracted from human spinal cord. More than 20 million of directional paired-end reads were analysed using the above mentioned procedure. At 0.05 significance level (FDR corrected) we obtained 15 RNA editing candidates covered by at least 30 independent reads and showing only A-to-G changes. In this case potential editing candidates were confirmed by whole exome sequencing performed on the individual and tissue in order to optimally exclude SNPs and somatic mutations. Notably, we were able to confirm 12 predicted candidates. Our results, therefore, indicate the feasibility and effectiveness of the above-described strategy to detect de novo A-to-I RNA editing events in human. References 1. Gott JM, Emeson RB (2000) Functions and mechanisms of RNA editing. Annual review of genetics 34, 499-531 2. Maas S, Kawahara Y, Tamburro KM, Nishikura K (2006) A-to-I RNA editing and human disease. RNA Biol. 3: 1-9 3. Picardi E, Horner DS, Chiara M, Schiavon R, Valle G, Pesole G (2010) Large-scale detection and analysis of RNA editing in grape mtDNA by RNA deep-sequencing. Nucl. Acids Res. 38: 4755-4767


Photonic integrated circuits have seen a dramatic increase in complexity over the past decades. This development has been spurred by recent applications in datacenter communications and enabled by the availability of standardized mature technology platforms. Mechanical movement of wave-guiding structures at the micro- and nanoscale provides unique opportunities to further enhance functionality and to reduce power consumption in photonic integrated circuits. We here demonstrate integration of MEMS-enabled components in a simplified silicon photonics process based on IMEC's Standard iSiPP50G Silicon Photonics Platform and a custom release process.


Most of the talk about Year 2000 has involved making sure your bank is in compliance with the century turnover. It's far less common for bankers to get into the impact of the Year 2000 on their bank's compliance function. ABA Banking Journal spoke to a range of bankers, vendors, and consultants noted for their expertise in bank compliance to find out what compliance officers ought to be worrying about and looking at as the Year 2000 nears. Some of the folks we interviewed were skeptical, believing that Compliance is wholly dependent on each bank's central effort to make sure systems and software will handle the century change correctly. Those whose institutions had already been running tests, had found that some systems, such as mortgage processing packages, already had solutions built in. And in other cases, compliance-related functions typically are handled with personal computers, which often are Year 2000 compliant. However, when you dig deeper, there are issues compliance officers need to stay on top of lest their banks, because of a Year 2000 problem elsewhere, trigger a bread-and-butter compliance violation. For example, deep within one of the Federal Reserve's early advisories on the Year 2000 (SR 97-29), banks are admonished to consider Compliance as a mission critical" function that should be tested and ready prior to the turnover. As an example, the Fed cites truth in lending Regulation Z) compliance as an example f the type of function that could be affected if an open-end credit system has Year 2000 glitches. Other areas the Fed cited as concerns included the Expedited Funds Availability Act (Reg CC); the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (Reg E); the Flood Disaster Protection Act (Reg H); the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (Reg C); reserve requirements (Reg D); consumer leasing (Reg M); truth in savings (Reg DD); the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Reg X); the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Deceptive Practices Act (Reg AA); and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Reg B). Many of these laws and regulations require that banks adhere to notice periods after having taken certain actions. The more automated a bank's compliance effort in any such area, the more critical it is that Compliance be sure its part of the processing be ready and tested. Failure to adopt systems for the Year 2000 "could have an impact on notifications made to customers," says Michelle Feeley, Feeley Associates, Allentown, Pa. The Fed noted in SR 97-29 that examiners have been instructed to consider Compliance when reviewing bank preparedness for the Year 2000. Here are some issues to watch: * Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. This is the subject of one of the clearest compliance-related guidelines from the agencies. In the Feb. 25 Federal Register the Federal Reserve published proposed rules, that, in part, address HMDA compliance in light of the Year 2000. (The comment period ends on April 27.) Up until now, when banks recorded the date of covered loan applications and the date action was taken on the applications, the dates were entered in two-digit format. The Fed noted it is modifying the software it makes available to banks to accommodate four-digit format for dates, and that it is changing paper HMDA loan application register forms to track this. (Similar changes are being made to Community Reinvestment Act software.) The Fed plans to make the new reporting requirement effective for loans made this year, which will be reported in early 1999. The Fed is proceeding, it noted, on the assumption that private HMDA software vendors have or will amend their packages accordingly. Compliance officers will want to verify this. * Truth in lending/Truth in savings. Truth in lending software has been around for years; truth in savings regulations are newer, but were substantially patterned after the older law's model. Compliance officers should verify that the package they use can handle the Year 2000. …


Spectacular Rhetorics is a rigorous analysis of the rhetorical frameworks and narratives that underlie human rights law, shape the process of cultural and legal recognition, and delimit public responses to violence and injustice. Integrating visual and textual criticism, Wendy S. Hesford scrutinizes "spectacular rhetoric," the use of visual images and rhetoric to construct certain bodies, populations, and nations as victims and incorporate them into human rights discourses geared toward Westerners, chiefly Americans. Hesford presents a series of case studies critiquing the visual representations of human suffering in documentary films, photography, and theater. In each study, she analyzes works addressing a prominent contemporary human rights cause, such as torture and unlawful detention, ethnic genocide and rape as a means of warfare, migration and the trafficking of women and children, the global sex trade, and child labor. Through these studies, she demonstrates how spectacular rhetoric activates certain cultural and national narratives and social and political relations, consolidates identities through the politics of recognition, and configures material relations of power and difference to produce and, ultimately, to govern human rights subjects.


