For the measurement of very accurate high-resolution X-ray data for charge-density work, synchrotron beamlines provide a bright radiation source of outstanding properties. Most important are the very high primary intensity and the possibility of choosing hard radiation with lambda approximately 0.5 A or even shorter. This together with area detection and a stable low-temperature device means that accurate and large data sets can be measured in a short time. A number of data collections are reported, which were carried out at the beamlines F1 and D3 of Hasylab (DESY, Hamburg) first at 100 K and later at 15-20 K, demonstrating the quality of the measured intensities. A low temperature of around 20 K was obtained at beamline D3 with a double-stage closed-cycle helium cryostat where the standard beryllium cylinder of the vacuum chamber was replaced by a 0.1 mm Kapton film. Comparison of different data sets measured for a strychnine crystal demonstrated how I/sigma ratios favorably improve if synchrotron radiation at a low temperature of 15 K was used. Synchrotron-based studies on several biologically active compounds are briefly summarized and a synchrotron experiment of an otherwise not sufficiently diffracting crystal of a tetraphenyl barbaralane derivative is described in detail. Atomic volumes and charges of a highly substituted C(60) fullerene are reported derived from a synchrotron data set of more than 350000 reflections.


The polynuclear compounds containing anisotropic metal ions often exhibit efficient barriers for blocking of magnetization at fairly arbitrary geometries. However, at variance with mononuclear complexes, which usually become single-molecule magnets (SMM) under the sole requirement of a highly axial crystal field at the metal ion, the factors influencing the SMM behavior in polynuclear complexes, especially, with weakly axial magnetic ions, still remain largely unrevealed. As an attempt to clarify these conditions, we present here the synthesis, crystal structures, magnetic behavior, and ab initio calculations for a new series of NiII-LnIII-WV trimetallics, [(CN)7W(CN)Ni(H2O)(valpn)Ln(H2O)4]·H2O (Ln = Y 1, Eu 2, Gd 3, Tb 4, Dy 5, Lu 6). The surprising finding is the absence of the magnetic blockage even for compounds involving strongly anisotropic DyIII and TbIII metal ions. This is well explained by ab initio calculations showing relatively large transversal components of the g-tensor in the ground exchange Kramers doublets of 1 and 4 and large intrinsic tunneling gaps in the ground exchange doublets of 3 and 5. In order to get more insight into this behavior, another series of earlier reported compounds with the same trinuclear [WVNiIILnIII] core structure, [(CN)7W(CN)Ni(dmf)(valdmpn)Ln(dmf)4]·H2O (Ln = GdIII 7, TbIII 8a, DyIII 9, HoIII 10), [(CN)7W(CN)Ni(H2O)(valdmpn)Tb(dmf)2.5(H2O)1.5]·H2O·0.5dmf 8b, and [(CN)7W(CN)Ni(H2O)(valdmpn)Er(dmf)3(H2O)1]·H2O·0.5dmf 11, has been also investigated theoretically. In this series, only 8b exhibits SMM behavior which is confirmed by the present ab initio calculations. An important feature for the entire series is the strong ferromagnetic coupling between Ni(II) and W(V), which is due to an almost perfect trigonal dodecahedron geometry of the octacyano wolframate fragment. The reason why only 8b is an SMM is explained by positive zero-field splitting on the nickel site, precluding magnetization blocking in complexes with fewer axial Ln ions. Further analysis has shown that, in the absence of ZFS on Ni ion, all compounds in the two series (except those containing Y and Gd) would be SMMs. The same situation arises for perfectly axial ZFS on Ni(II) with the main anisotropy axis parallel to the main magnetic axis of Ln(III) ions. In all other cases the ZFS on Ni(II) will worsen the SMM properties. The general conclusion is that the design of efficient SMMs on the basis of such complexes should involve isotropic or weekly anisotropic metal ions, such as Mn(II), Fe(III), etc., along with strongly axial lanthanides.


This paper compares David Miller's views on the political philosophy of immigration as expressed in his recent book Strangers in Our Midst with my own views, especially as expressed in my book The Ethics of Immigration. I try to show that contrary to what many people may assume, Miller and I agree on a great deal, and when we do disagree, the reasons for our differences are often either contingent or unclear.


Patent infringement is a tort. This dispute and others like it persist because patent infringement doctrine rests on a confused view of basic tort principles. The confusion is about the role of intent in the torts of direct and indirect infringement. The source of the confusion is a failure to distinguish between knowledge or intent about actions and knowledge or intent about the legal implications of those actions.
That distinction is key to whether good-faith belief of a patent's invalidity may negate the intent necessary for induced infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b). Following this Court's decisions in Global-Tech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB S.A., 131 S. Ct. 2060 (2011), and Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Technologies, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2111 (2014), an alleged inducer must know about more than just actions in the world, i.e., that the induced actions took place. The inducer must also know about the legal implications of those induced actions, i.e., that the patent exists and that the induced actions directly infringe it under § 271(a). This case involves knowledge about yet another legal implication of induced actions: knowledge not only that the patent exists and is infringed but also that the patent is valid.
The issue for this Court, then, is whether § 271(a) makes it possible to directly infringe an invalid patent. The text of § 271(a) as well as the weight of case law counsel that one cannot directly infringe an invalid patent. Thus, an alleged inducer such as Cisco, who believes that the patent is invalid, cannot form the necessary knowledge or belief that the actions it induced constitute infringement. Accordingly, an alleged inducer's good-faith belief of a patent's invalidity is properly a defense to induced infringement.
After Global-Tech, the law of induced infringement can no longer disregard good-faith belief of patent invalidity without also disregarding good-faith belief of noninfringement. Accepting the arguments of Petitioner and the Government in this case would repudiate Global-Tech after only four years, offending the principles of stare decisis and inequitably broadening the public's exposure to liability for induced infringement. For their part, Petitioner, the Government, and the dissent in the Court of Appeals argue that one can infringe an invalid patent, but liability will not follow. In addition to contradicting the weight of case law and the plain language text of § 271(a), their error reflects an even more fundamental doctrinal problem: the mistaken view that direct patent infringement is a strict-liability tort.
The strict-liability view of direct infringement improperly conflates the same tort distinction between knowledge or intent about actions and knowledge or intent about the legal implications of those actions. This error commanded only a dissent in the Court of Appeals in the present case, but it underlies both the Federal Circuit's broader jurisprudence on infringement and the position advanced by the Government. As a result, the mistaken strict-liability view will remain a fertile source of dispute and uncertainty in patent law unless this Court corrects it, starting with a refusal to extend the strict-liability error into the present case.
For these reasons, this Court should affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals and conclude that a good-faith belief of a patent's invalidity is, indeed, a defense to induced infringement under § 271(b).


Abstract Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that play a major role in innate immunity. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunochemistry, or both, we performed a search of all presently known defensins in rat testis, epididymis, and isolated testicular cells; in mouse testis and epididymis; and in human testis and ejaculates. In the rat, all α- and β-defensins except RNP-4 were expressed within the testis, whereas α-defensins RNP1–2, RNP-4, and β-defensins RBD-1 and RBD-2 were present within the epididymis. In the mouse, the cryptdin transcripts CRS1C, mBD-1, and mBD-2 were detected in the testis and epididymis, whereas mBD-3 and mBD-4 were expressed only in the epididymis, and CRS4C was absent in both organs. In the human testis, transcripts for four known defensins were expressed with the consistent exception of HBD-2 and HBD-3. In rat interstitial tissue, resident macrophages expressed most of the defensins studied, whereas Leydig cells produced only RBD-2. In contrast, all studied defensins except RNP-4 were present in the seminiferous tubules. Within these tubules, peritubular and Sertoli cells expressed most of the studied α- and β-defensins, whereas spermatogonia displayed only α-defensins, but at relatively high levels. Meiotic pachytene spermatocytes expressed only β-defensins, whereas postmeiotic spermatids and their cytoplasmic lobes displayed both types. In humans, the HBD-1 peptide was expressed mainly in the germ line from pachytene spermatocytes to late spermatids. The peptide was also present in ejaculated spermatozoa and seminal plasma, where multiple soluble forms were present. Finally, high salt concentration or dithiothreitol-sensitive cationic extracts from human seminal plasma were indeed found to display antimicrobial activity. We conclude that the male reproductive tract produces defensins that most probably assume an important, innate organ defense system against pathogens.


The implementation issues leading to successful application of information and communication technologies (ICT) is a well-researched area in the information systems literature. But there is little research work of this nature that is theoretically based and undertaken in the field of development informatics/ICT4D. Within this field, an important focus for any theoretically based study could be successful application of ICT in the public sector. This focus is taken in this paper because e-government is regarded by international financing institutions as a core component of the public sector reform programs that are currently reinventing government in developing countries. It is believed that key goals of the good governance agenda—increased efficiency, improved resource management, and increased accountability—will be engendered by the application of ICT. This paper presents actor-network theory (ANT) as a framework for understanding the processes of implementing e-government in developing countries. Drawing particularly on the work of Michel Callon and John Law, it applies this theory to a longitudinal study of the public expenditure management information systems supporting the fiscal reform program in Sri Lanka. Specific findings about the global and local networks that have shaped this set of e-government applications are presented. The conclusion is drawn that the application of ICT is an inherently political process and that a successful outcome requires continuous incremental action and improvisation to address the ongoing issues as they emerge. The paper identifies operational challenges in applying ANT that can be overcome by taking a more comprehensive analytical approach. Overall, ANT is seen as having a potentially wide area of application and being a promising theoretical vehicle for development informatics research.


