Before the first democratic general election in South Africa in 1994, most (87%) of the agricultural land was owned by government, big companies and commercial white farmers. After the elections, land reform gained a central place in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), which envisioned the transfer of 30% of the land to emerging black farmers within five years. Since 1994 the application of land reform measures were applied in many ways while land redistribution targets were also significantly adapted. One of the ways for the distribution of land was the allocation of land to groups of people. A research project was completed to assess various factors in this regard e.g. organizational framework, management structures, financial resources and usage, and socio-economic benefits. The study revealed inadequate natural resources to be the main limitation for success as well as other problems such as a lack of common property management, lack of institutional support, and lack of gender participation. The study also confirms the need for a new constructive process so as to allow groups as well as individuals to participate in the development process. It is obvious from the study that the finalization of the process of review and restructuring of land reform will not be achieved without problems. To ensure a smooth process, not only will the participation of all parties involved be necessary, but substantial inputs from relevant government departments will also be required. An integrated development approach in land reform will be needed, based on efficient land evaluation and on well-structured, controlled and strategic land reform programmes whereby social, economic and institutional capacity building are incorporated into a holistic development process. Keywords : land reform, natural resources, institutional support, Free State South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 34(1) 2005: 1-18


Cancer-testis (CT) antigens, which are encoded by CT genes, have been recognized as a group of highly attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. However, the expression and clinical relevance of CT genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains largely unknown. The present study aims to analyze the expression pro- file of 6 individual CT genes including MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, MAGE-A12, cTAGE-1, cTAGE-2, and NY-ESO-1 in ccRCC and further investigate their possible correlations with clinicopathologic characteristics. The mRNA expressions of these CT genes were detected using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 105 ccRCC tissue samples (T 1-2 in 70 samples, T 3-4 in 35 samples; G 1-2 in 65 samples, G 3-4 in 40 samples) as well as the paired adja- cent normal tissues. The most frequently expressed CT gene was MAGE-A3 (27.6%), followed by MAGE-A12 (23.8%), NY-ESO-1 (21%), MAGE-A1 (20%), cTAGE-1 (17.1%), and cTAGE-2 (14.3%). In contrast, no expression of CT genes was detected in the paired adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, the MAGE-A3 protein expression was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. MAGE-A3 protein was expressed in 21.9% ccRCC samples with a cytoplas- mic staining pattern. No MAGE-A3 protein expression was found in the paired adjacent normal tissues. There was a significant correlation between MAGE-A3 expression at both mRNA ( P =0.045) and protein (P = 0.03) levels with ad- vanced stages of the disease. Taken together, CT genes may serve as promising targets of specific immunotherapy for ccRCC and particularly, MAGE-A3 may serve as a potential prognostic marker for ccRCC patients.


Errors in the telemetered data of breaker and switch status, through the network topology processor in the EMS (energy management system) computer, may result in errors in the determination of the current network topology of the system. The use of normalized residuals that result from state estimation is proposed for the detection of topology errors. Three types of topology errors are considered: line or transformer outage, bus split, and shunt capacitor/reactor switching. Conditions for detectability of topology errors are presented. The conditions are tested on the IEEE 30 bus system, and the results confirm the theoretical predictions. The problem of topology error identification is also discussed. >


This history and ideological critique of tribal laws and policies about photography and other image taking of religious ceremonies of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona explains how the Hopi exercise sovereignty over visual communication about them. This article asks what kind of legal boundaries have emerged as visual communication and Euro-American culture interact with the Hopi Tribe. Over the past century, there has been a shift from the U.S. government to the Hopi Tribe in the authority to establish and enforce sacred spaces to set boundaries on visual communication about the Hopi. This reflects cultural hybridity. Also, the Hopi attempt to exert control over images and ideas in shared spaces, or where tribal and nontribal cultures coexist. These efforts came after misappropriated photographs and other images were put into stolen space by the colonizers. Even negotiating possible entrance into self spaces, where the Hopi exist apart from others, is difficult for non-Hopi.


Abstract
Two types of oligodendrocytes considered to be a constant feature in the cerebellar cortex of the rat are described. One cell type (I) exhibits rounded or elliptical nuclei, whereas the other type (II) presents more irregular nuclear and cellular contours and wider perinuclear cisternae. The latter cell type shows a more electron-dense cytoplasm with more heavily clumped heterochromatin, contrasting strongly with the euchromatin; also long and parallel cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum are more frequent. The percentages of both types of oligodendrocytes in relation to the total population of common glial cell types were calculated in the cortical layers and at several levels in these layers. The distribution of oligodendrocytes in the associated white matter was also carried out for purposes of comparison. The results provide evidence the the Purkinje cells may have a special kind of oligodendrocyte (Type II) as satellites.


Objective Objectives were to estimate energy and protein requirements of dairy crossbred steers, as well as to evaluate equations previously described in the literature (HH46 and CS16) to predict the carcass and empty body chemical composition of crossbred dairy cattle. Methods Thirty-three Holstein×Zebu steers, aged 19±1 months old, with an initial shrunk body weight (BW) of 324±7.7 kg, were randomly divided into three groups: reference group (n = 5), maintenance level (1.17% BW; n = 4), and the remaining 24 steers were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments. Treatments were: intake restricted to 85% of ad libitum feed intake for either 0, 28, 42, or 84 d of an 84-d finishing period. Results The net energy and the metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance were 0.083 Mcal/EBW0.75/d and 4.40 g/EBW0.75, respectively. The net energy (NEG) and protein (NPG) requirements for growth can be estimated with the following equations: NEG (Mcal/kg EBG) = 0.2973(±0.1212) ×EBW0.4336(±0.1002) and NPG (g/d) = 183.6(±22.5333)×EBG−2.0693(±4.7254)×RE, where EBW, empty BW; EBG, empty body gain; and RE, retained energy. Crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) chemical contents in carcass, and all the chemical components in the empty body were precisely and accurately estimated by CS16 equations. However, water content in carcass was better predicted by HH46 equation. Conclusion The equations proposed in this study can be used for estimating the energy and protein requirements of crossbred dairy steers. The CS16 equations were the best estimator for CP and EE chemical contents in carcass, and all chemical components in the empty body of crossbred dairy steers, whereas water in carcass was better estimated using the HH46 equations.


Various Dutch reports show that medical usage among those detained in police cells is many times higher than among the average population. Many visits by forensic physicians (some 36%) are due to the fact that many police custody detainees are addicted. Also, many visits are carried out as a result of the fact that the police must frequently put into custody individuals who suffer intoxications and/or injuries (some 13%) or psychiatric problems (6%-17%). In addition, many visits are for the benefit of detainees who cannot cope with conditions during their detention (21%-30%). Only a minority of the visits are to help police custody detainees who are (chronically) ill. Because of all this, a forensic physician's work mainly consists of writing repeat prescriptions, prescribing methadone, referring detainees to other assistance services and giving advice to guards or police officers on duty. This makes forensic medicine a profession in a class of its own.


Smoking Abstinence During Pregnancy A financial voucher of £400, equivalent to about US $400, was a highly effective incentive for pregnant participants in a recent clinical trial to stop smoking. But most of the participants took up smoking again within 6 months after they delivered. The 941 participants were recruited from 7 stop-smoking services in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The patients, who reported smoking at least 1 cigarette in the last week at their first maternity visit, were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Both groups were offered the usual stopsmoking support, including counseling and free nicotine-replacement therapy. The intervention group also received up to US $450 in shopping vouchers if they set a quit date and remained smoke-free throughout pregnancy. The trial results were reported in The BMJ. By late pregnancy, 26.8% of the intervention group had stopped smoking vs 12.3% of the control group. There was no significant difference in birth weights among infants delivered in the 2 groups or in severity of preterm birth. Six months after giving birth, however, only 5.7% of the intervention group and 4.4% of the control group were smoke-free. An ongoing trial is continuing financial incentives 1 2 m o n t h s p o st p a r t u m t o e va l u a t e whether longer-term smoking abstinence rates can be improved. Two recent trials conducted in the US also showed that financial incentives improved smoking-cessation results among pregnant and newly postpartum patients, the authors noted.


Title: Effect of three different calcium hydroxide mixtures (calcium hydroxide with glycerine, normal saline and distilled water) on root dentin microhardness Background and Aim: During root canal therapy, it is necessary to remove as many bacteria as possible from the root canal. The use of medicaments is recommended to reduce the microbial population prior to root filling. Calcium hydroxide pastes have been used because of their antibacterial effects and the ability of tissue dissolving. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium hydroxide/glycerine mixture, calcium hydroxide/normal saline mixture and calcium hydroxide/distilled water mixture on root dentin microhardness in storage times of 7 and 14 days. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, fifteen extracted maxillary canines and central incisors were selected. The crowns of the teeth were removed and the canals were prepared. Teeth were sectioned transversally to produce a total of 30 dentin discs from the middle third of the roots. Specimens were divided into three groups of 10 discs each. Dentin samples were subjected to calcium hydroxide/glycerine, calcium hydroxide/normal saline and calcium hydroxide/distilled water mixtures for 7 and 14 days. Dentin microhardness was measured by a Vickers indenter with a load of 200 g for 15 seconds. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Paired t-test and LSD with p<0.05 as the level of significance. Results: Statistical analysis showed that all three mixtures decreased dentin microhardness. After 7 days, reduction in dentin microhardness by calcium hydroxide/glycerine combination was significantly higher than calcium hydroxide/normal saline and calcium hydroxide/distilled water combinations. After 14 days, reduction in dentin microhardness by calcium hydroxide/distilled water combination was significantly higher than the other two groups. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the use of calcium hydroxide combinations for intracanal dressing reduces dentin microhardness. After 7 days calcium hydroxide/glycerine combination and after 14 days calcium hydroxide/distilled water combination are the most effective combinations.