Customers have predictable life cycles. As a result of these life cycles, firms that sell multiple products or services frequently observe that, in general, certain items are purchased before others. This predictable phenomenon provides opportunities for firms to cross-sell additional products and services to existing customers. This article presents a structural multivariate probit model to investigate how customer demand for multiple products evolves over time and its implications for the sequential acquisition patterns of naturally ordered products. The authors investigate customer purchase patterns for products that are marketed by a large midwestern bank. Among the substantive findings are that women and older customers are more sensitive to their overall satisfaction with the bank than are men and younger customers when determining whether to purchase additional financial services, and households whose head has a greater level of education or is male move more quickly along the financial maturity continuum than do households whose head has less education or is female.


EGFR activation is both a key molecular driver of disease progression and the target of a broad class of molecular agents designed to treat advanced cancer. Nevertheless, resistance develops through several mechanisms, including activation of AKT signaling. Though much is known about the specific molecular lesions conferring resistance to antiEGFR–based therapies, additional molecular characterization of the downstream mediators of EGFR signaling may lead to the development of new classes of targeted molecular therapies to treat resistant disease. We identified a transcriptional network involving the tumor suppressors Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) that negatively regulates activated EGFR signaling in both cell culture and in vivo models. Furthermore, the use of the FDA-approved drug trifluoperazine hydrochloride (TFP), which has been shown to inhibit FOXO1 nuclear export, restored sensitivity to AKT-driven erlotinib resistance through modulation of the KLF6/FOXO1 signaling cascade in both cell culture and xenograft models of lung adenocarcinoma. Combined, these findings define a novel transcriptional network regulating oncogenic EGFR signaling and identify a class of FDAapproved drugs as capable of restoring chemosensitivity to anti-EGFR–based therapy for the treatment of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Research Article Oncology


The Pandemic has taken us further away from the dream of offering the same learning opportunities to all our students in Latin America. Improving comprehensive reading in the early years of schooling and designing and implementing effective and sustainable public policies has become an urgency. The purpose of this document is to present the current status of a research plan for a doctoral thesis, referred to create an intervention model based on the analysis of the results of the design and implementation in Chile of a public policy program that develops reading in Basic Education. An evaluation of the program's impact is proposed, together with a mixed study that allows for a joint analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results obtained. The expected results will make it possible to propose an intervention model that can be transferred to other public policies, of high interest to governments, especially in Latin America. The document is organized in six sections: an introduction and literature review that promotes research on the thesis, the hypothesis, research objectives, research approach and methods, results up to date and their validity, the status of the thesis and expected contributions. It is expected to contribute with an original work that offers future opportunities for researchers in relation to transfer this intervention model to other fields and the need of scalability of the reading development program with all its components.


Situated at the intersection of economic restructuring and crime control, this thesis explores the practices and policies of economic regeneration, community safety and policing in the city of Glasgow. In particular old-industrial cities and regions have felt the pressures to 'revitalise' and regenerate their failing economic base, as well as to change the modalities of governance, and subsequently embarked upon local economic development and attracting growth industries. Examining the interest in quality-of-life offences within such regeneration agendas, my thesis explores the importance of crime control, policing and community safety in a series of empirical 'cuts' through the subject, starting with wider issues of crime control, imagineering and city centre upgrading. Practices of regulating city spaces are carried out in distinctive fields of community safety policies, the policing of homeless people and street prostitutes, and also include the regulating of businesses in the wake of economic regeneration. Furthermore, a city centre warden project, the City Centre Representatives, is studied in detail in relation to their work remit, encompassing a tourist service as well as a range of ordering tasks in the newly regenerated spaces of the city centre.

Explicitly framing these substantive debates in a theoretical context, the first part of the thesis engages in questions of social ontology, working towards a research perspective of a reworked critical Marxism. Such critical Marxism is arrived at by discussion of current approaches, both in policy and academy, of how to account for processes of economic restructuring and crime control in late-capitalist societies. While maintaining concepts of a(n), although fragmented, social totality, held together in dialectical processes, social praxis as mediation between social totality and agency becomes the central hinge for researching such ontology. As embodied, routine and partially reflected upon social practices that centre on people's work practices, such social praxis is subsequently spatialised by drawing on Lefebvre's work on the production of social space and employed in a detailed empirical study. In so doing, this thesis puts forwards a proposal of how a reworked critical Marxism can fruitfully engage with current theoretical debates within geography and he social sciences more widely without neglecting the importance of in-depth empirical research to develop and strengthen any theoretical engagement.


