Before 9•11 terrorist attack, Central Asia was not the focal point in the American diplomacy, while we witnessed the abrupt rise of the position occupied by Central Asia, but also has global strategic significance. The Iraq War has forced America to extend its battle front longer and longer. Thus, the resurgence of terrorism in Central Asia and so-called "democratic reform" and "color revolution", actively supported by the Bush Administration, have also forced the United States to reorient its Central Asia policy, which is confronted with severe challenges.


We measured the conductance of a series of amine-terminated oligophenyl molecular junctions formed with palladium (Pd) electrodes by using a scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique. For comparison, we also used Au electrodes to form a metal-molecular junction. We found that the molecular junctions formed with Pd electrodes had higher conductances than those formed with gold (Au) electrodes through a statistical analysis and a conductance histogram. Furthermore, the measured conductance decayed exponentially with molecular backbone length with a tunneling decay constant that was essentially the same for Pd and Au electrodes, which is attributable to the molecules that conduct through the highest occupied molecular orbital and the higher work function of Pd compared with Au. Because our work allows measuring the conductance of a molecule formed with various metal electrodes to be measured, it should be relevant to molecular junctions with various materials for future organic electronics on a molecular scale.


This 5-volume set comprises the Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Processing and Manufacturing of Advanced Materials, "THERMEC2003", held from July 7-11, 2003 at the Universidad Carlos III de Mardrid, Leganes, Spain, under the co-sponshorship of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), USA. The Conference brought together researchers and engineers/technologists working on various aspects of the processing, fabrication, structure/property evaluation and applications of both ferrous and non-ferrous materials including: biomaterials, ecomaterials and smart/intelligent materials. In addition to the over 600 contributed papers, the conference committee also invited papers from active researchers in various countries.


During the last several decades, the quality of natural resources and their services have been exposed to significant degradation from increased urban populations combined with the sprawl of settlements, development of transportation networks and industrial activities (Dorsey, 2003; Pauleit et al., 2005). As a result of this environmental degradation, a sustainable framework for urban development is required to provide the resilience of natural resources and ecosystems. Sustainable urban development refers to the management of cities with adequate infrastructure to support the needs of its population for the present and future generations as well as maintain the sustainability of its ecosystems (UNEP/IETC, 2002; Yigitcanlar, 2010). One of the important strategic approaches for planning sustainable cities is "ecological planning". Ecological planning is a multi-dimensional concept that aims to preserve biodiversity richness and ecosystem productivity through the sustainable management of natural resources (Barnes et al., 2005). As stated by Baldwin (1985, p.4), ecological planning is the initiation and operation of activities to direct and control the acquisition, transformation, disruption and disposal of resources in a manner capable of sustaining human activities with a minimum disruption of ecosystem processes. Therefore, ecological planning is a powerful method for creating sustainable urban ecosystems.

In order to explore the city as an ecosystem and investigate the interaction between the urban ecosystem and human activities, a holistic urban ecosystem sustainability assessment approach is required. Urban ecosystem sustainability assessment serves as a tool that helps policy and decision-makers in improving their actions towards sustainable urban development. There are several methods used in urban ecosystem sustainability assessment among which sustainability indicators and composite indices are the most commonly used tools for assessing the progress towards sustainable land use and urban management. Currently, a variety of composite indices are available to measure the sustainability at the local, national and international levels. However, the main conclusion drawn from the literature review is that they are too broad to be applied to assess local and micro level sustainability and no benchmark value for most of the indicators exists due to limited data availability and non-comparable data across countries. Mayer (2008, p. 280) advocates that by stating "as different as the indices may seem, many of them incorporate the same underlying data because of the small number of available sustainability datasets". Mori and Christodoulou (2011) also argue that this relative evaluation and comparison brings along biased assessments, as data only exists for some entities, which also means excluding many nations from evaluation and comparison. Thus, there is a need for developing an accurate and comprehensive micro-level urban ecosystem sustainability assessment method. In order to develop such a model, it is practical to adopt an approach that uses a method to utilise indicators for collecting data, designate certain threshold values or ranges, perform a comparative sustainability assessment via indices at the micro-level, and aggregate these assessment findings to the local level. Hereby, through this approach and model, it is possible to produce sufficient and reliable data to enable comparison at the local level, and provide useful results to inform the local planning, conservation and development decision-making process to secure sustainable ecosystems and urban futures. To advance research in this area, this study investigated the environmental impacts of an existing urban context by using a composite index with an aim to identify the interaction between urban ecosystems and human activities in the context of environmental sustainability. In this respect, this study developed a new comprehensive urban ecosystem sustainability assessment tool entitled the "Micro-level Urban-ecosystem Sustainability IndeX" (MUSIX). The MUSIX model is an indicator-based indexing model that investigates the factors affecting urban sustainability in a local context. The model outputs provide local and micro-level sustainability reporting guidance to help policy-making concerning environmental issues.

A multi-method research approach, which is based on both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, was employed in the construction of the MUSIX model. First, a qualitative research was conducted through an interpretive and critical literature review in developing a theoretical framework and indicator selection. Afterwards, a quantitative research was conducted through statistical and spatial analyses in data collection, processing and model application. The MUSIX model was tested in four pilot study sites selected from the Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia. The model results detected the sustainability performance of current urban settings referring to six main issues of urban development: (1) hydrology, (2) ecology, (3) pollution, (4) location, (5) design, and; (6) efficiency. For each category, a set of core indicators was assigned which are intended to: (1) benchmark the current situation, strengths and weaknesses, (2) evaluate the efficiency of implemented plans, and; (3) measure the progress towards sustainable development. While the indicator set of the model provided specific information about the environmental impacts in the area at the parcel scale, the composite index score provided general information about the sustainability of the area at the neighbourhood scale. Finally, in light of the model findings, integrated ecological planning strategies were developed to guide the preparation and assessment of development and local area plans in conjunction with the Gold Coast Planning Scheme, which establishes regulatory provisions to achieve ecological sustainability through the formulation of place codes, development codes, constraint codes and other assessment criteria that provide guidance for best practice development solutions. These relevant strategies can be summarised as follows:

• Establishing hydrological conservation through sustainable stormwater management in order to preserve the Earth's water cycle and aquatic ecosystems;

• Providing ecological conservation through sustainable ecosystem management in order to protect biological diversity and maintain the integrity of natural ecosystems;

• Improving environmental quality through developing pollution prevention regulations and policies in order to promote high quality water resources, clean air and enhanced ecosystem health;

• Creating sustainable mobility and accessibility through designing better local services and walkable neighbourhoods in order to promote safe environments and healthy communities;

• Sustainable design of urban environment through climate responsive design in order to increase the efficient use of solar energy to provide thermal comfort, and;

• Use of renewable resources through creating efficient communities in order to provide long-term management of natural resources for the sustainability of future generations.


The Dutch virus-typing network VIRO-TypeNed reported an increase in ECHOvirus 6 (E-6) infections with neurological symptoms in the Netherlands between June and August 2016. Of the 31 cases detected from January through August 2016, 15 presented with neurological symptoms. Ten of 15 neurological cases were detected in the same province and the identified viruses were genetically related. This report is to alert medical and public health professionals of the circulation of E-6 associated with neurological symptoms.


ABSTRACT Direct potable water recycling (DPR) is increasingly recognized as an important strategy in the face of water shortage. DPR often is challenged by a lack of public support and in some cases has been overturned by public opposition alone. Severe drought in Texas in recent years has resulted in several cities in that state considering and passing DPR policies for the first time in the United States. We present three case studies–two from cities that passed and implemented DPR policies and one that considered and ultimately tabled a DPR plan. We use multiple data sources including public surveys and policy maker interviews, newspaper articles, and city meeting minutes to examine the discourse on these policies in public, media, and political spheres. Importantly, we explore the connection between regulatory, structural, environmental, political, and communication factors in each case as they intersect with public attitudes, including expressions of disgust and perceived risk which have featured in experimental research on perceptions of water recycling. By exploring these factors holistically, we are able to examine some of the ways these public attitudinal factors interact in real-world contexts with implications for future policy making and studies of local decision-making under uncertainty.


Vegetation models can be used to assess the impacts of climate change on future food production (i.e. farming). However, vegetation models are computationally expensive to run and to account for the uncertainty in future climate scenarios the models should, ideally, be run using as many different scenarios as possible. One way of reducing the computational cost of this procedure is to fit a statistical model to a suitable subset of vegetation model runs and then use the statistical model to cheaply obtain estimates of the vegetation model.


Background: Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide with high stability and strong water absorption properties that can improve the resistance of organisms to various abiotic stresses. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays important roles in trehalose metabolism and signaling. Results: A full-length cDNA of ThTPS was cloned from Tamarix hispida. The phylogenetic tree among ThTPS and 11 AtTPS in Arabidopsis indicates that the ThTPS protein had a close evolutionary relationship with AtTPS7. However, the function of AtTPS7 has not been determined. To analyze the abiotic stress tolerance function of ThTPS, the expression patterns of ThTPS were monitored under salt and drought stress and JA, ABA and GA3 hormone stimulation in T. hispida by qRT-PCR. The results showed that ThTPS expression was clearly induced by these 5 kinds of treatments at at least one studied point. Particularly under salt stress, ThTPS was highly induced in the roots of T. hispda. Furthermore, the ThTPS gene was transiently overexpressed in T. hispida. The results of physiological indexes and staining showed that overexpression of the ThTPS gene increased T. hispida salt and drought stress tolerance. Conclusion: The ThTPS gene can respond to abiotic stress such as salt and drought, and overexpression of ThTPS gene can significantly improve salt and drought tolerance. These findings establish a foundation to better understand the response of TPS genes to abiotic stress in plants.


