In a recent paper, Hui, Matsunaga, and Morse have argued that managers may prefer using accounting conservatism instead of issuing management earnings forecasts (MFs) that may reduce information asymmetry and may lower firms' potential legal liability. We argue in this article that accounting conservatism serves as a substitute only for informative forecasts, which are classified as cost of capital (COC) MFs, and it does not serve as a substitute for opportunistic (OPP) MFs and disclose or abstain (DOA) MFs that are required under 1933 Securities Exchange Act because both these types of MFs are used to achieve different objectives. Our findings confirm our claim that conservatism serves as a substitute for informative MFs only.


Helostoma temmincki (C&V) larvae measuring 4.6 ± 0.6 mm total length were packed in
plastic bags with oxygen at stocking densities of 0, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500/liter. Fry measuring 2. 0
cm ± 0.2 were similarly packed at densities of 0, 125, 250, 500 and 750/litre. The fish were observed
for mortality 10 minutes, 24 hours and 48 hours after packing. The water quality parameters - temperature,
dissolved oxygen, ammonia-N, dissolved carbon dioxide, pH and alkalinity - were determined
at 0 hours for control bags only and for all bags at 48 hours after packing. There was no mortality
in all bags 10 minutes after packing. After 24 hours, mortality of larvae packed at 500, 1000 and
1500/litre was less than 2% whereas no mortality was observed in the bags with fry. At 48 hours,
mortalities of larvae were similar (P > 0.05) in all bags and were less than 2%. Mortalities of fry
packed at 125, 250 and 500/litre were similar (P> 0.05) and less than 2%, whereas mortality of fry
packed at 750/litre was significantly different (P < 0.05).


Computational (algorithmic) models of high-level cognitive inference tasks such as logical inference, mathematical inference, and decision making can have both theoretical and practical impact. They can improve our theoretical understanding of how people think and also provide practical direction for applications such as automated reasoning systems, systems attuned to user-interaction in decision-critical environments, and computer-aided education. To support those benefits, cognitive models need to be detailed, compositional, based in well-understood mathematics, and, to whatever extent possible, descriptively accurate. We introduce a new, interdisciplinary approach that could be used to develop cognitive models of high-level inference with these properties. Two significant aspects of this approach are tactics and eyetracking methods. Tactics are used to express high-level inferences in fully formalized mathematics for automated theorem proving systems; eyetracking methods provide insight into real-time and microcognitive information processing by permitting analysis of the visual attention of people performing cognitive tasks. Combining tactics and eyetracking methods with traditional techniques from applied logic, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science can result in more deeply detailed and accurate cognitive models. We demonstrate the feasibility of this new approach to modeling by describing its application to a calculational logic system that supports schematic reasoning via metalinguistic operations (such as textual substitution) without resorting to higher-order logic. We discuss several computational, psychological, and pedagogical insights that resulted from this approach, and we present a detailed, tactic-based model of calculational logic inference. Specific results include: an explanation of calculational logic as a formalized metalogic; a tactic-based implementation of calculational logic inference; some pedagogical observations on the teaching of calculational logic; and experimental results that demonstrate that eyetracking methods can provide insight into theorem proving that could not be achieved by studies of written work alone.


To simulate local, chronic, low-level inflammation, the hind-legs of adult male rats were injected subcutaneously with 20 µg lipopolysaccharide 3 times/week for 2 weeks. Dendritic cells were collected by chemokine stimulation from samples of popliteal, mesenteric and omental adipose tissue defined by their anatomical relations to lymphoid structures, and from mesenteric and popliteal lymph nodes. Dendritic cells from autologous adipose tissue stimulated lipolysis in collagenase-isolated adipocytes, and those from lymph nodes inhibited it, without and with norepinephrine at 10-5 M. All effects were stronger in near-lymph node samples or omental milky spots, and after lipopolysaccharide stimulation. All effects on adipocytes from the nodeless perirenal depot were negligible.
More [3H]-CGP 12177 (-adrenoreceptor ligand) and [3H]-RX 821002 (2A-adrenoreceptor ligand) bound to membranes of perinodal adipocytes than others. Repeated lipopolysaccharide-stimulation increased the former but decreased the latter. Effects of pre-incubating tissue explants with C6Kine, chloroethylclonidine, yohimbine or prazosin on ligand binding were complex, with omentum contrasting with popliteal and mesentery.
These data show that dendritic cells in lymphoid tissue-containing depots can modulate adipocyte lipolysis. This capacity may enable dendritic cells to acquire fatty acids from contiguous adipocytes. Site-specific differences in adrenoreceptor manifestation may specialize adipocytes to interact locally with embedded dendritic cells.


Background and purpose Moyamoya disease and syndrome are well known to affect the anterior cerebral circulation by progressive steno-occlusive disease of the supraclinoid internal carotid arteries. Less attention has been paid to changes in posterior arterial circulation hemodynamics in this condition. We sought to better understand the latter using a relatively novel noninvasive imaging technique, quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (qMRA). We assessed the diagnostic utility of qMRA for posterior arterial circulation flows before and after surgical revascularization. Materials and methods This retrospective review included patients who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of moyamoya disease or syndrome with revascularization surgery at Stanford University between September 2008 and March 2012; (2) preoperative and postoperative qMRA scans on record within a two-year time frame; and (3) high-quality qMRA images without motion artefact. Cerebral blood-vessel flow was quantified after non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the use of a commercially available software tool, non-invasive optimal vessel analysis (NOVA, VasSol, Chicago, USA). Results A total of 191 patients underwent 281 surgeries during this period of time. Of these, a cohort of 64 patients (78% female, mean age 38.5 years, 55% unilateral disease) had pre- and post-operative qMRA studies. Preoperative arterial flows in the posterior circulation were markedly elevated compared to normal controls. These flows significantly decreased after revascularization (94% direct STA–MCA bypass) with right PCA flow 145 mL/min pre-surgery vs. 123 mL/min post-surgery (p = 0.005, n = 51) and basilar artery flow 264 mL/min pre-surgery vs. 222 mL/min post-surgery (p < 0.001, n = 58). A notable decrease in flow rates was also appreciated within the left PCA distribution, albeit not to a statistically significant degree (p = 0.121, n = 53). No statistically significant changes were noted in posterior communicating artery flows. Conclusions Quantitative MRA shows that posterior circulation arterial flows are markedly increased in patients with moyamoya disease. After revascularization, there is an overall decrease in these flows that is significant in the basilar artery and right posterior cerebral artery. Further use of qMRA might be warranted to better understand moyamoya hemodynamics before and after surgery. Abbreviations MMD = moyamoya disease NOVA = noninvasive optimal vessel analysis; qMRA = quantitative magnetic resonance angiography Keywords moyamoya disease, quantitative magnetic resonance angiography, cerebral blood flow Disclosures R. Navarro: None. A. Feroze: None. O. Choudhri: None. R. Lober: None. N. Khan: None. G. Steinberg: None.


Following the political unification of Italy, neurology was considered either as a subsection of internal medicine or as a field which was, in part, a "companion" to psychiatry. Indeed it was only at the end of the 19th century that neurology began to develop into a more distinctive field and, accordingly, this paper outlines the various academic roots of Italian neurology and includes a brief description of the scientific activity of some of the most well-known names in this field from the end of the 19th to the first half of the 20th century. Key words: History of Medicine - Neurology/history - Neuroscience - Scientific Biography - Italy


A·C mismatches are studied by Raman spectral characterization of PolyA, PolyC, and their equimolar complex in solution of 0.14 mol/L Na+, pH7.0. Experimental results show that A·C mismatches occur to be A/B (mainly A) conformers, and unlike Watson-Crick base pairing, this kind of mismatches is stabilized by only one hydrogen bond involving cytosine N4H2 and adenine N7. The formation of A·C complex makes the base stacking interactions much stronger, and conformation of the backbone more ordered, which leads to obvious Raman hypochromic effect with some shifts in corresponding bands.


Stature is a classical and highly heritable complex trait, with 80%–90% of variation explained by genetic factors. In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified many common additive variants influencing human height; however, little attention has been given to the potential role of recessive genetic effects. Here, we investigated genome-wide recessive effects by an analysis of inbreeding depression on adult height in over 35,000 people from 21 different population samples. We found a highly significant inverse association between height and genome-wide homozygosity, equivalent to a height reduction of up to 3 cm in the offspring of first cousins compared with the offspring of unrelated individuals, an effect which remained after controlling for the effects of socio-economic status, an important confounder (χ2 = 83.89, df = 1; p = 5.2×10−20). There was, however, a high degree of heterogeneity among populations: whereas the direction of the effect was consistent across most population samples, the effect size differed significantly among populations. It is likely that this reflects true biological heterogeneity: whether or not an effect can be observed will depend on both the variance in homozygosity in the population and the chance inheritance of individual recessive genotypes. These results predict that multiple, rare, recessive variants influence human height. Although this exploratory work focuses on height alone, the methodology developed is generally applicable to heritable quantitative traits (QT), paving the way for an investigation into inbreeding effects, and therefore genetic architecture, on a range of QT of biomedical importance.


