Traversing dense crowds can be challenging, but it is especially difficult in a virtual environment where the user is limited to simple input devices. Predicting near‐future user movements with a hidden Markov model allows nearby autonomous agents to react politely, that is, to specifically avoid impeding the movement of the user. This predictive model and simple avoidance scheme are tested by six subjects in 360 short interactive games and by a 10‐participant two‐alternative forced choice questionnaire. Polite agents are found to significantly improve the player's ability to navigate quickly and without collision, and the resulting character movements showed increased naturalness for two of the three game scenarios. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Posterior root-tear of the medial meniscus and accompanied meniscal extrusion can lead to functional loss of the meniscus. The aim of this study is to assess medial meniscus extrusion at increasing varus forces utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in order to evaluate the contribution of the adduction moment of the knee during gait. We prospectively enrolled 19 patients (38 knees). Patients underwent gait analysis testing to calculate adduction moment, followed by an MRI at rest and with increasing varus forces according to the patient's specific adduction moment. Meniscal extrusion and root gap at increasing varus forces were measured and compared. Functional outcomes and their association to meniscal extrusion was analyzed. We found the average meniscal extrusion at rest, 100% and 150% applied varus force for the control group to be 1.7mm, 1.7mm and 1.9mm, respectively; and for the index group average meniscal extrusion was 5.3mm, 6.4mm and 6.8mm, respectively. Meniscal extrusion increase from rest to 100% varus force was significantly higher in the index group (p=0.0002). Further meniscal extrusion and root gap increase from 100% varus force to 150% varus force did not show a statistically significant difference (p=0.39). The association between greater increase of meniscal extrusion with varus force and WOMAC scores was not statistically significant. In conclusion this study defines the contribution of the varus force component of the adduction moment to meniscal extrusion, in patients with a medial meniscus posterior root-tear.


Hate crime policy has developed from the early legislation of the 1968 Civil Rights Act to the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, to be increasingly inclusive in terms of identity and comprehensive in terms of ramifications. Hence a body of scholarship around the trajectory and implications of hate crime laws has developed, as has a robust discourse on the definitions of hate crime itself and theories on who perpetrates bias-motivated violence and why it occurs. Between definitions of hate crime, a tension exists between legal definitions and those of theorists who are attempting incorporate understanding of context into the definition. Similarly, the theories on who perpetrates hate crimes and why they occur exhibit tensions between strain-based theories. While some scholars have deployed Merton's (1938) strain theory associated with societal anomie, others point to changing norms.
 As hate crime laws have become more inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, avenues of research into the disparities in experience of bias-motivated crimes between enumerated categories has increased. Persistent in the research on hate crime is the deficiency of data on victimization and ramifications beyond direct victims. While data on the scope of the policies is clear, inconsistencies in data collection around victimization render available resources insufficient.
 Most recently, research on hate crime policy has intersected with queer theory to question whether hate crime laws are positive for the LGBTQ community or society at large. Organizations such as the Silvia Rivera Law Project, for example, have pushed back on calls for inclusive hate crime laws via challenging the propensity to provide additional resources to the prison-industrial complex. Furthermore, queer scholars of history find a disconnect between the origins of the LGBTI movement in resisting police powers to be antithetical to promoting increased police powers in the form of hate crime legislation.


Contemporary discussions of art and technology continue to work on the assumption that making entails the imposition of form upon the material world, by an agent with a design in mind. Against this hylomorphic model of creation, I argue that the forms of things arise within fields of force and flows of material. It is by intervening in these force-fields and following the lines of flow that practitioners make things. In this view, making is a practice of weaving, in which practitioners bind their own pathways or lines of becoming into the texture of material flows comprising the lifeworld. Rather than reading creativity 'backwards', from a finished object to an initial intention in the mind of an agent, this entails reading it forwards, in an ongoing generative movement that is at once itinerant, improvisatory and rhythmic. To illustrate what this means in practice, I compare carpentry and drawing. In both cases, making is a matter of finding the grain of the world's becoming and following its course. Historically, it was the turn from drawing lines to pulling them straight, between predetermined points, which marked the transition from the textilic to the architectonic, debasing the former as craft while elevating the latter as technology. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.


Work on prepositional phrase (PP) attachment resolution generally assumes that there is an oracle that provides the two hypothesized structures that we want to choose between. The information that there are two possible attachment sites and the information about the lexical heads of those phrases is usually extracted from gold-standard parse trees. We show that the performance of reattachment methods is higher with such an oracle than without. Because oracles are not available in NLP applications, this indicates that the current evaluation methodology for PP attachment does not produce realistic performance numbers. We argue that PP attachment should not be evaluated in isolation, but instead as an integral component of a parsing system, without using information from the gold-standard oracle.


Adoption of cover crops has the potential to increase agricultural sustainability in the US and beyond. In 2017, a survey was conducted with Nebraska stakeholders in an attempt to evaluate current cover crop management strategies adopted in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), field corn (Zea mays L.), and seed corn production. Eighty-two Nebraska stakeholders answered the survey, of which 80% identified themselves as growers. Eighty-seven percent of respondents manage cover crops, and the average cover crop ha planted on a per farm basis is 32%. The primary method of establishing cover crops following soybeans and field corn is drilling. In seed corn, interseeding is the main seeding strategy for cover crop establishment. Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) appeared as the most adopted cover crop species (either alone or in mixtures with radish [Raphanus sativus L.] or hairy vetch [Vicia villosa Roth]). Over 95% of respondents utilize herbicides for cover crop termination in the spring before crop planting. Glyphosate is used by 100% of survey respondents that use herbicides for cover crop termination. The major observed impacts of incorporating cover crops into a production system according to survey respondents are reduced soil erosion and weed suppression. According to 93% of respondents, cover crops improve weed control by suppressing winter and/or summer annual weed species. The biggest challenge reported by cover crop adopters is planting and establishing a decent stand before winter. According to the results of this survey, there are different management strategies, positive outcomes, and challenges that accompany cover crop adoption in Nebraska. These results will help growers, agronomists, and researchers better guide cover crop adoption, management, and future research and education needs in Nebraska and beyond.


In light of the growing international demands for accountability in relation to alleged war crimes committed in Sri Lanka during its twenty-six-year armed conflict, this article aims to evaluate the options available to both Sri Lanka and the international community under the applicable rules of international law. First, the background to the armed conflict in Sri Lanka will be investigated, with a particular focus on the escalation thereof in 2009. This article will then examine the options available under public international law to address the increasing calls for accountability. Throughout the analysis, comparisons will be drawn between the situation in Sri Lanka and those in which criminal tribunals have been established to prosecute those responsible for perpetrating alleged international crimes. By contrasting the options available in relation to the situation in Sri Lanka with analogous situations, conclusions will be drawn as to the most viable options through which the intensifying demands for accountability might be met under international law.


A breeding method is described for simultaneous conversion and improvement of alien sorghums (CL.) Moench). In addition to recessive height and maturity genes the procedure requires genetic male sterility. This integrated and pragmatic approach for population breeding seeks the development of widely adapted cold tolerant sorghum cultivars, while converting the alien lines to short stature and early maturity types by recurrent backcrossing. However, the procedure can be used, with necessary modifications, for the improvement of other traits in sorghum and also in other crops where suitable systems exist for easy recombination.


Various forms of violence plague our society. While violence is ubiquitous, there is a lack of studiesthat analyze war upsurges in a more dynamic and disaggregated setting, study its relationship withthe country attributes, and its impact on the broader population. In Chapter 1 I build a conceptualframework to analyze violence upsurges in a more dynamic and disaggregated setting. Using thedata on the Maoist insurgency in Nepal (1996-2006), I propose a model that conceptualizes violenceas a spatial-temporal process. I nd that the key determinant of whether or not an area is drawninto a civil war is its proximity of the areas that are already engaged in the civil war. In Chapter 2,I exploit a unique set of education data from Nepal to assess the impact of violence on an importantdeterminant of future economic growth: children's educational attainment. I find that 3 additionaldeaths per 10,000 population (one standard deviation) from the mean reduces the primary andsecondary school examination passing rates by 0.55 and 0.53 standard deviations, respectively.Lastly, in Chapter 3 I present a scenario where differences in a government's innate ability leadsto differences in resulting violence. More specifically, I present a scenario where the inability ofthe government to fully comprehend the ramifications of their actions leads to underinvestment incounterinsurgency. A fully informed government is aware of the breath of consequences of its actionsand takes stringent action accordingly, whereas a myopic government engages in ad hoc responsesonly. I find that if having a revolution is a greater concern, a myopic government facilitates it,whereas, if government's use of violence is as undesirable, a myopic government is preferred. Theoverall conclusion is that an armed conflict within a country has specific characteristics that need tobe further examined with disaggregated data and tested against the economic theories on institution formation. Additionally, an armed conflict also has far-reaching consequences for a warring state's next generation, thereby making policies to address the loss in human capital a necessity to prevent future conflict relapses.


