In this paper, we analyze optimal foreign direct investment of a firm which operates in a duopolistic market. We characterize a technology spillover threshold and show that for an intensity of spillovers below this threshold, there is a unique locally asymptotic stable steady state with a positive capital stock in the developing country. Furthermore, we characterize how optimal foreign investment patterns and the investor's value function depend on the level of technology transferred and characterize the optimal level to be used for the foreign direct investment.


The aim of this study was to validate a procedure for performing the audio-visual paradigm introduced by Wendt et al. (2015) with reduced practical challenges. The original paradigm records eye fixations using an eye tracker and calculates the duration of sentence comprehension based on a bootstrap procedure. In order to reduce practical challenges, we first reduced the measurement time by evaluating a smaller measurement set with fewer trials. The results of 16 listeners showed effects comparable to those obtained when testing the original full measurement set on a different collective of listeners. Secondly, we introduced electrooculography as an alternative technique for recording eye movements. The correlation between the results of the two recording techniques (eye tracker and electrooculography) was r = 0.97, indicating that both methods are suitable for estimating the processing duration of individual participants. Similar changes in processing duration arising from sentence complexity were found using the eye tracker and the electrooculography procedure. Thirdly, the time course of eye fixations was estimated with an alternative procedure, growth curve analysis, which is more commonly used in recent studies analyzing eye tracking data. The results of the growth curve analysis were compared with the results of the bootstrap procedure. Both analysis methods show similar processing durations.


It is reported that Imperata cylindrica, a successful invasive plant in North America, has covered many parts of the United States, especially the southeastern region which is the main rice growing region. The invasion of I. cylindrica could threaten rice production. In this study, we hypothesize that biochar nanoparticles (nano-BC) can reduce the stress from the root exudates of I. cylindrica. Ferulic acid (FA) is a major chemical of I. cylindrica root exudates, and we selected its analog, salicylic acid, as an experimental control. We found that nano-BC has detoxification effects for rice seedlings under FA treatments. Rice seedlings grow better and the phenotype of rice seedlings recovers after nano-BC application under FA treatments. In comparison to the seedlings treated with FA, the biomass of the seedlings increases 344% and 435% after adding 200 mg kg−1 and 400 mg kg−1 of nano-BC to the FA treatment in the pot experiment, respectively. Superoxide dismutase activities (antioxidant system index) and malondialdehyde concentration (lipid peroxidation marker) decline after the addition of nano-BC. Additionally, the rice growth is better after the addition of nano-BC in the FA treatment. The total chlorophyll concentration displays a recovery trend, and the recovery rates are 55% and 96% after 400 mg L−1 and 400 mg kg−1 of nano-BC are added to the FA treatments in the hydroponic and pot experiments, respectively. The expression of three salicylic acid-related genes also demonstrates recovery in the treatment with nano-BC and FA. Therefore, nano-BC is a potential material that can be used to protect rice production from the stress of I. cylindrica invasion.


Churg-Strauss syndrome is a small and medium vessel vasculitis and is also known as allergic granulomatous angiitis. Gastrointestinal involvement is common in patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome (20-50%). The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhoea and occasionally gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation. We present a case of Churg-Strauss syndrome with small bowel lesions documented by video capsule endoscopy.


Background: Crowded teeth develop when there is not enough space in the jaws into which the teeth can erupt. This gives the patient crooked or wonky teeth and cause them to present for treatment. Crowding can affect the baby teeth (primary dentition) and/or the adult teeth (permanent dentition). Crowding tends to increase with age, especially in the lower jaw, so that only a third of adults have well aligned lower front teeth (incisors)1. Crowding of the adult teeth can also occur when space is lost following the early loss of baby teeth either as a result of tooth decay or trauma. The Cochrane Oral Health Group undertook an extensive prioritisation exercise in 2014 to identify a core portfolio of titles that were the most clinically important ones to maintain on the Cochrane Library and this review was identified as a priority title by the orthodontic expert panel. Objectives: To test the null hypotheses that there are no differences in outcomes between 1) the age at which orthodontic treatment for crowded teeth is carried out; 2) different orthodontic interventions for correcting/preventing crowded teeth against the alternative hypothesis that there are. Search methods: We searched the following databases were searched up to July 2016: Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE. No restrictions were placed on language or date of publication when searching databases. Selection criteria: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on any active interventions such as orthodontic braces (removable, fixed, functional), head-braces or extractions, against controls of no treatment, delayed treatment or another active intervention. The studies included had at least 80% of participants aged 16 years old and under. Data collection and analysis: Two reviewers independently extracted information regarding methods, participants, interventions, outcomes, harms and results, independently and in duplicate. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. Main results: 19 RCTs were identified which included 1,101 participants. A meta-analysis was carried out on four papers, two that compared copper NiTi to NiTi and two that compared vibrational appliances to controls. No difference was found between either type of intervention. Additionally, subgroup analyses were carried out on thirteen other comparisons that revealed: there is low level evidence that Lower Lingual Arches and lip bumpers maintain space and prevent crowding, that the Schwarz appliance reduces crowding in the lower arch, that coaxial NiTi is better at treating crowding in the lower arch than single stranded NiTi and that self-ligating brackets are over a minute and a half quicker to untie and ligate than conventional brackets. No other statistically significant outcomes were found that were clinically significant, in any of the other comparisons. There were an insufficient number of studies to allow analysis between different age groups. Authors' conclusions: 1) There is currently insufficient evidence to allow analysis and comparisons between different age groups. 2) There are three interventions that are effective at preventing crowding in the early dentition that are the Lower Lingual Arch, lip bumper and Schwarz appliance. There is some evidence to suggest that Coaxial NiTi is better at aligning teeth and reducing crowding than single-stranded NiTi. An additional outcome of clinical interest was that self-ligating brackets are quicker to untie and ligate than conventional brackets, saving clinical time. Further high-quality evidence is needed.


Deletions of a tyrosine tRNA suppressor gene, SUP4-o, are mediated by recombination between short repeated delta sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The arrangement of the five solo delta sequences that surround the SUP4 locus was established by DNA sequence analysis. Seven deletion classes were identified by genomic blotting. DNA sequence analysis also showed that the delta sequences within a 6.5-kilobase region of the SUP4 locus were the endpoints of these events. In three of these classes, an adjacent interval surrounded by delta sequences was inverted in concert with the deletion. The frequency of all deletion classes decreased in strains that contained mutations in the recombination and repair gene RAD52. We present two gene conversion mechanisms by which these rearrangements could have been generated. These models may also explain deletions between repeated sequences in other systems.


An infant's early developmental environment plays a pivotal role in the programming of its physiological phenotype. The identification of the factors in the maternal environment that mediate the effects of maternal obesity and diet is essential to the development of clinical intervention strategies. Maternal hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperleptinaemia and altered inflammatory cytokines concentrations are potentially important predictive factors of her future offspring's susceptibility to metabolic disease. Using a diet-induced obese mouse model, we have investigated which of these maternal factors could induce adverse metabolic programming in the offspring. Female C57Bl/6 mice were fed either laboratory chow (10% fat) or high fat diet (42% fat) for 10 weeks before mating and throughout gestation. At day 18 of pregnancy, maternal body weight, body composition and glucose tolerance were measured, as well as plasma insulin, adiponectin, RBP4, leptin, resistin and the inflammatory cytokines (IL6, IL10, IL12, IL1β, IFNγ, KC, TNF-α). At day 18 of pregnancy, high fat-fed dams were significantly heavier than the chow dams and had increased fat mass. High fat-fed dams had higher 5 h fasting blood glucose than chow dams and elevated plasma insulin. Although the obese dams had both reduced plasma adiponectin and resistin levels compared with lean dams, their plasma IL6, IL10 and IFNγ levels were all increased. High fat feeding in pregnancy leads to altered plasma concentrations of both adipokines and adipocytokines in the dam that may directly pass to the fetus and affect their development.


This study examines decision making in Israel's Supreme Court regarding freedom of religion, while implementing models of decision making that were researched in other high courts, mainly the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. Two theoretical models were studied: the attitudinal model, according to which justices decide disputes consistent with their ideological positions; and the neo-institutional approach, according to which the roles and norms of the court as an institution affect the justices' decisions. Conclusions indicate that justices' attitudes in Israel have a very strong influence on their votes on the merits. Religiously observant justices were significantly more likely to support freedom of religion claims than nonobservant justices. At the same time, the neo-institutional claim that the law does matter is also supported by the findings. The results of the study, as compared to former studies conducted in other countries, can help better understand the influence of institutional arrangements on decision making in high courts.


comprehensive food section, etiquette & cultural tips easy-to-use pronunciation guide sections include phrases for finding accommodation & for hitting the town useful suggestions for health needs & emergencies extensive two-way dictionary & user-friendly sentence builder Bangladesh is thought to have the worlds longest beach a 120km stretch of uninterrupted sand 70 per cent of the country is underwater during normal monsoonal flooding each year India has over 800 daily newspapers many thousands of weekly and other newspapers and periodicals India has more languages than any other country - fifteen main languages and hundreds of other languages and dialects. Hindu marriages are arranged by families or by advertisements in newspapers


Most autonomous driving solutions require some method of localization within their environment. Typically, onboard sensors are used to localize the vehicle precisely in a previously recorded map. However, these solutions are sensitive to ambient lighting conditions such as darkness and inclement weather. Additionally, the maps can become outdated in a rapidly changing environment and require continuous updating. While LiDAR systems don't require visible light, they are sensitive to weather such as fog or snow, which can interfere with localization. In this letter, we utilize a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to obtain precise vehicle localization. By mapping and localizing using features beneath the ground, we obtain features that are both stable over time, and maintain their appearance during changing ambient weather and lighting conditions. We incorporate this solution into a full-scale autonomous vehicle and evaluate the performance on over 17 km of testing data in a variety of challenging weather conditions. We find that this novel sensing modality is capable of providing precise localization for autonomous navigation without using cameras or LiDAR sensors.


Sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock are syndromes. The incidence of sepsis is as high as 35% and with mortality rates in the intensive care unit from 27% to 54% in sepsis and septic shock, respectively. Many new treatments have been tested but only few have been implemented in clinical practise. The treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock is based on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines developed by an international expert panel. Early diagnosis, optimization of haemodynamics, rapid identification of focus and adequate antibiotic treatment are the most important strategies.


Music is often studied as a cognitive domain alongside language. The emotional aspects of music have also been shown to be important, but views on their nature diverge. For instance, the specific emotions that music induces and how they relate to emotional expression are still under debate. Here we propose a mental and neural chronometry of the aesthetic experience of music initiated and mediated by external and internal contexts such as intentionality, background mood, attention, and expertise. The initial stages necessary for an aesthetic experience of music are feature analysis, integration across modalities, and cognitive processing on the basis of long-term knowledge. These stages are common to individuals belonging to the same musical culture. The initial emotional reactions to music include the startle reflex, core "liking," and arousal. Subsequently, discrete emotions are perceived and induced. Presumably somatomotor processes synchronizing the body with the music also come into play here. The subsequent stages, in which cognitive, affective, and decisional processes intermingle, require controlled cross-modal neural processes to result in aesthetic emotions, aesthetic judgments, and conscious liking. These latter aesthetic stages often require attention, intentionality, and expertise for their full actualization.


OBJECTIVES
To study children who had undergone stapedectomy at an age younger than 16 years to determine the causes (particularly frequency of congenital anomalies vs otosclerosis) and to analyze the functional results over the short-term, 1-year, and long-term postsurgery time course.

DESIGN
Ten-year retrospective study covering 1998 to 2008.

SETTING
Pediatric tertiary care centers.

PATIENTS
A total of 33 patients (35 ears) underwent stapes surgery from October 1998 to October 2008.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Sex, age, preoperative and postoperative audiometric test results, associated anomalies, type of surgery (stapedotomy or partial stapedectomy), method of stapes surgery, and complications.

RESULTS
The median age of patients at surgery was 13.4 years, ranging from 3.3 to 15.9 years. The major cause, which was found in 25 of 35 ears (71%), was nonprogressive conductive hearing loss due to congenital stapes fixation. The second most common cause, which was found in 6 of 35 ears (17%), was otosclerosis with progressive conductive or mixed hearing loss. Three ears presented posttraumatic stapes luxation (1 child aged 3.3 years at surgery). In 1 ear, the cause was osteogenesis imperfecta. Twenty-two ears were treated via the drill or laser-assisted small fenestra technique, and 13 ears were treated by a partial removal of the footplate covered by fascia. Early functional results were good, with a median postoperative air-bone gap of 9.8 dB, and 94% of the results were considered good or very good. There was no significant difference between early, 1-year, and longer-term audiometric results.

CONCLUSIONS
Congenital fixation is the major indication for stapedectomy in children younger than 16 years. Functional results are good and remain stable over time.


Lack of water and salinity are commonly encountered problems in many regions worldwide. For this reason, certain robust cactus species may represent promising crops. Because it is necessary to assess the ability of cactus species to survive and adapt under conditions of natural stress, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of water and salt stress on the vigor and viability of seeds of pitaya genotypes using different osmotic potential gradients and different osmotically active agents. The experiment had a completely randomized design with a 3 × 6 × 4 factorial scheme corresponding to three pitaya genotypes (white, hybrid I, and hybrid II), six osmotic potential gradients (0.0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, -0.8, and -1.0 MPa), and four osmotically active agents (PEG 6000, KCl, NaCl, and MgCl2), with four replicates. The following variables were analyzed: germination percentage, germination speed index (GSI), and mean germination time (MGT). Statistical analyses were performed for each pitaya genotype. The data pertaining to germination were fitted to a binomial model; the data pertaining to GSI and MGT were fitted to regression models. The germination, GSI, and MGT values for all three pitaya genotypes were optimal with the osmotically active agents KCl and NaCl, regardless of the osmotic potential gradient. At osmotic potential gradients lower than -0.2 MPa, the PEG 6000 polymer was detrimental to pitaya seed vigor and viability. The pitaya hybrid I seeds were more resistant to the adverse conditions, exhibiting higher rates of germination and GSI than those of the other genotypes. The osmotic effect negatively influenced the vigor and viability of seeds of the three pitaya genotypes to a greater extent than the salt effect.


A project submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University in Partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree in Masters of Art in Applied Economic Modeling and Forecasting


A simple method of determining inorganic carbon in soils is described. The soil sample is treated with 2M HCl at room temperature for 16–24 hours in a stoppered bottle containing 2M KOH in a small beaker, and the CO₂ released from carbonates by this treatment is determined by titration of the KOH solution with standard HCl. The method is accurate and precise, and tests reported indicate that it is not subject to interference by organic soil consituents. It gives quantitative results with carbonate standards, and its results with soils agree closely with those obtained by the methods proposed by Allison and by Anderson and Harris.


The fixation of tetanus toxin by nervous tissue ( Wassermann-Takaki phenomenon, 1898) has been re-investigated. Fixation is greatly dependent on the concentration of toxin and of receptor. Toxin is fixed in preference to toxoid, but its toxicity does not appear to be markedly diminished by fixation. A biological assay of the toxin receptor in nervous tissue and its components has been devised. The receptor activity is not due to a cerebroside, as thought by Landsteiner & Botteri (1906), but to some substance (present mainly in grey matter) that tends to associate with it.


Most interventions to build capacity, awareness and increased knowledge as regards to vulnerable children's care and support to various stakeholders and most vulnerable children themselves, has not led to decrease the magnitude of Most Vulnerable Children's problems. This report emerges as a result of the study undertaken in October 2010 to September 2011 organized by The Open University of Tanzania.

The main objective of the study was to assess the satisfaction of the most vulnerable children resting on their needs, social contentment, rights, and available opportunities for sustainable development. The specific objectives were identification of most vulnerable children, training, care and support as well as economic empowerment and participation at community spheres, and eventually grow to be self reliant. Specifically, the study examines the status and the attitude of most vulnerable children and the relationship between them and care-taker and the community at large in the district.

The study was conducted in Temeke Municipal council in Dar es Salaam Region at Ungindoni area in Kigamboni Ward. Cross-sectional research design was adopted, where questionnaire both structured and unstructured questions was applied to collect primary information and data from a randomly determined sample size of 52 respondents comprising 42 most vulnerable children, 2 ward leaders, 5 community members, one GSM leader, one Municipal community development officer and 2 Members of parliament. Personal observation, Focus Group Discussions and informal visit were applied to get more details of the primary survey findings. Secondary data was obtained through literature/documents review from GSM office, New Hope Family Street Children Home, Temeke Municipal Council office, Dar es Salaam Regional secretariat office and The Open University of Tanzania library. Both qualitative and Quantitative data analysis was used to get descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages and means while qualitatively literally information obtained through focus group discussion.

The results from this study showed that, in Kigamboni Ward, there exists a serious problem of street children. Secondly, it was realized that, these street children were living in poverty and that a retail shop project could help them to improve their economic status and live a fare life.


Guided by the practice of classical epidemiology, research into the genetic basis of complex disease has usually taken for granted the dictum that causative mutations are invariably over-represented among clinically affected as compared to unaffected individuals. However, we show that this supposition is not true and that a mutation contributing to the etiology of a complex disease can, under certain circumstances, be depleted among patients. Populations with defined disease prevalence were repeatedly simulated under a Wright-Fisher model, assuming various types of population history and genotype-phenotype relationship. For each simulation, the resulting mutation-specific population frequencies and odds ratios (ORs) were evaluated. In addition, the relationship between mutation frequency and OR was studied using real data from the NIH GWAS catalogue of reported phenotype associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). While rare diseases (prevalence <1%) were found to be consistently caused by rare mutations with ORs>1, up to 20% of mutations causing a pandemic disease (prevalence 10–20%) had ORs<1, and their population frequency ranged from 0% to 100%. Moreover, simulation-based ORs exhibited a wide distribution, irrespective of mutation frequency. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of mutations causing common complex diseases may appear 'protective' in genetic epidemiological studies and hence would normally tend to be excluded, albeit erroneously, from further study. This apparently paradoxical result is explicable in terms of mutual confounding of the respective genotype-phenotype relationships due to a negative correlation between causal mutations induced by their common gene genealogy. As would be predicted by our findings, a significant negative correlation became apparent in published genome-wide association studies between the OR of genetic variants associated with a particular disease and the prevalence of that disease.


