Watch the VIDEO.The Swedish government has expressed an intention to move towards open access (OA) to publications based on publicly funded research in Sweden. As part of fulfilling this intention, the Bibsam Consortium, working on behalf of a number of Swedish universities, government agencies, and research institutes, has started to include OA in their negotiations with publishers. One consequence is that Bibsam has followed other international actors and entered into a number of offset agreements. The first of these agreements was Springer Compact, which runs from July 2016 to December 2018. The implementation and consequences of this agreement are being investigated at the request of Bibsam, and this presentation builds on findings from this investigation.Offset agreements are presented as one possible road ahead, a temporary one, in the transition towards OA to scholarly publications. A number of factors, including costs and the speed of flipping hybrid journals to full OA, will determine the success of such agreements. The attitudes of the researchers – the authors of the publications – are also key in determining the outcome. This presentation reports on findings from a questionnaire submitted by 375 first authors of articles covered by the Swedish Springer Compact agreement. It will present the authors' attitudes to OA, to the Springer Compact agreement, and to future similar agreements.The study shows that only about one quarter of respondents knew about the agreement before submitting their work. A majority would not have paid article processing charges (APC) for their article had APCs not been covered by the agreement. Many are generally positive to OA publishing, however. When asked what they think about agreements such as Springer Compact, three quarters wrote in free-text answers that it is "good", "very good" or "excellent". Respondents express both appreciation of the easy process and a relief over not having to find funding for OA.Some respondents were more tentative, saying that they appreciate OA, but that their opinion about the agreement depends on the cost. Non-profit solutions to academic publishing or alternative methods to achieving OA were also mentioned as desirable. A small number of respondents would prefer the traditional subscription model. Yet, the vast majority of respondents say they would like to see similar agreements with other publishers.The answers to the questionnaire show that these researchers are very positive to having their work published OA if it is not associated with costs, limitations, or other hassles for the researcher. That is, if publishing remains no more problematic than in the subscription system, researchers see many benefits with OA. However, there is a minority which expresses ideological hesitation. From this, universities and funders can learn the value of facilitating OA publishing for the individual researcher, but also that many researchers will expect agreements to be economically feasible and that there is a potential to engaging researchers even more in the discussion of future solutions.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the cortical motor areas activated in relation to unilateral complex hand movements of either hand, and the motor area related to motor skill learning. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured in eight right‐handed healthy male volunteers using positron emission tomography during a two‐ball‐rotation task using the right hand, the same task using the left hand and two control tasks. In the two‐ball‐rotation tasks, subjects were required to rotate the same two iron balls either with the right or left hand. In the control task, they were required to hold two balls in each hand without movement. The primary motor area, premotor area and cerebellum were activated bilaterally with each unilateral hand movement. In contrast, the supplementary motor area proper was activated only by contralateral hand movements. In addition, we found a positive correlation between the rCBF to the premotor area and the degree of improvement in skill during motor task training. The results indicate that complex hand movements are organized bilaterally in the primary motor areas, premotor areas and cerebellum, that functional asymmetry in the motor cortices is not evident during complex finger movements, and that the premotor area may play an important role in motor skill learning.


The primary purpose of venturing into business is to make profit, this motive, however, have been criticised widely. The concept of income is crucial to the entity's financial performance, and is half of determining an organisation's profitability and sustainability. The treatment of "revenue" is particularly important when recognising income; revenue being income that is derived from an organisation's everyday operating activities. The objective of this paper is to review the provisions of the International Accounting Standards (IAS) 18 and International Financial Reporting Standards IFRS 15 with respect to revenue recognition. The basic foundation of the principles of how to deal with income, how to recognise revenue and other forms of income in the financial statements, the basis of IAS 18 to help the transition when IFRS 15 replaces it, and how to account for and disclose provisions of grants by government and other forms of government assistance were reviewed in this paper by adopting contents analysis methodology. The paper revealed the importance of IFRS and recommend that the users and preparers of financial statement should start in earnest, the training and understanding of IFRS 15 in readiness for its effective date January 1, 2017.


CONTEXT
Rural Australians experience poorer health and poorer access to health care services than their urban counterparts, and there is a chronic shortage of health professionals in rural and remote Australia. Strategies designed to reduce this rural-urban divide include fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) services. The aim of this article is to examine the opportunities and challenges involved in these forms of service delivery. This article reviews recent literature relating to FIFO and DIDO healthcare services and discusses their benefits and potential disadvantages for rural Australia, and for health practitioners.

ISSUES
FIFO and DIDO have short-term benefits for rural Australians seeking healthcare services in terms of increasing equity and accessibility to services and reducing the need to travel long distances for health care. However, significant disadvantages need to be considered in the longer term. There is a potential for burnout among health professionals who travel long distances and work long hours, often without adequate peer support or supervision, in order to deliver these services. A further disadvantage, particularly in the use of visiting medical practitioners to provide generalist services, is the lack of development of a sufficiently well-resourced local primary healthcare system in small rural communities.

LESSONS LEARNED
Given the potential negative consequences for both health professionals and rural Australians, the authors caution against the increasing use of FIFO and DIDO services, without the concurrent development of well-resourced, funded and staffed primary healthcare services in rural and remote communities.


Many legume species provide excellent quality forage, although the extent to which non-cultivated species are able to fix N symbiotically is generally unknown. In this report 91 accessions of legumes from the genera Astragalus, Onobrychis, Lupinus, Hedysarum, and Oxytropis were tested for their ability to nodulate and fix N effectively. All accessions were obtained from the USDA Western Regional Plant Introduction Station at Pullman, Wash. Accessions were first screened by evaluating them in small plastic growth tubes. Eighty-two accessions were nodulated by at least one Rhizobium strain and 53% of the accessions tested were judged to be effectively nodulated based on yield. All accessions that were identified as effective were then gown in Leonard jars and inoculated with single strains of rhizobia. Dry matter yield and nitrogen content were determined for all entries. Twenty-seven accessions whicb were tested in Leonard jars were considered to have potential as effective Nrfixing forage legumes based on comparison with N-fertilized controls. The highest yielding entries were several A. cicer L. (cicer milkvetch) accessions and a single accession of H. coronarium L. (sulla). This survey has identified a number of accessions of each genus that may have potential for use in forage legume breeding programs.


In this paper, we investigate the outage performance of "partner cooperation" based on opportunistic Decode-and-Forward with constrained partial selection and reactive relaying strategies in dual-hop cooperative Nakagami-m fading links. The source/destination, which is based on the unique knowledge of local channel state information, selects the best relay to increase the chances of cooperation in both uplink and downlink communications when the direct link is also available. After deriving new expressions for the cumulative distribution functions of the variables of interest, the outage probability of the system is obtained in closed-form. We also derive the ε-outage capacity in different particular cases, and the obtained results-when the channel model is reduced to a Rayleigh fading-either are new or correspond to those previously obtained in other works. Simulation results confirm the accuracy of our analysis for a large selection of system and fading parameters and provide a new insight into the design and optimization of cooperative configurations.


Nine hundred and ninety two eyes suffering from various degrees of myopia in 536 youngsters were treated with acupuncture. A method of exciting propagated sensation along meridians (PSM) and making it travel toward the affected region was employed in treatment. Bilateral Hegu (LI4) and Taichong (LR3); and bilateral Waiguan (ST5) and Guangming (GB37) were punctured on alternate days. The results showed that after 1-3 periods of treatment, the vision of 868 eyes (87.5%) were improved in various extent. Among them, the vision completely recovered in 131 eyes (13.31%), and the diopter decreased-0.75 to -1.00 D.S. in 13 eyes after acupuncture treatment. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture seemed to be considerably satisfactory and stable in two years following up. The extent of distinctness of PSM raised markedly with the increase of times of acupuncture. There was a close relation between the extent of distinctness of PSM and effectiveness of acupuncture. The more striking the centripetal PSM, the better was therapeutic effect of acupuncture. The excellent effect was always achieved when PSM arrived at the affected eye. Since PSM arrived at a large number of eyes in the subjects in younger year and so the better therapeutic effect was also achieved.


The aim of the study was to investigate whether alexithymia and emotional awareness could be improved by psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment. The role of alexithymia and emotional awareness in predicting the treatment outcome was investigated. 48 psychosomatically ill patients completed German versions of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), the Global Assessment Scale of Function (GAF) and the "Beeinträchtigungs-Schwere-Score" (BSS) to assess the severity of patient psychological impairment. Psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment was associated with a decrease in alexithymia as measured by TAS-20. The expected improvement of emotional awareness failed to be statistically significant. This may be due to the smaller retest reliability of the LEAS. High scores in emotional awareness before therapy as measured by LEAS emerged as a predictor of successful psychotherapy with respect to GAF.