Higher education institutions across the United States are asked to do more with less. This has come at a time when the current presidential administration is calling for the education of every American (White House, 2009). While Americans are enrolling in universities at higher rates than ever before, attrition remains high. Maintaining student enrollment has become a high stakes endeavor as loss of students directly affects institutional budgets. Tinto (1975) posits that student engagement plays an important role in a student's decision to persist or drop out of college. The academic library is poised to play a key role in engaging and retaining students, though not without a disruption to the status quo. This study seeks to explore factors relating to undergraduate student engagement/ disengagement with the academic library and to explore whether university libraries should expand their role beyond providing academic resources and services into more "real-life" areas that are important to the daily lives of undergraduate students and in support of university retention goals. A quantitative dominant four-phase sequential mixed methods design was implemented at three purposely selected large, public 4-year universities geographically distributed across the United States. Data collection involved 1,291 participants and included semi-structured interviews with academic librarians (n=8), university enrollment and retention officials (n=3), and undergraduate students (n=18), an online survey completed by 1,280 randomly selected undergraduate students, and an analysis of 50 randomly selected academic library websites. Study findings suggest that there is a viable place in the campus community for the library to serve in an expanded role in support of university student retention goals. Such change, however, may require a realignment of library priorities, rebranding of the library in a new role, and significant marketing. A critical component for the success of a new model relates to building students' perceptions of relevance of the library.


Goal setting in teacher appraisal forms a large part of the performance management requirements within New Zealand schools. This study aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of performance goals and how they are set and can impact on the improvement of teaching and learning within performance appraisal in New Zealand primary school settings. A qualitative study was undertaken within two Auckland primary schools which had recently undergone management changes. A total of four leaders and six teachers from both schools were interviewed to obtain a leadership perspective and teaching perspectives on how goal setting in teacher appraisal is used within their schools. Documentary evidence from each school was also analysed to compare the teachers' and leaders' responses with the school's stated policy and procedures on performance management. The key findings indicated that when used in schools without shared understandings and common language, goals are a weak aspect of performance management. However, where goals were used habitually, as part of performance appraisal, there was evidence of improved teaching and learning. The factors involved in efficient use of performance goals included support, feedback, collaborative and reflective practice, productive relationships and critical inquiry. This study reaches the conclusion that goal setting is variable. Some schools are doing this aspect of appraisal very well, others are not. Unless goals are used effectively by teachers and leaders, they could be viewed as a defective element of teacher appraisal. An important implication for practice is that performance goals are more likely to strengthen teacher appraisal when school leaders, teachers and policy makers are in agreement. Regular conversations and reflection about performance goals can have a significant impact in teaching and learning, resulting in improved student outcomes.


The Helconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) species recorded from Turkey as of the end of 2012 are listed. The total number of species was determined as 10. Changes in comparison to the previous Turkish fauna are briefly annotated and the distributions for all species in each of the 68 biogeographical provinces are presented. After the publication of our previous fauna, 8 species belonging 2 genera have been recorded as new to Turkey. Subsequent studies reported 10 Diospilini species for the fauna, among which 7 species are distributed only in Asian Turkey and 3 species are distributed in both Asian and European Turkey. The presented checklist covers synonyms, zoogeographical region(s), hosts, host plants of host species, and parasitoid data for the species. Diospilus angorensis Beyarslan sp. nov. is described and its diagnostic characters are illustrated and compared with related Diospilini species in a key.


We examined the association of orphanhood and completion of compulsory school education among young people in South Africa. In South Africa, school attendance is compulsory through grade 9, which should be completed before age 16. However, family and social factors such as orphanhood and poverty can hinder educational attainment. Participants were 10,452 16-24-year-olds who completed a South African national representative household survey. Overall, 23% had not completed compulsory school levels. In univariate analyses, school completion was lower among those who had experienced orphanhood during school-age years, males, and those who reported household poverty. In multivariate analyses controlling for household poverty, females who had experienced maternal or paternal orphanhood were less likely to have completed school; orphanhood was not independently associated with males' school completion. Findings highlight the need for evidence-informed policies to address the education and social welfare needs of orphans and vulnerable youth, particularly females, in South Africa.


The absolute sensitivity of two soft x-ray stream camera transmission photocathodes was measured at λ = 0.266 μm. The photocathodes were mounted in a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory soft x-ray streak camera and were compared in sensitivity to a more conventional UV photocathode. Measurements were performed with a 30-psec 0.266-μm pulse from a frequency-quadrupled glass laser. The study revealed photocathode substrate transmission at 0.266 μm, minimum UV energy density requirements, temporal response, and an estimate of streak camera dynamic range for UV exposure.


During the second half of the 20th century untreated sewage released from housing and industry into natural waters led to a degradation of many freshwater lakes and reservoirs worldwide. In order to mitigate eutrophication, wastewater treatment plants, including Fe‐induced phosphorus precipitation, were implemented throughout the industrialized world, leading to reoligotrophication in many freshwater lakes. To understand and assess the effects of reoligotrophication on primary productivity, we analyzed 28 years of 14C assimilation rates, as well as other biotic and abiotic parameters, such as global radiation, nutrient concentrations and plankton densities in peri‐alpine Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. Using a simple productivity‐light relationship, we estimated continuous primary production and discussed the relation between productivity and observed limnological parameters. Furthermore, we assessed the uncertainty of our modeling approach based on monthly 14C assimilation measurements using Monte Carlo simulations. Results confirm that monthly sampling of productivity is sufficient for identifying long‐term trends in productivity and that conservation management has successfully improved water quality during the past three decades via reducing nutrients and primary production in the lake. However, even though nutrient concentrations have remained constant in recent years, annual primary production varies significantly from year to year. Despite the fact that nutrient concentrations have decreased by more than an order of magnitude, primary production has decreased only slightly. These results suggest that primary production correlates well to nutrients availability but meteorological conditions lead to interannual variability regardless of the trophic status of the lake. Accordingly, in oligotrophic freshwaters meteorological forcing may reduce productivity impacting on the entire food chain of the ecosystem.


