There has been a flurry of legislative action at the international and regional levels to address the global problem of trafficking in persons, which victimises epidemic-proportions of individuals and generates one of the largest proceeds of organised crime. The harmonisation of national legal responses based on minimum standards around prevention, prosecution, and protection as espoused by those international and regional instruments is a prerequisite for effective and wide cooperation among countries of origin, transit, and destination. However, the reluctance of states to lift to the lofty heights of international consensus the contentious policy issues surrounding trafficking, including prostitution, has resulted in the adoption of rather ambiguous anti-trafficking norms and obligations, which allow states to individually determine what constitutes 'trafficking in persons' within their own jurisdictions. The subsequent divergence in national responses reveals that legal harmonisation has not taken place. The mechanisms of enforcement, which attach directly or indirectly to those international and regional instruments, therefore, have the formidable task of assisting states in the implementation of the substantive content of anti-trafficking norms and obligations through their monitoring and reporting mandates. However, their work remains a neglected area of academic research, compared to writings on the ambiguity of the international anti-trafficking framework. The challenge to international regulation of the trafficking problem, as identified in this thesis, relates on a fundamental level to the systemic limitations of the formal processes of law based on state consent and respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Through a comparative legal analysis of international and European legal responses to sex trafficking in women, this thesis illuminates the main systemic challenges to combating trafficking in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden, and how the work of those enforcement mechanisms remedies some of those challenges.


The fly Carpomyia schineri Loew is a pest of the berries of the feral Rosa canina group but is can also be found in the berries of grown rose cultivars. The larva damages the flesh of the berry, several larvae can develop inside a single berry. It can decrease the quantity and ascorbic acid content of the tea and jam, which are important human ascorbic acid sources during winter. At the same time in trapping experiments the adult can be confounded with adults of the walnut husk fly (Rhagoletis completa Cresson). In collections of berries at several sites in Hungary damage levels ranged from 0.88% to 65.08 %. Based on these damage levels we had the impression that the yellow sticky traps CSALOMON® PALz or PALs baited with the synthetic Rhagoletis lure caught moderate numbers of adults and were not satisfactory for detection, consequently improving trapping methods is necessary in the future.


Quantum entanglement cannot be used as a communication channel without an auxiliary light speed limited classical key to unlock the message at the receiver? Hermitian observables guarantee orthogonal sender base states that erase any nonlocal influence of the sender settings on the detection probabilities at the receiver. However, this is no longer true when the entangled whole has different macro-quantum coherent Glauber sender states. Glauber states are non-orthogonal eigenstates of the non-Hermitian photon destruction operator. The Born probability interpretation breaks down because of "phase rigidity" (P.W. Anderson's "More is different"). This is a new regime that is to orthodox quantum theory what general relativity is to special relativity. Antony Valentini has argued that the breakdown of the Born probability rule entails "signal non locality" (aka entanglement signals). The space-time interval between the sending and the receiving irreversible measurements is irrelevant depending only on the free will of the local observers. That is, this is a pre-metrical topological information effect. There is asymmetry between the sending and the receiving. Therefore, there is no ambiguity between active (retro) cause and passive effect. In particular a message can be decoded back from the future before it is sent, but only if it will be sent in a globally self-consistent Novikov time loop.


Marrow mesenchymal cells contain stem cells and can regenerate tissue. We previously reported the clinical application of autologous cultured bone to regeneration therapy. However there is room for improvement in the culture methods; and here, we examined the optimal frequency of medium changing. Marrow cells were collected from the femur of a Fisher 7 week-old male rat. At 2 weeks after primary culture in a standard medium (MEM containing 15% bovine fetal serum), the cultures were trypsinized to prepare a cell suspension and divided into two groups, with or without addition of dexamethasone (Dex) to the osteogenic medium. To investigate optimal frequency, we further divided into 5 sub-groups; no changing (M0), 1 time/week (M1), 2/week (M2), 3/week (M3), and everyday (M7). After 2 weeks of subculture, the tissue was harvested and then ALP activity and calcium and DNA contents measured. In both of the Dex groups, there was significantly high ALP activity in the higher frequency group; but there was no significant DNA content. Also, in the Dex(+)group, there was a significant increase of calcium content in only the M3 and M7 sub-groups. Thus, we showed that the osteogenic potential of cultured bone is cultivated by increasing the frequency of medium changing.


In Lead-cadmium fluorogermanate glasses (PbF2-CdF2-PbGeO3) the addition of metal fluorides to the base PbGeO3 glass leads to a decrease of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and to an enhancement of the ionic conductivity properties. Based on different spectroscopic techniques (19F NMR, Ge K-edge X-ryas absorption and Raman scattering) an heterogeneous glass structure is proposed at the molecular scale, which can be described by fluoride rich regions permeating the metagermanate chains. The temperature dependence of the 19F NMR lineshapes and relaxation times exhibits the qualitative and quantitative features associated with the high fluoride mobility in these systems. Eu3+ emission and vibronic spectra are used to follow the crystallization process leading to transparent glass ceramics.


: A 68-year-old woman with Hemophilus influenzae pneumonia experienced a bullous dermatosis. Further evaluation revealed bullous erythema multiforme of the minor type which resolved concurrently with treatment of the pneumonia. Clinicians should be aware that H. influenzae may be one of the bacterial agents known to cause erythema multiforme.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) beneficial tribological properties were reported in numerous studies performed mostly in idealized tribometer conditions, previously described full engine tests confirmed that CNTs added to the lubricating oil reduced friction significantly. Apparently the engine application requires low CNT concentration in oil, otherwise when increasing the CNT concentration beyond a certain level oil viscosity increases, rapidly forming a greasy substance not suitable for engine lubrication. In this paper we report a study of tribological properties of such a high viscosity lubricant performed in Amsler tribometer in comparison to high quality commercially available lithium grease. The CNT based high viscosity lubricant in its current formulation turned out as not reliable for general application due to its low adhesion to the metal surface. In contrary to some samples made of a polymer widely used in industry as a friction component, we observed wear reduction reaching nearly 50% when replacing the best suitable lithium grease by a CNT based lubricant. This effect was first observed after 30 min into a friction test, suggesting a CNT related mechanism of anti-wear protection which still need to be explained.


The use of service-learning courses has evolved in the United States in the past three decades. While the most traditional approach to service learning focuses on what universities and colleges can do for the community (Speck and Hoppe 2004), a more contemporary approach has transformed service learning into a holistic experience that engages educators, students, and community partners in a dynamic process of mutual exchange. Drawing upon the examples of other universities (Chupp and Joseph 2010; Freire 2004; Pompa 2002), our department has recently created five new opportunities for service learning in which service learning is viewed as a system of interactions and exchanges among all agencies and partners involved. This paper provides an overview of these five projects. Each project employs service learning in a unique way and provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the numerous aspects of learning (in both undergraduate and graduate programs) that are often neglected in traditional classroom courses.


The nearshore ecosystem in Maine (USA) supports several bird species that rely on intertidal and subtidal zones, including high densities of migratory shorebirds and wintering waterfowl. Additionally, Acadia National Park (ANP) includes some of the country's highest densities of both Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) and Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus). Here I investigated whether conservation actions taken to preserve these two species of high conservation concern might also benefit the larger taxonomic groups to which they belong, a concept known as "umbrella species conservation". To answer this question, bird abundance surveys were conducted within ANP during 2021, and detection and occupancy were compared among the focal groups. This project also served as a pilot test of a long-term monitoring protocol for nearshore bird species in ANP. After controlling for detection, the presence of Purple Sandpipers and Harlequin Ducks did not significantly alter the estimated occupancy of waterfowl or shorebirds at a given site, indicating that these species are not good umbrella species for the two larger bird groups. The small sample size of our umbrella species and the near ubiquity of waterfowl made it statistically difficult for the occupancy of waterfowl to covary with umbrella species detection. Further, Purple Sandpipers were present at shorebird sites with the highest occupancy probabilities, but Harlequin Ducks were not. Including more survey locations occupied by Purple Sandpipers and Harlequin Ducks would be necessary to see if this pattern is generalizable within ANP. Additionally, further research is needed to determine whether any umbrella species conservation approach would be more appropriate for the near-coastal avian assemblage in Acadia.


The dynamics of meandering and eddy detachment in separating western boundary currents are explored by considering inviscid, quasi-geostrophic current systems with both data analysis and modeling. In chapter two, hydrographic and velocity observations of the North Brazil Current (NBC) retroflection region during the 1990-1991 Western Tropical Atlantic Experiment are examined. A three-layer quasigeostrophic approximation to the NBC region is built. Stream function and potential vorticity (PV) fields are presented. The upper and middle layer flows simulate the retroflection of the NBC waters at surface and subthermocline levels, respectively. The deepest layer is represented by a meandering weak southward flow that resembles the Deep Western Boundary Current. The participation of baroclinic instability in the NBC eddy-shedding is verified by isolating the effect of PV anomalies in each of the layers on each of the layers. In chapter three, a 1$1\over2$ layer "contour dynamical" model of two converging western boundary currents that form a zonal jet is built. It is intended to investigate the role of the coastline tilt and transport asymmetry between the converging currents in meander formation. The respective effects of coastline tilt and coastal current asymmetry can reinforce or cancel each other. In the former case, a retroflection type of boundary current separation, as observed in the Brazil Current separation, is obtained. In the latter case, a much smoother separation results, as observed in the Gulf Stream. In chapter four, a 2$1\over2$-layer "contour dynamical" model is built to investigate the role of baroclinic instability in forming eddies. The upper active layer flow structure is similar to that of the 1$1\over2$-layer model (chapter three). The lower active layer flow structure ranges from converging to diverging coastal current configurations. Unstable waves must either propagate westward or slowly in the eastward direction to allow coast/retroflection eddy formation. When retroflection eddies pinch off, both upper and lower layers present opposite-signed, closed, PV contours. This characterizes a dipolar vortex which can self-propagate away from the jet axis.