Background Although hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is closely related to diabetes, its relationship with the incidence of hypertension is still unknown, so we aimed to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c and the incidence of hypertension in the general population. Method In this large prospective cohort study with a median follow-up of 2 years, we included 4,074 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Multivariate COX regression, subgroup analysis, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c and incidental hypertension. Results Compared with participants without incident hypertension, participants with incident hypertension had higher levels of HbA1c (P < 0.05). In univariate COX regression analysis, HbA1c was associated with the risk of hypertension (HR: 1.161, 95% CI: 1.105-1.221, P < 0.001). In multivariate COX regression analysis adjusted for confounding variables, HbA1c was still closely related to the risk of hypertension (HR: 1.102, 95% CI: 1.006-1.206, P = 0.037). And subgroup analysis showed that the relationship between HbA1c and hypertension remained significant in female, lower than high school and non-obese subgroups (P < 0.05). ROC curve also showed that HbA1c could predict the risk of hypertension (AUC = 0.583, 95% CI: 0.568-0.598, P < 0.001). Further RCS analysis showed that HbA1c was positively correlated with the risk of hypertension (P for nonlinearity = 0.642). Conclusion HbA1c was linearly and positively associated with the incidence of hypertension.


K-pop's popularity and its participatory fan culture have expanded beyond Asia and become significant in Europe in the past few years. After South Korean pop singer Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video topped the Austrian chart in October 2012, the number and size of K-pop events in Austria sharply increased, with fans organizing various participatory events, including K-pop auditions, dance festivals, club meetings, quiz competitions, dance workshops, and smaller fan-culture gatherings. In the private sector, longtime fans have transitioned from participants to providers, and in the public sector, from observers to sponsors. Through in-depth interviews with event organizers, sponsors, and fans, this article offers an ethnographic study of the reception of K-pop in Europe that takes into consideration local interactions between fans and Korean sponsors, perspectives on the genre, patterns of social integration, and histories. As a case study, this research stresses the local situatedness of K-pop fan culture by arguing that local private and public sponsors and fans make the reception of K-pop different in each locality. By exploring local scenes of K-pop reception and fan culture, the article demonstrates the rapidly growing consumption of K-pop among Europeans and stresses multidirectional understandings of globalization.


Crashworthiness design is of special interest in automotive industry and in the transportation safety field to ensure the vehicle structural integrity and more importantly the occupant safety in the event of the crash. Front side assembly is one of the most important energy absorbing components in relating to the crashworthiness design of vehicle. The structure and shape of the front side assemblies are different depending on auto-makers and size of vehicles. Thus, it is not easy to grab an insight on designer's intention when you glance at a new front side member without experiences. In this paper, we have performed the explicit nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis on the front side assembly of passenger cars to identify the mechanical roles of major parts in relation to collapse modes from the viewpoint of reverse engineering. To do this, we have performed crash FE analysis for the two different assemblies of small car and heavy passenger car and have compared dynamic behaviors of the two.


This text includes a collection of nineteen papers that cover almost the whole of Conrad's writing career beginning with Almayer's Folly of 1889 and concluding with The Rescue of 1920. Written by scholars from eight different countries and three continents, they discuss a broad range of issues in the Conrad canon, essential for both the literary texts studied and some major trends in Conrad criticism. A majority of the papers concern "Heart of Darkness" which confirms its status as the writer's supreme masterpiece. However, the collection also consists of several comparative studies linking Conrad with other English authors like Milton, Blake and Lawrence.


At the heart of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and their successors, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is the commitment to reduce and ultimately eradicate extreme poverty in all its forms. While extreme poverty can be measured in different ways, hunger is certainly one of its cruellest manifestations. The first MDG set the target of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger between 1990 and 2015 and the SDG's headline target is the ending of hunger by 2030.This article attempts to look back at the role European Union (EU)'s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) may have played towards the MDG target and to look forward at the role it might play towards the SDG target, investigating, in particular, whether or not the recent focus on policy coherence for development at the EU level is likely to position the CAP as a force for good for the attainment of SDGs.


The ever-progressing air transport industry has always been challenged to improve aircraft efficiency. Although enhanced fuel burn metrics have been achieved over the last decades, increased air travel demands, and the recent introduction of fuel efficiency and emission goals by industry regulators, represent a major force opposing the required improvements imposed on the aviation sector. These factors create a conflicting landscape, driving proposed new aircraft configurations towards even more fuel efficient and emission-free designs. In this scenario, the aviation industry has been evolving constantly and is anticipated that major and drastic improvements in aircraft performance will only be possible by means of non-conventional or hybrid design approaches—for instance, the combined use of composite materials with active/adaptive control of aerodynamic surfaces. The expected outcome is the creation of designs that outperform those following solely passive aeroelastic tailoring paradigms. As a novelty, an investigation of the synergies and trade-offs between passive and adaptive aeroelastic tailoring of a transport composite wing based on the NASA Common Research Model is presented. The drivers, design interdependencies, and performance improvements of combining composite thickness and stiffness tailoring with quasi-steady control surface scheduling, and jigtwist shape are assessed for improved fuel burn efficiency and its related disciplines: manoeuvre load alleviation and cruise aerodynamic performance. The dependence of actuator weight on the level of load alleviation is also quantified for different control surface topologies. Furthermore, in addition to straight-fibre laminates, potential benefits and related design compromises of towsteered laminates augmented by adaptive full-span control surface devices are correspondingly investigated. Relative to an all-metallic wing with undeflected control surfaces, it is shown that the combined exploitation of composite stiffness tailoring with adaptive trailing-edge devices allows for a remarkable 6.7% fuel burn saving. From the total noted fuel burn improvement, 69% of was due to trailing-edge devices and the remaining 31% to the use of straight-fibre laminated skins. Adding leading-edge flaps to the optimisation improved the fuel burn savings in ∼ 0.25%, and similarly, allowing the fibres to locally steer produced designs ∼ 0.45% more fuel burn efficient than straight-fibre counterparts. If compared to a baseline model with straight-fibre laminates and undeflected control surfaces, 86.2% of the fuel burn improvement was due to trailing-edge devices, 9.3% achieved due to tow steering and only 4.5% obtained via leading-edge devices. Overall, the results found encourage intersecting two emerging and prospective aeroelastic tailoring technologies for improved aircraft aerostructural performance: composite tailoring (both straight-fibre or tow-steered laminates) and variable aerofoil camber.


The importance of training areas to the militarization of the landscape in the twentieth century is well recognized, but many sites remain unexplored and unrecorded. This article discusses the archaeology of a Second World War landscape at Westleton Walks, near Dunwich in Suffolk. The principal remains are those of a mock German 'Hedgehog' defensive position built in the spring of 1943 for use in Exercise 'Kruschen', an extended trial of techniques and equipment that went on to inform the successful Allied campaign in north-west Europe the following year. The archaeology of the site is significant both as a case study of a Second World War training landscape and also because the remains can be given a precise historical context.


During the past few decades, governments around the world have been allowing market forces to play an increasing role in the electricity sector. The transition from the monopoly framework has led to the restructuring of the electricity market in leading economies to achieve greater competition and efficiency. Government of Iran also has been implemented a daily market for the competition of power plants in electricity sales based on supply bidding mechanism in order to guarantee reliability and efficiency. The basis of this mechanism is the Klemperer and Meyer (1989) study. This paper first introduces the supply bidding model of Holmberg (2009). Then current bidding of selected power plant in the Iranian electricity market compare with the optimal bidding. For this purpose, the demand uncertainty structure is estimated at the specified days in different seasons. Finally the optimal bids of Holmberg model are estimated. The results indicate that supply bids of the selected public power plant are suboptimal and can be improved by using the model. Alternative payment approach called uniform price can also be replaced to compare tow mechanisms


We consider the e¢ cient allocation of a single good with interdependent values in a quasi-linear environment. We present an approach to modelling interdependent preferences distinguishing between "payo¤ types"and "belief types"and report a characterization of when the e¢ cient allocation can be partially Bayesian implemented on a …nite type space. The characterization can be used to unify a number of su¢ cient conditions for e¢ cient partial implementation in this classical auction setting. We report how a canonical language for discussing interdependent types developed in a more general setting by Bergemann, Morris and Takahashi (2011) applies in this setting and note by example that this canonical language will not allow us to distinguish some types in the payo¤ type belief type language. Keywords: Mechanism Design, Robust Mechanism Design, E¢ cient Auctions, Interdepedent Types, Partial Implementation, Full Implementation. JEL Classification: C79, D82 The …rst two authors acknowledge …nancial support through NSF Grant SES 0851200. We would like to thank our discussant, Eric Maskin, in the session on "Robustness and Approximation in Mechanism Design" at the American Economic Association Meeting 2012, Chicago, for his insightful comments, and Moritz Meyerter-Vehn and Andy Postlewaite for helpful discussions. yDepartment of Economics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, U.S.A., firstname.lastname@example.com. zDepartment of Economics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, U.S.A. email@example.com xDepartment of Economics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, U.S.A. email@example.com


The classical genetic map of Arabidopsis includes more than 130 genes with an embryo-defective (emb) mutant phenotype. Many of these essential genes remain to be cloned. Hundreds of additional EMB genes have been cloned and catalogued (www.seedgenes.org) but not mapped. To facilitate EMB gene identification and assess the current level of saturation, we updated the classical map, compared the physical and genetic locations of mapped loci, and performed allelism tests between mapped (but not cloned) and cloned (but not mapped) emb mutants with similar chromosome locations. Two hundred pairwise combinations of genes located on chromosomes 1 and 5 were tested and more than 1100 total crosses were screened. Sixteen of 51 mapped emb mutants examined were found to be disrupted in a known EMB gene. Alleles of a wide range of published EMB genes (YDA, GLA1, TIL1, AtASP38, AtDEK1, EMB506, DG1, OEP80) were discovered. Two EMS mutants isolated 30 years ago, T-DNA mutants with complex insertion sites, and a mutant with an atypical, embryo-specific phenotype were resolved. The frequency of allelism encountered was consistent with past estimates of 500 to 1000 EMB loci. New EMB genes identified among mapped T-DNA insertion mutants included CHC1, which is required for chromatin remodeling, and SHS1/AtBT1, which encodes a plastidial nucleotide transporter similar to the maize Brittle1 protein required for normal endosperm development. Two classical genetic markers (PY, ALB1) were identified based on similar map locations of known genes required for thiamine (THIC) and chlorophyll (PDE166) biosynthesis. The alignment of genetic and physical maps presented here should facilitate the continued analysis of essential genes in Arabidopsis and further characterization of a broad spectrum of mutant phenotypes in a model plant.


