Dendrobium hybrid cultivar 'Emma White' is an ornamental orchid with high commercial demand. We have used gamma-ray induced 'early flowering mutant' to generate draft genome sequences with total length (bp) with 678,650,699 and contigs at 447,500 with N50 at 1,423 using the Illumina HiSeqX10 sequencing platform. Here, we report first de novo whole genome sequencing and assembly of an early flowering gamma mutant of Emma White hybrid for developing a genomics resource for further studies. The GC content of genome was 33.48%, and predicted 95,529 genes from contig assembly. The predicted genes from the MaSuRCA (version 4.0.3) assembled contigs, when compared with uniprot database using BLASTX program with e-valuecutoff of 10−3 resulted 60,741 potential genes governing different pathways in terms for molecular functions, biological process and cellular components. We also identified 216,232 SSRs and 138,856 microsatellite markers. Chromosome level genome assembly of Dendrobium huoshanense species was used to RagTag scaffold the available contigs of mutant, where it contained total length of 687,254,899 bp with N50 value 2,096. Largest contiguous length was found with 18,000,059 bp from 30,571 bp. The genome completeness for Emma White RagTag scaffold assembly was assessed to be 93.6% complete using BUSCO v5.2.1 against the Viridiplantae odb10 orthologous dataset. De novo whole genome sequencing of gamma mutant Dendrobium hybrid cultivar Emma White (10Gy) isolate was deposited to National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) with SRA accession SRR16008784, Genebank assembly accession GCA_021234465.1(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCA_021234465.1#/st) and Transcriptional Shot Gun assembly accession GJVE00000000 under BioProject ID PRJNA763052. This study could provide valuable information for investigating the potential mechanisms of mutation, and guidance for developing Dendrobium hybrid cultivars using mutation breeding.


We study the naturalness properties of the B−L supersymmetric standard model (BLSSM) with type-I seesaw and compare them to those of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) at both low (i.e., Large Hadron Collider) energies and high (i.e., unification) scales. By adopting standard measures of naturalness, we assess that, in the presence of full unification of the additional gauge couplings and scalar/fermionic masses of the BLSSM, such a scenario reveals a somewhat higher degree of fine-tuning (FT) than the MSSM, when the latter is computed at the unification scale and all available theoretical and experimental constraints, but the dark matter (DM) ones, are taken into account. Yet, such a difference, driven primarily by the collider limits requiring a high mass for the gauge boson associated to the breaking of the additional U(1)B−L gauge group of the BLSSM in addition to the SU(3)C×SU(2)L×U(1)Y of the MSSM, should be regarded as a modest price to pay for the former in relation to the latter, if one notices that the nonminimal scenario offers a significant volume of parameter space where numerous DM solutions of different compositions can be found to the relic density constraints, unlike the case of the minimal structure, wherein only one type of solution is accessible over an ever diminishing parameter space. In fact, this different level of tension within the two SUSY models in complying with current data is well revealed when the FT measure is recomputed in terms of the low-energy spectra of the two models, over their allowed regions of parameter space now in the presence of all DM bounds, as it is shown that the tendency is now opposite, with the BLSSM appearing more natural than the MSSM.


We performed a clinical trial to evaluate the effects of the histamine subtype-3 receptor inverse agonist MK- 0249 on cognition in AD patients. Mild-to-moderate AD patients were randomized 1:1 to 4 weeks of double-blind daily treatment with oral MK-0249 5-mg or placebo. Pharmacokinetic and PET data suggested that MK-0249 5-mg daily would achieve approximately 85% brain receptor occupancy at Cmax in elderly patients. Primary efficacy measures were the short Computerized-Neuropsychological-Test-Battery (CNTB) summary score and ADAS-Cog score. A secondary efficacy measure was a Cognition Summary Score summarizing results from 7 cognitive tests. Of 144 patients randomized, 132 completed 4 weeks (MK-0249 = 65, placebo = 67). Most patients (88.2%) were on concomitant symptomatic AD treatment. There were no significant differences between treatments on primary and secondary endpoints at week 4: short CNTB summary score = 0.89 (95% CI: -0.74,2.52); ADAS-Cog score s -0.25 (95% CI: -1.61,1.11); Cognition Summary Score = 1.38 (95% CI: -0.64,3.40). MK-0249 was generally well tolerated but was associated with an increased percentage of patients with adverse events (41/73; 56.2) versus placebo (18/70; 25.7%). Adverse events in > 5% of patients on MK-0249 were diarrhea (8.2% vs. 2.9%), headache (8.2% vs. 1.4%), muscle spasms (5.5% vs. 0%), insomnia (5.5% vs. 0%) and stomach discomfort (5.5% vs. 0%). MK-0249 5-mg once daily over 4 weeks was not effective in improving cognitive function in mild to moderate AD patients who were on concomitant symptomatic AD treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov trial registration, NCT00420420).


In the Tunisian context, the issue of the misalignment of the real exchange rate has arisen for some time
for some reason, a question that has intensified after the adoption of the floating regime. In this article, we
will look at the assessment of the effects, if any, of the misalignment of the real effective exchange rate
(REER) to its equilibrium value over the period from 1986 to 2015. The results show that the
equilibrium level of the long-run exchange rate depends on productivity, the terms of trade and government
spending. Two sub-periods are noted, that of a positive mismatch (undervaluation) from 1986 to 2003
followed by another negative mismatch (overvaluation) from 2004 to 2015. Such a result can be
explained by the orientation of Tunisia towards the flexibility of the real exchange rate which in turn is
likely to reduce the degree of imbalance of the real exchange rate. Similarly, the Tunisian authorities must
adopt gradual reforms in their decisions on liberalization and financial integration and they are called
upon to strengthen their trade and exchange policies to meet the challenge of the new international financial
architecture. Finally, concerning the misalignment, we found the difference between the observed exchange
rate and the equilibrium exchange rate is very low, especially since the implementation of the structural
adjustment plan.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and the subsequent generation of amyloid β (Aβ) are central to the pathogenesis of AD, as soluble, oligomeric Aβ peptides are thought to be the toxic species driving disease progression. Flavonoids, a group of dietary polyphenols, have been shown to possess cognitive health benefits. Epidemiological evidence suggests they could play a role in risk reduction in dementia. In vitro and in vivo reports suggest flavonoids can modulate APP metabolism and Aβ production, although the most effective compounds and the underlying mechanism of action remain unclear. This study identified select flavonoids that were able to reduce amyloidogenic processing in primary cortical neurons at physiologically relevant concentrations. An APP-Gal4 gene reporter assay was characterised for identification of modulators of APP processing in primary neurons. It was tested under physiological conditions, in a pro-oxidant environment or against pathological levels of Aβ production through introduction of a known familial AD (FAD) causing mutation of APP (K595N/M596L). Using this system, five flavonoids were identified that inhibited amyloidogenic APP processing at 100 nM, these were: fisetin, pelargonidin, sinensetin, (-) epicatechin and epigallocatechin. Due to known bioavailability, the catechin family were investigated further and epigallocatechin and (-) epicatechin were confirmed as potent (low nanomolar) inhibitors of amyloidogenic processing. Investigation into the mechanism of action by (-) epicatechin suggested it was likely through indirect BACE1 activity inhibition, independent of BACE1 expression. In addition to activity at APP processing (-) epicatechin also induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and transcriptional activity. Investigation of other lead flavonoids also identified fisetin as an inhibitor of ERK-dependent transcriptional activity. This study supports the hypothesis that flavonoids are modulators of APP processing and that they could offer a potential therapy for the prophylaxis of AD.


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A simple approach of path-loss and root-mean-square (rms) delay spread prediction for indoor propagation environment is developed based on the room electromagnetics theory. The indoor room environment is interpreted as a lossy cavity, which is characterized by the diffuse scattering components caused by the walls and surrounding obstacles, and a possible line-of-sight component. Simply, speed of the algorithm and good accuracy are among the advantages of this approach. To apply the method, it only requires the knowledge of the dimensions of the room and the reverberation time, which can be easily obtained from one measurement of the power-delay-profile in the investigated environment. For experimental validation, path-loss measurements at two different transmission frequencies, and wideband measurements from 0.8 to 2.7 GHz were conducted in two rooms of an industrial environment. The theoretical results from the path-loss and rms delay spread prediction algorithm show good match with the measurement results.


[ 1 ] Under certain conditions, freely decaying magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence evolves in such a way that velocity and magnetic field fluctuations d v and d B approach a state of alignment in which d v / d B . This process is called dynamic alignment. Boldyrev has suggested that a similar kind of alignment process occurs as energy cascades from large to small scales through the inertial range in strong incompressible MHD turbulence. In this study, plasma and magnetic field data from the Wind spacecraft, data acquired in the ecliptic plane near 1 AU, are employed to investigate the angle q ( t ) between velocity and magnetic field fluctuations in the solar wind as a function of the time scale t of the fluctuations and to look for the scaling relation h q ( t ) i (cid:4) t 1/4 predicted by Boldyrev. We find that the angle h q ( t ) i appears to scale like a power law at large inertial range scales, but then deviates from power law behavior at medium to small inertial range scales. We also find that small errors in the velocity vector measurements can lead to large errors in the angle measurements at small time scales. As a result, we cannot rule out the possibility that the observed deviations from power law behavior arise from errors in the velocity measurements. When we fit the data from 2 (cid:5) 10 3 s to 2 (cid:5) 10 4 s with a power law of the form h q ( t ) i / t p , our best fit values for p are in the range 0.27–0.36.


Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) is a widely used technique for the detection of atmospheric trace gases, e.g. NO2, SO2, BrO, HCHO, but also for the oxygen collision complex O4. The atmospheric distribution of the latter is proportional to the square of the molecular oxygen concentration and thus well known. By comparing measured O4 differential slant column densities (dSCDs) from MAX-DOAS measurements with modeled ones, information on aerosol distributions and optical properties, as well as on clouds can be obtained using an algorithm based on optimal estimation.
Here the ability of MAX-DOAS observations to detect cloud altitude and cloud optical properties of different
cloud covers based on measurements of O4 will be discussed. The analysis uses measurements made by a shipborne
instrument on two cruises of the German research vessel Polarstern to the Antarctic Weddell Sea from June
to October 2013. During this time a broad range of cloud and aerosol conditions was encountered, in particular
persistent low cloud cover with a high optical thickness.
Aerosol and particle extinction profiles were retrieved with temporal resolutions of up to 15 minutes. For clouds at altitudes up to 2000 m the results show a very good agreement with co-located measurements of a commercial ceilometer and pictures from a cloud camera. Unless visibility was very poor due to fog, even rapid changes in cloud altitude or cover could be detected by MAX-DOAS. These results indicate that under homogeneous cloud cover an accurate retrieval of trace gas vertical profiles can be possible despite the strong influence of clouds on atmospheric light paths. We will discuss advantages and limitations of cloud detection with MAX-DOAS, implications for the subsequent retrieval of trace gas profiles and the possible use of external (ceilometer) data as a priori information for the profile retrieval algorithm.


R, a software package for statistical computing and graphics, has evolved into the lingua franca of (computational) statistics. One of the cornerstones of R's success is the decentralized and modularized way of creating software using a multi-tiered development model: The R Development Core Team provides the "base system", which delivers basic statistical functionality, and many other developers contribute code in the form of extensions in a standardized format via so-called packages. In order to be accessible by a broader audience, packages are made available via standardized source code repositories. To support such a loosely coupled development model, repositories should be able to verify that the provided packages meet certain formal quality criteria and "work": both relative to the development of the base R system as well as with other packages (interoperability). However, established quality assurance systems and collaborative infrastructures typically face several challenges, some of which we will discuss in this paper.


Sir .—We were pleased to read the article by Friedman and Weinberger 1 in the September 1990 issue of AJDC regarding the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of children with lead poisoning. We describe a child with mental retardation whose pica behavior led to lead poisoning. Patient Description .—An 8-year-old boy with previously diagnosed infantile autism and mental retardation underwent interdisciplinary team evaluation. The medical history incorporated questions regarding stereotypic behaviors, specifically pica. With confirmation of pica, a lead level of 3.13 μmol/L and an erythrocyte protoporphyrin level of 364 μg/dL were measured. Lead-based paint was discovered in the home of the boy's grandparents. He received chelation treatment with intramuscular calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and oral penicillamine on an outpatient basis. His lead level dropped to 1.45 μmol/L. Repeated developmental testing 4 years later showed performance at the 8-month level in language skills and at the 2- to 3-year level


One of the main reasons for using asynchronous design is that it offers the opportunity to exploit the data-dependent latency of many operations in order to achieve low-power, high-performance, or low area. This paper describes a novel, asynchronous, iterative multiplier which exhibits data-dependency in both the number of iterations required to produce the result and in the delay of each step of the iteration. The preliminary evaluation of the multiplier, implemented using standard-cells, shows that speed improvements can be achieved in comparison to a standard iterative, radix-4 Booth multiplier.


Many multicellular organisms specify germ cells during early embryogenesis by the inheritance of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules known as germplasm. However, the role of complex interactions of RNP granules during germ cell specification remains elusive. This study characterizes the interaction of RNP granules, Buc, and zebrafish Vasa (zfVasa) during germ cell specification. We identify a novel zfVasa-binding motif (Buc-VBM) in Buc and a Buc-binding motif (zfVasa-BBM) in zfVasa. Moreover, we show that Buc and zfVasa directly bind in vitro and that this interaction is independent of the RNA. Our circular dichroism spectroscopy data reveal that the intrinsically disordered Buc-VBM peptide forms alpha-helices in the presence of the solvent trifluoroethanol. Intriguingly, we further demonstrate that Buc-VBM enhances zfVasa ATPase activity, thereby annotating the first biochemical function of Buc as a zfVasa ATPase activator. Collectively, these results propose a model in which the activity of zfVasa is a central regulator of primordial germ cell (PGC) formation and is tightly controlled by the germplasm organizer Buc.


An experiment was conducted for two seasons on a farm in the Mit Kenana village, Qalyobia, Egypt. The aim was to study the influence of a magnetised water technology on the fertilisers during irrigation (fertigation) and its impact on the water, soil as well as the yield and yield components for potatoes. The experiment included: Normal water (NM), magnetic water (MW), adding fertiliser before (FMW) and after magnetism (MWF). The results indicated that irrigation with magnetised water and then adding fertiliser (MWF) had a positive significant effect on the water and soil properties, the tuber engineering parameters improved and the potato productivity increased by 40.5% higher than the NM method. The fertigation unit has to be installed after the magnetic device because the direct magnetisation of the water with the fertilisers contributes to the cracking and increases the solubility of the fertilisers that may lead to the possibility of leaching some of them away from the roots, which implies losing some of them and, therefore, decreasing the effectiveness of the fertilisers.


The performance of the current
stabilization control system in an aluminum smelter affects the quality and the
quantity of the electrolytic products. This paper elaborates the power supply,
in which the diode rectifiers and the self-saturable reactors could keep the
series current stable, then describes the basic principle of the rectifier unit
control and the series current control. A coordinate strategy is proposed to
keep the series current stable, the self-saturable reactors are controlled by a
proportional-integral control scheme and the on load tap changers of
transformer are triggered by the errors between the setting value of the series
voltage and the measured values of the series voltage. Simulation results on
PSCAD/EMTDC show that the effectiveness of the proposed strategy to keep the
series current stable.


Reply:

Thank you very much for your special interest in our article.

We only performed laparoscopic surgery in two cases due to ectopic pregnancy after IVF-ET and sclerotherapy. There were no other cases of laparoscopy due to pain or adhesion after hydrosalpinx sclerotherapy.

Some patients complained of pain on the day of surgery or during immediate follow-up; however, no one complained of long-term pain because our method had different outcomes from that of the correspondent.

Alcohol was used as a sclerosing agent, and tetracycline emulsion was applied as a final residual sclerosing agent [1]. First, the alcohol was injected approximately ten times into the hydrosalpinx as an irrigation agent. Then, after the alcohol was completely removed, 1-1.5 mL of the tetracycline emulsion, which was prepared by dissolving one or two 250-mg tablets of Teracyclin into distilled water, was finally injected into the hydrosalpinx area.

No cases with long-term pain and laparoscopy, and no cases with the symptoms of suspected intraperitoneal adhesion occurred.

Hospitalization is unnecessary for this procedure. We believe this procedure would be a simpler and more appropriate method than IVF-ET. It is suggested that further studies be performed on this procedure.


Objective: Physical activity can improve breast cancer survivor9s physical and emotional well-being while reducing their risk of other chronic diseases and breast cancer recurrence. Although the exact biological mechanisms responsible for the decrease in breast cancer recurrence in those patients that exercise are not known, it is postulated that physical activity modulates serum markers of adiposity and inflammation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the change in adipokines and inflammatory markers in a group of Puerto Rican breast cancer survivors who participated in a 16-week exercise intervention. Methods: The study recruited 38 women breast cancer survivors who were at least 3 months post treatment (surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy) and were not meeting current recommended physical activity guidelines according to ACSM. The study randomly assigned participants to a control group (no exercise; n=11), an intervention group that received culturally adapted written exercise materials (n=13), and an exercise control group (n=14) who received an exercise intervention that was not culturally tailored. Demographic and anthropometric data was obtained at baseline and at the end of the intervention. A fasting peripheral blood sample was obtained at baseline and at the end of the 16-week intervention. The serum was isolated by means of gradient centrifugation and stored at -80°C. Serum levels of Adiponectin, Leptin, IL-6 and C-reactive protein were measured by ELISA. One-way repeated measures ANOVA or Kruskall-Wallis test was utilized to compare differences among baseline and 16-weeks values. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata for Windows release 12.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas). Results: Thirty-eight patients completed both baseline and 16 week assessments (11 controls; 14 in standard intervention, 13 in culturally tailored intervention. The mean age was 58 years (range 27-80). Most of the participants were overweight/obese (89%) with a mean BMI of 32.7 (21.3-51.6). Mean Leptin serum levels were 31.6 ng/mL (5.1-63.3 ng/mL ng/mL). Mean serum C-reactive protein levels were 4.15 ug/mL (0.5-8.7 ug/mL). Mean serum Adiponectin levels were 30.6 ng/mL (2.4-105.3 ng/mL). Mean serum IL-6 levels were 2.42 (0.7-10.2 pg/mL). At the end of the 16 week period, no differences (p > 0.05) were found in BMI, or in the levels of the biological markers evaluated, leptin, adiponectin, IL-6 and C-reactive protein, when comparing to baseline neither in the control nor the interventions groups. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in BMI, adipokines and inflammatory biomarkers as a result of this intervention. However, this preliminary data reveals a population with increased BMI where exercise and nutritional interventions are needed. It must be noted that this is a pilot study were the numbers of participants is small and the follow-up period is short, thus a higher number of participants is needed to further define the efficacy of this intervention. Citation Format: Maribel Tirado-Gomez, Cristina Palacios, Alexis Ortiz, Daniel C. Hughes, Velda Gonzalez-Mercado, Liliana Vallejo, Jose Lozada, Karen Basen-Engquist. Serum adipokines and inflammatory markers in Hispanic breast cancer survivors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B32.


