We show here that, unlike most other prokaryotic Argonaute (Ago) proteins, which are DNA-guided endonucleases, the Natronobacterium gregoryi-derived Ago (NgAgo) can function as a DNA-guided endoribonuclease, cleaving RNA, rather than DNA, in a targeted manner. The NgAgo protein, in complex with 5'-hydroxylated or 5'-phosphrylated oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) of variable lengths, split RNA targets into two or more fragments in vitro, suggesting its physiological role in bacteria and demonstrating a potential for degrading RNA molecules such as mRNA or lncRNA in eukaryotic cells in a targeted manner.


An emerging aspect of engineering outreach is service-based learning and outreach. In the service learning model, university level students take active and leading roles in communitybased outreach activities. For over 10 years, Purdue's Fall Space Day (PFSD) has been a successful outreach program to excite third through eighth grade school students about science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and space-related careers. PSFD was developed by the Purdue University chapter of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (Purdue SEDS) and has been sponsored annually by the Purdue University School of Aeronautics & Astronautics and the Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC). Inaugurated on Saturday November 9, 1996, approximately 3000 grade school students have benefited from PFSD and approximately 900 university students have volunteered their time. PFSD 2006 was held on Saturday November 11 and welcomed 500 third through eighth grade school students to Purdue's campus, a significant increase from the 150 grade school students who attended the first program in 1996. Purdue Fall Space Day has gained recognition across the state of Indiana as an exceptional space-related educational outreach event. Since its inception, PFSD has been developed and run by undergraduate students, except for very limited staff involvement (0.5 FTE) to perform university-required budgetary tasks. Sponsorships enable PFSD to provide an entire day's worth of space, science, and engineering centered, age-appropriate hands-on activities for third through eighth graders at no cost to the participants. This provides the students an opportunity to see the technical challenges associated with space flight. All activities are taught by university students and are accompanied by lesson plans designed to facilitate the children's understanding of space technology and exploration. In addition to the third through eighth grade school students benefiting through PFSD participation, the university student volunteers gain valuable experiences that remain with them long after their time as Purdue students. These experiences include providing a community service as a role model and learning the organizational, project supervision, and professional development tasks required to plan and implement a successful PFSD each year. Parents and teachers are exposed to the excitement of spaceflight through the eyes of their children and students, respectively. The University shares the quality of its campus and student volunteers with the community and benefits from the future enrollment of PFSD participants as university students. Assessment results received from surveys filled out by the students, parents, and volunteers are integrated into the next PFSD program thus benefiting from lessons learned and sustaining PFSD for the next generation. Ten years of experience, assessment, and lessons learned have been compiled by PFSD alumni and staff as an ongoing resource base for succeeding PFSD leadership teams. As the success of PFSD has grown, other campuses in Indiana and elsewhere have expressed interest in developing the program at their location. The evolution of PFSD is therefore now addressing controlled expansion to other universities within the State of Indiana. P ge 12738.2


A descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the level of satisfaction perceived by postnatal mothers following with nursing care in postnatal wards  as expressed by themselves and to determine the association between patient's satisfaction with nursing care and selected sociodemographic variables .Purposive sampling technique was employed to  select sample and it  consisted of 100 postnatal mothers who met the inclusion criteria .Jipi's postnatal satisfaction with nursing care questionnaire (JPSNQ)  which contained  structured questionnaire schedule and demographic proforma was used to collect data. The questionnaire was classified under six domains namely orientation, information, communication, comfort and care, specific to postnatal care and value and preference of postnatal mothers with the total of 39 . Findings of the study showed that (39%) of postnatal  mothers were moderately satisfied and (60%) of  postnatal mothers were minimally satisfied and (1 %) of  postnatal mothers were satisfied with the care provided by the nursing personnel. They were highly satisfied in the area of value and preference. The least satisfaction was found in the area related to orientation. Patients' opinions regarding their expectations and their satisfaction with nursing care can be considered as an important opportunity for nurses to plan and implement appropriate strategies that improve the quality of nursing care. Keywords: Postnatal mothers, Satisfaction  ,Nursing care


The multicell converter topology is said to possess a natural voltage balancing property. This paper models a 2-cell multicell converter. The switching and balancing properties of this converter is mathematically analyzed and presented. The balancing property of this converter is also proven mathematically from the presented properties and conditions for natural balancing are discussed.


Previous work has found that math-anxious individuals perform more poorly on math-related working memory capacity (WMC) measures (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001).However, based on previous work it is unclear whether having trait math anxiety causes deficits specific to math-related working memory capacity, or if instead math-related tasks trigger a state of math anxiety in math anxious individuals that lowers WMC in general. To test whether reduction in WMC is due to being in a state of math anxiety, this study attempted to induce a state of math anxiety by providing participants with a warning that they will have to perform math, by having participants complete a math test, or a combination of both. Participants then completed verbal, spatial, and math-related WMC measures. The anxiety manipulations did not appear to induce a state of math anxiety, and did not lead to poorer performance on any WMC measure. Additionally, this study failed to replicate previous work and did not find that math-related WMC performance decreases with increasing math anxiety.


Unknown environmental noise and varying operation conditions negatively affect gear fault diagnosis (GFD) performance. In this paper, the sample/feature hybrid transfer learning (TL) strategies are adopted for GFD under varying working conditions, where source working conditions are considered to help the learning of target working conditions. Here, a multiple domains-feature vector is extracted where certain insensitive features offset the adverse effects of varying working conditions on sensitive features, including time domain, frequency domain, noise domain, and torque domain. Before TL, the signed-rank and chi-square test-based similarity estimation frame is adopted to select source data sets, aiming to reduce the possibility of negative transfer. Then, the hybrid transfer model, including the fast TrAdaBoost and partial model-based transfer (PMT) algorithm, is carried out, whose weights are allocated in sample and feature, respectively. Related experiments were conducted on the drivetrain dynamics simulator, which proves that feature transfer is more suitable for low-quality source domains while sample transfer is more suitable for high-quality source domains. Compared with non-transfer strategy, transfer learning is a useful tool to solve a practical GFD problem when facing with multiple working conditions, thus enhancing the universality and application value in fault diagnosis field.


Forest management and disturbances affect forest soils and biomass carbon stocks, emissions to the atmosphere, and radiative forcing. The conventional approaches to quantifying the intensity of land management based on net primary productivity (NPP) are limited because they lack a sound ecological basis. These limitations are especially evident for forests. This study proposes a new way of characterizing the degree of management and disturbance in forest stands that do not experience a change in classification, i.e., they remain forests. The proposed index, called land use and disturbance intensity (LUDI), uses the relationship between stand density and diameter at breast height for a relatively unmanaged/pristine baseline forest and different management schemes, in conjunction with the self-thinning relationship, to calculate the difference between potential and actual biomass storage. The LUDI distinguishes between the long and short timescales associated with management and disturbance. This capacity sets it apart from the conventional NPP-based approaches currently used to quantify the disturbance intensity. The study uses a semi-qualitative validation approach to demonstrate that the proposed index reproduces textbook knowledge on management and disturbance intensity. However, our quantitative approach that distinguishes between timescales adds insight into the effects of forest management on the living biomass stock. Further, data from the German national forest inventory were used to demonstrate that the proposed index does not require knowledge about the management scheme. Although LUDI is constrained to aboveground living biomass, we believe that the approach is useful in the context of broadening our capability in large-scale management reconstruction and through this understanding the effects of land use on the carbon cycle, beyond effects of deforestation and afforestation.


BACKGROUND
Pomegranate has antioxidant, cardioprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties. We designed a crossover study, aimed to determine if consumption of pomegranate juice (PJ) improves lipid profile and oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers of hemodialysis patients. Forty-one hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: PJ-treated group receiving 100 ml natural PJ immediately after their dialysis session three times a week and the control group receiving the usual care. After 8 weeks, a 4-week washout period was established and then the role of the groups was exchanged. Lipid profile, blood pressure, and oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers were measured before and after each sequence.

RESULTS
Based on the results of intention-to-treat analysis, triglycerides were decreased in PJ condition and increased in the controls. Conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was increased in PJ and decreased in the control group. Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol did not significantly change in either condition. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased in PJ condition. Total antioxidant capacity increased in PJ condition (P<0.001) and decreased in the controls (P<0.001). Conversely, malondialdehyde and interleukin-6 decreased in PJ (P<0.001) and increased in the control group (P≤0.001). The changes of these biomarkers were significantly different between the two conditions.

CONCLUSION
Eight-week PJ consumption showed beneficial effects on blood pressure, serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, oxidative stress, and inflammation in hemodialysis patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of the ceramic Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 (Tl-2212) and Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 (Tl-2223) superconductors were studied in magnetic fields up to 80 mT at different temperatures just below the critical temperature. The V-I data were fitted to a power law expression V = I(T,B) in which the exponential parameter is found to decrease rapidly with increase of temperature and magnetic field. In zero magnetic field the slopes of versus T graphs change drastically in a narrow temperature range in which decreases from about 3 to about 2. At temperatures below about 0.8-0.9 Tc the critical current Ic rapidly decreases with magnetic fields up to about 20 mT. This is followed by a more gradual change up to about 60 mT before Ic decreases rapidly to zero in magnetic fields higher than 80 mT. These features of the Tl-based ceramic superconductors are quite similar to those of superconducting tapes. We propose that the lattice anisotropy, preferred orientation and behaviours of the weak and strong links between the grains play an important role in this similarity.