Livestock in Niger has great potentials. If well managed, this sector can significantly improve food security and boost poverty alleviation in the population. In order to encourage the development of local milk production in Liptako Gourma, the present study was undertaken to identify constraints related to milk production in the area. A questionnaire based survey was conducted to collect data from 360 dairy farmers. The study revealed that Liptako Gourma harbours a diversified cattle population comprised of 83.3% of Djelli in Niamey, 69.8% of Peul Zebus and 55.8% of Azawak in Tillaberi and 20.0% of Goudali in Dosso. The workhands is mainly constituted of Fulani farmers (77.3 ± 5.0% in Tillaberi) and Zarma agro- farmers (33.3 ± 16.8% in Niamey). They have traditional skills in milk production technology. The study also showed that animals' feeding is highly dependent on seasonality. The most prevalent animal diseases were fasciolosis (55.0, 36.6 and 51.7%, in Dosso, Tillaberi and Niamey, respectively), bezoars (15.0, 60.0 and 12.8% in Dosso, Tillaberi and Niamey, respectively) and respiratory problems (46.6, 40.0 and 35.8% in Dosso, Tillaberi and Niamey, respectively). The low level of education of farmers which is, for example, 16.2 ± 4.4% in Tillaberi, the low level of investment, the poor hygienic practices and difficulties associated with milk conservation and sale constitutes further constraints that thwart the development of the dairy sector. Findings of this study call for technical supports from veterinarians and hygiene services to dairy farmers so as to significantly control the aforementioned constraints.

 Key words: Local milk, Liptako Gourma, Niger, milk valorisation, production constraints.


This paper proposes an interactive approach for region-based image clustering and retrieval. By performing clustering before image retrieval, the search space can be reduced to those clusters that are close to the query target. First, the image is segmented to regions by using an unsupervised segmentation method. This is an area where a vast number of regions are involved. To reduce search space for region-based image retrieval, we use clustering based on genetic algorithm. Fuzzy similarity is used in order to compute the similarity of two images. Moreover, a two-class SVM is trained based on user interests to improve image retrieval. Experiments were performed on COREL image database and show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


AIM
To evaluate the success rates of performing therapy utilizing a rotational assisted enteroscopy device in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in surgically altered anatomy patients.

METHODS
Between June 1, 2009 and November 8, 2012, we performed 42 ERCPs with the use of rotational enteroscopy for patients with altered anatomy (39 with gastric bypass Roux-en-Y, 2 with Billroth II gastrectomy, and 1 with hepaticojejunostomy associated with liver transplant). The indications for ERCP were: choledocholithiasis: 13 of 42 (30.9%), biliary obstruction suggested on imaging: 20 of 42 (47.6%), suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction: 4 of 42 (9.5%), abnormal liver enzymes: 1 of 42 (2.4%), ascending cholangitis: 2 of 42 (4.8%), and bile leak: 2 of 42 (4.8%). All procedures were completed with the Olympus SIF-Q180 enteroscope and the Endo-Ease Discovery SB overtube produced by Spirus Medical.

RESULTS
Successful visualization of the major ampulla was accomplished in 32 of 42 procedures (76.2%). Cannulation of the bile duct was successful in 26 of 32 procedures reaching the major ampulla (81.3%). Successful therapeutic intervention was completed in 24 of 26 procedures in which the bile duct was cannulated (92.3%). The overall intention to treat success rate was 64.3%. In terms of cannulation success, the intention to treat success rate was 61.5%. Ten out of forty two patients (23.8%) required admission to the hospital after procedure for abdominal pain and nausea, and 3 of those 10 patients (7.1%) had a diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis. The average hospital stay was 3 d.

CONCLUSION
It is reasonable to consider an attempt at rotational assisted ERCP prior to a surgical intervention to alleviate biliary complications in patients with altered surgical anatomy.


A 900MHz CMOS PLL using current-adjustable charge-pump circuit and on-chip loop filter with initialization circuit is presented. The charge-pump current is insensitive to the changes of temperature and power supply. The value of the charge-pump current can be changed by switches which are controlled by external signals. Thus the performance of the PLL, such as loop bandwidth, can be changed with the change of the charge-pump current. The loop filter initialization circuit can speed up the PLL when power on. A multi-modulus prescaler is used to fulfill the frequency division in the feedback loop. The circuit is designed in 0.18mm 1.8V 1P6M standard digital CMOS process.


A mass flow controller, based on an integrated flow sensor and a thermally actuated solid state regulator, is presented. The sensor is a miniaturized differential calorimeter obtained by postprocessing a silicon chip fabricated by a standard microelectronic process. The regulator consists in a microchannel etched into the surface of a silicon substrate and sealed with a glass plate, joined to the silicon die using anodic bonding. Flow regulation is achieved by varying the channel temperature by means of a chromium resistor. The two devices are connected in closed-loop through a low noise-low offset electronic circuit. Experimental data, demonstrating the effectiveness of the flow controller, are presented. Limitations of the proposed approach and possible improvements are discussed.


Experimental results of high-field parallel transport in GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum wells are presented. The experiments make use of steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements in the hot-electron regime. In a nominally undoped sample with n=1.55*1010 cm-2 per well, the effective energy relaxation time is constant and tau eff=127 fs. In a modulation-doped degenerate sample with n=1.38*1012 cm-2 per well, however, tau eff is found to be an order of magnitude longer and to vary somewhat with the electron temperature. The results are compared with a simple analytical model based on the production of hot phonons.


This paper considers the relationship between evidence and self-fulfilling beliefs—beliefs whose propositional contents will be true just in case—and because—an agent believes them. Following Grice (1971), many philosophers hold that believing such propositions would involve an impermissible form of bootstrapping. This paper argues that such objections get their force from a popular but problematic function-model of theoretical deliberation, and that attending to the case of self-fulfilling belief can help us see why such a model is mistaken. The paper shows that on a revised model of theoretical deliberation our evidence will problematically underdetermine any appropriate doxastic attitude: when belief in a proposition is self-fulfilling, our evidence is insufficient to support belief, disbelief, or even suspended judgment toward that proposition.


The goal of this research is to study the role and effects of the use of animated information visualization in the early stages of exploratory data analysis tasks. Despite the existence of a large body of research on information visualization, there is little known regarding how and when one should use and how to interact with animated visualization to help explore data. By animated visualization, we mean a type of information visualization technique that produces autonomous motions of representations. This research explored the issue from two aspects: what cognitive effects animated information visualization has, and what interactions people have with animated visualization when exploring data. We conducted two user studies to investigate each aspect, and identified research challenges for designing an interactive animated information visualization environment that supports the early stages of exploratory data analysis. These findings help us further study how to extend the notions developed in spatial visualization to temporal visualization - e.g. what focus+context means when applied to the time dimension in animated visualization.


E-beam lithography is a flexible technology for diffraction gratings origination. Nevertheless, requirements of the high optical quality of large area diffractive structures imply various severe challenges to e-beam delineating processes. This paper summarizes the e-beam process parameters that influence the quality of large area grating structures. Next, we propose some new methods to prepare diffraction gratings that were found to be useful for testing and benchmarking purposes. Those methods include single line gratings, labyrinth structures, fractional structures, tiling patterns, quasi regular filling structures and forked line structures. Various samples were prepared with the standard and newly developed e-beam patterning processes using both e-beam writers available: one with the Gaussian beam at 100 keV and another one with the shaped beam at 15 keV. Some of the results are presented further in this paper, their variants and parameters are discussed as well as their usefulness as benchmarking e-beam patterns for large area optical structures, elements and devices.


Stemming from the limited availability of datasets and textual resources for low-resource languages such as isiZulu, there is a significant need to be able to harness knowledge from pre-trained models to improve low resource machine translation. Moreover, a lack of techniques to handle the complexities of morphologically rich languages has compounded the unequal development of translation models, with many widely spoken African languages being left behind. This study explores the potential benefits of transfer learning in an English-isiZulu translation framework. The results indicate the value of transfer learning from closely related languages to enhance the performance of low-resource translation models, thus providing a key strategy for low-resource translation going forward. We gathered results from 8 different language corpora, including one multi-lingual corpus, and saw that isiXhosa-isiZulu outperformed all languages, with a BLEU score of 8.56 on the test set which was better from the multi-lingual corpora pre-trained model by 2.73. We also derived a new coefficient, Nasir's Geographical Distance Coefficient (NGDC) which provides an easy selection of languages for the pre-trained models. NGDC also indicated that isiXhosa should be selected as the language for the pre-trained model.