We examined the function of LIP5 in mammalian cells, because the yeast homologue Vta1p was recently identified as a protein required for multivesicular body (MVB) formation. LIP5 is predominantly a cytosolic protein. Depletion of LIP5 by small inhibitory RNA (siRNA) does not affect the distribution or morphology of early endosomes, lysosomes, or Golgi but does reduce the degradation of internalized epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), with EGFR accumulating in intracellular vesicles. Depletion of LIP5 by siRNA also decreases human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) budding by 70%. We identify CHMP5 as a LIP5-binding protein and show that CHMP5 is primarily cytosolic. Depletion of CHMP5 by siRNA does not affect the distribution or morphology of early endosomes, lysosomes, or Golgi but does result in reduced degradation of the EGFR similar to silencing of LIP5. Surprisingly, CHMP5 depletion results in an increase in the release of infectious HIV-1 particles. Overexpression of CHMP5 with a large carboxyl-terminal epitope affects the distribution of both early and late endocytic compartments, whereas overexpression of LIP5 does not alter the endocytic pathway. Comparison of overexpression and siRNA phenotypes suggests that the roles of these proteins in MVB formation may be more specifically addressed using RNA interference and that both LIP5 and CHMP5 function in MVB sorting, whereas only LIP5 is required for HIV release.


This research investigates children's semantic and pragmatic competence using the logical quantifiers 'most' and 'some', and the operators 'or' and 'and' in English and Arabic. It includes two main studies, with a sample of 30 Arabic-bidialectal, 26 English-monolingual, and 30 Arabic-and-English-bilingual pre-schoolers (mean age 5;6).

Study 1 explored the relationship between children's semantic comprehension of quantifiers and their numeracy skills, and asked two questions: a) do children comprehend quantifiers in semantically appropriate ways, and b) to what extent does acquisition of numerical system affect acquisition of quantifiers? The study applied two semantic tasks (perception v. production) and four numerical tasks (how-many, give-a-number, non-verbal ordinal, and estimating-magnitude-numerically). Most children showed very good numeracy skills; all performed better on the production than on the perception task, and Arabic children had significantly lower quantifier comprehension than the other groups. Ability on the give-a-number task (measuring ability to produce sets representing numerical values) had a significant effect on comprehension of 'some'.

Study 2 explored the relationship between pragmatic competence and bilingualism, with a focus on scalar implicature. It asked whether any superior pragmatic competence in bilinguals is due to a cognitive advantage over monolinguals. It applied two ternary-response judgment tasks to assess pragmatic ability in two conditions (enriched context v. no context), and two cognitive tasks: an inhibitory control task and a short-term memory task. A bilingual advantage was found only on pragmatic, not cognitive, tasks; however, cognitive tasks had strong effects on pragmatic performance. These results are discussed vis-a-vis theories of implicature processing.

The main contributions of this research are to a) theoretically establish how quantifiers and numbers are associated by linking theories of abstract and number word representations and then testing this relation empirically, b) show that the bilingual advantage emerges in both English and Arabic, and c) provide evidence that implicature processing is cognitively effortful.


Integrity of the palatal mucosa may be disrupted due to various pathological and congenital factors. In maxillofacial defects, the buccal fat pad has been used frequently to repair the palatal region and close oro-nasal communications. In this case report, the use of buccal fat pad for the closure of a surgical palatal defect is presented with a 3-year follow-up. A 75-year-old female patient visited our clinic with a complaint of a non-adaptive maxillary denture. During clinical and radiographic examination, a well-demarcated mass on the palatal mucosa extending to the soft palate of the left side was observed. Subsequent to resection of the tumor, a defect occurred on the palatal region extending toward the soft palate. The pedicled buccal fat pad was chosen for closure of the defect. The patient was followed-up at 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after surgery. Epithelization and healing of the surgical wound were uneventful. At the 3-year follow-up, functional closure of the left palatal region was observed with no recurrence. Buccal fat pad is an easily manipulated flap with predictable results for the reconstruction of medium-sized defects of the oral and maxillofacial region with minimal postoperative discomfort for the patient.


COVID-19 has shone a light on the many inequalities scarring our landscape. As we look to the future, a consensus is emerging around the need to reject the highly individualistic focus of previous decades and to build back fairer by tackling the 'causes of the causes' of
 so many of our social ills. What might this mean for 'child protection', where a focus on individual families and individually generated risks has dominated? We suggest that this model is broken beyond repair and out of kilter with what is needed going forward. We argue that a
 focus on promoting human flourishing is likely to serve children, young people, their families and society better. In order to support such a project, we argue for the need to change our language, hold broader conversations than hitherto and marry ambition with caution.


Chapter I. Density functional theory calculations were used to examine the interconversions of C5H6 and C 6H8 isomers. On the C5H6 surface, cyclobutenylcarbene is predicted to rearrange to 1,2-cyclopentadiene. Interconversion of cyclobutylidenecarbene and cyclopentyne has a small barrier. For the C6H8 surface, cyclopentenylcarbene is predicted to rearrange to bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-5-ene and further to 1,3-cyclohexadiene. Cyclopentylidenecarbene can easily interconvert with cyclohexyne. These results are in accord with experimental results, to date. Carbene precursors via a cyclopropanated phenanthrene, 1,1-dihalo-1a,9b-dihydro-1Hcyclopropa[I]phenanthrene, were studied. Chapter II. Isodesmic and homodesmic equations at B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory have been used to estimate strain for the series of cyclic allenes and cyclic butatrienes. A fragment strain approach was also developed and provides more accurate predictions for the larger rings. The strain estimations are in agreement with experimental results for these cumulenes. Chapter III. We have mapped the energy surface for the ozone + ketone reaction with B3LYP, BH&HLYP, CCSD(T) and CBS-QB3 methods. Oxidation by ozone renders aldehydes unsuitable for examining the tetroxolane hypothesis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).


Takes a look at early variation in imitation and discusses how it might be interpreted. Observations made in 3 Swedish studies are presented, and argues that combined data make it difficult to dismiss the observed variation in imitation as only error variance. The 1st part of this chapter provides a brief description of some basic assumptions. Next, the author presents empirical observations of variation in the imitative responses of neonates and young infants. The final part of this chapter is a discussion of how the role of the nervous system in the occurrence of neonatal imitation might be envisioned.


Determining whether animals select some habitats over others provides basic information about how animals meet their requirements for survival and reproduction. Habitat selection is therefore an important component of conservation research. Studies involving the release and establishment of threatened species on island refuges can be particularly insightful because breeding pairs should be able to select habitat of the highest quality within the range available. This study uses GIS technology to investigate the spatial distribution of breeding territories in relation to overall habitat availability of two threatened passerines, South Island saddlebacks (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus) and Stewart Island robins (Petroica australis rakiura) two years after their release onto predator-free Ulva Island. Both species established breeding territories around the periphery of the island in coastal forest fringe habitat and away from mature forest in the interior of the island. Compositional analysis suggested that both species prefer dense, fringe-type habitat with open ground cover and deep litter layers and avoid more mature forests, especially with moss cover. Thus habitat structure is likely to be more important for both species than plant-species composition. However, the possibility exists that the preference of coastal fringe habitat could represent an 'ecological trap', where habitat preference does not correspond to better quality habitat in terms of reproductive fitness. It will be useful to continue monitoring saddlebacks and robins to obtain data on survival and fecundity as the density of birds increases, and breeding pairs are forced to establish territories in what is presently perceived to be less preferred habitat in the interior part of the island.


Small organic molecules (compounds with a MW < 500 Daltons) are increasingly recognised as valuable tools for understanding the many important cellular events and biological pathways involved in health and disease. Because many small molecules were discovered serendipitously in the past, more recent initiatives employ screening programs that are high-throughput in nature to facilitate the efficient discovery of many more useful probes and lead molecules. Access to large, diverse and biologically relevant compound libraries is essential in this paradigm to identify useful starting points for chemical biology or early phase drug discovery. The Queensland Compound Library (QCL) is a national resource that allows chemists to deposit small molecules into a central repository for access by biomedical and biological research teams. The guiding principle of the QCL is to facilitate collaborations and add value to the already excellent basic medical research, synthetic organic chemistry and natural product expertise in the region. Success derived from the innovative use of small-molecule techniques and tools depends on the creative interaction between chemistry and biology. To this end, open access molecules and natural product extracts stored at the QCL can be used in biochemical or cell-based assays to find small molecule probes that provide temporal, reversible modulation of cellular systems to address the most challenging and significant problems in diseases associated with aberrant pathway activity. Many of the steps in such pathways will have been previously inaccessible using existing tools and techniques. Small molecules can also be used in concert with shRNA, siRNA or microRNA arrays to induce synthetic lethality. This poster will provide an overview of the synergies between small molecules, compound management and biology.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the survival of maxillary anterior cantilever resin-bonded metalceramic (MC) and all-ceramic (AC) fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between August 2007 and December 2009, 40 patients received 40 RBFDPs made of either cobalt-chromium-ceramic (n = 20) or glass-infiltrated alumina (In-Ceram, Vident; n = 20) and were followed up until December 2012. Restorations were adhesively cemented (Panavia 21, Kuraray).