The peridotitic xenoliths hosted by the Paleogenic lavas of the Veneto Volcanic Province (Southern Alps, Italy) are mainly constituted by spinel-bearing lherzolites, with subordinate harzburgites. All the xenoliths show protogranular textures represented by well-equilibrated assemblage of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel. Superimposed pyrometamorphic textures are widespread, with the development of secondary phases in reaction relationships with primary paragenesis:
Type A texture is characterised by reaction areas around orthopyroxene (in contact with spinel), generating a secondary assemblage made up of small crystals of olivine, clinopyroxene, feldspar, spinel and glass in decreasing order of abundance.
Type B1 and B2 textures are similar to the previous one, but comparatively greater glass abundance within the secondary phases is observed. In B1 glass is usually black or dark brown in colour with skeletal feldspar often associated with it. In B2 glass is pale brown, with subeuhedral crystals of olivine, spinel, feldspar and clinopyroxene as reaction products.
Type C texture is constituted by spongy clinopyroxene, sometimes replaced by secondary assemblages of clinopyroxenes and glass.
In-situ analysis (EMP and SIMS) of the phases in the different textural domains allowed to constrain the metasomatic processes evidenced by the pyrometamorphic textures. Secondary olivines show a marked enrichment in FeO and CaO with respect to primary olivines. Primary clinopyroxenes are compositionally homogeneous from core to rim and show restricted ranges of Al2O3 (6.17-8.09 wt% in lherzolites; 4.00-6.56 wt% in harzburgites) Na2O (1.16-1.86 wt% in lherzolites; 0.67-1.37 wt% in harzburgites) and TiO2 (0.36-0.58 wt% in lherzolites; 0.05-0.62 wt% in harzburgites) contents. The primary clinopyroxenes in lherzolites are unzoned with LREE depleted patterns ((La/Yb)N= 0.014-0.025), whereas they are slightly zoned and enriched in LREE ((La/Yb)N=0.64-3.99) in harzburgites. Secondary clinopyroxenes show a restricted range of variation in major elements compositions with lower amounts of Al2O3 and Na2O with respect to the primary clinopyroxenes. However, the clinopyroxenes recrystallized from pre-existent clinopyroxenes (type C texture) show more marked enrichment in FeO and TiO2 with respect to the clinopyroxenes grown at the expense of orthopyroxenes (type A and B textures). Both clinopyroxenes show typical LREE-enriched patterns ((La/Yb)N=3.36-5.38). Spongy clinopyroxenes (type C texture) are characterised by a wide range of compositional variation and always appear markedly zoned from core to rim. Their major element compositions encompass the entire compositional range of primary and secondary clinopyroxenes. The inner portions of the crystals do not appear to be involved in any reaction and have LREE depleted patterns ((La/Yb)N=0.01-0.08) similar to those of primary crystals, whereas the marginal and more "spongy" portions show generally LREE enriched patterns ((La/Yb)N=0.27-1.97).
Spinels show a typical inverse correlation between Cr# (Cr/(Cr+Al)*100) and Mg# (Mg/(Mg+Fe)*100) values, the secondary spinels having the higher Cr# values and lower Mg# values.
Feldspars range from andesine to K-oligoclase, anorthoclase and Na-sanidine, very similar to those reported in the xenoliths of Lake Bajkal (Ionov et al., 1995) and the Ytong region (Xu et al., 1996).
Glasses are tipically silica- (55.9-61.52 wt%), alkali- (8.38-16 wt%) and Al2O3-rich (20.49-23.65 wt%) with low MgO (0.17-1.36 wt%), CaO (0.37-2.06 wt%), FeO (0.77- 2.24 wt%) and TiO2 (0.89-1.91 wt%) contents, and relatively constant Na2O/K2O ratios (between 1 and 2). They are moderately enriched in LREE ((La/Yb)N =24-40) and do not show any Zr or Ti negative anomalies.
A multistage evolution model can be invoked to explain the complex textural and chemical features shown by these xenoliths. The LREE depleted patterns in primary clinopyroxenes of lherzolites suggest that the initial process was a partial melting that can be modelled using the equation of non-modal fractional melting proposed by Johnson et al. (1990). The calculation results give a degree of melting variable from 3% to 5% for lherzolites and around 26% for harzburgites. Successively the depleted mantle was enriched by interaction with a metasomatic agent, responsible for the development of the pyrometamorphic textures, whose nature was defined using major and trace elements mass-balance calculation model. The best fit was obtained using a nephelinite erupted in the Veneto Volcanic Province or a lamprophyre of Calceranica (Southern Alps; Galassi et al. 1994) as hypothetical metasomatic agents.
In order to tentatively constrain the timing of metasomatic event, the inward diffusion model of Griffin et al. (1989), using the linear equation of Crank (1975) and assuming a solid-solid diffusion coefficient (Ds) of 10-15 for the REE (Sneeringer et al. 1984), was applied. Taking into account size and enrichment profile of spongy and secondary clinopyroxenes, it may be put forward that the most recent metasomatic processes occurred shortly (3,000-79,000 y) before the xenoliths were entrapped by the host magmas.


The formulation of the process of any analog system design has been done on the basis of the control theory application. Different kinds of system design strategies have been evaluated from the operations number. The problem of the minimal-time design algorithm construction is defined as the problem of functional minimization of the optimal control theory. This approach generalizes the design problem and generates an infinite number of the different design strategies inside the same optimization procedure. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methodology and prove the non-optimality of the traditional design strategy.


The consistent histories reformulation of quantum mechanics was developed by Robert Griffiths, given a formal logical systematization by Roland Omn\`{e}s, and under the label `decoherent histories', was independently developed by Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle and extended to quantum cosmology. Criticisms of CH involve issues of meaning, truth, objectivity, and coherence, a mixture of philosophy and physics. We will briefly consider the original formulation of CH and some basic objections. The reply to these objections, like the objections themselves, involves a mixture of physics and philosophy. These replies support an evaluation of the CH formulation as a replacement for the measurement, or orthodox, interpretation.


Solid dispersions have achieved significant interest as an effective means of enhancing the dissolution rate and thus the bioavailability of a range of weakly water-soluble drugs. Solid dispersions of weakly water-soluble drugs with water-soluble carriers have lowered the frequency of these problems and improved dissolution. Solid dispersion is a solubilization technology em-phasizing mainly on, drug-polymer two-component systems in which drug dispersion and its stabilization is the key to formulation development. Therefore, this technology is recognized as an exceptionally useful means of improving the dissolution properties of poorly water-soluble drugs and in the latest years, a big deal of understanding has been accumulated about solid dispersion, however, their commercial application is limited. In this review article, emphasis is placed on solubility, BCS classification, and carriers. Moreover, this article presents the diverse preparation techniques for solid dispersion and gathers some of the recent technological transfers. The different types of solid dispersions based on the carrier used and molecular arrangement were underlined. Additionally, it summarizes the mechanisms, the methods of preparing solid dispersions, and the marketed drugs that are available using solid dispersion approaches.


The resistive index (RI) is an indirect measurement of arterial resistance by means of a ratio between the peak systolic and end diastolic velocities recorded with a spectral Doppler device, especially used to evaluate the vascular damage in ocular diseases such as glaucoma. Some ocular variables such as the intraocular pressure (IOP), the choroidal thickness, the axial length and the ocular blood flow may be influenced by physical exercise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the exercise on the RI of the medial long posterior ciliary artery in dogs, and correlate the data obtained with the IOP values. Ten clinically healthy dogs were subjected to moderate physical exercise on a canine motorised treadmill at different speeds for 45 minutes. A colour Doppler examination was performed and the RI values were calculated for the medial long posterior ciliary artery at rest, immediately after the exercise, and after 60 minutes at the end of the exercise. At the same times, the IOP was recorded by applanation tonometry. The data were analysed by a two-way repeated ANOVA measurement in order to compare the RI and the IOP. Wilcoxon's test was applied for the post hoc comparison. Spearman's rank correlation for non-normal distribution was used to determine a relationship between the RI and the IOP. The at rest RI was 0.722 +/–0.022, IOP 12.38 +/3.21 mm Hg. A significant decrease in the RI was observed immediately after the exercise (0.697 +/–0.035) and during the passive recovery phase (0.682 +/–0.042). A significant decrease in the IOP (11+/3.39 mmHg) was recorded after 60 min of the passive recovery phase; at the end of the exercise, a slight decrease (12.29+/4.26 mm Hg) mm Hg was detected. During the test, a linear correlation between the RI and the IOP was observed. Our results suggest that exercise induces the modification of the ophthalmic blood flow in dogs, presumably related to the compensatory neuro-hormonal mechanisms.


Abstract Subtropical regions have clay-rich, weathered soils, and long dry periods followed by intense rainfall that produces large fluctuations in soil water content (SWC) and hydrological behavior. This complicates predictions of spatio-temporal dynamics, as datasets are typically collected at too coarse resolution and observations often represent a duration that is too short to capture temporal stability. The aim of the present study was to gain further insights into the role of temporal sampling scale on the observed temporal stability features of SWC order to aid the design of optimal SWC sampling strategies. This focused on both sampling frequency and total monitoring duration, as previous analyses have not considered both of these sampling aspects simultaneously. We collected relatively high resolution data of SWC (fortnightly over 3.5 years) for various soil depths and under contrasting crops (peanuts and citrus) at the red soil region of southeast China. The dataset was split into a three-year training period and a six-month evaluation period. Altogether 13 sampling frequencies (intervals ranging from 15 to 240 days) and eight monitoring duration periods (between three and 36 months) were derived from the training period to identify temporal stability features and the most time stable location (MTSL). The prediction accuracies of these MTSLs were tested using the independent evaluation data. Results showed that vegetation type did affect the spatio-temporal patterns of SWC, whereby the citrus site exhibited a stronger temporal variation and weaker temporal stability than the peanut site. However, the effects of both sampling frequency and observation duration were more pronounced, irrespective of the role of vegetation type or soil depth. With increasing sampling interval or decreasing monitoring duration, temporal stability of SWC was generally overestimated; by less than 10% when sampling interval increased from every 15 to 240 days and by up to 40% with duration decreasing from 36 to 3 months. Our results suggest that sampling strategies and trade-offs between sampling interval and duration should focus on capturing the main variability in hydro-climatological conditions. For subtropical conditions, we found that sampling once every 45 days over 24 months to be the minimum sampling strategy to ensure errors in SWC temporal stability of less than 10%.


