This Practice-as-Research thesis, The Copla Musical, explores an intercultural adaptation of the 20th-century Spanish folkloric song-form of copla. Enjoying great
popularity during the mid-20th century, copla's influence waned in the latter years of the Franco regime. It remains, however, a strong marker of Spanish cultural identity through nostalgic musical preservation. This project investigates copla's roots as a storytelling form, its position as a folkloric genre and its role as a subversive tool in the
Spanish 20th-century zeitgeist. It asks new questions of copla, by documenting and analysing the process of sharing my experience of this musical form with audiences
outside Spain, testing the findings in an iterative context. Merging copla with elements found in Anglo-American musical theatre structures such as book musicals, revues and jukebox shows, The Copla Musical shows the ways in which this cultural form can be appropriated within an alternative theatrical and socio-political context. The numerous performances documented and commented on in the thesis allow for a discussion of divergent forms of musical theatre, audience engagement and cultural difference. Chapter 1 (Positioning copla) presents a history of musical theatre in Spain, framing copla in relation to Anglophone developments of musical theatre. Chapter 2
(Adapting copla) analyses the theoretical framework to my practice: translation, intercultural and queer theories, and their influence on the practical elements of the
thesis. Chapter 3 (Making copla) explores resonances of the practice in its various presentations. The thesis is accompanied by a series of appendices and a website
which documents the evolution and iterations of the practice (www.thecoplamusical.com). In its totality, the project demonstrates the possibilities for
copla to be appropriated as a musical form that can travel beyond its Spanish roots.


The catalyst cost regards one of the most important obstacles in petroleum industry. Therefore, the regeneration of catalysts could be more economic process to get high performance and low cost. In this work, three types of catalysts were investigated: Pt/A2lO3 (spent catalyst from reforming unit/Al-Doura Refinery), prepared Pt/A2lO3(Doura) and Pt/HY. The performances of catalysts (activity, selectivity and catalyst stablity) were studied using n-heptane as feedstock under reforming conditions. The operating pressure kept constant at atmospheric pressure, and the operating temperature 500 o C. The liquid flow was 0.4 l/h. The amount of catalyst was 50 gm, H2/H.C ratio used was 2 for all experimental runs. The catalyst of reforming process has been successfully regenerated using laser technique. This technique regards as a new approach for catalyst regeneration in petroleum industry to remove carbon deposits. On the other hand, this regeneration technique shows a great potential for economical processes in petroleum refineries. The results show that the best operating conditions for the regeneration process were: laser power of 13 watt and regeneration temperature of 650 o C. From the results of catalyst characterization it was concluded that the structures and morphology of all catalysts types did not effected or destroyed through using laser power.


Chemical and isotopic analyses of waters from 4 thermal springs of the Guerrero Pacific coast, the most seismically active area in Mexico, were weekly performed during a period of 1.5 years (October 2002-March 2004). Within the same time interval more than 150 earthquakes with 3.5 < M < 5.3 occurred in the area. The data display several anomalies in Cl, SO4, δD and δ^18O, always immediately after an event, with a relaxation time of 3-4 weeks. The responses occurred only with earthquakes having an estimated epicentral site very close or almost coincident with the location of a spring. These results indicate that: 1) at least for earthquakes with M<5.3 within the Guerrero "seismic gap" there were no precursors in the chemical (ionic) and isotopic composition of thermal waters (on the weekly basis); 2) two groups of springs near Acapulco, Dos Arroyos and Paso Real, are sensitive to seismic activity and therefore further monitoring of these springs may help to unravel the mechanisms of the "hydro-seismo-interaction" in the area.


PREFACE.
George David Woods became the fourth president of the World Bank on January 1, 1963.
John F. Kennedy, personally, urged Woods to accept. In August, 1962, Eugene Black invited Woods to the
White House where Kennedy told Woods, in effect: Everything we in the United States have done since the end of the
war, including the Marshall Plan, to try to build a peaceful and stable world is threatened by the growing gap between
the poor and the rich countries. If that is not solved, it is going to cause the collapse of all our policies, including
American foreign policy. We have to do something about this, and I think the World Bank, of the institutions
available, is the most promising. This is our chosen instrument, and I want you, George Woods, to be the one to make
the Bank a bridge between the poor and the rich countries. 1
Born in poverty, raised in Brooklyn by his adoring mother after the early death of his father, John Woods, and
lacking a college education, George Woods, nonetheless, brought an impressive background to the task. At age 17, he
became a messenger boy for Harris, Forbes and Company; at age 50, he was Chairman of the Board of the First
Boston Corporation, an investment-banking firm which "was raising more money for more corporations than any
other investment-banking house in the world. ,,2
As a young man in his twenties, accompanied by the young Arthur Dean who later served as chief negotiator
to end the Korean War and, incidentally, was Woods's "best man", Woods won the account of the Nippon Light and
Power Company. As a Broadway Angel, he made a small fortune in the theater by backing Sailor Beware, Dead End
and Outward Bound. During the dark days of the depression, Woods successfully marketed the bonds of the Southern
California Edison Company. He "saved" Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey and the New York Times. He had a
distinguished career in Washington during World War II as a Colonel in the General Staff Corp under Generals
Somervell and Clay. Through a merger with Mellon Securities Corporation after World War II, George Woods made
First Boston, at that time, the largest publicly-owned investment banking firm in the United States.
In 1952, First Boston, together with Morgan Stanley, began to manage the new World Bank bonds. That
same year, Woods headed a World Bank mission to investigate the possibility of expanding and amalgamating two
steel companies in India. Later, he helped to organize development banks in India, Pakistan and the Philippines. He
played an important role in settling the compensation for the previous shareholders of the Suez Canal Company after
its nationalization. Woods, in New York, was in almost daily contact with Black, in Washington. Woods knew more
about the World Bank than anyone nominated to be president, with the possible exception of Eugene Black himself,
who had already been the United States Executive Director for two years before becoming president.
Woods was a banker. In the words of Woods's wife, Louise, "He never suffered fools gladly." He was very
bright, however; his was probably the keenest intellect of any president of the World Bank, and he presided over a
significant transition in the Bank's history: from Eugene Black, who firmly established the Bank and sold its bonds to
the world, to Robert McNamara, who greatly expanded the Bank and increased its lending, perhaps excessively.
1. Robert W. Oliver, "A Conversation with Irving Friedman, I," Conversations About George Woods and the World Bank,
Washington, D.C., March 1974, pp. 26-7.
2. "The Biggest Underwriter Finds the Big Money." Business Week, March 6,1971, p. 64.
2
Woods emphasized education and agriculture. He expanded the economics staff. He looked outward to the
international organizations which could assist development. He took in the newly independent nations of Africa. He
tried greatly to increase the lending of the International Development Association.
In 1935, Woods married the vivacious Louise Teraldson. They were a marvelous team. Louise accompanied
George as he flew hither and yon on missions for the World Bank. She didn't seek entry to Woods's world of finance,
nor he to her world of assisting young people from the Institute for International Education or the World Bank's
Young Professional's Program. They had no children, but they were together in the evening dining, more likely than
not, at the Twenty One Club in New York or entertaining in Washington.
This is the story of a remarkable man who rose from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to a position of preeminence in the
investment banking business. From the pinnacle of that vantage point, he was able increasingly to turn his attention to
public affairs until, in 1963, he became President of the World Bank. He succeeded because of hard work, a brilliant
mind, and attention to detail. His path was not without pitfalls, but he persevered; he left the Bank with the dream of
greatly increased economic assistance based on "a Grand Assize." He was the right man in the right place for his
time.


This research extends the analysis of De Mouche et al. (2011) and Colby et al. (1993) relating price differentials in per acre-foot terms to the priority date of water rights and hydrologic conditions using experimental economic data. This study investigates the effect that priority date, or the year the right was established, can have on the price of leases in the market for water rights and will expand on the existing literature by using an experimental data set to test the relationship. It is hypothesized that senior water rights, those with an older priority date, will have higher prices, while junior water rights, those that have been more recently established, will have lower prices. A cross-sectional analysis using an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model will be conducted to test this hypothesis. If the expected relationship is observed and found to be significant, this study may have policy implications that could impact decisions to regulate the market for temporary water rights transfers more strictly in the Western United States. Ultimately, since water scarcity and water rights are a growing economic and environmental concern in regions around the globe, extensions of this work may lead to new policies and regulations on a global level. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol22/iss1/14


The purpose of this study is to examine the link between corporate financial performance and Intellectual capital disclosures among top Nigerian companies for a four year period from 2006 to 2009. Return on capital employed was utilized as a proxy for financial performance while an Intellectual capital disclosure index was developed to capture the extent to which such voluntary disclosure was made. The study employed board nationality diversity as a moderating variable in the investigated relationship. This was denoted as the number of nationalities found on the board. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the potential relationship existing among the variables. Results of this study show that intellectual capital disclosures have a positive significant impact on financial performance while board nationality diversity has no impact on financial performance. The findings in this study provide some evidence supporting the signals theory whereby voluntary disclosure practices inform stakeholders of certain vital information which are critical in investment decision making and consequently have a return effect on corporate financial performance. The study thus recommends that firms adopt a holistic voluntary disclosure framework in order to enjoy associated economic benefits that accrue in this vein.


