CPAs are very aware of the rise in global securities fraud and are working hard to combat it. Terrorists and insurgents frequently use fraud to finance their operations and launder their funds. When fraud becomes endemic in a nation, it can produce radical political changes that bring to power leaders who are hostile to market economies and democracy and who often are strongly anti-American. Executives who strip corporations of money for their own use (called "looting control frauds" in criminological circles) use accounting fraud as a weapon of choice to inflate income and net worth. They also use normal corporate mechanisms to convert corporate assets to their own personal benefit before the company collapses. Because of the vigilance of the American accounting profession and tough new regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the problem in the United States may pale in comparison to other comers of the world. Looters are succeeding in various parts of the globe because of several factors. The expansion of privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) over the last two decades has led to a dramatic global upsurge in commercial enterprises, which increases the potential for private-sector looting. The mishandling of privatization creates the incentives for looting. For example, many of the SOEs in the former Soviet Union were noncompetitive and likely to produce long-run losses. The plants were obsolete, environmental disasters. In China, SOEs received subsidies through bank "loans" from other SOEs. Of course, the state banks were insolvent, but they too were implicitly subsidized by the state. By virtually guaranteeing the noncompetitive SOEs would not be permitted to fail, the Communist Party created an incentive for the managers to loot "their" SOEs. Regrettably, these waves of privatization were undertaken without providing regulations strong enough to make an advanced private-sector economy effective. The economists who designed the systems had no experience in fraud prevention and seem to have assumed that the necessary control mechanisms would develop spontaneously Instead, without a rule of law, honest courts, real banks or effective secured transactions, the result too often was endemic fraud. In Latin America, privatization should have been more successful because those nations often had moderately effective institutions. Corruption was rife in the process, which frequently meant government officials sold valuable SOEs to cronies at a fraction of their true market value. Unfortunately, political cronies rarely are selected for business acumen, and many of the privatization efforts failed. As the world has seen, fraud and corruption can endanger our very lives: * A Chechen suicide bomber used a tiny bribe to escape arrest and bypass airport security and thus he was able to bring down an airliner. * The former governor of Illinois recently was convicted of corruption. One part of that scandal involved bribes that led to the fraudulent award of commercial trucking licenses to hundreds of unqualified drivers--and, ultimately, the bribes led to fatal accidents that killed innocent people. * Terrorists willing to pay under-the-table money could very well penetrate our national security. We cannot "win" a decisive battle against fraud. We need to be eternally vigilant against fraud and work cooperatively with other nations. The Institute for Fraud Prevention (IFP) can help build those alliances--and CPAs and lawyers are vital to the effort. CPAs ensure the reliable accounting essential to any well-functioning enterprise; lawyers have taken the lead in helping to create a rule of law in emerging states. The time-tested virtues of independence, professional skepticism and competence have never been so important. We have to take control fraud (that is, fraud perpetrated by management) seriously--that means recording it when we detect it (the Justice Department does not keep statistics on control frauds) and conducting research to learn how to spot it before it causes catastrophic damage. …


A substantial body of theoretical and empirical evidence demonstrates that interregional competition for factors of production leads to convergence of per capita output. Is there an analogous process that leads to convergence of public sector activity? Skidmore, et al (2004) develop a model that is consistent with the macroeconomic growth literature, which predicts convergence in government spending. Based on this framework, we test for convergence in government spending using detailed data from Wisconsin for a variety of municipal government expenditure categories over the 1989/90-1999/2000 period. Our empirical investigation provides compelling evidence of convergence in capita government spending for all the expenditure categories we study. This work adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the existence of underlying dynamic forces that determine growth of government.


Book synopsis: Vitrines and glass cabinets are familiar apparatuses that have in large part defined modern modes of display and visibility, both within and beyond the museum. They separate objects from their contexts, group them with other objects, both similar and dissimilar, and often serve to reinforce their intrinsic or aesthetic values. The vitrine has much in common with the picture frame, the plinth and the gallery, but it has not yet received the kind of detailed art historical and theoretical discussion that has been brought to these other modes of formal display.

The twelve contributions to this volume examine some of the points of origin of the vitrine and the various relations it brokers with sculpture, first in the Wunderkammer and cabinet of curiosities and then in dialog with the development of glazed architecture beginning with Paxton's Crystal Palace (1851). The collection offers close discussions of the role of the vitrine and shop window in the rise of commodity culture and their apposition with Constructivist design in the work of Frederick Kiesler; as well as original readings of the use of vitrines in Surrealism and Fluxus, and in work by Joseph Beuys, Paul Thek, Claes Oldenburg and his collaborators, Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley, Dan Graham, Vito Acconci, Damien Hirst and Josephine Meckseper, among others. Sculpture and the Vitrine also raises key questions about the nature and implications of vitrinous space, including its fronts onto desire and the spectacle; transparency and legibility; and onto ideas and practices associated with the archive: collecting, preserving and ordering.


The pitch rate control of a missile is analyzed by an H/sup /spl infin// controller. The system dynamics governing the aerodynamic stability derivatives and airframe structure vibration is formulated in a generalized state space realization form. This formulation facilitates the /spl gamma/-iteration method in solving the associated Ricatti equation of the 4-block H/sup /spl infin// control problem. It is shown that the H/sup /spl infin// controller, because of its loop shaping capabilities, can provide improved tracking performance and stability robustness compared with H/sub 2/ (linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG)) and classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller in the rigid airframe model. When airframe flexibility effect is considered, the H/sup /spl infin// controller is also shown to be robust under structure natural frequency variations.


BACKGROUND/AIM
In this study we aimed to determine if advanced age represents a risk factor for negative perioperative and long-term outcome in patients undergoing curative surgery ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Two-hundred-twenty-one consecutive patients, twelve (6%) patients ≥80 years were included in the study. We assessed perioperative and long-term outcome and independent predictors for in-hospital mortality with Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS
Advanced age was not a predictor for in-hospital mortality (6.3% in non-octogenarian versus 8.3% in octogenarians; p=0.55) nor for morbidity (31% vs. 32%; p=0.69). An ASA score >II was the only predictor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR)=10.10, 95%CI=1.28-79.60; Hosmer-Lemeshow: p=0.86). No significant difference was observed in one- and five-year survival rates (68 and 58% vs. 16 and 14%; log-rank p=0.61).

CONCLUSION
Advanced age is not a risk factor for negative outcome in curative pancreatic cancer surgery. Therefore, this single curative option should be considered in octogenarians at risk.


This exploratory article describes the growth path of national government expenditure during the last eighty years. It covers the following topics: the long term relation between economic growth and public expenditure; budget policies executed in different macroeconomic contexts; and the evolving institutional frameworks of budget execution


In the present study, computational fluid dynamics techniques are used to investigate numerically the performance of a heat exchanger (shell and helical tube) in order to improve its ability of transferring the heat through its body. The heat exchanger model includes a helical tube, a shell and baffles where the latter are of a cone shaped and distributed in the center and in the shell side. The angle and length of baffles are taken to be varied in the range of 0° to 90° and 10 cm to 35 cm, respectively. The major findings of the thermal analyses show that due to the baffles shape of the shell, the fluid moves inside the domain, with continuous baffles, and varies significantly, which is resulted in a significant increase in the heat transfer coefficient in the heat exchanger. The maximum amount of the transferred heat was obtained at the angle of 80° and length of 30 cm of the baffle.


The objective of this study was to analyse Swedish child sexual abuse cases from 1989 to 2004 characterised by the following: (1) conviction in first trial in a court of appeal; (2) the Supreme Court later accepted a petition for a new trial; and (3) acquittal in second trial in the same court of appeal (with new judges). The study was conducted to determine what criteria were used for evaluating psychological child-related information and how they were applied. Eight argument themes were identified in the reasoning of the courts: (1) ability to perceive, remember, and communicate about experiences in a reliable way; (2) influence before first forensic interview; (3) influence during forensic interview/s; (4) motives for disclosing/retracting; (5) statement characteristics; (6) disclosure process; (7) behaviour and/or emotions related to investigations/interviews; and (8) psychological symptoms. The arguing of the courts was classified as belonging to one of three categories for each argument theme: (1) supporting/challenging the allegations; (2) opposing a conceivably supportive/challenging argument; and (3) indifferent. In six of the nine cases, arguments belonging to the same theme were presented in both court proceedings. Diametrically opposite conclusions were reached in 15 of 20 of these examples and same conclusion in one case. The evaluation method/s seemingly underlying the child psychological arguments of the courts may have a low reliability.


Abstract. This paper provides the first chronology for the deep ice core from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) over the Holocene and the late last glacial period. We rely mainly on volcanic events and common peak patterns recorded by dielectric profiling (DEP) and electrical conductivity measurement (ECM) for the synchronization between the EGRIP, North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) and North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) ice cores in Greenland. We transfer the annual-layer-counted Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) from the NGRIP core to the EGRIP ice core by means of 381 match points, typically spaced less than 50 years apart. The NEEM ice core has previously been dated in a similar way and is only included to support the match-point identification. We name our EGRIP timescale GICC05-EGRIP-1. Over the uppermost 1383.84 m, we establish a depth–age relationship dating back to 14 967 years b2k (years before the year 2000 CE). Tephra horizons provide an independent validation of our match points. In addition, we compare the ratio of the annual layer thickness between ice cores in between the match points to assess our results in view of the different ice-flow patterns and accumulation regimes of the different periods and geographical regions. For the next years, this initial timescale will be the basis for climatic reconstructions from EGRIP high-resolution proxy data sets, e.g. stable water isotopes, chemical impurity or dust records.