Analysing all Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxies within a factor of 2 (±0.3 dex) of the stellar mass of the Milky Way (MW), there is a 11.9 per cent chance that one of these galaxies will have a close companion (within a projected separation of 70 kpc and radial separation of 400 km s−1) that is at least as massive as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Two close companions at least as massive as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are rare at the 3.4 per cent level. Two full analogues to the MW–LMC–SMC system were found in GAMA (all galaxies late-type and star-forming), suggesting that such a combination of close together, late-type, star-forming galaxies is rare: only 0.4 per cent of MW mass galaxies (in the range where we could observe both the LMC and SMC) have such a system. In summary, the MW–LMC–SMC system is a 2.7σ event (when recast into Gaussian statistics).

Using cross-correlation comparisons we find that there is a preference for SMC–LMC binary pair analogues to be located within 2 Mpc of a range of different luminosity groups. There is a particular preference for such binaries to be located near Local Group luminosity systems. When these groups are subdivided into small magnitude gap and large magnitude gap subsets, the binaries prefer to be spatially associated with the small magnitude gap systems. These systems will be dynamically less evolved, but still offer the same amount of gravitational dark matter. This suggests that binaries such as the SMC–LMC might be transient systems, usually destroyed during vigorous merger events. Details of a particularly striking analogue to the MW–SMC–LMC and M31 complex are included.


Eating disorders (ED) are serious conditions that affect both patients and their families. Little is known about the influence of these disorders on family life in a Swedish population and the ways that affected families actually attempt to cope. The aim of this study was to specifically investigate parental experiences of having and caring for a child with ED. A qualitative approach was used and rich narratives were obtained from interviews with 10 parents. Results promote insights into lived experiences concerning social disruption, emotional impact, and coping strategies related to ED. This knowledge can be utilized to further develop programs to help affected families.


Divergence in sexually selected traits in allopatry should affect the degree and direction of hybridization. However, few studies have established the causes and targets of sexual selection during secondary contact. Common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) from north-central Italy have highly exaggerated male sexual traits compared to populations in Western Europe. Using experimental populations, we show that this creates asymmetries in male dominance, spatial habitat use and reproductive success upon secondary contact. Hybridization occurred almost exclusively between males of the Italian lineage and females of the Western European lineage. We provide evidence to suggest stronger ongoing selection on male sexual traits within the dominant Italian lineage. However, these same characters did not predict hybridization, and hybrid matings contributed little to variance in male reproductive success. Instead, most hybrid offspring were sired by Italian males displaying phenotypes associated with lower within-lineage reproductive success. Thus, highly directional hybridization arises because some Italian males are out-competed within their own lineage but remain competitive relative to males of the other lineage. This pattern of hybridization is consistent with the direction of introgression in natural contact zones, but our data suggest that sexual selection acting through hybridization may be weak at the leading edge of natural hybrid zones. (Less)


Harold (Hal) Perry, Jr, DDS, PhD, died February 3, 2012, at the age of 86, in Florence, Oregon. He was a founding member of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP), originally called the American Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders (AACD) when it was established in 1975, and was the first editor of the Journal of Orofacial Pain. Hal and his late wife, Lynn, had moved to Florence after his retirement from Northwestern University Dental School to live near their son, Ty, and his family.

It is hard to summarize the life and contributions of a major figure like Hal Perry in a brief commentary like this. I had the privilege of working side-by-side with Hal for 10 years at Northwestern University, and they were truly amazing years of collegiality.

It would be fair to say that Hal's career in the temporomandibular disorders (TMD) world mirrored the evolution of that field in the last half of the 20th century. He entered the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) field early in his academic training as he pursued advanced degrees after completing his orthodontic residency. His postgraduate studies included the embryology of the TMJ and the electromyographic study of muscle function in normal subjects and TMD patients, and he ended up being one of the few orthodontists at that time with a scientific PhD degree. The value of all this advanced training became apparent as he began to teach generations of orthodontic students over 40+ years and as he expanded his interests in the TMJ field.

Hal's clinical interests in the TMJ came initially from his mentor, Dr J.R. Thompson, and they worked together on many projects as he joined the faculty at Northwestern. His former colleagues and students all remember him with great fondness, because in addition to being an incredible source of knowledge, he was also a warm and caring person to everybody he encountered. After buying Dr Thompson's practice in Elgin, IL, he continued his dual career of private practice and academics with great energy, and he served as chairman of the Department of Orthodontics for more than 25 years. Dr Perry lectured on every continent except Antarctica and published extensively. He was a member of eight dental organizations and served as a chairman, consultant, editor, contributor, and organizer in 19 different professional appointments.

In this brief piece I want to focus on Hal Perry's contributions to the transition of the TMD field from a "mechanical" dental discipline to a more holistic patient-centered field, in which the twin issues of the biology and psychology of pain began to be understood around the world. He was the president of AACD, today's AAOP, in 1981-82. Initially this group was composed of a mixture of experienced and knowledgeable academic and clinical people who felt that the prevailing occlusal viewpoints about TMD were too narrow and too rigid. In 1988, Hal Perry and other Academy members met at his hunting lodge for several days, where they developed a White Paper on TMD, which eventually became the first edition of the AAOP Guidelines.

Perhaps the most significant contribution that Hal Perry made to the TMD community around the world was his acceptance of the invitation in 1987 to become the first editor of the Journal of Orofacial Pain. Originally the Journal of Craniomandibular Disorders – Facial and Oral Pain, the name was changed when the AACD -became the AAOP. This journal was the official organ of the American and European Academies, and over the years it has expanded to include the Asian, Australian & New Zealand, and Ibero-Latin Academies as well. Hal served in this position until 1994, and during those years the journal built a well-deserved reputation for presenting a quality mixture of clinical and scientific papers on a variety of pain-related topics. One of the most notable issues during his tenure was the special volume in 1992 introducing the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD to the world.

During the 1980s, while he was deeply involved in the activities of the new Academy, writing the first White Paper, and starting up the new journal, Hal also was undergoing a personal change in his approach to TMD patients. When I began working with him at Northwestern in 1986, he was already thinking in terms of pain neurophysiology and conservative treatments, and he was very interested in the emerging biopsychosocial perspectives in our field. I used to refer to him as "The Human Placebo," because his -empathetic interactions with TMD patients practically- guaranteed a good outcome. I jokingly told him that, if we tried to conduct a controlled clinical trial there, he would have to be excluded from the research team! As editor of the journal, he saw first-hand how the research focus was changing as the TMD field morphed into becoming the orofacial pain field, and he was a great admirer of the researchers-—especially the basic scientists—who were pushing this field forward.

So I think we can summarize Hal Perry's professional career by saying that he was one of those unique larger-than-life figures who can straddle multiple worlds and still do everything extremely well. His impact on both the orthodontic world and the orofacial pain world will be long-lasting, and his loss is significant for all of us who knew him and benefited from that relationship. As Jeff Okeson said when he heard about Hal's passing: "Hal was a remarkable man, both professionally and personally. He was admired and loved by everyone he met. We lost a giant."


Spectrum sensing is one of the means of utilizing the scarce source of wireless spectrum efficiently. In this paper, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model employing spectral correlation function (SCF) which is an effective characterization of cyclostationarity property, is proposed for wireless spectrum sensing and signal identification. The proposed method classifies wireless signals without a priori information and it is implemented in two different settings entitled CASE1 and CASE2. In CASE1, signals are jointly sensed and classified. In CASE2, sensing and classification are conducted in a sequential manner. In contrary to the classical spectrum sensing techniques, the proposed CNN method does not require a statistical decision process and does not need to know the distinct features of signals beforehand. Implementation of the method on the measured over-the-air real-world signals in cellular bands indicates important performance gains when compared to the signal classifying deep learning networks available in the literature and against classical sensing methods. Even though the implementation herein is over cellular signals, the proposed approach can be extended to the detection and classification of any signal that exhibits cyclostationary features. Finally, the measurement-based dataset which is utilized to validate the method is shared for the purposes of reproduction of the results and further research and development.


OBJECTIVES: To determine prevalence and risk factors of Chlamydia trachomatis among female secondary school students and to develop potential selective screening strategies. METHODS: A cross sectional survey was conducted in the 17 school medical centres in Antwerp municipality, Belgium. All female students of forms 5 or 6, who were due for their medical check up during the school year 1996-7, were invited to participate. A self administered questionnaire on general and sexual behaviour, and a first void urine sample were collected. The urine specimen was tested for C trachomatis with ligase chain reaction assay, and positive tests were confirmed with polymerase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: 2784 female students participated in the study. Their median age was 17, and 52% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. The prevalence of C trachomatis among sexually active women was 1.4%. Factors significantly associated with infection in multivariate analysis were number of lifetime partners, genital complaints of partner, type of secondary school, and a history of pregnancy. Selective screening of those women who are at highest risk for infection would have detected 90% of all infections, and require testing of 14% to 18% of the population. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of C trachomatis was relatively low among female secondary school students in Antwerp, but unsafe sex practices were evident because of the high number of unplanned pregnancies. Selective screening strategies with a high sensitivity can be proposed, but should be assessed for acceptability, feasibility, and cost.


Uterine fibroids have been the most frequent reason for hysterectomy in females of reproductive age group. In the present case an unmarried female presented with mild pain right iliac fossa. The diagnosis was made on the basis of Ultrasonography findings. The outcome of the case was assessed by subjective measures like improvement in symptom complex and objective measures like regression of the fibroid as observed by USG. The case was successfully treated with Pulsatilla, a homoeopathic medicine from vegetable kingdom. A well selected remedy proved to be a boon for patient for which usually surgery is advised.Uterine fibroids have been the most frequent reason for hysterectomy in females of reproductive age group. In the present case an unmarried female presented with mild pain right iliac fossa. The diagnosis was made on the basis of Ultrasonography findings. The outcome of the case was assessed by subjective measures like improvement in symptom complex and objective measures like regression of the fibroid as observed by USG. The case was successfully treated with Pulsatilla, a homoeopathic medicine from vegetable kingdom. A well selected remedy proved to be a boon for patient for which usually surgery is advised.


