Legal and economic scholarship views the provision of asset partitioning (the separation between the assets of the corporation and its shareholders) as the essential economic role of corporate personality. This Article contends that this view is incomplete. First, it identifies the provision of regulatory partitioning (the separation between the regulatory spheres of the corporation and its shareholders) as another fundamental function of the corporate form. Second, it shows that regulatory partitioning is not absolute. In various areas of law and for different purposes, the law "peeks"—or looks behind the corporate veil—to ascribe legal rights or detriments of shareholders to the corporation.
Although veil piercing (asset departitioning) and what I term veil peeking (regulatory departitioning) serve different functions and entail distinct tradeoffs, they have been almost universally conflated by scholars and courts. This Article examines the economic benefits and costs of regulatory partitioning, provides a taxonomy of its different exceptions, and argues that veil piercing and veil peeking claims should be subject to different criteria. This analysis illuminates and offers normative implications for controversies in a variety of legal fields, including constitutional, international, tax, corporate, contract, and antitrust law. The reconceptualization of the corporation as a "nexus for regulation" as well as a "nexus for contracts" offers an additional, and heretofore overlooked, rationale for the organization of economic activity under the corporate form in the United States and around the world.


ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis is the etiologic agent of plague, a disease that is transmitted from rodent to rodent and from rodent to humans by fleabites. Multiple copies of three insertion sequences (IS100, IS285, and IS1541) are scattered over the Y. pestis genome. The genomic instability generated by these insertion sequences (IS) creates a polymorphism of the hybridizing restriction fragments (restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP]) which can be used to subtype this relatively clonal species. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the potential of the three IS-RFLP techniques, individually or in combination, to define clusters of strains according to their focus of origin. The analysis of 61 Y. pestis isolates of worldwide origin indicated that no satisfactory strain clustering was observed with each IS-RFLP used individually. In contrast, the combination of the three IS-RFLP data (3IS-RFLP) resulted in both an efficient strain discrimination (D = 0.999) and a robust clustering of the isolates according to their biovar and geographical origin. This geographical clustering was observed even within the Orientalis group, although these strains had only a short period of time (one century) to diverge from the original clone that spread globally. Therefore, 3IS-RFLP is a technique that may be useful for addressing epidemiological problems and forensic issues. When plague reemerges after several decades of silence in a quiescent focus, it may help in determining whether the disease was reimported or reactivated. It may also be of value to identify the origin of a strain when plague cases appear in a previously plague-free region. Finally, this technique could be useful for the tracing of a Y. pestis isolate that has been used as a biological terrorism threat.


For two decades after rock music emerged in the 1940s, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the oldest and largest labor union representing professional musicians in the United States and Canada, refused to recognize rock 'n' roll as legitimate music or its performers as skilled musicians. The AFM never actively organized rock 'n' roll musicians, although recruiting them would have been in the union's economic interest. In Tell Tchaikovsky the News , Michael James Roberts argues that the reasons that the union failed to act in its own interest lay in its culture, in the opinions of its leadership and elite rank-and-file members. Explaining the bias of union members—most of whom were classical or jazz music performers—against rock music and musicians, Roberts addresses issues of race and class, questions of what qualified someone as a skilled or professional musician, and the threat that records, central to rock 'n' roll, posed to AFM members, who had long privileged live performances. Roberts contends that by rejecting rock 'n' rollers for two decades, the once formidable American Federation of Musicians lost their clout within the music industry.


Depression has been examined from a Western, Asian American and Indian American- cultural, specific point of view. The purpose of this paper was to examine if the DSM can be used as a multicultural diagnostic tool for depression. Research suggests that ethnic and racial minority groups are often underserved by the mental health system (Snowden, 1996; Lewis-Fernandez & Kleinman, 1994).  Language, social construction, family, age, gender and religion have all been found to be barriers to treatment among different cultures (Blackmore, 1998; Ramisetty-Mikler, 1993). After reviewing the literature a strong argument can be made for the DSM being used as a multicultural diagnostic tool, as long as clinicians have the appropriate understanding of different cultures and their belief systems.


This series report was carried out for 3 years on 15 buffaloes suffering from recurrent rumen tympany associated with trichobezoars. Full case history, thorough clinical examination, ferroscopy, and vaginal and trans-rectal examination were carried out in all cases. The affected buffaloes were treated with rumenotomy. All cases were lactating buffaloes and had heavy hair coat. The age of affected buffaloes ranged between 5-10 years. Clinical signs included anorexia, depression, sharp decrease in milk yield, intermittent respiratory distress, recurrent rumen tympany and dehydration. Hematological and biochemical analyses revealed leukocytosis, hypokalemia and hypochloremia. Rumenotomy was curative in all cases and revealed trichobezoars in either rumen (n=14) or rumen and reticulum (n=1). Trichobezoars were black and their number ranged between 2-6 balls/animal. The diameter and weight of the removed hairballs ranged between 10-40 cm and 100-370 g, respectively. All operated animals recovered and gained their normal milk production one day post operative. In conclusion, trichobezoars should be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent rumen tympany in buffaloes.


For several decades after the UN Charter insisted that the promotion of development and human rights were central to post-World War II conceptions of world order, the two fields remained in virtual isolation from one another. Only in the past 15 years or so, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the realization that freedom and economic well-being are empirically linked, have the professional communities dealing with development and human rights issues really begun to communicate effectively. But too much of the dialogue has been confined to an abstract or theoretical level. This volume addresses highly specific but crucial aspects of the human rights and development interface, including the economics of social rights; land rights and women's empowerment; child labour and access to education; reform of legal and judicial systems; the human rights role of the private sector; and building human rights into development planning, especially the Poverty Reduction Strategy process. Contributors include lawyers, economists, and both scholarly and practitioner perspectives are presented. Several chapters are written by Senior World Bank officials, including the Bank's President and the head of the International Finance Corporation. Contributors to this volume - Philip Alston is Professor of Law at New York University Law School and Faculty Director of its Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. Gordon Betcherman is a Senior Economist in the Social Protection Team at the World Bank working on areas including industrial relations, core labor standards, labor law, active labor market policies, and support for unemployed workers. Nehal Bhuta was educated at the University of Melbourne and holds graduate degrees from NYU School of Law and the New School for Social Research, New York. He is currently working for Human Rights Watch in New York. Christina Biebesheimer is Principal Specialist in the State, Governance and Civil Society Division of the Sustainable Development Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. Helene M. Carlsson is a Gender Specialist in the World Bank's Gender & Development Group where she is involved in an array of issues associated with mainstreaming gender into the World Bank. Jean Dreze is Professor at the Centre for Development Economics, at the Delhi School of Economics. Jean Fares is an economist in the Labor Markets group of the World Bank's Social Protection Team. He previously taught at the American University of Beirut. Varun Gauri is an Economist in the Development Research Group (Public Services Team) at the World Bank. Elizabeth D. Gibbons is Chief of Global Policy at UNICEF, working on human rights approaches to poverty reduction, and analytical tools and advocacy strategies for placing children at the centre of social, economic and juridical policies. Stephen Golub teaches International Development and Law at Boalt Hall Law School of the University of California at Berkeley; serves as External Advisor to the UK Department for International Development on the portion of its governance website concerning Safety, Security and Accessible Justice; and consults for foundations, bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, and NGOs. Friedrich Huebler works for the Strategic Information Section of UNICEF's Division of Policy and Planning. He specializes in the areas of education and child labor, with an emphasis on the analysis of data from household surveys. Lindsay Judge is Consultant on PRSPs, Poverty Reduction Group, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), at the World Bank. Daniel Kaufmann is the Director of Global Governance at the World Bank Institute (WBI). Edilberto Loaiza is a programme officer in the Strategic Information Section of the Division of Policy and Planning at UNICEF, New York. His work is mainly focused on education, child protection, and child mortality. Amy Luinstra is a member of the Social Protection Team at the World Bank and specializes in labour issues. Karen O. Mason is Director of Gender and Development of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) at the World Bank and is the Bank's senior spokesperson on gender and development issues. Gobind Nankani is Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), at the World Bank. John Page is Director of the Poverty Reduction Group, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), at the World Bank. Mark W. Plant is Assistant Director, Policy Development and Review Department, at the International Monetary Fund. Robert Prouty is a member of the Social Protection Team at the World Bank and specializes in education issues. Kerry Rittich is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and the Institute for Women's Studies and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto. Mary Robinson founded Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative in 2002. Previously she was President of Ireland (1990-97), and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). Olivier de Schutter is Director of the Research Unit on Fundamental Rights (CRIDHO) at the Centre for Philosophy of Law, and Professor at the Law Faculty, at the Catholic University of Louvain. Frances Stewart is Professor of Development Economics and Director, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity at the International Development Centre, Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford University. Janet Walsh is deputy director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. Previously she practised law at several international law firms and in The Legal Office of the United Nations in New York. Michael Wang teaches in the Department of Economics at Oxford University. Peter Woicke is the Executive Vice President of the International Finance Corporation and a Managing Director of the World Bank Group. James D. Wolfensohn has been President of the World Bank since June 1995.