With complementary Chinese data sets and alternative corruption measures, we explore the consequences of corruption. Adopting a novel approach we provide evidence that corruption can have both, positive and negative effects, on economic development. The overall impact of corruption might be the balance of the two simultaneous effects within a specific institutional environment ("grease the wheels" and "sand the wheels"). Corruption is observed to considerably increase income inequality in China. We also find that corruption strongly reduces tax revenue. Looking at things from an expenditure point of view we observe that corruption significantly decreases government spending on education, R&D and public health in China. We also observe that regional corruption significantly reduces inbound foreign direct investment in Chinese regions, which indicates that the pollution haven hypothesis may not hold in China. This finding sheds a new light on the "China puzzle" that China is the largest developing host of FDI while it is appears to be very corrupt. Finally we observe that corruption substantially aggravates pollution probably through loosening environment regulation, and that it modifies the effects of trade openness and FDI on the stringency of environmental policy in a manner opposite to that observed in literature to date. JEL Classifications: D720; H110; K420


Given the ubiquity of the Web, the Semantic Web (SW) offers MultiAgent Systems (MAS) a most wide-ranging platform by which they could intercommunicate. It can be argued however that MAS require levels of logic that the current Semantic Web has yet to provide. As ISO Common Logic (CL) ISO/IEC IS 24707:2007 provides a firstorder logic capability for MAS in an interoperable way, it seems natural to investigate how CL may itself integrate with the SW thus providing a more expressive means by which MAS can interoperate effectively across the SW. A commentary is accordingly presented on how this may be achieved. Whilst it notes that certain limitations remain to be addressed, the commentary proposes that standardising the SW with CL provides the vehicle by which MAS can achieve their potential.


Background: Nut consumption has been associated with improved nutrient adequacy and diet quality in healthy adult populations but this association has never been explored in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Objective: to assess the associations between consumption of nuts and nutrient adequacy and diet quality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. Design: baseline assessment of nutritional adequacy in participants (n = 6060, men and women, with ages 55–75 years old, with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome) in the PREDIMED-PLUS primary cardiovascular prevention randomized trial. Methods: nut intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Participants who reported consuming zero quantity of nuts were classified as 'non-nut consumers'. 'Nut consumers' were participants who reported consuming any quantity of nuts. Nineteen micronutrients were examined (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, A, C, D, E and folic acid; Ca, K, P, Mg, Fe, Se, Cr, Zn, and iodine). The proportion of micronutrient inadequacy was estimated using the estimated average requirements (EAR) or adequate intake (AI) cut-points. Diet quality was also assessed using a 17-item Mediterranean dietary questionnaire (Mediterranean diet score, MDS), a carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and a fat quality index (FQI). Results: eighty-two percent of participants were nut consumers (median of nut consumption 12.6 g/day; interquartile range: 6.0–25.2). Nut consumers were less likely to be below the EAR for vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, D, E, folic acid, and Ca, Mg, Se and Zn than non-nut consumers. Nut consumers were also more likely to be above the AI for K and Cr than non-nut consumers. Nut consumers had lower prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes, but also higher CQI, higher FQI, and better scores of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean diet score, MDS). Conclusions: nut consumers had better nutrient adequacy, diet quality, and adherence to the MedDiet than those non-nut consumers.


Non-native animals can encounter very different environments than those they are adapted to. Functional changes in morphology, physiology and life-history following introduction show that organisms can adapt both fast and efficiently. It remains unclear, however, if female reproductive characters and male sexually selected behaviour show the same adaptive potential. Furthermore, the invasion success and evolutionary trajectory of non-native species might often depend on the ability of the sexes to coordinate shifts in characters associated with reproductive strategy. The common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, has been repeatedly introduced from southern Europe to England over the past 80 years. Lizards in England experience a cool, seasonal climate that effectively restricts recruitment to the first clutch of the season, whereas in their native range up to three clutches per season recruit. As a consequence, both females and males in non-native populations should benefit from reducing or even eliminating their reproductive investment in second clutches. Using a combination of field data and experiments, we show that non-native females produce relatively larger and heavier first seasonal clutches and smaller and lighter second seasonal clutches compared to native females. In contrast, non-native and native males do not differ in their territorial and sexual behaviour later in the season. An adaptive shift in male seasonal reproductive investment may be constrained because males use breeding females as cues for sexual behaviour. If this is so, we expect a general pattern across climatic regimes whereby female reproductive investment evolves first, with responses in males lagging behind.


The Syrian conflict remains one of the most troubling foreign policy issues facing the international community since the beginning of the Arab uprisings in 2011. While the number of civilian casualties and displaced persons escalates, a renewed diplomatic effort seems to be losing steam, thus projecting a grim outlook onto the future of the country. This paper addresses some of the open questions in the Syrian crisis, namely the weaknesses of the opposition groups, the funding and arming of the opposition, the differences between the so-called moderate and extremist forces within it and the humanitarian aid provided to the Syrian refugees, focusing on the active engagement of the Arab Gulf countries, mainly Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Conflicts between the strategies pursued by these two players could further weaken the Syrian opposition. Against this backdrop, a more or less covert arms race is already taking place, which now risks spreading out both in geographical scope and intensity over the Summer.


Earlier research showed that during the 1980s and 1990s most of the global agricultural trade expansion took place among the industrial countries and among countries within trade blocs. These were also periods of declining agricultural prices. These prices increased during the 2000s, there were continuous trade reforms, and many developing countries started to support their agricultural sectors. This paper analyzes trade flows during the past two decades, and tries to measure whether all these developments have changed the trade balances and the share of different groups within the global trade flows. In addition, it looks at the trade balances on food to see the impact of these changes on net food importing countries. In conclusion, unlike the case with manufacturing, developing countries have not been able to increase their export shares in agriculture as significantly. They have maintained their trade shares by primarily expanding exports to other developing countries.


Abstract In staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA), the intersurgical time is yet to be determined. This study aimed to (1) test for differences in in-hospital metrics between the index and contralateral TKA and (2) determine the safest intersurgical time interval to minimize adverse outcomes after the contralateral surgery. The National Readmissions Database was queried for patients who received staged BTKA (2016–2017). A total of 20,279 patients were included. Demographics, comorbidities, baseline determinants, and intersurgical time between index and contralateral TKAs (≤ 3 month, 4–6 months, 7–9 months, and 10–12 months intervals) were captured. Outcomes included healthcare utilization (length of stay [LOS] and nonhome discharge), in-hospital costs, and in-hospital complications. Outcomes were compared between index versus contralateral surgeries and among contralateral surgeries of various intersurgical intervals. Contralateral surgeries had shorter LOS (2.2 ± 1.9 vs. 2.4 ± 2.0 days; p  < 0.001), lower nonhome discharge ( n  = 2692[13.2%] vs. n  = 2963[14.7%]; p  = 0.001), and in-hospital costs ($16,476 ± $7,404 vs. 16,774 ± $9,621; p  < 0.001), but similar rates of nonmechanical ( p  = 0.40) complications compared with index TKA. Multivariable regression demonstrated that intersurgical time was not associated with nonmechanical complications or transfusion, or 30-day readmission ( p  > 0.05, each). Compared with the less than or equal to 3-month interval, the 4 to 6-month interval exhibited highest odds ratio (OR) of any infection (OR: 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.13–2.88]; p  = 0.013), urinary tract infection (OR:1.81, 95%CI: [1.13–2.90]; p  = 0.014), and any-cardiac complications (OR:1.17; 95%CI: [1.01–1.35]; p  = 0.037). Patients in the 10–12-month cohort had lowest odds of posthemorrhagic anemia (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: [0.72–0.98]; p  = 0.03). Overall, the second surgery of a staged BTKA has lower healthcare utilization despite similar complication rates. While patients in the 10 to 12-month intersurgical interval had the most favorable overall safety profile, no single interval exhibited consistently lower complications for all measured outcomes. Special care pathways should be optimized to care for patients undergoing staged BTKA.


Lobster hemocyanin dissociates into a functional subunit of 68,000 to 70,000 molecular weight when Ca2+ ions are removed from an alkaline solution of low ionic strength. Succinylation results in a further dissociation into two nonfunctional subunits of approximately 34,000 to 35,000 molecular weight. Amino acid analysis and tryptic peptide patterns indicate that the functional subunit is composed of at least two polypeptide chains which are similar.


The 100-square-mile setting for "A Boy and His Kite" is based on the Isle of Skye in Scotland and populated using photogrammetric assets: photographs of real-world objects are used to reconstruct textured 3D models. The challenge of rendering a large, photorealistic world led to development of several new rendering features and tools. A distance field representation of the scene provides efficient visibility queries on the GPU in the form of cone traces. Efficient cone tracing enables a number of high-quality dynamic-lighting features used in the demo: detailed soft shadows for the sun up to one kilometer from the camera, ambient occlusion to shadow the sky, and single-bounce global illumination from the terrain. Because the lighting is dynamic, the time-of-day can be changed at runtime, and artists can modify the scene and see the results instantly. Physically based depth-of-field and motion-blur effects help to create images that more closely resemble photographs. New foliage tools to procedurally populate the world allow artists to quickly create a natural landscape filled with millions of trees, bushes, rocks, and grass. The interactive demo and cinematic are rendered at 30Hz in Unreal Engine 4 on a desktop PC.


