As has been widely reported, climate change will be felt throughout Europe, though effects are likely to vary dramatically across European regions. While all areas are expected to experience elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (↑C) and higher temperatures (↑T), the north east will get considerably wetter (↑W) while the south much drier (↓W). It is likely that these changes will have an impact on pastures and consequently on grazing livestock. This study aims to evaluate the expected changes to pasture yield and quality caused by ↑C, ↑T, ↑W and ↓W across the different European regions and across different plant functional groups (PFGs). Data was collected from 143 studies giving a total of 998 observations. Mixed models were used to estimate expected changes in above ground dry weight (AGDW) and nitrogen (N) concentrations and were implemented using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed an increase in AGDW under ↑C, particularly for shrubs (+71.6%), though this is likely to be accompanied by a reduction in N concentrations (−4.8%). ↑T will increase yields in Alpine and northern areas (+82.6%), though other regions will experience little change or else decreases. ↑T will also reduce N concentrations, especially for shrubs (−13.6%) and forbs (−18.5%). ↓W will decrease AGDW for all regions and PFGs, though will increase N concentrations (+11.7%). Under ↑W there was a 33.8% increase in AGDW. While there is a need for further research to get a more complete picture of future pasture conditions, this analysis provides a general overview of expected changes and thus can help European farmers prepare to adapt their systems to meet the challenges presented by a changing climate.


The karyotypic and cytological characteristics of Rosy barb, P UNTIUS CONCHONIUS (Hamilton, 1822) (cyprinidae) were investigated by examining metaphase chromosomes spreads from the anterior kidney following Thorgaard and Disney (1990). The fishes were obtained from the local fishermen and transported live to the Limnology and Fisheries Laboratory of Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir. Ten fish were injected intraperitoneally with two doses of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), 4 µg g -1 body weight with a 20 h interval to induce cell division. After 8 h in 20°C water, the fish were injected intraperitoneally with colchicine 0.05% at 0.5 ml/50 g body weight to depress the cell division in the metaphase stage and left for 2 to 3 h before sacrificing. Kidney and gill epithelia were used for karyotype analysis. The diploid chromosome number of the fish was 2n = 50, consisting of 11 pairs of metacentric, 8 pairs of submetacentric and 6 pairs of telocentric chromosomes respectively. Centromeric index, arm ratio and Fundamental Number were determined as 0 to 50, 1-∞ and 88 respectively. No heteromorphic sex chromosomes were cytologically detected.


Three transformation systems have been reported for the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea (Parsons et al. 1987 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:4161-4165; Daboussi et al. 1989 Curr. Genet. 15:453-456; Leung et al. 1990 Curr. Genet. 17:409-411). Among these three selection systems, only hygromycin B resistance provides a dominant selection that can be used for any wild type strain. A second dominant selection marker is needed to transform strains that are already hygromycin B resistant. This regular paper is available in Fungal Genetics Reports: https://newprairiepress.org/fgr/vol42/iss1/11 Transformation of Magnaporthe grisea to phosphinothricin resistance using the bar gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus Hei Leung, Pat Loomis, and Martin L. Pall(1) Department of Plant Pathology, (1)Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6430 Three transformation systems have been reported for the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea (Parsons et al. 1987 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:4161-4165; Daboussi et al. 1989 Curr. Genet. 15:453-456; Leung et al. 1990 Curr. Genet. 17:409-411). Among these three selection systems, only hygromycin B resistance provides a dominant selection that can be used for any wild type strain. A second dominant selection marker is needed to transform strains that are already hygromycin B resistant. Bialophos produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus is a tripeptide consisting of two Lalanine residues and an analogue of glutamic acid called phosphinothricin (PPT). Upon cleavage of bialophos, PPT is released and acts as an inhibitor of glutamine synthesis in plants, and hence functions as a potent herbicide. A gene (bar) coding for PPT acetyltransferase has been isolated from S. hygroscopicus and is widely used as a selective marker for the transformation of higher plants (DeBlock et al. 1987 EMBO J. 6:2513-2518) and several filamentous fungi, including Neurospora crassa (Avalos et al. 1989 Curr. Genet. 16:369-327; Pall, 1993 Fungal Genet. Newsl. 40:58), Cochliobolus sativa and Colletotrichum species (Straubinger et al. 1992 Fungal Genet. Newsl. 39:82-83). Here we describe a modified transformation protocol to select for phosphinothricin resistance in M. grisea. The strain used for transformation was Guy11 (MAT-2) and the mating strain used for genetic analysis of PPT-resistance was 2539 (MAT-1) (Leung et al. 1988 Phytopathology 78:12271233). The bar-containing plasmid is pBARGEM7-2 (4.9 kb), the restriction map of which has been described (Pall and Brunelli, 1993 Fungal Genet. Newsl. 40:59-62). Phosphinothricin (=Ignite, =Basta) was a gift from Dr. D. Kinney (Hoeschst-Roussel AgriVet Company, Somerville, NJ). Since the toxicity of phosphinothricin is presumably caused by the inhibition of glutamine synthetase, our initial task was to identify a medium with minimal complex nitrogen source in order to maximize sensitivity of M. grisea to PPT. The minimal salts medium described for Cochliobolus sativa (Leach et al. 1982 J. Gen. Microbiol. 128:17191729) was used as the basis to develop a minimal medium (MM) for M. grisea. The MM contains (per liter) 10 g sucrose, 1 g Ca(NO3)2.4H2O, 0.2 g KH2PO4, 0.25 g MgSO4.7H2O, 0.15 g NaCl, and 15 g agar. Sensitivity of Guy11 to PPT was tested on MM with varying amounts of complex nitrogen sources. Guy11 was sensitive to 50 μg/ml PPT in MM but could tolerate up to 150 μg/ml PPT in complete medium (CM, 0.6% yeast extract, 0.6% casein hydrolysate, 1% sucrose). Strong growth inhibition of strains Guy11 and 2539 was achieved in complete medium containing more than 300 μg/ml PPT. Since the fungus only grew sparingly in MM, we chose to select for PPT resistance in complete medium amended with a high concentration of PPT (400 μg/ml). A modified transformation protocol described by Leung et al. (1990 Curr. Genet. 17:409-411) was followed. Instead of 1.2 M sorbitol, 20% sucrose was used as osmotic stabilizer. Mycelial pellets from an actively growing, overnight culture were harvested by filtering through a layer of sterile cheesecloth. The mycelium was washed with enzyme buffer (20% sucrose, 20 mM 1 Leung et al.: Transformation of Magnaporthe grisea to phosphinothricin resistan Published by New Prairie Press, 2017 trisodium citrate, 50 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) and then digested in 40 mg/ml of Novozyme (Novo Biolab, Wilton, CT) for 2-3 hr with gentle shaking. Protoplasts were collected, washed, and maintained in STC buffer (20% sucrose, 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 25 mM CaCl2). Approximately 1 μg of plasmid DNA was dissolved in STC and added to 250 μl of protoplast suspension. The protoplast mixture was incubated overnight in regeneration agar (CM + 20% sucrose + 1.5% agar) and 0.7% MM agar containing 600 μg/ml PPT (maintained at 45-50 C) was overlaid. Plates were incubated at 26°C for about five days. Colonies that grew through the overlay were transferred to CM agar containing 400 μg/ml of PPT. Resistance to PPT was confirmed by transferring single conidial cultures to CM + PPT medium. The transformation frequency with circular pBARGEM7-2 was approximately 10 transformants/μg DNA/10(6) protoplasts (based on three independent experiments). The frequency was increased by about 5-fold by restriction enzyme mediated integration (REMI, Schiestl and Petes 1991 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:7585-7589; Kuspa and Loomis 1992 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8803-8807) using BamH1-linearized pBARGEM7-2. In contrast to hygromycin B selection, abundant background growth was observed at low PPT concentrations (300-400 μg/ml) in CM. The critical step in reducing background growth was to overlay the regenerated protoplasts with MM containing a high concentration (600 μg/ml) of PPT and to dilute the nitrogen source in CM by maintaining a high ratio of the overlay to the regeneration medium (about 2:1). PPTresistant colonies (5-10 mm diameter) grew through the surface of the top agar approximately three days after overlay was applied. In a parallel transformation experiment with pAN7-2, emergence of hygromycin B resistant colonies occurred five days after overlays were applied. A similar observation was made in N. crassa (M. L. Pall, unpublished data), suggesting that expression of the bar gene is considerably faster than that of the hygromycin B resistance gene. To determine the tolerance of transformants to PPT, four independent transformants were tested on a range of PPT concentrations (Table 1). A significant difference in growth between transformants and the wild type parent was evident at 300 μg/ml PPT. All transformants grew normally in CM containing up to 600 μg/ml PPT. To test the mitotic stability of PPT resistance, a transformant GT-B-1-1 was propagated by single-spore serial transfer on oatmeal agar without selection for ten generations (approximately 70 days). The resultant single-spore cultures exhibited the same level of resistance to PPT as the initial transformants. Crosses made between 10 randomly selected transformants and the wild type 2539 exhibited the same level of fertility as the crosses between the wild type parents (Guy11 x 2539). Ascospore progeny obtained from four crosses were tested for resistance to PPT and single-gene segregation was observed for all crosses. Ten PPT-resistant progeny derived from cross GT-B-1 x 2539 were pathogenic on weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula). Single spores recovered from the lesions caused by each of the transformants also retained PPT resistance. Southern analysis of transformant DNA showed that the majority of transformants (10/12) derived from circular plasmid or REMI transformation were resulted from single-copy integrations. These results indicate that bar-transformants are mitotically and meiotically stable and do not exhibit any negative characteristics in fertility and pathogenicity. The bar gene from S. hygroscopicus is a useful marker for M. grisea based on a number of criteria. First, the transformation efficiency using pBARGEM7-2 is comparable to those of integrative transformation in filamentous fungi. Second, no special medium is required; selection 2 Fungal Genetics Reports, Vol. 42 [1995], Art. 11 https://newprairiepress.org/fgr/vol42/iss1/11 DOI: 10.4148/1941-4765.1341 for PPT resistance can be achieved by using a high concentration of PPT in CM. Third, the transformants are mitotically and meiotically stable and retain pathogenicity on plants. While spontaneous mutation to hygromycin B resistance rarely occurs in M. grisea, PPT selection may potentially lead to higher frequency of spontaneous PPT-resistant mutants. Based on the number of PPT-resistant colonies observed in the control (protoplasts regenerated without added plasmid), spontaneous mutation could account for 5-10% of the PPT-resistant colonies. Spontaneous PPT-resistance was apparently caused by a single-gene mutation. Thus, the effective transformation frequency using PPT selection could be less than observed. Despite this limitation, the low cost of Ignite relative to hygromycin B makes PPT resistance an effective and inexpensive alternative marker for M. grisea. Table 1. Radial growth of transformants of Magnaporthe grisea at different concentrations of phosphinothricin in complete medium(a). Phosphinothricin(b) (μg/ml) Strain(b) Plasmid integration 0 200 300 400 600 Guy11 none 39 35.6 17 11.3 5.6 GT-B-1 single-copy 38.6 39.6 38.6 39.3 38.0 GT-B-2 none, spontaneous mutant 39.6 40.0 40.6 38.3 38.6 GT-B-3 single-copy 38.6 38.6 41.0 40.3 40.0 GT-B-5 single-copy 39.0 37.6 39.6 39.3 38.3 a Radial growth (mm) measured 10 days after inoculation. Average of four replicates. b Phosphinothricin in complete medium (1% sucrose, 0.6% yeast extract and 0.6% casein