A new data acquisition system based on concepts such as data switches and multiple-processors is described. The main topic is how data coming from a multicrate front-end in CAMAC, VME and FASTBUS are transported over different links to a buffer-matrix data switch and further into a farm of microprocessors. Modularity, scalability and multilevel data monitoring are important parts of the design goals that are presented. The system is intended for use in an experiment searching for rare events where high interaction rates are necessary and where a fast and selective trigger is difficult to define. Other experimental constraints, the trigger logical structure and the performance of the data acquisition are also described. >


In the context of an automatic street extraction algorithm from remotely sensed images, we are concerned about defining some quantitative criteria for evaluating the performance of our method. The aim is to obtain quality measures of the results delivered by a method. This purpose needs the definition of a reference in order to compare it with extracted objects. In this paper, existing references in matter of road extraction from geographical scenes are reviewed. Then a methodology for defining a reference is proposed. The complete methodology is applied on a high resolution image from the IKONOS satellite. Conclusions are drawn enhancing the benefits of such an approach and future prospects are discussed.


Three groups of children with communication disorders were examined using a series of psycholinguistic markers to explore whether the tasks could identify children with impairments other than specific language impairment (SLI), and to examine whether the different groups within this clinical population could be distinguished reliably from one another. The groups comprised children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD; n=13, all males; mean age 10 years 10 months, range 10 years 2 months to 12 years 6 months); children with primary pragmatic language impairment (PLI) but who did not have definite ASD diagnoses (n=25, 22 males, three females; mean age 11 years 3 months, range 10 years 2 months to 12 years 5 months); and children with specific language impairment (SLI) without marked pragmatic language difficulties (n=29, 25 males, 4 females; mean age 10 years 10 months, range 10 years 2 months to 11 years 9 months). Clinical markers examined were: the Children's Non‐Word Repetition (CNRep), the Past Tense Task (PTT), and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Recalling Sentences. First, it was found that the a priori groupings were not sufficiently defined and that four groups were actually present. The PLI group was in fact two separate samples: those with PLI pure and those with some autistic‐like behaviours (referred to here as PLI plus, following Bishop 1998). Second, group comparisons indicated that CNRep was significantly lower for children with SLI than all other groups (although this measure was not such a good discriminator using a specificity analysis). Third, the markers were able to discriminate between all types of communication impairment in normal control participants (n=100; 51 females, 49 males; mean age 11 years, range 10 years 5 months to 11 years 6 months) with sensitivity levels of at least 75% and specificity of 80%. Recalling Sentences was the most efficient marker for all groups. Finally, analysis showed that children with PLI plus could be accurately distinguished from all others, scoring most favourably overall on communication markers and on performance IQ scores.


The incidence of skin cancer is growing rapidly among peoples of Caucasian origin. Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun and artificial sources are thought to be the main causative factor for this increase. UVR causes DNA lesions in skin cells, such us thymine dimers (T=T). Studies showed that after skin cells are repaired, T=T is excreted in the urine in significant amounts. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of spending one week in the sunny island of Tenerife on the levels of urinary T=T. In addition the associations with other parameters like UVR dose, serum vitamin D level, pigment protection factor (PPF), erythema of the skin and time spent outdoors were analyzed. Urine and blood samples were collected from 20 participants in Barcelona, Spain, prior to their departure to Tenerife and immediately after return. Urine samples were purified and analyzed by HPLC-coupled 32P-postlabelling method to determine T=T levels and blood samples were used to determine vitamin D levels in serum. UVR exposure was measured using personal dosimeters. The area of skin exposed and time spent outdoors were reported by the participants. The other parameters, which are PPF and erythema of the skin, were also measured before and after the exposure period. Out of the 20 participants, nineteen showed a rise in T=T levels and serum vitamin D levels after the sunny vacation. Although anticipated, no correlation was found between T=T levels and UVR dose which might be due to a limited number of participants. However, several associations were found between the other study variables and an increase in many of the parameters was observed after the vacation. In conclusion we showed that T=T is a sensitive biomarker of exposure to UVR that can be applied in these types of field studies.


Eleven species of wild waterfowl (Anseriformes and Charadriiformes) were found dead in the Hongjian Nur Lake in the Ordos wetland, Inner Mongolia of northern China, in 2007. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from tissue samples of dead and sick birds and identified as P. multocida subsp. multocida, serotype A1, using serologic and molecular techniques. Eight bird species in this outbreak had never been previously reported with P. m. multocida infection. This was also the first report of fowl cholera in wild waterfowl in China.


Interface morphology and solute partition during directional solidification process of Al-1.5Cu-3.0Zn alloy were investigated at temperature gradient of 80K/cm and growth rate between 0.1 and 7.1µm/s. The solid-liquid interface was quenched during directional solidification and the micromorphology at the longitudinal section was examed by optic microscope and SEM. The cellular growth interface and dendritic growth interface were observed and characterized. The distribution of Cu and Zn was measured by EDS, the equilibrium solute partition coefficients for Cu and Zn in Al-1.5Cu-3.0Zn alloy were obtained to be 0.31 and 0.58. The activity model and concentration model, developed by present authors, were used to calculate the equilibrium solute partition coefficients in Al-1.5Cu-3Zn alloy. The model-calculated results were compared with experimental data.


The Role of Hippocampus in Signal Processing and Memory Lyudmila Kushnir Historically, there have been two lines of research on mammalian hippocampus. The first one is concerned with the role of hippocampus in formations of new memories and owes its origin to the seminal study by Brenda Milner and William Scoville of a single memory disorder patient, widely known as H.M. The second line of research views the hippocampus as the brain area concerned with orienting and navigating in space. It started with John O'Keefe's discovery of place cells, pyramidal neurons in the CA3 area of hippocampus, that fire when the animal enters a particular place in its environment. I argue that both lines of discoveries seem to be consistent with a more general view of hippocampus as a brain area strongly involved in the integration of sensory, and possibly internal, information. The first part of the thesis presents an investigation of the effect of limited connectivity constraint on the model network in the framework of pattern classification. It is shown that feed-forward neural classifiers with numerous long range connections can be replaced by networks with sparse feed-forward connectivity and local recurrent connectivity without sacrificing the classification performance. The limited connectivity constraint is relevant for most biological networks, and especially for the hippocampus. The second part describes a decoding analysis from the calcium signal recorded in mouse dentate gyrus. The animal's position can be decoded with approximately 10cm accuracy and the neural representation of position in the dentate gyrus have close to maximal dimensionality. The analysis also suggests that cells with single firing field and cells with multiple firing fields contribute approximately equal amount of information to the decoder.


The motivation of this workshop is to discuss future direction of content authoring in the field of Augmented Reality, as well as to discuss the current state of art on content creation and content authoring for augmented reality. The workshop will comprise of a paper session where authoring papers, late-breaking results and overviews over state-of-the-art are presented. In the afternoon, we will follow up with discussion sessions on different topics ranging from content creation and authoring to content distribution for AR and a short closing session.


Changes in the amplitude and phase characteristics of pulse variations of volumes and pressures in response to an increase in the intracranial pressure are discussed. The study of 60 neurosurgical patients has shown that as the intracranial (subdural) pressure grows the amplitude of pulse variations of subdural pressure increase to 30 mm Hg and then decreases, the phase characteristics of the pulse waves changing accordingly. The changes in the amplitudes of pulse variations produced by mechanical displacement of the walls of cerebral lateral ventricles measured with the aid of the noninvasive ultrasonic method suggest that an increase in the CSF pressure above 200 mm H2O makes the intracranial cavity too "tight", which depletes the reserve spaces of the cerebrospinal system. If the above changes develop consistently, then it can be assumed that each of the pressure ranges isolated can be characterized by amplitude-phase parameters of pulse waves that form a specific pattern. Taking into consideration the potentials of noninvasive measurements of amplitude-phase characteristics of the intracranial pulse wave by means of ultrasonic echolocation, it deems possible to develop noninvasive techniques for measuring compensatory abilities of the cerebrospinal system.


Identification of cyber threats is one of the essential tasks for security teams. Currently, cyber threats can be identified using knowledge organized into various formats, enumerations, and knowledge bases. This paper studies the current challenges of identifying vulnerabilities and threats in cyberspace using enumerations and data about assets. Although enumerations are used in practice, we point out several issues that still decrease the quality of vulnerability and threat identification. Since vulnerability identification methods are based on network monitoring and agents, the issues are related to the asset discovery, the precision of vulnerability discovery, and the amount of data. On the other hand, threat identification utilizes graph-based, nature-language, machine-learning, and ontological approaches. The current trend is to propose methods that utilize tactics, techniques, and procedures instead of low-level indicators of compromise to make cyber threat identification more mature. Cooperation between standards from threat, vulnerability, and asset management is also an unresolved issue confirmed by analyzing relationships between public enumerations and knowledge bases. Last, we studied the usability of techniques from the MITRE ATT&CK knowledge base for threat modeling using network monitoring to capture data. Although network traffic is not the most used data source, it allows the modeling of almost all tactics from the MITRE ATT&CK.