Two homologues of mitogen-activated protein kinases have been identified in Dictyostelium discoideum (ERK1 and EKR2). We here demonstrate transient tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK2 in response to the chemoattractants cAMP and folic acid that correlates with activity. To investigate the signalling pathways, we studied the response in strains with altered cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) status. The degree of cAMP-induced ERK2 tyrosine phosphorylation was increased in cells overexpressing PKA activity but no such increase was observed in the response to folic acid. Our observations suggest that cAMP-induced ERK2 tyrosine phosphorylation is positively modulated by a PKA-regulated step which is not involved in the response to folic acid, suggesting the presence of diverse signalling pathways leading to ERK2 activation.


The average cost of housing a single inmate in the United States is roughly $31,286 per year, bringing the total average cost states spend on corrections to more than $50 billion per year. Statistics show 1 in every 34 adults in the United States is under some form of correctional supervision; and after 3 years, more than 4 in 10 prisoners return to custody. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability of opportunities for horticultural community service and whether there were differences in incidences of recurrences of offenses/recidivism of offenders completing community service in horticultural vs. nonhorticultural settings. Data were collected through obtaining offender profile probation revocation reports, agency records, and community service supervision reports for one county in Texas. The sample included both violent and nonviolent and misdemeanor and felony offenders. Offenders who completed their community service in horticultural or nonhorticultural outdoor environments showed lower rates of recidivism compared with offenders who completed their community service in nonhorticultural indoor environments and those who had no community service. Demographic comparisons found no difference in incidence of recidivism in comparisons of offenders based on gender, age, and the environment in which community service was served. In addition, no difference was shown in incidence of recidivism in comparisons based on offenders with misdemeanor vs. felony charges. The results and information gathered support the continued notion that horticultural activities can play an important role in influencing an offender's successful reentry into society.


In this paper, we identify the main factors that drive differences between ex ante and ex post cost estimates. The paper reviews evidence from peer-reviewed studies of the realized costs of 13 significant EPA regulations to develop lessons for the design of future ex ante and ex post analyses of rules. Most of the retrospective studies address realized compliance strategies, though some also offer insights into specific elements of per-unit compliance costs. Only a few shed light on the total cost of the regulation studied. All the studies have data limitations, but in general, more insight was obtained when detailed facility-level data (e.g., power plants) were available. In spite of data and methodological limitations, as well as the narrow focus of some studies, we identify several common sources of differences between ex ante and ex post estimates. For example, these studies reveal that firms adopted substantially different compliance strategies than anticipated in ex ante analysis for nearly 70 percent of the regulations. Other key drivers of differences include reliance on engineering models, misspecification of the baseline, and failure to anticipate the role of new technologies. To improve future ex ante cost analysis, we recommend better characterization of baseline conditions, sensitivity analysis of highly uncertain parameters, greater use of economic models of the regulated sector to better reflect firm decisionmaking, and analysis of phase-in periods. For ex post analyses, we recommend developing plans for future study at the time the regulation is adopted. Aside from opportunistic cases, it will be difficult to conduct thorough retrospective evaluations without a plan in place ex ante that identifies endpoints of interest, methods of analysis, and data needs.


The paper presents a novel approach for a gradient-less free-form optimization of engineering problems. The main feature of the approach is that it enables optimization of the engineering problems without calculation of an adjoint problem. This provides a fast and robust optimization of 3-D problems in practical engineering. In this paper we present the basic idea behind this technique followed by the example of the indirect optimization of the TEAM benchmark problem No. 25.


The effects of two planting methods (20 cm cutting planted
horizontally and 60 cm cuttings planted vertically) and plant populations ranging from 5,000 to 40,000 plants per hectare on the performance of two cassava varieties were investigated. The relationships
of yield and yield components with plant populations were
examined by fitting linear and quadratic regression equations to each planting method and variety.
Results of the experiment show that in both varieties, the
horizontal planting yielded significantly better than vertical planting in terms of root and starch yields. The increase in root yield wit
variety MVen 119 was due to both increase in total root number and
harvest index. In variety MCol 673 the increase in root yield was
attributed mainly to increase in harvest index and decrease in shoot
number. Variety MVen 119 out yielded MCol 673 in terms of root yield
but the difference in starch yields between the two varieties was not
evident. However, variety MCol 673 is favoured because of its higher
starch content.
The yield response of the treatments to plant population showed
that root yield declined with in creasing plant population and that the
yield was highest for the lowest population tested in the study. Yield reduction at high plant populations was generally attributed to the
production of excessive shoots as well as to the decrease in mean root
weight and mean root length.
Root number was enhanced by planting horizontally and it also
showed an increasing trend with plant population which had been as-certained to be quadratic.


Background: There is a narrow therapeutic range for thrombolysis in stroke. "Time is Brain" emphasizes the concept that nervous tissue is rapidly lost as stroke progresses. Research suggests 1.9 million neurons are lost each minute of untreated stroke. Urgency to treat led to the practice of estimating weight on arrival. Unfortunately, expediency of weight estimation can result in over or under dosing. After a devastating adverse outcome related to misdose of tPA based on estimated weight, SBUH implemented a protocol that ensures actual weight measurement before administration of thrombolytics without delaying time to treatment.

Process: Our state accredited stroke program is recognized with the AHA Gold Plus Award. Door to needle time for tPA was below 60 minutes. Estimated weight dosing was standard as supported in the NINDS t-PA stroke study as not having negative impact on outcome. At SBUH in 2013 a patient had estimated weight entered of 90 kg. A CT Scan was performed within 9 minutes and tPA dose of 81 mg given within 57 minutes. Stroke symptoms resolved. This was an apparent successful implementation of protocol. Five hours later patient had mental status changes and emergent CT Scan revealed catastrophic intracranial hemorrhage. The patient died 13 hours later. It was believed that this patient was among the 6.9% that experience this known complication of tPA. A review of the chart revealed that the measured weight entered on the stroke unit did not match the estimated weight; the calculated dose was 40% more than should have been. The error was disclosed to the family and a deep dive and RCAs were completed. The error was reported to TJC and the state DOH.

Outcomes: EPR changes including soft stops, changes in the weight fields, and process changes including a tPA time out and equipment use to ensure measured weights were implemented. The new processes did not compromise door to needle time. Average Door to needle time pre implementation was 66.88 minutes. Post implementation time is 63.1.

Conclusions: The expediency of weight estimation can result in over or under dosing of tPA. At SBUH, we implemented a process that ensures actual weights before administration of thrombolytics but does not delay time to treatment. This is a safer and more effective process for stroke care.


The distribution of stomata over both leaf surfaces may affect both the photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency of species, implying that species with different photosynthetic and water requirements may also have different stomatal distributions. A database containing data on the distribution of stomata on the leaves of 469 British plant species was used to look for relationships between stomatal distribution (including both location on the leaf and density) and both habitat and morphological variables. Statistical models were applied to the data that minimized any effects that phylogenetic constraints may have had on the data. Hypostomaty is common in woody species, species which typically occur in shaded habitats and species with large or glabrous leaves. Amphistomaty, however, predominates in species which occur in non‐shaded habitats, species with small, dissected or hairy leaves, and in annual species. Amphistomaty, therefore, tends to occur in species where CO2 may be limiting photosynthesis (unshaded environments), or where there are structures to prevent water loss from the leaf (e.g. hairs). Hypostomaty, however, occurs in slow‐growing species (e.g. trees), species with leaves which have large boundary layers (large or entire leaves) and in species where CO2 is unlikely to limit photosynthesis (shaded habitats).


Salivary gland tumors frequently present myoepithelial cell differentiation that is not always easily identified on routinely stained sections. Recently novel markers of myoepithelium have been studied, such as calponin (CALP), caldesmon (CALD), and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain. These markers, together with smooth muscle actin may be useful tools for identifying myoepithelial cells. We immunohistochemically studied a series of 23 benign and malignant salivary gland tumors using antibodies to these four markers. The tumors were classified as follows: pleomorphic adenoma (n = 8), basal cell adenoma (n = 3), myoepithelioma with plasmacytoid cells (n = 2), epithelial-myoepithelial cell carcinoma (n = 6) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 4). All tumors were positive for at least one of the four markers. CALP and smooth muscle actin were the markers more frequently expressed. Positivity was mostly located in the myoepithelial cells that constitute the external layer of the glandular or tubular neoplastic structures. In poorly differentiated epithelial myoepithelial carcinomas, composed of solid sheets of neoplastic cells and sometimes of clear cells, immunohistochemical staining for myoepithelial markers evidenced rudimentary glandular structures. CALP and smooth muscle actin were positive in the two cases of myoepithelioma with plasmacytoid cells. In conclusion, the combined staining with four markers helps to disclose myoepithelial cell differentiation and can be a useful tool for the correct histopathological diagnosis of salivary gland tumors. Among the four markers studied, CALP and smooth muscle actin were the most useful to identify myoepithelial cell differentiation.


PURPOSE
Cladribine (2-CdA), a purine analog resistant to adenosine deaminase, has significant activity in a variety of lymphoproliferative diseases. This study was designed to determine the efficacy of 2-CdA in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twenty-six patients aged 40 to 88 years (median, 64) who either had relapsed after an initial response or were refractory to conventional chemotherapy with at least an alkylating agent were treated with 2-CdA 0.1 mg/kg/d by continuous intravenous infusion for either 5 or 7 days every 28 days for a maximum of six cycles.

