Previous studies indicate the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) alters its environment through grazing, clipping, and burrowing, which affect plant community composition, cover, species richness, and biomass. Previous research has been contradictory, reporting varying degrees of effect with change in geographic location and plant community. Limited research has been conducted on the effects of the black-tailed prairie dog on shortgrass vegetation in western Kansas. Objectives of this study were to characterize the spatial and temporal effects of black-tailed prairie dog on shortgrass prairie in western Kansas. To examine spatial effects, I observed floristic composition, plant basal cover, forb species counts, and aboveground biomass among four treatments: prairie dog plus cattle (PC), prairie dog only (P), cattle only (C), and exclusion of both species (EX). Six replicates of each treatment were observed four times during the 2007 growing season. To examine temporal effects, I observed plant community composition, basal cover, and forb species counts among three colony zones of different ages on eight colonies during the 2008 growing season. I collected data along line transects by using modified step-point, frequency quadrats, and a forage disk. Prairie dogs induced a shift from grazing-tolerant, shortgrass species such as blue grama [Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths] and buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] and perennial forbs such as slimflower scurfpea [Psoralidium tenuiflorum (Pursh) Rydb.] and scarlet gaura [Gaura coccinea Nutt. ex Pursh] to grazing-avoided grasses such as purple threeawn [Aristida purpurea Nutt.] and ruderal, annual forbs such as kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.] and Russian thistle [Salsola kali L.]. These compositional shifts became more evident with increasing time of prairie dog habitation. Basal cover was not significantly different among herbivory treatments: PC (31.6 %), P (37.2 %), C (41.7 %), and EX (42.4 %), but temporally, basal cover became reduced with increasing colony age and was significantly (p 0.05) lower in colony zones inhabited for 6 years (19.8 %) than in colony zones inhabited for 4 years (28.6 %) and 2 years (29.5 %). The number of forb species was not significantly different between on-colony (22.6) and off-colony (22.7) sites, or among colony zones inhabited for 6 years (14.6), 4 years (15.2), and 2 years (13.0). Plant biomass was about 1.5 times greater on uncolonized areas than on prairie dog colonies. Prairie dogs and cattle reduced biomass by 977 kg ha-1, and prairie dogs reduced biomass more than cattle, 659 and 246 kg ha-1 respectively. Prairie dogs significantly altered shortgrass vegetation. Prairie dogs and associated environmental effects provide habitat critical for preservation of species such as the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), but vegetational changes induced by prairie dogs might have a negative effect on livestock grazing. On rangeland managed for livestock production, areal extent of prairie dog colonies should be a management consideration.


An autobiographical attempt to tell about the time in which he lived, became who he is now, and the need to tell about the experienced, and still experiencing, the consequences of changing times ... Each author has his own vision, in the formation of which many factors mattered: the state of society, education, a profession that has lost and gained age – and so can be listed indefinitely.


Based on the literature, the reduction of diazonium salts (either by electrochemistry, photochemistry or chemistry) leads to a covalently grafted polyphenyl-like coating. We describe here a new diazonium-based redox process that leads to thick and strongly adherent coatings similar to the ones obtained by electroreduction, but without any electrochemical setup (potentiostat, electrochemical cell, reference electrode, computer etc). That new process is simply based on the galvanic current generated by the association of two different metals. An ohmic contact between the two metals immersed in an electrolytic solution creates a current flow from the less noble metal (anode) to the more noble one (cathode). We take advantage of this phenomenon to build grafted polyphenyl-like coatings on various conductive substrates. This preliminary study aims at answering the question: how does this new process work? To achieve this study, the different parameters of the process are examined: the nature of the cathode and the anode, influences of the diazonium salt, the solvent and the temperature. The resulting grafted coatings are analyzed by IR-ATR, contact angle and profilometry.


A kind of hybrid device for acoustic noise reduction and vibration energy harvesting based on the silicon microperforated panel (MPP) resonant structure is investigated in the article. The critical parts of the device include MPP and energy harvesting membranes. They are all fabricated by means of silicon micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The silicon MPP has dense and accurate micro-holes. This noise reduction structure has the advantages of wide band and higher absorption coefficients. The vibration energy harvesting part is formed by square piezoelectric membranes arranged in rows. ZnO material is used as it has a good compatibility with the fabrication process. The MPP, piezoelectric membranes, and metal bracket are assembled into a hybrid device with multifunctions. The device exhibits good performances of acoustic noise absorption and acoustic–electric conversion. Its maximum open circuit voltage achieves 69.41 mV.


This report provides an overview of U.S. international drug control policy. It describes major international counternarcotics initiatives and evaluates the broad array of U.S. drug control policy tools currently in use. The report also considers alternative counterdrug policy approaches to current initiatives and raises several counterdrug policy issues and considerations for policy makers.


A winner of the John S. Knight Assignment Sequence Prize, this sequence originates from the Department of History, Hist 100, Modern Visions of the Medieval and Renaissance World. This sequence for the entire course offers an extended series of inter-related assignments, all of which build toward the final essay, an 8-10 page research paper. Students apply the methods they have learned- of both primary source analysis and historiographical analysis- to their own, individual, research projects. Preparatory writing and activities include study questions, learning to use primary and secondary sources, and studying the presentation and interpretation of evidence. Materials include study questions (e. g. on The Da Vinci Code and Daughter of Time), essay assignments, and handouts (e.g. "Evaluating Primary Sources"). 17 page pdf


The purpose of this study were: 1) describe the implementation process of learning to improve reading skills using the word card words and 2) prove the said media card can improve word reading skills in children studying in class I slow SD No.. 14 Koto Panjang Pauh Padang. Type of research is a classroom action research (classroom action research) with two cycles performed in the form of collaboration with colleagues. Subjects were three children, slow learners (I, G and Iq) and one teacher. Data were collected through an oral test and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results showed that 1) the learning process in improving reading skills through the medium of the word card words do two cycles. Cycle I and Cycle II made six (6) meetings. Each cycle begins with the planning, implementation (initial activity, core and end), observation, and analysis and reflection. 2) The results of the study proved that the child's ability to read words increased. It proved: results asessmen berkonsonan word reading ability [b, p] I gained (20%), G (10%) and Iq is (15%). After learning the media card in the first cycle capability word I to (100%), G (85%) and IQ (95%). In addition, the ability to read words I berkonsonan [d] when asessmen (20%), G (15%) and IQ (15%). After learning the word card pda second cycle capability I also (100), G (90%) and IQ (100%). It was concluded that the media card is the word slowly improving reading skills kids learn. Advised on the school, teachers and researchers can use the media next to the word cards to improve reading skills more.


Hyung-Soo Kim. 2005. The so-called reduplication with fixed segmentism in Korean revisited. Studies in Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology 11.2. 119146. This paper reanalyzes the so-called reduplication with fixed segmentism cases in Korean and shows, inter alia, that the fixed segmentism occurring in examples such as, talkak/talkatak "rattling" is not of the phonological type as previously claimed but of the morphological type. The arguments for this emendation regarding the type of fixed segment are based on three findings: 1) the suffixes that occur with the fixed segment are affixational in origin; 2) the proposed TETU ranking based on Place Markedness Hierarchy does not really work, due to its inability to choose /t/ over other coronals, while its revision with addition of the Sonority Cline Constraints of Lombardi (2003) results in a ranking paradox; 3) The complementary distribution, cited also as evidence for the phonological nature of the fixed segment is not phonologically conditioned. In addition, I examine the relevant issues in the diagnostics for the reduplicative fixed segmentism given by Alderete et al. (1999) with a detailed comparison of the fixed segmentism types in Nancowry and Korean. Some suggestions for origins of the reduplicative suffixation are given, comparing their explanatory adequacy with that of the Optimality Theory. (Jeonju University)


What a pleasure to finally see a new feature from Bruce McDonald! After the aborted Claire's Hat (2001) McDonald again takes on a female hero in his exploration of the dangerous contradictions that inform public consciousness. The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess played the Canadian film festival circuit in 2004 and in 2005 is doing the international circuit prior to wider release. Whether the film will get to the next stage (the art house market) is the big question. If it does, it will be almost 10 years since the theatrical release of his last feature--the engaging music mockumentary, Hard Core Logo. At a Vancouver murder trial in the mid-1990s a female juror named Gillian Guess caused a scandal (and committed a crime) while serving on the jury, when she had an affair with the accused, Peter Gill. He was later acquitted. Angus Fraser, who was a co-screenwriter on Lynne Stopkewich's 1996 debut drama Kissed, has written an amazing script, which, in McDonald's skillful hands, seamlessly weaves together a variety of film genres-comedy, animation, drama and even the musical. The result is a totally unconventional, utterly surrealistic, postmodern frolic that makes it difficult for normal audiences to suspend their disbelief. My favourite image from the film is the magnificent blush red, disembodied lips that fill the screen like a moving work of pop art. This new film is a stylistic leap for McDonald that keeps the audience involved intellectually rather than emotionally, though there are a number of good laughs. He uses comedy to deconstruct our precious sense of reality. On the surface the film portrays Gillian Guess (Joely Collins) defending her actions in the arena of public opinion, when she appears on a television celebrity talk-show. Bobby Tomahawk (Hugh Dillon) plays the vampirish host and his studio audience is filled with sari-dressed Indo-Canadian women. Intercut with scenes from her brutally sarcastic television interrogation are scenes from the trial itself. Since television is not allowed to record trials, McDonald stages the trial as a Perry Mason courtroom drama, in which he makes us aware of its complete artificiality. Added to this thread are various flashbacks to Guess's childhood and coming-of-age adventures and scenes of her single parent life with her own two daughters. As a result there are at least four realities at play in the film, as well as other sequences that fantasize her developing relationship with the accused and an animated narration of the killing itself presented by the prosecutor, which turns into a cartoon, comic-book account. McDonald's film is an outstanding piece of social criticism, a satire on the justice system, but more importantly, a pointed attack on the media and television and its polarizing culture of good guys and bad guys. In a number of scenes in the film old American television crime programs appear, mirroring the current narrative with their own cliches. The programs themselves point to the stereotypical characterization that determines public morality, social consciousness and allowable discourse. That most of this influence is American only adds insult to injury. Gillian Guess appears throughout the film dressed as a kind of American Barbie Doll figure, a cultural product that fantasizes the female persona as a sexual object and an icon of beauty. When a real female uses this culturally-created power in her interests, McDonald tells us, she is pilloried as the she-devil, the evil femme fatale that society must expunge. McDonald has already played with this theme in Highway 61, when his female protagonist changes her hair colour to red (the same colour code now used by Ms. Guess in her dress) and turns the patriarchal world upside down by taking charge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's all made up like a movie," the Peter Gill character tells Gillian as he tries to convince her of his innocence. …


