Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the antistress activity of Momordica charantia (MC) fruit extract on stress-induced changes in albino rats and also to explore attenuating effects of MC on in vitro lipid peroxidation in rat brain. Materials and Methods: In this study, Wistar albino rats (180–200 g) were used. Plasma corticosterone and monoamines—5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA) in cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus regions of brain were determined in animals under different stressful conditions. Ethanolic fruit extract of MC, at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, was used. The oxidative stress paradigms used in in vivo models were acute stress (AS) and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Panax quinquefolium (PQ) was used as a standard in in vivo models and ascorbic acid was used as a reference standard in the in vitro method. Results: Subjecting the animals to AS (immobilization for 150 min once only) resulted in significant elevation of plasma corticosterone levels and brain monoamine levels. Pretreatment with MC at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg p.o. significantly countered AS-induced changes and a similar effect was exhibited by PQ at 100 mg/kg p.o. In the CUS regimen (different stressors for 7 days), plasma corticosterone levels were significantly elevated whereas the levels of 5-HT, NE, E, and DA were depleted significantly. Pretreatment with MC (200 and 400 mg/kg) attenuated the CUS-induced changes in the levels of above monoamines in cortex, hypothalamus, and hippocampus regions of brain and plasma corticosterone in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MC extract (1000–5000 μg/mL) exhibited a significant quenching effect on in vitro lipid peroxidation indicating its strong antioxidant activity which was compared with ascorbic acid. Conclusions: This study reveals the antistress activity of MC as it significantly reverted the stress-induced changes, and the activity might be attributed to its antioxidant activity since stress is known to involve several oxidative mechanisms.


Wood represents the defining feature of forest systems, and often the carbon in woody debris has a long residence time. Globally, coarse dead wood contains 36–72 Pg C, and understanding what controls the fate of this C is important for predicting C cycle responses to global change. The fate of a piece of wood may include one or more of the following: microbial decomposition, combustion, consumption by insects, and physical degradation. The probability of each fate is a function of both the abiotic environment and the wood traits of the species. The wood produced by different species varies substantially in chemical, micro‐ and macro‐morphological traits; many of these characteristics of living species have 'afterlife' effects on the fate and turnover rate of dead wood. The colonization of dead wood by microbes and their activity depends on a large suite of wood chemical and anatomical traits, as well as whole‐plant traits such as stem‐diameter distributions. Fire consumption is driven by a slightly narrower range of traits with little dependence on wood anatomy. Wood turnover due to insects mainly depends on wood density and secondary chemistry. Physical degradation is a relatively minor loss pathway for most systems, which depends on wood chemistry and environmental conditions. We conclude that information about the traits of woody plants could be extremely useful for modeling and predicting rates of wood turnover across ecosystems. We demonstrate how this trait‐based approach is currently limited by oversimplified treatment of dead wood pools in several leading global C models and by a lack of quantitative empirical data linking woody plant traits with the probability and rate of each turnover pathway. Explicitly including plant traits and woody debris pools in global vegetation climate models would improve predictions of wood turnover and its feedback to climate.


Water uptake refers to the ability of atmospheric particles to take up water vapour from the surrounding atmosphere. This is an important property that affects particle size and phase and therefore influences many characteristics of aerosols relevant to air quality and climate. However, the water uptake properties of many important atmospheric aerosol systems, including those related to the oceans, are still not fully understood. Therefore, the primary aim of this PhD research program was to investigate the water uptake properties of marine aerosols. In particular, the effect of organics on marine aerosol water uptake was investigated. Field campaigns were conducted at remote coastal sites on the east coast of Australia (Agnes Water; March-April 2007) and west coast of Ireland (Mace Head; June 2007), and laboratory measurements were performed on bubble-generated sea spray aerosols. A combined Volatility-Hygroscopicity-Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (VH-TDMA) was employed in all experiments. This system probes the changes in the hygroscopic properties of nanoparticles as volatile organic components are progressively evaporated. It also allows particle composition to be inferred from combined volatility-hygroscopicity measurements. Frequent new particle formation and growth events were observed during the Agnes Water campaign. The VH-TDMA was used to investigate freshly nucleated particles (17-22.5 nm) and it was found that the condensation of sulphate and/or organic vapours was responsible for driving particle growth during the events. Aitken mode particles (~40 nm) were also measured with the VH-TDMA. In 3 out of 18 VH-TDMA scans evaporation of a volatile, organic component caused a very large increase in hygroscopicity that could only be explained by an increase in the absolute water uptake of the particle residuals, and not merely an increase in their relative hygroscopicity. This indicated the presence of organic components that were suppressing the hygroscopic growth of mixed particles on the timescale of humidification in the VH-TDMA (6.5 secs). It was suggested that the suppression of water uptake was caused by either a reduced rate of hygroscopic growth due to the presence of organic films, or organic-inorganic interactions in solution droplets that had a negative effect on hygroscopicity. Mixed organic-inorganic particles were rarely observed by the VH-TDMA during the summer campaign conducted at Mace Head. The majority of particles below 100 nm in clean, marine air appeared to be sulphates neutralised to varying degrees by ammonia. On one unique day, 26 June 2007, particularly large concentrations of sulphate aerosol were observed and identified as volcanic emissions from Iceland. The degree of neutralisation of the sulphate aerosol by ammonia was calculated by the VH-TDMA and found to compare well with the same quantity measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer. This was an important verification of the VH-TMDA's ability to identify ammoniated sulphate aerosols based on the simultaneous measurement of aerosol volatility and hygroscopicity. A series of measurements were also conducted on sea spray aerosols generated from Moreton Bay seawater samples in a laboratory-based bubble chamber. Accumulation mode sea spray particles (38-173 nm) were found to contain only a minor organic fraction (< 10%) that had little effect on particle hygroscopicity. These results are important because previous studies have observed that accumulation mode sea spray particles are predominantly organic (~80% organic mass fraction). The work presented here suggests that this is not always the case, and that there may be currently unknown factors that are controlling the transfer of organics to the aerosol phase during the bubble bursting process. Taken together, the results of this research program have significantly improved our understanding of organic-containing marine aerosols and the way they interact with water vapour in the atmosphere.


BACKGROUND
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and associated with poor outcomes. Heart failure is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease among patients with chronic kidney disease. The relationship between AKI and heart failure remains unknown and may identify a novel mechanistic link between kidney and cardiovascular disease.

STUDY DESIGN
Observational study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
We studied a national cohort of 300,868 hospitalized US veterans (2004-2011) without a history of heart failure.

PREDICTOR
AKI was the predictor and was defined as a 0.3-mg/dL or 50% increase in serum creatinine concentration from baseline to the peak hospital value. Patients with and without AKI were matched (1:1) on 28 in- and outpatient covariates using optimal Mahalanobis distance matching.

OUTCOMES
Incident heart failure was defined as 1 or more hospitalization or 2 or more outpatient visits with a diagnosis of heart failure within 2 years through 2013.

RESULTS
There were 150,434 matched pairs in the study. Patients with and without AKI during the index hospitalization were well matched, with a median preadmission estimated glomerular filtration rate of 69mL/min/1.73m2. The overall incidence rate of heart failure was 27.8 (95% CI, 19.3-39.9) per 1,000 person-years. The incidence rate was higher in those with compared with those without AKI: 30.8 (95% CI, 21.8-43.5) and 24.9 (95% CI, 16.9-36.5) per 1,000 person-years, respectively. In multivariable models, AKI was associated with 23% increased risk for incident heart failure (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.19-1.27).

LIMITATIONS
Study population was primarily men, reflecting patients seen at Veterans Affairs hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS
AKI is an independent risk factor for incident heart failure. Future studies to identify underlying mechanisms and modifiable risk factors are needed.


This monograph focuses on word formation processes that in traditional Spanish linguistics have been assigned to the field of lexical morphology (i.e. suffixation, prefixation, interfixation, parasynthesis and composition). Their precise delimitation establishes a whole series of interesting theoretical questions. This work aims to clarify the reasons for the definitional and classification irregularities in representative grammars and treatises on word formation, and on the bases of detailed analyses of the above-mentioned neological processes to map out the transitional areas between derivation and inflection, derivation and composition, and composition and phraseology. This is an issue that has not yet been tackled comprehensively in the Spanish specialized literature in an extensive and complex way.


The purpose of this study was to elicit preferences for the 'format' and 'content' of tobacco treatment among college student smokers, using an online discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey. A DCE survey, supplemented with a think-aloud method, was conducted among 54 college students who smoked combustible cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. Conditional logistic regression models were constructed to determine optimal profiles of treatment. Cutting down nicotine rather than quitting 'cold turkey' (P < 0.001) and two-way communication (P < 0.001) were viewed as the most critical attributes for the intervention 'format'; changing behaviors rather than social groups/peers (P < 0.001) and autonomy (P < 0.001) were viewed as the most critical attributes for the intervention 'content'. Some preferences varied based on smoking subgroups. Combustible cigarette users preferred interventions with a longer time commitment (P < 0.05) and without nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) (P < 0.001). Think-aloud data supported the DCE findings and further revealed a strong desire for cutting down nicotine and keeping social groups/peers and misconceptions regarding NRTs. Our study findings can guide tobacco treatment tailored to college students. These treatments should be tailored to specific smoker subgroups.