The effect of nutrition during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy in composite beef heifers on reproductive parameters of their female calves was determined in the present study. At artificial insemination, heifers were assigned to one of four treatment groups (i.e. HH, HL, LowH and LL) depending on the level of crude protein intake (H = high; L = low) for first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Gonadotrophin concentrations and ovarian parameters were measured in their female calves at 5 and 23 months of age. Crude protein intake was positively associated with dam plasma urea (P < 0.001). The density of healthy follicles in heifers at the time of death was negatively correlated with dam plasma urea at Day 179 (P = 0.009). Heifers from LowH dams had a smaller-sized prepubertal largest ovarian follicle (P = 0.03) and lower densities of primordial and primary follicles (P = 0.02) and healthy antral follicles (P = 0.009) when they were killed. There was a positive correlation between plasma FSH concentrations at 5 and 23 months of age (P = 0.02), as well as between the sizes of the largest ovarian follicles at 6 and 23 months of age (P = 0.01). In conclusion, the reproductive development of heifers may be affected by prenatal nutrition during early and mid-gestation.


White light dispersion measurements by and two-dimensional spectral interference are shown. One-dimensional white light spectral interference measurements allow accurate characterization of dispersion using weak optical fields. Two-dimensional spectral interference allows for real-time measurements since no post-processing is needed, and therefore can be used in situations where the optical properties of the elements under test vary in time. We demonstrate the applicability of the two methods for characterizing dispersive elements such as optical glasses and dielectric coatings.


In this paper some of rheological properties of bamboo charcoal polyester (BC-PET) are presented. The BC-PET is derived from PET modified through commix with bamboo charcoal master batch. The additive content of blends ranged between 0% and 10%. Rheological measurements were effectuated with a Brookfield viscometer (RVDV-II+Pro). The results showed that molten BC-PET exhibited shear thinning fluid, these were verified with some rheological models. Non-Newtonian index decreased significantly and structural viscosity index increased obviously with the master-batch content increased, but the viscosity was stable in the shear rate range of spinning (γ=103-104s-1), so decreased the temperature was beneficial to spinning.


The kinetics of hexadecane degradation were studied in four strains of Rhodococcus equi that did not produce biosurfactants. The aim was to analyse the characteristics of alkane uptake and their relevance to a mechanism of interfacial uptake. The kinetic studies involved continuous determination of degradation by electrolytic respirometry in a diphasic system where the hydrophobic phase was hexadecane or a solution of hexadecane in a non-toxic, non-biodegradable solvent, either 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane or silicone oil. The technique allowed large variations in interfacial area between the aqueous and hydrophobic phases. For the four strains, the kinetics obtained were reproducible and showed, in almost all cases, an initial short phase of exponential growth, followed by a long phase of linear growth. Specific growth rates during exponential growth varied amongst the strains from 0.11 to 0.20 h(-1) and were independent of interfacial area, in accordance with the very strong adsorption of bacterial cells at the interface of solvent and aqueous media. The degradation rates during linear growth did not increase with interfacial area but increased with efficiency of stirring. These characteristics can be explained by the formation of cellular flocs due to the hydrophobicity of the strains. These flocs were observed during growth on hexadecane in almost all conditions. In one case, with a non-flocculating culture, a kinetic pattern with a longer exponential phase, closer to that expected for simple interfacial uptake, was observed. The results show that strictly interfacial uptake, limited by floc formation (occurring at moderate and higher cell densities, and controlled by stirring efficiency) is a common pattern for growth on long-chain alkanes of micro-organisms that do not produce biosurfactants.


Extensive research in the field of ambient assisted living (AAL) provides profound knowledge about the design of AAL systems. However, more generic design characteristics for user interaction have not been formalized for this domain yet. Thus, we propose to develop a domain specific taxonomy for the design of user interaction in AAL systems. We adopted a systematic taxonomy development approach that combines an empirical and a pseudo-conceptual strategy. Six co-researchers from different disciplines conduct the iterative research process. Next to AAL systems existing taxonomies in the field of human-computer interaction are analyzed following the Delphi method. In this paper we present our research process and preliminary results from the first iteration. The final taxonomy allows classification and should support the analysis of user interaction utilized in AAL systems. Furthermore, it can deal as a practical design guideline.


Abstract A catalog for earthquakes that occurred in western Turkey during the period 1964–2010 is compiled for achieving homogeneity for magnitudes. Data are obtained from the International Seismological Center (ISC), where earthquake magnitudes are reported in different scales and come from a variety of sources. For establishing a common magnitude expression, namely an equivalent moment magnitude , new relations correlating the different magnitude scales with each other are derived from converting as many as possible of the magnitudes reported in the ISC bulletins. After magnitude conversions, the completeness magnitude M c is sought by modifying the goodness‐of‐fit method of Wiemer and Wyss (2000) to become more appropriate for datasets with smaller sample size and higher M c thresholds. The study region is divided into four smaller regions on the basis of spatial data homogeneity, while different periods of similar seismic network performance are recognized and tested to seek spatiotemporal variation of M c . The results derived in each case are compared with those yielded by the application of both the original goodness‐of‐fit and maximum curvature methods and are found to be quite similar, although there are still cases with a difference exceeding 0.3 magnitude units. The goodness‐of‐fit method is very sensitive in the selection of the desirable percentage of fitting a power law (90% or 95%), whereas the proposed modification makes it independent of this level selection, and performing better especially for datasets that include events before 1990, when higher completeness magnitudes are evident. Online Material: Earthquake catalog with equivalent moment magnitude for western Turkey.


Despite the considerable recognition of the importance of and the need for supply chain visibility, organizations experience difficulties in actually achieving such visibility. This may be attributed to two major reasons. First, organizations adopt different types of information technologies such as electronic data interchange or business-to-business for supply chain activities, which cannot communicate with each other without the adoption of many common "standards" for data representation and transmission. Second, organizations may have initially adopted supply chain information systems for different reasons such as mandates and may have engaged in selective "automation" of communication with its partners. Consequently, information systems within supply chain networks are "isolated" and organizations lose supply chain visibility. This study examines the implementation of supply chain management information systems at real-world organizations for achieving supply chain visibility. The findings of this study will be useful to organizations as they strive to implement solutions for supply chain visibility.


The demand for low cost and disposable devices has driven the development of intelligent photodiodes, especially multispectral photodiodes that were first manufactured by Rieve et al. in 2000 [1]. The most remarkable feature of these devices is the voltage-controlled spectral response. In this paper we present a-SiGe:H based bias sensitive ni 3 p photodiodes that have been fabricated successfully in a low temperature PECVD process. Multispectral diodes based on ni 3 p structures make use of an intrinsic layer divided into three regions. Further subdivision of the i-layer into different collection regions is the key to an unequivocal optical detection. In addition to the a-SiGe:H multispectral photodiodes developed at the IMT, there is an inestimable wealth of different sensor approaches that has been optimized for different applications. To optimize the separation of secondary colors (i.e. spectral signatures) it is necessary to separate only those response curves (i.e. bands) with a very high information density [2, 3]. In our case, samples of whitish powder suspected to be dangerous or illegal must be unequivocally characterized. There is need for an application specific band selection method by which various sensors can be compared and evaluated. Unfortunately it is not sufficient to optimize the spectral response only as discussed in [4]. The requirements for measuring surroundings and the mechanical handling of all parameters together form a multivariate data set. Examined were in fact more than 5,000 measurement setup combinations, fictional and real, each considering 10 parameters that partially influence each other. The influence of all these parameters has to be examined, with the awareness of multivariate analysis [5].


The article presents elements of study done during the research project realization, the aim of which was to develop a new method to implement ergonomically changes of workplaces in organisations. The method is based on identification and use of the organisation subsystems dynamic properties, as well as the dynamic features of the change itself.The methodology is based on the identified relations that control most of the objects subjected to input. These relations describe the connections between the course of the value of input and output signals of the object.It assumes that particular parts of the organisation constitute systems. These systems, just like all others, are subject to certain regularities: they generate output signals, based on the level and dynamics of the input signals. However, the most crucial feature of the system is its static and dynamic characteristics. Under certain conditions, this feature of the system remains unchanged, while what changes is the level of the input signals of the system. Therefore, knowing the system characteristics and the input signal processing, one may try to assess the value of output signals. The knowledge of a given system characteristics may not only enable the successful prediction of its behavior, but also it may enable to establish a scheme of regularities, so that the output parameters would preserve certain predetermined properties, regardless of the status of the inputs. The research project within the study concerned the analysis of the dynamics of the processes of environmental changes implementation in organisations. On the basis of detailed studies in the organisations the most important relations describing the behavior of employees have been identified. Due to the knowledge of the dynamics of the given process as well as the interactions and connections that exist between different objects in the organisation, it will be easier to estimate the time of achieving the goals and determining the real value of purposes which the organisation subsystem achieves.The article below presents a part of the analysis concerning the way the employees approach a planned change. © 2015 The Authors.Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of AHFE Conference.