Objective To assess the functioning of maternal, perinatal, neonatal and child death surveillance and response (DSR) mechanisms at a health district level. Design A framework of elements covering analysis of causes of death, and processes of review and response was developed and applied to the smallest unit of coordination (subdistrict) to evaluate DSR functioning. The evaluation design was a descriptive qualitative case study, based on observations of DSR practices and interviews. Setting Rural South African health district (subdistricts and district office). Participants A purposive sample of 45 front-line health managers and providers involved with maternal, perinatal, neonatal and child DSR. The DSR mechanisms reviewed included a system of real-time death reporting (24 hours) and review (48 hours), a nationally mandated confidential enquiry into maternal death and regular facility and subdistrict mortality audit and response processes. Primary outcome measures Functioning of maternal, perinatal, neonatal and child DSR. Results While DSR mechanisms were integrated into the organisational routines of the district, their functioning varied across subdistricts and between forms of DSR. Some forms of DSR, notably those involving maternal deaths, with external reporting and accounting, were more likely to trigger reactive fault-finding and sanctioning than other forms, which were more proactive in supporting evidence-based actions to prevent future deaths. These actions occurred at provider and system level, and to a limited extent, in communities. Conclusions This study provides an empirical example of the everyday practice of DSR mechanisms at a district level. It assesses such practice based on a framework of elements and enabling organisational processes that may be of value in similar settings elsewhere.


Predation risk of individuals moving in multispecies herds may be lower due to the heightened ability of the different species to detect predators (i.e., mixed-species effect). The giraffe is the tallest land mammal, maintains high vigilance levels, and has good eyesight. As a result, heterospecific herd members could reduce their predation risk if they keyed off the giraffe's antipredator behaviors. However, because giraffe rarely use audible alarm snorts, heterospecifics would need to eavesdrop on cues given off by the giraffe that indicate predator presence (e.g., body posture), to benefit from herding with giraffe. To test this, we compared the vigilance of zebra herding with conspecifics, with those herding with giraffe. Our results indicate that giraffe reduce zebra vigilance in zebra–giraffe herds and that in these herds, giraffe are the primary source of information regarding predation risk. In contrast, when zebra herd with conspecifics, they rely primarily on personal information gleaned from their environment, as opposed to obtaining information from conspecifics about predation risk.


Abstract:The analysis of ceramics from Aphrati sheds valuable new light on the history of this Cretan settlement and on its relationship with a nearby rural sanctuary at Kato Syme in the Late Archaic and Classical periods. It has long been held that Aphrati was deserted from ca. 600 to 400 B.C. A pottery deposit from the domestic quarter, however, now supports occupation of the city during this period. A ceramic classification system is presented and the morphological development and absolute chronology of several key shapes at Aphrati and Kato Syme are plotted. Historical implications of the ceramic evidence are also explored.


Effect of bath application of L-DOPA, dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) on the spontaneous activity--cyclical oscillations of electrotonic potentials in dorsal and ventral roots (DR and VR, respectively) generated by isolated spinal cord of 16-20-day-old chick embryo was studied. L-DOPA in low concentration (30-150 mumol/l) activated spinal generator: suprathreshold rhythms appeared (i.e., spike activity in DR and VR). High concentration (200-1000 mumol/l) of L-DOPA depressed generator activity, but in the course of washing of the spinal cord spontaneous activity was enhanced and suprathreshold rhythms appeared. DA and NA (50 mumol/l) did not influence the activity but in concentration 100 mumol/l they depressed spontaneous activity in DR and VR. Bath application of 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (20 mumol/l) blocked activity induced by small concentration of L-DOPA. Activity generated by the neuronal network of the isolated dorsal horn was intensified after bath-application of L-DOPA in small concentration. Rhythmic activity in the isolated ventral horn did not appear after bath-application of L-DOPA. It is concluded that excitatory action of L-DOPA on the neuronal network of dorsal horn chick embryo was direct (i.e., did not depend on catecholamines).


Whitening dentifrices (WDs) are widespread and accessible worldwide, claiming to whiten teeth. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the extrinsic stain removal (ESR), the whitening potential, and the adverse effects of WDs. Randomized controlled trials comparing WDs with regular dentifrices (RDs) and other home-based whitening products were searched at NCBI-PubMed, Cochrane-CENTRAL, EBSCO-Host, and clinicaltrials.gov. The studies were screened and had data extracted by two independent researchers. Eligible studies presented outcomes of ESR, color change, and adverse effects, with no restriction of publication date. Data were meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.3, and the level of evidence was rated according to GRADE criteria. Eleven studies (n=1962) assessed reduction of stain area and intensity through Lobene Stain index, with a mean difference (MD) of -0.33 ([-0.41;-0.25]; p=0.00001) and -0.34 ([-0.44;-0.25]; p=0.00001), respectively. When the modified Lobene Stain index was used (six studies; n=2576), MD was -0.42 ([-0.58;-0.25]; p=0.00001) and -0.30 ([-0.39;-0.21]; p=0.00001), respectively. Mean color change through shade guide tabs (three studies; n=1322) was -1.80 ([-2.33;-1.26]; p=0.00001). All differences were in favor of the WDs, which also produced a risk of adverse effects (RR=1.74; [1.20, 2.52]; p=0.003; four studies; n=1322). The comparison of WDs with paint-on gel (two studies; n=58) yielded similar efficacy and adverse effects (p>0.05), whereas the comparison of WDs with white strips (two studies; n=87) yielded higher efficacy of the latter (p=0.00001) and similar adverse effects (p=0.52). The quality of evidence varied from low to moderate. WDs are more effective in reducing extrinsic stain and producing a whitening-like effect in teeth than RDs, although they also produce more adverse effects. Whitening efficacy of WDs is similar to paint-on gel and lower than white strips. Higher-quality evidence demands larger, well-conducted, independent studies.


In liquid diffusion experiments, the diffusion path can he partially obstructed by bubbles/voids, or oxide layers between the segments of a diffusion couple. In addition, there have been claims of macroscopic manifestations of 'wall effects', i.e. a perceived dependence of the diffusivity D on distance from the container wall over macroscopic dimensions. We have numerically simulated the evolution of the concentration field in a 2D diffusion sample in response to such deviations from ID transport. We found that, owing to the smoothing of the concentration distribution by radial diffusion, significant deviations from the ideal ID concentration field occur only in the axial direction. On evaluation of the concentration field for an apparent diffusivity Da, either by the semi-infinite capillary methodology or by the method of Codastefano et al (1977 Rev. Sci. lnstrum. 48 1650), we found that local obstructions of the transport path have to be in excess of half the transport path's cross-section to result in Da _ 0.95D. Furthermore, we conclude that the radial concentration gradients found in solidified diffusion samples are no evidence for a 'wall effect' but are likely to indicate convective transport contarmnation.


Porous polymers have aroused increasing interest due to their controllable hole(s) structure in favor of mass transfer. In this work, three types of porous molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using atrazine as template, namely single-hole hollow molecularly imprinted polymers (s-HMIPs), multihole hollow molecularly imprinted polymers (m-HMIPs) and porous solid molecularly imprinted polymers (ps-MIPs), were prepared, and applied as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for selective preconcentration and specific recognition of triazines in soil samples. For porous MIPs, most of the binding cavities were located in the proximity of the surface, which remarkably facilitated template removal and mass transfer. The resultant atrazine imprinted porous polymers of s-HMIPs and m-HMIPs exhibited more than triple imprinting capacity for triazines compared to the ps-MIPs, while they were all greatly superior to that of the non-imprinted polymers (NIPs). Accordingly, the s-HMIPs employed as SPE sorbent presented much higher extraction efficiency for several triazines based on the large specific surface area and high adsorption capacity in comparison with the commercial C18 column. The validated method was also successfully applied to soil sample analysis, and satisfactory recoveries were attained, such as 73.5–102.0% with the precision of 1.17–4.24% for five triazines at 10 μg L−1. The s-HMIPs-SPE proves to be a highly-effective cleanup and enrichment method for simultaneous separation and sensitive determination of triazines in complicated samples.


Summary Phyllis Naidoo's Footprints beyond Grey Street (2007) adjusts conventional boundaries of the autobiographical genre: it is written by Naidoo but appears not to be principally concerned with the author's life. It is written largely about her comrades in the African National Congress who were in exile in African countries. Of the stories in Naidoo's "autobiography", "Charlie and Jo" in particular epitomises the absence of the author: a stylistic and generic anomaly which merits particular attention and thus forms the focus of this article. This memory-tale of social recollection evidences autobiographical self-displacement: the privileging of collective memory as opposed to an individual's nostalgic journey towards self-definition. This foregrounding of a collective identity has been identified and termed communography in the writings of comparable political groups such as the Irish Republican Army.


Objectives Men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV are at high risk of infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of anal cancer. We assess whether anal HPV DNA detection is related to recent anal sexual activity, what types of anal sexual activity or the persistence of HPV genotypes. Methods We analysed anal swabs taken at the baseline of a 2-year prospective anal cancer screening study of MSM living with HIV from four HIV clinics in Melbourne, Australia. Anal HPV detection was stratified by age and anal sexual behaviours. Results 281 anal swabs were included in the analysis. The majority (80%, 95% CI 75 to 84) of men were positive for any HPV; 59% (95% CI 53 to 65) were positive for high-risk HPV (hr-HPV) genotypes; and 31% (95% CI 26 to 36) men were positive for HPV 16 and/or 18 with no significant differences according to age groups (p>0.261). In men who reported no receptive anal sexual activity in the last six months (22%), hr-HPV was found in 53% (95% CI 41 to 65) for no anal sexual activity versus. 60% (95% CI 54 to 67) for anal sexual activity (p=0.320). HPV 16 and/or 18 was found in 26% (95% CI 16 to 38) for no anal sexual activity versus. 32% (95% CI 27 to 39) for anal sexual activity (p=0.320). Conclusions Anal HPV in MSM living with HIV is detected in the majority of men throughout all age groups. Anal HPV detection remains high even in men reporting no anal sexual activity in the preceding six months.