We previously reported that in 3T3-L1 adipocytes 125I-insulin associates preferentially with microvilli and coated pits at low temperatures and early times of incubation. At higher temperatures it is internalized through a series of membrane limited intracellular compartments. In the present study, we used a high resolution probe, cationic ferritin (CF), to track adsorptive endocytosis in the 3T3-L1 adipocyte. We find that CF initially associates with coated pits at 2 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. With further incubation at 37 degrees C CF is internalized and after 2 to 10 min of incubation is predominantly localized to coated and non-coated clear vesicles. Approximately 50% of the apparent coated vesicles seen near the plasma membrane on single thin sections are shown by serial sectioning to be true vesicles (i.e., without a surface connection). At later time points CF is localized predominantly to lysosomal structures and, to a much smaller extent, Golgi-related structures. The remarkable similarity between 125I-insulin and CF with respect to post-binding processing suggests that while the membrane receptor confers the initial specificity, post-binding events are common for different types of ligands after they bind to cell surfaces and are subject to adsorptive endocytosis.


gram showed progression to moderate MR and no other structural or functional change. The m-mode intracavitary pressure gradient was non-classical in that the AV gradient was linear (Figure1). In 2012 he developed heart failure, severe MR and pulmonary hypertension without significant change to systolic anterior motion, LV hypertrophy or outflow gradient. He was asked to consider alcohol septal ablation or mitral valve replacement but declined. In 2015 he had a change of heart and underwent a repeat echo with a newer GE Vivid E95 machine for preoperative evaluation that was able to characterise a distinct cleft in the posterior mitral valve leaflet (Video1) accompanied by modest anterior leaflet prolapse, confirmed by 3-dimensional echocardiography reconstruction (Figures2&3,Video2). Doppler assessment shows an associated complex MR (Figure4, Video3). He later declined intervention.


Diamond-based thermionic emission devices could provide a means to produce clean and renewable energy through direct heat-to-electrical energy conversion. Hindering progress of the technology are the thermionic output current and threshold temperature of the emitter cathode. In this report, we study the effects on thermionic emission caused by in-situ exposure of the diamond cathode to beta radiation. Nitrogen-doped diamond thin films were grown by microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition on molybdenum substrates. The hydrogen-terminated nano-crystalline diamond was studied using a vacuum diode setup with a 63Ni beta radiation source-embedded anode, which produced a 2.7-fold increase in emission current compared to a 59Ni-embedded control. The emission threshold temperature was also examined to further assess the enhancement of thermionic emission, with 63Ni lowering the threshold temperature by an average of 58 ± 11 oC compared to the 59Ni control. Various mechanisms for the enhancement are discussed, with a satisfactory explanation remaining elusive. Nevertheless, one possibility is discussed involving excitation of pre-existing conduction band electrons that may skew their energy distribution toward higher energies.


A simple, compact, and low-cost three-probe microstrip impedance measuring scheme has been developed. The impedance of an unknown load can be determined by measuring the coupling power levels at the three probes. The algorithm, formulas, and bandwidth criteria developed are very simple and can be easily used. The power coupling is arbitrary, and no precise directional coupler is required. Using a switch, only one power meter is needed to detect the output power levels of the three probes. The phase information is obtained by amplitude measurement. A detailed analysis and calibration method are developed. The calibration is based on three known standards (a short, an open, and a matched load). The reflection coefficient is calculated from power measurements at three locations along a uniform line terminated by an unknown load. The operating frequency bandwidth depends on the selection of probe locations. A prototype device has been built at X-band. >


The traditional "jurisprudential model" of law views the application of legal sanctions primarily as a function of the facts of the case and the rules that govern the proceedings. Sociology of law scholars have challenged this model on theoretical grounds, arguing persuasively that law is variable and often yields patterns that parallel broader considerations of community social organization and collective sentiment. The authors' analysis yields evidence that the certainty and severity of sanctions for murder cases are heightened where social capital is more plentiful, religious fundamentalist values more prevalent, and support for punitive sanctions is greater. They also find that sentences given to murder defendants are longer in areas in which the public expresses higher levels of fear. Overall, the findings provide provocative evidence that legal outcomes in murder cases are influenced by several features of the social environments in which they are processed.


The vectorial injection locking of a slave laser by a linearly polarized master laser is theoretically and experimentally investigated, taking the nature and the stability of the eigenstates of the slave laser into account. It is proved that the behavior of the polarization, intensity, and frequency of the slave laser can be described by four nonlinear coupled differential equations, for lasers in which population inversion remains quite constant. In particular, it is shown that the stability of the eigenstates of the slave laser plays a dramatic role in the response of this laser to injection. Isotropic slave lasers are shown to follow adiabatically the polarization of the master laser in the frequency locking range. Loss anisotropic slave lasers exhibit a specific Adler tongue behavior and can support the transfer of the polarization of the master laser only along their eigenstates. Phase anisotropic slave lasers are shown to exhibit two bistable or simultaneous Adler curves and to offer new possibilities of all-optical command. In all of these cases, a good agreement is obtained between theory and experiment and the study of polarization throws light on the physics of injection locking. >


Study Design. Preoperative review of a prospective study, single institution, consecutive series. Objective. To analyze the intermediate-term follow-up of consecutive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients treated with pedicle screw constructs. Summary of Background Data. There have been no reports of the intermediate-term findings in North America following posterior spinal fusion with the use of pedicle screw-only constructs. Methods. One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients having a minimum 3-year follow-up (mean 4.8 ± 1.1; range, 3.0–7.3 years) with AIS were evaluated. The average age at surgery was 14.9 ± 2.2 years. Radiographic measurements included preoperative (Preop), postoperative (PO), 2-year (2 years), and final follow-up (FFU). A chart review evaluated PFTs, Scoliosis Research Society scores, presence of thoracoplasty, Risser sign, Lenke classification, and complications. Results. The most frequent curve pattern was Lenke type 1 (45.6%), followed by type 3 (21.9%). The average main thoracic curve measured 59.2° ± 12.2 SD Preop, and corrected to 16.8° ± 9.9 PO (P < 0.0001). Sagittal thoracic alignment (T5–T12) decreased from 25.8° to 15.5° at FFU (P = 0.05). Nash-Moe grading for apical vertebral rotation (AVR) in the proximal thoracic curve decreased from 2.0 Preop to 1.1 at FFU (P < 0.0001), and AVR in the thoracolumbar/lumbar spine decreased from 1.6 Preop to 1.1 at FFU (P < 0.0001). Importantly, the horizontalization of the subjacent disc measured −8.3° Preop which decreased to −0.9° PO (P < 0.001). PFT follow-up averaged 2.4 years with a 7.1% improvement in FVC (P = 0.004) and 8.8% in FEV1 (P < 0.0001). SRS scores averaged 83.0% at latest follow-up. Age, gender, Risser sign, or complications did not have a significant effect on outcomes. There were 2 cases of adding-on, 3 late onset infections, 1 with a single pseudarthrosis, but no neurologic complications. Conclusion. This is the largest (N = 114), consecutive series of North American patients with AIS treated with pedicle screws having a minimum of 3-year follow-up. The average curve correction was 68% for the main thoracic, 50% for the proximal thoracic, and 66% for the thoracolumbar/lumbar curve at final follow-up.


Fellow paleontologists, I first came to know Kevin Boyce around the turn of the century, when, as a graduate student at Harvard, he was working out a novel scheme to characterize leaf morphology. It was clear from the get-go that this was someone to watch. Kevin's mentor Andy Knoll has sent many first-rate paleontologists into the world, but this was one of those cases where the advisor just needs to stand out of the way and let the student go full-tilt. Already as a student, Kevin had the vision and drive to work independently. And, like many a young scholar seeking to avoid distractions at the office, he wrote his Ph.D. thesis sitting at home. But he used an additional 'trick': he always wore a necktie while writing, to keep himself disciplined.

Prior to doing his Ph.D. at Harvard, Kevin earned not one but two bachelor's degrees from CalTech (where, among other things, he worked with Joe Kirschvink on the sensitivity of honeybees to magnetic fields). His dual degrees might not stand out in these days of hypercompetitive undergrads pursuing triple and quadruple majors, but I've always been struck by the fact that he has a Bachelor of Science … in Literature . Now, if you ask Kevin about this, he'll respond that CalTech only gives B.S. degrees regardless of the field, but I know from talking with him about a whole range of topics that he approaches everything with the same imagination and insight that he brings to paleontology. For example, he has thoroughly studied the King James Bible and has developed a reinterpretation of the Old Testament … as a comedy . His interest in literature goes far beyond reading—he writes poetry that has been described as beautiful. In fact, he wanted to become a writer, …


We study a discrete-time model of host–parasitoid interactions, where the host is subject to a strong Allee effect and the parasitoid is aggregated. The system may have multiple coexisting steady states and there are two host population thresholds. The hosts become extinct if it is below the Allee threshold. The other threshold depends on the Allee threshold beyond which the host also becomes extinct due to overcompensated density dependence. When the initial host population size is between the two thresholds, we derive a critical parasitoid population size above which both populations become extinct. The critical size depends on the degree of aggregation of parasitoids. It is shown that both populations are more likely to become extinct if parasitoid aggregation is increased. Numerical simulations reveal that a strong Allee effect on the host can stabilize the host–parasitoid interactions on one hand but may drive both populations to extinction on the other hand. Further, aggregation of the parasitoid can promote population persistence when the host is subject to a strong Allee effect with a large Allee threshold. However, a more aggregated parasitoid population is more vulnerable to extinction if the growth rate of hosts is large.