Larval supply affects the structure of marine communities. Cross-shelf transport of larvae by upwelling and downwelling may cause variation in larval supply. We tested the hypothesis that slow- swimming bivalve larvae are swept offshore during upwelling and shoreward during downwelling. We sampled a transect at Duck, North Carolina during a period when currents shifted from upwelling to down- welling and back to upwelling. During each shift, nearshore water was exchanged with offshore water and currents were 10 to 100 times faster than larval swimming speeds. Larval Spisula solidissima and Ensis directus were found below the thermocline and, con- trary to prediction, were swept onshore during up- welling and offshore during downwelling. When S. solidissima larvae were found above the thermocline, cross-shelf transport was as predicted. Larval Tellina spp. and Mulinia lateralis remained within 5 km of shore despite cross-shelf currents and the exchange of nearshore waters with offshore waters. They did not behave as passive particles; they were not swept off- shore by upwelling or onshore by downwelling. For these taxa the hypothesis was rejected. These larvae may have remained close to shore by using behaviors analogous to those displayed by animals concentrated at convergent fronts. Given the relatively slow swim- ming speed of bivalve larvae, there is no reason to expect that any larval type is swept offshore by up- welling. The effect of upwelling and downwelling on larval distributions varies with larval behavior and ver- tical distribution. Without careful sampling, one cannot invoke offshore transport of larvae by upwelling as a cause of variations in larval settlement.


Maximum likelihood detection is an essential part of high-performance multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. While it is attractive due to its superior performance (in terms of BER) its complexity using a straightforward exhaustive search grows exponentially with the number of antennas and the order of the modulation scheme. Sphere decoding is a promising method to reduce the average decoding complexity significantly without compromising performance. This paper discusses the VLSI implementation of the sphere decoder and presents the first implementation of the algorithm that does not compromise BER performance.


CO2 Capture Ready Process, as a part of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, is a response to international political pressure and the priority of the European Commission to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions since it is connected with concerns regarding global warming. This is currently considered as an option for lessing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Many laboratory experiments, as well as pilot projects, have been carried out using different capture systems, but until now no experience from the one-to-one size operational installation has been gained. The energy industry must meet several challenges associated with the start-up of the new full-scale project. This paper investigates the problems that can occur while linking a new technology like the CO2 Capture Ready Process to a working fossil fuel power plant. A Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP) has been used, as it is a structured and systematic examination of a planned or existing process or operation, in order to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to personnel or equipment. A case study of a post-combustion CO2 capture system with an aqueous monoethanolamine as a solvent is presented, as it is the most likely system to be used in Polish power plants. Basic problems in the analysis as well as the parameters that should be considered to determine vulnerabilities of the process were successfully identified. Gaining experience about the installation's behaviour while connected to the existing equipment of any power plant is critical for future CCS projects.


Toilet training is a process that all healthy children go through. It is one of the developmental milestones for which parents most often seek medical help. Despite this, many paediatricians feel unconfident managing children presenting with a toilet training problem. We address some common questions arising when assessing and managing such a child, including identifying rare but important diagnoses not to miss.


Life Cycle Assessment quantifies the environmental impacts from emissions and resources consumption of human activities. Uncertainty in modelling natural processes and ecological regulation challenges the prediction of effects from further pressures. Ecosystems' health and adaptation capacity may have also been altered by past impacts. Model frameworks are usually built on stability, linearity of causality and expectation of a safe return to stable states if the stressor is minimised. However, the command-and-control paradigm has resulted in the erosion of natural resources and species diversity. Ecosystem-related impacts are traditionally benchmarked by potential loss of biological diversity as Potentially Disappeared Fraction of species (PDF) integrated over area and time, building on the biological sensitivity of species in each receiving ecosystem. For consistency among Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods midpoint indicators are shown in Potentially Affected Fraction of species (PAF), which implicitly suggests reversibility to previous stable states. Currently applied conversion factors from midpoint to endpoint (species loss, as PDF) range from 10 (NOEC-based), 2 (chronic EC50-based) or 1 (assuming that continuous stress affects reproduction rate), but these are all based on biological/physiological responses and do not add a true ecological component to the impact. Such factor simply changes the HC50 by 1 or 0.3 log units. A stressor with equal intensity in two differently disturbed ecosystems (close or distant to a threshold) and sharing similar biological communities should not result in, necessarily, the same impact potential. We suggest the introduction of an ecological term in the Effect Factor of the characterisation modelling for ecosystem quality-related indicators in LCIA. An application to a marine eutrophication indicator will be presented to show how impacts from nitrogen emissions vary with the individual receiving ecosystems' health, by defining proxies for ecosystem's state and resilience. These, express the pressure on the system and its propensity for regime shifting. Ultimately, the ecosystem's capacity to tolerate the pressure, to adapt to the stress and minimise its effects should complement the biological response. In our view, adding an ecosystem-based approach to the damage estimation can positively contribute to the environmental relevance and spatial differentiation of the results.


As e-commerce explodes around the world, consumers' rights have been left behind. Before the completion of virtually every transaction on the Internet, the onus is placed on consumers to read and agree to an onslaught of terms and conditions. Often hidden in the middle of this extremely lengthy list of terms are massive exemption and limitation of liability clauses that deny consumers most if not all of their rights as "equal" trading partners. The common law principle that all onerous clauses in a contract need to be brought to the attention of the consumer for them to be binding seems to have been lost with the invention of the "click here to agree" button for signing online contracts. As the courts in Canada have not provided clear guidance on this issue thus far, other means must be pursued in order to protect consumers from the near-tyrannical control of unencumbered electronic standard form contracts in e-commerce. This paper will describe the principle of sufficiency of notice as it applies to paper contracts, and then contrast it with the newer jurisprudence that has refused to apply the principle to electronic contracts. The reasons for the refusal will be explored, followed by an examination of why the principle of sufficiency of notice needs to be applied and strengthened to respond to the increasingly onerous provisions hidden in electronic contracts. Finally, some other options for achieving the goal of consumer protection from hidden onerous clauses will be briefly explored. These other options include introducing stiffer consumer protection legislation domestically, the creation of international treaties, developing voluntary standards of contracting, and relying on Internet self-regulation.


Cross-retaliation, where a World Trade Organization (WTO) member whose rights have been infringed under one WTO Agreement retaliates against the offending member under another WTO Agreement, is seen by some commentators as a way to counteract the deficiencies of conventional trade retaliation and mitigate the asymmetry of power in the WTO dispute settlement system. However, the potential of crossretaliation as an effective remedy remains unclear. This article argues that a credible and probable threat of cross-agreement retaliation could provide a powerful incentive for ex ante compliance. The credibility of the threat is established by reference to the WTO Agreement that is targeted. The suspension of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) obligations, in particular, holds great promise. The probability of the threat depends on the likelihood of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) authorization to suspend concessions, the outcomes of previous threats, and actions to operationalize cross-retaliation. WTO jurisprudence has fleshed out the requirements of Article 22.3 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), allowing relatively safe assumptions as to the likelihood of DSB authorization to suspend concessions across agreements where significant economic disparities exist between the disputing parties. Previous cases featuring the threat of cross-retaliation reveal a modest influence on the policies of disputing parties. Finally, the operationalization of cross-agreement retaliation pursuant to the TRIPS Agreement is riddled with legal and policy problems, mainly in connection with the personal and territorial scopes of the suspension, the justiciable nature of intellectual property (IP) rights, the quantification of the suspension, the continuous supply of IP-dependent goods, and the consistency of the suspension with other, non-WTO international obligations. However, these problems do not prohibit developing countries from reaping the benefits of asymmetric information, so long as they create the impression of carefully structured retaliation plans that are ready to be triggered in the event of DSB authorization. A reasonable probability is the only certainty. Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937)


Background Neuropsychological capabilities in athletes may be associated with a predisposition to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Objective Assess differences between male and female athletes in jump-landing technique in relation to their neuropsychological capabilities. Design Experimental. Setting Laboratory. Participants 31 recreational athletes, free from lower extremity injuries, participated (females: n=16, age=21.0±1.71 years, mass=65.1±5.6 kg, height=174.2±68.9 cm; males n=15, age=22.3±2.2 years, mass=77.9±8.9 kg, height=185.7±78.7 cm). Assessment of risk factors Reaction time (RT) under stress was measured. Furthermore, participants conducted anticipated (ANT) and unanticipated (UNANT) double-legged drop-jumps, followed by running at 4.5-5.5 m/sec 45° to the left, straight, or 45° to the right, depending on the light indication prior to landing on the force plates. Main outcome measures RT and joint kinematics (trunk flexion-TF, ankle flexion-AF) and kinetics (knee abduction moment-KAM, ankle extension moment-AEM) at peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF,N/kg). Moments are expressed as external moments (Nm/kg). Pearson product-moment correlation between RT and joint biomechanics. Results During UNANT, KAM became significantly larger (P=.010) in females (–0.37±0.1) than males (–0.16±0.1). TF was greater in the AT (29.7°±3.3°) than UNANT (46.1°±3.1°) regardless of gender (P<001). AEM was smaller in females (2.1±0.1) than males (2.6±0.1), (P=.001). AF was smaller (i.e., increased flexion) when running straight (80.8°±0.8°) compared to the left or right (84.6°±0.7°, P=.002 and 84.2°±0.8°, P=.008). vGRF was smaller when running straight (22.8±1.0) compared to the left or right (31.5±1.0, P<.001 and 28.8±1.0, P<.001). Significant correlations (r 0.5-0.8, P<.05) were seen between faster RT and greater hip and knee flexion angle and smaller KAM and knee abduction angle. Conclusions Females reacted differently to UNANT in the frontal plane, potentially placing them at greater ACL injury risk. In the sagittal plane, females showed stiffer ankle landing. Further, a change in direction increased vGRF. Smaller knee flexion combined with smaller TF angles during UNANT, may increase loads at the knee. Lastly, neuropsychological characteristics seem to affect ACL injury risk.