Engineering designs can involve multiple stages, where at each stage, the design models are incrementally modified and optimized. In contrast to traditional dynamic optimization problems, where the changes are caused by some objective factors, the changes in such incremental optimization problems (IOPs) are usually caused by the modifications made by the decision makers during the design process. While existing work in the literature is mainly focused on traditional dynamic optimization, little research has been dedicated to solving such IOPs. In this paper, we study how to adopt cooperative coevolution to efficiently solve a specific type of IOPs, namely, those with increasing decision variables. First, we present a benchmark function generator on the basis of some basic formulations of IOPs with increasing decision variables and exploitable modular structure. Then, we propose a contribution-based cooperative coevolutionary framework coupled with an incremental grouping method for dealing with them. On one hand, the benchmark function generator is capable of generating various benchmark functions with various characteristics. On the other hand, the proposed framework is promising in solving such problems in terms of both optimization accuracy and computational efficiency. In addition, the proposed method is further assessed using a real-world application, i.e., the design optimization of a stepped cantilever beam.


This paper is based on an econometric model of the New Zealand meat export trade for the period 1990-2003. The model is known as a gravity model because it describes trade flows as being balanced between the respective pull of domestic and importing country size and incomes. The meat trade is characterised by strict hygiene regulations, quota markets and tariff charges in different markets. In addition, meat is not a homogeneous commodity but is characterised by breed, cut and presentation, and differentiated market destinations. An econometric model not only identifies general trends in demand and supply which might already be fairly obvious to the trade preactitioner but it also puts confidence intervals on the economic relationships being observed. We estimate income elasticities of demand, price elasticities, distance factors, tariff rate quota restrictions, and the impact of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations. Results are available for `all meat', `beef and veal' and `lamb' exports to 9 countries.


While meteorology and aerosols are identified as key drivers of snow cover (SC) variability in High Mountain Asia, complex non‐linear interactions between them are not adequately quantified. Here, we attempt to unravel these interactions through a simple relative importance (RI) analysis of meteorological and aerosol variables from ERA5/CAMS‐EAC4 reanalysis against satellite‐derived SC from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer across 2003–2018. Our results show a statistically significant 7% rise in the RI of aerosol‐meteorology interactions (AMI) in modulating SC during late snowmelt season (June and July), notably over low snow‐covered (LSC) regions. Sensitivity tests further reveal that the importance of meteorological interactions with individual aerosol species are more prominent than total aerosols over LSC regions. We find that the RI of AMI for LSC regions is clearly dominated by carbonaceous aerosols, on top of the expected importance of dynamic meteorology. These findings clearly highlight the need to consider AMI in hydrometeorological monitoring, modeling, and reanalyses.


Summary Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an electromagnetic inspection method that is widely used to help locate and assess conditions of sewer pipes. However, when operated from the ground surface, the method is not efficient in identifying early stages of void formation, which if untreated, can lead to the appearance of sinkholes. To remedy this issue, a few studies have introduced in-pipe GPR inspection systems to identify structural defects and the voids behind the sewer wall. Still, less research has focused on studying the implications of emission, propagation, and reception of electromagnetic waves in the enclosed environment of sewer pipes and their subsequent impact on the resulting radargrams. In this study, we address this matter by modeling and comparing equivalent planar (ground-surface) and cylindrical (in-pipe) operation environments. Our results indicate the differences between the radargrams of the cylindrical and planar topologies in terms of intensity, the slope of hyperbolas, and presence of horizontal reflection lines. These results encourage practical considerations for conducting in-pipe GPR surveys with respect to choosing antenna separation and target depth of the survey and tuning the parameters for hyperbolas in automatic object detection algorithms.


Author(s): Levy, Jonathan Ma | Advisor(s): Nicoll, Roger A | Abstract: The nervous system is tasked with quickly gathering, interpreting, and responding to information about the outside world. To carry out this task, it has signaling cells called neurons, their support cells, and most importantly, the connections between neurons which can be used in a combinatorial manner to generate a wide array of behaviors. These connections occur at locations termed synapses. Glutamatergic synapses, consisting of a post-synaptic specialization with clustered glutamate receptors opposite a pre-synaptic terminal, are the sites of fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. Communication between neurons via synaptic transmission enables the nervous system to respond quickly to stimuli. Changes in synaptic strength and connectivity change these responses, through processes commonly termed learning and memory. The mechanisms controlling synapse growth and maintenance are therefore critically important for learning and memory. Proper formation of the post-synaptic specialization requires that glutamate receptors localize to the synapse and associate with the complex network of signaling and scaffolding molecules known as the post-synaptic density (PSD). Multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that the PSD scaffolding proteins themselves play an instructive role in regulating the localization of synaptic glutamate receptors. The primary protein family implicated in synaptic glutamate receptor localization is the four-member membrane-associated guanylyl kinase (MAGUK) family: PSD-93, PSD-95, SAP97, and SAP102. Here, we examine the role of the MAGUKs in several contexts. We find that MAGUKs are specifically responsible for creating functional synapses after initial spine formation by filling functionally silent spines with glutamate receptors. Removal of the MAGUKs causes an initial reduction in synaptic strength, followed by activation of a compensatory program that consolidates weakened synapses to normalize synaptic strength. We next find that overexpression of the MAGUKs fills additional silent spines with glutamate receptors. Removal or overexpression of MAGUKs therefore does not affect synaptic strength, which appears to be tightly regulated. Combination of these two manipulations by simultaneous removal of endogenous MAGUKs and overexpression of recombinant MAGUK destroys existing PSDs, disrupts regulation of synaptic strength, and results in formation of very strong synapses. Finally, we examine the role of the MAGUKs in vivo, characterizing their role during development of the hippocampus.


Gibberellins (GAs) are phytohormones that regulate growth and development throughout the life cycle of plants. Negative feedback contributes to homeostasis of GA levels. DELLA proteins are involved in this process. Since DELLA proteins do not have apparent DNA binding motifs, other DNA binding proteins might act as a mediator downstream of DELLA proteins in the GA feedback regulation. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms of GA feedback regulation, specifically the differential regulation of GA 20-oxidase (GA20ox) and GA 3-oxidase (GA3ox) by transcription factors. RSG (REPRESSION OF SHOOT GROWTH) is a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transcriptional activator with a basic leucine zipper domain that controls the levels of endogenous GAs through the regulation of GA biosynthesis genes. Recently we reported that RSG not only regulates the expression of ent-kaurene oxidase gene but is also involved in the negative feedback of NtGA20ox1 by GAs. RSG plays a role in the homeostasis of GAs through direct binding to the NtGA20ox1 promoter triggered by a decrease in GA levels in the cell. Furthermore, decreases in GA levels promote modifications of active histone marks on the NtGA20ox1 promoter. We have developed a hypothetical model to explain how RSG regulates dual target genes via epigenetic regulation.


The release of proteins and membrane vesicles in the bloodstream regulates diverse vascular processes, both physiological, such as angiogenesis and haemostasis, and pathological, such as atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. Proteomics, beside its canonical application for the expression profiling in cells and organs, can be applied to the study of secreted proteins and microvesicles, which play a significant role in the homeostasis of the vasculature, and the development of the atherosclerotic disease.


Author(s): Sanchez, Adan | Advisor(s): Contreras, Frances | Abstract: There is an increase of Latino/a/x students enrolling in higher education in the United States. Yet, Latino students' retention and graduation rates continue to be significantly lower compared to White students (Musu-Gillette et al., 2016). In part, this problem stems from how higher education institutional practices have maintained one-size-fits-all models to support Latino/a/x students without considering the diversity within this complex group defined by their multiple and intersecting identities. Research shows that underrepresented students, such as Latino students, struggle in college and in their transition for different reasons (Carter, Hurtado, a Spuler, 1996; Harackiewicz et al., 2014; Hurtado, 1994). Therefore, higher education institutions must create a college community that promotes social and intellectual integration to strengthen student commitment (Gentry, 2014) and sustain updated efforts by dedicating time in collaborating with students (Espinoza a Espinoza, 2012) since both student and institutional variables influence college persistence (Titus, 2004). Since there is a lack of research and understanding of Latino/a/x students' within-group differences, this study examined higher educational institutional practices aimed to support Latino/a/x students' multiple and intersecting identities to identify how to enhance institutional efforts to ensure Latino/a/x student success. In particular, California Community College system was central to the study since the vast majority of Latino students enroll in these higher education institutions (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2018a). The aim of this study was to argue that the relationship between student and institution must be intentional and well-coordinated since current higher education institutional practices designed to support the needs of students of color such as Latino/a/x students may not be fully supporting their multiple and intersecting identities. This dissertation stresses how critical it is for an institution to dig deeper into the Latino/a/x students' lives to understand and validate their diverse experiences in order to provide intentional and sustainable practices where students can explore their complex identities and ultimately meet their holistic needs. Doing so can lead a higher education institution to proactively understand their Latino/a/x student population and improve institutional practices that may contribute to an overall student success including higher retention and graduation rates (Hurtado, 1994).