The paper examines the impact of price and non-price factors relating to internal supply and external demand on India's exports. The constant-market-share model has been adopted to examine the problem. The paper underlines that India's exports of traditional commodities are noncompetitive whereas that of non-traditional commodities are competitive compared to the rest of the world. Overall, India's exports are competitive vis-a-vis the rest of the world. The state of competitiveness of exports is determined by demand and supply factors. Factors relating to external demand play an adverse role in determining the competitiveness of India's exports. Also, impact of factors such as labour and material costs on the supply side hamper competitiveness. Thus, favorable competitiveness appears to be mainly the outcome of India's export promotion policies. It is suggested that the export incentives given to the performance oriented manufacturing sectors need to be continued to enhance their export performance.


Bony morphological features have been used to reflect biomechanical behavioral patterns among archaeological populations. Of most recent ones is the anterior femoral curvature (AFC). It has been proposed as a valid indicator for mobility and differs by subsistence strategy and sex. This study aimed to investigate how AFC and mobility index vary by subsistence strategy and sex. It showed that degree of AFC decreased significantly from Woodland to the Mississippian period. People of Woodland, who practiced hunting/gathering or horticulture, displayed greater degree of AFC than the agriculturists of the Mississippian. In addition, anterior femoral curvature showed statistical significant difference by sex. Males, who walked and ran more than females, showed greater degree of femoral curvature than females in both periods. When variation in anterior femoral curvature by continent was tested, it significantly differed between North Americans and South Americans because of strong genetic differences. For that reason, anterior femoral curvature is good indicator for terrestrial logistic mobility (TLM) among homogenous skeletal population, and reflecting genetic differences between differed genetic groups.


This paper presents a synergetic controller for pulse current charging of advanced batteries from a fuel cell power source. Pulse current charging protocol that has been shown to have many advantages over the traditional constant current/constant voltage protocol is applied in a fuel cell powered battery-charging station to reduce the total charging time. Strong nonlinearity and dynamics exist in such systems. In this paper, the synergetic control approach is applied to regulate the buck converters that control the pulse charging currents to the many batteries. A practical synergetic controller to coordinate pulse current charging of the battery is synthesized and discussed. It provides asymptotic stability with respect to the required operating modes, invariance to load variations, and robustness to variation of the input and converter parameters. The synergetic controller is then implemented in Simulink. The dynamic characteristics of the synergetic controller are studied and compared with PI controller by conducting system simulation and experimental tests. Simulation and experiment results show the synergetic controller is robust for such nonlinear dynamic system and achieves better performance than the standard PI controller.


One spring morning, the back room at the local Eagles club in the tiny southwestern Wisconsin town of Coon Valley was filled to capacity with farmers, outdoorsmen, scientists, conservationists, and politicians. Over coffee and donuts, this unusual alliance gathered to pay homage to a humble element that ties together all their varied interests: soil. Interrupted by occasional camera flashes, local and national dignitaries, including senators, congressmen, and the chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Arlen Lancaster, stood at the podium extolling the virtues of the soil conservation methods pioneered in the region. "Every farmer in the nation has a tie to the Coon Creek watershed," Lancaster said. "You changed the course of our history." Seventy-five years ago—during one of the worst environmental and economic disasters this nation has ever experienced—modern soil conservation was born in the surrounding farmland of Coon Creek. The watershed was a living laboratory to test soil science, conservation techniques, and private-public cooperation. Then, as now, collaboration among scientists and landowners resulted in dramatic gains: In a matter of years, a denuded landscape devastated by erosion was healed. And in the process, modern conservation was invented. FIGHTING THE "NATIONAL MENACE" Farmers who lived


This study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the influence, on corporate competitiveness, of strategic management practices based on socio-environmental responsibility. We also sought to understand the interrelationships between the management practices relating to strategy, socio-environmental innovation and sustainable supply chain. We analyzed the aspects of competitive performance with respect to: profitability, cost, revenue, market share and image. The methodology applied was quantitative analysis, in a e-Survey, where, in o129 manufacturing industries. The results indicated a large number of significant correlations between many of the management practices studied and competitive performance, especially in terms of image. As for the practices, the ones that stood out were the initiatives to implement actions that integrate sustainable practices (e.g. inclusion of sustainability criteria in the development of new products and processes); and external relations (incorporation of socio-environmental criteria in the selection of suppliers and capital investment). As a limitation, this research was developed to cover the strategic KPI´s of a corporate competitive performance, and the future research should contemplate the tactical and operational perspectives. Just a few quantitative research's are done with this propose, and in Brazil, it is quite insignificant, what means that this research is original. The results can be applied to stimulate the enterprises to improve their socio environmental sustainability management practices. Also, this research reinforces some of the SGDs recommended by UN for 2030 agenda which should improve company's attractiveness for financial market and for people and planet.


Objective: Metronidazole stacked alginate microspheres have been utilized to drag out the gastric living arrangement time and enhance the neighbourhood impact of medication in the district of colon for the treatment of bacterial contaminations by expecting that the colonic microbes will enzymatically corrupt the polysaccharide into natural corrosive and by bringing down the pH condition with the goal that disintegration of corrosive dissolvable covering and arrival of medication occur at the same time. Methods: Metronidazole microspheres were made by ionic gelation method utilizing Guargum, Chitosan, Eudragit S-100 and sodium alginate at various proportions and utilized calcium chloride (4% w/v) as rigidizing operator. Microspheres were described for its molecule measure, medicate stacking, tranquilize capture, swelling file and medication discharge properties. Results: Microspheres are observed to be inside size extents from 36.77μm to 229.96μm with medication capture proficiency of 42– 99% w/w. The microsphere kept up to maintain the medication discharge up to 12 h if there should be an occurrence of definition FG4. Medication discharge from the microspheres, swelling file and lightness establishes to be relies upon the grouping of chosen polymers in the polymer mixture. Definitions containing low groupings of Guargum, Chitosan, Eudragit S-100 and sodium alginate (1:1) demonstrating shorter drifting slack time and quicker medication discharge and the other way around. Accordingly, swelling record and rate of medication discharge seemed, by all accounts, to be balanced by the centralization of chose polymers in the polymer mix. The outcomes demonstrated that Glutaraldehyde (1ml) based upgraded plan FG4 could be helpful in the detailing of metronidazole microspheres for better treatment of bacterial contaminations in colon.


This paper describes the results of an experiment designed to assess the effects of self-monitoring and 3 different kinds of secondary task on the development of ideas during planning, and on the quality of subsequently produced text. An LSA-based measure was used to assess the development of ideas during planning and Coh-Metrix was used to assess effects on text. The results suggest that the spatial component of working memory plays an important role in the development of ideas during planning, and that this affects the quality of the final text. Individual differences in self-monitoring also affect the extent to which content develops during planning and are associated with differences in the coherence of the final text


The principle of legal certainty is a general principle of law. It takes its origin from Ancient Greece and Rome. Greeks used legal certainty as a main criterion for just legislation, but Romans understood it as a requirement for judicial activities. Modern requirements of the legal certainty principle have the same spheres of usage – legislative and judiciary. The main of them are the following: restrictions must be provided for a specific legal act, which is public, predictable and general, clearly formulated, has legitimate public interest; clear division of powers and responsibilities; enforcement must be unique and predictable. Nowadays, legal certainty is a generally recognized democratic value that is part of the European common heritage. The European Court of Human Rights has a great influence on the legal certainty formation. It has stable practice of using the legal certainty principle in different spheres. The ECHR has developed legal certainty to the level that it has now. Legal certainty begins to penetrate into the Ukrainian legal system. Nowadays, this process is very slow and developed only by the scholars and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. From the other hand, uprising of the rule of law and other fundamental principles of law application is moving in a positive way. This positive tendency could be found not only in constitutional law, but also in different branches of law, such as land law. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine tries to use the concept of "living instrument" that was established by the ECHR in Tyrer v. The United Kingdom case. The majority of legal certainty requirements in land sphere are connected to the legislative usage. Predictability of the acts and legislative policy is the most problematic aspect of the legal certainty implementation in Ukraine.


