Streptococcus lactis strain DR1251 was capable of growth on lactose and galactose with generation times, at 30°C, of 42 and 52 min, respectively. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase activity for lactose and galactose was induced during growth on either substrate. This activity had an apparent Km of 5 × 10−5 M for lactose and 2 × 10−2 M for galactose. β-d-Phosphogalactoside galactohydrolase activity was synthesized constitutively by these cells. Strain DR1251 lost the ability to grow on lactose at a high frequency when incubated at 37°C with glucose as the growth substrate. Loss of ability to metabolize lactose was accompanied by the loss of a 32-megadalton plasmid, pDR1, and Lac− isolates did not revert to a Lac+ phenotype. Lac− strains were able to grow on galactose but with a longer generation time. Galactose-grown Lac− strains were deficient in β-d-phosphogalactoside galactohydrolase activity and phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase activity for both lactose and galactose. There was also a shift from a predominantly homolactic to a heterolactic fermentation and a fivefold increase in galactokinase activity, relative to the Lac+ parent strain grown on galactose. These results suggest that S. lactis strain DR1251 metabolizes galactose primarily via the tagatose-6-phosphate pathway, using a lactose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase activity to transport this substrate into the cell. Lac− derivatives of strain DR1251, deficient in the lactose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase activity, appeared to utilize galactose via the Leloir pathway.


Local feature matching is not robust to extract correct correspondences under many conditions, such as images with general deformations and repetitive patterns. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a new geometric constraint method: Maximal Clique Matching (MCM). In MCM, the global geometric constraint problem can be expressed as the maximal clique problem in graph theory. MCM starts from building a geometric correspondence graph (GCG) based upon the pairwise geometric information in local features, and then an efficient heuristic approximation algorithm is developed to get the global geometric relationships by finding the maximal cliques in GCG. Given the characteristics of the global optimality of maximal cliques, MCM is robust to occlusion, clutter, deformations and repetitive patterns. We evaluated the method using two public datasets. Results show that our method outperforms other up-to-date techniques.


Tidal turbines and wave energy devices may affect seabird populations through collision mortality, disturbance and habitat loss. Given the pressures to harness tidal and wave energy, especially in Scottish waters, there is an urgent need to assess population-level impacts on seabird species. With a lack of deployed devices to monitor in areas of importance for seabirds, our approach uses data from scientific literature on seabird ecology and conservation importance likely to influence population vulnerability to "wet renewables" in Scottish waters. At this stage however, we can only infer likely interactions with tidal and wave devices. We identify black guillemot, razorbill, European shag, common guillemot, great cormorant, divers and Atlantic puffin as the species most vulnerable to adverse effects from tidal turbines in Scottish waters. We identify divers as the species most vulnerable to adverse effects from wave energy devices in Scottish waters. Wave energy devices seem likely to represent a lesser hazard to seabirds than tidal turbines, and both forms of energy capture seem likely to represent a lower hazard to seabirds than offshore wind farms (wind-power plants). The indices developed here for Scottish seabird populations could be applied to populations elsewhere. This approach will help in identifying likely impacts of tidal and wave energy deployments on seabirds, and in optimizing deployment of resources for compulsory environmental monitoring.


The first draft of this article was presented at the 1st Joint Symposium between Seoul National University and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (University of Munich) on "Current Developments in International Economic Law" held in Seoul,

Korea from September 21 to 22, 2011.


Landing from a jump implies proper positioning of the lower limb segments and the generation of an adequate muscular force to cope with the imminent collision with the ground. This study assesses how a hypogravitational environment affects the control of landing after a countermovement jump (CMJ). Eight participants performed submaximal CMJs on Earth (1-g condition) and in a weightlessness environment with simulated gravity conditions generated by a pull-down force (1-, 0.6-, 0.4-, and 0.2-g0 conditions). External forces applied to the body, movements of the lower limb segments, and muscular activity of six lower limb muscles were recorded. 1) All subjects were able to jump and stabilize their landing in all experimental conditions, except one subject in 0.2-g0 condition. 2) The mechanical behavior of lower limb muscles switches during landing from a stiff spring to a compliant spring associated with a damper. This is true whatever the environment, on Earth as well as in environments where sensory inputs are altered. 3) The motor control of landing in simulated 1 g0 reveals an increased "safety margin" strategy, illustrated by increased stiffness and damping coefficient compared with landing on Earth. 4) The motor command is adjusted to the task constraints: muscular activity of lower limb extensors and flexors, stiffness and damping coefficient decrease according to the decreased gravity level. Our results show that even if in daily living gravity can be perceived as a constant factor, subjects can cope with altered sensory signals, taking advantage of the remaining information (visual and/or decreased proprioceptive inputs).


Aptamers are widely employed as recognition elements in small molecule biosensors due to their ability to recognize small molecule targets with high affinity and selectivity. Structure-switching aptamers are particularly promising for biosensing applications because target-induced conformational change can be directly linked to a functional output. However, traditional evolution methods do not select for the significant conformational change needed to create structure-switching biosensors. Modified selection methods have been described to select for structure-switching architectures, but these remain limited by the need for immobilization. Herein we describe the first homogenous, structure-switching aptamer selection that directly reports on biosensor capacity for the target. We exploit the activity of restriction enzymes to isolate aptamer candidates that undergo target-induced displacement of a short complementary strand. As an initial demonstration of the utility of this approach, we performed selection against kanamycin A. Four enriched candidate sequences were successfully characterized as structure-switching biosensors for detection of kanamycin A. Optimization of biosensor conditions afforded facile detection of kanamycin A (90 μM to 10 mM) with high selectivity over three other aminoglycosides. This research demonstrates a general method to directly select for structure-switching biosensors and can be applied to a broad range of small-molecule targets.


Industrial wireless sensor networks are becoming popular for critical monitoring and control applications in industrial automation systems. For such type of applications, providing reliable real-time performance regarding data delivery is considered as a fundamental challenge. The problem becomes more prominent with mixed-criticality systems, where different data flow with different levels of criticality (importance) coexist and characterized by different requirements regarding delay and reliability. In this paper, we propose a wireless fieldbus protocol to enable real-time communication and service differentiation for cluster-based mixed-criticality networks. A process monitoring scenario of plastic extrusion is used to define the protocol requirements and elaborate the working principle of the proposed work. In our proposed protocol, each data flow is scheduled for channel access based on its criticality level using a distributed prioritized medium access mechanism that ensures a guaranteed channel access for the most critical traffic over other traffic types. The performance of the proposed protocol is analyzed analytically using a discrete-time Markov chain model to evaluate the performance in terms of delay and throughput. Moreover, the extensive simulations are conducted to prove the analytical claims and different performance assessments are provided, which also demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared with the related existing work.


abstract Over the past decade, private food safety and quality standards have become focal points in the supply chain management of large retailers, reshaping governance patterns in global agrifood chains. In this article, I analyze the relationship between private collective standards and the governance of agrifood markets, using the EUREPGAP/GLOBALGAP standard as a vantage point. I discuss the impact of this standard on the organization of supply chains of fresh vegetables in the Kenyan horticulture industry, focusing on the supply chain relationships and practices among exporters and smallholder farmers. In so doing, I seek to highlight the often-contested nature of the implementation of standards in social fields that are marked by different and distributed principles of evaluating quality, production processes, and legitimate actions in the marketplace. I also reconstruct the challenges and opportunities that exporters and farmers are facing with regard to the implementation of and compliance with standards. Finally, I elaborate on the scope for action that producers and policymakers have under these structures to retain sectoral competitiveness in a global economy of qualities.


In examining the issue of causality within epidemiology, the text begins with a brief historical overview that reclaims the different meanings which the West's main philosophers have lent to this concept. It next delves into the historical roots of epidemiology as a scientific discipline and the transformations the concept of cause has undergone within this realm. With these presuppositions in place, the text goes on to analyze the 20th century development of epidemiology and the crisis it currently faces in terms of paradigm. Three alternatives are explored as ways out of this crisis: social epidemiology, Popperian criticism, and the contributions of molecular biology. Lastly, the text discusses the need for a new epidemiological theory grounded on the theory of complexity.


BACKGROUND
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but potentially fatal toxin-mediated febrile illness. Although classically associated with tampon use, it is now known that many nonmenstrual conditions are related to this syndrome. Serious morbidity and mortality can occur if this syndrome is not promptly recognized.

METHODS
MEDLINE was searched from 1978 to the present using the phrase "toxic shock syndrome." Case reports and articles related to tampon-associated toxic shock syndrome were excluded from the literature review except when defining toxic shock syndrome or discussing the cause of the syndrome. A case of nonmenstrual toxic shock syndrome associated with an intrauterine device and a review of the definition, cause, diagnostic criteria, and management are reported.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Toxic shock syndrome can mimic many common diseases. Because it can be associated with a number of nonmenstrual-related conditions, patients with unexplained fever and rash and a toxic condition out of proportion to local findings should have the diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome in their differential diagnosis. Early recognition and aggressive management can decrease the overall morbidity and mortality.


We demonstrate that two remote qubits can be entangled through an optically active intermediary even if the coupling strengths between mediator and qubits are different. This is true for a broad class of interactions. We consider two contrasting scenarios. Firstly, we extend the analysis of a previously studied gate operation which relies on pulsed, dynamical control of the optical state and which may be performed quickly. We show that remote spins can be entangled in this case even when the intermediary coupling strengths are unequal. Secondly, we propose an alternative adiabatic control procedure, and find that the system requirements become even less restrictive in this case. The scheme could be tested immediately in a range of systems including molecules, quantum dots, or defects in crystals.