The reinforcement learning (RL) framework formalizes the notion of learning with interactions. Many real-world problems have large state-spaces and/or action-spaces such as in Go, StarCraft, protein folding, and robotics or are non-Markovian, which cause significant challenges to RL algorithms. In this work we address the large action-space problem by sequentializing actions, which can reduce the action-space size significantly, even down to two actions at the expense of an increased planning horizon. We provide explicit and exact constructions and equivalence proofs for all quantities of interest for arbitrary history-based processes. In the case of MDPs, this could help RL algorithms that bootstrap. In this work we show how action-binarization in the non-MDP case can significantly improve Extreme State Aggregation (ESA) bounds. ESA allows casting any (non-MDP, non-ergodic, history-based) RL problem into a fixed-sized non-Markovian state-space with the help of a surrogate Markovian process. On the upside, ESA enjoys similar optimality guarantees as Markovian models do. But a downside is that the size of the aggregated state-space becomes exponential in the size of the action-space. In this work, we patch this issue by binarizing the action-space. We provide an upper bound on the number of states of this binarized ESA that is logarithmic in the original action-space size, a double-exponential improvement.


Both repression and induction of substrate utilization have been the subject of many basic research investigations employing pure cultures. In this investigation these effects were studied using heterogeneous microbial populations prevalent in such biological treatment processes as activated sludge systems. Diauxic substrate removal by activated sludge was observed in a multicomponent medium consisting of glucose and sorbitol. The sludge was acclimated solely to sorbitol; however, the presence of glucose blocked sorbitol removal until glucose was completely utilized. Both diphasic and triphasic oxygen utilization was shown for activated sludges metabolizing multicomponent synthetic wastes consisting of glucose, melibiose, and lactose. It appears from these studies that melibiose utilization was suppressed by the presence of glucose and, although melibiose induced acclimation to lactose, the presence of melibose suppressed lactose utilization. Studies were also conducted using glycogen and starch systems in which it was found that acclimation to either compound conferred immediate acclimation to the other. It was also found that loss of acclimation to lactose was a passive phenomenon and its kinetics could be predicted on the basis of simple diluting out of the enzyme(s) responsible for such acclimation.


This article focuses on the complex network of control and consent through the articulation of technology and local culture in the workplace. The dynamics of this network are embedded in the interplay of global and local markets. The article explores these dynamics by focusing on the distinctive characteristics of a Central Anatolian city, Corum, based on a case study conducted in Turkey. We observe how globalised patterns of control and consent are reproduced through the articulation of new technologies and the conservative culture specific to this locality. During the negotiations between employers and employees, this interplay plays a significant role in the construction of work realities. The consensual control produced within the framework of conservative values leads to a consensual hegemony in the organisation of labour process.


Children with the long QT syndrome (LQTS) are prone to life threatening ventricular arrhythmias. These arrhythmias may result in syncope and seizures that are often attributed incorrectly to a seizure disorder or to common fainting. The untreated mortality for symptomatic children with the LQTS is high but is improved significantly with therapy. Paediatricians should be aware of the presentations of the syndrome. Recommendations for screening for the syndrome are given.


This empirical study investigated the occurrence of meaning negotiation in an interactive synchronous computer-mediated second language (L2) environment. Sixteen dyads (N = 32) consisting of nonnative speakers (NNSs) and native speakers (NSs) of English performed 2 different tasks using videoconferencing and written chat. The data were coded and analyzed both for instances of negotiation of meaning and for instances where the NNSs did not initiate repair despite nonunderstanding. Absences of negotiation of meaning are generally excluded from detailed analysis primarily because it is difficult to establish nonunderstanding unless the participant overtly indicates it. In order to assess the effect of the nonoccurrence of negotiation of meaning on task performance and task completion, this study used 2 tasks: a culturally specific task that almost certainly would result in NNS nonunderstanding and a collaborative decision-making task that should trigger instances of negotiation of meaning. It was found that, in both tasks, instead of initiating repair sequences, NNS participants frequently did not engage in negotiation of meaning despite nonunderstanding. We conclude that disregarding nonoccurrence of negotiation of meaning in (digital) task-based language teaching may lead to misrepresenting task performance, task outcome, and task evaluation, and, beyond that, to disregarding evidence that has both empirical and theoretical consequences for the Interaction Hypothesis and, by implication, for second language acquisition.


Objective: Trauma scores are prone to misreading. Therefore, a readily available, objective way to estimate the mortality of the trauma patients is needed. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic utility of lactate levels, and clearance for 30-days mortality, and compare with the physiological trauma scores. Methods: All adult trauma patients (two hundred) admitted to ED were enrolled. Initial and 2-hour serum lactate levels were measured and components of GAP, MGAP, RTS, VIEWS and VIEWS-L trauma scores were calculated. Results: Final study population was 200 patients with a median age of 33 years. Mortality was 7/200 (3.5%) in 30-days. Both initial (2.3 vs. 7.7 mmol/L) and 2h-lactate (1.7 vs. 8.4 mmol/L) levels were significantly lower, and lactate clearance was significantly higher (23.8% vs. -12.0%) in survivors. Also, the change in the lactate level from 0h to 2h (2.3 vs. 1.7mmol/L) was significant in survivors, contrary to non-survivors (7.7 vs. 8.4mmol/L). VIEWS-L, VIEWS, two hour-lactate level and EMTRAS showed high specificity at the 100% sensitivity cut-offs, therefore, were the most valuable prognostic parameters in this study. Conclusion: Calculation of 2h-lactate clearance and evaluation of a 2h-lactate level may not be needed to predict long-term mortality if the initial lactate level is below 2.8mmol/L.


It is now well accepted that epigenetic alterations contribute to tumorigenesis. DNA methylation has been recognized as an early and possibly initiating event in the development of breast cancer and thus represents a potentially valuable marker for early detection and chemoprevention. In the present study, we aimed to characterize DNA methylation changes associated with the development of breast cancer in the C3(1)/SV40 large T‐antigen transgenic mouse model of mammary carcinogenesis. This model has been utilized in various studies to demonstrate chemopreventive efficacy of both natural products as well as pharmacological agents such as green and black tea or the COX‐2 inhibitor celecoxib. For DNA methylation analyses, wildtype (wt) and transgenic (tg) mice were sacrificed at 4–24 weeks of age to collect mammary and tumor tissue, respectively. Initially, we selected eight candidate genes know to be silenced by hypermethlytion in human breast cancer: Cadherin1, Cyclin D2, RASSF1a, Timp3, Twist, GSTπ, SMPD3, and GHSR1a. DNA methylation of CpG islands associated with these genes was quantified by EpiTYPER MassARRAY technology based on mass spectrometry. Interestingly, none of these genes was hypermethylated in murine tumors. On average, we detected less than 16% methylation, which was not significantly different between wt and tg tissue and did not change with age. Consequently, we next decided to analyze methylation changes at a genome‐wide level, using methylation‐specific DNA array analysis after methyl‐CpG immunoprecipitation (MCIp). Hypermethylated DNA of age‐matched wt and tg animals was enriched by binding to recombinant methyl‐CpG‐binding domain protein MBD2. Dual‐color labeled samples were then hybridized to Agilent murine CpG island microarrays containing oligonucleotide probes for >16.000 CpG islands. Based on data obtained with tissue derived of animals aged 16–24 weeks, we selected genes commonly hypermethylated in tg mice for subsequent validation by MassARRAY analysis. As an example, five genes, Mab21l2, Lyl1, Atp6v1b1, Espn, A930037G, showed significant hypermethylation in a range of 52 to 69% in tumor tissue of mice aged 24 weeks, whereas an average methylation of 6 to 15% was detected in mammary tissue of age‐matched wt animals. Interestingly, when we analyzed mammary tissue of mice at increasing age, we observed a gradual increase in hypermethylation in tg vs. wt animals for all selected genes, starting at 12–16 weeks of age even before tumors were detected. These data indicate a potential early role of deregulated DNA methylation in C3(1)/SV40 large T‐antigen‐induced mammary carcinogenesis. The newly identified genes, which have rarely been investigated in relation to human breast cancer so far, may serve as interesting targets for chemoprevention studies and will be further characterized. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B49.


The world is facing an imminent energy supply crisis. Our well-being is linked to the energy supply, and energy is in high demand in both the developed and the developing world. In order to sustain our energy supply, it is necessary to advance renewable technologies. Despite this urgency, however, it is paramount to consider the larger environmental effects associated with using renewable resources.Hydropower, in the past, has been seen as a viable resource to examine, given that its basics of mechanical to electrical energy conversion seem to have little effect on the environment. Discrete analysis of dams and in-stream diversion set-ups has shown otherwise, though. Modifications to river flows and changes in temperature (from increased and decreased flows) cause adverse effects to fish and other marine life because of changes in their adaptive habitat.Recent research has focused on kinetic energy extraction in river flows, which may prove to be more sustainable, as this type of extraction does not involve a large reservoir or large flow modification. The field of hydrokinetic energy extraction is immature; little is known about the devices' performance in the river environment, and their risk of impingement, fouling, and suspension of sediments. Governing principles of hydrokinetic energy extraction are presented, along with a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the system. Power extraction methods are compared, and verification and validation of the CFD model through mesh sensitivity and experimental data are presented. A 0.0506 average mesh skew and 0.2m/s velocity convergence was obtained within the mesh sensitivity analysis. In comparing particle image velocimetry (PIV) data with the CFD model, a 0.0155m offset and 20\% error were present. However, including a volume of fluid (VOF) model within the CFD model produced a 5\% error improvement and gave a 0.0124m offset. These are improvements over the current state of the art, where visual comparisons are common. Three-dimensional CFD models of a submerged water wheel, Savonius turbine, squirrel cage Darrieus turbine, and Gorlov Darrieus turbine are also presented; however, they are non-VOF CFD models.Using the results of the CFD models, preliminary predictions could be made of the environmental impact of hydrokinetic turbines with respect to fish swimming patterns. Additionally, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for hydrokinetic energy extraction (HEE), which gives insight into the total system environmental impact. HEE has been seen as a potentially ``benign' form of renewable hydropower. This work provides a benchmark for initial measurement of HEE environmental impacts, since negative outcomes have been present with previously-assumed benign renewable hydropower. A Gorlov system was used to represent a HEE system. LCA was utilized to compare the environmental impacts of HEE with small hydropotential (HPP) power, coal, natural gas and nuclear power. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria air emissions were quantified and compared over the life cycle of the systems. Life cycle air emissions were used in combination with the TRACI impact assessment tool to compare the systems. The Gorlov system was found to have the lowest life cycle impact with a system lifetime comparison, and compared closely with small HPP.Finally, various issues connected to the implementation of hydrokinetic power generation were discussed. Policy development and sediment movement were investigated in more detail. Additionally, two applications of this technology were explored: in-situ river health monitoring and remote energy generation.