A three-dimensional computational model for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon carbide (SiC) in a hot wall reactor is developed, where the susceptor is tapered with a rectangular cross-section. The present work focuses on the advection-diffusion-reaction process in the susceptor. The precursors are propane and silane, and the carrier gas is hydrogen with mass fraction higher than 98%. Computed growth rates under different system pressures and precursor concentrations are compared with the experimental data measured on samples grown in the Linkoping CVD reactor. The gas composition distribution and the growth rate profile are shown. Dependence of the growth rate on precursor concentrations is investigated.


The conceptual assessment of the rating conditions of power cables was addressed over one century ago, with theories based on the physical and heat transfer properties of the power cable installed in a given medium. During the years, the evolution of the computational methods and technologies has made more powerful means for executing the calculations available. More detailed configurations have been analysed, also moving from the steady-state to dynamic rating assessment. The research is in progress, with recent advances obtained on both advanced models, extensive calculations from 2D and 3D finite element methods, simplified approaches aimed at reducing the computational burden, and dedicated solutions for specific types of cables and applications. This paper provides a general overview that links the fundamental concepts of heat transfer for the calculation of cable rating to the advanced solutions that have emerged in the last years.


Gangster Boogie details the early development of hip-hop music in Los Angeles, a city that, in the 1980s, the international press labeled the murder capital of the U.S. The rap music most associated with the region, coined gangsta rap, has been regarded by scholars, cultural critics, and audiences alike as a tabloid distortion of East Coast hip-hop. The dissertation shows that this uniquely provocative genre of hip-hop was forged by Los Angeles area youth as a tool for challenging civic authorities, asserting regional pride, and exploiting the nation's growing fascination with the ghetto underworld. Those who fashioned themselves gangsta rappers harnessed what was markedly difficult about life in black Los Angeles from the early 1970s through the Reagan Era--rising unemployment, project living, crime, violence, drugs, gangs, and the ever-increasing problem of police harassment--to create what would become the benchmark for contemporary hip-hop music. My central argument is that this music, because of the social, political, and economic circumstances from which it emerged, became a vehicle for underclass empowerment during the Reagan Era. It concurrently presented civic authorities, community organizations, the press, and, eventually, the nation's top political leaders with a basis for the charge that hip-hop and violence were directly linked. The aim of this project is, primarily, to provide a lens for viewing events leading up to the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and, secondarily, to address the oft ignored connections between the ascendency of hip-hop and modern conservatism. I also intend for it to help bridge the gap between African-American cultural history and the historiography of the American West by reimagining the modern urban frontier, with all its temptations and contradictions, from the perspective of black inner-city youth.


J.L. Fozard, Gerontechnology and perceptual-motor function:New opportunities for prevention, compensation, and enhancement, Gerontechnology, 2001; 1(1): 5 24. This article reviews recent scientific literature on age-related declines in perceptual motor functioning in hearing, vision, and proprioception. The first goal of the review is to identify opportunities for multidisciplinary research and development efforts designed either to prevent or delay the loss of perceptual-motor function or to compensate for existing losses. The second is to identify ways in which technology can be used to support new opportunities for communication, artistic expression, education and work that often occur for older persons, particularly those who have retired. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prevention. Long-term intervention trials are proposed to prevent or delay age-related declines in hearing sensitivity and physical functioning as related to gait and balance. Compensation. Programs of environmental interventions and consumer education are proposed to compensate for age-related losses in the quality of auditory and visual images. Opportunities for improving the description of equal audibility and visibility functions as related to environmental interventions were identified. Programs combining environmental interventions and training are proposed for tasks requiring visual search, manual guidance, and gait and balance. Enhancement. Opportunities for increasing the use of technological products and environments to support social communication, group and individual artistic activities, work, and education were described. At present, research and development efforts in this area are limited; so the discussion of opportunities is based largely on informal observations and non-scientific sources. CONCLUSIONS: Research and development efforts using the combined scientific and engineering disciplines represented in gerontechnology can make a significant impact on reducing the negative consequences of age-related declines in perceptual-motor functioning. Such efforts can also be used to support activities that may improve quality of life for older persons. Together, such efforts will help create the "enabling environment for healthy aging" proclaimed during the 1999 United Nations International Year of the Elderly.


We examine the view that high-quality macroeconomic policy is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for economic growth. We first construct a new index of the quality of macroeconomic policy. We then directly compare growth rate distributions across countries with good and bad policies; use Bayesian methods to examine the partial correlation between policy and growth; and outline how growth and steady-state income levels might have differed, had all countries achieved good policy outcomes. One finding is that bad macroeconomic policies can be offset by other factors, but the fastest-growing countries in our sample all shared high-quality macroeconomic management.


Over the last 10 years, important data on pituitary development have been reported using spontaneous or experimental models of gene inactivation. The development pathways of the anterior pituitary lobe include organogenesis resulting in Rathke pouch formation and cell differentiation. Pituitary development is controlled by sequential series of specific signaling molecules and specific transcription factors. In humans, inactivation of Pit-1, Prop-1, Rpx and Ptx2 genes is responsible for pituitary combined deficiency. In this paper, updated data on the embryology of the pituitary gland and the clinical phenotypes of inactivation of pituitary transcription factors are reported.


Several recent scientific articles have found a direct correlation between Glutathione levels and viral activity for hepatitis B and C. When viral load increases, Glutathione decreases. Researchers from Germany report that adding NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) to HBV producing cells lines can reduce hepatitis viral load 50 fold. Glutathione is used by the liver to help break down toxins. Patients who have chronic infection for more than 90 days should ask their physicians to check their Glutathione levels. A test kit is available from ImmunoSciences Labs; contact information is included. An amino acid, L-Glutamine, can be used with Alpha Lipoic Acid and NAC to increase Glutathione levels. Chlorophyll also offers benefits to people with hepatitis and other infections. Instructions on how to use a special retention enema containing chlorophyll, water, and apple cider vinegar are provided.


This paper presents the results of the first national 'state of expert knowledge' study of the impact of climate change on work and employment in Canada. Climate change is defined as recent changes in climate attributable to human activity. The What do we know? project, led by Lipsig-Mumme with Canadian academics, trade unionists and private sector labour market analysts, explores the state of knowledge about the complex interaction between climate change, response to climate change, and work and employment in Canada, in six economic sectors between 1995 and 2010. The sectors are: construction, energy, forestry, transportation equipment, postal services, and tourism. The paper begins by setting out the three international debates which shape the issue and its research. Second, it discusses its unusual research methodology. Third, the paper summarizes the research findings. Fourth, it identifies holes, silences, and next research questions on the climate/work relationship.


Rhabdias pocoto n. sp. is herein described from the lungs of the swamp frog Pseudopaludicola pocoto Magalhães, Loebmann, Nogueira, Kokubum, Baptista, Haddad & Garda, 2014, from the Caatinga biome in the state of Ceará, in north-eastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by a body that dilates posteriorly, six small lips (protuberances) and two rounded lateral expansions of cuticular inflation on the anterior end, each containing an amorphous gland-like structure inside and a short and conical tail. Additionally, molecular analysis and comparison of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I sequence of R. pocoto n. sp. revealed genetic divergence between the new species and the sequences of Rhabdias spp. previously deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the new taxon into the R. pseudosphaerocephala species complex + R. glaurungi clade. The new discovery represents the 19th species of Rhabdias spp. described in the Neotropical region, the ninth in Brazil and the first species of Rhabdias found parasitizing South American frogs of the genus Pseudopaludicola, as well as the first Caatinga biome species of Rhabdias.