An IN VITRO propagation protocol was established for the DENDROBIUM Serdang Beauty orchid. The propagation protocol utilized calli tissues that were successfully initiated from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) explants, while the leaf and root tip explants died. The percentage of protocorm-like bodies explants responding to calli formation was 100% in all tested levels of IAA, IBA and NAA auxin treatments. The highest amount of calli (49.59 gram) proliferated on MS medium containing 1.5 mg/L IBA. These calli successfully regenerated on media supplemented with either KIN or BAP cytokinins and combined treatments of KIN and IAA (4 mg/L) or NAA (1.5 mg/L). However, media supplemented with only 1 mg/L KIN was sufficient to produce significantly high percentage of plantlet formation (80%), high number of planlets per explant (4-5 plantlets) and high mean fresh weight per plantlet (11.128 g). These plantlets were acclimatized on all tested media and obtained satisfactory rate of plantlet survival (80-100%), mean number of leaves per plant (4-6 leaves), and mean leaf length (4 5 cm). Among these media, charcoal was considered the most economical and available material in the local market. During the development of this protocol, substantial necrosis of calli were observed when cultures were treated with 2,4-D and BAP. It was proposed that the presence of ethylene within the cultures, which is known to be emitted by plant growth regulators into the micro-climate of IN VITRO culture vessels, is the determining factor of a suitable plant growth regulator for the survival and growth of the DENDROBIUM Serdang Beauty calli cultures in our study.


Problem statement: The performance of bituminous sealants in the field is partly
controlled by properties and strength of the sealant-aggregate interface. The thermodynamic work of
adhesion represents energy required for reversible separation of the two materials at the interface. The
study of fracture includes the energy required for both reversible and irreversible processes during
separation. Excess of work of facture over work of adhesion represents the energy consumed by
irreversible processes in the specimen during loading and fracture. In addition, adhesion strength is
related to the properties of constitutive components. Approach: The objective of this study was to
measure or predict adhesion of hot-poured bituminous-based sealant to aggregates of different
chemical composition. In order to accomplish, the study of fracture and the thermodynamic work of
adhesion were estimated for 14 hot-poured bituminous-based sealants with two types of aggregate:
Limestone and quartzite. The work of adhesion for each sealant-aggregate system was calculated from
the contact angle measurements of system components at corresponding sealant installation
temperature. Results: In general, limestone showed better adhesion to hot-poured crack sealant than
quartzite. Interfacial parameters such as contact angles and surface tensions were successfully used to
differentiate between sealants. Conclusion/Recommendation: The findings were in agreement with
preliminary testing results of 14 sealants using a newly developed fixture in the direct-tension testing
machine. Provided the sealant has an appropriate viscosity to fill the crack, as the sealant surface
tension decreases, its adhesion strength increases.


Background: There is a lack of evidence on effective universal self-help interventions for women to improve wellbeing after birth (NICE, 2014). Disclosing personal thoughts and feelings through expressive writing is associated with improved physical and psychological health in many other groups [Sexton & Pennebaker, 2009] so may be helpful after birth.

Aim and Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of expressive writing on postnatal psychological and physical health.

Method: Women (N = 839) were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: 'expressive writing', 'control writing' or 'treatment as usual'. Women completed measures of psychological and physical health at baseline and one month later. After baseline measures were completed women in the writing conditions undertook either an expressive writing task about something they were finding stressful, or a control writing task where they described a room.

Results: Women rated their stress as significantly lower after the expressive writing task. However, there were no differences between women in the expressive writing, control writing and normal care groups in health outcomes at 1 and 6 months. Overall, women's physical health significantly improved over time, whereas mental health showed no change (mood, anxiety, depression) and mental health related quality of life worsened. Threshold analysis identified a trend for women with poor mental health at baseline benefitting more from expressive writing but this was not significant.

Interpretation: Writing tasks are not effective as a universal intervention for postnatal women. However, for women who have mental health symptoms at baseline, taking time to focus and write about stress may improve mood.

Conclusions: Further research is needed to examine whether it might be effective as a targeted intervention for women with poor mental health.


Rationality is one of the most over-used words in economics. Behavior can be rational, or irrational. So can decisions, preferences, beliefs, expectations, decision procedures, and knowledge. There may also be bounded rationality. And recent work in game theory has considered strategies and beliefs or expectations that are "rationalizable†. The scope of this paper is to present the rationality in economics with the thermodynamics approach and evaluation criteria. The main aspiration of this study is fivefold: 1) First we begin our description of a thermodynamics model of economics with the simplest example. 2) After that we introduced some important perception of rationality and uncertainty in economics. 3) Then we construct the mathematical model for a private ownership economy with finite sets of commodities and producers of equilibrium notions. 4) Find out the rationality and evaluation through the existence theorem for a vector of prices by using some solid evidence. 5) Finally we constructed the evaluation approach to the study of economics process by using of thermodynamics concepts, and this paper end with conclusion.