Economists long considered money illusion to be largely irrelevant. Here we show, however, that money illusion has powerful effects on equilibrium selection. If we represent payoffs in nominal terms, choices converge to the Pareto inefficient equilibrium; however, if we lift the veil of money by representing payoffs in real terms, the Pareto efficient equilibrium is selected. We also show that strategic uncertainty about the other players' behavior is key for the equilibrium selection effects of money illusion: even though money illusion vanishes over time if subjects are given learning opportunities in the context of an individual optimization problem, powerful and persistent effects of money illusion are found when strategic uncertainty prevails.


Wildland fires in boreal regions have the poten- tial to initiate deep convection, so-called pyro-convection, due to their release of sensible heat. Under favorable atmo- spheric conditions, large fires can result in pyro-convection that transports the emissions into the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere. Here, we present three-dimensional model simulations of the injection of fire emissions into the lower stratosphere by pyro-convection. These model simulations are constrained and evaluated with observa- tions obtained from the Chisholm fire in Alberta, Canada, in 2001. The active tracer high resolution atmospheric model (ATHAM) is initialized with observations obtained by radiosonde. Information on the fire forcing is obtained from ground-based observations of the mass and moisture of the burned fuel. Based on radar observations, the pyro- convection reached an altitude of about 13km, well above the tropopause, which was located at about 11.2km. The model simulation yields a similarly strong convection with an over- shoot of the convection above the tropopause. The main out- flow from the pyro-convection occurs at about 10.6km, but a significant fraction (about 8%) of the emitted mass of the smoke aerosol is transported above the tropopause. In con- trast to regular convection, the region with maximum updraft velocity in the pyro-convection is located close to the sur- face above the fire. This results in high updraft velocities >10ms 1 at cloud base. The temperature anomaly in the plume decreases rapidly with height from values above 50K at the fire to about 5K at about 3000m above the fire. While the sensible heat released from the fire is responsible for the initiation of convection in the model, the release of latent heat from condensation and freezing dominates the overall energy budget. Emissions of water vapor from the fire do not signif- icantly contribute to the energy budget of the convection.


BACKGROUND: Blister-like aneurysms (BLAs) are challenging lesions that require unique microsurgical strategies. BLAs are predominantly found along the internal carotid artery; however, BLAs of the basilar artery are a rare subset that requires a modified treatment strategy. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the microsurgical management and review the long-term outcomes of patients with BLAs of the basilar artery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the surgical technique, postoperative results, and long-term outcomes of all patients with basilar artery BLAs treated at our institution from 2005 to 2011. RESULTS: Four patients with basilar artery BLAs were identified over this 6-year interval. All 4 patients were treated by direct microsurgical clipping. A thin layer of cotton reinforcement was used beneath the clip tines to minimize the risk of clip slippage in 2 of 4 patients; 1 patient required adjunctive endovascular stent placement for residual aneurysm after clipping. Complete obliteration of all aneurysms was achieved, and there has been no recurrence at mean clinical follow-up of 72 months (median, 74.5; range, 37-103) and imaging follow-up of 48 months (median, 54; range 12-72). CONCLUSION: Direct clipping with or without cotton reinforcement can obliterate basilar BLAs with excellent long-term outcomes. Clip wrapping is not an option for these lesions given the proximity to perforating branches. Endovascular techniques provide a useful adjunctive strategy; however, risks with antiplatelet therapy in the acute subarachnoid hemorrhage period must be considered. ABBREVIATIONS: BLA, blister-like aneurysms GOS, Glasgow Outcome Scale ICA, internal carotid artery PED, Pipeline Embolization Device SAH, subarachnoid hemorrhage


INTRODUCTION Bone resorption around hip stems, in particular periprosthetic bone loss, is a common observation post-operatively. A number of factors influence the amount of bone loss over time and the mechanical environment following total hip replacement (THR) is important; conventional long stem prostheses have been shown to transfer loads distally, resulting in bone loss of the proximal femur. More conservative, short stems have been recently introduced to attempt to better replicate the physiological load distribution in the femur. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) change over time, in a femur implanted with either a short or a long stem. METHODS Finite element models of two implants, a short (Minihip, Corin, UK) and long (Metafix, Corin, UK) hip stem were used to simulate bone remodeling under a physiological load condition (stair climbing). The magnitudes and directions of the muscle forces and joint reaction force were obtained from Heller et al (2001, 2005). An unimplanted femur was also simulated. A strain-adaptive remodelling theory (Scannel & Prendergast 2009) was utilised to simulate remodelling in the bone after virtual implantation. COMSOL Multiphysics software was used for the analysis. The strain component of the remodelling stimulus was strain energy density per unit mass. This was calculated in the continuum model from the strain energy density, and apparent density. Bone mass was adapted using a site-specific approach in an attempt to return the local remodelling stimulus to the equilibrium stimulus level (calculated from the unimplanted femur). The minimal inhibitory signal proposed by Frost (1964), was included in the model and described by a 'lazy zone', where no bone remodelling occurred. The three dimensional geometry of the femur was constructed from computed tomography data of the donor (female, 44 years old, right side). Elemental bone properties were assigned from the Hounsfield Unit values of the CT scans. The elastic modulus of the bone was assumed to be isotropic and was determined using a relationship to the apparent bone density (Frost 1964, Rho 1995). The Poisson9s ratio for the bone regions varied between 0.2 and 0.32 depending on the apparent density of the bone (Stulpner 1997). The period of implantation analysed was 2 years. The muscle forces and joint contact loads applied were ramped linearly from zero to full load over a period of two weeks, representing the estimated post operative rest period of a patient. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The overall percentage BMD change observed for Gruen zones 1 through to 7, were −14%, +4%, +40%, +12%, +4%, 0%, 12% respectively at 2 years for the Minihip. The corresponding overall percentage BMD change observed for Gruen zones 1 through to 7 for the Metafix were −8%, −2%, 18%, 26%, +12%, −9%, −42% respectively (Figure 1,2). CONCLUSIONS Considerably more bone resorption occurs in Gruen zone 7 with the long stem. Long stem designs distrupt the mechanical environment more than short stems, and lead to a greater bone mineral reduction over time.


Studies that explicitly and specifically take into account the spatial dimension within the study of eco-epidemiological systems remain rare. Our approach of modelling the spatial and/or temporal properties of the entomological and/or epidemiological data before their mapping with possible explanatory variables, objectively underline the significant patterns at different scales. The domiciliary and peri-domiciliary presence and abundance of juvenile and adult vectors of the Chagas disease (Triatoma sordida and Panstrongylus geniculatus) in Bahia state in northeast Brazil, has been modelled by automatically identifying significant multi-scale spatial patterns of the entomological data by the application and adoption of the spatial modelling methodology proposed by Dray et al. (2006) and based on principal coordinate analysis of neighbour matrices. We found that entomological data can be modelled by a set of eigenvectors that present a significant Moran's I index of spatial autocorrelation. The models for juvenile and adult vectors are defined by 28 and 32 eigenvectors that explain 82.3% and 79.9%, respectively, of the total data variances. The results support insect presence as the outcome both of a local scale "near-to-near" dispersal and an infestation from the wild, surrounding environment that produces a higher insect density at the village periphery.


This paper addresses the problem of urban stormwater quality and its impacts on the receiving water. In order to describe this phenomenon, research aimed at creating a mathematical model of pollution has been conducted. Although various deterministic and stochastic models exist already, the quality of stormwater phenomenon deserves a very careful and thoughtful validation. In order to take advantage of some empirical observations available, we introduce an inductive learning method to discover some regularities in form of "if...then..." rules. We suggest the use of the rough set theory for this purpose. This approach is able to process both quantitative and qualitative data and also accepts inconsistency in the dataset. The rules generated from the data explain the phenomenon in terms of relevant attributes, and can be used to predict the level of pollution from future events. We present the results of the rough set analysis of a dataset concerning five catchments in the urban area of Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland. The application of the rules to events from other catchments, particularly in France, proves the good prediction ability of our model.


Bananas and plantains are an important source of food and income for millions of persons in the world. Their production is constrained by many biotic and abiotic stress factors but their improvement through traditional plant breeding methods is very difficult because they do not produce seeds, are polyploid and have a long generation time. Biotechnological approaches like genetic transformation techniques may therefore have a great impact on banana improvement. In addition, genetic engineering in banana can also be useful to increase food quality and for molecular farming purposes, e.g. to express oral vaccines. In this work a number of issues regarding the generation and use of transgenic banana plants were addressed. First, a protocol for plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis in the banana cv. 'Dwarf Cavendish' (Musa AAA) was developed. Then, several conditions for Agrobacteriummediated gene transfer based on this regeneration system were studied. The efficiency of the different treatments was assessed by transient GUS expression, number of transformed embryo colonies and regenerated plants. The highest efficiency was obtained when embryogenic cell suspensions were inoculated with Agrobacterium for 6h in medium supplemented with 200 μM acetosyringone and 1.0 mM spermidine; under these conditions more than 600 independent transgenic lines were obtained per ~50 mg fresh weight of settled cells. Spermidine showed an enhancing effect, increasing significantly the transient GUS expression, the number of transformed embryo colonies and the number of regenerated plants in comparison with the same treatments without this polyamine. Secondly, methods to obtain marker-free transgenic banana plants were developed. This research was motivated by the fact that selectable marker genes are no longer needed once a transgenic event is selected, but on the contrary the continued presence of such marker genes has technological drawbacks and raises public concerns. In these experiments, we used the cultivar 'Grande Naine' (Musa AAA), which is important in the export market but has been seriously affected by fungus attack. Marker-free transgenic banana plants from this cultivar have been obtained using a Cre/lox auto-excision system. We have investigated two strategies to induce the activity of the Cre protein and the recombination of lox sites. In the first approach a binary expression vector was used, in which the cre recombinase gene under the control of a heat shock promoter as well as a selectable marker gene cassette were placed between two lox sites in direct orientation, while the gene of interest was inserted outside of the lox sites. Heat shock inducible promoters GmHSP17.6-L and AtHSP18.2, derived from soybean and Arabidopsis respectively were tested. The results showed that a transient heat shock treatment of primary transgenic embryos is sufficient for inducing cre and excising both the cre gene and the selectable marker genes. Excision efficiency was determined by PCR and confirmed by Southern hybridization and it reached 59.7 and 40.0 % for the GmHSP17.6-L and HSP18.2 promoters, respectively. In a second approach, an embryo specific promoter was used instead of a heat-shock promoter. The promoter of the embryo globulin gene REG-2 from rice was chosen for this purpose. The activity of this promoter was first tested in various phases of the transformation protocol using a pREG2::uidA construct. GUS expression was visualized only in formed embryos and not in cell clumps during the selection phase. Subsequently, the REG-2 promoter was cloned upstream the cre gene in an auto-excison vector, resulting in excision of the selectable marker and cre genes in mature somatic embryos. PCR analysis on regenerated plants revealed that 34% of them were completely marker-free, results that were thereafter confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using developmentally controlled promoters to mediate marker excision in banana. Finally, as an application of these Cre/lox based systems, we obtained marker-free transgenic banana cv. 'Grande Naine' (Musa AAA) constitutively expressing the tobacco osmotin gene ap24. AP24 has previously been shown to possess antifungal activity in both in vitro and in vivo assays. We have developed a vector that contains between two lox sites in direct orientation the selectable marker gene cassette pNos-hpt-tNos and the cre recombinase gene driven by the heat shock promoter pHSP18.2 from Arabidopsis thaliana. After selection, hygromycin resistant embryos were subjected to heat-shock and thereafter shifted to antibiotic-free regeneration medium. PCR and Southern blot analysis on DNA from regenerated plantlets confirmed the integration of the ap24 gene and the excision of the selectable marker and cre genes in 40% of the regenerants. Then, several lines were screened in an artificial inoculation assay with Mycosphaerella fijiensis under greenhouse conditions. M. fijiensis infection causes the devastating Black leaf streak or Black Sigatoka leaf spot disease in banana. Several AP24 expressing transgenic lines tested showed enhanced tolerance to the pathogenic fungus.