This is an article that uses a predatory lending case as a vehicle to examine the metaphor of the lawyer as storyteller. For many years and in many law reviews now, we have been reading and writing about the relationship between narrative and story and the law. I add my voice once again to this discussion by examining more closely this idea that as representors of clients, lawyers are constructors and tellers of stories. Specifically, I examine the process lawyers go through and the choices lawyers make in figuring out what stories to tell and how to tell them. The metaphor of the lawyer as constructor and teller of stories leads us to make room for the possibility of a multiplicity of stories. This concept, which I call narrative theory, does not tell lawyers which stories to tell or how to tell them. Lawyers have to make those decisions on their own, dependent on a variety of factors, including the law, the facts and the client's goals. In spite of that, however, current anti-poverty legal practice, as represented by the potential solutions available to people like Helen, tends to privilege one kind of story over all others: the story of the poor person as a victim in need of rescuing. Without reflection and intention, therefore, lawyers who represent poor people often fall back on a default narrative about their clients as victims in high-stakes, crisis-driven narratives that take place in the winner-take-all context of litigation. These narratives begin at the moment of crisis, and not at any time before. In addition, these narratives do not take the long view of these crises or their effects. But it does not have to be that way. Looking through the lens of narrative theory, my paper constructs counter-stories about those who find themselves faced with home foreclosure: stories that envision the individual clients' broader context, and their agency within that context; stories that imagine the clients' ability to look and plan ahead. I perform this analysis by suggesting that Helen's situation presents lawyers with the opportunity to tell many different - competing, alternative, serial - but equally "good" stories. The choices about which of those stories to tell and how to tell them are complex and nuanced, and dependent on multiple variables that need to be weighed by both the lawyer and the client. To illustrate this point, I choose to tell two possible stories and examine the factors that go into such choices. These choices and the stories they result in teach us about the process of practicing law in a way that empowers our clients, and might result in a legal framework that makes room for the multiplicity of their stories. The piece concludes by suggesting that a lawyering theory that is open to this multiplicity of stories - and does not privilege one among them - contributes to constructing lawyering models that empower all kinds of client narratives. This approach thus allows those who would otherwise assume victim roles in adversarial narratives to contribute in constructing narratives that do not necessarily involve them having to be rescued. And it helps lawyers see their power and responsibility to construct these stories collaboratively with their clients, and thus to move the law in a direction that recognizes them as something other than victims.


A riveted 0.25% carbon steel oil-storage tank in Oklahoma was dismantled and reassembled in Minnesota by welding to form a storage tank for soybean oil. An opening was cut in the side of the tank to admit a front-end loader. A frame of heavy angle iron was welded to the tank and drilled for bolting on a heavy steel plate. The tank was filled to a record height. In mid-Jan the temperature dropped to -31 deg C (-23 deg F), with high winds. The tank split open and collapsed. The welding used the shielded metal arc process with E6010 electrodes, which could lead to weld porosity, hydrogen embrittlement, or both. At subzero temperatures, the steel was below its ductile-to-brittle transition temperature. These circumstances suggest a brittle condition. Steps to avoid this type of failure: For cold conditions, the steel plate should have a low carbon content and a high manganese-to-sulfur ratio and be in a normalized condition, low-hydrogen electrodes and welding practices should be used, all corners should be generously radiused, the welds should be inspected and ground or dressed to minimize stress concentrations, postweld heating is advisable, and radiographic and penetrant inspection tests should be performed.


We propose a novel model-based approach (MDA) for the design and creation of Information Retrieval (IR) systems. This is based on a specific language that provides common notation and concepts and a collaborative modular environment for the design of IR systems. The language is a UML profile, involving several stereotypes for the IR area. From this profile we derive standard libraries of modules that can be used in the development of IR systems. Through appropriate templates, we transform models into software code according different programming language and different IR platforms.


Abstract Background Diagnostic intuition is a rapid, non-analytic, unconscious mode of reasoning. A small body of evidence points to the ubiquity of intuition, and its usefulness in generating diagnostic hypotheses and ascertaining severity of illness. Little is known about how experienced physicians understand this phenomenon, and how they work with it in clinical practice. Methods Descriptions of how experienced physicians perceive their use of diagnostic intuition in clinical practice were elicited through interviews conducted with 30 physicians in emergency, internal and family medicine. Each participant was asked to share stories of diagnostic intuition, including times when intuition was both correct and incorrect. Multiple coders conducted descriptive analysis to analyze the salient aspects of these stories. Results Physicians provided descriptions of what diagnostic intuition is, when it occurs and what type of activity it prompts. From stories of correct intuition, a typology of four different types of intuition was identified: Sick/Not Sick, Something Not Right, Frame-shifting and Abduction. Most physician accounts of diagnostic intuition linked this phenomenon to non-analytic reasoning and emphasized the importance of experience in developing a trustworthy sense of intuition that can be used to effectively engage analytic reasoning to evaluate clinical evidence. Conclusions The participants recounted myriad stories of diagnostic intuition that alerted them to unusual diagnoses, previous diagnostic error or deleterious trajectories. While this qualitative study can offer no conclusions about the representativeness of these stories, it suggests that physicians perceive clinical intuition as beneficial for correcting and advancing diagnoses of both common and rare conditions.


This paper presents a method to design PI and PID controllers in continuous time domain through dominant pole region assignment so that the closed-loop time domain characteristics remain within the desired interval. Firstly, parametrization of the PI controllers which assign the dominant pole pair to the desired region is given. The sub-region, in which the remaining poles are located away from the dominant pole region, is then found in (Kp, Ki) parameter space by calculating the root boundaries. After that the method is extended for PID controller case by gridding the Kp parameter. Thus, all PID controllers, which perform dominant pole region assignment successfully, are given in 3D parameter space. Examples are given for two different pole regions and for both PI and PID controllers.


The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university that serves over 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students as a branch of the University of Texas system located in Odessa, Ector County, Texas. The UTPB was established as an upper-division and graduate school on February 4, 1969, and first opened its doors to students in September, 1973. This historical study focuses on the development and progress of the UTPB from its inception until it was elevated from an upper-level institution to a four-year university twenty-two years later. The formation, mission, and curriculum are examined as well as are faculty and student characteristics and support. This study addresses the background history of higher education in the region, the role of community and college leaders in the UTPB's creation and struggle for four-year status, and the UTPB's unique features. The study was conducted by collecting data from available primary and secondary sources. The written data were then subjected to both external and internal criticism to determine the authorship and meaning of the documents. To explain events and put the written documents in context, oral histories, given by participants, were used. The educational opportunities offered by the UTPB have enriched the lives of Ector County citizens as well as the lives of many students from surrounding counties in the region of Texas known as the Permian Basin. Additional research topics related to the UTPB as well as other educational institutions are suggested.


Major goals of industrialization include but not limited to provision of employment, establishing a platform for
overall national development and improving the monetary income of whoever is involved which invariably
improves the standard of living. A better pre-visibility study must encompass a well analysed economic
appraisal of the plan. Computer programme was generated to analyse the economic aspect of industrial solar
drying. The appraisal was carried out with the software using the Life Cycle Savings (LCS) technique. Three
locations in Nigeria (i.e. Ibadan, Kano and Port Harcourt) were selected and their respective economic
appraisal simulated. Sample simulations reveal that at a realistic initial moisture content of 30% (% wet basis)
of the agricultural produce, economic analysis of over 20 years reveal that recommended solar collector area of
85.46m2, 80.71m2 and 75.96m2 supplied about 67%, 88% and 55.8% of the annual energy needed for Ibadan,
Kano and Port-harcourt respectively which are the specific sizes at which life cycle solar savings are optimal


This paper deals with functional regression, in which the input attributes as well as the response are functions. To deal with this problem, we develop a functional reproducing kernel Hilbert space approach; here, a kernel is an operator acting on a function and yielding a function. We demonstrate basic properties of these functional RKHS, as well as a representer theorem for this setting; we investigate the construction of kernels; we provide some experimental insight.


In this work, we performed a first-principles investigation of the phase stability, dopant formation energy and Na conductivity of pristine and doped cubic Na3PS4 (c-Na3PS4). We show that pristine c-Na3PS4 is an extremely poor Na ionic conductor, and the introduction of Na excess is the key to achieving reasonable Na conductivities. We studied the effect of aliovalent doping of M for P in c-Na3PS4, yielding Na3+xMxP1−xS4 (M = Si, Ge, and Sn with x = 0.0625; M = Si with x = 0.125). The formation energies in all the doped structures with dopant concentration of x = 0.0625 are found to be relatively low. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we predict that 6.25% Si-doped c-Na3PS4 has a Na + conductivity of 1.66 mS/cm, in excellent agreement with previous experimental results. Remarkably, we find that Sn doping at the same concentration yields a much higher predicted Na conductivity of 10.7 mS/cm, though with a higher dopant formation energy. A higher Si doping concentration of x = 0.125 also yields a significant increase in Na conductivity with an even higher dopant formation energy. Finally, topological and van Hove correlation function analyses suggest that the channel volume and correlation in Na motions may play important roles in enhancing Na conductivity in this structure.