We study the problem of semantic code repair, which can be broadly defined as automatically fixing non-syntactic bugs in source code. The majority of past work in semantic code repair assumed access to unit tests against which candidate repairs could be validated. In contrast, the goal here is to develop a strong statistical model to accurately predict both bug locations and exact fixes without access to information about the intended correct behavior of the program. Achieving such a goal requires a robust contextual repair model, which we train on a large corpus of real-world source code that has been augmented with synthetically injected bugs. Our framework adopts a two-stage approach where first a large set of repair candidates are generated by rule-based processors, and then these candidates are scored by a statistical model using a novel neural network architecture which we refer to as Share, Specialize, and Compete. Specifically, the architecture (1) generates a shared encoding of the source code using an RNN over the abstract syntax tree, (2) scores each candidate repair using specialized network modules, and (3) then normalizes these scores together so they can compete against one another in comparable probability space. We evaluate our model on a real-world test set gathered from GitHub containing four common categories of bugs. Our model is able to predict the exact correct repair 41\% of the time with a single guess, compared to 13\% accuracy for an attentional sequence-to-sequence model.


Sufficient yields of high-quality RNA are needed for next-generation sequencing and high-throughput real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. In the case of strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) fruits, successful RNA isolation requires removal of abundant inhibitory substances (polysaccharides and polyphenols) that greatly reduce quality and yield. In this study, we applied various combinations of RNA isolation protocols directed at reproductive organs. The best manual isolation method involved nonionic polymer and modified acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform treatments followed by phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol extraction. Compared with other methods, this approach gave significantly higher yields [84.0 µg/g fresh weight (FW)] of RNA of greater purity (A260/A280 = 1.99; A260/230 = 1.51). Better-quality RNA (A260/230 = 2.11) was obtained using an automated method, but the yield was lower (18.1 µg/g FW) than that obtained manually. This automated method consisted of pretreatment with nonionic polymer followed by a silica-based system extraction. Although RNA of sufficient quality [RNA Integrity Number (RIN) ≥ 6.5 and 28S/18S ≥ 1.0] for RNA sequencing was obtained from receptacles using both automated and manual methods, the manual method yielded high-quality RNA from achenes and anthers. The automatic method features 6-fold faster high-throughput capacity, whereas the manual method has wider applicability to different tissues.


The Missing Discourse of Things as Educational Actors "The Race War has begun. Your skin is your uniform in this battle for the survival of your kind. The White Race depends on you to secure its existence. Your peoples [sic] enemies surround you in a sea of decay and filth that they have brought to your once clean and White nation. Not one of their numbers shall be spared ..." (Resistance Records, n.d.) This is the ad copy (and only text) on the home page for the first-person shooter game Ethnic Cleansing. As the avatar of either a skinhead or a white-robed KKK member, your job is to kill all of the Blacks, Latina/os and Jews that you encounter. This Doom-like computer game was developed by Resistance Records, a company owned by the National Alliance, a Neo-Nazi organization that promotes a racist worldview very similar to the one of the virtual world in which you, as the player, are immersed. Educators should certainly be concerned about this form of "home schooling," but more to the point, we should be concerned with the ways that this game is helping to construct the social world we are all immersed in. The computer game or the game environment, as an entity, is not simply a digital vehicle for racist propaganda and treating it as such obscures the role of the technology in producing effects. Further, in terms of being a sociological entity that produced effects, the virtual world of Ethnic Cleansing may not be different, in kind or in scope, from the ideological worlds so often critiqued in the Social Foundations of Education. These game worlds are not contained, nor neutral, nor passive. Framing them as such underestimates their complex role as social agents. Ethnic Cleansing both is an effect and produces effects, thereby participating alongside other actors in the construction of the social fabric. Game worlds, digital entities and artifacts, in general, are co-fabricators of the socio-political landscape that we live in; yet the field of Educational Foundations does not have a sufficient theoretical language with which to articulate the role of these nonhuman social actors. As educators, we are surrounded by things: manipulatives, textbooks, lab equipment, educational media, administrative schedules and policy documents, and, of course, the encompassing school physical plant It is impossible to imagine education happening without them. Even writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who eschewed the world of modern industrial manufacturing, surrounded his students with the elements of the natural environment. Yet, as inescapable as things are in the learning process, the Educational Foundations have largely neglected to elaborate a framework with which to take full account of their involvement. This is especially curious given the serious work that has gone into the development and use of things as educational tools. Consider: Froebel gifts, traditional Montessori materials, Piaget's research manipulatives, Skinner's teaching machine (and it's electronic descendants), the "Hunter" lesson plan format, Chris Whittle's Channel One, and Blackboard's[TM]computer interface. Each of the above is a recognizable, major player in the history of education while simultaneously being a very minor player (in most cases, a mere set piece!) in educational sociology. Comfortable in a world grounded in sense certainty, positivistic science and Critical/ Postcolonial social theory, we in the Social Foundations neglect the relationship between the material and the social. That which is not human is generally regarded as simply present. Much of the recent Social Foundation literature investigates the construction of the social, while seriously limiting the list of legitimate building materials involved. What this literature does not interrogate is the ways in which things are constitutively social (Woolgar, 1996)--and that society is constitutively artifactual. The field of Social Foundations sidesteps the fundamental insight that things, both natural and artifactual, are woven into the social fabric and it is difficult to imagine a world where their participation is absent. …


The ultrastructure of normal Beagle cornea was similar to the human cornea, except the Beagle lacked an anterior limiting lamina (Bowman's layer) and banding in the anterior portion of the posterior limiting lamina (Descemet's membrane). The epithelium was an average of 19 cells thick with 3 basic types: squamous, polygonal, and basal. The subepithelial stroma with a mean thickness of 9 microns was hypocellular, and the bundles of collagen were randomly oriented. The majority of the stroma consisted of closely packed, parallel collagen lamellae interspersed with keratocytes and occasional nerve fibers. The posterior limiting lamina was homogeneous and thick with increasing age. The endothelial cells formed a monolayer and had apical tight junctions.


Creating multiple layout alternatives for graphical user interfaces to accommodate different screen orientations for mobile devices is labor intensive. Here, we investigate how such layout alternatives can be generated automatically from an initial layout. Providing good layout alternatives can inspire developers in their design work and support them to create adaptive layouts. We performed an analysis of layout alternatives in existing apps and identified common realworld layout transformation patterns. Based on these patterns we developed a prototype that generates landscape and portrait layout alternatives for an initial layout. In general, there is a very large number of possibilities of how widgets can be rearranged. For this reason we developed a classification method to identify and evaluate "good" layout alternatives automatically. From this set of "good" layout alternatives, designers can choose suitable layouts for their applications. In a questionnaire study we verified that our method generates layout alternatives that appear well structured and are easy to use.


The Tuesday evening coaching session at the Erewhon City Football Club Centre for Excellence for players aged 11-16 had come to a close. Having cleared away the balls, training bibs and cones, the coaches gathered in the club lounge for some refreshments. As was usual on these occasions, the coaches enthusiastically engaged in conversations about the technical and tactical content that they had addressed within their respective sessions, what aspects they thought had gone well and not so well, and what drills and practices they would use in the forthcoming Thursday night session. Inevitably, their discussions turned to focus on the performances of individual players within their coaching groups. In this respect, several expressed great frustration at the failure of certain players 'to do what I told them to do' or 'make the right decision under pressure'. Indeed, the coaches appeared to be mystified as to why some players could not grasp concepts that to them were so straightforward. In attempting to explain why certain players were underperforming, their comments tended to focus on the shortcomings and inadequacies of the players themselves, with certain players being considered to be uncoachable or lacking the attention, motivation or the 'nous' needed to succeed.


The phylogenetic positions of the porcine mycoplasmas Mycoplasma hyosynoviae and Mycoplasma hyopharyngis were determined by using PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences. M. hyosynoviae is a member of the Mycoplasma hominis group, while M. hyopharyngis belongs to the Mycoplasma fermentans group of mollicutes. Neither species is closely related to previously characterized porcine mycoplasmas belonging to the Mycoplasma hyorhinis group.


INTRODUCTION
Canine visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas of Colombia could be a public health risk factor given the zoonotic nature of the disease. Ninety-six human cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in Colombia in 2004, 5 of them in Huila, where Lutzomyia longipalpis has been incriminated as the main vector species.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of IgG antibodies against Leishmania chagasi in dogs from the sector 8 of the city of Neiva and the from the towns of Villavieja, Algeciras, Palermo and Rivera located in Huila, Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
An epidemiological survey was carried out in 610 dogs, which included clinical examination and venopuncture for obtaining blood samples. Authorization was obtained from the dog owners. The sera were analyzed by the ELISA test with promastigotes of the L. chagasi strain MHOM/CO84/CLO44B as antigen.

RESULTS
The canine population had an average age of 2.5 years; 67.3% of the dogs were males and the cross-bred animals were the most prevalent constituting 85% of those samples. On clinical examination the main signs were onicogriphosis 24.3%, lymphadenitis 10% and skin lesions 5%. The presence of antibodies was observed in 28.1% of the dogs from sector 8 of Neiva, 28% in Villavieja, 14.9% in Rivera, 10% in Palermo and 5.1% in Algeciras. An average ratio of five people cohabitating per seropositive dog was observed.