The Pd-only catalysts for motorcycle were prepared by impregnating CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 and CeO2-ZrO2+Al2O3 with PdCl2 aqueous solution and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) methods. The XRD result indicated that the CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 compound prepared by co-precipitation formed a single solid solution and had good thermal stability, and Pd phase was not observed in all catalysts. The TPR results showed that the reduction temperature of Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 catalyst was lower than that of Pd/CeO2-ZrO2+Al2O3 catalyst whether they were fresh or aged catalysts. The Pd/CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 exhibited high three-way catalytic activity at low temperature, high thermal stability, and wide working window, suggesting a great potential for applications.


Youth with mental retardation* (MR) have experienced increasing levels of participation in community life over the last 30 years. This freedom has facilitated access to community life beyond school settings; it has also created the potential for alcohol and drug use and for the development of substance abuse (SA). Little is known about access to SA treatment for youth with MR—an especially vulnerable population. Through the application of a set of standardized performance measures, this study examines SA treatment access among youth aged 12 to 21 with and without MR (N = 150,009). Guided by Andersen's sociobehavioral model of health care utilization, multivariate logistic regression analyses modeled SA treatment initiation and engagement. Youth with MR and SA were less likely to initiate or engage in treatment. Engagement among youth with MR and SA was associated with being male and/or non-White. Implications relate to a need for improved treatment access for youth with MR and SA through cross-system coll...


This thesis is about studio habits. Specifically, it considers what happens in practice in the artist's studio and ways in which creative acts have been visualised and disseminated. The chapters of this thesis are organised around views of the studios of four twentieth century painters: Francis Bacon (1908-1994), Lee Krasner (1909-1984), Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Agnes Martin (1913-2005). Each of these artists' studio habits has been fundamental to their respective mythologies and the studios they occupied in their lifetimes have inflected discussion of their work. Drawing on critical theories of sexuality, gender and space, this thesis argues that the idea of the artist as a master continues to dominate as an explanation of art-making but that this characterisation is called into question by these four artist's specific practices in the studio. Close readings of the studio habits in these case studies, considered here as a situated negotiation between artist and studio, challenges the idea of mastery that studio-view exhibits and images tend to promote. Notions of mastery are inclined to construct practice as a paradigm between an active artist and passive studio materials and these, in turn, are apt to be read in terms of masculinity and femininity, respectively. Thus, the role of studio artist has tended to privilege a male lead. Therefore, analysing particular performances of masculinity by these artists provides a means to contest reading studio-view images as statements of mastery and the damaging and inequitable connotations this designation implies. Furthermore, this thesis argues that the recent trend to preserve studio material, or to otherwise encompass traces of practice in exhibits, films and photographs, may be correlated with theoretical shifts which took place in latter half of the twentieth century as a response to philosophical losses entailed in the critique of authority and objecthood and the rise of performance and conceptual art practices.


Methods based on AAS, ICP-AES and XRFS have been developed for determination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in soil layers from pits excavated on a redundant industrial site. Samples were dried and sieved, and the < 2 mm fraction was ground in a ball mill prior to analysis. For ICP-AES and AAS, Ig sub-samples were digested with aqua regia in a microwave oven. The dry weight detection Limits of the analytes were in the range 2-25 mu g g(-1) for FAAS, 0.003-0.2 mu g g(-1) for ETAAS and 0.04-1.6 mu g g(-1) for ICP-AES. When digests of the industrial soils were analysed, calibration with acid-matched standards gave acceptable accuracy for all the analytes, except for Cd when determined by ETAAS (30-40 % suppression). Despite lack of reference materials of industrial origin, analysis of two soil reference materials by these techniques produced concentrations that were within +/- 10 % of the certified or recommended values for elements extractable with aqua regia. Direct standard-less analysis of a soil reference material with a portable x-ray fluorescence (P-XRF) analyser gave concentrations for a range of elements that were within a factor of 2 of the certified values. When the XRFS and ICP-AES methods were used to analyse the industrial soils, the concentrations obtained were similar (to within 30%) for Cu, Pb and Zn in most of the samples and for Cr, Mn and Ni in some of the samples. The concentrations of V estimated with the P-XRF analyser were 4 to 7-fold higher than those obtained by ICP-AES. The discrepancies were thought to be caused by spectral enhancement interferences in XRFS. Cadmium was not determined accurately by either ICP-AES or P-XRFS owing to spectral interferences. The work has highlighted the importance of analysing samples from across a site and at different depths, when assessing the extent of metal contamination on industrial land.


Introduction: Global trends show an increased number of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed diabetes who present in severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Methods: Medical records were reviewed for pediatric patients <18 years of age with new onset diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosed two years pre-pandemic and two years during the COVID pandemic. Data collected included demographic, biochemical, and hospitalization data.
 Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between BMI, hemoglobin A1c, duration of hospital stay, DKA, and pandemic time frame.
 Results: A total of 175 cases of new onset DM were diagnosed during the study period; 54% post-pandemic. This represents a 16% increase in incident cases in the post-pandemic period. The sample was 55.4% male, 74.9% White/Caucasian, and 33.1% non-Hispanic. Type 1 DM comprised 136 cases. Inpatient diagnoses were the same in both the pre- and post-pandemic periods, n=75. Outpatient diagnoses during the pandemic period (n=19) were significantly higher than in the pre-pandemic period (n=6), X2(1) = 5.83, p < 0.05. The overall logistic regression model was statistically significant, X2(7) =18.35, p < 0.05. Hemoglobin A1c (p < 0.05, OR = 0.756, 95% CI [0.606, 0.945]) and length of hospital stay (p < 0.05, OR = 0.586, 95% CI [0.381, 0.902]) were significantly different between the two time periods, but BMI percentile (p = 0.869) and bicarbonate levels (p = 0.962) were not.
 Discussion: There was an increased incidence of new onset DM diagnosed in pediatric patients post-COVID. Surprisingly, outpatient cases accounted for the increased number. This study showed that during the pandemic, patients presented with a higher hemoglobin A1c and stayed longer in the hospital than prior to the pandemic.

 K.Simms: None. S.Green: None. M.Shah: None. M.Sareini: None. C.Chin: None.


This study considered promoting well-being of employees in high demand occupational positions, through the screening of mental well-being. The numerous challenges to such monitoring in a multi-lingual developing country like South Africa – where this study was conducted – requires a tool that can screen for the mental well-being of at-risk individuals, in order to timeously refer vulnerable persons to appropriate mental health support services. This paper explored whether the State-Trait Personality Inventory-Trait Scales (STPI-T) can be used fairly to monitor the well-being of young adult South Africans in high demand occupational settings. The self-report scales were administered to a non-clinical sample (women=392, men=521) aged 20 to 40 years, and their responses were analyzed with MANOVA and a ROC analysis. The main findings of the study indicated that contextualised norms are required (and were provided for the sample studied), develop per specific national and occupational environment; and that socio-demographic variables like gender, age, and language had limited effect on scale responses in this select sample. The scales effectively identified vulnerable individuals, comparable to psychological interviews. Scale scores were highly homogenized, facilitating identification of outliers which may indicate poorer mental health, thus enabling further referral for appropriate support. In conclusion, the study provides support for the use of the SPTI-T to promote the well-being of employees in multi-lingual high demand occupational settings, through regular monitoring and early identification of risk for poor mental health.


73-year-old woman with lesions in the right lung, fluid in the right pleural cavity, magnification of the left supraclavicular lymphatic nodes and ulcerations on the skin of the neck and chest is presented. Culture of 1 pus specimen received from the one of the skin ulcerations reveals the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antituberculotic drugs (INH, RMP, EMB) were administered. Complete remission of the skin ulcerations and pleural exudate after 8 weeks and partial remission of the lesions in the lung and supraclavicular lymphatic nodes after 12 weeks of treatment was observed.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of cytoreductive surgery in patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS
From Jan. 1986 to Dec. 1997, 71 patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer who were surgically treated in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method with differences in survival estimated by Log-rank test. Independent prognostic factors were identified by the COX's stepwise regression model.

RESULTS
Thirty (42.3%) of 71 patients were successfully debulked (< or = 1 cm) at the time of initial surgery. The estimated 5-year total survival rate was 6.1%. There was a significant difference in survival between patients optimally (13.7%) vs. suboptimally (0.0%) cytoreduced, with an estimated medium survival of 23 months in optimal group vs. 9 months in suboptimal group (P < 0.001). When the variables were factorized, optimal cytoreduction could get the greatest benefit. Only in patients with malignant pleural effusion or positive supraclavicular lymph node. Multivariate analysis revealed that size of residual disease and ascites were independent factors for both overall and progression-free survival (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Optimal cytoreductive surgery is an important determinant of survival in women with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer, especially in those with malignant pleural effusion or positive supraclavicular lymph node pathology.