In recent years, numerous brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) based on motor-imagery have been proposed which incorporate features such as adaptive classification, error detection and correction, fusion with auxiliary signals and shared control capabilities. Due to the added complexity of such algorithms, the evaluation strategy and metrics used for analysis must be carefully chosen to accurately represent the performance of the BCI. In this article, metrics are reviewed and contrasted using both simulated examples and experimental data. Furthermore, a review of the recent literature is presented to determine how BCIs are evaluated, in particular, focusing on the relationship between how the data are used relative to the BCI subcomponent under investigation. From the analysis performed in this study, valuable guidelines are presented regarding the choice of metrics and evaluation strategy dependent upon any chosen BCI paradigm.


Conventional methods of acquiring and using acoustic emission (AE) discard the raw signal waveform after extracting signal features from it. The main reason for this is the number of bytes required to save hundreds of thousands of AE waveforms, using a modern high speed multichannel system the hard-drive may be quickly filled. One side effect of this "feature extraction" approach is that information is thrown away with the wave-form. The advent of systems capable of acquiring AE waveforms on all channels has opened up the opportunity to use this extra data to get more information about the source and the transmission path. This paper describes the use of acoustic emission waveforms to aid source discrimination, and presents data acquired during pressure testing of a slug-catcher.


ABSTRACT The fastest-spinning man-made object is a tiny dumbbell rotating at 5 GHz. The smallest wind-up motor is constructed from a DNA molecule. Picoliter volumes of fluids are remotely controlled and their viscosity precisely measured using microrheometers based on miniscule rotating particles. Theoretical predictions for extraordinarily weak forces related to the presence of dark matter, dark energy and vacuum-induced friction might be revealed, and the surprising properties of light have already been experimentally evidenced. All of these exciting landmarks have only been possible thanks to the torque exerted by light, which enables rotation of an optically trapped particle. Here, we review how light can impart torque on optically trapped particles, paying close attention to the design of the properties of both the particle and the light field. We detail how the maximum achievable rotation speed is limited by the environment, but can simultaneously be used to infer properties of the surrounding medium and of the light field itself. We also review the state-of-the-art applications of light-driven rotors, as well as proposals for the next generation of measurements, particularly at the classical-quantum interface, which can be performed using rotating optically trapped objects. Graphical abstract


On-chip optical resonators have the promise of revolutionizing numerous fields including metrology and sensing; however, their optical losses have always lagged behind their larger discrete resonator counterparts based on crystalline materials and flowable glass. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ring resonators open up capabilities for optical routing, frequency comb generation, optical clocks and high precision sensing on an integrated platform. However, simultaneously achieving high quality factor and high confinement in Si3N4 (critical for nonlinear processes for example) remains a challenge. Here, we show that addressing surface roughness enables us to overcome the loss limitations and achieve high-confinement, on-chip ring resonators with a quality factor (Q) of 37 million for a ring with 2.5 {\mu}m width and 67 million for a ring with 10 {\mu}m width. We show a clear systematic path for achieving these high quality factors. Furthermore, we extract the loss limited by the material absorption in our films to be 0.13 dB/m, which corresponds to an absorption limited Q of at least 170 million by comparing two resonators with different degrees of confinement. Our work provides a chip-scale platform for applications such as ultra-low power frequency comb generation, high precision sensing, laser stabilization and sideband resolved optomechanics.


We present a computational model for the incremental acquisition of word meanings. Inspired by Complementary Learning Systems theory the model comprises different components which are specifically tailored to satisfy the contradictory needs of (1) rapid memorization of word-scene associations and (2) statistical feature extraction to reveal word meanings. Both components are recurrently coupled to achieve a memory consolidation. This process reflects itself in a gradual transfer of the knowledge about a word's meaning into the extracted features. Thereby, the internal representation of a word becomes more efficient and robust. We present simulation results for a visual scene description task in which words describing the relations between objects have been trained. This includes relations in size, color, and position. The results demonstrate our model's capability to acquire word meanings from few training exemplars. We further show that the model correctly extracts word meaning-relevant features and therefore perceptually grounds the words.


The aim of this paper is to show that the so-called failed states or fragile states are states that can not fulfill the state's own and primordial function, which is to protect its population against violence (political and criminal) and also against to other apparently non-violent threats, but which negatively affect human security, such as famine, natural catastrophes, widespread economic insecurity, etc. And this is due to their lack of internal cohesion and legitimacy, to institutional deterioration and to the loss of the monopoly of the legitimate use of force by the state. The result of all of which is the situation of serious human insecurity for their populations. The conclusion drawn from the foregoing is the importance of the state for the adequate protection of human rights. If human security is security in the enjoyment of human rights, in these states people live under the permanent risk of violation of their rights and suffer constant and effective violations of them.


An editorial related to the recent SARS-CoV-2 ep- idemics in a diabetes/metabolism journal might seem strange. However, the implications for diabetes sub- jects, usually defined as a vulnerable population in this respect, make worth this endeavor. Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic comes on top of the long-time recognized "diabetes epidemic" that does not show signs of relenting. Thus, the latest International Dia- betes Federation (IDF) data show that 463 million peo- ple are affected worldwide, an increase of 38 million compared to 2017. In addition, total healthcare costs associated with diabetes are estimated to around 760 billion USD


There is a paradoxical situation in higher education today: the discourse around the concept of "diversity" has become widely institutionalized, but advocates of equality still struggle to operate within a broader and deeper racialized political and everyday cultural context that is hostile to their success. A besieged current climate for the hopes and projects of pluralism, social equality, peace, and justice imbues the higher education concept and discourse of diversity with an enhanced aura of progressive institutional value and perhaps even a residual locus of political hope.
The vast majority of academic workers would not, in the abstract principle, object to the general good of diversity and educational pluralism, even as ideological and political currents may differ. Daily encounters with students and face-to-face relationships, in teaching, mentoring, or advising situations, provide many regular opportunities to engage with the lived experiences of diversity but often within an antagonistic context, where hierarchical institutions routinely place inclusion and equality as subordinate priorities in relation to other values, goals, and projects.
As Sara Ahmed notes, "Diversity work is hard because it can involve doing within institutions what would not otherwise be done by them. . . . The social desire to institutionalize diversity does not mean the institution is opened up; indeed, the wall might become all the more apparent, all the more a sign of immobility, the more the institution presents itself as being opened up." Diversity in higher education is therefore a moral and polemical concept that points to a tacit awareness and often grudging collective recognition, despite the prevailing political mood, that the university as it is currently configured is a place of injustice and inequality and in need of social change.


In this paper, we explore the possibilities of using Web 2.0 for collaborative production of government services in the UK. Can co-production be used to deliver eGovernment services in the UK? What kind of services could use Web 2.0-supported co-production? Could Web 2.0 help to promote cooperation? If Web 2.0 and collaborative production can be usefully allied, what are the potential advantages, risks, and barriers? We give a brief overview of the current territory and outline a study to investigate.


OBJECTIVES
Most advances in Surgery can now be seen to have been preceded by the invention of new instruments. Conventional surgery progressed as new instruments became available. Transurethral resections became routine following the introduction 80 years ago of the resectoscope: a highly revolutionary instrument at that time. Ureterorenoscopes and nephros- copes opened new windows of opportunity for urologists. When the therapeutic potential of extracorporeal lithotripsy, was first mentioned in the literature most surgeons thought it was mere science-fiction fantasy. Very soon however, this new technique, the fruit of close collaboration between urologists and engineers, became a common-place reality. Laparoscopy met with similar disbelief and the early applications gave rise to controversy and even consternation, yet only a few years later most of our urological surgical procedures have adopted this technique.

METHODS
At the beginning of the 20th century the astounding advances in engineering led many to forecast that before its end those systems might mimic human intelligence. However, many attempts to construct a rational thinking device revealed that even today this ambitious project was a still an unattainable dream. Consequently, attempts to design an autonomous urological surgical robot that might carry out unsupervised transurethral resections were unfruitful because the inherent and unpredictable complexity of surgical procedures obliges close and rigorous control by the surgeon. This important limitation led to the creation of 'master-slave' systems similar to those designed by our team in 1998 for transurethral resection. These are relatively simple tools and are infinitely safer than autonomous robots because they aim to effectively help the surgeon rather than replace him.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
The oft-repeated argument about whether or not a robot might ever replace the surgeon now has little sense because today it is merely a tool, an instrument for the surgeon's hands. The devices available today lack the all-important tactile feedback and to use them effectively, the surgeon is obliged to serve a new and arduous apprenticeship and the learning curve is unavoidably steep. Consequently, many prestigious authors understandably feel unable to recommend their use. Our accumulated experience with master-slave manipulators stimulates us to confidently predict that sooner than later, whether we like it or not, surgical robots will evolve to become indispensable tools that enhance the surgeon's skill, precision and speed in many surgical procedures.