In a finite temperature Thomas-Fermi theory, we construct caloric curves for finite nuclei enclosed in a freeze-out volume a few times the normal nuclear volume, with and without inclusion of flow. Without flow the caloric curve indicates a smooth liquid-gas phase transition, whereas with flow the transition may be very sharp. We discuss these results in the context of two recent experiments, one for a heavy symmetric system (Au+Au at 600A MeV ) and the other for a highly asymmetric system (Au+C at 1A GeV ) where different behaviors in the caloric curves are seen. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}


We document a dramatic increase in the demand for AI skills in online job postings over the period 2010-2019. The demand for AI skills is highest in IT occupations, followed by architecture/engineering, life/physical/social sciences, and management. The sectors with the highest demand for AI are information, professional services, and finance. At the firm level, higher demand for AI skills is associated in the cross-section with larger market capitalization, higher cash holdings, and higher investments in R\&D. We also document a large wage premium for job postings that require AI skills, as well as a wage premium for non-AI vacancies posted by firms with a high share of AI vacancies. Interestingly, managerial occupations have the highest wage premium for AI skills.


Photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal (ST) collectors are often competing between themselves not only because the investment capacity is limited but also because the energy demand and roof space is limited and both types of panel provide energy which can be converted to a different type of energy under a certain efficiency. Therefore, it makes sense to develop a ratio that quantifies the difference in annual energy output between standard ST and PV for different locations. This ratio is useful, for example, to support the decision between installing ST or PV, when combined with other local specific information such as the value of heat and electricity for a specific location and application, the system complexity and efficiency, and others. A market survey was conducted for assessing the average performance specifications of the panels. Simulations were conducted and several ratios were plotted in the world map. Despite the large variations occurring due to local climate, the ratio increases at lower latitudes due to two factors: a) the efficiency of a PV panel is reduced with the increase of air temperature while, in solar thermal, the effect is the opposite; b) Under low intensity solar irradiance, the efficiency of a PV panel is maintained while a solar thermal collector can have its efficiency reduced to zero. For latitudes lower than 66o, the ratio flat plate at 50oC to PV is ranging from 1,85 to 4,46 while in the ration between vacuum tube at 50oC and PV from 3,05 to 4,76.


Financial economists have long favoured the use of a wind-up measure of the firm's pension liabilities. Yet the pension liabilities of the firm also represent the pension wealth of its workers. It is reasonable to presume that workers and shareholders have a common view of the pension contract. If the wind-up measure depicts the true pension liabilities of the firm, then the wage concession granted by its workers must reflect the fact that the firm may choose to terminate the plan at any time. Data on the wage-service characteristics of the membership of a sample of final earnings plans in Canada suggest,contrary to the implications of the wind-up measure, that workers' wages do not internalize accruing pension benefits on a year-to-year basis. Instead, the data suggest that pension plans may be a vehicle through which a significant portion of the total compensation of individual employees is deferred until their later work years, and that the wind-up measure may well understate the pension liabilities of an on-going firm.


Application protocols using Unicode characters in protocol strings
need to properly handle such strings in order to enforce
internationalization rules for strings placed in various protocol
slots (such as addresses and identifiers) and to perform valid
comparison operations (e.g., for purposes of authentication or
authorization). This document defines a framework enabling application
protocols to perform the preparation, enforcement, and comparison of
internationalized strings ("PRECIS") in a way that depends on the
properties of Unicode characters and thus is agile with respect to
versions of Unicode. As a result, this framework provides a more
sustainable approach to the handling of internationalized strings than
the previous framework, known as Stringprep (RFC 3454). This document
obsoletes RFC 3454.


Software testing is hard. The emergence of multicore architectures and the proliferation of bugprone multithreaded software makes testing even harder. To this end, researchers have proposed methods to continue testing software after deployment, e.g., in vivo (IV) testing and Delta Execution (DE) patch testing. These on-line techniques typically fork new processes to hide the functional impact of testing. Unfortunately, the high overhead of fork() significantly degrades performance. To reduce the performance overhead of online testing, we adapt transactional memory (TM) to isolate the functional effects of tests with minimal impact on system performance. We propose StealthTest, an interface that exposes TM transactions as the key mechanism for executing tests. It allows online tests to work on a consistent view of memory without the overhead of creating new processes. Moreover, explicitly aborting the test transaction after it is done guarantees that its changes are invisible to the rest of the system. Thus, StealthTest promises transparent online testing. We demonstrate two test frameworks utilizing StealthTest — StealthIV and StealthDE — that improve on previously proposed fork-based in vivo testing and Delta Execution frameworks respectively. Implementing StealthTest on top of three software TM (STM) systems — TL2 STM, Intel STM and a Pin-based STM— we demonstrate that StealthTest-based frameworks can (a) run a wide range of online tests and (b) execute many more tests with low overhead. StealthTest provides another motivation for efficient TM implementations by extending TM's applicability to a critical software engineering challenge.


Semi-supervised learning is becoming increasingly important because it can combine data carefully labeled by humans with abundant unlabeled data to train deep neural networks. Classic methods on semi-supervised learning that have focused on transductive learning have not been fully exploited in the inductive framework followed by modern deep learning. The same holds for the manifold assumption---that similar examples should get the same prediction. In this work, we employ a transductive label propagation method that is based on the manifold assumption to make predictions on the entire dataset and use these predictions to generate pseudo-labels for the unlabeled data and train a deep neural network. At the core of the transductive method lies a nearest neighbor graph of the dataset that we create based on the embeddings of the same network. Therefore our learning process iterates between these two steps. We improve performance on several datasets especially in the few labels regime and show that our work is complementary to current state of the art.


Summary 1. Interest in pollen-borne gene dispersal has grown with the cultivation of genetically modified plants. To date, both experimental data and models of oilseed rape (OSR) Brassica napus pollen movement at the landscape scale do not clearly differentiate between wind- and insect-mediated dispersal. Estimations of insect-mediated gene dispersal would be valuable for managing potential escapes of transgenes. 2. To quantify the intensity and spatial scale of pollen dispersal by insect pollinators in an agricultural landscape, bait points made of flowering male-sterile OSR that attract OSR pollinators were located at six distances (10–1100 m) from the closest OSR fields and feral populations. Flower-visiting insects were caught by net on these male-sterile flowers and were rubbed onto the stigmas of male-sterile OSR plants grown in a pollen-proof greenhouse to do a manual pollination of their flowers. In this way we were able to assess the insects' OSR pollen load and seed production at each of the six distances. 3. A large diversity of insects carried OSR pollen and contributed to seed production, but not pollen beetles Meligethes aeneus. Logistic regression analyses of the seed-set success from the manual pollination demonstrated that seed set significantly increased with the proximity of OSR fields, the size of the pollinating insect, and the main daily temperature. Seed set was not affected by the pollinating insect's order or genus. Seed set, both observed and predicted by the model, was above zero for flowers pollinated with large bees caught at >1100 m from the nearest OSR field. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our study provides clear evidence that a large variety of insect species can transfer viable pollen between OSR plants over considerable distances. However, only 39AE4% of the insects caught on male-sterile flowers carried OSR pollen. Our results provide valuable data to improve models of pollen dispersal for entomophilous crops at the landscape scale. These models are essential to help land-managers reduce pollen-borne gene dispersal from genetically modified plants to wild and cultivated relatives.


The expansion of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) in Brazil has been boosted by the growing demand for bio-fuels all over the world and requires the occupation of new agricultural areas, including regions with unfavorable agro-climatic conditions. This observational study makes an analysis of the relationship between stomatal conductance, gas exchange and photosynthesis in sugarcane fields subject to different ambient conditions and growth phases. It was noted that the stomatal conductance had a much higher control on photosynthesis than on transpiration. Even under high stomatal con- ductance, photosynthesis maintained a high correlation to it. Sugarcane had an instantaneous water use efficiency of ap- proximately 4.4 μmol of fixed CO2 for each mmol of H20 expended in transpiration. Lower leaf water potential, besides leading to an internal reduction of CO2, also reduced the instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, indicating that the photo- synthesis apparatus was also affected. The variety RB92579, seems to have good water absorption system, because even under low leaf water potential, it maintained a good stomatal conductance, with a higher transpiration and photosynthesis than the others varieties. These results suggest that this variety has a tolerance mechanism to endure rather than avoid drought.