RESULTS
No complete remissions (CRs) occurred. Eight of 26 patients (31%) achieved a partial remission (PR). The actuarial median time to progression (TTF) in responding patients is 16 months (range, 6 to 22). The actuarial median survival duration of the responding patients is 12 months (range, 8 to 28). Eight of 26 patients (31%) sustained early toxicity. Seven of these eight patients died before the first reevaluation of infection (n = 3), pericardial tamponade (n = 1), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n = 1), and stroke (n = 2). No nausea, emesis, alopecia, or renal, hepatic, or cardiac toxicity was observed.

CONCLUSION
2-CdA has activity in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. However, patients who have received multiple prior regimens that included fludarabine are less likely to respond, and there can be significant morbidity. Treatment of patients with less prior therapy earlier in the natural history of the disease may lead to improved and more durable responses.


"Resiliency" is a synergistic collection of attributes of individuals and their families that allows them to (a) stand up to stress and (b) grow from it. Extension of this model to family businesses is inchoate. Resiliency is being explored as a stable characteristic of family functioning in its business. This variable also is expected to have an intuitive relationship to family business "sustainability". Resiliency in family-run businesses is assessed by an on-line Q-sort wherein individuals involved in family-run businesses individually and/or collectively describe that business according to characteristics known to be associated with resilient family systems. Ongoing development requires a substantial number of participants across diverse family business settings. Such a growing sample will allow psychometric-based strengthening of the assessment device and useful comparisons within and between family business types: family involvement only; family as management team; new v. multi-generational family businesses; family-run businesses demonstrating diverse levels of "stability", "growth", and "success".


The presence of evidence of depredation in ostracods valves from marine and freshwater environments of the central region of the republic Argentina are studied in this paper. In samples from intertidal environment (Puerto Rosales) a total of 800 shells of ostracods were recovered of which only 0.50% (4 valves) presented evidence of predation. In freshwater environments (Laguna Don Tomas) a total of 1447 valves were recovered of which only 1.10% (16 valves) presented evidence of predation. Two types of depredation fossil traces were determined: Oichnus simplex Bromley and Oichnus paraboloides Bromley. Oichnus simplex Bromley predominate over drilling Oichnus paraboloids Bromley attributed to predatory gastropods activity, both marine and continental environments. There was not relationship between the borehole diameter and the size of the predated valves. The ornamentation of the valves is not a character that conditions predation, since the species predated have different type of ornamentation from thin ribs to crosslinks with very prominent ribs.


Did Labour policies worsen the recession? Why did social mobility slow down on Labour's watch? Has SureStart improved the prospects of tomorrow's children? Does politics ever actually change anything? In their new book, Polly Toynbee and David Walker investigate these questions and more, providing a telling analysis of Labour's longest term in office, and a fascinating account of the role of politics in public life. They compare election promises with government policy, and use real-world stories and incisive commentary to illustrate the impact of Labour's government on the lives of British people. At the heart of the book is the question: Would the changes of the past 12 years have happened anyway? From the gleeful consumerism of the boom times to the misery of the economic bust, Toynbee & Walker assess the era of Blair and Brown and ask What Have Labour Done?


Abstract The favourable reception of the great antiquity of Earth by nineteenth-century Presbyterian theologians in Scotland and the USA has been well documented. Less clear is how their conservative Dutch Calvinist counterparts responded to discoveries about Earth history. Here I initiate an examination of attitudes toward geology among Dutch Reformed theologians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with a case study of Herman Bavinck (1854–1921). Bavinck was arguably the premier Dutch Calvinist theologian of his generation. In his four-volume Gereformeerde Dogmatiek, he discussed geology in relation to biblical teaching about the creation of the Earth. He expressed great appreciation for geology. On several points of textual interpretation, he adopted positions consistent with acceptance of an old Earth. However, working with out-of-date information, and not understanding fundamental geological principles, Bavinck concluded that the concept of an ancient Earth was unacceptable. Bavinck's ideas about geology negatively influenced subsequent Dutch Reformed theologians. Dutch Calvinists, both in the Netherlands and the USA, may have been less open to the discoveries of geology than Scottish and US Calvinists because of the nature of Dutch geology, lack of contact between Dutch theologians and geologists, and Dutch Reformed persuasion that worldviews powerfully shape the content of science.


As the specific incarnation of cyber-physical-social systems, in deregulated electricity market, the market gaming behaviors may have significantly affected the costs of electricity delivered to the market. Especially, from the supply side, the primary goal of power generating companies (PGCs) is to develop strategic biddings to maximize their profits in long-term trading, when facing intrinsic uncertainty. Typically, in such repeated and dynamic settings, one fundamental challenge is that, any PGC neither has prior knowledge about all unknown opponents' incentives, nor observes their strategies and obtained profits. Especially, the common setting is that, once the bidding auction has occurred, the PGC only observes the market clearing price (MCP) at each round, and winning or losing status. While it is typical to assume some perfect or bounded rationality model of the PGCs, their real behaviors do not follow such assumptions due to lack of complete information, computational intractability, or lack of perfect execution, etc. We formulate the problem of sequentially optimizing any PGC's bids with an adversarial multi-armed bandit (MAB) model. Specifically, at each round, a PGC chooses to play against all other opponents from an infinite set of possible strategies that are split into continuous intervals by sequentially occurred MCPs. Then at the end of each round, the PGC observes the outcome of the auction and updates its estimation on the expected bid's fitness for each interval (i.e., how much the expected profit of the interval could be achieved), and selects the bid for the next round using the proposed algorithm Exp3C (i.e., exponential-weight for exploration and exploitation with continuous value). The experimental results based on real dataset demonstrate that Exp3C performs better than other heuristic schemes including pure greedy, ${\boldsymbol{\varepsilon}}$-greedy and MCP predication based bidding schemes. Moreover, we theoretically prove the upper bound of average Exp3C regret per round follows ${\boldsymbol{O}} ({2/\sqrt {\boldsymbol{T}} })$, where T is the number of total rounds. In summary, the proposed Exp3C has two distinguished advantages. First it is distributed, since its decisions uniquely depend on its past decisions and profits. Second, it is rational, since a PGC is given guarantees on its own accumulated profit regardless of other PGCs' behaviors.


Purpose To investigate the short-term effect of self-selected training intensity (SSTI) on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive older women. Participants and Methods This is a randomized, single-blind, two-arm, parallel-group controlled trial that included 40 medicated hypertensive older women (64.4±3.6 years; resting systolic 118±19 and diastolic BP 68±9 mmHg). SSTI intervention was performed three times per week, 30–50 minutes per session (n=20). The control group participated in health education meetings once per week (n=20). Ambulatory BP (primary outcome) and six-minute walking test performance (secondary outcome) were assessed at baseline and following 8 weeks of intervention. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE, 6–20), and affective valence (ie, feeling scale, −5/+5) were recorded during all SSTI sessions. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were used for data analyses. Results Fifteen participants from the SSTI group and 17 from the control group completed the study. No differences in ambulatory BP (24-h, awake, and asleep) were observed between SSTI and control groups (intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses; p>0.05). The SSTI group showed a greater six-minute walking test performance than the control group in the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses (p<0.05). The participants exercised at 52±10% of HR reserve reported an RPE of 11±1 and an affective valence of 3.4±1.1 over the 8-week period. Conclusion SSTI is a feasible approach to induce a more active lifestyle and increase health-related fitness in hypertensive older women, although it does not improve BP control over a short-term period.


ML-IAP (melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis) is a potent anti-apoptotic protein that is strongly up-regulated in melanoma and confers protection against a variety of pro-apoptotic stimuli. The mechanism by which ML-IAP regulates apoptosis is unclear, although weak inhibition of caspases 3 and 9 has been reported. Here, the binding to and inhibition of caspase 9 by the single BIR (baculovirus IAP repeat) domain of ML-IAP has been investigated and found to be significantly less potent than the ubiquitously expressed XIAP (X-linked IAP). Engineering of the ML-IAP-BIR domain, based on comparisons with the third BIR domain of XIAP, resulted in a chimeric BIR domain that binds to and inhibits caspase 9 significantly better than either ML-IAP-BIR or XIAP-BIR3. Mutational analysis of the ML-IAP-BIR domain demonstrated that similar enhancements in caspase 9 affinity can be achieved with only three amino acid substitutions. However, none of these modifications affected binding of the ML-IAP-BIR domain to the IAP antagonist Smac (second mitochondrial activator of caspases). ML-IAP-BIR was found to bind mature Smac with low nanomolar affinity, similar to that of XIAP-BIR2-BIR3. Correspondingly, increased expression of ML-IAP results in formation of a ML-IAP-Smac complex and disruption of the endogenous interaction between XIAP and mature Smac. These results suggest that ML-IAP might regulate apoptosis by sequestering Smac and preventing it from antagonizing XIAP-mediated inhibition of caspases, rather than by direct inhibition of caspases.


This article surveys marketing management literature to find out the positive impact that a good market and marketing can have on marketing performance at the marketplace. The marketplace in this contest can be either a country or even a continent since the companies are multinational and also have diversified holdings which help them to spread their tentacles to every nook and cranny of the globe. Locally based companies are not left out since they all use marketing strategies to do their marketing. Companies or multinationals of U.S. and U.K. parentage will be used a lot. Does the literature attest to the positive impact of very good marketing strategies on a company's marketing performance? This is going to be investigated to come out with the justify opinion. Coming out with a very good marketing strategy to pilot or direct a company's marketing assault is not very easy. It is plainly herculean. Implementation, monitoring, controlling and evaluating marketing strategies are equally herculean. Top marketing management do not have it easy with formulating, managing, and evaluating marketing strategies. Marketing performance measurement is tackled in this piece. It is essential to point out that marketing is not the pressure of only those in marketing (pan–marketing). It is very general managerial with all corporate functional players all actively involved.