Auditory brainstem implants (ABIs) can provide useful auditory perception and language development in deaf children who are not able to use a cochlear implant (CI). We prospectively followed up a consecutive group of 64 deaf children up to 12 years following ABI surgery. The etiology of deafness in these children was: cochlear nerve aplasia in 49, auditory neuropathy in 1, cochlear malformations in 8, bilateral cochlear postmeningitic ossification in 3, neurofibromatosis type 2 in 2, and bilateral cochlear fractures due to a head injury in 1. Thirty-five children had other congenital nonauditory disabilities. Twenty-two children had previous CIs with no benefit. Fifty-eight children were fitted with the Cochlear 24 ABI device and 6 with the MedEl ABI device, and all children followed the same rehabilitation program. Auditory perceptual abilities were evaluated on the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scale. No child was lost to follow-up, and there were no exclusions from the study. All children showed significant improvement in auditory perception with implant experience. Seven children (11%) were able to achieve the highest score on the CAP test; they were able to converse on the telephone within 3 years of implantation. Twenty children (31.3%) achieved open set speech recognition (CAP score of 5 or greater) and 30 (46.9%) achieved a CAP level of 4 or greater. Of the 29 children without nonauditory disabilities, 18 (62%) achieved a CAP score of 5 or greater with the ABI. All children showed continued improvements in auditory skills over time. The long-term results of ABI surgery reveal significant auditory benefit in most children, and open set auditory recognition in many. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel


The possibility of preventing endogenous depression may depend upon our understanding the brain mechanisms involved in the improvement of depression. Recent work in our laboratory has shed some light on these mechanisms. I will first describe this work and then suggest its possible preventive implications. Throughout this paper, the term depression means endogenous depression unless stated otherwise.


One in 200 pregnancies ends in stillbirth. The subsequent pregnancy requires increased surveillance and intervention. We aimed to examine management of this pregnancy with maternal and neonatal outcomes. A retrospective cohort study of subsequent pregnancies in women who had a stillbirth from 2007 to 2011. One hundred women were identified in a new pregnancy. Median maternal age was 32 years (range 20–44). Median gestational age at prior stillbirth (infant > 500 g) was 34 weeks (range 22 + 6–41 + 4). 25% of the stillbirths were classified as unexplained and 23% were due to a congenital abnormality. Nineteen women (19/100; 19%) had a first trimester miscarriage. Seven women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes (7/81; 9%) and six developed gestational hypertension (6/81; 7%). Median number of antenatal clinic attendances was ten (range 3–21) and median number of ultrasound examinations was six (range 1–22). One woman experienced a stillbirth at 26 weeks due to recurrent non-immune hydrops, two had a preterm placental abruption, and three developed early-onset fetal growth restriction. Eight women (8/81; 10%) delivered preterm (28–36 weeks). The remainder had a term delivery (37 + 0–40 + 5 weeks). Of these, 11 (11/73; 15%) had an elective caesarean section (CS), and 41 (41/73; 56%) underwent induction of labour, with 81% delivering vaginally. Eleven infants were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, but there were no significant morbidities. Pregnancy after stillbirth results in increased medical intervention and a demand on hospital resources. Both can be justified but are of unproven medical benefit. Here, the majority of women delivered a liveborn infant after an uncomplicated pregnancy.


This paper examines four models which are used to estimate the performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules when the irradiances and PV cell temperatures are known. The models were simulated and the operating temperature and irradiance dependence of PV electrical efficiency and power output were studied. The models accuracy was obtained by comparing the models and the measurements of maximum power for a polycrystalline typical MXS 60 PV module under tropical climate. The evaluated models for estimating the maximum power are the single diode, the Photovoltaic geographical information system (PVGIS), the Borowy and Salameh, and the Hatziargyriou model. The analysis of the error curves shows that the single diode and Hatziargyriou model have better accuracy. The PVGIS and Borowy approach are not appropriate as the module performance prediction in Sudanese sahelian climate.


Abstract. Soil suction and resistivity strongly depend on the degree of soil saturation and, therefore, both are used for estimating water content variations. The main difference between them is that soil suction is measured using tensiometers, which give point information, while resistivity is obtained by tomography surveys, which provide distributions of resistivity values in large volumes, although with less accuracy. In this paper, we have related soil suction to electrical resistivity with the aim of obtaining information about soil suction changes in large volumes, and not only for small areas around soil suction probes. We derived analytical relationships between soil matric suction and electrical resistivity by combining the empirical laws of van Genuchten and Archie. The obtained relationships were used to evaluate maps of soil suction values in different ashy layers originating in the explosive activity of the Mt Somma-Vesuvius volcano (southern Italy). Our findings provided a further example of the high potential of geophysical methods in contributing to more effective monitoring of soil stress conditions; this is of primary importance in areas where rainfall-induced landslides occur periodically.


This paper investigates a modified direct torque control (DTC) scheme based on space vector modulation (SVM) for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drives. Closed-loop control of both the torque and stator flux linkage are achieved by using two proportional-integral (PI) controllers. The reference voltage vectors are generated by a SVM unit, which replaces the switching table in the conventional DTC scheme. Whilst retaining its main advantages, the new DTC method features reduced torque and flux ripples as compared to the classical DTC. A speed estimator based on the stator flux linkage and torque angle is incorporated into the proposed DTC scheme. Simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The current paper investigates two basic strategies that men use to recover from masculinity threats: (i) avoiding stereotypically feminine preferences and (ii) exaggerating their masculinity. In two experiments, males were either given false feedback that threatened their masculinity (i.e., underperforming on a masculinity test in Study 1, being physically weak in Study 2) or told they were average for their gender (control). Males who had their masculinity threatened expressed lower preference for stereotypically feminine products but did not express greater preference for stereotypically masculine products (Studies 1 and 2). Additionally, threatened men claimed more stereotypically masculine attributes, such as height, number of past sexual relationships, and aggressiveness (Study 2). These findings provide insight into how people react to identity threats by deploying specific strategies that most effectively restore their questioned identities.


At the Old Tailings Dam (OTD), Savage River, Western Tasmania, 38 Mt of pyritic tailings were deposited (1967 to 1982) and have since been generating acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD). Mineral chemistry analysis confirmed high concentrations of refractory cobalt in pyrite (up to 3 wt %). This study sought to determine, through a series of bench scale tests, if Co could be liberated using biohydrometallurgical techniques. Four bulk tailings samples were collected across the OTD, from up to 1.5 m depth, targeting three sulphide-bearing facies. The study was conducted in four stages: (1) bacterial adaption using BIOX® bacteria; (2) biooxidation optimization with pH, temperature and Fe medium parameters tested; (3) flotation test work to produce a sulphide concentrate followed by biooxidation; and (4) Fe and Co precipitation tests. The BIOX® culture adapted to the bulk composite (containing 7 wt % pyrite) in ~10 days, with biooxidation occurring most efficiently at pH 1.5–1.6 and 40 °C whilst the Fe medium concentration was identified as a less-controlling parameter. Flotation produced a 71% pyrite concentrate with total oxidation occurring after 14 days of biooxidation with 99% of Co leached. At pH 3, Co was effectively separated from Fe, however Ni and Cu were also present in the pregnant liquor solution and therefore required refining before production of cobalt hydroxide, the intermediate saleable product. This study shows that adopting a geometallurgical approach to tailings characterisation can identify if mine waste has commodity potential and how best to extract it therefore unlocking the potential for unconventional rehabilitation of AMD affected sites.


The objective of this study was designed to compare the faculty self-ratings with the student ratings at school of pharmacy in AJUMS in 2009. This study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study. All 180 students and 25 faculty members of the school of pharmacy were participated in the study. Both groups accomplished the same questionnaire including 15 evaluation items. The questionnaire was based on 5-point, Likert scale from poor to excellent (1 to5). The mean of faculty self-ratings was 4.52±0.34 and of student ratings was 4.04±0.39, (p<0.001). 92.6% of faculty members evaluated themselves as excellent (more than 4). However, 48.1% of students evaluated their faculties as excellent (more than 4). Correlation between student ratings and faculty self-ratings was 0.40(p=0.039). Faculty self-ratings and the evaluation of faculty teaching by students was significantly different. It means that either the methods of teaching were not satisfied to the students or the faculty members were selfcentered. The reason of this discrepancy should be considered in next studies.


In this paper, we estimate free energy, average mutual information, and minimum mean square error (MMSE) of a linear model under the assumption that the source is generated by a Markov chain. Our estimates are based on the replica method in statistical physics. We show that under the MMSE estimator, the linear model with Markov sources is decoupled into single-input AWGN channels with state information available at both encoder and decoder where the state distribution follows the stationary distribution of the stochastic matrix of Markov chains. Numerical results show that the free energies and MSEs obtained via the replica method are closely approximate to their counterparts via MCMC simulations.


Multidisciplinary researchers are investigating the biochemical and physiological correlates of maladaptive behavior. Literature reviews and data analyses have isolated specific genetic, neurological, metabolic, and ecological factors that aggravate or intensify behavioral disturbances by influencing brain function and behavior. Recent advances in brain electrophysiological measurements promise to shed light on the dynamic interaction among physiology, biochemistry, the environment, and behavior by elucidating the neural mechanisms involved in the production of behavior. The purposes of brain analyses, in conjunction with conventional measurement procedures, are to identify those factors that have a deleterious impact on brain development and functioning, predict maladaptivity from these measures, and ascertain the remedial effectiveness of treatment modalities. In the present article, an effort is made to introduce new technologies in the measurement of brain function and behavior to criminological methodologies in order to investigate early detection, prevention, and remediation of maladaptive behaviors.