We discuss the general energetic variational approaches for hydrodynamic systems of complex fluids. In these energetic variational approaches, the least action principle (LAP) with action functional gives the Hamiltonian parts (conservative force) of the hydrodynamic systems, and the maximum/minimum dissipation principle (MDP), i.e., Onsager's principle, gives the dissipative parts (dissipative force) of the systems. When we combine the two systems derived from the two different principles, we obtain a whole coupled nonlinear system of equations satisfying the dissipative energy law. We will discuss the important roles of MDP in designing numerical method for computations of hydrodynamic systems in complex fluids. We will reformulate the dissipation in energy equation in terms of a rate in time by using an appropriate evolution equations, then the MDP is employed in the reformulated dissipation to obtain the dissipative force for the hydrodynamic systems. The systems are consistent with the Hamiltonian parts which are derived from LAP. This procedure allows the usage of lower order element (a continuous $C^0$ finite element) in numerical method to solve the system rather than high order elements, and at the same time preserves the dissipative energy law. We also verify this method through some numerical experiments in simulating the free interface motion in the mixture of two different fluids.


Plasmodesmata (PD) are essential but poorly understood structures in plant cell walls that provide symplastic continuity and intercellular communication pathways between adjacent cells and thus play fundamental roles in development and pathogenesis. Viruses encode movement proteins (MPs) that modify these tightly regulated pores to facilitate their spread from cell to cell. The most striking of these modifications is observed for groups of viruses whose MPs form tubules that assemble in PDs and through which virions are transported to neighbouring cells. The nature of the molecular interactions between viral MPs and PD components and their role in viral movement has remained essentially unknown. Here, we show that the family of PD-located proteins (PDLPs) promotes the movement of viruses that use tubule-guided movement by interacting redundantly with tubule-forming MPs within PDs. Genetic disruption of this interaction leads to reduced tubule formation, delayed infection and attenuated symptoms. Our results implicate PDLPs as PD proteins with receptor-like properties involved the assembly of viral MPs into tubules to promote viral movement.


Servant leadership is a philosophy that sheds a new light on theories on management and leadership. Particular emphasis is on service as founded on ethics and accountability with focus on the greater good prior to narrow interests. The pioneer of the philosophy is Robert K. Greenleaf. The main characteristics of servant leadership are intrinsic interest in others, inner strength and foresight. Research on the topic has increased the past years and results show that the philosophy is positively linked to corporate social responsibility, profit as well as staff wellbeing and trust in relations. Recent studies indicate that the philosophy can be beneficial for Icelandic society. To explore this further eight surveys have been conducted in different workplaces, years 2008 – 2012. Staff views towards servant leadership of next superior were investigated using a recent Dutch instrument, SLS. Job satisfaction was measured and the link towards staff views on servant leadership. Key findings are presented showing that staff views indicate somewhat high levels of servant leadership and the highest scores are for the factors on empowerment and accountability among next superiors. Job satisfaction is overall measured high and significantly linked to servant leadership supporting prior research in other countries. Findings from the Icelandic surveys provide potentials for successful management and leadership in local workplaces but further analysis is in the process as well as comparison towards findings from other countries.


Participation in sports by children and adolescents has never been higher. Approximately 30 million children and youth are engaged in sports each year. But with increasing exposure to organized sports comes an increasing opportunity for injury. This issue of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review provides an update of the epidemiology of injuries in the skeletally immature athlete; current information related to mechanisms of injury; and recommendations for treatment that are often unique because of the presence of an open growth plate. Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) does not respect an open growth plate. Although it has now been, generally, accepted that the most effective treatment of the torn ACL in the athlete is surgical reconstruction, treatment in the skeletally immature athlete, especially the prepubescent athlete, remains controversial. In this issue, Saluan reviews the short-term and long-term problems with ACL injury in kids and presents surgical methods to consider. Murray, in contrast, reminds us not to give up on the possibility of one day being able to repair the ACL, rather than reconstruct. Comprehensive reviews are provided that focus on regions (injuries of the upper extremity, anterior knee pain, meniscus injury, injuries of the hip and pelvis, and back pain). Although osteochondritis dissecans is not unique to sport, Polousky provides a review of the current concepts of etiology, treatment, and outcome. Finally, the very basic question of ''what are the physiological and psychological effects of exercise in children and youth'' is addressed by Nettle and Sprogis expressed as ''truth and/or consequences.'' I believe the authors have all provided extremely thoughtful and comprehensive reviews of their assigned subjects. We hope that this issue will serve as a useful resource for the practicing physician who deals with injury in the skeletally immature athlete.


The objective of this study was to examine iodine and selenium contents in skeletal muscles of selected species of game animals living in regions with low iodine and selenium contents in the soil and water. Iodine content was determined in 66 samples of skeletal muscles of red deer cut out of the musculus gracilis, 32 samples and 27 samples from the same muscle of roe deer and wild boar, respectively. The shot game animals came from hunting grounds in western and southern regions of the Czech Republic and in Protected Landscape Area Sumava. In red deer muscles the average iodine content was 44.9 ± 15.2 μg I·kg -1 wet weight with the range of 6.9 to 82.0 μg I·kg-1. The lower concentration in roe deer meat with the average 39.3 ± 14.1 μg I·kg-1 and the range from 18.3 to 84.4 μg I·kg -1 may be due to differences between biotopes and food. The average iodine concentration in the musculus gracilis of wild boars was 55.9± 27.0 μg·kg-1 wet weight. Selenium content was determined in 22 samples of red deer, 51 samples of roe deer and 27 samples of wild boar skeletal muscles. The average values of selenium content in the meat of red deer, roe deer and wild boars were 16.2 ± 8.4, 36.9 ± 16.6 and 27.6 ± 19.8 μg Se·kg -1 wet weight, respectively. All three species of game animals are characterised by low content and high variability of selenium concentration in meat with the minimum value 3.9 µg and maximum value 83.3 μg·kg-1 wet weight. The study brings new data on iodine and selenium content in the muscle of game animals in the Czech Republic.


Matter produced by organisms is remarkable. Evolutionary optimized properties, e.g. regarding hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, wetting and adhesive behavior, can already be found in the "simplest" forms of organisms. Euglena gracilis, a single-celled algal species, performs tasks as diverse as sensing the environment and reacting to it, converting and storing energy and metabolizing nutrients, living as a plant or an animal, depending on the environmental constraints. We developed a preparation method for atomic force microscopy investigation of dried whole Euglena cells in air and obtained data on whole cells as well as cell parts. Our studies corroborate TEM, SEM and optical microscopy results. Furthermore, we found new features on the pellicle, and set the ground for AFM force spectroscopy and viscoelastic studies on the nanoscale.


Over the past twenty years, child and family policy has become one of the most active areas of Canadian social policy. However, our understanding of whether children's lives have actually improved is limited. This dissertation addresses this research gap in three papers that examine the politics of Canadian child policy, evaluate child policy outcomes, and explore the determinants of child well-being that policy attempts to affect. The first paper examines the evolution and politics of child policy in Canada from 1995- 2015. During this period, federal government spending targeted to families with children has more than doubled in real terms with a focus on increasing family income. To explain this focus, I identify four perspectives on the child in the Canadian political discourse: child as family responsibility, child as deserving poor, child as rights bearer, and child as investment. I argue that the scope of child policy in Canada has been constrained to a family income paradigm that sits at the intersection of these perspectives. The second paper evaluates the significant expansion of Canadian child benefits from 1994 to 2010. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, I compare measures of poverty and inequality with indicators of young children's well-being. I find young Canadian children have not seen significant change in their relative economic position. Indicators of children's physical, emotional, developmental well-being and family context remain essentially stable, as do gaps between the outcomes of poor and rich children. Understanding how household income and socioeconomic (SES) status affect child outcomes is crucial for designing effective public policies to reduce the disadvantage of growing up in poverty. In the third paper, I use structural equation modeling of NLSCY data to disentangle the different pathways of income's and other elements of SES's effect on children's cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavourial outcomes. Applying theories of family stress and family investment, the analysis examines children's activities, parenting, and family functioning as potential mediators. I find that SES has a consistently larger effect on child outcomes than income, with parenting emerging as a key mediation pathway.