Scabies is a contagious skin infection commonly occurring in institutions such as care homes. However, a large proportion of vulnerable people in England receive domiciliary care in the community and their experience of scabies has not been described. We undertook a pragmatic cross-sectional survey of Health Protection Teams (HPTs) in England to determine the burden of scabies related to domiciliary care. Fifteen cases or outbreaks were notified to HPTs between January 2013 and December 2017. Although a relatively uncommon event for individual HPTs, they were complex to manage and required the co-ordination of multiple stakeholders. Diagnosis was often delayed and required several clinical consultations. A lack of guidance led to difficulties establishing stakeholder roles and responsibilities and sources of funding for treatment. The stigmatisation of scabies sometimes affected the quality of care provided to patients, such as use of excessive personal protective equipment. Our study demonstrates that scabies is an issue of public health importance for domiciliary care service providers and users, and research is required to better understand the impacts of the disease and to develop evidence-based guidance. More generally, there is a need for simpler treatment regimens and methods of diagnosing scabies.


Inspired by the interactive discrete choice logit models [Aggarwal, 2019], this paper presents the advanced families of discrete choice models, such as nested logit, mixed logit, and probit models to consider the interaction among the attributes. Besides the DM's attitudinal character is also taken into consideration in the computation of choice probabilities. The proposed choice models make use of Choquet integal and the recent attitudinal Choquet integral. The models are termed as Choquet nested logit (CNL), Choquet mixed multinomial logit (CMMNL), and Choquet multinomial probit (CMP). These are further extended to represent the DM's attitudinal character, and termed as attitudinal CNL, attitudinal CMMNL, and attitudinal CMP.


Fullerene thin films of about 200 nm thicknesses have been deposited by thermal evaporation method on soda lime glass at substrate temperature 303 and 403K under pressure about 10-5 mbar. This study concentrated on the influence of substrate temperature on the optical properties of C60 thin films within the visible range. Optical characterization has been carried out at room temperature using the absorption spectra, at normal incidence, in range (200-900) nm.
The absorption and extinction coefficients of the samples have been evaluated according to the variation in the UV- Visible spectrum. Increasing substrate temperature causes decreasing in optical band gap energy, for direct allowed transitions, and slightly changing in refractive index. This incident was due to the reducing of interatomic intervals, which may be correlating a decrease in the amplitude of atomic vibrations around their equilibrium sites.


Purpose The use of bacteriophages represents a valid alternative to conventional antimicrobial treatments, overcoming the widespread bacterial antibiotic resistance phenomenon. In this work, we evaluated whether biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals are able to enhance some properties of bacteriophages. The final goal of this study was to demonstrate that biomimetic HA nanocrystals can be used for bacteriophage delivery in the context of bacterial infections, and contribute – at the same time – to enhance some of the biological properties of the same bacteriophages such as stability, preservation, antimicrobial activity, and so on. Materials and methods Phage isolation and characterization were carried out by using Mitomycin C and following double-layer agar technique. The biomimetic HA water suspension was synthesized in order to obtain nanocrystals with plate-like morphology and nanometric dimensions. The interaction of phages with the HA was investigated by dynamic light scattering and Zeta potential analyses. The cytotoxicity and intracellular killing activities of the phage–HA complex were evaluated in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. The bacterial inhibition capacity of the complex was assessed on chicken minced meat samples infected with Salmonella Rissen. Results Our data highlighted that the biomimetic HA nanocrystal–bacteriophage complex was more stable and more effective than phages alone in all tested experimental conditions. Conclusion Our results evidenced the important contribution of biomimetic HA nanocrystals: they act as an excellent carrier for bacteriophage delivery and enhance its biological characteristics. This study confirmed the significant role of the mineral HA when it is complexed with biological entities like bacteriophages, as it has been shown for molecules such as lactoferrin.


This paper proposes a fast imaging auto-focus method to adjust the focus of laser diode products. The image of laser diode spot is processed to be a three-value image which is distinguished to be the background, blurred region and bright region. The ratio of areas between blurred and bright regions is used to judge whether the focusing is well-done. A four-point method is modified for this three-value image to get the areas of the blurred and bright regions. Thus, we can get the criterion for auto-focus. In the meantime, we can also get the offset of the laser diode from the center of laser diode spot. The four-point method is faster and more accurate than the area, three-point, contour-tracking and least-squares error methods of center-positioning. This auto-focus method of spatial domain is also faster than other methods of the energy strength in the frequency domain. Finally, we adjust the focus length of laser light by the servo control card and the AC servo motor, and then we can get the optimal focus length from the former image processing.


The vibrational rotation spectrum of CO2 in the 1200–1430-cm−1 region has been studied at a 0.005-cm−1 resolution with a Fourier transform spectrometer. Measurements were made of line positions and strengths of the nonsymmetric CO2 species: 12C16O18O,12C16O17O, and 13C16O18O for the bands 10002–00001 and 10001–00001 and the π-π bands 11102–01101 and 11101–01101 for the 12C16O18O molecule. The line position measurements were analyzed to obtain values of band centers and upper and lower state rotational constants. The line strength data were analyzed to determined the vibrational band strengths and the coefficients of the F factors.


The influences of crystallographic and geometric parameters such as grain misorientation on the performance of short cracks are illustrated based on FEM in this paper. Firstly, the microstructure is simulated to account for the effects of grain misorientation on the performance of short cracks and the short cracks are initiated within the microstructure for the further investigation. The influence of grain misorientation is demonstrated by the change of neighboring grain orientations with an initiated short crack from 0° to 180°. The effects of the grain boundary on the short crack with the crack arrested or retarded are described by the crack propagation until it approached the grain boundary. The results will give more useful information such as crack arrested and retardation to the further research on the characteristics and evolution of short cracks.


Finance is essential in order to implement effective climate action. This year the SNAPFI research team at the University of Cape Town seeks to contribute to a better understanding of ways to increase the quantity of international and domestic finance for more effective and equitable climate action and to shift the direction of investment in South Africa.Their study finds that in the context of finance provided by developed countries, there is a significant gap in the climate finance landscape in South Africa – funding of adaptation falls drastically short of levels for mitigation. It identifies possible reasons for the gap, including donor priorities and lack of clear signals from national policymakers, and the authors argue for better analysis and understanding of finance needs as a basis to guide international funding, and suggest ways to enhance capacity needed to attract and secure funding.They identify that broader policy as well as financial and fiscal policies play a significant role; energy, industrial and transport policy are found to be especially important for mitigation, and virtually every government department would be involved in responses to adaptation. Finance tool-kit levers available and relevant to government in South Africa include a climate budget tracking system under development for the public sector, a Draft National Green Finance Taxonomy for the finance sector, and a National Climate Finance Strategy, among others.Finally, the authors suggest a framework that could tackle three main challenges to implement a broad and coherent mix of policies for coordination across Ministries and national departments: setting coherent strategy, building consensus by mediation of interests and coordinating implementation. They identify the Presidential Climate Commission as an important new national institution to lead collaborative development of vision and pathways to a just transition, and that private sector and international actors have important roles to play, through processes that shift parameters of public debates, set norms or establish guidelines for finance.


Abstract. The seasonality of litter inputs in forests has important implications for understanding ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles. We quantified the drivers of seasonality in litterfall and leaf decomposability using plots throughout the Australian wet tropical region. Litter fell mostly in the summer (wet, warm) months in the region, but other peaks occurred throughout the year. Litterfall seasonality was modelled well with the level of deciduousness of the site (plots with more deciduous species had lower seasonality than evergreen plots), temperature (higher seasonality in the uplands), disturbance (lower seasonality with more early secondary species) and soil fertility (higher seasonality with higher N : P/P limitation) (SL total litterfall model 1 = deciduousness + soil N : P + early secondary sp.: r2 = 0.63, n = 30; model 2 = temperature + early secondary sp. + soil N : P: r2 = 0.54, n = 30; SL leaf = temperature + early secondary sp. + rainfall seasonality: r2 = 0.39, n = 30). Leaf litter decomposability was lower in the dry season than in the wet season, driven by higher phenolic concentrations in the dry, with the difference exacerbated particularly by lower dry season moisture. Our results are contrary to the global trend for tropical rainforests; in that seasonality of litterfall input was generally higher in wetter, cooler, evergreen forests, compared to generally drier, warmer, semi-deciduous sites that had more uniform monthly inputs. We consider this due to more diverse litter shedding patterns in semi-deciduous and raingreen rainforest sites, and an important consideration for ecosystem modellers. Seasonal changes in litter quality are likely to have impacts on decomposition and biogeochemical cycles in these forests due to the litter that falls in the dry season being more recalcitrant to decay.