We are reporting for the first time the synthesis of cadmium nanoparticles assisted by cow urine. These NPs exhibit excellent antimicrobial activity against test micro-organism such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Also the synthesized nanoparticles show synergetic effectiveness with common broad spectrum antibiotic tetracycline. X-ray diffraction pattern of reaction product confirmed the formation of cadmium nanoparticles.


Centrifugal pumps (CPs) fail due to anomalies in fluid flow patterns and/or due to failure of mechanical subsystems in them. In this work, a technique built on the multiclass support vector machine (MSVM) is developed to identify multiple faults in the CP. In addition, the complex problem of fault combinations and their classification is dealt with in this work. The combination of features from motor line current sensors and accelerometers is used to train the algorithm. To take into account the transient as well as harmonic components of fault signatures, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis is used. Thereafter, the most important information from the CWT coefficients is selected using the two proposed novel methods CWT-based on energy (BE)-MSVM and CWT-principal component analysis (PCA)-MSVM, which are BE as well as PCA, respectively. It is experimentally observed that faults in the CPs have a very strong association with its operating speed. Thus, in order to make the CP versatile in operation, it is important that the fault diagnosis methodology is also efficient at large speed range of CP operation. This work attempts to develop a fault classification methodology, which is independent of the CP operating speed.


Abstract In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools across the United States to close their buildings and educational professionals transitioned to working from home. This paper explores how K-12 principals leading schools serving high numbers of students from racially and socioeconomically minoritized backgrounds made sense of and responded to the pandemic. In particular, we examined how principals made decisions in the immediate aftermath of the school closures to best support their students and school communities during the transition to remote/virtual learning. Guided by sensemaking theory, findings indicate that principals understood the broad, societal effects of the pandemic on their students, beyond the impact of school closures. Findings also show that principals needed to navigate and make sense of policies and guidelines created by top officials and other influential external stakeholders while also engaging in sensegiving with their teachers. Finally, findings reveal that principals implemented changes and create new organizational routines in order to support their students, especially for students receiving special education services. We close with directions for future research as well as implications for understanding the impact of COVID-19 on school leadership and organizational culture.


This paper presents a brief history of post Second World War urban development in the United States as a background example with the objective of defining ways and exploring models for the re-introduction of nature into postindustrialized urban structures. Through observation and case studies, the authors discuss current applications of nature in urban settings. Drawing on theoretical constructs, a review of urban theories, architectural proposals, bio-inspired approaches, the framework of sustainability, personal projects and observation, an understanding of different stages of repurposed post-industrial environments is reached. A definition of this approach to urban re-development will provide a foundation for future applications.


To the Editor.— It is said to be difficult to initiate and maintain longitudinal and programmatic investigations. That may be true, although in modern times it is possible to obtain funding for long-term studies of disorders that did not exist before 1980 ( DSM-III ), 1 and that may not exist after 1993 ( DSM-IV ). Clearly, some progress is being made. How difficult it is to terminate longitudinal and programmatic research is seldom mentioned. Such a study can take on an identity of its own, hanging like an albatross around the neck of its aging investigator and occasionally depositing its by-products in the form of book chapters and meeting abstracts. Over time, investigations can become older than vampires, and investigators may begin to look for the scientific equivalent of a wooden stake. Unfortunately, at just that point, an eager postdoctoral fellow, a non-$ tenured collaborator, or an impe nious administrator will


Mangrove trees of the salt secreting Avicennia germinans and the non-secreting Rhizophora mangle were investigated at the northern coast of Venezuela at a low salinity site (127 mmol kg−1) and two hypersaline sites (1600–1800 mmol kg−1). Leaf sap osmolality and mass/ area ratio of both species were positively correlated, while size was negatively correlated with soil salinity. Leaf sap osmolality was always higher in Avicennia and exceeded soil solution osmolality. Salinity increased the concentration of 1D-1-O-methyl-muco-inositol (OMMI) in Rhizophora and glycinebetaine in Avicennia. The latter could make up to 21% of total leaf nitrogen (N). Nitrogen concentration was higher in Avicennia, but subtracting the N bound in glycinebetaine eliminated interspecific differences. Photosynthetic rates were higher in Avicennia, and they decreased with salinity in both species. Leaf conductance (gl) and light saturated photosynthesis (Asat) were highly correlated, but reduction of gl at the hypersaline sites was more pronounced than Asat increasing water use efficiency in both species. Lower values of 13C discrimination at the hypersaline sites evidenced higher long-term water use efficiency. Apparent quantum yield and carboxylation efficiency decreased with salinity in both species. Rhizophora was more sensitive to high salinity than Avicennia, suggesting that glycinebetaine is a better osmoprotectant than OMMI.


Ewing sarcoma is characterized by a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation that generates the EWSR1-FLI1 chimeric transcription factor. The transcriptional targets of EWSR1-FLI1 that are essential for tumorigenicity are incompletely defined. ABSTRACT Ewing sarcoma is characterized by a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation that generates the EWSR1-FLI1 chimeric transcription factor. The transcriptional targets of EWSR1-FLI1 that are essential for tumorigenicity are incompletely defined. Here, we found that EWSR1-FLI1 modulates the expression of cancer/testis (CT) antigen genes, whose expression is biased to the testes but is also activated in cancer. Among these CT antigens, fetal and adult testis expressed 1 (FATE1) is most robustly induced. EWSR1-FLI1 associates with the GGAA repeats in the proximal promoter of FATE1, which exhibits accessible chromatin exclusively in mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) and Ewing sarcoma cells. Expression of EWSR1-FLI1 in non-Ewing sarcoma cells and in MPCs enhances FATE1 mRNA and protein expression. Conversely, depletion of EWSR1-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma cells leads to a loss of FATE1 expression. Importantly, we found that FATE1 is required for survival and anchorage-independent growth in Ewing sarcoma cells via attenuating the accumulation of BNIP3L, a BH3-only protein that is toxic when stabilized. This action appears to be mediated by the E3 ligase RNF183. We propose that engaging FATE1 function can permit the bypass of cell death mechanisms that would otherwise inhibit tumor progression.


We review our preparation and production of a mock trial designed to give students experience as expert witnesses in forensic linguistics. As part of a senior seminar in Spanish linguistics, students made all pre-trial preparations and presented testimony for a real-world case related to the meaning of the Spanishlanguage nickname negrito. The trial took place in the Model Courtroom of The National Judicial College on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. The courtroom setting included judge, counsel for the plaintiff and defense, bailiff, a court-certified Spanish-English interpreter, eight student expert-witnesses, and numerous student and faculty observers. This paper is structured to present four aspects of the trial: the instant case; pretrial preparation of all linguistic issues; testimony presented; and student perspectives on the experience of testifying and subsequently presenting this project at a linguistics conference.


Background/aims: The use of adaptive designs has been increasing in randomized clinical trials. Sample size re-estimation is a type of adaptation in which nuisance parameters are estimated at an interim point in the trial and the sample size re-computed based on these estimates. The Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes study was a randomized clinical trial assessing the impact of single- versus dual-antiplatelet therapy and control of systolic blood pressure to a higher (130–149 mmHg) versus lower (<130 mmHg) target on recurrent stroke risk in a two-by-two factorial design. A sample size re-estimation was performed during the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes study resulting in an increase from the planned sample size of 2500–3020, and we sought to determine the impact of the sample size re-estimation on the study results. Methods: We assessed the results of the primary efficacy and safety analyses with the full 3020 patients and compared them to the results that would have been observed had randomization ended with 2500 patients. The primary efficacy outcome considered was recurrent stroke, and the primary safety outcomes were major bleeds and death. We computed incidence rates for the efficacy and safety outcomes and used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the hazard ratios for each of the two treatment interventions (i.e. the antiplatelet and blood pressure interventions). Results: In the antiplatelet intervention, the hazard ratio was not materially modified by increasing the sample size, nor did the conclusions regarding the efficacy of mono versus dual-therapy change: there was no difference in the effect of dual- versus monotherapy on the risk of recurrent stroke hazard ratios (n = 3020 HR (95% confidence interval): 0.92 (0.72, 1.2), p = 0.48; n = 2500 HR (95% confidence interval): 1.0 (0.78, 1.3), p = 0.85). With respect to the blood pressure intervention, increasing the sample size resulted in less certainty in the results, as the hazard ratio for higher versus lower systolic blood pressure target approached, but did not achieve, statistical significance with the larger sample (n = 3020 HR (95% confidence interval): 0.81 (0.63, 1.0), p = 0.089; n = 2500 HR (95% confidence interval): 0.89 (0.68, 1.17), p = 0.40). The results from the safety analyses were similar to 3020 and 2500 patients for both study interventions. Other trial-related factors, such as contracts, finances, and study management, were impacted as well. Conclusion: Adaptive designs can have benefits in randomized clinical trials, but do not always result in significant findings. The impact of adaptive designs should be measured in terms of both trial results, as well as practical issues related to trial management. More post hoc analyses of study adaptations will lead to better understanding of the balance between the benefits and the costs.


We use polarized inelastic neutron scattering to study the temperature and energy dependence of spin space anisotropies in the optimally hole-doped iron pnictide Ba$_{0.67}$K$_{0.33}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($T_{{\rm c}}=38$ K). In the superconducting state, while the high-energy part of the magnetic spectrum is nearly isotropic, the low-energy part displays a pronouced anisotropy, manifested by a $c$-axis polarized resonance. We also observe that the spin anisotropy in superconducting Ba$_{0.67}$K$_{0.33}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ extends to higher energies compared to electron-doped BaFe$_{2-x}TM_{x}$As$_{2}$ ($TM=$Co, Ni) and isovalent-doped BaFe$_{2}$As$_{1.4}$P$_{0.6}$, suggesting a connection between $T_{\rm c}$ and the energy scale of the spin anisotropy. In the normal state, the low-energy spin anisotropy for optimally hole- and electron-doped iron pnictides onset at temperatures similar to the temperatures at which the elastoresistance deviate from Curie-Weiss behavior, pointing to a possible connection between the two phenomena. Our results highlight the relevance of the spin-orbit coupling to the superconductivity of the iron pnictides.