A new method based on a fuzzy mutated genetic algorithm for optimal reconfiguration of radial distribution systems (RDS) is presented. The proposed algorithm overcomes the combinatorial nature of the reconfiguration problem and deals with noncontinuous multi-objective optimization. The attractive features of the algorithm are: preservation of radial property of the network without islanding any load point by an elegant coding scheme and an efficient convergence characteristic attributed to a controlled mutation using fuzzy logic.


In this study, we report the identification of absorbance value of an analyte at the excitation wavelength that corresponds to the maximum of the observed fluorescence intensity obtainable for a certain instrument operating with right-angle fluorescence measurement ( $$A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}^{{\rm{f}}{{\rm{l}}_{\max }}}$$ ). The $$A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}^{{\rm{f}}{{\rm{l}}_{\max }}}$$ value depends on the fluorescence observation field (FOF) dimensions of the concerned spectrofluorometer. As the FOF varies from instrument to instrument, this study presents a simple method for obtaining FOF dimensions. Using the knowledge of FOF, absorbance of analyte at the excitation wavelength ( $${A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}}$$ ) and emission wavelength ( $${A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{em}}}}}}$$ ), we deduced a derived absorbance spectral parameter (D_abs). The observed fluorescence intensity of an analyte is proportional to the D_abs. While differentiating D_abs w.r.t. $${A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}}$$ the value of $$A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}^{{\rm{f}}{{\rm{l}}_{\max }}}$$ for the concentred spectrofluorometer was obtained and subsequently could be used for maximizing fluorescence sensitivity. It was observed that when the FOF was a point at the centre of a 1 cm path-length cuvette, the $$A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}^{{\rm{f}}{{\rm{l}}_{\max }}}$$ value was 0.87 with a progressive widening of FOF, the $$A_{{\lambda _{{\rm{ex}}}}}^{{\rm{f}}{{\rm{l}}_{\max }}}$$ value increased gradually till ~1.0. The proposed methodology was established using two well-known inner filter effect (IFE) correction models (Parker and Lakowicz model). The D_abs obtained from the Parker model corresponded well with the observed fluorescence data; however, the D_abs obtained using the Lakowicz model overestimated the loss of fluorescence because of IFE. Using equations derived from the Parker model, the correction of observed fluorescence intensity for IFE could be achieved. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the commonly used the Lakowicz model loses its correction efficiency at absorbance values of ≥0.7.


We study mixed-strategy equilibrium pricing in oligopoly settings where consumers vary in the set of suppliers they consider for their purchase– some being captive to a particular firm, some consider two particular firms, and so on. In the case of "nested reach"we find equilibria, unlike those in more standard models, in which firms are ranked in terms of the prices they might charge. We characterize equilibria in the three-firm case, and contrast them with equilibria in the parallel model with capacity constraints. A theme of the analysis is how patterns of consumer interaction with firms matter for competitive outcomes.


This paper provides a summary of selected reports and papers ('grey literature') published by key HE sector organisations in England (and the UK), and 'think tanks' between February and August 2019. These include: Advance HE; The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS); Careers Research and Advising Centre Ltd (CRAC); Department for Education (DfE); Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU); Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI); Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); The Insight Network/Dig-In; Jisc; Milkround; National Education Opportunities Network (NEON); National Union of Students (NUS); Office for the Independent Adjudicator (OIA); Office for Students (OfS); Onward; Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA); Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) The Sutton Trust; The Student Engagement Partnership (TSEP); Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA); UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA); UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA); Universities and Colleges Union (UCU); Universities UK (UUK); Universities UK International (UUKi); and UPP Foundation. The themes covered in the paper include: The Augar Review; the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework; value-for-money and student expectations; teaching quality and assessment; student complaints; the digital experience; learning spaces; learning gain; university admissions; contextualised admissions; clearing; unconditional offers; degree apprenticeships; mature learners and healthcare courses; transition to university; accelerated degrees; equality and diversity; mental health and wellbeing; hate crime, sexual violence and online harassment; the Prevent duty; graduate attainment; destinations of disabled graduates; graduate earnings and value; Longitudinal Educational Outcomes; employability and careers; internationalisation; the civic university; HE management and leadership; transformational change; Athena SWAN; BAME leadership in HE; and BAME library staff.


The recovery of a source term by exterior measurements is a challenging problem that arises in several applications. In this paper this nonlinear and ill-posed problem is investigated in the case where the source term is assumed to be known but its support is not. Global uniqueness results are presented as well as iterative numerical methods. The numerical approach is based on representing the derivative of the corresponding operator with respect to the boundary of the support.


Digital learning has become one of the constituent elements of higher education in many countries. E-learning platforms provides remarkable opportunities to creatively overcome many problems of traditional learning approaches. Nevertheless, E-learning is not flawless, where there are many educational and technical difficulties of implementing online learning in higher education, especially when higher education stands on applied learning. The current study aims to explore undergraduates' attitudes towards E-learning in applied colleges. It also seeks to expose the most central educational and technical challenges of e-learning. Moreover, it drives to define the educational and technical requirements for ensuring quality e-learning. the research sample consisted of 1650 undergraduates and 37 interviewees who are drawn from five applied colleges in Kuwait (the College of Basic Education, the College of Technological Studies, the College of Business Studies, the College of Health Science, and the College of Nursing). The research design is based on mixed methods (questionnaire and focus groups).  The findings revealed that students held neutral attitudes towards e-learning, while the educational and technical challenges are high concerns. Educational challenges and requirements highlighted several themes including instructional support, progress valuation, self-study skills, attention span, interactivity, and class size. Meanwhile, the technical challenges include poor internet connectivity, IT support, LMS interface, training courses. Then, the findings are discussed to draw recommendations and implications.


This investigation is based on Hα observations of high spatial resolution. They stem from an enhanced network re- gion near disk centre of the sun and consist of broad-band and narrow-band images taken with the two-dimensional "Gottingen" Fabry-Perot spectrometer mounted in the Vacuum Tower Telescope at the Observatorio del Teide/Tenerife. The "lambdameter method" was applied to derive intensity and velocity maps over the two-dimensional field of view reflecting the behaviour of these parameters in the solar chromosphere. The determination of the source function, the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity, the Doppler width and the optical depth was based on Beckers' cloud model (Beckers 1964). From the LOS velocity distribution along the Hα structures we conclude that ballistic motions are unlikely to prevail. Especially the bright Hα features cannot be explained by the cloud model. It is shown how, instead, two-dimensional non-LTE radiative transfer calculations of embedded chromospheric structures lead to reasonable agreement with the observed line profiles from these bright features. It is found that many of the bright fibril-like structures near dark fibrils can be explained by radiation which is blocked by absorbing material at large heights and escapes through less opaque regions. We estimate the number densities and the temperature. With these and with the measured velocities, the kinetic energy flux and the enthalpy flux related to the motions of the fine structures can be calculated. Both fall short by at least an order of magnitude of covering energy losses by radiation of active chromospheric regions.


This study examined the problems of postgraduate research assistants in the Netherlands. The study was conducted as a result of Government plans to introduce a new educational system for obtraining a doctorate equivalent to a Ph.D.--the "assistants-in-training system" (aio system). On the basis of a literature study on the American and British Ph.D, a model was developed for assessing problems of Dutch research assistants (Ph.D students). As possible causes of these problems three categories were discerned: (1) background (age, gender, motives, etc.); (2) the discipline; and (3) the working environment (supervision, the department, etc.). A survey of research assistants (n=166) at six Dutch universities who were studying in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities revealed the following: that the influence of the discipline appeared to be substantial (background, working environment, and experienced problems); that the'working environment also had a substantial effect on research assistant problems; and that research problems caused teaching problems. A new global causal model is presented for further research. Contains 14 references. (GLR) *It********************************************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** A CAUSAL MODEL FOR ASSESSING PROBLEMS OF DUTCH RESEARCH ASSISTANTS (PhD-STUDENTS).


The absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of f-f transitions 6H15/2 → 6F3/2, 6F5/2 , 6(F7/2 +H5/2) and 6(F9/2+H7/2) in Dy3+ ion were studied in the glasses: Dy2O3-P2O5-SiO2-GeO2 and Dy2O3-La2O3-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2-GeO2 with different concentrations of Dy3+ ions in temperature range 100-300 K. Basing on this data, absolute values and temperature dependences of the paramagnetic magneto-optical activity (MOA) of the transitions were determined. The origin of the MOA of f-f transitions was analyzed with the help of two models. In the first model, MOA is considered as a consequence of admixture of states with opposite parity by odd components of crystal field. The second approach is based on the Judd-Ofelt theory. The same f-f transitions reveal different values and temperature dependences in different glasses, what testifies to a different symmetry of the nearest environment of Dy3+ ions in these glasses.


Rebel groups require the cooperation of many civilians who are commonly perceived as "collaborators" after conflict ends. The limited empirical work in this area focuses on fighters, ignoring the need for more nuanced understandings of proportional justice for civilian collaborators. Through a survey experiment in an Iraqi city that experienced governance by the Islamic State, we find that social identity—expected to trigger in- group favoritism—is a weak determinant of preferences for punishment and forgiveness compared to the type of collaboration itself. Our results also fail to provide support for the hypothesis that exposure to violence drives a desire for revenge. Instead, the perceived volition behind an act is important, although its effect varies depending on the type of collaboration. Our research offers uniquely fine-grained data and insights into the factors that shape perceptions of individual rebel culpability, with important policy implications for balancing accountability with the need for reconciliation.