RESULTS
Two fractures were observed with AC. No debondings were observed with MC (n = 0) but were observed with AC (n = 3). The difference in survival rates of MC and AC was not significant (MC: 100%; AC: 90%; P = .15) (Kaplan-Meier method, confidence interval = 95%).

CONCLUSIONS
Cantilever AC RBFDPs could be a promising alternative to MC RBFDPs for replacement of missing anterior incisors, provided that no mechanical complications were experienced with the latter.


We have studied the hepatic messenger RNA (mRNA) activity profile in chronically azotemic rats and sought to determine whether the observed changes could be mediated either by reduced food intake or diminished thyroid function at the tissue level. mRNA activity profiles were produced by two-dimensional gel electrophoretic separation of radioactively labeled products of an in vitro reticulocyte lysate system which had been programmed by hepatic RNA. Of the approximately 240 translational products identified in this system, seven sequences were consistently altered in azotemia. In pair-fed animals six of these also decreased, but the alterations in three were depressed to a significantly lesser extent in the pair-fed group. Moreover, analysis of covariance suggested that food intake could account for the differences in only one sequence. The possibility that the mRNA activity profile in azotemia could represent the effects of diminished thyroid function was minimized by the finding that the reductions in plasma thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels observed were due largely to reduced plasma protein binding, with maintenance of the mean free T4 and free T3 concentrations within the normal range. The changes in only one mRNA sequence could be related to free T3 levels alone. Our findings, therefore, indicate that although diminished food intake and reduced thyroid function may contribute to some of the observed changes in the mRNA activity profiles, the bulk of alterations in azotemia appear to be mediated by other mechanisms. The striking overlap between the sequences affected by azotemia and pair-feeding raises the speculation that altered gene expression in azotemia may reflect an impaired hepatic response at the pretranslational level to metabolic signals associated with food intake.


Outcome after burn injury, as also paralleled by other trauma, has been improving steadily over the years. In this aspect a significant improvement was seen especially in the 1970-ties when the 50% survival chance from a burn injury increased from 45% total body surface area burned (TBSA%) in a 21 year old patient up to almost 80% (TBSA%). Although this improvement may be claimed to have many reasons, a significant one that needs to be stressed is the introduction of more thorough use of protocolized fluid treatment strategies


Cancer-related electronic support groups (ESGs) may be regarded as a complement to face-to-face groups when the latter are available, and as an alternative when they are not. Advantages over face-to-face groups include an absence of barriers imposed by geographic location, opportunities for anonymity that permit sensitive issues to be discussed, and opportunities to find peers online. ESGs can be especially valuable as navigation aids for those trying to find a way through the healthcare system and as a guide to the cancer journey. Outcome indicators that could be used to evaluate the quality of ESGs as navigation aids need to be developed and tested. Conceptual models for the navigator role, such as the Facilitating Navigator Model, are appropriate for ESGs designed specifically for research purposes. A Shared or Tacit Model may be more appropriate for unmoderated ESGs. Both conceptual models raise issues in Internet research ethics that need to be address


In this paper, dielectric constants of lossy organic liquids are measured using oscillation frequency shifts of a negative-resistance voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The design and working principle of the oscillator and the effect of material loss are presented in detail. The proposed method provides relatively large frequency shifts of 10-110 MHz for lossy test sample volumes of 50-200 μL whose dielectric constants are between 2-13 at 4.5 GHz, thereby allowing good resolution in dielectric-constant measurement. To make the system self-sustained, the VCO is used as part of a frequency synthesizer system for frequency-to-voltage conversion and digital extraction of the frequency shift using a unique detection algorithm. The dielectric constant of several organic liquids have been extracted to an accuracy better than 2% using sample volumes of 50-200 μL , and has excellent agreement with reported values. The applicability of this system for sensing dielectric mixtures has also been shown, and volume fraction estimation has been demonstrated to an accuracy of around 1%.


Increasing women's participation in Computer Science (CS) is a critical workforce and equity concern. The technology industry has committed to reversing negative trends for women in CS, engineering, and related fields. Building on previous research, we surveyed 1,739 high school students and recent college graduates to understand factors influencing decisions to pursue CS-related college degrees. Results indicate social encouragement, career perception, academic exposure, and self perception are the leading factors for women, while the influence of these factors is different for men. These factors are actionable, and understanding differences in their influence on men and women will inform our approaches to achieving gender parity in tech.


Four hundred fourteen primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas were treated by microscopically controlled excision. A five-year mortality-table adjusted cure rate of 93.3% was achieved. The following six parameters were analyzed for correlation with the local recurrence rate: sex, age, lesion diameter, history of previous therapy, anatomic site, and number of stages of Mohs' surgery required for treatment. Only the number of stages correlated significantly with the recurrence rate. However, subpopulations at high risk for recurrent disease could be identified. These consisted of male patients younger than 60 years of age, male patients requiring five or more stages of Mohs' surgery, and patients of either sex with carcinoma of the lower extremity. Modifications of microscopically controlled excision may be warranted in selected patients.


Amongst the specimens brought by Dr. Hooker and Mr. G. Maw, from Morocco, in North Africa, and submitted to me for examination, were some Urchins of the family Scutellidœ, of peculiar form, differing from any I had previously seen or examined, and certainly not referable to any described Tertiary species. Comparison with known forms, recent and fossil, failed to elucidate their true history more than to show that they evidently belonged to the Rotuline group of Scutellidœ amongst the Clypeasteroidea, nevertheless differing considerably from the genus Rotula (Klein) the only form to which they can be referred. Rotula now inhabits the sea and coast of Senegal, West Africa, from which two, if not three, species are known:—R. Rumphii, Klein; R. Augusti, Klein; and R. Gaulteri, Ag. There is, however, a marked difference between the characters of our new genus and that of Rotula, especially in the more elongated and oval form of the test, the extreme rounding or truncation of the fimbriation, or crenulation, upon the posterior margin, more acute anterior and less tumid lateral margins,— so much so, that a line drawn round the circumference of the test of Rotula, including the digitations, would describe a complete circle touching the periphery of the Urchin, whereas the form of Rotuloidea is an oval or ellipse—Rotula being circular, Rotuloidea oval; these, with other differences to be hereafter noticed, justify the establishment of a new genus for the reception of these North-African, fossil forms. The resemblance to and affinities with Rotula suggest


Various types of seismic barriers are used in practice to protect buildings from traffic-induced ground vibrations, mainly from propagating Rayleigh surface waves. One of the widely used types of seismic barriers are open trenches. Experimental investigations of real size trenches at frequencies typical for traffic-induced ground vibrations, i.e. at 10-100 Hz, are costly and time consuming. In the present work, an alternative and much less expensive approach is proposed - a reduced-scale experimental modelling using ultrasonic Rayleigh wave propagation over very small-scale replicas of real trenches. Experimental investigations of propagation of Rayleigh wave pulses with the central frequency of 1 MHz, which corresponds to the value of scaling factor of about 1:1000, have been carried out for a single trench and for periodic combinations of trenches. The results of the measurements of transmission and reflection coefficients of Rayleigh waves for different incident angles show that, for typical values of the parameters used in the experiments, periodic combinations of trenches represent efficient seismic barriers against traffic-induced ground vibrations.


This study examined how aspects of the parenting and coparenting relationships relate to children's prosocial behavior in early childhood. Fifty-eight 2-parent families from a larger ongoing longitudinal study participated in this study. Mothers completed questionnaires that measured their use of inductive reasoning, as well as their children's prosocial behavior. Furthermore, parents and their children participated in 3 triadic interaction tasks that were coded to assess cooperative coparenting behavior. Results revealed that cooperative coparenting was positively associated with children's prosocial behavior. A significant interaction also emerged between maternal inductive reasoning and cooperative coparenting behavior. These findings underscore the important role of a cooperative coparenting subsystem in influencing children's emerging prosocial behavior, as well as highlight the association between positive parenting practices and children's prosocial development within the context of cooperative coparenting behaviors. This study demonstrates the utility of understanding family-level processes that contribute to children's prosocial development during early childhood.


Computer communication services (e.g., E-mail, FTP, Teleconferencing, provide their own functions which don't interact with each other. Network users' requirements are often satisfied by using multiple services sequentially or in parallel. This paper proposes an EFSM-based service specification language which enables users to flexibly construct a composite service such as composed of multiple services (we call them sub-services). In addition, service specifications written in the proposed language can be easily decomposed into sub-services which are reusable enough to reconstruct new composite services with those sub-services. Namely, the language ensures the reusability of specifications. Using a simple example of a composite service, this paper shows the reusability of specifications. The user programmability is also discussed by comparison with of Estelle.


We give conditions that guarantee that the posterior probability of every Hellinger neighborhood of the true density tends to 1 almost surely. The conditions are (i) a smoothness condition on the prior and (ii) a requirement that the prior put positive mass in appropriate neighborhoods of the true density. The results are based on the idea of approximating the set of densities with a nite dimensional set of densities and then computing the Hellinger bracketing metric entropy of the approximating set. We apply the results to some examples.


Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) are capable of characterising the morphology and structure of sub-micron size substances attached to chalk particle surfaces. Some characteristics, however, may originate from sample preparation or reflect interaction between sample and the electron beam. Misinterpretation of surface features may lead to wrong conclusions regarding grain surface properties and cementation level and thus to erroneous characterisation of hydrocarbon
reservoirs with respect to e.g. wettability, mechanical strength and maximum burial depth. In SEM, conductive coatings may mask surface details or generate artificial ornamentations, and carbon adhesive discs may cause the chalk surface to be covered with a thin carbon film. Electron beam acceleration voltage controls the degree of detail revealed by the electron beam, but in SEM a high electron beam acceleration voltage may provoke bending or curling of ultrathin particles. Recent organic filaments
may be confused with clay flakes, and authigenic non-carbonate minerals may have formed in the pore fluid and settled during fluid removal. In TEM, the high acceleration voltage may cause beam damage to calcite and transform the outermost atomic layers into Ca oxide. Thin graphite membranes observed by TEM may be contamination from the carbon film supporting the sample, and overlapping chalk particles in samples formed by drying of a suspension may give the impression of being cemented together. In TEM residual adhesive from the ion-milling process can be confused with cementation features.


The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to examine basal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein concentrations following 10 weeks of endurance training and after 7 days of detraining; and (2) to examine the acute VEGF protein response to a single 1 h exercise work bout in trained and detrained animals in relationship to changes in capillary indices following training and detraining. Thirty‐three Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized into the following six groups: (1) control–basal; (2) control–acute exercise; (3) trained–basal; (4) trained–acute exercise; (5) detrained–basal; and (6) detrained–acute exercise. Groups 3–6 performed endurance training on a rodent treadmill three times per week for 10 weeks. Following the training intervention, rats in groups 5 and 6 remained cage confined (i.e. detrained) for 7 days. As expected, training increased soleus and plantaris muscle capillarity and attenuated the VEGF response to acute exercise. Seven days of detraining, however, resulted in a regression of capillary contacts and individual capillary‐to‐fibre ratio in the plantaris and soleus muscles compared with the trained group (P < 0.05). Restoration of the VEGF protein response to acute exercise was evident in both muscles, but only statistically significant in the plantaris muscle (P < 0.05). This is the first study to demonstrate the temporal relationship between VEGF protein expression and skeletal muscle capillarity within the first week of detraining. The findings of the present investigation are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced capillarity impairs oxygen availability to the working muscles. The results indicated that training‐induced angiogenic remodelling was reversible following 1 week of detraining and may be modulated by VEGF.


Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and electrolytes are important biomarker in myocardial infraction. To evaluate the relationship between Electrolyte (Sodium, Potassium, Chloride), BNP, Nitric Oxide, and Immunoglobulin in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), 25 patients with heart failure and 10 clinically healthy subjects (control), were used. The results of the present study showed the association between BNP and electrolytes, nitric oxide in addition to immunoglobulin. The results showed a decrease in sodium, potassium, chloride, and immunoglobulin except IgE and increase in BNP and NO. These parameters may be regarded as predictors or risk factors of MI.


Global climate change affects the oceanographic features and distribution of marine fishes as they are poikilothermic animals. Study of oceanographic variables in a localized region is more relevant in the context of ecological responses rather than global or continental variations. In this study, time series analysis of chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in sea water and sea surface temperature (SST) was performed separately for southern, middle and northern stratum along south-west coast of India using various statistical tools. The SST showed an increasing trend along the entire south-west coast of India after the year 1995. The northern and southern stratum of south-west coast were highly influenced by rising SST, whereas middle stratum in present scenario showed stable conditions in terms of Chl-a concentration. The study provides a baseline information about changing patterns of oceanographic features along the south-west coast of India giving a better understanding of changing global climatic conditions in coastal ecosystems.


Rhizoctonia root rot of wheat and barley caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 continues to cause significant yield losses, especially in no-till cropping systems in low to medium rainfall regions across southern Australia. This study was conducted to determine if liquid banding of the fungicides Uniform® and EverGol® Prime could significantly reduce yield losses attributed to Rhizoctonia. From 2011-2013, 28 trials were conducted at 14 sites across SA and WA; Uniform® was evaluated in 10 barley and 11 wheat trials, and EverGol® Prime in 6 barley trials sown using a knife point furrow opener. Sites had significant levels of Rhizoctonia prior to seeding and treatments included banding fungicide 3-4 cm below the seed, on the soil surface behind the press wheel and a combination of both. Seed treatments plus/minus banding fungicide below the seed were also evaluated. Vibrance™ and EverGol® Prime seed treatments produced significant yield responses in 4/21 and 2/6 trials, respectively. Uniform® banded below the seed at different rates produced significant yield responses in 21/33 trials and EverGol® Prime in 2/8 trials. The split Uniform® treatment applied to the surface and below the seed produced the greatest proportion of significant yield responses, 14/19 trials, with net yield increases of up to 0.87 and 0.53 t/ha in barley and wheat, respectively. For EverGol® Prime this split treatment resulted in 2/5 trials showing significant responses with the largest net gain being 0.44 t/ha in barley. The APVMA is currently reviewing submissions to have Uniform® registered for banding on the surface and below the seed, and EverGol® Prime below the seed only .


Since Rousseau political theorists have had frequent recourse to a contrast between the fragmented nature of modern social and political life and the allegedly communitarian character of the Greek polis. At the heart of this opposition was the belief that the polis represented a condition of unsurpassable harmony in which citizens identified freely and spontaneously with their public institutions. Unlike their ancient counterparts, modern citizens exhibited less identification with their public world than resolution to advance their separate individual interests and pursue their private conceptions of the good. Nevertheless, the disintegration of the polis was not depicted in the language of unqualified loss. History had not been simply an unmitigated fall, because the individual's claim to scrutinize the law of the polis on rational grounds involved a significant advance in man's self-consciousness. The positive aspect of its decline was man's transcendence of a parochial culture in which neither the right of individual freedom nor the principle of human equality had been recognized. If the modern world had lost the spontaneous form of community enjoyed by the ancients, it surpassed that world in its understanding and expression of freedom.


Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) without metastases is most curable cancer. However, it rarely metastasizes to bone and in those cases prognosis is poor. A 55 years old female has presented with history of painless swelling on frontal region of skull for one year and limping gait to National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (NINMAS) in September 2013. She also had total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter in early 2013. She had history of excision of swelling on frontal region in July of same year. Histopathological report of excised mass confirmed metastatic PTC. The patient again developed visible swelling on frontal region of skull suggesting recurrence. Her serum TSH was low 0.89 mIU/L without levothyroxine supplement may be due to thyroid hormones produced from metastatic masses. Serum thyroglobulin level was 464 ng/ml. X-ray of pelvis and skull showed huge soft tissue masses arising from right ileum and a lytic lesion on posterior aspect of frontal region. Whole body bone scan with 99m Technetium methylene diphosphonate (MDP) revealed a 'doughnut' lesion of frontal bone and a big lesion with 'hot' and 'cold' areas in right ileum and. On ultrasound scan, there was huge solid mass (about 10.0 cm× 7.0 cm) with some inhomogeneity and central cystic changes in medial aspect of right hip bone extending to pelvic cavity. Similar mass corresponded the visible swelling on skull. This mass was extended to intracranial region. Color Doppler study showed vascularity within and at margins of masses. To avoid risk of raised intracranial pressure following radioiodine therapy we sent the patient for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for reduction of the size of masses. Patient under went 5 cycles of EBRT (total 2000 c Gy in each lesion) but there were no reductions of sizes within one month follow up period. Small bony metastatic lesions from PTC in early stage are curable by surgical removal and repeated dose of radioiodine therapy. PTC with multiple advanced bony metastases shows poor prognosis. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjnm.v17i1.22504 Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 17(1): 125-132, January 2014


The spallation residues produced in the bombardment of ^(56)Fe at 1.5A, 1.0A, 0.75A, 0.5A, and 0.3A GeV on a liquid-hydrogen target have been measured using the reverse kinematics technique and the fragment separator at GSI (Darmstadt). This technique has permitted the full identification in charge and mass of all isotopes produced with cross sections larger than 10^(-2) mb down to Z=8. Their individual production cross sections and recoil velocities at the five energies are presented. Production cross sections are compared with previously existing data and with empirical parametric formulas, often used in cosmic-ray astrophysics. The experimental data are also extensively compared with the results of different combinations of intranuclear cascade and deexcitation models. It is shown that the yields of the lightest isotopes cannot be accounted for by standard evaporation models. The GEMINI model, which includes an asymmetric fission decay mode, gives an overall good agreement with the data. These experimental data can be directly used for the estimation of composition modifications and damages in materials containing iron in spallation sources. They are also useful for improving high-precision cosmic-ray measurements.


The present rear-end collision accident proportion on the road increases day after day, car collision avoidance system is more and more paid attention. Analysising the existing car collision avoidance system, we propose a car anti-collision algorithm based on safe distance model in this paper. This method takes the influence factors of safety distance for main parameters which fully considers the speed change and the acceleration change of the car 1 and the car 2. It may realize real-time information acquisition and warning judgment according to the state of car 2, the car could automatic braking if necessary. VB simulation shows that the algorithm can effectively avoid collision, also automatically maintain the distance between vehicles, and lay a foundation for further research on the unmanned car.