This study examines and compares three international mental health self-help organizations: Recovery, Inc., Emotions Anonymous, and GROW International. The authors investigated membership characteristics, ideologies, meeting procedures, and the organizational characteristics of degree of centralization and formalization, roles of professionals, and sources of funding. The findings suggest differences in what types of clients benefit from participation in each of the three organizations, and counter criticisms of self-help groups.


A Review of:
McClurg, C., Powelson, S., Lang, E., Aghajafari, F., & Edworthy, S. (2015). Evaluating effectiveness of small group information literacy instruction for Undergraduate Medical Education students using a pre- and post-survey study design. Health Information & Libraries Journal. 32(2), 120-130. http://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12098

Abstract

Objective – To assess the effectiveness of librarian-led small group information literacy sessions, which were integrated into the second year of a three-year undergraduate medical course.

Design – A pre- and post-intervention survey questionnaire.

Setting – A large university in Canada.

Subjects – A cohort of 160 second year undergraduate medical students enrolled in the three-year programme of a large university in Canada.

Methods – As part of the redevelopment of the undergraduate three-year medical course, information literacy skills in evidence based medicine were integrated into the seminar and small group teaching programme. Every week for five weeks, 3 librarians each visited 4 small groups of 15 students to deliver a 15-minute session as part of a 2-hour long seminar led by practising physicians. The sessions did not include a formal hands-on component, however, students were encouraged to try out searches on their own devices. Each 15-minute session covered 3 learning objectives, including how to use PubMed clinical queries, how to use MeSH, and how to search for systematic reviews and guidelines.
A pre- and post-intervention survey design was used to assess students' perceptions of the impact of these sessions. The students were asked to complete an online Survey Monkey survey before and after the five week lecture block. The questions covered resource selection, perception of barriers to finding evidence based information, and the students' confidence in using evidence based resources. The data were analysed descriptively.

Main results – The pre-survey achieved a 90% (144/160) response rate while the post-survey achieved a 75% (112/160) response rate. The post-survey indicated an increase in the likelihood that students would use Ovid MEDLINE, carry out a literature search, and consult a librarian, with a decrease in those who would consult a print or online textbook. There was limited change in the students' confidence that they could find answers quickly, but more of an increase in the proportion of students who were confident they could find systematic reviews and guidelines, and use search limits, PICO, and MeSH. Before the intervention, "knowing where to search," devising a search strategy, and retrieving too many results were all thought to be obstacles by the students. After the small group training, students considered these issues less of a problem.

The post-survey also included an opportunity for the students to comment on their experience with the programme overall. Of the 54 responses received, 34 identified the library component as being the most important thing they had learned in the small group part of the course.

Conclusion – The authors conclude that integrating information literacy into the undergraduate curriculum as part of the small group seminar series is effective. They suggest future directions for research, such as a study to assess the impact of the training on specific skills rather than student confidence and evaluations of other teaching methods.


This paper proposes a new adaptive prediction algorithm which exclusively selects, on a pel-by-pel basis, either intraframe or motion-compensated interframe prediction. Prediction selection is made referencing previous samples, thus transmission of the selection information is not needed. Compared with motion-compensated interframe coding, it has been shown that coding performance is improved to a great extent, by about 40% for pictures with very fast motion, which is beyond motion compensation capability, and by 50% for scene change where motion compensation is, in principle, of no use.


The accurate estimation of groundwater head in tunnels is a critical issue in tunnelling and in designing the lining and its sealing potential. This study was conducted to estimate the actual groundwater pressure on the lining of the tunnel in the Karaj–Tehran water conveyance tunnel. High water pressure (over 400 m) was estimated from the water level in boreholes whereas low water pressure (5 m) was measured at piezometers installed in the tunnel. In this regard, estimation of the groundwater head based on the water inflow into the tunnel is considered as a new approach. Water head and permeability, as fundamental parameters for the estimation of water inflow into the tunnel, are estimated through analytical methods and experimental studies prior to the tunnel boring. Because the actual data for water inflow into the tunnel are available, the water head can be estimated based on the volume of infiltrated water. Using these techniques, the water pressure along the tunnel axis is estimated to be between 5 and 170 m in different zones. This method is recommended for water head estimation in other tunnels with similar geological properties.


The first dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) was introduced in 1994 as a result of collaborative effort between Westinghouse (presently Siemens), EPRI, and Duke Power. The dynamic voltage restorer's application has been already demonstrated and is extensively reported, much of the research on DVRs has focused on dc link-based voltage source converters (VSC). These converters have evolved rapidly in the field of industrial AC motor drives. Thus, the importance of the DVR is well recognized. This paper deals with applications related to voltage compensation in order to satisfy the future smart grid's standards.


WHY DO WE DISAGREE SO stridently about foreign policy? An easy answer is because leaders lie about events abroad. (1) Take the decision to invade Iraq. Didn't Tony Blair say before the war that Iraq could assemble a nuclear weapon in 45 minutes? He was obviously lying, right? Or what about George W. Bush, whose CIA director said at the time that it was a "slam dunk" that Iraq had nuclear weapons? He obviously knew better. Didn't he? Well, maybe. But what if we disagree not because leaders are wicked and lie but because they, like we, see the world differently and assemble and emphasize different facts that lead to different conclusions? Saddam Hussein evaded UN inspectors. That's a fact. But was he hiding something like weapons of mass destruction (WMD)? Or was he behaving as might any leader of a country that comes under external threat? Answers to those questions are interpretations. Some looked at Iraq's glass and saw it was half full of WMD; others concluded that it was half empty. Simplify but not simple NO SUBJECT IN the world is as complex as foreign affairs. You are dealing not just with natural facts, such as disasters and disease, but also with social facts such as human beings who change their minds and behave creatively. Natural facts--like a virus--don't do that. They behave according to fixed laws. Further, social facts are embedded in different cultures. People from different cultures interpret the same facts differently. What does a devout Muslim see when he or she walks by a Christian church? In some cases, an infidel institution. Not exactly what a devout Christian sees. Individual human beings and diverse cultures create multiple meanings from the same set of facts. Given this enormous complexity, how do we make any sense at all out of international affairs? We simplify. We approach the world with labels and models that direct us toward a particular slice of reality. We can't see it all, so we use our learning, experience, and judgment to select a direction, to look for certain facts that are important to us in terms of how we believe the world works. Surveying the material for his biography of Abraham Lincoln, Carl Sandburg wrote that "anyone dealing with the vast actual evidence cannot use the whole of it ... therefore ... he ... picks what is plain, moving, and important." (2) We have to neglect some facts not because we are ignorant or ideological but precisely because we can know something only if we exclude something else. If we knew everything, we'd know nothing until we knew what was important to us--and what's important to us is a matter of personal perspective and judgment. Thus, we emphasize certain facts, and our opponents often emphasize other facts, perhaps the very ones we deemphasize. We reach different conclusions not because we dissemble and lie but because we see the world differently and judge different facts to be more important. Consider four facts related to North Korea's development of nuclear weapons--the accumulation of weapons-grade plutonium before 1994, the 1994 agreement which froze the plutonium production program, the start-up in the late 1990s of a separate uranium enrichment program, and the termination of the 1994 agreement in 2002. Those who believe that direct negotiation with North Korea is the best way to handle this issue emphasize the second and fourth facts. The freeze agreement prevented further production of plutonium and thus capped the amount of weapons-grade materials available to produce nuclear weapons. The termination of the agreement allowed North Korea to resume plutonium production and test a bomb in October 2005. Thus, from this point of view, the termination of the agreement was a mistake even though North Korea had begun a separate enrichment project because that program was still a long way from producing weapons-grade materials. (3) Those who believe that sanctions and isolation are the best way to deal with the problem emphasize the first and third facts. …


Harbour seals were counted along the entire Norwegian coast at known moulting haulout sites in the period mid-August to early September 2003-2006. In 2003-2005, almost all known moulting areas from Finnmark to Vestfold counties were covered by aerial photo surveys flown at altitudes of approximately 800-900 ft (243-274m), and at low tide (± 2 hours). Surveys in the Ostfold County were flown in 2003-2006 at 300 ft (91m), and the small tidal amplitudes permitted counts to be carried out irrespective of the tidal cycle. In some sub-areas, two or three independent surveys were conducted. Visual counts using binoculars from smaller boats and islands were carried out in some selected areas. The surveys revealed a total minimum population of 6,705 harbour seals in Norwegian waters. Harbour seals were most abundant in the Nordland and Sor-Trondelag counties with minimum estimates of approximately 2,500 and 1,500 seals, respectively. The presented minimum estimate is approximately 800 seals lower than an estimate obtained in a comparable study carried out during the moult in 1996-1999. Increased anthropogenic removals, and the phocine distemper virus (PDV) epidemic in the Skagerrak region in 2002, may have contributed to the current lower estimate.


Whether laser surface strengthening on module steel can have an effect on intensity, shock resistance and wearing resistance. Through analysis of different materials with different laser methods, this paper uses high-power carbon dioxide lasers to process the work of strengthening laser on CrWMn, conduct structural analysis and test on laser hardening layer, through data and figure, demonstrate that primary structure of the matrix is obviously detailed after processing and the intensity is obviously strengthened. After laser surface melting on H13, we find that the surface flawless, smooth, even and fine, highly intense and non-corrosive.