Some time ago Dr. L. D. Brongersma, curator of the Leiden Museum, entrusted me for examination some subfossil equine teeth, received from Mr. H. van Hoepen, who had found them between Glen and Mazelspoort, in Orange Free State. The teeth proved to belong all to one and the same individual, and to constitute the entire upper premolar-molar-series of the right side, almost undamaged. The importance of this find is evident, as most of the fossil or subfossil equine species from S. Africa are based on isolated teeth. An inner view of our specimen is given in pl. VI lower figure, the crown surfaces are represented in the upper figure of the same plate. It can be seen, that the P4 is the longest tooth, its height is 72 mm. The mesostyle is prominent, and especially marked off anteriorly. The parastyle is well defined in P3 and P4, less so in the molars, especially in M1. Between these styles the ectoloph is almost straight in the premolars, and slightly concave in the molars. The posterior half of the ectoloph, however, is more concave in the premolars than in the molars, the latter having a less developed metastyle. The enamel pattern is comparatively simple, the pli protoloph 1) and the pli hypostyle are hardly or not developed. A slight trace of a pli prefossette is found in P4 only. A small pli postfossette is seen in the premolars, in the molars it is hardly indicated. The pli protoconule is present in all the teeth, though shorter in the molars than in the premolars. The groove between protocone and hypocone is sharply pointed towards the outer side, a pli caballin is absent. The protocones are remarkable for the very slight development of their anterior lobe; they increase in length from before backward. First I compared the subfossil teeth with those of Equus quagga. Of


In this issue, Forster and co-workers1 show that 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3OH-BaP), the main urinary metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), can reliably be determined in workers with potential exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ( see page 10.1136/oem.2006.030809 ). This may be considered a milestone since BaP features as a parameter for potential exposure to carcinogenic PAHs in many epidemiological studies and risk assessments.2–5 As a consequence, the determination of 3OH-BaP, which assesses the internal, effective exposure to BaP, potentially could lead to more accurate quantitative risk assessment of PAHs.

PAHs are amongst the most common carcinogens humans are being exposed to via food, air and occupation since PAHs are not only formed during any incomplete combustion of organic material but may also be present in mineral oil products.6 7 Consequently, risk assessment of PAHs has been the focus of research for many years.

Risk is a function of hazard and exposure. On the "hazard" side, it should be considered that, although several PAHs with 5–7 fused rings have been shown to be carcinogenic, not all PAHs have …


There is general consensus among entrepreneurship scholars that entrepreneurial orientation is associated with entrepreneurial activity. However, it is equally acknowledged that entrepreneurial processes are a consequence of many contextual factors. This study was carried out to explore the entrepreneurial orientation of sport coaches while arguing that sport coaches should approach their careers from an entrepreneurial angle given the uncertain and demanding conditions under which they perform their duties. A questionnaire was administered to 200 professional South African sport coaches. Frequencies were used to describe the demographic profile of the respondents and exploratory factor analysis was used to explain the entrepreneurial orientation of the coaches. Six factors, namely creativity, open-mindedness, determination, self-starter, risk taker, and discipline regarding the entrepreneurial orientation of coaches were identified. Notwithstanding the multi-dimensional nature of entrepreneurial orientation, the findings indicate that the sport coaches to a certain extent are entrepreneurially oriented. From the current research it was encouraging to note that the entrepreneurial orientation of sport coaches appears to be positive. It was therefore concluded that there is a need to create a favourable environment that will enhance the likelihood of sport coaches to engage in entrepreneurial activities.


Carbon-coated TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by a simple heat treatment of the powder mixtures of anatase-type TiO2 with PVA at a temperature of 700 and 900 oC in a N2 atomosphere. Diffuse optical reflectance spectra for carbon-coated TiO2 showed the absorption edge for anatase structure clearly, overlapping with absorption due to coated carbon over whole range of wavelegth. These carbon-coated TiO2 photocatalysts had relatively high apparent BET surface area, from 50 to 170 m2/g, which suggested the formation of porous carbon layers, and showed relatively high adsorption of various pollutants, methylene blue (MB), reactive black (RB-5), phenol (Ph) and iminoctadine triacetate (IT), in water. Photocatalytic activity of carbon-coated TiO2 thus prepared was evaluated through the determination of the rate constant for the decomposition of different pollutants in water. Rate constant values were strongly depend on the pollutants, but their dependence on the crystallinity of TiO2 phase. The relations between adsorptivity and rate constant for four pollutants looked similar with each other, and the pollutants adsorbed in the larger amount was decomposed with the higher rate. Adsorptivity of carbon-coated TiO2 photocatlysts was determined and discussed on the relations to BET surface area, amount of carbon coated and also rate constant k for the decomposition of MB, RB5, Ph and IT. Adsorptivity of carbon-coated catalysts depends strongly on the adsorbate (pollutant) but also on the surface nature of carbon layer on TiO2 particles. The relations between adsorptivity and rate constant k for four pollutants looked similar, suggesting that the pollutant adsorbed in the larger amount being decomposed with the higher rate.


Today large amounts of data are available to use for research on human behaviour: social media, data from online social networks, vast amounts of digital text, sensory information from personal hand-held and other devices, information from search engine usage and other online services, etc. The industry that relies on collecting, combining, selling and analysing digital footprints for all kinds of purposes ranging from simple targeted advertising to risk assessments and mass surveillance is developing with lightning speed. (Van Es and Schafer, 2017). However, such data could increasingly be used to address larger societal issues of social interactions and relations, inequality, education, healthcare, political participation, and more. The advances in the use of such data in social sciences offer the possibility to answer questions that were beyond research in the past, and this new generation of large-scale, complex, and usually unstructured data requires new forms of data analysis and scientific applications. Some also suggest that as a consequence of the data revolution that we are already living in, a major paradigm shift in science is expected with far-reaching consequences to how research is conducted and knowledge is produced (Mayer-Schonberger and Cukier, 2013; Meyer and Schroeder, 2015). While the course of development in the data-driven industries and research seems to be unambiguous for the future in terms of its expected impact on business and how societies function in general, today the possibilities are still frequently overestimated by some 'positivistic prophets' – coming mostly from outside academia. In addition to presenting the main arguments of the papers in this section, the purpose of this editorial is to highlight a few of those issues and challenges that may shape the future of social sciences and of those who pursue in it, in relation to the new data landscape. After briefly elaborating on the definitions of Big Data, the focus will move to the question of epistemology; the changing dynamics among various fields of sciences; the new divides in access to data; and the main ideas behind the critical approach that social sciences might follow to find their right place in the puzzle.


Autoimmune diabetes is a consequence of immune-cell infiltration and destruction of pancreatic β-cells in the islets of Langerhans. We analyzed the cellular composition of the insulitic lesions in the autoimmune-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse and observed a peak in recruitment of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to NOD islets around 8–9 weeks of age. This peak coincides with increased spontaneous expression of type-1-IFN response genes and CpG1585 induced production of IFN-α from NOD islets. The transcription factor E2-2 is specifically required for the maturation of pDCs, and we show that knocking out E2-2 conditionally in CD11c+ cells leads to a reduced recruitment of pDCs to pancreatic islets and reduced CpG1585 induced production of IFN-α during insulitis. As a consequence, insulitis has a less aggressive expression profile of the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and a markedly reduced diabetes incidence. Collectively, these observations demonstrate a disease-promoting role of E2-2 dependent pDCs in the pancreas during autoimmune diabetes in the NOD mouse.


Regulators of the legal profession are charged with protecting the public by ensuring lawyers are fit to practice law. However, their approach tends to be reactive and case based, focusing on the resolution of individual complaints. Regulators generally do not seek to identify patterns and trends across their broader caseloads and the legal profession as a whole. Using administrative data routinely collected by the main regulator of the legal profession in Victoria, Australia, we characterized complaints lodged between 2005 and 2015 and the lawyers against whom they were made. We also analyzed risk factors for complaints and misconduct findings. We found the odds of being subject to a complaint were higher among lawyers who were male, older, had trust account authority and whose practices were smaller, in non-urban locations, and incorporated. A deeper understanding of these risk factors could support efforts to improve professional standards and reform regulatory practices.