Background: Adiantum philippense (AP) is a pteridophyte that shows antihyperglycemic activity in vivo diabetic model, but the mechanism of action is unknown. Objective: AP was found to play a pivotal role in minimizing the high blood glucose in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Simultaneously, it was observed that it could maintain the normal lipid profile even in diabetic condition. To investigate its insulin-like activity along with its inhibitory role on adipocyte differentiation became the objective of our present study. Materials and Methods: Glucose uptake potential of this fern was done in isolated pancreatic islets and inhibition of adipocyte differentiation was assessed in 3T3-L1 cell line. Before this, the cytotoxic concentration was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay on L929 cell line. To determine its role in lipid metabolism, the oil droplets produced in adipocytes were stained with Oil 'O' red staining, and triglyceride levels of various drug treatments were measured spectrophotometrically. Results: This fern extract was found to be actively utilizing glucose in the glucose uptake assay. Moreover, it was also involved in inhibiting differentiation of pro-adipocyte to adipocyte in the 3T3-L1 cell lines. The percentage inhibition as obtained from the absorbance showed that the ethanolic extract at the concentration of 200 μg/ml showed 32.48% inhibition. Conclusion: All the above-mentioned parameters when appraised indicated that this fern could be used as an alternative medicine in managing diabetes associated with obesity. Abbreviations used: AP: Adiantum phillipense; MTT: (3-(4,5- Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide); BSA: Bovine serum albumin; FCS: Fetal calf serum; DMEM: Dulbecco's minimum essential media; RPMI: Roswell park memorial institute medium; DTZ: Dithizone; TG: Triglyceride; PPARγ: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; IBMX: 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine; nm: Nanometer; GI: Growth Inhibition; ELISA: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.


This article investigates whether public investments that led to improvements in road quality and increased access to agricultural extension services led to faster consumption growth and lower rates of poverty in rural Ethiopia. Estimating an Instrumental Variables model using Generalized Methods of Moments and controlling for household fixed effects, we find evidence of positive impacts with meaningful magnitudes. Receiving at least one extension visit reduces headcount poverty by 9.8 percentage points and increases consumption growth by 7.1 percentage points. Access to all-weather roads reduces poverty by 6.9 percentage points and increases consumption growth by 16.3 percentage points. These results are robust to changes in model specification and estimation methods


The endangered oribi antelope Ourebia ourebi is highly dependent on privately owned lands for its continued survival in South Africa. Despite the fact that conserving oribi may result in costs to farmers in the form of land use restrictions and pressures from illegal hunting, there is evidence that South African farmers are willing to conserve oribi on their lands. However, to date, no research has been conducted to examine farmers' understanding of how to manage their lands for oribi or their motivations for conserving this species. We conducted 50 in-depth interviews with private landowners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to investigate why farmers are willing to protect oribi, their perceptions of the threats to the species, and their understanding of how land should be managed to benefit oribi. Respondents' willingness to conserve oribi was driven primarily by an affinity for the species and wildlife in general. Respondents perceived illegal taxi hunting to be the greatest threat to oribi. Taxi hunts are organized, illegal hunting events that involve multiple participants and packs of dogs, who hunt at night on farms without the permission or knowledge of farmers. Although some respondents managed their lands specifically to benefit oribi, most were unsure which land management practices would support oribi conservation efforts. Farmers require legal support to more effectively conserve oribi. In addition, they would benefit from outreach and awareness programs on how to manage their lands for oribi.


Objective: The aim of the present study was to characterize the antimicrobial properties of Acacia Gum Arabia crude
extracts and Acacia Gum Arabia aqueous cream against certain selected quality control microorganisms.
Methodology: A serial concentrations were prepared 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of Acacia Gum Arabia. An
 aqueous cream with 5% concentration of Acacia Gum Arabia were prepared and evaluated. A quality control tests
 were conducted to check the stability, organoleptic properties and pH of the cream. An in vitro evaluation against
 Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, and
 Pseudomonas aeroginosa) and yeast (Candida albicans). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) were
determined.
Results: Out of sex (6) tested microorganisms, it is found that 5% is the optimum concentration that most of the
 microorganisms are reported to shows zone of inhibitions. A further experiments were conducted for minimum
 inhibitory concentrations (MIC). The MIC values are found to be Proteus 1.25%, Shigella 2.5-1.5%, Staphylococcus
epidermidis 1.25%, and Klebsiella 2.5%. The quality control tests for Acacia Gum Arabia cream reveals that for the
 spreadability test the measured diameter of each types (spreadability), in which the average diameter of aqueous cream
 and acacia cream ware 2.4 and 2.2 ± 0.14, respectively. The topical treatment with Acassia gum cream showed
 significant healing effect on excision wounds and demonstrated an important role in the inflammation process by
increasing antioxidant enzyme activities, thereby accelerating the wound healing process and reducing tissue injury.
Conclusion: it can be concluded that Acacia Gum Arabia demonstrate an antibacterial activity for certain types of
bacterias. And the Acacia Gum Arabia cream can be used as an antibacterial cream.


Thesis firstly defines supply chain content, then learn from theory of supply chain factors to determine the effective operation of supply chain as objective, the effective interface, dynamic scalability and effective communication for guidelines. The subordinate indexes for effective interface are transportation, network construction, the quality of staff, subordinate indexes for dynamic scalability are the country's economic level, competition in the market environment, market information, the quality of decision-makers, subordinate indexes for effective communication are except market information, the quality of decision-making personnel, but also subjected to the two essential elements, state laws and regulations and commercial credit. Combined Analytic Hierarchy Process with expert method to give model evaluation results, that is the supply chain decision-makers, has a greatest effect on the effective functioning of the supply chain, followed by the commercial credit, once again, market information. Based on the evaluation model, put forward its scope and the corresponding strategies.


OBJECTIVE
This cohort study, based on the design of a prior study in the United States, was conducted to elucidate the clinical features of primary human herpesvirus-6B (HHV-6B) infection.

METHODS
Between June 2014 and May 2016, febrile children younger than 5 years who visited the emergency room (ER) and underwent blood examination were enrolled in this study.

RESULTS
Fifty-nine (12%) of the 491 patients were diagnosed with primary HHV-6B infection. The rates of both simple and complex febrile seizure were significantly higher in patients with primary HHV-6B infection than in those without (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). The median age at primary HHV-6B infection was 15 months. Forty-seven (79.7%) of the 59 patients with primary HHV-6B infection were younger than 2-year-old. Clinical features were compared between HHV-6B-infected patients older and younger than 2 years. The frequency of apparent infection (exanthema subitum) was significantly higher in the younger patients (P = 0.01). The median leukocyte (P = 0.01) and lymphocyte (P < 0.001) counts in the patients older than 2 years were significantly lower than those in the younger patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Primary HHV-6B infection accounted for 12% of ER visits. Secondary febrile seizures, in particular the complex type, were considered to be a major contributor to the disease burden of primary HHV-6B infection. The timing of primary HHV-6B infection occurred at older ages than in past reports, and the frequency of inapparent infection was higher in older patients.


A common challenge of logging core from heavy-oil reservoirs is that sedimentary and biogenic features are difficult to see in fine-grained, well-sorted, and oil-saturated strata. In this study, hyperspectral imaging is shown to be an effective method for enhancing the visibility of sedimentary fabric and trace fossils in oil-saturated core. Shortwave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral imagery of Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation oil-sands core from northeastern Alberta, Canada, was investigated at various wavelengths and resolutions. Color composite imagery consisting of wavelength bands at 2162, 2199, and 2349 nm in the red, green, and blue channels, respectively, dramatically enhanced the clarity of sedimentary features in structureless-appearing oil sand. In many cases, spectral imagery revealed features that are completely invisible to the unaided eye. In coarser-grained sections (fine to coarse sand), the enhanced contrast of sedimentological features is attributed predominantly to variability in grain size and bitumen saturation. In finer-grained sections (very fine to fine sand), enhanced contrast is mainly ascribed to variability in relative abundance of clays. A spatial resolution of at least 0.25 mm/pixel is required for imaging trace fossils, while lower resolutions (1.2–1.5 mm/pixel) are sufficient for enhancing the visibility of most sedimentary structures.


Evidence to date of altered pain processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is largely reliant on case evidence and observations. The evidence suggests a hypo sensitivity to pain which is emphasised by the inclusion of this as a criterion in the DSM-5. However, this evidence has also yielded contradictory findings on hypersensitivity to pain and suffers with methodological flaws. The aim of this thesis was to experimentally investigate pain in ASD using robust psychophysical pain induction methods to expand our understanding of where in the pain process differences occurred that could account for the altered behaviours observed in the anecdotal evidence. Experiments 1 and 2 in Chapter 2 examined the processing of pain in people with autistic traits and those clinically diagnosed with ASD, using a comprehensive psychophysical test battery. Detection and pain thresholds were obtained for thermal and mechanical stimuli including vibration and pressure. Additional tests included a cold pressor, (Experiments 1 and 2). No consistent Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) pattern of difference in relation to autistic trait severity or clinically diagnosed ASD, was observed. The Mechanical Detection Threshold exceeded that of a normal distribution of healthy individuals, as established by The German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain normative values (Backonja et al., 2013; Rolke, Baron, et al., 2006) for both autistic traits (Experiment 1) and clinically diagnosed ASD (Experiment 2) and differed to controls. Dynamic mechanical allodynia and paradoxical heat sensation were reported in a number of those with high autistic trait severity (Experiment 1) or clinically diagnosed ASD (Experiment 2), which does not typically occur in individuals otherwise considered healthy. Notably, there were a larger number of QST scores that fell outside the normal distribution (n = 48) in the clinically diagnosed ASD group (Experiment 2). A greater number of autistic individuals compared to controls, were found to show atypical patterns of pain response (n = 10). Indicating that there is a heterogeneity of pain response in ASD and that there may be subtypes with different pain responses. Experiment 3, Chapter 3, utilised a volitional joystick task to determine if there was a greater attenuation of pain avoidance behaviours by a valued reward in ASD. Individuals clinically diagnosed with ASD and controls, moved a joystick towards a target that resulted in the delivery of a nociceptive stimulus, which on 50% of occasions was paired with a reward. During choice-trials participants opted to make a safe movement (i.e., an opposing movement to the movement paired with pain in which there is no pain stimulus) or to make a movement towards a monetary reward whilst receiving a nociceptive stimulus. Reaction times were obtained for movements, as well as the number of choice trails. The ASD group were no different to controls at completing a painful yet rewarding movement and they also chose to negate the pain to receive a reward to the same degree as controls, suggesting that the ASD group's fear avoidance and pain motivation processing is no different to controls. Experiment 4, Chapter 4, utilised the Facial Action Coding System and the Non-Communicating Adults Pain Checklist to code facial and behavioural responses to pain. The aim was to determine if the communication of pain in ASD differed to controls, or if there was a set of ASD specific pain behaviours. Participants were videoed during a cold pressor task and thermal heat stimuli (6 warm but not painful, 6 moderately painful, and 6 very painful). Painful facial expressions for cold and hot thermal stimuli were similar between the ASD group and controls. The ASD group showed expressions in the lower oblique cluster (comprised of muscles that pull the skin of the face upward at an oblique angle) more frequently. These expressions were also observed at a greater intensity in comparison to controls. In particular, Nasolabial Furrow Deepener and Lip Corner Puller occurred more frequently and at a greater intensity in the ASD group compared to controls. Controls were also more likely to show a neutral expression compared to the ASD group, indicating a masking mechanism is being employed by controls in the social context. It is possible that the social contagion or mimicry of expressions is focussed on the lower facial regions and therefore pain expression develops more so in this region for autistic individuals. Taken together, the findings from this thesis point towards greater intra-individual differences in the ASD group compared to controls, showing that there may be sub-groups in the autistic population who have altered pain experiences, or for whom pain expression might be more nuanced. Importantly, the results presented here do not support the DSM-5's statement that an absence of the ability to feel pain is a defining feature of ASD.