A breakdown of the bond between dyes containing a 2,4-fluoro-5-chloropyrimidinyl reactive group and cellulose occurs when the dyeing is treated at room temperature in a detergent containing sodium perborate or an equivalent amount of hydrogen peroxide and is subsequently exposed to a source of heat and light.

Studies of the breakdown of the dyeings have shown that a
nucleophilic substitution reaction takes place at the 5 position of the pyrimidinyl ring when the dyeing is treated with hydrogen peroxide, during which the chlorine substituent is replaced by a hydroperoxide group. It has been shown also that the dyeing has to be in its hydrolysed form (Type III) before it can form the hydroperoxide.

Other dyeings have been shown to form hydroperoxides but not all show dye fibre bond breakdown. Dichlorotriazinyl dyeings are in this last category. Dichloroquinoxalinyl dyeings, on the other hand, showed as much breakdown as the 2,4-fluoro-5-chloropyrimidinyl. Three pyrimidinyl dyes were prepared with different substituents in the 5 position of the ring: H, Cl and CN. The 2,4-dichloropyrimidinyl dyeing
(with H at the 5 position) did not show any significant breakdown, even at a high pH in the hydrogen peroxide solution, whereas with 2,4,5-trichloropyrimidinyl dyeings the breakdown at pH 12 was significant.

The 2,4-chloro-5-cyano pyrimidinyl dyeing showed the highest
breakdown of all, which confirms that the substituent at the 5-position of the pyrimidinyl ring is a determining factor.

The reaction which causes the breakdown of the dye-cellulose bond has been shown to be a radical reaction initiated by the decomposition of the hydroperoxide. The presence of some antioxidants when the hydroperoxide of the dyeing was exposed to the heat and light source was found to reduce the breakdown.

One of the aspects of the breakdown of the dyeings was that it was accompanied by a deterioration in brightness of the colour, and this was very marked with the yellow and orange colours.

Both the deterioration in brightness and the dye-cellulose bond breakdown were reduced by previous alkaline hydrolysis at the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring, thus confirming the relevance of the formation of a hydroperoxide at this position to the breakdown of the dyeings.

One pyrimidinyl dye which showed bond breakdown with hydrogen peroxide but could not fit the above theory was the 2-methylsulphonyl-4-methyl-5-chloropyrimidinyl dye. This dye does not produce the hydrolysed forms of the dyeing and consequently it is not easily understood why the apparently unreactive 5 position of the pyrimidinyl
ring should form a hydroperoxide via a nucleophilic reaction.


Full training according to the information needs of patients reduces health care costs and increases the quality of care. The present study was conducted aims to prioritize the preferences of hemodialysis patients in acquisition of health information to be able to provide training according to these preferences and their prioritization after achieving them. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional one which was conducted on all hemodialysis patients who visited Kowsar Hospital in Semnan within the year 2014-2015. Data collecting tool was researcher-made questionnaire which assessed physical information needs of patients in four areas of nutrition, energy, pain and discomfort, sleep and rest. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using the descriptive statistics.71 hemodialysis patients participated in this study. 68.6%, 50.7%, 42.6% and 46.7% of patients expressed acquisition information regarding hematopoietic foods, how to increase mobility, how to relieve itching during dialysis and mental activities before sleep as their first priorities, respectively. The results of this study showed that hemodialysis patients need to know what kinds of information in the field of physical problems. To facilitate adaptation and selfcare of patients, providing information and training based on the real needs of patients will be helpful.


Background and Aim: Physiological changes during pregnancy and the sympatho adrenalstimulation during larynoscopy and intubation leads to evaluation of safe devices to secure airway during cesarean section under general anesthesia. I-gel, recently emerging effective supra glottic device found safe during general anesthesia in cesarean section. Aim of the study is to compare the hemodynamic disturbances and airway related complications of I-gel and Endotracheal tube in patients undergoing cesarean section under general anesthesia. Material and Methods: Eighty ASA II pregnant patients posted for elective LSCS were randomly divided into two groups of 40 each (n = 40). According to the group they were inserted either I-gel (Group I) or ETT (Group E). Insertion time, ease of intubation, hemodynamics during insertion and Extubation, airway related complications like sore throat, blood on the device, dysphagia, regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, aspiration and laryngospasm were noted and compared. Statistical analysis was done by using unpaired t test, chi square test and fisher's test. P value of <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The demographic parameters, ease of insertion, insertion times and adequacy of ventilation were comparable between the groups (P > 0.05). 8 out of 40 patients in Group E had difficult intubation (P < 0.01). More than 20% of rise in MAP and HR were found during intubation and Extubation in Group E (40 out of 40 patients) which was statistically significant when compared to Group I (P < 0.001).Post operative sore throat significantly high in Group E (30 out of 40) (P < 0.001) when compared to Group I (4 out of 40). Conclusion: Easier insertion with less hemodynamic disturbances and very low incidence of sore throat I-gel found to be safer device to secure the airway in patients undergoing LSCS under general anesthesia.


This study examines trends in intergenerational class mobility in China by analyzing six comparable, nationally representative surveys between 1996 and 2012. Defying a simplistic, unidirectional account, the authors report two countervailing trends in social mobility in postrevolution China. On the one hand, the authors find a decline in social fluidity following China's transition from state socialism to a market economy, as the link between origin and destination in vertical social status has significantly strengthened. On the other hand, horizontal mobility between the agricultural and nonagricultural sectors has increased substantially during recent decades. To put these trends in a global context, the authors compare China's experience with those in 11 advanced industrial countries. The authors find that despite its recent decline, social fluidity in China is still high by international standards. Yet, the direction of vertical social mobility trends in China stands in contrast with that in mature capitalist countries, in which the class structure has either stayed stable or become more open over time.


Dupuytren's disease is a benign fibroproliferative disease of unknown aetiology. It is often familial and commonly affects Northern European Caucasian men, but genetic studies have yet to identify the relevant genes. Transforming growth factor beta one (TGF-beta1) is a multifunctional cytokine which plays a central role in wound healing and fibrosis. It stimulates the proliferation of fibroblasts and the deposition of extracellular matrix. Previous studies have implicated TGF-beta1 in Dupuytren's disease, suggesting that it may represent a candidate susceptibility gene for this condition. We have investigated the association of four common single nucleotide polymorphisms in TGF-beta1 with the risk of developing Dupuytren's disease. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used for genotyping TGF-beta1 polymorphisms. DNA samples from 135 patients with Dupuytren's disease and 200 control subjects were examined. There was no statistically significant difference in TGF-beta1 genotype or allele frequency distributions between the patients and controls for the codons 10, 25, -509 and -800 polymorphisms. Our observations suggest that common TGF-beta1 polymorphisms are not associated with a risk of developing Dupuytren's disease. These data should be interpreted with caution since the lack of association was shown in only one series of patients with only known, common polymorphisms of TGF-beta1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case-control association study in Dupuytren's disease using single nucleotide polymorphisms in TGF-beta1.


We investigated dielectric and hypersonic properties of NBT over a wide temperature range. The dielectric permittivity and loss measured from 20 Hz to 300 kHz agree at lower temperature with previous results. At higher temperature in and near the tetragonal phase the lower frequencies show a very large permittivity peak with considerable dispersion and large loss. This behavior is very similar to that found in other perovskite crystals and ceramics, in some cases far above T/sub c/. We attribute it to extrinsic bulk conductivity. The phase shift giving nonzero /spl sigma/" in /spl sigma/=/spl sigma/'+j/spl sigma/" may be caused by a spread in mobility activation energy. The Brillouin scattering data at 514.5 nm show a very broad dip in sound velocity and a very large and broad attenuation peak, both centered in the tetragonal phase temperature range. This behavior is attributed to hybridization of order parameter and cluster fluctuation contributions.


India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) collaboration is planning to build a magnetized Iron-CALorimeter detector (ICAL) for the study of atmospheric neutrinos. ICAL detector will be a stack of 151 layers of magnetized iron plates interleaved with glass Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) as active detector elements with a total mass of 50 kton. Resistive Plate Chambers are gaseous detectors made up of two parallel electrodes of high bulk resistivity like float glass and bakelite. These detectors are extensively used in several high energy physics experiments since 1980s because of high count rate, excellent time as well as spatial resolutions, simple to fabricate and operate. Due to detector aging issue, it is necessary to characterize electrode material so as to select appropriate electrode material before fabricating the detector. In the present studies, we measured bulk resistivity and surface current of glass as well as bakelite. Bulk resistivity of bakelite is ~ 100 times less than that of glass and surface current of bakelite is higher than that of glass. Also glass does not need any kind of surface treatment to achieve better surface uniformity. Therefore, glass electrodes are preferred over bakelite electrodes in most of the cases. Locally manufactured Asahi glass plate of ~2 mm thickness and bakelite plates  were tested during the studies as reported in this paper before the various stages of detector fabrication.