Polymer solar cells (PSCs) have been intensively studied by researchers in order to improve their power conversion efficiency (PCE). The current PCE achievement has successfully surpassed 10%, yet it is still far laging from their inorganic counterparts. Hence, there is still a lot of room for improvement of the organic photovoltaics. This work presents a new class of fluorene-donor/benzothiadiazole-acceptor copolymers with thienothiophene as the spacer. Poly(9,9-dioctyl-9H- fluorine-alt-5,6-bis(octyloxy)-4,7-di(thieno[3,2-b] thiophen-2- yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) (P1) was synthesized through the well-known Suzuki's cross-coupling reaction and the reported Mw and PDI values were 20 kDa and 2.6, respectively. The optical and electrochemical band gaps achieved by this P1 were 2.03 eV and 1.98 eV, respectively, which could still be narrowed down by further modification of the chemical structure. Moreover, the P1 was found to have good thermal stability up to 433°C. This research could provide an insight into the relationship between the chemical structure and polymeric characteristics for future designation of the PSCs.


The high conductivity of bimetallic thiospinel NiCo2S4 endows energy storage devices with very fascinating performance. However, the unsatisfactory rate capability and long-term cyclability of this material series significantly limit their large-scale practical applications such as in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Herein, we successfully synthesized NiCo2S4 hexagonal nanosheets with a large lateral dimension of ∼1.35 μm and a thickness of ∼30 nm through a vapor transformation method. The dynamic transformation process of the NiCo2S4 polycrystalline nanosheets from NiCo-hydroxide has been revealed in detail. Originating from their two-dimensional thin-sheet structure with a high aspect ratio, the induced extrinsic capacitive contribution as high as 91% makes them an ideal candidate for high-capacity and high-rate lithium-ion anodes. The NiCo2S4 nanosheets deliver a reversible capacity of 607 mA h g−1 upon 800 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1. This outstanding long cycle performance sheds light on the structural design of electrode materials for high-rate lithium-ion batteries.


The inclusion of cover crops in cropping systems brings direct and indirect costs and benefits. Farmers will adopt and utilize cover crops as long as the perceived benefit of using them is positive. This paper examines the demographic and management factors affecting the adoption and perceived benefit (in terms of improved crop yield) of using winter annual cover crops. A double selectivity model of cover crop adoption and perceived yield gain was estimated using survey data of Alabama farmers examining cover crop use and management. Results may help in understanding factors shaping farmers' perceptions, adoption, and retention of cover crops.


PURPOSE
Codeine containing medicines can carry a number of health risks associated with the increase in reported misuse and dependence, however they are still readily available over the counter (OTC) in many countries. The aim of this novel study was to report on the results of a survey of customers purchasing OTC codeine containing medicinal products at pharmacies in Ireland, South Africa and England; exploring use, sources of knowledge and perception of risks.

METHODS
The study design was an exploratory cross sectional survey. It involved a customer self-administered questionnaire at the point of purchase (n=1230).  Relationships between categorical variables were analysed using Pearson chi-square for bivariate analysis. Continuous scale variables were analysed using one way analysis of variance.

RESULTS
In Ireland 6% stated they purchased codeine containing products weekly, in South Africa 13% and in England 16%. In Ireland and England women are more likely to view codeine containing products as harmful. In England older adults are more likely to perceive codeine containing products as harmful. A higher proportion of customers in South Africa opposed restricting codeine containing products to prescription only when compared with people in Ireland and England.

CONCLUSIONS
Codeine containing products are widely purchased and used in all three jurisdictions. Whilst the majority of customers appear to have some awareness and knowledge of risks, it does not materially impact on their purchasing behaviour with a substantial minority purchasing/using such products on a weekly basis. This regularity of purchase whilst indicative of the popularity of such products, may also be a potential indicator of misuse. Future research is needed in relation to cultural and gendered differences and targeted information giving and harm reduction initiatives for safe usage of these medicinal products.


The Shadow Market: How a Group of Wealthy Nations and Powerful Investors Se cretly Dominate the World by Eric J. Weiner New York: Scriber, 2010 304 pages $26.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since the mid-1990s, the global system has been characterized by rising interdependence and a reconfiguration of power among a wide range of state and nonstate actors. Many analysts have commented on these developments. In this highly-readable but somewhat foreboding account, financial journalist Eric J. Weiner contributes to that general line of discussion. He defines the shadow market as "a collection of unaffiliated, extremely wealthy nations and investors that effectively run the international economy through their prodigious holdings ... of financial instruments, which they keep in unregulated investment vehicles such as hedge funds, private equity funds, and government-run sovereign wealth funds, as well as in vast government-owned companies." His label suggests that shadow market transactions have been conducted absent the bright light of public scrutiny. Mr. Weiner's central argument is that over the past 15 years, China and the oil exporting countries have amassed stockpiles of highly-liquid financial capital, which in the current era are an increasingly important element of geopolitical power. Furthermore, those countries are learning how to transform that element of power into an effective instrument of power as they pursue their foreign policy objectives. That development does not bode well for the United States, which has structural weaknesses in its financial and external balances and is to an ever-greater degree reliant on inflows of foreign capital. Nor does it bode well for Europe, which was confronted with economic challenges even before the onset of the still ongoing Greece-centered financial crisis. Mr. Weiner begins his discussion in startling fashion. He describes a crisis-simulation exercise conducted in Washington DC in March 2009. Players representing the United States pursued a broad range of global security objectives. Meanwhile, players representing China remained conservative and focused in their play. They inflicted damage on a vulnerable United States by releasing a relatively small portion of their holdings into the financial markets, thereby sending asset prices into a tailspin and undermining the US economy. Did such actions reduce the value of the assets still in the hands of the Chinese? Yes, but that cost was much less than the benefits associated with successfully achieving the country's geopolitical objectives. The middle chapters of Mr. Weiner's book are well-done. He relates in masterful fashion numerous detailed accounts of episodes that illustrate how economic power now permeates foreign relations. One anecdote among many suggests the tenor of things. On 20 August 2009, the Scottish government returned Mr. Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi to Libya. He had been serving a life sentence for masterminding the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. …


ABSTRACT Ni2MnSb Heusler alloy is modelled and its magnetic properties are investigated by means of the effective field theory (EFT) developed by Kaneyoshi. Furthermore, the structural and electronic properties are performed by using density functional theory (DFT). According to DFT, with the help of volume-energy optimisation curves, the ferromagnetic (FM) state is more stable in energetic than the non-magnetic (NM) state. The value of the lattice constant obtained in this stable FM phase is a DFT =6.03Å which confirms the experimental results reported by Ak et al. (a Exp = 5.9861Å). According to EFT, we obtain a bridge constant (kb ) for fitting the theoretical and experimental results of Ni2MnSb as kb  =127.5. When kb < 127.5, the theoretical results are smaller than the experimental results. But, when kb > 127.5, the theoretical results are higher than the experimental results of Ni2MnSb. However, when kb  = 127.5, the theoretical results and experimental results are very close to each other and they are almost fitting. Additionally, we find the surface Manganese atoms (Mn2) are the bridge atoms (ab ) for fitting the theoretical and experimental M-T results of Ni2MnSb Heusler alloys. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Of the great Victorian conservatory in Golden Gate Park, known formally as the Hall of Flowers, Christopher Westall's mother had once said, "This is a place where glass is safe." For some reason he thought of this first on finding her body, the plastic bag fitted so snuggly over her face. He held her hand awhile there in the cold. It felt reef-stiff. Her eyes were closed. She had somehow managed to tuck herself in quite tightly. Her face was soft, expressionless and tired. No hint of how it had been for her to die, there on the bed in his room, the bed under which he once thought knife-people slept.


Works on digital modelling of Quebec City churches started in 1997, based on the assessment of three objectives laid down at the beginning of the project. Those objectives were: first, to bring to people an overall panorama of the churches of Quebec based on synthesized images of church digital models, and to promote churches' architectural heritage values; second, to offer to professionals, high quality 3D digital models, which can be used for visualization and simulation purposes for their own proposed churches' new occupations and functions; and third, to allow students to develop their 3D computer skills and expertise while being introduced to the architectural heritage of Quebec churches. The diffusion of modelling results in the form of virtual objects, synthesized images and panorama was at the beginning of the project a major objective. The second objective, to make available 3D digital models to the current church owner and to professionals, aimed at facilitating the use of information technologies (IT) during the design process, developing their architectural proposals using visualizations and simulations and to communicate and diffuse their own proposals. Finally, regarded as a complex process, digital modelling occupies a privileged place for training students at the School of Architecture of Laval University and, as such, this project has been a privileged opportunity. In this paper, the relevance of this work and its impact are discussed with regard to those objectives and the huge digital archives thus created as a contribution to the architectural heritage of Quebec City.


This paper focuses on an event that makes us re-think our most important practices: a workshop in a retreat established in Mendham, New Jersey, under the direction of the IAPC (Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children) of Montclair University to facilitate the pedagogical goals of Philosophy for Children (PFC). The aim of this paper is to clarify and reconfigure a personal experience of what happened during those ten days. The sense of the author is that something extremely significant, that touches on the nature of pedagogy, and the fate of philosophy takes place in such a workshop.


The orange crop is widespread in Brazil and is cultivated in almost all states. Meanwhile, Orange is a focused culture, with the State of Sao Paulo accounts for about 78% of production. But there is a discrepancy between the number of producers and the quantity produced orange. This mismatch between variables can signal a lack of efficiency in the citrus sector. In this context, the study aimed to examine the technical efficiency of citrus properties in the State of Sao Paulo in the period between the years 2009 and 2010. To achieve our goals, we applied the non-parametric approach of data envelopment analysis to calculate the levels of technical efficiency and Tobit econometric model to understand the determinants of technical efficiency. The results showed that most properties citrus works inefficiently and the variables that most contribute to increased efficiency are "schooling" and "time as a farmer".