This article contends that judicial and academic complaints about the overfederalization of crime largely have matters backwards. The image of a runaway national government increasingly taking away the enforcement of the criminal law from the States is essentially false. The available evidence indicates that the national government's share in the enforcement of criminal law has been actually diminishing for more than the last half century. The national government does have concurrent authority over a greater range of criminal activity now, including much violent street crime. But, contrary to Lopez and the conventional wisdom it embraces, this expanded authority does not transgress constitutional principles of federalism. In fact, constitutional and policy considerations affirmatively support the opposite conclusion that the national government may (and probably should) exercise more authority, especially with respect to the street crime that plagues poor urban areas. It seems that crime, especially street crime, has been underfederalized. Whether due to disagreement with the merits of existing crimefighting priorities, unstated concerns over civil liberties, or undue sensitivity to the parochial interests of the federal judiciary, the conventional legal wisdom overlooks the lofty appeal of the concurrent national role we have outlined. Crime-fighting efforts, in general, have the unequivocal support of the public nationwide. Due to this nationwide consensus and the concomitant popular support for joint state and federal efforts, crime is one arena in which cooperative federalism can work best. Crime limits the opportunities of both its actual and potential victims, particularly in the poor urban areas where we argue national support should be concentrated. Federalism-based considerations suggest that the national government should increase its share of enforcement efforts in a way that advances its historic and inspiring role of promoting equality of opportunity along income and racial lines.


Consider an agent (manager,artist, etc.) who has imperfect private information about his productivity. At the beginning of his career (period 1, "short run"), the agent chooses among publicly observable actions that generate imperfect signals of his productivity. The actions can be ranked according to the informativeness of the signals they generate. The market observes the agent's action and the signal generated by it, and pays a wage equal to his expected productivity. In period 2 (the "long run"), the agent chooses between a constant payoff and a wage proportional to his true productivity, and the game ends. We show that in any equilibrium where not all types of the agent choose the same action, the average productivity of an agent choosing a less informative action is greater. However, the types choosing that action are not uniformly higher. In particular, we derive conditions for the existence of a tripartite equilibrium where low and high types pool on a less informative action while medium (on average, lower) types choose to send a more informative signal.


In this paper, we report two kinds of guide patterns precisely created by electron beam drawing. These guide patterns are expected to precisely control the arrangement of nanodots self-assembled from block copolymer (BCP) in order to obtain long-range-order nanofabrication. The first guide pattern is comprised only of a post lattice. The second guide pattern adds guide lines to the post lattice. The added guide lines are expected to better control the location and orientation of the BCP nanodots. We succeeded in fabricating these two kinds of guide patterns for 22-nm- and 33-nm-pitch BCP nanodots.


Silurian-Devonian orogenesis formed the dominant metamorphic and deformational features recorded in the south-central Maine portion of the northern Appalachians. New U-Pb ages for metamorphic monazite and zircon from this high-grade segment of the orogen, coupled with new and previously published igneous and metamorphic ages, reveal the presence of three distinct tectono-metamorphic zones. All three zones experienced an early phase or phases of contractional deformation in the Late Silurian to Early Devonian. In the Eastern and Central Zones, this contractional deformation was synchronous with low-pressure, amphibo-lite-facies metamorphism and accompanied by plutonism in the Central Zone during the waning stages of this phase. Beginning in Middle Devonian time, the kinematics of deformation in the Central and Western Zones became strongly transpressive, accompanied by low-pressure, amphibolite-facies metamorphism and plutonism. The Eastern Zone underwent no dextral transpression or amphibolite-facies metamorphism during this later event. Contemporaneous, spatially partitioned contractional and transcurrent strain is a feature of many transpressional orogens, but in south-central Maine, more than 30 m.y. passed between the peaks of the older contractional and younger dextral deformational episodes. Therefore, the system does not reflect contemporaneous strain partitioning as in a transpressional regime. Rather, our results, along with regional records of Late Silurian-Early Devonian sinistral and Middle Devonian dextral deformation features, are consistent with a significant change in plate kinematics between 430 and 370 Ma.


A novel drug combination of a proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), was tested in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), both in vitro and in vivo. Dose-response of different concentrations of bortezomib and SAHA on inhibition of cell proliferation of NPC was determined. Mechanisms of apoptosis and effects on lytic cycle activation of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) were investigated. Combination of bortezomib and SAHA (bortezomib/SAHA) synergistically induced killing of a panel of NPC cell lines. Pronounced increase in sub-G1, Annexin V–positive, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)–positive cell populations were detected after treatment with bortezomib/SAHA when compared with either drug alone. Concomitantly, markedly augmented proteolytic cleavage of PARP, caspase-3, -7, -8, and -9, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and caspase-8–dependent histone acetylation were observed. ROS scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine, diminished the apoptotic effects of bortezomib/SAHA, whereas caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK significantly suppressed the apoptosis without decreasing the generation of ROS. Bortezomib inhibited SAHA's induction of EBV replication and abrogated production of infectious viral particles in NPC cells. Furthermore, bortezomib/SAHA potently induced apoptosis and suppressed the growth of NPC xenografts in nude mice. In conclusion, the novel drug combination of bortezomib and SAHA is highly synergistic in the killing of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. The major mechanism of cell death is ROS-driven caspase-dependent apoptosis. Bortezomib antagonizes SAHA's activation of EBV lytic cycle in NPC cells. This study provides a strong basis for clinical testing of the combination drug regimen in patients with NPC. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(5); 747–58. ©2013 AACR.


The Picidae (woodpeckers, wrynecks and piculets) comprise a family within the near passerine order Piciformes. Creationists have often appealed to the unique anatomical and behavioural specializations found in woodpeckers as evidence of divine design. However, until now no baraminological studies of the group have been undertaken. This paper reports a baraminic distance correlation analysis of 50 morphological characters (mostly related to hind limb musculature) and 20 taxa (12 picids and eight outgroup taxa). The results show that the woodpeckers, wrynecks and piculets form a well-defined group united by significant positive correlation and separated from seven of the eight outgroup taxa (barbets, toucans and toucanets) by significant negative correlation. The eighth outgroup taxon, the honeyguide Indicator , was neither positively nor negatively correlated with the other taxa in the dataset. The results suggest that all members of the Picidae constitute a single holobaramin. This conclusion is consistent with hybridization data indicating the monobaraminic status of at least eleven genera in six of the nine tribes within the Picidae. Since the picids are holobaraminic, and since not all members of the group possess the full range of "typical" woodpecker characters, this suggests that at least some of these morphological and behavioural traits arose by mediated design during intrabaraminic diversification. This has implications for our understanding of the origin of natural evil (in this case, insectivory) and suggests that standard creationist design arguments concerning woodpecker anatomy and behaviour need to be modified.


In Sepia officinalis there was no significant difference (P = 0.241) for the eye diameter in terms of body length. The body length was significantly longer in cuttlefish reared in the dark treatment (P = 0.029). This could be due to photoperiod regulating the release of growth hormones. The outer segment is similar in both treatments containing small compacted rhabdomeres elongating towards the inner segment. The dark retina has a thicker outer segment than the light, which could be an adaptation increasing the probability for photon capture by the rhabdomeres. Rhabdomeres vary little between treatments in comparison to vesicle cells and myeloid bodies. Rhabdomeres contract during illumination and elongate in the dark. The presence of myeloid bodies has been noted in the inner segment of the dark retina only. Myeloid bodies are said to transform into vesicle cells in the outer segment. A connection between pigment and vesicles has been suggested, however further research needs to be conducted on this area to determine their relation. Within the retina most of the variation occurred in the inner segment between treatments. The inner segment is thicker in the retina of the light sample which could be due to the need for photoproduct to synthesize rhodopsin under illumination. One of the biggest obstacles to overcome was achieving accurate orientation within the section of the sample. It is inconclusive whether the variation seen within the retina is due to the effect of darkness, due to the small sample size tested.


Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly complex, progressive, age-related neurodegenerative human disease entity. The genetic basis of AD is strictly connected with occurrence of mutations in Amyloid Precursor (APP) gene on chromosome 21. Molecular mechanism that leads to AD development still remains unclear. Recent data reported that it is closely correlated with Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress conditions, which subsequently activate Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) signaling pathways, via the induction of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), as a self-protective, adaptive response to adverse stress conditions. That results in the attenuation of global protein synthesis and, on the contrary, selective translation of Activating Transcriptor Factor 4 (ATF4) and secretase β. Interestingly, under prolonged, severe ER stress UPR may switch its signal into apoptotic cell death. That ensues by ATF4-CHOP-mediated activation of a range of pro-apoptotic genes and, on the other hand, downregulation of the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) genes. Current investigations suggest that inhibitions of PERK activity may contribute to the attenuation of the deposition of toxic senile plaques in the brain tissue and, as a result, prevent degeneration of neurons and decline in cognitive abilities.


Designing a distributed fault tolerance algorithm requires careful analysis of both fault models and diagnosis strategies. A system will fail if there are too many active faults, especially active Byzantine faults. But, a system will also fail if overly aggressive convictions leave inadequate redundancy. For high reliability, an algorithm's hybrid fault model and diagnosis strategy must be tuned to the types and rates of faults expected in the real world. We examine this balancing problem for two common types of distributed algorithms: clock synchronization and group membership. We show the importance of choosing a hybrid fault model appropriate for the physical faults expected by considering two clock synchronization algorithms. Three group membership service diagnosis strategies are used to demonstrate the benefit of discriminating between permanent and transient faults. In most cases, the probability of failure is dominated by one fault type. By identifying the dominant cause of failure, one can tailor an algorithm appropriately at design time, yielding significant reliability gain.


Up to 173 African sires belonging to 11 different subpopulations representative of four cattle groups were analysed for six Y-specific microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial DNA fragment. Differences in Y-chromosome and mtDNA haplotype structuring were assessed. In addition, the effect of such structuring on contributions to total genetic diversity was assessed. Thirty-five Y-chromosome and 71 mtDNA haplotypes were identified. Most Y-chromosomes analysed (73.4%) were of zebu origin (11 haplotypes). Twenty-two Y-haplotypes (44 samples) belonged to the African taurine subfamily Y2a. All mtDNA haplotypes belonged to the "African" taurine T1 haplogroup with 16 samples and nine haplotypes belonging to a recently identified subhaplogroup (T1e). Median-joining networks showed that Y-chromosome phylogenies were highly reticulated with clear separation between zebu and taurine clusters. Mitochondrial haplotypes showed a clear star-like shape with small number of mutations separating haplotypes. Mitochondrial-based FST -statistics computed between cattle groups tended to be statistically non-significant (p > .05). Most FST values computed among groups and subpopulations using Y-chromosome markers were statistically significant. AMOVA confirmed that divergence between cattle groups was only significant for Y-chromosome markers (ΦCT  = 0.209). At the mitochondrial level, African sires resembled an undifferentiated population with individuals explaining 94.3% of the total variance. Whatever the markers considered, the highest contributions to total Nei's gene diversity and allelic richness were found in West African cattle. Genetic structuring had no effect on patterns of contributions to diversity.


Let us take soccer to describe this paper. Soccer games did not change much yesterday. So the formation stayed the same during the game and each player was expected to play his best at his own position. And managers were off the pitch and gave instructions verbally. In short, it was a tree structure. But today, games change from moment to moment, so tree does not work any more. We need to shift to network. But not only games come to change every minute, but the enemy is experiencing the same situation. We often complain about how the real world come to change frequently, extensively and in an unpredictable manner. But the real world does not chare what we will do. It changes as it likes. But the enemy in soccer does their best to betray us. They are trying to foresee what comes next in our operation. Thus, soccer teams are competitors. They are far more difficult to deal with. So, today, managers cannot be off the pitch anymore. They need to understand how the game is changing every minute. No delays are allowed. So, they become playing manager and they play on the pitch now. But it is a competition. So, we need to sense what move the enemy would take. It is very difficult even in one to one game such as boxing, etc. But when it is a competition between teams. the problem becomes more difficult. What becomes crucially important is proactiveness. This is important in one to one, but it becomes more important and difficult in team games. The players need not only to sense what the playing manager has on his mind and prepare for that, but they also need to sense what other players have on their mind. And they also must take into account what play the other player excels or prefers. And they need to consider the same issue about their enemy team. Such holistic perception is needed for being truly proactive. And soccer players today need to be truly pragmatic. Games do not necessarily change as they expect. So, in short, they are experiencing the world of no experience. Changes were smooth yesterday. So we could differentiate them and could predict the future.So, knowledge worked very well. But today, changes become sharp, so we cannot differentiate them. We cannot predict the future anymore. Thus, we have no other way than to go ahead by trial and error. We need to be pragmatic. But we must remember if the number of dimension becomes very large,we cannot solve the problem mathematically, as the curse of dimensions teaches us. Therefore, instinct emerges as a very effective tool. Instinct processes the world of never-experienced-before and it does not care how dimensions may be large. And its greatest advantage is it deals with the real world in real time. Such delays as seen in knowledge-based approaches can be avoided. Come to think, this is the world of business. Soccer is nothing but business.


Exposure of conjugating Tetrahymena to a hyperosmotic shock blocks the exchange of gametic nuclei and produces self-fertilized exconjugants that are homozygous for their whole genome. Cells are sensitive to this induction during a brief period after meiosis. The high efficiency of the treatment and the fertility of the progeny make this a useful method for the isolation of induced recessive mutations and enhances the value of Tetrahymena as an animal-cell model system in which genetic dissection is practical. The sharp peak of sensitivity is useful in the study of those cellular mechanisms responsible for the independent handling of several functionally distinct nuclei during conjugation.


Paris—A leaked report on the finances of the Cancer Research Association (ARC), one of France's best known charities and a major funder of cancer research, has thrown the future of the organization into doubt. The report, by the Cour des Comptes, a state auditing agency, is said to conclude that ARC spends less than one third of its income on research, and that there may have been financial mismanagement. ARC has said the real figure is 45%. ARC's board has reduced the power of the charity's influential president, Jacques Crozemarie, and has appointed a commission to run ARC while it prepares a response to the charges. Crozemarie has said that ARC may wind up as an independent charity.


Abstract Most of the ethnobotanical research is dedicated to food and medicinal plants, while the other categories, such as plants used as materials, veterinary remedies or fodder remain neglected. This trend dominates in East Europe where linguistic approach prevails, while ethnographical one stays under-explored, though the heritage of the 19th century was impressive. Field data were collected through in-depth individual semi-structured interviews with the last remaining ethnic Czechs living in Romanian Banat and triangulated with extensive participant observation. The aims of this study were to document and preserve local knowledge pertaining to the use of traditional cultivated and wild plants. The study focused on under-documented use categories, hence, food and medicinal plants were excluded. In total, 56 plant species were cited by informants. The paper also highlights vernacular names, phytonyms, and particularly interesting uses of plant resources or related aspects not described previously or under-reported in the literature. The authors conclude that the ethnobotanical knowledge still survives as a part of the cultural heritage of the Czech diaspora. However, several interesting uses are only practiced by elderly people, the knowledge is ageing, and is likely to vanish fairly soon.


This article examines Lincoln's "Lyceum Speech" with its concern for the "towering genius" in politics against the backdrop of the recent rise of populism and demagoguery. Lincoln's concern was with a new kind of problem, namely, the appearance of the romantic hero in politics, a figure presaged in the writings of Emerson and Thoreau and that took the form of radical conscience politics. The model of the transcendental hero was John Brown, whose abolitionist impulse put individual conscience above the law. I contrast the transcendental hero to Lincoln's conception of constitutional statecraft as based on an ethic of moderation and self-restraint. The article concludes with a contrast between Lincoln and Tocqueville's worry that the American democratic republic would be characterized by the absence of individuals of grand ambition. Lincoln, I argue, is a better guide to the politics of the contemporary moment.


Beaver dams are known to raise water tables in mineral soil environments, but very little is known about their impact in wetlands, such as peatlands. Peatlands tend to have shallow water tables, and the position and tendency of the water table to fluctuate (i.e., stability) is a factor controlling the system's ability to store carbon and water. Many peatland environments, especially fens, offer ideal habitat for beaver, and the potential for beaver dams to influence this link by manipulating water tables requires investigation. Our objective was to determine the influence of beaver dams on the water table dynamics of a Rocky Mountain fen. We monitored water tables in the peatland for 4 years while beaver dams were intact and 2 years after they were breached by an extreme flood event. We found that, because of the unique way in which dams were built, they connected the peatland to the stream and raised and stabilized already high water tables within a 150‐m radius. Beaver‐mediated changes to peatland water table regimes have the potential to enhance carbon sequestration and the peatland's ability to respond to external pressures such as climate change. Furthermore, beaver dams increased surface and groundwater storage, which has implications for regional water balances, especially in times of drought.