Considering the interaction through mutual interference of the different radio devices, the channel selection (CS) problem in decentralized parallel multiple access channels can be modeled by strategic-form games. Here, we show that the CS problem is a potential game (PG) and thus the fictitious play (FP) converges to a Nash equilibrium (NE) either in pure or mixed strategies. Using a 2-player 2-channel game, it is shown that convergence in mixed strategies might lead to cycles of action profiles which lead to individual spectral efficiencies (SE) which are worse than the SE at the worst NE in mixed and pure strategies. Finally, exploiting the fact that the CS problem is a PG and an aggregation game, we present a method to implement FP with local information and minimum feedback.


This study analyzes the relationship between youths' conceptions of citizenship and their conceptions of mathematics in order to understand the role that mathematics can play in the development of youth as citizens. The study also explored the possibilities and challenges of a social justice mathematics approach in the development of youth as citizens. Individual interviews were conducted with a total of 38 students from two research settings: a middle-school mathematics class in a public school in a low-income neighborhood serving primarily Black youth, and a mathematics class at an alternative educational program for out-of-school youth obtaining their GED serving primarily a low-income Latino population. An analysis of students' conceptions of citizenship using Westheimer and Kahne (2004)'s framework highlighted the prevalence of personally responsible conceptions of citizenship across both settings. Having students discuss issues in their communities prompted students to also suggest participatory actions, and engaging in discussions about issues of injustice specifically yielded justice-oriented responses. Personally responsible responses and even participatory responses were often coupled with a sense of powerlessness, as they focused on addressing symptoms of issues by changing or controlling individuals' behaviors. Students' conceptions of mathematics also reflected personally responsible conceptions of citizenship. Examining students' conceptions of mathematics revealed that students have a limited perspective of the role of mathematics in the world, such as in applications involving money, daily tasks, and careers. Students from both settings, but especially those from the alternative education program, also expressed that the mathematics they learn in school primarily serves a credentialing role. Mathematics for social justice offers a promising means to empower youth as justice-oriented citizens by showing them how mathematics can play a key role in learning about and making change in the world. In their reflections about mathematics for social justice lessons, students expressed that mathematics validated their experiences and provided powerful evidence to use in pressing authorities to listen to their issues. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Education First Advisor Janine Remillard


Article 15(1) of the Community Trade Mark Regulation states that the Community Trade Mark holder has to put the mark into genuine use in the Community within five years from registration. Even though the regulation does not deal with the extent of use necessary, the Joint Statements uphold that genuine use within one country is enough. However, recent case law from national offices have ruled in the opposite direction, resulting in legal uncertainty concerning how much use that is needed. The courts claimed that use within merely one Member State is not use in a substantial part of the Community and therefore not genuine.This paper shows that it is not satisfactory to define genuine use in the Community by way of analogy to the term substantial part of the territory. The latter derives from the test of reputation concerning a different case entirely. Instead, most indicators point towards a market-oriented approach where national frontiers do not matter. Focus should be on the extent of use being made compared to the market concerned in the entire EU. A case-by-case assessment is required, where all relevant circumstances are taken into consideration.


"When bebop was new," writes Thomas Owens, "many jazz musicians and most of the jazz audience heard it as radical, chaotic, bewildering music." For a nation swinging to the smoothly orchestrated sounds of the big bands, this revolutionary movement of the 1940s must have seemed destined for a short life on the musical fringe. But today, Owens writes, bebop is nothing less than "the lingua franca of jazz, serving as the principal musical language of thousands of jazz musicians." In Bebop, Owens conducts us on an insightful, loving tour through the music, players, and recordings that changed American culture. Combining vivid portraits of bebop's gigantic personalities with deft musical analysis, he ranges from the early classics of modern jazz (starting with the 1943 Onyx Club performances of Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford, Don Byas, and George Wallington) through the central role of Charlie Parker, to an instrument-by-instrument look at the key players and their innovations. Illustrating his discussion with numerous musical excerpts, Owens skillfully demonstrates why bebop was so revolutionary, with fascinating glimpses of the tempestuous jazz world: Thelonious Monk, for example, did "everything 'wrong' in the sense of traditional piano technique....Because his right elbow fanned outward away from his body, he often hit the keys at an angle rather than in parallel. Sometimes he hit a single key with more than one finger, and divided single-line melodies between two hands." In addition to his discussions of individual instruments and players, Owens examines ensembles, with their sometimes volatile collaborations: in the Jazz Messengers, Benny Golson told of how his own mellow saxophone playing would get lost under Art Blakey's furious drumming: "He would do one of those famous four-bar drum rolls going into the next chorus, and I would completely disappear. He would holler over at me, 'Get up out of that hole!'" In this marvelous account, Owens comes right to the present day, with accounts of new musicians ranging from the Marsalis brothers to lesser-known masters like pianist Michel Petrucciani. Bebop is a jazz-lover's dream--a serious yet highly personal look at America's most distinctive music.


ABSTRACT
Low cost atmospheric composition sensors are increasingly used in both air quality research and in air pollution monitoring. Those focused on particulates have generally rather rapid (T90) response times due to their reliance on light scattering methods. However, those electrochemical and NDIR sensors targeting trace gases such as, respectively, CO and CO2 typically respond very much slower, with T90 response times that can be further lengthened by the rate at which sample exchange occurs in the measurement cell. Data from these types of low cost sensors are often used to derive emission ratios [ERs] of two simultaneously measured atmospheric species, yet ER derivations made using data from sensors having dissimilar T90 values can be problematic, because any rapid change in the pollutant concentration can mean one sensor responding faster to the changing conditions than the other. Such situations are typical within biomass burning plumes, yet where such ER assessments are routinely required to generate the emissions factors (EFs) needed for biomass burning emissions calculations. Here we confirm that the ERs coming from such analyses can be strongly biased if differential sensor T90 effects remain unadjusted for, and we demonstrate a simple mathematical approach for undertaking this adjustment. The method is able to take data from a sensor taken with a particular T90 value and simulate that which would be collected from a sensor targeting the same species but with a different T90 value, and if the output T90 is selected to match that of the companion sensor measuring the second species then the two measures with the same effective T90 values can be used to generate unbiased emissions ratios and emissions factors. We demonstrate our approach on simulated data with known T90 response times, and then apply it to real data from low-cost sensors collected within biomass burning plumes, including those installed in a sampling system that introduced further – and unknown – additional measurement lag. In the latter case we find that our mathematical approach to the post-measurement T90 adjustment is still able to derive ERs from the low-cost sensor data that are comparable to those derived from data collected with a very high precision laser absorption spectrometer that measures the two species exactly simultaneously. Our methodology is thus well suited to the problem of deriving emissions ratios and emission factors from data collected by low-cost sensing systems deployed in rapidly changing pollutant plumes.


Ginseng, a traditional herbal adaptogen, historically used in the Far East, has gained popularity in the West for its restorative properties.

Ginsenosides, the active component of ginseng are known to exert a variety of actions by targeting 'multireceptor systems' both extracellular and intracellular. As a result many of its physiological effects remain unclear, particularly in humans. This study aims to investigate whether ginseng can influence salivary androgen levels (testosterone and DHEA) in females.

Twenty-Four females were recruited for the study and divided into 2 groups (Group 1 aged 20–30 and Group 2 aged 38–50 years). The project has received ethical approval from QMUC ethical committee. Volunteers were asked to maintain a food diary for 48 hours pre and post ginseng consumption and collect 4 salivary samples (after wakening, 0900 hours, 1200 hours and 1700 hours) before and after ingesting 650 mg Korean Gensing per day for 7 days. Testosterone and DHEA were then assayed in all samples by ELISA methods.