Different grades of chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been processed by spraying layer-by-layer (sLbL) to obtain an array of chemoresistive transducers for volatile organic compound (VOC) detection. The sLbL process led to random networks of CNT less conductive, but more sensitive to vapors than filtration under vacuum (bucky papers). Shorter CNT were also found to be more sensitive due to the less entangled and more easily disconnectable conducting networks they are making. Chemical functionalization of the CNT' surface is changing their selectivity towards VOC, which makes it possible to easily discriminate methanol, chloroform and tetrahydrofuran (THF) from toluene vapors after the assembly of CNT transducers into an array to make an e-nose. Interestingly, the amplitude of the CNT transducers' responses can be enhanced by a factor of five (methanol) to 100 (chloroform) by dispersing them into a polymer matrix, such as poly(styrene) (PS), poly(carbonate) (PC) or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). COOH functionalization of CNT was found to penalize their dispersion in polymers and to decrease the sensors' sensitivity. The resulting conductive polymer nanocomposites (CPCs) not only allow for a more easy tuning of the sensors' selectivity by changing the chemical nature of the matrix, but they also allow them to adjust their sensitivity by changing the average gap between CNT (acting on quantum tunneling in the CNT network). Quantum resistive sensors (QRSs) appear promising for environmental monitoring and anticipated disease diagnostics that are both based on VOC analysis.


For the maintenance of cell homeostasis nucleus-cytoplasmic transport is of great concern. The transport is basically depending on a size of molecule. In different hematological and solid malignancies, the CRM1 is overexpressed so the agents are requiring that particularly inhibit the exportins of nuclear export. This concept favors the SINEs development. The objective of this review study is to understand all about the novel anticancer drugs and their uses in various hematological and solid tumors. The data is carefully extracted from literature review studies of PubMed specifically. On the basic consideration of the studies, it was concluded that SINEs have a very progressive antitumor activities and it shows less interaction with drugs. However, it has synergism edicts along with other anticancer agents, so that they treat disease easily and on early basis as well e.g. combination of BRAF inhibitors/MEK inhibitors/SINEs for treating the breast cancer. The first drug that represents a novel anticancer class was Selinaxor (KPT-330). Keywords: Nuclear export, SINEs, KPT-330, Selinaxor, various malignancies Cite this Article Maria Ayub, Soofia Islam, Qurat-ul-Ainriaz et al . Selective Inhibitors of Nuclear Exports—A Novel Anti-Cancer Drug Class: The Review Study. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Formulation, Development and Production . 2018; 5(1): 29–36p.


This chapter will trace growing efforts to rationalise the use of forensic science in British policing, where rationalisation is understood to mean the creation of consistent patterns which also maximise overall efficiency and effectiveness. Factors inhibiting as well as encouraging rationalisation will be discussed. The last section of the chapter will make suggestions for further improvements. A distinction will be made at the start between the intensive use of forensic science techniques, amongst other investigative tools, in relation to major but relatively rare crimes, and their more routine use in relation to volume crimes. This chapter will have little to say about the major crimes and forensic science and will concentrate on volume crimes. Though the use of new forensic tools, notably the National DNA Database (NDNAD), low copy number (LCN) DNA, and the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), will be discussed, details of their development and debates over their statistical reliability lie outside the scope of this chapter. Rather, the focus here is on rationalisation in the ways in which science is mobilised to help achieve police objectives.


The peculiar biferrocenium cation configurational diagram is discretized in terms of a fictitious spin S=1. At the solid state, this leads to a Blume-Emery-Griffiths Hamiltonian which is solved in the mean-field approach. Order-disorder transitions are obtained, either continuous or discontinuous, together with a thermal equilibrium between trapped and delocalized states. These features are discussed with respect to characteristics of the measuring techniques.


Title: A Guide to Grey Parrots as Pet and Aviary Birds Author: Rosemary Low Publisher: ABK Publications This softbound book contains over 250 color photographs and includes 168 pages of comprehensive information covering a wide range of topics. It is divided into two segmentso the African grey in the wild and the African grey in captivity. The first 30 pages of this book cover the history of the grey parrot and its life in the wild. A detailed analysis of the worldwide trade of this parrot is included. This analysis serves as a reminder to us in the United States that many species of parrots continue to be exported from their native countries. Another chapter is devoted to the recognized subspecies and physical characteristics of the African grey. The remainder of this book is devoted to grey parrots in captivity. Topics related to breeding include accommodations for breeding pairs, breeding, artificial incubation and hand rearing. Avian geneticist Dr. Terry Martin explains the fascinating subject of color mutations in the grey parrot. Contributing author Sonny Stollenmaier provides valuable insight involving the behavior of the grey parrot in the home. The chapters covering the grey as a companion bird include a description of the grey parrot personality and other chapters explain in detail the physical and emotional needs of this intelligent bird. Several pages are dedicated to problems that may arise in the pet home and the effects of human behavior on this sensitive parrot. Avian veterinarian Nigel Harcourt-Brown authored the informative section covering diseases and disorders of the African grey and avian veterinarian Michael Stanford included an essential section relating to the disorders of calcium metabolism and the myriad problems encountered with this occurrence. I have owned a Congo grey for over 20 years. A Guide to Grey Parrots is full of timely, relevant information useful to both breeders and pet owners. For both the first time owner and long time owner of an African grey, this book serves as an invaluable guide to a long and happy relationship with one of the most intelligent parrots in existence. Nancy Speed A Guide To Grey Parrots is available in the AFA store and can be ordered online at www.afabirds.org


Background: The objective of the study was to evaluate the severity of kidney damage retrospectively and to analyze prognostic factors following ethylene glycol (EG) poisonings. Methods: Data concerning the clinical course of patients with EG poisoning between 2000 and 2002 were analyzed. The χ2 test, Student's t test, Fisher's test and the calculation of linear correlation coefficients were used for statistical analysis. Results: Thirty-three discharge records were obtained. Three patients died, and 11 patients developed acute renal failure (mean maximum serum creatinine level 618 µmol/l). Upon discharge, serum creatinine levels were still elevated in 10 patients. In all but 1 patient, renal function completely normalized within 20 months after intoxication. Conclusion: Adult men are the most endangered segment of the population. The most important prognostic factors are the ingested dose and early antidotal treatment. EG toxic kidney damage is reversible.


render this service to the public. The early Stuarts expanded the postal facilities for public use. During the eighteenth century, when monopolies flourished for the benefit of the privileged few, the post office, operated as a monopoly, charged as much as the traffic would bear. High rates discouraged communication. Modern postal services date from the reforms of the early nineteenth century. Uniform penny postage, as proposed by Rowland Hill, combined common sense with humanitarian feeling. Postal reform was adopted in England as a means of educating the masses and striking at an aristocratic monopoly. The British reforms of 1840


AbstractSporadic in situ observations have shown evidence that subthermocline eddies exist off the Mindanao coast. These subthermocline eddies are believed to play an important role in the heat, freshwater, and other ocean property transports of the region, but their characteristics and in particular their pathway and source of energy are poorly explored because of the lack of long-term observations. Analysis of results from an eddy-resolving general ocean circulation model has revealed that most subthermocline eddies off the Mindanao coast originate from the equatorial South Pacific Ocean to the west of the Ninigo Group. These eddies propagate northward along the New Guinea coast, cross the equator in the far western Pacific, and reach the Mindanao coast at a typical propagation speed of ~0.12 m s−1. The dominant time scales of these eddies range between 50 and 60 days.


: This study examines the current state of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology applications and their impact on the healthcare industry. In addition to a thorough review of the literature, this study analyzed several real-world examples of AI applications in healthcare. The results indicate that major hospitals are, at present, using AI-enabled systems to augment medical staff in patient diagnosis and treatment activities for a wide range of diseases. In addition, AI systems are making an impact on improving the efficiency of nursing and managerial activities of hospitals. While AI is being embraced positively by healthcare providers, its applications provide both the utopian perspective (new opportunities) and the dystopian view (challenges to overcome). We discuss the details of those opportunities and challenges to provide a balanced view of the value of AI applications in healthcare. It is clear that rapid advances of AI and related technologies will help care providers create new value for their patients and improve the efficiency of their operational processes. Nevertheless, effective applications of AI will require effective planning and strategies to transform the entire care service and operations to reap the benefits of what technologies offer.


The role of mononudear phagocytes in the destruction of human tubercle bacilli in the natively resistant animal has been reported by Lewis and Sanderson (1). Histological and cultural studies by Lurie (2) of the fate of tubercle bacilli contained in normal and immune phagocytes cultivated in the anterior chambers of the eyes of normal rabbits have suggested a greater capacity of the mononuclear phagocytes of the tuberculous animal to inhibit multiplication of tubercle bacilli. The recent experiments by Surer (3) appear to confirm Lurie's conclusions that the mononudear cells of immune animals are peculiarly and specially endowed with the capacity for handling virulent tubercle bacilli. Investigations by Mackaness (4), on the other hand, revealed no significant differences in the behavior of normal and immune monocytes toward virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


The effect of tranquilization and anesthesia on high-resolution electrocardiography (HRECG) indices of dogs in the undetermined chronic phase of Chagas' disease was studied. Eight adult female mongrel dogs were submitted to six protocols: group 1: animals not submitted to tranquilization or anesthesia; group 2: tranquilization with acepromazine; group 3: tranquilization with a combination of acepromazine and buprenorphine; group 4: general inhalatory anesthesia with isoflurane; group 5: general inhalatory anesthesia with sevoflurane; group 6: anesthesia with propofol. The animals were submitted to all protocols at an interval of 15 days between assessments. HRECG was performed in the time domain. Regarding the electrocardiographic parameters analyzed, no significant difference in the duration of the QRS complex or LAS40 was observed between groups. Similarly, the RMS40 remained unaltered. The noise level was significantly lower in the groups anesthetized with isoflurane, sevoflurane and propofol compared to the group not submitted to tranquilization or anesthesia. Anesthesia facilitated the HRECG recording without altering the electrocardiographic indices obtained.