CONCLUSIONS
The results reflect the exposure to Leishmania chagasi infection of dogs living in both urban and rural environments in the studied zones, and should encourage health authorities to carry out control measures to prevent the spread of this zoonotic disease.


Background. Studies have suggested that albumin has a value in cirrhotic patients undergoing paracentesis but its value in infection and sepsis is less clear. We planned to perform a meta-analysis of the risk of adverse outcomes in cirrhotic patients with and without albumin use. Methods. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE in January 2013 for randomized studies of cirrhotic patients that reported the risk of adverse events and mortality with albumin and no albumin exposure. We performed random effects meta-analysis and assessed heterogeneity using the I2 statistic. Results. Our review included 16 studies covering 1,518 patients. The use of albumin in paracentesis was associated with significantly reduced risk of paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction (OR 0.26 95%, CI 0.08–0.93) and there was a nonsignificant difference in death, encephalopathy, hyponatraemia, readmission, and renal impairment. Compared to the other volume expanders, albumin use showed no difference in clinical outcomes. In cirrhotic patients with any infection, there was a significant reduction in mortality (OR 0.46 95%, CI 0.25–0.86) and renal impairment (OR 0.34 95%, CI 0.15–0.75) when albumin was used. Conclusion. The use of albumin in cirrhotic patients is valuable in patients with any infection and it reduces the risk of circulatory dysfunction among patients undergoing paracentesis.


ABSTRACT When the Salamanca Statement called upon States to recognise the 'necessity and urgency' of providing students with a disability access to the regular education system (UNESCO 1994, viii), both Australia and the United States of America had existing legislative and policy documents articulating the rights of students with a disability to access regular education. Since that time both countries have clarified and amended their respective laws and policies, and signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN 2006) which urges States to reallocate resourcing to inclusive education, and to reduce segregation. In this article, I examine the policy reforms in each country and analyse aggregated and disaggregated student placement data within each context to consider the impact of these reforms for different groups of students. Results show that the different reform journeys in each context produced different outcomes for students in each country, with segregation increasing in Australia and decreasing in the USA. The results also suggest that the impact of these policies has not been proportionate across categories as students on the Autism Spectrum are more likely to experience educational segregation or exclusion in both countries.


Novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized as anti tumor agents against human breast cancer adenoma (MCF-7). Molecular modeling and pharmacological screening were performed against breast cancer cell line and also certain synthetic pathways were developed in order to introduce functionality onto C6 and N5 positions of pyrimidine moiety. Surprisingly, all of the test compounds showed IC50 lower than that of the standard olomoucine I, especially compounds (4b, 8a, 10b, 11a&b), which showed IC50 between (0.009-0.004 μM).


The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear strength of ceramic brackets, according to three variables: adhesive systems (TransbondTM XT kit; TransbondTMPlus Self Etching Primer / 3M Unitek® and ClearfilMT SE Bond / Kuraray® bases of brackets (Mystique®; Resolve® / GAC®) and light sources (LED / Laser and Argon). To this, 84 premolars were divided into three groups (n = 28), according to the adhesive system used; and subdivided into two subgroups (n = 14), (n = 7), respectively, according to the type of bracket and the light source. The teeth were embedded in PVC pipes of ¾ inch, with special gypsum stone, perpendicular to the ground and pipes. The brackets were fixed on the exposed crowns. The teeth were stored at 37° C for 24 hours and then subjected to 1,000 thermal cycles with 30 seconds in each bath (5°C and 55°C). The shear test was performed on Shimadzu testing machine at a speed of 0.5mm/min. The enamel surfaces were qualified through the ARI (adhesive remnant index). Data were subjected to statistical analysis ANOVA, Tukey and Kruskal-Wallis (p <0.05). The results showed that: For the adhesion force: the conventional TransbondTM XT kit was superior to self-etching at the Mystique® base; The Resolve® base obtained a performance statistically superior to Mystique®; LED was statistically superior to laser when in the Resolve® base and adhesive TransbondTM Plus Self Etching Primer. For the IRA: the only significant association occurred in LED, for TransbondTMPlus Self Etching Primer sticker and score 0, in which Resolve®base was superior to Mystique®. It was concluded that the argon laser did not influence the shear strength, nor in the ARI scores.


The hydration of a protein, Peroxiredoxin 5, is obtained from a molecular dynamics simulation and compared with the picture of hydration which is obtained by analysing the water proton R1 NMRD profiles using a generally accepted relaxation model [K. Venu, V. P. Denisov and B. Halle, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1997, 119, 3122]. The discrepancy between the hydration pictures derived from the water R1(o0)NMRD profiles and MD is relevant in a discussion of the factors behind the stretched NMRD profile, the distribution of orientational order parameters and residence times of buried water used in the NMRD model.


In this paper, a detailed study of the electrochemical behavior of zirconium in the molten LiF–KF–ZrF4 system on an inert molybdenum electrode was carried out at 600 °C. Several electrochemical techniques were employed such as cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and square wave voltammetry. The reduction of zirconium was found to be a multi-step process that at the potentials of 1.15, 1.50 and 1.62 V versus Pt, the corresponding cathodic reactions of Zr4+/Zr2+, Zr2+/Zr+ and Zr+/Zr occurred. The result was further confirmed by the theoretical calculation of the number of transferred electrons according to the cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry analysis. Moreover, based on the cyclic voltammograms, the diffusion coefficient of Zr4+ ions in the eutectic LiF–KF containing 1 wt% ZrF4 at 600 °C was estimated to be about 8.31 × 10−6 cm2 s−1. The present electrochemical study on zirconium in the molten fluoride system will be a theoretical reference for future zirconium electrorefining from Zr alloy or scraps.


Tax certainty aims at the stabilization of expectations of both, taxpayers and governments. Improving tax payer service, easing cooperation channels and clarifying legal framework are strategies already in place to increase tax certainty, even though to different extent depending on the countries level of development. For the short run, concrete measures can be recommended through which international cooperation can contribute to strengthening tax certainty. These measures concern the establishment of enhanced engagement programs, the development of model legislation as a tool for the implementation of international rules and standards, the alignment of bilateral treaties and domestic legislation to international good practices, using the country-by-country-report as an indicator for the adequacy of tax payments and setting up investment incentives. In the long run, a radical change in the international tax scheme is suggested since, amongst others, the current rules do not match with the emerging digital economy. A unitary taxation system might be therefore the appropriate response even if the implementation on an international level is complex.


Bioanalysis of protein-based therapeutics have historically used ligand binding immunoaffinity (LBA) approaches. However, recently LBA has been combined with Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, resulting in the term hybrid (LBA)LC-MS/MS techniques. Hybrid LC-MS/MS has successfully been applied to the bioanalysis of biotherapeutics and biomarkers. The basic concept of hybrid LC-MS/MS can be defined as combining LBA for the selective isolation/enrichment of the target analyte from the biomatrix and LC-MS for selective detection of the isolated analyte. In this article, we present a brief overview of How To develop a hybrid LBA-LC-MS/MS method for biotherapeutics and biomarkers with an emphasis on the general workflow and procedures.


Purpose
Savant syndrome, a very rare condition in the world, refers to individuals who have extraordinary talents but might have disabilities that prevent them from maintaining their life. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the views of conservatory instructors about the education of Buğra Çankır (BC), a musical savant with autism.

Design/methodology/approach
As it was difficult to communicate with BC and elicit his views, interviews were conducted with his teachers, who had similar experiences in his music education process. The participants were six instructors who worked as full-time instructors in the conservatory. The participants were administered a semi-structured focus group interview form that described the difficulties, experiences, perceptions and feelings they had in their interactions with BC. Data obtained from the study were subjected to content analysis methods performed by the researchers; analysis involved identification of the codes and themes and formation of sub-themes and codes in line with these themes.

Findings
Results showed that the participants had difficulties in teaching BC because of having insufficient knowledge about his features. In addition, while planning the conservatory education processes, the participants were found to redesign the teaching content considering the features of the student.

Research limitations/implications
The present case study is important in terms of revealing the problems experienced in the education processes of these individuals. More detailed qualitative studies or action research could be utilised in studies to be conducted in the future.

Originality/value
BC's educational experience is the first case for educational institutions and instructors in Turkey.


Retroperitoneal abscesses are uncommon in obstetrics and gynecology. Recently, seven reported cases of retropsoas-subgluteal abscesses following paracervical-pudendal anesthesia have been reported, and we have seen two additional cases. The infrequent occurrence and diagnostic difficulties make these abscesses especially dangerous. They can result in substantial patient morbidity and mortality. They must be suspected in patients receiving paracervical-pudendal anesthesia prior to vaginal delivery in whom hip pain subsequently develops. Therapy consists of prompt surgical exploration and drainage and appropriate antibiotic therapy.


Over the past decades, the advent of anti-TNF agents has dramatically changed the treatment algorithms for IBD. However, primarily and more importantly, secondary loss of response to anti-TNF agents, is often observed. Thus, new treatment options have been actively explored and some have already been incorporated in the current clinical practice. Among the class of anti-cytokine agents, the anti-IL12/IL23 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been first presented, in clinical practice, by the anti-p40 mAb ustekinumab in Crohn's disease (CD). More selective anti-IL23 agents (anti-p19) have shown efficacy and are being further developed, in contrast to agents inhibiting IL-17 downstream, which have failed in IBD clinical trials despite their clear efficacy in psoriasis.