The purpose of this specific study is to provide the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) with: Updated information regarding the association or occurrence of pelagic sharks and rays in different fisheries; Updated information regarding data collection and methodological approaches for the assessment of conservation status of sharks; A critical review of existing Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs) for sharks and of the current conservation status of the species concerned; and Proposals to improve and/or provide alternative options for conservation and management of sharks taking into account any recent methodological advances and new data or information. The species of interest are the main pelagic sharks caught by pelagic fisheries, including under Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (longline and purse seine fisheries). The study also considers some pelagic elasmobranchs included in Article 13 (species prohibitions) of the Council Regulation 2016/72 fixing for 2016 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks. The main regions focused are the oceanic regions covered by tuna-RFMOs where those species of elasmobranch are represented in the catches, specifically the Atlantic (ICCAT region), the Indian Ocean (IOTC region) and the Pacific (WCPFC and IATTC regions)


Einstein's theory of general relativity is a cornerstone in the process of gaining increased understanding about problems of gravitational nature. It can be applied to problems on the huge length scales of cosmology and as far as we know it does not break down before the Planck scale is approached. Irrespective of scale, a perturbative approach is often a very useful way to reduce the Einstein system to manageable complexity and size.The projects included in this thesis can be divided into three subcategories. In the first category the keyword is photon-photon scattering. General relativity predicts that scattering can take place on a flat background due to the curvature of space-time caused by the photons themselves. The coupling equations and cross-section are found and a comparison with the corresponding quantum field theoretical results is done to leading order. Moreover, photon-photon scattering due to exchange of virtual electron-positron pairs is considered as an effective field theory in terms of the Heisenberg-Euler Lagrangian resulting in a possible setup for experimental detection of this phenomenon using microwave cavities. The second category of projects is related to cosmology. Here linear perturbations around a flat FRW universe with a cosmological constant are considered and the corresponding temperature variations of the cosmic microwave background radiation are found. Furthermore, cosmological models of Bianchi type V are investigated using a method based on the invariant scheme for classification of metrics by Karlhede. The final category is slowly rotating stars. Here the problem of matching a perfect fluid interior of Petrov type D to an exterior axisymmetric vacuum solution is treated perturbatively up to second order in the rotational parameter.


The real interest parity (RIP) condition combines two cornerstones in international finance, uncovered interest parity (UIP) and ex ante purchasing power parity (PPP). The extent of deviation from RIP is therefore an indicator of the lack of product and financial market integration. This paper investigates whether the nominal exchange rate regime has an impact on RIP. The analysis is based on 15 annual real interest rates and covers a long time span, 1870-2006. Four subperiods are distinguished and linked to fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes: the Gold Standard, the interwar float, the Bretton Woods system and the current managed float. Panel integration techniques are applied to increase the power of the tests, where cross section correlation is embedded via common factor structures. The results suggest that RIP holds as a long run condition irrespectively of the nominal exchange rate regime. However, adjustment towards RIP is affected by both the institutional framework and the historical episode. Half lives of shocks tend to be lower under fixed exchange rates and in the first part of the sample. Although barriers to trade and capital controls have been removed, they did not lead to lower half lives during the managed float.


Children on the autism spectrum commonly display a reading profile characterised by strengths in decoding alongside weaknesses in reading comprehension (Nation et al., 2006). Reciprocal Teaching (RT; Palinscar & Brown, 1984) is an evidence-based instructional approach for supporting reading comprehension skills based on cooperative learning principles and endorsed by National Reading Panel (NRP; NICHD, 2000) research; however there is little evidence around the use of RT with children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
Using an action research methodology, I sought to develop my knowledge as a practitioner by exploring how I could make adjustments within the context of delivering a group-based RT intervention to enhance its application for two children (aged 8-9) with diagnoses of Asperger's Syndrome. A key feature of the research was eliciting the views of participating children and using these to inform the ongoing planning and delivery of the intervention.
Qualitative data including feedback from participants, session records and a bespoke assessment of RT strategy-use (alongside my own reflective records) contributed to two cycles of action research in which my learning informed my subsequent actions. Within smaller micro-cycles of action and reflection, I made four adjustments to RT involving visual aids to activate children's prior knowledge and support them to ask questions about text and summarise non-fiction passages. I discuss my findings with reference to theoretical models of comprehension and ASC and generate my own living theory of practice.
The study addresses a gap in the literature and has direct implications for educational professionals and for the practice of Educational Psychologists (EPs) who frequently support children with ASC but often do not feel skilled in supporting reading comprehension (Greenway, 2002). Throughout my inquiry, I highlight questions for further research and future practice.


: The aim of this paper is to analyze one of the most problematic works of the German poet and philosopher, Friedrich Schiller: his first play, Die Räuber ( The Robbers , 1782). Following Hammer and Hart's Gadamerian literary hermeneutics, I will focus on the subversive role that Schiller attaches to the figure of the criminal in this work. Written seven years before the French Revolution, the play has traditionally been interpreted as a pre-revolutionary drama that stresses the emancipatory power of the Enlightenment and the Revolution. The way in which Schiller appears to use the dichotomy between criminal and society supports this view: the noble criminal opposes the Law as the incarnation of a severe and narrow rationalism. However, the shared tragic end of the Moor brothers, the protagonists of the play, proves the enlightened emancipation to be fallible and reveals its inner despotic potential. This is not due to the final retrograde meaning or because the play is not intimately concerned with freedom and individual autonomy. Instead, its ultimate aim is not to be propagandistic, or even constructive, but harshly critical, uncovering and bearing witness to the oppressive character of Schiller's contemporary society and its public (penal system) and private (family) institutions. Subverting the traditional association between criminal-evil/compliant-good and virtue-recompense/vice-punishment, Schiller breaks up with the retributive logic on which he does not rely, as if it were a kind of unrecognized superstition that undermines autonomous thinking and action. Through this reversal, Schiller exposes the irrational bases of the retributive urge rooted in Christian humanism, which is not founded upon true justice but upon vengeance and the heteronomy of transcendent concepts that cannot support an autonomous moral.


A distinctive feature of analysis of variance is the common occurrence of more than one error
term. This feature calls attention to the two distinct potential roles of a single mean square. As
a "numerator" it measures the variability visible at a given level in a design hierarchy, and as a
"denominator" it measures how much variability has been "passed up" to higher levels, and may,
if appropriate, serve as part of an error term. We propose a straightforward multiphase procedure
that explicitly recognizes these two roles, and argue that, in general, such considerations preclude
naive use of robust regression techniques for analysis of factorially designed experiments. Instead,
an upsweeping-by-medians decomposition of the data is followed by a comparison-within-subtable
analysis to flag exotic ("relatively large") entries in each of the subtables associated with the different
sorts of variation. A classical analysis by means, after replacing each identified exotic entry
by an algorithmically specified value, yields a decomposition of the data that is used to construct
an analysis of variance table in which for each sort of variation there is both a list of any exotic
entries and an inner ("denominator") mean square that 'excludes' those exotic entries. The analysis
can then be completed by downsweeping the inner subtables that are insufficiently prominent, and
providing (formally) appropriate error terms for analyzing table entries that remain. The results are
displayed as a decomposition of the data into exotic values and those inner subtables, both simple
and composite, that survive downsweeping. The exploratory nature of the approach is emphasized,
and the method is applied to an example of a factorial experiment in which all factors have three or
more versions.


