In the modern internet age significant challenges are posed to the privacy of families and individuals. Online sharing of family photographs poses particular challenges, most notably for the children who are often the subject of those photos. Although parental use of social media to share photographs of their children online (known as 'sharenting') has attracted much media comment there has been little academic discussion of the legal ramifications of sharenting. A recent article by Steinberg (2016) provides the first analysis of the impact of sharenting on children's privacy, considering the potential legal solutions in American law. This paper seeks to further develop the discussion started by Steinberg.

In 2016 media reports suggested that an eighteen year old Austrian girl had brought a claim against her parents for violating her privacy by posting embarrassing childhood photos on Facebook. Whilst the story has since been denounced as untrue, it is not inconceivable that a child might bring such a claim against their parents. Part one of this paper considers how such a claim by a child against her parents for unauthorised online disclosure of images of her childhood might be decided before the English courts. Whilst English law recognises no enforceable general right to privacy, the child is not without a potential remedy. Three legal regimes are clearly relevant to such a scenario; the law of confidentiality, the tort of misuse of private information (MOPI) and the Data Protection Act 1998. The child might, under these provisions, potentially obtain an injunction to prevent continued publication and to obtain the removal of images posted online. They might obtain monetary compensation. As recognised, in this paper, however, such a claim raises many difficult questions, not least, how might the courts answer a parent's argument that in the twenty first century a child cannot reasonably expect not to have their photographs displayed on social media.

In part two of this paper recognition is given to the fact that some commentators have questioned whether the state should ever intervene in such a family dispute between a child and their parent(s). The discussion is thus set in the context of a wider examination of the notion of family privacy. Whilst there is some academic disagreement about what family privacy is and what it protects, it is evident from analysis of the literature that family privacy may be seen to both protect parental rights to determine how family life operates (Cahn, 1999) and to protect the family from state intervention (Fineman, 1999; Lacey, 1998). Family privacy has also been described as an ethic which 'transcends law as such and informs the way that laws are interpreted and understood' (Fineman, 1998). Analysis of the tort of misuse of private information certainly suggests that in determining MOPI claims the judiciary continue to be influenced by an ideology of family privacy and view protection of the private family sphere as important (ETK v News Group Newspapers [2011] EWCA Civ 439; Weller v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 1176; R v Broadcasting Complaints Commission [1995] EMLR 163). MOPI case law suggests also that the courts consider parents should be able to determine what happens to their children's information, even if their decisions have a negative impact on those children (AAA v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 554). There does appear, therefore to be some strength to the argument, that the notion of family privacy is still relevant in the twenty first century, and that it might allow parents to post family photographs online without fear of state or court sanction. This paper puts forward a counter argument, however, one which would lend strength to the child's contention that their claim should be heard. This paper will argue that many of the assumptions which underpin the notion of family privacy are no longer appropriate in the twenty first century, and that the child in a sharenting claim is deserving of the court's protection.

Ultimately, in exploring the tensions between parental rights and children's rights that lie at the heart of the sharenting scenario, this paper highlights a need to reconsider notions of family privacy and their influence upon the legal regimes which protect private and personal information.


This article reviews recent research on homeschooled children's socialization. The research indicates that homeschooling parents expect their children to respect and get along with people of diverse backgrounds, provide their children with a variety of social opportunities outside the family, and believe their children's social skills are at least as good as those of other children. What homeschooled children think about their own social skills is less clear. Compared to children attending conventional schools, however, research suggest that they have higher quality friendships and better relationships with their parents and other adults. They are happy, optimistic, and satisfied with their lives. Their moral reasoning is at least as advanced as that of other children, and they may be more likely to act unselfishly. As adolescents, they have a strong sense of social responsibility and exhibit less emotional turmoil and problem behaviors than their peers. Those who go on to college are socially involved and open to new experiences. Adults who were homeschooled as children are civically engaged and functioning competently in every way measured so far. An alarmist view of homeschooling, therefore, is not supported by empirical research. It is suggested that future studies focus not on outcomes of socialization but on the process itself.


Official websites of an organisation is a gateway to inform the public about its profiles, products or services, and other related information for the interested parties. Nevertheless such websites are sometimes not updated, do not provide required information or the worst case they are abandoned despite the fact that software developers have fulfilled the requirements of the users, and the systems have been deployed successfully. Hence, such websites require a dynamic web design that can delegate responsibility to each staff in ensuring the contents are always updated either to be shared among the staff or the public. This paper proposes an approach called EPISoDe that directly integrates organisations' policies as part of functional requirements in software development in this case we focus on website design and its implementation of higher learning institutions. We have deployed the proposed EPISoDe approach in a prototype called DyWeMS that provides an engine of a dynamic web design. We evaluated the approach on an official website of a school in a higher learning institution using DyWeMS dynamic engine. It implies that an organisational official website has the potential to be a one-stop information and knowledge centre that reflects organisations' history and legacy using the proposed EPISoDe approach that promotes delegation of responsibilities among the staff with the support of dynamic web design.


The pollution characteristics of Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni and Hg in agricultural soil around coal mining area were studied. After long-term mining activity, the soil around mining area was polluted by 6 elements to different degrees. Especially for Cd, its concentration was 3.2 times that of the National Soil Environmental Quality Standard Ⅱ. The values suggest that the contamination degree from strong to weak in soil is in the order of Hg>Cu>Cr>Zn>Ni>Cd. BCR sequential extraction results show that the order of average percentage about weak acid soluble fraction (F1) is that Cd>Ni>Zn>Cu>Hg>Cr, the order of 6 heavy metals available fraction (F1+F2+F3) is that Cu (56.89)>Cd (50.95)>Ni (41.52)>Zn (35.06)>Hg (23.04)>Cr (4.88). The RAC results indicate that soils were in a moderate potential ecological risk by pollution of Cd, and at the same time, Cu, Zn, Ni, Hg should be noted.


The essay critically approaches the current state and directions of changes in the university education. We see the critical point in the unconditioned endorsement by the university of the market values of intense competitiveness of global economy and the cult of the pro-market education which is its inevitable result. We would like to argue that although the university must respect economic conditions and limitations, nevertheless we fear that the ongoing process of corporatization of the university with its management strategies such as cutting costs, scanning environments for competitive purposes, re-engineering highly competitive efficiency criteria for the staff will bring about a neglect of the humanist values rooted in intellectual and social sensibility and hence undermine the social mission of the university which, apart from professional skills and research, must cultivate intellectual pluralism by providing space for intelligent conversation, sharing critical views of the present state of things thus fostering social criticism and the spirit of responsible dissent.


Porous cups are widely used to extract soil solution for monitoring solute transport; however, it is not always clear how soil heterogeneity influences solute breakthrough sampled by suction cups. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil heterogeneity on the breakthrough of solute extracted by suction cups. We conducted numerical simulations using the HYDRUS‐2D code. Local‐scale heterogeneity in hydraulic properties was generated using Miller–Miller scaling theory. Results of the simulations show that effective transport parameters derived from the measured breakthrough curves in the suction cups depended on the location of the suction cup in the heterogeneous flow field. Mean pore water velocities obtained from suction cup measurements ranged by a factor of 1.6 and dispersivities by a factor of 1.5 for the different heterogeneous structures. As a consequence, the arrival time (first moment) of the tracer plume derived from suction cup measurements was accelerated or delayed compared with the homogeneous case. Mass recoveries and suction cup sampling areas were also influenced by the underlying structure. The applied suction in the cup as well as the suction cup sampling area were found to have important effects on the mean pore water velocity, dispersivity, and mass recovery. The effect of variation in applied suction was analyzed using reference point data taken from 10 locations in the undisturbed flow field. Contrary to the general assumption that solute spreading measured with suction cups depends only on the mean pore water velocity, our results show that solute spreading is also influenced by (i) the suction cup sampling area and the deformation of streamlines to the cup, and (ii) the flow channels that are sampled. The numerical simulations indicate that the number of suction cups required for calculating a mean breakthrough curve in the chosen heterogeneous flow field must to be >20.


The II5 color mechanism was isolated in two observers with a 667 nm, 200 ms, 1 deg foveal test flash. Stiles's field displacement law and the law of field additivity were tested with increment thresholds upon monochromatic and bichromatic adapting fields. The data of both observers obey the displacement law and exhibit no systematic deviations from additivity. Our results cannot reject the hypothesis that the first log unit of adaptation observed under II5-isolation conditions is determined exclusively by the quantum catch rate of the long-wavelength-sensitive cones.


Abstract Two small grains, about 50 × 60 × 70 μm in size, occurring in the chromitite associated with the altered harzburgite of Loma Peguera (Dominican Republic) have been investigated by electron microprobe analyses, X-ray computed tomography, and X-ray diffraction. Electron microprobe data indicate the grains to be composed of Ru, Os, Ir, Fe, and O. The obtained composition is similar to those reported from podiform chromitites worldwide and often reported as evidence for the existence of PGE-bearing oxide minerals. X-ray computed tomography and X-ray diffraction data, provided for the first time in this study, reveal that the Loma Peguera grains consist of a fine intergrown of ruthenium and magnetite not detectable at the scale of the electron microprobe. We believe that the investigated grains were originally laurite, ideally (Ru,Os)S 2 , crystallized during the magmatic stage. During alteration processes at low temperature, the mineral lost its original S, which transformed the laurite to ruthenium. The newly formed ruthenium was probably porous and, during the final stage of the alteration process, oxidizing fluids enriched in Fe filled the cavities leading to the subsequent crystallization of magnetite.