In Germany, the term "domestic-setting corpse" is regularly used both in the medicolegal field (daily work, specialist literature) and by the general public (press, novels). The only formal definition of the term is in the German-language textbook "Basiswissen Rechtsmedizin" (Madea and Dettmeyer 2007). In this retrospective study, we compared the criteria for this definition with our findings. Autopsy reports from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, for the period between 2005 and 2011 (including February), were reviewed retropectively to see if the criteria for this formal definition could be found. We chose a postmortem interval of more than 24 hours and discovery of the corpse in a private home as inclusion criteria for our study (n = 211). We could verify four of the criteria for the definition ("advanced signs of decomposition", "reclusiveness", "unclear cause of death", "difficult to identify") in our study. One criterion ("frequently a long postmortem interval") was too vague to be of use, and two further criteria ("discovery circumstances" and "high frequency of active alcohol dependence") could only be partially confirmed. In almost half of our cases there were, however, signs of general substance abuse. The proportion of male "domestic-setting corpses" was distinctly higher than that of females (approx. 3:1). The average age-at-death was 50.1 years for men, and 57.8 years for women, and thus clearly below the average life expectancies. In over half of the cases - even those with explicitly mentioned advanced facial decay--the identification method had not been noted. In the formal definition, the criteria "discovery circumstances" and "alcoholism" thus need to be more precisely defined. Also, due to the inexplicit time range, the criterion "frequently a long postmortem interval" was too vague to be applied to, or compared with, our cases as a classic criterion. We suggest specifying a minimum postmortem interval of 24 hours for "domestic-setting corpses". In addition, more attention should be paid to the identification of "domestic-setting corpses". To date, investigation authorities frequently seem to assume that a corpse discovered in a private residence is that of the home owner or occupant.


Author(s): Nelson, Bernard C.; Madon, Minoo B.; Tilzer, Arthur | Abstract: Bubonic plague was first found in Los Angeles County in 1908. The largest epidemic of pneumonic plague in the United States occurred in the county in 1924, and the last cases of plague associated with domestic rodents in the United States occurred here in 1925. Sporadic plague activity was recorded from 1925 to 1975. Since 1975, plague has been found annually and is now endemic in the San Gabriel Mountains and the interface, that area where suburban encroachment intermingles with wilderness areas along the southern edge of these mountains. Within these two areas, plague is amplified and is a risk to humans when it occurs in the California ground squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi. This rodent has been implicated directly in two human cases and is now peridomestic throughout most of the interface area. A domestic cat was implicated with another case; the role of domestic pets in plague ecology is discussed. Although large populations of Rattus rattus exist within the interface, they currently play no role in plague ecology due to the virtual absence of fleas. The oriental rat flea, however, is seasonally very abundant in Rattus norvegicus living adjacent to the interface area and poses an alarming potential for epidemics if plague ever was introduced into this host population. The plague surveillance program in Los Angeles County centers on an active intelligence network to report signs of plague activity and on the combined use of serologies taken from wild carnivores and S. beecheyi. Early detection by these means plus active flea and ground squirrel suppression programs have been implemented to reduce plague activity and prevent human cases.


BACKGROUND
The origin of the current practice of administering Vitex agnus-castus in menopause-related complaints is uncertain, but appears to be relatively recent. Here we review the evidence for this application of Vitex based on evidence from pharmacological studies and clinical research.

METHODS
The mechanisms of potential relevance in the context of menopause are explored with reference to the current understanding of the endocrinology and neuroendocrinology of menopause and associated symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that, while evidence from rigorous randomized controlled trials is lacking for the individual herb in this context, emerging pharmacological evidence supports a role for V. agnus-castus in the alleviation of menopausal symptoms and suggests that further investigation may be appropriate.


Rabbit proximal tubules were incubated aerobically or subjected to anoxia for 30 min followed by 60 min of reoxygenation. The medium contained (in mM) 5 glucose, 10 butyrate, 4 lactate or alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG), and 1 alanine. Anoxic tubules in this medium were severely injured and recovered poorly. If the incubation medium was supplemented with additional alanine (up to 2.5 or 5 mM), then anoxic injury was prevented almost completely. Tubules in high-alanine medium showed modest elevations of ATP during anoxia. Comparable elevations of ATP were induced in anoxic tubules incubated with 4 mM alpha-KG and 5 mM aspartate without alanine. These substrates are metabolized anaerobically in the mitochondria to yield ATP. Surprisingly, anoxic tubules with alpha-KG and aspartate showed severe injury despite elevated ATP. If 5 mM alanine was also present, then additional increments of ATP did not occur, but injury was prevented. Examination of glucose metabolism failed to provide evidence for stimulation of anaerobic fermentations by alanine. These results suggest that alanine-induced cytoprotection during anoxia occurs by mechanisms not related to ATP synthesis, and that elevated ATP in alanine-supplemented tubules may be a result and not the cause of protection. Cytoprotection by alanine was shown to last for less than or equal to 90 min of anoxia. Glycine, a structurally related amino acid, also protects anoxic proximal tubules (J. Clin. Invest. 80: 1446, 1987). The mechanisms that underlie the cytoprotective effects of alanine and glycine remain to be determined.


Urban Rail Transit is an important method of reliving traffic congestion problems of large and medium-sized cities and at the same time brings an increase in real estate price. Based on the relative researches from overseas and China, this paper, taking residential price around the first-stage stations of Zhengzhou Metro Line 1 as the example, by qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis, reveals the different impacting regulations of the Zhengzhou Urban Rail Transit to the residential price along the route. Finally, this paper assesses the price increase of the buildings and obtains the quantitative data, which will be helpful reference to persons of Urban Rail Transit and the real estate business.


The deposition of yttria-doped zirconia has been experimented systematically in various types of porous ceramic substrates by a modified chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process operating in an opposing reactant geometry using water vapor and corresponding metal chloride vapors as reactants. The effects of substrate pore dimension and structure, bulk-phase reactant concentration, reactant diffusivity in substrate pores and deposition temperature are experimentally studied and explained qualitatively by a theoretical modeling analysis. The experimental and theoretical results suggest a reaction mechanism which depends on water vapor and chloride vapor concentrations. Consequently, the diffusivity, bulk-phase reactant concentration, and substrate pore dimension are important in the CVD process. Effects of deposition temperature on the deposition results and narrow deposition zone compared to the substrate thickness also suggest a Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction mechanism involved in the CVD process with a very fast CVD reaction rate. Gas permeation data indicate that whether deposition of solid in substrate pores could result in the pore-size reduction depends strongly on the initial pore-size distribution of the substrate.


RF power performances of GaN-MESFETs are reported using a physics-based model that incorporates dispersion in the output resistance and transconductance due to traps and thermal effects. Calculated I-V characteristics are in excellent agreement with the measured results. Taking thermal effects into account, the maximum output power of a 0.3 /spl mu/m/spl times/100 /spl mu/m GaN MESFET is 22 dBm at a power gain of 4.2 dB at 4 GHz. The corresponding quantities are 27 dBm and 6.4 dB, respectively if a constant channel temperature of 300 K is assumed. At elevated temperatures, compression in output power, gain and PAE is less in MESFETs with longer gate lengths.


Background: Understanding bacterial adhesion is challenging and critical to our understanding of the initial stages of the pathogenesis of endovascular bacterial infections. The vascular endothelial cell (EC) is the main target of Rickettsia, an obligately intracellular bacteria that causes serious systemic disease in humans and animals. But the mechanism(s) underlying bacterial adherence to ECs under shear stress from flowing blood prior to activation are unknown for any bacteria. Although host surface annexin a2 (ANXA2) has been identified to participate in efficient bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, direct evidence are completely lacking in the field of bacterial infections of ECs.

Methods: In the present study, we employ a novel, anatomically-based, in vivo quantitative bacterial-adhesion-to-vascular-EC system, combined with atomic force microscopy (AFM), to examine the role of endothelial luminal surface ANXA2 during rickettsial adherence to ECs. We also examined whether ANXA2 antibody affected binding of Staphylococcus aureus to ECs.

Findings: We found that deletion of ANXA2 impeded rickettsial attachment to the ECs in vitro and blocked rickettsial adherence to the blood vessel luminal surface in vivo. The AFM studies established that EC surface ANXA2 acts as an adherence receptor for rickettsiae, and that rickettsial adhesin OmpB is the associated bacterial ligand. Furthermore, pretreatment of ECs with anti-ANXA2 antibody reduced EC surface-associated S. aureus.

Interpretation: The endothelial surface ANXA2 plays an important role in initiating pathogen-host interactions, ultimately leading to bacterial anchoring on the vascular luminal surface.

Funding: This work was supported by NIH (B.G.) and Natural Science Foundation of China (F.L.).

Declaration of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval: All animal experiments were performed according to protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).


Pulsed magnetron oscillators sometimes show an instability known as "twinning" in which the spectrum shows two, or more, closely spaced peaks. This phenomenon is undesirable and can lead to problems when it occurs in magnetrons used in radars. An experimental investigation of twinning is described from which conclusions are drawn about the design parameters that affect it. It has been shown that changes in factors, such as the magnetic field strength, the external match, the cathode coating, and the cathode temperature, can be used to reduce the probability of twinning or to move the point at which it occurs outside the normal operating range of the tube. Possible theoretical explanations are discussed.