Monitoring cholesterol levels is strongly recommended to identify patients at risk for myocardial infarction. However, clinical markers beyond "bad" and "good" cholesterol are needed to precisely predict individual lipid disorders. Our work contributes to this aim by bringing together experiment and theory. We developed a novel computer-based model of the human plasma lipoprotein metabolism in order to simulate the blood lipid levels in high resolution. Instead of focusing on a few conventionally used predefined lipoprotein density classes (LDL, HDL), we consider the entire protein and lipid composition spectrum of individual lipoprotein complexes. Subsequently, their distribution over density (which equals the lipoprotein profile) is calculated. As our main results, we (i) successfully reproduced clinically measured lipoprotein profiles of healthy subjects; (ii) assigned lipoproteins to narrow density classes, named high-resolution density sub-fractions (hrDS), revealing heterogeneous lipoprotein distributions within the major lipoprotein classes; and (iii) present model-based predictions of changes in the lipoprotein distribution elicited by disorders in underlying molecular processes. In its present state, the model offers a platform for many future applications aimed at understanding the reasons for inter-individual variability, identifying new sub-fractions of potential clinical relevance and a patient-oriented diagnosis of the potential molecular causes for individual dyslipidemia.


This paper aims to infer about the possible consequences of the existence of moral hazard in the Brazilian's electric sector for the final consumer. In 2013, the new regulatory framework in the Brazilian's electric sector was settled, which aims to encourage investment in quality and continuity of this services. Thus, the fees started to incorporate the costs related to the investments needed to maintain the quality and continuity of the service, which opens the door to the emergence of moral hazard. Moral risk has its origin in asymmetric infor-mation, which is a market failure that justifies the existence of economics regu-lations. In this sense, it is necessary to verify if the new regulatory framework, in fact, can encourage behavior that, per theory, should mitigate and its effects on the population. We found indices that the actual system adopted may drive the firms to explore a new regulatory system, harming the consumers at this process.


Methane is one of the strongest anthropogenic greenhouse gases. It contributes by its radiative forcing significantly to the global warming. For a better understanding of climate changes, it is necessary to apply precise space-based measurement techniques in order to obtain a global view on the complex processes that control the methane concentration in the atmosphere. The MERLIN mission is a joint French-German cooperation, on a micro satellite mission for space-based measurement of spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric methane columns on a global scale. MERLIN will be the first Integrated Path Differential Absorption LIDAR for greenhouse gas monitoring from space. In contrast to passive methane missions, the LIDAR instrument allows measurements at alllatitudes, all-seasons and during night. Keywords—LIDAR; laser; methane; micro satellite,


Knowledge sharing is done through various knowledge sharing forums which requires multiple logins through multiple browser instances. Here a single Multi- Forum knowledge sharing concept is introduced which requires only one login session which makes user to connect multiple forums and display the data in a single browser window. Also few optimization techniques are introduced here to speed up the access time using cloud computing architecture.


: Individual observations during the course of the medical care of the German men's national volleyball team in international tournaments gave cause to investigate more thoroughly the increasing occurrence of an atrophy of the infraspinatus m. in volleyball players at international level. An examination of three men's national teams specially slanted to throw light on this problem revealed that 28% (10 out of 36 players) had an atrophy of the infraspinatus m. On the basis of these findings, a prospective study was carried out, with the object of clarifying to what extent a developing or manifest compression neuropathy of the suprascapularis n. was present in a defined population of high-level volleyball players (1st National League, men). 32 players were examined as to the extent to which a functional impairment of the suprascapularis n. occurred in the pursuit of the competitive sport of volleyball. The study revealed a functional impairment of the suprascapular n. in 45% of the both clinically and neurophysiologically examined sportsmen. It follows in consequence that a control examination is advisable in the case of a latent disorder, so as to detect any continuation or possible deterioration. In the event of a developing or manifest atrophy of the infraspinatus m. the operative relief of the suprascapular n. in the region of the scapular incisure may be considered in addition to conservative therapy.


The first successful Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation of the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis Flot. using the binary vectors hosting the genes coding for GUS (β‐glucuronidase), GFP (green fluorescent protein), and hpt (hygromycin phosphotransferase) is reported here. Colonies resistant to hygromycin at 10 mg · L−1 expressed β‐glucuronidase. The greenish yellow fluorescence of GFP was observed when the hygromycin‐resistant cells were viewed with a fluorescent microscope. PCR was used to successfully amplify fragments of the hpt (407 bp) and GUS (515 bp) genes from transformed cells, while Southern blots indicated the integration of the hygromycin gene into the genome of H. pluvialis. SEM indicated that the cell wall of H. pluvialis was altered on infection with Agrobacterium. The transformation achieved here by Agrobacterium does not need treatment with acetosyringone or the wounding of cells. A robust transformation method for this alga would pave the way for manipulation of many important pathways relevant to the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries.


Farmland values have increased rapidly over the last decade in response to high incomes for crop farmers and inordinately low interest rates. Farmers have responded to these conditions by bidding up the price of good cropland. In addition, the long period of increasing land values, since the last farm financial crisis in the 1980s, has generated interest by outside investors who see farmland as a safe haven that offers a relatively high annual rate of appreciation. The result is a period of high demand for an essentially fixed supply. The last time this situation occurred was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it was followed by a major downward revaluation of farmland values when interest rates spiked and demand stagnated. The paper suggests that a repeat of these events is likely this time as well. Even though farmers do not appear vulnerable to a "balance sheet crisis" as they were in the 1980s, the history of American agriculture is cycles of boom and bust. In addition, there is some reason to believe that changes in the drivers of production , specifically the importance of proprietary seed and pesticide technologies are shifting economic rents away from landowners toward input suppliers.


BACKGROUND
Over 200 clinical trials have examined the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. However, an updated analysis of the evidence is lacking. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to quantify the effect of supplements containing EPA and DHA on risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

METHODS
An analysis was carried on 171 clinical trials with acceptable quality (Jadad score ≥3) that were identified from a comprehensive electronic search strategy of two databases (Pubmed and Cochrane Library). A random effect model was used to obtain an overall estimate on outcomes of interest. Heterogeneity between trial results was tested for using a standard chi-squared test.

RESULTS
Compared with control, EPA and DHA supplements produced significant reductions of triglycerides of 0.368 mmol L-1 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.427 to -0.309], systolic blood pressure of 2.195 mmHg (95% CI = -3.172 to -1.217), diastolic blood pressure of 1.08 mmHg (95% CI = -1.716 to -0.444), heart rate of 1.37 bpm (95% CI = -2.41 to -0.325) and C-reactive protein of 0.343 mg L-1 (95% CI = -0.454 to -0.232). This analysis indicates an increase in both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean difference = 0.150 mmol L-1 ; 95% CI = 0.058-0.243) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean difference = 0.039 mmol L-1 ; 95% CI = 0.024-0.054). The triglyceride-lowering effect was dose-dependent.

CONCLUSIONS
The lipid-lowering, hypotensive, anti-arrhythmic and anti-inflammatory actions of EPA and DHA supplements were confirmed in this analysis of randomised placebo-control blinded clinical trials.


The economic development of a host country may benefit from
overseas investment in a number of ways. Directly, the gains may occur through the provision of employment or indirectly through spill-over effects. Using both the theory o f foreign investment, in particular Dunning's eclectic paradigm, and the theory of multinational behaviour the expectations of the operating characteristics of investing firms may be determined.

Following the determination of the motivation for overseas investment this study applies these theories to the Irish electronics industry and examines both the direct and indirect contribution of these firms to the Irish economy. It discusses various aspects of the trends of employment and examines the grow th potential of the industry in the context of the Single European Market and other stimuli which may affect future overseas investment. The contribution of the electronics industry to Irish export earnings is also discussed, as are the implications of the manipulation of transfer prices which effectively switch profits to Ireland.

A survey of all electronics firms operating in Ireland was also conducted and the results analysed and compared with the expectations of both multinational and indigenous firm behaviour. The survey was also used as a basis for an examination of firms formed through either entrepreneurial spin-offs or the management buy-out of a multinational firm which had previously invested in Ireland. An overview of the electronics ind ustry complete with conclusions and recommendations for policy changes are outlined in the final section.


An investigation was conducted of the influence of portacaval transposition upon carbohydrate metabolism in 45 dogs. In 17 dogs, hepatic glycogen content was measured before and from 45 to 75 days after transposition. A reduction in glycogen content, principally in the TCA soluble fraction, was noted in 14 animals. The mean loss of total glycogen was 51 percent, and the mean loss of TCA soluble glycogen was 70 percent. In control animals hepatic deglycogenation did not occur. Despite the reduction in hepatic glycogen content, the animals were capable of glucagon-induced glycogenolysis using very small test doses. After transposition, a greater response to intraportal injection was noted as compared to that obtained with systemic venous infusions.

Other alterations in carbohydrate metabolism were also measured. These included a reduction in the duration and magnitude of the hyperglycemic response to oral glucose loads. The profile of glycemic response under these conditions was studied, and demonstrated to be greatest in the portal vein, least in the peripheral venous blood, and of intermediate magnitude in the peripheral arteries.

Based upon the hepatic deglycogenating effect of portacaval transposition in dogs, this operation was used for the treatment of an 8½-year-old child with glycogen storage disease and concomitant portal cirrhosis. The portacaval transposition was performed in preference to a standard portacaval shunt. The enzyme defect in the patient was extensively studied before and after transposition. Prior to surgery, she was demonstrated to have Type IIIB glycogenosis (amylo-1,6-glucosidase deficiency confined to the liver). Eight and one half months after operation, the quantities of glycogen in liver and muscle and the enzyme activities showed no significant alteration.

The clinical response to portacaval transposition was gratifying. There has been a decrease in the hepatosplenomegaly, rapid growth, a diminution in the pre-existing hypersplenism, and a considerable increase in the child's physical activity. Most of these benefits are ascribable to the effective portal decompressive procedure. Whether any metabolic benefit derived from the portacaval transposition is problematical.