For the young group: Mean daily salivary testosterone pre-gensing ingestion was 111.2±66.1 pg/mL and post gensing was 133.6±80.2 pg/mL (related t-test P=0.091). Mean daily salivary DHEA pre-gensing ingestion was 1.977±0.38 ng/mL and post gensing was 2.04±1.58 ng/mL (related t-test P=0.899). For the older group: Mean daily salivary testosterone pre-gensing ingestion was 56.1±14.8 pg/mL and post gensing was 65.1±11.1 pg/mL (related ttest P=0.032). Mean daily salivary DHEA pre-gensing ingestion was 1.02±0.665 ng/mL and post gensing was 1.72±1.11 ng/mL (related t-test P=0.034).

In conclusion, it appears that ingestion of Korean gensing has significantly increased salivary testosterone and DHEA in the older women (aged 38–50 years old), but there was no significant difference in the level of either steroid in the younger group. These data suggest a role for gensing in modulating salivary androgen levels and that such effect might be more evident in women above the age of 40 years where the levels of androgens, and particularly DHEA start to decline.


Secure operation of cryptographic algorithms is critical to the success of secure transactions. Fault-based attacks that recover secret keys by deliberately introducing fault(s) in cipher implementations and analyzing the faulty outputs have been proven to be extremely powerful. Substitution permutation networks (SPN) and Feistel networks (FN) are the two important classes of symmetric block ciphers. Some SPN ciphers and all FN ciphers satisfy the involution property. A function F is an involution if F(F(x)) = x. In this paper, we investigate tamper proofing techniques that use low cost involution-based time redundancy concurrent error detection (CED) schemes for involutional SPN and FN symmetric block ciphers. We incorporated this tamper proofing by design technique in a hardware implementation of the 128-bit ANUBIS SPN cipher (an involution variant of the advanced encryption standard (AES)) and the 128-bit TwoFish FN cipher (an AES finalist). We performed fault simulation at both the algorithm and the gate level to show that the low-cost involution-based CED schemes, in addition to detecting all transient faults, can detect all single-bit permanent faults and > 99 percent of all multiple-bit permanent faults. Consequently, this low cost CED technique can protect the crypto device against differential fault analysis (DFA) attacks


Rarely, it seems, is the interplay between sport and politics, or perhaps more accurately sport and identity, so apparent as in Ireland. Whilst there has been a considerable degree of work undertaken in examining the historiography of the indigenous sporting organization, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the level of focus on other sports in Ireland has, in comparison, been somewhat more modest. This essay considers the emergence and outworking of the player eligibility dispute between the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), as the governing body of the game in the Republic of Ireland, and the Irish Football Association, their counterparts in Northern Ireland, focussing specifically on the height of this dispute between 2007 and 2012. Drawing upon interview material from players who previously have not spoken about their personal decision to leave Northern Ireland and play for the Republic of Ireland, a combination of social, personal and political factors, combined, allow for a detailed account of this process to be established. It profiles a long-running and difficult rivalry between soccer authorities on a small island on the western seaboard of Europe but where passions remain high in both sport and politics.


This thesis asserts and demonstrates that the current historical evaluation of the significance of Arthur Eddington and James Jeans is inadequate. Not only has their importance in the years between the two World Wars been forgotten, but their transitional role in the science and religion debate post-Darwin is now largely unrecognised. Both had a major influence on subsequent popular apologists and Eddington in particular influenced post war academic theologians as diverse as Thomas Torrance and Eric Mascall.

It is generally accepted that the apologetic writings of Eddington and Jeans were widely read and were adept at conveying their message. They have, however, been increasingly ignored by historians and theologians. This thesis argues that their work post-Darwin on the new physics of the early twentieth century was significant in steering the science and religion dialogue in the United Kingdom away from the more conflict-based approaches such as the beginnings of creationism in the United States. Further their deployment of metaphor, ability to engage in dialogue with the public through the press and the new technology of the wireless were innovative and left a legacy for apologetics and the science and religion dialogue.

By an examination of three key texts, a new account is given of the authors' importance and of the reactions of contemporary theologians, philosophers and scientists. Their work brought the latest science to bear on important areas of traditional theological debate in an accessible way and to a good apologetic end. The role of intuition and 'seeking' in relation to Eddington's writing shows a fresh Quaker-influenced approach to apologetics and the science and religion debate.

The widely-accepted role of Susan Stebbing in the post-war decline of Eddington and Jeans is examined and dismissed as simplistic. A new analysis of the reasons for their decline and neglect is made. Jeans and Eddington remind us that the importance of general cultural trends and contemporary events in the science and religion debate is often overlooked. The history of the reception of their apologetic work and the pattern of their continuing significance illustrate the connectedness of theology with current events.


The regio- and stereoselectivity of the palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions of indium organometallics withstereodefined 1-haloalkenes and 1,1-dihaloalkenes have been studied. Triorganoindium reagents (R3In; R = alkyl, alkenyl, aryl and alkynyl) can be stereospecifically coupled with stereodefined alkenyl iodides in good yields and short reaction times under palladium catalysis. Additionally, the palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reaction of R3In (90 mol-%) with 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes gave dicoupling products in high yields. When the reaction was performed with 40 mol-% of aryl-, vinyl- and alkynylindium derivatives, trans-selective monosubstitution products were obtained in moderate to good yields. These selective couplings were performed with [Pd2dba3]/P(2-furyl)3 (1:1, 2 mol-%) at 0 °C or, for 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes with an aromatic group in the β-position, [Pd(DPEPhos)Cl2] (2 mol-%) at room temperature as the catalytic system. The resulting (Z)-monobromoalkenes can be further functionalized by cross-coupling reaction with various R3In (R = alkyl, aryl and alkynyl) in the presence of [Pd(tBu3P)2] as catalyst, at room temperature, to provide trisubstituted olefins in good yields.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)


Background The popularity of mountain biking (MB) has led to the development of commercial MB parks. Little is known about the injury profile and risk factors in these areas. Objective To determine the injury profile and risk factors for severe injury among cyclists in MB parks. Design Prospective case-control study. Cases were hospitalised cyclists injured in MB parks. Controls were cyclists injured in MB parks seen and discharged from the emergency department (ED). Setting Four EDs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Participants Recreational cyclists injured in a MB park who presented to one of the study EDs from May 2008 to August 2010. 351 patients were interviewed. Assessment of risk factors Crash circumstances were captured through interviews and injury data through medical chart review. Main outcome measurements Severe injury as defined by hospitalisation; levels within factors were compared using OR and 95% CI. Results 23 participants were hospitalised (cases).The most common body region injured was the head/neck/face among cases, and the upper extremities among controls. 21% of cases and 9% of controls were female. A greater proportion of cases than controls were older than 25 years (22% vs 15%, respectively). Full-face helmets were used less among cases than controls (21% vs 41%, respectively). Arm and elbow protection was used more among cases than controls (arm: 13% vs 2%; elbow: 22% vs 8%). On univariate analyses, we found an indication of increased odds of severe injury among females (OR=2.8; 95% CI 0.96 to 8.06). Riding a new bicycle (OR=2.74; 95% CI 1.16 to 6.45) and cycling on grass compared with dirt (OR=7.06; 95% CI 1.21 to 41.33) increased the odds of severe injury. Conclusion Preliminary analysis suggests surface and experience-related characteristics may increase the risk of severe injury. Case-control differences were noted in protective equipment use.


Chapter 1 introduces the Terms of Reference, Methodology, and Dissertation Structure. In Chapter 2, formative contacts are discussed chronologically and regionally, specifically concentrating on primary sources as indicators in the development of perceptions and knowledge of Islam within Britain - forming part of European interpretation of Islam. The historical narrative incorporates a discussion of earliest contacts between Britain and Islam; 'evolution' of knowledge about Islam; movement of British agents into the Islamic world - and their importance in providing crucial information about different forms of Islam; (mis)representation of Islam; isolation of themes regarding perceptions of Islam. In Chapter 3, contemporary issues concerning Muslims in Britain are surveyed in the context of themes emerging as important in assessment of Islam, during the discussion of formative contacts. These themes are discussed within the context of a Survey of Islam in Britain; an analysis of 'Fundamentalism'; The Satanic Verses controversy; British Muslim Community Representation and Leadership; the position of Women in British Islam; Islam in Europe; the role of the contemporary Media in perceptions of Islam; a survey of the 1991 Gulf War, in which many impressions of Islam conveyed by formative contacts were re-articulated. Within Chapter 4, other important issues affecting Muslims in Britain, notably education, interfaith dialogue, and social welfare, are incorporated into a discussion on British Muslim identity. The dissertation concludes with establishing whether there is correlation between formative contacts and contemporary British Muslim issues. It assesses the way forward for Islam in Britain in the light of lessons learnt - and what work needs to be done by Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Britain to improve the perception of Islam.


The adult rat spinal cord contains cells that can proliferate and differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendroglia in situ. Using clonal and subclonal analyses we demonstrate that, in contrast to progenitors isolated from the adult mouse spinal cord with a combination of growth factors, progenitors isolated from the adult rat spinal cord using basic fibroblast growth factor alone display stem cell properties as defined by their multipotentiality and self-renewal. Clonal cultures derived from single founder cells generate neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, confirming the multipotent nature of the parent cell. Subcloning analysis showed that after serial passaging, recloning, and expansion, these cells retained multipotentiality, indicating that they are self-renewing. Transplantation of an in vitro-expanded clonal population of cells into the adult rat spinal cord resulted in their differentiation into glial cells only. However, after heterotopic transplantation into the hippocampus, transplanted cells that integrated in the granular cell layer differentiated into cells characteristic of this region, whereas engraftment into other hippocampal regions resulted in the differentiation of cells with astroglial and oligodendroglial phenotypes. The data indicate that clonally expanded, multipotent adult progenitor cells from a non-neurogenic region are not lineage-restricted to their developmental origin but can generate region-specific neurons in vivowhen exposed to the appropriate environmental cues.