Road freight transport is responsible for about one-third of road transport emissions and it is still growing. One solution to decarbonize this sector are electric trolley trucks powered by overhead lines. We compare electric trolley trucks to conventional diesel vehicles from a techno-economic perspective in Germany up to 2030. We find that an infrastructure set-up ordered by utilization of roads can be financed up to 2700 km with higher savings than cost. The impact on the energy system is lower than expected and the largest impacts are found in rural areas with highway intersections. Further fields of research are discussed.


Author(s): Lee, Eleanor S.; Coffey, Brian; Fernandes, Luis; Hoffman, Sabine; McNeil, Andrew; Thanachareonkit, Anothai; Ward, Gregory | Abstract: The High Performance Building Facade Solutions–Phase II project was initiated through the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program in July 2010 to support industry's development and deployment of both incremental and breakthrough facade technologies in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The objective of this three-year project was to develop, or support the development and deployment of, promising near-term and emerging zero net energy building facade technologies for solar control and daylighting, addressing two of the largest end uses in California commercial buildings: cooling and lighting. In partnership with industry (such as manufacturers), three classes of technologies were investigated: daylighting systems, angular-selective shading systems, and dynamic facade systems. Commercially available and emerging prototype technologies were developed and evaluated using laboratory tests. Simulations, full-scale outdoor tests in the Advanced Window Testbed, and demonstration projects quantified energy and peak electric demand reductions and occupant satisfaction, acceptance, and comfort associated with the resultant indoor environment. Several new technologies were developed using virtual prototyping tools. Integrated control systems were developed using model predictive controls. Simulation tools were developed to model operable complex fenestration systems such as shades and microprismatic films. A schematic design tool called COMFEN was developed to facilitate evaluation of these advanced technologies in the early design phase. All three classes of technologies resulted in significant reductions in perimeter zone energy use and peak electric demand, providing viable options that can support California's long-term goal of achieving zero net energy use in the next decade.


This research builds on previous work conducted within the area of professional civil engineering education that explores pedagogical implications of teaching project management within the civil engineering discipline. The focus is to explore how pedagogical considerations impact on the experience of civil engineering students studying project management. This exploration utilises data gathered from a survey of 410 management and civil engineering students studying project management across four UK universities. Data analysis was conducted using a combination of exploratory data analysis, three-way multidimensional scaling and property fitting. Although differences in salience were found, the existence of common dimensions of project management pedagogy suggests two important implications: first that project management is independent of specific discipline peculiarities (and by implication, interdisciplinary), and second that the approach to teaching should take into account the context within which civil engineering students operate.


Nitric oxide is a short-lived mediator, which can be induced in a variety of cell types and produces many physiologic and metabolic changes in target cells. It is important in many biological functions and generated from L-arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. Nitric oxide conveys a variety of messages between cells, including signals for vasorelaxation, neurotransmission and cytotoxicity. In macrophages, nitric oxide synthase activity appears slowly after exposure of the cells to cytokines and bacterial products, is sustained, and functions independently of calcium and calmodulin. The cytokine- inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is activated by several immunological stimuli, leading to the production of large quantities of nitric oxide which can be cytotoxic. To date, there have been conflicting reports concerning the clinical significance of nitric oxide in infections. Some authors have proposed that nitric oxide contributes to the development of severe and complicated cases, while others have argued that nitric oxide has a protective role. The aim of this review is to evaluate the functions of nitric oxide production toward oxidative stress induced by infections or inflammations. It is indicated that NO is an important, but possibly not essential contributor in the control of acute phase of infections and it is only part of an immunopathological chain against pathogens. The anti-microbial function does not relate only to nitric oxide action or its related molecules, a combination of nitric oxide and immune factors is required to resolve pathogenic microorganisms. Consequently, the NO theory in infectious diseases may lead to the novel ideas for therapy and prevention.


Robotic teleoperation enables humans to safely complete exploratory procedures in remote locations for applications such as deep sea exploration or building assessments following natural disasters. Successful task completion requires meaningful dual arm robotic coordination and proper understanding of the environment. While these capabilities are inherent to humans via impedance regulation and haptic interactions, they can be challenging to achieve in telerobotic systems. Teleimpedance control has allowed impedance regulation in such applications, and bilateral teleoperation systems aim to restore haptic sensation to the operator, though often at the expense of stability or workspace size. Wearable haptic devices have the potential to apprise the operator of key forces during task completion while maintaining stability and transparency. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of wearable haptics for force feedback in teleimpedance control for dual-arm robotic teleoperation. Participants completed a peg-in-hole, box placement task, aiming to seat as many boxes as possible within the trial period. Experiments were conducted both transparent and opaque boxes. With the opaque box, participants achieved a higher number of successful placements with haptic feedback, and we saw higher mean interaction forces. Results suggest that the provision of wearable haptic feedback may increase confidence when visual cues are obscured.


According to the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) among 15-17% of the population of reproductive age have troubles having a baby. The causes of infertility may lie in the man, the woman, in both members of the couple or may be idiopathic. In order to give solution to fertility problems assisted reproductive techniques (ART) were developed. Such techniques involve the handling of oocytes or sperm in a laboratory. The ART, however, does not provide a solution to all cases of sterility. Currently the most commonly ART used are artificial insemination (AI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI), which is derived from IVF. To successfully perform these techniques, most patients undergo controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) protocols. The COH has the purpose of stimulating the ovaries through hormonal treatments to obtain more than a mature follicle and to increase in this way the probabilities of pregnancy. There are several protocols available to develop these techniques, being the gonadotropins the most used treatment because of their intense stimulation. But if mild stimulations is desired clomiphene citrate may be an alternative. In addition, there is also the possibility of using an adjuvant treatment by using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, both agonists and antagonist, which significantly increase success rates due to an improvement in oocyte quality. Complications and adverse effects such as oocyte abnormalities, problems in endometrial receptivity, or two of the most recurrent complications like multiple gestation and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) can also arise from COH. There are a numerous protocols available to be followed, and each one derives advantages and disadvantages, so there is a need to individualize the technique to each patient considering age, ovarian reserve and medical history.


Stereotype threat – the social psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one's group applies (Steele, 1997) – has been broadly studied throughout the social sciences over the past two decades (for reviews, see Lewis & Sekaquaptewa, 2016; Steele, 2010). It is a theory that is purported to explain variance in disparities between those who are negatively stereotyped in certain domains (e.g. racial-ethnic minorities in academics, women in mathematics) and those who are not (e.g. White men in academics; Steele, 2010). Studies on stereotype threat have been conducted hundreds of times, and have yielded mixed findings. Early studies tended to yield positive findings (for meta-analytic review, see Nguyen & Ryan, 2008) whereas more recent reanalysis (Zigerell, 2017) and replication attempts (e.g., Finnigan & Corker, 2016) have failed to replicate findings. These conflicting accounts call into question the robustness of the paradigm, and raise two possibilities in our minds: either the strength of the evidence was weak to begin with, or something has changed over time to reduce the likelihood of finding stereotype threat effects. We test these possibilities in a pre-registered cross-temporal meta-analysis using multiple meta-analytic techniques.


The treatment of manganese [Mn] in acid mine drainage (AMD) and neutral mine drainage (NMD) is prone to variation in performance, which depends on several factors, including pH, Mn and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, catalysis by Mn-/iron [Fe]-solids, presence of ligands, and bacteria. Notwithstanding the recent technological and scientific advancements, Mn removal is notoriously difficult and still challenging because of its complex chemistry and high solubility. Precipitation of Mn(II), in AMD and NMD, occurs in the form of oxides, with prior oxidation to Mn(III) and Mn(IV), or as carbonates and sulphides. However, most treatment systems have limited efficiency in simultaneously treating Mn and other metals in AMD/NMD, necessitating secondary treatment for Mn removal. Modification of natural or residual materials was found efficient for the treatment of NMD. In this context, this study evaluated the performance of half-charred dolomite (1 h at 750°C) in batch testing (solid: liquid ratio of 3 g:400 mL) for Mn treatment in AMD and NMD. Results showed that modified dolomite treated more than 98% Mn in synthetic NMD (pH 6.1–6.3, up to 1 g/L Mn), at final pH of 9.7–10.6. Similar efficiency (98%) in Mn removal was also found for synthetic AMD (pH 3.6, up to 100 mg/L Mn and 1 g/L Fe, Mn:Fe molar ratio 1:10), while Fe was completely treated, at final pH of 9.7–9.8. In addition, Mn removal was 99.5% within the first 2 h (when pH increased to 8.0), while after 4 h, the efficiency was up to 99.9% (at final pH of 9.6). DO also decreased (from 8 to 2.2 mg/L), at initial Mn concentrations of 1 g/L, and dropped (from 8 to 0.7 mg/L), when Fe concentrations increased to 1 g/L (Mn:Fe molar ratio 1:10). Based on these findings, half-charred dolomite seems a promising option for the treatment of Mn in both AMD and NMD.


Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an extremely common form of vascular disease and impacts a great number of patients worldwide. Acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a subset of VTE and is traditionally been treated with anticoagulation. There is good quality data which suggests the use of catheter directed interventions for the treatment of acute DVT with the aim of reducing post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The present review will discuss the various therapies available for acute DVT, focusing on catheter directed interventions, ranging from traditional anticoagulation to the most novel forms of aspiration thrombectomy.