At the transitions from the low-temperature orthorhombic forms of lutetium fluoride and yttrium fluoride to the high-temperature hexagonal forms, there are increases of several orders of magnitude in the ionic conductivities. In the high-temperature phases the conductivities are comparable to those of typical ionic melts. These fluoride compounds are therefore solid electrolytes.


This thesis studies the development and outcomes of housing and social security policies designed to make rent affordable to tenants in Great Britain. The primary research questions are first. How has policy changed and Why. and, second. How much have these changes cost, and to whom. The period studied is between 1945 and 1986. Policy development is analyzed through historical examination of documentary archives and published sources. Three themes are used to explore the evolution of policy. First, the development of housing policy is approached by examining the changing priorities between the aims of making rent affordable, the constraint of public spending and of tenure preference. Second, social security policy is analyzed to establish the role of rent in selective and universal benefit strategies. Third, the role of central and local government relations is explored to establish whether the role of rents and subsidies has been one characterised by conflicting aims between these two levels of government. The outcomes of policy are analyzed through secondary analysis of published government data, and through computerised secondary analysis of Family Expenditure Survey machine-readable data. The changing household composition and incomes of rented households is analyzed and compared between tenures. Model rented households are compared over time to assess the changing value of means tested rent rebates. FES samples from 1971, 1976, 1981 and 1986 are examined to establish how the affordability of rent has changed according to three criteria. First, a comparison is made of rent as a proportion of net household incomes, both with and without means tested rent subsidies. Second, rent is compared to equivalent household net income, with an examination of those who pay high and low proportions of income on rent in the top and bottom quintiles of tenant income distribution. Third, disposable household income, having paid rent, is examined in relation to equivalent supplementary benefit levels. The last outcomes discussed are those associated with public expenditure. Spending on rent support is examined to establish its changing value in real terms. Explanations are examined for changing trends in spending, and the distribution of spending examined between programmes, between central and local government, and between local authority and private landlords.


PURPOSE
To investigate the potential of respiratory-correlated dose rate modulation (DRM) as a motion management strategy.

METHODS
Like to conventional gating, a DRM plan targets a specific phase of the respiratory cycle. Unlike conventional gating, the binary modes of a DRM plan are high dose and low dose rate. The low dose rate mode facilitates cine-EPID imaging of the irradiated volume. When the target moves within the beam's eye view (BEV), high dose rate mode is enabled to delver the therapeutic dose. This approach is only possible with the ability of the linear accelerator to precisely changes dose rates that has accompanied commercial rotational IMRT deliveries. The dosimetric performance of DRM was investigated using a four-dimensional simulation of dynamic respiratory phantom. Conventional and gated plans were constructed to target all phases and exhale phase of motion, respectively. The DRM plan was constructed as the sum of 2 plans: 1 targeting the exhale phase and 1 targeting all phases of motion, with the weighting determined by the minimum and maximum dose rate values.

RESULTS
Dose coverage and homogeneity in the target was similar over all plans. In the lung, V40Gy, V20Gy, and V10Gy were nearly identical for the gated and DRM plans, and 40% lower than the conventional plan. The value of V5Gy in the gated plan was 30% lower than the conventional plan and 15% lower than the DRM plan (500 MU/min maximum dose rate). If the maximum dose rate was increased (1500 MU/min), the advantage in V5Gy in the gated plan over the DRM plan was reduced to 2%.

CONCLUSION
DRM plans produce dose distributions comparable to conventional gating, with the advantage of being able to localize the tumor within the BEV of the treatment fields.


This thesis examines how women with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD)
negotiate their identity in relation to risk, also referred to as their 'risk identity'. This is
defined as, '…the view people have of themselves and project to others in their talk and
actions in relation to risk and risk taking'.
The theoretical perspective which underpins the study is informed by ontological realism,
epistemological discursive/linguistic social constructionism, and an ideological critical
liberatory position primarily derived from the work of Foucault (1978; 1991a; 1991b; 1998;
2002; 2008a; 2008b; 2009). This perspective informed the decision to adopt email interviews
as a method for generating appropriate texts for analysis. Eight women diagnosed with BPD
were interviewed over a period of ten months.
Adopting a critical emancipatory methodology which incorporated feminist principles of
research, Lather's (1991) adaptation of Van Maanen's (1988 cited in Lather 1991) 'four
tales' was employed to view and analyse the texts from four theoretical perspectives; a
'Realist Tale', a 'Critical Tale', a 'Deconstructivist Tale', and a 'Reflexive Tale'.
By 'layering' these tales, the findings revealed sets of tensions discernable within the context
of interactions with staff, the nature of services, and the wider material and discursive
resources at play which inform how risk identities are negotiated. Converging Western
discourses of the subject, binary gender discourse, neoliberal discourse, 'psy' discourses,
and discourses around motherhood were found to be key discursive resources through which
risk identity is produced, resisted and projected.
In addition these to broad discursive findings, the study also contributes to the existing
empirical literature that focuses on the lived experience of those with a BPD diagnosis.
A conclusion is drawn that women with a BPD diagnosis not only receive a label which
discursively excludes them from being able to be viewed as a 'good subject of psychiatry'
(and hence leads to them being viewed as dangerous and risky), but that their difficulties and
need for relational approaches to manage risk and promote recovery run counter to the way
that mental health services are structured in the current neoliberal era.


From the start it is clear that several myths surround the comparative study of historical issues in America and Canada. First, the assumption is that such work will be welcomed with enthusiasm. Certainly in the U.S. many historians speak glowingly about the need for and the benefits from comparative history. Participants at major national conferences, however, often find rather different responses. Sparse attendance at the few comparative sessions is common. Even more striking is the glazed look received when trying to discuss ideas and projects. Listeners often glance furtively around the book display hoping to find a friend they can use as an excuse to break away from what is obviously a boring conversation. (1) My experience with Canadian academics is somewhat more limited. At first glance they seem to have somewhat more interest in doing parallel studies of related issues in the two nations. To an outsider it appears that a higher percentage of Canadian historians do some cross-border work than do so in the U.S. However, there is little welcome for such work done by scholars south of the border. Rather it seems to be treated in two ways, both negative. Much of it receives little attention, often being overlooked in citations and bibliographies when it probably deserves a place. Second, comparative studies often are reviewed more harshly than in the U.S. American academic reviewers tend to look at comparative work as having made a basic scholarly contribution, and tend to focus on the broad, general themes being considered. Canadian reviewers tend to criticize the same project for what it lacks and for minor factual errors or omissions. This certainly inhibits or even discourages some from serious consideration of comparative work. (2) If such a transnational interest is actually wishful thinking by a small number of scholars, how does this apply to studies of Indian/First Nations people? In the past decade a few studies of tribal groups and their experiences with the two nation states have appeared. But, like comparative history in general, they seem not to have made a significant impact in either country. Here too, myths confuse the issues. One depicts society in the U.S. as highly individualistic while that in Canada is seen as more group oriented. The latter is described as an ethnic mosaic while the U.S. is a melting pot. How American society can be more individualistic than Canada when distinct ethnic identities are vanishing in the U.S. is not explained, nor is any attention given to the Enfranchisement Act of 1869 that set the Dominion government on the path of individualism for First Nations people when in the U.S. policies still dealt with tribes as units. A myth related directly to Native Studies is that the U.S. used wars to reduce its Indian population, but Canadian officials let starvation and disease do the job. (3) It seems to me that even a brief look at our two histories demonstrates that such claims are false. First, Canada's relatively peaceful frontier dealings with its tribal groups lasted only until it sent Mounted Policemen west. Just over a decade after the Mounties marched onto the Plains, the 1885 fighting broke out. At the same time, bungling caused wide-spread starvation and disease tolls in the U.S. as well. Although the obvious need to get past such widely-held myths, and the chance to enter rather uncharted waters helped attract me to comparative study, other factors helped too. Family stories of pioneer settlement caught my interest, and led to my obtaining a Ph.D. in American frontier history at the University of Wisconsin. At Madison my training focused on the actions of the settlers in creating new communities and the experiences of the Native Americans as they dealt with their unwelcome neighbors. The History Department at Wisconsin had a sought-after British Commonwealth Chair, and prominent scholars such as A.L. Rouse from Britain, and Max Crawford from Australia, lectured frequently. …


Blood transfusion is a common but costly treatment. Repeated national audits in the UK suggest that up to one-fifth of transfusions are unnecessary when judged against recommendations for good clinical practice. Audit and feedback seeks to improve patient care and outcomes by comparing clinical care against explicit standards. It is widely used internationally in quality improvement. Audit and feedback generally has modest but variable effects on patient care. A considerable scope exists to improve the impact that audit and feedback has, particularly through head-to-head trials comparing different ways of delivering feedback.