Twenty-two methanol extracts from different parts of nine Garcinia species were investigated for their ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) peroxidation and their total phenolic contents (TPC). The antioxidant activity of the extracts was examined using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay with human LDL as the oxidation substrate and their antiplatelet activity in human whole blood was determined by using an electrical impedance method. The TPC of the extracts were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteau method. Among all samples studied, the leaf extract ofGarcinia eugenifolia Wall showed the highest inhibitory activity on LDL peroxidation with IC50 value of 12.5 µg/ml. The twig extract of Garcinia mangostana Linn. was the most effective sample against platelet aggregation caused by arachidonic acid (AA) with IC50value of 15.6 µg/ml. The TPC of the extracts varied from 4.4 to 62.8 mg of gallic acid equivalents per g (mg GAE/g). The Pearson correlation analysis revealed that TPC showed moderate positive correlations with antioxidant (r = 0.30, p < 0.05) and antiplatelet activities (AA-induced, r = 0.62, p < 0.05; ADP-induced, r = 0.42, p < 0.05; collagen-induced, r = 0.54, p < 0.05). Thus, it was concluded that the antioxidant and antiplatelet activities of theGarcinia extracts could partly be due to their total phenolic contents.

 Key words: Garcinia species, low-density lipoprotein, LDL antioxidant activity, antiplatelet activity, total phenolic contents.


We tackle the problem of context reconstruction in Chinese dialogue, where the task is to replace pronouns, zero pronouns, and other referring expressions with their referent nouns so that sentences can be processed in isolation without context. Following a standard decomposition of the context reconstruction task into referring expression detection and coreference resolution, we propose a novel end-to-end architecture for separately and jointly accomplishing this task. Key features of this model include POS and position encoding using CNNs and a novel pronoun masking mechanism. One perennial problem in building such models is the paucity of training data, which we address by augmenting previously-proposed methods to generate a large amount of realistic training data. The combination of more data and better models yields accuracy higher than the state-of-the-art method in coreference resolution and end-to-end context reconstruction.


We develop a model of concurrent imperative programming with threads. We focus on a small imperative language with cooperative threads which execute without interruption until they terminate or explicitly yield control. We define and study a trace-based denotational semantics for this language; this semantics is fully abstract but mathematically elementary. We also give an equational theory for the computational effects that underlie the language, including thread spawning. We then analyze threads in terms of the free algebra monad for this theory.


Wedge waves (WW) are guided acoustic waves propagating along the tip of a wedge, with energy tightly confined near the apex. Like Lamb waves, wedge waves with displacement field anti-symmetric about the mid-apex-plane are called anti-symmetric flexural (ASF) modes. This study is focused on exploring the dispersion behaviors of ASF modes propagating along a bilinear wedge (BW). A BW is wedge with a cross section of two apex angles, compared with a linear wedge (LW) having a single apex angle. In the literature, many studies regarding to the dispersion behaviors of ASF modes are reported for LW, but not for BW. In this study, a laser ultrasonic technique and finite element simulations are used to investigate the dispersion behavior of BW-ASF modes. It is found out that a BW-ASF mode is a result of mode coupling between the two LW-ASF modes of the same order corresponding to the two apex angles of the BW.


The poly(A) tail of eukaryotic mRNAs associates with poly(A)-binding (PAB) proteins whose role in mRNA translation and stability is being intensively investigated. Very little is known about the structure and function of the PAB genes in plants. We have cloned multiple PAB-related sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana. Results suggest that PAB proteins are encoded by a multigene family. One member of this family (PAB2) is expressed in root and shoot tissues. The complete nucleotide sequence of PAB2 was determined. Study of the predicted PAB2 protein reveals a similarity in structure among vertebrate, insect, yeast, and plant PAB proteins. All contain two highly conserved domains: an amino-terminal sequence formed by four RNA recognition motifs and an uncharacterized carboxyl-terminal region of 69 to 71 amino acids. Possible roles for the carboxyl-terminal conserved domain are discussed in view of recently published data concerning the structure and function of PAB proteins.


We present a novel approach to robustly detect and perceive vehicles in different camera views as part of a cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system (CVIS). Our formulation is designed for arbitrary camera views and makes no assumptions about intrinsic or extrinsic parameters. First, to deal with multi-view data scarcity, we propose a part-assisted novel view synthesis algorithm for data augmentation. We train a part-based texture inpainting network in a self-supervised manner. Then we render the textured model into the background image with the target 6-DoF pose. Second, to handle various camera parameters, we present a new method that produces dense mappings between image pixels and 3D points to perform robust 2D/3D vehicle parsing. Third, we build the first CVIS dataset for benchmarking, which annotates more than 1540 images (14017 instances) from real-world traffic scenarios. We combine these novel algorithms and datasets to develop a robust approach for 2D/3D vehicle parsing for CVIS. In practice, our approach outperforms SOTA methods on 2D detection, instance segmentation, and 6-DoF pose estimation, by 4.5%, 4.3%, and 2.9%, respectively. More details and results are included in the supplement. To facilitate future research, we will release the source code and the dataset on GitHub.


Failure to control Palmer amaranth with glyphosate and protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO)-inhibitor herbicides was reported across southwestern Nebraska in 2017. The objectives of this study were to 1) confirm and 2) validate glyphosate and PPO-inhibitor (fomesafen and lactofen) resistance in 51 Palmer amaranth accessions from southwestern Nebraska using genotypic and whole-plant phenotypic assay correlations and cluster analysis, and 3) determine which agronomic practices might be influencing glyphosate resistance in Palmer amaranth accessions in that location. Based on genotypic assay, 88% of 51 accessions contained at least one individual with amplification (>2 copies) of the 5-enolypyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene, which confers glyphosate resistance; and/or a mutation in the PPX2 gene, either ΔG210 or R128G, which endows PPO-inhibitor resistance in Palmer amaranth. Cluster analysis and high correlation (0.83) between genotypic and phenotypic assays demonstrated that EPSPS gene amplification is the main glyphosate resistance mechanism in Palmer amaranth accessions from southwestern Nebraska. In contrast, there was poor association between genotypic and phenotypic responses for PPO-inhibitor resistance, which was attributed to segregation for PPO-inhibitor resistance within these accessions and/or the methodology that was adopted herein. Genotypic assays can expedite the process of confirming known glyphosate and PPO-inhibitor resistance mechanisms in Palmer amaranth from southwestern Nebraska and other locations. Phenotypic assays are also a robustmethod for confirming glyphosate resistance but not necessarily PPO-inhibitor resistance in Palmer amaranth. Moreover, random forest analysis of glyphosate resistance in Palmer amaranth indicated that EPSPS gene amplification, county, and current and previous crops are the main factors influencing glyphosate resistance within that geographic area. Most glyphosate-susceptible Palmer amaranth accessions were found in a few counties in areas with high crop diversity. Results presented here confirm the spread of glyphosate resistance and PPO-inhibitor resistance in Palmer amaranth accessions from southwestern Nebraska and demonstrate that less diverse cropping systems are an important driver of herbicide resistance evolution in Palmer amaranth.


The purpose of the study is to examine the dynamics of Algeria's natural gas exports through the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach with break points. The analysis was carried out for the period from 1967 to 2015. Based on imperfect substitution specification, the ARDL approach reveals a long-run equilibrium relationship between Algeria's Natural gas exports and their determinant factors (Algeria's gas reserves, Domestic gas consumption, Europe's GDP per capita, relative prices, the European gas production and the market share of competitors). All the long-run elasticities estimated are statistically significant with a large impact of domestic factors, which constitute the supply constraints. In short term, the elasticities are statistically significant, and almost comparable to those of the long term. Furthermore, the speed of adjustment towards long-run equilibrium is less than one year because of the little flexibility of the long term export contracts. Two break points have been estimated when we employ the domestic gas consumption as a break variable; 1984 and 2010, which reflect the arbitration policy between the domestic gas market and gas exports. Keywords—Natural gas exports, elasticity, ARDL bounds testing, break points, Algeria.


Background: Recently, the probable involvement of surfaces from the hospital
environment as a disseminating source of resistant bacteria has been
highlighted. The aim of the study was to compare resistant microorganisms
isolated from inanimate surfaces, equipments and patient blood culture samples
in an Intensive Care Unit from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Methods: A
cross-sectional study was performed from July to October 2009. Data sources were microbiologic
samples from environment and patient blood culture. Duplicate samples were
obtained by swabs from up to seven different touch sites around two different
patients in four different days. Jointly with the environmental samples,
bacterial isolates from an adult ICU patients' routine blood cultures were
obtained from hospital laboratory. The samples were identified, tested for
sensitivity and compared by rep-PCR test to verify similarity. Results: Difference among the averages of Colony Forming Units was found within the environment samples (p < 0.004). In the
environment were identified antibiotic resistant microorganisms such as
Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus
faecalis, imipenem and ciprofloxacin Pseudomonas
aeruginosa and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter
baumannii. Similarities (60% -80%) were established among environmental and blood culture samples. Conclusion: The environmental sampling
showed different averages of contamination of the surfaces and equipment. The
similarity among the bacterial isolates of patients' blood cultures and
environmental samples reinforces the hypothesis of the horizontal transference
of pathogens.