Drug repurposing has the advantage of shortening regulatory preclinical development steps. Here, we screened a library of drug compounds, already registered in one or several geographical areas, to identify those exhibiting antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 with relevant potency. Of the 1,942 compounds tested, 21 exhibited a substantial antiviral activity in Vero-81 cells. Among them, clofoctol, an antibacterial drug used for the treatment of bacterial respiratory tract infections, was further investigated due to favorable safety profile and pharmacokinetic properties. Notably, the peak concentration of clofoctol that can be achieved in human lungs is more than 20 times higher than its IC50 measured against SARS-CoV-2 in human pulmonary cells. This compound inhibits SARS-CoV-2 at a post-entry step. Lastly, therapeutic treatment of human ACE2 receptor transgenic mice decreased viral load, reduced inflammatory gene expression and lowered pulmonary pathology. Altogether, these data strongly support clofoctol as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Summary Antivirals targeting SARS-CoV-2 are sorely needed. In this study, we screened a library of drug compounds and identified clofoctol as an antiviral against SARS-CoV-2. We further demonstrated that, in vivo, this compound reduces inflammatory gene expression and lowers pulmonary pathology.


Material recycling occurs naturally when there are market incentives. When the economics of recycling is only marginal, government and institutional incentives are required. Here a simple framework for graphically representing the cost-quality dynamics of recycling is presented. Examples of policy and technology approaches are outlined based upon a recent study of several OECD countries 1) In addition large scale trends for these countries show the complex effects of wealth (GNP per capita) on recycling.


We propose a general mathematical model for various process integration problems, involving mass integration, heat integration, simultaneous mass and heat integration, and property integration. The process units, including regenerators/interceptors, mixers, and splitters are represented using blocks. The blocks are arranged in a two-dimensional grid, and the arrangement of these blocks gives rise to various process integration networks. The existence of connecting streams between adjacent blocks and jump flows among all blocks enables the necessary interaction between different blocks via material and energy flows. The size of the block superstructure is determined by the number of layers with mixing operations, process units, product streams, and heat integration stages. The general process integration model is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization (MINLP) problem with the minimization of total annual cost as the objective. We demonstrate our approach using four case studies from the proce...


Perennial poor performance recorded annually in both internal and external  examinations in Mathematics has been a great concern for the Mathematics Educators in Nigeria. This paper discusses problem-solving and influence of problem-solving strategies on students' performance in mathematics. The concept of problem- solving was explained. The uniqueness of problemsolving and its relevance to everyday activities were discussed. Further, it explained the impacts of problem-solving strategies on students' performance in mathematics. The importance of problem-solving and various steps involved were also enumerated. Suggestion/recommendation on how to improve on performance of students in problem-solving such as the employing appropriate problem-solving strategies in teaching the mathematics concepts by the teachers in their various schools and also, providing enough time for the students to reflect on what they have learnt during the problem-solving activities. Keywords : Problem-Solving, Problem Strategies, Teaching, Learning, Mathematics


The Martian frontier is the next great adventure for humanity. This thesis will explore the process of inhabiting the Mars. I examine the need for humanity to expand its reach into the universe, for the survival of the species, or becoming a multiplanetary species. As climate change and global warming become ever more present and increasing in severity, many different scenarios to respond to this crisis are being explored by scientists and governments, and I venture to ask: if humanity needs to leave our home planet and start new on another, how would we survive? This thesis is centred around a science fiction narrative, envisioning a journey of a Mars rover traversing the planet to begin settling the planet. To guide my narrative and design, cues from science fiction and scientific facts are used to make informed decisions on the formation of a Martian settlement.


The provision of municipal services by private contractors and cooperative arrangements has become increasingly prevalent in the US. Building on previous studies in Illinois and Wisconsin we attempt to model the municipal decision of how local governments provide residents with town services. In order to test the applicability of past work to smaller towns we conducted a survey of the mostly rural state of New Hampshire in the summer of 2004. This paper will provide descriptive statistics of this New Hampshire survey. We will then begin to outline a possible decision-making model relative to population, location and other exogenous factors. Our analysis will use logit analysis to model the decision to contract out to for profit service providers.


Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760) is often remembered for his ecumenical theology. Yet his relationships with other Christians of his time were marked by conflict, and every significant ecumenical connection he made was eventually broken off. This article outlines Zinzendorf's interactions with other Christians in the two centres of Moravianism where his leadership was strongest, Germany and England, and analyses the consistent disintegration of those relations. It concedes that these conflicts were fuelled in part by suspicion of Zinzendorf's radical ideals, fear of his movement's independence, the ecclesial politics of his time, the public's appetite for gossip about the Moravians, and the faults of his conversation partners — all causes that are often invoked to explain eighteenth-century antipathy toward Zinzendorf. The far more consistent and compelling factor in these conflicts, however, was Zinzendorf's temperament, which included both a noble sense of being above reproach and a distinct irritability. This article argues that Zinzendorf's contentious personality was the decisive impediment to the realisation of his ecumenical goals. It also suggests that his tendency to be a controversialist helps make sense of the contradiction between his ecumenical theology and the failure of his ecumenical program under his leadership.


Fuel cell is one of the promising candidates for mobile power source. In the fuel cell, the design considering micro structure is considered to be indispensable for developing a highperformance cell. In this work, the effect of the anode electrode structural design of the DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) on the cell performance was investigated by three-dimensional numerical simulation. The influence of diffusion layer thickness in the electrode on the mass fraction of methanol and carbon dioxide in the reaction layer is examined for various operation conditions. As a result, we clarified that the micro structure change in the electrode significantly affected the mass fraction of the species in reaction layer in the fuel cell.


Two camps could be distinguished in the debate on regional governance: those who are in favour of a more centralized solution of governance (regional reformers) and those who favour a more decentralized solution of governance (new regionalist). Empirical evidence regarding the views is rare. This thesis delivers a contribution to the debate by investigating the influence of regional factors, network factors and quality of interaction factors on the intermunicipal cooperation performance at a regional level in the Netherlands (COROP n = 40 and FUA n = 35) from a monocentric and polycentric view. Results based on a correlation analysis show that there is no evidence for the monocentric view. Regional factors do not show a significant correlation with the performance of intermunicipal cooperation, whereas the quality of interaction shows a positive correlation with intermunicipal cooperation performance. The results regarding the direct influence of network factors (and indirect on quality of interaction) show no support for the monocentric view and weak support for the polycentric view. Regions that are characterized by a lead municipality report lower levels of transaction costs compared to regions without a lead municipality. Recommendations are presented in the conclusion of this thesis.


Introduction. The authors identify difficulties in implementation of multiculturalism policy and reveal weak points in ethnic-cultural identity models dominating in social researches over the last several decades but along with it possible theoretical restrictions of the alternative models of cross-cultural interaction constructed on other ontological principles. Materials and Methods. The research is based on the ideas of new post-multicultural approach to the analysis of the interaction of cultures realizing descriptive, explanatory and predictive functions of social knowledge on the basis of methodology of systemic, activity and cultural- historical approaches in modern conditions. The methodical base of the research consists in methods of phenomenological description, interpretation, comparison, and comparative analysis of works by Russian and Foreign researchers in the sphere of ethnic-cultural identity and interactions. Results. The authors analyze evolution of ideas of ethnic identity nature and ways of settling interethnic and inter-confessional conflicts. In the conditions of crisis of the idea of multiculturalism it is possible to consider the alternative models of cross-cultural interaction: concepts of 'melting pot' and 'salad bowl', and also their shortcomings and restrictions. The authors reveal that the concept of geographical determinism, which has been considered as outdate, unexpectedly becomes relevant for understanding the mechanisms of cross-cultural and interfaith interaction in modern conditions. Conclusions. The authors emphasize that within the context of implementation of such transcontinental initiatives as "The New Silk road" the China-centrist model of cross-cultural interaction could take the place of the multiculturalism model which has compromised itself. This new model leaves an ethnic component of culture out of the sphere of its attention. In conditions of changing paradigms of cross-cultural interaction, dependence of civil harmony and wellbeing on creation of dialogue of ethnic cultures, which is traditional for European philosophy, risks to become absolutely unclaimed.


A genomic clone consisting of the Moloney leukemia proviral genome with moderately repetitive mouse sequences was microinjected into the pronucleus of a mouse zygote. An animal was derived that carried multiple copies of proviral DNA in a tandem array. No evidence for homologous recombination was obtained. The viral genome was expressed in this animal and was transmitted as a single unit to its offspring. Subsequent breeding studies revealed that the proviral DNA had integrated on an X chromosome.


sistent watery vomiting. No blood or bile was noted. Over the following three days her progress deteriorated, and she became moderately dehydrated and unable to retain any oral fluids. At no time did she notice blood or mucus in her bowelactions, which were frequent (8-12 per day). She suffered sweaty attacks with nausea, but was not febrile. Bacterial investigations of the faeces showed negative results, as did the initial microscopy; however, examination of a methanol-fixed smear by the modified Kinyoun fuchsin method described by Ma' showed the presence of numerous acid-fast bodies approximately 3-4 ~m in diameter. These bodiesstained from pale pink to deep fuchsia; some remained unstained. Repeat examination by Sheather's sucrose flotation technique using phase contrast showed the presence of numerous refractile bodies consistent with oocysts of Cryptosporidia. In view of the association of this parasite with immunodeficiency states, immunoglobulin levels were estimated, but these were found to be withinnormal limits. Further investigations over the following two weeks showed decreasing numbersof oocysts. Examination of immediate family members showed the presence of oocysts in one son. The increasing numberof reportsreaching the literature would suggest that this organism is more prevalent in humans than is commonly thought. The examination of a wet mount by Sheather's flotation technique and a fixedsmear stained by Ma's technique would quickly exclude the parasite in cases of watery diarrhoea where no other cause is found. D. McColl, FAIMLS Pathology Department Launceston GeneralHospital Launceston, TAS 7250 T.J. Mooney, MB BS Anne Street Georgetown, TAS 7253


In this paper a probabilistic technique for compensation of intensity loss in the confocal microscopy images is presented. Confocal microscopy images are modeled as a mixture of two Gaussians, one representing the background and another corresponding to the foreground. Images are segmented into foreground and background by applying expectation maximization (EM) algorithm to the mixture. Final intensity compensation is carried out by scaling and shifting the original intensities with help of parameters estimated for the foreground. Since foreground is separated to calculate the compensation parameters, the method is effective even when image structure changes from frame to frame. As intensity decay function (IDF) is not used, complexity associated with estimation of IDF parameters is eliminated. Also, images can be compensated out of order as only information from the reference image is required for compensation of any image. These properties make our method an ideal tool for intensity compensation of confocal microscopy images which can suffer intensity loss due to absorption/scattering of light as well as photobleaching and can change structure from optical/temporal section to section due to change in the depth of specimen or due to a living specimen. The proposed method was tested with number of image stacks and results for one of the stacks are presented here to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.