Supplemental digital content is available in the text. ABSTRACT Purpose We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that type I collagen plays a role in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle stiffness, leading to low and high risks of fatigue fracture and muscle injury, respectively, in athletes. As a potential mechanism, we focused on the effect of the type I collagen alpha 1 chain gene (COL1A1) variant associated with transcriptional activity on bone and skeletal muscle properties. Methods The association between COL1A1 rs1107946 and fatigue fracture/muscle injury was evaluated in Japanese athletes. Effects of the polymorphism on tissue properties (BMD and muscle stiffness) and type I collagen α1/α2 chain ratios in muscles were examined in Japanese nonathletes. Results The C-allele carrier frequency was greater in female athletes with fatigue fracture than in those without (odds ratio = 2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17–5.77) and lower in female athletes with muscle injury than in those without (odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.24–0.91). Prospective validation analysis confirmed that in female athletes, muscle injury was less frequent in C-allele carriers than in AA genotype carriers (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.08–0.96). Among female nonathletes, the C-allele of rs1107946 was associated with lower BMD and lower muscle stiffness. Muscle biopsy revealed that C-allele carriers tended to have a larger type I collagen α1/α2 chain ratio than AA genotype carriers (2.24 vs 2.05, P = 0.056), suggesting a higher proportion of type I collagen α1 homotrimers. Conclusion The COL1A1 rs1107946 polymorphism exerts antagonistic effects on fatigue fracture and muscle injury among female athletes by altering the properties of these tissues, potentially owing to increased levels of type I collagen α1 chain homotrimers.


Haemophilia A, the most common of the inherited bleeding disorders, is a genetically heterogeneous condition consequent on mutations in the factor VIII gene on Xq. In excess of 150 molecular defects of this gene are known. Carrier detection is unreliable when based on factor VIII coagulant and antigen levels alone. Prenatal diagnosis and carrier state determination by direct DNA analysis have depended hitherto on gene tracking using linked polymorphisms. Extragenic linked polymorphisms are hampered by the propensity to recombination and intragenic linked polymorphisms are limited in clinical application by their paucity and lack of informativeness owing to linkage disequilibrium. This report characterises a dinucleotide repeat sequence within intron 13 of the factor VIII gene which may be easily detected using PCR amplification. Advantages related to dinucleotide repeat sequence detection of increased informativeness, rapid availability of results, and prerequisite of only minute quantities of DNA from an affected family member will now apply to haemophilia A. Clearly this will have widespread implications for family members whose carrier status has been unresolved by previously available methods. W REARDON


A narrow-banded spectrum of gravity waves propagating in one horizontal direction at the surface of water with finite depth may be governed by a nonlinear Schroźdinger equation (NLSE). If the depth is nonuniform, then the coefficients in the NLSE are variable and an additional linear term due to conservation of wave action flux is present, which may act as a dissipative term that causes the wave envelope to broaden and decrease in amplitude or which may act as a growth term that causes the wave envelope to focus and increase in amplitude. The addition of linear, viscous dissipation either enhances the dissipative process or competes with the growth effect. Here we consider such a variable-coefficient, dissipative NLSE. We find a solution that has uniform amplitude in the appropriate reference frame and examine its linear stability. We find that for waves propagating into shallower water, both bathymetry and viscous dissipation act to stabilize the modulational instability. For waves propagating into deeper water, bathymetry acts to enhance instability, but viscous dissipation eventually causes stabilization for small enough initial perturbation amplitudes.


Congenital cataracts are the prime cause for irreversible blindness in children. The global incidence of congenital cataract is 2.2–13.6 per 10,000 births, with the highest prevalence in Asia. Nearly half of the congenital cataracts are of familial nature, with a predominant autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Over 38 of the 45 mapped loci for isolated congenital or infantile cataracts have been associated with a mutation in a specific gene. The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of congenital cataracts makes the molecular diagnosis a bit of a complicated task. Hence, whole exome sequencing (WES) was utilized to concurrently screen all known cataract genes and to examine novel candidate factors for a disease-causing mutation in probands from 11 pedigrees affected with familial congenital cataracts. Analysis of the WES data for known cataract genes identified causative mutations in six pedigrees (55%) in PAX6, FYCO1 (two variants), EPHA2, P3H2, TDRD7 and an additional likely causative mutation in a novel gene NCOA6, which represents the first dominant mutation in this gene. This study identifies a novel cataract gene not yet linked to human disease. NCOA6 is a transcriptional coactivator that interacts with nuclear hormone receptors to enhance their transcriptional activator function.


The capacity of visual working memory for faces is extremely limited, but direct evidence for the cognitive locus of these limitations is currently lacking. Some accounts of working memory for complex objects such as faces assume that a fixed number of three or four items are encoded regardless of object complexity. According to fixed-capacity accounts, the apparent severe capacity limitations for complex objects arise during the sample-test comparison process rather than reflecting the actual number of items retained. We provide direct electrophysiological evidence (using the N2pc and CDA components as markers of attentional selection and working memory maintenance) that memory capacity limits for faces arise from the limited capacity of focal spatial attention during memory encoding. Participants performed a match to sample task with lateralised memory displays that contained one face (Load One) or two faces (Load Two). We show that only a single face is focally attended on most trials, and that the allocation of spatial attention predicts whether a particular face will be retained in memory. ERPs also reveal that on a minority of trials, two faces are simultaneously encoded. However, this type of divided attention delays face matching responses, and impairs sample-test comparison processes, as reflected by attenuated N250r components relative to trials with focal attention on the stored matching face. These results demonstrate a trade-off between the number of items stored in memory and the fidelity of visual working memory representations. We suggest that the capacity and distribution of selective spatial attention is a dynamic resource that constrains both working memory capacity and resolution. Because visual working memory representations are maintained through the allocation of selective spatial attention, they are position-dependent. This hypothesis is supported by an additional ERP experiment, which demonstrates that interference between visual memory representations occurs in a position-specific manner. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Despite the composed 'predict and provide' attitude displayed in the National Urban Policy Paper towards change in Australian Cities, our cities have been more vulnerable to an increasing range of events and trends. The experience of the last year alone is a clear indicator that prediction along traditional lines is an increasingly unreliable way of managing cities. Instead, planning policy and frameworks will have to reckon with the need to strengthen contingency and resilience in cities, whether for rapid deployment or on a larger timeframe as an essential part of a national conversation about the future of Australian cities.


Abstract : The purpose of the contract was the development of improved thin film passive components compatible with the silicon integrated circuit technology. Pyrolytic silicon oxynitride was used to form metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors, and rf reactively sputtered silicon oxynitride was used for metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. Both types of oxynitride were formed by N2O addition to the reactant gases. The dependence of dielectric constant, etch rate, breakdown strength and IR transmittance on N2O addition was measured. The MIS capacitors had breakdown strengths of 1.0 x 10 to the 7th power V/cm for a wide range of conditions, while MIM capacitors having molybdenum electrodes had equally high breakdown strengths for 5-10% N2O additions. Temperature coefficient, dissipation factor, and frequency dependence of dielectric constant were all small. Thin film resistors formed from co-sputtered Pt and silicon oxynitride cermet films had sheet resistance of 10 k ohms/sq cm with TCR's of 100 ppm for 1500A film thickness and specified fabrication conditions. A passive network, using MIS and MIM capacitors with a thin film resistor and having Mo electrodes and double layer contacts of Au-nichrome, was fabricated on silicon substrates. This demonstrated the compatibility of the thin film components with each other and with the silicon integrated circuit technology. (Author)


: Infertility has been considered as a worldwide global health issue. It is a human nature that every couple wants to have children so that the relationship can become stronger. Defect in thyroid hormone levels is one of the factors which can lead to reproductive cycle disorders and thus infertility results. Objectives: The purpose of current study was to investigate the levels of thyroid hormones in primary infertile and fertile females in order to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid disordsers. Study Design: Case control study. Place of Study: Outdoor of gynecology department of Madinah Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad. Duration of Study: 6 months from July to December 2017. Material and Methods: The study enrolled total 91 females of reproductive age 20-35 years which included 45 primary infertile females and 46 fertile females. They were divided into two groups. Group I: case/primary infertile women group (n= 45) and Group II: control /fertile females group (n= 46). Data was collected by taking history and clinical examination. Hormonal profile including fT 3 , fT 4 and TSH was done by means of chemiluminescent immunoassay. Results were analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Results: Most of the infertile females were euthyroid and hyperthyroidism was the most common thyroid disorder. The prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was about 9.3% and 26.7% respectively. The p-value showed the non-significant difference in the levels of fT 3 , fT 4 and TSH between primary infertile and fertile females. Significant positive correlation between fT 3 and fT 4 while non-significant negative correlation was observed between fT 3 & TSH and fT 4 & TSH in primary infertile females. Conclusion: Infertile females with menstrual irregularities should be advised thyroid profile in order to avoid other unnecessary investigations. Evaluation of thyroid status in the infertile couple is not only important but also easy because its treatment is very simple and often has revocable effects on subfertility.


Through their native languages, certain groups of people claim political, social, geographical, and ethnic identity and a legal base for their existence. Colonialism, however, has vanished minority spoken languages in many parts of the world. Additionally, despite claims of a "global village," the advent of internationalization has further isolated indigenous languages in some parts of the world. Revitalizing and preventing those languages from dwindling from their spoken communities is crucial for scholars of linguistics, sociology, cultural studies, and education. Dunmore, in the book Language Revitalisation in Gaelic Scotland: Linguistic Practice and Ideology, offers profound perspectives on preventing the potential loss of Gaelic language in Scotland drawing from empirical research.


This study investigates the relationship between university quality and graduate starting salaries using pooled Australian data from the Graduate Destination survey and a two-stage estimation methodology. The results suggest that average starting salaries for young undergraduates differ significantly across universities after controlling for relevant confounding factors, though the range of university effects is fairly small in relation to other salary determinants, particularly course area. The results are robust to alternative specifications and suggest that employers generally do not place salary premia on attending a high-quality or prestigious university, at least upon workforce entry.