Germany's position as Europe's predominant economic power has long been recognised. In recent years it has also emerged as a leading European foreign policy actor, although its willingness and capacity to play an explicit leadership role are debated. In particular, the 'geo-economic' analyses of Kundnani (The Paradox of German Power, 2014) and Szabo (Germany, Russia and the Rise of Geo-Economics, 2015) argue that German foreign policy is increasingly focused on narrow calculations of national interest resulting in a decline in the instinctive multilateralism that has characterised its international engagement since 1949. This article uses the German response to the current Ukraine crisis to contest these arguments. Examining both German engagement with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, a crucial component of its foreign policy-making, and its response to the Ukraine crisis, the article contends that far from becoming more unilateral, a more vigorous German multilateralism is emerging. This seeks to fully utilise all available multilateral channels and in turn reflects how far the centre of gravity in European foreign policy-making has shifted towards Berlin.


Sensorless solar tracking involves the low speed tracking of the direction of sunrays across the sky. At such low speeds, frictional effects in the electromechanical drive system of the tracker become amplified, and can significantly affect the accuracy of tracking. This paper models the frictional effects in low speed solar tracking and shows that the frictional effects lead to significant positional error during tracking. Further results show that, a class of controllers derived from strictly positive real (SPR) transfer functions, could be used to eliminate the positional tracking error due to frictional effects.


The Chinese Erhualian is one of the most prolific pig breeds in the world, but it is in danger of being replaced by other exotic pig breeds because of its slow growth rate and high fat content in the body. To obtain some genetic information for conservation, we analysed the Erhualian pigs by using a PCR-RFLP for the calcium-release-channel (CRC) gene, nine polymorphic microsatellites and the complete mtDNA D-loop sequences, and compared these data with those from other pig breeds from Europe and Asian. The PCR-RFLP analysis of the CRC gene showed that the frequency of the C allele associated with stress resistance was 100% in the Erhualian pigs. Neighbour-Joining trees constructed on the basis of mtDNA D-loop sequences and the microsatellite analysis clearly showed that the Erhualian pigs were located in a separate branch. These data suggest that the Erhualian pigs are different from other breeds. Microsatellite analysis showed that the average allele number (5.3/locus) in the Erhualian pig was intermediate as compared with that (4.8-7.0/locus) in the three European pig breeds. The expected heterozygosity was higher in the Erhualian pig (0.78) than that in these European pig breeds (0.59-0.72), whereas the observed heterozygosity was higher in the European breeds (0.51-0.64) than in the Erhualian pig (0.46). In the Erhualian pig, the fixation index (FIS) was as high as 0.41. These data suggest a high level of inbreeding and/or subpopulation in the Erhualian pigs. For conservation of the germplasm in the Erhualian pigs, it is necessary to take measures to reduce inbreeding and/or subpopulation. Keywords: Erhualian pig, Genetic diversity, Conservation, DNA markers
South African Journal of Animal Science Vol.33(3) 2003: 159-165


During the 2005 CROSSTEX laboratory experiments, a series of bar generation and degeneration events and repeated cycles of offshore and onshore transport were documented. These changes were driven by regular modifications to the specified incident wave field. Based on collected bathymetric data we first assessed the spatial and temporal movement of two sand bars. We used hydrodynamic and video data to relate the movement of these bars to the occurrence of wave breaking and the magnitudes of undertow, velocity skewness and acceleration skewness. This analysis indicates that undertow currents generated the first sand bar through offshore-directed transport. The second bar was formed by onshore transport, with the first bar serving as the likely sediment source. On the other hand, onshore migration and degeneration of both sand bars correlated well with acceleration skewness.


Macadamia in Australia is traditionally grown in semi-arid climates with hot and humid summers and cool winters supporting rainfed cultivation. Recent industry expansion into more northern, drier production areas of Queensland, Australia, requires supplementary irrigation for successful macadamia production. However, ever-increasing demand for irrigation water in these areas is both competitive and regulated. Limited information is available to optimize water use efficiency for field-grown macadamia trees. We trialled a technique that employs specially designed drip tubes with push-in emitter plugs to close emitters so that transplanting can start with emitters closed distant from tree bases and open next to the trunks of each tree. Additional emitters are then gradually opened (i.e., plugs are removed) as tree canopy size increases over subsequent years. This technique was tested on single and double in-line irrigation tube configurations per row of macadamia. Temporal regulation of emitter closure significantly reduced irrigation input by 75, 50 and 25% in the first, second and third year of treatment. Hence, irrigation over the three-year establishment period was reduced to one-half that of the non-regulated crop. These early reductions of irrigation in juvenile trees had no significant negative effects on plant growth (height, canopy spread, leaf chlorophyll and leaf photosynthetic rates), nor on nut counts. Control of emitter discharge between the plants along the row in the earlier stage (i.e., before complete within-row canopy cover) also reduced weed growth between the trees in the row. Notable growth advantages of the single in-line over the double in-line tube configuration were evident, with a non-significant but sizeable benefit on nut counts too. Effects of the temporal regulation of emitters and of in-line tube configurations must be validated on cultivars with differing water requirements and for the longer-term reproductive performance and nut quality.


A library of layered protocol wrappers processes Internet packets in reconfigurable hardware. Collectively, the wrappers simplify and streamline the implementation of high-level networking functions by abstracting the operation of lower-level packet processing functions. The library synthesizes into field-programmable gate array (FPGA) logic and is utilized in a network platform called the field-programmable port extender (FPX). The library processes asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells, ATM adaptation layer 5 (AAL5) frames, Internet protocol (IP) messages, and user datagrarn protocol (UDP) packets directly in hardware. Applications can process data at several layers of the protocol stack using the library of wrappers discussed in this article. Layers are important for networks because they let applications abstract from above and below details of the network protocols. At the lowest layer, networks modify raw data passing between interfaces. At higher levels, the applications process variable length frames or IP packets.A network platform called the field-programmable port extender (FPX) streamlines and simplifies network transmission processing directly in hardware.


Precision Medicine is an emerging approach for prevention and treatment of disease that considers individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. The dissemination of individualized evidence by automatically identifying population information in literature is a key for evidence-based precision medicine at the point-of-care. We propose a hybrid approach using natural language processing techniques to automatically extract the population information from biomedical literature. Our approach first implements a binary classifier to classify sentences with or without population information. A rule-based system based on syntactic-tree regular expressions is then applied to sentences containing population information to extract the population named entities. The proposed two-stage approach achieved an F-score of 0.81 using a MaxEnt classifier and the rule- based system, and an F-score of 0.87 using a Nai've-Bayes classifier and the rule-based system, and performed relatively well compared to many existing systems. The system and evaluation dataset is being released as open source.


1. The three kinds of globules that can be recognized in the living neurone of Helix aspersa are sharply distinguishable from one another by histochemical tests. 2. One kind of globule contains phospholipid; another appears to consist of trioglyceride; the third is complex chemically, containing mixed lipids with some protein and carbohydrate. 3. When osmium techniques for the 'Golgi apparatus' are applied to this particular cell, phospholipid is blackened.


Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into groups and maintained on a semipurified diet containing either 5 or 40 ppm of zinc or 2 or 8 ppm of copper. Half of the rats in each group received 1000 ppm aluminum in the diet. It was found that aluminum accumulated in the pituitary glands and testes when dietary copper levels were suboptimal. The ALP activity in testes was depressed by the added aluminum when the intake of zinc or copper was suboptimal. SDH, LDH, and LDH-X activities were inhibited and GRS and GGTP activities were elevated in rats fed either the suboptimal zinc or copper diet. However, the added aluminum in the diet reversed the changes to normal levels. The testosterone levels in plasma changed very little when the zinc or copper intake was suboptimal. An increase in plasma FSH was demonstrated in groups of both suboptimal zinc and copper intake. But the plasma LH was elevated only in the group receiving the suboptimal copper diet, and the added aluminum reversed plasma LH to control levels. A lower level of testosterone was demonstrated in the group given suboptimal copper with aluminum. It was concluded that dietary aluminum influenced the pituitary-testicular axis by interacting with certain essential trace metals, particularly zinc. 1990 Academic Press. Inc.


In order to assess the effects of cool storage on quality attributes of 'Shiraz' persimmon, some fruit physicochemical and metabolic changes were studied. Between them several major chemical changes, antioxidant activity and some fruit quality parameters such as total phenolic compounds, colour (L*, hue and chroma), total soluble tannins, total antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content were evaluated at harvest and within 15 days intervals during fruit storage at 1 °C and 85 ± 5 % RH. Consequently, correlation between different mentioned parameters were evaluated. The results indicate that high antioxidant capacity in persimmon was due to strong association (r2 ˃ 0.90) with fruit ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds content. The results suggest that phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid are the major contributors of antioxidative activities in Diospyros kaki cv. 'Shiraz'. The colour parameters of persimmon had high correlation coefficients with total phenolic compounds. It is worth emphasizing that the total phenolic compounds of 'Shiraz' persimmon have been found to be correlated with the degree of browning as a result in antioxidative activities decline.