 The AFFINITIE (Development & Evaluation of Audit and Feedback INterventions to Increase evidence-based Transfusion practIcE) programme aimed to design and evaluate enhanced feedback interventions, within a national blood transfusion audit programme, to promote evidence-based guidance and reduce the unnecessary use of blood components. We developed, piloted and refined two feedback interventions, 'enhanced content' and 'enhanced follow-on' (workstream 1), evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the two feedback interventions compared with standard feedback practice (workstream 2), examined intervention fidelity and contextual influences (workstream 3) and developed general implementation recommendations and tools for other audit and feedback programmes (workstream 4).

 Interviews, observations and documentary analysis in four purposively sampled hospitals explored contemporary practice and opportunities for strengthening feedback. We developed two interventions: 'enhanced content', to improve the clarity and utility of feedback reports, and 'enhanced follow-on', to help hospital staff with action-planning (workstream 1). We conducted two linked 2 × 2 factorial cross-sectional cluster-randomised trials within transfusion audits for major surgery and haematological oncology, respectively (workstream 2). We randomised hospital clusters (the organisational level at which hospital transfusion teams operate) to enhanced or standard content or enhanced or standard follow-on. Outcome assessment was masked to assignment. Decision-analytic modelling evaluated the costs, benefits and cost-effectiveness of the feedback interventions in both trials from the perspective of the NHS. A parallel process evaluation used semistructured interviews, documentary analyses and web analytics to assess the fidelity of delivery, receipt and enactment and to identify contextual influences (workstream 3). We explored ways of improving the impact of national audits with their representatives (workstream 4).

 All NHS hospital trusts and health boards participating in the National Comparative Audit of Blood Transfusions were invited to take part. Among 189 hospital trusts and health boards screened, 152 hospital clusters participated in the surgical audit. Among 187 hospital trusts and health boards screened, 141 hospital clusters participated in the haematology audit.

 'Enhanced content' aimed to ensure that the content and format of feedback reports were consistent with behaviour change theory and evidence. 'Enhanced follow-on' comprised a web-based toolkit and telephone support to facilitate local dissemination, planning and response to feedback.

 Proportions of acceptable transfusions, based on existing evidence and guidance and algorithmically derived from national audit data.

 Trial primary outcomes were derived from manually collected, patient-level audit data. Secondary outcomes included routinely collected data for blood transfusion.

 With regard to the transfusions in the major surgery audit, 135 (89%) hospital clusters participated from 152 invited. We randomised 69 and 66 clusters to enhanced and standard content, respectively, and 68 and 67 clusters to enhanced and standard follow-on, respectively. We analysed a total of 2222 patient outcomes at 12 months in 54 and 58 (enhanced and standard content, respectively) and 54 and 58 (enhanced and standard follow-on, respectively) hospital clusters. With regard to the haematology audit, 134 hospital clusters (95%) participated from 141 invited. We randomised 66 and 68 clusters to enhanced and standard content, respectively, and 67 clusters to both enhanced and standard follow-on. We analysed a total of 3859 patient outcomes at 12 months in 61 and 61 (enhanced and standard content, respectively) and 63 and 59 (enhanced and standard follow-on) hospital clusters. We found no effect of either of the enhanced feedback interventions in either trial across all outcomes. Incremental enhanced intervention costs ranged from £18 to £248 per site. The enhanced feedback interventions were dominated by the standard intervention in cost-effectiveness analyses. The interventions were delivered as designed and intended, but subsequent local engagement was low. Although the enhancements were generally acceptable, doubts about the credibility of the blood transfusion audits undermined the case for change.

 Limitations included the number of participating clusters; loss to follow-up of trial clusters, reducing statistical power and validity; incomplete audit and cost data contributing to outcome measures; participant self-selection; reporting; missing data related to additional staff activity generated in response to receiving feedback; and recall biases in the process evaluation interviews.

 The enhanced feedback interventions were acceptable to recipients but were more costly and no more effective than standard feedback in reducing unnecessary use of blood components, and, therefore, should not be recommended on economic grounds.

 We have demonstrated the feasibility of embedding ambitious large-scale rigorous research within national audit programmes. Further head-to-head comparisons of different feedback interventions are needed in these programmes to identify cost-effective ways of increasing the impact of the interventions.

 This trial is registered as ISRCTN15490813.

 This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 10, No. 2. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


The Neolithic Revolution marked a dramatic change in human subsistence practices. In order to explain this change, we must understand the motive forces behind it. Researchers have proposed many different stimuli, with most theories invoking environmental dynamics, human population density increases beyond environmental carrying capacity, and the natural outgrowth of human and plant/animal interactions. However, unanswered questions remain concerning the mechanics of animal domestication. Traditional studies of changing faunal morphology and skeletal population profiles offer some clues, but such research has had limited success identifying stages intermediate between wild and domesticated forms, which makes it difficult to discern initial attempts at animal control, and to fully understand this process. This dissertation research brings the tools of dental microwear and mesowear to bear on the issue of animal domestication at the site of Gritille, Turkey. Dental microwear and dental mesowear of zooarcheological materials from the site should allow us to identify diet changes related to husbandry (control of movement and penning animals), and to determine whether the process was gradual or abrupt. This in turn will lead to a better understanding of the causes and mechanics of animal domestication during the Neolithic Revolution. Gritille was occupied during the Neolithic, encompassing the period of animal domestication (traditional faunal analysis methods point to sheep domestication at the site). Collection methods recovered both flora and fauna from the Neolithic occupation, providing Ovis (sheep) remains whose diet can be tracked over the period. The Neolithic period was broken down into three periods. Each period provided statistically significant dental mesowear and microwear signatures, indicating the evolution of human control (domestication) of animals at this site. Expansion of these methods to other sites allows comparison to understand how similar Neolithic people handled their animals. Further, comparing the Neolithic animals to wild animals from the Near East allows understanding of how humans modified the wild, natural diet and provides information on the types of environments the Neolithic animals were provided.


Answer sentence ranking and answer extraction are two key challenges in question answering that have traditionally been treated in isolation, i.e., as independent tasks. In this article, we (1) explain how both tasks are related at their core by a common quantity, and (2) propose a simple and intuitive joint probabilistic model that addresses both via joint computation but task-specific application of that quantity. In our experiments with two TREC datasets, our joint model substantially outperforms state-of-the-art systems in both tasks.


Abstract Of the nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) causing lung disease, members of the Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABc) present a formidable obstacle to successful management. This challenge starts from a poorly understood pathogenesis, continues with complicated subspecies variation in treatment response, and extends to the multidrug-resistant nature of these organisms. The disease often necessitates the use of intravenous therapy, toxic drug combinations, and, in some cases, lung resection. Like many NTMs, MABc treatment requires prolonged therapy with multiple medications, and pulmonary disease in some subspecies can be impossible to eradicate or cure. This disease also represents a frequent and unique problem in certain populations, including cystic fibrosis and lung transplant recipients, and providers who manage such patients should be familiar with how MABc disease influences management. Because of the rising prevalence of the MABc, especially in patients with complicated underlying pulmonary disease, it is increasingly necessary for infectious diseases and pulmonary medicine clinicians to understand the unique aspects of MABc management and understand when to obtain expert consultation in the care of these patients.


The cloning of cancer Ags recognized by T cells has provided potentially new tools to enhance immunity against metastatic cancer. The biological monitoring of effective immunization has, however, remained a dilemma. We describe here a sensitive molecular quantitation methodology that allows analysis of in vivo immune response to vaccination. Metastatic melanoma patients were immunized with a synthetically modified peptide epitope (209-2M) from the melanoma self-Ag gp100. Using serial gene expression analysis, we report functional evidence of vaccine-induced CTL reactivity in fresh cells obtained directly from the peripheral blood of postimmunized patients. Further, we demonstrate in vivo localization of vaccine-induced immune response within the tumor microenvironment. The results of these molecular assays provide direct evidence that peptide immunization in humans can result in tumor-specific CTL that localize to metastatic sites.


This thesis explores the development of the accounting profession with a specific reference to the case of Lebanon, utilising a qualitative research design. The establishment of the exclusive body of accounting in Lebanon, the Lebanese Association for Certified Public Accountants (LACPA), in 1994 constitutes a central element of this development. The analysis refers back to the period preceding the LACPA, specifically from when the first union of accountants in Lebanon was established in 1963. While the professionalization project of accounting in Lebanon, which is when the accounting profession was recognised by the state like other reputable professions, along with institutionalising entry requirements, could be understood in terms of several influencing factors, such as the French colonial legacy, or the Civil War and the reconstruction project associated with it, this case argues that this project is the outcome of the work of indigenous accounting practitioners. The data collected in this study is theoretically analysed within the concept institutional work, defined as the purposive action of individuals and organisations aimed at creating, maintaining and disrupting institutions (Lawrence et al., 2009). As institutions are traditionally framed within a structural understanding, the concept of institutional work, while not neglecting the significance of structural factors in relation to institutions, demonstrates that the role of actors and their actions in relation to institutions should not be overlooked.
After addressing the establishment of the exclusive body of accounting in Lebanon, this case explores how the accounting profession is being maintained amid political, religious and sectarian divisions, and demonstrates that the survival of this profession is understood beyond the technical aspects of the accounting profession and practice, to embody these broader divisions. Given this multidimensional nature of the maintenance/survival of the accounting profession as an institution, the notion of agonistic pluralism (Mouffe, 2013) provided a more nuanced understanding of the accounting profession as an arena that is composed of different groups, and how these groups' interactions enhance our knowledge and understanding of the accounting profession.
This study relies on semi-structured interviews with key players of the accounting profession in Lebanon, mainly executive members of the LACPA, and supports these interviews with archival documents. This approach was chosen because personal experiences and discourses enable a better understanding of actions and intentions of actors, and their inter-relatedness with political and religious/sectarian considerations. This study reveals what takes place in the backstage of governance, how and on what basis the different groups interact with each other, and ultimately how this is reflected on the function of the LACPA as the exclusive body of accounting in Lebanon.
This thesis provides an empirical study that enables a re-thinking of the essence of the accounting profession, not only because this context is under-researched, but also because of the following reasons. First, this case addresses how local accounting practitioners, through engaging in strategies of institutional work, were able to grant the accounting profession authority and recognition at a time when the state and politicians were unwilling to legislate for the accounting profession. Second, this case understands the establishment and maintenance of the accounting profession in terms of agonising relations between groups with different perspectives. Thus, an integral part of institutional work is to establish an agonistic environment that would ensure the survival of the accounting profession, amid divided re-constructed identities of actors. Moreover, by addressing the work of actors of a professional association, this case illustrates how the accounting profession and its maintenance are related to other institutions operating at a broader level. This contributes to our knowledge about how professional associations engage in institutional work (Ramirez, 2013) by demonstrating that the aspired agonistic environment encompasses not only professional considerations, but also other political and religious considerations that are vital for the maintenance of the accounting profession. This case sheds light about phenomena, relationships, and divisions that are present nearly in all contexts, yet not explicitly associated with the accounting profession, hence, a broader understanding of the essence of the accounting profession is presented in this thesis.