An attempt is made in this paper to provide an overview of the availability of health care service information on the Internet based on a study of websites of health service providers. Health information is one of the most frequently sought on the Internet. Internet Information technologies herald a major change in the dissemination of health and medical information, with the promise of transferring knowledge from health professionals to the general public. Accessibility to online clinical and health information is essential for better health outcomes. There are currently several websites and search engines that provide health care service information. But qualitatively the information provided by them is not satisfactory. On the other hand its usage is also in question due to various factors. Furthermore, there is a need for practitioners in the Vijayapura city health sector to take an active position in providing timely and context-relevant information to the growing need for online health information. The study concludes that it is an opportunity for information professionals to take a lead position in regulating and ensuring the availability of health-related information, especially that related to local health services. Such efforts will also complement existing initiatives aimed at improving active participation of the Vijayapura city people in promoting and sustaining healthy practices


The Ca concentration in the soil of many Central European forest ecosystems is declining. The evidence for the extent of Ca loss in Norway spruce (Picea abies L. [Karst.]) forests was investigated from changes in exchangeable Ca between 1985 and 2000 at Weilhartsforst/ Upper Austria and from soil solution chemistry between 1992 and 1999 at Coulissenhieb/NE Bavaria. The temporal trend of exchangeable Ca in the soil and the Ca concentration in the soil solution were compared with the change in the Ca concentration in spruce needles. The decline of the pool of exchangeable Ca in the soil within 15 yr was not reflected by the Ca concentration of needles in Austria. Analysis of a large regional database revealed that soil exchangeable Ca was only loosely correlated with the Ca level in needles and entirely unrelated to the rate of forest growth. At the Bavarian site a decline in soil solution Ca concentration and Ca/Al and a decline in needle Ca concentrations were observed; however, changes in foliar Ca concentrations were not statistically correlated with soil solution chemistry. This would suggest that trees access Ca from sources that are not evident from soil chemical data. Despite ongoing Ca losses, we did not identify an immediate stress for the forest ecosystems.


Bioactive glass-ceramics of the SiO2-CaO-P2O5-MgO system were fabricated by sol-gel-self propagating method. Two Gel-derived materials discs, 5S and 3S, were prepared by compression of powders. The materials obtained were examined in vitro with regard to the dissolution behavior and the formation ability of calcium phosphate layer on the surfaces of samples in simulated body fluid (SBF). Concentration of ions and pH value in SBF were determined by ICP-AES and micro acidity meter after 3S and 5S were immerged in SBF for intervals from 6h to 15 days and the surface characteristic of 3S and 5S soaked were determined by SEM. Experiment results showed that the formation ability of calcium phosphate on the surface of gel-derived materials depended on the speed of dissolution of samples, which related to original chemical composition and size of crystal on the surface of materials. With decreasing of Si content and increasing of Ca content, smaller crystal could be formed on the surface of 3S, which tended to dissolve more quickly in SBF. Solubility product of calcium phosphate can be reached more easily in the solution with high concentration of Ca and P and bone-like carbonate apatite formed easily on the surface of 3S.


We employ the semirigid vibrating rotor target (SVRT) model to study the influence of rotational and vibrational excitation of the reagent on reactivity for the reaction H+NH3. The excitation of the pseudo H–NH2 stretching vibration of the SVRT model gives significant enhancement of reaction probability. Detailed study of the influence of initial rotational states on reaction probability shows strong steric effect. The steric effect of polyatomic reactions, treated by the SVRT model, is more complex and richer than theoretical calculations involving linear molecular models.


Analogue modelling contributes to the interpretation of lithosphere scale folds in Iberia as a result of largescale
convergence during Oligocene-Miocene times between the Iberian and European Plates. Different tectonothermal
events affected the microplate since late Paleozoic and resulted in lateral strength variations of the Iberian
lithosphere. An old and cold lithosphere, Variscan in age, can be found in the westernmost part of Iberia whereas
a relative weak and hot Mesozoic lithosphere affected by episodes of rifting and basin inversion during Mesozoic-
Tertiary times covers the area of the Iberian Chain. Our study aims at deciphering whether deformation and
topography evolution in Iberia are related to lateral strength variations and/or the inherited structural grain stemming from Variscan deformation. We also have studied the strength of the lithosphere to gain insights into the effects of rheological variations related to local thrusting or primary strength variations along the Iberian lithosphere.


The author spent 6 months in the Marshall Islands as a part of the Eniwetok Atoll cleanup project. The medical facility was a simple, semipermanent structure in an isolated, tropical setting, and modern medical technology was both limited and remote. The major problems encountered were, in decreasing order of frequency: trauma, skin disorders, depression and alcohol abuse, infectious disease, and heat stress. Preventive medicine, milieu therapy, and a simply stocked drug cabinet were the mainstay of our medical care. Several suggestions are made as to avoiding and treating problems in similar situations.


People spontaneously judge others' personality based on their facial appearance and these impressions guide many important decisions. Although the consequences of personality impressions are well documented, studies on the accuracy of personality impressions have yielded mixed results. Moreover, little is known about people's meta-accuracy (i.e., whether they are aware of their judgment accuracy). Even if accuracy is generally low, meta-accuracy would allow people to rely on their impressions in the right situations. In two studies (one preregistered), we examined the accuracy and meta-accuracy of personality impressions. We addressed three crucial limitations of previous studies (a) by incentivizing accuracy and metaaccuracy, (b) by relying on substantially larger samples of raters and targets (646 participants rating 1,660 faces), and (c) by conducting Bayesian analyses to also quantify evidence for the null hypothesis. Our findings consistently suggest that people show neither accuracy nor metaaccuracy when forming face-based personality impressions.


Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2018.


Linear support vector machine training can be represented as a large quadratic program. We present an efficient and numerically stable algorithm for this problem using interior point methods, which requires only O(n) operations per iteration. Through exploiting the separability of the Hessian, we provide a unified approach, from an optimization perspective, to 1-norm classification, 2-norm classification, universum classification, ordinal regression and -insensitive regression. Our approach has the added advantage of obtaining the hyperplane weights and bias directly from the solver. Numerical experiments indicate that, in contrast to existing methods, the algorithm is largely unaffected by noisy data, and they show training times for our implementation are consistent and highly competitive. We discuss the effect of using multiple correctors, and monitoring the angle of the normal to the hyperplane to determine termination.


A series of bicyclic and tricyclic lactide derivatives was prepared using L-lactide as the starting material. Exomethylene-lactide served as a platform for the Diels–Alder addition of various dienes to afford norbornene-, cyclohexadiene-, and isoprene-lactide derivatives. Norbornene-lactide (NL) was also hydrogenated to the saturated norbornane analog. These new lactide derivatives were subjected to ring-opening polymerization using 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) as the catalyst. Homopolymers of poly(cyclohexadiene-lactide) (Mn = 6.4 kg mol−1), poly(isoprene-lactide) (Mn = 15.3 kg mol−1), and poly(norbornane-lactide) (Mn = 34.4 kg mol−1) exhibited glass transition temperatures (Tg's) of 119 °C, 77 °C, and 107 °C, respectively. The decomposition temperature (Td) of unsaturated PLA derivatives was ≤280 °C, whereas saturated poly(norbornane-lactide) has a Td of 300 °C. Additionally, a series of poly(norbornene-lactide-s-L-lactide) (P(NL-s-L)) copolymers with varying ratios of NL and L-lactide were prepared. The Tg's of the P(NL-s-L) samples ranged from 61 to 100 °C, and the values were well-described by the Fox equation.


In an attempt to define the mechanism by which endotoxin induces its biologic activity, LPS was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) and compared with free LPS for ability to stimulate human monocytes. Activation of human monocytes by free LPS caused the translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) from the cytosol to the plasma membranes, the production of both IL-1, alpha and beta, and IL-1 secretion. Activation by LPS presented in multilamellar vesicles (MLV)-LPS caused IL-1 production but not IL-1 secretion. Moreover, MLV-LPS did not induce PKC translocation. MLV themselves did not inhibit monocyte stimulation by LPS, since LPS presented at the surface of lyophilized liposomes behaved like free LPS in cell activation. In contrast, MLV-LPS primed monocytes for subsequent LPS stimulation. When monocytes were activated by LPS in the presence of PKC inhibitors, no plasma membrane-associated PKC or IL-1 secretion was detected, whereas IL-1 production was observed. PKC inhibitors did not affect IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta production, showing that PKC is not involved in the production of either IL-1. It can be concluded that IL-1 production and secretion are induced independently, and that IL-1 secretion involves PKC.


This paper explores the consequences of Zimbabwe's land reform for the dynamics of differentiation in Zimbabwe's countryside, reporting on the results from a 10-year study from Masvingo province. Based on a detailed analysis of livelihoods across 400 households at 16 sites, the paper offers a detailed typology of livelihood strategies, linked to a class-based analysis of emerging agrarian dynamics. The paper identifies a significant and successful 'middle farmer' group, reliant on 'accumulation from below' through petty commodity production, existing alongside other worker-peasants and the semi-peasantry, whose livelihoods remain vulnerable, with prospects for accumulation currently limited. In addition, there are others who are 'accumulating from above', through patronage and corruption. While small in number, this group has significant political and economic influence, and is embedded in powerful alliances that have fundamental impacts on the wider political–economic dynamics. To conclude, the economic, social and political implications of the emerging patterns of differentiation in Zimbabwe's countryside are discussed.