Patient: Female, 70 Final Diagnosis: Chronic Heaptitis C Symptoms: Coma Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Plamapheresis Specialty: Neurology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-related chronic hepatitis can be associated with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). Although several MC cases have been described, the wide variety of symptoms often makes diagnosis challenging. Case Report: We describe a sudden onset of coma in a 70-year-old woman with an undiagnosed chronic hepatitis C infection related to MC. Head CT did not show any important pathology. Laboratory tests showed leucocytosis, but it was not possible to identify any pathogenic microorganism. Examination of cerebrospinal fluid did not show any pathology. There was a strongly positive test result for rheumatoid factor (409 U/l) and hypocomplementemia (C4 0.04 g/l). Laboratory assay was positive for antibodies against HCV and HCV RNA. The cryoglobulins were positive and after treatment with plasmapheresis her conditions improved. Conclusions: In this case, the cryoglobulins laboratory exam was very helpful for the diagnosis. This test could be considered in the early management of elderly patients with sudden onset of coma.


The development of community policing in the UK initiated the formation of 'policing partnerships'. These early attempts, emerging in the 1980s, by police forces to establish partner relations with public and private sector organisations as well as communities followed a largely informal and ad hoc approach. In contrast, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and more recently the Neighbourhood Policing agenda are examples of attempts to formalise such methods of working through legislation and policy.

This study, utilising data collected from extensive ethnographic research in three socio-economically deprived communities of Northern England, addresses a so far under developed area of the extant research on 'policing partnerships'; namely, the relationships and outcomes that can be observed when state institutions come into contact with marginalised communities. This study has adopted the standpoint of critical criminology in order to foster an analysis of the subject matter.

It is contended that despite local and national policy rhetoric to the contrary, 'policing partnerships' primarily serve a largely enforcement based agenda that offers little
discernible benefit to residents. Residents in marginalised communities occupy a relatively powerless position in relation to other actors and have little capacity to
influence local agenda setting in respect of local policing matters. The police remain the dominant player within 'policing partnerships' and continuously seek to reinforce the goals of the policing 'mission'; which, in its modern day iteration, is a primary interest in intelligence, surveillance and enforcement.

For residents within marginalised communities to seek redress for matters of local concern, largely related to their socio-economic position and environment, a radical
departure is required. One form that this may take is the pursuance of local partnerships without a police presence, prioritising a welfare agenda over the current status quo.


The authors investigated the direct and moderating effects of locus of control and organizational commitment on the relationship of sources of stress with psychological distress, job satisfaction and quitting intention of 122 employees (66 males, 54 females, two unclassified) working in Hong Kong firms. The instruments included parts of Occupational Stress Indicator-2 measuring sources of stress and job satisfaction, Work Locus of Control and the nine-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. In addition, 10 items measuring psychological distress and two items measuring quitting intention were constructed by the first author. A series of validation procedures were conducted, and the authors concluded that the instruments used were valid to be used on Chinese employees in Hong Kong. The results of the study suggested that locus of control and organizational commitment had strong direct effects (externals were dissatisfied with the job itself and thought of quitting the job quite often; employees who had a high commitment had higher job satisfaction) and moderating effects (the stressor–strain relationships were significant in externals, and commitment buffered most of the stressor–strain relationships). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract Most asteroids are characterized by positive Lyapounov Characteristic Exponents (LCE), which means that their orbits are chaotic. Indeed, the striking fact is that for many of them the maximum LCE is very large, with a corresponding Lyapounov time shorter (often much shorter) than 100,000 years, as we report in this work. This finding is in apparent contradiction with the overall orbital stability observed in numerical integrations covering timespans orders of magnitude longer than the Lyapounov times. More importantly, it is in contradiction with the estimated astronomical age of these small planets. The phenomenon, of which other examples are already known, is referred to as stable chaos . We have studied in particular a region, that of the Veritas asteroid family, where other causes of chaotic motion are not relevant and stable chaos can be investigated as such in its various appearances. Stable chaos is found to be due to high order mean motion resonances with Jupiter in combination with secular perturbations on the perihelia of the asteroids. These perturbations cause a large number of critical arguments to get in and out of the resonance and can move the orbit from one high resonance to another, in a typical irregular behavior. Since chaos is driven by secular perturbations, it is no surprise that the Lyapounov times are very close to the timescales of these perturbations. The quasi-integrals of motion of asteroids with very short Lyapounov times are less stable and a slow diffusion is observed in eccentricity and inclination. There is essentially no diffusion in semimajor axis, although variations are large (e.g., between two high order resonances). These asteroids can therefore be regarded as cases of stable chaos.


Understanding key intervention points in developing immune responses may allow the rational inclusion of biological adjuvants into vaccines that could potentiate the immune response both quantitatively and qualitatively and enhance effective memory responses. Cytokine and chemokine combinations can potentially help target antigen to the appropriate antigen presenting cell and initiate maturation of these presenting cells, attract cells expressing different chemokine receptors, steer cellular immune responses toward Th1 and CD8 CTL, and enhance systemic and mucosal IgG and secretory IgA antibodies and determine their isotype balance. Animal protection studies suggest that synergistic combinations of cytokines and immunomodulating molecules may be required to protect from a viral challenge. For example, GM-CSF has been shown to be synergistic with IL-12 or CD40 ligand for induction of CTL and for antiviral protection, and the triple combination of GM-CSF, IL-12, and TNF alpha appears to induce the most effective protection in some mouse models. Chemokine-antigen fusions have also been shown to enhance immunogenicity of the antigen. Combinations of costimulatory molecules have been found to be synergistic when incorporated in a vaccine. Combined use of newer more potent vaccine constructs, containing codon optimized epitopes, relevant CpG motifs, cytokines, costimulatory molecules and chemokines, used in heterologous prime-boost strategies with viral vector vaccines or recombinant proteins, might afford the most potent vaccine approaches yet developed. In this review we will discuss the application and delivery of cytokines, costimulatory molecules, and chemokines toward improving current vaccine strategies.


In Randall-Sundrum-type brane-world cosmologies, the dynamical equations on the three-brane differ from the general relativity equations by terms that carry the effects of embedding and of the free gravitational field in the five-dimensional bulk. Instead of starting from an ansatz for the metric, we derive the covariant nonlinear dynamical equations for the gravitational and matter fields on the brane, and then linearize to find the perturbation equations on the brane. The local energy-momentum corrections are significant only at very high energies. The imprint on the brane of the nonlocal gravitational field in the bulk is more subtle, and we provide a careful decomposition of this effect into nonlocal energy density, flux and anisotropic stress. The nonlocal energy density determines the tidal acceleration in the off-brane direction, and can oppose singularity formation via the generalized Raychaudhuri equation. Unlike the nonlocal energy density and flux, the nonlocal anisotropic stress is not determined by an evolution equation on the brane, reflecting the fact that brane observers cannot in general make predictions from initial data. In particular, isotropy of the cosmic microwave background may no longer guarantee a Friedmann geometry. Adiabatic density perturbations are coupled to perturbations in the nonlocal bulk field, and in general the system is not closed on the brane. But on super- Hubble scales, density perturbations satisfy a decoupled third-order equation, and can be evaluated by brane observers. Tensor perturbations on the brane are suppressed by local bulk effects during inflation, while nonlocal effects can serve as a source or a sink. Vorticity on the brane decays as in general relativity, but nonlocal bulk effects can source the gravito-magnetic field, so that vector perturbations can be generated in the absence of vorticity.


Abstract This paper examines the relationships between three contextual factors i.e. transparency levels, information and communication technologies (ICT) use laws, and national legal systems efficiency and information security concerns in the global financial services institutions (GFSI). This research essentially seeks to expand the breadth of knowledge provided in the 2009 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) survey, which reported on information security issues in GFSI. This current study used secondary data sources for its analysis. The inference from the 2009 DTT survey was that information security concerns across GFSI are being informed solely by industry-related standards or imperatives. To that end, perceptions and attitudes toward such issues were thought to remain unchanged in differing national contexts. However, this study's data analysis showed that the perceptions of information security concerns among GFSI employees across the world compare somewhat and also differ, in other respects. Also, this research's findings indicated that GFSI practitioners need to be aware of two information security concerns: a) how information security and business initiatives are appropriately aligned in their organizations, b) the issue of who has the responsibility for privacy in their setups. Against the backdrop of the countries used in this study and the three contextual factors considered, this study found that these two issues to be significantly relevant to the management of security and privacy concerns in GFSI. The implications of the study' findings for practitioners and academic researchers are discussed, and possible areas of future research outlined.


— In wavelet regression, choosing threshold value is a crucial issue. A too large value cuts too many coefficients resulting in over smoothing. Conversely, a too small threshold value allows many coefficients to be included in reconstruction, giving a wiggly estimate which result in under smoothing. However, the proper choice of threshold can be considered as a careful balance of these principles. This paper gives a very brief introduction to some thresholding selection methods. These methods include: Universal, Sure, Ebays, Two fold cross validation and level dependent cross validation. A simulation study on a variety of sample sizes, test functions, signal-to-noise ratios is conducted to compare their numerical performances using three different noise structures. For Gaussian noise, EBayes outperforms in all cases for all used functions while Two fold cross validation provides the best results in the case of long tail noise. For large values of signal-to-noise ratios, level dependent cross validation works well under correlated noises case. As expected, increasing both sample size and level of signal to noise ratio, increases estimation efficiency.