As corporate clients move to apply strategic management principles to legal service, law firms must move in the same direction MUCH is being written about the new ways in which corporate clients are managing their outside counsel to achieve better outcomes. For instance, there were two feature articles in the January 2001 issue of ACCA Docket, the publication of the American Corporate Counsel Association, an organization of nearly 20,000 members.(1) While the focus of this attention has been on the client side of the lawyer-client relationship, there has been less attention paid to what these new developments will do to or for law firms that furnish legal services to corporations. Law firms that adopt the approaches known as "strategic legal management" (SLM) will be on track with their corporate clients and should be able to increase their profits or draw from $20,000 to $100,000 per partner per year. These law firms can gain a significant marketing advantage with current and prospective clients because their SLM approaches provide what clients have been seeking for years: better, more predictable and measurable legal services. Interested? Read on. MANAGEMENT REVOLUTION A management revolution is transforming business around the world as thousands of companies strategically retool and improve their human resources, manufacturing, sales and accounting departments. In the past few years, corporate America has invested more than $50 billion in such efforts as enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and the so-called Six Sigma systems.(2) A similar management revolution can streamline and improve the work law firms are asked to perform for corporate legal departments. Those departments spend a median of $11.7 million on outside counsel annually, which over-all amounts to 0.3 to 0.6 percent of sales, or well more than $100 billion spent on outside counsel per year.(3) For nearly a decade, law departments have been looking for better ways to manage outside counsel, but they have been slow to embrace proven strategic management principles, primarily because there were few tools available and fewer consultants with experience applying these techniques to real legal matters.(4) This is changing. Leading companies are beginning to invest in strategic approaches to improve their legal results. Leading law firms need to know what is happening and be ready for the changes they will bring. Strategic management in the corporate legal department improves the quality of legal services, produces better legal outcomes, reduces legal costs, improves law firm profits, restructures relationships and delivers other benefits. It starts with the tools of task-based billing, but then goes far beyond that into process analysis and the application of newly available technology to bring about dramatic improvement in the quality of legal matter management. As more companies apply strategic management ideas to their legal functions, they begin to identify best-practice approaches to optimize results and make legal expenditures more predictable.(5) As they do, the invisible walls that separate law department management from business-side management principles begin to crumble. TASK-BASED BILLING Six years ago, the American Corporate Counsel Association and the American Bar Association endorsed the breakthrough uniform task-based management system (UTBMS) code list for litigation. More than 50 major corporations and outside law firms developed the code sets, which now have been expanded to cover bankruptcy, intellectual property, workers' compensation and general counseling. Made available on a royalty-free basis, these task codes give the legal profession a common dictionary to describe the work that lawyers perform for their corporate clients.(6) Now organizations that pay more than half of all legal fees in the United States have declared their commitment to task-based billing. …


Background: A proper attention is required to prevent the gastric mucosa from injurious effect of aspirin. Objective: We aim to examine the phytochemicals in aqueous extract of Ficus vogelii leaf (F.V.E), and compare their actions on aspirin-induced gastric ulcer with that of Omeprazole. Materials and Methods: Thirty wistar rats (about 8 wks old and weight, 120g each) were divided into 6 groups of five rats each. With the aid of oro-gastric cannula, the groups were administered a daily dose of Omeprazole and F.V.E as follows: group 1 (negative control)-2 ml of distilled water; group 2– Omeprazole 20 mg/kg body weight (bwt) for 10 days, followed by aspirin 500 mg/kg bwt for 3 days; group 3-aspirin 500 mg/kg bwt for 3days, followed by F.V.E 600 mg/kg bwt for 10 days; group 4-aspirin 500 mg/kg bwt for 3 days, followed by Omeprazole 20 mg/kg bwt for 10 days; group 5-F.V.E 600 mg/kg bwt for 10 days, followed by aspirin 500 mg/kg bwt for 3 days; group 6 (positive control)-aspirin 500 mg/kg bwt for 3 days. The rats were sacrificed and the stomach tissues were processed, stained with H & E and PAS, and biochemically analyzed for NP-SH group concentration. Results: F.V.E has high concentrations of saponins and flavonoids. Rats in group 1, 4 and 5 showed normal gastric mucosa. Group 2 and 6 showed gastric ulceration with significant increase in parietal cell count (p<0.01), and reduction in surface cell diameter and count. Group 3 showed evidence of regenerated mucosa. All groups except positive control had normal NP-SH group concentration. Conclusion: The study proved that F.V.E could be used as both therapy and prophylaxis for aspirininduced gastric ulcer in wistar rat while omeprazole adequately served as a therapy for the ulcer.


Abstract—Soil moisture content is a key variable in many environmental sciences. Even though it represents a small proportion of the liquid freshwater on Earth, it modulates interactions between the land surface and the atmosphere, thereby influencing climate and weather. Accurate modeling of the above processes depends on the ability to provide a proper spatial characterization of soil moisture. The measurement of soil moisture content allows assessment of soil water resources in the field of hydrology and agronomy. The second parameter in interaction with the radar signal is the geometric structure of the soil. Most traditional electromagnetic models consider natural surfaces as single scale zero mean stationary Gaussian random processes. Roughness behavior is characterized by statistical parameters like the Root Mean Square (RMS) height and the correlation length. Then, the main problem is that the agreement between experimental measurements and theoretical values is usually poor due to the large variability of the correlation function, and as a consequence, backscattering models have often failed to predict correctly backscattering. In this study, surfaces are considered as band-limited fractal random processes corresponding to a superposition of a finite number of one-dimensional Gaussian process each one having a spatial scale. Multiscale roughness is characterized by two parameters, the first one is proportional to the RMS height, and the other one is related to the fractal dimension. Soil moisture is related to the complex dielectric constant. This multiscale description has been adapted to two-dimensional profiles using the bidimensional wavelet transform and the Mallat algorithm to describe more correctly natural surfaces. We characterize the soil surfaces and sub-surfaces by a three layers geo-electrical model. The upper layer is described by its dielectric constant, thickness, a multiscale bidimensional surface roughness model by using the wavelet transform and the Mallat algorithm, and volume scattering parameters. The lower layer is divided into three fictive layers separated by an assumed plane interface. These three layers were modeled by an effective medium characterized by an apparent effective dielectric constant taking into account the presence of air pockets in the soil. We have adopted the 2D multiscale three layers small perturbations model including, firstly air pockets in the soil sub-structure, and then a vegetable canopy in the soil surface structure, that is to simulate the radar backscattering. A sensitivity analysis of backscattering coefficient dependence on multiscale roughness and new soil moisture has been performed. Later, we proposed to change the dielectric constant of the multilayer medium because it takes into account the different moisture values of each layer in the soil. A sensitivity analysis of the backscattering coefficient, including the air pockets in the volume structure with respect to the multiscale roughness parameters and the apparent dielectric constant, was carried out. Finally, we proposed to study the behavior of the backscattering coefficient of the radar on a soil having a vegetable layer in its surface structure.


The reader will note, Dr. Ober explains, that psychopathology occupies a prominent place in these essaysmelancholia, masochism, hysteria, autoerotic asphyxia, and other dinner table topics. The book opens with a brisk discussion of flagellationstudded with rare illustrations. Like all of the essays in the book, this is an illuminating chapter, scholarly and good natured at the same time, and one that gives rise to speculation concerning human nature and human history.Ober provides medical answers to many mysteries. In a discussion of infertility in the Bible, he speculates medically as to why Onan and his older brother Er died during coitus. In the eyes of the doctor, these biblical antiheros may deserve our pity, but not our scorn. He also explains the role of Reuben s mandrakes in fertilizing the barren Rachel. Equally fascinating is his discussion of the mandrake, a wondrous weed and sire of legend and superstition.Ober shows why an unfamiliar composer named Franti ek Koczwara got himself hanged in a London whorehouse. He tells of the aborted homosexual sadism in Robert Musil; the murder, madrigals, and masochism in the life of composer Carlo Gesualdo; the iconography of leprosy; the iconography of "Fanny ""Hill "(or how to illustrate a dirty book); the melancholiaof Johnson and Boswell; the short, miserable life ofRimbaud; and other mysteries to which medicine mayhold the key."


Problem solving courts appear to achieve outcomes which are not common in mainstream courts. There are increasing calls for the adoption of more "therapeutic" and "problem solving" practices by mainstream judges in civil and criminal courts in a number of jurisdictions, most notably in the United States and Australia. Currently, a judge who sets out to exercise a significant therapeutic function is quite likely to be doing so in a specialist court or jurisdiction, outside the mainstream court system, and, arguably, from outside the adversarial paradigm itself. To some extent, his work is tolerated but marginalized. But do therapeutic and problem solving functions have the potential to define, rather than complement, the role of judicial officers? The basic question addressed in this Article is, therefore, whether the judicial role could evolve to be not just less adversarial, but fundamentally non-adversarial. In other words, could we see — or are we seeing — a paradigm shift not just in the colloquial, casual sense of the word, but in the strong, worldview changing sense meant by Thomas Kuhn?


ABSTRACT Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a useful tool in reservoir evaluation. The objective of this study is to predict petrophysical properties from NMR T2 distributions. A series of laboratory experiments including core analysis, capillary pressure measurements, NMR T2 measurements and image analysis were carried out on sixteen greensand samples from two formations in the Nini field of the North Sea. Hermod Formation is weakly cemented, whereas Ty Formation is characterized by microcrystalline quartz cement. The surface area measured by the BET method and the NMR derived surface relaxivity are associated with the micro-porous glauconite grains. The effective specific surface area as calculated from Kozeny's equation and as derived from petrographic image analysis of backscattered electron micrograph's (BSE), as well as the estimated effective surface relaxivity, is associated with macro-pores. Permeability may be predicted from NMR by using Kozeny's equation when surface relaxivity is known. Capillary pressure drainage curves may be predicted from NMR T2 distribution when pore size distribution within a sample is homogeneous.