To evaluate the appearances of objects and materials, it is necessary to assess both color and geometric attributes of appearance. Color stimuli can be synthesized by mixing proper amounts of three primary colored lights to match visually any unknown. Color is thus tridimensional. By contrast, the geometric attributes (gloss, texture, and distinctness-of-image) cannot be synthesized. Instead, different perceived attributes are selected on the basis of best correlation of measurement results with visual ratings. The best measurement methods are identified by ASTM and other organizations. In practice, however, only the most obvious sources of geometric appearance differences can be measured. Complete analyses of geometric appearance, based on all directions of light distribution, would be too cumbersome to be usable.


Results of treatment of 149 patients with external pancreatic fistula for 1990-2000 yrs period were analyzed. Roentgencontrast fistulography, ultrasonic investigation, endoscopic retrograde pancreatography are the main diagnostic methods of the disease. Conservative therapy was conducted in 57 patients, sandostatin was administered in 0.1 ml dosage subcutaneously every 8 h during 5-8 days. It turned to be effective in 42 (73.7%) of patients. Fistulopancreatojejunostomy, fistulojejunostomy, pancreatic resection of its part, carrying fistula, were the main methods of operative treatment. Postoperative complications occurred in 7 (7.6%) of patients. All the patients are alive.


While there is no doubt about the participation of Zika virus in microcephaly, its epidemiology is not entirely clear and doubts remain about the intervention of other factors. In studies on the epidemiology of dengue, the infestation by Aedes aegypti peridomiciliary and the population density are the main determinants for viral spread. However, in Rio Grande do Norte state (RN), the counties that have confirmed cases of microcephaly overlapped the river basins regions surrounded by agriculture and livestock. In addition, the prevalence of microcephaly at the end of the first year of the epidemic was higher in small towns than in larger ones, elements that seem to contradict what is known about the epidemic by other arboviruses. Methods: 234 cases of microcephaly were analyzed from three states and 144 counties. Results: An exponential trend of higher prevalence of microcephaly in the smaller cities (r2=0,7121) was found.The correlation coefficients (R) between the Prevalence of microcephaly and the variables that measured the density of animals in the territory ranged from moderate to strong. Discussion: Concerning microcephaly, studies in progress point to the possibility of association between the Zika Virus and the BVDV, a virus known to produce birth defects in farm animals but perceived as innocuous in humans. Conclusions: The overlap of cases of microcephaly in river basins, their higher prevalence in smaller cities, the strength of the correlation coefficient, render necessary new etiological and pathophysiological studies.


Objective To investigate the performance of parent-reported data in identifying physician-confirmed asthma. Design and setting Validation study using linkage between the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and electronic patient records held within the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). Participants Participants were those eligible to participate in ALSPAC who also had a record in the GPRD; this included 765 individuals, just under 4% of ALSPAC-eligible participants. The analysis was based on 141 participants with complete parent-reported asthma data. Primary and secondary outcome measures The main GPRD outcome measure was whether a child had a diagnosis of asthma before they were nine. Parent-reported measures were doctor diagnosis of asthma (before mean age 7.5 years), various outcomes based on wheezing and breathlessness recorded longitudinally between 6 months and 8.5 years. Secondary outcomes were bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR), forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio and skin prick test responses. Results Among the 141 participants with complete parent-reported data, 26 (18%) had an asthma diagnosis before age nine. Using general practitioner (GP)-recorded asthma as the gold standard, the question 'Has a doctor ever diagnosed your child with asthma?' was both sensitive (88.5%) and specific (95.7%). 'Ever wheezed' had the highest sensitivity (100%) but low specificity (60%). More specific definitions were obtained by restricting to those who had wheezed on more than one occasion, experienced frequent wheeze and/or wheezed after the age of 3, but these measures had low sensitivities. BHR only identified 50% of those with a GP-recorded diagnosis. Conclusions Parental reports of a doctor's diagnosis agree well with a GP-recorded diagnosis. High specificity for asthma can be achieved by using detailed wheezing questions, although these definitions are likely to exclude mild cases of asthma. Our study shows that linkage between observational studies and electronic patient records has the potential to enhance epidemiological research.


The end of the Cold war catalysed considerable recalibration in the world's security architecture. In Australia, whilst this entailed a closer embrace of Asia, the South Pacific did not initially engage Australian security interests. However, post 11 September 2001 and post the terrorist attacks in Bali of October 2002, much has changed. The notion of 'comprehensive security'—in which Pacific security is seen as a function of a wide variety of social, political and strategic phenomena—has assumed such prominence it has ushered in an expanded justification for one state to intervene in the affairs of another. Although, as in the case of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, such intervention has required invitation and multinational coalitions under the rubric 'cooperative intervention', the extent and nature of Australian-led initiatives in the South Pacific has raised concerns. Key amongst these concerns is the extent to which policies such as tied-aid and 'extended cooperation' might erode South Pacific sovereignty and the consensus politics of the Pacific Way. This article considers these issues against the backdrop of very significant changes to the region's key political body, the Pacific Forum. It suggests that although Australia is commendably active in strengthening the Pacific's security net, greater sensitivity to Pacific concerns might better effect her longer-term security objectives.


Epigenetic mechanisms play tremendous roles in the development and management of neural processing. The important mechanisms include inactivation of transcription via methylation, histone modification via acetylation/deacetylation, and miRNA regulation. These modifications allow for expression or silencing of genes, without manipulation of nucleotide sequence. An individual's internal and external environments provide input for quotidian epigenetic regulation. Aberrations in the form of regulation have been increasingly linked to neurological disorders, in addition to the established correlation to tumorigenesis. In recent years, deviations from normal epigenetic patterns have been observed in cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The brains of patients with AD have been shown to display significantly less methylation overall, as compared to age-matched controls. Of particular concern, the methylation, which normally keeps the promoter of the APP gene silenced, occur far less frequently in AD patient allowing for the progression of amyloid deposition and subsequent tau pathology. In addition to the hypomethylation present in AD, many AD cases present with a concurrent hypoacetylation on histones in the hippocampus. There is strong evidence suggesting that the reduced levels of acetylation are due to over-activation of histone deacetylases. Post-mortem examinations of the brains of AD patients have shown that the vi brain-derived neurotrophic gene, which is crucial for neural processing associated with maturation and memory, has low levels of acetylation halting its transcription. While low levels of methylation and acetylation seem to contribute to the pathogenesis of AD, regulatory miRNA levels can have adverse effects whether they are aberrantly reduced or increased. Patients with AD tend to show abnormally augmented expression of miRNA125b, miRNA-128, and miRNA-9 in the hippocampus, while a reduced expression of miRNA-107. Deregulation of these miRNAs have been linked to the progression of AD and include amyloid deposition, tau pathology, and oxidative stress through inflammatory processes. The latter quandary of oxidative stress has been shown to be crucial for the early progression of AD. Reactive oxygen species disallow the methylation of genes due to steric hindrance at the CpG islands of DNA where DNA methyltransferases act. Research shows that increases in oxidative stress are correlated to decreases in methylation, which allows for APP expression. While these alterations to normal epigenetic patterns occur internally, there is a breadth of changes that the external environment imposes to exacerbated AD pathogenesis. Most heavily studied of these external environmental factors is lead exposure. There is a strong correlation between lead exposure in individuals who carry the ApoE4 gene and increased mRNA transcription of the APP gene. Lead is thought to demethylate the promoter of the APP gene and allow for amyloid processes to occur. Inadequate nutrition, specifically deficits in choline and folate, has been linked to hypomethylated states due to an inefficient "methylation/remethylation cycle" leading to an accumulation of homocysteine characteristic of AD. vii With the emphasis epigenetic deregulation has in the progression of AD, epigenetic treatments need to be seriously considered as therapeutic avenues. Current drugs treat the symptoms and acute conditions of AD, but through epigenetic modifications, the pathology of the diseases can be directly addressed. Potential therapeutic avenues include the use of methyl donors, highly specific histone deacetylase inhibitors, and miRNA biomarkers. Methyl donors can help alleviate the hypomethylated state and prevent further APP expression and amyloid deposition. Currently, the histone deacetylase inhibitors are being used as global inhibitors, but have adverse effects including non-specific and premature cell death. By further researching these inhibitors and finding a mechanism to attack specific histone deacetylases (such as HDAC6 in AD), the efficacy of this aspect of treatment will be greatly increased. The current use of miRNAs as epigenetic regulators to turn off unwanted genetic expression is ineffective due to a major problem of effective delivery to target zones. By using the gene sequences of miRNAs as biomarkers, an AD patient's genomic sequence can be mapped, marking which areas require regulation. This process is necessary because of the inter-individuality of miRNA regulation between each case of AD. Also, the problem of some anti-miRNA molecules not being able to cross the blood brain barrier needs to be addressed using a novel transport mechanism, as direct brain injections are not feasible. The simplest, and highly effective, therapeutic avenue is a healthy lifestyle. Daily exercise and proper nutrition hinder inflammatory process and oxidative stress and can prevent progression of AD through allowing higher brain perfusion for cognitive functioning. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE .................................................................................................i COPYRIGHT PAGE.................................................................................ii READER APPROVAL PAGE......................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................. viii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................ x


Meeting the legal needs of Modern Business: A Study of the adaptability of commercial law in four key areas

This is not a conventional PhD. It is a PhD based on published work. The unifying theme is the study of the extent to which commercial law is able to adapt to changing business needs. The conventional view in academic law is that commercial law is sufficiently flexible to be adapted to the developing needs of business, but to what extent is this true?

The existing literature provides many examples of how commercial law has been adapted to modern commercial conditions by various mechanisms and how its defects, omissions and inconsistencies have been overcome. However, this literature also provides examples of where there have been significant gaps between commercial law and commercial reality, which have remained unbridgeable for prolonged periods of time.