In the new era, the transformation of principal social contradictions in China is a historical change related to the overall situation, which is significant theoretical innovation of the Communist Party of China and profoundly reveals the new features, new connotations and new changes of China's basic national conditions, being of great significance to the economic and social development of our country. A solution to the new contradictions has become a new task, and is also the fundamental task of the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. At present, the people's needs in China show the trend of complexity, diversification and multi-level cross coexistence, and unbalanced and inadequate development" has become the principal factor hindering the achievement of people's yearning for a better life. Therefore, it has important theoretical and practical significance to reorganize the transformation of principal social contradictions since the founding of China, and clarify the social transformation and internal logic of the principal contradictions in the new era, which is helpful for us to understand and grasp the scientific connotation of the conflict, and deepen the understanding of present basic national conditions, to further discriminate inner logical associations of new contradictions-new problems-new tasks" in the new age, identify the focal point at this stage and the next development direction and work, and explore the real path to resolve the conflicts. In this paper, through the anatomy and unscrambling trial of unbalanced and inadequate development in our country, and connotation evolution of good life", we reveal the transformation logic of principal contradictions. Then based on the internal relationship of the conflicts and movement rules, we resolve contradictions and put forward the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions combining with the current reality. This paper points out that, under the background of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we are supposed to resolve social contradictions in two aspects in the new era. On the one hand, we should deepen the supply-side structural reform, optimize the economic structure, vigorously improve the quality and efficiency of development and supply, and make efforts to solve the problem of inadequate and unbalanced development; on the other hand, we should scientifically grasp the time connotation of good life" and dynamic characteristics in the development, promote the overall construction of the five in one", and better meet the growing needs of people in many aspects and at multi levels. In practice, we should focus on promoting the change in contradictory forces between the two sides, turn imbalance and inadequate development" into more balanced and more adequate development" through economic, political, cultural, social and ecological development based on the full range of efforts, gradually resolve barriers to people's increasing good life needs", and promote the all-round development of human beings and the overall progress of the society.


The haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase (HAD) enzyme superfamily is the largest family of phosphohydrolases. In HAD members, the structural elements that provide the binding interactions that support substrate specificity are separated from those that orchestrate catalysis. For most HAD phosphatases, a cap domain functions in substrate recognition. However, for the HAD phosphatases that lack a cap domain, an alternate strategy for substrate selection must be operative. One such HAD phosphatase, GmhB of the HisB subfamily, was selected for structure-function analysis. Herein, the X-ray crystallographic structures of Escherichia coli GmhB in the apo form (1.6 A resolution), in a complex with Mg(2+) and orthophosphate (1.8 A resolution), and in a complex with Mg(2+) and d-glycero-d-manno-heptose 1beta,7-bisphosphate (2.2 A resolution) were determined, in addition to the structure of Bordetella bronchiseptica GmhB bound to Mg(2+) and orthophosphate (1.7 A resolution). The structures show that in place of a cap domain, the GmhB catalytic site is elaborated by three peptide inserts or loops that pack to form a concave, semicircular surface around the substrate leaving group. Structure-guided kinetic analysis of site-directed mutants was conducted in parallel with a bioinformatics study of sequence diversification within the HisB subfamily to identify loop residues that serve as substrate recognition elements and that distinguish GmhB from its subfamily counterpart, the histidinol-phosphate phosphatase domain of HisB. We show that GmhB and the histidinol-phosphate phosphatase domain use the same design of three substrate recognition loops inserted into the cap domain yet, through selective residue usage on the loops, have achieved unique substrate specificity and thus novel biochemical function.


Exercise-induced ST-elevation is extremely uncommon especially in patients without prior myocardial infarction. It is more common among post-infarction patients with Q waves on the resting ECG. In the current case we report a 50-year-old man with a history of chest pain on exertion started four months ago. During the exercise test, ST-elevation was observed in leads II, III, AVF. Coronary angiography revealed significant stenoses in the right coronary artery and left circumflex artery, which were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. This case highlights the rare finding of exercise-induced ST-elevation and reviews possible mechanisms.


Five pairs of neurones, R(L)-B1, R(L)-B2, R(L)-B3, R(L)-B4 and R(L)-B5, controlling buccal muscle movement, were identified in the buccal ganglia of the African giant snail Achatina fulica Ferussac. All these neurones fired during the radula retraction phase of rhythmic buccal activity. Neurones Bl, B2, B4 and B5 made direct excitatory connections to the radula retractor, and B1, B2, B3 and B5 also made direct excitatory connections with the outer muscle of the buccal mass. Of these neurones, B4 had the most potent effect on contraction of the ipsilateral radula retractor. Physiological and pharmacological analyses suggested that the principal excitatory transmitter of B4 at the neuromuscular junctions was acetylcholine (ACh), although glutamate and aspartate also elicited the contraction. A pair of cerebral ganglion cells, v-RCDN and v-LCDN, was found to have modulatory effects on the muscle contraction evoked by B4 firing and ACh application. Morphological, physiological and immunohistochemical analyses suggested that the modulatory actions of v-CDN on muscle contraction are mediated by serotonin, which may be released from nerve terminals of v-CDN and act directly on the muscle. v-CDN also increased the activity of motoneurone B4. v-CDN shared several common features with serotonergic cerebral cells in other gastropod molluscs.


Cleaner production (CP) has been widely recognized as a useful approach to mitigate pollutions during industrial production. Small-to Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) contribute immensely to most developing economies and provide a vital source of employment and incomes for many millions of people in developing countries, but there is often disregard for the negative implications on the environment. The aim of the study was to assess barriers to cleaner production implementation in the small scale industries and recommend ways of addressing these. The research focuses upon some of the key environmental issues in the Zimbabwean small-to medium scale industry. An application of CP to two industries, namely the foundry and cement manufacturing industry is highlighted and the challenges faced during the implementation are discussed. A review of literature is also carried out to relate the challenges to other countries in order to have a global view and ascertain common inter-phases and the possibility of common solutions in the developing world. It was discovered that in the absence of external motivators, such as government regulation and community pressure, SMEs are less likely to adopt rapid advances in environmental performance. Lack of information also impacts negatively on efforts to inculcate a culture of environmental conscious manufacturing. There is a great need to actively inform the SMEs enterprises on the merits and demerits of not employing environmentally friendly methods of production. The other big barrier is the lack of expertise to champion the implementation of a companywide CP programme. Changes in systems and technology may also make certain employees obsolete, and therefore induce organisational structural protection of the existing system.


Drama managers reconfigure a game in reaction to a player's actions. In declarative optimization-based drama management (DODM), a game's story is abstracted as a sequence of plot points; possible drama manager interventions are abstracted as a set of DM actions. The author defines an func- tion evaluating story quality, and some optimization method (currently reinforcement learning) chooses DM actions so as to maximize expected story quality according to that evaluation function. While previous work has developed this ap- proach at a technical level and discussed its potential applications, no work to date has used DODM to write real games. We report on our experiences designing a game in the Neverwinter Nights engine, entitled The Guilty, in which we use DODM to create a dynamic plot that in a previous design iteration we had found difficult to create with other techniques.


Background/Context Seasonal researchers have developed a theory and hypotheses regarding the importance of neighborhood and school contexts for early childhood learning but have not possessed nationally representative data and precise contextual measures with which to examine their hypotheses. Purpose/Research Questions This empirical study employs a seasonal perspective to assess the degree to which social context and race/ethnic composition—in neighborhoods and schools—affect the reading achievement growth of young children. The authors ask, Were there specific seasons when context and/or composition were particularly salient for reading achievement? Also, did accounting for context and composition challenge established appraisals of the relationship between family factors and achievement? Population Data for a nationally representative sample of students proceeding through kindergarten and first grade came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K). Neighborhood social and race/ethnic measures came from the 2000 Census. Research Design: This quantitative study employs a three-level model that assesses reading achievement at school entry and during three subsequent seasons. The model represents reading achievement as a time-varying process at level 1, conditional upon family socio/demographic factors at level 2, and dependent on social context and race/ethnic composition at level 3. Findings/Results Neighborhood social context mattered substantially for students' reading achievement levels at school entry and for their reading achievement growth during the summer. The proportion of neighborhood residents from minority race/ethnic groups was not associated with reading achievement at school entry or during the summer season. During the school year, school social context was associated with reading growth during kindergarten, and school social context and race/ethnic composition were associated with reading growth during first grade. Conclusions/Recommendations The magnitude and frequency of contextual effects found in this national sample have considerable implications for achieving educational equality in the United States. The authors recommend that policy makers attend to the quality of neighborhood and school settings as a means of promoting literacy development for young children.


Field effect transistors based on silicon carbide have previously been used with temperature cycled operation to enhance the selectivity. In this study the influence of a changing gate bias on the sensing properties of a platinum gate FET has been studied in order to extend the virtual multi-sensor approach. The sensor exhibits gas specific hysteresis when changing the gate bias indicating that additional information regarding selectivity is contained in the transient behavior. Measurements also showed that especially the shape of the sensor signal changes dramatically with different gas exposures (e.g. H2, CO or NH3) during relaxation after step changes of the gate bias. The changing shape primarily reflects the gas itself and not the concentration so that the selectivity of the sensor is increased.


Negotiating tactics can often appear harsh, but when the United States Trade Representative (USTR) placed Canada on its Priority Watch List (PWL), the move went beyond the standard give-and-take of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canada – a nation that believes in the rule of law – joins China, Algeria, Kuwait and Venezuela, to name just a few, on the PWL list for its alleged "worst" record in intellectual property standards. Granted, Canada has room for improvement in this area, but for the USTR's annual Special 301 report to place it on the PWL is hardly credible. It is no coincidence that Canada, the only G7 country—and virtually the only western country-- to make either the PWL and the USTR's lesser Watch List (WL), is also in the midst of renegotiating NAFTA with the United States and Mexico. The 301 process has always been political to some degree, but using it as a negotiating hammer with which to hit Canada over the head risks devaluing its importance in identifying genuine shortcomings in the IP realm that affect U.S. and Canadian businesses. The report is on target in identifying several IP areas requiring more rigorous attention from Canada, including counterfeit goods in transit and copyright issues. However, the U.S. is also unhappy with changes to Canadian pharmaceutical patent regulations and protectionist matters arising from the Canada-EU Trade Agreement that have to do with European geographical indications. Still, although Canada is not alone in the latter area, no European country is on the WL. Ironically, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's own ranking of 50 world economies on their IP standards shows that Canada improved in four out of six categories, coming in 18th among the 50. Venezuela, with whom Canada shares the notoriety of being on the PWL, was 50th out of 50. Clearly, Canada's new ranking does not reflect reality and is a blatant negotiating tool, but the USTR appears less interested in the collateral damage it may cause as long as the U.S. can get the concessions it wants at the table. This is a game that two can play, however, and Canada's turn at hardball may come if the U.S. decides one day that it wants to rejoin the latest incarnation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which it so hastily withdrew when Donald Trump was elected president.