This dissertation is composed of three chapters covering topics about the impact of aflatoxin regulation policies on peanut suppliers and consumers.
 Chapter One evaluates welfare implications of aflatoxin standards imposed on peanut imported into the European Union (EU) market. Price and quantity effects on peanut suppliers and consumers are determined. The equilibrium displacement modeling (EDM) approach is applied on a source-differentiated market; where standards compliance costs are modeled as import tax to understand the distribution of economic incidence. Findings show that aflatoxin regulation tightening leads to price and quantity drop for the United States and other exporters, while China benefits owing to price and quantity increases. This result contradicts popular belief that strict aflatoxin regulations hurt all exporters in terms of lost revenues. Also, import suppliers and consumers share in the costs from the policy although consumers pay much of the costs.
 Chapter Two isolates the peanut industry in Ghana as a specific-country case and examines the distribution of economic impacts on domestic producers and consumers after incorporating important market features; namely trade status, and consumer demand for quality peanut. The EDM technique is employed in three nested models; autarkic peanut sector, small exporter with supply shift, and small exporter with both supply and demand shifts. Results from the autarkic model shows that domestic consumers experience greater economic loss. In the export model with supply shift only, producers bear the full economic burden due to Ghana's status as a small peanut trader. However, the third and more generalized model reveals that although producers bear the entire cost of the intervention, they could actually gain if consumer demand for quality peanut is incorporated into the analyses.
 Although Chapter Two incorporates demand for quality peanut, the analysis is based on strong assumptions about consumer preference for safer peanut. Therefore, Chapter Three provides empirical evidence of consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for quality peanut. Contingent Valuation survey was carried out on 652 individuals in Ghana. The study employs a semi-double-bounded dichotomous choice method based on random utility theory. Results indicate that 79% of consumers are willing to pay more for peanut with reduced aflatoxin levels; premiums range from 13% to 66%. Also, high income households, smaller family sizes, and younger people are more willing to pay for aflatoxin-free peanut than their counterparts. Interestingly, consumer characteristics such as region of residence, aflatoxin awareness, and one's level of formal education are found to have no influence on WTP. These findings are important to the research community and regulatory bodies regarding holistic assessments of aflatoxin interventions.


The enteric nervous system of several species, including the mouse, rat, guinea pig and humans, contains cannabinoid CB1receptors that depress gastrointestinal motility, mainly by inhibiting ongoing contractile transmitter release. Signs of this depressant effect are, in the whole organism, delayed gastric emptying and inhibition of the transit of non-absorbable markers through the small intestine and, in isolated strips of ileal tissue, inhibition of evoked acetylcholine release, peristalsis, and cholinergic and non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) contractions of longitudinal or circular smooth muscle. These are contractions evoked electrically or by agents that are thought to stimulate contractile transmitter release either in tissue taken from morphine pretreated animals (naloxone) or in unpretreated tissue (γ-aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine). The inhibitory effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists on gastric emptying and intestinal transit are mediated to some extent by CB1 receptors in the brain as well as by enteric CB1 receptors. Gastric acid secretion is also inhibited in response to CB1 receptor activation, although the detailed underlying mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Cannabinoid receptor agonists delay gastric emptying in humans as well as in rodents and probably also inhibit human gastric acid secretion. Cannabinoid pretreatment induces tolerance to the inhibitory effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists on gastrointestinal motility. Findings that the CB1 selective antagonist/inverse agonist SR141716A produces in vivo and in vitro signs of increased motility of rodent small intestine probably reflect the presence in the enteric nervous system of a population of CB1 receptors that are precoupled to their effector mechanisms. SR141716A has been reported not to behave in this manner in the myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparation (MPLM) of human ileum unless this has first been rendered cannabinoid tolerant. Nor has it been found to induce "withdrawal" contractions in cannabinoid tolerant guinea pig ileal MPLM. Further research is required to investigate the role both of endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonists and of non-CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract. The extent to which the effects on gastrointestinal function of cannabinoid receptor agonists or antagonists/inverse agonists can be exploited therapeutically has yet to be investigated as has the extent to which these drugs can provoke unwanted effects in the gastrointestinal tract when used for other therapeutic purposes.


Sonography is an important diagnostic tool to examine the gastrointestinal tract of dogs with chronic diarrhea. Two-dimensional grayscale ultrasound parameters to assess for various enteropathies primarily focus on wall thickness and layering. Mild, generalized thickening of the intestinal wall with maintenance of the wall layering is common in inflammatory bowel disease. Quantitative and semi-quantitative spectral Doppler arterial waveform analysis can be utilized for various enteropathies, including inflammatory bowel disease and food allergies. Dogs with inflammatory bowel disease have inadequate hemodynamic responses during digestion of food. Dogs with food allergies have prolonged vasodilation and lower resistive and pulsatility indices after eating allergen-inducing foods.


The current national rental housing program estimates housing needs on the basis of the minimum housing standard, and the standard for judging the eligibility is the relative income. However, the application of this standard tends to misjudge the housing needs of people because it does not consider regional conditions and household's affordability to identify the right target group for national rental housing needs. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to provide a better standard for judging the housing needs applying the residual income approach and to show that the new standard can be used to identify the housing needs groups as the target of national rental housing program. To accomplish the purpose of the study, we compared the results of various measuring standards for judging housing needs in Seoul and analyzed the difference among the results. We also examined the difference between groups according to the rental housing affordability. The results of these analyses indicate that the new standard with residual income approach can identify appropriately the rental housing needs groups by considering the characteristics of households and regional conditions more specifically. The findings of the study also imply that new standard can enhance the equity and efficiency of the national rental housing policy by identifying the right target groups in the sub-areas of a metropolis.


This is a fascinating comparative study of two contemporary artist who both utilised the traditional art of shadow play in their work. This exquisite comparative study of contemporary artists William Kentridge and Nalini Malani focuses on their use of the shadow play as a medium of memory. Independently of each other, both artists have deployed this centuries-old performance art form in works that some consider to be highpoints of their respective careers, including Kentridge's installation The Refusal of Time and Malani's video/shadow play In Search of Vanished Blood. Both artists belong to a generation whose experience is shaped by colonialism and de-colonization; their works reflect on the long-term traces of historical trauma, partition, and apartheid, always in aesthetically complex forms rather than in documentary or agit-prop style. In creative dialogue with modernism and the historical avant-garde, they provide persuasive examples of a new negotiation between aesthetics, ethics, and politics.


Introduction: The primary goal for most of the patients who seek orthodontic treatment is a discernible improvement in some aspect of their dento-facial appearance. Orthodontic therapy makes people look better and feel better about themselves and perhaps influences their ability for social interaction. Hence, this study was conducted to assess expressed needs and barriers associated with orthodontic treatment. Objectives: To know main motivational factor behind seeking orthodontic treatment and to correlate these factors with other variables such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Materials and Methods: The study included 200 orthodontic patients between 12 and 25 years visiting a private dental college, Mathura during July 2014 to September 2014. Structured proforma consisting of closed ended questions was used for assessing social demographic characteristics, factors and the barriers, which were associated with orthodontic treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: This study comprised of 120 females. Self-confidence (48%) was the main motivating for undergoing treatment among the subjects. Social interaction (44%) was the most common area of improvement expected by the patients after orthodontic treatment. Financial constraints were the main barrier for seeking treatment found among 30% patients. Conclusion: Patients seek orthodontic treatment mainly to enhance facial esthetics, self-confidence and social acceptability. The mismatch of need and desire for treatment is a problem for orthodontists.


Abstract The verification of arms-control and disarmament agreements requires states to provide declarations, including information on sensitive military sites and assets. There are important cases, however, in which negotiations of these agreements are impeded because states are reluctant to provide any such data, because of concerns about prematurely handing over militarily significant information. To address this challenge, we present a cryptographic escrow that allows a state to make a complete declaration of sites and assets at the outset and commit to its content, but only reveal the sensitive information therein sequentially. Combined with an inspection regime, our escrow allows for step-by-step verification of the correctness and completeness of the initial declaration so that the information release and inspections keep pace with parallel diplomatic and political processes. We apply this approach to the possible denuclearization of North Korea. Such approach can be applied, however, to any agreement requiring the sharing of sensitive information.


In all existing government forms the leader of the state (president or monarch) has an authorization to sign laws adopted by the parliament. The right of promulgation is regarded as both a legal obligations and a long running tradition. The same also goes true even for those countries where heads of the state do not have constitutional authorization to veto the laws adopted by the parliament and there are strict legal requirements to sign a parliamentary act, even though no one challenges the formal necessity of the signature. Therefore the authorization is always linked with the procedure i.e. the actual signing of the head of the state under a legal act. This is one of the functions of the head of the state which stems from a long running tradition. After the arrival and development of the doctrine of the separation of powers, legal researchers started analyzing presidential veto as an integral part of the system of checks and balances. Having recognized these authorizations as an integral part of the system of checks and balances a theoretical and practical question emerged. What is the actual content of the presidential veto? Legal and political science writers used a number of concepts such as presidential veto, executive veto, suspensive veto, revoking veto, strong veto, weak veto etc. However the genuine contents of the veto will only reveal itself in the legal procedures that describe the procedures to override veto. Constitutional set-up in European countries allows a comparatively easy (simple majority) procedure to override a presidential veto in countries such as France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Germany and Lithuania. Presidential veto is overridden by a qualified majority in USA, Poland. Heads of state in UK and Germany can override laws enacted by the parliament. The comparison of the contents of a presidential veto in different forms of government allows drawing a conclusion that both, strong and weak veto can have a positive impact in the system of checks and balances. The main criteria regarding the importance of the presidential veto should be the circumstances that describe the degree of democracy of form of government i.e the recognition o the human right and rule of law.