P2-type Na₂/₃Mn₀.₈Fe₀.₁Ti₀.₁O₂, a promising high-performance electrode material for use in ambient temperature sodium-ion batteries, is examined using operando and long-term in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies to reveal the structural evolution during battery function. Variable current cycling at current rates as high as 526 mA g⁻¹ (4C) over a wide voltage window (1.5 V to 4.2 V) reveals that the structural transitions of the positive electrode material at higher currents may be suppressed by kinetic limitations which reduce the magnitude of change of the sodium content in the electrode. At low currents, when maximum desodiation is achieved, a collapse in the c lattice parameter is observed as the cell reaches the charged state, however this behaviour is not observed during cycling at higher currents.


Paul Turan, one of the greatest Hungarian mathematicians, was born 100 years ago, on August 18, 1910. To celebrate this occasion the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Alfred Renyi Institute of Mathematics, the Janos Bolyai Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Institute of Eotvos Lorand University organized an international conference devoted to Paul Turan's main areas of interest: number theory, selected branches of analysis, and selected branches of combinatorics. The conference was held in Budapest, August 22-26, 2011. Some of the invited lectures reviewed different aspects of Paul Turan's work and influence. Most of the lectures allowed participants to report about their own work in the above mentioned areas of mathematics.


This paper tried to identify recognition and historical background about western table decoration. For the study, the documentary study would be accomplished, the range of time was during Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neo-classic period, and the range of space was among Italy, France, and England. Styles for example architectures, interior designs, arts, and sculptures represented their own period, and had great influences on eating habits, and the eating habits would be influent on kitchen utensils. As a results of th fact, the structural elements and decoration of table would be showed different characteristics according to periods of time. Today`s food cultural trends consisted of consumption, taste, sense, and consumers` demands become diversified, so the paper would be an important data to understand new designs proper for our own modem sense that cope with modem feeling.


Dobhoff tubes, used for post‐pyloric feedings, have a weighted metal end with a small diameter that enhances their flexibility to traverse the gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, the metal stylet can iatrogenically perforate surrounding structures in patients with diminished cough and gag (1), and extreme caution should be considered before its utilization.


In this study, the effects of fuel injection on in-cylinder flow under various injection conditions were investigated using particle image velocimetry measurements in a two-cylinder, direct-injection spark-ignition, optically accessible engine with a spray-guided injection system. Various injection timings and pressures were applied to intensify the turbulence of in-cylinder flow. Simple double-injection strategies were used to determine how multiple injections affect in-cylinder flow. The average flow speed, turbulent kinetic energy, and enhancement level were calculated to quantitatively analyze the effects of fuel injection. Fuel injection can supply additional momentum to a cylinder. However, at an early injection timing such as 300° before top dead center, in-cylinder flow development could be disturbed by fuel injection due to piston impingement and interactions between the spray and air. As the injection pressure increased, the in-cylinder flow intensified despite the possibility of increased wall and piston impingement due to lengthened spray penetration. When a double-injection strategy was applied, the second-injection timing was the dominant factor increasing turbulence intensity. As the injection timing was delayed, the effects of fuel injection on in-cylinder flow in the later portion of the compression stroke increased, but with rapid dissipation of momentum during the compression stroke. It would therefore be more effective to apply a multiple-injection strategy and inject a small amount of fuel just before ignition as the final injection to enhance turbulence. However, mixture formation near the spark plug should be considered to increase ignition stability.


How secure is a computer system? Bridges have a load limit, but it isn't determined (as "Calvin and Hobbes" would have it) by building an identical bridge and running trucks over it until it collapses. In a more relevant vein, safes are rated for how long they'll resist attack under given circumstances. Can we do the same for software?


Introduction Socioeconomic status (SES) is a critical driver of human health, but in research practice it is rarely well-defined and inconsistently measured. Latent class analysis (LCA) is a potentially useful method of characterising SES, particularly when multiple SES indicators are available. We employed LCA to better understand how SES is related to obesity in a sample of young Filipino adults; and contrasted LCA with other approaches. Methods Data are from a cohort of young adults enrolled in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (987 males and 819 females). Latent classes were derived using Mplus mixture modelling. Class indicators included obesity status, marital status, education level, urbanicity, household assets and income. Models were estimated under the assumption of class-conditional independence, with no further parameter constraints. Results For both sexes, a 3-class solution was the best balance of model fit (using log-likelihood, AIC, and BIC) and parsimony. Overall obesity prevalence was 9.4% in males and 7.8% in females. One class of males (n=194) had an obesity prevalence of 22%, vs 6% in the remaining two classes (p=0.007 for H0: no difference). They were more likely to be urban, educated, and unmarried than other males (p<0.05). However, a female class (n=257) with a similar socioeconomic profile instead had the lowest prevalence of obesity (5.5%). Conclusions LCA can contribute to our understanding of socioeconomic drivers of health. Interpretation of LCA is discussed in the context of Rothman and Greenland's model of causation.


In this paper, we propose a control method for a rotary crane system using Direct Gradient Descent Control (DGDC) optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA). The rotary crane is known to be a class of nonholonomic system and the DGDC method is useful for the nonholonomic system control. However, the control performance of the DGDC strongly depends on the parameters of controller and the value of initial control inputs. Also, for usage of the DGDC, it is required to re-design iteratively the control parameters or the control inputs. We applied GA optimization to determine the sets of control parameters of the DGDC for the crane system. The parameters of the DGDC optimized by GA are not required to be re-designed. Simulation results show that the proposed method has higher control performance and has good robustness with noise and fluctuation of the initial states.


Sub-Sarah Africa has recognized trade and foreign direct investment as a major way to change its economic development. China looks on to offer Sub-Sarah Africa a new model for growth alternative to the advanced countries style that depends on commercial relatives and fair market. It prioritizes immovability over democracy by way of providing alternative growth model through promoting product variation and contending in various market mechanism. The main question of this study is "What is the impact of China trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows on the Africans economic growth?" This study would get rid of the bad impression people have diabolically registered on their minds about Chinese trade and investments. It is vital that the study would assist scholars, economists, investors, business owners and other government officials to understand the importance of FDI and its realization of a sustainable social and economic growth. It will be able to strengthen existing factual and evaluative statements about the impact of Chinese trade and FDI. This study will be limited to the economic activities Chinese trade and investments have impacted in the economy of Sub-Sarah Africa. This study is set to determine the quality of goods and services rendered to the various economic sectors of Sub-Sarah Africa; the role of Chinese trade and FDI in African economy and other financial flows such as loans, development assistance between China and Sub-Sarah Africa. We use panel data from 4 SSA countries covering 1981 to 2015. The empirical evidence indicates that China trade and FDI has had positive impact on sub-Saharan Africa economic growth. Our findings are promising and support the view that the relation between trade openness, FDI and economic growth is linear for SSA. Accordingly, SSA countries must have more effective trade openness, mainly by industriously regulatory import levels, in order to boost their economic growth through international trade.


A small, low power, passive, nuclear reactor electric power supply has been designed for unattended defense applications. Through innovative utilization of existing proven technologies and components, a highly reliable, ''walk-away safe'' design has been obtained. Operating at a thermal power level of 200 kWt, the reactor uses low enrichment uranium fuel in a graphite block core to generate heat that is transferred through heat pipes to a thermoelectric (TE) converter. Waste heat is removed from the TEs by circulation of ambient air. Because such a power supply offers the promise of minimal operation and maintenance (OandM) costs as well as no fuel logistics, it is particularly attractive for remote, unattended applications such as the North Warning System.


Software resources have the disadvantage that they are restricted to the most common applications. As a possible solution, universities have proposed to teach different programming languages for different learning streams. This manuscript describes an early study about the optimal programming language for these studies. The results show that Visual Basic for Applications is the most adequate language. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 19: 591–597, 2011


This paper considers the social movement O Movimento dos Trabalharores Rurais Sem Terra (The Movement of Landless Rural Workers, often referred to as the MST). Based on empirical data collected in Ceará, Brazil during 2005, it explores the social and spatial practices that shape MST communities. Using Henri Lefebvre's theory of spatial production, a framework is developed for conceptualising Brazilian agrarian reform within the context of spatial appropriation and the tactics of counter-hegemonic ideology. Through an examination of emergent MST communities, the paper considers the production and constant rearticulation of space. This spatial analytic, it is suggested, offers new insight into the attributes that frequently distinguish individual MST communities.


Wireless sensor nodes have the advantages of low-cost, easy deployment and mobility. If they are deployed underground mine, with the existing underground cable transmission systems, wireless sensor network can improve the mine information greatly. The paper is to find the relationship between signal quality/packets loss rate and distance by the test in coal mine. The result can be as a reference for deployment of Wireless sensor networks in coal mines.