This landmark theory of interpersonal relations and group functioning argues that the starting point for understanding social behavior is the analysis of dyadic interdependence. Such an analysis portrays the ways in which the separate and joint actions of two persons affect the quality of their lives and the survival of their relationship. The authors focus on patterns of interdependence, and on the assumption that these patterns play an important causal role in the processes, roles, and norms of relationships. This powerful theory has many applications in all the social sciences, including the study of social and moral norms; close-pair relationships; conflicts of interest and cognitive disputes; social orientations; the social evolution of economic prosperity and leadership in groups; and personal relationships.


This article, forthcoming in Loyola (Chicago) Law Review, examines the protection religious exercise receives independent of the Free Exercise Clause as currently construed. Much religious exercise is protected as speech or as symbolic speech. Under current free speech doctrine, religious practices that are speech or symbolic speech receive approximately the same protection as, or even somewhat more protection than, those practices receive under current Free Exercise doctrine. Government may not discriminate against religious speech, a result reached under current free exercise doctrine through a different route. Religious practices that are not speech or symbolic speech receive minimal protection under current Free Exercise doctrine, and little if any protection under the Free Speech Clause. The right of expressive association as articulated in Boy Scouts v. Dale provides additional protection for religious practices, particularly because Dale requires the courts to defer to associations' own definitions of the messages they wish to send and to their claims that including others in the association would interfere with those messages. Taken together, free speech doctrine and the right of expressive association may provide as much protection for religious practices as does the Free Exercise Clause as currently interpreted. The alternative doctrines, thus, may render the Free Exercise Clause redundant.


The main purpose of this research was to establish the effect of working capital management on financial performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi. Furthermore this study sought to determine the effect of specific working capital components on financial performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi. The study used qualitative research design. The sample size of the study constituted 22 manufacturing firms in Nairobi County. Data for the study was obtained from audited financial statements of the sampled firms. Descriptive statistics was used to state the mean of the variables. Correlation analysis was used to determine the degree of association between the firm"s performance and return on Equity. Regression analysis was used to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between working capital management and firm"s performance. The results from regression analysis indicated that only 60.9 percent of variations on financial performance of manufacturing firms could be attributed to working capital management and the remaining portion being influenced by other factors. This study further revealed that working capital variables accounts collection period, inventory conversion period and average payables period were inversely related to financial performance as was measured by Return on Equity. This implies that effective working capital management policies may be implemented to improve financial performance of manufacturing firms. This study utilized a number of regression models with each model regressing each working capital variable against the Return on Equity. An overall regression equation that constituted all the relevant working capital variables subject to a set of control variables was used to study the variations in return on Equity. Multiple correlation analysis was performed with each of the unique models to examine the significance of relationship amongst the various independent variables and the dependent variable. All the variables were incorporated in one model, multiple correlation co-efficient was observed. The raw data obtained from financial reports of the firms under study were analyzed using Ms Excel spreadsheets after which regression analysis was performed with the aid of SPSS. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression found that cash conversion cycle is positively associated to the Return on Equity (ROE). The results show that managers can improve their performance by managing working capital efficiently. Further research should be done that involves other industries other than the manufacturing industry for example the insurance industry, construction industry, banking industry etc.


Deep learning applies hierarchical layers of hidden variables to construct nonlinear high dimensional predictors. Our goal is to develop and train deep learning architectures for spatio-temporal modeling. Training a deep architecture is achieved by stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and drop-out (DO) for parameter regularization with a goal of minimizing out-of-sample predictive mean squared error. To illustrate our methodology, we predict the sharp discontinuities in traffic flow data, and secondly, we develop a classification rule to predict short-term futures market prices as a function of the order book depth. Finally, we conclude with directions for future research.


Secessionist movements, when they resort to violence, can undermine the stability and threaten the security of states. Institutional designs, like power sharing, that mitigate issues associated with secessionism may be instrumental for states that contain potentially violent separatist groups. Strategies to share power include regional autonomy, which diffuses power to local levels, and complex power sharing, which centralizes power among elites at the national level. Support from external actors may prompt or further enable violent rebellious activity from separatist groups, thus derailing the potentially pacifying effects of these power sharing institutions. While past work has considered the impact of secessionist activity on governance and foreign actors' roles in intrastate conflict, this paper considers how these internal and external factors converge to influence rebellion. I contend that secessionist activity is incited by both regional autonomy and complex power sharing, especially when foreign support is involved. To test these propositions, I employ quantitative methods, specifically logistic regression. I find a positive and statistically significant relationship between the interactions of political institutions with outside aid and secession, which provides evidence for my theoretical propositions.


107 patients with myocardial infarction and ulcer recurrence were examined. It was revealed that the ulcerous process proceeded with focal trombohemorragic disorders of local microcirculation in the gastroduodenal mucous coat in severe cases of myocardial infarction and with tromboischemic disorders of terminal blood flow in extremely severe cases. It was accompanied by the activation of acid and pepsin production, depression of mucopolysaccharides production and hypermotor gastric dyskinesis in patients with severe coronary pathology, in patients with the extremely severe pathology--by the depression of all functions of the stomach, except for normal acid production. The administration of an antiulcerous therapy helped to reduce the period of elimination of ulcer recurrence symptoms, liquidated microcirculatory and gastric functional disorders, and promoted the healing of ulcers. The therapy included omeprazole, sucralfate, long-term form of nifedipine for patients with severe myocardial infarction, and ranitidine, sucralfate and doxazosin in common doses for 20-25 days for patients with extremely severe cases.


Since the mid-2000s, China has been transforming its industrial structure from a world sweatshop to a global manufacturing center. Many foreign small- and medium-sized factories that were engines of development in coastal China for the past two decades have recently been phased out due to the changing nature of macroeconomic policy, the labor market, and local interests. Unlike macroeconomic policy and the labor market, the subject of changing local interests has not been extensively investigated. This article explores an unclear political-economic logic and demonstrates the key counter-actions of the factories—legal liquidation, moving inland or to other countries, and illegal flight by night—in response to "phasing out" pressure from local politics. The micro-level struggles between foreign factories and local interests are indirectly conducive to China's macro-level industrial transformation. This pattern will likely be repeated in China's less-developed regions and other rapidly developing countries in the near future. This study is based on empirical data from fieldwork, primarily in Shandong province, from 2008 to 2016 as well as archival data from China, Korea, and other countries.


Availability of fresh water for crop irrigation is becoming scarce and rather expensive. In this context, the research about the potential reutilization of non-conventional water sources becomes highly relevant, principally in arid and semi-arid areas. On many occasions, these new water resources involve water with a moderate concentration of salt, making it necessary to improve plant growth under moderate saline conditions. Besides plant breeding techniques, the use of molecules able to improve plant adaptation to saline conditions has great interest. Between these molecules, humic substances (HS) have proven to be efficient as stress-protectors under specific conditions of stress intensity and moment of application. The HS are main components of the soil organic matter and dissolved organic matter resulting from the biotic and abiotic transformation of fresh organic matter in natural ecosystems. Although knowledge about their structure is still under open debate, HS contain aromatic and aliphatic domains presenting O-, N- and S- containing functional groups with high biological and chemical activities. The aim of this presentation is to summarize the main effects of humic acids (HA) applied either on the root or on the shoot, on the metabolism and hormonal balance of plants cultivated under normal and stressing conditions, from studies carried out for our group and collaborations during the last years. Summarizing, all these results show HA as a promising tool for improving crop adaptation to irrigation using moderate saline water sources.


This paper analyzes the impact of climate change on animal husbandry in Africa. It regresses the net revenue from raising animals in small and large farms across Africa on climate, soil, and other control variables to test the climate sensitivity of livestock. The study is based on a survey of over 9,000 farmers across 11 countries conducted by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility. From this dataset, 5,400 farms were found to rely on livestock. The paper develops models to test whether the climate coefficients of small and large farms are similar. It turns out that small farms tend to be more labor intensive, rely on native stocks, and have few animals. Large farms tend to be more commercial operations, with much larger stocks and more modern approaches. The analysis finds that warming is good for small farms because they can substitute animals that are heat tolerant. Large farms, by contrast, are more dependent on cattle, which are not heat tolerant. The wetter scenarios are likely to be harmful to grazing animals because greater rainfall implies a shift from grasslands to forests, an increase in harmful disease vectors, and a shift from livestock to crops. Overall, because large farms dominate the sector, African livestock net revenues are expected to fall. However, if future climates turn out to be dry, livestock net revenue will increase. At least against the risk of dryness, livestock offer a good substitute for crops.