Abstract Digital stories are hyper short, personally narrated multimedia fragments. The process of creating a digital story offers points of departure for critical reflection, creative self-expression, collaboration and dialogue around issues that are often silenced and marginalised. These digital narratives centre the voice of the storyteller and utilise both moving and still images to visually accompany the spoken word. Individually selecting a story and collaboratively producing the audiovisual expression of that tale presents new possibilities concerning the politics and ethics of storytelling. Participants in this study are from a heterogeneous grouping of undocumented migrants to Ireland and are positioned as the central actors/producers of their migration stories, allied to the use of digital media technologies in the generation of documentary storytelling accounts.


Because the Internet provides an infrastructure where the marginal costs of distributing digitized information goods is close to zero, it will tend to drive market prices for information goods toward zero. At the same time, by providing "cheap exit" from localized information regulatory regimes, the Internet may promote competition among jurisdictions in producing information regulation. These markets for information products and for information regulation are linked, so that inefficiencies in one will alter the competitive trade - offs in the other. Both forms of competition may be characterized as races to externalize, in which the benefits of competition are potentially dissipated by jurisdictional spillovers. This will necessitate changes in the international regime for copyright and similar information regulation, which will increasingly tend toward a coordinated but potentially inefficient standard.


Increasing services are addressing the needs of people living with long term conditions. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the impact of community circuit classes on balance and mobility of individuals with neurological conditions. Participants were recruited from people interested in or already taking part in circuit classes provided at a private rehabilitation clinic. Outcomes (4-Stage Balance test, 30 Second Chair Stand test and Timed Up and Go (TUG) were assessed before and after a block of circuit classes (at least six weekly sessions). Risk and fear of falling were measured using the Falls Risk Assessment Tool and the Falls Efficacy Scale respectively. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire to provide their views about the class. All 13 participants completed at least six classes. A difference was found in the TUG (p=0.05) but not in other outcome measures. All participants highly rated the organisation, level of staff skill and amount of assistance provided at the classes, but there was less satisfaction on the challenge and frequency of classes. Participating in circuit classes for a short-term period appears to have a positive impact on mobility and is an enjoyable form of exercise for people with neurological conditions. Stavric, V., Mudge, S., Robinson, L., Mewa, M. What are the outcomes and views of people with mobility limitations after participating in a community circuit group? New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 45(3): 119-125. doi: 10.15619/ NZJP/45.3.03


Several researchers have suggested that languages vary as to whether number marking on noun phrases is obligatory or optional. We develop an implementation of this idea within a theory that assumes that the plural is a semantically vacuous, unmarked number (Sauerland et al. 2015 and others). We then explore the semantic consequences of this proposal. One striking prediction of the proposal is that plural nouns should be ungrammatical in antitone environments in languages where number marking is optional, i.e. plurals should be positive polarity items in optional number languages. This prediction arises because the plural form is equivalent to the number neutral bare form in optional number languages. The Efficiency requirement of Meyer 2013 therefore predicts that plurals require local exhaustification in optional number languages since otherwise the bare form is more efficient. Because bare forms are impossible in obligatory number languages, plurals are not predicted to be positive polarity items in such languages. We conclude with an outlook on how to empirically verify the predictions of the theory we presented.


For autonomous vehicles, navigation systems must be accurate enough to provide lane-level localization. Highaccuracy sensors are available but not cost-effective for production use. Although prone to significant error in poor circumstances, even low-cost GPS systems are able to correct Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to limit the effects of dead reckoning error over short periods between sufficiently accurate GPS updates. Kalman filters (KF) are a standard approach for GPS/INS integration, but require careful tuning in order to achieve quality results. This creates a motivation for a KF which is able to adapt to different sensors and circumstances on its own. Typically for adaptive filters, either the process (Q) or measurement (R) noise covariance matrix is adapted, and the other is fixed to values estimated a priori. We show that by adapting Q based on the state-correction sequence and R based on GPS receiver-reported standard deviation, our filter reduces GPS root-mean-squared error by 23% in comparison to raw GPS, with 15% from only adapting R.


Background and Purpose:
 Intracranial atherosclerosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke and even mild stenosis or subtle wall changes may be a marker for subsequent stroke risk. We tested whether any arterial wall irregularity was predictive of recurrent stroke in participants of the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) trial.

 Methods:
 SPS3 was a randomized trial investigating optimal blood pressure target and antiplatelet regimen in patients with recent, symptomatic, MRI-confirmed lacunar stroke patients. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) proximate to study entry was adequate and available for 2169 of 3020 study patients. Seven intracranial arteries (basilar [BA], vertebral [VA], internal carotid [ICA], and middle cerebral artery [MCA]) were assessed on time-of-flight MRA for wall irregularities including stenosis and changes of arterial diameter. Cox Proportional Hazards models adjusted for assigned treatments and clinical risk factors were used to estimate risk for recurrent stroke associated with any wall irregularity overall and in specific arteries.

 Results:
 Mean age of the 2169 patients was 63 yr with 63% male; hypertension, diabetes, and prior lacunar stroke were present in 75%, 36%, and 10%, respectively. Wall irregularities in ≥1 artery (325 one artery, 250 > 1 artery) were observed in 575 patients (27%). Recurrent stroke occurred in 195 patients during mean follow-up of 3.5 years (annualized rate 2.5% per patient-year). Patients with at least one wall irregularity had an increased risk of recurrent stroke (adjusted HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9). There was no interaction between either randomized treatment arm (antiplatelet therapy or blood pressure control target) and wall irregularities. Irregularity by any individual artery (BA, n = 115, 14 strokes; VA, n = 150, 17 strokes; ICA, n = 268, 31 strokes; or MCA, n = 316, 37 strokes) was not predictive of recurrent stroke (each p >0.1).

 Conclusion:
 In this large well characterized cohort of lacunar stroke patients, any wall irregularity in at least one artery was associated with recurrent stroke independent of clinical risk factors and assigned treatment groups.


The estimation of dynamic initial margin (DIM) for general portfolios is a challenging problem. The present paper describes an accurate new approach, based on regression, that uses Johnson-type distributions, which are fitted to conditional moments estimated using least-squares Monte Carlo simulation (the JLSMC approach). This approach is compared to DIM estimates computed using nested Monte Carlo as a benchmark. Under a number of test cases, the two approaches are shown to be coherent. Furthermore, we show that estimates of DIM produced under the standard regression approach, which assumes portfolio changes are Gaussian, diverges significantly from the better estimates using the JLSMC and nested Monte Carlo approaches. The standard approach performs particularly poorly if the portfolio changes are far from Gaussian (e.g. for options). To further demonstrate the efficacy of the JLSMC approach we provide illustrative examples using Hull-White and Heston models for different derivatives and portfolios. A further advantage of the new approach is that it only relies on the quantities required for any exposure or XVA calculation.


There are currently two public health insurance options available to United States children, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The programs are similar in that they both target improvements in children's health through increased access to medical care. Program participation, however, may impact the labor market decisions of participant families. This study employs data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2006 Full Year Consolidated Data File to identify how participation in the two programs affects a mother's work performance measured by absenteeism. The relationship between public health insurance enrollment and a mother's work attendance is complex as it appears to arise from offsetting factors. On the one hand, access to care may increase utilization of preventative care (in the case of well child visits) and early action care (doctor visits for mild illnesses), leading to an increased rate of absenteeism. On the other hand, it is this type of care that may reduce the total number of days that a mother needs to be absent from work to care for her child. Empirically we find that program enrollment increases the probability that a mother misses work but reduces the amount of time that she is away from her job.


This paper was to demonstrate the effects and mechanism of methylated-based gallates 4-O-methylgallic acid on osteoblast differentiation.  Cells were treated with different concentrations of 4-O-methylgallic acid.Then researchers evaluated the overall effects of 4-O-methylgallic acid on osteoblast by cell proliferation bioassay, ALP activity assay, Alizarin red S staining and detection the expression level of osteogenic-related gene including runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), alpha-1 type I collagen (COL1A1).Subsequently, cells were treated with ZXHA-TC with or without the JNK inhibitor SP600125 and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA).Then western blotting and cell transfection were used by two researchers explore the potential relationship and signaling pathway between autophagy and the differentiation of osteoblast mediated by 4-O-methylgallic acid.The results of the present study demonstrated that 4-O-methylgallic acid stimulated cell viability, increased ALP activity, upregulated the expression of osteogenic genes, evoked the expression of autophagy markers. A range of 6.25x10-3μg/ml to 6.25x10-1μg/ml were recommended, within which 6.25x10-2μg/ml showed the best performance. SP600125 and 3-methyladenine suppressed the stimulating effects of 4-O-methylgallic acid on osteogenic differentiation By blocking JNK/mTOR signaling pathway.This study indicated that 4-O-methyl gallic acid stimulated osteoblast differentiation by regulating autophagy via JNK/mTOR signaling pathways.