Received: 20/Jul/2008, Accepted: 2/Nov/2008 Objective: In this study, we examined the effect of different doses of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) on CCE mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) viability and proliferation rates in order to improve the outcome of induction processes and make a system with highest viability and proliferation rates for further studies on BMP4 roles in multiple developmental stages. Materials and Methods: Expression of Oct-4 was studied and confirmed in this cell line immunocytochemically. Also, in order to evaluate the proliferation and viability rates in BMP4-treated cells, ESCs were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing different doses of BMP4 (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 5, 25, 50 and 100ng/ml). The mean number of whole cells and living cells were considered as proliferation and survival rates respectively. Data analysis was done with ANOVA test. Results: The results showed that there were significant differences between the mean percent of viability between 1ng/ml and 0 ng/ml (control) and 50 and 100 ng/ml BMP4 (p≤0.01), as well as between 5 ng/ml and 0, 0.01, 0.1, 25, 50 and 100 ng/ml BMP4 (p≤ 0.02). Also, significant differences were observed in proliferation rates between 5 ng/ml and 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 25 and 100 ng/ml BMP4 (p≤0.01), 25 ng/ml and 0.01, 1 and 5 ng/ml BMP4 (p≤0.01), as well as between 50 ng/ml and 0.01 and 0.1 ng/ml BMP4


Groundnuts, one of the most susceptible crops to aflatoxin (AF) contamination, are widely produced and consumed in Zambia. Previous studies have reported high levels of AFs in groundnuts produced in Zambia. However, there has been no study on the levels of AFs in groundnuts sold in different market types. This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the levels of AFs in raw groundnuts sold in Lusaka District's markets as well as identify factors associated with increased AF presence. Raw groundnut samples were collected from open markets and supermarkets in Lusaka District and analyzed for AF presence using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A questionnaire was also administered to the groundnut's venders to investigate factors contributing to increased levels of AFs in groundnuts. Of the 92 groundnut samples, 51 (55.4%; 95% CI: 44.9 ‒ 65.4) tested positive for presence of AF. The overall median and geometric mean  standard deviation (SD) concentration for AF were 0.23 parts per billion (ppb) (range: 0.014 to 48.67 ppb) and 0.43  9.77 ppb, respectively. The presence of AF was almost the same in both types of markets. However, the highest concentration was recorded in a sample collected from a supermarket (48.67 ppb). Despite this, the association between market type and presence of AFs was not statistically significant (Pearson Χ2 = 0.0587, p = 0.809). Of 51 samples that tested positive to AF, 6.5% and 12% were above the maximum permissible limits (MPLs) set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and European Union standards, respectively. There was a significant difference in the levels of AF between Chalimbana and Kadononga (p<0.0001), and also Chalimbana and Makulu red (p<0.0001). Chalimbana was the most at risk of AF contaminations, when compared to other groundnut varieties. The high level of AFs in raw groundnuts from both supermarket and open market samples constitutes a health hazard for the population of Lusaka district. Therefore, intervention strategies that reduce the level of AFs contamination in groundnuts should be given priority.
Keywords: Aflatoxin; Groundnut; Risk factors; Zambia


Background: Bolivia has the highest prevalence of cervical cancer in South America and the prevalence of viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people in urban cities is increasing. Little is known about the prevalence of viral STIs in rural communities, which generally have limited access to health care. In order to study the prevalence of viral STIs in rural Bolivia, we recruited women from villages and towns in the Department of La Paz in Bolivia. Methods: 394 female participants were assessed for IgG-antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV, anti-HBc), as well as for the presence of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in dried blood spots. The prevalence of 12 high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) was assessed by qPCR in dried cervicovaginal cell spots from 376 of these women. χ 2 test was used to compare variables between the populations and binary logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the positivity of the tests. Results: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 was 53% and of HBV 10.3%. HBAg was detected in 15.8% of women with anti-HBV antibodies indicating chronic infection. The frequency of high-risk HPV infection was 27%, with the most prevalent high-risk HPV types being HPV 56, 39 and 31 followed by HPV 16 and 18. Finally, none of the 394 women were seropositive for HIV, and about 64% of the studied population was positive for at least one of the viral infections. Conclusions: Women in Bolivian rural communities in La Paz show a high prevalence of HBV, HPV and, in particular, HSV-2, but a low prevalence of HIV. The pattern of high-risk HPV types differed from e.g. Sweden with a predominance of HPV-types not included in the Gardasil vaccine which was officially introduced in Bolivia in April 2017.


Traditional design tools usually model collaborative work as a process of data access and sharing. In globally distributed environments, however, it becomes important to model the interdisciplinary perspectives that individual contributors bring to the data. We refer to the individuals involved in the design process as stakeholders. Each stakeholder comes to the project with a different perspective: that is, different preferences, environments, and knowledge. An information system that accounts for these social and technical factors would not only manipulate design data, but also facilitate the reconciliation of these design perspectives over the Internet. This article presents a conceptual framework for supporting knowledge integration by modeling stakeholders' design perspectives. We describe the Social-Technical Analysis Research System (STARS), a prototype implementation system that uses advanced networking techniques to support stakeholders' interaction in collaborative design.


Mass-reared sterile tephritid flies released in sterile insect technique (SIT) programmes exhibit behaviour, physiology and longevity that often differ from their wild counterparts. In the present study, video recordings of flies in laboratory cages are used to determine whether the sequential processes of mass-rearing and sterilization (using gamma radiation) that are integral to SIT affect general activity patterns of male and female Queensland fruit flies Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) ('Q-flies'). Compared with wild flies, mass-reared flies exhibit a marked reduction in overall activity, and further reduction is found after sterilization. In terms of the frequency of activities, both fertile and sterile mass-reared Q-flies fly less often and exhibit more bouts of inactivity and grooming than wild Q-flies. In addition, in terms of the duration of activities, fertile and sterile mass-reared Q-flies spend less time flying and more time walking, grooming and being inactive than wild Q-flies. Although fertile and sterile mass-reared flies are similar in other regards, sterile mass-reared flies spend more time being inactive than fertile mass-reared flies. These findings raise new questions about how changes in behaviour and activity levels may influence the performance of mass-reared sterile Q-flies in the field, as well as the physiological and metabolic processes that are involved. The frequency and duration of inactivity could provide a simple but powerful and biologically relevant test for quality in mass-rearing and SIT programs.


ABSTRACT Increasing evidence implicates cohesin in the control of gene expression. Here we report the first analysis of cohesin-dependent gene regulation in fission yeast. Global expression profiling of the mis4-367 cohesin loader mutant identified a small number of upregulated and downregulated genes within subtelomeric domains (SD). These 20- to 40-kb regions between chromosome arm euchromatin and telomere-proximal heterochromatin are characterized by a combination of euchromatin (methylated lysine 4 on histone H3/methylated Tysine 9 on histone H3 [H3K4me]) and heterochromatin (H3K9me) marks. We focused our analysis on the chromosome 1 right SD, which contains several upregulated genes and is bordered on the telomere-distal side by a pair of downregulated genes. We find that the expression changes in the SD also occur in a mutant of the cohesin core component Rad21. Remarkably, mutation of Rad21 results in the depletion of Swi6 binding in the SD. In fact, the Rad21 mutation phenocopied Swi6 loss of function: both mutations led to reduced cohesin binding, reduced H3K9me, and similar gene expression changes in the SD. In particular, expression of the gene pair bordering the SD was dependent both on cohesin and on Swi6. Our data indicate that cohesin participates in the setup of a subtelomeric heterochromatin domain and controls the expression of the genes residing in that domain.


Central to my research are a few questions: are the methods we employ in teaching design history— including curricular structure and pedagogical techniques used inside the classroom- creating a barrier between the course objectives and the students' ability to take anything away from these classes? How do these delivery mechanisms affect the design practitioner's ability to learn history in a way that adds to them developing as critical designers? In the vast range of content in object history, which content establishes the right connective tissue with practice based coursework, which content connects students with social and cultural considerations important to them? Does the way we teach history enable heuristic skills that can be transferred to critical making? Is the sequencing of such courses in curricula effective in promoting knowledge transference between classes, or is coursework siloed?


A 24-year-old white male with no known medical history presented to the hospital with chief complaints of 2 weeks of progressively worsening pain and swelling of his right wrist and left ankle joints. He did not report any fevers, chills, night sweats, weight loss or rash. He was employed as a fireman. He denied alcohol use disorder, smoking cigarettes, or any recreational drugs. Family history was significant for hypertension in father and ovarian cancer in the mother. His vital signs were within normal limits on presentation. On physical examination, the patient had significant swelling of multiple joints including the right wrist, right elbow, and left ankle. The joints were erythematous and tender to touch. Due to severe pain, he had limited range in the involved joints.