The Faust legend is something of a retelling of the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden as it appears in Genesis 2-3. There Eve is tempted by the devil, in the form of a serpent, to taste fruit from the tree of knowledge and to share that fruit with Adam--an action that banishes all humanity from paradise. Similarly, the Faust of legend is tempted to sell his soul to the devil (and, consequently, his right to a place in the paradise of heaven--the only Eden humankind can ever know) in exchange for omniscience, even omnipotence. Throughout Gertrude Stein's play Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights (1938), major characters themselves usurp or reject power typically associated with God. Faustus claims the power to create light, as does Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel, although she seems less interested in this power than Faust. This female character's dual names and fluctuating identity mark her as a kind of conflated womankind. (Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel's names themselves derive from various recountings or dramatizations of the Faust legend by Christopher Marlowe [1588], Karl von Holtei [1829], George Sand [1869], Ida Hahn-Hahn [1840], and Stephen Vincent Benet [1937].) And womankind, as represented by Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel, in the end rejects all deities, turning her back on both the sun (which could be interpreted as a natural god) and the electric light (the new technological god). Unlike the Biblical Eve--who is only tempted or figuratively "bitten" by a serpent--Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel is literally bitten by a viper. Initially, however, Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel appears to triumph over the bite. Faustus cures her, despite his repeated assertions that he cannot see her, and thereafter Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel becomes immune to the viper's poison. As Stein's Chorus intones, "See the viper there, / Cannot hurt her" (in the play as published in Stein's Last Operas and Plays [New York: Rinehart and Co., 1949], 106). At first glance, this seems to be a triumph of science over God, but Marguerite Ida-Helena Annabel rejects not only the natural light of the sun but also the science of Faust. And for the first time in the play she gains a unity of identity: "With her back to the sun / One sun / And she is one / Marguerite Ida and Helena Annabel as well" (107). With both unity and duality thus present in her main female character, Stein focuses attention on the multiple identities of women. Like the Dadaists, who expressed skepticism about the unity of character in any dramatic or theatrical presentation (let alone life itself), Stein creates a character who, in name alone, evokes both the good and evil depictions of women in history and literature. …


The generation of clean CdS nanoparticles from as-synthesized ones was examined using visible light. Irradiating visible light onto the nanoparticles removes organic impurities from the synthesis of CdS, while preserving the crystalline phase and nanoscale structure of the as-synthesized semiconductor as well as creating mesopores. Compared with conventional thermal annealing, which causes oxidation and sintering of nanoparticles, the indigenous light-induced cleaning provides a better post-treatment procedure for photoactive semiconductor nanoparticles. A similar feature was also observed for the ZnS nanoparticle system. The water reduction activity (λ ≥ 420 nm) of light-treated CdS was 5 times higher than that of annealed CdS.


Silicon nanophotonics is an emerging technology platform for offering high-bandwidth connectivity with extreme energy efficiency for future networks-on-chip. Using circuit-switching as an arbitration mechanism takes advantage of the low transmission energy in end-to-end communication and high bandwidth density of wave guides using WDM. However, pure circuit-switching requires an electronic control network which suffers from unfairness under heavy loads and can lead to high latencies, low network utilization, and an overhead in power dissipation. We propose time division multiplexed distributed arbitration, which provides round-robin fairness to setting up photonic circuit paths. Our design can supply 2-4× the bandwidth at network saturation for random traffic, and is an order of magnitude more efficient when simulated with scientific application traces compared to both electronic and other photonic network architectures.


In this paper, we study a general linear networked system that contains a tunable memory subsystem; that is, it is decoupled from an optical field for state transportation during the storage process, while it couples to the field during the writing or reading process. The input is given by a single photon state or a coherent state in a pulsed light field. We then completely and explicitly characterize the condition required on the pulse shape achieving the perfect state transfer from the light field to the memory subsystem. The key idea to obtain this result is the use of zero-dynamics principle, which in our case means that, for perfect state transfer, the output field during the writing process must be a vacuum. A useful interpretation of the result in terms of the transfer function is also given. Moreover, a four-node network composed of atomic ensembles is studied as an example, demonstrating how the input field state is transferred to the memory subsystem and what the input pulse shape to be engineered for perfect memory looks like.


In this work, Ne-like Ar8+ ions in metastable 2p53s 3P0,2 levels from an ECR source were passed through a He gas target to populate core excited levels of Na-like Ar7+. The resulting spectra were measured and compared with those from Ar9+ passing the same He target. The population mechanism for core excited 2p53p2 based on one electron capture by the metastable Ar8+ levels is discussed. Our results indicate that the two electron-one photon transitions from 2p53s4p is the main populating process. Also, by increasing the length of the gas target, enhancement of the intensity ratio between lines from long lived and short lived levels was observed.


Meiosis is a cell division in which one diploid parent cell produces four haploid
daughter cells. Accurate alignment and segregation of homologous
chromosomes during metaphase is critical for a successful meiotic division and
viable gametes. Three concomitant events are required for a successful meiotic
division: chromosome pairing, synapsis and recombination. Recombination is
initiated by programmed induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs).
Interchromosomal repair of meiotic DSBs can form a crossover leading to
genetic diversity by modifying linkage groups. Crossovers also tether the
homologous chromosomes and help resist the tension of the first meiotic
spindle. Controlled recombination is required for a successful meiotic division
and segregation, however, recombination has to be tightly regulated. This work
investigates the roles of Te11,Rad6 and Srs2 during meiotic homologous DSB
repair.
Tel1 is protein kinase required for initiating a signalling cascade in response to
many forms of DNA damage. Tel1 has also been proven to function during
meiosis and has been shown in some conditions to initiate a signalling cascade
after the initiation of meiotic DSBs. In this work Tel1 is shown to influence the
early stages of DSB repair during meiosis, however this is not in response to
the formation of Spo11-DSB.
Recombination ensures genetic variation and correct homologue alignment
during meiosis I therefore is extremely important and tightly controlled. Srs2 is
known to be a negative regulator of recombination and is important for normal
sporeulation and viability in yeast. Analysis of an experimental site specific DSB
(made by VDE) and at natural Spo11-DSBs indicates that in the absence of
Srs2 the rate of repair can be increased at Spo11-DSBs and decreased at the
VDE-DSB. One potential role for Srs2 during meiosis is to dismantle
recombination intermediates formed between the sister chromatids.
Rad6 is required for wild type amounts of Spo11-DSB formation. This work
investigated the VDE-DSB repair in the absence of Rad6, and discovered that
Rad6 has a role in the initiation of repair. Rad6 ubiquitinates histone H2B, and
further analyses suggest that this modification is required for repair at the VDEDSB.
Each of the genes studied is required for wild type repair of VDE-DSBs and
Spo11-DSBS, even though they come from widely different functional groups.
This illustrates the diversity of cellular pathways controlling the initiation and
regulation of meiotic recombination.


Education has been perceived as the key pathway that individuals utilize to
achieve economic success and upward mobility, yet how that education is acquired is not
a lock-step process. According to the 2015 Signature 9 Report from the National Student
Clearinghouse Research Center, students made 2.4 million (37.2%) transitions from one
institution to another between 2008 and 2014 (Shapiro et al., 2015). However, according
to Student Achievement Measurement (n.d.), only 11% of students who transfer from
four-year to four-year institution complete a bachelor's degree, which is much smaller
than the 71.7% of full-time students who start at a four-year institution and complete a
degree within six years (Shapiro et al., 2016).
Given that transfer students often struggle to complete their degree at the
transferred college, the current study was an attempt to understand the role of highimpact
activities on the educational experiences of transfer students as compared to nontransfer
students and to examine how class preparation, student-faculty interactions, and
interactions with peers and advisors may affect the GPA and educational aspirations of
transfer students beyond a baccalaureate. To accomplish the proposed aims, the following
two research questions were explored using 2015 National Survey of Student
Engagement (NSSE) survey data collected in 2015 by a private institution in South
Florida: (1) What are the factors contributing to a difference in academic performance
between transfer and non-transfer students? and (2) What are the factors that contribute to
different educational aspirations beyond the bachelor's degree for transfer and nontransfer
students?
For the first research question, a hierarchical multiple regression was utilized to
explore whether the self-reported GPA between transfer students and non-transfer
students differs depending on the level of student engagement. Results from a
hierarchical multiple regression suggest that peer relationship and class preparation might
help transfer students enhance their GPA. For the second research question, a hierarchical
logistic regression was used to study the differential effect of the level of student
engagement on the educational aspirations beyond the baccalaureate between transfer and
non-transfer students. Study findings indicate that the establishment of strong peer
interactions is more likely to help transfer students pursue their education beyond a
baccalaureate degree.
The current study provided empirical evidence suggesting that peer relationships
might help transfer students raise their GPA and aspire beyond a baccalaureate degree. In
addition, class preparation was found to be an important factor that might assist transfer
students enhance their GPA. Ultimately, this study suggests the benefits of creating and
implementing specific programs and initiatives to target the needs of transfer students and
support them in both increasing their GPA through improved class preparation and
developing critical relationships with peers and faculty.