Abstract Objective: To describe the burden and risk of healthcare facility-onset, healthcare facility-associated (HO-HCFA) Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Veterans with spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D). Design: Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study from October 1, 2001–September 30, 2010. Setting: Ninety-four acute care Veterans Affairs facilities. Participants: Patients with SCI/D. Outcomes: Incidence rate of HO-HCFA CDI. Methods: Rates of CDI were determined, and crude unadjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Multivariable Poisson random-effects regression analyses were used to assess factors independently associated with the rate of CDI. Results: 1,409 cases of HO-HCFA CDI were identified. CDI rates in 2002 were 13.9/10,000 person-days and decreased to 5.5/10,000 person-days by 2010. Multivariable regression analyses found that antibiotic (IRR = 18.79, 95% CI 14.09-25.07) and proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) or H2 blocker use (IRR = 7.71, 95% CI 5.47-10.86) were both independently associated with HO-HCFA CDI. Exposure to both medications demonstrated a synergistic risk (IRR = 37.55, 95% CI 28.39-49.67). Older age, Northeast region, and invasive respiratory procedure in the prior 30 days were also independent risk factors, while longer SCI duration and care at a SCI center were protective. Conclusion: Although decreasing, CDI rates in patients with SCI/D remain high. Targeted antimicrobial stewardship and pharmacy interventions that reduce antibiotic and PPI/H2 blocker use could have profound benefits in decreasing HO-HCFA CDI in this high-risk population.


According to population, Karachi is the first largest city of Pakistan and 9th largest in the world. During last three decades, it has faced mass urbanization, huge population growth, many fold increase in vehicles and industrial development. As a result the demand of more energy in form of fossil fuels increased for domestic, industrial and transportation purpose. In this research the maximum available data of Karachi about urbanization, population and vehicles growth, industrialization, energy consumption and CO2 emissions are analyzed. Time periods considered for this work are according to the availability of the data. The results show that during 1947 to 2008, both urban population and urban area increased to 1500%. During 1990 to 2008, the percentage growth in vehicles is double than that of population growth during this time period. During 1980 to 2007 the consumption of oil and petrol, natural gas and coal increased to 219%, 365% and 287%, respectively. The emission of CO2 jumped from 39 million metric tons in 1980 to 151 million metric tons in 2007.


The observed mesoscale variability of wind direction near the surface is examined in stable boundary layers. Such direction changes are often perceived as gentle meandering of the wind direction back and forth. However, with weak winds on the order of 1 m s−1, large sudden shifts of wind direction are found to be common, as are a wide variety of more complex variations of wind direction. This study focuses on frequent abrupt changes of wind direction. Various statistics of wind direction variation are interpreted and their dependence on scale is noted. The wind shifts are embedded within a wide variety of complex flow signatures, without emergence of a dominant type of structure. The physics of such variations remain generally unknown.


The effect of rabbit antisera on the uptake and release of alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (AIBA) in LS- and P-388 cells was investigated. In the presence of homologous antiserum and complement, the uptake of AIBA was inhibited. In the absence of complement, no effect of antiserum was seen. Using prelabelled cells, the efflux of AIBA was greatly accelerated in the presence of antiserum and complement. The AIBA-uptake method was compared with the trypan blue exclusion test and the 51Cr release technique. The AIBA-uptake method was more sensitive in quantitative cytotoxic studies.


Identity struggles are once again a salient problem in world politics. This article aims to throw light on the sources, dynamics, and consequences of identity formation and mobilization. It makes two theoretical arguments. First, because collective memory is both a seemingly factual narrative and a normative assessment of the past, it shapes a group's intersubjective conceptions of strategic feasibility and political legitimacy. This is why collective identity is above all an expression of normative realism: a group's declaration to itself and to others about what it can or cannot do; what it will or will not do. Second, at critical junctures competing actors assert or contest the normative realism underlying collective identity. They do this through rhetorical politics, deploying their powers of persuasion in order to engage the constitutive elements of the group's shared identity. In practical terms, rhetorical politics is structured by a dominant frame: a historically shaped discursive formation that does two things. It articulates in readily accessible ways the fundamental notions a group holds about itself in the world and allows or disallows specific strategies of persuasion on the basis of their presumptive realism and normative sway. Within this frame, rhetorical politics engenders a collective field of imaginable possibilities: a restricted array of plausible scenarios about how the world can or cannot be changed and how the future ought to look. Though circumscribed, this field is vulnerable to endogenous shifts, precisely because actors' rhetorical struggles introduce conflicts over the descriptive and prescriptive limits of what is "realistically" possible. Such conflicts may in fact produce a new dominant rhetorical frame and profoundly influence a nation's political and economic development. Two contrasting cases from Latin America offer empirical support for these arguments. The article shows that the sharp developmental divergence between Costa Rica and Nicaragua can be properly understood only through close analytical scrutiny of the different rhetorical frames, fields of imaginable possibilities, and collective identities that rose to prominence at critical points in these countries' colonial and postcolonial histories.


Acidocalcisomes are acidic, calcium storage compartments with a H+ pump located in their membrane that have been described in several unicellular eukaryotes, including trypanosomatid and apicomplexan parasites, algae, and slime molds, and have also been found in the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In this work, we report that the H+-pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) of Rhodospirillum rubrum, the first enzyme of this type that was identified and thought to be localized only to chromatophore membranes, is predominantly located in acidocalcisomes. The identification of the acidocalcisomes of R. rubrum was carried out by using transmission electron microscopy, x-ray microanalysis, and immunofluorescence microscopy. Purification of acidocalcisomes using iodixanol gradients indicated co-localization of the H+-PPase with pyrophosphate (PPi) and short and long chain polyphosphates (polyPs) but a lack of markers of the plasma membrane. polyP was also localized to the acidocalcisomes by using 4′,6′-diamino-2-phenylindole staining and identified by using 31P NMR and biochemical methods. Calcium in the acidocalcisomes increased when the bacteria were incubated at high extracellular calcium concentrations. The number of acidocalcisomes and chromatophore membranes as well as the amounts of PPi and polyP increased when bacteria were grown in the light. Taken together, these results suggest that the H+-PPase of R. rubrum has two distinct roles depending on its location acting as an intracellular proton pump in acidocalcisomes but in PPi synthesis in the chromatophore membranes.


The low-rank tensor approximation is very promising for the compression of deep neural networks. We propose a new simple and efficient iterative approach, which alternates low-rank factorization with a smart rank selection and fine-tuning. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method comparing to non-iterative ones. Our approach improves the compression rate while maintaining the accuracy for a variety of tasks.


A series of epoxy-telechelic polyalkenamers with varying molar masses were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 3-ethylcyclooctene using a diepoxy-functionalized symmetric chain transfer agent with p-benzoquinone as an additive. An epoxy-telechelic polyolefin was also synthesized using 3-ethylcyclooctene and a carboxybenzyl-protected diol chain transfer agent by ring-opening metathesis polymerization followed by post-polymerization modification. The prepolymers were crosslinked with UV light in the presence of photoacid generators, and network formation was monitored by photorheology. The stiffness and ultimate elongation of the resulting elastomers was tuned by varying molar mass and backbone unsaturation of the prepolymer.


SoLid, located at SCK-CEN in Mol, Belgium, is a reactor antineutrino experiment at a very short baseline of 5.5 - 10m aiming at the search for sterile neutrinos and for high precision measurement of the neutrino energy spectrum of Uranium-235. It uses a novel approach using Lithium-6 sheets and PVT cubes as scintillators for tagging the Inverse Beta-Decay products (neutron and positron). Being located overground and close to the BR2 research reactor, the experiment faces a large amount of backgrounds. Efficient real-time background and noise rejection is essential in order to increase the signal-background ratio for precise oscillation measurement and decrease data production to a rate which can be handled by the online software. Therefore, a reliable distinction between the neutrons and background signals is crucial. This can be performed online with a dedicated firmware trigger. A peak counting algorithm and an algorithm measuring time over threshold have been identified as performing well both in terms of efficiency and fake rate, and have been implemented onto an FPGA. After having introduced the experimental and theoretical background of neutrino oscillation physics, as well as SoLid's detector technology, read-out system and trigger scheme, the thesis presents the design of the firmware neutron trigger implemented by applying machine learning methods.


The chemistry of noble gases was for a long time dominated by fluoride-bearing compounds of xenon. However, the last two decades have brought new insights into the chemistry of xenon oxides and oxysalts, including insights involving a novel type of non-covalent interaction (aerogen bonding), discoveries of new xenon oxides, oxide perovskite frameworks and evidence for an abrupt increase of xenon reactivity under extreme pressure-temperature conditions. The complex implementation of these findings could facilitate the development of explanations for long-standing interdisciplinary problems, such as the depletion of heavy noble gases in contemporary planetary atmospheres - the cosmochemical enigma known as the "missing xenon" paradox.


Tuberculous arthritis is a part of tuberculosis infection. Although the number of this disease is very small compared to the other causes of muskuloskeletal infection, it can cause joint damage and eventually disability to the patient. Tuberculous arthritis should always be considered as one of the differential diagnosis in cases with insidiously developed monoarticular arthritis of the large weight-bearing joints, especially in developing countries where there is a high prevalence of tuberculosis. Early recognition and treatment with antituberculosis drugs provide better outcome for the patient; however, surgery due to unresponsiveness to medical treatment or presence of large abscess, arthroplasty, and arthrodesis may be necessary.