Propagation of a spatial soliton in a dissipative modulated Bessel optical lattice is investigated, both analytically and numerically. The dynamic evolution equations for beam width, amplitude, and curvature wavefront are obtained by a variational approach. It is shown that by properly increasing the modulation depth of refractive index of the optical lattice, the loss effect can be compensated exactly to fulfill a stable spatial soliton propagation.


Background: Malaria has protean clinical manifestations and acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of its serious and life threatening complications. This study was carried out to describe the clinical characteristics, and factors associated with adverse outcomes, in patients with malarial AKI. Materials and Methods: Data of 100 patients with AKI and smear positive malaria was retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the incidence, clinical profile, outcome and predictors of mortality among all cases presented to us at the Nephrology unit of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh between November 2010 to October 2011. Results were expressed as mean, standard deviation (SD) and range. Results: One hundred (22.1%) (68 males, 32 females) cases of malaria induced AKI, amongst 452 total cases of AKI, were evaluated. The mean age (± SD) was 30 ± 11.23 years. Male to female ratio was 3.3:1. Plasmodium falciparum was reported in 76%, P. vivax in 11%, and both in 13% patients. The mean serum creatinine was 8.7 ± 3.7 mg%, and oligo/anuria was present in 84% of the patients. 78% of the patients required hemodialysis. 67% of the patients recovered completely, 12% did not show full recovery, and 6% developed chronic kidney failure. Mortality occurred in 15% of the patients. Conclusion : Malarial AKI most commonly occurs in patients infected by Plasmodium Falciparum. Falciparum malaria associated with AKI is a life threatening condition. Prolonged disease duration, low hemoglobin, oligo/anuria on admission, hyperbilirubinemia, cerebral malaria, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and high serum creatinine were the main predictors of mortality in our study.


A classic O'Reilly title since 1993, sendmail now covers Versions 8.10 through 8.14 of this email routing program, including dozens of new features, options, and macros. This edition also takes a more nuts-and-bolts approach than its predecessors. It includes both an administration handbook and a reference guide that provide you with clear options for installing, configuring and managing sendmail's latest versions and companion programs. The sendmail program has withstood the test of time because of its ability to solve the mail-routing needs of all sites large or small, complex or simple. But it's also difficult to configure and even more difficult to understand. That's why this book has proven valuable since the dawn of email. With it, you will be able to configure the program to meet any need, so that you never again have to call in a sendmail guru to bail you out. sendmail includes the following sections: Some Basics is especially useful for people new to the program. It covers the basic concepts underlying mail delivery and the roles sendmail plays in that delivery Administration covers all aspects of handling sendmail, from downloading and installing new releases to managing mailing lists and aliases Configuration Reference contains a heavily cross-referenced guide for configuring and tuning sendmail. Every arcane detail of sendmail is listed alphabetically Appendices contain more detail about sendmail than you may ever need This edition also includes new material on SSL and AUTH and a new chapter on Mitlers. If you're interested in what has changed since the last edition, one appendix categorizes the many improvements of sendmail's intervening versions by chapter, complete with references to the appropriate sections and page numbers in the book. With sendmail, system administrators, programmers, network engineers, and even inexperienced users will be able to match this challenging but necessary utility to the needs of their network.


Local contagious ecthyma viruses isolated from sheep (Lb) and goats (GV 1
and GV 2) were used in a series of infection trials in kids and lambs to compare the
pathogenesis, virus virulence and host susceptibility.
Caprine contagious ecthyma isolate (GV 1) was able to establish infection in
kids and lambs, producing typical lesions. When rechallenged, the infected kids and
lambs developed rapid but milder lesions followed by rapid resolution. The clinical
and histopathological changes in the primary and secondary infections were similar
but were more severe in the former. The third infection, however, failed to establish
any lesions.
Secondary bacterial infection appeared to have complicated the contagious
ecthyma lesions resulting in a marked reduction in body weight and occasional
death. The inoculation of Corynebacterium pyogenes into the contagious ecthyma
lesions resulted in much more severe lesions resembling those observed in field cases of complicated contagious ecthyma. This finding suggests that in natural cases,
contagious ecthyma virus probably acts synergistically with other agents to produce
severe and generalised lesions.
Although the kids and lambs appeared to have similar disease, the kids
developed more severe lesions. Severity of the lesions produced were compared
statistically between the viral isolates and between the animal species. The caprine
GV 2 isolate was found to produce lesions in both kids and lambs with similar
severity whereas the ovine isolate (Lb) produced milder lesions in lambs but severe
lesions in kids. These observations correlated well with the development of antibody
response. In general, the lambs showed better antibody response than the kids,
reaching significantly high level on day twenty-two, coinciding with recovery from
the disease. The kids infected with Lb virus responded poorly leading to the severe
disease and longer recovery period.


By means of a 21-year simulation of a coupled regional pan-Arctic atmosphere-ocean-ice model for the 1980s and 1990s and comparison of the model results with SSM/I satellite-derived sea-ice concentrations, the patterns of maxi- mum amplitude of interannual variability of the Arctic summer sea-ice cover are revealed. They are shown to concentrate beyond an area enclosed by an isopleth of barotropic planetary potential vorticity that marks the edge of the cyclonic rim current around the deep inner Arctic basin. It is argued that the propagation of the interannual variability signal farther into the inner Arctic basin is hindered by the dynamic isolation of upper Arctic Ocean and the high summer cloudiness usually appearing in the central Arctic. The thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover in recent years is likely to be jointly re- sponsible for its exceptionally strong decrease in summer 2007 when sea-ice decline was favored by anomalously high atmospheric pressure over the western Arctic Ocean, which can be regarded as a typical feature for years with low sea-ice extent. In addition, unusually low cloud cover appeared in summer 2007, which led to substantial warming of the upper ocean. It is hypothesized that the coincidence of several favorable factors for low sea-ice extent is responsible for this ex- treme event. Owing to the important role of internal climate variability in the recent decline of sea ice, a temporal return to previous conditions or stabilization at the current level can not be excluded just as further decline.


This study builds upon prior work that delineates opposing tendencies of exceptionalism and congruence that measure the degree to which a body of public contracts law diverges or adheres to the norms of private contract law. This study has two objectives. First, it seeks to define more precisely, and track the incidence and locus of a phenomenon described as exceptionalism in public procurement law. Exceptionalism enhances the powers or reduces the liabilities of the government with respect to its private contracting partners. The first branch of this study also seeks to distinguish such true exceptionalism from a phenomenon of reverse exceptionalism that imposes duties on the government that private parties engaged in procurement do not share. This study concludes that true exceptionalism is strongly associated with the law governing performance of federal public procurement contracts, while reverse exceptionalism is associated characteristically with the law of federal public contract formation. The second objective of this study concerns the role of military procurement - which historically has been central to the development of the procurement law system in the United States. This feature of the United States public procurement regime distinguishes it from the national law of many other nations, and from the requirements of many transnational public procurement regimes. This study demonstrates the strong causal role played by military procurement, in the emergence of this exceptionalist tendency in the United States law governing performance of federal public procurement contracts. These findings have particular relevance for developing nations and transitional economies emerging from state socialism. Although the common practice of excluding military procurement from the field of newly established competitive procurement regimes in such nations is entirely understandable, this study suggests that this approach fosters the adoption of regime that lacks appropriate flexibility. The experience of the United States should caution other nations to consider the unrecognized costs of broadly excluding military procurement from their procurement regimes at the threshold.


Paleo-Ice Stream Behavior: Retreat Scenarios and Changing Controls in the Ross Sea, Antarctica by Anna Ruth Weston Halberstadt Studying the history of ice-sheet behavior in Antarctica's largest drainage basin, the Ross Sea, can improve understanding of patterns, timing, and controls on marine-based ice-sheet dynamics, and provide constraints on numerical ice-sheet models. Newly collected highresolution multibeam swath bathymetry data, combined with two decades of legacy multibeam and seismic data, are used to map glacial landforms and reconstruct paleodrainage. Last Glacial Maximum grounded ice reached the continental shelf edge in the eastern but not western Ross Sea. Recessional geomorphic features in the western Ross Sea indicate virtually continuous retreat of the ice sheet in contact with the bed. In the eastern Ross Sea, wellpreserved linear features and a lack of small-scale recessional landforms record rapid lift-off of grounded ice from the bed. Physiography exerted a first-order control on ice behavior, while seafloor geology played an important subsidiary role. This new analysis of retreat patterns suggests that: (1) a large embayment formed in the eastern Ross Sea; (2) retreat was complex and asynchronous between troughs; and (3) the eastern Ross Sea largely deglaciated prior to the western Ross Sea. Previously published grounding-line retreat scenarios are based on terrestrial observations; however, this work uses Ross Sea-wide geomorphology to constrain marine deglaciation.