Shrimp is one of the leading commodities of the fisheries. Quality seed is one of the critical success factors of the cultivation so that the business activities of hatchery hatcheries should adopt the technique in accordance with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and apply a quality management of seed of the Good Fish Breeding mode (CPIB) or Good Hatchery Practices (GHP). The aim of this thesis include (1) knowing the level of implementation of quality management in small to medium (SME's) shrimp hatchery in and (2) analyze the relationship between the level of implementation of quality management on firm performance. Location of the research conducted on shrimp hatchery units located in the districts of Situbondo and Banyuwangi, both who have or have not passed the certification mode of CPIB. Data collection methods include interviews and observation. Level of implementation of quality management in shrimp hatcheries in both East Java that has been certified or not, is at a fairly high level, at three different levels, namely level of Quality Control (QC) Statistics (42.9%), Quality Assurance or QA (21.4%) and 35.7% at the level of implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). From all levels of implementation of SQC quality management, QA and TQM, there are four predominant factors that could affect the company's performance, namely: cost efficiency, the percentage of undergraduate (S1), human resource (HR) Percentage training per year and the percentage of customer complaints. Policies need to be taken to the level of TQM is to conduct QC management so that the dominant factors that can provide high business performance can be maintained, to the level of SQC is to conduct QC activities are synchronized with the training activities is appropriate, considering the level of training at this level relatively very low. While the policy needed to be taken to the level of QA is the need to improve the quality fry strived to meet the established minimum standards and will be even better if the feasibility of obtaining certification so it will be able to improve the competitiveness of selling fries, both quantity and price. A guaranteed quality of production need to be given this level has a number of customer complaints is very high compared to the two other levels, well above average


There are problems with the coherence of Information and Communication for Development (ICT4D) policies today. This chapter identifies some of those problems and proposes, if not solutions, at least a shape or framework for moving forward. It then charts the logic and chronology of applying ICTs to developing countries.


Accurate prediction of the absolute or relative protein–ligand binding affinity is one of the major tasks in computer-aided drug design projects, especially in the stage of lead optimization. In principle, the alchemical free energy (AFE) methods such as thermodynamic integration (TI) or free-energy perturbation (FEP) can fulfill this task, but in practice, a lot of hurdles prevent them from being routinely applied in daily drug design projects, such as the demanding computing resources, slow computing processes, unavailable or inaccurate force field parameters, and difficult and unfriendly setting up and post-analysis procedures. In this study, we have exploited practical protocols of applying the CPU (central processing unit)-TI and newly developed GPU (graphic processing unit)-TI modules and other tools in the AMBER software package, combined with ff14SB/GAFF1.8 force fields, to conduct efficient and accurate AFE calculations on protein–ligand binding free energies. We have tested 134 protein–ligand complexes in total for four target proteins (BACE, CDK2, MCL1, and PTP1B) and obtained overall comparable performance with the commercial Schrodinger FEP+ program (WangJ. Am. Chem. Soc.2015, 137, 2695−270325625324). The achieved accuracy fits within the requirements for computations to generate effective guidance for experimental work in drug lead optimization, and the needed wall time is short enough for practical application. Our verified protocol provides a practical solution for routine AFE calculations in real drug design projects.


The aggregated form of amyloid-beta (Abeta) (1-42) has been shown to increase N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) evoked neuronal activity in vivo. Here we further characterized this phenomenon by investigating the role of integrin activation and downstream Src kinase activity using in vivo electrophysiology and in vitro intracellular Ca (2+) measurements. Pretreatment of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells with fibrillar Abeta (1-42) markedly enhanced the intracellular calcium increases caused by NMDA receptor (NMDA-R) stimulation. Function blocking antibody against beta1 integrin depressed the facilitatory effects of Abeta (1-42). Similarly, Abeta (1-42) facilitated NMDA-R driven firing of hippocampal neurons in vivo, and this effect was reduced by neutralizing antibody against beta1 integrins. The positive action of Abeta (1-42) on NMDA-R dependent responses was also depressed by an inhibitor known to block Src kinase. These results support the hypothesis that aggregated Abeta (1-42) is recognized by the beta1 subunit containing integrins and may induce a Src kinase dependent NMDA receptor phosphorylation.


Recent research in moral psychology have suggested that children make judgments about distributive justice early on in development, and in particular they appear to be able to use merit when distributing the benefits of a collective action. This prediction has recently been validated in various western cultures but it is unknown whether it also applies to more collectivistic cultures, in which the group might be favoured over the individual, and need over merit. Here, we investigate merit-based distributions among 81 children belonging to two Asian societies, China and Japan (mean age = 5.0 years). In line with the idea that children's moral psychology develops early, we found that Chinese and Japanese children are able to use merit to distribute the benefits of a collective action.


The Philadelphia chromosome is rarely observed in acute myelogenous and acute lymphoblastic leukemias. There are only a few case reports about pediatric patients, the prognosis of whom seems to be extremely poor. Reviewing the case of a girl aged 18 months with Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the differences between this entity and blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia are described. This subgroup of Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia may represent a new risk group.


Continuum robots are flexible manipulators capable of working in a complex workspace. In this regard, they are widely used in medicine and industry. However, existing methods of solving the inverse kinematics problem based on Jacobian inverse have high computational cost and singularity problems. In its turn, methods based on the geometric approach cannot find a solution for some points. This paper presents a novel approach for solving the inverse kinematics issue for multi-section continuum robots based on the Forward And Backward Reaching Inverse Kinematics (FABRIK) algorithm. The approach enables to reach the target point, controlling the robot tip orientation. During forward reaching, the bending sections of the robot are replaced by chords, connected together by spherical joints. During backward reaching, the arcs are restored from the chords and then the end-points and their orientations are updated. We also present a solution of the forward and inverse kinematics for a single-section robot, which is necessary for arcs restoration during backward reaching. To minimize the angular error, the last link of the robot is adjusted. The results of the simulation proved that the algorithm is able to reach 98.5±1.3% of the robot workspace and of 92.7±4.6% dexterity. The mean operating time of the algorithm is 1.45±1.32 ms per section. The results and possible modifications are also discussed.


In this study, the University Course Timetabling Problem (UCTP) has been investigated. This is a form of Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) and belongs to the NP-complete class. The nature of a such problem is highly descriptive, a solution therefore involves combining many aspects of the problem. Although various timetabling algorithms have been continuously developed for nearly half a century, a gap still exists between the theoretical and practical aspects of university timetabling.

This research is aimed to narrow the gap. We created an agent-based model for solving the university course timetabling problem, where this model not only considers a set of essential constraints upon the teaching activities, but also a set of desirable constraints that correspond to real-world needs. The model also seeks to provide fair allocation of resources. The capabilities of agents are harnessed for the activities of decision making, collaboration, coordination and negotiation by embedding them within the protocol designs. The resulting set of university course timetables involve the participation of every element in the system, with each agent taking responsibility for organising of its own course timetable, cooperating together to resolve problems. There are two types of agents in the model; these are Year-Programme Agent and Rooms Agent. In this study, we have used four different principles for organising the interaction between the agents: First-In-First-Out & Sequential (FIFOSeq), First-In-First-Out & Interleaved (FIFOInt), Round-Robin & Sequential (RRSeq) and Round-Robin & Interleaved (RRInt). The problem formulation and data instances of the third track of the Second International Timetabling Competition (ITC-2007) have been used as benchmarks for validating these implemented timetables. The validated results not only compare the four principles with each other; but also compare them with other timetabling techniques used for ITC-2007.

The four different principles were able to successfully schedule all lectures in different periods, with no instances of two lectures occupying the same room at the same time. The lectures belonging to the same curriculum or taught by the same teacher do not conflict. Every lecture has been assigned a teacher before scheduling. The capacity of every assigned room is greater than, or equal to, the number of students in that course. The lectures of each course have been spread across the minimum number of working days with more than 98 percent success, and for more than 75 percent of the lectures under the same curriculum, it has been possible to avoid isolated deliveries. We conclude that the RRInt principle gives the most consistent likelihood of ensuring that each YPA in the system gets the best and fairest chance to obtain its resources.


We demonstrate how self-sourced collective modes - of which the plasmon is a prominent example due to its relevance in modern technological applications - are identified in strongly correlated systems described by holographic Maxwell theories. The characteristic $\omega \propto \sqrt{k}$ plasmon dispersion for 2D materials, such as graphene, naturally emerges from this formalism. We also demonstrate this by constructing the first holographic model containing this feature. This provides new insight into modeling such systems from a holographic point of view, bottom-up and top-down alike.
Beyond that, this method provides a general framework to compute the dynamical charge response of strange metals, which has recently become experimentally accessible due to the novel technique of momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (M-EELS). This framework therefore opens up the exciting possibility of testing holographic models for strange metals against actual experimental data.


The second in the Niagara series of processors (Niagara2) from Sun Microsystems is based on the power-efficient chip multi-threading (CMT) architecture optimized for Space, Watts (Power), and Performance (SWaP) [SWap Rating = Performance/(Space * Power) ]. It doubles the throughput performance and performance/watt, and provides >10times improvement in floating point throughput performance as compared to UltraSPARC T1 (Niagara1). There are two 10 Gb Ethernet ports on chip. Niagara2 has eight SPARC cores, each supporting concurrent execution of eight threads for 64 threads total. Each SPARC core has a floating point and graphics unit and an advanced cryptographic unit which provides high enough bandwidth to run the two 10 Gb Ethernet ports encrypted at wire speeds. There is a 4 MB Level2 cache on chip. Each of the four on-chip memory controllers controls two FBDIMM channels. Niagara2 has 503 million transistors on a 342 mm2 die packaged in a flip-chip glass ceramic package with 1831 pins. The chip is built in Texas Instruments' 65 nm 11LM triple-Vt CMOS process. It operates at 1.4 GHz at 1.1 V and consumes 84 W.