ABSTRACT The second edition of Gabriel Sagard9s history of the Recollect missions in eastern Canada, the Histoire du Canada (1636), included an unprecedented series of harmonized settings of four previously transcribed indigenous Mi9kmaq and Tupinamba melodies. A reading of the Histoire du Canada9s content, structure, and production context demonstrates that the settings supported the apostolic aims of the text, which were rooted in the didactic ethos and methods of the French Counter-Reformation. Specifically, the Histoire du Canada developed the transcribed indigenous chants into devotional exercises by ascribing moral significance to the transformation of the melodies into polyphony. With the harmonized settings Sagard gestured toward the Native Americans9 potential for conversion and civilization by the Recollect missionaries in a manner that was edifying for Catholic readers in France and the young colony.


Objective: The commonest age of onset for Trichotillomania is between 9 to 13 years of age and at times triggered by Depression and stress. According to literature, the best treatment is a combination of clomipramine and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The objective of this index case is to present a patient with an older age of onset, and with co-morbid intellectual disability and the challenges faced during treatment because of the comorbidity. Methods: A case of Intellectual disability who presented with Trichotillomania, and Trichophagia was chosen and followed up for a period of three years.  Results: The hair-pulling behaviour in the index case was due to a strong urge, which was relieved by the behaviour and was not secondary to other symptoms. The course of trichotillomania was independent of the course of aggression as improvement in aggressive symptoms was not accompanied by improvement in hair-pulling behaviour, which responded to administration of Imipramine, though it did not improve with clomipramine and citalopram, which are the medications of choice.  Conclusion: The index case suggests customizing treatment according to individual suitability, and choosing a medication that the patient is comfortable with, is important. It also suggests true comorbidity between Intellectual Disability and Trichotillomania, as the symptom of trichotillomania was not secondary to the aggressive behaviour exhibited by the patient. Please click PDF below to download the full paper...


Leaf and internodal explants of Physalis angulata L. were used to evaluate the effect of growth regulators on the in vitro callus induction and plant regeneration. Two independent experiments were performed to establish callus and plant regeneration. In the first experiment leaf segments 0.5mm were cultured on MS basal medium fortified with (BAP (0.5-4.0 mg/l) + 2, 4-D (0.0-1.5 mg/l). Callus initiation was observed best in all media after 12-16 days. Highest callus growth in terms of 11.75% Yellowish Green Friable Callus (YGFC) was observed in MS medium fortified with 2, 4-D 1.0 mg/l and BAP 2.0 mg/l. In the second experiment internodal segments 0.5 mm were cultured on MS medium containing BAP (0.5-4.0 mg/l) + IAA (0.5-3.0 mg/l) + KIN (1.0 -3.0 mg/l) and 2, 4-D (0.5-3.0 mg/l). The best response of shoot induction was observed with internodal cultured onto MS medium containing BAP (2.0 mg/l) + KIN (1.0 mg/l) and IAA (1.0 mg/l) showed the mean value 14 Number of shoots per explant. Excised shoots were transferred to rooting medium containing different concentrations of IBA, IAA and NAA for root induction. The roots were initiated and well developed on a medium fortified with 0.5-5.0 mg/l of both the auxins. Of the three auxins tested, a number of roots were produced on the medium containing IBA. Maximum numbers of 35 roots per shoot were produced in 35 days on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/l IBA. The well-rooted plantlets were transplanted to the paper cup for hardening and the well-established plants were transferred to the field for acclimatisation.


Motivation Multi-regional sequencing provides new opportunities to investigate genetic heterogeneity within or between common tumors from an evolutionary perspective. Several state-of-the-art methods have been proposed for reconstructing cancer sub-clonal evolutionary trees based on multi-regional sequencing data to develop models of cancer evolution. However, the methods developed thus far are not sufficient to characterize and interpret the diversity of cancer sub-clonal evolutionary trees. Results We propose a clustering method (phyC) for cancer sub-clonal evolutionary trees, in which sub-groups of the trees are identified based on topology and edge length attributes. For interpretation, we also propose a method for evaluating the diversity of trees in the clusters, which provides insight into the acceleration of sub-clonal expansion. Simulation showed that the proposed method can detect true clusters with sufficient accuracy. Application of the method to actual multi-regional sequencing data of clear cell renal carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer allowed for the detection of clusters related to cancer type or phenotype. Availability phyC is implemented with R(>=3.2.2) and is available from https://github.com/ymatts/phyC. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com


ABSTRACT The prevention of falls is currently high on the health policy agenda in the United Kingdom, which has led to the establishment of many falls-prevention services. If these are to be effective, however, the acceptability of services to older people needs to be considered. This paper reports a systematic review of studies of older people's perceptions of these interventions. The papers for review were identified by searching electronic databases, checking reference lists, and contacting experts. Two authors independently screened the studies and extracted data on the factors relating to participation in, or adherence to, falls-prevention strategies. Twenty-four studies were identified, of which 12 were qualitative. Only one study specifically examined interventions that promote participation in falls-prevention programmes; the others explored older people's attitudes and views. The factors that facilitated participation included social support, low intensity exercise, greater education, involvement in decision-making, and a perception of the programmes as relevant and life-enhancing. Barriers to participation included fatalism, denial and under-estimation of the risk of falling, poor self-efficacy, no previous history of exercise, fear of falling, poor health and functional ability, low health expectations and the stigma associated with programmes that targeted older people.