Introduction Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) may be used in patients presenting with large bowel obstruction (LBO) and offer a less invasive alternative to surgery and thus avoid the potential need for a stoma. Method A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent attempted SEMS placement for LBO between 2001 and 2014 at a university teaching hospital. Patients were identified from the radiology database and hospital coding via the hospital's informatics system. Results Over the 13-year review period, a primary SEMS was attempted in 143 patients, median age 72 (range 25–108) years, sex ratio 83 males: 60 females. Indications for SEMS were palliative treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) 101; as bridging prior to resectional surgery for CRC 14; extrinsic compression in 19 and for benign disease in 8 patients. SEMS placement was successful in 110 (77%) patients: in 83 (82%) palliative; 13 (93%) bridging; 12 (63%) compression and 2 (25%) benign groups. 85% of SEMS were placed in the distal colon. In the bridged patients 54% did not require a stoma at subsequent surgery. 91(83%) patients successfully stented had no complication. Of the complications that occurred, 13(15.7%) occurred in palliative, 3(23.1%) bridging, and 3(25%) compression groups. Early complications (<48hrs) occurred in 8 patients: 3 perforations; 4 failures to open; 1 migration and 1 PR bleed. There was 1 death and 7 proceeded to surgery. There were 6 late complications (<1 month): 5 perforations and 1 reobstruction, of which there were 2 deaths and 4 had surgery. Delayed complications (>1 month) occurred in 4 patients, 3 required surgery. Overall median survival post SEMS was 212 days. According to indication for SEMS, 30- and 90-day survival was respectively: palliative 81.2% and 68.2%; bridging 92.3%; compressive 50% and 33.3% and benign 100%. Median (IQR) survival was: palliative 205 (49–425); bridging 766 (408–960) and compression 27 (12–158) days. Conclusion The commonest indication for SEMS placement was malignant LBO from CRC. In palliative patients it has a good success rate and avoids the need for surgery in patients with a limited median survival. As a bridge to surgery in patients undergoing subsequent surgery it has a high success rate but does not always avoid the need for a stoma. Disclosure of interest None Declared.


Synthesis of L-[3-13C]tryptophan (2) from N,N-dimethyl[13C]formamide (4) and Dellarias oxazinone 1 as a chiral glycine equivalent was achieved. Vilsmeier reaction of indole (5) and N,N-dimethyl[13C]formamide (4) afforded a good yield of indole-3-[13C]carbaldehyde (3), which was converted to the bromide 8. Diastereoselective alkylation of the enolate of 1 with the bromide 8 proceeded with high diastereoselectivity to give 9. Ethanolysis, hydrogenolysis and hydrolysis of 9 gave L-[3-13C]tryptophan (2).


The invention relates to the control of the perceived sound loudness and/or the perceived spectral balance of an audio signal. An audio signal is modified in response to modification parameters obtainable from calculations performed at least in part in the perceptual (psychoacoustic) loudness domain. The invention is useful, for example, in one or more of: loudness-compensating volume control, automatic gain control, dynamic range control (including, for example, limiters, compressors, expanders, etc.), dynamic equalization, and compensating for background noise interference in an audio playback environment. The invention includes not only methods but also corresponding computer programs and apparatus.


This article is a review of approaches developed in scientific research to understand the effects of abuse in childhood and adolescent life, especially on cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning. The article begins returning to the social relevance of this issue in our environment, and then address the methodological and research challenges have been own global and local level, this type of study. Next, the article takes the need for vision from the development and ecological point of view, to allow studying the psychological effects of abuse. Finally, the article focuses on recapitulate what are the main types of abuse that have been studied today, and why it is necessary to understand them from a development perspective, it is contextualized, and to resume the progress made by the studies neuro-scientific.


Digital data is everywhere, and its ubiquity is causing profound changes in our personal lives and in the functions of government, business, and academia. Organizations of all sizes and purposes are seeking to take advantage of the big data tsunami and the opportunities it presents. RTI International, a non-profit U.S. research organization, draws more than 80 percent of its $760 million in annual revenues from competitive grants and contracts funded by the U.S. government. The organization is rich in talent and expertise but not currently aligned in a way that meets big data's challenges. To thrive in this rapidly changing environment, RTI must determine how to seize opportunities big data presents, survive the threats posed by big data, and offer its clients expanded services. How well RTI responds to these challenges will determine its role in the search for solutions to the major social and scientific problems of our day.


Life style changes, population and economic growth, and lack of institutional innovations are causing noticeable damage to the rural communities living in and around Aflaj. The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR) reported more than 1,000 dried-up Aflaj out of 4,112 in 1996. This paper presents an estimation of the damage caused to the rural communities due to Aflaj dry-up. The production function method and the cost based method are used to estimate the direct losses incurred by farmers and the local communities. These are related to (1) losses in marketed agricultural products, (2) increase in domestic water expenditures per household and (3) capital losses related to changes in house and land values. The study considered 33 dried-up Aflaj among the 1029 monitored by the MRMWR. Our results show that on average each family in the dried-up Falaj has lost an income equivalent of O.R 320 per month. This highlights the importance of Aflaj as an income generator in the remote rural areas. Live Aflaj provide fresh vegetables and healthy food as well as drinking water to the rural population without the need for governmental intervention. The contribution of the supporting wells, whenever provided by the MRMWR, is estimated at O.R 1,478 per family per year. On average the annual financial loss per family due to dry-up is estimated at O.R 3,301 per year. The total damage cost of dried-up Aflaj, at the Sultanate level, is estimated at more than O.R 59 million per year.


This book is tightly focused on the pricing and hedging of fixed income securities and their derivatives. It is targeted at those who are interested in trading these instruments in an investment bank, but is also useful for those responsible for monitoring compliance of the traders such as regulators, back office staff, middle and senior lever managers. To broaden its appeal, this book lowers the barriers to learning by keeping math to a minimum and by illustrating concepts through detailed numerical examples using Excel workbooks/spreadsheets on a CD with the book. On the accompanying CD with the book, three interest rate models are illustrated: Ho and Lee, constant volatility and Black Derman and Toy, along with two evolutionary models, Vasicek and CIR and two credit risk models, Jarrow and Turnbull and Duffie and Singleton. These are implemented via spreadsheets on the CD. * Starts at an introductory level and then develops advanced topics * Provides plenty of numerical examples rather than mathematical equations to aid full understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of all interest rate derivative models * Can be used for self-study - a complete book on the topic, which includes examples with answers


This study was conducted to explore bird species diversity and conservation challenges in Lake Arekit located in the Guraghe Zone of Ethiopia. Point counts along the shoreline of the lake were employed to identify and record birds. Potential threats to the lake were identified through field observation and via key informant interviews. A total number of 56 bird species belonging to 23 families, and 11 orders were observed. One species, the Blue winged Goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera) was endemic, three species were near-endemic, and five species were vulnerable in their conservation status. A significantly higher number of species (i.e., 47) was recorded in the dry season than in the wet season (i.e., 24). The relative abundance of birds was also significantly higher during the dry season (t = 2.23, P > 0.05). The study also showed that Lake Arekit is under severe threats including urbanization with unwise waste disposals, siltation, and intensive agricultural expansion. Therefore, urgent stakeholder actions are required to save this lake and thereby the vast array of its biodiversity particularly the birds.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impacts of China's entry into the World Trade Organization on the world wheat industry. Special attention is given to the impact on the U.S. wheat industry. The Global Wheat Policy Simulation Model was used for this analysis. This study indicates that the total value of China's imports from the United States in 2005 are predicted to increase by $221 million in the normal import scenario and $842 million in the maximum import scenario. However, net increases in U.S. export value would range from $127 million to $577 million in 2005 because increased world price of wheat in the scenarios lowers wheat imports from other countries.


The comment on my paper concerning Conte di 'Ottomano' Freducci by Professor Chet Van Duzer is welcome for a number of reasons. Chet Van Duzer, in his BLJ article, 'Nautical Charts, Texts, and Transmission: The Case of Conte di OttomanoFreducci and Fra Mauro' (pp. 1-4), points out the inherent biases one encounters in interpreting descriptive legends on non-traditional nautical charts, and he reiterates a point I made: namely, that the recondite nature of some of the new information that nautical charts by Count Freducci include are of particular interest to shed light on the process of commissioning and creating nautical charts in Medieval and Renaissance Italy


Article history: Received: March 2014 Received in the revised form: May 2014 Accepted: September 2014 The aim of the study was to examine the motivation and predispositions of students of the Faculty of Production Engineering at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin to attend laboratory classes in Materials Science supported with a computer program Cambridge Engineering Selector – CES EduPack in English. Determinants of the desirability of its use for first-year students were: the level of computer skills, interests of students in the issues of materials selection and knowledge of the English language, which supports the program. The survey consisted of 17 questions. The questionnaire was filled in by 81 students. The results confirmed the positive opinion of the respondents about the advisability of using a computer program for education purposes. Moreover,half of the respondents believe that during laboratory classes various forms of knowledge transfer should be combined. Students in a large majority show interest in the choice of materials for the products of everyday use. In contrast, they are afraid of or do not have an opinion on using software in English.