Renowned legal educator Roscoe Pound stated, "Law must be stable and yet it cannot stand still." Yet, as Susan Nevelow Mart has demonstrated in a seminal article that the different online research services (Westlaw, Lexis Advance, Fastcase, Google Scholar, Ravel and Casetext) produce significantly different results when researching case law. Furthermore, a recent study of 325 federal courts of appeals decisions, revealed that only 16% of the cases cited in appellate briefs make it into the courts' opinions. This does not exactly inspire confidence in legal research or its tools to maintain stability of the law. As Robert Berring foresaw, "The world of established sources and sets of law book that has been so stable at to seem inevitable suddenly has vanished. The familiar set of printed case reporters, citators, and second sources that were the core of legal research are being minimized before our eyes."

In this article I focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and natural language processing with respect to searching. My article will proceeds as follows. To understand how effective natural language processing is in current legal research, I go about building a model of a legal information retrieval system that incorporates natural language processing. I have had to build my own model because we do not know very much about how the proprietary systems of Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, Fastcase and Casetext work. However, there are descriptions in information science literature and on the Internet of how systems with advanced programing techniques actually work or could work. Next, I compare such systems with the features and search results produced by the major vendors to illustrate the probable use of natural language processing, similar to the models. In addition, the use of word prediction or type ahead techniques in the major research services are studied--particularly, how such techniques can be used to bring secondary resources to the forefront of a search. Finally, I explore how the knowledge gained may help us to better instruct law students and attorneys in the use of the major legal information retrieval systems.

My conclusion is that the adeptness of natural language processing is uneven among the various vendors and that what we receive in search results from such systems varies widely depending on a host of unknown variables. Natural language processing has introduced uncertainty to the law. We are a long way from AI systems that understand, let alone search, legal texts in a stable and consistent way.


Since the invention of the computer mouse interface there have been no major changes in its design. The way we interact with computers through keyboards and mice are still the same as they first were. Recent new technologies try to replace or emulate the mouse and each have their own disadvantages. Some require the use of surfaces, cameras, sensor bars, or tethering. Other technologies are gesture based, require training, and are not intuitive. Not only is there the need for a mouse interface that is intuitive and convenient, but advancements in the field of human computer interfacing, especially using electromyogram (EMG) sensors, further open doors. The objective of this project is to design and create a wearable computer mouse interface, independent of cameras, sensor bars, surfaces, or tethering, that is intuitive, fast, accurate and convenient. This is accomplished by combining the output of both EMG sensors and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to control the cursor and clicking functions of a mouse. The goal is to be intuitive and accurate in order to overcome the shortcomings in existing technologies. Many different muscles were examined as potential candidates for the EMG sensors. The output of each sensor was observed and several different sensor setups were chosen for focus. For each setup, at least one classifier configuration was designed in the attempt to obtain the highest testing accuracy. The angular velocity measurements of the z and y axis in the IMU were chosen to physically control the mouse cursor. Several different techniques were designed based on the different sensor setups and classifier configurations to obtain the highest overall system accuracy and fewest false positives. Training data was collected in MatLab for processing. Time domain features were extracted and provided as input to a linear discriminant classifier. The implementation of the designs were programed in C++ for fast and efficient real-time performance. The setup and configuration with the highest training accuracy, highest testing accuracy, lowest false positive rate, and best overall IMU integration, was the setup with EMG sensors on the muscles: Extensor Carpi Radialis, Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, Flexor Carpi Ulnaris, Flexor Carpi Radialis, and Flexor Digitorum Superficialis (Near Wrist). One classifier took the input of all five channels for classification into a total of seven classes or actions: Rest, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left Click, and Right Click. This design took the least time to complete the accuracy program designed to evaluate the different configurations. This design also saw the lowest false positives. Compared to a standard mouse or track pad, the best design still fell far short in performance. However, the common user has been using a standard mouse or track pad their whole life, and the need for time to practice with the device is expected. With practice, the design has the potential to match or come close to the accuracy of existing mice. With further automation of the training data collection and classifier training, the device would require little configuration to start using. Further development towards a commercial product would minimize the equipment required, the sensor setup time, and make the device no less convenient than a standard mouse. One of the design goals at the forefront of this project, is the application and usability by hand amputees. Muscle locations are located in the forearm, and the IMU device located on the back of the wrist or forearm, allows hand amputees and those with hand disabilities to operate the device.


The catastrophic 8.0 Richter magnitude earthquake that occurred on 12 May 2008 in Wenchuan, China caused extensive damage to vegetation due to widespread landslides and debris flows. In the past five years, the Chinese government has implemented a series of measures to restore the vegetation in the severely afflicted area. How is the vegetation recovering? It is necessary and important to evaluate the vegetation recovery effect in earthquake-stricken areas. Based on MODIS NDVI data from 2005 to 2013, the vegetation damage area was extracted by the quantified threshold detection method. The vegetation recovery rate after five years following the earthquake was evaluated with respect to counties, altitude, fault zones, earthquake intensity, soil texture and vegetation types, and assessed over time. We have proposed a new method to obtain the threshold with vegetation damage quantitatively, and have concluded that: (1) The threshold with vegetation damage was 13.47%, and 62.09% of the field points were located in the extracted damaged area; (2) The total vegetation damage area was 475,688 ha, which accounts for 14.34% of the study area and was primarily distributed in the central fault zone, the southwest mountainous areas and along rivers in the Midwest region of the study area; (3) Vegetation recovery in the damaged area was better in the northeast regions of the study area, and in the western portion of the Wenchuan-Maoxian fracture; vegetation recovery was better with increasing altitude; there is no obvious relationship between clay content in the topsoil and vegetation recovery; (4) Meadows recovered best and the worst recovery was in mixed coniferous broad-leaved forest; (5) 81,338 ha of vegetation in the damage area is currently undergoing degradation and the main vegetation types in the degradation area are coniferous forest (31.39%) and scrub (34.17%); (6) From 2009 to 2013, 41% has been restored to the level before the earthquake, 9% has not returned but 50% will continue to recover. The Chinese government usually requires five years as a period for post-disaster reconstruction. This paper could be regarded as a guidance for Chinese government departments, whereby additional investment is encouraged for vegetation recovery.


Abstract
 The food habits and predatory interactions of Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) have been thoroughly studied within populations inhabiting inland freshwater ecosystems; however, it is increasingly evident that coastal populations habitually forage in estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystems inhabited by other top predators. While few studies have been performed, data reported thus far from marine-foraging populations indicate individuals chiefly consume small-bodied prey such as crustaceans, fish, and wading birds. Nonetheless, capture and consumption of large-bodied marine prey such as multiple species of sea turtles and a single species of Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) have been documented. Here, we examine evidence regarding reciprocal intraguild predation between American Alligators and elasmobranchs. We provide the first evidence of American Alligator depredation of 4 Elasmobranchii species and review putative evidence for Elasmobranchii depredation of American Alligators. We discuss the ecological significance of these interactions, draw comparisons to similar interactions experienced by other crocodilians, and recommend further avenues for research on the subject.


The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of clients' characteristics -including clients' reputation, clients' audit committee and clients fee contribution- on auditor independence. This research uses qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews with auditors have been conducted.  Interviews data were summarized, pattern coded, (Miles and Huberman, 1984) and then analyzed through description, analysis and interpretation (Walcott, 1994). The research result is expected to be able to  explain auditors perceptions on their clients' characteristics whether their independence are affected by clients' reputation, clients' audit committee and clients' fee contribution. By doing this study, it will be able to see how auditor perceive and treat their clients to do audit works while at the same time they have to maintain their auditor independence. Keywords: Client' Reputation, Audit Committee, Fee Contribution JEL Classifications: M4, M42


In this work we have studied different acidic zeolitic solid catalysts ZSM-5 with different crystal size, measuring their physical-chemical properties and correlating this with the activity, selectivity at different process condition during the conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) and gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons. The catalytic properties of these catalysts depended mainly on the crystal size and surface properties. Methanol feed in the DME and gasoline process is derived from black liquor-based syngas. The methanol to DME and gasoline process involves the conversion of black liquor syngas to crude methanol and methanol to DME and gasoline


The courts' inherent power to punish misconduct that interferes with the judicial process as criminal contempt often conflicts with attorneys' first amendment and due process rights, and their clients' sixth amendment rights to vigorous legal representation. In balancing these competing interests, the Supreme Court has employed seemingly diverse standards to demarcate the constitutional limitations on the substantive scope of the contempt power. Professor Raveson argues that the Constitution should limit the contempt power so that it may only be used to punish actual obstructions of the administration of justice. He maintains that because the goals of our system of justice are frequently in opposition, the appropriate dividing line between permissible advocacy and obstruction can be drawn only by balancing the various goals of a trial in a way that maximizes the value of these interests to the system of justice as a whole. The proper balance, in turn, can only be achieved by including within the calculus of contempt recognition of the actual experiences of trial participants. Professor Raveson concludes that appropriate consideration of the value of advocacy to the processes of justice requires that advocacy sometimes be permitted to interfere with competing aims of a trial. Realization of the full value of advocacy and maximization of the various goals of our trial system require that a buffer zone be constructed surrounding valuable advocacy to afford adequate protection from punishment and to diminish deterrence.