Malnutrition is manifested in various degrees of both underweight and overweight, with large differences and rapid changes in their prevalence and severity. This paper introduces a new approach to characterizing the distribution of a population's nutritional status, to help analyze changes in that distribution over time and across countries. Our method draws on the poverty literature to construct Foster-Greer-Thorbecke measures for the incidence and severity of under- and overweight, based on deviations in either direction from the median of a healthy population. We apply this median-based measure to the nutritional status of over 400,000 preschool children, as measured in 130 DHS surveys covering 53 countries over a period from 1986 to 2006. Unlike conventional threshold-based methods, the new approach counts changes in every child's bodyweight. We find that this offers a more sensitive measure of differences across countries and changes over time, showing in particular that children's bodyweights are closely linked to local agricultural output and gender equality as well as real GDP per capita.


While it is now evident that the two Bacteroidales species Bacteroides fragilis and Tannerella forsythia both have general O-glycosylation systems and share a common glycosylation sequon, the ability of these organisms to glycosylate a protein native to the other organism has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report on the glycosylation of heterologous proteins between these two organisms. Using genetic tools previously developed for Bacteroides species, two B. fragilis model glycoproteins were expressed in the fastidious anaerobe T. forsythia and the attachment of the known T. forsythia O-glycan to these proteins was demonstrated by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Likewise, two predominant T. forsythia glycoproteins were expressed in B. fragilis and glycosylation with the B. fragilis O-glycan was confirmed. Purification of these proteins from B. fragilis allowed the preliminary characterization of the previously uncharacterized B. fragilis protein O-glycan. Based on mass spectrometric data, we show that the B. fragilis protein O-glycan is an oligosaccharide composed of nine sugar units. Compositional and structural similarities with the T. forsythia O-glycan suggest commonalities in their biosynthesis. These data demonstrate the feasibility of exploiting these organisms for the design of novel glycoproteins.


Initial teacher education (ITE) programs play a pivotal role not only in helping student teachers build and enhance their theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge but also in assisting them to construct their teacher identity. At present, the ITE program also aims to prepare student teachers for the 21 st century profession of teaching. Therefore, it is important to develop an informed curriculum for ITE, which caters to needs of student teachers and those of changing educational needs in tandem. In this plenary paper, I wish to flesh out such four key issues as a need for developing an informed ITE curriculum, domains of theoretical and practical knowledge student teachers need to learn, and role of teacher identity in the ITE program. I conclude by addressing a need for reframing an ITE curriculum in order to meet changing needs for educating and training more qualified teachers in the 21 st century education and beyond.


Abstract We present a simple mechanistic model describing kleptoparasitic (food stealing) behaviour among a group of foragers. This behavioural model is used to produce an analytic expression for the food uptake rate (functional response) of individual foragers in the presence of kleptoparasitism. The parameters of this functional response can be interpreted in terms of the underlying behavioural model. We define intensity of interference as the rate at which obtained uptake rate, relative to that achieved without competitors, decreases with increasing forager density. The intensity of interference increases with increasing forager density and with decreasing food density. The functional response is used to find analytic expressions for the ideal free distribution of foragers among a range of habitats differing in food density. The model predicts that the proportion of foragers opting to use the richest patch will always be greater than the proportion of food there. The proportion of foragers using a patch depends not only on the proportion of food on that patch but on the distribution of food between the other patches in the system.


In past few years, automatic remote systems for monitoring a wide range of environment or process parameters have exposed a rapid growth concerning the technology issues. Entering the era of Internet of Things (IoTs), a highly dynamic and radically distributed networked system, usage of small, cheap, flexible and end-user programmable computer hardware becomes apparent. These objects, deployed in various environments, are able to communicate and to interact among themselves, with end-users or other entities in the network. Using such objects, tasks like monitoring, control or data processing can be easily done. But, in some case, the target environments are often too dangerous, hazardous, unwired, or difficult to access. In such unfriendly environments there are many challenges for monitoring systems (wireless sensor networks) deployment and maintenance. As the possible solution, in this paper we have suggested the creation of an economical remote monitoring system, based on cheap computer board (Raspberry Pi), wireless sensors and GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General packet radio service). In other words, the Raspberry Pi platform is utilized as central processing unit which provides a set of services for accessing sensor data, and communicates with end users, while different types of sensors (depending of target parameters) can constitute the detection module. 3G/4G USB Modem or GSM/GPRS shields can be used as GSM/GPRS communication module in order to ensure Internet connection. A whole system presents an IoT solution, precisely a Sensor Web node, which can be accessed all over the world, and provide information from a monitored environment. Performed research shows a possibility of setting up this system for a remote communication, control function and monitoring in unfriendly environments. The usage of low cost pieces of hardware verifies that the Raspberry Pi is highly suitable for numerous IoT concept applications and especially in the unfriendly environments.


Paleontological expeditions to Madagascar over the past two decades have yielded large quantities of bones of extinct lemurs. These include abundant postcranial and cranial remains of new species belonging to a group of giant extinct lemurs that we have called sloth lemurs due to their remarkable postcranial convergence with arboreal sloths. New fossils have come from a variety of locations in Madagascar, including caves in the Northwest (Anjohibe) and the Ankarana Massif, located in the extreme north, as well as pits in the karstic plains near Toliara in southwestern Madagascar. The most spectacular of these is the extremely deep pit (>100 m) called Ankilitelo, the "place of the three kily trees." These new materials provide insights into the adaptive diversity and evolution of sloth lemurs. New carpal and pedal bones, as well as vertebrae and other portions of the axial skeletons, allow better reconstruction of the positional behavior of these animals. New analytical tools have begun to unlock the secrets of life‐history adaptations of the Palaeopropithecidae, making explicit exactly what they had in common with their relatives, the Indriidae. Paleoecological research has elucidated the contexts in which they lived and the likely causes of their disappearance.


Impedance spectroscopy (IS) was used to evaluate the microstructural changes of a thermally-grown oxide (TGO) layer on a nickel-based superalloy or bond coat, with or without a thermal barrier coating (TBC) system, at various temperatures. TBC is used for hot section parts of gas turbine engine, such as turbine blades and vanes. However, spallation of TBC can take place due to long-term operation at high temperature. The spallation is mainly caused by both microstructural changes and thermal stresses as a result of oxide layer (mainly alumina) formation and growth at the interface between the TBC and bond coat. The electrical resistance and capacitance of the oxide layer, formed from oxidation of IN738LC superalloy at high temperature, were obtained from fitting the results of the measured impedance diagrams based on an equivalent circuit model. The equivalent circuit model should represent the features of the oxide layer or the TBC system. The electrical resistance of the oxide layer increased with increasing oxidation time for samples exposed to air at 900°C. Similar results were obtained for the NiCrCoAIY bond coat samples and the TBC systems. The capacitance decreased with increasing thickness of the alumina layer. The activation energy of electrical conduction was used to characterise the alumina layer formed on the bond coat at 900°C, 1000°C and 1100°C. The activation energy values for the alumina layer, formed at various temperatures, decrease with increasing impurity or porosity. Changes in the electrical properties of TGOs are correlated with those in their microstructure and microchemistry. The degradation of a TBC can be identified, when the electrical resistance of the TGO decreases with increasing oxidation time. The fast decrease in resistivity corresponds to the compositional change in the TGO from cc-A1203 to a mixture of a-Cr203 and (Ni or Co)(Cr or Al)2O4 spinel. The disappearance of a-A1203 in the TGO makes the scale non-protective and leads to cracks and spallation of TBCs. Non-destructive testing of the crack formation in a TBC system is essential for predicting the failure and lifetime of TBCs in service. IS was used to evaluate the crack formation in the TBC system due to thermal cycling. During the thermal cycling, cracks initiated and propagated along the interface between the TGO and the yttrium stabilised zirconia (YSZ), used as a TBC. This caused the spallation of the TBC eventually. The propagation of cracks at the interface of TGO/YSZ was found to contribute to an increase in the interfacial impedance. The interfacial area determines the interfacial resistance corresponding to the oxygen reaction. Therefore, the crack propagation induced an increase of the interfacial resistance, whereas the interfacial capacitance showed no trend in its alteration with the propagation of the cracks. As a result, the relaxation frequency of the interface moved towards a lower frequency during the propagation of the cracks. Therefore, impedance spectroscopy has been used to examine the crack formation in TBC system non-destructively. By using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, the composition and microstructure of the oxide scales were examined. It was found that their electrical properties were determined, not only by the microstructure of the oxide scales, but also by the composition of the oxide scales. By determining the relationship between the electrical properties, microstructure and composition of the oxide scales, IS could be used as a non-destructive technique for monitoring the oxidation of metallic alloys at high temperature in gas turbine engine components.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application of the control chart procedure to monitor the characteristics whose profile over time resembles a set of connected line segments.

Design/methodology/approach
Fit a regression spline model by taking the subgroup average of the characteristic as response variable and time as the explanatory variable. Then monitor the response variable using the regression spline control chart with the fitted model as center line and upper and lower control limits at three standard deviation units of the response variable above and below the center line.

Findings
The proposed chart is successfully deployed to monitor the daily response time profile of a client server of an application support process. The chart ensured the stability of the process as well as detected the assignable cause leading to the slowing down of the server performance.

Practical implications
The methodology can be used to monitor any characteristics whose performance profile over time resembles a set of connected line segments. Some of the examples are the consumption profile of utility providers like power distribution companies, usage profiles of telecom networks, loading profile of airline check-in process, e-commerce websites, etc.

Originality/value
To the best of the author's knowledge, construction of control charts using regression spline is new. The usage of the control chart to monitor the performance characteristics which exhibits a nonlinear profile over time is also rare.