This thesis studies how Liberal Democrat members and supporters use Internet tools to mobilise volunteers within local election campaigns. It also identifies who is most likely to use these tools and who is most likely to perceive that they are useful. Existing studies of the use of Internet tools to mobilise volunteers are limited because they have typically focused upon the Internet-as-a-whole, instead of breaking it down into smaller, more meaningful categories. It is important to study Internet tools individually as they each have different features and some are more deeply integrated into mobilisation practices than others. Therefore, this thesis addresses this limitation by focusing upon three specific Internet tools: Facebook, Twitter and email. It uses data generated from a participant observation, survey and series of semi-structured interviews. Similarly, few studies have been carried out in England or within the context of second order elections. As a result, this thesis explores the perceptions of grassroots activists in relation to English local elections, thus offering a relatively unique perspective upon the link between Internet tools and volunteer mobilisation. The findings confirm that it is beneficial to analyse Internet tools individually because there are significant differences in how they are used, in addition to who uses them and who perceives them to be useful. Email is the most commonly used; it is also perceived to be the most useful for mobilising volunteers and increasing membership. Younger people are more likely to use Facebook and Twitter and to perceive that they are useful tools, whereas older people are less likely to do so. This emphasises the importance of younger supporters, as the party would find it more difficult to reach online audiences without them. This thesis argues that people that become involved as a result of Internet tools are less likely to remain heavily involved over the long-term. For instance, externally elected public officials are less likely to join online or use Internet tools to mobilise volunteers and increase membership. This fits with a wider pattern of engagement amongst party elites and long-term members. It emphasises the importance of using a combination of online and offline tools to mobilise volunteers and increase membership.


Objective
Glaucoma is a well-recognized side effect of corticosteroids. However, steroid-induced glaucoma typically refers to that caused by exogenous corticosteroid administration. Glaucoma secondary to endogenous overproduction of corticosteroids has only been reported in a few case reports. We aim to bring attention to glaucoma as a rare but important manifestation of endogenous hypercortisolism.

Methods
Patient history, physical exam, laboratory results, and imaging studies were reviewed.

Results
We report a case of glaucoma as the initial presentation of Cushing disease (CD). The patient was diagnosed with glaucoma 16 months prior to his endocrinology evaluation. At our initial encounter, the patient had a cushingoid appearance. Levels of 24-hour urinary cortisol and late-night salivary cortisol were elevated. Serum cortisol was not suppressed by 1 mg of dexamethasone overnight, but it was suppressed by 8 mg of dexamethasone. Adrenocorticotropic hormone was also elevated. All other pituitary hormone axes were unremarkable (thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, growth hormone, prolactin, and insulin-like growth factor). Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging suggested a small adenoma (2 to 3 mm); therefore, the patient underwent inferior petrosal sinus sampling. The results were consistent with CD. Transsphenoidal resection was performed and final pathology confirmed an adrenocorticotropic hormone-positive adenoma. Hypercortisolism and intraocular pressures improved after the surgery.

Conclusion
Glaucoma can lead to irreversible blindness if left untreated or uncontrolled. However, endogenous hypercortisolism-induced glaucoma can be reversed with treatment of the underlying CD. Thus, heightened awareness of extraocular manifestations of secondary causes of glaucoma such as endogenous hypercortisolism is necessary in order to promote prompt evaluation and treatment.


The more things change, the, more they seem to stay the same: In 1981, I wrote a paper on the constitutionality of school vouchers for a law school course. At the time, it appeared that a sharply divided Supreme Court would reject vouchers, five to four. Two decades later, it appears that a sharply divided Supreme Court might well uphold vouchers, five to four. For this very reason, academics and others continue to fill the pages of law reviews with competing analyses of whether school vouchers violate the Establishment Clause.(1) Far more tellingly, during the 2000 elections, Court watchers claimed that the winner of the presidential race would control the constitutional fate of school vouchers (by, presumably, appointing the Justice who will cast the deciding vote in a constitutional challenge to school vouchers).(2) That much of the ongoing fight over the constitutionality of vouchers appears little more than rote repetition of decades-old constitutional arguments cannot be denied. Yet this superficial similarity belies a critical difference between today's voucher wars and those of the early 1980s. Over the past two decades, the social meaning of school vouchers has undergone a radical transformation.(3) In part, this change is about context: increasing emphasis on market-based solutions to social problems, the demise of court-ordered school desegregation, the "secularization" of Catholic schools, and changing attitudes of parents, especially minority parents, towards vouchers. But this change is also about the text of voucher plans, that is, targeted plans that benefit a limited number of parents whose children attend failing schools instead of across-the-board plans that benefit any parent sending her child to a private school. In the pages that follow, I will detail the changing social meaning of school vouchers and, in so doing, explain why the classic arguments against vouchers seem less salient today than ever before. For example, the claim that vouchers would circumvent school desegregation no longer makes sense. With courts increasingly giving up on mandatory busing, racial isolation in public schools is a far more severe problem today than it was twenty years ago. For this reason, vouchers are often seen (by African Americans and others) as a way to improve the lives of minority students in a world without court-ordered desegregation. Likewise, the claim that vouchers do little more than subsidize religious parents who opt out of public schools has, in significant respects, been overtaken by a broader debate over school reform. Voucher proponents rarely talk about the inequities of compelling religious parents both to subsidize public education and to pay the cost of private religious education.(4) The focus, instead, is on the propriety of market-driven solutions to a failed public school system. For their part, most voucher opponents talk not about the wrongness of the state's facilitating private religious instruction, but instead about the need to invest in public schools.(5) Before turning to this proof of changing social meaning, I will explain why social meaning does and should matter to the Supreme Court. In particular, I will argue that social meaning affects the Justices' understanding of the facts and, as such, appropriately influences the application of preexisting standards of review as well as the decision to recalibrate those standards in favor of alternative ones. I. SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON CONSTITUTIONAL LAW(6) Just as the Supreme Court leaves its mark on American society, so are social forces part of the mix of constitutional law. True, the Justices work in a somewhat insulated atmosphere. But, as Chief Justice William Rehnquist reminded us, the "currents and tides of public opinion ... lap at the courthouse door,"(7) for "judges go home at night and read the newspaper or watch the evening news on television; they talk to their family and friends about current events. …


Tuberculous splenic abscess is a rare cause of pyogenic splenic abscess and occurs most often in the setting of an immunosuppressive state. It is a life-threatening condition associated with high mortality without prompt management. The diagnosis can be challenging as it has no characteristic clinical and radiological findings. Hence high index of suspicion, imaging studies including ultrasound-guided aspiration of the abscess under aseptic technique is helpful in its diagnosis. We report a 32-year-old patient with HIV infection who presented with 5 weeks history of abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, and significant weight loss. Abdominal ultrasound scan showed splenomegaly with multiple areas of mixed echogenicity. About 30 ml of foul smelling, creamy dark brown diagnostic, and therapeutic aspirate drained under trans-abdominal ultrasound scan guidance yielded positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) under culture. Our patient died on the 12 th day of admission before bacteriology result. Tuberculous Splenic abscess could be fatal it not promptly managed; it should be considered in patients presenting with fever and abdominal pain especially in the setting of HIV infection. Due to lack of characteristic clinical and imaging findings, it poses a serious diagnostic dilemma with attendant consequences as occurred in our case. Ultrasound-guided aspiration of the abscess under aseptic technique is helpful in its diagnosis. Empiric anti-TB therapy should be considered in patients that failed to respond to broad-spectrum antibiotics in highly endemic areas.


Purpose: The focus of this project is to demonstrate the test re‐test reliability of fMRI in subjects with benign and biopsy proven low‐grade neoplasms. Methods and Materials: FMRI activation maps with different thresholds were generated for 6 subjects with benign and biopsy proven low‐grade brain neoplasms using a GE Signa 1.5T MRI scanner and birdcage head coil. The imaging protocol included a 3DSPGR T1 brain volume, a coronal T2 anatomical acquisition(24 slices), and 8 functional scans. The 8 functional scans consisted of four functional task repeated twice. Each task verified one of the following: language, language comprehension, fine motor control, and visual perception with Blood Oxygen Dependent(BOLD) responses. Preprocessing steps included dicom to afni conversion, motion correction and spatial smoothing(9mm Gaussian filter). A correlation analysis was performed which allowed the reference timing of the BOLD response in the expected areas to be confirmed. A measure of reproducibility was calculated using the Euclidean distance between the center of mass of the activated volumes in two independent scans and measuring the number of reproducible activated voxels, Rsize. Results and Discussion: Activated clusters were observed for each functional scan. Activated clusters were not observed in all subjects for each task. Rsize was calculated to measure the reproducibility. These measurements will vary between 0.0(worst) and 1.0(best). The Text Listening Task provided the best reproducibility of activated clusters with an average value of 0.94±0.05 and 0.90±0.06 for the left and right temporal lobe, respectively. Activation of clusters amongst subjects varied greatly for the visual perception scan. Previous published results had similar findings. Conclusions: Similar comparisons of reproducibility will be made for more subjects. Roverlap, another parameter used for testing reproducibility will be calculated. The minimum number of clusters used and the cluster radius will be further examined to obtain more activated clusters.


Metabolism is the set of biochemical reactions of an organism that enables it to assimilate nutrients from its environment and to generate building blocks for growth and proliferation. It forms a complex network that is intertwined with the many molecular and cellular processes that take place within cells. Systems biology aims to capture the complexity of cells, organisms, or communities by reconstructing models based on information gathered by high-throughput analyses (omics data) and prior knowledge. One type of model is a genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) that allows studying the distributions of metabolic fluxes, i.e., the "mass-flow" through the network of biochemical reactions. GEMs are nowadays widely applied and have been reconstructed for various microbial pathogens, either in a free-living state or in interaction with their hosts, with the aim to gain insight into mechanisms of pathogenicity. In this review, we first introduce the principles of systems biology and GEMs. We then describe how metabolic modeling can contribute to unraveling microbial pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions, with a specific focus on oomycete plant pathogens and in particular Phytophthora infestans. Subsequently, we review achievements obtained so far and identify and discuss potential pitfalls of current models. Finally, we propose a workflow for reconstructing high-quality GEMs and elaborate on the resources needed to advance a system biology approach aimed at untangling the intimate interactions between plants and pathogens.