Hybrid organic-Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color quantum dots were incorporated into consolidated p(polymer)-i(RGB quantum dots)-n(small molecules) junction structures to fabricate a single active layer for a light emitting diode device for white electroluminescence. The semiconductor RGB quantum dots, as an intrinsic material, were electrostatically bonded between functional groups of the p-type polymer organic material core surface and the n-type small molecular organic material shell surface. The ZnCdSe/ZnS and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots distributed uniformly and isotropically surrounding the polymer core which in turn was surrounded by small molecular organic materials. In the present study, we have identified the mechanisms of chemical synthesis and interactions of the p-i-n junction nanocell structure through modeling studies by DFT calculations. We have also investigated optical, structural and electrical properties along with the carrier transport mechanism of the light emitting diodes which have a single active layer of consolidated p-i-n junction nanocells for white electroluminescence.


This article reports on racism expressed by school personnel (administrators and teachers) and experienced by Latina/o students at a high school located in Tucson, Arizona. Students in a specialized social science research program, called the Social Justice Education Project (SJEP), documented personal encounters with racist articulations at their school. After students conducted observations of their own interactions on campus, they would write (weekly) field notes as part of a research assignment to document racism in education. Most verbal exchanges influenced by racism can be categorized into direct racist statements or racial microaggressions. Both of these racist articulations are tantamount to derogatory comments or slurs that attempt to make an individual from a marginalized group feel inferior to or different (in a negative sense) from the dominant group. This article focuses on the SJEP, implemented at one particular Tucson high school, during the 2010–2011 school year. Excerpts from the students' field notes pr esent evidence of racist articulations. The article concludes with recommendations on how to ameliorate the educational experiences of students of color with culturally relevant and responsive policies and practices that will move the discourse on marginalized groups in a positive direction.


The Janus kinase, JAK3 plays an important role in interleukin-2 (IL-2)–dependent signal transduction and proliferation of T lymphocytes. Our findings show that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can inhibit upregulation of JAK3 protein in naive T cells and can downregulate its expression in primed cells. Reduction in JAK3 was selective because expression of other tyrosine kinases (JAK1, p56lck, and p59fyn) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)5, which are linked to IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling pathway, were not affected. Inhibition of JAK3 may be controlled by intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, as forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase and dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP), a membrane permeable analogue of cAMP suppressed JAK3 expression. Moreover, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), an inhibitor of cAMP phosphodiesterase, potentiated PGE2-induced suppression of JAK3. In naive T cells, but not primed T cells, PGE2 and other cAMP elevating agents also caused a modest reduction in surface expression of the common gamma chain (gc) that associates with JAK3. The absence of JAK3, but not IL-2R in T cells correlated with impaired IL-2–dependent signal transduction and proliferation. The alteration in IL-2 signaling included decreased tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA binding activity of STAT5 and poor induction of the c-Myc and c-Jun pathways. In contrast, IL-2–dependent induction of Bcl-2 was unaffected. These findings suggest that suppression of JAK3 levels may represent one mechanism by which PGE2 and other cAMP elevating agents can inhibit T-cell proliferation. r 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.


Fisheries management at its core is concerned with the management of human behavior. Management institutions operating at different spatial scales create different kinds of hierarchies, relationships, and incentives. Hence the scale at which management decisions are made can strongly influence their effectiveness. In the United States, top-down coast-wide control rules can create perverse harvest incentives, impose adverse social impacts, and result in poor conservation and economic performance. Some large-scale institutional changes (e.g., individual fishing quotas) have effectively realigned economic incentives of individual harvesters, but fishermen respond to a diversity of factors in addition to economic incentives, including environmental and social factors that operate primarily in small-scale U.S. fisheries or within subunits of larger-scale fisheries. Failure to address scale issues has resulted in disputes over "best available science" and opposition to management perceived as threatening. Small-scale cooperative strategies that empower fishing communities to strengthen local monitoring efforts and social networks are practiced throughout the world, with often impressive success, but have yet to become integrated into mainstream U.S. fisheries management. We assessed potential barriers and bridges to using cooperative strategies to improve sustainability of small-scale U.S. fisheries. We selected California's nearshore fishery to demonstrate the methods, but the analytical framework we present can be applied to many others. Of course, successful implementation will require more than good analysis. People and institutions interested in cooperative strategies must continue to assemble resources and political will to overcome the barriers to progress that exist in the United States.


The aim of the research was to describe and explain the barriers to, and opportunities for, outdoor play and recreation that exist in residential child care services. The research focussed on six residential facilities which represented a cross-section of the sector. Interviews were conducted with two young people, one manager and two basic grade staff members from each of the facilities. The findings were analysed using data display and reduction and the following key findings emerged.


Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is used to fabricate tissue engineering scaffold due to its versatility in processing various polymeric materials and good stability of its products. Propriety SLS materials are non-biocompatible as they were conventionally invented for production of industrial parts. Suitable biomaterial powders that can be processed in SLS without allowing damages on the material properties need to be identified.
A theoretical study based on heat transfer phenomena during SLS process was carried out to identify the significant biomaterial and laser beam properties that influence the sintering result.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were identified as elements for the biocomposite. The most prominent sintering results were obtained by mechanical mixing of as-received PVA and HA powder, which yielded homogenous biocomposite powders with good repeatability.
Characterization studies found that chemical composition of PVA as the scaffold matrix was not affected during the sintering process. PVA/HA (5 vol.% HA) scaffolds gave compression stress and compression modulus up to 2.26 MPa and 8.30 MPa, respectively, which is suitable for application in the craniomaxillofacial skeleton area.
Cell culture study using osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells found that cell proliferation was favourable on the SLS fabricated scaffold.


Our objective is to boost the state-of-the-art performance in MaxSATsolving. To this end, we employ the instance-specific algorithmconfigurator ISAC, and improve it with the latest inportfolio technology. Experimental results on SAT show that thiscombination marks a significant step forward in our ability to tunealgorithms instance-specifically. We then apply the new methodology toa number of MaxSAT problem domains and show that the resulting solversconsistently outperform the best existing solvers on the respectiveproblem families. In fact, the solvers presented here were independentlyevaluated at the 2013 MaxSAT Evaluation where they won six of the elevencategories.


ABSTRACT Using the World Management Survey method, the authors mapped and analysed management quality in Swedish primary care centres. On average, private sector providers were better managed than public providers. Centres with a high overall social deprivation among enrolled patients also tended to have higher management quality. Management quality was positively associated with accessibility (length of waiting times), but not with patient-reported experience. IMPACT The authors explored the use of management practices at the operational (care centre) level in Swedish primary care. The paper relates management quality to provider characteristics (public or private) and to the quality of care. An expansion of private care centres seems to have increased the average level of management quality in Swedish primary care. The findings suggest that suitable applications of management practices, especially in the area of people management, can produce a higher quality of care.


A feast for history lovers--the whole colorful parade of English history brilliantly captured in a single volume.From ancient times to the present day, the story of England has been laced with drama, intrigue, courage, and passion. In GREAT TALES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY, Robert Lacey recounts the remarkable episodes that shaped a nation as only a great storyteller can: by combining impeccable accuracy with the timeless drama that has made these tales live for centuries. This new paperback edition is encyclopedic in scope, gathering together all of Robert Lacey's great tales previously published in three separate hardcover volumes. The book comprises 154 delectable stories, each brimming with insight, humor, and fascinating detail. Bite-sized history at its best, GREAT TALES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY belongs on every Anglophile's bookshelf."An informative, trustworthy distillation, less a debunking than an entertaining, wryly lucid reconstruction of the facts...The tales weave a narrative as finely thatched as an English cottage." -Tennessean"Eminently readable, highly enjoyable...G REAT TALES should appeal to the reader who appreciates individuals and their personalities more than mere mass movements." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Beautifully written, full of things you didn't know, and well worth a read if you want a new view on stories you thought you'd already understood." -Living History


Therion Curtis (Ichneumonidae: Anomalinae) has a nearly cosmopolitan geographic distribution but has not previously been recorded from South America. In most Therion the tarsal claws are simple or have only a few inconspicuous teeth near the base. The new species described herein are distinctive, therefore, because they have the tarsal claws conspicuously pectinate over at least 0.8 the distance from base to apex. Therion ranti n.sp. from Cordoba and Mendoza Provinces of Argentina may be recognized by its almost uniformly red mesosoma and basally elevated clypeus. In Therion wileyi n.sp., from the Andean puna near La Paz in Bolivia, the mesosoma is red with extensive black coloration, including much of the propodeum, and the clypeus is weakly and symmetrically convex in profile. Therion wileyi n.sp. was reared from an unidentified noctuid moth larva infesting Chenopodium quinoa (Angiospermae: Chenopodiaceae), an important food crop in Andean South America.