The evolution of microstructure and texture in Hexagonal Close Pack commercially pure titanium has been studied in torsion in a strain rate regime of 0.001 to 1 s-1. Free end torsion tests carried out on titanium rods indicated higher stress levels at higher strain rate but negligible change in the strain-hardening behaviour. There was a decrease in the intra-granular misorientation while a negligible change in the amount of contraction and extension twins was observed with increase in strain rate. The deformed samples showed a C1 fibre (c-axis is first rotated 90° in shear direction and then +30° in shear plane direction) at all the strain rates. With the increase in strain rate, there was an increase in the intensity of the C1 fibre and it became more heterogeneous with a strong {11 6} component. In the absence of extensive twinning, pyramidal slip system is attributed for the observed deformation texture. The present investigation, therefore, substantiates the theoretical prediction of increase in strength of texture with strain rate in torsion.


Biotin influences transcription in organisms from bacteria to humans. The enzyme, biotin protein ligase, which catalyzes post-transcriptional biotin addition to biotin-dependent carboxylases, plays a central roll in transmitting the demand for biotin to gene expression. The molecular mechanism of this communication in bacteria is well understood and involves competing protein:protein interactions. Biochemical measurements indicate that this competition is kinetically controlled. In humans, the biochemistry of biotin sensing at the transcriptional level is not well characterized. However, the biotin holoenzyme ligase (holocarboxylase synthetase) is proposed to both catalyze biotin addition to carboxylases and to histones in its metabolic and transcriptional roles, respectively. Control of human holocarboxylase synthetase function is, however, considerably more complex than the simple competitive protein protein interactions observed in bacterial systems.


The purpose of this paper is making a model to relate desired performances to required components, their composition and their cost so it will become possible to design and produce high quality robotic arms at the right cost. To make this relation, it is vital to first understand the concepts of the performances speed, power, accuracy and precision. Speed in the case of electric motors is often rotational speed. Torque is used as a measure of how strong a motor is, defined by how much force it can deliver over an arm. Accuracy is how close the average of multiple shots are to the centre of a target, and precision is how close these shots are grouped together. The main components of a robotic arm are the motors, bearings and frame, together with other supporting components they make up the arm. The selection of these components are all based on the performance required by the user. The electro motors typically used in household to professional arms are servos and stepper motors, both with different operating mechanics and electronics. Servos typically deliver more torque, can run at higher speeds, have internal position feedback, can have an external feedback loop and are generally more expensive. Stepper motors work at low speeds, can be fitted with a gearbox to increase torque, do not have a internal position feedback and are generally cheaper than servos. This paper will present a formula to calculate the required torque of a motor, and to calculate the resulting resolution of the motor.
There is a large variety of bearings, but the ones most frequently used in robotic arms are deep groove ball bearings and angular contact bearings. When moderate loads are presented both axial and radial, for example at the rotating base of the arm, or in the arm itself when dealing with high inertia, angular contact bearings are well suited. When mostly radial loads are applied, for example in the arm dealing with low inertia loads, deep groove ball bearings are most beneficial. Internal radial clearance ensures smooth and consistent operation of bearing but leads to imprecision in the system, which can be calculated using the bore and outer diameter of the bearing, multiplied by the length of the arm.
When the frame of the robotic arm is subjected to high forces perpendicular to the arm, it is advised to make the arm out of tubular material. When however the arm is mostly subjected to light lifting loads, sheet metal results in the best strength to weight ratio. Topolgical optimalization software is recommended to increase this ratio. Other modelling or FEM software can be used to calculate the displacement under load on the arm.
A prototype was made based on the information presented in this paper to validate the models made in this paper. The model for sizing the motor turned out to be accurate. The model for estimating the precision of the endeffector is mostly correct but did not take into account any inaccuracies caused by manufacturing.


Purpose: X‐ray‐induced luminescence (XIL) is a hybrid x‐ray/optical imaging modality that employs nanophosphors that luminescence in response to x‐ray irradiation. X‐ray‐activated phosphorescent nanoparticles have potential applications in radiation therapy as theranostics, nanodosimeters, or radiosensitizers. Extracting clinically relevant information from the luminescent signal requires the development of a robust imaging model that can determine nanophosphor distributions at depth in an optically scattering environment from surface radiance measurements. The applications of XIL in radiotherapy will be limited by the dose‐dependent sensitivity at depth in tissue. We propose a novel geometry called selective plane XIL (SPXIL), and apply it to experimental measurements in optical gel phantoms and sensitivity simulations. Methods: An imaging model is presented based on the selective plane geometry which can determine the detected diffuse optical signal for a given x‐ray dose and nanophosphor distribution at depth in a semi‐infinite, optically homogenous material. The surface radiance in the model is calculated using an analytical solution to the extrapolated boundary condition. Y2O3:Eu3+ nanoparticles are synthesized and inserted into various optical phantom in order to measure the luminescent output per unit dose for a given concentration of nanophosphors and calibrate an imaging model for XIL sensitivity simulations. SPXIL imaging with a dual‐source optical gel phantom is performed, and an iterative Richardson–Lucy deconvolution using a shifted Poisson noise model is applied to the measurements in order to reconstruct the nanophosphor distribution. Results: Nanophosphor characterizations showed a peak emission at 611 nm, a linear luminescent response to tube current and nanoparticle concentration, and a quadratic luminescent response to tube voltage. The luminescent efficiency calculation accomplished with calibrated bioluminescence mouse phantoms determines 1.06 photons were emitted per keV of x‐ray radiation absorbed per g/mL of nanophosphor concentration. Sensitivity simulations determined that XIL could detect a concentration of 1 mg/mL of nanophosphors with a dose of 1 cGy at a depth ranging from 2 to 4 cm, depending on the optical parameters of the homogeneous diffuse optical environment. The deconvolution applied to the SPXIL measurements could resolve two sources 1 cm apart up to a depth of 1.75 cm in the diffuse phantom. Conclusions: We present a novel imaging geometry for XIL in a homogenous, diffuse optical environment. Basic characterization of Y2O3:Eu3+ nanophosphors are presented along with XIL/SPXIL measurements in optical gel phantoms. The diffuse optical imaging model is validated using these measurements and then calibrated in order to execute initial sensitivity simulations for the dose‐depth limitations of XIL imaging. The SPXIL imaging model is used to perform a deconvolution on a dual‐source phantom, which successfully reconstructs the nanophosphor distributions.


This book is primarily a collection of reports of five experiments on stress in human beings. There are also, however, introductory and final chapters setting out a general point of view and implications, and a chapter outlining methodological problems of such studies. Each chapter is very copiously provided with references to the literature in the subject. The experiments themselves all take the form of exposing a group of people in a laboratory to a situation broadly resembling something met in real life. In one case, it was the viewing of films of the ordinary commercial thriller or comedy kind, and in another case the viewing of sexually arousing 'blue' movies. Two other studies were the sorting of ball-bearings in a noisy and distracting environment, and doing clerical work with and without payment by piece-rate. Lastly, a group of soldiers were expected to fire on a simulated shooting range, with infrequent breaks for food, for three days and nights. The main effects examined were the excretion of catecholamines, although in individual experiments other measurements were taken of performance or of physiological state. The main conclusion is that every one of these conditions increased the excretion of adrenaline, and the book therefore provides a handy refutation to any sceptic who thinks that such a change cannot be produced by an abstract and psychological condition such as the method of payment for work. There are also a large number of interesting detailed points: for example, the fact in the military experiment that the reported fatigue and distress of the subjects was negatively correlated with the excretion of adrenaline, but positively correlated with that of noradrenaline. These points will certainly be of interest to research workers taking the matter further. For immediate practical application, there are unfortunately still some difficulties. The editor links the results to the possible r6le of the social environment in causing disease, and indeed there may well be such a link. The difficulty lies in the very unspecific nature of the response to stress: it appears to sexual stimuli, or to watching 'Charley's aunt', and if we use it as an argument against piece-work we should presumably use it also as an argument against these other stimuli. How much arousal is beneficial, and how much harmful? How far is exposure to factory conditions for a year or more the same as exposure for a couple of days in a laboratory? These questions remain for further investigation. At the present stage, perhaps the most practical point is the reminder that pleasant and sought after forms of excitement may have some of the same effects as those which are disliked and shunned. The implications here are the same as those of more epidemiological studies which relate illness to the number and size of preceding changes in style of life. Apart from this general implication, the volume is a useful sample of the current state of the art of measuring the bodily effects of mental events. DONALD E. BROADBENT


The authors put forward several assumptions as regards the development of EC State aid law.First, they argue that after a period of rather revolutionary changes running from 2000 to 2003 where the Court has used a series of suitable cases to redefine the notion of State aid, the following years have been a phase of consolidation and slow evolution Second, they demonstrate that the Courts have provided for more clarity as regards the criteria of Article 87 (1) EC in the last few years although, the brevity of the Court's reasoning still poses a significant problem. Particularly the selectivity criterion still lacks sufficient clarity. Third, the application of the more economic approach of the Commission is to be welcomed in principle in the authors' view as it might bring about the opportunity to have a stricter rationale in the application of Article 87 (3) EC. Fourth, the most important challenge for the future of EC State aid law lies in finding an answer to the question how to improve the enforcement of the existing rules. Fifth, they argue that better control and enforcement at the national level is of key importance. According to the authors, innovative institutional arrangements such as the Commissioner for Public Aid in Cyprus might be needed in this respect. Finally, they show that the current approach of the Community Courts with regard to the question of standing is not convincing and serves as a disincentive to competitors to bring cases before the Community Courts.