This thesis is intended as a contribution to the understanding of
national identity construction by national elites in early modern
Europe. It examines the development of national identity among the
Croats and concentrates upon the life and work of the Croatian writer
and scholar Pavao Ritter Vitezovic (1652-1713). His work in the
fields of national history, linguistics and genealogy is treated as
typical of the type of early modern scholar concerned with national
identity, here termed identity constructor.
The phenomenon of identity construction among the early modern Croats is
set in the context of current debates over western and eastern models of
national development. This is followed by an account of the development
of a Croatian identity in the fields of politics and culture during the
early modern period. Chapter Two is concerned with the social and
intellectual forces which led early modern scholars to address questions
of national identity. It examines Vitezovic's intellectual and moral
world, in particular the character of his patriotism and its origins in
humanist learning and in chivalry. Chapter Three looks at ideas of
national renewal in Vitezovic's work. It discusses his analysis of the
threats facing the Croats in terms of external enemies, namely the
Turks and the lack of coherence among the Christian alliance, and
internal enemies, namely the Croats' own decadence and indifference to
their national identity. The next three chapters examine aspects of the identity which
Vitezovic presented to the Croats in order to halt their decline into
obsolescence. Chapter Four uses Vitezovic's ethnographic writings to
examine how national identities are fashioned from existing material to
suit current circumstances. It discusses his use of Slav and Illyrian
literature to inspire the Croats with nostalgia for their former period
of greatness. This longing would rouse the Croats from their present
state of apathy and direct them towards the task of national self-renewal.
Chapters Five and Six look at the importance of statehood for
Croatian national identity. Chapter Five examines how Vitezovic set
the existing political institutions of the Kingdom of Croatia within
the context of the Croats' national history and defined the relations
between the Croats and their king, the Habsburg Emperor. The
following chapter looks at Vitezovic's grand scheme for an enlarged
Kingdom of Croatia to be built under the aegis of the Emperor after
the Ottoman withdrawal from the Balkans. It considers how historical
and ethnic arguments are used to invest territory with national content.
The concluding chapter examines problems of change and continuity
within national identities. A brief survey of developments in Croatian
national identity in the half century after Vitezovic's death and
before the rise of the romantic movement is followed by a general
conclusion on the constraints which determine how a nation creates its
identity.


The study of trade-offs among major life history components (age at maturity, lifespan and reproduction) allowed the development of a quantitative framework to understand how environmental variation shapes patterns of biodiversity among and within species. Because every environment is inherently spatially structured, and in most cases temporally variable, individuals need to move within and among habitats to maximize fitness. Dispersal is often assumed to be tightly integrated into life histories through genetic correlations with other vital traits. This assumption is particularly strong within the context of a fast-slow continuum of life-history variation. Such a framework is to date used to explain many aspects of population and community dynamics. Evidence for a consistent and context-independent integration of dispersal in life histories is, however, weak. We therefore advocate the explicit integration of dispersal into life history theory as a principal axis of variation influencing fitness, that is free to evolve, independently of other life history traits. We synthesize theoretical and empirical evidence on the central role of dispersal and its evolutionary dynamics on the spatial distribution of ecological strategies and its impact on population spread, invasions and coexistence. By applying an optimality framework we show that the inclusion of dispersal as an independent dimension of life histories might substantially change our view on evolutionary trajectories in spatially structured environments. Because changes in the spatial configuration of habitats affect the costs of movement and dispersal, adaptations to reduce these costs will increase phenotypic divergence among and within populations. We outline how this phenotypic heterogeneity is anticipated to further impact population and community dynamics.


The fierce controversy of the band gap of InN from 0.6 to 2.3 eV has been debated for nearly fifteen years. Numerous possible reasons, such as the Moss–Burstein effect, oxygen incorporation and indium : nitrogen stoichiometry, have been postulated to interpret this outstanding issue. Nevertheless, none of them can provide a convincing and comprehensive explanation. Here, we shed new light on this notable debate using state-of-the-art first-principles calculations based on many-body perturbation theory combined with experiments. We demonstrate that the ubiquitous surface nanostructures (NSs) with amazing characteristics, that is, the outgrowth needle- or dot-like nanocrystals of the InN film surface, are vital and significantly alter its electronic structure and optical properties. The valence band inversion in the decreasing order of crystal-field split-off hole and heavy/light hole can occur in these NSs, which leads to an optical transition switch from E ⊥ c in bulk InN to E ‖ c in surface InN NSs. Moreover, the strong surface bound excitons can be induced in InN NSs due to quantum confinement, resulting in the exciton absorption/emission from infrared to visible (green) wavelength. The blue shift of the PL peak in InN quantum dots with decreasing size further provides convincing evidence for the essence of the large variable band gap of InN. The electronic structure, optical polarization properties and especially the strong exciton effect of InN NSs have been investigated systematically and comprehensively and lays the foundation for future applications of InN QD based photovoltaic and light-harvesting devices.


This research is done to describe the process, result and increasing factors of students' ability in understanding the intrinsic elements from drama text by using cooperative learning method type STAD of grade VIII.3 of Tri Bhakti Junior high school students Pekanbaru. The conclusion are; first, in the increasing process, teacher explain the learning target, explain the learning material, read student with the highest score to become group's chairman, teacher monitored the learning process, then students come back to their own chair and answer the questions given by the teacher. Second, the students' ability in understanding the intrinsic elements from drama text increase, from 64 in pre-cycle become 72.68 in cycle I then there is an increasing score in cycle 2 with average score 88.82. Third, Factors cause the increasing students' ability in understanding the intrinsic elements of drama text are; chairman is responsible to the group work in order to understand the material and answer the questions related to elements of drama text that is explained, and students can explained in front of the class with good and correct language.


In large machines, the possible failures are numerous and complex events. Furthermore, monitoring a multitude of measurement points leads to an accumulation of a large amount of data, making the task of tracking the equipment even more difficult. Often, there might even be an emerging problem that can influence several indicators simultaneously without exceeding the alert level of any one of them in particular. For end-users, the proposed monitoring system acts like a black box with an alert that comes on when the equipment's behaviour changes, much like the "check engine" of a car. The behavior of the equipment is tracked by a continuously updated statistical model and it is thus possible to compare future measurements with model predictions. Both the model and measurement uncertainties are taken into account by the procedure, and the confidence level can be determined by the user and is therefore a fixed quantity. In addition, the approach combines all the individual exceedances of each indicator in a single global deviation. When an alert is raised, the individual exceedances can be used in order to determine the source of the alert. Two different examples are presented where failures occurred on hydraulic turbine-generator units: the loss of a hydraulic turbine runner cone and a breakage of a thrust bearing.


Woolf, K, Wendy, KB, and Carlson, AG. Effect of Caffeine as an Ergogenic Aid During Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Caffeine Naïve Collegiate Football Players. J Strength Cond Res 23(5): 1363-1369, 2009-Research suggests that caffeine may improve performance in aerobic exercise; the evidence for anaerobic performance is mixed. This study examined the effect of caffeine (5 mg/kg body weight [BW]) vs. placebo on performance-based anaerobic exercise tests used during the National Football League (NFL) Combine. Collegiate football athletes (n = 17; 20 ± 2 yr; body mass index 29.4 ± 3.6 kg/m2) completed 2 study visits, 1 week apart. Participants were low caffeine users with a reported average intake of 16 ± 20 mg/day. On the day of testing, participants ingested a caffeinated (5 mg/kg BW caffeine + 0.125 g/kg BW carbohydrate) or placebo (0.125 g/kg BW carbohydrate) beverage, ate a light meal, and completed 3 exercise tests (40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, and a bench press) 60 minutes later. Borg's rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded after each exercise test. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were monitored (pre-exercise and postexercise). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and repeated measures analysis of variance. No significant differences were found between treatments for the exercise tests (40-yard dash: 5.01 ± 0.25 vs. 5.03 ± 0.26 s, p = 0.43; 20-yard shuttle: 4.64 ± 0.19 vs. 4.66 ± 0.24 s, p = 0.51; bench press: 17 ± 8 vs. 17 ± 8 reps, p = 0.51; caffeine vs. placebo, respectively). However, 59% of the participants improved in performance with the caffeine during the bench press and the 40-yard dash. No differences were found between treatments for RPE, HR, and BP. Caffeine did not improve performance for anaerobic exercise tests used at the NFL Combine in caffeine naïve male football athletes.


The hippocampus has been linked to memory encoding and spatial navigation, while the prefrontal cortex is associated with cognitive functions such as decision-making. These regions are hypothesized to communicate in tasks that demand both spatial navigation and decision-making processes. However, the electrophysiological signatures underlying this communication remain to be better elucidated. To investigate the dynamics of the hippocampal-prefrontal interactions, we have analyzed their local field potentials and spiking activity recorded from rats performing an odor-cued spatial alternation task in an 8-shaped maze. We found that the phase coherence of theta peaked around the choice point area of the maze. Moreover, Granger causality revealed a hippocampus->prefrontal cortex directionality of information flow at theta frequency, peaking at starting areas of the maze, and on the reverse direction at delta frequency, peaking near the turn onset. Additionally, the patterns of phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling within and between the regions also showed spatial selectivity, and a new method revealed that hippocampal theta and prefrontal delta modulated not only gamma amplitude but also inter-regional gamma synchrony. Lastly, we found that the theta rhythm dynamically modulated neurons in both regions, with the highest modulation at the choice area; interestingly, prefrontal cortex neurons were more strongly modulated by the hippocampal theta rhythm than by their local field rhythm. In all, our results reveal maximum electrophysiological interactions between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex near the decision-making period of the spatial alternation task. These results corroborate the hypothesis that a dynamic interplay between these regions takes place during spatial decisions.