Read-My-Lips is an interactive multimedia system designed to help instructors teach language and communication skills to the hearing impaired. Read-My-Lips comprises three multimedia instructional modules: Firstly Babel is an expert system able to translate text-to-speech in any language which uses the Latin alphabet. This module helps instructors teach the fine nuances of phonemes. Each phoneme has a unique sound and thus requires a precise positioning of the vocal organs which are displayed on the screen in two different projections: a front view and a profile cross view of a human face in synchronization with the output sounds of the speech synthesizer. Secondly Read & See consists of a series of hypermedia stories and games. The stories are displayed with text and full video motion. New vocabulary within the story is highlighted, so the student may select the words they want to see signed and spoken with the lips using digitized video sequences. The games reinforce the speech-reading of the new vocabulary learned. Thirdly Fingerspelling allows the student to request any word or, number to be fingerspelled.<<ETX>>


CONTEXT
In type 1 diabetes mellitus, low levels of insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and high levels of GH and IGFBP-1 are present, probably due to portal vein insulinopenia.

OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that continuous ip insulin infusion (CIPII) has a more pronounced effect than sc insulin therapy on regulation of the GH-IGF-1 axis.

DESIGN
This was a prospective, observational case-control study. Measurements were performed twice at a 26-week interval.

SETTING
Two secondary care hospitals in the Netherlands participated in the study.

PATIENTS
There were a total of 184 patients, age- and gender-matched, of which 39 used CIPII and 145 sc insulin therapy for the past 4 years.

OUTCOMES
Primary endpoint included differences in IGF-1. Secondary outcomes were differences in GH, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3.

RESULTS
IGF-1 was higher with CIPII as compared to SC insulin therapy: 124 μg/liter (95% confidence interval [CI], 111-138) vs 108 μg/liter (95% CI 102-115) (P = .035). Additionally, IGFBP-3 concentrations were higher and IGFBP-1 and GH concentrations were lower with CIPII as compared to SC insulin therapy: 3.78 mg/liter (95% CI, 3.49-4.10) vs 3.31 mg/liter (95% CI, 3.17-3.47) for IGFBP-3, 50.9 μg/liter (95% CI, 37.9-68.2) vs 102.6 μg/liter (95% CI, 87.8-119.8) for IGFBP-1 and 0.68 μg/liter (95% CI, 0.44-1.06) vs 1.21 μg/liter (95% CI, 0.95-1.54) for GH, respectively. In multivariate analysis, IGF-1 had no significant association with HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS
The GH-IGF-1 axis may be affected by the route of insulin administration with CIPII counteracting dysregulation of the GH-IGF1 axis present during sc insulin therapy.


The Late Ordovician mass extinction (LOME, ca. 445 Ma) was the first of the "Big Five" Phanerozoic extinction events and comprised two extinction pulses. Proposed kill mechanisms include glacially induced global cooling and the expansion of water-column anoxia and/or euxinia (sulfidic conditions), but no general consensus has been reached with regard to the precise role of these mechanisms. A more definitive understanding is hampered by poorly constrained temporal links between the extinction pulses and climate change, and by uncertainty over the spatial distribution and intensity of euxinia. Here, we utilize Fe speciation and Mo concentrations, in addition to the chemical index of alteration weathering proxy, to reconstruct ocean redox conditions and climate change across a Late Ordovician to Early Silurian shelf-to-slope transect on the Yangtze Shelf Sea (a siliciclastic-dominated shelf basin in South China). These data show two cycles of expanded euxinia corresponding to the two pulses of the LOME, suggesting a strong causal relationship. Significantly, we show that intermittent or weak euxinia developed during the first extinction pulse, which likely accounts for the loss of benthic fauna and some planktonic organisms and nektonic groups. By contrast, the development of more intense euxinia throughout the water column during the second pulse likely drove survival fauna to extinction. Superimposed upon this, significant global cooling occurred across the first extinction phase, reflecting a secondary role in driving the extinction of certain low-latitude taxa.


A fertilizer, comprised of a mixture of steel slag and compost, was used to restore seaweed beds in barren coastal areas. Complex Fe(II) species, supplied by steel slag, play a significant role in supplying Fe(II) to coastal areas and stimulating seaweed growth. Seawater extractable organic matter (SWEOM) from compost is generally assumed to serve as a chelator of Fe(II) in the fertilizer. It is considered that the bioavailability of Fe(II)-SWEOM complexes is higher in the dissociable (labile) species. In the present study, a method for determining labile species of Fe(II)-SWEOM complexes in seawater (pH 8.0, I = 0.7) was developed. The method is based on a ligand-exchange reaction between SWEOM and ferrozine (FZ). Because Fe(II) is readily oxidized to Fe(III) under normal seawater conditions, ascorbic acid was added as an antioxidant. The coloring for the Fe-FZ complex in the presence of SWEOM was retarded. This retarding can be attributed to a ligand-exchange reaction between FZ and labile Fe(II)-SWEOM complexes. Conditional binding constants for the labile Fe(II)-SWEOM complexes and binding capacities of labile sites in SWEOM to Fe(II) were evaluated for a variety of total Fe(II) concentrations.


A crucial undertaking in research on organizations is to obtain valid estimates of the organization-level constructs and their relationships to one another. One organizational research methodology has multiple individuals within each firm act as informants and report their perceptions of these constructs. Drawing upon past work, a comprehensive, confirmatory measurement approach is presented that enables delineation of the organizational constructs of interest from potential sources of measurement error in multiple informant reports.

A confirmatory composition model first specifies the relationship between measurements taken from multiple informants and organization-level indicators of organizational constructs. This model provides an explicit representation of the informants' perceptual agreement with respect to each measure, the bias in their responses due to their particular perspectives on the firm, and random measurement error. Measures which demonstrate significant perceptual agreement across informants are retained as organization-level indicators.

A confirmatory measurement model is then presented that relates the defined indicators to their posited underlying organizational constructs, with the constructs allowed to freely inter-correlate. Finally, a structural model relates the constructs to one another as specified by some theory. The structure model in conjunction with the measurement model permits a comprehensive assessment of the construct validity of the organizational properties.

An extension of the approach is also discussed where the assessment of commonalities and differences between different kinds of organizations with respect to some theoretical model is of interest. An illustration of the confirmatory approach is given, drawing upon data from a study of distributor firm and manufacturer firm working relationships.


"A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of Science in Business Strategy"; MSBS -- Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Graduate Division, Notre Dame University, Louaize, 2018; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140).


Sequential addition of a C-nucleophile and a C-electrophile to enantiomerically pure arene tricarbonyl chromium complexes 3a,b, 6, and 8b, containing aryl bound chiral oxazoline, SAMP-hydrazone and chiral imine auxiliaries affording substituted cyclohexadienes. C-Nucleophiles included alkyl-, vinyl-, and phenyl-lithium reagents. C-Electrophiles included methyl iodide, allyl bromide, benzyl bromide, and propargyl bromides. The 1,3-cylohexadienes were obtained with a 1,5,6-substitution pattern. The results are consistent with a diastereoselective exo-nucleophilic addition to an ortho position of the complexed arene, followed by addition of the electrophile to the metal center. With allyl, ben-zyl, and propargyl groups, direct reductive elimination then yielded trans-5,6-substituted products. With methyl iodide, reductive elimination was preceded by CO insertion and acetyl cyclohexadienes were formed exclusively whose in situ deprotonation/alkylation gave products in which three C-substituents had been added across an arene double bond with complete regio- and stereocontrol. The two path-ways reflect migratory aptitude to carbonylation. An X-ray structure determination of the phenyl oxazoline complex 3a allowed a rationalization of observed diastereoselectivity. Asymmetric induction was very high with the oxazoline and the SAMP-hydrazone complexes (>90% de) whereas the chiral benzaldehyde imine complex 8b afforded the substituted diene aldehydes in moderate enantiomeric purity (34-58% ee). Changing the reaction medium from THF to toluene in reactions with 8b resulted in products of the opposite chirality.


Protection of children as a vulnerable and clean stratum has always been a global concern. Today, in addition to the classic crimes such as child abuse, involving children in panhandling by adults etc. in the actual space the attention should be concentrated on similar activities in the virtual space called 'cyberspace'. Children's curiosity, lack of proper supervision by the parents and lack of efficient website filters has provided a good chance for the moral criminals for hunting children through websites, chartrooms and emails. One of the most important crimes, which is committed against children in cyberspace, is child pornography.  In fact, any kind of sound or picture or movie which shows people or children being raped or sexually abused and exposing sexual organs is used for arousal and promotion of sexual activity in children. To investigate the aspects of moral and physical child abuse through pornography in cyberspace and offering solutions for preventing this inhuman action and protecting these innocent angels.


Electrochemical deposition as a liquid phase epitaxial growth method is widely used to fabricate different kinds of hierarchical structures. As a typical heterostructure, TiO2/PbS is widely utilized in the areas of photovoltaics and photocatalysis. Oriented TiO2 nanorod (NR) arrays can provide direct pathways for the electron transport of photoanode. However, the lattice mismatch between TiO2 NR sides and PbS is very large; PbS nanoparticles (NPs) only formed on the top of TiO2 NRs. To solve this problem, TiO2/CdS core/shell nanocables were firstly prepared electrochemically because the lattice ratio between TiO2 and CdS was 0.916; and then, PbS NPs were successfully deposited over CdS shells (the lattice ratio between CdS and PbS was 0.697) to form TiO2/CdS/PbS hierarchical heterostructures. Experimental results demonstrated that the CdS interlayer could effectively promote the growth of PbS NPs on the surface and improve the fill factor and short current density of the photoanodes.


Microsimulations may involve a large number of agents. It is then practically impossible or too expensive to obtain a fully and complete disaggregated data set about these agents of interest. Moreover, if such a dataset was available, its use would be potentially problematic in view of stringent privacy laws. To address this problem one may build an artificial population starting from known aggregate data. Most of the known generation methods are explained in this paper. Their advantages and limitations are discussed and references are given for further details.