Research on the delivery of services counseling sunday prologue an individual to increase of developing kind of confidence student of class viii at their own locations MTs. Al-Ma'Arif discerning men will vanish or Wuluhan academic year 2017/2018. With the treatment respondents as many as 32 students. Data collection methode used is observation and chief, analysis the data used was analysis data descriptive. The result of preliminary observations by giving chief and obtained data for main with the percentage level independence students at the school of 56%, after he received action against cycle in behavior independence students at the school as compete in terms of good judge confident, and responsibilities of increased with large percentage 65%, after continue to cycle in level behavior independence students increased with large percentage 81%. Thus obtained conclusion, service delivery individual counseling shows that behavior independence students at the school increased. Research activities have categorized successfully it reached the percentage above indicators success that has been set of 75 % the percentage independence students at the school. Therefore to service delivery individual counseling can increase independence students at the school class viii a in MTs. Al-Ma'arif Wuluhan academic year 2017/2018.
Keywords: Counseling Individual, Independence


To get a better understanding of Cross Site Scripting vulnerabilities, we investigated 50 randomly selected CVE reports which are related to open source projects. The vulnerable and patched source code was manually reviewed to find out what kind of source code patterns were used. Source code pattern categories were found for sources, concatenations, sinks, HTML context and fixes. Our resulting categories are compared to categories from CWE. A source code sample which might have led developers to believe that the data was already sanitized is described in detail. For the different HTML context categories, the necessary Cross Site Scripting prevention mechanisms are described.


Neural sequence models trained with maximum likelihood estimation have led to breakthroughs in many tasks, where success is defined by the gap between training and test performance. However, their ability to achieve stronger forms of generalization remains unclear. We consider the problem of symbolic mathematical integration, as it requires generalizing systematically beyond the training set. We develop a methodology for evaluating generalization that takes advantage of the problem domain's structure and access to a verifier. Despite promising in-distribution performance of sequence-to-sequence models in this domain, we demonstrate challenges in achieving robustness, compositionality, and out-of-distribution generalization, through both carefully constructed manual test suites and a genetic algorithm that automatically finds large collections of failures in a controllable manner. Our investigation highlights the difficulty of generalizing well with the predominant modeling and learning approach, and the importance of evaluating beyond the test set, across different aspects of generalization.


There is mounting interest in studying the relationship between functional (FD) and species diversity (SD) in order to understand ecosystem functioning and develop effective measures to protect communities. Several studies have found strong positive correlations between SD and FD and in this study I used sponges to investigate this relationship and compare it with that of functional and species composition (FC and SC respectively). This study was conducted at 2 coral reef eco- systems in SE Sulawesi, Indonesia, which experience different sedimentation levels. Sponges fulfil a number of key functional roles on coral reefs, and, as many can be associated with specific morpho- logies, the measurement of morphological diversity (MD) should provide an approximation of FD. Previous sponge research has shown a strong correlation between MD and SD, and I hypothesise that spatial variation in MD, FD, SD and assemblage composition (FC and SC) will be determined by the same environmental gradients. Univariate measures of SD, MD and FD showed strong correlations, but not for multivariate data. Although different morphological assemblages (MC) were found at the 2 sites and between depth intervals, which correlated with SC data, no significant correlation was reported with FC data. FC was strongly influenced by depth, but not site, demonstrating that factors attributable to depth (e.g. light and wave action reduction) were more important in controlling FC, which contrasts with SC and MC patterns that were determined by sedimentation levels (i.e. be- tween site differences). Although sponges fulfilled several functional roles, most were performed by a large number of morphologies/species, indicating a high level of intra-phyletic functional redun- dancy. The data from this study asserts that the factors responsible for spatial variation in SC may not always reflect those responsible for FC patterns, which has widespread implications for marine con- servation, environmental management and Marine Protected Area (MPA) ecology. Environmental managers need to be aware of the factors controlling both SC and FC to ensure the protection of both biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.


We thank Thom and colleagues for their letter addressing human papilloma virus (HPV) in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and other epilepsy-associated brain pathologies. They suggest that what was previously reported as the HPV E6 oncoprotein in FCDIIB is "a cross-reaction with an as-yet unidentified neuroglial protein." We appreciate their findings, because validation or refutation of the previous findings of HPV in FCD and glioblastoma has important public health relevance. However, several issues limit the conclusions of Thom et al, including a very small sample size, a limited description of experimental methods, incomplete experimental approaches to validate their claims, and most importantly, a failure to identify the proposed neuroglial protein. Furthermore, their report does not adequately explain the detection of the HPV viral capsid protein L1 in FCD. If the E6 oncoprotein detection is artifactual or nonpathogenic, then L1 should not be detected, because L1 and E6 are entirely nonhomologous proteins encoded by distinct genes in the HPV genome. It is puzzling that both L1 and E6 would be expressed in FCD as experimental artifact. The theory that an in utero viral infection plays a pathogenic role in brain malformations is not new and there is evidence, for example, that cytomegalovirus can cause pachygyria and smaller focal malformations. As we stated previously, the detection of E6 suggests an association between HPV and FCD but does not prove HPV pathogenicity in FCD, and further comprehensive studies are warranted to critically assess existing data sets. Until adequately powered studies are published, we stand by our original report.


Slip-sinkage is one of the main factors influencing the driving safety of planetary rover in soft terrain. In the environment of scarce features, based on the stereo visual sensors, the visual odometry algorithm is firstly developed to calculate the position changes of planetary rover with six degrees of freedom, which combine with the wheel speed sensor achieve the estimation of wheel slip ratios. Then, on the basis of mechanical analysis of soft terrain, choosing the slip ratio as the state variable, the coordinated driving control algorithm is designed. Simulation and experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.


Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the service quality, to represent what factors of housekeeping-service quality make the greatest contribution to customer satisfaction in housekeeping services of luxury hotels in Bangkok. The items of these four dimensions were adapted and reworded based on the LQI model for investigating the specific context.Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected from 200 Thai and foreign respondents who stayed in the luxury hotel located at CBD of Bangkok within six months. The housekeeping-service quality was measured using four LQI dimensions of Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness and Communication as a predictor toward customer satisfaction. Hypothesizing these four dimensions has direct effect on the customer satisfaction in housekeeping services. Data are examined by using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis.Findings – The resulted indicated that two out of four original constructs had direct effects on customer satisfaction. However, this study found two new constructs, which are Understanding and Competency that had direct effect on customer satisfaction. The final model consisted of four constructs, namely Reliability, Responsiveness, Understanding, and Competency which had an influence on customer satisfaction directly. The final model has relatively good explanatory power with R2 = 40.6%. The Competency was the most significant in the final model.Implications – The hotel managers of luxury class hotels should recognize the important of "Competency" and "Understanding" in performing the housekeeping services in order to enhance customer satisfaction by training the housekeeping to work efficiently and have friendly manner and effort to anticipating customer's need.Originality/value – This study particularly identified the important factors of housekeeping-services quality, which helped the hotelier to improve the housekeeping services in the right point, thus this helps minimizing cost and time investment. This paper is one of rare study that attentively focused on the context of housekeeping services that has not been developed or operationalized.


Data integration provides a unified view of data by combining different data sources. In today's multi-disciplinary and collaborative research environments, data is often produced and consumed by various means, multiple researchers operate on the data in different divisions to satisfy various research requirements, and using different query processors and analysis tools. This makes data integration a crucial component of any successful data intensive research activity. The fundamental difficulty is that data is heterogeneous not only in syntax, structure, and semantics, but also in the way it is accessed and queried. We introduce QUIS (QUery In-Situ), an agile query system equipped with a unified query language and a federated execution engine. It is capable of running queries on heterogeneous data sources in an in-situ manner. Its language provides advanced features such as virtual schemas, heterogeneous joins, and polymorphic result set representation. QUIS utilizes a federation of agents to transform a given input query written in its language to a (set of) computation models that are executable on the designated data sources. Federative query virtualization has the disadvantage that some aspects of a query may not be supported by the designated data sources. QUIS ensures that input queries are always fully satisfied. Therefore, if the target data sources do not fulfill all of the query requirements, QUIS detects the features that are lacking and complements them in a transparent manner. QUIS provides union and join capabilities over an unbound list of heterogeneous data sources; in addition, it offers solutions for heterogeneous query planning and optimization. In brief, QUIS is intended to mitigate data access heterogeneity through query virtualization, on-the-fly transformation, and federated execution. It offers in-Situ querying, agile querying, heterogeneous data source querying, unifeied execution, late-bound virtual schemas, and Remote execution.


The PIRATE pipe inspection robot which is being developed at the control laboratory of the
Twente University, is a robot who's task it is to autonomously navigate through the low pressure
gas distribution net in the Netherlands, and to find leaks or other damages. The task of autonomous
navigation requires that the robot is able to map the inside of the pipe network, and
to localize itself in the network. In this research, an algorithmhas been developed which is able
to perform this task in several scenarios. To demonstrate this, a sensor vessel has been built,
with the necessary sensors to accommodate this task. It is demonstrated that the sensor vessel
can localize itself in a straight piece of pipe, and features like 90-degree bends and T-junctions
are recognized by the algorithm.
The sensor vessel contains a laser range finder for the detection of the features, a optical encoder
attached to one of the wheels which measure travel through the pipe and a acceleration
sensor to detect the roll angle of the vessel. A particle filter is chosen as the technique for
the self-localization, while a grid map is used to detect features. Template matching is used
to match templates generated from a simulated environment, to features mapped in the real
environment.