Objectives: Oxidative stress is implicated in the etiology of life-threatening disease conditions. Newbouldia laevis (NL) have been used in folk medicine for stress related conditions, however, there is paucity of reports suggesting a connection between its efficacy and a possible antioxidant property. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of NL leaf extracts. Methods: The methanol extract of NL was partitioned to obtain the chloroform fraction (CFNL) and the aqueous fraction (AFNL). Following standard laboratory procedures, the parameters were measured spectrophotometrically. Results: The MFNL recorded the highest activity for DPPH (76.4%), while all extracts only showed slight hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacity. Total antioxidant capacity at uniform concentration revealed an increasing order of activity from AFNL to MENL, correlating with total phenol contents which is in the same order. Furthermore, the extracts inhibited lipid peroxidation in a concentration dependent manner, with MENL recording the highest inhibition of 19.5%. The MENL however had the highest vitamin C concentration of 165.44mg/100ml. Conclusion: The above results not only demonstrate the antioxidant properties of NL, but suggests this as one of its possible mechanism of action and indicates the presence of potent principles with potential for application in stress related ailments.


This dissertation examines the interaction between a particular type of global governance mechanism – social standardisation – and national political economic structures in two countries of the global South: Argentina and Brazil. In doing so it provides a greater understanding of the emergence of new governance structures and the growing role of actors from emerging countries. The dissertation develops three lines of analysis. First, it studies the evolution of the institutional attempts to establish global social standards since the onset of the twentieth century, with specific attention to three global governance initiatives emerging around the 2000s: the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative, and the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility. Second, it investigates the participation in these latest initiatives of actors from Argentina and Brazil, detailing institutional connections, central players, clusters and overall participation patterns. Third, it analyses and contrasts national participation patterns in light of the trajectory of social standardisation and the political economic environment of these two countries. As a result, the dissertation offers a distinct contribution to the governance and standardisation literature by highlighting the relevance of national political variables in structuring engagement with global governance projects. The dissertation uses a combination of methodologies, sources and analytical techniques including historical analysis, network analysis, interviews with local actors, and direct observation of one instance of global standard-setting.

The main line of argument is that local participation in global initiatives of social standard-setting depends on two main elements: the pre-existence of compatible cleavages of social standardisation, and the local resonance of governance frames. Moreover, the thesis reveals that these elements are strongly connected with 'Southern' political variables regarding the pattern of political, social and economic development, the model of state-society relations, and the political discourse promoted by the government. On this basis, this thesis can explain the divergent participation patterns found in Brazil and Argentina regarding the three global case study initiatives and their overall acceptance of social standardisation programmes. The dissertation provides two main contributions: 1) it emphasises the relevance of communicative dynamics in the diffusion of global governance, relativising economistic and power-led approaches, and 2) demonstrates the relevance of Southern political institutions, traditions, and discourses in structuring global/local communications.


We examine optimal capital requirements in a quantitative general equilibrium model with banks exposed to non-diversifiable borrower default risk. Contrary to standard models of bank default risk, our framework captures the limited upside but significant downside risk of loan portfolio returns (Nagel and Purnanandam, 2020). This helps to reproduce the frequency and severity of twin defaults: simultaneously high firm and bank failures. Hence, the optimal bank capital requirement, which trades off a lower frequency of twin defaults against restricting credit provision, is 5pp higher than under standard default risk models which underestimate the impact of borrower default on bank solvency.


Fifty-five clinical isolates and laboratory stocks of Escherichia coli and Salmonella were studied for resistance to each of ten metals. Eleven clinical isolates carrying R factors were resistant to mercury, and, in each case, the resistance was mediated by a previously undefined R-factor gene. The gene was phenotypically expressed within 2 to 4 minutes after entry into sensitive bacteria, but the basis for the resistance remains undefined. Fourteen strains, 12 infected with R factors, were resistant to cobalt and nickel, but these resistances were mediated by R-factor genes in only two strains; separate R-factor genes mediated the resistances to nickel and cobalt. These and other results indicate that the genetic composition of R factors is greater than that originally defined.