The Deeside Limestone Formation (DLF), outcropping in western Aberdeenshire, comprises the eastern margin of a distinctive Upper Dalradian mixed siliciclastic–carbonate system of Ediacaran age which may be correlated southwestwards for more than 400 km to County Donegal in Ireland. A reconstructed stratigraphic column suggests three broad vertical sequences (S1–S3), each comprising a general upward proportionate increase in calcium carbonate with respect to quartz, locally capped by metalimestones (L1–L3). A simple explanation for this upward change lies in the differing physical response of the two heterolithic components under the same hydrodynamic process, with the heavier quartz grains preferentially enriching the bedload and the finer carbonate mud fraction, the suspended load. The three metalimestone intervals are observed only in central/eastern parts of the field area, suggesting a lateral facies variation. The predominance of calcareous–siliciclastic bed-scale compositional mixing within the DLF suggests sedimentation on the Dalradian shelf comprised contemporaneous mixing of the siliciclastic and carbonate fractions prior to subsequent re-mixing during transportation downslope into the deep water, punctuated by pulses of point-sourced siliciclastic input.


Abstract Sex biases in bird populations, particularly an excess of males, can threaten small, isolated populations by reducing reproductive rates. A skew in sex-ratio can be caused by (i) differential mortality at conception or hatching, (ii) differential survival to adulthood, or (iii) stochastic population processes. However, an observed sex-ratio bias can also result from a bias in census methods rather than a realised bias. Distinguishing between the two possibilities is critical to identifying the underlying causes. An excess of males has long been observed in the Kangaroo Island population of the endangered South Australian Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus) (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae), and our census data confirm this. Here, we use DNA-based sexing to test the accuracy of morphologically based nestling sex assignments in C. l. halmaturinus. We find that in all but one case, the DNA-based sexing was concordant with the sex assigned as nestlings, thus confirming the validity of nestling plumage-based sexing in a larger sample from this population. Our analysis of nestling sex data suggests that the adult sex-ratio is a function of a skew at fledging and not caused by higher rates of female mortality post fledging.


Paleoclimatologists have discovered abundant evidence that droughts coincided with collapse of the Lowland Classic Maya civilization, and some argue that climate change contributed to societal disintegration. Many archaeologists, however, maintain that drought cannot explain the timing or complex nature of societal changes at the end of the Classic Period, between the eighth and eleventh centuries CE. This review presents a compilation of climate proxy data indicating that droughts in the ninth to eleventh century were the most severe and frequent in Maya prehistory. Comparison with recent archaeological evidence, however, indicates an earlier beginning for complex economic and political processes that led to the disintegration of states in the southern region of the Maya lowlands that precedes major droughts. Nonetheless, drought clearly contributed to the unusual severity of the Classic Maya collapse, and helped to inhibit the type of recovery seen in earlier periods of Maya prehistory. In the drier northern Maya Lowlands, a later political collapse at ca. 1000 CE appears to be related to ongoing extreme drought. Future interdisciplinary research should use more refined climatological and archaeological data to examine the relationship between climate and social processes throughout the entirety of Maya prehistory.


Abstract

Objective – To determine the general public's levels of social tolerance toward public library materials containing racist content in order to present opinion data to librarians within a framework of scholarly perspectives that they can use for making decisions about intellectual freedom and controversial materials in libraries.

Design – Percentage and regression analysis of the General Social Survey longitudinal trend study dataset.

Setting – United States, 1976-2006.

Subjects – Random samples of 26,798 primarily English-speaking adults aged 18 and up.

Methods – The author analyzed responses from the well-respected and frequently used General Social Survey (GSS), which has been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center since 1972. The GSS is a closed-ended survey including a variety of demographic measures. Between the years 1976 and 2006, it also included a question to gauge the support of removing a book with racist beliefs about African Americans from the public library. The surveys were conducted irregularly over this thirty-year span, and in total the question was asked nineteen times garnering 26,798 responses. Spanish speakers were not included until 2006.

The author examined the data in multilevel cross-tabulations using percentages, and calculated chi-square for independence using frequencies. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive value of the independent variables examined on opinions of book removal. The author examined different variables, including education level, race, age, parental status, sex, geographic factors, religious affiliation, political party, and political conservatism. Occupation was not used in the regression analysis because sample sizes in some categories were too small. The two ordinal variables, age and education level, were available as ratio level data that are most appropriate for regression calculations.

Due to the large sample size, very small differences in percentages are significant at the .000 level. In these cases the author made judgment as to whether these differences were meaningful, or divided the data into multi-layer cross-tabulations to reduce the sample size and make the significance test more informative.

Main Results – Analysis revealed the most influential predictors of support for book removal from the public library were education level, religious affiliation, and race. Age was particularly influential for older respondents, while occupation and living in the South were moderately influential. Variables with only slight correlations to support of book removal included political party affiliation and conservatism, parental status, and sex.

Across all years of the study only 35.3% of respondents supported removal of racist materials from the public library. Levels of support only changed slightly over the decades: in 1976, 38.1% supported removal while in 2006 only 34.5% did.

The mean age of respondents was 44.1 years and the median was 42 years. Respondents over 57 years old were more likely to support removal (43.5%) compared to younger ages whose support ranged from 31.1–34.1%. The largest change over time was seen from respondents 57 years and older, whose support for removal dropped in later years of the study.

Education level had a strong impact on opinions; the lower one's education level, the higher their support for removal of the racist book from the public library. Of those with less than a high school degree, 50.6% supported removal versus 35.8% of high school diploma holders. Respondents with junior college, bachelor's, and graduate degrees supported removal at 29.2%, 20.5%, and 15.3%, respectively. Over time, those with high school degrees maintained their level of support for removal while those with higher levels of education increased their support for removal.

Race was strongly related to opinions on removing offensive items from the library. While half of African American respondents supported removing a racist book, only one-third of white respondents did. However, in all but a few subcategories of analysis, the majority of African Americans did not support removal, indicating a great deal of social tolerance on their part despite the possibility of being more sensitive to the implications of having racist materials in the library. When cross-tabulated with education level, the same pattern of support for removal was reproduced. There was little variation over time in white respondent's opinions while African Americans' varied slightly.

Geographic factors affected opinions supporting removal of racist materials, though place size only had a small impact on opinions. Respondents in the South were most likely to support removal (42.1%) and those in New England were least likely (25.2%). About one-third of respondents from the Midwest (33%), Mid-Atlantic (36%), and the West (29.8%) supported removal. Opinions over time remained the same in all regions but the South, whose support of removal dropped to 38.8%.

Religion was found to correlate with opinions on removing racist books from the library. Protestants showed the highest level of support for removal (39.5%), followed by Catholics (32.3%), Jews (21.7%), and respondents unaffiliated with religion (20.5%). Race had a strong impact within some religions on supporting removal, particularly among Methodists and those claiming no religion. When opinions by religion were cross-tabulated with education level, at every level Baptists were more likely to support removal than other groups, while Jews and those without religious affiliation were least likely.

Other demographic variables had little effect on opinions concerning removal of racist materials from the library. Parents supported removal (37%) while nonparents were less likely to (30%), and men and women were almost equally likely to support removal (33% and 37% respectively). Political affiliation and level of conservatism only showed slight effects on opinions supporting removal. By a small margin Democrats were most likely to support removal (39.2%) followed by Republicans (34%) and independents (32.5%). Across the conservatism spectrum, moderates were most likely to support removal (37.7%) followed by conservatives (36.4%) and liberals (29.9%).

The author also examined whether a respondent's occupation influenced their opinions and focused this inquiry on the professions of library workers and educators. Librarians were overwhelmingly against removal of racist materials while library paraprofessionals were less likely to support it than other workers with a similar level of education. College and university teachers in disciplines other than library and information science were divided but in comparison to other similarly educated professions they were less likely to support removal. School teachers were significantly more likely to support removal than other occupations also requiring a bachelor's degree.

When contrasted with controversial materials of other types, such as those by openly homosexual or communist authors, different patterns of support for removal over time were observed. Support for removal of books by homosexuals and communists declined significantly over the decades. Similar to the support of the removal of racist materials, education and religious affiliation were the variables most highly correlated to support of removal of these other types of controversial books.

Conclusion – The discomfort among Americans over the free expression of exclusionary speech about African Americans remained relatively consistent over the years of the study (1976 – 2006) despite some shifts within particular demographic categories. Tolerance toward free expression by homosexuals and communists increased over time, demonstrating exclusionary speech may be perceived as a different type of social threat. Librarians can use this information to: better understand how non-librarians view intellectual freedom in the context of materials with offensive content; inform collection development decisions and predict likelihood of challenges based on the demographics of their user communities; and to educate the public and library stakeholders of the implications of challenging these kinds of items within a library's collection through upholding their professional values. Librarians should continue to serve their communities by acting as champions of intellectual freedom and to uphold the profession's rigorous standards. The author suggests future research could: address attitudes about materials with racist views of populations other than African Americans; look for differences in opinions among library users versus non-users; and differentiate between adult and children's materials containing controversial topics.


The begin and end dates of cartels are often ambiguous, despite competition authorities stating them with precision. The legally established infringement period(s), based on documentary evidence, need not coincide with the period(s) of actual cartel effects. In this paper, we show that misdating cartel effects leads to a (weak) overestimation of but-for prices and an underestimation of overcharges. Total overcharges based on comparing but-for prices to actual prices are a (weak) underestimation of the true amount overcharged, irrespective of the type and size of the misdating. The bias in antitrust damage estimation based on predicted cartel prices can have either sign. We extend the before-during-and-after method with an empirical cartel dating procedure that uses multiple structural break tests to determine the actual begin and end date(s) of the effects of collusive agreements. Empirical findings in the European Sodium Chlorate cartel corroborate our theoretical results.