There were 40,018 law graduates in the class of 2004, of which almost half were women. Many of these women, equipped with exceptional educational credentials, predictably have high hopes of ascending to the upper hierarchy of law practice. Unfortunately, their hopes of obtaining the fabled "corner office" may be dashed when they note who actually practices at the highest levels in those law firms and corporations. Indeed, by the end of 2004, women lawyers would only account for seventeen percent of law partners at the nation's major law firms and fourteen percent of the Fortune 500 general counsel.

This article focuses on the under-representation of women lawyers practicing in the upper levels of Fortune 500 corporations. Because law firm partners and senior associates are essential participants in any corporation's applicant pool for senior-level in-house positions, this article also addresses the promotional barriers encountered by women lawyers who practice at major law firms. To that end, Part I of this Article summarizes the reasons for the paucity of senior-level women lawyers at law firms and explains why corporations should be concerned. Part II proffers the beneficial impact of improving gender diversity throughout the upper ranks of corporate legal departments. In Part III, this article examines the assertion that in-house legal practice is better than law firm practice for women lawyers by questioning whether corporate legal departments do, in fact, provide better advancement opportunities, and work-life balance than law firms - particularly in light of the fact that those law firm pathologies have begun creeping in-house in recent years. Finally, Part IV provides solutions that may be implemented to address the limited gender diversity in the upper ranks of law practice at corporations.


In this dissertation I argue that by using, adhering to, or subverting cultural conventions and tacit sumptuary laws, heroines of English domestic novels take advantage of society's scopic nature, exploiting the gaze in order to control and author their own identity, achieving agency and subjectivity through self-fashioning. The connection between dress and domesticity is most visible in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Domesticity--the ideology that idealized and promoted the home as the center of happiness and society (yet also separated from society)--defined the middle-class woman of this era. Domesticity is often discussed in terms of a highly surveilled space, and the ideal woman exists within that space. However, domestic novels often focus on women who do not fit in that space. Marginalized figures who are excluded from the ideal domestic scene for a variety of reasons--class, occupation, or suspect family ties--must find alternative means of accessing a secure social position. This alternative is often dress--they wear the clothes to secure the identity. The novels that I examine in this dissertation--Richardson's Pamela, Austen's Mansfield Park, Bronte's Villette, and Thackeray's Vanity Fair--all describe heroines who are marginalized and use dress to manipulate their identity. I argue that dress is a crucial component of language and performance, and agency is achieved through what I call sartorial literacy. In this paradigm, the gaze is part of a mutually discursive act, in which the female performer authors a text in clothing that is read by her audience or viewer; the heroine must have an understanding of the identity that the costume will communicate and how it will be read. This often leads to a paradox in which a heroine may appear to make herself an object of the gaze, to conform to social convention, but in doing so, may be subverting those conventions by achieving personal desire.


Measuring applications is a challenge and one of the goal of the Squale project is to propose a sound quality model. Now presenting the results of such analysis is also a challenge since it is complex to output and present to the user for the following reasons: first a lot of data should be presented and at different audience. Second displaying information is one aspect another one is navigating the information. Finally it is important not to overwhelm the users with too much visualizations. This workpackage presents a state of the art in terms of software visualization approaches that are specifically designed to display metrics. In addition it sets up the context for the application of such visualization to practices. Squale Consortium AirFrance INRIA Paris 8 PSA Qualixo


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a progressive chronic disorder, which affects people belonging to all age groups of the population. This disease is accompanied by a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular death. In the present study, the effects of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes on apex myocardium of the rat heart have been investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. The cluster analysis has been applied to FTIR spectra to differentiate the diabetic samples from the normal controls. In addition, the protein secondary structures of diabetic and normal tissues were predicted by neural networks based on the amide I band of the FTIR spectra. The findings mainly suggest that 5 weeks of diabetes alters the lipid and protein profile of normal rat heart apex myocardium, which might have an important role in understanding the molecular mechanism of diabetes-related heart diseases.


The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the relationship between the elements/processes of safety management systems (SMSs) and their impact on safety culture at collegiate flight training institutions. Research questions addressed the following: different approaches to developing and implementing an SMS, different approaches to the assessment of safety culture, and the relationship between elements/processes of an SMS and a strong safety culture. A semistructured interview protocol was used. The researcher interviewed five safety professionals at U.S. collegiate flight training institutions of various sizes. Overall, the general consensus among the participants was that an SMS works best if it is implemented over time. A confidential hazard reporting system and the use of the five-step Safety Risk Management (SRM) process were viewed as important aspects to help build a strong safety culture. Other elements and processes were identified as having a strong relationship to safety culture as well. The participants revealed when their institution experienced a cultural change during SMS development. The study also provides recommendations for establishing a SMS.


Named-Entity Recognition (NER) is still a challenging task for languages with low digital resources. The main difficulties arise from the scarcity of annotated corpora and the consequent problematic training of an effective NER pipeline. To abridge this gap, in this paper we target the Persian language that is spoken by a population of over a hundred million people world-wide. We first present and provide ArmanPerosNERCorpus, the first manually-annotated Persian NER corpus. Then, we introduce PersoNER, an NER pipeline for Persian that leverages a word embedding and a sequential max-margin classifier. The experimental results show that the proposed approach is capable of achieving interesting MUC7 and CoNNL scores while outperforming two alternatives based on a CRF and a recurrent neural network.


Background: Longer breastfeeding duration appears to have a protective effect against childhood obesity. This effect may be partially mediated by maternal feeding practices during the first years of life. However, the few studies that have examined links between breastfeeding duration and subsequent feeding practices have yielded conflicting results. Objective: Using a large sample of first-time mothers and a newly validated, comprehensive measure of maternal feeding (the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire), this study examined associations between breastfeeding duration and maternal feeding practices at child age 24 months. Methods: Mothers (n = 458) enrolled in the NOURISH trial provided data on breastfeeding at child age 4, 14, and 24 months, and on feeding practices at 24 months. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations between breastfeeding duration and 5 nonresponsive and 4 structure-related "authoritative" feeding practices, adjusting for a range of maternal and child characteristics. Results: The model showed acceptable fit (χ2/df = 1.68; root mean square error of approximation = .04, comparative fit index = .91, and Tucker-Lewis index = .89) and longer breastfeeding duration was negatively associated with 4 out of 5 nonresponsive feeding practices and positively associated with 3 out of 4 structure-related feeding practices. Overall, these results suggest that mothers who breastfeed longer reported using more appropriate feeding practices. Conclusion: These data demonstrate an association between longer breastfeeding duration and authoritative feeding practices characterized by responsiveness and structure, which may partly account for the apparent protective effect of breastfeeding on childhood obesity.


In recent years the mental health industry has been attacked for the invalidity of its illnesses, the unreliability of its diagnoses, the dangers of its treatments, and its corruption by drug companies. Commonsense Rebellion integrates those critiques and goes further. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans adults are on psychiatric drugs, and Ritalin production has increased 800 percent since 1990, yet the mental health industry laments the fact that two-thirds of us with diagnosable mental disorders do not seek treatment. This book argues that "institutional mental health's" ever-increasing diseases, disorders, and drugs have diverted us from examining an important rebellion. This rebellion - mainly passive and too often self-destructive - is against an increasingly impersonal and coercive "institutional society." Institutional society's worship of speed, power, and technology has created fantastic wealth - at least for some of us - but its disregard for human autonomy, community, and diversity has come with a cost. Depression has reportedly increased tenfold since 1900, and suicide levels for teenage boys have tripled since 1960. Have human genetics and serotonin levels changed that much, or has society?


Climate change is a serious challenge faced by all plant and animal species. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are one method to assess risk and are increasingly used as a tool to inform management plans. Migratory animals move across regions and continents during their annual cycles where they are exposed to diverse climatic conditions. Climate change during any period and in any region of the annual cycle could influence survival, reproduction, or the cues used to optimize timing of migration. Therefore, CCVAs for migratory animals best estimate risk when they include climate exposure during the entire annual cycle. We developed a CCVA incorporating the full annual cycle and applied this method to 46 species of migratory birds breeding in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes (UMGL) region of the United States. Our methodology included background risk, climate change exposure × climate sensitivity, adaptive capacity to climate change, and indirect effects of climate change. We compiled information about migratory connectivity between breeding and stationary non-breeding areas using literature searches and U.S. Geological Survey banding and re-encounter data. Climate change exposure (temperature and moisture) was assessed using UMGL breeding season climate and winter climate from non-breeding regions for each species. Where possible, we focused on non-breeding regions known to be linked through migratory connectivity. We ranked 10 species as highly vulnerable to climate change and two as having low vulnerability. The remaining 34 species were ranked as moderately vulnerable. In general, including non-breeding data provided more robust results that were highly individualistic by species. Two species were found to be highly vulnerable throughout their annual cycle. Projected drying will have the greatest effect during the non-breeding season for species overwintering in Mexico and the Caribbean. Projected temperature increases will have the greatest effect during the breeding season in UMGL as well as during the non-breeding season for species overwintering in South America. We provide a model for adaptive management of migratory animals in the face of projected climate change, including identification of priority species, research needs, and regions within non-breeding ranges for potential conservation partnerships.