Religious institutions hold a significant place in daily life for the vast majority of people in the world, especially in developing countries. Yet despite their social prominence, and despite HCI's emphasis on the social context of technology, organized religion is neglected in both the HCI and ICTD literature. This paper explores the relationship that mosques in Bangladesh have with their constituencies and with technology, with an eye toward the integration of technology with existing religious institutions as a way to achieve positive social ends. We first describe a qualitative exploration of several mosque communities in Bangladesh, where we find that skepticism and pragmatism about modern technology interact in a complex way that nevertheless leaves room for technical interventions. We then describe a randomized controlled trial to study the relative value of SMS messages infused with overtly religious or secularly altruistic frames for the purpose of mosque fundraising. We find that SMS messages increase donations overall, but that their framing is significant. Messages with secular altruistic framing increased donations by 9.5%, while those with religious sentiment increased donations by 57.3%. Our findings demonstrate how technologies like SMS amplify underlying religious forces and suggest the possibility of working with religious institutions in applying positive ICT interventions.


The article addresses the recent proliferation of Cross-Border Regions, or Euroregions, across the EU. It aims to explain why they have been more successfully institutionalised in some areas while they have had less success in others. It conceptualises Euroregions as the outcome of policy entrepreneurship strategies through which support is mobilised on the local level and the Euroregions are institutionalised into durable organisations. Based on a systematic comparison of three cases, the EUREGIO, Viadrina and Tyrol, it is shown how different administrative and institutional environments throughout the EU affect the ability of Euroregions to engage in policy entrepreneurship. At the same time, it is shown that is it premature to perceive Euroregions as new types of regional territorial entities; rather, they constitute an institutional form through which existing authorities engage in collective action across nation-state borders within the context of EU multi-level governance.


In contrast to previous literature, which looks at the effect of democracy on long-run growth or short-run volatility of growth, we examine the effect of political institutions on medium-term growth episodes. These are episodes of accelerations and decelerations that characterise the growth experience of most developing countries. We find that the effect of political institutions on growth is asymmetric across accelerations and decelerations, and that democracies do not necessarily outperform autocracies in a growth acceleration episode, though they are likely to prevent large growth collapses. When we disaggregate the type of autocracy, we find that party-based autocracies outperform democracies in growth acceleration episodes, though they do not limit the fall in the magnitude in growth deceleration episodes in comparison to democracies.


Acute pyelonephritis (APN), although a common clinical entity, still not much is known about the clinical profile in the Indian scenario. We prospectively collected clinical, biochemical, and radiological data of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of APN from March 2014 to June 2016. A total of 296 cases were included in the study. Mean age was 53.85 ± 9.78 years. Male to females ratio was 1.93:1. Among the risk factors recognized for complicated pyelonephritis (PN), diabetes mellitus (DM) (54.4%) was the most common factor followed by renal calculi (14.4%), benign prostatic hyperplasia (6.7%), immunocompromised state (3.3%), stricture urethra and meatal stenosis (3.3%), and neurogenic bladder (2%). Urinary culture was negative in 153 (51.7%) and positive in 143 patient (48.3%). Most common organism isolated was Escherichia coli (29.7%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.4%), pseudomonas (5.4%), Enterococcus (4.4%), and Proteus in 10 (3.4%). Serum creatinine of more than 1.5 mg/dl at admission was seen in 96.3% patients; 40% of them had underlying chronic kidney disease with DM being the most common. Multiorgan dysfunction either at admission or during the course in hospital stay was seen in 31.8% patients. Twelve (2%) had emphysematous PN. Six patients had Class II, 4 had Class III, 1 with Class I, and another with Class IV. A total of 18 deaths were noted (6.1%). Hemoglobin <10 g/dl, serum creatinine at admission >1.5 mg/dl, HbA1c% >10%, and immunosuppression had statistically significant association with the development of multiorgan dysfunction on univariate analysis, but on multivariate analysis, only hemoglobin, HbA1c%, and immunosuppression reached statistical significance. Even with attributable risk of mortality, only hemoglobin, HbA1c%, and immunosuppression reached statistical significance on multivariate analysis. HbA1c% adds to the predictive parameters to recognize at-risk patients to intensify the treatment and avoid complications.


Studies of population genetic structure of parasites can be used to infer which parasite genes are under selection. Here, the population structure of 4 genes associated with drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum (the chloroquine resistance transporter, pfcrt, dihydrofolate reductase, dhfr, dihydropteroate synthase, dhps, and multi-drug resistance, pfmdr-1) were examined in parasite populations in 3 villages in eastern Sudan and in an urban area of Khartoum, the capital. In order to differentiate the effects of drug selection from neutral influences on population structure, parasites were also genotyped for 3 putatively neutral microsatellite loci (polyα, TA81 and pfg377), and for 2 antigenic loci that are either under balancing selection or neutral, merozoite surface protein 1 and 2, (MSP-1 and MSP-2). Cross-sectional surveys were carried out during the peak transmission (wet) season and in the ensuing dry season. No significant variation in frequencies of MSP-1 and MSP-2 alleles was seen among villages in the eastern region and between the villages and Khartoum, nor between the wet and dry season. However, the drug resistance genes, pfmdr-1, pfcrt and dhfr and to a lesser extent the microsatellite loci showed high FST values when comparing villages with Khartoum, indicating strong geographical differentiation at these loci. Moreover, variation in frequencies of the drug resistance genes, pfmdr-1, pfcrt and dhfr, was observed between the wet and dry season. These differences most probably reflect the variation in drug pressure between each region, and in drug usage between the wet and dry season in a given region.


100 stunning, ingenious and absorbing infographics all about literature, featuring your favourite books and authors! Infographic Guide to Literature presents unique, witty and surprising facts about literature, from Shakespeare and Austen to Nabakov and Orwell, to George R. R. Martin and E. L. James. Fascinating stats and all the facts on your favourite writers, poets and playwrights, it features infamous tales from behind the scenes of the literary world. This book celebrates the power of words with graphs, Venn diagrams and charts, this book provides a unique overview of your favourite figures in literature, boasting over 100 original artworks and illustrations and at-a-glance facts to amaze and astound readers. Brilliant infographics include: War Words: The conflicts and the writers who fought, wrote and perished in them across timeline and geography 100 Years of Family: The family tree of Garcia Marquez's huge novel traced Shakespeare Eternal: Seven key plays and their rewrite in different genres, including crime, chick-lit, thriller, comedy, Adult, YA and literary Banned Books: timeline and location of titles that have and continue to be banned in different countries


The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) operates two dual-polarization C-band weather radars in simultaneous transmission and reception (STAR; i.e., horizontally and vertically polarized pulses are transmitted simultaneously) mode, providing 2D radar rainfall products. Despite the application of Doppler and speckle filtering, remaining nonmeteorological echoes (especially sea clutter) mainly due to anomalous propagation still pose a problem. This calls for additional filtering algorithms, which can be realized by means of polarimetry. Here we explore the effectiveness of the open-source wradlib fuzzy echo classification and clutter identification based on polarimetric moments. Based on our study, this has recently been extended with the depolarization ratio and clutter phase alignment as new decision variables. Optimal values for weights of the different membership functions and threshold are determined employing a 4-h calibration dataset from one radar. The method is applied to a full year of volumetric data from the two radars in the Dutch temperate climate. The verification focuses on the presence of remaining nonmeteorological echoes by mapping the number of exceedances of radar reflectivity factors for given thresholds. Moreover, accumulated rainfall maps are obtained to detect unrealistically large rainfall depths. The results are compared to those for which no further filtering has been applied. Verification against rain gauge data reveals that only a little precipitation is removed. Because the fuzzy logic algorithm removes many nonmeteorological echoes, the practice to composite data from both radars in logarithmic space to hide these echoes is abandoned and replaced by linearly averaging reflectivities.


Thick lacustrine sequences from southern Europe provide an opportunity to derive continuous records where the chronostratigraphical position of pre-Holocene stages can be determined with increased confidence. Here, high-resolution sediment and pollen analytical results from a 60 m core recovered from the Kopais basin, central Greece, spanning the interval from the last interglacial to the early Holocene are presented. The record shows distinct shifts between open vegetation periods of increased erosion with sediment inwashing and forest periods associated with calcite precipitation in the lake. The sequence of major events of the last climatic cycle contained at Kopais bears strong similarities to other records in Greece, but also reveals the presence of high-frequency oscillations with higher amplitudes than previously seen at other sites.


Abstract
Aim

Animal movement is an important determinant of individual survival, population dynamics and ecosystem structure and function. Nonetheless, it is still unclear how local movements are related to resource availability and the spatial arrangement of resources. Using resident bird species and migratory bird species outside the migratory period, we examined how the distribution of resources affects the movement patterns of both large terrestrial birds (e.g., raptors, bustards and hornbills) and waterbirds (e.g., cranes, storks, ducks, geese and flamingos).
Location

Global.
Time period

2003–2015.
Major taxa studied

Birds.
Methods

We compiled GPS tracking data for 386 individuals across 36 bird species. We calculated the straight‐line distance between GPS locations of each individual at the 1‐hr and 10‐day time‐scales. For each individual and time‐scale, we calculated the median and 0.95 quantile of displacement. We used linear mixed‐effects models to examine the effect of the spatial arrangement of resources, measured as enhanced vegetation index homogeneity, on avian movements, while accounting for mean resource availability, body mass, diet, flight type, migratory status and taxonomy and spatial autocorrelation.
Results

We found a significant effect of resource spatial arrangement at the 1‐hr and 10‐day time‐scales. On average, individual movements were seven times longer in environments with homogeneously distributed resources compared with areas of low resource homogeneity. Contrary to previous work, we found no significant effect of resource availability, diet, flight type, migratory status or body mass on the non‐migratory movements of birds.
Main conclusions

We suggest that longer movements in homogeneous environments might reflect the need for different habitat types associated with foraging and reproduction. This highlights the importance of landscape complementarity, where habitat patches within a landscape include a range of different, yet complementary resources. As habitat homogenization increases, it might force birds to travel increasingly longer distances to meet their diverse needs.