Mating with multiple partners is common across species, and understanding how individual males secure fertilization in the face of competition remains a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. Game theory stipulates that males have a fixed budget for reproduction that can lead to a trade‐off between investment in precopulatory traits such as body size, armaments, and ornaments, and postcopulatory traits such as testis size and spermatogenic efficiency. Recent theoretical and empirical studies have shown that if males can monopolize access to multiple females, they will invest disproportionately in precopulatory traits and less in postcopulatory traits. Using phylogenetically controlled comparative methods, we demonstrate that across 58 cetacean species with the most prominent sexual dimorphism in size, shape, teeth, tusks, and singing invest significantly less in relative testes mass. In support of theoretical predictions, these species tend to show evidence of male contests, suggesting there is opportunity for winners to monopolize access to multiple females. Our approach provides a robust dataset with which to make predictions about male mating strategies for the many cetacean species for which adequate behavioral observations do not exist.


The study randomly sampled one hundred and thirty-three integrated science students of a College of Education to assess their scientific literacy skills. The study was a survey design method. Data for the study was obtained through both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research instruments were the Scientific Literacy Skills Test (SLST) and a semi-structured interview protocol. Eight skills were investigated which were grouped into three clusters. The study provided answers to three research questions. Data obtained were analyzed using the statistical tools of the t-test, descriptive statistics and thematic coding. Findings showed that students did not possess the scientific literacy skills required for them to function effectively after graduation in society. Besides, male students possessed more scientific literacy skills than their female counterparts in all three clusters of skills examined. Also, finding revealed that students used scientific literacy skills to solve real-life problems such as taking decisions and solving security problems. The paper made some recommendations for further study to enhance students' scientific literacy skills.


BACKGROUND
 Social media platforms have created a new advertising frontier, yet little is known about the extent to which this interactive form of advertising shapes adolescents' online relationships with unhealthy food brands.

 OBJECTIVE
 We aimed to understand the extent to which adolescents' preferences for Instagram food ads are shaped by the presence of comments and varying numbers of "likes." We hypothesized that adolescents would show the highest preferences for ads with more "likes" and comments. We predicted that these differences would be greater among adolescents who were "heavy social media users" (ie, >3 hours daily) vs "light social media users" (ie, <3 hours daily).

 METHODS
 We recruited Black and non-Latinx White adolescents (aged 13-17 years; N=832) from Dynata, a firm that maintains online participant panels. Participants completed an online survey in which they were randomized to view and rate Instagram food ads that either did or did not show comments. Within each condition, adolescents were randomized to view 4 images that had high (>10,000), medium (1000-10,000), or low (<100) numbers of "likes." Adolescents reported ad preferences and willingness to engage with the brand.

 RESULTS
 Adolescents rated ads with medium or high numbers of "likes" higher than ads with few "likes" (P=.001 and P=.002, respectively). Heavy social media users (>3 hours/day) were 6.366 times more willing to comment on ads compared to light users (P<.001).

 CONCLUSIONS
 Adolescents interact with brands in ways that mimic interactions with friends on social media, which is concerning when brands promote unhealthy products. Adolescents also preferred ads with many "likes," demonstrating the power of social norms in shaping behavior. As proposed in 2019, the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act should expand online advertising restrictions to include adolescents aged 12 to 16 years.


As increasingly diversified patterns of growth are emerging and different avenues are followed by industrial districts to face globalisation, more attention should be paid to industrial districts response to global competition. How global forces shape industrial districts in different ways? This research addresses the theme of the viability of industrial districts in dealing with dramatic changes in their competitive environment. By relying on a cross-national comparison and a mono-sectoral investigation of the footwear industry, this study attempts to shed the light on the formulae or recipes for both success and failure in two industrial districts - Montebelluna in Italy and Northampton in Britain. In particular, the interpretative lens provided should help to shed some light on the response of industrial districts to global competition, and should be especially valuable to scholars, managers, small firm owners, policy makers and anybody else who has an interest in globalisation and the challenges faced by industrial districts in sunset industries.


All‐oxide, fully‐transparent thin film transistors and rectifiers, processed entirely by atomic layer deposition, have been developed for on‐chip capacitive energy storage. Fully depleted thin film transistor (TFT) operation is achieved by optimizing the carrier concentration in the ZnO channels. The TFTs show an average saturation mobility of 10.5 cm2 V−1 s−1, a stable positive turn‐on voltage of 0.88 V, a low subthreshold swing of 0.162 V dec−1, and the entire device achieves an overall transmittance of 85%. The field‐effect rectifiers (FER) are fabricated based on short‐circuiting the gate and drain electrodes of the TFT structure. Rectification ratio of 3.5 × 106 is achieved in DC measurements. Under AC input, the rectifiers can steadily operate at an input frequency up to 10 MHz and amplitude (peak to peak) up to 20 V. The rectifier can be used for signal processing applications with frequency up to 1 MHz. The energy storage utility of the rectifiers is demonstrated by rectifying AC input signals and successfully charging home‐made electrochemical on‐chip microsupercapacitors. The results demonstrate that integrated, all‐oxide thin film rectifiers can be used for on‐chip capacitive energy storage.


One of the key challenges that small farmers face is marketing their products. National and international markets are difficult to tap into for small farmers due to their inability to compete with large farm operators that dominate these markets. The objective of this study was to examine marketing channels used by small Tennessee Farmers. A mail survey was sent to 250 selected small farmers in Tennessee. Ninety-two completed responses, representing about 37% response rate, were received. Over half of the farmers had off farm employment. Preliminary analysis showed that 40% used direct marketing; 23% wholesalers; 16% retailers; 14% cooperatives and 4% contract. More educated farmers tended to avoid middlemen. Farmers operating animal enterprises appear to use middlemen more compared to crop producers. This may be due to feed and other costs involved in maintaining animals. Farmers working off farm tended to use middlemen due to time constraint. Farmers that took risk chose direct marketing reflecting their willingness to accept lower profit if sales do not go as planned. The use of cooperatives is limited indicating that its formation and growth is dependent on mutual trust among the members. The use of contract by a very small percent of farmers may be a reflection of the challenge that small farmers face in generating large volume of their products on a sustained basis which is usually demanded by buyers.


Bovine livestock production is a vital cultural and economic activity across Latin America and fundamental for the survival of rural households in developing regions. While both men and women perform crucial activities, women's contributions are still profoundly undervalued. Such overshadowing results from deeply rooted gender stereotypes and constricting family roles that determine both the division of labour and the productivity of dual-purpose producing farms. Gender inequity in the region, scholars state, prevents the sustained economic growth of livestock units and the possible impacts of new technologies and public policies, furthering conditions of poverty and disparity. This literature review summarises the contributions on gender and the bovine livestock sector in Latin America. We emphasise three salient perspectives and their respective inputs. First, we review value-chain studies and their role in tracking action nodes of both men and women. We focus on how such approaches underscore female participation in stages of manufacturing and commercialisation of milk byproducts in Central America. Second, we delve into familiarist approaches of household duties and responsibilities along gender lines. This perspective has served the vital purpose of understanding heritage, generational transference and continuity of bovine livestock activities in the midst of growing foreign-markets within the Pampean region. Thirdly, we look into more recent research on breeding and forage technologies and how they grasp the importance gender relations have in the appropriate implementation of silvopastoral systems, animal genetic improvement and mitigation strategies, especially in Colombia and Costa Rica. Such studies bring to light the different areas where women and men exert differential influence, underline the gendered impact of extreme weather events and reflect on women's potential as agents of change in the advent of climate change. Within the richness of the existing literature we were also able to identify the urgent need of new lines of research, as the impact armed conflicts, displacement and dispossession have had in cattle and dairy production in Latin American countries at war over the course of the twentieth century. Above all we strive to find connecting points across regions, research bottlenecks, and possible subject matters for further inquiry.


We report a 76-year-old man who developed blurred vision and dementia. He was apparently well until April 4, 1990 (70-year-old at that time) when he had a sudden onset of bilateral loss of vision. Corrected vision was 0.1 (right) and 0.09 (left). He was admitted to the ophthalmology service of our hospital on April 9, 1990, and neurological consultation was asked on April 11. Neurologic examination revealed alert and oriented man without dementia. Higher cerebral functions were intact. He had bilateral large visual field defects with loss of vision; he was only able to count the digit number with his right eye and to recognize hand movement with his left eye. Otherwise neurologic examination was unremarkable. General physical examination was also unremarkable; he had no hypertension. Cranial CT scan was normal on April 11; lumber spinal fluid contained 1 cell/microliter, 63 mg/dl of sugar, and 97 mg/dl of protein; myelin basic protein was detected, however, oligoclonal bands were absent. He was treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy and oral steroid, however, no improvement was noted in his vision. He started to show gaze paresis to left, ideomotor apraxia, agnosia of the body, and dementia. Cranial CT scan on June 11 revealed a low density area in the deep left parietal white matter facing the trigonal area of the lateral ventricle. He was discharged on July 2, 1990. Hasegawa dementia scale was 2/32.5 upon discharge. In the subsequent course, he showed improvement in his mental capacity and Hasegawa dementia scale was 22.5/32.5 in 1991, however, no improvement was noted in his vision. In 1994, he started to show mental decline in that he became disoriented, and showed delusional ideation of self persecution and depersonalization with occasional confusional state. He also showed unsteady gait. Cranial MRI on February 13, 1996 revealed a T2-high signal intensity lesion on each side of the parietal deep white matter more on the left and another T2-high signal intensity lesion in the left pons as well as in the right thalamus. He complained of right hypochondrial pain and was admitted to another hospital on April 22, 1996. He was markedly confused and demented. He continued to show bilateral loss of vision, but no motor palsy was noted. Cranial CT scan on April 23, 1996 revealed diffuse cortical atrophy and ventricular dilatation in addition to the low density areas in both parietal deep white matter. He developed jaundice in the middle of May. Abdominal CT scan revealed multiple low-to iso-density areas in the liver and marked iso-to high-density swelling of the right kidney. The patient expired on June 9th, 1996. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had had a carcinomatous limbic encephalitis with optic neuropathy and a choleduct carcinoma. Other opinions entertained included acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with optic neuritis, and granulomatous angiitis of the central nervous system. Some participants thought the primary site of the carcinoma was the right kidney with metastasis to the liver. Post mortem examination revealed a mixed type carcinoma in the right kidney with liver metastases. Neuropathologic examination revealed an incomplete softening in the optic chiasm and the left optic nerve, and in the left parieto-occipital areas. (The right hemisphere was frozen for future biochemical assay.) One of the adjacent cortical arteries had an organized thrombus. Other arteries and arterioles also showed sclerotic changes. Some of the leptomeningeal arteries were positive for Congored staining as well as for beta-amyloid immunostaining. Many senile plaques were seen diffusely in the cerebral cortex and neurofibrillary tangles were seen in the CA1 area and the parahippocampal gylus. No cellular infiltrations or demyelinated foci were seen. The neuropathologic features were consistent with circulatory disturbance based on the amyloid angiopa