ABSTRACT The pathogenesis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) involves a cell-associated viremia during which infectious virus is carried from sites of respiratory mucosal inoculation to the skin. We now demonstrate that VZV infection of T cells is associated with robust virion production and modulation of the apoptosis and interferon pathways within these cells. The VZV serine/threonine protein kinase encoded by ORF66 is essential for the efficient replication of VZV in T cells. Preventing ORF66 protein expression by stop codon insertion (pOka66S) impaired the growth of the parent Oka (pOka) strain in T cells in SCID-hu T-cell xenografts in vivo and reduced formation of VZV virions. The lack of ORF66 protein also increased the susceptibility of infected T cells to apoptosis and reduced the capacity of the virus to interfere with induction of the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway following exposure to IFN-γ. However, preventing ORF66 protein expression only slightly reduced growth in melanoma cells in culture and did not diminish virion formation in these cells. The pOka66S virus showed only a slight defect in growth in SCID-hu skin implants compared with intact pOka. These observations suggest that the ORF66 kinase plays a unique role during infection of T cells and supports VZV T-cell tropism by contributing to immune evasion and enhancing survival of infected T cells.


We apply Andy Pitts's methods of defining relations over domains to several classical results in the literature. We show that the Y combinator coincides with the domaintheoretic fixpoint operator, that parallel-or and the Plotkin existential are not definable in PCF, that the continuation semantics for PCF coincides with the direct semantics, and that our domain-theoretic semantics for PCF is adequate for reasoning about contextual equivalence in an operational semantics. Our version of PCF is untyped and has both strict and non-strict function abstractions. The development is carried out in HOLCF.


Abstract:
"I am what I am…": comparing the experiences of openly gay and lesbian PE teachers with non-specialist peers in a period of declining homohysteria
This presentation will highlight the initial findings of the project examining the experiences of 13 self-selecting gay and lesbian teachers in order to compare the experiences of those who teach PE and school sports with those who teach more classroom-based subject areas. Recent studies have focused on the complexities faced by openly gay and lesbian teachers in various countries (Ferfolja & Hopkins, 2013; Gray, 2013; Neary, 2012; Fahie, 2016; Connell, 2015). Additionally, studies have been carried out that focus specifically on physical education teachers (Sykes, 2009; Edwards et al., 2014) and music teachers (Palkki, 2015).
However, as Edwards et al. (2014) acknowledge there is still a gap in research of teachers working in schools since the removal of Section 28, an act rushed through the UK parliament in a period of high homohysteria (Anderson, 2011; Moran, 2001). This Act has since been repealed and there has been a cultural shift, with homophobia steadily in decline according to GSS data (Anderson, 2011). This project seeks to identify how teachers navigate both homophobia and heteronormativity within an educational context; in addition, it explores perceptions of impact on learners in the classroom as a result of a school culture of openness. The presentation details the initial findings from the interviews carried out, providing a comparative account between the experiences of those who teach Physical Education (as a perceived area of professional vulnerability) and those who teach other curriculum areas.


Municipal regulations and humane movement policies often restrict or discourage the use of 'exotic' species as companion animals. However, confusion arises because the term 'exotic' is used in various ways, and because classifying species as exotic or non-exotic does not satisfactorily distinguish suitable from unsuitable companion animals. Even among commonly kept species, some appear to be much more suitable than others. Instead, decisions about suitable companion animal species need to be based on a number of relevant issues. As ethical criteria, we considered that keeping a companion animal should not jeopardize - and ideally should enhance - its welfare, as well as that of its owner; and that keeping a companion animal should not incur any appreciable harm or risk of harm to the community or the environment. These criteria then served as the basis for identifying and organizing the various concerns that may arise over keeping a species for companionship. Concerns include how the animals are procured and transported, how well their needs can be met in captivity, whether the animal poses any danger to others, and whether the animal might cause environmental damage. These concerns were organized into a checklist of questions that form a basis for assigning species to five proposed categories reflecting their suitability as companion animals. This assessment framework could be used in creating policy or regulations, and to create educational and decision-making tools for pet retailers, animal adoption workers, and potential owners, to help prevent animals from being placed in unsuitable circumstances.


This report maps lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equalities policies in the Hastings, Rother, ealden and East Sussex public sector. It examines trends in LGBT equality policies and equalities work in the public sector, and highlights areas for development. 10 public sector organisations took part. The results are reported under 3 broad headings:
Policy Requirements: The research found that while in general there is a good coverage of LGBT
equalities from a policy perspective, key areas of concern included engagement with Public Sector
Equality Duty C (the duty to foster good relations between LGBT people and non-LGBT people), levels of monitoring of LGBT service users, and appropriately using the data collected about both LGBT service users and staff members.
Policy Implementation: Staff training about LGBT equalities is widespread, but few organisations
said that they had specific training about LGBT equalities. 4 of the public sector organisations said that they had networks or groups for LGBT staff, and those these tended to be well-supported by their parent organisations; however the absence of these should not be taken as an example of a lack of commitment to LGBT equalities. 5 organisations designated 'staff champions' for LGBT equality, who tended to occupy high-level positions in their respective organisations. While trans identities were dealt with specifically at the policy level, there was little evidence of policy engagement with specific sexual identities, such as lesbian, gay male and bi/bisexual. 7 of the public
sector organisations did not address dual discrimination/multiple marginalisation and 2 noted specific problems in tackling this – however, there may also have been some confusion regarding terminology. 8 public sector organisations were producing LGBT-positive promotional materials targeted specifically at LGBT people, but only 4 were including LGBT-positive images or signage in their 'mainstream' promotional materials.
Looking to the Future: No public sector services who responded to the research said that the public
sector financial cuts would definitely affect LGBT equalities work, and 7 saying that they definitely would not. The main means for ensuring this was Equality Impact Assessments, though a variety of other methods were also posited. All of the responding public sector organisations demonstrated that they would welcome assistance in improving LGBT equality. The most commonly-requested or desired types of assistance were partnership work with the LGBT community, and better LGBT training for staff.


Bolted connections are commonly used in steel construction. The load‐bearing behavior of bolt fittings has extensively been studied in various research activities and the bearing capacity of bolted connections can be assessed well by standard regulations for practical applications. With regard to tensile loading, the nut does not have strong influence on resistances, since the failure occurs in the bolts due to higher material strengths of the nuts. In some applications, so‐called "blind holes" are used to connect plated components. In a manner of speaking, the nut is replaced by the "outer" plate with a prefabricated hole and thread, in which the bolt can be screwed and tightened. In such connections, the limit load capacity cannot solely be assessed by the bolt resistance, since the threaded hole in the base material has strong influence on the structural behavior. In this context, the available screw‐in depth of the blind hole is of fundamental importance. The German National Annex of EN 1993‐1‐8 provides information on a necessary depth in order to transfer the full tensile capacity of the bolt. However, some connections do not allow to fabricate such depths. In these cases, the capacity of the connection is unclear and not specified. In this paper, first experiments on corresponding connections with different screw‐in depths are presented and compared to limit load capacities according to the standard.


In the past two decades the number of jurisdictions which have empowered their Competition Authorities to engage in market inquiries (MIs) has grown substantially. Although jurisdictions differ in the scope and procedure adopted for such studies, they all share an important common trait: attempting to allocate the roots of limited competition in the studied market. Market studies differ from traditional competition law tools in their triggers, range, object, and the level of pro-activity of the Competition Authority. They are not triggered by a suspicion of anti-competitive conduct of specific firm(s), but rather allow the Authority to use a broad prism which focuses on a wider set of potential obstacles to competition, including the Authority's own past conduct, in order to find ways to enhance competition. MIs entail many advantages. Yet, bestowing this power upon a Competition Authority is not self-explanatory. Furthermore, it is far from costless. Beyond the direct costs imposed on both the Authority and market participants, MIs often carry less tangible price tags. They raise a host of constitutional, democratic and practical issues that have not been thoroughly studied as of yet, which are the focus of this paper. In so doing, the paper builds, inter alia, on the recent administrative law literature which focuses on multi-agency interactions. Accordingly, this paper seeks to provide a synergetic analysis of MIs for the benefit of policymakers.


Cultural monuments are one of the key factors in tourism and they influence the economic and social development of the municipality or region and above its degree of sustainability tourism. The analysis of the potential of the tourism in municipalities and its comparison can be made by various methods and techniques such as local expenditure model, cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria evaluation of alternatives or cluster analysis. The method that can give an objective comparison of the size of anthropogenic sphere potentials of individual regions or possibly other territorial units is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). DEA models are usually used to find the relative efficiency among homogenous units according to selected criteria (inputs and outputs). According to the data taken from the Czech Statistical Office about the municipalities with extended powers in the Vysocina Region as basic spatial units we try to apply DEA analysis in terms of utilization of cultural and natural heritage for tourism. The main task is to identify the problematic places in this region and then suggest ways for improvement so that the region's potential is primarily to fulfill sustainable tourism.