Abstract A circulating pipe-loop has been designed to measure asphaltene deposition under flowing conditions. Bitumen and n-heptane are combined to induce asphaltene precipitation at the entrance of a test section in which deposition is to be measured. The n-heptane is separated from the bitumen at the exit of the test section allowing the asphaltenes to redissolve in the bitumen before it is pumped back to the test section. In the test section, solid deposits are measured nonintrusively with X-ray tomography using a computer assisted tomographic (CAT) scanner. A segment of the test section is also removable for direct gravimetric measurement and collection of deposits. The pipe-loop is designed to investigate the effect of flow rate, solvent type, solvent-to-bitumen ratio, metal type, temperature, and pressure on asphaltene deposition. The effect of additives can also be assessed. The system is rated for pressures upto 7 MPa, temperatures from 25 to 100°C, and flow rates up to 0.1 m3/h.


The Middle East and North Africa is one of the world's most rapidly transforming regions, politically, economically, demographically and environmentally. Despite largely declining total fertility rates, the momentum of absolute population growth will mean that the region surpasses China in terms of total population by 2090. Land degradation, water stress and trends of urbanisation will also have significant impacts upon the future development of this region. In contending with the coming social, ecological and climatic shifts facing the region, policymakers will need to effectively capture the multi-faceted dynamics of these challenges but also opportunities. This paper outlines the key demographic and economic trends and transitions underway across MENA countries as material factors informing the efficacy of future policy responses to these emergent trends. Demographic trends in age-specific and gender ratios are discussed, before exploring transitions in fertility rates, migration, conflict, social welfare and urbanisation along with the possible implications of such transitions. Later, key economic factors are assessed, including correlations between resources endowments, labour market performance (particularly rates of youth unemployment), public debt and expenditure figures, and trade performance indicators. Considered together, a sub-regional disaggregation of these economic factors is presented, characterising emerging trends and challenges across the region and its broader integration into the global economy.


This paper proposes a method for near-optimal navigation of high speed mobile robots on uneven terrain. The method relies on a layered control strategy. A high-level planning layer generates an optimal desired trajectory through uneven terrain. A low-level navigation layer guides a robot along the desired trajectory via a potential field-based control algorithm. The high-level planner is guaranteed to yield optimal trajectories but is computationally intensive. The low-level navigation layer is sub-optimal but computationally efficient. To guard against failures at the navigation layer, a model-based lookahead approach is employed that utilizes a reduced form of the optimal trajectory generation algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed method can successfully navigate a mobile robot over uneven terrain while avoiding hazards. A comparison of the methodpsilas performance to a similar algorithm is also presented.


In recent years, adolescents have increased the use of interactive technologies. These children have more and more technological equipment and they commonly use interactive communication. This type of communication offers many possibilities and benefits to the users, but it also involves disadvantages and dangers that are of particular concern in the case of minors: exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, sexual harassment or grooming, sexting, contact with strangers... In this situation, we should not deprive adolescents of the use of digital technologies and interactive communication. The solution is to provide them with digital skills so they can use these tools safely. Therefore, this project aims to increase the digital skills of adolescents with a proposal for diagnosis and intervention of digital literacy. This project will be implemented through three phases. In the first phase we will make a survey to find the level of digital skills of children. To do this, we will create and validate a scale of digital skills. In the second phase we want to check if the digital literacy influences on the degree of gratification obtained with digital contents. To do this, we will conduct an experiment. The goal is to know if the process for getting children safer involves a restriction of the opportunities and advantages of the online world. Finally, in the third phase we will consider the results of the two previous studies to develop a mobile app to digitally literate. To develop this application we will build on the theories of persuasion and the strategy of entertainment-education. This last phase will be carried out by an experiment. Through it we would check if this application is effective for digitally literate, and more specifically, whether the narrative persuasion is effective for persuading and educating.


OBJECTIVES
To describe breastfeeding practices from 0 to 12 months of age in 4 small towns that are representative of urban northeast Brazil and to identify factors associated with introduction of other milk in the first month of life.

METHODS
From January to August 1998, 364 mothers were interviewed at delivery to ascertain antenatal care; delivery room practices; and their intentions regarding breastfeeding, pacifiers, and introduction of water, teas, and other milk. Their perceptions of home support and the advantages of breastfeeding also were assessed. Thereafter, daily information about feeding practices was collected at twice-weekly home visits. When other milk was started, a second interview was conducted to ascertain initial and current breastfeeding problems and use of a pacifier. Reasons for starting other milk were investigated using 5-point Likert scales.

RESULTS
Mothers were positive toward breastfeeding, and 99% breastfed their new infant. Few intended to breastfeed exclusively, and in the first week 80% gave water/tea and 56% used a pacifier. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 0 days, and the median age for starting other milk was 24 days. The median duration of breastfeeding was 65 days for mothers who started other milk within 1 month and 165 days for other mothers. After adjustment for confounding variables, the main factors associated with introduction of other milk within 1 month were pacifier use in the first week (odds ratio [OR], 4.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.07-7.78), intention to start other milk in the first month (OR, 3.79; 95% CI: 1.74-8.24), giving water/tea in the first week (OR, 3.07; 95% CI: 1.56-6.03), and leaving the maternity ward before breastfeeding was started (OR, 2.59; 95% CI: 1.34-5.04).

CONCLUSION
Although breastfeeding is common in this community, it rarely is exclusive and takes place for a relatively short duration. Identification of risk factors for early introduction of other milk offers potential avenues for future intervention, including improvement of breastfeeding support in antenatal and maternity services.


OBJECTIVE
This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of sensory stimulation to improve arousal and alertness of people in a coma or persistent vegetative state after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHOD
Databases searched included Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OTseeker, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The search was limited to outcomes studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 2008 and 2013.

RESULTS
Included studies provide strong evidence that multimodal sensory stimulation improves arousal and enhances clinical outcomes for people in a coma or persistent vegetative state after TBI. Moderate evidence was also provided for auditory stimulation, limited evidence was provided for complex stimuli, and insufficient evidence was provided for median nerve stimulation.

CONCLUSION
Interventions should be tailored to client tolerance and premorbid preferences. Bimodal or multimodal stimulation should begin early, be frequent, and be sustained until more complex activity is possible.


Abstract Real-time estimation of joint angles and moments can be used for rapid evaluation in clinical, sport, and rehabilitation contexts. However, real-time calculation of kinematics and kinetics is currently based on approximate solutions or generic anatomical models. We present a real-time system based on OpenSim solving inverse kinematics and dynamics without simplifications at 2000 frame per seconds with less than 31.5 ms of delay. We describe the software architecture, sensitivity analyses to minimise delays and errors, and compare offline and real-time results. This system has the potential to strongly impact current rehabilitation practices enabling the use of personalised musculoskeletal models in real-time.


As Open access (OA) is often perceived as the end goal of scholarly publishing, much research has focused on flipping subscription journals to an OA model. Focusing on what can happen after the presumed finish line, this study identifies journals that have converted from OA to a subscription model, and places these "reverse flips" within the greater context of scholarly publishing. In particular, we examine specific journal descriptors, such as access mode, publisher, subject area, society affiliation, article volume, and citation metrics, to deepen our understanding of reverse flips. Our results show that at least 152 actively publishing journals have reverse-flipped since 2005, suggesting that this phenomenon does not constitute merely a few marginal outliers, but instead a common pattern within scholarly publishing. Notably, we found that 62% of reverse flips (N = 95) had not been born-OA journals, but had been founded as subscription journals, and hence have experienced a three-stage transformation from closed to open to closed. We argue that reverse flips present a unique perspective on OA, and that further research would greatly benefit from enhanced data and tools for identifying such cases.