Introduction: Radon 222 is a radioactive, colorless and odorless element with a half -life of 3.83 days. Long term exposure to Radon 222 can cause lung cancer in humans. Building materials such as granite stone is one of the main sources of radon 222. The aim of this study was comparison of effective dose of Radon 222 in old and new Dwellings Minab City, Iran Methods: Indoor and outdoor concentration of radon 222 was measured in 17 new (Al-Mahdi) and 17 old Dwellings (Pari-Taghi) in two seasons, winter 2013 and spring 2013, by a portable Radon meter (model RTM1688-2) and the effective dose was calculated by UNSCEAR equation. Then the effective doses of radon 222 in new and old Dwellings were statistically compared and analyzed. Results:The mean concentrations of radon 222 in indoor air of Pari-Taghi (25 ± 3 Bq/m3) and Al-Mahdi (42 ± 6 Bq/m3) Dwellings were less than the standards of WHO and EPA. The effective doses of radon 222 in Al-mahdi and Pari-Taghi were 1.06 ± 0.15 and 0.64 ± 0.07 mSv/y, respectively. Conclusion: Due to greater use of granite in the new Dwellings, the concentration of Radon 222 and consequently its effective dose in new Dwellings is more in comparison to old Dwellings.


Attachment of wage as a way for creditors to enforce payment by unwilling or insolvent debtors is not very successful in several countries. Based on a dynamic model of debtor behaviour, this paper explores two alternatives of reform. One is to reduce the rate of attachment, which at present amounts to 100 percent of the wage income exceeding the subsistence level, thus probably destroying incentives to work. According to model simulations, reducing the attachment rate is likely to result in an increase of labour supply but a decrease of attachment revenue per period. Second, the introduction of a debt release would have an ambiguous effect on labour supply. While resulting in a partial loss for creditors, it would permit debtors to get out of debt. A Pareto improvement thus does not seem to be possible. When taking the taxpayers as an involved third party into account, however, a potential Pareto improvement appears attainable. JEL classification: D91, J22, K29 1) The authors are grateful to Prof. Stefan Felder, University of Magdeburg, Prof. Isaak Meier, Jörg Wild, Giovanna Montanaro and Filomena Montanaro, all University of Zurich.


This report presents the characteristics of a modified and enlarged Munsell solid which has been evolved from the 1940 visual estimates of the Munsell Book of Color samples. All three dimensions have been carefully reviewed and extensively revised. The newly defined loci of constant hue have been extended closer to the extremes of value while the loci of constant chroma have been extrapolated to the pigment maximum. The dimension of value has been redefined without substantial departure from the Munsell-Sloan-Godlove scale. By the above changes a solid is achieved which approaches more closely to A. H. Munsell's dual ideal of psychological equispacing and precise applicability. The new solid is defined in terms of the I.C.I. standard coordinate system and Illuminant C.


1. Erythrocyte choline transport was studied in 10 haemodialysis patients immediately before and after a haemodialysis session and in 10 control subjects. Choline uptake was measured in erythrocytes from normal and uraemic patients after washing in vitro and subsequent incubation in autologous plasma. Amines present in uraemic plasma were examined for their effect on choline transport in normal erythrocytes. 2. NMR spectroscopy was used to measure choline, trimethylamine and dimethylamine in erythrocyte extracts from nine control subjects, 32 subjects with renal impairment and nine samples from haemodialysis patients. 3. The increased choline influx in uraemic erythrocytes is significantly decreased by prior haemodialysis (mean Vmax pre-dialysis 146 +/- 20 mumol h-1 l-1, post-dialysis 113 +/- 13 mumol h-1 l-1 (P < 0.005). After in vitro washing there is a fall in Vmax, and no longer any significant difference between pre- and post-dialysis samples. There remains a significant difference in the erythrocyte choline Vmax between samples from patients with chronic renal failure and from normal subjects (P < 0.005). 4. Human plasma was found to contain factors capable of increasing choline uptake. Trimethylamine and dimethylamine were found to inhibit choline uptake. Trimethylamine and trimethylamine-N-oxide trans-stimulated choline efflux, but the major transport substrate present in erythrocyte extracts from all groups was choline, which was higher in those with renal impairment (71 +/- 10 mumol/l) than in haemodialysis patients (47 +/- 10 mumol/l) and control subjects with normal renal function (40 +/- 9 mumol/l). 5. Our data suggest that erythrocyte choline transport is increased in uraemia as a consequence of increased transporter number or activity, rather than the presence of intracellular substrate.


Abstract: Findings from cost-benefit evaluations have suggested that the cost of substance abuse treatment is covered by the economic benefits to society. In this research we measure the economic impact of substance abuse treatment in a rural mountain state. Using a novel approach, cost data were gathered from four disparate state administrative databases, which were selected and matched to form one complete data set. A cost-benefit analysis was used to examine the aggregate economic impact of substance abuse treatment. The conservative post treatment outcome of the combined costs revealed a range or $4.12 to $3.98 million dollar overall offset, a difference that resulted in 20 to 16 percent savings above the fixed treatment cost. Policy implications are discussed. Keywords: cost-benefit analysis, treatment, substance abuse, administrative data INTRODUCTION There are many issues state policy makers must take into consideration when deciding how to allocate scarce economic resources to social service institutions and programs. In order to allocate resources most effectively, state policy makers and practitioners at all levels rely on several sources of information, including empirical research. The need for empirical research is at a premium in regard to substance abuse treatment specifically, where yearly expenditures for such treatment cost states in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars annually (SAMHSA 2008b). Citizens and policy makers alike want to know that money is being spent effectively. Subsequently, an important branch within this body of substance abuse treatment research centers on economic analyses (Aos, Miller, and Drake 2006; Belenko, Patapis, and French 2005; Dismuke et al. 2008; French, Roebuck, and McLellan 2004; Koenig et al. 2005; Swaray, Bowles, and Pradiptyo 2005; Welsh, Farrington, and Sherman 2001). Some research on drug and alcohol treatment has focused on efficiency, as measured primarily by recidivism (Welsh et al. 2001). In the current study, we take a different, but related, approach that centers on whether substance abuse treatment renders cost savings as measured by decreases in correctional and medical spending and increased client earnings. We investigate the economic impact of substance abuse treatment on these relatively unexplored social support realms in a rural mountain state (hereafter referred to as Rural State). Analyses are made possible through the combined examination of four administrative databases, which originate from state Health and Welfare, Medicaid, Department of Corrections, and Department of Labor and Commerce agencies. Specifically, we begin to address the question of whether treatment has meaningful and positive effects on social phenomena, such as post-treatment earnings of participants, and whether treatment renders any cost offsets, which may indicate monetary savings at the state level. In regard to the above statement, readers should note that the research design utilized within this study is not strong enough to claim absolute certainty when speaking about causality. This issue is further discussed in the methods and discussion sections below. This research is guided by Cullen's (1994) contention that social support, in the form of private or public programs, buffers an individual from otherwise criminogenic correlates. Cullen suggested that the more support a person receives the more likely they are to resist and overcome a criminogenic environment. Importantly, Cullen argued that whereas a social support paradigm can retard crime, coercion, another paradigm popular in policy, increases crime (Colvin, Cullen, and Vander Ven 2002). There is empirical support for this contention (Chamlin and Cochran 1997; DeFronzo 1983, 1996; Hannon and DeFronzo 1998; Pratt and Godsey 2003) and implications for the current study, because substance abuse treatment can be seen as a form of social support, and the cost-benefit a positive collateral consequence. …


We report on the multi-conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) system of the New Solar Telescope (NST) at Big Bear Solar Observatory which has been integrated in October 2013 and is now available for MCAO experiments. The NST MCAO system features three deformable mirrors (DM), and it is purposely flexible in order to offer a valuable facility for development of solar MCAO. Two of the deformable mirrors are dedicated to compensation of field dependent aberrations due to high-altitude turbulence, whereas the other deformable mirror compensates field independent aberrations in a pupil image. The opto-mechanical design allows for changing the conjugate plane of the two high-altitude DMs independently between two and nine kilometers. The pupil plane DM can be placed either in a pupil image upstream of the high-altitude DMs or downstream. This capability allows for performing experimental studies on the impact of the geometrical order of the deformable mirrors and the conjugate position. The control system is flexible, too, which allows for real-world analysis of various control approaches. This paper gives an overview of the NST MCAO system and reveals the first MCAO corrected image taken at Big Bear Solar Observatory.


We aimed to analyze the relationship between fire regime attributes and the post-fire greenness recovery of fire-prone pine ecosystems over the short (2-year) and medium (5-year) term after a large wildfire, using both a single and a combined fire regime attribute approach. We characterized the spatial (fire size), temporal (number of fires, fire recurrence, and return interval), and magnitude (burn severity of the last fire) fire regime attributes throughout a 40-year period with a long-time series of Landsat imagery and ancillary data. The burn severity of the last fire was measured by the dNBR (difference of the Normalized Burn Ratio) spectral index, and classified according to the ground reference values of the CBI (Composite Burn Index). Post-fire greenness recovery was obtained through the difference of the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) between pre- and post-fire Landsat scenes. The relationship between fire regime attributes (single attributes: fire recurrence, fire return interval, and burn severity; combined attributes: fire recurrence-burn severity and fire return interval-burn severity) and post-fire greenness recovery was evaluated using linear models. The results indicated that all the single and combined attributes significantly affected greenness recovery. The single attribute approach showed that high recurrence, short return interval and low severity situations had the highest vegetation greenness recovery. The combined attribute approach allowed us to identify a wider variety of post-fire greenness recovery situations than the single attribute one. Over the short term, high recurrence as well as short return interval scenarios showed the best post-fire greenness recovery independently of burn severity, while over the medium term, high recurrence combined with low severity was the most recovered scenario. This novel combined attribute approach (temporal plus magnitude) could be of great value to forest managers in the development of post-fire restoration strategies to promote vegetation recovery in fire-prone pine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin under complex fire regime scenarios.