The following paper aims to contribute to the study of the Global Cold War and western interventionism in the so-called Third-World countries. Specifically, it explores the role of the Federal Republic of Germany, as a Western Bloc actor, in its bilateral relations with Paraguay under the Stroessner dictatorship (1954-1989), one of the longest and most repressive regimes in Latin America. Moreover, this study analyses the impact of the Global Cold War in the contemporary system of global governance and international order. The ideological and political dimensions of the Cold War, compounded with its military, economic and cultural confrontations, opened a window onto the rise of West-Germany as a prominent actor in international relations. An exploration of the case of its relations with Paraguay helps to achieve a broader understanding of how Third-World actors increased the spectrum of the conflict to a global level. By engaging in the study of this case within a historical perspective, this article aspires to stimulate a new analysis of the Federal Republic (FRG) interventions within the binarism of the Global Cold War. This study focuses on how bilateral relations between the FRG and Paraguay, inserted into the arena of a global iron curtain, were shaped by anti-communist discourses and oriented towards economic goals. The latter were pursued through development projects and strategies to achieve industrialization in Third-World countries. In this context, this paper explores the technical and financial aid provided to support development and modernization in several economic sectors.


Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a potentially modifiable risk factor that may be targeted for breast cancer prevention. Observational studies have demonstrated an inverse association between breast cancer and vitamin D status, including the main circulating form of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. The relationship between vitamin D and mammographic density (MD), a strong predictor of breast cancer risk, remains unclear. Despite a number of clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation, the efficacy, optimal dose of vitamin D, and target level of serum 25(OH)D for breast cancer prevention remain unclear. We examined the effects of high-dose vitamin D on breast imaging and circulating biomarkers among women at high risk for breast cancer. Methods: Forty high-risk women [defined as a 5-year breast cancer risk per the Gail model of ≥1.67%, lobular or ductal carcinoma in situ (LCIS/DCIS)] were assigned to a 1-year intervention of vitamin D3 20,000 IU or 30,000 IU weekly. Other eligibility criteria included baseline MD ≥25%, serum 25(OH)D ≥32 ng/ml, no current tamoxifen or raloxifene use, and no history of kidney stones. Women underwent a digital mammogram at baseline and 12 months, and serial blood draws at baseline, 6 and 12 months. In addition, postmenopausal women underwent a breast MRI at baseline and 12 months. Participants were monitored for toxicity during follow-up visits every 3 months. Biomarker endpoints included changes in breast density by mammography and breast MRI, serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D , PTH , IGF-1 , IGFBP-3. MD was evaluated by the Cumulus technique and fibroglandular tissue volume was measured using a novel segmentation method on noncontrast T1-weighted images from breast MRIs. Paired t-tests were used to compare biomarker changes from baseline to follow-up. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine the association between breast density and blood biomarkers with adjustment for known confounders. Results: From Nov 2007 to Jan 2011, 40 women were enrolled. Median age 50 years (range, 37-73); pre/postmenopausal: 20/20; Non-Hispanic white/Hispanic/Non-Hispanic black/Asian: 18/20/1/1; median body mass index (BMI) 26.6 kg/m2 (20-39.6); elevated Gail risk/LCIS/DCIS: 20/10/10; baseline serum 25(OH)D 19.9 ng/ml (9.4-30.4); baseline MD 14.5% (0.9-60.4). At baseline, 6 and 12 months, mean serum 25(OH)D rose from 20.0 to 43.8 to 46.8 ng/ml, respectively; and mean serum 1,25(OH)D increased from 69.7 to 86.8 to 98.1 pg/ml, respectively (p Discussion: We demonstrated that a 1-year intervention of high-dose vitamin D3 was associated with a significant increase in serum 25(OH)D above a target level of 40 ng/ml. Previous studies have shown a direct association with IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio and breast cancer risk. We found a decrease in serum IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio with vitamin D supplementation. However, no significant change in MD was noted. Analysis of breast MRI fibroglandular tissue volume is ongoing in a subset of postmenopausal women. These early phase chemoprevention trials are designed to enhance our understanding of the biologic effects of vitamin D on intermediate biomarkers of breast cancer risk. Citation Format: Parijatham S. Sivasubramanian, Tong Xiao, Dawn L. Hershman, Matthew Maurer, Kevin Kalinsky, Sheldon Feldman, Sr., Lois Brafman, Susan Refice, Grace Kranwinkel, Katherine D. Crew. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on breast imaging and blood-based biomarkers of breast cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr C28.


Introduction: Several literature sources have suggested that subjects with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) display significant abnormalities of immunocompetent cells and cytokine secretion. Serious side effects and only a limited success with traditional therapies in HNSCC dictate the need for newer therapies. Areas covered: This article comprehensively reviews the immune system alterations in HNSCC and the rationale behind various experimental immunotherapies, aiming at keeping this disease under control. Relevant publications were identified through the PubMed database search. The ongoing clinical trials regarding experimental immunotherapy agents in HNSCC were accessed at www.clinicaltrials.gov. The obtained information was thoroughly analyzed and systematized. Expert opinion: Important and severe immune defects including T-cell dysfunction, cytokine alterations and antigen presentation defects are present in patients with HNSCC. In addition, tumor microenvironment was shown to play a critical role in the HNSCC progression. These discoveries have triggered a growing interest in immunotherapy as a potential treatment strategy for HNSCC. Effective immunotherapy could avoid the toxic side effects plaguing the current management of HNSCC. It is also hoped that immunotherapy will have long-lasting effects due to induction of immunologic memory. Promising directions include nonspecific immune stimulation, targeting specific HNSCC tumor antigens and therapeutic vaccines among others. These new agents may expand the existing therapy options for HNSCC in future.


Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) friction reducer was investigated in produced water from hydraulically fractured wells in the Duvernay and Montney Formations of western Canada. Produced water from systems that used nonencapsulated breaker had little residual solids (<0.3 g/L) and high degrees of hydrolysis, as shown by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Where an encapsulated breaker was used, more colloidal solids (1.1–2.2 g/L) were found with lower degrees of hydrolysis. In this system, the molecular weight (MW) of polymers was investigated, which decreased to <2% of the original weight within 1 hour of flowback. This was accompanied by slow hydrolysis and an increase in methine over methylene groups. Increased polymer-fragment concentrations were found to be correlated with a higher abundance of metal-carrying colloidal phases. This can lead to problems such as higher heavy-metal mobility in the case of produced-water spills and can cause membrane fouling during produced-water recycling and reuse.
 NOTE: An erratum has been issued for this paper and added to the PDF. A copy is also available under the Supplementary Data section.


Many 3D maps show type with considerable distortion, resulting from draping 2D maps directly onto digital elevation models. Distortion is caused by perspective foreshortening and by the irregular shape of the terrain surface. Characters are compressed, expanded, skewed, occluded and misaligned, producing distorted text labels that are difficult or even impossible to read. However, deformed type can also function as a visual clue indicating the shape of the terrain. When rendered in a perspective view, draped text labels traverse hills and valleys along curved lines. The curviness of these lines reflect the shape of the terrain. This paper draws inspiration from this observation encountered on 3D maps, and replicates this effect for standard 2D orthogonal maps. Type deformed in this way not only provides textual information, but also suggests the third dimension of the terrain. A method is presented that bends text along a curved line following the terrain. The line is extracted from a digital elevation model. The amount and direction of bending can be controlled by a user-definable parameter. The more the label is bent, the closer it follows the undulations of the terrain and better portrays the shape of the terrain, but the more difficult it is to read.


Reactive robot behavior has been claimed as a model of memoryless intelligence. Using results highlighting the cyclic conflicts in such systems, we throw light on similar phenomena in biology such as human amnesic behavior. We present a formal characterization of cycles in the temporal sequence of memoryless behaviors and show that attempts to eliminate cycles result in less powerful behavior systems. Conversely, more powerful behavior systems are more likely to exhibit cyclicity. Such systems can be viable in performing simple tasks only by using the world as an external memory. Our results also provide useful insights into a better design of strategies for the treatment of amnesics.


This paper presents our latest achievements in addressing the process challenges in developing large area patterning of green ceramic substrates using hot roller embossing. Micro roller embossing on large area ceramic green substrates was successfully demonstrated by using an electroplated film mold and feeding the sandwiched structure (mold-substrate-supporting plate) through a micro embosser, which consists of top and bottom rollers. Formation of micro patterns on ceramic green substrates over an effective panel size of 150 mm × 150 mm was performed; and micro patterns such as inductors, channels with smallest line width of 50 ¿m were embossed on the ceramic green substrates. This paper also addresses the important process issues for improving embossing fidelity within a pattern unit, as well as the uniformity of unit-to-unit patterns. At lower embossing temperatures, the embossed depth at the center of a pattern unit was found to be lower than that at the edge of the pattern unit. By increasing the embossing temperature, both the embossed depth and the uniformity within a pattern unit were enhanced. The effect of the thickness of green substrates was investigated by increasing the green tapers from 4 layers to 6 layers. The dimensions and locations of the embossed patterns were characterized before and after co-firing, the variations of pattern dimensions and locations were compared with the designed values on the nickel mold. These results will be used as a guideline for actual device design.