The superinfection exclusion gene (sieB) of Salmonella phage P22 was mapped with phage deletion mutants. The DNA sequence in the region was reexamined in order to find an open reading frame consistent with the deletion mapping. Several discrepancies with the previously published sequence were discovered. The revised sequence revealed a single open reading frame of 242 codons with six likely translation initiation codons. On the basis of deletion and amber mutant phenotypes, the second of these six sites was inferred to be the translation initiation site of the sieB gene. The sieB gene encodes a polypeptide with 192 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 22,442, which is in reasonable agreement with that estimated from polyacrylamide gels. The transcription start site of sieB was identified by the use of an RNase protection assay. The sieB promoter thus identified was inactivated by a 2-base substitution in its -10 hexamer. The sieB gene of coliphage lambda was also identified. The promoter for lambda sieB was identified by homology to that of P22 sieB.


Multiple lines of evidence indicate an anomalous injection of high-energy e{sup +}e{sup -} in the galactic halo. The recent e{sup +} fraction spectrum from the payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics (PAMELA) shows a sharp rise up to 100 GeV. The Fermi gamma-ray space telescope has found a significant hardening of the e{sup +}e{sup -} cosmic-ray spectrum above 100 GeV, with a break, confirmed by HESS at around 1 TeV. The advanced thin ionization calorimeter (ATIC) has also detected a similar excess, falling back to the expected spectrum at 1 TeV and above. Excess microwaves towards the galactic center in the WMAP data are consistent with hard synchrotron radiation from a population of 10-100 GeV e{sup +}e{sup -} (the WMAP 'Haze'). We argue that dark matter annihilations can provide a consistent explanation of all of these data, focusing on dominantly leptonic modes, either directly or through a new light boson. Normalizing the signal to the highest energy evidence (Fermi and HESS), we find that similar cross sections provide good fits to PAMELA and the Haze, and that both the required cross section and annihilation modes are achievable in models with Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation. These models naturally predict significant productionmore » of gamma rays in the galactic center via a variety of mechanisms. Most notably, there is a robust inverse-Compton scattered (ICS) gamma-ray signal arising from the energetic electrons and positrons, detectable at Fermi/GLAST energies, which should provide smoking gun evidence for this production.« less


BACKGROUND
 Although fatigue is one of the most debilitating symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), its pathogenesis is not well understood. Neurogenic, inflammatory, endocrine, and metabolic mechanisms have been proposed. Taking into account the temporal dynamics and comorbid mood symptoms of fatigue may help differentiate fatigue phenotypes. These phenotypes may reflect different pathogeneses and may respond to different mechanism-specific treatments. Although several tools have been developed to assess various symptoms (including fatigue), monitor clinical status, or improve the perceived level of fatigue in patients with MS, options for a detailed, real-time assessment of MS-related fatigue and relevant comorbidities are still limited.

 OBJECTIVE
 This study aims to present a novel mobile app specifically designed to differentiate fatigue phenotypes using circadian symptom monitoring and state-of-the-art characterization of MS-related fatigue and its related symptoms. We also aim to report the first findings regarding patient compliance and the relationship between compliance and patient characteristics, including MS disease severity.

 METHODS
 After developing the app, we used it in a prospective study designed to investigate the brain magnetic resonance imaging correlates of MS-related fatigue. In total, 64 patients with MS were recruited into this study and asked to use the app over a 2-week period. The app features the following modules: Visual Analogue Scales (VASs) to assess circadian changes in fatigue, depression, anxiety, and pain; daily sleep diaries (SLDs) to assess sleep habits and quality; and 10 one-time questionnaires to assess fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleepiness, physical activity, and motivation, as well as several other one-time questionnaires that were created to assess those relevant aspects of fatigue that were not captured by existing fatigue questionnaires. The app prompts subjects to assess their symptoms multiple times a day and enables real-time symptom monitoring through a web-accessible portal.

 RESULTS
 Of 64 patients, 56 (88%) used the app, of which 51 (91%) completed all one-time questionnaires and 47 (84%) completed all one-time questionnaires, VASs, and SLDs. Patients reported no issues with the usage of the app, and there were no technical issues with our web-based data collection system. The relapsing-remitting MS to secondary-progressive MS ratio was significantly higher in patients who completed all one-time questionnaires, VASs, and SLDs than in those who completed all one-time questionnaires but not all VASs and SLDs (P=.01). No other significant differences in demographics, fatigue, or disease severity were observed between the degrees of compliance.

 CONCLUSIONS
 The app can be used with reasonable compliance across patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary-progressive MS irrespective of demographics, fatigue, or disease severity.


A first‐grade reading and language development intervention for English language learners (Spanish/English) at risk for reading difficulties was examined. The intervention was conducted in the same language as students' core reading instruction (English). Two hundred sixteen first‐grade students from 14 classrooms in 4 schools from 2 districts were screened in both English and Spanish. Forty‐eight students (22%) did not pass the screening in both languages and were randomly assigned within schools to an intervention or contrast group; after 7 months, 41 students remained in the study. Intervention groups of 3 to 5 students met daily (50 minutes) and were provided systematic and explicit instruction in oral language and reading by trained bilingual reading intervention teachers. Students assigned to the contrast condition received their school's existing intervention for struggling readers. Intervention students significantly outperformed contrast students on multiple measures of English letter naming, phonological awareness and other language skills, and reading and academic achievement. Differences were less significant for Spanish measures of these domains, though the strongest effects favoring the intervention students were in the areas of phonological awareness and related reading skills.


Graphene is an extraordinary material which shows tremendous potential as a replacement for silicon in many electronic applications. However, one major drawback to graphene is its zero band gap. Previous research in tight binding models have predicted band gap opening in graphene under tensile strain. New experimental tight binding models were formulated and compared to previous models in order to determine the strains necessary to induce a band gap in graphene. Using CVD graphene, a transfer method and etching method were successfully devised in order to fabricate future graphene devices. These devices were conceptualized such that they could be strained in order to experimentally confirm band gap openings. Future work will consist of further perfecting the graphene fabrication techniques and performing electrical testing on CVD graphene devices which could have wide ranging transistor and sensor applications.


Teaching Music in American Society addresses the social and cultural issues affecting K-12 music teachers in the United States. The book�s premise is based on the philosophy that successful music teaching requires more than the knowledge of conducting and performing. Successful music teachers must be knowledgeable in their subject, and be socially and culturally aware of students, issues, and events affecting their classrooms. Teaching Music in American Society applies philosophical, social, cultural, and theoretical issues to common musical classroom and rehearsal situations encountered daily in a culturally and musically diverse American society.


Abstract:The reading of 1 Pet 4:16 was recently changed in NA28 on the basis of analyses relying on the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) of textual criticism. This article argues against the change, in the process identifying important omissions in the CBGM that have caused it to skew evaluations of this variation unit and indicating two key corresponding ways to develop the method: first, by accounting for corrected readings in manuscripts through the incorporation of reconstructed witnesses into the CBGM's assessments and into its underlying computer database; and, second, by methodologically accounting for distinctions between the relative qualities of witnesses between individual books and possibly even between sections of a single book. Lacking these developments, the final results of the CBGM will likely include further distortions such as those found in the case of 1 Pet 4:16.


Landslide is a catastrophic movement of the soil and rock in a downward slope. It is usually an after-effect of earthquakes, heavy rains, volcanic eruptions, or soil erosion. It might lead to injury, death, or damage of property ultimately resulting in financial loss. In order to reduce colossal destruction, it is important to detect landslides before they occur. Typically, a wireless sensor network comprises sensor nodes that are spatially dispersed over an area. The nodes can transmit data with each other wirelessly and also gather data about the variations in physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, etc. Since nodes have restricted or limited resources such as power and sense, they need to be used in an efficient manner in order to improve a network's lifetime. In this paper, we use the LEACH protocol for clustering and the AODV protocol for routing. NS-2 is a software that predicts the behaviour of computer networks to provide accurate analysis of system performance. The paper aims to evaluate performance through a network simulator for the existing system. The enhanced system shows an improvement in energy efficiency, throughput, packet delivery ratio, overhead and delay through simulation results. Additionally, features like fault tolerance, faster data processing rate, and higher transmission range have been incorporated in the system. In this paper, the enhanced WSN is designed using NS-2 tool for landslide detection. Keywords—Landslide detection, LEACH protocol, NS-2 Simulation, WSN


No Abstract First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Assumption University, Master of Management in Organization Development (MMOD) Faculty members, my beloved MMOD teachers, my company and colleagues from Toyota Motor Thailand and Bro. Martin Prathip Komalmas for giving me an opportunity to propose my action research thesis. My action research thesis has a title of "Enhancing Employee Engagement and Quality Customer Service". The action research was not only encourage me to contribute organizational development to my company but also be a candle light to guide me for self and career development and a way to live my future life as dream.