IT system architectures and many other kinds of structured artifacts are often described by formal models or informal diagrams. In practice, there are often a number of versions of a model or diagram, such as a series of revisions, divergent variants, or multiple views of a system. Understanding how versions correspond or differ is crucial, and thus, automated assistance for matching models and diagrams is essential. We have designed a framework for finding these correspondences automatically based on Bayesian methods. We represent models and diagrams as graphs whose nodes have attributes such as name, type, connections to other nodes, and containment relations, and we have developed probabilistic models for rating the quality of candidate correspondences based on various features of the nodes in the graphs. Given the probabilistic models, we can find high-quality correspondences using search algorithms. Preliminary experiments focusing on architectural models suggest that the technique is promising.


Medium-chain fatty acids (FAs), found in storage lipids of certain plants, are an important renewable resource. Seeds of undomesticated California bay accumulate laurate (12:0), and a 12:0-acyl-carrier protein thioesterase (BTE) has been purified from this tissue. Sequencing of BTE enabled the cloning of a complementary DNA coding for a plastid-targeted preprotein. Expression of the complementary DNA in the seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in BTE activity, and medium chains accumulated at the expense of long-chain (greater than or equal to 16) FAs. Laurate became the most abundant FA species and was deposited in the storage triacylglycerols. These results demonstrate a mechanism for medium-chain FA synthesis in plants.


The U.S. invasion of the Micronesian island of Guam in July of 1944 ended the three-year Japanese occupation of this American possession, and by August 10 all formal resistance was over. However, two companies of approximately 60 Japanese infantry still under military command were ordered by their officers to conduct guerilla warfare against American forces, while smaller groups of stragglers escaped into the rugged interior of the island to avoid combat. Recent archaeological surveys of the U.S. Naval Ordnance Annex revealed evidence of occupation of limestone rockshelters and caverns by one of these companies, who often utilized or modified items of American manufacture recovered from U.S. military dumps for their daily survival. The company's military commander eventually surrendered upon orders of the Emperor of Japan on September 4, 1945, but other stragglers on Guam survived for decades after World War II, the last being captured in 1972. The disciplined survival of organized World War II Japanese soldiers across the Pacific reflected the spirit of Bushido or Way of the Warrior, a feudal code of conduct embracing not only military behavior during battle, but the conduct of soldiers in all aspects of life.


Abstract Rotundal neurons in pigeons (Columba livia) were examined for the effects of glutamate and its agonists NMDA and AMPA, antagonists CPP and CNQX, as well as of GABA and its antagonist bicuculline, on visual and tectal stimulation-evoked responses. Glutamate applied by iontophoresis excited all 48 rotundal cells tested, and this excitation was blocked by CNQX but not by CPP in 98% of cases, with 2% of cells being blocked by either CNQX or CPP. Out of 21 cells excited by AMPA, 20 were also excited by NMDA, indicating that AMPA and NMDA receptors may coexist in most rotundal cells. Action potentials were evoked in 36 additional cells by electrical stimulation applied to the tectum and they were also blocked by CNQX but not CPP. Visual responses recorded from a further eight luminance units and 21 motion-sensitive units were also blocked by CNQX and not CPP. On the other hand, GABA inhibited visual responses as well as responses evoked by tectal stimulation. An inhibitory period following tectal stimulation was eliminated by bicuculline. Taken together, these results indicate that glutamate may be an excitatory transmitter acting predominantly through non-NMDA receptors (AMPA receptors) in tectorotundal transmission. Meanwhile, GABA may be an inhibitory transmitter in the pigeon nucleus rotundus.


Small streams account for the majority of channel length in river basins worldwide and are the primary conveyors of terrestrial nutrients to rivers and ultimately the oceans. The controls of stream nutrient fluxes, however, are debated. Classical models emphasize that nutrient transport in streams integrates nutrient cycling in the terrestrial watershed while others argue that in-stream processes control nutrient flux. Recent studies have shown that in-stream cycling can be important in determining downstream nutrient fluxes, but results have not been reconciled with mass-balance calculations at the small-watershed scale. Here we use a simple analytical framework to assess nutrient cycling in streams and show that, under most conditions, longitudinally static nutrient concentrations reflect in-stream biotic balance between uptake and regeneration and groundwater inputs. Using measures of nutrient concentrations in small streams across four biomes, we provide evidence for generality of biogeochemical steady state (inputs = outputs) in stream ecosystems: overall, longitudinal profiles were flat for nitrogen and phosphorus and were similar in concentration to soil and ground waters. Deviation from flat longitudinal profiles was associated with seasonal or successional biomass growth and small groundwater inputs relative to in-stream sink strength. We conclude that streams tend strongly toward nutrient balance, allowing use of their chemistry as an integrated measure of terrestrial nutrient losses.


Objective To report an unusual clinical phenotype of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) encephalitis and describe associated neuropathologic findings. Methods We retrospectively investigated 3 AMPAR encephalitis patients with autoimmune global hippocampal amnesia using comprehensive cognitive and neuropsychologic assessment, antibody testing by in-house tissue-based and cell-based assays, and neuropathologic analysis of brain autopsy tissue including histology and immunohistochemistry. Results Three patients presented with acute-to-subacute global amnesia without affection of cognitive performance, attention, concentration, or verbal function. None of the patients had epileptic seizures, change of behavior, personality changes, or psychiatric symptoms. The MRI was normal in 1 patient and showed increased fluid-attenuated inversion recovery/T2 signal in the hippocampus in the other 2 patients. Two patients showed complete remission after immunotherapy. The one patient who did not improve had an underlying adenocarcinoma of the lung and died 3.5 months after disease onset because of tumor progression. Neuropathologic analysis of the brain autopsy revealed unilateral hippocampal sclerosis accompanied by mild inflammatory infiltrates, predominantly composed of T lymphocytes, and decrease of AMPAR immunoreactivity. Conclusion AMPAR antibodies usually associate with limbic encephalitis but may also present with immune responsive, acute-to-subacute, isolated hippocampal dysfunction without overt inflammatory CSF or MRI changes.


This article describes a forecasting method, with the application of statistical models Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and a heat conduction model to forecast the temperature field in a buttress block of Itaipu dam. Monthly temperature series in 2010-2014 of surface thermometers to block were fitted with cubic splines and the series, now daily, were used as inputs for specific ARIMA models to produce forecasts as outputs. These outputs were used as boundary conditions to the thermal model of the block and this solved by the Finite Element Method (FEM). Obtained thus predicted temperature fields of block. The error MAPE between the values obtained by MEF and the real, in a test point, (where is an internal thermometer) measured the performance of the forecast of ARIMA models, and this was satisfactory, achieving near 15%. The proposed method has an innovative character for thermal analysis structures, in particular in concrete dams.


Particulate matter accumulated on car engine air-filters (CAFs) was examined in order to investigate the potential use of these devices as efficient samplers for collecting street level air that people are exposed to. The morphology, microstructure, and chemical composition of a variety of particles were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The particulate matter accumulated by the CAFs was studied in two categories; the first was of removed particles by friction, and the second consisted of particles retained on the filters. Larger particles with a diameter of 74–10 µm were observed in the first category. In the second one, the detected particles had a diameter between 16 and 0.7 µm. These particles exhibited different morphologies and composition, indicating mostly a soil origin. The elemental composition revealed the presence of three groups: mineral (clay and asphalt), metallic (mainly Fe), and biological particles (vegetal and animal debris). The palynological analysis showed the presence of pollen grains associated with urban plants. These results suggest that CAFs capture a mixture of atmospheric particles, which can be analyzed in order to monitor urban air. Thus, the continuous availability of large numbers of filters and the retroactivity associated to the car routes suggest that these CAFs are very useful for studying the high traffic zones within a city.


Abstract Tools that teach quantitative skills and foster positive student attitudes toward these skills are important in biology curricula. Math and statistics anxiety is common and can interfere with student learning in biology courses. We describe a new framework for alleviating this anxiety. In our module, students watch a cute internet cat video, which inspires them to ask scientific questions about animal behavior and collect, analyze, and interpret data. We developed two freely available interactive tools to implement our module. We successfully implemented these tools with undergraduate students at two institutions. Based on this experience, we provide ideas for extension along with assessment.


ABSTRACT Despite substantial evidence for the negative effect of turnover on performance, several studies also note offsetting positive effects hereby recognizing an optimal rate of turnover. These mixed results stress the need to examine under which conditions turnover is more harmful or beneficial to the organization. Using panel data from 30 divisions of the same agency, this study examines the impact of process conformance – the extent to which there are prescribed standards and rules related to the task. Results support a non-linear, inverted U-shaped relationship for those tasks with a high process conformance.


Analysis of single-trial electroencephalogram waveforms in a reaction time task demonstrated that the onset and offset values of event-related potentials can be used as indices of the duration of information processing. Two negative waves have been identified which peak at different times in different regions of the scalp, with the second overlapping the last part of the first. These waves are related in different ways to the duration of perceptual processing.