The topics chosen, and the examples given, by the previous authors have been selective; often by necessity. It is based on the recognition that in a field as vast as commercial law, the authors know that they have to strike a balance between the competing claims of coverage, detail and depth, and that where they have chosen the option of depth; they have had to be selective. These authors have not claimed that their work should be regarded as comprehensive statements on the adaptability of commercial law. Instead, they have based their conclusions on the evidence acquired from the relatively narrow field of study. The implications of this are that their conclusions, which are based on a restricted set of data, may be potentially refutable, or subject to amendment in the light of new data. My work supplies additional analytical data.

I do not aim to provide a definitive and comprehensive assessment of the extent to which commercial law is flexible. The subject is too vast. So, like past authors, I too have been selective. My choice of topics within commercial law sometimes overlaps with, and sometimes differs from, what has been examined in the past. In either case my aim is to produce new knowledge about the extent to which commercial law has been able to meet business needs in certain developing areas. Like the previous researchers I have chosen to examine issues that are in the core areas of commercial law (such as the sale of goods and bankruptcy). However, I have also examined topics where new and significant developments have occurred and where new evidence can be brought to bear on this central theme. This entails examining areas of business activity that have been neglected or overlooked by previous academics who have been exploring the theme of the flexibility of commercial law. These academically neglected topics of study are, nonetheless, important in commercial practice and they include the topics of franchising and securitisation. The resulting research has produced a new data set, which is variously able to confirm, refute and supplement the knowledge that already exists about the nature of commercial law.

Concerning methodology, in keeping with other authors, I have employed a doctrinal analysis to the issues addressed in some of the publications. From a doctrinal perspective, commercial law is viewed as a system that is generally rational and coherent, where contradictions, gaps, and ambiguities need to be identified and, so far as is possible, eliminated. I have adopted the conventional view that the law ought to be adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of business (within the bounds of public policy) and that this goal should serve as a criterion for judging legal developments and proposed reforms. Working within this framework and pursuing modes of thought conventional to the doctrinal approach, the explanatory essay (which forms a preface to the published works) shall highlight some of new facts and insights contained in the submitted publications that lend support to a commonly accepted pattern of commercial law analysis. This approach is not designed produce a paradigm shift in the subject. However, it does extend the boundaries of the subject and aid understanding about the flexible nature of commercial law. It shows the extent to which the law can be adapted to meet the expectations of business and how it balances the need for legal certainty in transactions with the conflicting needs for flexibility and the protection of the public interest. The doctrinal approach of the published research may also serve to assist lawyers in dealing with technical legal problems and assist reformers by focusing attention on deficiencies in the law that require remediation.

As a contribution to commercial law, the publications reveal is that different areas of commercial law are moving at different speeds and display different degrees of flexibility, and are subject to different levels of statutory or regulatory intervention. The publications have also shown that the negative forces of drift and inertia in some areas can sometimes be as significant as the forces of economic change on the law. Drift occurs where an inappropriate rule remains unchanged for a long period of time because the practitioners have found a way around the problem, or because businesses are not prepared to litigate on the issue, thereby reducing demands for change. This state may continue until a sudden increase in transaction costs or an adverse court ruling produces an urgent demand for reform.
With respect to inertia, it has been noted that Parliament has often been disinterested in legislating in the commercial field, relying on the existence of the many old statutory enabling and default rules to permit a degree of flexibility and development in commercial law. It has convinced many governments, even in recent times, that routine legislative review of the law is not required. As a consequence, it has often been difficult to persuade governments to find time to modernise commercial law, even where the common law has failed to cope adequately with new commercial developments.

Despite these problems, commercial law remains one of the most dynamic areas of law. It is continually evolving to try to meet the new needs of business even although there are limits to its adaptability. The challenge remains to find a way to ensure that commercial law responds more appropriately to changing business needs by understanding more about the mechanisms of legal development in commerce.


ABSTRACT Four Lactobacillus strains were isolated from marketed probiotic products, including L. rhamnosus strains from Vifit (Friesland Campina) and Idoform (Ferrosan) and L. casei strains from Actimel (Danone) and Yakult (Yakult Honsa Co.). Their genomes and phenotypes were characterized and compared in detail with L. casei strain BL23 and L. rhamnosus strain GG. Phenotypic analysis of the new isolates indicated differences in carbohydrate utilization between L. casei and L. rhamnosus strains, which could be linked to their genotypes. The two isolated L. rhamnosus strains had genomes that were virtually identical to that of L. rhamnosus GG, testifying to their genomic stability and integrity in food products. The L. casei strains showed much greater genomic heterogeneity. Remarkably, all strains contained an intact spaCBA pilus gene cluster. However, only the L. rhamnosus strains produced mucus-binding SpaCBA pili under the conditions tested. Transcription initiation mapping demonstrated that the insertion of an iso-IS30 element upstream of the pilus gene cluster in L. rhamnosus strains but absent in L. casei strains had constituted a functional promoter driving pilus gene expression. All L. rhamnosus strains triggered an NF-κB response via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in a reporter cell line, whereas the L. casei strains did not or did so to a much lesser extent. This study demonstrates that the two L. rhamnosus strains isolated from probiotic products are virtually identical to L. rhamnosus GG and further highlights the differences between these and L. casei strains widely marketed as probiotics, in terms of genome content, mucus-binding and metabolic capacities, and host signaling capabilities.


Earlier theoretical models of unbalanced bidding in unit price contracts (UPC) ofter predict corner solutions, i.e. zero bids for unit prices of expected overextimated quantities. However, anecdotal evidence indicates a lack of zero bids in the actual contracts. We pursue a possible explanation for this anomaly in risk-aversion of the contractor. Using a simple model we show that a contractor with superior information may exploit this in the bidding process to increase her expectd revenue. However, in so doing she increases her risk exposure. If the contractor is risk-averse, she typically will avoid a corner solution to this risk vs. expected return trade-off.


In the modern age methods for the calibration of sensors have become particularly important. Situations can arise where the deployment of sensors in the field, particularly in bulk, could be augmented to a very useful degree through the application of some form of autonomous monitoring system. This system would ideally be capable of taking a measurement, relaying the data to a central database and then re-setting the sensor to a default form. Inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) are useful in modem research due to their highly conductive properties when doped, and their concurrent mechanical flexibility. The ICP polypyrrole can be prepared as an electromechanical actuator, capable of operation under low applied power.

Through the application of colorimetric dyes to the polypyrrole actuators simple sensors can be developed with the actuator acting as a delivery mechanism of the sensor to the sample of interest. This concept has been developed through the use of LED-based detectors and RGB-analysis of digital images.


Pressures to change abound and often create individual frustration and stress due to individuals feeling victimized during times of change unless they have a sense of control over the change. Additionally, change can often seem daunting, beyond the capacity of any one person, although systems theory purports its possibility. Granted, the holonic notion of life suggests people, also known as individual systems, never have complete control due to their participation in larger systems which creates constant flux. This does not suggest, however, that individuals do not have some control. This article illustrates the importance of self-control in times of significant change and argues that individuals can and do change the world.


Neurotrophins regulate development, maintenance, and function of vertebrate nervous systems. Neurotrophins activate two different classes of receptors, the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases and p75NTR, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily. Through these, neurotrophins activate many signaling pathways, including those mediated by ras and members of the cdc-42/ras/rho G protein families, and the MAP kinase, PI-3 kinase, and Jun kinase cascades. During development, limiting amounts of neurotrophins function as survival factors to ensure a match between the number of surviving neurons and the requirement for appropriate target innervation. They also regulate cell fate decisions, axon growth, dendrite pruning, the patterning of innervation and the expression of proteins crucial for normal neuronal function, such as neurotransmitters and ion channels. These proteins also regulate many aspects of neural function. In the mature nervous system, they control synaptic function and synaptic plasticity, while continuing to modulate neuronal survival.


We investigate how voter and political candidate behavior and election results are affected by an explicit blank vote option "None of the above" (NOTA) on the ballot paper. We report evidence from two online survey experiments conducted in the weeks preceding the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the 2016 Austrian run-off election for President. We subjected participants either to the original ballot paper or to a manipulated ballot paper where we added a NOTA option. We find that introducing a NOTA option on the ballot increases participation and reduces the vote shares of non-establishment candidates. NOTA is chosen more frequently by voters with a protest motive, who are either unhappy with the candidate set or with the political establishment in general. Using a laboratory experiment we further explore the reaction of political candidates to the existence of a NOTA option. We replicate our field evidence that NOTA diverts votes from a protest option (e.g. an inferior candidate or policy), thus decreasing the likelihood that the protest option actually wins. However, (establishment) candidates anticipate this shift and become more likely to make unfair policy proposals when NOTA is present. As a result, a NOTA option on the ballot in our laboratory setting improves efficiency but increases inequality.


Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) has been used for a detailed structural analysis of different amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) samples. For ACP the NMR data reveal the presence of hydrogenphosphate units in much larger quantities as known previously also showing differences between the samples. Furthermore, phosphate units close to water and a third group (yet unknown) are found in the spectra. A novel proposal has been established to explain the Ca-deficiency in nanocrystalline HAp. It consists of a crystalline core of stoichiometric composition which contains only 50% of the total phosphate amount. The residual phosphate is contained in a disordered surface layer with about 1 nm thickness. Most importantly, this surface layer contains hydrogenphosphate groups to a large extend and carbonate units. A Ca/P ratio of 1.52 is obtained from the NMR data which is very close to the value of 1.51 of the chemical analysis. Thus, NMR allows the investigation of the disordered mineral-protein interface and first examples concerning bone and nacre are presented and discussed.