Despite 2 Ontario Ministry of Education policy documents which mandate that regular program effectiveness surveys be completed in secondary school co-op programs, research was either not occurring or data were not being made available. A lack of co-op research also existed at the postsecondary level. The primary reason for this study was to determine the perspectives of current secondary school co-op employers in the HamiltonWentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and to identify any program strengths as well as any areas in which improvement can be made. A secondary aim of the study was to discover the reasons that some employers decline to participate in the co-op program, and why other employers decide to discontinue their co-op partnerships. An online survey was utilized with 2 Likert scales and open-ended questions to solicit responses from the 100 participants. The findings from this study strongly supported previous secondary and postsecondary co-op research. Overall, the HWDSB co-op program was found to be very strong, and employer satisfaction very high. There were, however, areas in which improvement could be made. Although most employers felt supported by institutions and felt that expectations were clearly communicated and were reasonable, there was evidence that many employers perceived a lack of institutional support which included factors such as communication, student placement and fit, and institutional responsiveness. In addition, some employers felt that students were underprepared for the workplace and lacked basic employability skills such as dependability and responsibility.


Abstract This paper describes an instructional strategy developed by Mr. Han Zhongliang for teaching English as a foreign language in The Peoples Republic of China. His techniques break away from the "tricentric" method of teaching that dominates the teaching of English throughout the P.R. of China. Whereas the "tricentric" approach focuses on in-class learning, the textbook, and is teacher-directed, the "contra-tricentric" approach of Mr. Han focuses on the out-of-class experience, non-text materials, and is student-centered. Several cognitive constructivist theories of learning are used to explain the underlying reasons for the success of Mr. Han's pedagogy. These include social-constructivism, situational cognition, reciprocal determinism, and a sociocultural perspective. Introduction The teaching of English as a foreign language is a major focus of education reform in the People's Republic of China due to the country's "modernization" efforts. As the economy of China expands beyond its borders, English, as a communication tool, is seen as necessary for social and economic mobility to conduct practical, social, economic, and technical interactions with other peoples of the world (Schnell, 1990; Zhao & Campbell, 1995). This has forced Chinese educators to address the manner in which English has traditionally been taught throughout the country (Penner, 1995). Foreign language teaching has entered the "age of communication" in which language is learned as a tool for communication, rather than strictly as an academic subject focused on grammar and reading (Adamson and Morris, 1997). Foreign language instruction in China has made advances, but there is a need for teachers who are trained in modern language methods (Xiuqing, 1993). The grammar-translation method is still emphasized in English language programs in China under-emphasizing methods based on interpersonal communication (Anderson, 1993; Campbell & Zhao, 1993; Liao, 1996; Schnell, 1992). Whereas the traditional approach to teaching English has focused on teacher-centered, book-centered, and grammar-translation-centered methods, the communicative approach is characterized by a focus on: (1) language use rather than form, (2) fluency rather than accuracy, (3) communication tasks rather than exercises, (4) student interaction and initiative rather than teacher-centered direction, (5) learners' differences rather than a group lockstep approach, and (6) an awareness of variations in language rather than simply attention to the language (Anderson, 1993). Chinese educators have begun to investigate approaches to teaching English that focus more on the communicative function of language (Li, 1984; Sun, 1999). This has lead educators to investigate approaches that put student-generated learning activities at the center of instruction (Su-ying, 1987). According to Liao (1996), the "kernel" to teaching English as a foreign language should be communicative competence reflecting the basic purpose of language and the cognitive process of language learning. Liao suggests: a student-centered orientation; use of communicative activities; developing awareness of cross-cultural differences; extensive use of English; and an integrative development of language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing). For a communicative approach to succeed in China, the issue of student autonomy must be addressed as it relates to student-generated learning activities. Due to Chinese cultural traditions, language classes are teacher dominant. Because of the cultural norms of "social relations in the classroom," the teacher is viewed as the authority and source of knowledge, and "Chinese students would not find autonomy very comfortable, emotionally, or indeed intellectually" (Ho & Crockall, 1995, p. 237). However, autonomy can be encouraged if the students use language in "personally-meaningful, real-world context(s)" (p. 242). …


A transmitter without channel state information wishes to send a delay-limited Gaussian source over a slowly fading channel. The source is coded in superimposed layers, with each layer successively refining the description in the previous one. The receiver decodes the layers that are supported by the channel realization and reconstructs the source up to a distortion. The expected distortion is minimized by optimally allocating the transmit power among the source layers. For two source layers, the allocation is optimal when power is first assigned to the higher layer up to a power ceiling that depends only on the channel fading distribution; all remaining power, if any, is allocated to the lower layer. For convex distortion cost functions with convex constraints, the minimization is formulated as a convex optimization problem. In the limit of a continuum of infinite layers, the minimum expected distortion is given by the solution to a set of linear differential equations in terms of the density of the fading distribution. As the number of channel uses per source symbol tends to zero, the power distribution that minimizes expected distortion converges to the one that maximizes expected capacity.


We propose a process for the fabrication of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer with a silicon carbide (SiC) insulator layer by combining plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and surface-activated bonding without thermal stress to obtain sufficient thermal conductivity for self-heating power and high-frequency device applications. The thermal conductivity of the deposited SiC layer is twice that of a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer, and the breakdown electric field of this layer is 10–11 MV cm−1, the same as that of a SiO2 layer. In addition, the bonding interface between the silicon layer and the deposited SiC insulator layer has no voids or punch-out dislocations. Therefore, the SOI wafer with a SiC layer has high thermal conductivity and breakdown electric field; this SOI wafer and its fabrication process will be important for the realization of next-generation self-heating devices such as power and high-frequency devices.


The formation of a cancer is an evolutionary process. A somatic cell may acquire an
(epi)-mutation that gives it a growth advantage relative to its neighbours. Progression
to cancer occurs as cells in the resulting mutant clone acquire additional mutations,
which may also confer a selective advantage. This thesis investigated the expansion of
mutant clones both prior to, and during, tumour growth.
First, the clonal expansion of a mutant lineage within a stem cell niche was considered.
The behaviour of mutant germline stem cells in the Drosophila testis, a remarkably
well-characterised niche, was investigated. A model was developed which identified
stem cell phenotypes that were selectively advantageous in the niche.
Crypt fission is thought to be the primary mechanism of clonal expansion in the gut.
A model of crypt fission was developed, which was used to estimate the frequency of
fission events in the normal human colon. Crypts were found to divide infrequently,
and fission was predicted to decrease the likelihood that a mutant clone would be lost
from the gut.
Next, the expansion of mutant clones during the initial growth of colorectal adenomas
was considered. Individual crypts were micro-dissected from small adenomas, and
the mutation status of the APC and K-ras genes in each crypt was determined.
Combining this information revealed how the adenoma had formed. It was found that
K-ras mutations may have occurred earlier in tumorigenesis than had been previously
established.
Last, the effect of clonal expansion on the genetic heterogeneity in a cancer was
examined. A model of microsatellite slippage during cancer growth was developed.
The model showed that clonal expansion during cancer growth, coupled with a low rate of somatic mutation, can generate non-negligible amounts of genetic diversity. This
suggested that there was little evidence for a low-level microsatellite mutator phenotype
in colorectal cancers.


This paper presents sustainable buildings from the perspective of fire and life safety. Sustainable buildings are high-performance buildings from an environmental perspective, which care for the occupant's welfare, comfort and health distinctly whose safety is equally important. Obviously, a building on fire threats the safety of the occupants and firefighters, and has a negative impact on the environment through the discharge of gaseous and particulate products of combustion into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the groundwater runoff from the water used to extinguish the fire contains toxic compounds and debris that may pollute the surrounding water bodies. Many buildings can be recycled at the end of their life cycle; however, if a building's life cycle ends in a fire, it will not be fit for reuse and may have to go to landfill. There is also an additional economic impact resulting from the direct loss of the building and its contents. Further indirect loss is caused by business interruption, job losses and disruption of services to the community. Accordingly, fire prevention can be considered "green" due to the natural resources saved by preventing a fire. So the question is "how sustainable is a building if it is not fire safe"? Some sustainability and energy efficiency practices can increase fire risk. For example, green roofs and photovoltaic panels can increase building energy efficiency but also increase the fire risk by providing more fuel unless there is a design approach to mitigate these effects. A building that is sustainable in the face of fire is one that minimizes not only the environmental impacts of fire, but also the economic and social impacts of fire. An integration design approach employed at an early stage of the design process increases the communication among the involved parties, leading to fewer conflicts between green building practices and fire safety, where the objectives of the fire safety design should be clearly defined. While the protection of life is the main objective of fire safety legislation, the financial impact of fire on a business as a result of direct property damage or lost production might also be important considerations. By pointing out the possible conflicts before construction has even began, there is time to make the necessary changes to the plans and avoid waste of time and money during the actual construction of the building.