Pangasius hypophthalmus has been cultured in many countries. Nowadays, P. hypophthalmus seeds can be obtained in mass number by artificial seed production. However, the survival of P. hypophthalmus larvae remains low. This study was to
determine the effects of light and continuous darkness conditions on the survival and growth of P. hypophthalmus larvae from zero dAH until 20 dAH. The research was
carried out by applying light and dark conditions in three different stocking densities, 10 tails/L, 20 tailslL and 40 tails/L. The results showed the survival rate of larvae
reared under dark condition was higher in all stocking densities range from 14.4% to 38 % compare to light condition. However, the growth is higher under light condition except for larvae reared in 40 tails/L; which larvae reared under dark condition is better. On the other hand, in term of fish production, all larvae reared under dark condition recorded in higher total weight ranging from 552 mg to 808 mg. Therefore, this study recommended that P. hypophthalmus larvae should be reared under dark
condition in high stocking density for higher fish production.


Illegal wildlife trade is gaining prominence as a threat to biodiversity, but addressing it remains challenging. To help inform proactive policy responses in the face of uncertainty, in 2018 we conducted a horizon scan of significant emerging issues. We built upon existing iterative horizon scanning methods, using an open and global participatory approach to evaluate and rank issues from a diverse range of sources. Prioritized issues related to three themes: developments in biological, information, and financial technologies; changing trends in demand and information; and socioeconomic, geopolitical shifts and influences. The issues covered areas ranging from changing demographic and economic factors to innovations in technology and communications that affect illegal wildlife trade markets globally; the top three issues related to China, illustrating its vital role in tackling emerging threats. This analysis can support national governments, international bodies, researchers, and nongovernmental organizations as they develop strategies for addressing the illegal wildlife trade.


Background—The early repolarization (ER) pattern is associated with sudden death and has been shown to be heritable. Its significance when identified in families affected by sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) remains unclear. Methods and Results—We analyzed 12-lead ECGs of 401 first-degree relatives of individuals who had died from SADS. The prevalence of ER patterns was compared with family-clustered controls. ER was more common in SADS family members than in controls (21% versus 8%; odds ratio: 5.14; 95% confidence interval, 3.37–7.84) independent of the presence of a familial cardiac diagnosis. Both ascending and horizontal ER patterns were more common. In addition, ER was investigated for associations with findings from ajmaline provocation (n=332), exercise ECG (n=304), and signal-averaged ECG (n=118) when performed. ER was associated with a trend toward late depolarization, in general was suppressed with exercise and was unaffected by ajmaline. Inferior and horizontal patterns were, however, more likely to persist during exercise. Augmentation of ER with ajmaline was rare. Conclusions—The ER pattern is more common in SADS family members than controls adjusted in particular for relatedness. The increased prevalence is irrespective of ER subtype and the presence of other inherited arrhythmia syndromes. ER may therefore represent an underlying heritable arrhythmia syndrome or risk factor for sudden death in the context of other cardiac pathology. The differing response of ER subtypes to exercise and ajmaline provocation suggests underlying mechanisms of both abnormal repolarization and depolarization.


Friction stir welding (FSW) and aluminium alloy 2139-T8 are currently being considered for use in future military vehicles. However, stringent regulations on weld integrity under extreme loading conditions limit the adoption of new technologies. Moreover, current finite element (FE) based methods do not give reliable predictions of strain distribution in welds, which makes it difficult to assess the performance of structures. Therefore, an extensive research program was carried out to develop a generalised finite element (FE) based methodology to predict the response of welded structures under complex loading configurations. The methodology enables the complex distribution of mechanical properties arising from welding, which is linked to microstructural variation, to be incorporated into a macro scale structural model. The method is general, and is applicable for any heat treatable aluminium alloy under a range of joining processes. To achieve this, the microstructure of 2139-T8 alloy was characterised at a range of length scales, with particular emphasis on the size and distribution of strengthening Omega precipitates. 2139-T8 was subjected to bead on plate FSW to enable characterisation of the effects of processing on the local microstructure. In addition, kinetic data for 2139-T8 was generated, allowing a simple softening model to be developed; this allowed the post-weld strength distribution to be predicted. The model was also used to recreate bulk specimens of 2139-T8 with equivalent local weld microstructure, which was verified by transmission electron microscopy. Material with equivalent microstructure was used to estimate the local mechanical property distributions across the weld, including the initial yield stress and plastic response; the mechanical properties of 2139-T8 are known to be representative of 2139-T84. From observations of this combined data, a methodology was developed to enable the estimation of the complex mechanical property distributions arising during welding. Furthermore, an automated computer program was written to implement the property distributions into FE based models. The methodology was verified using data generated for 2139-T8 and was used to simulate the response of FSW 2139-T8 loaded in uniaxial tension. The simulations were verified experimentally using digital image correlation (DIC) and the methodology was shown to demonstrate increased accuracy and reliability over existing FE methods, with respect to strain predictions. In addition, the method eliminates the need to calibrate the structural model to a particular loading configuration. Theoretically, the models are insensitive to loading and this property was tested by extending the model to simulate the strain distribution of large scale welded panels subject to explosive blast loading. The simulations were verified against blast tests where FSW 2139-T84 panels were subjected to blast loading from the detonation of plastic explosive. The results indicate that the modelling methodology developed is capable of producing accurate and reliable predictions of strain distribution in welded structures under complex loading configurations.


This chapter explores the principles of comparative research design as well as the issues and problems associated with different aspects of the approach. In particular, it considers the issue of case selection, the common sources of error that are associated with comparative research, and what can be done to try and avoid or minimize them. The comparative method is one of the most commonly used methods in political research and is often employed to investigate various political phenomena, including democratization, civil war, and public policy. The chapter discusses the three main forms of comparison, namely case study, small-N comparison, and large-N comparison. It also describes two main approaches used to select cases for small-N studies: Most Similar Systems Design and Most Different Systems Design. It also evaluates qualitative comparative analysis and concludes with an analysis of issues arising from case selection and data collection in large-N comparative research.


The following study is dedicated to the practical usage of filmic adaptations in the academic setting; more specifically I explore the usage of adaptations based on The Scarlet Letter and how they can be integrated into language arts classrooms in American high schools. In doing so I explore not only the stigmas commonly attached to adaptation studies but also the current scholarship by critics such as Robert Stam Brian MacFarlan and Thomas Leitch who strive to eliminate these stigmas. I also examine the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as this document is the curriculum guide followed for all North Carolina public schools and use its language as a guide for the creation of my instructional guide. In my examination I discuss where the SCOS's language provides opportunity for the integrating adaptation into the typical English III classroom. The study of adaptation is a contested subject and has not taken a strong hold in high school classrooms but yields interesting revelations about not only the original texts but also the cultural setting of the newer works. A large portion of this work will also include a proposed unit plan for a sample novel and film pairing. This is included for other academics to study as a model for other pairings and will have a variety of lesson plans and assignments. I created this unit to help students master film terminology as well as the novel's content so that teachers themselves can practice knew material while also using older more comfortable methods of instruction. The inclusion of this unit means that a high school teacher unfamiliar with film language and study can successfully teach a unit on film adaptation.


This paper introduces a computer-based application for three dimensional (3D) landscape simulations of housing-layout-design using the concepts of fractals with Iterative Function System (IFS). At an early phase of designing housing layouts, the designer assigns specific locations and positions for many house-units on an undeveloped site. From a simple template pattern defined by an XML file, this application generates a wide variety of such layout designs in 3D which consists of multiple residential house-units. Along with the house, the unit can include other design components found in a residential development such as a roads, walls, trees etc. The template defines the transformation rules for the IFS. It includes the information of the geometrical relationships between the stages in the iteration and of the components used in stopping the iteration. The application is formulated, implemented and tested. The results got from the case studies are demonstrated and evaluated.


Morphometry has been used in the investigation of the common shrimp Crangon crangon subpopulation structure at a local scale (100 km) around the UK. In the present study C. crangon populations were sampled over the whole distributional range from northern Norway to the Mediterranean and Black Sea to test whether the same method could be applied to describe subpopulation structure at a much larger scale (1000 km). Spatial variability in morphometric characters was determined by sampling 25 locations across the distributional range. In addition, the temporal variability in morphology was studied at 4 sites (Bodo, Norway; Wadden Sea, The Netherlands; Minho and Lima estuaries, Portugal). Contrary to expectations, temporal variability was observed in three of those sites resulting in an inability to distinguish between populations at the local scale. However, the large scale subdivision of shrimp populations from the Adriatic, Black Sea, Mediterranean and Atlantic were clearly identified. It is concluded that, while there are clear morphological differences between major zoogeographical zones, at a local scale, subpopulations frequently cannot be identified because of individual variability.


This paper reviews the literature about peer and self‐assessment in university courses from the point of view of their use, and the suitability of their use, in the first year of university study. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part argues that although first‐year students are involved in many of the studies that report on the use of peer and self‐assessment in higher education, the proportion of these studies that do so is somewhat less than in other year levels. In addition, relatively little of this work directly and explicitly discusses the suitability of peer and self‐assessment for students and courses at this year level. The second part of the paper provides an introductory exploration of the relationship between peer and self‐assessment, and specific features of first‐year assessment, learning and teaching. Three issues relating directly to the suitability of peer and self‐assessment in the first year are explored. In the third part, the paper briefly discusses the desirability of implementing peer and self‐assessment, in general, before seeking to extend this specifically to the first year. The paper concludes by recommending that greater use can and should be made of peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university study.