In the educational context, social constructivists are those who view knowledge as constructed through social experiences. In the class-room, these theorists favour student-led and cooperative group work over teacher-directed and individual work and de-emphasize the explicit teaching of technical skills. Literacy teaching in New Zealand has been influenced by constructivism since the 1980s. Whether this influence has been positive is, however, open to doubt. According to current achievement data many students are under-achieving. A very different perspective is offered by social cognitivism, according to which experimental and quantitative methodologies are used to assess the effectiveness of various teaching approaches. While more widespread use of these methods could bring about much-needed change, advocates of constructivism have discouraged their uptake by (i) associating their own approaches with social values and (ii) representing scientific methods as unsuited to the contexts at stake. International research has shown that teachers take a more pragmatic view: Studies have demonstrated that the majority of teachers are comfortable with a range of approaches, and thus that seemingly disparate approaches may co-exist. There has been very little research on the beliefs of New Zealand teachers, although Ministry of Education publications for teachers are essentially constructivist.  Study One investigated the ideological context of the New Zealand primary school. A total of 626 teachers completed a survey on their beliefs and practices for teaching writing. Principal components analysis of beliefs isolated three dimensions, which appear to reflect valuation of (i) explicit, (ii) socio-cultural and (iii) process-writing approaches respectively. Principal components analysis of practices isolated six dimensions: (i) explicit and structured approaches; (ii) socio-cultural and process writing approaches; (iii) attention to surface features; (iv) advanced writing practices; (v) basic writing practices, and (vi) teacher goal selection. In the second phase of this study, a sub-sample of 19 survey respondents supplied writing samples from the students in their classes, at two time points, allowing for the measurement of progress over time. Teachers' scale locations for reported beliefs and practices were compared with their students' rates of progress. Explicit teaching beliefs and practices emerged as being strongly – although only marginally significantly – correlated with progress and socio-cultural practices were negatively – and significantly – correlated with achievement. In addition, a number of individual survey items were positively, and significantly, correlated with achievement, all belonging to the explicit teaching dimensions. Two items were negatively and significantly correlated with achievement, and these belonged to the process-writing and socio-cultural practices dimension.  A sub-sample of eight teachers were interviewed in order to gain a deeper understanding of their beliefs and practices. In general, teachers' comments reflected their scale locations in the survey data. While those who focused on the explicit teaching of technical skills achieved the greatest gains for student achievement, others used socio-cultural and process approaches thoughtfully to address students' social and emotional needs.  The pedagogical method that is the subject of Study Two, "Fast Feedback", was developed in line with social cognitivist findings and is thus at odds with the quasi-official view. Fast Feedback centres on individualized goals and regular, focused assessment in order to accelerate student progress. In 2015 nine teachers were engaged to trial this method – in seven classrooms, across three Wellington schools. Achievement data were collected for 136 student participants, and were compared with the equivalent data from students at a control school. Data analysis revealed that the treatment group made significantly more progress than the control group (ES 0.5). It also revealed variability across classrooms. Interestingly, the highest rates of progress were achieved (in all classrooms) during the first half of the intervention. Clearly worded, process-oriented goals were the most effective. The addressing of technical skills – sentence writing, spelling and handwriting – proved to be essential. In interviews, teachers observed that the predictable structure of Fast Feedback lessons was motivating for students, and led to a greater sense of self-responsibility on their (the students') part.  In conclusion, these two empirical studies together indicate that explicit approaches – informed by scientific research – are most likely to raise student achievement. The Ministry should therefore work with urgency to ensure teachers have information about these methods, so that more New Zealand students will experience success in learning to write.


In development studies with a focus on livelihoods, assets (also referred to as resources, capital, or means) represent a crucial dimension that influences people's ability to secure a livelihood. Lack of access to land, water, or education often leads to poverty. The present paper summarises research findings from an international research network, the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, regarding the crucial relation between such assets and access to them. It brings together insights obtained in studies around the globe as to why some people are excluded from access to assets. Beyond this, it raises the question of whether gaining access is sufficient – does access to resources in itself lead to benefits, or do we need to broaden the concept of access? In addressing these and other questions, this review of NCCR North-South research embeds the concepts of assets and access within a broader understanding of contested political processes, informed by contemporary social science debates. In the concluding section, this enhanced understanding of social realities is contrasted with social analyses underpinning (donor-supported) development interventions.


Quantum correlations between imprecision and backaction are a hallmark of continuous linear measurements. Here, we study how measurement-based feedback can be used to improve the visibility of quantum correlations due to the interaction of a laser field with a nanomechanical oscillator. Backaction imparted by the meter laser, due to radiation-pressure quantum fluctuations, gives rise to correlations between its phase and amplitude quadratures. These quantum correlations are observed in the experiment both as squeezing of the meter field fluctuations below the vacuum level in a homodyne measurement and as sideband asymmetry in a heterodyne measurement, demonstrating the common origin of both phenomena. We show that quantum feedback, i.e., feedback that suppresses measurement backaction, can be used to increase the visibility of the sideband asymmetry ratio. In contrast, by operating the feedback loop in the regime of noise squashing, where the in-loop photocurrent variance is reduced below the vacuum level, the visibility of the sideband asymmetry is reduced. This is due to backaction arising from vacuum noise in the homodyne detector. These experiments demonstrate the possibility, as well as the fundamental limits, of measurement-based feedback as a tool to manipulate quantum correlations.


Weather radar provides a detailed spatial representation of rainfall over a large area and in a real time basis. It has proven to be a valuable tool for hydrologists, agriculturalists and organisations that require accurate and real time information of rainfall and overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with the traditional raingauge estimate. However one of the shortcomings of the rainfall estimates supplied by weather radars is that there are quality problems associated with radar rainfall images that include ground clutter, beam blocking and anomalous propagation to name a few. To obtain the best rainfall estimate possible, techniques for removing ground clutter (non-meteorological echoes that influence radar data quality) on two-dimensional (20) and three-dimensional (3D) radar rainfall image data sets were developed in this study. The chosen method for estimating the "true" values behind the contaminated data was Kriging, which is considered to be the optimal technique for the spatial prediction of Gaussian data. Kriging has various advantages and disadvantages, which need to be taken into consideration in this type of application. For the radar rainfall images to be repaired in real time a computationally fast and efficient method of estimating the missing contaminated data was needed. This is achieved by exploiting the various properties associated with Kriging. In South Africa, radar volume scan data are currently only available on one-kilometre horizontal grids at one-kilometre intervals above the earth's surface. This may not be an accurate representation of the rainfall that actually reaches ground level. To provide an estimate of the "true" rainfall reaching the earth's surface, an algorithm has been developed that extrapolates the radar data down to ground level. The extrapolation is carried out using a combination of 3D Universal and Ordinary Kriging which is preceded by a rainfall classification algorithm developed and calibrated in this study. The techniques proposed for ground clutter infilling and the extrapolation of radar data to ground level have been tested for their effectiveness and efficiency on a wide range of selected rainfall events and indicate that the methodology is practically useful. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has recently installed the software to "cleanse" the radar data as it is received in real time.


BACKGROUND: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (EMN) is a novel technology which allows localizing peripheral lung lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes for sampling and thus increasing diagnostic yield of Flexible Bronchoscopy. OBJECTIVES: A prospective study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic yield of EMN with lower average fiducial target registration error (AFTRE) and rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). METHODS: Consecutive patients with peripheral lung lesion (PL) or enlarged mediastinal lymph node (MLN) which could not be diagnosed by conventional techniques and/or if the patients were not suitable for such interventions were included. The navigation procedure was continued once registration error was reached below/equal to the absolute value of 5 mm. ROSE was performed by an expert cytopathologist. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients; 22 having only PLs, 41 having only MLNs, and 13 having both PLs and MLNs together were enrolled. Thirty-two of 35 PLs (91.4%) and 85 of 102 MLNs (83.3%) were successfully sampled. Overall diagnostic yield was 89.5%. PLs and MLNs were further grouped according to their size (PLs: <20 mm vs ≥20 mm, MLNs: <15 mm vs ≥15 mm). The sampling yield was independent of size for both PL and MLN (P = 1.00, P = 0.38). In diagnostic EMN cases, mean AFTRE was 4.33 ± 0.71 mm, whereas it was 5.16 ± 0.05 mm (P = 0.008) in nondiagnostics. The total duration of procedure was 36.17 ± 9.13 min. Pneumothorax was observed in three patients (3.9%). CONCLUSION: EMN with low AFTRE in combination with ROSE is a reliable method with high sampling and/or diagnostic rate in PLs and MLNs.