: Fractions of heavy and light mitochondria are isolated from homogenates of homologous rat tissues (intact liver, regenerating liver within 24 hours after hepatectomy and 27 hepatoma) by means of differential centrifugation. It is found that tumour mitochondria have higher heterogeneity and lower buyoant density than mitochondria from normal hepatocytes. The activity of two enzymes of DNA precursors synthesis (ribonucleotide reductase and thymidine kinase) in subcellular fractions is demonstrated to correlate with the tissue growth rate. A single injection of cyclic AMP into hepatectomised rats resulted in the retardation of the regeneration process, and the activity of both enzymes reached its normal level in all the fractions studied after 24 hours after the operation. Thymidine kinase and ribonucleotide reductase are located mainly in the mitochondrial matrix, however, pronounced enzyme activity is observed also in membrane fractions. The activity of the enzymes in the fraction of external mitochondria membranes in rapidly growing tissues is 2--3 times as high as in the same fraction from normal rat liver.


Abstract. A suite of physical parameterizations (deep and shallow convection, turbulent boundary layer, aerosols, cloud microphysics, and cloud fraction) from the global climate model Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1 (CAM5) has been implemented in the regional model Weather Research and Forecasting with chemistry (WRF-Chem). A downscaling modeling framework with consistent physics has also been established in which both global and regional simulations use the same emissions and surface fluxes. The WRF-Chem model with the CAM5 physics suite is run at multiple horizontal resolutions over a domain encompassing the northern Pacific Ocean, northeast Asia, and northwest North America for April 2008 when the ARCTAS, ARCPAC, and ISDAC field campaigns took place. These simulations are evaluated against field campaign measurements, satellite retrievals, and ground-based observations, and are compared with simulations that use a set of common WRF-Chem parameterizations. This manuscript describes the implementation of the CAM5 physics suite in WRF-Chem, provides an overview of the modeling framework and an initial evaluation of the simulated meteorology, clouds, and aerosols, and quantifies the resolution dependence of the cloud and aerosol parameterizations. We demonstrate that some of the CAM5 biases, such as high estimates of cloud susceptibility to aerosols and the underestimation of aerosol concentrations in the Arctic, can be reduced simply by increasing horizontal resolution. We also show that the CAM5 physics suite performs similarly to a set of parameterizations commonly used in WRF-Chem, but produces higher ice and liquid water condensate amounts and near-surface black carbon concentration. Further evaluations that use other mesoscale model parameterizations and perform other case studies are needed to infer whether one parameterization consistently produces results more consistent with observations.


This paper contributes to the capital structure literature by investigating the determinants of capital structure of Jordanian companies with the constraint of inadequate long-term debt as their source of financing and regional risk. We firstly document that Jordanian companies mostly depend on shortterm debt, as a result of the banking credit policy that promotes short-term debt. Our results suggest that the level of gearing in Jordanian firms is positively related to size, tangibility, and earning volatility, and negatively correlated to profitability, the level of growth opportunities, liquidity and stock market activities. The level of gearing measured by short-term debt is, however, negatively correlated to tangibility. The Gulf Crisis between 1990 and 1991 is also found to have a significant but positive impact on Jordanian corporate leverage. We conclude that the capital structure decision with inadequate long-term debt access is influenced more strongly by factors such as Stock"s Market activity (SMA).


Seasonal patterns of drifting seaweeds in the southeastern coastal waters of Izu Peninsula of central Japan were examined by sampling 966 patches from spring to autumn 1991–1993. In total, 57 plant species appeared, including 10 epiphytic algal species. Monthly totals of the number of species, excluding epiphytic aigae, were highest in May (33) and August (27), though 19–21 species of sargassaceous algae were found from May to August, The number of species, excluding epiphytic algae, in one patch of drifting seaweeds was 1 to 11 (x̄= 2.93 ± 2.06) with high richness in May a result of almost entirely sargassaceous species. The wet weight of each patch and maximum stipe length of plants varied from 5 to 6970 g and from 20 to 840 cm (x̄= 536.1 ± 782,3 g and 110.6 ± 76.8 cm), respectively, with highs in April and May. Out of 18 species common to all years, 10 species dominated the top or second rank in monthly pooled frequency of appearance. Seasonal changes of these 10 major species were examined, Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh and Hizikia fusiformis (Harvey) Okamura were abundant in April, but were replaced partly by Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt in May and largely by Sargassum yamamotoi Yoshida in June. In July, Sargassum nipponicum Yendo and Sargassum piluliferum (Turner) C. Agardh dominated. Subsequently, the major species shifted to Sargassum ringgoldianum Harvey and S. yamamotoi in August, Sargassum micracanthum (Kützing) Endlicher, Sargassum macrocarpum C. Agardh and Zostera marina Linnaeus in September, and S. ringgoldianum and S. micracanthum in October. However, the occurrence of S. yamamotoi, S. nipponicum and S. piluliferum in June or July were particularly heterogeneous compared with other areas of Japan. Dendrogram analysis was done based on frequency of appearance. Pooled monthly samples were divided into three groups characterized from the dominant species, degree of domination, weight, length and number of species of drifting seaweeds as well as the degree of diversity or evenness in appearance. This characterization indicated that the diversity and abundance of drifting seaweeds were higher from April to June than in later months.


The increase in the number of vehicles in our society is detrimental to the environment because of increased fuel usage and pollutant emissions. This paper analyze the environmental effects of transporting cars from its manufacturer to its end user. The method used is the life cycle assessment (LCA). Life cycle assessment is a method for analyzing and evaluating environmental performance of products, processes or services throughout its entire life cycle. The paper also shows the effect of changing the fuel type used in transporting the vehicles. It can be seen that from the pollutant emissions in the transport chain, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the leading pollutants, which affect the air quality in the environment. The truck is shown to be a heavy polluter in terms of its emission factors and there is not much difference between a European and an Asian country. With the use of the natural gas as an alternative fuel, emission levels can be reduced to as much as 19 % for CO2 and 16 % for NOx emissions while costs are higher in the first few years because of conversion costs, it can be said that it is worth the risk. The truck can be an environmentally adapted vehicle if its engine is converted to an alternative fuel engine like the compressed natural gas. The LCA methodology is holistic because it gives a systems analysis of the product.


The Blue Mountains region in north-central Oregon underwent three main periods of compressional deformation during the late Cenozoic. Regional structural patterns are interpreted to have been formed by interaction between the northwestward-moving lithosphere of the northern Basin and Range and a relatively stable microplate beneath the Blue Mountains. The type of deformation and attendant volcanism changed from one period to the next, without time breaks. The age and duration of these periods have been determined from eight new K-Ar dates and published K-Ar dates. The first main period lasted from 36 to about 17 m.y. ago, the second from 17 to 10 m.y. ago, and the third from 10 to about 6 m.y. ago. The beginning of each of the three periods coincided with major changes in plate interactions in the western Pacific. A relationship between the volcano-tectonic events in north-central Oregon and plate interactions in the Pacific is proposed.


In this paper, the research mainly focused on utilization of iron ore tailing of Panzhihua region. Based on the analysis of its components, Carbothermal Reduction Nitridation (CRN) method was selected to synthesize eco-friendly composite material. Different additives were tried to improve the property of the samples. The influence of different sintering temperature, holding time and contents of additives were taken into account, and orthogonal design was employed to obtain the optimal parameters. It indicated that only when the temperature was 1450°C and the holding time was 5 hours, the samples with the bulk density of 3.42g/cm3 was obtained. The phase and surface morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental results showed that the phases of the product were Fe3Si and TiC0.3N0.7. The research provided a novel recycling process for ore tailings.


As language consists of layers with different degrees of complexity, there is a need to take complexity into consideration in child language research. Here, the central aim is to give a critical overview of syntactic complexity theory and the methods that are used to measure this phenomenon in the spontaneous speech of a child acquiring his/her fi rst language. Based on multiple viewpoints (see Kirjandus above), the two main methods and tools are discussed: measuring syntactic complexity in children's spontaneous speech by MLU (mean length of utterance) and IPSyn (Index of Productive Syntax). Besides critical comparison of the two, the usefulness of these tools―created for a flective language, such as English― in studying other types of languages is examined; e.g. can they also be used with Estonian, an agglutinative type of language. Whatever measuring tools one is planning to use, it is the researcher's own conscious knowledge of syntactic complexity and the possibilities of measuring it with certain tools that come fi rst. In addition, the role of motherese, i.e. mother's, father's or any other caretaker's child-directed speech has to be taken into account: at the very beginning, the child does not acquire the potential complexity of the whole language, but only of a register similar to his/her caretaker's speech. Keywords L1 acquisition, structural complexity, absolute complexity, input language, motherese, child-directed speech


This paper presents the development of an electromagnetic probe to accurately measure the soil electromagnetic properties such as dielectric constant and loss factor in the field. The in-site dielectric probe sensor is designed and methods have been developed to calibrate and validate the accuracy of the sensor in measuring dielectric properties of the material. Clean saturated sandy soil material with porosity 40% was used. The soil samples were contaminated by leachate from municipality solid waste from the landfill site. Five levels of leachate contamination were prepared, ranging from 0% to 10%. Dielectric properties of soil polluted sample were measured using the proposed in-site dielectric sensor. Dielectric properties of contaminated soil were evaluated at a different frequency and leachate content. The result showed that both dielectric constant and loss factor decree with increasing frequency due to the reduction of conductance current at high frequency. Also, the result showed that the dielectric properties of leachate-contaminated soil decrease with increasing leachate content while the loss factor increase with increasing leachate content. Mathematical models were developed to determine the relationship between soil dielectric constant, loss factor and soil leachate pollution content. Copyright © 2019 VBRI Press.