Aquifer vulnerability is a key issue in groundwater resource management. The airborne TEM method has demonstrated the potential to provide detailed information about the shallow subsurface resistivity distribution to constitute a valid background for vulnerability estimation. Combined with its ability to delineate aquifers in a variety of geological settings, the airborne TEM method is an efficient tool in large scale hydrogeological investigations. However, in sedimentary environments with moderate to high resistivities in the shallow subsurface it can be a challenging task to provide satisfactory nearsurface resolution applying airborne TEM measurements. It is well known that the near-surface resolution is highly dependent on the ability of a specific instrument to measure the early time part of the transient earth response, although the bandwidth of the receiver and the applied current waveform also have a significant impact on the resulting near-surface resolution. Focusing on the applied current waveform, most impulse response type TEM systems employ a linear current turn-off ramp. We show that the effect of a long linear ramp is to make the early time response similar to a step response, while a short linear ramp retains the impulse response character. The sensitivity of the step response to the shallow resistivity distribution is inferior to that of the impulse response, indicating that a short ramp is preferable for environmental investigations. In order to quantify the effects of the ramp length and of the unavoidable measurement dead-time on the near-surface resolution we have performed linearized inversion parameter analyses of 1D layered earth models for a generic airborne transient EM system. The analyses clearly demonstrate that specialized instrumentation, such as employed by the dual moment SkyTEM system, Sorensen and Auken (2004), is necessary if aquifer vulnerability is to be estimated from airborne transient EM data in these types of sedimentary environments.


Poly(acrylamide-co-crotonic acid) (PAAmCA), poly(acrylic acid-co-crotonic acid) (PAACA), PAA and PAAm hydrogels were prepared by free radical polymerization and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker. The variations of swelling values (%) with time, temperature, and pH were determined for four types of hydrogels. The PAACA hydrogel was swollen 2300% at pH = 7.4 and 37°C. The drug release from pantoprazole-Na loaded PAACA and PAAmCA hydrogels was followed at pH = 7.4, 37°C for 30 h. The release from PAACA hydrogel was faster than that from PAAmCA hydrogel; therapeutic levels for both hydrogels are obtained within 1 hour. Non-Fickian diffusion was determined for both hydrogels.


Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease posing a significant burden on health-care resources and patients' quality of life. It is a complex disease with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and combinations of symptoms. AD affects up to 20% of children and up to 3% of adults; recent data show that its prevalence is still increasing, especially in low-income countries. First manifestations of AD usually appear early in life and often precede other allergic diseases such as asthma or allergic rhinitis. Individuals affected by AD usually have genetically determined risk factors affecting the skin barrier function or the immune system. However, genetic mutations alone might not be enough to cause clinical manifestations of AD, and it is merely the interaction of a dysfunctional epidermal barrier in genetically predisposed individuals with harmful effects of environmental agents which leads to the development of the disease. AD has been described as an allergic skin disease, but today, the contribution of allergic reactions to the initiation of AD is challenged, and it is proposed that allergy is rather a consequence of AD in subjects with a concomitant underlying atopic constitution. Treatment at best achieves symptom control rather than cure; there is thus a strong need to identify alternatives for disease prevention.


Little progress has been made so far in understanding the causes of Argentina's worst socio-economic crisis. This paper analyzes the intellectual roots of Argentine convertibility as a small contribution to this necessary and pending discussion. The country implemented a radical monetary reform, technically known as a currency board, although its popular name was "Convertibility", allegedly launched to impose fiscal discipline and gain credibility. This paper argues that it is very important to understand that Argentina's problems with the currency board stem from major flaws in its underlying theoretical model, which is based on the assumptions of rational expectations and natural rate of unemployment.


SUMMARY. In two independent submissions, a 3-yr-old, dead Bourbon Red turkey tom from a zoo and a Royal Palm turkey hen from a backyard flock were submitted for necropsy. Both birds had been kept together with chickens. Findings of the necropsy of the first turkey were an enlarged and dark liver with many pale white foci and a few small white nodules, pale and enlarged spleen, prominent thymus, mottled and pale kidneys, and pale and enlarged testes. Findings of the necropsy of the second turkey were a dark and mildly enlarged liver and severely enlarged, firm, and pale kidneys. Histopathology revealed infiltration of most organs of both birds with neoplastic lymphocytes, which were uniform in the first turkey and pleomorphic in the second turkey. Immunohistochemistry with a CD3 marker identified the neoplastic lymphocytes as T cells. Marek's disease virus serotype 1 was detected with PCR in the livers of both birds, whereas PCRs for reticuloendotheliosis virus and lymphoproliferative disease virus were negative. Based on these findings, Marek's disease was diagnosed in both turkeys, which is very rare and were the first definitive cases reported in the United States. It is likely that the chickens were the source of infection.


Autologous transplantation is controversial for older patients with multiple myeloma. The role of age-adjusted high-dose melphalan and the impact of induction chemotherapy cycles is still unclear. A total of 434 patients aged 60–70 years were randomly assigned to 4 cycles of standard anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy or no induction. For all patients, double autologous transplantation after melphalan 140 mg/m2 (MEL140) was planned. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Of 420 eligible patients, 85% received a first transplant and 69% completed double transplantation. Treatment duration was short with a median of 7.7 months with induction chemotherapy cycles and 4.6 months without induction. On an intention-to-treat basis, median progression-free survival with induction chemotherapy cycles (207 patients) was 21.4 months versus 20.0 months with no induction cycles (213 patients) (hazard ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.84–1.28; P=0.36). Per protocol, progression-free survival was 23.7 months versus 23.0 months (P=0.28). Patients aged 65 years or over (55%) did not have an inferior outcome. Patients with low-risk cytogenetics [absence of del17p13, t(4;14) and 1q21 gains] showed a favorable overall survival and included the patients with sustained first remission. MEL140 was associated with a low rate of severe mucositis (10%) and treatment-related deaths (1%). Based on hazard ratio, the short treatment arm consisting of mobilization chemotherapy and tandem MEL140 achieved 96% of the progression-free survival, demonstrating its value as an independent component of therapy in older patients with multiple myeloma who are considered fit for autologous transplantation. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 02288741)


Bringing persons with impairments (PWIs henceforth) at par with the rest of society is a commitment enshrined in the constitution and efforts are being made by the Government to achieve this endeavor. The most suitable and effective strategy of economically empowering PWIs is encouraging them to become entrepreneurs. Despite entrepreneurship being the most suitable way of including PWIs in National development and self-reliance only a small fraction (one third) of this group of people are undertaking some form of business. This is due to the argument that, Entrepreneurship is not an easy activity especially with PWIs because they face various problems at the time of establishing the business. The main objective of this study was to identify factors hampering uptake of entrepreneurship among persons with impairments in Kenya. The study population was entrepreneurs with impairments in Nairobi Kenya. The research adopted a descriptive research guided by survey research design. The ideal sampling technique was stratified random sampling with a sample size of 50 respondents. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The findings shows that Most of PWIs entreprenuers have low level of education with no business training, and that most EWIs source their capital from personal savings followed by family and friends. Lack of acceptable collateral is a major obstacle in accessing credit to impaired entrepreneurs. Further, the study found that most EWIs had accessed mentorship programmes because they considered it important for business start up. Finally the study found that EWIs Have difficulties in accessing transport facilities affecting their mobility which further adversely affects their marketing and networking efforts. The study recommended for stakeholders involvement in all aspects including but not limited to education,


The basis of HIV exposure category classification was investigated among selected cases of newly diagnosed HIV infection. Questionnaires seeking specific information on patient-reported exposure to HIV were forwarded to doctors who had requested the HIV antibody test for patients who met the study sample criteria. The cases of interest were those newly diagnosed between 1 January and 31 October 1991 and notified to state and territory health authorities as having been attributed to exposures to HIV other than male homosexual contact or receipt of blood, blood products or tissue. A total of 158 questionnaires was forwarded and 59 per cent were returned. Among the returned questionnaires included in the study sample, exposure to HIV on the original notification to the health authority was given as injecting drug use (8 per cent, 3 of 37), heterosexual contact (46 per cent, 17 of 37), or unavailable (46 per cent, 17 of 37). A clear basis for HIV exposure category classification was provided on the questionnaires for 70 per cent (7 of 10) of cases among women, whereas among men whose infection was attributed to heterosexual contact, a basis for exposure category classification was specified for only 43 per cent (10 of 23) of cases. Although the study was limited by the low response rate, use of the questionnaire provided a relatively simple means for assessing self-reported HIV exposure history.