We investigated the mechanism whereby ions cross dihydropyridine- sensitive (L-type) Ca channels in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. At the single-channel level, we found no evidence of an anomalous mole- fraction effect like that reported previously for whole-cell currents in mixtures of Ba and Ca. With the total concentration of Ba + Ca kept constant at 10 (or 110) mM, neither conductance nor absolute unitary current exhibits a paradoxical decrease when Ba and Ca are mixed, thereby weakening the evidence for a multi-ion permeation scheme. We therefore sought independent evidence to support or reject the multi- ion nature of the L-type Ca channel by measuring conductance at various permeant ion concentrations. Contrary to the predictions of models with only one binding site in the permeation pathway, single-channel conductance does not follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics as Ba activity is increased over three orders of magnitude. Two-fold variation in the Debye length of permeant ion solutions has little effect on conductance, making it unlikely that local surface charge effects could account for these results. Instead, the marked deviation from Michaelis- Menten behavior was best explained by supposing that the permeation pathway contains three or more binding sites that can be occupied simultaneously. The presence of three sites helps explain both a continued rise in conductance as [Ba2+] is increased above 110 mM, and the high single-channel conductance (approximately 7 pS) with 1 mM [Ba2+] as the charge carrier; the latter feature enables the L-type channel to carry surprisingly large currents at physiological divalent cation concentrations. Thus, despite the absence of an anomalous mole- fraction effect between Ba and Ca, we suggest that the L-type Ca channel in heart cells supports ion flux by a single-file, multi-ion permeation mechanism.


A series of isolated segments of carotid arteries from Dutch-belted, adult, male rabbits were studied with respect to their response to a beta receptor agonist. Segments of 3-cm length were mounted in a chamber with constant surrounding temperature and pressure and perfused at constant pressure. Inflow pressure, outflow pressure, and flow rate were measured, and values of resistance (R) were calculated. Subsequent to control R, each vessel was exposed to a vasoconstricting concentration of either norepinephrine (NE: 10(-8), 10(-9), 10(-10) M) or potassium (K+: 100mM, 50 mM) followed by three doses of the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (IP: 10(-7), 10(-6), 10(-5)M) administered simultaneously with each constrictor. R was not altered by IP during NE infusion but was significantly increased at all levels of IP during both K+ infusions. When the K+ series was repeated with alpha blockade, IP did not alter R. Thus, beta receptors do not appear to be functionally present in the adult rabbit carotid artery.


To its credit, the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for GET (General Education and Training) recently revised into a new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)1 in RSA has put a premium on the inclusion of environmental learning as an integrated component of all subject areas in the primary school phase of learning. This is in line with international recommendations and provisions, particularly those originating from the Johannesburg World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in 2002. While the NCS is mandatory for all government schools in the country, many schools have all but ignored the environmental learning mandate in the curriculum. In this paper, I shall examine two case studies of schools in South Africa that have taken the curriculum mandate of integration seriously by specifically designing programmes for environmental learning. Using a qualitative research approach, I shall explore what was involved in the two programmes for integrating environmental learning, and how these programmes were implemented in each of the two schools. I shall then discuss my key finding, this being: while their efforts were admirable, both schools worked differently to achieve the target of an integrated environmental teaching/learning programme in the various school subjects. The paper concludes with a discussion on what integrated environmental teaching in South African schools actually involves and why implementing such a programme is near impossible, given the conditions currently prevailing in South African schools.


Methiozolin is an isoxazoline herbicide being investigated for selective POST annual bluegrass control in managed turfgrass. Research was conducted to evaluate methiozolin efficacy for controlling two annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to photosystem II (PSII) or enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS)-inhibiting herbicides (i.e., glyphosate), as well as phenotypes with multiple resistance to microtubule and EPSPS or PSII and acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. All resistant phenotypes were established in glasshouse culture along with a known herbicide-susceptible control and treated with methiozolin at 0, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, or 8000 g ai ha-1. Methiozolin effectively controlled annual bluegrass with target-site resistance to inhibitors of EPSPS, PSII, as well as multiple resistance to EPSPS and microtubule inhibitors. Methiozolin rates required to reduce aboveground biomass of these resistant phenotypes 50% (GR50 values) were not significantly different from the susceptible control, ranging from 159 to 421 g ha-1. A phenotype with target-site resistance to PSII and ALS inhibitors was less sensitive to methiozolin (GR50 = 862 g ha-1) than a susceptible phenotype (GR50 = 423 g ha-1). Our findings indicate that methiozolin is an effective option for controlling select annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to several herbicides. Nomenclature: Methiozolin, annual bluegrass, Poa annua L.


The paper discusses the importance of phylomemetic visualization to approach the cultural diversity in the social system like Indonesia, and thus revisit formal methodology regarding to the construction of the phylomemetic tree as an inspiration lent from the phylogenic analysis. A case of study is presented regarding to the data obtained from the diversity of traditionally inspired building-designs in Indonesia. Some future conjectures and open future analytical works in the anthropological studies are drawn.


SARS coronavirus cases have been reported all across the world in the previous two years. The rate of transmission has been steadily increasing over time. This study examines residents' knowledge, attitudes, and preventive activities for SARS-CoV-2 prevention in five local government areas in Ibadan's urban zone (total population: 1,886,800 inhabitants, census 2016).During the months of November and December, 2021, a cross-sectional survey based on the health belief model was conducted with a simple random sample of 355 respondents from densely populated regions of urban Ibadan. SARS-CoV-2 was known by a total of 262 people. Only 33.5% of the total respondents were concerned about SARS coronavirus. A small percentage (4.5%) had previously been diagnosed with SARS coronavirus, 66.7% considered a SARS-CoV-2 infection to be serious, yet only 33.5% were concerned about SARS coronavirus. The results are inconsistent in reporting preventive practices, either community-level interventions (e.g., quarantining/self-isolating after returning from travel, 23.9%; actively maintaining a certain distance between myself and people outside, 31.8%) or personal preventive behaviours (e.g., use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, 53.2%). Participants who reported willingness to accept a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were more likely to perceive the risk of contracting it as higher (aOR = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.04), as well as knowing if a friend had previously been diagnosed with SARS coronavirus (aOR = 2.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.62–5.55), according to a multivariate analysis using stepwise binary logistic regression which had a 77.27% predictive accuracy, using a test-train, confusion matrix split. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that future interventions promoting SARS-CoV-2 prevention among inhabitants of urban Ibadan should focus on individuals' views of SARS coronavirus vulnerability, highlighting the benefits of personal protective behaviors.


DOI: 10.26650/TurkJHist.2019.19035 In this study, the military career of General Johann Georg Browne and his manuscripts available from the Austrian archives on the Ottoman/Habsburgs wars and the relations between the Ottomans and the Habsburgs will be examined. The manuscripts, which are of great importance for researches on Ottoman-Habsburg relations and most of which are included in the records of the Austrian War Archives, include the correspondence concerning the Ottoman/Habsburg battles between 1687-1739, such as the military/logistic activities of the armies, and this gives us remarkable information about the peace treaties signed by both parties. According to the data of General Browne's 1716 manuscript, this study will also deal with the battle of Petervaradin as a case study in the Ottoman/Habsburg battles after the Second Siege of Vienna. The Ottomans planned to capture the Habsburg-controlled Petervaradin in 1716 in order to erase the negative effects of the Karlofca Peace Treaty, but they experienced a heavy defeat similar to the one they had experienced in the battle of Zenta in 1697. Among the reasons for this unexpected and unwanted defeat for the Ottomans, we could say that it was partly due to the fact that the Habsburgs had to a large extent completed their financial and military organization by 1715, and also due to the war tactics of Prince Eugene and his famous and adept commanders' abilities applied in the battles against the Ottomans. Cite this article as: Karagoz, Hakan, "General Johann Georg Von Browne'un Osmanli-Habsburg Harpleriyle Ilgili Yazmalari ve Bir Ornek Inceleme: 1716 Petervaradin Muharebesi", Turk J Hist sayi 70 (2019), s.51-88.


: Background: Doxorubicin (Dox) is an anthracycline antibiotic that is widely used as a chemotherapy agent. However, the benefit of this agent is limited due to its side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of high intensity interval training and crocin consumption on oxidative stress in liver tissue of male rats under chronic induction of doxorubicin. Materials and Methods: In the present experimental study, 40 Wistar male rats were placed in groups: Healthy control (saline), doxorubicin (control) (2mg/kg in 7 doses), doxorubicin and crocin (2mg/kg), doxorubicin training, and doxorubicin, crocin and training. The training groups ran in 80-90% of maximum speed for 8 weeks, 5 days a week, with 2-minute intervals. The level of malondialdehyde, activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes in liver tissue was measured. Results: Doxorubicin significantly increased malondialdehyde levels and reduced the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver tissue in the groups receiving doxorubicin compared to the healthy control group ( P <0.001). Use of all three interventions caused a significant decrease in malondialdehyde level ( P <0.001) and a significant increase in superoxide dismutase and catalase activity as a result of exercise (both enzymes, P =0.001), crocin ( P =0.002 and P =0.001) and combination of exercise and crocin (both enzymes, P =0.001) compared to the control group of doxorubicin. Also, the combined effect of exercise and crocin was better than the effect of each alone ( P <0.001). Conclusion : It seems that regular high intensity interval training, supplementation of crocin, or a combination of these two, can reduce the toxicity of doxorubicin by reducing oxidative stress.