Dynamic movements of activating and inhibitory receptors distinguish educated natural killer cells from hyporesponsive cells. Receptor dynamics shape NK cell function Natural killer (NK) cells are a subset of innate lymphoid cells that target virally infected and malignant cells. An education process ensures that activating receptors promote NK cell activation in response to infected or abnormal cells and that inhibitory receptors prevent inappropriate NK cell activation by healthy cells. Cells that lack inhibitory receptors are hyporesponsive. Staaf et al. found that the activating receptor NKp46 and the inhibitory receptor Ly49A exhibited dynamic movements in the plasma membrane that differed between educated and hyporesponsive NK cells. Although both receptors were generally restricted to membrane microdomains, NKp46 molecules spent less time in an individual microdomain and diffused faster on educated cells compared to hyporesponsive cells. Conversely, Ly49A molecules were overall more constrained and diffused more slowly on educated cells. Interfering with receptor dynamics reduced signaling by NKp46, indicating that the dynamic movements of these receptors are likely important determinants of NK cell responsiveness. Educated natural killer (NK) cells have inhibitory receptors specific for self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules and kill cancer cells more efficiently than do NK cells that do not have such receptors (hyporesponsive NK cells). The mechanism behind this functional empowerment through education has so far not been fully described. In addition, distinctive phenotypic markers of educated NK cells at the single-cell level are lacking. We developed a refined version of the image mean square displacement (iMSD) method (called iMSD carpet analysis) and used it in combination with single-particle tracking to characterize the dynamics of the activating receptor NKp46 and the inhibitory receptor Ly49A on resting educated versus hyporesponsive murine NK cells. Most of the NKp46 and Ly49A molecules were restricted to microdomains; however, individual NKp46 molecules resided in these domains for shorter periods and diffused faster on the surface of educated, compared to hyporesponsive, NK cells. In contrast, the movement of Ly49A was more constrained in educated NK cells compared to hyporesponsive NK cells. Either disrupting the actin cytoskeleton or adding cholesterol to the cells prohibited activating signaling, suggesting that the dynamics of receptor movements within the cell membrane are critical for the proper activation of NK cells. The faster and more dynamic movement of NKp46 in educated NK cells may facilitate a swifter response to interactions with target cells.


Offshore structures, such as oil platforms and vessels, must be built such that they can withstand extreme environmental conditions (e.g., high waves and strong winds) that may occur during their lifetime. This means that it is essential to quantify probabilities of the occurrence of such extreme events. However, a difficulty arises in that there are very limited data available at these levels. The statistical field of extreme value theory provides asymptotically motivated models for extreme events, hence allowing extrapolation to very rare events. In addition to the risk to a single site, we are also interested in the joint risk of multiple offshore platforms being affected by the same extreme event. In order to understand joint extremal behaviour for two or more locations, the spatial dependence between the different locations must be considered. Extremal dependence between two locations can be of two types: asymptotic independence (AI) when the extremes at the two sites are unlikely to occur together, and asymptotic dependence (AD) when it is possible for both sites to be affected simultaneously. For finite samples it is often difficult to determine which type of dependence the data are more consistent with. In a large ocean basin it is reasonable to expect both of these features to be present, with some close by locations AD, with the dependence decreasing with distance, and some far apart locations AI. In this thesis we develop new diagnostic tools for distinguishing between AD and AI and illustrate these on North Sea wave height data. We also investigate how extremal dependence changes with direction and find evidence for spatial anisotropy in our data set. The most widely used spatial models assume asymptotic dependence or perfect independence between sites, which is often unrealistic in practice. Models that attempt to capture both AD and AI exist, but they are difficult to implement in practice due to their complexity and they are restricted in the forms of AD and AI they can model. In this thesis we introduce a family of bivariate distributions that exhibits all the required features of short, medium and long range extremal dependence required for pairwise dependence modelling in spatial applications.


Making one's way through the dense jungle of Old Japanese poetry and prose can be a daunting and discouraging task because of the complex writing systems used during the Asuka (550-710 CE) and Nara (710-789 CE) eras. The intricate script is a bewildering mix of Chinese characters employed for their semantic or phonetic value or as hints to other words--or even for word games. For the first time in English, this dictionary lists all 1,215 Chinese characters used as phonograms (ongana) or vernacular characters (kungana) in Old Japanese texts. It brings together a vast amount of data in relation to Chinese phonology: Old Chinese, Later Han Chinese, Middle Chinese, Sino-Japanese (both Go-on and Kan-on), Sino-Korean, Sino-Vietnamese, and Chu Nom. The entries contain examples from more than twenty Old Japanese texts showing how each character was used and in what context. Data from excavated wooden tablets, or slips (mokkan), is included as well as a chart of all the graphs and where they appear in the cited material. Students and scholars of Old Japanese writing and language and those more widely interested in the culture and history of pre-Heian Japan now have important linguistic and textual data at their fingertips arranged by character to help them decipher material from the ancient past.


A wide range of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and prion diseases, share common mechanisms such as neuronal loss, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Intervention strategies using plant-derived bioactive compounds have been offered as a form of treatment for these debilitating conditions, as there are currently no remedies to prevent, reverse, or halt the progression of neuronal loss. Rutin, a glycoside of the flavonoid quercetin, is found in many plants and fruits, especially buckwheat, apricots, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, plums, and oranges. Pharmacological studies have reported the beneficial effects of rutin in many disease conditions, and its therapeutic potential in several models of NDs has created considerable excitement. Here, we have summarized the current knowledge on the neuroprotective mechanisms of rutin in various experimental models of NDs. The mechanisms of action reviewed in this article include reduction of proinflammatory cytokines, improved antioxidant enzyme activities, activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, downregulation of mRNA expression of PD-linked and proapoptotic genes, upregulation of the ion transport and antiapoptotic genes, and restoration of the activities of mitochondrial complex enzymes. Taken together, these findings suggest that rutin may be a promising neuroprotective compound for the treatment of NDs.


This paper reviews the literature on the effects of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption. It aims to provide a cohesive picture of empirical archival literature on how IFRS adoption affects: financial reporting quality, capital markets, corporate decision making, stewardship and governance, debt contracting, and auditing. In addition, we also present discussion of studies that focus on specific attributes of IFRS, and also provide detailed discussion of research design choices and empirical issues researchers face when evaluating IFRS adoption effects. We broadly summarize the development of the IFRS literature as follows: The majority of early studies paint IFRS as bringing significant benefits to adopting firms and countries in terms of (i) improved transparency, (ii) lower costs of capital, (iii) improved cross-country investments, (iv) better comparability of financial reports, and (v) increased following by foreign analysts. However, these documented benefits tended to vary significantly across firms and countries. More recent studies now attribute at least some of the earlier documented benefits to factors other than adoption of new accounting standards per se, such as enforcement changes. Other recent studies examining the effects of IFRS on the inclusion of accounting numbers in formal contracts point out that IFRS has lowered the contractibility of accounting numbers. Finally, we observe substantial variation in empirical designs across papers which makes it difficult to reconcile differences in their conclusions.


This article deals with the educational ideas of Muhammadiyah and Nahdatul Ulama as representing the portrait of moderate Islamic education in Indonesia. The problems addressed includes whether both organizations have certain moderate ideas regarding education to seed their moderate character. Using actual philosophy approach, this study reveals that educational institutions of Muhammadiyah are characterized by a special subject matter called Al-Islam dan Kemuhammadiyahan. With the concept of objective identity of Muhammadiyah?s education, this subject matter is designed to be an instrument for Muhammadiyah to seed the moderate character of its students. Meanwhile, NU?s educational institutions are characterized by subject matter called Aswaja dan Ke-NU-an. Through the concept of SNP-Plus, this institution serves as an instrument for NU to seed the character of moderate Islam. Both organizations therefore share the same ideas to strengthen a moderate Islamic education in Indonesia on the basis of their own cultural traditions.


Microfluidic devices have been used in various applications including automated analysis systems,
biological applications like DNA sequencing, antigen-antibody reactions, protein studies, chemical
applications, single cell studies, etc.
Microfluidic devices are primarily categorised into two types. First are continuous microfluidic
devices. These devices consist of predefined microchannels, micro-valves, and syringe pumps. Fluid
is continuously flowing in these channels. The second type is digital microfluidic platforms. In this
type, MXN array of electrodes is patterned on non-conducting substrate. Fluid is discretized to
form tiny droplets. These droplets are transported, mixed and split using external electric field.
Digital microfluidic devices are configurable as there are no permanently etched channels. Also,
they have high throughput. Multiple reactions can be performed on the same platform at the same
time. The time taken to complete one reaction is less compared to the continuous devices. Thus they
help in faster analysis. These devices are controlled by electrical field and thus unlike continuous
devices, digital microfluidic devices are free from mechanically moving parts.
Digital microfluidic devices may suffer from charge accumulation due to electrostatic forces. Also,
voltage levels applied play an important role. The applied voltage has to be enough to move droplets
but should not cause electrolysis of the liquid used. Also voltage switching time between electrodes
and frequency applied are important. These parameters can change the mixing quality. In this
work, 2D simulations of droplet manipulation due to voltage application, transport and mixing are
carried out. Also digital microfluidic device is designed and fabricated to carry out biological mixing
experiments.


With predicted climate change, drylands are set to get warmer and drier, increasing water stress for the vegetation in these regions. Plant sensitivity to drier periods and drought events will largely depend on trait strategies to access and store water, often linked to the root system. However, understanding the role of below-ground traits in enhancing ecological resilience to these climate changes remains poorly understood. We present the results of a study in southern Africa where we analysed the relationship between root depth and the vegetation sensitivity index (VSI) (after Seddon and Macias-Fauria et al 2016 Nature 531 229–32). VSI demonstrates remotely-sensed aboveground vegetation responses to climate variability; thus our study compares aboveground vegetation responses to belowground root traits. Results showed a significant negative relationship between root depth and vegetation sensitivity. Deeper roots provided greater resistance to climate variability as shown by lower sensitivity and higher temporal autocorrelation in vegetation greenness (as measured by the enhanced vegetation index). Additionally, we demonstrated a link between deeper roots and depth to groundwater, further suggesting that it is the ability of deeper roots to enable access to groundwater that provides ecological resistance to climate variability. Our results therefore provide important empirical evidence that the ability to access deeper water resources during times of lower water availability through deeper roots, is a key trait for dryland vegetation in the face of future climate change. We also show that belowground traits in drylands leave a fingerprint on aboveground, remotely-sensed plant–climate interactions, an important finding to aid in scaling up data-scarce belowground research.