Let $M$ be a closed, orientable hyperbolic 3-manifold and $\phi$ a homomorphism of its fundamental group onto $\mathbb{Z}$ that is not induced by a fibration over the circle. For each natural number $n$ we give an explicit lower bound, linear in $n$, on rank of the fundamental group of the cover of $M$ corresponding to $\phi^{-1}(n\mathbb{Z})$. The key new ingredient is the following result: for such a manifold $M$ and a connected, two-sided incompressible surface of genus $g$ in $M$ that is not a fiber or semi-fiber, a reduced homotopy in $(M,S)$ has length at most $14g-12$.


This paper provides an overview of using fiscal policy as a key to a more sustainable development. Sustainable development is the concept of maintaining a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being on one hand, and preserving natural resources and ecosystems, on which we and future generations depend. One of the methods already put into practice by some of the developed countries, which could be a saving solution for improving the environmental quality, is the fiscal policy, guided in this respect. The development of environmental tax revenue is currently subject to opposite forces; on the one hand, policymakers give high priority to environmental protection, a trend which may grow even stronger as attention focuses on the threat from global warning; on the other, greater reliance on policy instruments other than taxes, such as emissions trading, and growing political pressure to accommodate the strong increases in the oil price recorded in the last few years by reducing taxation of energy. Environmental taxes can be divided into three categories: energy taxes, transport taxes (taxes on vehicles) and pollution/resources taxes. These belong to the category of indirect taxes or consumption taxes. Environmental taxes are not a significant percentage of GDP in most EU countries. In 2007, revenues from environmental taxes in the EU-27 accounted for 2,5 % of GDP and for 6,2 % of total revenues. The role of environmental taxes remains one marginal in most EU Member States. However, some Member States, like Denmark and The Netherlands achieved significant share of environmental tax in relation to GDP. I consider that as the environmental taxes are concerned, the evolution registered in the European Union, has not yet reached the desired results. Therefore, the effects of taxation in the European Union, regarding environmental protection cannot be assessed as satisfactory. There are therefore necessary the community's efforts in this respect, from overcoming the dialogue state and adopting measurements that are accepted by all member states.


Melanin-based ornaments are often involved in signaling aggression and dominance, and their role in sexual selection is increasingly recognized. We investigated the functions of a melanin-based plumage ornament (facial 'mask') in male Eurasian penduline tits Remiz pendulinus in the contexts of male-male aggression, mating success, and parental care. The penduline tit is a passerine bird with a unique mating system in which both sexes may mate with several mates in a breeding season, and one (or both) parent deserts the clutch. Our study revealed that mask size of males is more likely an honest signal used by females in their mate choice decisions than a trait involved in male- male competition. First, mask size increased with both age and body condition, indicating that the mask may signal male quality. Second, males with larger masks paired more quickly and had more mates over the breeding season than males with smaller masks. Third, we found no evidence that male mask size signals male-male aggression or dominance during competitive encounters. The increased mating success of large-masked males, however, did not translate into higher reproductive success, as nestling survival decreased with mask size. Therefore, we conclude that there is either no directional selection on male mask size or males with larger masks receive indirect, long-term benefits.


This paper proposes a fast colour-based object recognition and localization for soccer robots. The traditional HSL colour model is modified for better colour segmentation and edge detection in a colour coded environment. The object recognition is based on only the edge pixels to speed up the computation. The edge pixels are detected by intelligently scanning a small part of whole image pixels which is distributed over the image. A fast method for line and circle centre detection is also discussed. For object localization, 26 key points are defined on the soccer field. While two or more key points can be seen from the robot camera view, the three rotation angles are adjusted to achieve a precise localization of robots and other objects. If no key point is detected, the robot position is estimated according to the history of robot movement and the feedback from the motors and sensors. The experiments on NAO and RoboErectus teen-size humanoid robots show that the proposed vision system is robust and accurate under different lighting conditions and can effectively and precisely locate robots and other objects.


Nonlinear quasi-static field problems are generally solved by means of the finite-element method coupled with some classical time-stepping technique, such as the Crank-Nicolson iterative scheme, for solution in the time domain. At each time step, the nonlinearity must be treated iteratively, and a new linear system must be solved every iteration, which is costly in terms of computation time. Here, a novel algorithm based on transmission-line modeling is proposed to deal both with the nonlinearity and solution in the time domain. The underlying idea is the analogy that exists between the finite-element matrix and the node-admittance matrix of an equivalent network where resistors and capacitors hold the material properties. The nonlinear material is replaced by a fictitious linear and homogeneous one, which permits a global stiffness matrix to remain unchanged throughout the iterative process. The emerging time-stepping scheme is precisely the same as the Crank-Nicolson scheme, and so is the accuracy. Two numerical examples demonstrate the efficiency of the method.


Aims: To determine the association between dyslipidemia and MGD. Settings and Design: It is a prospective, observational study of 1 year duration. Thirty patients who were diagnosed with meibomian gland dysfunction and 30 age and sex matched controls were taken into study after they gave their informed consent and taking into consideration the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methods and Material: After enrollment of the subject to the study all subjects had undergone a thorough ophthalmic examination. Tear film break up time, Schirmer's Test without anesthesia followed by with anesthesia was calculated. Statistical analysis used: Meibomian gland status was evaluated by, expressibility, and numerical scoring of staining. test was done by taking venous sample of blood in a red-topped vacutainer after overnight fasting. Values of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) , low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TGs) were noted. Results: There exists an association between increasing stage of MGD and age and increasing values of TC,LDL,TGs of lipid profile.Conclusions: Higher stages of MGD are associated with increased age. MGD and increasing levels of LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides have a positive correlation.


We report on the development of unique, high-density helicon plasma sources and describe their applications. Characterization of one of the largest helicon plasma sources yet constructed is made. Scalings of the particle production efficiency are derived from various plasma production devices in open literature and our own data from long and short cylinder devices, i.e., high and low values of the aspect ratio A (the ratio of the axial length to the diameter), considering the power balance in the framework of a simple diffusion model. A high plasma production efficiency is demonstrated, and we clarify the structures of the excited waves in the low A region down to 0.075 (the large device diameter of 73.8 cm with the axial length as short as 5.5 cm). We describe the application to plasma propulsion using a new concept that employs no electrodes. A very small diameter (2.5 cm) helicon plasma with 1013 cm−3 density is produced, and the preliminary results of electromagnetic plasma acceleration are briefly de...


During an internship at Magee-Womens Hospital, I had the opportunity to work with the teen centered prenatal care program. Through my interactions with the teens, I found that it is very beneficial to them to have access to a prenatal care program that is teen-focused. I wondered if access the same type of program would be beneficial to pregnant teens in rural areas.Although rates have declined, teen pregnancy continues to be a health issue with significant social and economic implications. Pregnant teens are a vulnerable population at higher risk for poor prenatal and post-partum outcomes. Pregnant teens have unique circumstances that require a different approach than that provided to pregnant adults. Teen parents lack parenting skills and are at a higher risk for child abuse and neglect. Teen mothers are less likely to finish high school and more likely to have poor long-term outcomes. Teen pregnancy in rural settings is as much of an issue as teen pregnancy in urban settings, however, the availability of teen-focused prenatal services in rural areas are disproportionately low. Pregnant teens in rural areas are limited to seeking care in adult-focused clinics or traveling to neighboring urban counties for teen-focused services. Pregnant teens would benefit from comprehensive teen-focused prenatal care programs. Providing care in a teen-focused setting allows teens to learn needed skills in a supportive atmosphere. A teen-focused program addresses issues such as increasing the use of contraception to prevent subsequent pregnancies; it also provides nutritional counseling, teaches parenting skills, encourages continued education, and identifies available resources. Teen Outreach is an example of a comprehensive teen centered education program located in Washington County, PA. The program provides prenatal, post-partum, and parenting education for pregnant teens in a rural setting. The purpose of this thesis is to address the need for comprehensive teen-focused prenatal programs in rural areas.


Objective: An association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection with breast carcinoma (BC) risk has so far been disputed in the literature. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify this relationship. Materials and Methods: An electronic database search for eligible case-control studies was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang Data until May 17, 2018. The pooled OR and 95% CI were used to estimate the relationship between EBV infection and BC risk using a fixed or random-effects model depending on heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to explore the heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's and Harbord's tests. Results: A total of 16 studies with 1,279 patients and 814 controls were reviewed based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Compared with the control group, EBV infection had a significant association with BC risk (OR 4.75, 95% CI 2.53–8.92, p < 0.01) with significant heterogeneity observed (I2 = 65.3%). The subgroup analysis revealed that region and tissue type might explain potential sources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity analyses yielded stable results. No significant publication bias was observed. Conclusion: The current results suggest that EBV infection is significantly associated with increased risk of BC.