Availability of seed and farm production factors, i.e., land and farm labour, formed a single factor that was found to be the most important factor influencing East-Javanese farmers' decision to purchase seed. While such would suggest that the resulting impact of the factor may influence the amount of seed purchased by farmers, seed is often unavailable when it is required. The lack of availability of good quality seed at planting time often means that farmers will be forced to plant whatever seed is available. Consequently, farmers continue the traditional practice of retaining some proportion of their yield for use as seed. Irrespective, farmers normally attempt to purchase seed when the seed they retained from the previous harvest is no longer profitable. However, farmers are unwilling to purchase seed, unless they believe that the seed will substantially generate profit. Since a large volume is needed, seed is usually the costliest single input in potato production. In addition to being costly, seed potatoes are highly variable in quality. Therefore, whenever they want to renew their seed, farmers are actually taking a great risk. With additional risks arising from seasonal variation and ware potato price fluctuation, farmers usually use some risk reduction strategies including purchasing seed from nearby, reputable suppliers or from a recognised growing area.


Energy transfer in erbium doped optical waveguides based on silicon This thesis describes the energy transfer processes
occurring in materials that can be used for the fabrication of silicon compatible optical integrated circuits, operating at 1.54 mm.The thesis consists of three parts: Part I discusses energy transfer in optical waveguide amplifiers on silicon. The waveguide amplifiers use an intra-4f transition of the rare earth ion erbium occurring at 1.54 mm. To achieve significant amplification, high
 Er concentrations (> 10 20 cm -3 ) are required. At these concentrations Er ions can interact, resulting in co-operative
 upconversion, in which one excited Er ion is excited into a higher energy state, while a neighboring Er ion returns to the ground
 state. In Part I this and other gain limiting effects are investigated. In particular, it is shown that the atomic-scale Er distribution
 is of crucial importance for the performance of Er doped waveguide amplifiers. Part II discusses the energy transfer processes
 occurring in Er doped silicon. It is shown that Er in silicon can be excited by electron-hole pair recombination in an
 impurity-Auger effect. This effect may be used to fabricate an electrically pumped Er doped waveguide amplifier. The reverse
 process can also occur: an excited Er ion can de-excite and generate an electron-hole pair in the silicon, due to a non-radiative
 backtransfer process. This process has an efficiency of 70% at room temperature. This observation enables the fabrication of an
 Er doped photo-detector in a Si waveguide operating at 1.54 mm. The performance of such a detector is discussed. Part III
 discusses the interaction between Er and silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO2. Si nanocrystals efficiently absorb visible light,
 resulting in the generation of quantum confined electron-hole pairs. The electron-hole pairs efficiently transfer energy to Er.
 Due to the energy transfer, the effective Er absorption cross section is five orders of magnitude larger than for direct optical
 excitation. Silicon nanocrystals may thus be used to increase the pumping efficiency of an Er doped waveguide amplifier. It is
 shown that a single nanocrystal can excite ~1 Er ion at a time and that an optical gain of 0.6 dB/cm may be achieved in a typical
 nanocrystal sensitized waveguide amplifier. Due to the broad absorption band of Si nanocrystals, a broad band light source can
 be used as pump source in such a nanocrystal sensitized Er doped waveguide amplifier.


Contextual value-added models have been serving as a tool for the development of evaluation systems based on accountability. However, the study of school's contribution after controlling for background characteristics related to the socio-cultural level of students and schools (technically called residuals) can also serve to identify and study the good educational practices of those centers that promote student performance more beyond that expected for their socio-cultural conditions starting. The aim of this article is differentially describe the characteristics of these secondary schools in the state of Baja California (Mexico). For this we have used the information from the instruments that belong to the Estrategia Evaluativa Integral for 2010 and 2011. The results show that schools that promote beyond the expected performance of their students are characterized among students there are higher levels democratic coexistence, sense of belonging, self-reliance and school expectations; likewise, Math teachers give them more support when students have doubts and offer them a richer feedback. Surprisingly, high and low value-add schools do not differ in the type of activities that teachers do with students of low achievement. This article is a good illustration of the many uses that can be given to the contextual value-added models.


Firefighters require accurate and timely information regarding a building and its environment to perform their duty safely and effectively during a fire emergency. However, due to the chaotic nature of building fires, firefighters often receive erroneous, conflicting, or delayed information that can affect the outcome of a hazard. In this paper, we propose a solution in the form of an ontology that defines building and environmental data needed by firefighters during a building fire emergency. The ontology can be a basis for developing intelligent tools and systems that collect building and environmental data from different data sources and provide comprehensive information to firefighters. It can also facilitate the data exchange process between the different personnel involved in emergency response. The ontology was developed by following the METHONTOLOGY method, and it was implemented using the web ontology language (OWL) in Protégé 5.5.0.


Melanoides tuberculata is a well-known invasive, freshwater snail and intermediate host for many species of parasitic trematodes. Despite being well established in Florida's freshwater systems, little work has been conducted to document the associated trematodes of the snails. Live snails were collected from 11 sites from 25 locations sampled across the state of Florida, USA of which individuals from six sites were found to be infected with trematodes. Gross morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using 18S rRNA and ITS2 gene regions, were used to identify these trematode taxa. Snails infected with the gill flukes, Centrocestus formosanus and Haplorchis pumilio (Heterophyidae) were found at two and four sites, respectively. While C. formosanus has been documented in this snail species in Florida, H. pumilio has not been documented in Florida before this study. The eye fluke, Philophthalmus sp. (Philophthalmidae) was found in two sites. This parasite was previously reported in Florida in birds but not in any snail hosts. An unidentifiable species of kidney fluke, Renicolidae sp., and an unidentifiable species of bat fluke, Lecithodendriidae sp., were found in one site each. Both Renicolidae sp. and Lecithodendriidae sp. are new North American records of trematodes infecting M. tuberculata , but whether they are they are of native or invasive origin is unknown. These new records of trematode taxa infecting M. tuberculata in Florida emphasizes the critical need for monitoring of invasive snails and their associated parasites.


To the Editor.— Ferguson Smith 1 did not realize that he had discovered an autosomal-dominant trait when he reported a single case of multiple self-healing squamous carcinomas (MSHSC) in 1934. 2 It is now recognized that both familial and sporadic types of MSHSC exist. Both entities are now included in the designation of multiple Ferguson-Smith keratoacanthomas. The MSHSC are occasionally known for an extremely mutilating course and fatal outcome. The patient initially described by Ferguson Smith was again cited 14 years later for extensive nasal destruction that required a prosthesis. 3 Charteris 4 described a patient with MSHSC who died as a result of an extensive recurrent anal lesion. We report a patient with sporadic MSHSC who experienced extensive recurrent perineural invasion of the right supratrochlear nerve. This observation suggests that perineural invasion by keratoacanthoma should not be regarded as an entirely benign condition. Report of a Case.— A 44-year-old


The in-situ M7C3–TiC carbides reinforced Fe-based hardfacing coating had been produced by prepared high-carbon ferrochromium, ferrotitanium and graphite power on 20g steel through GTAW. The microstructure and hard phases morphology were investigated by means of OP, SEM and XRD. The results showed that the microstructure of hardfacing coating consists of lamellar martensite, TiC particles and M7C3 complex carbides. The TiC particles with flower-like shape and M7C3 complex carbides with hexagonal shape are observed in the coating. The hardfacing coating reinforced by M7C3 –TiC carbides revealed higher wear resistance than that of the substrate due to the presence of a high volume fraction of hard and wear-resistance primary M7C3 carbide uniformly distributed in the fine and strong [M+M7C3+TiC] eutectics matrix.


Glutamine synthesis and utilization were studied in the plantaris muscle after removal of its functional synergists, the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Rat plantaris muscle was compared with unoperated controls at 7, 14, and 30 days after synergist ablation and induction of hypertrophy. Glutamine synthetase activity increased from 6.17 +/- 1.77 to 33.92 +/- 2.23 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1, and glutaminase activities increased from 98.63 +/- 23.05 to 478.70 +/- 64.17 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1 7 days after surgery and remained elevated at 14 and 30 days. Sham-operated controls examined 7 days after surgery did not exhibit significantly increased glutamine synthetase activity. Histological examination revealed a large proliferation of connective tissue cells, as well as cells involved in tissue repair and inflammation; this influx was maximal 1 wk after surgery. The activity of the oxidative enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway increased from 3.08 +/- 4.31 to 20.86 +/- 1.13 nmol.min-1.mg protein-1 1 wk after surgery. The time course of changes in pentose phosphate pathway enzymes was similar to that of the increases in glutamine synthetase, glutaminase, and cellular infiltration. Increases in muscle wet weight followed a different time course than changes in glutamine synthetase, glutaminase, and pentose phosphate pathway activities. It is concluded that the initial increases in plantaris muscle weight are probably due to edema, connective tissue proliferation, and cells involved in tissue repair and inflammation. The increase in glutamine synthetase activity appears to occur in skeletal muscle, whereas the changes in glutaminase and pentose phosphate pathway activities appear to represent infiltrating inflammatory cells. Furthermore, the increase in glutamine synthetase activity may serve to support the infiltrating cells, which appear to lack substantial capacity for glutamine production. These results represent a functional relationship between skeletal muscle glutamine synthesis and utilization by cells mediating inflammation and connective tissue repair and synthesis.


The advent of multicore and many-core architectures saw them being deployed to speed-up computations across several disciplines and application areas. Prominent examples include semi-numerical algorithms such as sorting, graph algorithms, image processing, scientific computations, and the like. In particular, using GPUs for general purpose computations has attracted a lot of attention given that GPUs can deliver more than one TFLOP of computing power at very low prices. In this work, we use a new model of multicore computing called hybrid multicore computing where the computation is performed simultaneously a control device, such as a CPU, and an accelerator such as a GPU. To this end, we use two case studies to explore the algorithmic and analytical issues in hybrid multicore computing. Our case studies involve two different ways of designing hybrid multicore algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is to address the issues related to the design of hybrid solutions. We show our hybrid algorithm for list ranking is faster by 50% compared to the best known implementation [Z. Wei, J. JaJa; IPDPS 2010]. Similarly, our hybrid algorithm for graph connected components is faster by 25% compared to the best known GPU implementation [26].