OBJECTIVES
Rising e-commerce trend with Covid-19 pandemic has significantly increased the need for motorcycle-couriers. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and occupational safety and health (OSH) of motorcycle-couriers and to evaluate the opinions of OSH specialists about the importance of motorcycle-couriers' life satisfaction and OSH perception levels.

METHODS
The relationship between life satisfaction and perception of OSH of 750 motorcycle-couriers was addressed using quantitative research methods through two different scales (Life Satisfaction Scale and Occupational Safety Perception Scale). The views of 20 OSH specialists about the importance of motorcycle-couriers' perception of life satisfaction and OSH levels were addressed using qualitative research methods.

RESULTS
There was a negative linear relationship between perception of OSH and life satisfaction levels of motorcycle-couriers. All OSH specialists evaluated the level of life satisfaction as an important factor in OSH practice of motorcycle-couriers and all were of the opinion that the job was quite risky and adequate OSH measures were not sufficiently guaranteed.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that there is a need for some legal regulation of this occupation and ensuring necessary occupational standards are applied. This could include increased responsibility of companies/employers and could provide training programs to improve OSH.


Abstract. Before the launch of TROPOMI, only two other satellite instruments were able to observe aerosol plume heights globally, MISR and CALIOP. The TROPOMI aerosol layer height is a potential game changer, since it has daily global coverage and the aerosol layer height retrieval is available in near-real time. The aerosol layer height can be useful for aviation and air quality alerts, as well as for improving air quality forecasting related to wildfires. Here, TROPOMI's aerosol layer height product is evaluated with MISR and CALIOP observations for wildfire plumes in North America for the 2018 fire season (June to August). Further, observing system simulation experiments were performed to interpret the fundamental differences between the different products. The results show that MISR and TROPOMI are, in theory, very close for aerosol profiles with single plumes. For more complex profiles with multiple plumes, however, different plume heights are retrieved: the MISR plume height represents the top layer, and the plume height retrieved with TROPOMI tends to be an average altitude of several plume layers. The comparison between TROPOMI and MISR plume heights shows, that on average, the TROPOMI aerosol layer heights are lower, by approximately 600 m, compared to MISR which is likely due to the different measurement techniques. From the comparison to CALIOP, our results show that the TROPOMI aerosol layer height is more accurate for thicker plumes and plumes below approximately 4.5 km. MISR and TROPOMI are further used to evaluate the plume height of Environment and Climate Change Canada's operational forecasting system FireWork with fire plume injection height estimates from the Canadian Forest Fire Emissions Prediction System (CFFEPS). The modelled plume heights are similar compared to the satellite observations, but tend to be slightly higher with average differences of 270–580 m and 60–320 m compared to TROPOMI and MISR, respectively.


Shifting our fossil-fuelled civilisation to clean modes of production and consumption requires deep transformations in our energy and economic systems. Innovation in physical technologies and social behaviours is key to this transformation. But innovation has not been at the heart of economic models of climate change. This paper reviews the state of the art on the economics of innovation, applies recent insights to climate change. The core insight is that technological innovation is a path-dependent process in which history and expectations matter greatly in determining eventual outcomes This insight has six important implications for climate policy design. First, efficient climate policy requires direct research subsidies for inducing and/or diffusing clean innovations, combined with carbon pricing (whether by taxes or trading). Second, both public and private sector involvement is required — private market forces need to be mobilised and redirected towards cleaner energy sources by governments. Third, path dependence and system inertia imply that delaying policies that redirect innovation towards clean technologies significantly increases costs in the future. Fourth, more developed countries should act as leaders in clean technology and should subsidise access to such technologies for less developed countries. At the same time, they should consider the possibility of using border carbon adjustments against any country that would take advantage of the new environmental policies by specialising in the production and export of fossil fuel intensive products. Fifth, if a transition from coal to clean energy is to be made via intermediates (for example, gas), the use of gas (without carbon capture) should be agreed to be on a time-limited basis. Further, to avoid gas lock-in, research in fully clean technologies would need to be strongly stepped up over the intervening period, along with other supportive policies. Finally, investment in coal should not be encouraged, as its continued use is only safe if we assume the cost-effectiveness of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. While much greater efforts should be taken to reduce the costs of CCS, the speed that these technologies can be developed and deployed is uncertain.


DOI: 10.7764/RDLC.18.1.29 The envelope of a building is responsible for its physical protection against external agents, including humidity and temperature. Thus, the present work seeks to evaluate the effect of air entraining admixtures (AEA) in mortars for laying and coating to improve their physical and thermal performances. The AEA generates macropores, interrupting the system of canaliculi that allows the capillary absorption of water. The AEA used is based on biodegradable surfactant molecules of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sodium Sulfonate. Results compare physical tests (water absorption, capillary coefficient, specific gravity, and mechanical strength), and thermal evaluation (thermal conductivity and specific heat) from two mortars mixtures with varying levels of AEA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the pore system were also analysed. All mixtures studied presented higher workability and cohesion, reduced thermal conductivity, decreased specific heat, and a reduction in the effects of water absorption, capillary elevation and specific gravity (density). In this sense, the durability of mortars to humidity effect is potentially improved, along with several other properties. Therefore, this work seeks to contribute to the quality of built environments, as well as to promote the technological development of cement-based composites.


Recent advances in cell culture models like air‒liquid interface culture and ex vivo models such as organoids have advanced studies of lung biology; however, gaps exist between these models and tools that represent the complexity of the three‐dimensional environment of the lung. Precision‐cut lung slices (PCLS) mimic the in vivo environment and bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo models. We have established the acid injury and repair (AIR) model where a spatially restricted area of tissue is injured using drops of HCl combined with Pluronic gel. Injury and repair are assessed by immunofluorescence using robust markers, including Ki67 for cell proliferation and prosurfactant protein C for alveolar type 2/progenitor cells. Importantly, the AIR model enables the study of injury and repair in mouse lung tissue without the need for an initial in vivo injury, and the results are highly reproducible. Here, we present detailed protocols for the generation of PCLS and the AIR model. We also describe methods to analyze and quantify injury in AIR‐PCLS by immunostaining with established early repair markers and fluorescence imaging. This novel ex vivo model is a versatile tool for studying lung cell biology in acute lung injury and for semi‐high‐throughput screening of potential therapeutics. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.


Modern integrated circuits (IC) and package design has scaled into the deep submicron regime and the nanometer regime. Fast and broadband frequency-domain electromagnetic analysis has become increasingly important. The large problem size encountered in the analysis of ICs and packages is a major challenge especially for a finite element method (FEM) based electromagnetic analysis.To reduce the computational cost for large-scale electromagnetic analysis, model order reduction (MOR) methods have been developed to preprocess the huge linear system into reduced order models. However, in order to meet the modeling and simulation challenges arising from the IC and package design, existing MOR methods still have to overcome the following shortcomings. First, many existing MOR methods lack a closed-form error bound. Given an accuracy requirement, the model generated from existing methods may not be compact enough. Second, most of the existing reduced order models depend on frequency and right hand side. They lose efficiency when analyzing frequency-dependent problems with a large number of right hand sides. Last but not least, many existing MOR methods suffer from low frequency breakdown problem. Additional models have to be built if low frequency solutions, including DC solution, are required.This paper proposes a minimal order model for any prescribed accuracy for the finite element based solution of general 3-D problems having arbitrary lossless/lossy structures and inhomogeneous materials. This model entails no theoretical approximations. It is frequency and right hand side independent, and hence can be employed for both fast frequency and right hand side sweep. Moreover, the model does not suffer from low-frequency breakdown and is accurate from zero to high frequencies. To facilitate the application of such a minimal order model, we have also developed an efficient algorithm to generate this model. Numerical experiments have demonstrated the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. In addition to frequency-domain analysis, the proposed model can also be used for fast time-domain analysis.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


The Myer-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) has been used by previous researchers as an indicator of the learning-style preferences of engineering students in problem-solving courses. In particular, the sensing/intuitive (S/I) scale separates intuitive students with a preference for abstract, global, and theoretical approaches from so-called sensing students, with their preference for the practical, factual, and specific approach. An experiment is described in which two teaching presentations were designed (one intended to appeal to sensing students and the other intended to appeal to intuitive students) and presented to two similar heterogeneous groups of engineering students. The interactions between student-learning style, teaching-presentation mode, and student performance are explored. It is concluded from these results that the S/I dimension of the MBTI can affect the teaching and learning of technical material. >


Data stream applications like sensor network data, click stream data, have data arriving continuously at high speed rates and require online mining process capable of delivering current and near accurate results on demand without full access to all historical stored data. Frequent sequential mining is the process of discovering frequent sequential patterns in data sequences as found in applications like Web log access sequences. Mining frequent sequential patterns on data stream applications contend with many challenges such as limited memory for unlimited data, inability of algorithms to scan infinitely flowing original dataset more than once and to deliver current and accurate result on demand. Existing work on mining frequent patterns on data streams are mostly for non-sequential patterns. This paper proposes SSM-algorithm (sequential stream mining-algorithm), that uses three types of data structures (D-List, PLWAP tree and FSP-tree) to handle the complexities of mining frequent sequential patterns in data streams. It summarizes frequency counts of items with the D-list, continuously builds PLWAP tree and mines frequent sequential patterns of batches of stream records, maintains mined frequent sequential patterns incrementally with FSP tree. The proposed algorithm can be deployed to analyze e-commerce data where the primary source of data is click stream data.