Data on the presence of oxytocin receptors (OTR) within the prostate are still controversial and variable among different species. In the present study, OTR expression and localization has been investigated in human hyperplastic and neoplastic prostate at mRNA and protein levels using in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (ICC) techniques, respectively. In all the cases studied, epithelial cells expressed OTR mRNA and protein. Interestingly, this expression was more intense in neoplastic epithelial cells compared to the hyperplastic ones. In order to determine whether OTR might mediate a biological effect of oxytocin (OT) in prostate cancer cells, OTR expression was studied by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence technique in the human androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145. In addition, a possible heterotopic production of OT by DU145 cells was studied using RT-PCR. The data obtained showed that DU145 cells expressed OTR, whereas no OT mRNA was detected. When DU145 cells were treated with OT (100 nM) a significant inhibition of cell proliferation was observed, while co-incubation with the OT antagonist OTA (100 nm) abolished such an effect. The involvement of apoptosis in the OT effect contrasting cell proliferation was excluded by ISEL technique, which revealed a similar pattern of DNA fragmentation in either untreated or OT-treated cells. Altogether, the data indicate that the OT/OTR system could be involved in the control of prostate neoplastic pathology.


In micro- and nano-flows, since the molecular mean free path is comparable to the system's characteristic length, the effect of rarefaction should be considered. In this category of flows, the continuum assumption is no longer valid; therefore, heat transfer, velocity profile and pressure drop markedly and depart from those which are common to macro-flows. Rarefaction may occur in various applications, such as in zero gravity flights and vacuum devices. This phenomenon can occur at the wall surfaces when the Mach number is sufficiently small, which is the case of interest in this study. In these conditions, at the solid-fluid interfaces, the fluid has a slip velocity and a temperature jump is also present. Three-dimensional, thermally developing incompressible laminar flows in a square microchannel with constant temperature walls are studied numerically using the lattice Boltzmann method. The effect of rarefaction on the velocity and temperature distributions and on the Nusselt number is analysed. The LBM predictions are compared with those obtained using the Navier-Stokes equations with the slip condition for the same configuration. The results indicate that an increase of the slip velocity yields an increasing Nusselt number, whereas an increase of the temperature jump has the opposite effect on the Nusselt number values; therefore, the combined result of these two competing effects may yield an increase or decrease on the Nusselt number.


The corpus callosum is the primary commissural region of the brain consisting of white matter tracts that connect the left and right cerebral hemispheres. It is composed of approximately 200 million heavily myelinated nerve fibers that form homotopic or heterotopic projections to contralateral neurons in the same anatomical layer.[1] During infancy, the corpus callosum expands rapidly due to an increase in the number of axons, axon diameter, and myelin. Although the development of the corpus callosum is complete by age four, growth continues until the third decade of life at a much slower rate.[1] Anatomically from anterior to posterior, the corpus callosum is composed of four parts based on previous histological findings: the rostrum, genu, body, and splenium, each responsible for connecting distinct areas of the cortex. The isthmus refers to the narrow region between the body and splenium in the posterior aspect of the corpus callosum.[2] Fibers of the genu cross over and give rise to the forceps minor, a connection between regions of the frontal cortices.[2] The fibers of the splenium move posteriorly and contribute to the forceps major, providing a connection between the occipital lobes.[3] The body fibers form the corona radiata as well as other large white matter pathways as they move transversely through the cerebral cortex. Finally, the orbital regions of the frontal lobes connect via the rostral fibers.[3] Due to its anatomical location, the corpus callosum is strongly related to the fornix and lateral ventricles. In conjunction with the fornix, the corpus callosum forms a physical barrier to separate the two lateral ventricles.[3]


Starting in the fall of 2005 our department began a large-scale effort to incorporate hands-on robotics in many of our courses, including our introductory computer science sequence. This followed the establishment of a departmental robotics laboratory and the purchase of a number of different robots. Our efforts include testing a variety of projects and surveying students about their satisfaction with robots. A primary contribution is our development of an algorithmic programming environment for robotics (Robotran) and an associated robot simulator.


We examine water desalination processes based on the electrosorption of ions onto activated carbon electrodes (capacitive deionization, CDI). A flow-by operation mode was used (solutions flows within channels in the separator, parallel to the electrodes) in both continuous and stopped flow experiments. The different response of solutions containing more than 5000 ppm NaCl and dilute solutions (e.g., 1000 ppm NaCl) to the applied potential is discussed. The electrical current transients on potential steps were faster by two orders of magnitude than the resulting concentration transients due to the dynamics of these deionization processes and the properties of the cells used herein. Guidelines for the practical development of capacitive water deionization processes are discussed herein. It is assumed that for brackish water containing several thousands ppms of NaCl, CDI may be advantageous over competitive methods (e.g., reverse osmosis). © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010


In order to assess the influence of reducing the speed limit from 50 km h -1 to 30 km h -1 in one-lane streets in local residential areas in large cities, real traffic tests for pollutant emissions and fuel consumption have been carried out in Madrid city centre. Emission concentration and car activity were simultaneously measured by a Portable Emissions Measurement System. Real life tests carried out at different times and on different days were performed with a turbo-diesel engine light vehicle equipped with an oxidizer catalyst and using different driving styles with a previously trained driver. The results show that by reducing the speed limit from 50 km h -1 to 30 km h -1 , using a normal driving style, the time taken for a given trip does not increase, but fuel consumption and NOx, CO and PM emissions are clearly reduced. Therefore, the main conclusion of this work is that reducing the speed limit in some narrow streets in residential and commercial areas or in a city not only increases pedestrian safety, but also contributes to reducing the environmental impact of motor vehicles and reducing fuel consumption. In addition, there is also a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of the fuel.


This study evaluated the uncertainty of individual tree biomass estimated by allometric models by both including and excluding tree height independently. Using two independent sets of measurements on the same trees, the errors in the measurement of diameter at breast height and tree height were quantified, and the uncertainty of individual tree biomass estimation caused by errors in measurement was calculated. For both allometric models, the uncertainties of the individual tree biomass estimation caused by the use of a specific allometric model were also calculated. Finally, the overall uncertainty of individual tree biomass by combining the two uncertainties was calculated. The allometric model including tree height was 6 % more accurate than that excluding tree height when the uncertainty caused by allometric models became the only consideration. However, in terms of the uncertainty caused by measurement, the allometric model excluding tree height was three times more accurate than allometric model including tree height. As a result, the allometric model excluding tree height was 5 % more accurate than the allometric model including tree height when both causes of uncertainty, the allometric model and measurement errors were considered. In conclusion, errors in tree height measurement have the potential to increase the error of aboveground biomass estimation.


Rarely does the world see as versatile a figure as Herbert Simon. A Nobel laureate in economics, he was an accomplished political scientist, winner of a lifetime achievement award from the American Psychological Association, and founder of the Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. In all his work in all these fields, he pursued a single goal: to create a science that could map the bounds of human reason and so enlarge its role in human affairs. Hunter Crowther-Heyck uses the career of this unique individual to examine the evolution of the social sciences after World War II, particularly Simon's creation of a new field, systems science, which joined together two distinct, powerful approaches to human behavior, the sciences of choice and control. Simon sought to develop methods by which human behavior, specifically human problem-solving, could be modeled and simulated. Regarding mind and machine as synonymous, Simon applied his models of human behavior to many other areas, from public administration and business management to artificial intelligence and the design of complex social and technical systems. In this informed and discerning study, Crowther-Heyck explores Simon's contributions to science and their influences on modern life and thought. For historians of science, social science, and technology, and for scholars of twentieth-century American intellectual and cultural history, this account of Herbert Simon's life and work provides a rich and valuable perspective.


Anomaly detection based on Machine Learning can be a powerful tool for understanding the behavior of large, complex computer systems in the wild. The set of anomalies seen, however, can change over time: as the system evolves, is put to different uses, and encounters different workloads, both its 'typical' behavior and the anomalies that it encounters can change as well. This naturally raises two questions: how effective is automated anomaly detection in this setting, and how much does anomalous behavior change over time? In this paper, we examine these question for a dataset taken from a system that manages the lifecycle of servers in datacenters. We look at logs from one year of operation of a datacenter of about 500 servers. Applying state-of-the art techniques for finding anomalous events, we find that there are a 'core' set of anomaly patterns that persist over the entire period studied, but that in to track the evolution of the system, we must re-train the detector periodically. Working with the administrators of this system, we find that, despite these changes in patterns, they still contain actionable insights.