Magnetic resonance imaging enables detailed in vivo study of complex flow through 3D, time-resolved phase contrast imaging (4D flow). 4D flow may reveal previously unknown aspects of the physiology of intracardiac blood flow, and possibly elucidate pathophysiological processes that have yet to manifest themselves outside the heart.The purpose of this thesis is to examine the physiological role of intracardiac flow phenomena, in order to better understand the normal function of the heart and provide a backdrop against which future studies into disease processes can be compared. The thesis consists of four studies with the following aims:I) to quantify atrial blood kinetic energy (KE),II) to evaluate the relationship between left ventricular vortex ring formation and myocardial motion,III) to quantify the hemodynamic force exchange between blood and myocardium in both ventricles, andIV) to compare hemodynamic forces in dyssynchronous, failing left ventricles with normal findings.Study I revealed significant differences between left and right atrial KE. Systolic KE was determined to a large extent by atrial volume and the systolic velocity of the atrioventricular plane, which differs between the left and right sides of the heart. Diastolic KE increased more in the left atrium, likely reflecting suction-initiated filling driven by left ventricular recoil. Rotational blood flow KE decay was slower than non-rotational KE decay, indicating a potential enhancement of cardiac function through energy preserving macroscopic flow structures.Study II demonstrated a strong spatiotemporal coupling between the vortex ring boundary and the endocardial boundary, suggesting that the normal development of the left ventricle is guided by the shear layer generated by the vortex ring. The coupling may act as a dynamic optimization mechanism to facilitate fluid transport at varying levels of cardiac output. In contrast, failing ventricles show no connection between the vortex ring and endocardium, suggesting that the adaptive coupling of the myocardium to the shear layer is disrupted.Studies III and IV demonstrated that biventricular hemodynamic forces are similar between healthy hearts regardless of size, and reflect fundamental aspects of flow redirection; this homogenous appearance is significantly altered in heart failure. The findings elucidate a previously unknown 'slingshot' force that appears to result from contraction of the septum and RV free wall. In left ventricular dyssynchrony, several different hemodynamic force patterns were seen, which could indicate different degrees of detrimental effects on myocardial function and hence predispose to varying treatment response.Together, the findings in the thesis have advanced the knowledge on intracardiac flow at rest. To further validate their physiological importance, it is necessary to evaluate intracardiac flow during physical exercise.


Mobile victimisation is one form of cyberaggression that is increasing and affecting many young people today in the developing world. While studies on cyberbullying and cybervictimisation exist, the focus on mobile victimisation is limited. In addition, findings reported in earlier studies have been mainly from developed countries and inconclusive. There is also limited theoretical work to enhance conceptualisation and general understanding of mobile victimisation. Understanding this phenomenon in the developing countries is particularly critical as mobile phone usage and crime are among the highest in the world, legislation against misuse is not well developed and there is general lack of awareness of the national and international implications of cyberaggression in the developing nations. Through an extensive review of literature on victimisation, this paper develops a typology, i.e. Mobile Victimisation Typology (MVT), that caters to the understanding of mobile victimisation. The researchers also went further to validate empirically the MVT using cluster analysis. This confirmed all the three categories of victims proposed in the MVT and proved that it's three predictors could influence victims differently. The present findings are useful in creating awareness of mobile victimisation risks and can be used to inform the development of programmes, policies and legislation to control mobile bullying and victimisation in the developing nations in a more efficient and relevant direction in terms of resource and impact management.


NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) plays a significant role in inflammation, immunity, cell proliferation, apoptosis and malignancy. ROS (reactive oxygen species) are among the most important regulating factors of NF-κB. Intracellular ROS are mainly regulated by an endogenous antioxidant defence system. Any disruption of redox balance leads to oxidative stress, which causes a number of pathological conditions including inflammation and malignancy. Increased metabolic activity in cancerous cells leads to oxidative stress, which is further enhanced due to depletion of the endogenous antioxidant defence system. However, the activation and signalling of NF-κB are reported to be inhibited by overexpression and induced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Therefore the present study focuses on the correlation between the endogenous antioxidant defence system, ROS and NF-κB activation during lymphoma growth in mice. The study highlights the anti-carcinogenic role of curcumin by modulation of NF-κB activation and oxidative stress via the endogenous antioxidant defence system. Oxidative stress was monitored by lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and antioxidant enzyme activity. NF-κB-mediated signalling was tested by DNA-binding activity. The results reflect that intracellular production of H2O2 in oxidative tumour micro-environment regulates NF-κB activation. Curcumin inhibits oxidative state in the liver of lymphoma-bearing mice by enhancing the transcription and activities of antioxidant enzymes, which in turn modulate activation of NF-κB, leading to a decrease in lymphoma growth. Morphological changes as well as cell proliferation and cell survival assays confirmed reduced lymphoma growth. Thus curcumin contributes to cancer prevention by disrupting the vicious cycle of constant ROS production, responsible for a high oxidative micro-environment for tumour growth.


MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OF COHESION POLICY - OPPORTUNITIES AND LESSONS LEARNED JEL code – R50 Keywords: Multilevel government, Cohesion policy, regional policy, management and control system, trust Cohesion policy is regarded as one of the most complex systems of redistribution of public interventions. Financial intervention in the complex cross-cutting issues is implemented through a very complex administrative system by individual projects. Such a complex system is generally defined first by the EC rules, then the individual Member States in its legislative and institutional environment creates an environment for management and administration of this intervention that eventually could be attributed to a particular feature of the intervention of the relevant institutions, which form the implementation environment of current Member State. European Commission assumes that the institutional and legislative environment of a Member State is at a sufficient level to ensure proper financial and administrative process flows. Calculating the fact, that the legislative framework, enables realization of public procurement and others, ensuring controls of the system in order to identify problematic processes, there is a need to divide powers and responsibility for deciding vertically on appropriate level and transfer the responsibility for implementing the rules in order to comply with all legal framework of the Community and the Member State. In such a multi-level government, however, occurs more than one issue that may complicate the overall management system. The basic concept that it should be borne in mind is a trust. Within this complex system is necessary to build and maintain the long-term trust between institutions and the trust in the individual rules and their interpretation. With the trust in the system, of course, relates control issue. The control mechanisms, mainly control procedures should be set in the very beginning due to establishing of the basic principles of implementation and should not be changed during period markedly. The result of such behaving in the system is a high error rate and loss of confidence in setting the management and control system. It causes also a significant impact on the administrative burden and its cost. In all these areas there is need to handle with the appropriate level responsible approach to the competent officials that could be able to decide on their respective cases and should not remove the decision responsibility to a higher level in order to get rid of personal responsibility. All of these problematic areas of multi-level government need to be discussed on a basis of practical examples. Consequently, it is necessary to find approaches that will strengthen overall trust in the system and will enable focus on the achievement of policy objectives, not only to ensure administrative accuracy of financial flows. That should go in particular.


Background Osteoporosis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Oral bisphosphonates have become a mainstay of treatment, but concerns have emerged that long-term use of these drugs may suppress bone remodelling, leading to unusual fractures. Purpose To assess the intervention on bisphosphonates prescribing of institutionalised geriatric residential centres, by the Prescription Quality Unit (PQU). Materials and Methods The PQU cheques that bisphosphonate treatment is based on patient age, duration of treatment, fracture, concomitant medicines and bisphosphonate prescribed. The PQU reviews the patients' medicines plans. The results of the review are communicated to the respective physicians, who analyse and discuss the medicines plans on the PQU report. The PQU performs regular clinical sessions and provides the doctors with drug data information (alerts, newsletters, surveys) involved in prescription reviews. Results Interventions in bisphosphonates prescriptions from June 2011 to June 2012: 383 interventions were made (3.7% of all interventions) and 86 were accepted, 22.4% on the bisphosphonates. In 2011 one was accepted (19.11%) while in 2012 27.2% were accepted. The mean age of patients with bisphosphonates was 86 years (10.63% male and 89.37% female). Bisphosphonates represented 4.1% of total prescriptions. The breakdown of bisphosphonates prescriptions was 75.4% alendronate, 4.3% alendronate/cholecalciferol combination, 5.6% ibandronic acid and 14.61% risedronic acid. Conclusions The intervention in bisphosphonates prescribing has been much more effective in 2012 than in 2011 and more intensive updates and drug date information has been provided to physicians in this period. There were no problems in the use of the recommended bisphosphonate, alendronate. No conflict of interest.


1 Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 2 Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. 3 Hospital de Urgências Governador Otávio Lage de Siqueira, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. 4 Hospital de Clínicas Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. Conflicts of interest: none. Introduction: Plastic surgery has become popular in the recent years for the access to procedures and exposure in the media. The current scenario brings difficulties in the job market because of competitiveness and reduced fees. This study describes the profile of the plastic surgeons working in the state of Goias. Methods: The survey was conducted with plastic surgeons who work in the state of Goias and are registered in local chapter of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery in January 2015. Data were divided into socio-economic and demographic profile. Inclusion criteria were residence certified by the Brazilian Ministry of Education or by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery,, practice of plastic surgery in the state of Goias. We excluded residents in plastic surgery, and those who not practice in plastic surgery area. Results: Rate of response was 70%. Most participants were younger than 40 years old, men, married, with 1-2 children, work in Goias, had less than 10 years as a surgeion, had specialization in plastic surgery, work 40-60 hours weekly and main practice was in aesthetic and reconstructive area, the majority of them do not employ assistances in more than 50% of surgeries. Conclusion: The profile of plastic surgeon in state of Goias is composed by young physicians, men, married, with no more than 2 children, and whom practice mainly in the state capital, most of them are specialists, work 40-60 hours per week, and their main practice is with aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. ■ ABSTRACT


Neurodevelopmental risks for Bipolar Disorder David Freedman This dissertation aims to add to the growing literature on the risks and mechanisms in early life that may be associated with later bipolar disorder (BP), expanding the understanding of when and why divergences from typical developmental course occur in BP, if they do. To do so, it utilizes prospectively obtained, serologically documented prenatal biomarkers and clinically documented prenatal and perinatal risk factors, as well as premorbid measures of neurocognitive functioning, in a well-defined birth cohort followed up for BP. This offers a unique opportunity to test some of the evidence as to whether BP is a neurodevelopmental illness. The first paper is a systematic literature review of the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of BP. This review focuses on three developmental time points: prenatal and perinatal exposures, premorbid and prodromal symptom development, and neurocognitive functioning prior to onset. The second paper focuses on two specific putative prenatal and perinatal risk factors for BP: T. gondii and oxytocin to induce labor. The third paper assesses cognition, using both the BP case-control study and the full birth cohort to assess risks for BP and the potential that cognitive impairment reflects a mediator or endophenotype of later BP. Taken as a whole, the findings suggest support for the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of BP and indicate some potentially specific risks for BP.