A thin film including β-silicon carbide was synthesized by a reaction of silicon monoxide gas and carbon source derived from polyimide film (PIF) at 1400°, 1500°, 1600°, 1700° and 1800°C. Formation mechanism of the SiC film was investigated thermodynamically and kinetically through the relationships among the conversion ratio of SiC, synthesis temperature and time. The formation processes were simulated based on the calculation of differential equations concerning thermodynamic and kinetic constants of 7 chemical equations. The sample obtained had a film shape similar to that of the carbon source film. The results of the time dependence curves of the conversion ratio of SiC calculated from 7 chemical equations, 14 rate constants, 2 diffusion constants, 10 chemical species and 10 differential equations are in good agreement with the experimental results of the SiC conversion ratio as a function of synthesis time. The calculation results of solving each constant suggest that the formation processes of SiC are "rate-controlled reaction at the interface" at the initial stage of the reaction, and then they gradually change to "diffusion-controlling reaction in the reacted region". In the long term synthesis, we recognized that the waste SiO with non-stoichiometric oxygen can also be used as a silicon source.


Model RLCC-1000 is capable of liquid-liquid separation based on the partitioning of solutes between a steady stream of mobile phase and the stationary phase filled in the locular column system. The mobile phase can be easily switched to migrate in the ascending mode or in the descending mode. The system consists of 16 locular columns, each consisting of 37 chambers. The rotation speed is adjustable from 0 to 100 rpm with digital readout of the speed. The angle of the columns is adjustable from 0° to 90°. The system is biocompatible, with all wetted parts made of Teflon, polyetherketone, or glass. DyChrom.


We herein report that Azorhizobium caulinodans PII and GlnK are not necessary for glutamine synthetase (GS) adenylylation whereas both proteins are required for complete GS deadenylylation. The disruption of both glnB and glnK resulted in a high level of GS adenylylation under the condition of nitrogen fixation, leading to ammonium excretion in the free-living state. PII and GlnK also controlled nif gene expression because NifA activated nifH transcription and nitrogenase activity was derepressed in glnB glnK double mutants, but not in wild-type bacteria, grown in the presence of ammonia.


Raman spectra of nanocrystals titanium dioxide are discussed and the correlation between the band shape of the allowed A1g Raman mode and the crystals dimensions is discussed. Data on Raman spectra are reconsidered in the frame- work of a modified "hard confinement" model (MHC). The proposed model is based on the idea of using an effective linewidth parameter, which is a function of the effective dimension of the nanostructure, in spite of the intrinsic Raman band linewidth. The comparison with standard hard confinement model reveals better agreement with the experimental results for the MHC model up to 6 nm. Moreover, the analysis permits to improve the knowledge of the phonon dispersion curve as well as the intrinsic Raman bulk parameters. An analytical form of the size-dependent peak-position in nanocrystals, useful for an approximated size estimation, has been explicated. The general structure of the model permits to extended the MHC to other nano-sized materials.


Radiation is of particular importance among a lot of environment factors dangerous for human health, including the effect of small dozes of radiation. State of rickettsial infection under the influence of small dozes of radiation and under administration of immunostimulator Imunal and antibiotic doxycyclin has been studied. Researches were conducted on guinea pigs, using the experimental rickettsial infection. Researches have shown that the use of immunostimulator Imunal and antibiotic doxycyclin had positive effect on the immunity indices of the experimental rickettsial infection in animals in the conditions of influence of small dozes of radiation.


Difficulties with airway management are often caused by anatomic abnormalities due to previous oral surgery. We performed general anesthesia for a patient who had undergone several operations such as hemisection of the mandible and reconstructive surgery with a deltopectoralis flap, resulting in severe maxillofacial deformation. This made it impossible to ventilate with a face mask and to intubate in the normal way. An attempt at oral awake intubation using fiberoptic bronchoscopy was unsuccessful because of severe anatomical abnormality of the neck. We therefore decided to perform retrograde intubation and selected the cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA) for airway management. We inserted the COPA, not through the patient's mouth but through the abnormal oropharyngeal space. Retrograde nasal intubation was accomplished with controlled ventilation through the COPA, which proved to be very useful for this difficult airway management during tracheal intubation even though the method was unusual.


Fractures are ubiquitous in the subsurface and strongly affect flow and deformation. The physical shape of the fractures, they are long and thin objects, puts strong limitations on how the effect of this dynamics can be incorporated into standard reservoir simulation tools. This paper reports the development of an open-source software framework, termed PorePy, which is aimed at simulation of flow and transport in three-dimensional fractured reservoirs, as well as deformation of the reservoir due to shearing along fracture and fault planes. Starting from a description of fractures as polygons embedded in a 3D domain, PorePy provides semi-automatic gridding to construct a discrete-fracture-matrix model, which forms the basis for subsequent simulations. PorePy allows for flow and transport in all lower-dimensional objects, including planes (2D) representing fractures, and lines (1D) and points (0D), representing fracture intersections. Interaction between processes in neighboring domains of different dimension is implemented as a sequence of couplings of objects one dimension apart. This readily allows for handling of complex fracture geometries compared to capabilities of existing software. In addition to flow and transport, PorePy provides models for rock mechanics, poro-elasticity and coupling with fracture deformation models. The software is fully open, and can serve as a framework for transparency and reproducibility of simulations. We describe the design principles of PorePy from a user perspective, with focus on possibilities within gridding, covered physical processes and available discretizations. The power of the framework is illustrated with two sets of simulations; involving respectively coupled flow and transport in a fractured porous medium, and low-pressure stimulation of a geothermal reservoir.


In this research, polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers were chemically synthesized by the hydrochloric acid (HCl) assisted interfacial polymerization method, where the morphologies and electrical properties of the nanofibers were controlled by the concentration of the HCl solution. The as-synthesized PANI nanofibers were assembled into a sensitive film with controlled thickness and nice uniformity using a liquid–gas interfacial self-assembly method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the PANI nanofibers. The sensing experiments were performed at room temperature with the injection of ammonia at different concentrations. All the sensors showed a good linear response to the target gas, especially for the sample of PANI doped with [HCl] = 1 mol L−1, for which the reproducibility, continuity and selectivity were further tested. The results obtained in this research will be useful for potential applications in related fields of ammonia detection.


The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was approached by the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy to present a paper on the current practice in terms of the valuation of mineral projects and properties, given the development of a Code for the Valuation of Mineral Properties, developed in Australia (the VALMIN Code), and a similar Code in Canada (the CIMVal Code). This paper is the result of research and investigation into the matter, in terms of the reporting of Mineral Resources and Reserves, financial reporting practice, the Listing Rules of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, and various practices in valuation. The paper establishes that a strong linkage has already been established between the SAMREC Code for the reporting of Mineral Resources and Reserves and the Listing Rules, and that, for completeness, a Code for Valuation needs to be developed. This Code will be similar to its international counterparts, with the necessary inclusions which are relevant to South Africa, and will provide guidelines and definitions on matters such as transparency, materiality and competency in valuation. It proposes that a multi-stakeholder steering committee be established under the auspices of the SAIMM, to deliberate and design a process for establishing such a Code.


STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to determine whether breast self examination leads to earlier diagnosis and whether this translates into a larger utilisation of conservative surgical procedures. DESIGN--The study was a survey of a cohort of breast cancer patients diagnosed over the period September 1986-July 1988. SUBJECTS--Participants were 1315 women enrolled in a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of two follow up regimens by 30 general hospitals throughout Italy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Overall, 511 patients (39%) reported some breast self examination practice, but only 109 (8%) did this regularly and in a way deemed correct by their physicians. Breast self examination practice was positively associated with patients' education and past history of benign breast disease and negatively with age. Self examiners were found to have a significantly greater chance of being diagnosed with a primary tumour coded as pT1 according to the 1982 TNM classification (odds ratio = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.13-1.79). This protective effect was mostly evident in the subgroup of optimal performers (odds ratio = 1.54, CI = 1.01-2.34). Nearly half the patients (319/655) eligible for conservative surgery still had an unnecessary radical procedure. CONCLUSIONS--Premorbid breast self examination seems to have a modest effect on the extent of disease at diagnosis. The still widespread use of radical surgery suggests that a careful reanalysis of priorities among possible public interventions is needed before launching massive educational campaigns targeted exclusively at consumers.


This thesis assesses the extent to which fourteenth-century Middle English poets were interested in, and influenced by, traditions of thinking about logic and mathematics. It attempts to demonstrate the imaginative appeal of the logical problems called sophismata, which postulate absurd situations while making use of a stable but evolving, and distinctly recognisable, pool of examples. Logic and mathematics were linked. The 'puzzle-based' approach of late-medieval logic stemmed in part from earlier arithmetical puzzle collections. The fourteenth-century application of the 'sophismatic' method to problems concerned with what might now be called 'Physics' or 'Mechanics' sustained the symbiotic relationship of the two disciplines. An awareness of the importance of this tradition is perhaps indicated by the prominence of logical and mathematical tropes and scenarios in the works of three authors in particular: Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower and the Gawain-poet. It is argued that, in the poetry of all three, what may loosely be called 'sophismatic tropes' are used to present concerns that the poets share with the logical and mathematical thought of their time. Certain themes recur, including the following: problematic promises; problematic reference to non-existent things; problems associated with divisibility, limits and the idea of a continuum; and, most importantly, problems focused on the contingency, or otherwise, of the future. The debate over future contingency was one of the fiercest scholastic controversies of the fourteenth century, with profound implications for both logical and theological thought. It is suggested here that the scholastic debate about future contingency has a visible impact on Chauntecleer's prophetic dream in the Nun's Priest's Tale, Troilus's apparent determinism in Troilus and Criseyde, Gower's presentation of causation in the Confessio Amantis, and the Gawain-poet's treatment of covenants. The conclusion reached is that fourteenth-century logical and mathematical texts had a significantly wider cultural effect than is generally recognised.