The enzyme glucanase from Moniliophthora perniciosa was produced in liquid medium and purified from the culture supernatant. A multivariate statistical approach (Response Surface Methodology - RSM) was employed to evaluate the effect of variables, including inducer (yeast extract) and fermentation time, on secreted glucanase activities M. perniciosa detected in the culture medium. The crude enzyme present in the supernatant was purified in two steps: precipitation with ammonium sulfate (70%) and gel filtration chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. The best inducer and fermentation time for glucanase activities were 5.9 g L(-1) and 13 days, respectively. The results revealed three different isoforms (GLUI, GLUII and GLUIII) with purification factors of 4.33, 1.86 and 3.03, respectively. The partially purified enzymatic extract showed an optimum pH of 5.0 and an optimum temperature of 40°C. The enzymatic activity increased in the presence of KCl at all concentrations studied. The glucanase activity was highest in the presence of 0.2 M NaCl. The enzyme showed high thermal stability, losing only 10.20% of its specific activity after 40 minutes of incubation at 90°C. A purified enzyme with relatively good thermostability that is stable at low pH might be used in future industrial applications.


In the past two decades, there have been 76 published articles that have segmented tourist samples into clusters (Jackson, Inbakaran, & Schmierer, 2003). The principal aims of such research are to better understand tourist characteristics, to identify key variables that predict tourist behaviours, to assess the value of tourism to an area, to provide knowledge to help develop facilities in designated areas, and to allow tourism marketing to plan strategies such as promotion and product development. In contrast, researchers have appeared to assume that the host population is homogeneous and has a uniform response to an increase in tourist numbers and to future sustainable tourism within the community. This research study used a cluster analysis to segment the host community into four cluster groups. Demographic variables constituted the cluster base. These four cluster groups differed from each other on gender ratio, age, life cycle stage, education, migration status, occupation and current involvement with tourism. A further analysis demonstrated that these cluster groups significantly differed from each other in terms of both attitude towards current tourist numbers and future tourism development. The results of this study are discussed in terms of exploring the underlying causes of both positive and negative attitudes of hosts toward tourism. This research highlights differing attitudes present in various community groups and explores implications for the tourist industry.


Lipoxygenase, a nonheme iron dioxygenase, catalyzes the oxygenation of 1,4-diene units in polyunsaturated fatty acids, forming conjugated diene hydroperoxides as the primary products. The naturally occurring all-Z geometry for the olefins in the polyunsaturated fatty acid has long been thought to be a substrate requirement for the enzyme. A rigorous test of this hypothesis using the two isomeric (9E,12Z)- and (9Z,12E)-9,12-octadecadienoic acids was carried out. Both isomeric substrates were found to be catalytically oxygenated by soybean lipoxygenase 1 at a significant fraction of the rate of the reaction of the natural substrate, linoleic acid. Product determinations revealed that a thermodynamically unfavorable E to Z isomerization at the 9,10-position occurred when (9E,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid was converted into the 13-hydroperoxide by lipoxygenase 1. Determination of the stereochemistry at the oxygenated position in the products indicated that a comparable isomerization at the 12,13-position did not occur when the 9Z,12E isomer was employed. The distribution of products obtained from oxygenation at the 9-position supported the hypothesis that the enzyme catalyzes the reaction in one of two substrate orientations, conventional and head to tail reversed. The observations can be understood on the basis of the steric demands on intermediates in the proposed mechanism of action as well as by catalysis by the active-site iron atom.


Renewable-energy (RE)-based rural electrification is essential for achieving Sustainable Energy for All (S4All). According to the International Energy Agency's 2016 World Energy Outlook, over 95% of the population who do not have access to electricity—about 16% of the global population—and without access to modern and clean cooking facilities—more than 38% of the global population—are predominantly in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia. The welfare impact, measured in terms of social and economic benefits, of rural electrification has been widely discussed. But, despite some progress, the electrification rate is being outpaced by population growth in rural areas, in a large part due to a lack of financial viability of projects. In this paper, we explore the boundary conditions for RE-based on-grid, mini-grid and standalone rural-electrification solutions, focusing on the drivers of successful RE-based mini-grid development. By means of a diffusion modeling framework, the paper contributes an informed understanding on the potential rural electrification trajectories using mini-grid and, in so doing, highlights migi-grid scale-up and upscaling (connecting mini-grids to the grid) opportunities.


During the 2010/11 boreal winter, a distributed set of backscatter measurements was collected using a ground-based Ku-band (17.2GHz) scatterometer system at 26 open tundra sites. A standard snow-sampling procedure was completed after each scan to evaluate local variability in snow layering, depth, density and water equivalent (SWE) within the scatterometer field of view. The shallow depths and large basal depth hoar encountered presented an opportunity to evaluate backscatter under a set of previously untested conditions. Strong Ku-band response was found with increasing snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE). In particular, co-polarized vertical backscatter increased by 0.82dB for every 1cm increase in SWE (R 2 =0.62). While the result indicated strong potential for Ku-band retrieval of shallow snow properties, it did not characterize the influence of sub-scan variability. An enhanced snow-sampling procedure was introduced to generate detailed characterizations of stratigraphy within the scatterometer field of view using near-infrared photography along the length of a 5m trench. Changes in snow properties along the trench were used to discuss variations in the collocated backscatter response. A pair of contrasting observation sites was used to highlight uncertainties in backscatter response related to short length scale spatial variability in the observed tundra environment.


: Purpose: Financial security is a multidimensional term, with its level is depending, in subjective and objective terms, on many socio-demographic conditions. This article aims to assess Polish farm households' financial security by means of a combined measure. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was based on non-identified (raw) individual data originating from the Social Diagnosis Study conducted by the Social Monitoring Council in 2015. Due to non-metric nature of many simple criteria, in order to construct a combined measure of the farm - household financial security level, a Generalised Distance Measure (GDM) was used along with TOPSIS. Findings: Farm households are classified by types and profiles that have been developed of households featuring the highest and the lowest level of financial security. The study revealed significant differences among farm households in terms of their financial security level in both, subjective and objective terms. Practical Implications: This research is interesting for methodological reasons, since a single methodology for studying the level of financial security and identifying its determinants has yet to be developed. The problem is not just the multidimensional character of the phenomenon and the lack of an unequivocally defined set of variables characterising it. The choice of appropriate statistical methods is also an important consideration, e.g., for constructing a single synthetic financial security indicator and dedicated software. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, no one has hitherto made any studies concerning the multi-aspect assessment of the household financial security level based on a combined feature, the construction of which takes account of objective criteria (quantified on strong measurement scales) as well as subjective ones (measured on weak scales).


The overwintering carbohydrate reserve status of grapevines has been linked to fruiting responses in the following season, providing a possible avenue for yield management through manipulation of reserve accumulation. Conducted across four consecutive seasons, this study examined the extent to which carbohydrate reserve accumulation could be altered in Shiraz grapevines using existing, or variations of existing, cultural practices. Removal of one-third or two-thirds of clusters at veraison increased average total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) concentrations in the wood by 7% relative to control vines after two seasons of treatment and 20% after three. Hedging all shoots to five nodes after harvest reduced wood TNC concentrations by 14% after two seasons and by 27% at flowering in season 3 due to increased carbohydrate mobilization after budbreak. Deficit irrigation treatments applied between fruit set and veraison, or following harvest, had no significant effect on TNC concentrations in the wood, and none of the five treatments evaluated had a consistent influence on carbohydrate reserve storage in the roots. Shoot hedging after harvest had the most pronounced influence on reproductive development, with an increase in bud necrosis after two seasons of treatment and reduction in inflorescence flower numbers after three. While the results indicate there is some scope to alter carbohydrate reserve storage through cultural practice, no treatment substantially altered the seasonal pattern of reserve dynamics relative to control vines. It is suggested that developmental stage or seasonal climatic factors had a stronger influence on carbohydrate mobilization and storage, and that the manipulation of reserve accumulation through cultural practice change may be more suited to effecting longer-term adjustments in vine productivity than short-term responses to seasonal yield fluctuations.


In the last decade, digital filter bubbles have become widely discussed phenomena in different fields within the broader discipline of media and communication studies. This paper focuses on the question of why they are problematic for the functioning of the public sphere. This paper argues that algorithmic personalisation can lead to the fragmentation, polarisation, and radicalisation of the public sphere because of the complex relationship between human agency and technology that mutually encourage one another through habitual adaptation. Through the concept of habit, such theoretical grounding enables a critique of existing empirical research regarding the filter bubble effect, with the argument that the main problem is not information isolation or the reduced accessibility/visibility of selected content, but the habitual adaptation of content to individual users, which can explain why users stick to certain content. The article concludes with the finding that the problem of algorithmic personalisation should be studied as a broader historic phenomenon indicative of the decline of the public sphere, which is itself caused by the conflict between public and commercial interests.