This chapter examines the crises that dominated the period after the Lisbon Treaty was adopted in 2009: first, the eurozone crisis that began in 2009 and threatened the existence of the single currency; second, the refugee crisis that unfolded from 2015 as large numbers of refugees fled an intensifying war in Syria and attempted perilous crossings of the Mediterranean Sea; third, Britain's decision to leave the EU, which followed a referendum on membership in 2016; and finally, the challenge of populist politics in the EU, with reference to the emergence of governments led by or including populist parties in Hungary, Poland, and Italy. The chapter then considers other developments during this period, including elections to the European Parliament (EP) in 2014 and 2019, a further enlargement to include Croatia in 2013, and the launch of the 'Europe 2020' strategy. It also looks at the United Kingdom's adoption of a series of measures that raised doubts about its future relationship with the EU.


A computer system was developed for simulation of population dynamics of interacting polygene patterns and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) under selection for a quantitative trait. The system is stochastic (Monte Carlo) and takes into account the main sources of random change in the patterns (recombinations, transpositions, excisions), genetic drift, and determined trends of selection and other genetic processes in a finite population. Using this model, it is possible to analyze the dynamics of many population parameters that cannot be experimentally estimated: frequencies of polygenic alleles, proportions of adaptive and random fixations, average heterozygosities of polygenes and MGEs, coefficient of inbreeding, heritability, etc. In addition, the model can be used to test various hypotheses on polygene-MGE interaction.


France, the United States, and the Algerian War, by Irwin M. Wall. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001. xiii + 268 pages. Map. Illus. Notes to p. 309. Bibl. to p. 319. Index to p. 335. $39.95. The decolonization of Algeria is usually interpreted as a supreme French internal problem with considerable, though subordinate, external significance. Professor Irwin Wall offers an alternative perspective. He views this agonizing crisis as having immense global importance and places it squarely in the context of international affairs - specifically the Franco-American relationship. The author propounds several provocative interpretations that are bound to raise eyebrows among historians and political scientists. Charles de Gaulle is traditionally admired for freeing France and liberating Algeria by a deliberate, determined, though not always decisive, policy of decolonization. Wall contends that after coming to power, with the support of the United States, de Gaulle endeavored to preserve French Algeria. This objective dominated French foreign policy and de Gaulle's grander strategic designs - the independent nuclear deterrent, the tripartite NATO directorate, and the Eurafrican plan. Wall originally envisioned a book examining the collapse of the Fourth Republic with a concluding chapter on how de Gaulle decolonized Algeria. He eventually reoriented the book and included three chapters on de Gaulle's policies, which escalated the decolonizing conflict, leading to chaos and catastrophe in Algeria and, correspondingly, to frustration and failure regarding the general's global foreign policy ambitions. The most strategic bilateral relationship for France during this period was with the United States. France posed serious problems for American foreign policy, given France's humiliation in the Suez crisis in 1956 and its reluctance to grant independence to its two North African protectorates - Tunisia and Morocco. The latter two countries had moderate leaders whom Washington wished to shepherd into the anti-Communist camp. Even after Tunisia and Morocco attained independence, their sovereignty remained threatened by the colonial war in neighboring Algeria. Soon after the surprising hostilities broke out, the Eisenhower administration assessed that Algerian autonomy or independence was inevitable. It disregarded Paris's fearful rhetoric during the Suez crisis proclaiming that "France, in Algeria, was defending freedom against Pan-- Islamic theocratic fanaticism" (p. 35). Given its contacts with the Front de Liberation National (FLN), Washington also rejected the French formula that equated Algerian independence with communism. On the other hand, Suez and the Algerian War threatened NATO's strength and solidarity; this was a serious matter. Though the British were penitent after Suez and pursued an "Anglo" partnership with the United States, the French remained recalcitrant and resentful, and resorted to occasional anti-American outbursts. As the Fourth Republic disintegrated, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles astutely assessed the insurrectionary "fraternization" of May 1958 in Algiers between Europeans and Muslims as "artificial" (p. 146). Those demonstrations demanded de Gaulle's return to power. By that time, Washington had lost its patience with the Fourth Republic. French inability to suppress the insurgency led to collusion with the British and Israelis against Egyptian President Jamal `Abd al-- Nasir - a staunch supporter of the Algerian nationalist FLN. The subsequent Suez fiasco correlated with the beginning of the Battle of Algiers that was fraught with terror and torture. French governments lost control of civilian and military administrations, as illustrated by the skyjacking of a Moroccan plane carrying prominent Algerian nationalists in 1957 and the bombing of the Tunisian town of Sakiet in 1958. These events deepened Washington's impression that the Fourth Republic was politically and morally bankrupt. …


As part of the UK response to the 2013–2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in West Africa, Public Health England (PHE) were tasked with establishing three field Ebola virus (EBOV) diagnostic laboratories in Sierra Leone by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). These provided diagnostic support to the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) facilities located in Kerry Town, Makeni and Port Loko. The Novel and Dangerous Pathogens (NADP) Training group at PHE, Porton Down, designed and implemented a pre-deployment Ebola diagnostic laboratory training programme for UK volunteer scientists being deployed to the PHE EVD laboratories. Here, we describe the training, workflow and capabilities of these field laboratories for use in response to disease epidemics and in epidemiological surveillance. We discuss the training outcomes, the laboratory outputs, lessons learned and the legacy value of the support provided. We hope this information will assist in the recruitment and training of staff for future responses and in the design and implementation of rapid deployment diagnostic field laboratories for future outbreaks of high consequence pathogens. This article is part of the themed issue 'The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control'.


Manure, a renewable resource, is an excellent source of nutrients that can be substituted for synthetic types of fertilizers. The C in manure can enhance the physical and chemical properties of soils, especially infertile soils, as these soils typically contain low levels of organic matter and nutrients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of C and nutrients in manure on soil C dynamics and crop production. The treatments included applications of site-specific manure (SSM), uniform manure (UM), uniform commercial fertilizer, and a no treatment check. Field strips 40 ft (16 corn rows) wide and 2200 ft long and under center-pivot irrigation were used in three years (1998 to 2000). For the SSM treatment, manure was applied to areas within the field where organic C was < 1.4%. Manure application resulted in significantly greater soil C level and a positive C balance in the soil. Fertilizer application resulted in negative C balance in the soil (more C lost as CO2 than added from plant biomass). Averaged across years, the UM and SSM treatments produced significantly greater grain yields and N uptakes than the commercial fertilizer treatment. Stalk N03-N concentration was less for uniform manure than fertilizer application indicating over-application of N with the fertilizer treatment. Site-specific manure application is a good method of improving less productive soils or sites within a field.


Since 1990, the farmer cooperative landscape has experienced a significant structural shift. Steep consolidation, elevated competition, and surging commodity prices have elevated the need for co-ops to be mindful of their cost structure and efficiencies. To test for this structural shift, this study estimated technical, allocative, scale, economic, and overall efficiencies for a set of grain marketing and farm supply cooperatives using a unique financial database. Chow test statistics for overall efficiency model show one structural shift in 2002 and 2003. Cooperatives are more likely to reduce costs by focusing on technical efficiency rather than adjusting the scale of operation. Nearly all efficiency trend lines, except for allocative, follows the business cycle patterns of the 1990s and 2000s. Our regression results shows capital constraint was one reason an average cooperative was off the technical frontier.


Drawing from the International Comparative Study of Ethnocultural Youth (ICSEY) dataset, this paper examines the immigrant paradox phenomenon among a group of immigrant youth in five European countries. The sample consisted of over 2700 immigrant and 1400 national youth (age range 13 – 18 years) living in Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. At the core of the immigrant paradox is the counterintuitive finding that immigrants often show better adaptation outcomes than their national peers in spite of poorer socioeconomic status. However, the paper argues for a more conservative position based on three criteria for concluding the existence of the paradox. On the bases of these criteria, the paper found mixed support for the immigrant paradox. Whereas the pattern of socio-cultural adaptation for first- and second-generation immigrants resembled the immigrant paradox, results for psychological adaptation were opposite to the paradox. Reasons for the mixed findings are discussed.


We develop a New Economic Geography and Growth model which, by using a CES utility function in the second-stage optimization problem, allows for expenditure shares in industrial goods to be endogenously determined. The implications of our generalization are quite relevant. In particular, we obtain the following novel results - 1) two additional non-symmetric interior steady states emerge for some intermediate values of trade costs. These steady-states are stable if the industrial and the traditional goods are either good or very poor substitutes, while they are unstable for intermediate (yet lower than one) values of the intersectoral elasticity of substitution. In the latter case, the model displays three interior steady states - the symmetric and the core-periphery allocations - which are stable at the same time; 2) agglomeration processes may always take place, whatever the degree of market integration, provided that the traditional and the industrial goods are sufficiently good substitutes; 3) the regional rate of growth is affected by the interregional allocation of economic activities even in the absence of localized spillovers, so that geography always matters for growth and 4) the regional rate of growth is affected by the degree of market openness - in particular, depending on whether the traditional and the industrial goods are good or poor substitutes, economic integration may be respectively growth-enhancing or growth-detrimental.