This year PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs) celebrates its tenth anniversary following the publication of the first issue in 2007 [1]. When PLOS NTDs was founded, the framework of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as an alternative to "other diseases" (as they were then referred to in the Millennium Development Goals) was just getting started—especially for Africa [2, 3]. In the decade since, PLOS NTDs has overseen enormous successes in NTD control and elimination. Here, we want to briefly review the ten year progress made towards the control or elimination of the diseases now identified by the WHO as NTDs. Many of the details are highlighted in PLOS NTDs papers cited here, but the summary information is based on the recently released Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2015 (also launched with Gates Foundation support) that summarized past-decade changes in disease prevalence, mortality, or disability rates (from the years 2005 to 2015) [4–6], as well as the GBD Study 2013 that summarizes disease prevalence changes over a longer time horizon from 1990 to 2013 [7].


The treatment of a-silylated allylic alcohols with epoxidizing reagents afforded in a highly stereocontrolled fashion a-silylated aldols. The transformation is proposed to proceed either by a reaction cascade involving stereospecific epoxidation of the allylic-alcohol moiety followed by an acid-supported pinacol-type rearrangement, or by a sequence consisting of a p-face-selective electrophilic attack at the allylic silane moiety with hyperconjugative stabilization of the evolving carbocation, followed by rearrangement of the thus obtained pentacoordinated silanium ion (see Scheme 3). Depending on the reaction conditions, the p-face selectivity of the oxidation step is controlled by the stereogenic C-atom or the more remote Si-center of chirality.


This small sample of photos, selected from hundreds viewed by JPS, aims to convey a sense of the situation on the ground in the occupied territories during the quarter.


Objectives. To explore the hypothesized mediating effects of cognitions and emotional distress on the pain-disability relationship.

Design. Pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire), disability (Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire), emotional distress (General Health Questionnaire 28) and Locus of Control (Multidimensional Health Locus of Control) were examined by MANOVA for differences between admission to a pain rehabilitation programme and follow-up and by correlation to examine inter-relationships. Stepwise multiple regressions tested for the significant predictors of disability on admission and follow-up and proportional change.

Methods. Seventy-three patients met the criteria for inclusion (age between 16 and 65 years, low back pain for six months, English speaker). Fifty-four patients were available for follow-up. Patients attended a three-week programme based on cognitive behavioural principles. Data were collected by self-report on admission to the programme and at three-month follow-up.

Results. At follow-up, disability, pain and emotional distress were all found to have improved. Admission, follow-up and proportional change scores showed no correlation between pain and disability at any stage. However, distress and internal Locus of Control (IHLC) were related to disability and distress was also related to pain. Multiple regressions showed that IHLC and distress predicted disability on admission and follow-up. Distress predicted the proportional change in disability.

Conclusions. No direct relationship was found between pain and disability. It appeared that IHLC modified, and emotional distress mediated, the pain-disability relationship.


Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and among them, lung and breast cancers have mortality rates of 1.4 million and 400,000 deaths each year respectively. This is due to the current chemotherapies that are still far from ideal and hence, alternative treatments founded in a 'back-to-nature' approach might yield improved treatment avenues. The genus Phyllanthus is a rainy season weed that has been exploited for various medicinal usages due to the presence of abundant polyphenol compounds in the plant that can be broadly grouped into ellagitannins, gallotannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the antimetastatic potential of four Phyllanthus species (P. niruri, P. urinaria, P. watsonii, and P. amarus) on lung (A549) and breast (MCF-7) carcinoma cell lines.
Phyllanthus exhibited antiproliferative activity by causing selective toxicity on A549 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 50-470g/ml, without the involvement of cell cycle arrest. At these IC50 concentrations, Phyllanthus successfully halted the endothelial-mesenchymal transition process by increasing cell aggregation and cell-cell adhesion. Phyllanthus also reduced the invasion of A549 and MCF-7 cells through the extracellular matrix layer by 40% and 10%, respectively. It was also observed that Phyllanthus inhibited almost 60% cells adhesion to the matrix layer while suppressing up to 80% migration of these cells through an 8μm pore size polycarbonate membrane. This ability of Phyllanthus to inhibit A549 and MCF-7 cells' invasion, migration, and adhesion were even enhanced at increasing treatment concentrations and were associated with their capacity to repress the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases 2, 7, and 9 in cancer cells that function to hydrolyze the basement membrane during cell metastasis. In addition, Phyllanthus induced apoptosis in A549
iv
and MCF-7 cells in conjunction to its antimetastatic action with the activation of caspases-3 and -7 as well as DNA fragmentation. Among the four Phyllanthus species, P. urinaria inhibited cancer cells growth and metastasis most effectively, closely followed by P. watsonii.
Following this, we screened the ten major cellular signaling pathways and recognized that Phyllanthus exerted its antimetastatic and apoptosis-inducing activities by inhibiting ERK1/2 and hypoxia pathways, attributed to the repression of signaling transduction components such as G proteins, G protein receptors, and serine/threonine-protein kinases. ERK1/2 pathway inhibition by Phyllanthus subsequently led to downregulated expression of cytoskeletal proteins for cell invasion and mobility, protein synthesis and transcriptional proteins for cell growth, as well as antiapoptotic protein for cell survival. Meanwhile, inhibition of the hypoxia pathway repressed expression of angiogenic proteins that are essential for cell angiogenesis and migration as well as various glucose uptake and glycolytic enzymes for cell growth and metabolism. Phyllanthus also suppressed drug detoxification enzymes and tumor defense mechanism proteins including gluthathione transferase, gluthathione synthetase, metallothionein, and annexins.
In summary, Phyllanthus could be a valuable candidate as a therapeutic agent for metastatic cancers since it does not only stop spreading of cancer cells, but it also inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis.


The experience of loss, in time, repeats itself in many ways in the analytical group. It seems that depressive emotions in the group are on one hand avoided and on the other slowly built, just until they can be lived and worked-trough. In a group when the depressive position emerges from an orderly leave-taking, or from a collective burial rite it can deeply transform the mental and affective aspects of its elements.


There has been an increased engagement in studying discourse in the field of mathematics education. But what exactly is a discourse, and how do researchers go about analyzing discourses? This study examines 108 articles from 6 international journals in mathematics education by asking questions such as: In which traditions and in relation to which kinds of epistemological assumptions are the articles situated? How is the concept of discourse used and defined? How are mathematical aspects of the discourse accentuated? The results of this study show that a variety of conceptualizations are used for analyzing discourses but also that many articles would benefit from strengthening those conceptualizations by explicitly defining the concept of discourse, situating the article in relation to epistemological assumptions, and relating the work to other discourse studies in mathematics education.


Much of the modern way of thinking about history and historiography in fact begins with the great Greek historian Thucydides, an Athenian general in the latter half of the fifth century b.c.e. It is also Thucydides who provides us with the historical framework for fifth-century Greece, a period of progress and creativity rarely equaled in human history. His work, "The Peloponnesian War," recounts that destructive conflict and also includes the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides teaches his readers that the most powerful states in the world can come to a humiliating end, that a careless tyranny, especially toward the weak, and, nearly two millennia before Machiavelli, that absolute power corrupts absolutely.In "A Historical Commentary on Thucydides," David Cartwright aims to guide the Greekless reader through Thucydides' fascinating yet demanding narrative. Cartwright's is the only such full-length, one-volume commentary and companion: it is based on Rex Warner's Penguin translation of Thucydides--the most widely used translation--and requires no knowledge of Greek. The introduction to "A Historical Commentary on Thucydides" includes a brief biography of Thucydides: his approach, aims, and methods are discussed, as are the general character of his work and his contribution to historiography. The commentary gives brief accounts of the people and places mentioned by Thucydides and puts events in their immediate and wider contexts. Cartwright provides occasional summaries, explains Greek concepts and technical terms, and offers interpretations of difficult or controversial passages. The author also picks out important historiographical issues and discusses the themes' underlying events.For both first-time readers and seasoned students, this commentary gives broad access to one of antiquity's most profound and difficult writers. Historians, classicists, and anyone else interested in the cultural and intellectual achievements of ancient Greece will find "A Historical Commentary on Thucydides" a welcome addition to their library.David Cartwright is Head of Classics at Dulwich College, London, England.