The management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants is controversial. A Danish single-centre cohort study routinely screened infants <32 weeks gestation with echocardiography for PDA on day 3 of life. The study assessed the association between PDA diameter and various adverse outcomes. It also distinguished between small (diameter <1.5 mm) and large PDA (≥1.5 mm) and compared infants born <28 weeks gestation with those born ≥28 weeks. Thirty-two (31%) of 104 neonates ≥28 weeks had PDA, but there was no association between PDA and adverse outcome. In contrast, PDA was present in 52 (66%) of 79 neonates <28 weeks gestation and associated with more than triple the risk of death or severe morbidity (odds ratio (OR) = 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1, 11). The risk was highest in infants with large PDA (≥1.5 mm), who also had an increased risk of intraventricular haemorrhage (OR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.3, 14) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.0, 14). The authors do not suggest that PDA closure would improve outcome but suggest that routine early echocardiography could identify infants with PDA who could be enrolled in clinical trials evaluating duct closure.


In this study we present data regarding natural radioactivity from a populated active tectonic area based on site measurements using a field gamma spectrometer. The results will provide data to the scientists for dating studies as well as epidemiological studies towards ancient human life, also termed as retrospective epidemiology. The study area covers an active tectonic region in western Anatolia surveyed using on-site gamma spectrometer. More than 500 sites were measured across the region on a 150- km grid. Radiation background shows relatively non-homogenous level of radiation in the area. The gamma dose rate measured in Gediz graben was found in the range between 0.8120- 1.7540 mGya–1 (94-203 nGyh–1) with an average value of 1.2292 mGy/a (142 nGyh–1), whereas it was in the range between 0.5530-1.1491 mGy/a (64-133 nGyh–1) with an average value of 0.8397 mGy/a (97 nGyh–1) across Buyuk Menderes graben. The relative contribution of 238U decay chain to gamma dose rate is between 0.2002- 0.4630 mGya–1, of 232Th decay series is 0.3089- 0.8136 mGya–1, and of 40K is 0.1270- 0.3468 mGya–1 in the whole studied area. The average annual effective dose equivalents from the calculated outdoor terrestrial gamma radiation was between 90-215 μSva–1, above world average of 70 μSv per year, and the measured outdoor dose rate (terrestrial plus cosmic) on the ground was between 133-257 μSva–1. The significance of all these numbers is discussed in the framework of epidemiological studies, in order to correlate these enhanced dose rate values directly to specific diseases such as cancer.


Today lumbar spinal stenosis can stand on its own as a clinical entity that can be radiologically and clinically divided into central and lateral stenosis. Foraminal stenosis is a special form of the latter. During the period 1990-1991 we operated on 148 patients for spinal stenosis. Using a standardized questionnaire, 109 patients were evaluated on their pain and gait status 3 years after the operation. Patients with previously known spondylolisthesis or degenerative instability were excluded from the study. Forty-four out of 109 patients were free of pain, while significant reduction of pain was noted in 35/109 patients. In 19 patients, the pain remained the same or worsened postoperatively. Seventy-four out of the 109 patients had no gait disturbances, whereas only 14/109 worsened postoperatively. Six patients could walk with support and seven patients were unable to walk because of other disturbances. Because of unclear responses, the status of the remaining patients could not be completely evaluated in either group.


In the process of gene expression, time delays are unavoidable due primarily to the slow process of transcription, translation and translocation processes. It is observed that gene regulatory system may lose its stability even for very small delay. Motivated by the regulation of gene expression proposed in Shimoni et al. [Molecular Systems Biology, 2007], in this paper, a gene regulatory network mediated by small non-coding RNAs with both transcriptional and translational time delays is formulated. The nonlinear dynamic behaviors such as stability, bifurcations and oscillations are studied. It is shown that both transcriptional and translational time delays can induce gene expression in Escherichia coli to be oscillatory even when its deterministic counterpart exhibits no oscillations. Moreover, the obtained results are in consistence with experimental observations found in the biological literatures [Elowitz MB et al.: Nature, 2000, 403, pp.335–338; Lennart Hilbert et al.: Mol. BioSyst, 2011, 7, pp.2599–2607], which indicates that when time delays are significant, both transcription and translation should be taken into account in the regulation of gene expression.


The Fuxing site is situated on the platform of the Songhua River at Fuxing village, Shengli, Tangyuan. Thirty square meters is spread. The author collected some cultural relics there in 1999. According to the stratums and relics of the site, and comparing with the neighbour culture, the author gives some conclutions: The site was originally established in the Liao Dynasty and continued to be used in the kin Dynasty.


The paper proposes a new PON architecture that applies an optical broadcast capable router (OBR) to route a wavelength to a set of selected PON branches and thus enables the transceivers in the central office (CO) to be shared among them. The OBR is built on fiber splitters and switching gates, and by controlling the gates the wavelengths at the inputs can reach any outputs of the OBR. Logical PONs are dynamically configured based on users' changing traffic patterns, and the traffic is further scheduled in the time domain in the logical PONs. The network achieves network resource sharing without requiring tunable transceivers or wavelength filters, and furthermore without changing deployed network devices in the field or at the user end. Experiment study and analysis results demonstrate the concept of resource sharing among PON branches and show the efficiency of resource sharing.


CASE Abstract: This essay addresses the idea of perspective as it is suggested by C. Geertz. This idea presupposes that (wo)man interacts with the surrounding physical world while taking separate yet overlapping positions grounded in such frames as common-sense, aesthetics, religion, science, and others. The author proposes to introduce another perspective which speaks for a unique frame which (wo)man composes while interacting with other (wo)men. This is an anthropological per spective framed as a particular case. The author refers to a number of American anthropologists who directly or indirectly yet critically appeal to Geertz's heritage to show what is necessary to compose the foundations of the perspective in question. In this respect, G. Marcus's and M. Fis cher's crisis of representation, L. Abu-Lughod's the particular, J. Limón's modernity-postmodernity relation, and P. Rabinow's, A. Stavrianakis's and J. Faubion's triad of the present, the actual and the contemporary is discussed. The author offers a model to analyse the interaction in question. At the same time, the author suggests that the anthropological perspective should be understood in terms of self-awareness and complexity to approach other (wo)men creatively and


A new market based approach for transmission expansion planning in deregulated environments is presented in this paper. In this approach, transmission-planning decisions are made based on the electric power market conditions. The main contribution of this research is 1) Introducing a new probabilistic tool for analyzing the electric market conditions, 2) Defining new criteria for ranking transmission expansion plans according to their effects on improving the competition and facilitating fairly access to cheap generation, and 3) Presenting a new algorithm for transmission expansion planning in deregulated environments using the above tool and criteria. The characteristics of this approach are 1) It encourages competition and provides fairly access to cheap generation, 2) It considers the uncertainties including uncertainty in loads, uncertainty in bid of generators, uncertainty in availability of IPPs, and uncertainty in wheeling transactions, 3) It is a value based approach instead of cost based.


One of the most important problems for a study of symbolic practices (pictorial, verbal or other) is the choice of a language of description that is general enough to allow for comparisons between different symbolic practices and specific enough to allow for meaningful descriptions of actual practices. I will argue that Goodman's theory of symbols provides some of the categories needed for such an analysis. I will try to indicate this by looking at Goodman's analysis of a symbolic practice that – though widely used in many different kinds of discourse – has generally not received much attention: the giving of examples. Goodman's extensional description of exemplification allows us to differentiate between various types of examples and to determine what we mean when we say that examples 'show' something. In this way, conflicting approaches to the question of examples (namely Kant and Wittgenstein) can be seen as complementary. A theory of symbols can operate these clarifications by virtue of its strict extensionalism.


Perylene (Per) was reacted with AsF5 dissolved in liquid SO2 to produce Per(AsF6)2. Far infrared absorption showed absorption by AsF6−. Nuclear magnetic resonance of 19F consisted of a quartet formed by indirect nuclear–nuclear coupling. The change of mass through the reaction indicated the formula Per(AsF6)2. Mass spectroscopy showed bonding between perylene and F and indicated no SO2 solvent in the sample. This solvent-free material does not conduct electrically. X-ray diffraction showed that the structure has an orthorhombic cell. Exposure to air changes the sample weight and colour, and results in conduction with semiconducting properties and reduced bonding between AsF6− and perylene.


This study discusses and estimates the backward-bending supply curve, using data for three years over a six-year time span from the inshore purse seine fishery in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam. Four different models are developed for estimation based on fisheries data, in the absence of stock survey data. The estimated maximum sustainable yield for the anchovy in south-central Vietnam ranges from 138 thousand tons to 293 thousand tons. The results reveal that the anchovy stock to some extent is biologically over-exploited, but seems to have rebuilt in recent years. For management it makes sense to use available, cheaply collected fisheries data on harvests, prices and costs, if biological surveys are lacking, which is often the case due to the cost of establishing expensive research capacities and time series.


Abstract There is broad agreement in the literature that international courts (ICs) make decisions with bounded discretion in relation to state governments. However, the scope of this discretion, and the determinants of its boundaries, are highly contested. In particular, the central mechanism in separation-of-powers models of judicial politics—the possibility of legislative override—has raised controversy. We argue that the uncertainty that judges face regarding the political reactions to their decisions has important and undertheorized implications for their behavior. On the one hand, cautious judges are likely to be attentive to signals that contain information about the probability of an unfavorable override. On the other hand, misjudgments of the political risks are likely to be made. Thus, the possibility of override is a significant factor affecting judicial behavior, but it is also a fairly blunt mechanism for balancing the independence and accountability of courts. The empirical study focuses on the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which has long been at the center of theory development regarding the legalization of world politics and the rise of international courts. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between the CJEU's rulings and the political signals it receives, in a pattern that goes beyond legal merit, and that fits with the override mechanism. State governments are crucial parts of the broader audience that defines the political boundaries of judicial discretion.