Thermoluminescence (TL) of Sr2P2O7: Er 3+ phosphors had been studied in order to investigate the nature of the trapping centers created due to doping ions. The effect of beta – irradiation was analyzed for various doses given to the samples. The measurements of TL glow curves have been done at the heating rate 6 K/s. The TL measurements done for the study of the dosimetric properties of samples showed that the β-dose response is linear from 5 Gy to about 50 Gy. The experimental glow curves had been analyzed by glow curve fitting technique which revealed that the glow curve is consist of three curves with peak temperature 400 K, 430 K and 464 K. The activation energy 'Ea' of the peaks had been calculated to be 0.90 ± 0.03 eV, 1.10 ± 0.04 eV and 1.05 ± 0.03 eV, respectively. The geometrical factor 'μg' having values 0.51, 0.52 and 0.48, imply that the glow curve having second order kinetics. The linear dose response, fading effect after exposed and reusability of samples are very reliable for dosimetry applications. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press.


Atom probe tomography provides compositional information in three dimensions at the atomic scale, and is therefore extremely suited to the study of nanocrystalline materials. In this paper we present atom probe results from the investigation of nanocomposite TiSi¬Nx coatings and nanocrystalline Al. We address some of the major challenges associated with the study of nanocrystalline materials, including specimen preparation, visualisation, common artefacts in the data and approaches to quantitative analysis. We also discuss the potential for the technique to relate crystallographic information to the compositional maps.


We used immunofluorescence to examine the developmental relationship of Ia and IgD on B cells. Pre-B cells in fetal liver did not express Ia. Only very few surface IgM-positive (sIgM+) B cells in fetal spleen were found to be Ia+ and were weakly stained for Ia. After birth there was a linear increase in the proportion of sIgM+ spleen cells which expressed Ia, reaching 95% by 9 days. Adult bone marrow also contains a sizeable proportion of sIgM+ Ia- cells. Unstimulated cells from fetal or newborn liver and spleen expressed Ia at the same rate in culture. Anti-Ia antisera suppressed the LPS-induced differentiation of IgM and IgG plasma cells in cultures of neonatal lymphocytes. Ia was also detected on IgM and IgG plasma cells in vitro suggesting that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated B cells by may express Ia antigens, induced by LPS, or appearing as part of normal differentiation. IgD did not appear on sIgM+ cells until 3 days of age and then rose slowly to reach adult levels later than Ia antigens.


The design of an in-wheel electric motor for the solar-powered vehicle 'Aurora', entered in the 1996, 3010 km Darwin-Adelaide World Solar Challenge solar car race is described. Compared to other entrants in the race, the brushless DC motor is more efficient (97.5% compared to 92-95%) and lighter (8.3 kg compared to 12-16 kg) than all other direct-drive motors, and more efficient than all motor/gear combinations. This is achieved by the use of high flux-density rare-earth magnets, and computer aided optimisation of an axial-flux configuration consisting of a Halbach magnet array and an ironless air-gap winding.


These are the more serious cases; others less grave could be added to the list. No one doubts the ability of Mr. Lake or indeed any other competent surgeon to excise a scalp wound ; but since casualties are many and the patients can have no choice in selecting their surgeon, and since the judgment and ability of 'hospital staffs vary in degree, an effort must be made to avoid errors and omissions which so easily lead to a fatal issue. Scalp wounds can be trivial, but they can also conceal grave dangers; therefore they should always be regarded as potentially serious until proved otherwise. The reason for transferring cases of nerve injury is surely very sound. Nerve suture itself is only one item in the conduct of the case. After-care is at least as important, and requires prolonged treatment, for which the best facilities are to be found at orthopaedic centres, where there is the further advantage that the surgeon who operates can watch the result of his handiwork. The present methods of solving these problems will undoubtedly cause heartburning and perhaps resentment in the surgeon who wishes to tackle everything. As always, the acid test is, What is best for the patient?-1 am, etc., D. W. C. NORTHFIELD, M.S., F.R.C.S., April 28. Surgeon in Charge of a Special Head Centre.


This study aimed to determine the effects of flipped instruction on the performance and attitude of high school students in Mathematics. The study made use of the true experimental design, specifically the pretest-posttest control group design. There were two instruments used to gather data, the pretest-posttest which was subjected to validity and reliability tests and the Modified Fennema-Sherman Attitudes Scale. It was found out that the experimental and control groups were comparable in the pretest and posttest. Comparison on their gain scores revealed significant difference with performance of the experimental group higher than the control group. There was no significant difference on the level of attitude of the participants in the experimental group before and after the study in terms of confidence in learning mathematics, attitude toward success in mathematics, mathematics anxiety and perception of teacher's attitudes. A very weak positive relationship existed between performance and attitudes toward mathematics.


The global increase life expectancy and the resulting tooth loss has required searching for new rehabilitation alternatives in Dentistry. Biomaterials can be defined as any material that acts replacing a lost bone defect and its function. In Dentistry, many studies have aimed to improve bone regeneration through the use of BMPs for bone replacement. Objective: To review the literature on the use and clinical viability of human morphogenetic protein for the jaws reconstruction. Material and methods: The following databases were searched: Pubmed, Bireme, Lilacs, and Scielo and 30 articles published between 1965 and 2013 were found using the following descriptors: "dental implants", "maxillary sinus", and "biocompatible materials". Results: Several studies demonstrate the biological advantages of rhBMP-2 on bone regeneration of the jaws. In recent years, morphogenetic protein has presented a large clinical use. Conclusion: Despite being a high-cost biomaterial, rhBMP-2 is a viable and very effective alternative for reconstruction of defects of the face.


ABSTRACT Vibrio alginolyticus is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium which is normally distributed in the coastal and estuarine environments. It has been suggested to be an opportunistic pathogen to both marine animals and humans, Here, the completed genome sequence of V. alginolyticus ZJ-T was determined by Illumina high-throughput sequencing.


We consider the living standards, supplies of child-labour, and poor-relief needs among intact and broken working-class families of various sizes in historical England. We estimate family incomes without resort to the usual day wages and ahistorical assumptions about male labour inputs. We also incorporate women and children's wages and labour alongside consumption smoothing using a life-cycle approach. Living standards varied considerably over time and by family structure and dependency ratio. Small and intact families enjoyed high and rising living standards after 1700. Large and broken families depended on child labour and poor relief up until 1830.


Fibre sensing has reached an interesting turning point today: a clearer assessment about promises that were really held and those that failed to convince can be envisioned. A choice of key fibre sensing techniques will be reviewed and a critical discussion about their real impact will be presented. The promising potentialities of distributed sensing in its different flavours will be addressed, without omitting perspectives on other major techniques, such as Bragg gratings and chemical sensors.

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/200236/files/OFS 23 Next generation of optical fibre sensors 9157AN.pdf


The link between energy availability, turnover of energy substrates and the onset of inflammation in dairy cows is complex and poorly investigated. To clarify this, plasma inflammatory variables were measured in mid-lactating dairy cows allocated to three groups: hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemic clamp, induced by insulin infusion (HypoG, n = 5); hyperinsulinemic euglycaemic clamp, induced by insulin and glucose infusion (EuG; n = 6); control, receiving a saline solution infusion (NaCl; n = 6). At 48 h after the start of i.v. infusions, two udder quarters per cow were challenged with 200 μg of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Individual blood samples were taken before clamps, before LPS challenge (i.e. 48 h after clamps) and 6.5 h after. At 48 h, positive acute phase proteins (posAPP) did not differ among groups, whereas albumin and cholesterol (index of lipoproteins), negative APP (negAPP), were lower (p < 0.05) in EuG compared to NaCl and HypoG. The concentration of IL-6 was greater in EuG (p < 0.05) but only vs. HypoG. At 6.5 h following LPS challenge, IL-6 increased in the NaCl and EuG clamps (p < 0.05), while TNF-α increased (p < 0.05) in the EuG only. Among the posAPP, haptoglobin markedly increased in EuG (p < 0.05), but not in NaCl (p = 0.76) and in HypoG; ceruloplasmin tended to decline during LPS challenge, the reduction was significant when all animals were considered (p < 0.05). Conversely, all the negAPP showed a marked reduction 6.5 h after LPS challenge in the three groups. In conclusion, EuG caused an inflammatory status after 48-h infusion (i.e. decrease of negAPP) and induced a quicker acute phase response (e.g. marked rise of TNF-α, IL-6) after the intramammary LPS challenge. These data suggest that the simultaneous high availability of glucose and insulin at the tissue-level makes dairy cows more susceptible to inflammatory events. In contrast, HypoG seems to attenuate the inflammatory response.