We consider the problem of configuring generalpurpose solvers to run efficiently on problem instances drawn from an unknown distribution, a problem of major interest in solver autoconfiguration. Following previous work, we focus on designing algorithms that find a configuration with near-optimal expected capped runtime while doing the least amount of work, with the cap chosen in a configuration-specific way so that most instances are solved. In this paper we present a new algorithm, CAPSANDRUNS, which finds a near-optimal configuration while using time that scales (in a problem dependent way) with the optimal expected capped runtime, significantly strengthening previous results which could only guarantee a bound that scaled with the potentially much larger optimal expected uncapped runtime. The new algorithm is simpler and more intuitive than the previous methods: first it estimates the optimal runtime cap for each configuration, then it uses a Bernstein race to find a near optimal configuration given the caps. Experiments verify that our method can significantly outperform its competitors.


This work outlines the use of Lewis acidic boranes in a variety of different reactions, mainly in the activation of unsaturated substrates such as allenes, alkynes, ketones, aldehydes and imines.
The activation of allenes toward frustrated Lewis pairs showed that a formal 1,4-addition product prevails, trapping the product as the zwitterionic s-cis diene species.
Conversely, reacting these same substrates with B(C6F5)3 alone allows two distinct reactive pathways; either σ-activation to yield the scarcely observed 1,2-
carboboration product or π-activation followed by dealkylation to generate the γ-lactone. Following this second activation mode, the reaction between propargyl
esters, amides, carbamates and carbonates with a variety of homo- and hetero-leptic boranes as well as borocations promotes the 5-exo-dig cyclisation which, depending
on the substrate, was either isolated as the oxazolium or dioxaborinine heterocycle.
In addition, utilising the Lewis acid PhBCl2 in this reaction interestingly produces the hitherto unreported 1,3-haloboration of alkynes.
B(C6F5)3 was also shown to be hugely successful in a number of other ring closing reactions, specifically the 6-endo-dig cyclisation of alkynyl ester derivatives to form various pyrones, isocoumarins and pyryliums. Of particular interest is the development of a new methodology for catalytic carbon-carbon bond formation through alkyl group transfer. In this case, benzyl, α-methylbenzyl and benzhydryl functionalised alkynyl esters underwent the expected cyclisation using catalytic B(C6F5)3 to form the lactone however, 1,5-migration occurs from oxygen to carbon to generate the corresponding γ-functionalised pyrones and isocoumarins.
Finally, a diverse array of reduction chemistry was performed by attenuating the Lewis acidity at boron to specialise its function in catalysis. Other work focused on
the exploitation of novel processing technologies to improve conventional batch-type main group reactivity via continuous-flow chemistry. Additionally, biologically inspired dihydropyridines were used in the formation of thermally stable borohydrides as well as elemental hydrogen surrogates in boron mediated transfer hydrogenation pathways


Synergism between amikacin and cefazolin was studied in vitro in 20 strains of Klebsiella isolated from clinical material. Several techniques for the demonstration of synergism in vitro were employed. The checkerboard technique with use of bactericidal end points and the killing curves method showed synergism between amikacin and cefazolin for 13 and 15 strains, respectively. The two techniques were in accordance in 12 instances. The data obtained in vitro were correlated with the bactericidal activity in sera from 10 subjects who had received the usual doses of amikacin and cefazolin, alone or in combination. The sera of subjects who received amikacin plus cefazolin were bactericidal at significantly higher dilutions than sera of patients who received cefazolin alone. The increased serum bactericidal activity in subjects receiving amikacin plus cefazolin was observed only for strains against which these antibiotics were synergistic in vitro.


The absolute velocity-dependent alignment and orientation for S(1D2) atoms from the photodissociation of OCS at 193 nm were measured using the dc slice imaging method. Three main peaks ascribed to specific groups of high rotational levels of CO in the vibrational ground state were found, with rotationally resolved rings in a fourth slow region ascribed to weak signals associated with excited vibrational states of CO. The observed speed-dependent beta and polarization parameters support the interpretation that there are two main dissociation processes: a simultaneous two-surface (A' and A") excitation and the initial single-surface (A') excitation followed by the nonadiabatic crossing to ground state. At 193 nm photodissociation, the nonadiabatic dissociation process is strongly enhanced relative to longer wavelengths. The angle- and speed-dependent S(1D2) density matrix can be constructed including the higher order (K = 3,4) contributions for the circularly polarized dissociation light. This was explicitly done for selected energies and angles. It was found in one case that the density matrix is sensitively affected by the rank 4 terms, suggesting that the higher order contributions should not be overlooked for an accurate picture of the dissociation dynamics in this system.


The onset of "idiopathic" scoliosis is gradual. It goes unnoticed by parent and child alike. The problem is often not detected until the curvature has progressed. Severe scoliosis has serious long-term systemic, cosmetic and psychologic effects. School-based screening programs are very effective in reducing the number of operations required. These programs can be carried out by school nurses, physical education teachers and volunteers who are trained by a knowledgeable physician. Brace treatment is successful when scoliosis is detected only.


The pattern of adoption and disadoption of a new research outcome has considerable impact on the total benefits to the industry from such research. The aims in this paper are to examine the pattern of adoption of individual rice varieties developed in NSW, and to develop an estimate of the expected adoption curve for different types of rice varieties. The analysis indicates that the pattern of adoption and disadoption of rice varieties can be modeled successfully. A framework is developed for estimating the expected adoption and disadoption pattern of a new rice variety at the time of its release. Unfortunately, the data were insufficient to enable credible results to be obtained. As a result, the basis for estimating adoption of new rice varieties remains unresolved and needs more data to be satisfactorily determined.


This paper presents new five-level current-source inverters (CSIs) with voltage/current buck-boost capability, unlike existing five-level CSIs where only voltage-boost operation is supported. The proposed inverters attain self-inductive-current-balancing per switching cycle at their dc front ends without having to include additional balancing hardware or complex control manipulation. The inverters can conveniently be controlled by using the well-established phase-shifted carrier modulation scheme with only two additional linear references and a mapping logic table needed. Existing modulators can therefore be conveniently retrofitted for controlling the presented inverters. By appropriately coordinating the inverter gating signals, their implementations can be realized by using the least number of components without degrading performance. These enhanced features of the inverters have already been verified in simulation and experimentally using a scaled-down laboratory platform.


Under the European Commission's ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP) so-called Large Scale Pilots (LSPs) have been launched to advance cross-border interoperability in key policy areas like eID, eHealth, eProcurement, eJustice or the Services Directive. Member States (MS) collaborated to make their existing services interoperable. The first LSPs started in 2008 and impressive results have meanwhile been achieved. Although being technical projects, key hurdles that had to be overcome wasn't technology, but legal and operational issues, understanding the legacy and administrative cultures in the participating states, or governance of results. This paper will focus on those aspects. Taking the LSP STORK as an example, the experience made on decision making in such complex initiatives is discussed. The paper will discuss what activities preceded the piloting, like the ministerial declaration that expressed the political will, how the LSP was set up to implement it, and how it led to policy initiative like the upcoming Regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS).


[1] Heinrich stadials (HS), thought to be triggered by increased ice discharge in the high-latitude North Atlantic at glacial periods, resulted in large freshwater forcing that weakened the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). These events are strongly expressed in paleoclimate records throughout the Atlantic basin and much of the tropics. Compared to the Last Glacial Maximum, recent proxy data suggest HS were much drier and dustier in large parts of the tropics. We use a global climate model coupled to a prognostic dust model to examine the response of dust to changes in climate during HS. Despite some significant changes in regional precipitation patterns in response to the simulated shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, we find that changes in winds have a larger effect on dust mobilization and deposition patterns than soil moisture or vegetation changes associated with a weaker AMOC. Although Europe was colder and drier during HS, the annual mean glaciogenic dust emission rate is lower because a southward shift in the Northern Hemisphere jet stream leads to weaker winds and less dust mobilization. The proximity of the westerly wind anomaly associated with the jet stream shift increases gustiness and dust mobilization over northwestern Africa and shifts the African Easterly Jet southward resulting in less African dust transport and deposition over the North Tropical Atlantic. Drier conditions over the Sahel region of North Africa, however, do not lead to increased dust mobilization in our model. When we perturb Sahelian soil characteristics, our results are in better agreement with proxies.


Cloud/Grid computing is envisioned to be a predominant computing model of the future. The movement of files between cloud and client is intrinsic to this model. With the creation of ever expanding data sets, the sizes of files have increased dramatically. Consequently, terabyte file transfers are expected to be the "next big" Internet application. This application is different from other Internet applications in that it requires extensive bandwidth, orders of magnitude larger than the bandwidth requirements of existing applications. It is essential to determine whether or not existing network infrastructures can handle the augmented workload that terabyte transfers would create. This is particularly critical for academic campus networks that are already under strain from high user demand. The paper evaluates the system level challenges of incorporating terabyte transfers into an existing campus network. The evaluation finds that large file transfers can be handled by the current campus network without making major changes to the infrastructure. It is vital to employ a system level service that schedules and monitors the terabyte transfers on users' behalf. By removing control from users, the service is able to leverage low demand periods and dynamically repurpose unused bandwidth.