Theoretical predictions of the scattering from submerged circular cylinders benefit from the simplicities inherent in the assumption of infinite length. Consequently, experimental verification of these predictions typically involves cylinders with high length to diameter ratios in order to approximate this assumption. However, there are obvious advantages in dealing with shorter targets. This paper describes an experimental apparatus for measuring the scattering from circular cylinders with length to diameter ratios of one. By minimizing the scattering from the endcaps and minimizing the extent to which the endcaps restrict the motion of the shell, the cylinder can be made to have scattering characteristics (in the plane perpendicular to its axis) similar to that of an infinitely long cylinder. Because larger diameters can be accommodated, a wide range of structural details can be more easily studied. Experimental results are presented for this shells, thin shells with ring supports, and ring supported thin shells with compliant outer layers. The experimental data are compared with numerical results from two‐ and three‐dimensional computer models. [Work supported by ONR.]


Early marriage before the age of 18 years in Ghana is a violation of a constitution of Ghana and a number ofinternational human rights conventions. However, for many young girls in the Northern Region, marriage isperceived as a means of securing their future survival and protecting them. Girls are forced into marriage by theirfamilies while they are still children either in school or out of school in the hope that marriage will benefit thegirls and their families both financially and socially. The paper examines the influence of poverty on earlymarriage in the rural Northern Region of Ghana. The study was both qualitative and quantitative therefore bothprimary and secondary data were sourced through interviews, questionnaire, focus group discussion, internet andjournals. Girls who married before the age of sixteen years and the opinion leaders and parents were the targetedpopulation and the data were processed with the Statistical Package for Social Scientists and analyzed.The study found that in many instances parents forced their girls to marry early as a result of the fact that theycannot meet the financial need of the family. It was also revealed that girls in the Northern Region marry earlybecause of their parents' inability to see them through education. The cost associated with girls' education washigher than the boys and the family resources were not enough to see the girls through education hence earlymarriage was the option. Incomes of household heads are so low that they are not able to meet the cost ofeducating their girls' therefore early marriage is seen as a way of getting them out of poverty but that is not theonly solution to poverty. In an attempt to address the issue of early marriages in the Northern Region of Ghana,an improvement in the incomes levels of parents through soft loans to embark on small scale business in additionof what household heads do for living will be one way reduce the poverty levels of household heads since thedecision to gives out girls early for marriage still remain with the household heads in the Northern Region ofGhana.Keywords: Marriage, Poverty, Human rights, Household, Education.


Falls are a major cause of injury in old age and the leading reason for loss of independence. Regular exercise lowers the risk of falls among the elderly. The elderly display little motivation towards exercise programs. The objective of this interdisciplinary research is to explore the role that design research can play in increasing seniors' motivation towards exercise, by creating recommendations for engaging exercise instructions. In order to investigate the role of design elements in exercise instructions, mixed research methods were utilized. The key findings of this research include,
figure representations; acknowledge the benefits of exercise; and take advantage of the positive opportunities for exercising while multi-tasking. The findings resulted in design recommendations for exercise instructions that, when applied, could enhance motivation towards physical activity. Designers may use the findings from this research study as a guide for designing instructional graphics that contribute to motivating seniors in fall prevention exercise.


There exist numerous scientific contributions to the design of deep learning networks. However, using the right architecture that is suited for a given business problem with all constraints such as memory and inference time requirements can be cumbersome. We reflect on the evolution of the state-of-the-art of architectures for convolutional neural networks (CNN) for the case of image classification. We compare architectures regarding classification results, model size, and inference time to discuss the choices of designs for CNN architectures. To maintain scientific comprehensibility, the established ILSVRC benchmark is used as a basis for model selection and benchmark data. The quantitative comparison shows that while the model size and the required inference time correlate with result accuracy across all architectures, there are major trade-offs between those factors. The qualitative analysis further depicts that published models always build on previous research and adopt improved components in either evolutionary or revolutionary ways. Finally, we discuss design and result improvement during the evolution of CNN architectures. Further, we derive practical implications for designing deep learning networks.


This project introduces the typology of the Pleasure Pier to Stockholm. The Pier starts at Ropsten, an area in the center of the municipality´s extensive plans for The Royal Seaport (or Norra Djurgardsstaden). The project is a study of the pier typology, how to translate an old idea to give it relevance to Stockholm today, how a structure can be integrated in the intense traffic node that Ropsten will become, and how Stockholm´s abundance of water can become more accessible without diminishing its value.


Abstract The use of digital tools and interactive technologies for farming systems has increased rapidly in recent years and is likely to continue to play a significant role in meeting future challenges. Particularly games and gaming are promising new and innovative communication strategies to inform and engage public and stakeholders with scientific research. This study offers an analysis of how a research based game on climate change maladaptation can support, but also hinder players' sense-making processes. Through the analysis of eight gaming workshops, this study identifies challenges and support for the players' sense-making. While it concludes that conceptual thinking of game content sometimes clashes with players' everyday experiences and practice, possibly resulting in loss of credibility, this study also concludes that gaming may function as an eye-opener to new ways of thinking. Overall, this paper suggests that the communication of (social) science and agricultural practices through serious gaming has great potential but at the same time poses challenges due to different knowledge systems and interpretive frameworks among researchers and practitioners.


Wildfire greatly impacts the composition and quantity of organic carbon stocks within watersheds. Most methods used to measure the contributions of fire altered organic carbon–i.e. pyrogenic organic carbon (Py-OC) in natural samples are designed to quantify specific fractions such as black carbon or polyaromatic hydrocarbons. In contrast, the CuO oxidation procedure yields a variety of products derived from a variety of precursors, including both unaltered and thermally altered sources. Here, we test whether or not the benzene carboxylic acid and hydroxy benzoic acid (BCA) products obtained by CuO oxidation provide a robust indicator of Py-OC and compare them to non-Py-OC biomarkers of lignin. O and A horizons from microcosms were burned in the laboratory at varying levels of fire severity and subsequently incubated for 6 months. All soils were analyzed for total OC and N and were analyzed by CuO oxidation. All BCAs appeared to be preserved or created to some degree during burning while lignin phenols appeared to be altered or destroyed to varying extents dependent on fire severity. We found two specific CuO oxidation products, o-hydroxybenzoic acid (oBd) and 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC2) that responded strongly to burn severity and withstood degradation during post-burning microbial incubations. Interestingly, we found that benzene di- and tricarboxylic acids (BDC and BTC, respectively) were much more reactive than vanillyl phenols during the incubation as a possible result of physical protection of vanillyl phenols in the interior of char particles or CuO oxidation derived BCAs originating from biologically available classes of Py-OC. We found that the ability of these compounds to predict relative Py-OC content in burned samples improved when normalized by their respective BCA class (i.e. benzene monocarboxylic acids (BA) and BTC, respectively) and when BTC was normalized to total lignin yields (BTC:Lig). The major trends in BCAs imparted by burning persisted through a 6 month incubation suggesting that fire severity had first order control on BCA and lignin composition. Using original and published BCA data from soils, sediments, char, and interfering compounds we found that BTC:Lig and BTC2:BTC were able to distinguish Py-OC from compounds such as humic materials, tannins, etc. The BCAs released by the CuO oxidation procedure increase the functionality of this method in order to examine the relative contribution of Py-OC in geochemical samples.


The authors examine transaction costs associated with algorithmic trading, based on a sample of 2.5 million orders, of which one million are executed via algorithmic means. The data permit a comparison of algorithmic executions with a broader universe of trades, as well as across multiple providers of model-based trading services. Algorithmic trading is found to be a cost-effective technique, based on a measure of implementation shortfall. The superiority of algorithm performance applies only for order sizes up to 10% of average daily volume, however. Algorithmic trading performance relative to a commonly used volume participation benchmark also is quite good, although certainty of outcome declines sharply with the size of the order. A clear link between performance and variability in performance relative to both benchmarks appears to be lacking. Although rough equality across providers is observed on average, this equality of performance breaks down quickly as order size grows.


Abstract. Holding a climatically and geologically key position both regionally and globally, the northeastern Tibetan Plateau provides a natural laboratory for illustrating the interactions between tectonic activity and the evolution of the Asian interior aridification. Determining when and how the late Miocene climate evolved on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau may help us better understand the relationships among tectonic uplift, global cooling and ecosystem evolution. Previous paleoenvironmental research has focused on the western Longzhong Basin. Late Miocene aridification data derived from pollen now require corroborative evidence from the eastern Longzhong Basin. Here, we present a late Miocene pollen record from the Tianshui Basin in the eastern Longzhong Basin. Our results show that a general trend toward dry climate was superimposed by stepwise aridification: a temperate forest with a rather humid climate existed in the basin between 11.4 and 10.1 Ma, followed by a temperate open forest environment with a less humid climate between 10.1 and 7.4 Ma, then giving way to an open temperate forest–steppe environment with a relatively arid climate between 7.4 and 6.4 Ma. The vegetation succession demonstrates that the aridification of the Asian interior occurred after  ∼  7–8 Ma, which is confirmed by other evidence from Asia. Furthermore, the aridification trend on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau parallels the global cooling of the late Miocene; the stepwise vegetation succession is consistent with the major uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during this time. These integrated environmental proxies indicate that the long-term global cooling and the Tibetan Plateau uplift caused the late Miocene aridification of the Asian interior.