It has been almost five years since the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia. An estimated.200,000 civilians have been killed, over two million people have been displaced from their homes, tens of thousands have been tortured and raped, and Europe has hosted yet another of the world's genocides.' While the recently concluded Dayton Peace Agreement has resulted in a temporary cessation of the armed conflict,2 serious concerns have been raised regarding efforts to rebuild and repair the institutions of civil society.' Little attention has been paid, however, to the constitutional structure of the newly created state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.4 While the long term viability of the region depends on a number of factors, the constitutional structure of the government, and its allocation of power among the parties to the peace agreement, is crucial for the long term viability of an independent Bosnian state. This Comment examines only one aspect of the constitutional structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina: the institutionalization of ethnicity.5


Analysis of satellite ocean color and wind speed data within the seasonal ice zone (SIZ) of the Southern Ocean sheds light on the physical processes that influence phytoplankton biomass distributions. A compilation of monthly averaged chlorophyll and percent sea ice cover data within the SIZ from 1997 to 2005 has been compared with monthly average wind speed data from 1999 to 2005. The size of the marginal ice zone (MIZ, areas of recent ice retreat) was fairly consistent from year to year, always peaking in December, with a mean area of 6.0 million km2. The mean area within the MIZ with phytoplankton blooms (chlorophyll exceeding 0.8 mg/m3) was 0.36 million km2. While the bloom areal extent seems small compared to the MIZ, in reality, because of gaps in the chlorophyll data, blooming regions comprise a much larger fraction of the MIZ. Considering only areas with valid chlorophyll data, the percentage of the MIZ with blooms was 17%, 21%, and 24% for the months of December, January, and February, respectively. December always has the largest MIZ area, but MIZ mean chlorophyll concentrations sometimes do not peak until February. Wind speed strongly impacts phytoplankton bloom dynamics within the MIZ. There is an inverse relation between wind speed and bloom occurrence, with blooms largely suppressed at high wind speeds. At low wind speeds (∼5 m/s), blooms are observed over about one third of the MIZ. Blooms are also much more frequent near the continent than in offshore waters, likely due to increased iron availability. Open ocean phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean are likely to become iron-light co-limited except in regions where the mixed layer depth is relatively shallow.


Cellular polypropylene-calcium carbonate based piezoelectric films were obtained using biaxial stretching and gas-mediated inflation followed by a corona discharge treatment using home-made devices. The obtained results revealed a cellular structure that develops at the interface between the solid particles and the polymer matrix and the final piezoelectric coefficient was found to depend both on the gas pressure profile and on time. The inflation step gives better results when the gas pressure is increased in stepwise manner allowing the gas to adequately intrude the cavities and maintain the required pressure. The overall results are discussed in terms of processing conditions and in terms of the developed microstructure. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers


In this letter, a variable delay optical buffer with three stage-cascaded buffer units based on nonlinear polarization rotation in semiconductor optical amplifier is demonstrated. The buffer is suitable for integration, fast reconfiguration, scalable, and easy control. With the proposed buffers, 1024-bit data are buffered more than 100 different buffering times at 2.5 Gb/s.


The General Medical Council have closed their formal consultation process soliciting recommendations on how to develop a UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA). The output of this consultation goes a considerable way to identifying concerns about implementation of such an assessment. However, there is scope for more attention to detail in specifying concerns held by individual UK medical schools, even where these schools have indicated acceptance or approval of the UKMLA. There is therefore a need for increased transparency in identifying stakeholder viewpoints to ensure these lingering concerns can be addressed during the current development phase. The current study contributes to addressing this need through providing an overview of UK medical school views on introducing a UKMLA and relatedly, on shared assessment as a source of uniformity of competency across medical schools. Using a secure online survey system, response data were collected during 13-30 January, 2014 from recommended assessment specialists, representing their respective medical schools. Likert scale and free text response data were collected. Based on Likert sale data, more medical schools appeared accepting of these ideas than either those who expressed disapproval or those who expressed uncertainty.  Nevertheless, concerns still lingered. Areas of concern included stifling of curriculum innovation, supporting students who fail the UKMLA and quality and administration of assessment. Eleven recommendations have emerged for addressing respondent concerns. In presenting these recommendations arising specifically from participant feedback, I invite responses from all categories of stakeholder in order to promote open discussion beyond the formal consultation period.


The dynamic response of mooring cables for marine structures is scale-dependent, and perfect dynamic similitude between full-scale prototypes and small-scale physical model tests is difficult to achieve. The best possible scaling is here sought by means of a specific set of dimensionless parameters, and the model accuracy is also evaluated by two alternative sets of dimensionless parameters. A special feature of the presented experiment is that a chain was scaled to have correct propagation celerity for longitudinal elastic waves, thus providing perfect geometrical and dynamic scaling in vacuum, which is unique. The scaling error due to incorrect Reynolds number seemed to be of minor importance. The 33 m experimental chain could then be considered a scaled 76 mm stud chain with the length 1240 m, i.e., at the length scale of 1:37.6. Due to the correct elastic scale, the physical model was able to reproduce the effect of snatch loads giving rise to tensional shock waves propagating along the cable. The results from the experiment were used to validate the newly developed cable-dynamics code, MooDy, which utilises a discontinuous Galerkin FEM formulation. The validation of MooDy proved to be successful for the presented experiments. The experimental data is made available here for validation of other numerical codes by publishing digitised time series of two of the experiments.


Abstract: EBV infection is one of major complications arising in pediatric patients who have undergone renal transplantation. A strong correlation between the grade of immunosuppression and the development of PTLD, one of the most severe EBV‐associated diseases, has been recognized. In this study, we monitored the serologic profile in conjunction with peripheral blood EBV‐DNA load of 32 children who underwent renal transplantation with tacrolimus as an immunosuppressant. Six patients were EBV‐seronegative (EBV−) before the transplantation, and the mean DNA load in the EBV− group was significantly higher than that in the EBV‐seropositive (EBV+) group. Seroconversion occurred in five of these patients in a mean period of 22 weeks after the transplantation. The EBV‐DNA load in the EBV+ group was maintained at a low level for a year, whereas it increased rapidly to over 1 × 105 copies/mL in two patients in the EBV− group three to seven months after the transplantation, which corresponds to the timing of seroconversion, and one of them developed PTLD. These observations suggest that the close monitoring of the EBV‐DNA load, along with longitudinal observation of seroconversion, is essential in pediatric renal transplantation, particularly for younger children who are more likely to be EVB−.


The study was aimed to provide data to assess the risk poses by termites being able to establish and multiply in the UK. This risk can be judged by determining the minimum number of individuals and biotic and abiotic conditions required for establishment of a termite colony. Workers of R. Santonensis were used to determine the minimum colony size that can be established in order to produce mini colonies under laboratory conditions. Survival was observed for initial termite number as low as ten under constant conditions at 25°C, 75% relative humidity over 28 weeks. Results showed that an initial termite number of 250 gave the greatest population survival. Increasing initial termite numbers caused a decrease in the survival in the laboratory. Survival decreased with time in the laboratory trials. Workers of Reticulitermes Santonensis were also baited with three commercially available insecticides to test their efficacy at different concentrations using treated bait matrix as Whatmann 1 filter paper to document the suppression and complete mortality. Response of the subterranean termite R. Santonensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to three bait toxicants, Imodacloprid, Thiamethoxam, and hexaflumuron, was evaluated. The results showed that during the 3-weeks test period, all termites were killed by Hexaflumuron at 1000ppm, Thiamethoxam at 100ppm and Imidacloprid at 300ppm. As these insecticides are environmentally safe, adequately stable and nonrepellent, so termites will take it up while feeding on the treated baits. Being `slow-acting' (with postponed action), the effects of the termiticides are manifested only after termites have carried it back to the nest and distributed it among nest mates during mutual food exchange through stomodial and proctodial trophallaxis activities. The horizontal transfer of lethal effects of slow acting non-repellent termiticides can fulfil the requirements of a liquid bait model for their potential to termite control methods. The termite baiting system technologies are particularly appealing to those concerned with the potential risks associated with the large quantities of liquid termiticides necessary for the traditional chemical barrier treatments for termites' control. Choice and no-choice feeding bioassays using treated filter papers with bait toxicants (Thiamethoxam and Hexaflumuron) were also conducted to determine the consumption and mortality of Reticulitermes Santonensis termite in the laboratory. Control filter paper in no-choice and choice tests using distilled water as solvent was also evaluated. In choice bioassays, R. Santonensis workers preferred to feed on untreated filter paper rather than filter paper treated with Hexaflumuron and Thiamethoxam bait toxicants. In general, termite workers consumed more control paper than the treated paper. In case of Thiamethoxam bioassays, termite workers showed more feeding on control (322.0mg) than the Thiamethoxam treated paper 80.0, 108, 125.0, 164.0, 192.0mg at 100, 10, 2.5, 1.0 and 0.25ppm. In the choice hexaflumuron bioassays, termite workers repeated the instinct and consequently consumed more of the untreated paper than the treated one. The amount of paper consumed was 98.0, 120.0, 145.0, 177.0, 198.0 mg at 1000, 500, 200, 50 and 10ppm respectively. Significantly smaller amounts of the treated filter papers were eaten in comparison with control baits when R. santonensis workers were exposed to hexaflumuron and thiamethoxam. The amount of the treated filter paper consumed was significantly different (P< 0.0001) than the amount consumed in the case of untreated at all concentrations tested for the thiamethoxam. This decrease in treated filter paper consumption at higher doses in particular indicate the anti-feedant effects at higher doses in both cases. In general, a decrease in termite mortality was recorded in the choice test. In No Choice feeding bioassays, based on the results the percent mortality was greater and more apparent. Comparing the highest doses of each insecticide, Thiamethoxam proved more toxic with 100% mortality at 100ppm, whereas hexaflumuron at 1000ppm provoked 90% mortality of the R. Santonensis workers. The use of bait toxicants like hexaflumuron, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid in termite baits is briefly discussed. These overall results indicate that Thiamethoxam is effective as a bait toxicant at 100 ppm; Imidacloprid at 300 ppm and hexaflumuron at 3,000 ppm against R. Santonensis.