Introduction: Removing the secondary smear layer has been presumed to increase the micromechanical retention of fiber posts. The additional use of irrigation techniques is intended to improve the cleanliness of the root canal walls. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of sonic and ultrasonic irrigation techniques on root canal cleanliness after the post space preparation. Materials and Methods: A total of 27 extracted single-rooted premolar samples underwent root canal treatment using gutta-percha and AH Plus that was labeled with rhodamine B. Gutta-percha was removed during the post preparation. The sample was then divided into three groups (n = 9): irrigation with sonic activation, ultrasonic activation, or without activation, respectively. The teeth were subsequently cut in the middle third area of the root, and the remnant of smear layers was observed using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Cleanliness was expressed as a percentage of the angle that contained part of the red area representing the smear layer. The results were statistically analyzed with a one-way ANOVA test and post hoc Bonferroni test set at 5% significance level. Results: The sonic group had the greatest percentage of root canal wall cleanliness (89.00 ± 2.77), followed by the ultrasonic (78.33 ± 3.09) and nonactivated groups (67.77 ± 3.37). Conversely, there was no significant difference in root canal wall cleanliness between the sonic and ultrasonic groups (P = 0.067) or the ultrasonic and nonactivation groups (P = 0.071). Conclusions: Irrigation with sonic activation improved cleanliness of the root canal dentinal wall after post space preparation.


OBJECTIVES To develop a method suitable for estimating exposure risks in population studies of asthma from job titles and international codes, by combining a new job exposure matrix (JEM) with the expert judgement approach. The method was applied in the French epidemiological study of the genetics and environment in asthma (EGEA). METHODS The JEM contains 22 exposure groups including 18 high risk groups based on known risk factors for occupational asthma, divided into high molecular weight agents, low molecular weight agents, and mixed environments. After applying the JEM to job codes, exposure estimates for each subject were re-evaluated by examining job title texts. Three high risk exposure estimates for asthma were compared: firstly, applying the JEM to original codes (from different coders in each study centre); secondly, applying the JEM to revised codes (from one experienced coder); and thirdly, after reviewing JEM exposure estimates in the light of job title texts. RESULTS The study comprised 173 cases with asthma and 285 controls (age 18–65). Odds ratios (ORs) for asthma for high risk jobs were 1.0 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.6 to 1.7), applying the JEM to original codes; 1.4 (95% CI 0.8 to 2.3), applying the JEM to revised codes; and 1.7 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.7), applying the JEM and subsequently re-evaluating exposure estimates from job title texts. Asthma ORs were 1.4 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.9) for high molecular weight agents, 2.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 4.4) for low molecular weight agents, and 2.1 (95% CI 0.9 to 5.2) for mixed environments. CONCLUSIONS This asthma JEM, when enhanced by expert re-evaluation of exposure estimates from job title texts, may be a useful tool in general population studies of asthma. In this study, a 1.7-fold increase in prevalence odds of high risk exposures was found among asthmatic workers compared with controls, with risk magnitude varying for different classes of exposure.


Background Medicines shortages are an increasingly common problem. Hospital pharmacists have to devote time and resources to trying to supply medicines, and this may result in increased costs, confusion for patients and other healthcare professionals and distraction from providing other services. Purpose The extent to which the medicines shortage problem is affecting hospital pharmacy across Europe is not widely appreciated or documented. Accordingly the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) conducted two surveys to try and established the frequency, geographical location and types of medicines in short supply. The second survey focused on the impact of shortages on patient care, perceptions of cause and potential solutions. Materials and methods Both surveys were circulated to national Member Associations of the EAHP and promoted publicly via the EAHP website and social media. The first survey was open for a period of 6 months and the second survey for 3 months. Results In the first survey a total of 341 hospital pharmacists from 31 countries replied with the top responding countries being the UK (14.2%) and Portugal (13.6%). 98.8% (339/341) of the respondents replied that shortages had been a problem in the last 12 months, with medicines used in oncology (70.6%), emergency (43.8%) and cardiology (35.1%) the most commonly reported categories in short supply. Medicines shortage problems were reported as being a weekly, sometimes daily occurrence for 63.1% of respondents, occurring typically once a month for 27.1% and only occasionally in a year for the remaining 9.7%. When asked which kind of medicine they experienced shortages with most commonly, overall hospital pharmacists reported that shortages of generic medicines (57.1%) were more common than those of originator medicines (42.9%). In the second survey 50.7% of the 221 respondents from 29 countries replied that medicines shortages were adversely affecting patient care. 76.5% of respondents stated that the situation in relation to medicines shortages had become worse in the last 12 months. The most commonly perceived cause of shortages was supply chain vulnerability and the most popular suggested solution was stronger legal requirements for manufacturers to ensure a reliable supply of medicinal products for which they hold a licence to manufacture. Conclusions These surveys confirm that many hospital pharmacists in Europe are affected by medicines shortages and this problem is getting worse. This issue affects other stakeholders and it is important to find ways of preventing patients from being affected. No conflict of interest.


Studies based on the gamma-ray lines from radioactive decay of unstable isotopes produced in massive-star and supernova nucleosynthesis have been among INTEGRAL's prominent science achievements. 26Al has become a tool to study specific source regions, such as massive-star groups and associations in nearby regions which can be discriminated from the galactic-plane background, and the inner Galaxy where Doppler shifted lines add to the astronomical information. 60Fe is co-produced by the sources of 26Al, and the isotopic ratio from their nucleosynthesis encodes stellar-structure information. Here we summarize latest results using the accumulated multi-year database of observations, point to the relevant publications, and discuss their astrophysical implications.


POZI Catering that are located in Gong Badak, Kuala Terengganu. They are having a problem when client making a reservation. POZI Catering does not having any computerized system that could help them to overcome this problem. POZI Catering also does not keep customers information in the computerize system. In addition, they also having a problem in designing event layout which is they need to hired a canopy company to handle it. Then, this project is target to develop a project POZI Catering Reservation using Drag-n-Drop (DnD) Feature for client to manage their reservation while staff to manage the event information and event layout. The clients having difficulties according to the POZI Catering schedule which is available and unavailable schedules. The project was fragmented into five phases which is Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Result and Analysis and Conclusion and Recommendation. The methodology that has been used in the project is Waterfall Model. It can be carried out and completed sequentially with no overlap. The features were reviewed and compared with several web features which is Canvas Drawing, Scalable Vector Graphical(SVG) and Drag-and-Drop (DnD) was selected for this project. The requirements for this project was collected by interview of the stakeholder. It was analyzed using CRUD technique and it was documented in Software Requirement Specification (SRS). The system design and structures were made using Java Eclipse software and it was documented in a Software Design Document (SDD). When the system was in the development phase, the Drag-n-Drop feature has been implemented in the system and it has been tested by researcher to confirm whether the given solution in designing event layout problem. The system is to be believed that it could solved the problem but due to limited of time, the system could not give the solution but the reservation still can be made using the system. The lecturers also were given a test to the system but the lecturers were incapable to give their responses as the researcher time was restricted. There are still some yet to come work need to be finished to fully develop the system.


OBJECTIVE
International guidelines and local practices for colorectal cancer screening suggest an important role for several different screening tests, and for consumer choice. We aimed to determine whether choice of test improved participation in screening.

DESIGN
A randomised comparative study offering one of six screening strategies: faecal occult blood testing (FOBT), FOBT and flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), computed tomography colonography (CTC), colonoscopy, or one of two groups offered a choice of these strategies (one of which was sent an FOBT kit with the letter of invitation, while the other was required to request an FOBT kit by telephone if that was the test chosen).

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
1679 people aged 50-54 or 65-69 years, randomly selected from the electoral roll in metropolitan Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Participation, yield of advanced colorectal neoplasia (CRN), acceptability and safety.

RESULTS
346 (20.6%) were excluded from screening, mostly for a recent examination (165), symptoms (72) or personal or family history of colorectal neoplasia or cancer (83). 278 of the 1333 eligible (20.9%; 95% CI, 18.7%-23.1%) participated in screening. Participation was similar by age and sex, but lower in Perth than Adelaide (17.1% v 24.2%; P = 0.01). Participation by screening group was: FOBT, 27.4%; FOBT/FS, 13.7% (P < 0.001 compared with FOBT); CTC, 16.3% (P = 0.005); colonoscopy, 17.8% (P = 0.02); or a choice of test 18.6% ("with FOBT kit"; P = 0.03) or 22.7% ("without FOBT kit"; P = 0.3). Yield of advanced CRN was higher in participants screened by colonoscopy than FOBT (7.9% v 0.8%; P = 0.02). All tests were well accepted and no serious complications arose from screening.

CONCLUSION
A choice of screening test did not improve participation. Participation by FOBT was higher than by other tests. Yield of advanced colorectal neoplasia on an intention-to-screen basis, determined by test sensitivity and participation, is likely to be a critical determinant of the effectiveness of screening strategies.