This work describes rural hydroelectric and photovoltaic (PV) water pumping systems technical performance simulations and economic and greenhouse gas mitigation modelling research. The picohydroelectric (for electricity service provision) and PV water pumping (for stock water supply) simulations were selected for a detailed analysis due to their high sensitivity to water resource availability in rural areas. Both observed and projected changes in rainfall and runoff in the in the predominantly agricultural southwest (SW) of Western Australia (WA) will heavily influence land, water, and energy supply decision-making at all levels, including landholders. The hydroelectric systems are also contrasted against similar technical alternatives in the region (≤3 kWe grid-connected PV and wind turbine systems). The results suggest the technical performance of small-scale grid-connected (≤1 kWe) hydroelectric systems have the higher technical potential of all the small-scale grid-connected technical alternatives over the short-to-medium term, despite current drying conditions in the SW of WA. Similarly, the small-scale stand-alone PV water pumping system could not compete against grid connected electricity when a connection was available, although the systems would be an effective market adaptation and market mitigation measure to supply stock water in most cases. This is due to stock watering requirements being generally off-grid, and a stand-alone PV pumping system NPV would likely be greater than a grid-connected pumping system that requires electricity network extension. Furthermore, a farm water supply pipe network extension may be economically less attractive than a stand-alone PV pumping system, although this would require further analysis of water resource quality and availability at the water point, and would require cost comparisons between the PV option and the costs associated with extension of the pipe network, including the actual pipe gauge costs, the pipe network extension distance, and whether the pipe was buried or otherwise (etc). However, all of the renewable energy systems were expensive adaptation and mitigation options and were unable to compete with the low cost of network electricity when a connection is available in terms of the NPV against 2010 market prices, subsidies, and costs.


In vitro studies indicate that Cul4A ubiquitin ligases target for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis regulators of cell-cycle progression, apoptosis, development, and DNA repair. In hematopoietic cell lines, studies by our group and others showed that Cul4A ligases regulate proliferation and differentiation in maturing myeloid and erythroid cells. In vivo, Cul4A-deficient embryos die in utero. Cul4A haploinsufficient mice are viable but have fewer erythroid and primitive myeloid progenitors. Yet, little more is known about Cul4A function in vivo. To examine Cul4A function in adults, we generated mice with interferon-inducible deletion of Cul4A. Cul4A deficiency resulted in DNA damage and apoptosis of rapidly dividing cells, and mutant mice died within 3 to 10 days after induction with dramatic atrophy of the intestinal villi, bone marrow, and spleen, and with hematopoietic failure. Cul4A deletion in vivo specifically increased cellular levels of the Cul4A ligase targets Cdt1 and p27(Kip1) but not other known targets. Bone marrow transplantation studies with Cul4A deletion in engrafted cells specifically isolated analysis of Cul4A function to hematopoietic cells and resulted in hematopoietic failure. These recipients died within 9 to 11 days, demonstrating that in hematopoietic cells, Cul4A is essential for survival.


General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. v. Cline, 124 S. Ct. 1236, 157 L. Ed. 2d 1094, 2004 U.S. Lexis 1623 (U.S. Supreme Court--February 24, 2004) As the saying goes, youth is wasted on the young. But on the other hand, the law provides substantial protection to the old (who not incoincidently vote at about twice the rate of the young). For example, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA") protects workers over the age of 40 years from adverse job actions because of age. It condemns age discrimination, at least against older workers. In that sense, it is like other civil rights laws that preclude businesses from discriminating against racial minorities or on the basis of gender. Laws preventing race or gender discrimination have generally been interpreted to permit so-called "reverse discrimination" suits by persons outside the protected groups if persons in the protected group are not only protected from discrimination but also given privileges denied to others. For example, a company could not give women executives a Mercedes as a company car while giving similarly ranked male executives a Kia. In Cline, the Supreme Court was faced with the question of whether the ADEA contains the same bar to reverse discrimination. The Court concluded that because the ADEA differs in important ways from Title VII or other civil rights laws, a company may favor older workers without committing illegal age discrimination. In other words, the ADEA is a "one-way" antidiscrimination statute barring discrimination against those over 40 but not a "two-way" antidiscrimination statute barring all disparate treatment because of age. In 1997, General Dynamics entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the United Auto Workers union, which "eliminated the company's obligation to provide health benefits to subsequently retired employees, except as to then-current workers at least 50 years old." See 2004 U.S. LEXIS 1623 at *8. In other words, General Dynamics' workers that were over 50 in 1997 would have a better retirement package than those under 50, meaning that it was generally more advantageous to be a 51-year-old company worker rather than a 49-year-old company worker. Dennis Cline was then over 40 (the age triggering ADEA protections) but under 50. Cline and others in this age group objected to the new health-benefit terms of the collective bargaining agreement, complaining to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that the agreement violated ADEA by discriminating against them with respect to terms and conditions of employment because of their age. The EEOC agreed and informally intervened to attempt a negotiated resolution with the company. When negotiations failed, Cline sued General Dynamics. The trial court, determining that ADEA provided no cause of action for "reverse age discrimination," dismissed the claim. A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (covering the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee) reversed, finding that any disparate treatment because of age is forbidden by the ADEA unless it is clearly authorized by the Act (e.g., certain jobs with demanding physical requirements can exclude older applicants). Of particular influence to the Sixth Circuit was that the EEOC backed Cline on this question. …


A series of newcompounds3-{5-methyl-1-[2-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl/substituted phenyl]-1H-1,2,3-triazol- 4-yl}-1-(aryl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehydes(5a-n)wassynthesized by a Vilsmeier-Haackformylation reaction of 4- {(1E)-1-[2-(aryl) hydrazinylidene]ethyl}-5-methyl-1-[2-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl/substituted phenyl]-1H- 1,2,3-triazole (4a-n) with Phosphorous oxychloride-DMF mixture. The newly synthesized compounds were elucidated by their spectral studies. Further, the in-vitro anti-cancer activities of the newly synthesized compounds(5a-n)were carried out against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. The compounds 5c, 5f, 5g, 5j, 5m and 5n exhibits significant activities against both the cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values in the range of 6.8-9.8 μM and 11.1-14.1 μM respectively. The anti-cancer results were further supported by the in-silico molecular docking studies for the inhibition of Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase (PDB ID: 2A91) and human estrogen receptor (PDB ID: 2IOK) respectively, showed minimum binding energies and good affinities towards the active pockets comparable with the standard drug Toremifene. Thus, they may be considered as good inhibitors of EGFR kinase domain (PDB ID: 2A91) and human estrogen receptor (PDB ID: 2IOK).


Telecommunication networks have evolved in time thanks to the advances produced by the new technologies and especially, Internet. Expert systems are being applied in management of telecommunication networks because of the necessity of satisfying the demands of the several services of telecommunication. Expert systems applied to their design are an especially interesting and currently little-used field. In this paper we propose an expert system based on rules called Datacab and developed At Enditel Endesa in collaboration with the Electronic Technology Department of the University of Seville, for the design of a HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) cable network. It uses as input data from a GIS (Geographic Information System) and obtains a design for the network.


Celiac Sprue is a multifactorial disease characterized by an intestinal inflammatory response to ingested gluten. Proteolytically resistant gluten peptides from wheat, rye, and barley persist in the intestinal lumen and elicit an immune response in genetically susceptible individuals. Here, we demonstrate the in vivo ability of a gluten-digesting protease ("glutenase") to accelerate the breakdown of a gluten-rich solid meal. The proenzyme form of endoprotease B, isoform 2 from Hordeum vulgare (EP-B2), was orally administered to adult rats with a solid meal containing1gof gluten. Gluten digestion in the stomach and small intestine was monitored as a function of enzyme dose and time by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. In the absence of supplementary EP-B2, gluten was solubilized and proteolyzed to a limited extent in the stomach and was hydrolyzed and assimilated mostly in the small intestine. In contrast, EP-B2 was remarkably effective at digesting gluten in the rat stomach in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. At a 1:25 EP-B2/gluten dose, the gastric concentration of the highly immunogenic 33-mer gliadin peptide was reduced by more than 50-fold within 90 min with no overt signs of toxicity. Evaluation of EP-B2 as an adjunct to diet control is therefore warranted in celiac patients.


Let Them Eat PBS Viewers Like You? How Public TV Failed the People, by Laurie Ouellette. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. 288 pp. $60.00 cloth; $18.50 paper. Viewers Like You? Hmu Public TVFailed the People (Ouellette 2002) provides an insightful cultural analysis of public television in the United States. Laurie Ouellette examines multiple discourses, including popular magazine, government documents, and PBS programs, to discern a cultural history of the concerns that brought public TV into existence. She analyzes how the assumptions and inequities that formed PBS at the end of the 1960s continue to determine PBS content and reception. The book opens by examining the birth of PBS in the context of the contemporaneous critiques of commercial television. By documenting PBS's own role in "diagnosing the TV problem," Ouellette identifies and critiques the driving assumptions behind government and journalistic critiques of commercial television, especially the assumption that better television should be crafted from above. Ouellette is critical of this aesthetic hierarchy; she openly refutes the idea that because it is noncommercial, public television is inherently more democratic. Ouellette frames public television in the context of U.S. government policy tracing national ideologies of class and mass culture from the early 1960s onward. For example, she cites a 1960 presidential report, "Goals for America," which situated mass culture in a state of emergency and focused on TV's failure to serve the growing demographic of college-educated viewers. Of course this failed to discuss how television served other minorities. The question of who should pay for this elite broadcasting loomed large; should the poor be taxed to pay for television for elites? Usefully, this work provides a history of ETV (Educational TeIevision-PBS's precursor), a decentralized network of stations that featured programs like Omnibus (ETV 1951-56) and other lectureformat shows that proved unattractive to most viewers. In the 1950s, one ETV station, KCTA, had the slogan "I Love Lucidity," clearly mocking network fare. Chapter 2, "The Quest to Cultivate," contains the heart of Ouellette's argument. This section reveals public television's mixed goals. On the one hand, PBS tried to reaffirm and reinscribe elite, highly educated viewers; on the other hand, it attempted to provide "uplift" for jobless African Americans, who producers felt were culturally deprived. Oullette analyzes how public television, a product of the Great Society, fell victim to the liberalism of the Great Society's ideas of excellence (Oullette 2002, 73-74). The Great Society proponents had a tendency to blame people for not finding "excellence" on their own, and to think of maintaining "high standards" as "personal responsibility." In this light, Ouellette contrasts the populism and accessibility of Sesame Street, PBS's most popular children's program, with programs for disadvantaged adults. These programs borrowed far less of their style from commercial TV and were significantly less popular with viewers. Ouellette demonstrates that children's and adult programming were highly divergent; kids' programming, by employing familiar pop cultural forms, actually assumed a more meritocratic approach to the potential abilities of their audience. …