This research explored the role of Muslim faith-based schools in the culturally and
religiously diverse city of Birmingham in meeting the religious, cultural and educational
needs of Muslim children and the expectations of their parents. The economy- focus post-
Second World War mass migration to Europe has acted as the key catalyst for the modern
Muslim presence in the UK and wider Europe. While Muslim communities came from
ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds, Islam has defined their collective identities.
With the joining of their families, the first generation of British Muslims have began to
realise the challenges of maintaining Islamic values and identities among their offspring who
were growing up within an overall secular and multicultural society. This has marked the
establishment of Mosques, community centres and most crucially faith-based Islamic school
in the UK.
The relevance and desirability of faith-based schooling in general and Muslim schooling in
particular has come under a close security in the UK. This study focused on the case of
Muslim schooling within the context of multi-faith and multicultural city of Birmingham. The
study explored parental motives behind the choice of Islamic schools, their distinctive
educational ethos and how they address the challenge of helping Muslim children integrate
into the wider multicultural British society. The study adopted an empirical research methodology through utilising a mixed-methods
research design to investigate its key questions. The main data collection tools were survey,
semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The study sample included 133 parents, 36 students who graduated from schools and 33 teachers and governors running
Muslim schools. The quantitative data was analysed using the SPSS software and the
interview and focus group discussion were analysed by adopting qualitative data analysis
procedures.
The overall research findings suggested that parents held positive views of the Muslim
schools but at the same time had high expectations about their general academic
achievement as well as the Islamic Education provision. Most of the parents shared the view
that Muslim schools needed to adopt a more integrated approach to the curriculum striking
the balance between Islamic and secular subjects. Parents overwhelmingly thought that the
Muslim schools did contribute to the social and cultural of integration of Muslim children
into the wider multicultural and multi-faith British society. However, one of the significant
findings of the survey analysis was the fact that parents appeared to be ambiguous about
the overall achievement of schools in adequately meeting the academic and Islamic
religious, moral and spiritual needs of their children.
The conclusion chapter summarised the key findings of the study and discussed the
implications of the findings for improving the quality of Islamic faith-based schooling within
the context of secular and multicultural British society.


Aggressive angiomyxoma (AA) is a rare mesenchymal tumor of the pelvis and perineum that occurs almost exclusively in adult women. Its incidence is approximately six fold higher in women. Rarely, this tumor appears in men, simulating inguinal hernia, testicular neoplasm, spermatic cord neoplasm, hydrocele, or spermatocele. Here we report a case of aggressive angiomyxoma in a 20yrs old male.


Broken rails are the most frequent cause of freight-train derailments in the United States. Consequently, reducing their occurrence is a high priority for the rail industry and the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration. Current practice is to periodically inspect rails to detect defects using nondestructive technology such as ultrasonic inspection. Determining the optimal rail inspection frequency is critical to efficient use of infrastructure management resources and maximizing the beneficial impact on safety. Minimization of derailment risk, costs of inspection vehicle operation, rail defect repair, and corresponding train delay are all affected by rail inspection frequency. However, no prior research has incorporated all of these factors into a single integrated framework. The objective of this paper is to develop an analytical model to address the trade-offs among various factors related to rail defect inspection frequency, so as to maximize railroad safety and efficiency. The analysis shows that the optimal inspection frequency will vary with traffic density, rail age, inspection technology reliability, and other factors. The optimization model provides a tool that can be used to aid development of better-informed, more effective infrastructure management and accident prevention policies and practices.


Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China, it has been one of the largest pandemics in the history which has been aggressively spreading all over the world and affected more than 6 percent of world's population In SARS-CoV-2 pandemics, patients with severe asthma require particular attention due to not only the underlying airway disease, but also immunomodulatory treatments used Although it is known that viruses infecting the respiratory mucosa are risk factors for asthma attacks and that viral infections at early stage of the life are risk factors for development of asthma, and patients with a chronic disease have been declared as the risk group for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some studies reported that ratio of patients with asthma is relatively lower among the patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 This suggests that treatments used for asthma may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 In addition, our knowledge regarding effect of omalizumab on mortality and morbidity in patients with asthma using omalizumab in SARS-CoV-2 infection is limited In this case report, through reporting this first case of accompanying SARS-CoV-2 case in a patient with severe persistent asthma using omalizumab from Turkey, we aimed to discuss potential effects of omalizumab treatment on accompanying SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in these patients


It is critical to search for, and to apply, robust generalizations in conservation biology as species‐specific data on endangered species are often limited. While generalizations are common in conservation genetics, where processes are treated on the scale of generations, the unique population dynamics of species are often stressed in ecology and conservation management. Is the apparent uniqueness of population attributes partly an artefact of measurement scale? One facet of this debate is the question of whether extinction risk scales better to years or to generations. To resolve this issue, the extinction risk of 100 well‐studied vertebrate taxa was estimated using stochastic computer projections and analyses conducted to determine whether risk related better to years or generations. Relative strengths of evidence for alternative hypotheses were assessed using information theory. Extinction risk, assessed as the population size required for a 90% probability of persistence for 100 years, was strongly related to generation length. Conversely, when extinction risk was assessed for a fixed number of generations, there was no support for a relationship between risk and years. This finding has ramifications for assessing and reporting extinction risk because it shows that (1) crucial signals for the effective management of threatened species may not be detected when risk is measured on a scale of years alone; (2) correcting for generation length will allow data from a wider range of species to be used as defaults for species with limited data; (3) generational‐scale tests of factors affecting extinction risk are more powerful than year‐based ones. We recommend that extinction risk be routinely reported on a generational scale, with results on a year scale added where warranted.


Auto completion is generally considered to be a difficult problem in sketch recognition as it requires a decision to be made with fewer strokes. Therefore, it is generally assumed that the classification of fully completed object sketches should yield higher accuracy rates. In this paper, we report results from a comprehensive study demonstrating that the first few strokes of an object are more important than the lastly drawn ones. Once the first few critical strokes of a symbol are observed, recognition accuracies reach a plateau and may even decline. This indicates that less is more in sketch recognition. Our results are supported by carefully designed computational experiments using Tirkaz et. al.'s sketch auto completion framework on the dataset of everyday object sketches collected by Eitz et. al..


In this paper we consider the algebra (A;f;g), where f and g are m-ary and n-ary operations on the set A. We define the concept of regular algebra and we prove that for a regular medial algebra (A;f;g) there exists a commutative semigroup (A;+) such that the operations f and g have linear representations on (A;+). As a corollary, we show that for a regular medial algebra (A;F) there exists a commutative semigroup (A;+) such that any operation f 2 F has a linear representation on (A;+).


We present a method that combines offline trajectory optimization and online Model Predictive Control (MPC), generating robust controllers for complex periodic behavior in domains with unilateral constraints (e.g., contact with the environment). MPC offers robust and adaptive control even in high-dimensional domains; however, the online optimization gets stuck in local minima when the domains has discontinuous dynamics. Some methods of trajectory optimization that are immune to such problems, but these are often too slow to be applied online. In this paper, we use offline optimization to find the limit-cycle solution of an infinite-horizon average-cost optimal-control task. We then compute a local quadratic approximation of the Value function around this limit cycle. Finally, we use this quadratic approximation as the terminal cost of an online MPC. This combination of an offline solution of the infinite-horizon problem with an online MPC controller is known as Infinite Horizon Model Predictive Control (IHMPC), and has previously been applied only to simple stabilization objectives. Here we extend IHMPC to tackle periodic tasks, and demonstrate the power of our approach by synthesizing hopping behavior in a simulated robot. IHMPC involves a limited computational load, and can be executed online on a standard laptop computer. The resulting behavior is extremely robust, allowing the hopper to recover from virtually any perturbation. In real robotic domains, modeling errors are inevitable. We show how IHMPC is robust to modeling errors by altering the morphology of the robot; the same controller remains effective, even when the underlying infinite-horizon solution is no longer accurate.


This series of reports explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation. The first report proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education. To produce it, a group of academics at the Institute of Educational Technology in The Open University proposed a long list of new educational terms, theories, and practices. We then pared these down to ten that have the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice, particularly in postschool education. We have not deliberately excluded school education, but that is not our area of expertise. Lastly, we drew on published and unpublished writings to compile the ten sketches of new pedagogies that might transform education. These are summarised below in rough order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation.


From book description:
Game-Theoretic Models of Bargaining provides a comprehensive picture of the new developments in bargaining theory. It especially shows the way the use of axiomatic models has been complemented by the new results derived from strategic models. The papers in this volume are edited versions of those given at a conference on Game Theoretic Models of Bargaining held at the University of Pittsburgh. There are two distinct reasons why the study of bargaining is of fundamental importance in economics. The first is that many aspects of economic activity are directly influenced by bargaining between and among individuals, firms, and nations. The second is that bargaining occupies an important place in economic theory, since the 'pure bargaining problem' is at the opposite pole of economic phenomena from the case of 'perfect competition'. This volume is an outgrowth of the renewed interest in the strategic approach to the theory of bargaining and to the general theory of non-cooperative games.