This article investigates two different activities that involve making assumptions: predicting what one expects to be true and explaining observations. In a companion article, a logic‐based architecture for both prediction and explanation is proposed and an implementation is outlined. In this article, we show how such a hypothetical reasoning system can be used to solve recognition, diagnostic, and prediction problems. As part of this is the assumption that the default reasoner must be "programmed" to get the right answer and it is not just a matter of "stating what is true" and hoping the system will magically find the right answer. A number of distinctions have been found in practice to be important: between predicting whether something is expected to be true versus explaining why it is true; and between conventional defaults (assumptions as a communication convention), normality defaults (assumed for expediency), and conjectures (assumed only if there is evidence). the effects of these distinctions on recognition and prediction problems are presented. Examples from a running system are given.


The paper is concerned with a study of endocrine function of the adrenal cortex and testes of rats after thymectomy using a radioimmunoassay. Postnatal thymectomy resulted after 3 months in a decrease in the level of corticosterone in the blood, the level of testosterone did not change as compared to that in animals after false operation. Thymectomized rats were characterized by a stronger sensitivity of the adrenals and gonads to physical exercise of moderate intensity which was expressed in a more significant elevation of the corticosterone level in the blood and a decrease in the testosterone level. A decrease in the Na+ concentration and an increase in the K+ content in erythrocytes and blood plasma were revealed in the thymectomized rats 3 and 6 mos after operation. A deficit of the thymus hormone influenced endocrine function of the adrenals and testes.


This study comprised 32 patients with epilepsy. They were referred to the Human Genetics Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt. They were mentally retarded with the exception of three patients who had normal mentality. Their ages ranged from 2 months to 16 years. Females and males were equally affected (M/F=1). All patients were evaluated to identify the specific etiology of epilepsy. They were classified into symptomatic generalized epilepsy (29 cases) and idiopathic generalized epilepsy (3 cases). After evaluation they were classified according to their diagnosis into those displaying mendelian inheritance, norunendelian inheritance and chromosome disorders. The symptomatic group showed a mendelian inheritance and chromosomal aberrations while the idiopathic group showed a nonmendelian inheritance.


Purpose
Research signifies that well-governed companies exhibit long-run financial results and sustainable growth. In the context of SMEs, this paper aims to review the literature on corporate governance, the implementation challenges of corporate governance and its relationship with performance. Entwined with Indian scenarios, the study can be generalized to other emerging economies, with geographic considerations.

Design/methodology/approach
Studies from 1990 to 2020 are included in the literature review. Three databases were used for the extraction of relevant research articles: Scopus, EBSCO and ScienceDirect. To identify the relevant work, keywords along with Boolean operators for literature search were used from the research databases. The selected articles were further refined based on the authors' keywords, journal type, data analysis methodologies and abstract analysis. Finally, 115 articles were selected and categorized into themes based on inclusion criteria for further study.

Findings
Corporate governance provides tangible and intangible benefits to SMEs. The study emphasizes on designing a cost-effective discrete governance mechanism for SMEs than the prevailing corporate governance code for large firms. Furthermore, implementing the corporate governance structure with a great level of discipline and stability is equally essential and related to performance.

Originality/value
Listing of SMEs is a relatively new phenomenon in emerging economies, including India. With listing, corporate governance and financial performance are expected to shift. The inclusion of the changing landscape of SME governance makes this study unique and relevant in the current scenario. The study will benefit the policymakers and firms to adopt optimum governance practices and link it optimally with performance.


Abstract In this article we elaborate on the relationship between morality, moral development, moral education and capitalism. Based on Narvaez's correct critique of the Western way of life, which is destroying the environment and may one day lead to extinction of life on Earth, we argue that this critique should not be stripped of its political side, meaning that it will not be complete if does not explicitly include capitalism as one of its roots. In the remainder of our commentary, we will try to show that in addition to heart, reason has a strong place in indigenous peoples' life that is frequently misunderstood. Finally, and taking all this into account, we maintain that moral and citizenship education need to be critical and intercultural, and explicitly discuss economic and political issues that underlie and affect human moral development.


We described pregnancy and delivery management in 9 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Six patients presented with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during pregnancy (first hemorrhagic episode); 2 patients presented with headache; and 1 patient with incidental detection of AVM. In the 3 patients with unruptured AVM, the diagnosis was made before pregnancy. In 3 of 6 patients who presented with ICH, AVM removal was performed during pregnancy. One patient required emergency surgery for the mass effect of the hematoma, and 2 patients with Spetzler-Martin grade I and II AVMs underwent elective surgery for the prevention of rebleeding. Radiosurgery for multiple AVMs was performed after delivery in one patient. Surgical resection and radiosurgery were performed after abortion in two patients. Of 3 patients with unruptured AVM, 2 patients became pregnant after radiosurgery and conservative treatment was initiated in 1 patient for Spetzler-Martin grade V AVM. Cesarean section was performed in 5 patients (one with severe uncontrollable pregnancy-induced hypertension) and vaginal delivery in 2 patients (one with grade V AVM). Delivery by obstetrical indication was possible in patients who underwent AVM resection during pregnancy. No rebleeding during pregnancy occurred. The maternal outcome was good except for the 2 patients with consequences of the initial ICH. The fetal outcome was good except for 2 cases of abortion. Pregnancy and delivery management in patients with AVM was successful in our institution. Early surgical intervention for AVM presenting as ICH during pregnancy could prevent rebleeding and improve the maternal and fetal prognosis.


We propose an enhancement to TCP's error recovery scheme, which we call the Eifel algorithm. It eliminates the retransmission ambiguity, thereby solving the problems caused by spurious timeouts and spurious fast retransmits. It can be incrementally deployed as it is backwards compatible and does not change TCP's congestion control semantics. In environments where spurious retransmissions occur frequently, the algorithm can improve the end-to-end throughput by several tens of percent. An exact quantification is, however, highly dependent on the path characteristics over time. The Eifel algorithm finally makes TCP truly wireless-capable without the need for proxies between the end points. Another key novelty is that the Eifel algorithm provides for the implementation of a more optimistic retransmission timer because it reduces the penalty of a spurious timeout to a single (in the common case) spurious retransmission.


Scientists working for oil companies in the Athabasca region are developing methods by which to reclaim muskeg (boreal peatlands) on land disturbed by oil sands extraction. The Alberta government requires companies to reclaim disturbed land by achieving equivalent capability of the landscape to support an end land use. Indigenous community members instead define reclamation as establishing not only quantifiable ecological functions, but also relationships to their traditional territories. Tensions emerge as Indigenous concerns are often subsumed within bureaucratic discourses that favour scientific classification and quantification of land uses in reclaimed areas. Divergent responses to muskeg in reclamation activities are informed in part by these competing emphases on quantifiable landscapes as opposed to those that are relational and growing. This article traces this multiplicity through the examination of government and scientific literature and ethnographic fieldwork with Indigenous communities in northern Alberta. Muskeg is used as an analytical tool to explore competing conceptions of land reclamation. Mistranslation of polysemantic terms like muskeg occur on an ontological level, and settler colonial relations and power imbalances between competing languages and knowledge systems proliferate in reclamation activities.


Voluntary policy compliance is an important yet rarely studied topic in public administration. To address the paucity of research, this article proposes and empirically tests a conceptual framework that ties policy transparency and policy understanding to voluntary policy compliance intentions. The reasoning is that the extent to which citizens understand a policy contributes to their intentions to comply with that policy. Further, the authors argue that policy transparency indirectly influences voluntary policy compliance intentions through a positive effect on citizens' levels of policy understanding. To enhance the validity of the findings, the authors assess these relationships across two policy domains. The findings reflect an indirect positive effect of transparency on voluntary compliance occurring through policy understanding. However, this emerged only for one policy domain. These results suggest that the effects of policy transparency on policy understanding and voluntary policy compliance intentions may depend on the policy domain.


The Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD) is one of the Technical Departments of SEAFDEC, a regional treaty organization established to promote fisheries development in the region. AQD's mandates include the pursuit of research to generate aquaculture technologies; develop managerial, technical and skilled manpower for the aquaculture sector; and produce and disseminate relevant information. The programs of AQD address important constraints to aquaculture development including 1) supply of good quality seeds; 2) development of high quality feeds, evaluation and promotion of the use of alternative ingredients that can replace fish meal as a protein source, and promotion of sustainable feeding practices; 3) health management; 4) maintaining environmental integrity; 5) adaptation to climate change; and 6) ensuring that technological developments benefit all segments of the aquaculture production sector, including small-scale farmers. These are aligned with the needs and priorities of ASEAN Member States (SEAFDEC Member Countries) identified during the "Regional Technical Consultation on Sustainable Aquaculture Development for Food Security in Southeast Asia Towards 2010 and the ASEAN-SEADFEC Conference on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security Towards 2020: Fish for the People" that was convened in 2010 and 2011, respectively. AQD programs cover several aquaculture commodities (fish, crustaceans, mollusks) and farming systems for both largeand small-scale aquaculture. The capacity building programs include training which could be 1) regular or specialized training courses conducted either on station or on-site that are designed for specific commodities and culture phases, in consideration of the requirements and needs of the requesting stakeholder; 2) internships; or 3) on-the-job training for students of fisheries and aquaculture programs/technical assistance designed for institutional capacity development as well as for entrepreneurs. SEAFDEC/AQD is an equal opportunity workplace. The realization of its work programs is anchored partly on the significant contribution of its female workforce in research, technology development, technology dissemination and capacity building programs for the region and beyond.