In society, video- and computer games are often pointed out as risk factors in relation to physical inactivity and increasing levels of obesity. At the same time, computers are an important source of knowledge where IT-competence provides pronounced advantages in society. Now a new type of video games, exergames, has entered the market. In recent years, exergames are increasingly emphasized in several countries as a possible activity for use in school PE (Quennerstedt et al). Papastergiou (2009) argues that videogames can offer benefits for Health Education and PE, and that those games may improve young people's knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in relation to health and physical exercise. The purpose of the present study was to explore Swedish PE teachers' perceptions and use of exergames in PE and also the barriers and motives for using exergames based on a survey of fixed and open questions. A total of 493 teachers (10% of all Swedish PE teachers) answered the questionnaire. Responses were coded and entered into SPSS, allowing for both descriptive data and cross-table analyses. The results show that 80 percent are familiar with exergames, 17 percent play in their spare time and a few (3%) have tried using exergames in PE. Motives for introducing exergames are generally: encouraging physical activity, offering different types of movement and to have fun. Barriers for introducing exergames are mostly: economic, prioritizing other activities and teachers' own knowledge. The majority of the PE teachers have in general positive attitudes towards introducing exergames as a teaching aid in PE. However, this requires developing teachers' own knowledge of exergames. Choices of teaching content and the introduction of new activities and teaching aids also involve critically examining the games, and this involves didactic reflection. Papastergiou, M. (2009). Exploring the potential of computer and video games for health and physical education. Computer & Education, 53: 603-622. Quennerstedt, M. et.al. (in review). Why do Wii teach physical education in school?


Objective To observe the effect of Heixiaoyao Powder (HP) on gene microarray profile of hippocampus in Aβ₂₃₋₃₅ fragments induced Alzheimer's disease rat model. Methods Female SD rats were chosen to establish AD model by injecting Aβ₂₅₋₃₅ amyloid into hippocampus ,and then they were divid- ed into 6 groups, i.e., the sham-operation group, the model group,the Western medicine (WM) group, high, middle, and low dose HP groups, 14 in each group. After 7 days of modeling, all rats were administered with respective solution at the daily dose of 3 mL/kg by gastrogavage for 28 successive days. Normal saline was administered to rats in the sham-operation group and the model group. Huperzine A Tablets wa- ter solution was administered to rats in the WM group at the daily dose of 0. 02 mL/kg. HP at the daily dose of 4. 25, 8. 50, 17. 00 g/kg was administered to rats in the low, middle, high HP groups. All rats were sacri- ficed after ending gastrogavage, and their hippocampal tissues were collected to extract tissue RNA. Rat gene microarray was used to screen differentially expressed genes, and then differentially expressed genes with partial dose-dependently changing obtained by microarry were verified by qRT-PCR. Results Compared with the sham-operation group, 538 genes were up-regulated, and 579 genes were down-regulated in the model group. mRNA expressions of wisp1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 increased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 decreased in the model group (P <0. 05). Compared with the model group, 276 genes were up-regulated, and 170 genes were down-regulated in the 3 HP groups. Of them, 71 up-regulated genes dose-dependently and 70 down-regulated genes dose-dependently. mRNA expressions of igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 in- creased in the WM group (P <0. 01). mRNA expressions of wisp1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased, while mRNA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 increased in the high dose HP group (P <0. 01). mRNA expressions of crebbp, igfbp-1, znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05), while mR- NA expressions of casq2 and bcl-2 increased in the middle dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). mRNA ex- pressions of igfbp-1 , znf483, zfp37, and zic4 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01). Compared with the middle dose HP group, mRNA expressions of crebbp, zfp37, and zic4 increased (P <0.01) , mR- NA expressions of igfbp-1 and bcl-2 decreased in the middle dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05); mRNA expressions of crebbp, znf483, and zfp37 increased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05), mRNA expressions of igfbp-1, zic4, and bcl-2 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01). Compared with the middle HP group, mRNA expressions of casq2, zic4, and bcl-2 decreased in the low dose HP group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Conclusion HP could affect the occurrence of AD by regulating mRNA expressions of zfp37, znf483, and zic4, and af- fect the metabolism of Aβ and abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein by inhibiting wnt signal pathway re- lated genes such as wisp-1 , crebbp, igfbp-1 , and casq2.


Simulation models are increasingly being used to solve more and more complex problems and to aid in decision-making. To provide a realistic and confident simulation environment for users, simulation models have become key components in military simulations. This paper discusses the modeling nature of simulation models, and then the modified validation criteria for measuring the agreements between Subject Matter Experts and simulation models are presented. Furthermore, validation methods such as graphical comparison, feature analysis, face validation, confidence interval and hypothesis tests of three types errors, are discussed according to the validation metrics of simulation models. Simulation models could be validated based on the proposed validation process effectively. The proposed process could be applied to the simulation systems and solve many VV&A difficulties. Example of the mass moment missile, illustrates the validity of the proposed process.


In this study, a new neural network algorithm is proposed for real-time multiple source tracking problem with cylindrical patch antenna array based on a previously reported Modified Neural Multiple Source Tracking (MN-MUST) algorithm. The proposed algorithm, namely cylindrical microstrip patch array modified neural multiple source tracking (CMN-MUST) algorithm implements MN-MUST algorithm on a cylindrical microstrip patch array structure. CMN-MUST algorithm uses the advantage of directive pattern of microstrip patch elements by considering only a part of array elements for a chosen sector. This reduces neural network sizes and also improves the spatial filtering performance. The proposed algorithm improves MN-MUST algorithm in the sense of accuracy and speed while covering the full azimuth range.


Wal-Mart v. Dukes overturned the certification of a class of a million and a half female employees alleging sex discrimination in Wal-Mart's salary and promotion decisions. The Supreme Court ruled that the case did not satisfy the requirement that a class have a common question of law or fact, and said that the remedy sought was not the type of relief available under the portion of the class action rule permitting mandatory class actions. Over the last two years, courts have struggled with how to apply the ruling, especially how to apply it beyond its immediate context of employment discrimination litigation. In two prominent cases under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal courts of appeals have displayed remarkably different attitudes about class actions after Wal-Mart. This article will discuss these two leading cases, describe additional post-Wal-Mart class action decisions in IDEA and analogous contexts, then consider how Wal-Mart will affect the litigation decisions of advocates trying to address systemic violations of IDEA, and the courts' likely reactions. Analysis of Wal-Mart and the cases decided in its wake suggests that group litigation to enforce IDEA will continue to be viable, but also that the litigation will change. Plaintiffs bringing IDEA class actions will likely attempt to distinguish Wal-Mart as a case preoccupied with interpreting underlying employment discrimination law. They will frame their cases as challenges to specifically defined policies and practices, and they will probably propose smaller, more tightly circumscribed classes or subclasses. They will also be likely to pursue non-class action approaches to addressing systemic violations of the law, bringing individual actions for broad relief, asking for group administrative remedies, and seeking action by governmental entities with the power to sue to enforce the IDEA rights. Much has been written about the Wal-Mart and its impact on class action procedure and the enforcement of substantive law. This Article seeks to contribute to the discussion by analyzing the case's application to a field in which class action litigation has been a prominent means of enforcing important statutory rights, and by determining how litigants and courts are likely to respond.


This AASERT grant supported Ph.D. thesis research on two new atomic clocks: the cryogenic hydrogen maser and the double-bulb rubidium maser. The ciyogenic hydrogen maser (CHM) operates at low temperatures, and may provide frequency stability that is one to three orders of magnitude better than a room temperature hydrogen maser because of greatly reduced thermal noise and larger signal power. The double-bulb rubidium maser (DBRM) may have frequency stability comparable to that of a room temperature hydrogen maser but in a smaller, more robust, and lower cost package.


Abstract Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have been produced by physical and chemical methods. Here, the comparative evaluation of both chemically-synthesised ZnO-NPs (C-ZNPs) and in-vitro cultured S. marianum mediated green-synthesised ZnO-NPs (G-ZNPs) were investigated on seed germination frequency, root and shoot growth, callus induction and biochemical profile of medicinally important plant Silybum marianum. Of all the treatments, callus-mediated ZnO-NPs gave optimum results for seed germination (65%), plantlet's root length (4.3 cm), shoot length (5.3 cm) and fresh and dry weights (220.4 g L−1 and 21.23 g L−1, respectively). Similarly, the accumulation of phenolic (12.3 µg/mg DW) and flavonoid (2.8 µg/mg DW) contents were also enhanced in callus cultures treated with G-ZNPs. We also observed maximum antioxidant activity (99%) in callus cultures treated with G-ZNPs, however, in case of plantlets, these activities were found highest for in-vitro whole plant-mediated ZnO-NPs. Moreover, G-ZNPs also enhanced total protein content (265.32 BSAE/20g FW) in callus cultures. G-ZNPs were further assessed for their effects on several multidrug resistant bacterial strains and human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells and our findings revealed that callus extracts treated with G-ZNPs show ameliorated antibacterial (highest zone of inhibition (19 mm) against Klebsiella pneumonia) and anticancer (highest cytotoxicity of 64%) activities.


Detailed preclinical study of the safety of the new antiviral agent iodantipyrine was conducted. In LD50 parameters it was found to be related to moderately toxic drugs. Long-term administration in doses of 50, 100, and 250 mg/kg did not cause any essential functional and structural disorders in the organs and systems of rats and dogs. Iodantipyrine does not possess mutagenic and allergenic properties and does not affect the reproductive function.


Although earliest-deadline-first (EDF) is recognized as the optimal scheduling discipline to support the bounded-delay service in ATM networks, it lacks of the support of a prioritizing scheme for cell loss control. We modify the simple FIFO to implement a near-EDF scheduling discipline with loss control. The proposed scheme can guarantee the stringent delay bound and minimize the cell loss rate. The adaptive queue lengths in the proposed buffer structure can be determined dynamically according to the traffic load and cell delay constraints to minimize the cell loss rates. With the different deterministic adaptive queue lengths, the proposed scheme is equivalent to the other previous schemes. Performance evaluation shows that the proposed scheme's accessible offered load is better than the other schemes.