On 21-22 November 2001, an extraordinary event took place in the Kremlin: Vladimir Putin, members of his cabinet, and other government officials met with representatives of more than three hundred nongovernmental and noncommercial organizations (NGOs and NKOs) to discuss practical measures for solving Russia's social problems. The president and government ministers, attempting to strengthen the state after a decade of turmoil, made overtures to Russia's slowly developing civil society, claiming that an effective and democratic state requires a strong, well-organized, and independent society. President Yeltsin had also reached out to social groups, seeking a "social accord" to support his political and economic reforms in 1992 and 1994. But the 2001 meeting differed from Yeltsin's populist-driven sessions. Russia's growing civil society, although still undeveloped by contemporary standards, is now more structured, and its practitioners operate from a more interest-driven set of priorities. Independent activists are now able to engage the president from a position of increased strength, as evidenced by the fact that they rejected Putin's attempts to privilege certain NGOs over others, exacerbate disagreements between NGOs and some human fights groups, and determine the composition and orientation of the Civic Forum. (1) Russia's independent groups organized their own participation in the conference, put their mark on the structure of the forum, and composed an agenda for future action. Although Russian civil society, as its activists realize, is in no position to engage the state as an equal partner, the Putin-initiated Civic Forum was a recognition of the social and political importance of independent groups as they organize to consolidate their resources. Still, the nagging question of motivation remains. Was the Civic Forum merely an attempt by a wily Putin to co-opt Russia's independent associations, to "tame" them using "open dialogue" to mask authoritarian plans? (2) Or was this meeting indicative of a new model of state-society relations, heralding an unprecedented opportunity for independent groups to gain legitimacy, obtain resources, hold state officials accountable, and help address social problems? (3) On these questions the jury is still out. It is clear that Putin, disingenuously or not, is now publicly articulating what theorists and activists have been saying for a long time: civil society is essential for the consolidation of democracy. The very public recognition of that fact legitimates the goals of civil society in official discourse and offers a presidential commitment to steer federal resources toward the institutionalization of civil society activity. It also challenges independent groups to organize at the federal level, dispense with debilitating bickering, pool their resources, and develop strategies to cooperate with state officials in the pursuit of common goals while holding those officials accountable for their actions. Despite an overconceptualization of the term and disagreements over definitions, attributes, orientations, and levels of development, "civil society" has entered the parlance of transition theories and practice, as the Russian literature indicates. Civil society contributes to the consolidation of democracy for several reasons: the liberal (as opposed to communal) self-organization of society promotes values of democratic citizenship, (4) creates a support base for democratic leaders, (5) goes hand in hand with a free enterprise market economy, (6) strengthens the activity of democratic political parties, (7) prevents the state from drifting toward authoritarianism, (8) makes the executive and legislative branches from the local to the federal level more effective and responsive, (9) promotes a more efficient use of local resources, (10) and addresses social problems more effectively than the government can. (11) Civil society assumes sociological as well as political and economic importance by integrating individuals and groups into a community bound together by common laws and norms of behavior, (12) reconstituting a common public identity of individuals as voluntary citizens after the forced public participation of the communist years (13) and allowing citizens to define the standards on which social relations are based, thus preventing the state from "colonizing" public life. …


Small talk is an important social lubricant that helps people, especially strangers, initiate conversations and make friends with each other in physical proximity. However, due to difficulties in quickly identifying significant topics of common interest, real-world small talk tends to be superficial. The mass popularity of mobile phones can help improve the effectiveness of small talk. In this paper, we present E-SmallTalker, a distributed mobile communications system that facilitates social networking in physical proximity. It automatically discovers and suggests topics such as common interests for more significant conversations. We build on Bluetooth Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) to exchange potential topics by customizing service attributes to publish non-service-related information without establishing a connection. We propose a novel iterative Bloom filter protocol that encodes topics to fit in SDP attributes and achieves a low false-positive rate. We have implemented the system in Java ME for ease of deployment. Our experiments on real-world phones show that it is efficient enough at the system level to facilitate social interactions among strangers in physical proximity. To the best of our knowledge, E-SmallTalker is the first distributed mobile system to achieve the same purpose.


included sensitivities, false-positive rates and receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Of 576 pregnancies studied from 1995 to 2006, 145 (25.2%) were affected. At 12–13 weeks' gestation, fetal cardiomegaly predicted the affected pregnancies significantly better than placentomegaly (area under ROC curve, 0.949 vs. 0.687, P < 0.05). The sensitivity for prediction of the affected pregnancies was 90.6% for fetal cardiomegaly (CTR ≥ 0.5), 69.8% for placentomegaly (PT > 18 mm) and 65.1% for combined testing. The corresponding false-positive rate was 6.8%, 50.3% and 2.8% respectively. At 14–15 weeks' gestation, the sensitivity for prediction of affected pregnancies was 93.8% for fetal cardiomegaly, 93.8% for placentomegaly and 87.5% for combined testing. The corresponding false-positive rate was 16.7%, 76.9% and 17.7% respectively. MCAPSV was not predictive in early second trimester. However, at 18–19 weeks' gestation, MCAPSV (at a cut-off 1.5 multiples of the median) predicted affected pregnancies significantly better than fetal cardiomegaly (area under ROC curve, 0.959 vs. 0.788, P < 0.05). The sensitivity for the prediction of affected pregnancies was 100.0% for fetal cardiomegaly and 57.1% for high MCAPSV while the corresponding false-positive rate was 46.2% and 0% respectively. Conclusions: The best ultrasonographic predictor of affected pregnancies at 12–13 weeks' and 18–19 weeks' gestation was fetal CTR and MCAPSV respectively.


Abstract. The distribution of the maximum annual three day snow fall depth H72, used for avalanche hazard mapping according to the Swiss procedure (Sp), is investigated for a network of 124 stations in the Alpine part of Switzerland, using a data set dating back to 1931. Stationarity in time is investigated, showing in practice no significant trend for the considered period. Building on previous studies about climatology of Switzerland and using an iterative approach based on statistical tests for regional homogeneity and scaling of H72 with altitude, seven homogenous regions are identified. A regional approach based on the index value is then developed to estimate the T-years return period quantiles of H72 at each single site i, H72i(T). The index value is the single site sample average μH72i. The dimensionless values of H*72i=H72i / μH72i are grouped in one sample for each region and their frequency of occurrence is accommodated by a General Extreme Value, GEV, probability distribution, including Gumbel. The proposed distributions, valid in each site of the homogeneous regions, can be used to assess the T-years return period quantiles of H*72i. It is shown that the value of H72i(T) estimated with the regional approach is more accurate than that calculated by single site distribution fitting, particularly for high return periods. A sampling strategy based on accuracy is also suggested to estimate the single site index value, i.e. the sample average μH72i, critical for the evaluation of the distribution of H72i. The proposed regional approach is valuable because it gives more accurate snow depth input to dynamics models than the present procedure based on single site analysis, so decreasing uncertainty in hazard mapping procedure.


The paper assesses the multilateral development financing system in the light of the replenishments of three key funds in 2013. It argues that the replenishments showed strong continuing support for each institution, but identifies challenges emerging from the reliance on traditional donors and the limited success in engaging major emerging economies. It underlines the significance of recent and prospective falls in the recipient client base, and notes the shifting balance between performance and need/fragility in determining multilateral aid allocations. The paper argues that both general and special purpose funds have their place, but that to sustain ownership in the more aid-dependent countries a 'think twice' policy remains appropriate before establishment of new special purpose funds.


After global economic developments in 1970s placed international political economy matters among the most important items of the international agenda; International Political Economy (IPE) emerged as one of the most important sub-disciplines of International Relations. In this study, emergence of IPE as a sub-discipline and impact of the global crisis on IPE will be analyzed. For this aim, collapse of the Bretton Woods System, the oil crisis of 1974, and demands of developing countries to establish New International Economic Order in 1970s will be evaluated within the context of increasing interconnectedness of international politics and international economy. Impacts of increasing mutual complex interdependence, globalization, and international financial movements on the emergence of IPE will be investigated. The effect of the global crisis on IPE will be analyzed. It is expected that number of IPE studies will increase and IPE will gain importance as a sub-discipline of International Relations.


The DoD focus on Joint network-enabled operations promises benefits in terms of improved force agility and effectiveness; however, the greater dependence on network capability makes it imperative that DoD decision makers understand the impact of such capabilities on mission success. This paper proposes a new analytic approach aimed initially at achieving first-order network mission assurance assessments by modeling aggregate behavior at a low level of resolution. It is based on the premise that risk of mission failure due to degradation of C2 is driven by the degree of dependency on key underlying functions (i.e., information sharing, collaboration, and direction) enabled by the common networks and the ability of these network to support such functions in realistic threat environments. It employs risk functions of different shapes and scales that relate the capability of links among groups of users to risk of failure of mission tasks. This paper describes the applicable problem space, the methodology, and outstanding research challenges.


At the Competencies Conference: Future Directions in Education and Credentialing in Professional Psychology, the Scientific Foundations and Research Competencies Work Group focused on identifying how psychologists practice scientifically. This article presents the subcomponents associated with the core competency of scientific practice. The subcomponents include: 1). access and apply current scientific knowledge habitually and appropriately; 2). contribute to knowledge; 3). critically evaluate interventions and their outcomes; 4). practice vigilance about how sociocultural variables influence scientific practice; and 5). routinely subject work to the scrutiny of colleagues, stakeholders, and the public. In addition, the article briefly discusses how the depth of training for and assessment of each subcomponent will vary by training model. Implications and future directions for individual psychologists, training programs, and the profession are discussed. This is one of a series of articles published in this issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Several other articles that resulted from the Competencies Conference will appear in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice and The Counseling Psychologist.