BBC NEWS: DEFINING BRITISHNESS IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Christine Gilroy-Reynolds Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Kevin Moberly According to the BBC's 2006 Royal Charter, the BBC situations itself rhetorically within the notions of 'public value' and its commitment to, among other things, "d) representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities; e) bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK [...]"(2-3). In order to achieve these goals, the BBC must define that which it represents particularly when dealing with the news. While BBC News claims to be impartial, rhetorically, impartiality is impossible when committing to the pursuit of definition and representation. In defining "Britishness," BBC News must negotiate Britain's global position as post-colonial, or neo-colonial, and European, as well as the heterogeneous nature of Britain. This dissertation will demonstrate a model for exploring the motives of the BBC News' output using three case studies: a news report on the 2005 London transit bombings; a report on the 2006 Mumbai transit bombings; and a news report related to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. The motives of the BBC must be examined, particularly because of the BBC's unique connection to the British government. Analyzing BBC News productions through the lenses of Stuart Hall's Encoding and Decoding model, as well as Kenneth Burkes' Dramatist model, gives scholars the opportunity to analyze the choices made by the BBC. By exploring how these choices fit into a modification of Herman and Chomsky's Propaganda Model, scholars can gain a greater understanding of the motivations of the BBC's construction of Britishness from its heterogeneous audiences as well as how the corporation constructs the national good as a public value. The outcome of the Brexit referendum demonstrates that despite a projection of united Britishness, Britain is a heterogeneous space comprising of a multitude of performances of Britishness. As the United Kingdom undergoes shifts in foreign and intra-national relations, how the BBC reports on related topics will be of importance in performing new versions of Britishness. How the BBC attempts to homogenize Britishness will allow scholars to consider the motives of both the BBC and the desires of the government.


Purpose To investigate equivalency of results from multivariable regression (MR) and propensity score matching (PSM) models, observational research methods used to mitigate bias stemming from non-randomization (and consequently unbalanced groups at baseline), using, as an example, a large study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) initial maintenance therapy. Methods Patients were 32,338 health plan members, age ≥40 years, with COPD initially treated with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination (FSC), tiotropium (TIO), or ipratropium (IPR) alone or in combination with albuterol. Using MR and PSM methods, the proportion of patients with COPD-related health care utilization, mean costs, odds ratios (ORs), and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for utilization events were calculated for the 12 months following therapy initiation. Results Of 12,595 FSC, 9126 TIO, and 10,617 IPR patients meeting MR inclusion criteria, 89.1% (8135) of TIO and 80.2% (8514) of IPR patients were matched to FSC patients for the PSM analysis. Methods produced substantially similar findings for mean cost comparisons, ORs, and IRRs for most utilization events. In contrast to MR, for TIO compared to FSC, PSM did not produce statistically significant ORs for hospitalization or outpatient visit with antibiotic or significant IRRs for hospitalization or outpatient visit with oral corticosteroid. As in the MR analysis, compared to FSC, ORs and IRRs for all other utilization events, as well as mean costs, were less favorable for IPR and TIO. Conclusion In this example of an observational study of maintenance therapy for COPD, more than 80% of the original treatment groups used in the MR analysis were matched to comparison treatment groups for the PSM analysis. While some sample size was lost in the PSM analysis, results from both methods were similar in direction and statistical significance, suggesting that MR and PSM were equivalent methods for mitigating bias.


Neutron cameras allow visualizing hydrogen distributions with radiographic or tomographic imaging methods in iron and steel. The necessary contrast between hydrogen and iron stems from the high difference in the total neutron cross section of both elements. This allows e.g. the in situ measurement of hydrogen mass flow inside cm thick steel samples with a temporal resolution of 20 s using neutron radiography as well as the quantitative measurement of hydrogen accumulations at the crack's inner surfaces in hydrogen embrittled iron samples with neutron tomography. We could detect directly gaseous hydrogen in the crack cavities and we measured the gas pressure. This new quality of the information on a micrometer scale allows new insights for the analysis of hydrogen-induced damage mechanisms. Further, this method is non-destructive and provides local information in situ and in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 20-30 µm. In this contribution, we show examples that demonstrate the spatial and temporal resolution of the neutron radiography and tomography methods in order to visualize and quantify hydrogen accumulations at cracks. The measurements were performed at the research reactor BER II of the HZB in Berlin and at the FRM II reactor of the neutron source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz in Garching.


Aims: This work aimed at determining the antibacterial activity of three Citrus Juice on Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activities of juices of three types of Citrus (C.) fruit, C. limon (lemon), C. aurantium (bitter orange) and C. paradisi (grapefruit), against some gram positive and gram negative bacteria using four concentrations of these juices by agar diffusion method with measurement of diameter of the zone of inhibition around the extracts. Results: The results confirmed the presence of anti bacterial activity of the Citrus juice. The highest inhibition zone (18 mm) was observed with a 10% concentration of C. paradises juice on Staphylococcus aureus, but Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant. C. limon and C. aurantium juice at 10% and 5% concentration gave positive results with bactericidal effects on the three tested bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The zones of inhibition of C. limon were 10, 12 and 13mm for 5% and 15, 21 and 20 mm for 10% respectively. For C. aurantium, they were 18, 19 and 20 mm for 5% concentration and 16, 19 and 19 mm for 10% concentration respectively. Those effects were better than those produced by standard antibiotic disc used for comparison. Conclusions: The use of different concentrations of Citrus juice extracts had an effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.


Wave energy is sustainable and clean energy, so it has great potential to be an eco-friendly and lasting renewable energy resource in the future. Recently, a number of researchers have investigated different types of wave energy converters (WECs) using numerical models such as potential theory and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to enhance the efficiency of such devices. In this paper, a validation of a point absorber type WECs is investigated to capture the movement of the WEC system and to measure the moment on the WEC system. The WEC consists of a lever and a buoy. The geometry is the same as the existing experimental geometry of the reference in order to validate the present numerical simulation. The buoy is connected to the lever and has a hinge on the connection point. Besides, another hinge is installed in the middle of the lever, and the WEC system rotates in the pitch direction. The commercial CFD package Star-CCM+, which solves Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, is employed in this study. In the initial stages of this research, a validation study against published experimental results was conducted. The rotational displacement and the moment on the buoy were compared with the existing experimental data of the reference. The result shows good agreement. In the near future, a study on a new pivoted point absorber WEC device regarding the buoy shape of the WEC device and an operation principle will be performed based on this numerical study.


Using a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis including 768 Gesneriaceae species (out of [Formula: see text]3300 species) and more than 29,000 aligned bases from 26 gene regions, we test Gesneriaceae for diversification rate shifts and the possible proximal drivers of these shifts: geographic distributions, growth forms, and pollination syndromes. Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures analyses found five significant rate shifts in Beslerieae, core Nematanthus, core Columneinae, core Streptocarpus, and Pacific Cyrtandra These rate shifts correspond with shifts in diversification rates, as inferred by Binary State Speciation and Extinction Model and Geographic State Speciation and Extinction model, associated with hummingbird pollination, epiphytism, unifoliate growth, and geographic area. Our results suggest that diversification processes are extremely variable across Gesneriaceae clades with different combinations of characters influencing diversification rates in different clades. Diversification patterns between New and Old World lineages show dramatic differences, suggesting that the processes of diversification in Gesneriaceae are very different in these two geographic regions.


Nearly 30 years after the first gender quota regulation was introduced in Austria and the establishment of gender equality legislation and institutions, the proportion of women in public offices rose within this time, but has stagnated roughly at 30% for the recent years. To understand this cleavage of the gender equality claim and the stagnation regarding women's participation in decision-making processes, we will critically explore the gender quota policies in Austria from the perspective of substantive equality and gender democracy. Gender quota claims inherently entail the potential to deepen democracy and transforming societies towards more substantive justice and equality. To be able to analyse if and how gender quota regulations can become transformative measures, we would like to argue for a stronger theorization of the concept of gender regime to more deeply and precisely understand the workings and specifics of power relations within a society supporting gender inequalities as well as to assess possibilities of change. Taking Austria's debates about women's representation as an example, the paper will develop the argument that a conservative gender regime with elements fostering an corporate, breadwinner model and difference-narrative orientated topography will very unlikely implement gender quota regulations as transformative measures, but will try to integrate and shape them accordingly, unless the meaning of quota regulations are framed and understood to support the logic of the gender regime or an element of the gender regime in the process of changing. As a conclusion, the reverberations of Austria's conservative gender regime will be assessed in regards to the implementation of its quota regulations, suggesting that transformative politics needs to include and consider the specific relational logic of the gender regime to transmit its transformative leverage.