Dictionary learning (DL) technique has received a great interest recently, due to its significant role in feature extraction. Although many DL-based methods have been presented, some of them still suffer from the lack of discriminative features, especially for the local manifold features. To mitigate this problem, the authors propose a novel DL method named low-rank representation based on twin tensor kernel (LRR-TTK) DL for face recognition in this study. Specifically, the training samples are projected to a high-dimensional space with TTK. Then, they extract the local manifold features and spatial features (representation coefficients) hidden in the facial images by TT locality preserving projection. In addition, powered by LRR reconstruction and DL theory, much more discriminative features are obtained, which can improve the recognition rate greatly. Comprehensive experimental results at AR, extended Yale-B and FERET face databases demonstrate the superiority of their proposed method.


The formation, propagation, and structure of nanoscale cracks determine the failure mechanics of engineered materials. Herein, we have captured, with atomic resolution and in real time, unit cell-by-unit cell lattice-trapped cracking in two-dimensional (2D) rhenium disulfide (ReS_{2}) using in situ aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Our real time observations of atomic configurations and corresponding strain fields in propagating cracks directly reveal the atomistic fracture mechanisms. The entirely brittle fracture with non-blunted crack tips as well as perfect healing of cracks have been observed. The mode I fracture toughness of 2D ReS_{2} is measured. Our experiments have bridged the linear elastic deformation zone and the ultimate nm-sized nonlinear deformation zone inside the crack tip. The dynamics of fracture has been explained by the atomic lattice trapping model. The direct visualization on the strain field in the ongoing crack tips and the gained insights of discrete bond breaking or healing in cracks will facilitate deeper insights into how atoms are able to withstand exceptionally large strains at the crack tips.


Video Quality assessment is one of the most challenging problems in real time communications. Most of the quality assessment algorithms is based on pixels, so they are dependant of the original video as reference. This dependancy make complicated to apply these algorithms in a real time scenario. Besides, these algorithms do not consider Human Visual System characteristics. This paper introduces 3 algorithms that use HVS characteristics. The first two algorithms still use the original video as reference and the third uses only the received video as parameter.


ABSTRACT Along with the gradually accelerated urbanization process, simulating and predicting the future pattern of the city is of great importance to the prediction and prevention of some environmental, economic and urban issues. Previous studies have generally integrated traditional machine learning with cellular automaton (CA) models to simulate urban development. Nevertheless, difficulties still exist in the process of obtaining more accurate results with CA models; such difficulties are mainly due to the insufficient consideration of neighborhood effects during urban transition rule mining. In this paper, we used an effective deep learning method, named convolution neural network for united mining (UMCNN), to solve the problem. UMCNN has substantial potential to get neighborhood information from its receptive field. Thus, a novel CA model coupled with UMCNN and Markov chain was designed to improve the performance of simulating urban expansion processes. Choosing the Pearl River Delta of China as the study area, we excavate the driving factors and the transformational relations revealed by the urban land-use patterns in 2000, 2005 and 2010 and further simulate the urban expansion status in 2020 and 2030. Additionally, three traditional machine-learning-based CA models (LR, ANN and RFA) are built to attest the practicality of the proposed model. In the comparison, the proposed method reaches the highest simulation accuracy and landscape index similarity. The predicted urban expansion results reveal that the economy will continue to be the primary factor in the study area from 2010 to 2030. The proposed model can serve as guidance in urban planning and government decision-making.


Air pollution, particularly fine and ultrafine particulate matter aerosols, underlies a wide range of communicable and non-communicable disease affecting many systems including the cardiopulmonary and immune systems, and arises primarily from transportation and industry. A number of air pollution driven diseases also are Covid19 comorbidities. Thus, a number of studies on air pollution exposure, particularly particulate matter, strongly indicate air pollution is an important underlying factor in Covid19 transmission, severity, and mortality. This suggests that air pollution from natural sources, particularly wildfires, could play a role in the Covid19 pandemic. We tested this hypothesis on three wildfire smoke events in Orange County, CA, each of which was followed by Covid19 case increases after an approximately one-week lag. This lag was consistent with combined incubation time and testing/reporting times. Moreover, the three events suggest a dose dependency. The wildfire comorbidity hypothesis implies that at-risk-populations should reduce smoke exposure from wildfires, as well as indoors from biomass burning for heating, cooking, and aesthetic purposes.


The equivalent continuous processing is done to multi-element composite foundation by composite material mechanics method, and the composite foundation is studied as transversely isotropic body, the constitutive relation of equivalent complex is established at first time. On the ABAQUS platform, the three direction seismic responses of multi-element composite foundation are studied by finite-infinite element coupling method. The results shown that: (1) the model of equivalent complex can reflect the working mechanics of the multi-element composite foundation; (2) with the increase of the total stiffness of the multi-element composite foundation, the max absolute values of horizontal accelerations and displacements decrease gradually. (3) With the increase of reinforced depth, the horizontal accelerations in reinforced area became small, but the displacements became big. The results can provide reference to the seismic design of structure.


A field once dominated by rationalist assumptions, grand strategy is beginning to make room for alternatives approaches. Recently, scholars have drawn on discourse theory to explore how narratives influence the directionality of grand strategy. Others have emphasized the importance of ideology as a driver of grand strategy, but have failed to specify how ideology interacts with different levels of grand strategizing—creation, mobilization, and implementation. This essay makes two interrelated arguments: first is that that ideology is constitutive of the meaning structure that underlies grand strategy. Second is that ideology's primary function is to invest grand strategy with clarity (if not simplicity), stability, and coherence. We identify three distinct ways in which ideology can shape a nation's grand strategy, including threat identification, mobilization and extraction of resources, and ideological balancing. We use a range of exploratory cases to assess ideology's status in grand strategizing.


Purposes of the study: We analyzed circulating cell-free DNA in the serum of patients with benign and malignant breast disease and in healthy individuals to determine its diagnostic value.

BASIC PROCEDURES
Serum samples were obtained from 50 healthy individuals, 33 patients with malignant breast disease and 32 patients with benign breast disease. Circulatory DNA was extracted from serum samples. Cell-free DNA was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR for the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene. Tissue samples from patients with malignant and benign breast lesions were histopathologically examined.

MAIN FINDINGS
The mean levels of circulating cell-free DNA in serum samples were 41,149 genome equivalents (GE)/mL in patients with malignant disease, 30,826 GE/mL in patients with benign disease, and 13,267 GE/mL in healthy individuals. Healthy individuals had significantly lower levels of cell-free DNA than patients with malignant or benign breast disease (p=0.001, p=0.031). No significant difference was observed between malignant and benign disease. There was a correlation between cell-free DNA levels and tumor size but not with other tumor characteristics.

PRINCIPAL CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that levels of circulating cell-free DNA in serum could have diagnostic value to discriminate between healthy individuals and patients with breast lesions but not between patients with malignant and benign breast lesions.


Computing at UCLan introduced Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) across all their courses in 2016, a scheme which has been identified as 'Best Practice' by the British Computer Society. Pairs of higher-year students (PASS Leaders) facilitate a group of lower year students to discuss and resolve problems during informal weekly sessions which are, in addition to the normal teaching events, scheduled sympathetically with the students' timetables. The sessions offer students extra support, tailored to their needs by identifying topics that they would like to explore further. The PASS Leaders facilitate group discussions or exercises designed to enhance the students' understanding of those topics in engaging and fun sessions. The participants benefit by having a greater understanding of the topics, enhancing their friendship with their peers and Leaders, providing a wider informal support network. Moreover, because of discussions with higher year students, attendees have a greater understanding of what their course is about and where topics fit into the wider context of their degree. There is a weekly debrief of PASS Leaders with a member of staff (PASS Supervisor) to discuss issues raised and offer ongoing support to the PASS Leaders. Troublesome topics are reported to the teaching team, so they can be addressed for future classes. The PASS Leaders benefit as much from the scheme as the students they support. Leaders say that participating in PASS has increased their confidence and has improved their organisational and interpersonal skills, amongst other things. Revisiting topics from previous years can also enhance their understanding of the material. From an academic perspective, the scheme is working well, embedding into the culture of student life. It has fostered the creation of a community across all courses and years, which increases inclusivity and brings a greater sense of belonging to our student body.


In this paper are allocated phases in tourism development in Gornja Trepca spa, signified on present and prospective kinds of tourism. Tourist traffic is analyzed from statistical references in the seventh decade of the last century to 2006. It has done comparation the number of tourists and nights in Gornja Trepca spa with spa spaces in Serbia. Accommodation facilities are showed in dependence to number of beds and contents they offer. It's analyzed preferences and demerits for tourism development in this spa settlement. It's concluded that exist good base, but it's required investments and bigger involvement of regional population in order to increase offer and demand on tourist market.