Background The Japanese severity criteria for acute pancreatitis (AP), which consist of a prognostic factor score and contrast-enhanced computed tomography grade, have been widely used in Japan. Objective This large multicenter retrospective study was conducted to validate the predictive value of the prognostic factor score for mortality and complications in severe AP patients in comparison to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score. Methods Data of 1159 patients diagnosed with severe AP according to the Japanese severity criteria for AP were retrospectively collected in 44 institutions. Results The area under the curve (AUC) for the receiver-operating characteristic curve of the prognostic factor score for predicting mortality was 0.78 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74–0.82), whereas the AUC for the APACHE II score was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76–0.83), respectively. There were no significant differences in the AUC for predicting mortality between two scoring systems. The AUCs of the prognostic factor scores for predicting the need for mechanical ventilation, the development of pancreatic infection, and severe AP according to the revised Atlanta classification were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.81–0.86), 0.73 (95% CI, 0.69–0.77), and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.81–0.86), respectively, which were significantly greater than the AUCs for the APACHE II score; 0.81 (95% CI, 0.78–0.83) for the need for mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03), 0.68 (95% CI, 0.63–0.72) for the development of pancreatic infection (p = 0.02), and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.77–0.82) for severe AP according to the revised Atlanta classification (p = 0.01). Conclusion The prognostic factor score has an equivalent ability for predicting mortality compared with the APACHE II score. Regarding the ability for predicting the development of severe complications during the clinical course of AP, the prognostic factor score may be superior to the APACHE II score.


A new control scheme to improve and maintain the power quality of an electrical power system i.e. distributed power flow controller. Generally, In case of modern power utilities have problems like challenges in growth of electricity in case of non-linear loads in grid connected systems. In this paper, we introduced a new series-shunt type FACTS controller called as distributed power flow controller. This DPFC method is same as the UPFC used to compensate the voltage sag and the current swell. In DPFC, we eliminate the common dc link capacitor and instead of single three phase series converter it has three individual single phase converters. In this paper, the control circuit is designed by using series referral voltages and branch currents. The evaluated values are obtained by using MATLAB/SIMULINK.


Background Advance care planning (ACP) supports individuals to define, discuss, and record goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care. Despite being internationally recommended, randomised clinical trials of ACP in patients with advanced cancer are scarce. Methods and findings To test the implementation of ACP in patients with advanced cancer, we conducted a cluster-randomised trial in 23 hospitals across Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, and United Kingdom in 2015–2018. Patients with advanced lung (stage III/IV) or colorectal (stage IV) cancer, WHO performance status 0–3, and at least 3 months life expectancy were eligible. The ACTION Respecting Choices ACP intervention as offered to patients in the intervention arm included scripted ACP conversations between patients, family members, and certified facilitators; standardised leaflets; and standardised advance directives. Control patients received care as usual. Main outcome measures were quality of life (operationalised as European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] emotional functioning) and symptoms. Secondary outcomes were coping, patient satisfaction, shared decision-making, patient involvement in decision-making, inclusion of advance directives (ADs) in hospital files, and use of hospital care. In all, 1,117 patients were included (442 intervention; 675 control), and 809 (72%) completed the 12-week questionnaire. Patients' age ranged from 18 to 91 years, with a mean of 66; 39% were female. The mean number of ACP conversations per patient was 1.3. Fidelity was 86%. Sixteen percent of patients found ACP conversations distressing. Mean change in patients' quality of life did not differ between intervention and control groups (T-score −1.8 versus −0.8, p = 0.59), nor did changes in symptoms, coping, patient satisfaction, and shared decision-making. Specialist palliative care (37% versus 27%, p = 0.002) and AD inclusion in hospital files (10% versus 3%, p < 0.001) were more likely in the intervention group. A key limitation of the study is that recruitment rates were lower in intervention than in control hospitals. Conclusions Our results show that quality of life effects were not different between patients who had ACP conversations and those who received usual care. The increased use of specialist palliative care and AD inclusion in hospital files of intervention patients is meaningful and requires further study. Our findings suggest that alternative approaches to support patient-centred end-of-life care in this population are needed. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN63110516.


Visualizing high-dimensional data has been a focus in data analysis communities for decades, which has led to the design of many algorithms, some of which are now considered references (such as t-SNE for example). In our era of overwhelming data volumes, the scalability of such methods have become more and more important. In this work, we present a method which allows to apply any visualization or embedding algorithm on very large datasets by considering only a fraction of the data as input and then extending the information to all data points using a graph encoding its global similarity. We show that in most cases, using only O(log(N)) samples is sufficient to diffuse the information to all N data points. In addition, we propose quantitative methods to measure the quality of embeddings and demonstrate the validity of our technique on both synthetic and real-world datasets.


As the pace of climate change continues to accelerate in the North, traditional environmental knowledge systems are increasingly recognized by researchers, land use planners, government agencies, policy-makers and indigenous peoples as important contributors to environmental impact and climate change assessment and monitoring. Increasing temperatures, melting glaciers, reductions in the extent and thickness of sea ice, thawing permafrost and rising sea levels all provide strong evidence of increasing temperatures in the Arctic. This warming climate has the potential to change migration patterns, the diversity, range, and distribution of animal and plant species, and increase contaminants in the food chain from atmospheric transport of organic pollutants and mercury, thus raising concerns regarding the safety of traditional foods. Since 1996, the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op (ABEKC) has systematically recorded First Nations, Inupiat and Inuvialuit observations of landscape changes in the lower Mackenzie, Northern Yukon and eastern Alaska. Time-series data (regarding berry, caribou, fish, weather, ice and snow, plants, and other animal observations) have been obtained through annual interviews with the most active fishers, harvesters and hunters in the communities of Aklavik, Arctic Village, Fort McPherson, Kaktovik, Old Crow, and more recently, in Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic, and Tuktoyaktuk. An evaluation of the spatial utility of the ABEKC database and the many steps that are involved in the collection, storage, and organization of the Co-op's data was documented. The ABEKC database provided an excellent opportunity to explore the problem of depicting complex qualitative information on northern landscape change in an intelligible GIS format. Initial attempts to develop the database in spatial format were critically evaluated and recommendations were provided in order to explore whether the data gathering and subsequent mapping process can be improved, whether more useful information can be obtained from the data, and to ensure the proper handling of the data in future years.


SnO2 films with different thicknesses (250, 300, 330 and 350 nm) were synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique. The substrates were heated to 500°C. Characteristics and optical constant of the films have been studied. Optical absorption studies in the wavelength range 300–900 nm in order to calculate the optical constants such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant. Results illustrate that both refractive index and extinction coefficient of the films are increasing with increasing film thickness, on the other hand, the values of real and imaginary parts of the dielectric are found to be decreased with increasing film thickness. The skin depth is found to be decreases as the film thickness increased to 350nm, so the skin depth is a transmittance related.


Knotting of a coronary catheter during cardiac catheterization is a relatively common event and can usually be resolved by simply untwisting the catheter or by straightening it with a guidewire. If these manoeuvres fail, the knotted catheter may be retrieved using a snare device; however, if unsuccessful, surgical extraction may prove necessary. The authors describe a case in which a snare device failed to retrieve a knotted catheter firmly impacted within a loop in the external iliac artery. The catheter was successfully mobilized using an angioplasty balloon inflated distal to the site of impaction then pulled back, allowing dislodgement of the knot and subsequent extraction of the catheter from the contralateral femoral artery.


Background College age female athletes are susceptible to decreased bone mineral density (BMD) which puts them at an elevated risk for poor bone health in the future. Objective The primary purpose of this study was to compare site-specific and total body BMD of college-age female athletes across sports of varying impact level. Secondary objectives included (1) evaluating the relationship between BMD and menstrual, family bone health, and personal bone health histories; (2) to determine the best clinical predictors of BMD in this population. Design Cross-sectional. Setting NCAA Division I female athletes screened at university sports medicine centre. Participants 265 (20.1±1.19 years, 66.5±10.9 kg, 1.7±0.09 m) college-age female athletes from 14 different sporting teams. Interventions Personal and family health questionnaire, Total Body (TB), anteroposterior Spine (APS), Dual Femur (DF) BMD and Body Composition scans using GE Lunar iDXA. Main outcome measurements Athletes were separated into three sport impact categories. BMD measurements were compared across the impact levels. Both stepwise regression and classification and regression tree analysis were conducted to determine significant predictors of BMD. Results Athletes participating in low and moderate impact sports had significantly lower TB and site-specific BMD values when compared to high impact athletes (TB: High=1.24, Mod=1.18, Low=1.15; APS High=1.33, Mod=1.25, Low=1.21; DF High=1.25, Mod=1.12, Low=1.11). The BMD values for each secondary exposure were lower in those with history of abnormal menses (TB-1.19, APS- 1.24, DF- 1.17), previous stress fracture/reaction (TB-1.19, APS- 1.27, DF- 1.17), and poor family bone health (TB-1.18, APS- 1.26, DF- 1.16). Classification and regression trees (CART) analysis shows highest TB mean BMD was found in high impact athletes with LBM>50.9 kg. Conclusion There is an ordinal relationship between sport impact level and BMD. Using CART analysis, gynaecological age, impact level and LBM are the best predictors of mean BMD.