According to the resource-based view of the firm, competitive advantages arise from control and deployment of productive resources that are rare and difficult to imitate. Through early entry, pioneers can gain preferential access to key resources. However, the value of that access depends on the presence of isolating mechanisms that limit or prevent competitive imitation. Isolating mechanisms increase the desirability of early entry by lengthening the time horizon over which the firm can earn Ricardian rents on those resources. To explore these implications of the resource-based view, this study examines the impact of isolating mechanisms on pioneer advantages by analyzing the market entry timing decisions of 209 U.S. and 302 Chinese entrepreneurs. We hypothesize that the stronger intellectual property and legal protections available in the United States are an isolating mechanism that should increase the perceived importance of differentiation and cost advantages in the United States relative to China. Consistent with this argument, we find evidence that the relationships between the number of successful first-mover decisions and (1) perceived pioneer differentiation advantages and (2) perceived cost advantages are relatively stronger in the United States than in China. We also argue that the importance of personal relationships in China constitutes an isolating mechanism that should increase the perceived importance of preemptive pioneer advantages in China relative to the United States. Consistent with this reasoning, we find that the coefficient linking perceptions of pioneer preemptive advantages with the number of successful first-mover decisions is significant in the Chinese sample and not in the U.S. sample, but the difference between these coefficients is not significant. These results provide support for the argument that the availability of strong IP and legal protection encourages early entry decisions by entrepreneurs because these protections enhance the pioneer's ability to build a differentiated position in the minds of target customers and secure a cost advantage over later entrants. The results also support the argument that strong personal connections and the practice of reciprocity play a key role in the success of Chinese entrepreneurs.


In this study, we have identified novel roles for Sox15 and Sox7 as regulators of muscle precursor cell fate in P19 cells. To examine the role of Sox15 and Sox7 during skeletal myogenesis, we isolated populations of P19 cells with either gene stably integrated into the genome, termed P19[Sox15] and P19[Sox7]. Both SOX proteins were sufficient to upregulate the expression of the muscle precursor markers Pax3/7, Meox1, and Foxc1 in aggregated cells. In contrast to the P19[Sox7] cell lines, which subsequently differentiated into skeletal muscle, myogenesis failed to progress past the precursor stage in P19[Sox15] cell lines, shown by the lack of MyoD and myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression. P19[Sox15] clones showed elevated and sustained levels of the inhibitory factors Msx1 and Id1, which may account for the lack of myogenic progression in these cells. Stable expression of a Sox15 dominant‐negative protein resulted in the loss of Pax3/7 and Meox1 transcripts, as well as myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) and MHC expression. These results suggest that Sox15, or genes that are bound by Sox15, are necessary and sufficient for the acquisition of the muscle precursor cell fate. On the other hand, knockdown of endogenous Sox15 caused a decrease in Pax3 and Meox1, but not MRF expression, suggesting that other factors can compensate in the absence of Sox15. Taken together, these results show that both Sox7 and Sox15 are able to induce the early stages of myogenesis, but only Sox7 is sufficient to initiate the formation of fully differentiated skeletal myocytes. STEM CELLS 2009;27:1231–1243


Quantum statistical properties of interacting optical fields in Kerr nonlinear couplers may be regarded as one of the most fundamental problems yet to be solved in quantum optics. As an analytical solution to this system is not always possible, a semi-analytic or direct numerical solution must be employed in order to obtain a more complete description of their evolution. This study investigates the quantum properties of four-mode couplers composed of two and four Kerr nonlinear waveguides, both with and without cavity set up via phase space representation. In these systems, the electromagnetic fields are described by their Hamiltonians, while the time-evolution of the systems are described by the Von-Neumann equation. Following standard techniques, the master equations for the density matrices of the systems are obtained and further converted to the corresponding classical Fokker- Planck equations using both positive P and Wigner representations. The corresponding set of Langevin Stochastic equations is then obtained from the Fokker-Planck equations by means of Ito rules. Finally, the systems are integrated numerically and averaged over many trajectories to get the relevant information. The effects of self-action nonlinearity, cross-action coupling and the initial energy of the coherent light on the evolution of the field quadrature variances are investigated. Furthermore, the influences of multimode interaction on the dynamics of the squeezed states are discussed. In this research, we show that the system may produce squeezed states in both quadrature variances for all calculated parameters. The multimode two channel model can provide better squeezing in contrast to the conventional device. The amplitude oscillation of maximal squeezing may be amplified by manipulation of the initial state of the coherent light in the first mode, and the range may be extended through multimode interaction. When the model is contained in a cavity, the system is able to generate better amplitude oscillations and squeezing range with leaf-revival-collapse-like behaviour; with the whole oscillation able to evolute below the standard quantum limit Regular photon transition and self trapping effects of the interacting modes in the four channels model are simulated, and squeezing is predicted for various initial intensities of the coherent field and nonlinear coupling parameter g. The cavity setup caused the system to undergo fluctuation amplification and the potential for different types of squeezing to be generated is observed. Depending on how we choose the interaction parameter values, the system may generate better squeezing in comparison to the cavity-less model.


Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) may develop following successful chemotherapy for malignancy, even if such therapy is not combined with radiotherapy. Bleomycin, which is known to induce acute pneumonitis and lung fibrosis, is especially associated with chemotherapy-induced PF, and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis can occur more than five years after such therapy. Additionally, supplemental oxygen therapy can trigger the onset of pneumonitis and lethal PF in patients who have previously received bleomycin therapy. Careful assessment of lung function via spiroergometry and arterial blood gas analysis during exercise are required if the administration of supplemental oxygen is considered. Two case reports reveal the potential lethal risk of oxygen for patients who have been treated with bleomycin: (1) a patient with successfully resected and treated basal tongue carcinoma and (2) a patient in remission after being treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Single and double lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option for patients with severe, oxygen-induced PF and should be included as an indication for lung transplantation. Early recognition of pulmonary diffusion abnormalities and establishing a risk profile, as well as consequent monitoring of pulmonary function, may help to avoid or at least reduce the risk of PF induced by oxygen therapy when administered to patients who have previously been given bleomycin.


Diabetes mellitus is not treated immediately can cause ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion. Ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion can lead to lower extremity amputation. Buerger allen exercise can improve ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion with an indicator of increasing the value of the ankle brachial index (ABI). This literature study aims to explore the intervention of Buerger Allen exercise on the ineffectiveness of peripheral tissue perfusion in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study uses a literature review method with 3 databases, namely Proquest, Google Scholar, and PubMed with a total of 6 articles reviewed with the PICOS framework criteria. The criteria for the articles used are those published from 2016 to 2021 amounting to 2,445 articles, then a selection is made based on duplicate titles, PICOS and critical appraisal to 6 articles. The administration of Buerger Allen exercise greatly affects the increase in the value of the ankle brachial index (ABI) as an indicator of the effectiveness of peripheral tissue perfusion in patients with diabetes mellitus. All reviewed articles show the same results. Buerger allen exercise can increase oxygen in the blood vessels so that it can be an alternative therapy that can be given to people with diabetes mellitus to improve ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion.


This study proposes an automatic dorsal hand vein verification system using a novel algorithm called biometric graph matching (BGM). The dorsal hand vein image is segmented using the K-means technique and the region of interest is extracted based on the morphological analysis operators and normalised using adaptive histogram equalisation. Veins are extracted using a maximum curvature algorithm. The locations and vascular connections between crossovers, bifurcations and terminations in a hand vein pattern define a hand vein graph. The matching performance of BGM for hand vein graphs is tested with two cost functions and compared with the matching performance of two standard point patterns matching algorithms, iterative closest point (ICP) and modified Hausdorff distance. Experiments are conducted on two public databases captured using far infrared and near infrared (NIR) cameras. BGM's matching performance is competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms on the databases despite using small and concise templates. For both databases, BGM performed at least as well as ICP. For the small sized graphs from the NIR database, BGM significantly outperformed point pattern matching. The size of the common subgraph of a pair of graphs is the most significant discriminating measure between genuine and imposter comparisons.


Conventional machining is generally preferred in manufacturing metal components with 2½D features and/or 3D silhouettes. With the ever increasing demand for reduced sizes and increased accuracy, however, traditional machine tools have become ineffective for cutting miniature components. A typical example is gear manufacturing. It is known that gears are machined using the gear hobbing process in which the cutter axis and the workpiece axis are required to be synchronized to an accurate constant ratio. According to a market survey, only a few machine tools can make gears with the size of φ1.0 mm. This paper presents our effort in developing a PC-based millimeter scale CNC turning centre with gear hobbing capability to machine miniature gears. In this machine, the synchronization required by the gear hobbing process was achieved directly by controlling the AC servomotors. Experiment results show that the machine is able to machine high quality components with diameter as small as 0.075 mm and hob gears with module as small as 0.09.


Five rare species of glassy-haired Hyaloscyphaceae are treated and illustrated, three of them from their type specimens. Unguiculel/a xylemicola B¢hler is shown to be a synonym of Hyalopeziza pani (Vel.) L. Holm & K. Holm and this species is transferred to the genus Urceolella Boud. on the basis of the chemical characters of the hairs. The type of Urceolella curvipila (Karst.) Raschle is shown to have multiseptate hairs. This feature is coupled with KOH-instability of the solidifying substance. A parallel case is seen in the type of U. appressipila Graddon and it is suggested that hair septation should be accepted in Urceolel/a. A recent collection of Unguicularia raripila Hahne!, which was formerly known only from the type collection, is treated and a new combination is proposed, Hyalopeziza raripi/a (Hahne!) Huhtinen, n. comb. The material studied offers further proof that solid vs. luminal hairs is not a valid generic character in the glassy-haired Hyaloscyphaceae.