Patients are notoriously inconsistent with taking their medications. Doctors and insurance companies have an incentive to monitor and collect data on whether medical patients and insurance customers are following prescriptions and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A convenient way of gathering such data is using smartphones. For example, accelerometer readings can be used to reveal how physically active a patient is. Unfortunately, the readings of a sensor can be easily manipulated. This data's huge financial value makes doctors and insurance companies reluctant to use it unless it can be made more trustworthy. This paper's goal is to start a discussion on how to use trusted sensors to help doctors and insurance companies gather data about their patients' medications in a trustworthy manner.


We report partially depleted silicon-on-insulator p-channel field-effect transistors fabricated with a 32-nm technology ground rule and featuring SiGe raised source/drain, SiGe channel, and implant-free extension formation process. A respectable drive current of 950 μA/μm is obtained at an OFF current of 100 nA/μm, VDD = 1V, and a contacted gate pitch of 130 nm. Furthermore, when the transistor width is scaled down to 100 nm, the saturation transconductance increases by about 15%, leading to a drive current of 1100 μA/μm.


In this article, political art is perceived at the confluence of four trends in artistic practices today: the social turn, the reality urgency, the utopian impulse, and the collaborative practices. This confluence is articulated on the assumption that political art practices are, at least to a certain point, enhancing the transition to a collaborative model between artistic culture and social scientific and philosophical culture. Framed by this double perspective on art – political and collaborative –, this article is drawn from a major study about the House on Fire European network of festivals and theatres. The qualitative data that support this research consists of House on Fire's activity plans and programmes from 2012 to 2015. The qualitative data was also analysed by resorting to research notes taken by the researcher in the position of spectator. This study is guided by the following aims: to explore the political agency position of House on Fire; to identify the focus of society criticism in the House on Fire's programmes; and to construct an exploratory typology of collaborative modalities between artistic culture and social-scientific and philosophical culture.


Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic conditions in the world and is of a major public health concern. The Medial Temporal Lobe (also known as the Mesial Temporal Lobe) structures are most commonly involved in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) which is the most common form of partial epilepsy. Mesial temporal lobe sclerosis (MTS) is the most common pathology associated with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. Radiological investigations with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of people with epilepsy (PWE), especially temporal lobe epilepsy is pivotal to definitive diagnosis and management. We present the case of an epileptic patient whose brain MRI using conventional protocols revealed MTS. Diligent scrutiny of MR images couple with a good knowledge of the MRI anatomy of the medial temporal lobe by the radiologists are imperative to accurate diagnosis.


In July 2002 the trustees of the Milton Hershey School Trust announced a plan to diversify the Trust's investment portfolio by selling the Trust's controlling interest in the Hershey Company. The Company's stock jumped from $62.50 to $78.30 on news of the proposed sale. But the Pennsylvania Attorney General, who was then running for governor, opposed the sale on the ground that it would harm the local community. Shortly after the Attorney General obtained a preliminary injunction, the trustees abandoned the sale and the Company's stock dropped to $65.00. Using standard event study methodology, we find that the sale announcement was associated with a positive abnormal return of over 25% and that canceling the sale was followed by a negative abnormal return of nearly 12%. Our findings imply that instead of improving the welfare of the needy children who are the Trust's main beneficiaries, the Attorney General's intervention preserved charitable trust agency costs of roughly $850 million and foreclosed salutary portfolio diversification. Furthermore, blocking the sale destroyed roughly $2.7 billion in shareholder wealth, reducing aggregate social welfare by preserving a suboptimal ownership structure of the Company. Our analysis contributes to the literature of trust law by supplying the first empirical analysis of agency costs in the charitable trust form and by highlighting shortcomings in supervision of charities by the state attorneys general. We also contribute to the literature of corporate governance by measuring the change in the Company's market value when the Trust exposed the Company to the market for corporate control.


Abstract. Climate change, accompanied by intensified extreme weather events, results in changes in intensity, frequency and magnitude of soil erosion. These unclear future developments make adaption and improvement of soil erosion modelling approaches all the more important. Hypothesizing that models cannot keep up with the data, this review gives an overview of 44 process based soil erosion models, their strengths and weaknesses and discusses their potential for further development with respect to new and improved soil and soil erosion assessment techniques. We found valuable tools in areas, as remote sensing, tracing or machine learning, to gain temporal and spatial distributed high resolution parameterization and process descriptions which could lead to a more holistic modelling approach. Most process based models are so far not capable to implement cross-scale erosional processes or profit from the available resolution on a temporal and spatial scale. We conclude that models need further development regarding their process understanding, adaptability in respect to scale as well as their parameterization and calibration. The challenge is the development of models which are able to simulate soil erosion processes as close to reality as possible, as user-friendly as possible and as complex as it needs to be.


Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause, was initially considered to have an infectious etiology. As the infectious agent could not be identified, it was grouped among the immune disorders. As a result, research and clinical trials were directed towards the autoimmune theory and patients were treated with steroids, immunomodulators, aminosalicylates and, most recently, anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Because of the inconsistency of treatment success and the failure to cure Crohn's disease, many physicians turned to antibiotics in search for alternative solutions, especially when other regimens failed. Attention has recently been directed toward possible infectious causes of Crohn's disease. Although it is still unknown whether microbial agents are etiologically involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease, there has been a growing interest in trying antibiotics in the management of Crohn's disease. This review summarizes the data available regarding antibiotic treatment of Crohn's disease in relation to a possible mycobacterial etiology. Multidrug therapies are in clinical trials and the results of these randomized, controlled, double-blind studies are needed before guidelines about whether to include antibiotics as part of the treatment of Crohn's disease management can be made.


Principal limitations of the standard THz-TDS method for the detection and identification are demonstrated under real conditions (at long distance of about 3.5 m and at a high relative humidity more than 50%) using neutral substances thick paper bag, paper napkins and chocolate. We show also that the THz-TDS method detects spectral features of dangerous substances even if the THz signals were measured in laboratory conditions (at distance 30-40 cm from the receiver and at a low relative humidity less than 2%); silicon-based semiconductors were used as the samples. However, the integral correlation criteria, based on SDA method, allows us to detect the absence of dangerous substances in the neutral substances. The discussed algorithm shows high probability of the substance identification and a reliability of realization in practice, especially for security applications and non-destructive testing.


Application of evaluationary approach to thermo-mechanical optimization of gas turbine airfoil cooling configurationCooling of the hot gas path components plays a key role in modern gas turbines. It allows, due to efficiency reasons, to operate the machines with temperature exceeding components' melting point. The cooling system however brings about some disadvantages as well. If so, we need to enforce the positive effects of cooling and diminish the drawbacks, which influence the reliability of components and the whole machine. To solve such a task we have to perform an optimization which makes it possible to reach the desired goal. The task is approached in the 3D configuration. The search process is performed by means of the evolutionary approach with floatingpoint representation of design variables. Each cooling structure candidate is evaluated on the basis of thermo-mechanical FEM computations done with Ansys via automatically generated script file. These computations are parallelized. The results are compared with the reference case which is the C3X airfoil and they show a potential stored in the cooling system. Appropriate passage distribution makes it possible to improve the operation condition for highly loaded components. Application of evolutionary approach, although most suitable for such problems, is time consuming, so more advanced approach (Conjugate Heat Transfer) requires huge computational power. The analysis is based on original procedure which involves optimization of size and location of internal cooling passages of cylindrical shape within the airfoil. All the channels can freely move within the airfoil cross section and also their number can change. Such a procedure is original.


Many universities are currently exploring the factors that impact implementation of blended learning policies and institutions. In the Caribbean this is particularly important as financial support by Governments in the region has dwindled in the context of a global recession and universities are seeking ways to reduce costs and increase access. The vision for blended learning on one Campus of a multi-campus, higher education institution in the Caribbean, was to enhance teaching and learning by offering students and staff greater flexibility, more opportunities for engagement and wider choices consistent with varying teaching and learning styles and needs. As this multi-campus university moves toward a re-engineered online policy and greater collaboration among the campuses, some administrators have expressed the view that they have been left out of the implementation strategies and are not clear on the status of the blended learning policy on their campus, nor their roles and responsibilities. This is a qualitative case study, focusing on the stage of blended learning implementation and the perceptions of Deans and Administrative Officers at a specific Higher Education Institution.  The methods used were, review of the use of the Learning Management System, and interviews conducted with Deans and Administrative Officers. Thick descriptions of perceptions of administrators are provided. The implications of their perceptions for implementation are discussed and recommendations to close gaps where they exist are made. Findings confirm that change management strategies are required, such as establishing a sense of urgency, forming a powerful guiding coalition and creating a vision. Administrators need to provide clear direction on who should lead the initiative and senior management has a role in ensuring there is additional team support to increase programme development. Findings also indicate that while blended learning has the potential to reduce costs to Higher Education institutions, initial investments in software, hardware, appropriate staff and training require financial investments. Administrators have a role to play in sourcing funds for implementation of blended learning and also in performing audits, which can help in providing information on the existing technical skills, hardware and software available on the campus and how they are being used.