This study evaluates the effects of changing the averaging period used to calculate Social Security benefits from 35 years to 38 or 40 years and the introduction of a minimum benefit provision for future retirees born during the early part of the baby boom generation. Proposals to change the averaging period have been recommended by a majority of the 1994-96 Advisory Council on Social Security. Based on the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) matched to Social Security Administration earnings records, the study projects retirement benefits for different subgroups of the population under existing and proposed benefit rules. The magnitudes of the retirees' benefit changes vary by demographic group. The minimum benefit provision substantially mitigates the effects of the change to a 40-year averaging period for some groups of women.


This book on the Rietveld Schröder House (by Gerrit Th. Rietveld, 1924) sheds light on the thorough restorations of its exterior (1970s) and interior (1980s), and the principles for the furnishing when it opened as a museum house for the public, in 1987. Since the restorations, carried out by architect Bertus Mulder (b. 1929), the house is once more a shining manifesto of De Stijl and modernist living. Few realize that this is one of the first examples of a restored modern heritage building. The Rietveld Schröder House is also a milestone in the history of modern heritage restoration and a manifesto for the concern for modern heritage in the Netherlands. This study was made possible by a Keeping It Modern Grant from The Getty Foundation.


Denote by PSelf(X) (resp., Self(X)) the partial (resp., full) transformation monoid over a set X, and by Sub(V) (resp., End(V)) the collection of all subspaces (resp., endomorphisms) of a vector space V. We prove various results that imply the following: (1) If X has at least two elements, then Self(X) has a semigroup embedding into the dual of Self(Y) iff card(Y) >= 2^card(X). In particular, if X has at least two elements, then there exists no semigroup embedding from Self(X) into the dual of PSelf(X). (2) If V is infinite-dimensional, then there are no embedding from (Sub(V),+) into (Sub(V),\cap) and no semigroup embedding from End(V) into its dual. (3) Let F be an algebra freely generated by an infinite subset X. If F has less than 2^card(X) operations, then End(F) has no semigroup embedding into its dual. The cardinality bound 2^card(X) is optimal. (4) Let F be a free left module over a left aleph one - noetherian ring (i.e., a ring without strictly increasing chains, of length aleph one, of left ideals). Then End(F) has no semigroup embedding into its dual. (1) and (2) above solve questions proposed by B. M. Schein and G. M. Bergman. We also formalize our results in the settings of algebras endowed with a notion of independence (in particular independence algebras).


Global climate changes affect the functioning of ecosystems, in particular host-pathogen interactions, with major consequences in health ecology, however, it is less addressed how the change in global temperature affects the protein family of influenza virus. In this study, we studied the adaptation of polymerase basic protein 1 (PB1) family from influenza A virus to temperature change. 3841 PB1 proteins sampled from 1956-2011 were quantified by the amino-acid pair predictability and then compared their general changes with the temperature changes (Had-CRUT3v and CRUTEM4v data sets) of corresponding years on a 5? by 5? grid-box basis. Also, point-to-point comparisons were conducted from 1956 to 1998 in all and different species. The results showed that both changes in the temperature and unpredictable portion of PB1 proteins had similar trends from 1956 to 2011, which provides the evidence of virus adaptation at protein level to climate change.


Search algorithms aim to find solutions or objects with specified properties and constraints in a large solution search space or among a collection of objects. A solution can be a set of value assignments to variables that will satisfy the constraints or a sub-structure of a given discrete structure. In addition, there are search algorithms, mostly probabilistic, that are designed for the prospective quantum computer. This book demonstrates the wide applicability of search algorithms for the purpose of developing useful and practical solutions to problems that arise in a variety of problem domains. Although it is targeted to a wide group of readers: researchers, graduate students, and practitioners, it does not offer an exhaustive coverage of search algorithms and applications. The chapters are organized into three parts: Population-based and quantum search algorithms, Search algorithms for image and video processing, and Search algorithms for engineering applications.


Family Life Coaching (FLC) is an emerging approach to serving families that blends family science and coaching psychology. While family life coaching is growing, there is limited research on the perceptions of families about coaching. This study explores parental knowledge of and opinions of family life coaching as a way to help deal with parenting issues across the life course. Findings from this mixed methods study support parental preferences of family life coaching and further suggest that parents support the idea of hiring a family life coach or coaching professional to assist in meeting their goals.


The term "neglected tropical diseases" (NTDs) refers to a group of parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases that cause substantial and often debilitating illnesses, affecting more than one billion people globally. In the United States, addressing NTDs focuses largely on developing safe and effective mechanisms to prevent and treat NTDs. Furthermore, new or existing treatments must be made available to those in need—often people living in poverty or extreme poverty (less than $2 a day). But research, development, and delivery of these interventions is costly and relies mostly on funding from the federal government. With pressure to limit government expenditures, decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources entail balancing priorities, which involve many, often unarticulated or implicit, ethical judgments. This report highlights some of the central ethical issues pertaining to NTD policy development and argues that ethical considerations should be included in the policy development process. We conclude that the United States should develop an NTD policy to further reduce the prevalence and impact of NTDs both within and outside our borders.


Guidance and counseling programs are an integral part of schooling. Guidance and counseling in SMK is expected to facilitate the development of identity (identity) of students as a unique person and able to develop optimally in self-reliance. The complexity and diversity of problems faced by learners / counselors required that guidance and counseling / counselor teachers are able to provide prompt, precise services. Creativity and innovation are needed because counseling service is a combination of science and art. Art Therapy is one alternative that can be used as a solution for methods in the counseling process provided to learners. Art Therapy can be done with a variety of methods of painting or drawing, dancing, playing music instrument or singing, poetry and drama.


This paper provides a systematic analysis of the role of contracting environments on market outcomes and efficiency in markets with hidden information using experimental methods. When markets are plagued by hidden information, competition does not necessarily ensure efficient market outcomes. This crucially depends on the nature of hidden information: While theoretically efficiency is attained via competition under hidden information of the private values form, severe distortions may occur under common values (such as in the classic Akerlof lemons or Rothschild-Stiglitz insurance markets). The extent of distortions in the latter case furthermore depends on the nature of competitive contracting. We present a parsimonious experimental design that allows to compare the different contracting environments ranging from monopoly to nonexclusive competition for both types of hidden information markets, private and common values. The degree of equilibrium play that we find is strikingly high, particularly in the complex cases of competitive common values markets. While competition ensures efficiency under private values, it is not the case under common values where distortion arises under exclusive and exclusion under nonexclusive contracting.


An important, yet undeveloped, area of corporate law concerns the fiduciary duties of wholly-owned subsidiary directors. The district court in First American Corp. v. Al-Nahyan, 17 F. Supp. 2d 10 (D.D.C. 1998), expressed the hope that this "perplexing issue" would become the subject of "a more robust discourse." Id. at 26, n.17. The Delaware Supreme Court has said that "in a parent and wholly owned subsidiary context, the directors of the subsidiary are obligated only to manage the affairs of the subsidiary in the best interests of the parent and its shareholders." Anadarko Petroleum Corp. v. Panhandle Eastern Corp., 545 A.2d 1171, 1174 (Del. 1988). Meanwhile, the district court in Al-Nahyan concluded that "the directors of a wholly-owned subsidiary owe the corporation fiduciary duties, just as they would any other corporation." 17 F. Supp. 2d at 26. As for legal commentators, one has argued that a fundamental rights analysis should be applied to differentiate legitimate from illegitimate shareholder demands in the wholly-owned subsidiary context. Another has suggested that due to the uniquely insulated nature of the relationship between a parent company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, directors of wholly-owned subsidiaries should be held to a lesser standard than other directors - perhaps all we should expect of them is to act as mere agents of the parent. In this article, I argue that precisely because the relationship between a parent company and its wholly-owned subsidiary is so insulated, directors of wholly-owned subsidiaries should be held to higher fiduciary standards than other directors. In the alternative, I argue that a derivative right to enforce the wholly-owned subsidiary director's duty to the corporation should be granted to certain stakeholders.


Being capable of updating cryptographic algorithms is an inevitable and essential practice in cryptographic engineering. This cryptographic agility , as it has been called, is a fundamental desideratum for long term cryptographic system security that still poses significant challenges from a modeling perspective. For instance, current formulations of agility fail to express the fundamental security that is expected to stem from timely implementation updates, namely the fact that the system retains some of its security properties provided that the update is performed prior to the deprecated implementation becoming exploited. In this work we put forth a novel framework for expressing updateability in the context of cryptographic primitives within the universal composition model. Our updatable ideal functionality framework provides a general template for expressing the security we expect from cryptographic agility capturing in a fine grained manner all the properties that can be retained across implementation updates. We exemplify our framework over two basic cryptographic primitives, digital signatures and non-interactive zero-knowledge (NIZK), where we demonstrate how to achieve updateability with consistency and backwards-compatibility across updates in a composable manner. We also illustrate how our notion is a continuation of a much broader scope of the concept of agility introduced by Acar, Belenkiy, Bellare, and Cash in Eurocrypt 2010 in the context of symmetric cryptographic primitives.