Exemplar-Guided Paraphrase Generation (EGPG) aims to generate a target sentence which conforms to the style of the given exemplar while encapsulating the content information of the source sentence. In this paper, we propose a new method with the goal of learning a better representation of the style andthe content. This method is mainly motivated by the recent success of contrastive learning which has demonstrated its power in unsupervised feature extraction tasks. The idea is to design two contrastive losses with respect to the content and the style by considering two problem characteristics during training. One characteristic is that the target sentence shares the same content with the source sentence, and the second characteristic is that the target sentence shares the same style with the exemplar. These two contrastive losses are incorporated into the general encoder-decoder paradigm. Experiments on two datasets, namely QQP-Pos and ParaNMT, demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed constrastive losses.


This paper concerns the economic and environmental challenges confronting California and the potential role for clean energy systems and hydrogen as an energy carrier in helping to address these challenges. Hydrogen in particular has recently gained great attention as part of a set of solutions to a variety of energy and environmental problems — and based on this potential the current high level of interest is understandable. In our view, however, full realization of the benefits that hydrogen can offer will not be possible without a clear strategy for producing hydrogen from clean and sustainable sources and in a cost-effective manner. One of hydrogen's greatest benefits — having a wide range of potential feedstocks for its production — also complicates the issue of how hydrogen use may be expanded and necessitates careful forethought as key technology paths unfold. We must remember that the additional cost and complexity of building a hydrogen infrastructure is only justified if significant benefits to society are in fact likely to accrue. This paper has been written for two primary purposes. First, we argue that the time is ripe for an expanded science and technology initiative in California for clean energy development and greater end-use energy efficiency. This initiative should span transportation systems, electrical power generation, and natural gas and other fuel use, and should place the potential for expanded use of hydrogen within this broader context. Second, we specifically discuss potential concepts and strategies that California might employ as it continues to explore the use of hydrogen in transportation and stationary settings. The authors believe that at this stage the question is not if California should continue with efforts to expand hydrogen use, because these efforts are already underway, but how these efforts should be structured given the level of effort that ultimately emerges through various political and corporate strategy processes. However, we feel that it is critical that these efforts take place in the context of a broader "no regrets" clean energy strategy for California.


Statement of purpose Ridesharing is a novel technology that connects contracted owner-operator drivers with prospective passengers through a mobile application. The worlds largest ridesharing company, Uber, reports it has booked over 2 billion journeys since operations began in 2010. However, the effect on motor vehicle crashes is unclear. Because the lower convenience and financial costs of ridesharing compared to drunk driving could reduce the incidence of alcohol-involved crashes, we hypothesised that alcohol-involved crash rates would be lower in cities with ridesharing. Methods/approach We identified four US cities where Uber launched, ceased, and then resumed operations (Las Vegas, Portland, Reno, and San Antonio). Using crash data from state Departments of Transportation, we constructed two weekly time-series (2013 to 2016) for each city: counts of all injury crashes, and the proportion of injury crashes that were alcohol involved. Using interrupted time series models, we tested Ubers launch, cessation, and resumption as interruptions. Results The majority of changes to Uber operations were unrelated to all injury crashes or alcohol-involved injury crashes, though some interruptions supported our hypotheses. For example, in Portland, the resumption of Uber operations coincided with a 61.8% decrease in alcohol-involved crashes, equating to 3.5 fewer alcohol-involved crashes per week. We did not detect a concomitant change in injury crashes in Portland at that time. Conclusions Ridesharing may reduce alcohol-involved crashes in some cities, but may not affect overall injury crash incidence. Relationships differ between geographic locations and within geographic locations over time, and may depend on specific local characteristics. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people aged 13 to 25, and alcohol-involved crashes account for around one third of all motor vehicle deaths. Ridesharing may be an effective intervention to reduce alcohol-involved crashes in some cities.


This paper outlines the importance of sustainable product developments and their role in securing a sustainable future through current practices and procedures. It discusses the difficulties faced within organisations through the complexities and swamping of regulations when considering sustainability and the problems in policing such a system to ensure compliance. Focus is centred on the design stage, where large numbers of standards and interests must be factored in to create specifications that are highly compliant. Where there is a limited understanding of the complexities that are presented at this stage, less optimum specifications will be dispatched. This presents the need to think strategically with new systems and approaches which adapt to company behaviour, where decisions that are made at a design stage have impacts up and down the supply chain, changes that are made must be in line with company strategic objectives and provide influential returns on investment.


Abstract This paper analyzes a land dispute between local residents and an adjacent national park in Mozambique. The disputed land is a mountain that is ascribed spiritual powers by the local population. The metaphor of the 'landscape of powers' is used to describe the position of various actors involved: the management of the National Park, government, traditional authorities, the spirits, and the local population, the latter being divided between tradition and Christianity. At first sight, the management of the Park seems to have the strongest position and is able to impose its power on the mountain communities. On investigation, however, it becomes clear that the power of tradition pervades all other views of the landscape. Referring to Schoffeleers' writings on 'territorial cults', the paper argues that as a 'modern invader' the management of the Park might be able to take over the political power on the mountain, but spiritual power will remain in the hands of the local 'owners of the land', and that they are able to impose the rules of tradition on external actors. Although people generally argue that the rules of tradition are defined by the ancestral spirits that reside in the area, it is argued here that the local dwellers are able to re-define these traditional rules and revitalize their power when this is judged to be necessary. Tradition then is equally invoked by traditionalists and Christians as a dynamic and powerful mechanism to defend their rights.


Community based tourism (CBT) is seen as an opportunity which mass tourism does not offer for, especially, rural communities to develop their natural and cultural assets into tourism activities for the benefit of the community. The point of CBT is that the community, collectively and individually, gains a livelihood from home-stay activities, tourist guiding, producing crafts from the local environment, offering traditional food and drinks, and generally organising, exploiting and maintaining the natural and cultural environment. Community tourism development includes all the functions of planning, development, marketing and management of the natural and cultural heritage, and requires community decision-making. However, the communities under review face critical challenges which need to be converted into opportunities, including own-control of facilities, security of natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, carrying-capacity of the environment, regulatory frameworks, and skills development. The research took the form of case studies at local villages, of which Noqhekwane is the subject of this article. The study revealed that sufficient natural and cultural attractions exist in Noqhekwane, but that the threats identified to both cultural and physical environments are serious. Keywords: Challenges, community based tourism, opportunities, tourism


In recent decades, religious fundamentalism has played an increasingly significant role in Western and Middle Eastern politics and culture. In this volume, an international group of scholars from fields such as religious studies, sociology, political science, history, and anthropology explore diverse dimensions of religious fundamentalism and relate it to a range of cultural and political issues. Although the focus is on fundamentalism in its Jewish guise, the methodological and comparative emphases make it valuable to specialists in a variety of fields. Among the issues examined are: the characteristics that link fundamentalist movements within various religious traditions; the study of fundamentalist motifs as they appear specifically in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (and whether or not this is a useful approach); the relationship between religion and modernity; the impact of fundamentalism on the Arab-Israeli conflict; and the interaction of modern Jewish fundamentalist movements with traditional Judaism. The book also provides important insights into the emergence of religious fundamentalism as a powerful social and political force in Jewish life, particularly in Israel. Contributing to the volume are: Gerald Cromer (Bar-Ilan Univ.), Menachem Friedman (Bar-Ilan Univ.), Susan Harding (Univ. of California, Santa Cruz), James Davison Hunter (Univ. of Virginia), Aaron Kirschenbaum (Tel Aviv University), Hava Larazus-Yafeh (Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem), Ian Lustick (Univ. of Pennsylvania), Alan Mittleman (Muhlenberg College), James Piscatori (Univ. College of Wales), Elie Rekhess (Tel Aviv Univ.), Laurence J. Silberstein (Lehigh Univ.), and Ehud Sprinzak (Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem).


Deep reinforcement learning provides a promising approach for vision-based control of real-world robots. However, the generalization of such models depends critically on the quantity and variety of data available for training. This data can be difficult to obtain for some types of robotic systems, such as fragile, small-scale quadrotors. Simulated rendering and physics can provide for much larger datasets, but such data is inherently of lower quality: many of the phenomena that make the real-world autonomous flight problem challenging, such as complex physics and air currents, are modeled poorly or not at all, and the systematic differences between simulation and the real world are typically impossible to eliminate. In this work, we investigate how data from both simulation and the real world can be combined in a hybrid deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Our method uses real-world data to learn about the dynamics of the system, and simulated data to learn a generalizable perception system that can enable the robot to avoid collisions using only a monocular camera. We demonstrate our approach on a real-world nano aerial vehicle collision avoidance task, showing that with only an hour of real-world data, the quadrotor can avoid collisions in new environments with various lighting conditions and geometry. Code, instructions for building the aerial vehicles, and videos of the experiments can be found at github.com/gkahn13/GtS


Decreasing hardware reliability makes robust firmware imperative for safety-critical applications. Hence, ensuring correct handling of errors in peripherals is a key objective during firmware design. To adequately support robustness considerations of firmware designers during implementation, an efficient qualitative fault injection method is required. This paper presents a high-speed fault injection technique based on host-compiled firmware simulation that is suitable to analyze the impact of transient faults on firmware behavior. Additionally, fault set reduction by static code analysis avoids unnecessary injection of masked and equivalent faults. Application of the proposed fault injection technique on an industrial safety-relevant automotive system-on-chip (SoC) firmware demonstrates at least three orders of magnitude speedup compared to instruction set level. In addition, a fault set reduction by 78% is achieved. While significantly reducing the required fault injection time, the presented techniques provide as accurate feedback to the designer as existing state-of-the-art approaches.