Background Interactive, online electronic (e)-health services with patient-reported outcome measure (PROM)-based instruments may be helpful for patients (pts). Sanoïa is a secure, independent e- and mobile (m)-health platform developed to allow pt self-assessment, storage of questions to ask physicians, and self-monitoring of disease status. The platform offers a dedicated set of scores, PROMs and information about different diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives To characterise pts with RA who chose to access e-health services regularly over a 12-month (mo) period. Methods Post-hoc analysis of CarNET (NCT02200068): a French, multicentre, 12-mo randomised controlled trial. Pts with RA were randomised to: access to Sanoïa (30-min training via the telephone with no further incentive to access the platform) or usual care (normal internet use without access to Sanoïa). The Sanoïa group pts used a home-based e-Case Report Form to record frequency of Sanoïa access, satisfaction with the platform (0–10 scale; 0=completely satisfied, 10=not satisfied), and barriers to use (from a pre-specified list). Baseline pt characteristics associated with more frequent use (above the median) were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results 159 RA pts were randomised to the Sanoïa arm: mean±SD age was 56.1±13.1 years, disease duration was 15.0±11.5 years and 132 (83.0%) of pts were female. Mean DAS28 was 2.7±1.2 with 57.2% of pts in remission; 115 (72.3%) were taking a biologic; 23.3% had attended therapeutic education sessions; 15.7% were members of pt associations; and 53.5% had participated in university-level studies. Overall, 41 pts (25.7%) never accessed Sanoïa and 81 (50.9%) accessed the platform at least twice; median=2, mean±SD=4.4±11.3 connections/pt over the 12 mos. 54 pts (34.0%) used Sanoïa for ≥2 mos with a noticeable investigator effect (0.3±0.2, 0–1 scale). Mean satisfaction with the platform was very high (1.5±1.5), with 90% scoring satisfaction ≤3. One barrier was expressed in 11.8% of cases: "the platform is not useful for me since I am in remission". In multivariate analysis, the only variable associated with greater usage of Sanoïa was being a member of a pt association: odds ratio [95% CI]=1.44 [1.17–1.77]. Conclusions A quarter of pts who participated in this trial to assess e-health did not access the platform whereas half accessed the platform at least twice. Pts expressed high satisfaction and the only barrier was lower usefulness when in remission. e-Health is a promising tool for self-management in RA. The impact of offering additional services should also be explored in a further study. Acknowledgements This study was funded by UCB Pharma. We thank the patients and their caregivers in addition to the investigators and their teams who contributed to this study. Editorial services were provided by Costello Medical Consulting. Disclosure of Interest L. Gossec Grant/research support from: UCB Pharma, Lilly, Consultant for: AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, Janssen, Novartis, MSD, UCB, A. Cantagrel: None declared, M. Soubrier: None declared, J. M. Joubert Employee of: UCB Pharma, W. Czarlewski Employee of: UCB Pharma, B. Combe Grant/research support from: Merck Pfizer Inc, Roche-Chugai, Consultant for: Merck, Pfizer, Roche-Chugai, UCB Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Speakers bureau: Merck, Pfizer, Roche-Chugai, UCB Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Novartis, J. M. Berthelot: None declared, D. Wendling: None declared, E. Dernis: None declared, L. Grange: None declared, C. Beauvais Speakers bureau: UCB Pharma, A. Perdriger: None declared, H. Nataf: None declared, M. Dougados Grant/research support from: UCB Pharma, AbbVie, Pfizer, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, H. Servy Shareholder of: Sanoïa platform operating company: e-health services, Employee of: Sanoïa


This study aims to describe the governance of the school literacy movement program at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. The approach of this study is descriptive qualitative. The data used in this study is the management process of the school literacy movement. The source of data in this study is the document and the process of implementing the school literacy program. The data in this study were collected using the methods of documentation, interviews, and observations. Analysis of the research data using an interactive model. The results of this study indicate that the governance of the literacy movement program in Madrasahs is as follows (1) First, the planning of the school literacy program has been carried out by setting the objectives of the school literacy movement program. However, the planning has not been based on needs analysis (2) the organization of the school literacy program has been carried out by organizing human resources and literacy reading materials. However, the organization carried out has not included every task and responsibility of each manager (3) the implementation of the school literacy movement program has been carried out in accordance with the plan. However, evaluation has not been carried out for each activity implementation and (4) the control carried out is still limited to ensuring that the Saturday reading program is carried out or not. Control to improve the quality of the program has not been carried out. The management of the school literacy movement program needs to be managed properly, starting from the strategic planning process, organizing by providing task descriptions, implementing the program in accordance with strategic planning, and continuous evaluation.


Infinite-range interactions are known to facilitate the production of highly entangled states with applications in quantum information and metrology. However, many experimental systems have interactions that decay with distance, and the achievable benefits in this context are much less clear. Combining recent exact solutions with a controlled expansion in the system size, we analyze quench dynamics in Ising models with power-law ($1/r^{\alpha}$) interactions in $D$ dimensions, thereby expanding the understanding of spin squeezing into a broad and experimentally relevant context. In spatially homogeneous systems, we show that for small $\alpha$ the scaling of squeezing with system size is identical to the infinite-range ($\alpha=0$) case. This indifference to the interaction range persists up to a critical value $\alpha=2D/3$, above which squeezing degrades continuously. Boundary-induced inhomogeneities present in most experimental systems modify this picture, but it nevertheless remains qualitatively correct for finite-sized systems.


Biodegradation test of aromatic compounds by pure cultureof bacterial isolate I4 from bacterial tablet using mineral mediumas growth medium was done. Aromatic compounds tested ascarbon sources used were phenol, p-chlorphenol, p-nitrophenol,2,4 dichlorphenol and benzene. The oval colony forming and highmotility isolate is an aerobic and gram negatif bacteria. Theisolate was able to use citric acid as carbon source, producedacid .from methyl red test and gave negative result of indol test.The isolate formed a slightly blue-green colour colony on agarslant, and it did not use ethanol as carbon source. Thecharacteristic of the isolate I4 indicated that it belonged to thegenus Pseudomonas. Test using selective media confirmed thatthe isolate I4 is a Pseudomonas fluorescence. The capability ofthe bacteria to oxidize of 2,4 dichlorphenol was relatively fast.Experimental results showed that the bacteri grew on benzene atconcentration of 10% (v/v), and degraded 2,4 dichlophenol withrelatively high rate. Keywords: Bacterial tablet, aromatic compounds, phenol. pchlorphenol,2,4 dichlorphenol, p-nitrophenol, benzene, pure culture,Pseudomonas fluorescence, isolate I4


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether elevated soluble Fas/APO-1 (sFas/APO-1) levels are associated with either autoimmune disease or evidence of flares in autoimmune disease.

METHODS
Thirty-seven serum samples were retrospectively obtained from normal controls and patients with laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease activity. These samples were assayed for sFas/APO-1 levels by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and hospital medical records were retrospectively reviewed for clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients.

RESULTS
Soluble Fas/APO-1 levels did not correlate with clinical diagnoses or laboratory abnormalities. The mean and range of sFas/APO-1 levels were similar in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (including those with active disease), patients with other autoimmune diseases, and normal controls.

CONCLUSION
These data strongly suggest that measurement of sFas/APO-1 levels is unlikely to hold clinical value or play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.


We present new cloudy and cloudless model atmospheres for brown dwarfs using recent ab initio calculations of the line list of ammonia (NH3) and of the collision-induced absorption of molecular hydrogen (H2). We compare the new synthetic spectra with models based on an earlier description of the H2 and NH3 opacities. We find a significant improvement in fitting the nearly complete spectral energy distribution of the T7p dwarf Gliese 570D and in near-infrared color–magnitude diagrams of field brown dwarfs. We apply these new models to the identification of NH3 absorption in the H-band peak of very late T dwarfs and the new Y dwarfs and discuss the observed trend in the NH3–H spectral index. The new NH3 line list also allows a detailed study of the medium-resolution spectrum of the T9/T10 dwarf UGPS J072227.51−054031.2 where we identify several specific features caused by NH3.


The slow-roll inflation is a beautiful paradigm, yet the inflaton potential can hardly be sufficiently flat when unknown gravitational effects are taken into account. However, the hybrid inflation models constructed in D = 4 N = 1 supergravity can be consistent with N = 2 supersymmetry, and can be naturally embedded into string theory. This article discusses the gravitational effects carefully in the string model, using D = 4 supergravity description. We adopt the D3--D7 system of Type IIB string theory compactified on K3 x T^2/Z_2 orientifold for definiteness. It turns out that the slow-roll parameter can be sufficiently small despite the non-minimal Kahler potential of the model. The conditions for this to happen are clarified in terms of string vacua. We also find that the geometry obtained by blowing up singularity, which is necessary for the positive vacuum energy, is stabilized by introducing certain 3-form fluxes.


How to keep the promise of a promised land? Not only a name, a place, a flag. It's an end to wandering in the wilderness, the wilderness inside ourselves. It's singing sweeter than scorpions. It's touching everywhere softer than snakes. It's not letting hyenas teach babies to howl. It's families trusting without cactus spines coming from inside our skins. No more sand blowing between kisses. In a promised land we are not made in the desert's image. We do not think with rocks in our heads or take counsel with storms. A promised land is promised to us. But we are also promised and to keep that promise we must learn not to become hungry prowling lions but to look at each other with gathering awe as if we had never seen another human so close, so real. — Julia Vinograd


Despite the rapidly growing number of lesbian families in this country, until now little discussion has emerged of the particular developmental stages and common stresses that face lesbian couples. In this book, psychotherapist Suzanne Slater looks at the wide spectrum of lesbian families - one or two lesbian parents with children, newly lesbian mothers of adult children, the extended family of lesbian friends and ex-lovers. The book provides a five-stage model of the development of lesbian couple relationships, describing the tasks, challenges, and accomplishments particular to each developmental stage.


This paper investigates the use of a Genetic Algorithm to produce an optimized compact monopole antenna for textile application. The antenna characteristics are examined using the Numerical Electromagnetic code (NEC2) with genetic algorithm (GA). The design objective for the antennas considered here is to drive the S11 to be less than or at least, as close as possible to -10dB, targeting this application (850-950 MHz) band. Results of return loss are also presented. The purpose of this study is to build a genetic algorithm (GA) optimisation of wire antennas for application at 900MHz. These antennas are fully textile, flexible and wearable. Measurement test was performed by placing the textile antenna sample close to the human chest while results were compared with simulation on a body phantom. Specific absorption rate was evaluated in CST Microwave Studio. To validate our results, four linear wire antenna designs, planar and embroidered antennas were fabricated, measured and compared with the simulation. Simulated and measured results show that all the antennas can operate at 900 MHz band.