Grid integration of photo voltaic (PV)/Battery hy-brid energy conversion system with (i) multi-functional features of micro grid-side bidirectional voltage source converter ( μ G-VSC) (ii) tight volatge regulation capability of battery converter (iii) MPPT tracking performance of high gain integrated cas-caded boost (HGICB) dc-dc Converter with quatratic gain and less current ripple are presented in this paper. The PV side HGICB Converter is controlled by P&O MPPT algorithm to extract the maximum power from the variable solar irradiation. This paper proposes a modified Instantaneous symmetrical components theory to the μ G-VSC in micro-grid applications with following intelligent functionalities (a) to feed the generated active power in proportional to irradiation levels into the grid (b) compensation of the reactive power, (c) load balancing and (d) mitigation of current harmonics generated by non-linear loads, if any, at the point of common coupling (PCC), thus enabling the grid to supply only sinusoidal current at unity power factor. The battery energy storage system (BESS) is regulated to balance the power between PV generation and utility grid. A new control algorithm is also proposed in this paper for the battery converter with tight DC link voltage regulation capability. The dynamic performance of battery converter is invistegated and compared with conventional average current mode control (ACMC). A model of a hybrid PV Energy Conversion System is developed and simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies for HGICB converter and μ G-VSC with battery energy conversion system are validated through extensive simulation studies.


A major challenge in complex trait genetics is to unravel how multiple loci and environmental factors together cause phenotypic diversity. Both first (F(1)) and second (F(2)) generation hybrids often display phenotypes that deviate from what is expected under intermediate inheritance. We have here studied two chicken F(2) populations generated by crossing divergent chicken lines to assess how epistatic loci, identified in earlier quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies, contribute to hybrid deviations from the mid-parent phenotype. Empirical evidence suggests that the average phenotypes of the intercross birds tend to be lower than the midpoint between the parental means in both crosses. Our results confirm that epistatic interactions, despite a relatively small contribution to the phenotypic variance, play an important role in the deviation of hybrid phenotypes from the mid-parent values (i.e. multi-locus hybrid genotypes lead to lower rather than higher body weights). To a lesser extent, dominance also appears to contribute to the mid-parent deviation, at least in one of the crosses. This observation coincides with the hypothesis that hybridization tends to break up co-adapted gene complexes, i.e. generate Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities.


Finite element computations of metal forming often involve large deformations so that the mesh degenerates and a remeshing procedure is required. When microstructural variables are attached to the nodes or integration points of the mesh, they have to be transported from the old mesh to the new one by using an interpolation technique. Such interpolation of microstructure variables automatically induce numerical errors, and in many cases, may even have no physical meaning. In this paper two strategies of transport based on the Lagrangian particles concept are presented. They can be applied to a wide range of discretized microstructures. As an example, the transport of the variables of a polycrystalline plasticity model is used for simulations of uniaxial compression of a reference aluminium sample. Various numerical strategies are compared in terms of the accuracy of the description of the evolving mechanical anisotropy.


Secretion of whey acidic protein (WAP) in milk throughout lactation has previously been reported for a limited number of species, including the mouse, rat, rabbit, camel, and pig. We report here the isolation of WAP from the milk of a marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Tammar WAP (tWAP) was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC and migrates in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 29.9 kDa. tWAP is the major whey protein, but in contrast to eutherians, secretion is asynchronous and occurs only from approximately days 130 through 240 of lactation. The full-length cDNA codes for a mature protein of 191 amino acids, which is comprised of three four-disulfide core domains, contrasting with the two four-disulfide core domain arrangement in all other known WAPs. A three-dimensional model for tWAP has been constructed and suggests that the three domains have little interaction and could function independently. Analysis of the amino acid sequence suggests the protein belongs to a family of protease inhibitors; however, the predicted active site of these domains is dissimilar to the confirmed active site for known protease inhibitors. This suggests that any putative protease ligand may be unique to either the mammary gland, milk, or gut of the pouch young. Examination of the endocrine regulation of thetWAP gene showed consistently that the gene is prolactin-responsive but that the endocrine requirements for induction and maintenance of tWAP gene expression are different during lactation.


To the Editor: I read with keen interest the article published by Soldo-Juresa et al in the last issue of the journal.1 I would like to make some comments: First, Still disease should be kept in mind whenever macrophage activation syndrome is considered in a patient with the clinical picture shown. In fact the patient's condition fulfills the criteria published by Yamagushi for Still disease.2 I would like to remark that the measurement of soluble IL-2R (also known as CD25s) could be helpful in distinguishing between Still disease and MAS.3 Furthermore, the development of MAS in Still disease is not infrequent and intravenous gamma globulins have shown promising results in treatment.4,5 Second, as the authors rule out a C1q-linked vasculitis, C4 and alternative complement pathway activity should be measured. It is well known that in esterase inhibitor type II levels of C1-inhibitor esterase are normal although C4 is decreased due to low functional C1-inhibitor levels.6 Hypocomplementemic vasculitis has been also described in patients with factor I deficiency.7 I have attended recently a patient with vasculitis secondary to factor I deficiency. This factor was not measured by the author in this patient. Third, the authors recognize that DNA of parvovirus B-19 can persist in bone marrow for years. This is why we should distinguish between MAS secondary to viral infection or underlying Still disease that needs long-term treatment and follow-up. Luis Gonzalez-Granado


Children's understanding of the equals sign has been widely studied and identified as
an important issue for thinking flexibly about arithmetic and learning algebra.
Experiences in primary mathematics lessons impact significantly on understanding,
but relatively few studies have investigated primary teachers' awareness of children's
understanding. One reason may be that while carefully validated instruments exist for
measuring children's understanding, no such instrument is available for evaluating
teacher awareness. We analyse the performance of a questionnaire administered to 197 primary teachers in New Zealand and the UK, and identify how individual items
are likely to elicit different teacher responses.


Virus-like particles (VLPs) are assemblies of viral structural proteins. These particles resemble the native viral capsid in structure, tropism, and transduction efficiency, but do not contain any viral genetic material. This makes them a safer alternative to viral vectors for gene therapy, and enables them to be used for vaccination. However, several issues, such as a limited natural tropism and pre-existing immunity, prevent most wild-type VLPs from being used clinically. Therefore, we set out to modify VLPs to improve their characteristics for gene therapy. The goal of this project was to develop an evolution-based method for the improvement of the characteristics of VLPs for gene delivery. Directed evolution provides an attractive alternative to rational design for the creation of novel vectors for gene therapy. Instead of rationally altering the viral coat protein to achieve changes in e.g. their tropism, high-throughput combinatorial techniques are used to create a very large library of random mutants. By applying selective pressure on this library, only those clones which possess desired properties remain. This way, the process resembles natural evolution, with the exception that we can define the selection criteria. We chose to use the VLPs derived from polyomaviruses – in particular the hamster polyomavirus (HaPyV) – as model vectors for our studies. The plan was to create vast libraries of mutant capsid genes, and from these libraries, select clones that possess improved properties for gene delivery. The expression of the libraries would be performed using a cell-free protein synthesis system compartmentalized into small, micrometer-scale emulsion droplets with on average one gene per droplet; a technique called in vitro compartmentalization (IVC). However, over the course of our research it proved to be impossible to synthesize sufficient quantities of correctly-assembled VLPs using this technique. During these studies, we investigated several issues regarding the reproducibility of cell-free expression and showed that, by normalizing the cellular extract used for cell-free expression, this variability can be reduced significantly. Despite the many conditions we tested, none of these conditions led to VLP assembly sufficient for in vitro compartmentalization. On the other hand, we discovered that the assembly of VLPs after expression in Escherichia coli already takes place inside the bacteria. However, this did not lead to DNA packaging. Therefore, we shifted our focus towards the production of VLPs in eukaryotic cells. First, we created vast libraries of hybrid VP1 genes using DNA shuffling. Next, we aimed to prove that polyomavirus-derived VLPs demonstrate genotype-phenotype linkage, i.e. package their own coding DNA, a necessity for directed evolution. As a proof of principle for genotype-phenotype linkage we demonstrated the enrichment of a wild-type VP1 gene from an excess of non-functional mutants. As the VLPs form, they package available genetic material compartmentalized within the same cell. We observed a 10-fold enrichment after one single selection step, showing the potential of this system. This thesis shows that hybrid VP1 genes can be created and that VLPs derived from polyomaviruses are able to package their own coding DNA, and can thus be used for directed evolution.


The Case of Nagaland Migration is a global phenomenon, and will continue to do so in the near future. Every country aspires to regulate migration according to their requirements. But, not all country is successful. Hence illegal (cross-border) immigration has been a cause of concern to them. Efforts to control and prevent illegal immigration remain highly inadequate in India; and likely to remain so in the coming years. But, the reality is that unabated illegal immigration has enormous demographic and social implications, capable of creating tensions and conflict between the immigrants and the natives; and more so among the natives. This is particularly worrisome in NorthEast India, which has been the victim of unabated illegal immigration from across the border in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, campaign against illegal immigration in India also divides its people on communal lines. Hence, the future tensions and conflict will be not only between the immigrants and the natives, but also among the natives. However, in the absence of a strong political will, illegal immigration would continue despite fully knowing its long term implications. Indeed, India has chosen to ignore illegal immigration for several decades; and it will be extremely difficult for her to resolve the 'ensuing conflict' arising out of unabated illegal immigration. If deportations continue at current levels it will take more than 1000 years for India to deport an estimated 15 million illegal immigrants. Hence, India needs to adapt realistic time-bound strategies to control and prevent cross-border illegal immigration. Nonetheless, the issue is much more serious than it seems.