In this paper, we propose a novel and efficient grid-based Rao–Blackwellized particle filter simultaneous localization and mapping (RBPF-SLAM) with interparticle map shaping (IPMS). The proposed method aims at saving the computational memory in the grid-based RBPF-SLAM while maintaining the mapping accuracy. Unlike conventional RBPF-SLAM in which each particle has its own map of the whole environment, each particle has only a small map of the nearby environment called an individual map in the proposed method. Instead, the map of the remaining large environment is shared by the particles. The part shared by the particles is called a base map. If the individual small maps become reliable enough to trust, they are merged with the base map. To determine when and which part of an individual map should be merged with the base map, we propose two map sharing criteria. Finally, the proposed IPMS RBPF-SLAM is applied to the real-world datasets and benchmark datasets. The experimental results show that our method outperforms conventional methods in terms of map accuracy versus memory consumption.


T cells are sensitized during varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) infection and are important for control of viral spread and reactivation. In this report, we show that human keratinocytes infected with VZV inhibited upregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, MHC class II and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 after interferon (IFN)‐γ treatment. The ability of keratinocytes to upregulate MHC class I in response to IFN‐α, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and Toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐3 ligand was also diminished upon VZV infection. VZV‐infected keratinocytes treated with IFN‐γ had significantly reduced capacity to stimulate antigen‐specific T cells compared with uninfected cells. Interference with IFN‐α, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and TLR‐3 signalling in keratinocytes by VZV may contribute to immune evasion of the adaptive immune response.


Major advancements in the treatment of HIV infection mean near normal life expectancy of persons diagnosed at an early stage of infection. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of HIV infected persons remain undiagnosed and are diagnosed at a late stage of infection, putting them at higher risk for preventable HIV-related morbidity and mortality and risking onward transmission to others. In Europe, half of people diagnosed with HIV in 2010 were diagnosed late with a CD4<350 cells/ul, at a point after which treatment should have begun. The causes of late diagnosis are manifold, and comprise barriers to testing at the patient, healthcare provider, and institutional level. Strategies to address barriers to HIV testing are essential to ensure prompt diagnosis. Routine universal HIV testing in general practice consisting of informed consent and a pre-test discussion is feasible and acceptable and should be considered in high prevalence areas to normalize HIV testing, reduce stigma, and reduce the number of infected individuals who are diagnosed late.


The question of "just war" weaves a complex historical and systematic net between Orient and Occident as well as between antiquity and the present. Christianity and Islam, poetry and philosophy are both faced with the challenge of situating justice in a phenomenon that by its very nature bears the stigma of cruelty, given diverging dogmatic or methodological premises. This volume offers a variety of perspectives on the subject, from the Greek tragedy via Plato, Aristotle and the philosophy in Rome (Cicero) and the late antique Christian discussion (Augustinus) to the question of humanitarian interventions. Another focus is the Islamic debate from the Middle Ages to the present.


Estuarine benthic habitats serve as essential feeding grounds for demersal finfishes and shellfishes and provide a link between the water column and demersal fisheries in coastal foodwebs. We hypothesize that the cascading linkages of water-column conditions to benthic invertebrates and from benthic invertebrates (as prey) to demersal fishes are a primary mechanism by which water- quality degradation affects sustainable production of demersal fisheries in coastal ecosystems. To evaluate these linkages, we related changes in water quality to changes in bottom-habitat quality for fishes (defined by the availability of prey resources) and assessed how changes in habitat quality affect fish diet. We examined the first link (water-column conditions to benthos) by intensively sam- pling the benthic community in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, during 2 summers (1997 and 1998) in which depletion of bottom-water oxygen occurred. Dramatic decreases in the abun- dance of benthic macroinvertebrates were evident after hypoxia/anoxia in both years. Abundances of the clam Macoma balthica, a key prey item for fishes and crabs and the biomass dominant in the benthos, decreased by over 90% in deep and mid-depth areas (>2 m) throughout the estuary after hypoxia/anoxia in 1997. Although summer decreases in benthic macroinvertebrates were also exhib- ited in 1998, a year of less frequent and less severe hypoxia, the magnitude of decline was less than that of 1997. To evaluate how these changes in prey abundance may affect demersal fishes, we ana- lyzed the diet of Atlantic croaker Micropagonias undulatus, the most abundant demersal fish in the system, prior to and after summer hypoxia of 1998. This analysis demonstrated a shift in croaker diet away from clams, an abundant item before hypoxia, to less nutritional items such as plant and detri- tal material afterwards. This dietary shift reflects the decreased abundance of clams as a result of hypoxia/anoxia. We conclude from our study of the Neuse River Estuary that hypoxia/anoxia events degrade essential fish habitat and that this degradation has the potential to reduce the capacity of the system to support production of demersal fisheries.


OBJECTIVE
A novel assay was employed to study the free 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) concentrations in various populations with different levels of 1,25(OH)2D and vitamin D binding protein (DBP).

DESIGN
In 12 healthy women before and after 3 months of oral estrogen/progestagen treatment, 10 pregnant women, and 16 patients with a nephrotic syndrome and normal renal function, the concentrations of total and free 1,25(OH)2D, DBP and albumin were assessed.

METHODS
The total concentration of 1,25(OH)2D in serum was assessed using a radioreceptor assay. The free fraction of 1,25(OH)2D was measured using symmetric dialysis. DBP was assessed using single radial immunodiffusion. Serum albumin concentrations were measured on an automated analyzer.