 Key words: Genetic algorithm, linear wire, segment length, population, chromosome, specific absorption rate.


Art has always held an ambiguous position in human society: on the one hand it has been exploited for promotional use and revered as a stand-in for the entity it represents; on the other hand, its ability to question dogmatic authorities by appealing to an individual's innermost instincts and thoughts has made it a threatening and seditious force to be reckoned with. As a result, numerous studies on the impact of art and visions on society, authority, and our perception of reality have emerged and taken many forms of interdisciplinary inquiry (such as "literature and the visual arts", "culture studies", "cross-cultural image studies" or "law and imagery", to mention a few). As a confirmation of this, the subversive power of art, in the form of suppressed colours and controversial portraits, is at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's novel The Virgin Blue (1997). In fact, in Chevalier's novels art is perceived as "a powerful source both of instability and stability, for it can and often does subvert or otherwise alter our commitments, and thereby our deeply entrenched ways of seeing and organizing the world. And while this can produce conflicts, it can also resolve them" (Novitz 13). The protagonists' lives are dominated by a strong patriarchal society that suppresses the voices of those who do not pertain to politically privileged categories. Art therefore is the force that leads such characters to leave the paths that had been assigned to them by custom and seek out their own future.


This paper presents investigations into the development of hybrid control schemes for input tracking and anti-swaying control of a gantry crane system. A nonlinear overhead gantry crane system is considered and the dynamic model of the system is derived using the Euler-Lagrange formulation. To study the effectiveness of the controllers, initially a collocated PD-type Fuzzy Logic control is developed for cart position control of gantry crane. This is then extended to incorporate input shaper control schemes for anti-swaying control of the system. The positive input shapers with the derivative effects are designed based on the properties of the system. Simulation results of the response of the manipulator with the controllers are presented in time and frequency domains. The performances of the hybrid control schemes are examined in terms of level of input tracking capability, swing angle reduction and time response specifications in comparison to the PD-type Fuzzy Logic control. Finally, a comparative assessment of the control techniques is presented and discussed.


Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) is the major warmseason perennial forage crop used for beef production in the Southeast. Seedhead production is irregular and consequently cannot be used as an index of age or quality. Chronological age is, therefore, important in making management decisions. Since bermudagrass production and quality may vary with season and year, 'Coastal', 'Alicia', 'Callie', and common bermudagrass harvested at 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week intervals were evaluated over 2 years in northeast Mississippi on a Leeper fine sandy loam (fine, montmorillonitic, nonacid, thermic Vertic Haplaquept) soil. During the 1975 growing season rainfall was generally adequate and total dry matter yields of Coastal, Alicia, and common bermudagrass harvested at the four intervals were similar. Forage yields of Callie, however, averaged 20% higher than the other grasses because of higher production during July and August. In 1976, rainfall was especially low during August (2.0 cm) and total yield of the hybrid bermudagrasses were similar averaging 72% higher than that of common. Lower total season yields of common were reflected in less regrowth during July and August. Averaged over the grasses, total forage yields harvested at 4-, 6-, and 8- week intervals were 2.6 metric tons/ha lower in 1976 than in 1975 and were related in general to higher early-season (June to July) forage yields in 1975 and limited regrowth in August and September 1976. Crude protein (CP) was higher for Callie and common both years of the study. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) varied little among grasses or harvest intervals. The increase in CP (3.4 units) and decrease in NDF (3.8 units) observed in 1976 appeared related to rainfall patterns, variation in regrowth potential among the grasses, and possible changes in the proportion of leafstem fractions. Averaged over years, Callie was higher in CP (11.9 vs. 10.3%) and digestible dry matter (55.3 vs. 53.0%), and lower in lignin (5.2 vs. 5.7%) than the other grasses. Results suggest that selection of hybrid bermudagrasses over common should be based mainly on their potential to produce significantly more dry matter when moisture is limiting.


To improve the large release of smoke and heat for brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in fire hazard, fullerene (C60) had been introduced in high density polyethylene (HDPE)/bromine flame retardant (Deca/Sb2O3, BFR in short) system in this study. The effects of C60 on the thermal properties, flame retardant properties, rheological behaviors, and smoke release behaviors in HDPE/BFR blends were researched. During polymer thermal degradation, C60 and BFR exhibited the trapping radical ability in condensed phase and gaseous phase, respectively. The intergrated effects of C60 and BFR on the thermal stability and flammability of HDPE were studied by thermo‐gravimetry and cone calorimeter. It was indicated that the introduction of C60 improved the thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability of HDPE/BFR blends. A remarkable advantage of adding C60 was to reduce the peak heat release rate and the average specific extinction area, especially at higher concentration of C60. The analysis of rheological behaviors and pyrolysis products revealed that C60 can capture alkyl radicals, chain radicals, and bromine radicals in the condensed phase, which was in favor of terminating the thermo‐oxidative decomposition and inhibiting the heat and smoke release of HDPE/BFR blends during combustion.


This article provides a theory of causation in the causal modeling framework. In contrast to most of its predecessors, this theory is model-invariant in the following sense: if the theory says that C caused (didn't cause) E in a causal model, M, then it will continue to say that that C caused (didn't cause) E once one has removed an inessential variable from M. The article suggests that, if this theory is true, then one should understand a cause as something which transmits deviant or noninertial behavior to its effect.


This study identifies students' academic trajectories in the middle grades relative to a set of college readiness benchmarks. We apply math and reading college readiness benchmarks to rich longitudinal data for more than 360,000 students across the nation. Student-level and school-level demographic characteristics significantly predict academic trajectories. Compared to White and Asian students, higher proportions of Black and Hispanic student are always off-track throughout middle school. Among students who started 6th grade on track, being male, Black, Hispanic, and attending schools with a higher percentage of low-income students are positively associated with falling off track.


A paramagnetic gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA), with imaging activity upon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). When placed in a magnetic field, gadodiamide generates a large local magnetic field, which can enhance the relaxation rate of nearby protons. This change in proton relaxation dynamics, iincreases the MRI signal intensity of tissues in which gadodiamide has accumulated; therefore, visualization of those tissues is enhanced.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate how demographics, measures of injury severity, and acute care complications relate to sitting and standing balance in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

DESIGN
Multicenter analysis of consecutive admissions to designated TBI Model Systems of Care (TBIMS).

SETTING
Ten National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research TBI Model System centers for coordinated acute and rehabilitation care.

PARTICIPANTS
908 adults with TBI were included in the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Sitting and standing balance were assessed within 72 hours of admission to inpatient rehabilitation.

RESULTS
Age less than 50 years had a significant association with normal sitting and standing balance (P =.001 and.05, respectively). Measures of severity of traumatic brain injury, including admission Glasgow Coma Score, length of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), length of coma, and acute care length of stay were each significantly related to impaired sitting and standing balance ratings (P <.01). Initial abnormalities in pupillary response had a significant relationship with impairment of sitting (P =.009) but not standing balance. Incidence of respiratory failure, pneumonia, soft tissue infections, and urinary tract infections were all related to impaired sitting balance (P <.01). Presence of intracranial hemorrhages did not have a significant relationship with either sitting or standing balance. Intracranial compression had a significant relationship with standing (P =.05) but not sitting balance. A discriminant function analysis, which included neuroradiological findings, injury severity, and medical complications, could not accurately predict impaired balance ratings.

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that rehabilitation admission balance ratings have a significant relationship with age, multiple measures of severity, and acute care medical complications after TBI. Prospective studies are indicated to evaluate the role balance at rehabilitation admission plays in the functional prognosis of patients with TBI.


Abstract Applying auction theory to the toxic-asset rescue plan currently released by the United States Treasury Department, this paper demonstrates an equilibrium where moderately poor bidders outbid rich bidders in such auctions. After defeating their rich rivals and acquiring the toxic assets, such bidders will default on government-provided loans whenever the toxic assets turn out to be unsalvageable. An alternative mechanism is discussed.


Abstract:As a library employee with a hidden disability (post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), just going through the accommodation process is difficult. The process is invasive and includes an in-depth interview with a disability specialist who knows nothing about you. The process also requires a letter from a care provider detailing both the accommodation and why it is necessary. In order to get an accommodation, the person must first be diagnosed by a medical professional or a psychiatrist, which is often expensive and time-consuming to obtain. The process is made more difficult and painful when supervisors and administrators do not recognize the validity of the condition for which the accommodation is needed. This paper explores the accommodation process, its impact on the employee, and the politics and psychology of disbelief and suspicion surrounding disability accommodation. Through the lens of personal experience and reflection, I will explore how the library, while a place of learning and advocacy for knowledge, can also be a place of ableist views that limit the abilities and potential of employees with disabilities. I will also provide guidelines for combating ableism in the library workplace.


Does recent immigrant lineage influence the legislative behavior of members of Congress on immigration policy? We examine the relationship between the immigrant background of legislators (i.e., their generational distance from immigration) and legislative behavior, focusing on roll-call votes for landmark immigration legislation and congressional speech on the floor. Legislators more proximate to the immigrant experience tend to support more permissive immigration legislation. Legislators with recent immigration backgrounds also speak more often about immigration in Congress, though the size of immigrant constituencies in their districts accounts for a larger share of this effect. A regression discontinuity design on close elections, which addresses selection bias concerns and holds district composition constant, confirms that legislators with recent immigrant backgrounds tend to support pro-immigration legislation. Finally, we demonstrate how a common immigrant identity can break down along narrower ethnic lines in cases where restrictive legislation targets specific places of origin. Our findings illustrate the important role of immigrant identity in legislative behavior and help illuminate the legislative dynamics of present-day immigration policy.