In this paper H. S. Harris argues that it is misguided to suggest that Hegelrsquo;s philosophical project was a dialectical illusion generated by his historical situation and that he would never have believed that his vision was achievable if he had been faced with the world that we face today. Not only does Harris proclaim himself to be a Hegelian, he claims that Hegel would today also remain a Hegelian. He goes on to argue that despite the fragmentation of the twentieth century and the apparent collapse of the vision articulated in the French Revolution, Hegelrsquo;s thinking continues to be relevant because although his philosophy is the lsquo;comprehension of onersquo;s timersquo;, Hegel also produces a philosophy that is out of time and somehow final.br /


Critical-angle scattering of laser light from bubbles was photographed, and angular structures in the far-zone intensity are compared with models. The radii of the freely rising bubbles were in the 26.4–814-μm range. Deviation from sphericity for the rising bubbles is considered. Diffraction effects make simple geometric optics inadequate near the critical angle. Coarse-structure intensity oscillations show agreement with a physical-optics approximation and with Mie theory. Measurements agree with derived expressions for the angular spacings of fine structure and contrast modulations. Uses of these structures in different bubble-sizing methods are discussed. The locations of scattered-wave virtual sources are modeled.


This report describes a patient with a duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). A 77-year-old Japanese male presented with abdominal fullness and weight loss. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen demonstrated an enhanced mass, 4 × 3 cm in size, at the right side of the inferior vena cava. An endoscopic examination revealed a duodenal submucosal tumor. He was referred to the surgical outpatient clinic for surgical treatment of a duodenal submucosal tumor. Laparotomy allowed for the identification of a nut-sized extramural tumor at the second portion of the duodenum. Wedge resection of the duodenum including the tumor was performed. A histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was composed of a proliferation of spindle cells with spindle nuclei and eosinophilic fibrillar cytoplasm, arranged in fascicles with a hypercellular area. An immunohistochemical examination revealed that these tumor cells were positive for c-kit, CD34, and S-100 and were negative for SMA. The mitotic figures were less than 1 in 20 high-power fields. This duodenal tumor was diagnosed as a low-risk GIST. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged from the hospital on Day 17 after the operation. This report presents a rare surgical case of duodenal GIST treated with wedge resection of the duodenum.


A new process of magnetorheological figuring (MRF) based on the deliquescence theory is proposed to finish KDP crystals. A novel, non-aqueous, and abrasive-free magnetorheological (MR) fluid is explored, and polishing experiments are performed on a self-developed MRF machine. The removal mechanism is reckoned to be the result of a combination of dominant chemical etching and accessorial mechanical drag. The results indicate that the surface roughness of I plate KDP of 80× 80 (mm) polished by MRF is 1.2 nm (root mean square (RMS)), and the tool marks are completely removed. The surface accuracy by MRF is 0.035λ (RMS), and the low/middle-frequency errors are significantly corrected after MRF. OCIS codes: 220.0220, 220.4610, 220.5450. doi: 10.3788/COL201109.102201.


The U.S. population over 65 years of age is increasing. Most older adults prefer to age in place, and technologies, including Internet of things (IoT), Ambient/Active Assisted Living (AAL) robots and other artificial intelligence (AI), can support independent living. However, a top-down design process creates mismatches between technologies and older adults' needs. A user-centered design approach was used to identify older adults' perspectives regarding AAL and AI technologies and gauge interest in participating in a co-design process. A survey was used to obtain demographic characteristics and assess privacy perspectives. A convenience sample of 31 retirement community residents participated in one of two 90-min focus group sessions. The semi-structured group interview solicited barriers and facilitators to technology adoption, privacy attitudes, and interest in project co-design participation to inform technology development. Focus group sessions were audiotaped and professionally transcribed. Transcripts were reviewed and coded to identify themes and patterns. Descriptive statistics were applied to the quantitative data. Identified barriers to technology use included low technology literacy, including lack of familiarity with terminology, and physical challenges, which can make adoption difficult. Facilitators included an eagerness to learn, interest in co-design, and a desire to understand and control their data. Most participants identified as privacy pragmatics and fundamentalists, indicating that privacy is important to older adults. At the same time, they also reported a willingness to contribute to the design of technologies that would facilitate aging independently. There is a need to increase technology literacy of older adults along with aging literacy of technologists.


Trumpeter Swans Cygnus buccinator were extirpated from Ontario in 1886 as a result of unregulated subsistence and market hunting. Between 1982–2006 inclusive, 584 captive reared Trumpeter Swans were released in southern Ontario, to re-introduce the species to the region. However, no empirical analysis of the size of the breeding range has occurred since the reintroduction programme commenced. Observational data recorded from 1,394 captive-released and wild-hatched swans marked with uniquely identifiable patagial tags therefore were analysed, using a kernel density spatial framework, to infer changes in breeding distribution. The breeding range increased 16 fold between 1991 (301,938 ha) and 2010 (4,817,904 ha). A linear effect of year best explained breeding range expansion from 1991–2010. However, visual inspection of the relationship suggests that the breeding range did not increase after 2004, which coincided closely with the end of the reintroduction programme in 2006. Migration distances calculated for adult male and female, captive-released and wild-hatched swans from 1982–2010 showed that most swan breeding and wintering locations were close to release sites (median migration distance = 4.6 km, range = 0– 1,299 km) and 40% of swans were non-migratory (wintering and breeding locations were the same). The model that best explained migration distance included a quadratic fit of year, sex, and status (captive-released vs. wild-hatched birds). Migration distance declined until about year 2000 and then increased thereafter.


ABSTRACT Compared to racist and ethnicist discourses, literature on sexist discourses – both off and on-line – as hate speech is relatively underinvestigated. This is partly due to the tendency to minimise accusations of sexism and to reframe misogyny as 'acceptable' by constructing it as a form of humour. We decided to focus on slut-shaming, one of the most virulent forms of hate speech, which has always existed but was boosted by social media, becoming a stable low-cost ingredient of today's rape culture. We propose to consider online slut-shaming as a form of 'technology-facilitated sexual violence', where digital technologies are used to facilitate both virtual and face-to-face sexually based harms. According to feminist analysis of sexual violence, this would be a matter of power rather than sex: sex would be the weapon, not the motive. We have tested this research hypothesis by focusing on the Italian reception of the MeToo campaign, triggered by Asia Argento's denunciation. More specifically, two Different Twitter corpora produced within the same five months period were examined by means of a quantitative and a qualitative methodology.


This article examines the e-commerce environment in Taiwan with respect to the People's Republic of China (PRC), then analyses market-specific entry barriers, and categorizes entry strategies of different companies in the cross-strait area. After observing sixteen early entrants, we report three major findings: 1) Maturity of the Taiwan e-commerce market is superior to that of mainland China, especially its progress in business environment and government policies, 2) Perceived market entry barriers affect entry strategy adoption, and 3) Most firms adopt B2B models and form alliances to reduce investment risks and capture growing markets in the cross-strait area. 1. Introduction China's recent IT-related economic growth, especially in the areas of telecommunication infrastructure, has impressed the Western world, with consumer demand rising at an annual rate of 30-50% (Tan, et al. 1997). Given the prolific growth of electronic commerce (EC) and attractive potential of the Chinese market, more and more multinational corporations (NINCs) are flocking into Taiwan and Mainland China. Despite the huge potential of the Chinese market, it is not necessarily an opportunity for every MNC. The disappointing experiences of many NINCs in China make it important to question whether international business theory, as explained in business schools, is sufficiently comprehensive to explain the China e-commerce experience (Child and Tse, 2001 ; Reid and Zyglidopoulos, 2004). Although a large number of studies have analyzed determinants, strategies, and consequences of foreign market entry (Agarwal and Ramaswami, 1992; Dunning, 2002; Kogut and Singh, 1988), researchers have yet to examine how e-commerce firms expand into new geographic territories. The most likely reason for this gap is the relative novelty of these firms, and the sector itself. While the main business functions like marketing, sales, and channels have remained the same, the logic behind them is completely different. This study tries to resolve the question by investigating sixteen early entrants and their business models and strategies for staying competitive in this new environment. In this article, barriers to market entry in Taiwan and China are explored, while focusing on the socio-cultural distance between MNC home country and the host nation, technology nature of investment projects, and the institutional and business environment and policies of the host country. This paper also examines Taiwan's EC environment compared to that of PRC, analyzes market-specific entry barriers, and categorizes each firm's strategy in cross-strait development. The first section begins with a brief overview of the origins and evolution of the e-commerce business model. section two describes the current e-commerce environment in Taiwan and China, and then presents a conceptual framework for comparing the bilateral e-commerce environment. The third section details methodology and research findings. The last section concludes with suggestions for future research on cross-strait entry strategies. 2. EC environment in Taiwan and China 2.1 Market Barriers This section discusses primary factors affecting MNCs' entry modes. There are two major barriers: EC-specific factors and country-specific factors. Palumbo and Herbig (1998) defined problems that may be encountered when a company operates through the Internet. Main obstacles experienced by companies committed to EC include psychological, operational, organizational, and product-related factors. Examples of psychological concerns include cost, risk and profitability of export, ethnocentric or geocentric orientations, short or long-term perspectives. Operational barriers refer to problems dealing with export paperwork, documentation, language problems, delay in payment, etc. Reid and Zyglidopoulos (2004) reported that failure to understand competitive isomorphism, the size of the China market, inadequate prior market research, and urgency, explain why NINCs enter transactions that yielded disappointing and slow returns. …