RESULTS
In healthy women, the concentrations of total 1,25(OH)2D, free 1,25(OH)2D and DBP were 132+/-19 pmol/l, 92+/-30 fmol/l and 5.59+/-0.43 micromol/l. After 3 months of estrogen/progestagen treatment, total 1,25(OH)2D and DBP levels rose significantly to 175+/-51 pmol/l and 8.32+/-1.59 micromol/l (P< or =0.05 and P< or =0.001); the free 1,25(OH)2D remained unchanged (105+/-39 fmol/l; not significant). Pregnant women had significantly higher levels of total 1,25(OH)2D and DBP (239+/-68 pmol/l and 11.32+/-1.77 micromol/l; both P</=0.001); the free 1,25(OH)2D level, however, was not different (104+/-27 fmol/l; not significant). Unexpectedly, in patients with nephrotic syndrome, no lower DBP levels were found (5.36+/-0.84 micromol/l) relative to that in controls. Despite this, levels of both total (69+/-26 pmol/l, P< or =0.001) and free 1,25(OH)2D (53+/-28 fmol/l; P< or =0.001) were significantly lower than in controls. Albumin levels were lowered from 628+/-38 micromol/l to 300+/-84 micromol/l (P < or = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Higher estrogen levels result in higher DBP levels, with a parallel rise in total 1,25(OH)2D levels but without a change in the biologically active free fraction. The results in patients with nephrotic syndrome show that, with increasing glomerular protein leakage, the free 1,25(OH)2D concentration cannot be maintained.


Abstract. Petermann Fjord is a deep (>1000 m) fjord
that incises the coastline of north-west Greenland and was carved by an
expanded Petermann Glacier, one of the six largest outlet glaciers draining
the modern Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). Between 5 and 70 m of unconsolidated
glacigenic material infills in the fjord and adjacent Nares Strait,
deposited as the Petermann and Nares Strait ice streams retreated through
the area after the Last Glacial Maximum. We have investigated the deglacial
deposits using seismic stratigraphic techniques and have correlated our
results with high-resolution bathymetric data and core lithofacies. We
identify six seismo-acoustic facies in more than 3500 line kilometres of sub-bottom
and seismic-reflection profiles throughout the fjord, Hall Basin and Kennedy
Channel. Seismo-acoustic facies relate to bedrock or till surfaces (Facies I),
subglacial deposition (Facies II), deposition from meltwater plumes and icebergs in
quiescent glacimarine conditions (Facies III, IV), deposition at grounded ice margins
during stillstands in retreat (grounding-zone wedges; Facies V) and the
redeposition of material downslope (Facies IV). These sediment units represent the
total volume of glacial sediment delivered to the mapped marine environment
during retreat. We calculate a glacial sediment flux for the former
Petermann ice stream as 1080–1420 m3 a−1 per metre of ice stream
width and an average deglacial erosion rate for the basin of 0.29–0.34 mm a−1. Our deglacial erosion rates are consistent with results from
Antarctic Peninsula fjord systems but are several times lower than values
for other modern GrIS catchments. This difference is attributed to fact that
large volumes of surface water do not access the bed in the Petermann system, and we conclude that glacial erosion is limited to areas overridden by
streaming ice in this large outlet glacier setting. Erosion rates are also
presented for two phases of ice retreat and confirm that there is
significant variation in rates over a glacial–deglacial transition. Our new
glacial sediment fluxes and erosion rates show that the Petermann ice stream
was approximately as efficient as the palaeo-Jakobshavn Isbræ at
eroding, transporting and delivering sediment to its margin during early
deglaciation.


Families--often a source of satisfaction, growth, and fulfillment for women--can also be an arena of domination, abuse, and pain. This volume uses a postmodern feminist perspective to elucidate women's myriad experiences in the family, providing an integrated analysis of critical aspects of intimate relationships, sexuality, childbearing decisions, care giving, and work within the family context. Throughout, the book focuses on the nature of the choices women must make as they attempt to meet their own needs while nurturing and sustaining their intimate and family relationships.Challenging traditional definitions of the family, WOMEN AND FAMILIES reveals the rich diversity of family relationships that women actually construct. The proliferation of new family configurations, the diversity of connections that women form with intimate partners, and the multiplicity of choices they make regarding paid work and parenting are examined. With a focus on heterosexual and lesbian family experiences, the book provides an inclusive perspective rarely found in the family studies literature. Drawing upon current research and theory, the volume creates a vision of what families might be when relationships are based on mutual respect, equality, and choice.A comprehensive introduction to postmodern feminism, WOMEN AND FAMILIES incorporates feminist thinking and research from a variety of disciplines. It provides an integrated analysis of the connections among women, their families, and the wider culture, and illuminates both the differences and the similarities among women. Action-oriented, the book stresses themes of economic autonomy, choice and equality, reproductive freedom, and education for critical awareness, and presents pragmatic recommendations for empowerment.Offering a unique perspective on the reciprocal influences between women and their families, this volume will be of interest to a wide range of professionals including family specialists, therapists, social workers, psychologists, and sociologists. Ideal as a primary text for upper division undergraduate- or graduate-level family studies, women's studies, and gender studies courses, WOMEN AND FAMILIES also serves as a supplemental text for courses in counseling, sociology, psychology, social work, and life-span development.