CASE DESCRIPTION
A 55-year-old patient with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma will start Folfirinox. Should he get thromboprophylaxis?

CONSIDERATION
Patients with malignant disease have increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Several types of malignancy, surgery, chemotherapy and metastasis lead to increased risk. VTE is an underdiagnosed phenomenon and the second cause of death in patients treated with chemotherapy. Therapeutic doses increase the risk of bleeding compared to prophylactic anticoagulant treatment. Even though they are less than perfect, several risk scores are able to identify patients with high risk of VTE. The AVERT and CASSINI trials showed that prophylactic doses of DOACs in cancer patients with high risk of VTE are able to significantly reduce this risk.

CONCLUSION
Even though there are many unresolved questions, it seems rational to start thromboprophylaxis in patients with aggressive types of cancer, preferably using DOACs, but low molecular weight heparins are possible as well. Risk scores may be helpful when selecting patients.


Until now, Orientalist art—exemplified by paintings of harems, slave markets, or bazaars—has predominantly been understood to reflect Western interpretations and to perpetuate reductive, often demeaning stereotypes of the exotic East. Orientalism's Interlocutors contests the idea that Orientalist art simply expresses the politics of Western domination and argues instead that it was often produced through cross-cultural interactions. Focusing on paintings and other representations of North African and Ottoman cultures, by both local artists and westerners, the contributors contend that the stylistic similarities between indigenous and Western Orientalist art mask profound interpretive differences, which, on examination, can reveal a visual language of resistance to colonization. The essays also demonstrate how marginalized voices and viewpoints—especially women's—within Western Orientalism decentered and destabilized colonial authority.

Looking at the political significance of cross-cultural encounters refracted through the visual languages of Orientalism, the contributors engage with pressing recent debates about indigenous agency, postcolonial identity, and gendered subjectivities. The very range of artists, styles, and forms discussed in this collection broadens contemporary understandings of Orientalist art. Among the artists considered are the Algerian painters Azouaou Mammeri and Mohammed Racim; Turkish painter Osman Hamdi; British landscape painter Barbara Bodichon; and the French painter Henri Regnault. From the liminal "Third Space" created by mosques in postcolonial Britain to the ways nineteenth-century harem women negotiated their portraits by British artists, the essays in this collection force a rethinking of the Orientalist canon.

This innovative volume will appeal to those interested in art history, theories of gender, and postcolonial studies.

Contributors . Jill Beaulieu, Roger Benjamin, Zeynep Celik, Deborah Cherry, Hollis Clayson, Mark Crinson, Mary Roberts


This paper presents a hardware architecture for H.264 intra prediction frame processing. This design reuse some modules according to the common parts of luma 16×16 prediction and chroma 8×8 prediction in architecture and algorithm. Thereby reduces the area of chip and cost, and enhances its market competition. The parallel pipeline is also adopted to enhance the encode efficiency. The top-down design method is adopted in this design. In the beginning the system architecture and C model are designed. Then we implemented the architecture by Verilog HDL. After the ASIC synthesis, which is based on Chartered 0.13μm technology library, it can run 1080P@30 under the clock frequency 102M with 386.46K logic gates. The result of simulation and synthesis show that the timing and area requirement of design are both capable for 1080P@30fps HD applications.


This paper reports sliding of micro liquid-metal droplets by electrostatic actuation for MEMS applications, bi-stable switching in particular. Basic theory concerning droplets on a plane solid surface is exposed followed by experimental study. Being a major parameter in the modeling of sliding droplets, the contact angle has been characterized in the case of mercury on an oxidized silicon wafer. The method used involves both traditional optical microscope and confocal laser imaging. The contact angle is found to be around 137/spl deg/ with an associated standard deviation of 8/spl deg/. The sample preparation is detailed. The droplets deposition method is based on selective condensation of mercury vapor on gold dots acting as preferred nucleation sites. This technique provides control of droplet dimensions and locations and is suitable for batch fabrication. Experimental study of electrostatic actuation coupled with finite-element method (FEM) analysis is described, leading to the determination of the sliding condition parameter, which represents a contact angle hysteresis of about 6/spl deg/. Experimental results also confirm the proportionality between minimum driving force and droplet dimension. Finally, a design optimization methodology is proposed, based on the use of finite-element model simulations.


Objective: Exercises can create differences in the organism by affecting the hormonal system and hemostasis. Evaluation of hormonal changes along with physical activity, many factors such as physical and physiological state of athletes, environmental factors and nutritional status are effective and affect the performance. In this study, as a result of endurance workouts, chronic changes in athletes' thyroid hormone metabolism and biochemical markers were evaluated. Method: 16 male athletes formed the research group. The athletes participating in the study received endurance training for 60 minutes a day, three days a week for 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken from the athletes before the session and after the session. The levels of Thyroid hormones, iron, iron binding capacity, UIBC, erythrocyte, leukocyte and platelet were determined in blood samples. Data were considered by using SPSS statistical package software. Findings: A significant difference was observed in athletes' thyroid hormone values as a result of the training sessions: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3) levels were detected to be statistically different in pre-post test (p <0,05). As a result of the applied workouts changes were observed in the erythrocyte, leukocyte and platelet values of the athletes, and a significant difference was seen in general (p <0,05). Results: Applied regular and long-term endurance training created differences in athletes' thyroid hormone metabolism and biochemical markers. It is thought that these findings will positively affect the fight against the stress experienced by athletes during their competitions and increase their performance.


Purpose

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, clustering patterns of urban hotels are explored, and, second, clustering effects on performance for upscale urban hotels are estimated.

Design/methodology/approach

Local indicators of spatial association (LISA) were computed using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Clustering for the entire population of hotels in Madrid was explored visualizing LISA statistics. Then, a system generalized method of moments regression was applied to test a set of hypotheses about the performance effects of LISA statistics for a sample of upscale urban hotels.

Findings

Two significantly distinct types of clusters are identified: dense "cold spots" or clusters containing many low-priced hotels and quiet "hot spots" or clusters only containing a few high-priced hotels. And, estimates confirmed two important results: evidence of adverse selection when clustering and evidence of positive location economies for upscale hotels.

Practical implications

This study has a number of relevant implications for making better hotel location decisions. Specifically, the paper shows the applicability of GIS to find statistically significant clustering in the data. In the hotel sector, knowing exactly where hotel clustering occurs and of what type is of vital importance.

Originality/value

This paper's novel application of LISA based on GIS techniques for hotel clustering sheds light on the effects of clustering on performance to convey the subtle nuances of the relationship for upscale urban hotels.


The objective of this research is obtain empirical evidence about the effect of commissioner board size , commisioner board independence , audit committee size , profitability, and the environmental performance on Islamic Social Reporting (ISR) of companies which are in the Sharia Securities List (DES) . The population of this research consisted of all companies under DES which joined PROPER environmental rating during 2011-2015. Th ere were 31 companies were selected as samples based on purposive sampling method . The method employed to measure the ISR Disclosure was content analysis by scoring the items of social disclosure in the annual report of those companies. The multiple linier regression shows that the size of commisioner board, profitability, and environmental performance have positive effects on the disclosure of Islamic Social Reporting, while the independence of commisioner board and audit committe do not affect the disclosure of Islamic Social Reporting.


Abstract. First videographic indication of an Antarctic cold seep ecosystem was recently obtained from the collapsed Larsen B ice shelf, western Weddell Sea (Domack et al., 2005). Within the framework of the R/V Polarstern expedition ANTXXIII-8, we revisited this area for geochemical, microbiological and further videographical examinations. During two dives with ROV Cherokee (MARUM, Bremen), several bivalve shell agglomerations of the seep-associated, chemosynthetic clam Calyptogena sp. were found in the trough of the Crane and Evans glacier. The absence of living clam specimens indicates that the flux of sulphide and hence the seepage activity is diminished at present. This impression was further substantiated by our geochemical observations. Concentrations of thermogenic methane were moderately elevated with 2 μM in surface sediments of a clam patch, increasing up to 9 μM at a sediment depth of about 1 m in the bottom sections of the sediment cores. This correlated with a moderate decrease in sulphate from about 28 mM at the surface down to 23.4 mM, an increase in sulphide to up to 1.43 mM and elevated rates of the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) of up to 600 pmol cm−3 d−1 at about 1 m below the seafloor. Molecular analyses indicate that methanotrophic archaea related to ANME-3 are the most likely candidates mediating AOM in sediments of the Larsen B seep.


The editors of this volume organized the symposium Interpreting... Naturally at Universitat Jaume I (Castellon, Spain) in November 2009. They have now compiled some of the most outstanding work presented at the event by young researchers, which is included in this book as a sequel of Interpreting Naturally. A tribute to Brian Harris. Furthermore, the editors have invited seasoned and renowned academics to contribute to Brian Harris' well deserved homage. Their contributions mainly deal with natural translation (NT), a notion coined by Brian Harris to describe untrained bilinguals' ability to translate. The authors seek to further develop NT by connecting it with related areas: bilingualism and translator competence, cultural brokering, language learning and interpreter training, interpreting paradigms and training. Furthermore, they discuss norms and directionality in interpreting, interpreting quality, interpreting in the public services, postgraduate interpreter training and the profession.